Look Out, Lancaster County

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Rachel’s heart pounded like a galloping horse, and she pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. “My faceless doll is missing!” she gasped. “I’ll bet anything that Audra took it!”

  Chapter 5

  A Shocking Discovery

  Audra took my doll!” Rachel wailed when she ran into the kitchen where Mom was slicing some apples at the table.

  Mom’s glasses had slipped to the end of her nose, like they often did because the bridge of her nose was too narrow. She pushed them back in place and stared at Rachel like she’d lost her mind. “What are you talking about?”

  “The faceless doll Mary gave me—it’s missing.” Rachel sniffed and swallowed around the lump clogging her throat. “When I came downstairs earlier for cookies and milk I left Audra alone in my room so she could pick up her toys. The—the doll was there before, but now it’s gone, and I’m sure Audra took it!”

  “Calm down, Rachel, and come have a seat.” Mom motioned to the chair beside her. “You do tend to be kind of forgetful sometimes. You probably misplaced the doll.”

  Rachel shook her head. “No, no—I didn’t! The doll was sitting on top of my dresser. That’s where I put it after Mary gave it to me.”

  “Have you taken the doll down to play with it since Mary left?” Mom asked.

  “I—I held it a few times, but I always put it right back on the dresser.” Rachel frowned. “Audra saw it there and asked if she could play with it.”

  “Did she play with it?”

  Rachel flopped into the chair. “No way! I told her it was a gift from my best friend and that I wouldn’t let anyone play with it but me.”

  “That was rather selfish, don’t you think?”

  Rachel stared at the table as her eyes filled with tears. “The doll is all I have to remember Mary. I was afraid Audra might ruin it.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t have ruined it with you sitting right there.” Mom patted Rachel’s arm. “Maybe Audra decided to play with the doll for a few minutes before she came downstairs for cookies and milk. She could have put the doll somewhere else in your room.”

  Rachel sniffed. “I looked everywhere. I’ll bet Audra stuffed my doll into her backpack with the toys she brought so no one would see her sneak it out of the house.”

  “What reason would Audra have for taking your doll?”

  “Because she doesn’t like me. I told you that before.”

  “She brought her toys over here so she could play with you today,” Mom reminded Rachel. “I don’t think she would have done that if she didn’t like you.”

  “Audra’s mamm probably told her to bring some toys.” Rachel frowned and crossed her arms. “Besides, Audra accused me of cheating at Scrabble, and she’s been mean to me at school.”

  Mom reached for an apple from the bowl sitting in the center of the table. “I think you’re being unfair to Audra. You’re not giving yourself a chance to like her, and you’re not giving her a chance to be your friend.”

  “I don’t want Audra to be my friend. I want Mary back—and that’s it!” Rachel jumped up and raced out the back door. Mom didn’t understand the way she felt; no one did. Grownups often forgot what it was like to be a kid.

  Rachel ran to the barn to look for Cuddles. Maybe if she held the cat and petted her it would make her feel better. When Rachel was trapped in their neighbors’ cellar last summer, Cuddles had comforted her, even though she was only a tiny kitten then.

  When Rachel entered the barn, she was greeted by a musty odor coming from the leftover winter hay stacked against one wall. She didn’t mind the smell, though. She liked being in the barn where the horses and cows were kept.

  Rachel found Cuddles lying on a bale of hay, purring and licking her paws. She took a seat beside the cat so she could think. “You don’t have a care in the world, Cuddles. It’s me who has all the troubles.” Rachel picked up the cat and held it in her lap. “What I’d like to know is how you could let Audra hold you and pet you? Don’t you care that she’s not my friend?”

  Cuddles responded with a lazy, meow! Then she licked Rachel’s hand with her warm, sandpapery tongue.

  Rachel rubbed Cuddles behind one ear as she leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She wanted to go over to Audra’s house right now and ask for her doll back. She knew where Audra lived, too, because Audra had mentioned what road their house was on.

  Maybe I’ll go inside and ask Mom if I can go for a walk, Rachel thought. Jah, that’s just what I need to do.

  Rachel opened her eyes, set Cuddles on the hay next to her, and was about to get up when she spotted something dangling from the hayloft overhead. She gasped. “Ach! That’s my faceless doll hanging by one arm!”

  “Heh…heh…heh.”Rachel heard snickering coming from somewhere high up in the barn. “Jacob Yoder is that you up there?”

  Jacob poked his head out from behind a mound of hay in the loft and grinned. “How’d you like my little surprise, Rachel?”

  She shook her finger at him and scowled. “I don’t think your little surprise is one bit funny! You’d better get my doll down from there, schnell [quickly]!”

  “Jah, okay. You don’t have to get so worked up about it.” Jacob untied the rope and let the doll loose.

  Rachel held her breath as the doll dropped from the hayloft. She reached for it but missed. The poor little doll landed facedown on the floor!

  “My faceless doll had better not be ruined!” Rachel shouted. She scooped the doll into her arms and checked it over, front and back. Lucky for Jacob there were no rips in the cloth body or the doll’s clothes. Since the doll had landed in a clump of hay, it wasn’t even dirty.

  “How did you get my doll?” Rachel called up to Jacob. “And why’d you hang it in the hayloft like that?”

  Jacob scrambled down the ladder and marched up to Rachel. “I took it from your room after you and Audra went downstairs for cookies and milk.” He wrinkled his nose and squinted at her. “Figured I’d teach you a lesson for being so moody and grumpy lately.”

  Rachel’s chin trembled and tears stung the backs of her eyes. “You’d be grumpy and moody, too, if your best friend moved away.” She held the doll close and sniffed a couple of times. “This little faceless doll is all I have to remember Mary by.”

  “Aw, come on, Rachel. You’re not going to cry, are you?” Jacob touched her arm. “I’m sorry for hanging your doll in the hayloft. I was only teasing. I didn’t think you’d get so upset.”

  “I don’t think you’re really sorry, Jacob. All you ever do is tease and make fun of me. I’m getting sick and tired of it!” Rachel pushed Jacob’s hand away and rushed out of the barn.

  When Rachel entered the house a few moments later, she held her doll out to Mom and said, “I found it!”

  Mom smiled. “Was it in your room?”

  Rachel shook her head. “It was in the barn—hanging by one arm from the hayloft!”

  Mom’s eyebrows furrowed. “How did it get up there?”

  “Jacob did it!”

  “Why would Jacob take your doll?”

  “He said it was to teach me a lesson because I’ve been moody and grumpy lately.”

  “Jacob shouldn’t have taken your doll,” Mom said with a shake of her head, “but he’s right about you acting moody and grumpy. You’ve been that way ever since Mary and her family moved to Indiana.”

  Rachel stared at the floor as her eyes flooded with tears. “I can’t help it. I miss Mary something awful.” Sniff. Sniff. “I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Uncle Ben for taking her away.”

  “I know you miss your cousin, but that’s no reason to be grumpy or unforgiving with others. Mary’s daed did what he thought was best for him and his family, and he has a new job that he really enjoys.” Mom pulled Rachel to her side and gave her a hug. “I’ll have a talk with Jacob about what he did to your doll, but I want you to think about the things I’ve said and what you might do to improve your attitude.”

  R
achel nodded slowly. “All right, Mom.”

  Rachel spent the next hour lying on her bed, holding her faceless doll in her arms, tears trickling down her cheeks. Having the doll close made her feel a little closer to Mary.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the flow of tears. I wonder why Mary hasn’t written to me yet. Has she forgotten about me? Has she found another friend she likes better? Maybe I should write a letter to her now and find out why she hasn’t written.

  Rachel heard laughter coming from the backyard, and her eyes popped open. She dried her eyes with the back of her hand, climbed off the bed, and hurried over to the window. Orlie stood beside Jacob in front of Buddy’s new dog run, pointing at Buddy. He said something to Jacob that Rachel couldn’t understand, even though her window was slightly open.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. That smelly mutt was lying on top of his dog house with his head between his dirty paws!

  Orlie looked up toward Rachel’s open window and waved at her. Jacob looked up and waved, too. “Come out and join us, Rachel!” Orlie shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth.

  Rachel blew out a big puff of air. The last thing she wanted to do was be with Orlie or Jacob right now. But if she didn’t go outside, Jacob would probably tell Mom she was being moody and grumpy again.

  Rachel set the faceless doll on her dresser and headed downstairs.

  “Wie geht’s? [How are you?]” Orlie asked when Rachel joined him and Jacob in front of the dog run a few minutes later.

  “I’ve been better,” she said, squinting at Jacob.

  Jacob squinted right back at her and said, “I was just telling Orlie that ever since Pap built the doghouse, Buddy won’t sleep in it. Instead, he sleeps on the roof.”

  Rachel snickered as she shook her head. “That dog of yours is so dumm.”

  “He’s not dumb.” Jacob motioned to Buddy, who was now snoring and grunting in his sleep. “He’s just different, that’s all.”

  Rachel looked over at Orlie. “Did Buddy do weird things when he lived with you?”

  Orlie shrugged. “Sometimes, but I guess all dogs do some weird things.”

  “Just like people,” Jacob muttered under his breath.

  Rachel bumped Jacob’s arm. “What was that?”

  “Oh, nothing.”

  “So, Jacob, how is Buddy’s training coming along?” Orlie asked.

  “Not so well,” Jacob replied. “He doesn’t respond to the new whistle I bought him. In fact, whenever I blow it, all he does is howl.”

  “Why don’t I try the whistle and see if it works for me?” Orlie suggested.

  “Okay. Let me get Buddy out of the pen.” Jacob opened the door of the dog run and called, “Here, Buddy. Come on out and see Orlie.”

  Buddy’s eyes opened and his head snapped up in attention. His ears flicked forward. His tail wagged. He leaped off the doghouse and raced toward Rachel.

  “Ach!” Rachel jumped back, but it was too late. Slurp, slurp, slurp. Buddy swiped his long pink tongue across Rachel’s arm.

  “Yuck!” She pushed the dog away and scowled at Jacob. “That dog of yours has horrible breath!”

  “He’s a dog. What do you expect?”

  “Maybe you should brush his teeth.”

  Jacob ignored Rachel’s last comment and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out the plastic whistle he’d been using to train Buddy and handed it to Orlie. “Here you go.”

  Orlie put the whistle between his lips and blew. Whee…whee…whee.

  Rachel gritted her teeth and covered her ears, knowing what would come next.

  Buddy leaned his head way back and howled.

  Orlie stood there with a confused look on his face. “This isn’t the right kind of whistle. The whistle I had for Buddy was a silent whistle—the kind only a dog can hear.”

  Jacob rubbed his chin. “Hmm…guess I’ll have to save up my money so I can buy one of those silent whistles.”

  “Either that or you can keep working with Buddy on your own.” Orlie patted Buddy’s head. “If you work with him long enough, I’m sure he’ll begin to understand and start obeying your commands.”

  Rachel grunted. “I don’t think Jacob could say or do anything that would make Buddy mind. That dog’s just a dumm mutt.”

  “No he’s not.” Jacob shook his head. “He’s a good dog—a smart dog, and I’m sure he can be trained.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Rachel motioned to the house. “I’m going to the kitchen to see if there’s anything good to eat. Are you two coming?”

  “I think we’ll work with Buddy awhile,” Jacob said. “We’ll be up in a little bit.”

  “Suit yourself.” Rachel sprinted across the lawn, anxious to get to the house before Buddy decided to give her more kisses with his slimy tongue.

  When Rachel entered the kitchen, she was pleased to see Grandpa sitting at the table reading a magazine.

  “How’s your back doing today, Grandpa?” she asked. “Are you feeling any better?”

  He nodded. “At least I can stand up straight when I walk now. Of course, it’ll be some time before I’m able to work in the garden or do any lifting.”

  “You shouldn’t lift anything heavy,” Mom said as she set a plate of ginger cookies on the table. She smiled at Rachel. “I did more baking today. Would you like to join Grandpa and me for cookies and milk?”

  Rachel nodded. “That sounds good.”

  Mom motioned to the window. “I see Orlie Troyer out there with Jacob. Why don’t you call them inside for some cookies, Rachel?”

  “They’re playing with Buddy. Jacob said they might be in later.” Rachel pulled out the chair beside Grandpa and sat down. “Orlie told Jacob that the whistle he’s been using to train Buddy is the wrong kind. He should have been using a silent whistle, not a whistle that blows so loudly it hurts people’s ears.”

  “It probably hurts Buddy’s ears, too.” Grandpa reached for a cookie. “No wonder that poor dog howls so much.”

  “I wish Jacob would get rid of Buddy.” Rachel frowned. “He’s nothing but trouble.”

  “I think the dog’s doing better now that he has his own dog run.” Mom set some glasses on the table, along with a jug of cold milk. “With a little more work, I’m sure Buddy will be just fine.”

  “Humph!” Rachel folded her arms. “He’ll probably never stop chasing Cuddles.”

  Mom poured milk into the glasses and clucked her tongue. “I wish you wouldn’t be so negative, Rachel.”

  Rachel grabbed a cookie and dunked it in her milk. It was easy for Mom to be positive about Buddy. The beast never tried to kiss Mom. He saved his slurpy kisses just for Rachel!

  After Rachel ate three cookies and finished her milk, Mom looked at her and said, “Since the boys haven’t come in yet, why don’t you take a tray of cookies and milk out to the porch for them?”

  Rachel wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to?”

  Mom nodded. “I think it would be a nice thing to do.”

  Rachel didn’t feel like doing anything nice for Jacob, but she knew better than to argue with Mom. “Okay,” she said, rising from her seat.

  Mom put two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies on a tray and handed it to Rachel. Then she pushed the screen door open and held it while Rachel stepped outside.

  Rachel was about to the set the tray on the small table on the porch when—whack!—Orlie dashed onto the porch right behind Buddy and bumped Rachel’s arm. The tray slipped out of her hands and crashed to the floor, spilling milk and cookies all over Rachel’s dress and her sneakers.

  “Look what you did!” Rachel shouted.

  “I–I’m sorry,” Orlie stammered.

  “You bumped into me on purpose!”

  “I was chasing after Buddy and didn’t see you—”

  Without waiting for Orlie to finish his sentence, Rachel jerked open the screen door and dashed into the house. “Always trouble somewhere,” she grumbled.

  Chapter 6<
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  Another Rotten Day

  When Rachel arrived at school on Monday morning, she spotted Orlie standing near the swings—talking to Audra!

  Rachel frowned. She still hadn’t forgiven Orlie for bumping into her on Saturday and spilling milk all over her dress and sneakers. Even though Rachel knew Audra hadn’t taken her doll, she was still angry with Audra for accusing her of cheating at Scrabble, for splattering mud on her dress, and for eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

  Rachel crossed her arms when she saw Orlie hand Audra an apple. She thought of the day Orlie gave her an apple with a big fat worm inside. He claimed he didn’t know the worm was there, but she was sure he’d given her that wormy apple on purpose.

  She clenched her hands into tight little balls. I’ll bet the apple he gave Audra doesn’t have a worm in it. I’ll bet Orlie likes Audra more than he likes me.

  “What are you looking at, and how come you’re wearing such a sour look on your face?” Jacob asked, nudging Rachel with his elbow.

  “I’m not looking at anything important.” Rachel stretched her lips into a wide, fake smile. “And I was not wearing a sour look.”

  “Jah, you were.” Jacob nudged her again. “And take that silly grin off your face. It doesn’t look real.”

  “Just leave me alone,” Rachel grumbled as she started up the schoolhouse stairs.

  “Elizabeth hasn’t rung the bell yet,” Jacob called after her.

  “I don’t care.” Rachel opened the door and went inside. She had just put her lunch pail on the shelf when Elizabeth walked by and said, “Couldn’t wait for the bell, huh, Rachel?”

  Rachel only shrugged in reply.

  “Go ahead and take your seat,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sure the others will be in as soon as I ring the bell.”

  Rachel flopped into the chair at her desk. She took out her pencil and paper when Orlie entered and took a seat at the desk in front of her. “Was your mamm mad about the milk you got on your dress the other day?” he asked.

  She frowned. “I didn’t get the milk on my dress. You bumped into me, so it was your fault my dress and sneakers got covered with milk.”