“Look over there, to the right!” Mattie shouted as she and Mark rode their bicycle toward the schoolhouse. “See those wildflowers blooming in our neighbor’s field? Aren’t they schee?”
Mark said nothing, just gave a quick nod, barely taking notice of the flowers Mattie thought were pretty. He had other things on his mind this morning.
Sure wish I could have ridden my own bike today, Mark thought, glancing up ahead at his brothers, Calvin and Russell, as they rode their bikes to school. They were some distance away since they could ride faster than Mark and didn’t have an extra passenger on the back of their bikes. They also didn’t have to listen to their sister chatter away about pretty flowers and birds chirping in the budding trees along the way.
Remembering all that Grandpa and Dad had said about jealousy, Mark had been trying not to feel envious of his brothers, but jealous thoughts kept creeping in. He wondered what it would be like to ride to school without Mattie on the back of the bike talking his ear off about things he really wasn’t that interested in.
“Say, Mattie,” Mark called over his shoulder. “Would it be okay with you if I ride my own bike to school tomorrow? I’m sure Mom and Dad would be fine with it if you are.”
“But I’d have to walk if you rode your own bike ’cause I’m sure not gonna try to ride this bike alone,” Mattie replied.
“Walkin’ wouldn’t be so bad,” Mark said. “If you walked to school, you could get a better look at all the flowers along the way.”
Mattie didn’t reply, and Mark wondered if she was thinking things over or if her silence meant she was not going to budge.
When they reached the schoolhouse sometime later and had parked their bike, Mattie turned to Mark and said, “I’ll walk to school tomorrow, and you can ride your bike. But I’m not gonna walk every day—just tomorrow, okay?”
Mark gave a nod and squeezed Mattie’s arm. “Danki, Mattie, that’s good news!” He could hardly wait until tomorrow. If I ride my bike really fast, he thought, smiling to himself, I’ll bet I can get to and from school faster than Calvin or Russell. That would show everyone that me being short doesn’t matter after all.
CHAPTER 12
A Fair Trade
“Here are your lunches,” Mom said the following day before Mark and Mattie left for school.
“Danki.” Mattie smiled at Mom and took her lunch pail.
“Mattie said it was okay for me to ride my own bike today while she walks to school. So is it all right with you, Mom?” Mark asked.
“That’s fine for today,” Mom said, handing Mark his lunch pail. “But you won’t be able to ride it every day because it wouldn’t be fair to make Mattie walk when you get to ride.”
Mark grinned up at her. “Maybe I could ride my own bicycle to school once a week, and the rest of the time I’ll ride with Mattie on the bike we share.”
“We’ll see.” Mom gave the twins a hug. “Now hurry along or you’ll be late for school. Calvin and Russell are already well on their way.”
Happiness bubbled in Mark’s chest as he hurried out the door and climbed onto his bike. Since he didn’t have a bicycle basket yet, he wasn’t sure what to do with his lunch pail. He could hold onto the handle with one hand and steer the bike with the other, but that wouldn’t be safe. He could hang the handle of the lunch pail over the bike’s handlebars, but it might jostle off or bump his knee when he started pedaling real fast.
As Mattie started walking down the driveway toward the path that led to the schoolhouse, Mark called, “Hey, Mattie, would you do me a favor?”
She stopped walking and turned to face him. “What do you need?”
“Could you carry my lunch pail? There’s no place for it on my bike.”
Mattie’s forehead wrinkled. “You should have thought about that before you decided to ride by yourself.”
“I forgot that I don’t have a basket on my bike, and I’m gonna have to get one as soon as I save up some money. Please, Mattie,” Mark pleaded. “If you do me this favor, then I’ll do one for you.”
“What favor will you do for me?” she questioned.
“I’ll wash the supper dishes tonight. How ’bout that? Think it would be a fair trade?”
Mattie shook her head. “That won’t work because it’s your night to wash the dishes anyhow, and it’s my turn to dry.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Mark thumped his head. “How about if I wash and dry the supper dishes? That way you’ll be free to play awhile before it’s time to get ready for bed.”
“That’d be nice.” Mattie walked back to where Mark sat on his bike and held out her hand. “I’ll carry your lunch pail to school today, but you’d better not forget your promise to wash and dry the dishes.”
“I won’t,” Mark said. “I’ll do ’em as soon as we’re done eating supper.”
As Mark rode to school, quickly passing Mattie along the way, he felt free as a bird that had just been let out of its cage. He wished he could ride his own bike to school every day instead of riding with Mattie. But he guessed that probably wouldn’t happen unless Mattie had a bike of her own.
Too bad the Johnsons weren’t getting rid of two bikes that day, Mark thought. It would have solved everything for both me and Mattie.
As Mattie walked to school by herself, she envied Mark even more, getting to ride his own bike. Why couldn’t it have been her who’d found that old bike? But then, remembering how bad the bike had looked, she probably wouldn’t have wanted it anyhow. If she had seen the bike first, she’d have gone right by and not given it much thought.
Sure wish I could earn enough money to buy my own bike, Mattie thought as she trudged along the path, watching Mark way ahead as he tried to catch up with Russell and Calvin. But even picking dandelions for Grandma and Grandpa, I’m sure we won’t earn a lot of money. New bikes, and even some that were used, could be expensive. That’s why Mattie’s folks had bought the used bicycle-built-for-two they’d given Mark and Mattie for their birthday last year instead of getting them each a bike of their own.
Walking along, Mattie glanced at some pretty pink wildflowers growing in the field near the path and decided to stop and pick a few. She set the two lunch pails on a large, flat rock and started picking. She’d heard many people call some of the flowers she liked “wild phlox,” but Mattie knew their correct name was “dame’s rocket.” These wild phlox grew plentiful along the roadways and meadows, and their clusters gave a beautiful hue of purple, pink, or white.
One nice thing about walking to school, she could stop and pick flowers easily. Whenever Mattie rode with Mark and saw some flowers she wanted to pick, he usually said they didn’t have time to stop for that. There was another advantage to walking this morning, for she soon had a beautiful bouquet to give to her teacher, Anna Ruth.
By the time Mattie reached the schoolhouse, she was tired and out of breath. After she’d picked the flowers, she was concerned that she might be late, so she’d run the rest of the way.
Seeing no children in the schoolyard, her heart started to pound. The teacher must have rung the bell, and class had probably begun.
Mattie hurried up the steps and into the school house. Sure enough, all the scholars were already at their desks.
“Sorry I’m late, Anna Ruth,” she panted. “I had to walk to school today, and…” Mattie stopped talking and placed the flowers on her teacher’s desk. “I picked these for you.”
“I appreciate that, Mattie,” Anna Ruth said. “But the next time you walk, try not to be late.”
“I don’t plan on walking too often,” Mattie said, turning to look at Mark, who sat at his desk with a grin on his face.
Mattie didn’t say anything more, just hurried to take a seat at her desk. At least when she walked home from school this afternoon she wouldn’t have to worry about being late.
Placing her lunch pail on the shelf under her desk, Mattie suddenly realized she didn’t have Mark’s lunch box with her. Oh no! What did I do with it?
she wondered, putting her head in her hands. The last thing she remembered was placing their lunch pails on that large rock when she’d stopped to pick the flowers. She couldn’t go back to look for it now, so the only thing she could think to do was share her lunch with Mark and look for his pail on the way home from school.
As Mark headed for home that afternoon, he pedaled as fast as he could, trying to get ahead of his brothers. He’d started out before them, but it didn’t take long before they passed right by, leaving Mark in a trail of dust.
“Hurry up, slowpoke,” Calvin called over his shoulder.
“See you at home!” Russell shouted as they moved even further ahead.
Calvin and Russell were used to riding their own bikes, and with them being older, their long legs were probably stronger because they sure rode like the wind.
Frowning, Mark was reminded once again of how short he still was. Will I ever have long legs like my brothers? he wondered. Will I grow up to be taller than Mattie, or will I end up being a short-legged man?
Mark thought about how tired Mattie had looked when she’d arrived at the schoolhouse a few minutes late this morning. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to walk, but it wasn’t fair for her to expect him to ride the bike they shared when he had his own bike now and could travel much faster without a passenger on the back. Even though Mattie was supposed to pedal, she sometimes quit when she was watching for pretty flowers. Maybe if he was willing to do the dishes every night, she’d agree to let him ride to school by himself every day. Washing and drying the dishes was a chore Mark wouldn’t mind doing so much if Mattie went along with the idea. At least he figured it was a fair enough trade.
Mark thought about how Mattie had left his lunch pail somewhere between home and school, and he realized that it might have been partially his fault since he’d asked her to carry it for him. Mattie had been nice and shared her lunch with him that afternoon, but Mark’s stomach growled afterward because it really hadn’t been enough food for both of them. Mark couldn’t wait for supper this evening. He knew he’d probably eat like a horse. Hopefully, Mom would have a snack ready when he got home, and that would tide him over until it was time for their evening meal.
As Mark came closer to home, he saw Calvin and Russell up ahead. Maybe if I pedal extra hard I can catch up to them, he thought.
Directing his bike onto their graveled driveway, he turned too quickly. The bicycle wobbled, tipped one way, and then the other. Mark gripped the handlebars tightly and tried to keep the bike upright, but it was too late. He lost his balance and fell off.
Mark groaned as the bike toppled over and the back wheel landed on his ankle. Tears welled in Mark’s eyes because it hurt so much. Oh, he hoped it wasn’t broken!
As Mattie walked home from school that afternoon, she wondered if she’d ever get the chance to ride Mark’s bicycle again. It seemed that every time she asked her brother about it, he had an excuse that he was using the bike and Mattie would have to wait for some other time to ride it.
It isn’t fair, she thought once more. It had made her feel even worse when she’d watched Mark pedal over the hill this afternoon and quickly disappear out of sight. At the rate he’d been going, Mattie was sure that her twin brother would be home in no time at all. He’d probably make it there way before she did, too.
Mattie was at the spot now where she’d picked the wildflowers this morning. After looking behind the rock where she’d set their lunch pails, she spotted Mark’s lunch pail in a clump of high weeds. No wonder she hadn’t seen it when she’d grabbed her own pail and rushed on to get to school.
Maybe I’ll get up early some Saturday morning and take a ride on Mark’s bike, Mattie thought as she trudged wearily toward home. I’ll just need to make sure I’m back before Mark knows I borrowed it.
CHAPTER 13
Mark’s Ankle
Mark tried to stand, but his ankle hurt too much. He moaned and fell to the ground with a thud. All he could do was lie there, moaning and struggling not to cry. He turned his foot this way and that, but there was pain no matter which way he moved it. Please don’t let my ankle be broken, he prayed.
“Help me! Help me!” Mark hollered, hoping Calvin or Russell would hear him. But then he spotted their bikes parked near the barn and realized they must have already gone into the house.
Mark looked at his knee and saw blood seeping through a hole in his trousers. He’d obviously skinned it when he landed on the gravel. But that wasn’t what hurt so bad—it was his throbbing ankle. He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered once more, “Help! Help! Help!”
Several more minutes went by; then Ike stepped out of Dad’s wood shop on the other side of their yard. When he spotted Mark, he ran down the driveway and knelt beside him. “Hey, what happened, Mark? Did you fall off your bike? Are you hurt?”
Blinking back the tears stinging his eyes, Mark nodded, rubbing his foot. “My gnechel hurts. I—I think it’s broken.”
“Let’s get you up to the house so Mom can take a look.” Ike quickly scooped Mark into his arms and carried him up to the house.
Mark was glad his big brother was strong and had muscular arms. If Russell or Calvin had tried to carry Mark, they might have dropped him. Then he might be hurt even more than he was.
“Ach, what happened to Mark?” Mom asked when Ike came in and placed him on the sofa.
“He fell off his bike and injured his ankle,” Ike said.
“I—I think it might be broken.” Mark sniffed. “It hurts somethin’ awful.”
“Is your daed back from running his errands?” Mom asked, looking at Ike.
He shook his head.
“Mark’s ankle is starting to swell, so I think we ought to take him to the clinic and have it checked out,” Mom said. “Ike, would you please run out to the phone shack and call our regular driver? Hopefully, he’ll be free to pick us up right away. If not, then you should call someone else.”
“Okay, Mom, I’ll do that right away,” Ike said before hurrying out the door.
Mom removed Mark’s shoe and gently placed a pillow under his leg; then she went to the kitchen to get some ice and antiseptic for Mark’s knee. She’d just returned to the living room and had put the bag of ice on Mark’s ankle when Mattie rushed in the door.
“What happened to Mark?” she asked, eyes wide with concern. “I saw his bicycle lying in the driveway, so I brought it up to the house.”
“I fell off,” Mark said, feeling a little better now that the cold ice had numbed his ankle a bit. “I turned the corner too sharp and lost my balance.”
“I suppose that could have happened even if we’d been on our bicycle-built-for-two,” Mattie said.
“Maybe so,” Mark agreed, “but it probably wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been trying to catch up with Calvin and Russell.”
“I got a hold of our driver,” Ike said, reentering the house. “He’s coming right over to take Mark to the clinic.”
Mom turned to Mattie and said, “I’ll need to go with your bruder, of course, so I want you to keep an eye on Ada and Perry.”
“Okay.” Mattie gave Mark’s arm a gentle pat. “Hey, don’t worry; it’ll be all right. At least I found your lunch pail on the way from school. It was right where I left it this morning when I stopped to pick wildflowers.” She held up his pail and then opened the lid. “I hope your gnechel’s not broken, and I’ll say a prayer for you.”
“Danki, Mattie. I hope that helps.” Mark reached down and rubbed his ankle, which had started to throb as soon as he lifted the bag of ice. “It could be the tibia or the fibula, or even the talus that’s broken.”
“Tib-a-what?” Mattie asked.
“The bones in my ankle. The tibia, fibula, and talus,” Mark explained. “Those are the three bones that make up the ankle joint, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of ’em isn’t broken.”
“You sure are schmaert.” Mattie smiled. “Let’s just hope it’s not that.”
>
Mark managed a weak smile as he took the peanut butter cookie Mattie handed him from his lunch pail.
Mattie paced the living-room floor like she always did when she was nervous about something. She’d been praying for Mark ever since he and Mom left for the clinic and hoped they would be home soon with good news about his ankle. If it was broken, he wouldn’t be able to ride his bike for many weeks. Any other time she would have been glad if he couldn’t ride the bike by himself, but not this way, with him getting hurt. Mattie wouldn’t wish that on anyone. She decided that she might have to put off riding Mark’s bike because she didn’t want to upset her brother any more than he already was.
She glanced toward the stairs, wishing Ada and Perry would wake up from their naps. Usually Mattie liked it if they slept, giving her some time alone. But this was different. If she had to keep her little sister and brother occupied, it would give her something to do and she wouldn’t worry so much about Mark. Too bad Russell and Calvin were in the barn doing their chores. It would have been nice to have them to visit with right now.
Mattie went to the window and looked out. No sign of Mark and Mom, but Dad’s horse and buggy had just pulled into the yard. She watched Ike come out of the wood shop and walk up to Dad’s buggy. They talked a few minutes; then Ike unhitched the horse and led him to the barn while Dad headed for the house.
Mattie met him at the door. “Mom’s not here,” she said. “She took Mark to the clinic to see—”
“I know,” Dad interrupted. “Ike told me about Mark falling off his bike.”
“That’s right,” Mattie said. “He’s worried that his gnechel might be broken.”
“I hope that’s not the case,” Dad said, removing his straw hat and placing it on the back of a chair. “I wish now we’d never let him ride that bike by himself.”
“But it could have happened if Mark and I had been riding the bike we share,” Mattie said.
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