“That’s true.” Dad was about to take a seat when a car pulled into the yard.
“Oh, they’re back,” Mattie said, looking out the window.
Dad rushed out the door, and Mattie followed. “What’d the doctor say?” she and Dad asked at the same time.
“Thankfully, Mark’s ankle isn’t broken, but he does have a pretty bad sprain,” Mom replied. “He won’t be able to ride his bike or even walk to school for several days. He’ll need to use a pair of crutches until his ankle is better and he’s able to walk on that leg without pain.”
“I’m glad it’s not broken,” Dad said, reaching into their driver’s car to pick Mark up. “I’ll give you a ride to school every day until your ankle is healed.”
Mark smiled. “Danki, Dad.”
“What about me?” Mattie questioned. “Can I ride in the buggy, too?”
“Of course,” Dad answered. “And if Russell and Calvin don’t want to ride their bikes to school, they can ride with us as well.”
Mark had a hard time getting used to the crutches, but his ankle was too sore to put any weight on that foot, so he hobbled along the best he could. During recess the next day, he was jealous when he watched the other boys and girls running around the schoolyard or playing on the swings. He even felt envious when he sat on the schoolhouse porch, watching as several of the scholars, including Mattie, played a game of baseball. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared because he didn’t like playing ball. But today, knowing he couldn’t run or even walk without the crutches, he wished he could join in the game.
Last night Dad had carried Mark upstairs to his room, and this morning he’d carried him back down. Mom said that wouldn’t be necessary tonight, though, because she thought Mark should sleep in Perry’s bedroom, and Perry could move to Mark’s room upstairs until Mark’s ankle was better. That was fine with Mark. He didn’t want to rely on someone having to carry him up and down the steps. It would be a lot easier if he slept downstairs.
“Are you doing okay?” Mark’s teacher asked as she took a seat on the porch step beside Mark.
Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Just wish I hadn’t sprained my gnechel. It’s not fun to walk with crutches or be forced to sit and watch while others have fun.”
“I understand,” Anna Ruth said with a sympathetic smile. “When I was a young girl, I ran into the leg of a chair and broke my big toe. I couldn’t wear any shoes or walk on that foot without pain for several days. Fortunately, it was during summer break, so I didn’t have to worry about going to school. Even so, it was hard to see my sisters and brothers running and playing while I sat and watched.” Anna Ruth gave Mark’s shoulder a squeeze. “I know how much you like to learn about new things, so while you’re waiting for your ankle to heal, you can get lots of reading done.”
“Guess that’s true.” Mark felt a little better after talking to his teacher, but he would still be glad when he could ride his bike again and have fun with the other kids at school. When Dad dropped Mark and Mattie off this morning, Mark’s friend John said he would try to come by Mark’s house after school to visit. That had put Mark in a little better mood because at least he had something to look forward to now.
CHAPTER 14
John’s Visit
By the end of the week, Mark’s ankle was doing better, but he still couldn’t walk very far without the crutches or ride his bike. He was glad none of his ankle bones were broken like he’d first thought. That would have been much worse and meant a longer recovery for Mark. He hoped he’d be able to pedal his bike to school again soon. But then, of course, he’d have to ride with Mattie on their bicycle-built-for-two because he was sure she wouldn’t want to walk. Mark also knew that Dad wouldn’t hitch their horse to the buggy just to take Mattie to school. Once Mark was able to get there on his own, that would put an end to Dad giving rides to and from school.
Today had been a good day at school since Mark had done well on both his math and spelling tests. He’d been confident about passing the tests—especially because he’d had lots of time to study for them. But now that he and Mattie were home from school, Mark was bored, so he went out and took a seat on the porch.
Ever since Mark had sprained his ankle, either Calvin or Russell had been doing his chores. Mark guessed that wasn’t really a bad thing, but he did enjoy feeding the animals—especially his cats. For now, though, he’d be content to pet them, which was what he was doing while sitting on the porch swing with Lucky on one side of him and Boots on the other.
Rocking back and forth, Mark’s hand tingled as Lucky licked it with her sandpapery tongue. He snickered as Boots rolled over on his back with all four feet sticking straight up. “You want your belly rubbed, don’t ya, boy?”
The cat gave a quiet meow! Then he started purring real loud.
“Okay, okay.” Mark rubbed one hand over Boots’s stomach while Lucky continued to lick his other hand. That went on for several minutes until Mark’s friend John showed up. He often rode his bike when he came over to visit, but today John had walked.
“Wie geht’s?” John asked, joining Mark on the porch.
Mark shrugged. “I’m okay, but I’ll be doin’ better when I can start ridin’ my bike again.”
“It is more fun to ride than walk,” John agreed. “Any idea how much longer you’ll have to keep usin’ those?” he asked, pointing to Mark’s crutches leaning against the porch railing.
“I’m able to walk a little without ’em,” Mark said, “but when I go too far, my ankle starts hurting again. I’m hopin’ by next week the pain will be less and I can start riding my bike to school.”
“That’d be good.” John took a seat on the other end of the swing and scooped Boots into his lap. “I thought about bringing my katz Tippy over to play with Boots and Lucky today, but changed my mind ’cause he likes to run off.” John grunted. “Sure didn’t want to spend my time chasin’ after the cat.”
“I can’t blame you for that.” Mark glanced at Lucky who had stopped licking his hand and was now curled into a tight ball, sleeping. “My cats are pretty good about staying close to home, except for when Mattie’s hund starts chasin’ them.”
“Sometimes Boots and Lucky chase after Twinkles,” Mattie said, coming out of the house and onto the porch.
Mark didn’t say anything, just continued to rock while he stroked Lucky’s soft fur. He hoped Mattie wasn’t going to cut in on his time with John. After all, his friend had come over to visit him, not her.
Mattie took a seat in one of the wicker chairs on the porch and smiled at John. “I don’t see your bike parked in the yard. Did you walk over here today?”
“Jah,” John said with a nod.
“Never thought I’d say this, but I miss not riding on our bicycle. I’m glad our daed’s been giving us rides to and from school, though.”
“If you miss riding so much, why don’t you take the bike out for a spin?” John asked.
Mattie shook her head. “It’s too hard for one person to ride a bike that’s built for two.”
John sat several seconds; then he smiled at Mattie and said, “Say, I have an idea. Why don’t the two of us take a ride on that bike? I’ve never ridden a bike with two seats and two sets of handlebars before, but I’ll bet it would be a lot of fun.”
Mattie looked at Mark as if waiting for him to say something.
Mark lifted his shoulders in a quick shrug. “You don’t need my permission. If ya wanna go ridin’ with John, then go right ahead.”
“All right then!” Mattie leaped up from her seat. “Come on, John, let’s get the bicycle out of the shed!”
“Are ya sure you don’t mind?” John asked, looking over at Mark.
Mark shook his head. “Said it was all right, didn’t I?”
“Okay, Mattie, let’s go!” John hurried off the porch and followed Mattie across the yard to the shed.
A short time later, Mark watched as John and Mattie rode out of the yard. That familiar feeling of envy swept over him, and h
e wondered if he might be losing his best friend. Does John care more about spending time with Mattie than he does me?
Knowing he should think about something else, and feeling the need for a drink of water, Mark left the swing, grabbed his crutches, and went into the house.
When he entered the kitchen, he leaned his crutches against the wall and hobbled over to the cupboard to get a glass. Then, remembering that he wasn’t tall enough to reach it without a stool, Mark started back across the room.
“Do you need some help?” Mom asked when she came into the kitchen.
Mark nodded. “I need a glass so I can get a drink of wasser.”
“If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll get you some water,” Mom said, motioning to the table.
“That’s okay,” Mark replied. “I was gonna take it outside and sit on the swing. I want to wait for Mattie and John to get back.”
“Where did they go?” Mom asked with a curious expression.
Mark frowned. “They went for a ride on our bicycle-built-for-two.”
“You look unhappy about that,” Mom mentioned as she took down a glass and filled it with cold water from the kitchen sink.
Mark didn’t want to admit that he was jealous of John and Mattie spending time together, so he forced a smile and said, “Just wish my gnechel was better so I could start ridin’ my bike again.”
“I know, son.” Mom handed him the glass. “Some-times a bad sprain takes a while to heal. Hopefully, by this time next week your ankle will be strong enough to pedal your bike. In the meantime, you need to be patient.”
Mark gave a nod and headed out the door, leaving his crutches behind. He’d just stepped onto the porch when a sharp ache shot through his ankle, sending ripples of pain all the way up his leg.
Wincing, he teetered and let go of the glass. Whoosh!—water rushed out all over his trousers, and the glass fell to the porch with a crash!
“Are you all right?” Mom asked, rushing out the door and clasping Mark’s arm, helping him to keep his balance.
Tears welled in Mark’s eyes as he pointed to the porch floor. “It hurt when I stepped wrong, and I—I’m sorry that I dropped the glass.”
“It’s okay,” Mom said. “Let’s go inside so you can change out of those wet clothes; then I’ll take care of that broken glass. I don’t want anyone getting cut on it.”
As Mom helped Mark back into the house while he hopped on one foot, a sense of frustration welled in his chest. It wasn’t fair that Mattie got to go riding with John while he stayed home with nothing to do but pet his cats and limp around, making a mess of things. He couldn’t even do something as simple as carry a glass of water out to the porch!
“Sure is fun to ride this bike,” John called over his shoulder to Mattie.
“Jah,” she agreed. “I didn’t enjoy riding our bicycle-built-for-two when Mark and I first got it, but I’ve gotten used to it now.”
They rode past the schoolhouse, and then after they’d gone up a small hill, they stopped to catch their breath. “You and your cousin Stella are sure lucky,” Mattie said.
“Why’s that?” John asked.
“You both have bikes of your own, and now so does Mark.” Mattie sighed. “I’d rather have a bike of my own that I could ride without anyone else.”
“Why don’t ya ride Mark’s bike?” John questioned. “He sure can’t ride it right now.”
Mattie shook her head. “I did ride it once, but Mark doesn’t want me to ride it again.”
“Well, since he can’t pedal the bicycle, I wouldn’t think he would care. If you do ride his bike, though, just be careful not to turn too quickly or spin out in the gravel the way Mark did when he sprained his gnechel.”
Mattie thought about John’s suggestion, which had already been on her mind. Maybe one Saturday soon when she first woke up, she would take Mark’s bike out for a short ride, like she’d previously thought about doing before he hurt his ankle. Mark usually slept in on Saturdays, so if she left before he got up, he’d never even know she’d ridden his bike. And if he did find out, he might not mind so much.
Mattie smiled, feeling good about her decision. Jah, that’s just what I’m gonna do.
The next day was Saturday, and Grandpa Miller had just pulled into the yard with his horse and buggy.
“Hi, Grandpa!” Mark smiled as he hobbled over and met him at the back door.
As Grandpa entered the house, he held out his hands and Mark pointed to the left one. “How do you always guess what hand I have the package of gum in?” Grandpa asked with a chuckle.
“Guess I’m just lucky or else I have a good intuition.” Mark grinned as Grandpa handed him the gum.
“How’s your ankle doing?” Grandpa asked.
“It’s gettin’ better, but not fast enough to suit me,” Mark mumbled.
“Well, I have something to say that might lift your spirits. Where’s your mamm?”
Mark pointed to the living room. “She’s in there with Ada and Perry.”
Just then Mom walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw Grandpa Miller. “What a nice surprise,” she said, moving over to the sink with Perry and Ada tagging along behind her.
“Thought I’d come over to see if I could borrow Mark and Mattie for a while,” Grandpa said. “Grandma wants to get those dandelions picked and cleaned today before they all go to flower.”
Mom’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t think Mark will be able to help pick since his ankle’s not completely healed.”
“That’s okay,” Grandpa said as Mattie skipped into the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers. “Hi, Grandpa. It’s good to see you,” she said before handing the flowers to Mom.
“Same here.” Grandpa held his closed hands out to Mattie as he said to Mom, “We were thinking Mattie could help me pick the dandelion greens, and Mark can help Grandma clean them. There’s a wooden stool he can sit on beside her as they wash the greens and place them in kettles to cook.”
“That sounds like fun.” Mattie squealed as she pointed to the correct hand Grandpa had her gum in. “When can we leave?”
“Right now, if it’s okay with your mamm,” Grandpa answered.
“Go along and have fun helping your grandparents.” Mom smiled at the twins, then she looked at Grandpa and said, “Should we come by later and pick them up?”
“Well, Grandma and I had an idea. Why don’t the rest of you come over for supper tonight?” Grandpa suggested. “By then we’ll be done with the dandelion process, and we can enjoy sharing our evening meal with the whole family.”
“That sounds real nice,” Mom said. “I’ll bake a cake to bring for dessert.”
Grandpa smacked his lips. “Sounds wunderbaar. I’ll let Grandma know.”
Mark wasn’t real excited about his part in helping Grandma. He’d much rather help Grandpa pick dandelions instead of cleaning them. But at least he’d be busy doing something other than just sitting around waiting for his ankle to heal. Better yet, it would be nice to visit with Grandma. She always had cookies or some other delicious treat. Yum. His mouth watered just thinking about it.
CHAPTER 15
Lessons
On a Saturday morning two weeks later, Mattie woke up with a start. Had she slept too late? Was anyone else in the house out of bed? She glanced at the small clock on the nightstand by her bed. It was 6:00 a.m. and only a little light filtered into her room. She tipped her head and listened. Not a sound in the house. Just a gentle scraping as the branches of the tree outside brushed against her bedroom window. Maybe she wasn’t too late.
Last Saturday by the time she’d gotten out of bed, Mom was up and starting breakfast. Of course Mark, Calvin, and Russell had been up, too, and she’d even found Perry and Ada in the kitchen, anxious for breakfast. Mattie still hadn’t gotten over her feelings of envy because Mark had his own bike, so this morning she was determined to take a ride on that bike. Thanks to the money Grandma and Grandpa had given them for helping with the dandelions,
she and Mark had been able to buy a new bell for the bike they shared. But riding it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as pedaling a bike all by herself.
She hurried to get dressed, crept quietly down the stairs, and went out the back door. Mattie heard voices coming from the barn and figured Dad and Ike were inside doing their usual chores. She walked quietly past the barn door, took Mark’s bike out of the shed, and headed toward the field where she liked to pick wildflowers.
Mattie enjoyed riding the bike, and hearing the birds starting to sing made it seem even more peaceful. There was a slight warm breeze, and with the quiet of the morning, Mattie felt like she had the whole world to herself while most everyone else still slept.
After she got to the field and had parked the bike beneath a tree, Mattie took a seat on a large rock to enjoy the view. It was calm and quiet until she heard some ducks flying overhead. Mattie shielded her eyes against the glare of the rising sun and watched the ducks land in a creek on the other side of the road. She noticed the ferns softly blowing in the breeze, now high and feathered out, where she and Mark had come here to pick about a month ago.
She smiled, enjoying the moment and letting her thoughts wander. Off in the distance, she heard some cows mooing, probably coming in from the fields and lining up for milking.
Looking in the other direction, she noticed a pretty butterfly on the tip of a milkweed stem. She walked over to get a closer look and watched as it slowly flapped its wings, drying them out from the morning’s dew. It seemed too early to be seeing a monarch butterfly, but yet here it was, pretty as a picture.
Mattie stood and went a little farther up the hill, where she found a grassy spot all matted down. She figured a deer had probably slept here last night.
She bent over and felt that the area was still warm. I wonder if I scared the deer when I pedaled up on the bike. The spot was dry, since it was high on the hill, so she lay down and looked up at the sky. With her hands behind her head, Mattie watched as soft white puffy clouds moved at a snail’s pace across the bright blue sky.
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