Mattie sighed as she lifted Twinkles from her lap and set the dog on the porch. “Now don’t you run off,” she warned as Twinkles darted into the yard and curled up in a sunny spot on the grass. Mattie hoped whatever Mom asked her to do wouldn’t take too long because she wanted to spend some time with Stella after she was done looking at Mark’s rocks.
“What did you need me to do?” Mattie asked when she entered the kitchen and found her mother kneading some bread dough.
“Perry and Ada are playing with their toys in the living room,” Mom said, “They’ve been fussing at each other all morning, so I need you to watch them until I get this bread dough rising.”
Mattie figured that wouldn’t take Mom too long, so she smiled and said, “Sure, Mom. I’ll check on the little ones right away.”
Mattie had just started down the hall toward the living room when Stella came into the house. “Mattie, I wanted you to know that Mark and I are gonna ride our bikes over to my house to look at the felse I’ve found,” she announced.
Mattie frowned. “You’re going there right now?”
Stella nodded. “Mark said he didn’t think you would mind.”
Well, I do mind, Mattie thought, but she didn’t say the words. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and mumbled, “I hope you have a good time.”
Stella hesitated a minute; then she smiled and said, “You and I can visit after we get back.”
Mattie blinked a couple of times, trying not to cry; then she gave a quick nod and dashed into the living room. She found her little sister and brother sitting on the floor with a pile of blocks between them. They seemed happy enough and weren’t getting into mischief, so they’d probably be okay by themselves if she went back outside. However, Mattie knew it was wrong to disobey her mother, so she took a seat in the rocking chair and watched Ada and Perry build a tower with the blocks. It wasn’t long before Perry got a sly grin on his face, and then he reached out, and—wham!—all the blocks tumbled to the floor.
Ada screamed, and her face turned red as a ripe tomato. Tears streamed down the little girl’s cheeks as she shook her finger at Perry. “Nixnutzich!” she shouted.
“I ain’t naughty,” Perry countered. “I’m just havin’ fun.”
“The correct word is ‘isn’t,’ not ‘ain’t,’ ” Mattie said. “And you were being naughty, Perry. You shouldn’t have knocked over the blocks.” Mattie went to Ada and gave her a hug. “Let’s go find something else to do.”
Perry looked up and blinked a couple of times, like he might be about to cry, too. “S–sorry, Ada. I won’t do it again. Come on, we can build another tower.”
Thinking it would be better to separate her little sister and brother for a while, Mattie took Ada’s hand and led her across the room. Taking a seat in the rocking chair again, she lifted Ada into her lap and started humming as she rocked. After a few minutes, Ada stopped crying and began to relax.
Sometime later, after the little girl had fallen asleep, Mom stepped into the room. “The bread is rising now, Mattie,” she said. “So I’ll take Ada, and you can go back outside to whatever you were doing.”
After Mom took Ada, Mattie went out the door. When she stepped onto the porch, she noticed that both Mark’s and Stella’s bikes were gone. She figured they were probably at Stella’s house by now, looking at rocks and talking about the hobby they shared.
A lump formed in Mattie’s throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She knew it was wrong to feel jealous, but she couldn’t help it. Now that Mark had a bike of his own and Stella had begun collecting rocks, it seemed like they’d become good friends. Did that mean Stella didn’t like Mattie as much anymore? Would she rather be Mark’s friend instead of Mattie’s?
Mattie sank into one of the chairs on the porch and covered her eyes as she gave in to her tears.
A few seconds later, Mom came out of the house and touched Mattie’s shoulder. “What’s wrong, Mattie? Why are you crying?” she asked.
Mattie swiped at her damp cheeks with the backs of her hands. “Mark stole my best friend,” she murmured, nearly choking on a sob.
“What makes you think that?” Mom questioned.
“They took their bikes and went over to Stella’s to look at some felse. I—I can’t believe they left me like that.” Sniff! Sniff! “And I still don’t think it’s fair that Mark has his own bike.”
“Please don’t be jealous, Mattie,” Mom said, pulling Mattie gently into her arms. “If you save up your money, we may be able to find you a used bike at a yard sale or something.”
“But Mark didn’t have to buy his bike. It was free, and Grandpa Miller helped him fix it up real nice.” Mattie turned to look when she heard a familiar Ching! Ching! Stella and Mark, both ringing the bells on their bikes, rode into the yard, laughing and chattering like they were good friends.
Mattie didn’t think she could stand hearing about the fun they’d had, so she jumped up, opened the screen door, and raced up the stairs to her room. Was her friendship with Stella over? If so, then Mattie had to think of some way to get it back quick because she and Stella had been best friends for a long time!
“Danki for showing me where those felse were and some of the ones in your collection, too,” Mark said after he and Stella had parked their bikes by the barn. He pulled two sparkly rocks from his pocket and smiled. “These two that we found will look nice in front of the house by the bush where the robins built their nest. When the sun hits the rocks, they’ll sparkle. Are ya sure you don’t mind if I keep ’em?” he asked Stella.
She shook her head. “You’re welcome, and I don’t mind at all. I have plenty of rocks like those at home. The sparkly ones are my favorite kind to find.”
“Mine, too,” Mark agreed. “Say, do you want to take a walk down to the field behind our house and see if we can find any peepers?”
“Sure.” Stella glanced around. “I don’t see Mattie anywhere, so I guess we’d have time to do that. I’d like to spend some time with Mattie, though, before I have to go home for supper.”
“Okay. We shouldn’t be there long. If we’re quiet, I bet we’ll spot at least one peeper right away.”
Mark and Stella headed toward the field. Mark led the way, and Stella followed close behind. Soon they came upon a wet area where the field met the woods. The shallow pool of water was shaded at this time of day, and a cluster of mosquitoes swarmed at the far end.
“We should only have to wait a few minutes before we spot one of the peepers,” Mark said as they both took a seat on the top rung of the fence that ran along Mark’s folks’ property line.
“Look at all those mosquitoes,” Stella whispered. “I hope they stay at that end of the water. It makes me itch just lookin’ at them.”
Mark pointed to a spot beyond the water. “Look over there, and don’t move a muscle.”
“What is it?” Stella asked in a low voice.
“It’s a muskrat, and it looks as if it’s gatherin’ material for a nest,” Mark replied. “I read in one of my books that their young are born in a grass-lined nest.”
“Do you think she’s gonna have some babies soon?” Stella questioned.
“Jah, probably sometime next month. I read that their first litter is born in early May, and they can have four to eight young ones,” Mark explained as he and Stella continued to watch the rodent gather fresh green grass around the fence posts that were farther down from where they sat. “Muskrats can also have up to three litters in a year’s time,” he added.
Stella’s eyes widened. “Wow, that’s a lot of little ones to take care of.”
“You’re right about that.” Mark smiled as he watched the muskrat make several trips to the stream and then return to get more grass. The critter didn’t seem to know it was being observed as it went about its routine of gathering more nesting material.
Mark snickered when the muskrat took a swim in the small pool, making little ripples in the water with its tail. After it was done swimming, it went
back to the task of getting more grass.
“The muskrat looks sort of like a small beaver, except its tail isn’t as flat or as big,” Stella whispered to Mark. “It almost looks like the tail is on sideways.”
“That’s right, and its hind feet have webbing between the toes to help it swim,” Mark replied.
“Guess we aren’t gonna see any peepers today,” Stella said with sigh. “I wonder what time it’s getting to be.”
“I’m not sure, but we’ve been here awhile watching the muskrat.”
“This has been fun, but I think I’d better head for home.” Stella climbed down from the fence. “I don’t want my parents to worry, and I sure don’t want to be late for supper.”
“Okay. Maybe we can watch for peepers some other time,” Mark said as they headed back to his yard. “Even though we didn’t see any peepers today, seeing that muskrat sort of made up for it, don’t ya think?”
Stella nodded. “Tell Mattie I’ll see her at church and that I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to visit with her much today,” she said when they got back to the house.
“Sure, I’ll tell her,” Mark said.
As Stella got her bike and rode out of the yard, Mark whistled a happy tune. He’d had a lot of fun with Stella today. Too bad Mattie wasn’t interested in rocks or peepers. She could have had fun with them, too.
CHAPTER 11
Good News
Mattie wiggled around on the backless wooden bench where she sat during church, trying to find a comfortable position. Bishop Yoder seemed to be taking longer to deliver his sermon than usual today. He was talking about the importance of helping others when they had a need, but Mattie barely heard what he was saying. She knew she should pay close attention, but all she could think about was how she planned to talk to Stella after church. She needed to know if they were still best friends and whether Stella liked Mark better than her now that they both had the same hobby.
The more Mattie thought about Stella and Mark spending time together yesterday, the more upset she became. Even worse, when they’d returned from Stella’s, she had watched from her bedroom window and seen them head down to the field. Mattie and Stella had been friends since they were little, and if their friendship was over, she didn’t know what she would do.
Mattie had found out from Mark later in the day that after he and Stella had gotten back from her house, they’d gone looking for peepers but ended up watching a muskrat instead. Mattie didn’t let on to Mark that she’d been looking out her bedroom window and seen him and her best friend head toward the field. She’d been able to watch them from a distance when they’d climbed onto the fence railing and sat there for the longest time. Mattie knew they were watching something, and she’d become even more envious that Stella had fun with Mark and apparently didn’t want to be with her that day.
Mom nudged Mattie’s arm and whispered, “Stop rutschich.”
Mattie sat up straight so Mom would know she was trying not to squirm. Even little Ada wasn’t fidgeting, but that was because she’d fallen asleep and looked quite comfortable on Mom’s lap.
When church finally ended, Mattie hurried out the door of Deacon Hostetler’s buggy shed, where their service had been held. She spotted Stella talking with her cousin John, so she quickly stepped up to them and said, “Stella, can I speak to you for a few minutes?”
Stella smiled. “Sure, Mattie. What did you want to talk to me about?”
Mattie didn’t want to say anything in front of John, so she whispered in Stella’s ear, “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
“How about over there?” Stella motioned to the fence surrounding the field, where several horses milled about.
Mattie thought that would be a good place to talk since there were no people over there right now. “Sure, that’ll be fine,” she said with a nod.
“I’ll see ya later,” Stella hollered to John as he ran over and met up with Mark.
Stella led the way to the fence, and Mattie followed. “What’d you want to talk to me about?” Stella asked again.
Mattie moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. She felt suddenly nervous about asking Stella the question that had been on her mind since yesterday.
“What is it, Mattie? You’re wiggling around. Are you naerfich?”
Mattie nodded slowly. “I am kinda nervous.”
“About what?”
“About us.”
Stella tipped her head and looked at Mattie curiously. “I don’t understand. Why would you be naerfich about us?”
“It’s about our friendship,” Mattie blurted out. “Do you like Mark more than me?”
Stella’s eyes widened as she shook her head. “Course not. Why would you think that?”
Mattie explained how she felt when she’d seen Stella and Mark together on Saturday. “Seeing how interested you were in those felse Mark collected made me think you’d rather be with him more than me.”
Stella opened her mouth like she was about to respond, but Mattie rushed on. “Last night Mark told me that you two had gone to the field behind our house to look for peepers but saw a muskrat instead.” Mattie didn’t let on to Stella that she’d been watching them with envy out her bedroom window.
“We did go there.” Stella patted Mattie’s arm the way Mom often did whenever she was trying to make Mattie feel better about something. “I was interested in Mark’s felse and in showing him mine,” she admitted. “It was fun to ride my bike with him, too, and I even enjoyed walking down to the field. I really thought we’d only be there a few minutes to see some peepers, but we ended up watching that muskrat collecting grass for its nest. Before we knew it, a lot of time had passed, and then I realized I needed to get home. Mattie, I really feel bad about not spending time with you yesterday, but we didn’t see you when we got back from my place, so I figured you were busy,” Stella went on to explain. “You know you’ll always be my best friend, and I hope nothing ever changes that.”
Mattie breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better about things now. “That’s good news, and I’m so glad to hear you say it. You know, if I had a bicycle of my own, we could go riding together.”
Stella smiled. “That’s a good idea. Let’s plan to go riding one day after school or maybe some Saturday.”
Mattie shook her head. “Didn’t you hear what I said? If I had a bike of my own, we could go riding.”
“Maybe you could borrow Mark’s bike,” Stella suggested.
“I doubt that he’d let me.” Mattie pursed her lips. “I still wish I had a bike of my own, but that will probably never happen unless I find an old one, the way Mark did.”
“We don’t have to ride bikes to have fun together,” Stella said. “There are lots of other things we can do. If Mark won’t let you ride his bike, maybe you and I could ride your bicycle-built-for-two. That would be fun, don’t ya think?”
Mattie was about to comment when Mom called her to come eat lunch. Stella’s mother also waved her over to the tables that had been set up for the noon meal, which the people in their church district always shared after the service.
“Maybe you could come over to my house to play sometime soon,” Stella said as the girls walked back across the yard.
Mattie smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand. She was glad to know that she and Stella were still best friends.
On Monday during breakfast, Dad told the twins that when he’d checked the answering machine in the phone shack earlier this morning, there had been a message from Grandpa and Grandma Miller. “They are ready to have you both help them pick and clean dandelions now,” he said. “This will be a good opportunity for you to earn enough to buy that bell you’ve been wanting for your bicycle-built-for-two.”
“That’s good news, but I’d rather use the money we earn to buy a new light for my own bike,” Mark said.
Mom shook her head. “The money will be spent on a bell for the bike you and Mattie own together. You both agreed on that long before you f
ound that other bike, Mark.”
Mark knew he had to do what Mom said, and he had promised Mattie they would buy a new bell for their bike. He guessed he’d have to wait a while longer to buy a light for his own bike. Maybe he could save some of the money he would earn at their roadside stand this summer to buy the light. Summer was only a couple months away, so maybe it wouldn’t be so long after all. In the meantime, if he went anywhere during the hours after dark, he’d have to ride their bicycle-built-for-two.
Russell interrupted Mark’s thoughts when he bumped Mark’s arm and said, “Would ya please pass me the strawberry jam?”
Mark did as he asked and was about to say something when Calvin spoke up. “Mark, would you mind handing me the butter? I forgot to put some on my toast.”
Mark heaved a sigh as he handed his brother the dish of butter. “I had something I was gonna say, and it was right on the tip of my tongue, but now I forgot what it was.”
“Open your mouth, Mark, and let me see what’s on the tip of your tongue,” Perry said, snickering.
Everyone laughed. Everyone but Mark, that is. “That’s not funny,” he said, frowning.
“What did you want to say, Mark?” Dad asked.
Mark scratched the side of his head. “Oh yeah, now I remember….Think I’m gonna ride my own bike to school today,” he announced.
“That would mean Mattie would have to either walk or ride your bicycle-built-for-two by herself,” Mom said.
Mattie reached for another piece of toast. “That wouldn’t be fair, Mark, and you know it. It’d be hard for me to ride our two-seater bike by myself.”
“I’ll tell you what, son,” Dad said. “You can ride your own bike after school and on Saturdays, but unless Mattie agrees to walk some of the time, you must ride with her on the bicycle you share as you travel to and from school.”
Mark knew better than to argue with Dad, so he nodded and said, “Guess I’ll take a ride on my bike as soon as Mattie and I get home from school this afternoon.”
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