She swatted him playfully on the arm. “Wouldn’t think of it, son.”
“I’m hungerich,” Josh complained as Lydia tied her horse to the hitching rail in front of Keim Lumber.
“I don’t see how you can be hungry,” Lydia said. “Not long ago we had lunch, and you just finished eating a lollipop.”
“I’m still hungerich.”
Lydia gave his belly a gentle poke. “I guess that’s because you’re a growing boy.”
Josh giggled and bobbed his head. “Jah. Waxich bu.”
“You’ll have to wait until we get back to Grandma’s for a snack, because I don’t think there’s anything to eat inside the lumber store.” Lydia took Josh’s hand, and they headed across the parking lot. When they entered the store, she paused, searching for the aisle where the paint was located. Keim Lumber had expanded since she’d been here last, and there was so much more to see. Besides the variety of lumber available, displays of fancy electric light fixtures, plumbing supplies, all kinds of flooring, lots of garden items, and many other things filled the aisles.
Lydia finally located the paint section, but Josh tugged on her dress.
“What is it, Josh?”
He pointed across the room. “Ice cream.”
Her gaze went to a young English girl coming down the open staircase with an ice-cream cone in her hand. Apparently food was sold someplace on the second floor.
“Ice cream,” Josh said again.
Lydia groaned. She figured it would be easier to get her shopping done if she let Josh have a treat, so she took his hand and started up the stairs.
Menno took a seat inside Carpenter’s Café as he waited for his boys to come out of the bathroom so they could place their order. Since they hadn’t taken the time to eat lunch before they’d left home, he’d decided to stop at the café for a late lunch. The little troublemakers had been arguing ever since they’d left home, and he hoped some cheeseburgers and milk shakes might put them in better moods. If nothing else, maybe the boys would be too busy eating to fuss at each other.
Menno’s stomach rumbled as he stared at the menu in front of him. Except for the meals that had been brought in by some of the women in their community, he and the boys ate simply—soup and sandwiches, mostly. It was nice to eat out once in a while, where there was a variety of food. The lunch menu here was varied: cheeseburgers, hot dogs, smoked sausage, fish and chicken sandwiches, tacos, and several kinds of salad.
Menno drummed his fingers along the edge of the table. What could be taking the boys so long? He needed to get back to his woodshop soon. He wished he’d asked the boys what they wanted before they’d headed to the bathroom.
I sure hope they’re not fooling around in there.
He drew in a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Since Sadie had died, he never seemed to have a free moment; something always demanded his immediate attention.
The sound of running feet and high-pitched voices pulled Menno’s thoughts back to his surroundings. His boys were racing down the hallway like a herd of runaway horses. Suddenly, Kevin darted in front of a young, blond-haired Amish woman, who walked beside a little boy whose hair was also blond. They managed to sidestep Kevin just in time, and Menno breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’d better watch where you’re going,” Menno said as Kevin slid into the chair beside him. “You know you’re not supposed to run in here.”
“Sorry, Papa,” Kevin mumbled. “I was in a hurry to get back to the table.”
“Jah, well, I guess no real harm was done. Now tell me what you want to eat so I can put in our order.” Menno motioned to the menu. “Does anyone want a hot dog, or would you rather have a cheeseburger?”
Ike flopped into the chair next to Menno. “I’ll have a cheeseburger.”
“Same here,” Carl said with a nod.
“What about you two?” Menno asked, looking at Dennis and Kevin.
“Hot dog!” they both hollered.
Menno frowned. “Lower your voices. I’m not hard of hearing, and remember, you’re in a public place.”
The woman with the little boy glanced over at Menno and offered him a faint smile; then she quickly looked away.
I wonder who she is. Don’t think I’ve seen her around here before.
Dennis tugged on Menno’s shirtsleeve. “Papa, I’m hungerich. Are you gonna get us somethin’ to eat?”
Menno jerked his head. “ ’Course I am. Stop badgering me.” He left the table and got in line behind the young Amish woman. Just then, she turned and came face-to-face with him, almost spilling her glass of iced tea and dish of ice cream.
Her dimpled cheeks turned pink. “Excuse me. I—I didn’t realize anyone was standing behind me.”
“No harm done.” Menno stepped aside, watching as she and the little boy took seats at the table across from his boys.
Menno placed everyone’s order, and when he returned to his table, he was surprised to see that Kevin was talking to the little blond-haired boy, who was eagerly eating his dish of ice cream.
Menno was on the verge of calling Kevin back to their table but figured it could wait until their food was ready. One less brother at the table meant less opportunity for an argument to begin.
When their order was called, Menno picked up their food and told Kevin to return to their table and take a seat.
“In a minute, Papa. I wanna finish tellin’ Josh about our pet frosch.”
“Forget about the frog. You need to eat your hot dog before it gets cold.”
Kevin said something else to the boy; then he scampered over to Menno’s table and sat down. A moment later, the young woman and the little boy left the café.
Menno watched them head down the stairs to the main part of the store. “Looks like you made a new friend,” he said, handing Kevin his hot dog.
Kevin grinned. “His name’s Josh King. His mamm’s name is Lydia. His daed’s dead, and they moved here from Illinois to live with his grossmammi, who lives with his urgrossvadder.”
“Is that so?”
Kevin nodded. “Sure hope I get to see Josh again, ’cause he said he’d like to see my frosch.”
Menno smiled. “If Josh and his mamm will be living in Charm, then I’m sure we’ll see them again. But right now, let’s pray so we can eat.”
As Menno closed his eyes, a vision of the blond woman popped into his head. She’s young, but not too young—maybe in her late twenties. She’s a widow with a son, so she’s had experience raising children. Hmm… I wonder….
CHAPTER 4
The stairs creaked as Lydia made her way down to the kitchen. She’d slept longer than she’d planned and hoped Mom hadn’t already started breakfast. When she’d looked in Josh’s room a few minutes ago she’d discovered that he wasn’t there. She figured he was probably in the kitchen waiting to be fed.
Much to Lydia’s surprise, when she stepped into the kitchen there was no sign of Mom or Josh, and nothing was cooking on the stove. Deciding that Josh might have gone outside to check on the kittens he’d discovered in the barn last night, and knowing Mom must be with Grandpa, Lydia removed a carton of eggs from the propane-operated refrigerator. She’d just started cracking them into a bowl when she heard Grandpa’s gravely voice coming from his bedroom at the end of the hall.
“Don’t want no juice! Ya can’t make me drink it! Get outa my room!” Grandpa’s words, though slurred from his being partially paralyzed, clearly made his point.
“But you’ve got to drink something, Dad,” Mom argued. “You’ll become dehydrated if you don’t.”
“Don’t matter. Mei hoig aawle-daag sin verbein.”
“I realize your hay-pitching days are over,” Mom said, “but you can’t give up on life.”
“Probably gonna die anyway. Why don’tcha let me die in peace?”
Lydia cringed. She hated to hear Grandpa talk like that. Life was precious, and each day should be lived to the fullest. But then, she reasoned, Grandpa’s life wasn
’t so full anymore. From what Mom had said, since his stroke, Grandpa hadn’t been able to do much more than sit in his wheelchair and stare out the window. Even so, that was no reason to give up on life. Where there was life, there was hope. That’s what Lydia’s father used to say before he’d died of an unexpected heart attack.
Feeling the need for a cup of coffee, Lydia set the eggs aside, filled the coffeepot with water and coffee grounds, then set it on the stove. While she waited for it to perk, she began setting the table.
In an attempt to drown out the loud voices that continued from Grandpa’s room, Lydia hummed the melody of her favorite hymn, “Faithful Love.” It was no use; Grandpa’s angry tone sliced through the air like a knife as he continued to holler and argue with Mom.
When Lydia could stand it no longer, she turned off the stove and headed down the hall. She was almost to Grandpa’s room when the door flew open, and Mom rushed out. Her face was flushed, and her eyes rimmed with tears. She looked at Lydia and slowly shook her head. “Nothing I do is ever good enough for him.”
Lydia hesitated a minute, then opened the door to Grandpa’s room and stepped in. She found him in bed, a well-worn quilt pulled up so that only his face and full gray beard stuck out. As she approached, he blinked his pale blue eyes a couple of times but said nothing.
Lydia picked up the glass beside Grandpa’s bed and tipped the straw toward him. “Would you like a drink?”
“Not thirsty,” he mumbled.
“But you have to drink something. If you don’t, you’ll…”
“Go away! Leave me alone. Wanna die in peace.”
Lydia was tempted to tell Grandpa that he would die sooner if he didn’t keep fluids in his body, but after hearing the way he’d hollered at Mom, she didn’t want to say anything that might rile him further.
“After breakfast, I’ll be going to town to apply for a job at Grandma’s Restaurant,” Lydia said. “Is there something I can pick up for you at one of the stores in Charm?”
“No.”
Taking a seat beside his bed, she reached over and touched his arm. “Is it all right if I sit with you awhile?”
“Rather be alone.”
Tears pricked the back of Lydia’s eyes. No wonder Mom had looked so upset. Maybe Grandpa needed one of the ministers from the church district to pay him a visit. Maybe someone outside the family would have better luck getting through to him than she or Mom.
Lydia gave Grandpa’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, rose from her chair, and quietly left the room. She was almost to the kitchen when the back door flew open, and her rosy-cheeked little boy darted into the house with a fluffy gray kitten in his arms. Before Lydia could say anything, Josh made a beeline for the kitchen. “Look, Grossmammi,” he said excitedly, “en bussli.”
“Jah, I see the kitten. Now take it outside!” Mom’s voice was tinged with irritation. “You know I don’t allow animals in the house!”
Lydia flinched, and Josh started to howl. This was not a good way to start the day. “Maybe it would be best if I didn’t go to the restaurant to apply for that job this morning,” she said, stepping up to Mom. “Maybe I should stay home and give you a break from caring for Grandpa. Besides, I said I’d help you paint the kitchen today.”
Mom shook her head. “The kitchen can wait. If you don’t apply for the job now, it might be gone.”
“You’re right, so maybe I should take Josh with me. That way you won’t have to worry about keeping an eye on him.”
“I’ll manage. Besides, it wouldn’t be good for you to take Josh along when you’re applying for a job.”
“I guess you’re right.” Lydia sighed. “I just don’t feel good about—”
“We’ll be fine.” Mom glanced around the kitchen and frowned. “Where is Josh? I hope he didn’t take that critter into the living room.” As she started that way, the sound of laughter floated down the hallway.
“That sounds like my daed.” Mom’s eyebrows lifted as she looked at Lydia. “I haven’t heard him laugh like that since I came here to care for him. I’d better go see what’s going on.”
Mom rushed down the hallway, and Lydia followed. When they entered Grandpa’s room, Lydia was stunned. Josh sat on the edge of Grandpa’s bed, and the kitten he’d brought into the house lay curled in a ball on Grandpa’s chest.
Grandpa’s crooked lips formed a smile. “En bussli,” he said.
“That dirty kitten does not belong on the bed.” Mom looked at Josh. “You are not supposed to be in here when your urgrossvadder is trying to rest.”
“Let him be,” Grandpa mumbled.
Mom stood, frozen in place. Then with a disgruntled look, she rushed from the room.
As Levi headed home from Berlin, where he’d gone to get Mom a few things from the health food store, his buggy passed Wilbur Hershberger’s place. He’d never met the man personally but had heard from others in the community that Wilbur had suffered a stroke some time ago. His daughter, Mae, had come into their store a couple of times, but she’d never seemed too friendly, especially toward Mom. Levi figured Mae might be shy or have a lot on her mind. Taking care of her ailing father had to be difficult.
His thoughts went to Mae’s daughter, Lydia, and how she’d come into the store with her son the other day. She’d seemed a lot friendlier than Mae, but maybe she was more outgoing than her mother.
Levi reflected on Mom’s comment about Lydia being pretty and hoped she didn’t have any ideas about trying to get him and Lydia together. Mom had tried to play matchmaker a few times before, and Levi had called a halt to it real quick. He’d made up his mind a long time ago that he would never get married. Aside from Mom and Pop needing his help in the store, any children he might have could be born with dwarfism. Not that he’d be opposed to having a child who would never grow tall. Having grown up in a home full of little people, he was perfectly comfortable around them. What concerned him was how a woman of normal size might feel about having a child with dwarfism. He was also worried about how the child might be treated by other children of normal size. Over the years, Levi had seen many rude people stare at or make fun of his parents and siblings because of their short stature, although Mom and Pop had always dealt with it well.
A car honked as it passed Levi, and his horse whinnied and pulled to the right. “Whoa, boy. Steady now,” he said, gripping the reins. “Sure wish our horse and buggies didn’t have to share the road with cars,” he mumbled. “But then I guess the Englishers probably wish they didn’t have to share the road with our horse and buggies.”
As Levi approached Grandma’s Restaurant, his stomach rumbled noisily, so he decided to stop for a quick lunch before he returned to the store. He guided his horse to the hitching rail, made sure it was secure, and went inside.
Menno had just entered Grandma’s Restaurant when he spotted the young, blond-haired woman he’d seen yesterday at Carpenter’s Café. She was speaking with Edith, the owner of the restaurant.
Menno was about to take a seat when he noticed Levi Stutzman sitting at a table near the window. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, motioning to the empty chair across from Levi.
Levi shook his head. “I’m here by myself.”
“Mind if I join you? I’m not in the mood to eat alone.”
Levi smiled. “Have a seat. I’d be glad for the company.”
“How are things going at your folks’ store?” Menno asked as he sat down. “Are you keeping busy?”
“We sure are, and with the tourist season about to begin, I’m sure we’ll be busier than ever.”
“Guess stayin’ busy is a good thing. Jobs are hard to come by in many places in the country, so I suppose those of us who have plenty of work should be grateful.”
Levi nodded. “I just worry that running the store will become too much for Mom and Pop. They’re not getting any younger, and because they’re both so short, it’s harder for them to do some things.”
“I’m sure they appreciate having you there
to help out.”
“My family means the world to me. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them.”
“I understand. I feel the same way about my boys.” Menno reached for his glass of water and took a drink. I’ll even give them another mamm if I can find the right one.
“How are things going for you?” Levi asked.
“About the same. I’m workin’ hard in my shop and trying to hold things together at home. Raising four active boys can be a challenge sometimes.”
“I imagine. Where are the boys today?”
“Left the two younger ones with a neighbor. The two older boys are at the shop, sweeping sawdust from the floors, under the supervision of my employees, John and Mark.” Menno slowly shook his head. “Things were a bit easier when the boys were in school. At least then I didn’t have to worry about ’em during the day. Never know what’s going to happen next. What one boy doesn’t come up with, the others likely will.” He grimaced. “The other day they were foolin’ around with a frog they found at the pond, and that night while I was fixin’ supper, I found the critter in the kitchen sink. Dennis finally admitted that he was the one who put the frog there.”
“How’d you handle that?” Levi asked.
“Ich hab ihm die leffidle lese misse.”
Levi reared his head back and laughed.
Menno frowned. “Just what’s so funny about me givin’ Dennis a lecture?”
“It’s not the lecture that made me laugh. It was picturing the look you must have had on your face when you discovered a frog sitting in your sink.”
Menno chuckled. “Guess it is kind of funny, but it sure wasn’t at the time.”
“I don’t think being a parent is ever easy,” Levi said. “I’m sure me and my brothers and sisters have put our folks through a lot over the years. For that matter, the younger ones are still pretty rambunctious at times.”
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