Look Out, Lancaster County

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Woosh! The wind picked up and whipped against Rachel’s legs, making it hard for her to walk. Splat! Splat! Splat! The rain splattered on her umbrella and splashed against the part of her dress that hung below her raincoat.

  “Hurry up, slowpoke,” Jacob called over his shoulder. “You’re walking too slow.”

  “I can’t walk any faster because it’s raining sideways and the wind’s slowing me down,” Rachel complained. Her day was off to a very bad start.

  “It’s not raining sideways. The wind’s just blowing the rain, that’s all. What a bensel you are.”

  “Mom said you’re not supposed to call me a silly child anymore.”

  Jacob grunted and kept walking.

  Rachel gripped the umbrella tighter. Deep down she sometimes wished she could do something so Jacob would get in trouble.

  Woosh! Another gust of wind came up, and—floop!—Rachel’s umbrella turned inside out. “No, no, no,” she groaned. “Always trouble somewhere!”

  Struggling against the blustery wind and drenching rain, Rachel tried to pull the umbrella right side out. It didn’t budge. The wind was too strong, and the rain poured down so hard she could barely see.

  “Would it help if I walked slower and closer to you so I can block the wind?” Jacob asked.

  Rachel wasn’t sure why Jacob was being so nice all of a sudden, but she really didn’t think him walking closer to her would help that much. “Danki anyway,” she said, “but you’d better keep moving. If we walk any slower we’ll be late to school.”

  Jacob shrugged and continued on. Rachel trudged wearily behind.

  By the time they arrived at the schoolhouse Rachel was wet and cold. As she stepped onto the porch, she looked up at the sky and spotted a ray of sun peeking through the clouds. She hoped this was the end of her troubles for today.

  Elizabeth rang the bell, and Rachel followed Jacob inside. She’d just slipped out of her raincoat and boots when Orlie walked up and pointed at her umbrella. “What happened to that?” he asked with a snicker.

  “It turned inside out because of the wind.”

  “It sure looks funny.” He laughed some more. “I’ll bet you had a hard time staying dry under that, huh?”

  “Very funny!” Rachel struggled with the umbrella but finally got it turned right side out again. Next she took her lunch pail out of her backpack and was about to place it on the shelf near the door when Phoebe tapped her on the shoulder. “Did you get a new lunch pail? I like those cute little ladybugs.”

  “This is my old lunch pail. I painted lady bugs on both sides so no one would think the lunch pail was hers.” Rachel glanced over at Audra, who sat on the floor struggling to take off her boots.

  Audra wrinkled her nose and turned her back to Rachel.

  “I wish I had a ladybug painted on my lunch pail,” Phoebe said. “You’re really good at art, Rachel.”

  Rachel felt pleased knowing someone thought she could paint well. “Would you like me to paint something on your lunch pail?” she asked Phoebe.

  “Oh, jah. Could you do a ladybug like yours?”

  Rachel shook her head. “If I put a ladybug on your lunch pail, then it will look like my lunch pail and we might get them verhuddelt.”

  “How about a butterfly or a turtle?” Phoebe suggested. “Could you paint one of those?”

  “Jah, sure, if it’s all right with your mamm.” Phoebe was two years younger than Rachel, and Rachel didn’t think it would be right to paint anything on Phoebe’s lunch pail unless Phoebe’s mother gave her permission.

  “I’ll ask Mama when I get home.” Phoebe smiled. “Can you bring your paints to school tomorrow?”

  Rachel nodded. “If your mamm says it’s okay, maybe I can paint something on your lunch pail during our lunch recess.”

  “That’d be good.” Phoebe scurried off to her desk, and Rachel did the same. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad day after all.

  Elizabeth opened her Bible and had just started reading from Matthew 5:22, when Aaron King, the boy who sat behind Rachel, tapped her on the shoulder. “Psst … Rachel … I heard about the ladybugs you painted on your lunch pail,” he whispered.

  Rachel only nodded in reply. She knew everyone was expected to be quiet during the time of scripture reading.

  Aaron tapped her shoulder again. “I also heard you’re gonna bring your paints to school tomorrow. Could you paint a frog on my lunch pail?”

  Rachel smiled. It was nice to know someone else appreciated her artwork.

  “Psst … Rachel, did you hear what I said?”

  Rachel turned around. “Jah, Aaron,” she said, forgetting to whisper. “If your folks don’t mind, I’d be happy to paint something on your lunch pail.”

  “Rachel Yoder, stop talking and turn around. You know better than to do that when I’m reading from the Bible.”

  Rachel jumped at the sound of her teacher’s voice. Her face heated up as she turned toward the front of the room. She raised her hand.

  “What is it, Rachel?”

  “Aaron was asking if I could—”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “You’re the one who was turned around, and your voice was the only one I heard. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  Rachel’s face grew hotter. It’s Aaron’s fault I got in trouble. He should be in trouble with Elizabeth, too. She tried to concentrate on the verse of scripture Elizabeth was reading about not being angry with others, but all she could think about was how the teacher had embarrassed her in front of the class and how Aaron had gotten her in trouble. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep tears from falling. I’m not going to paint anything on Aaron’s lunch pail now!

  When the scripture, prayer, and songs were done, it was time for arithmetic. Rachel had just opened her math book, when—bzzz … bzzz—a pesky fly flew past her nose. Bzzz … bzzz … bzzz.

  Rachel swatted at the fly, but it buzzed past her again. Maybe, if she was real fast, she could catch that irritating fly in her hand. It couldn’t be that hard; she’d seen her brother Henry do it many times.

  Rachel kept a close watch on the fly as it zipped over Orlie’s head, flew around Audra’s desk, and zoomed back to her own desk.

  When the fly buzzed in front of Rachel’s face, she reached out, and—woosh!—trapped the fly in her hand.

  R-r-zzz … r-r-zzz … Rachel felt the vibration of the fly’s wings flapping against her fingers and palm.

  With a satisfied smile, Rachel held her hand up to her ear. R-r-zzz … r-r-zzz … She heard the fly buzzing.

  Elizabeth left her desk and headed down the center aisle. “What have you got in your hand?” she asked, stopping in front of Rachel’s desk.

  Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Rachel. Rachel’s face heated up. “There’s—uh—a fly in my hand.”

  Elizabeth’s forehead wrinkled. “A fly?”

  Rachel nodded.

  “What are you doing with a fly in your hand?”

  “It was bothering me, so I caught it.”

  “Well, please let it go and finish your arithmetic lesson.”

  Rachel opened her hand, and—zip!—the fly flew straight up and landed on Elizabeth’s nose. The children all laughed, but Elizabeth frowned. She swatted at the fly as it buzzed across the room. Then it circled Sharon Smucker, the teacher’s helper, darted over Aaron’s head, and flew toward Rachel’s desk. Rachel reached out, and—woosh!—the fly was trapped in her hand again.

  Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open, and the children all clapped.

  Rachel smiled. “Would you like me to put the fly outside?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Please do. And be sure to wash your hands once you’ve let the fly go.”

  Rachel headed to the back of the room, opened the door, and released the pesky fly. Then she hurried to the outdoor pump, washed her hands, and raced back inside.

  When she returned to her seat, Elizabeth told the class to turn in their papers. “It’s not raini
ng anymore and the sun is beginning to shine, so you may go outside for recess,” she said.

  Rachel didn’t bother to put on her coat or boots before hurrying out the door.

  “That was sure something the way you caught that fly in your hand,” Orlie said when he caught up to Rachel near the swings. “How’d you learn to do that anyway?”

  She smiled, noticing that Orlie didn’t smell like garlic today. Maybe his mother had quit making him eat a piece of garlic every day like she’d done last winter. “I learned to catch flies by watching my brother Henry,” she said. “He does it all the time.”

  “Do you think you can teach me how to catch a fly?” Orlie asked.

  “I suppose I could.”

  “Eww … I’d never want to touch a dirty old fly. I don’t like bugs at all,” Audra said, stepping between Rachel and Orlie. She looked at Rachel and wrinkled her nose. “How could you stand touching that filthy fly? Aren’t you worried about getting germs?”

  “My little sister’s not worried about that at all,” Jacob said before Rachel could respond. “She’s already got the fly flu.”

  Audra’s eyes widened. “The fly flu?”

  Jacob nodded. “That’s right.”

  “How did you get the fly flu?” Audra asked Rachel.

  Rachel was about to tell Audra that she’d better stay away from her, because the fly flu was contagious, when Orlie said, “There’s no such thing as the fly flu. Rachel’s bruder just likes to tease.”

  Jacob snorted a laugh and slapped his knee. “Once, when Rachel made a shoofly pie, it turned out so bad we all thought we were gonna come down with the fly flu.”

  Rachel poked Jacob’s arm. “If you don’t stop saying mean things, when we get home I’ll tell Mom you were teasing me again.”

  “You do and I’ll tell Mom that you were showing off in class today.”

  “I was not.”

  “Were so.”

  “Was not.”

  “I don’t know about you, Orlie,” Audra spoke up, “but I’m not going to stay here and listen to these two argue.”

  “Me neither,” said Orlie. “Let’s head over to the swings.”

  As Audra tromped past Rachel, she stepped in a mud puddle, and—splat!—a wave of mud splashed up and all over Rachel’s new dress!

  Rachel groaned. “What’d you do that for, Audra?”

  Audra’s face turned red. “I–I’m sorry.”

  Rachel looked down at her dress and clenched her fists. “My mamm’s not going to be happy when she sees that I’ve got mud all over my new dress.”

  “I didn’t do it on purpose,” Audra said. “It was just an accident.”

  Rachel whirled around and headed back to the schoolhouse. I don’t care what Audra says. I’ll bet she stepped in that mud puddle on purpose because she doesn’t like me. Well, I don’t like her either.

  As Rachel and Jacob walked home from school that afternoon, it started to rain.

  “Oh, great,” Rachel complained. “I hope it doesn’t rain sideways again.”

  Jacob ignored her and kept walking.

  Rachel looked down at her dirty dress. “I’m mad at Audra for splattering mud all over my dress,” she grumbled. “I’m sure she did it on purpose, too.”

  Jacob shook his head. “I doubt it, Rachel.”

  “Humph! A lot you know.”

  “I heard Audra and Orlie talking during recess, and Audra seemed nice enough to me. Maybe you need to give her a chance.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if Mom makes me wash my dress, the way she did last summer when I fell in the pond during our end-of-the-school-year picnic,” Rachel said, ignoring Jacob’s comment about Audra.

  Jacob halted and turned to face Rachel. “If you’re so upset about the mud, why don’t you hold out your skirt and the let rain wash it off?”

  Rachel grunted. “That’s a crazy idea, Jacob.”

  “No it’s not. Just hold out the side of your skirt and let the rain wash it clean.”

  “But then my dress will be sopping wet.”

  “Would you rather that it be wet or dirty?”

  “Neither.”

  “Then quit complaining.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Jah, you are. You’ve had a bad attitude ever since Mary moved away.”

  Rachel swallowed around the lump in her throat. She didn’t need Jacob to remind her of how miserable she felt without Mary. And she didn’t like him sticking up for Audra. Rain splattered Rachel’s cheeks, mixing with her tears. She felt like she’d been rained on all day.

  By the time Rachel’s house came into view, her legs were so wet they felt like two limp noodles. She trudged up the back steps behind Jacob and followed him into the house.

  Rachel’s teeth chattered as she slipped out of her raincoat and boots. She opened Mom’s umbrella and set it on the floor in the corner of the utility room so it could dry.

  “Mmm … I smell something good.” Jacob’s nose twitched as he hung his coat on a wall peg near the door. “I’ll bet Mom made a batch of cookies today.”

  The sweet smell of cinnamon and molasses drew Rachel into the kitchen where she saw Mom removing a tray of cookies from the oven.

  “I knew it … cookies!” Jacob smacked his lips.

  “Oh, Rachel, I found your umbrella after you left for school this morning. It was under your bed.” Mom turned with a smile on her face, but when she looked at Rachel, her smile disappeared. “Ach [oh], Rachel, what happened to your dress?”

  “That new girl, Audra, stepped in a puddle during recess and splattered mud all over me,” Rachel said. “I think she did it on purpose because she doesn’t like me.”

  “What makes you so sure she doesn’t like you?” Mom asked.

  “I think it’s Rachel who doesn’t like Audra,” Jacob said before Rachel could reply. “She’s still mad at Audra for eating her peanut butter sandwich yesterday.”

  Mom looked at Rachel over the top of her glasses. “Is that so, Rachel?”

  Rachel nodded. “Audra didn’t take my lunch pail today, though. Everyone knew it was mine since I painted ladybugs on both sides of it. In fact, two of the kinner asked if I’d paint something on their lunch pails.”

  “You paint very well, so I’m sure you’ll do a nice job.”

  “Is it all right if I take my paints and brushes tomorrow so I can paint something on Phoebe’s and Aaron’s lunch pails?” Rachel asked.

  “I suppose it would be all right.” Mom pointed to Rachel’s dress. “In the meantime, run upstairs and get changed out of that dress. When you come back down I’ll have some cookies and hot chocolate waiting.”

  “Danki, Mom.” Rachel hurried up the stairs, smiling to herself. Mom hadn’t seemed that upset about the mud-splattered dress. Maybe she wouldn’t make Rachel wash it after all.

  When Rachel returned to the kitchen, she took a seat at the table across from Jacob. Mom placed a plate of ginger cookies in the middle of the table and gave Rachel and Jacob mugs of hot chocolate. “Would either of you like some marshmallows to go in your hot chocolate?”

  Jacob nodded eagerly and so did Rachel. Mom took a bag of marshmallows from the cupboard and handed it to Jacob. He took three, gave the bag to Rachel, and she took four. She popped one in her mouth and dropped the other three in her mug.

  Mom poured herself a cup of hot chocolate and took a seat beside Rachel. “Did you put your dirty dress in the laundry basket?”

  Rachel nodded. “I put my wet stockings in there, too.”

  “I’ll wash clothes tomorrow.” Mom glanced at the raindrops splattered against the kitchen window. “If it continues to rain, I’ll have to hang the clean clothes in the cellar.”

  “I hope Buddy stayed dry in his doghouse today,” Jacob said. “When I’m done with my hot chocolate I think I’ll go outside and check on him.”

  “I’m going out to the barn to see Cuddles,” Rachel said. “After that, I may write Mary a letter.”

  “S
peaking of Mary …” Mom smiled at Rachel. “When I checked the answering machine in our phone shed this morning, there was a message from your aunt Irma.”

  Rachel’s eyes widened. “What’d she say?”

  “Just that they’d made it to Indiana and will call again or write a letter after they get settled in.”

  “Was there a message for me from Mary?”

  Mom shook her head. “I’m afraid not, but I’m sure Mary will write to you soon.”

  A lump formed in Rachel’s throat and she swallowed hard. If Mary hadn’t cared enough to give her mamm a message for Rachel then maybe Rachel wouldn’t bother to write Mary a letter after all.

  “I—I think I’ll go out to the barn and see Cuddles,” she mumbled.

  “Mom pointed to Rachel’s mug. “You haven’t finished drinking your hot chocolate yet.”

  “I’ll finish it when I come back inside.”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “It’ll be cold by then, little bensel.”

  “Jacob Yoder, what have I told you about calling your sister a silly child?” Mom squinted at Jacob over the top of her glasses.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled.

  Mom patted Rachel’s hand. “Go on out to the barn. When you come back to the house I’ll heat your hot chocolate for you.”

  “Danki.” Rachel pushed away from the table, grabbed her raincoat, and rushed out the door.

  “Cuddles … where are you Cuddles?” Rachel panted as she raced into the barn.

  “Rachel, is that you?”

  Rachel glanced around. That was Grandpa’s voice, but she saw no sign of him. “Where are you, Grandpa?”

  “I–I’m over here behind the hay.”

  Rachel hurried over to the bales of hay piled in one corner of the barn and found Grandpa down on his knees. “What’s wrong, Grandpa? How come your face is all red, and why are you on your knees?”

  “I was moving some bales, and I pulled a muscle in my back. It hurts something awful, and I don’t think I can’t get up on my own.” He moaned. “Can you get me some help?”

  “Jah, Grandpa. I’ll be right back.” Rachel dashed out of the barn and hurried into the house. She found Mom and Jacob still in the kitchen.