Lydia's Charm

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Thanks for helping me blow these up,” Betty said as she handed Levi a package of balloons.

  “Sure, no problem.”

  “You think Mom will be surprised?”

  He shrugged. “You know Mom. She always seems to have a way of finding things out. I wouldn’t be surprised if she already knows about it and has talked to everyone we’ve invited.”

  Betty’s nose crinkled. “I sure hope not. Pop promised to keep her shopping in Millersburg until it’s almost time for supper, and I really hope she’ll be surprised.” She pulled a red balloon from the package. “Is Lydia coming to the party?”

  Levi shook his head. “She has other plans for this evening.”

  “What kind of plans?”

  “She’ll be at Menno’s house, watching his boys all day while he’s out of town on business.”

  “You don’t like that very much, do you?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Your expression doesn’t look very happy.”

  “I don’t care what she does. It just would have been nice, for Mom’s sake, if Lydia would have been free to come to the party.” Levi blew up a red balloon, then a blue one, and tied them together. “Do you have a big box we can put these in?” he asked. “Sure don’t want them floating around the store all day.”

  “There’s one in the back room that’s just the right size.” Betty poked Levi’s arm. “Do you care for Lydia?”

  “Just what are you getting at?”

  “Are you thinking about courting her?”

  “No. I’m not interested in courting anyone.” He grabbed another balloon. “We’d better get these finished before customers start coming.”

  I’d never admit it to Betty, Levi thought, but I was disappointed when Lydia said she couldn’t come to Mom’s party. Even though I know Lydia and I can’t have a future together, I wish we could. He clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. Anyway, Menno seems interested in Lydia, and she’d probably be better off with him than me.

  As Lydia stepped out the back door to call the boys in for lunch, she nearly stepped on a wad of sticky chewing gum on the porch. She would have to get after the boys for that.

  She moved to the end of the porch, cupped her hands around her mouth, and was about to call the boys, when a shaggy yellow dog bounded across the lawn, leaped onto the porch, and rammed into Lydia’s legs. Woof! Woof!

  She squealed and grabbed the porch railing to keep from losing her balance.

  “She won’t hurt ya none.” Kevin hollered as he raced across the yard. He stepped onto the porch and grabbed the dog’s collar. “Goldie, you’d better behave yourself. Papa said everyone’s supposed to be nice to Lydia and not get into any trouble today.” He shook his finger at the dog. “That means you, too.”

  Lydia smiled. Kevin was a good-natured boy, and the fact that he’d scolded the dog for nearly knocking her off her feet warmed her heart.

  “Where are your brothers?” Lydia asked.

  He pointed to the barn.

  “Would you tell them that lunch is ready?”

  “Sure.” Pulling the dog by its collar, Kevin headed for the barn.

  Lydia was amazed at the boy’s strength, considering that Goldie was so big and Kevin was only one year older than Josh.

  Tears pricked her eyes. Every time she thought of Josh, she was overcome with a sense of sadness. Would the pain ever go away? Would she ever be able to look at a boy close to Josh’s age and not think of him?

  CHAPTER 39

  By the time Lydia sat down with the boys to eat supper that evening, she was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. It had been a busy day. Keeping up with four energetic boys had been more draining than working a full shift at the restaurant. It wasn’t that the boys were bad. They just fooled around a lot, and she had to keep reminding them to do their chores. Then there was that big shaggy dog. That afternoon, Goldie had tromped through a mud puddle and snuck into the house, leaving muddy paw prints all over the clean kitchen floor.

  “I need some ketchup for my macaroni,” Carl announced.

  Dennis and Kevin reached for the ketchup at the same time, and the bottle tipped over, spilling Carl’s glass of water all over his plate.

  “Now look what you’ve done!” Carl glared at Kevin.

  Kevin scrunched up his nose. “Didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “You shoulda kept your hands to yourself and let me get the ketchup,” Carl said. “It was settin’ closer to me, ya know.”

  “No it wasn’t.”

  “Jah, it was.”

  “Huh-uh.”

  Lydia was getting ready to intervene, when Ike kicked Carl under the table.

  “Ouch! What’d you do that for?” Carl bumped Dennis’s arm.

  “Wasn’t me. It was Ike.”

  Carl squinted at Ike. “How come ya kicked me under the table?”

  “So you’d stop carryin’ on about the ketchup. Remember what Papa said this morning?”

  “Jah.”

  “Then hush.”

  Carl frowned and stared at his plate.

  “Why don’t you get another plate?” Lydia suggested. “You can save the soggy macaroni for the dog.”

  Carl set his plate on the counter, climbed onto a stool, and took a clean one from the cupboard.

  “I’ll bet Papa woulda made you eat that waterlogged mess,” Ike said to Carl. “You know how he feels ’bout foolin’ around at the table.”

  Carl shook his head. “No he wouldn’t. He woulda probably put the plate on the floor and let the dog lick it clean.”

  Lydia gasped. “Surely your daed wouldn’t do something like that!”

  “Jah, he would,” Dennis said. “Papa lets the dog sleep on his bed, too.”

  “Not on his bed,” Ike corrected. “In his bed—under the covers.”

  Lydia cringed. She couldn’t imagine sharing her bed with a big shaggy dog that had muddy paws and smelly breath. Maybe the boys were only teasing.

  “Papa lets Goldie sleep on the sofa sometimes, too,” Carl said.

  “And when she gets thirsty, he don’t care if she drinks from the toilet,” Dennis added.

  Lydia nearly gagged on the piece of bread she’d put in her mouth. She quickly reached for her glass of water to wash it down.

  Ike took a drink of milk and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Once, Papa let Goldie eat some scraps right off the table. Said it was easier than haulin’ the food outside to her dish.”

  Lydia set her glass down and looked right at Ike. “I think you and your brothers are pulling my leg.”

  “Huh-uh,” Kevin spoke up. “Nobody even touched your leg. We woulda had to crawl under the table to do that.”

  “I didn’t mean that you actually pulled on my leg,” Lydia said. “I meant that I think you’ve been teasing me about the dog.”

  “We mighta fibbed about a couple of things,” Dennis admitted, “but Papa really does let Goldie sleep on his bed. He says it’s become a habit.”

  Carl nodded. “Papa has other nasty habits, too. He chews his nails, picks his teeth with a—”

  Lydia held up her hand. “You shouldn’t be talking like that. You should be grateful that you have a daed. Now let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

  “Let’s talk about popcorn,” Kevin said.

  “What about popcorn?” Lydia asked.

  “I really like it!”

  “So do I,” Carl chimed in.

  “Maybe after we get the dishes done we can make a batch of popcorn. Do you have a popcorn kettle?” Lydia questioned.

  “Sure do.” Dennis pointed to the cupboard next to the stove. “It’s right over there.”

  “I’ll get some started after the dishes are done.” Lydia looked at Carl and then Kevin. “You two can clear the table while your older brothers wash and dry the dishes.”

  “What are you gonna do?” Dennis asked.

  “I’ll be putting the leftovers in the refrigerato
r and sweeping the crumbs we left off the floor.”

  “I’m done eating, so I’ll clear my dishes now.” Carl raced over to the sink with his dish and silverware.”

  “You get back here right now!” Ike shouted. “We didn’t say our last prayer.”

  Carl ambled across the room and dropped into his chair with a grunt. “I forgot.”

  All heads bowed for the second prayer. When they were done, Lydia looked at Carl and said, “Now you and Kevin may clear the rest of the table.”

  By the time the dishes were done and the kitchen had been cleaned, Lydia was exhausted and had a headache. She wished she hadn’t promised to make popcorn. She wished she could go lie down. Maybe the boys had forgotten about the popcorn. Maybe they would get busy doing something else and she could relax in the living room for a while.

  No such luck. Dennis had already opened the cupboard door and retrieved the popcorn kettle. “Hey, Carl, get out the bag of popcorn!” he shouted.

  “Why do I have to get it?”

  “ ’Cause you’re standin’ right by the pantry, and that’s where the popcorn’s kept.”

  Lydia yawned, barely able to keep her eyes open. “Is the oil for the popcorn in the pantry, too?”

  “Jah, I’ll get it.” Ike marched across the room, threw open the pantry door, and returned with a bottle of cooking oil and the bag of popcorn. “You look like you ain’t feelin’ so good,” he said to Lydia. “Why don’t you go rest in the living room while I make the popcorn?”

  “I am a little tired. Have you made popcorn before?”

  He puffed out his chest. “ ’Course I have. I ain’t no boppli, ya know.”

  “No, you’re certainly not.” Lydia yawned again. “Maybe I will rest awhile. Call me if you need anything,” she said as she headed for the living room.

  “I’m glad you were free to go out to supper with me this evening,” Rueben said to Mae as he helped her into his buggy.

  She smiled, feeling happier than she had in some time. “It was nice of you to ask. Since Lydia’s watching Menno’s boys and won’t be home until later this evening, I would have had to eat supper alone.”

  “Do you think Lydia will stay here in Charm or move back to Illinois?” Rueben asked as he guided his horse onto the road.

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll stay here. She has no family in Illinois, and no job there, either. Here, she has a job and family, so it only makes sense for her to stay in Charm.”

  “If you moved out of your grossdaadi’s house, what do you think Lydia would do?”

  “Why would I move out? My daed left his place to me.”

  Rueben’s ears turned red as he glanced over at Mae. “Well, I was thinking that if you moved to my place, then maybe Lydia could—”

  “Are—are you suggesting that we get married?”

  He gave a slow nod. “I’ve loved you ever since we were kinner, and since you and I have both been widowed for some time, I was hoping you’d be willing to become my wife.”

  Mae covered her hot cheeks with both hands, unable to say a word in response.

  “You don’t care for me? Is that it?”

  “No, no, it’s not that,” she said, finally finding her voice. “It’s just that we haven’t been seeing each other very long, and…”

  “It’s not like we don’t know each other, Mae.” Rueben held the reins with one hand and slipped his arm around Mae’s shoulder. “We’re not gettin’ any younger, you know. So I figure why should we waste time with a long courtship? If you’re willing to be my wife, maybe we could get married before the end of this year, or early spring at the latest.”

  Mae drew in a deep breath and tried to think. I know Lydia said she’d be fine with me seeing Rueben, but how would she feel if I married him? Maybe she just said those things because she didn’t think Rueben would ever propose.

  “Would you mind if I take a few days to think about this before I give you my answer?” she asked.

  “I…I guess not.” The look of disappointment on Rueben’s face was obvious.

  “It’s not that I don’t care for you,” Mae quickly reassured, “because I surely do. I’d just like to talk to Lydia about this first.”

  “I understand. But I hope it won’t be too long before you give me your answer.”

  She leaned her head against Rueben’s shoulder, relishing in the comfort of being so near to him and happy to know that he cared deeply for her. “I promise I’ll talk to Lydia about it soon.”

  As Menno stepped out of his driver’s car that evening, he was surprised to see Dennis on the back porch with a broom. “What are you doing?” he asked when he joined the boy on the porch.

  “I’m sweepin’ popcorn into the yard.”

  “I can see that, but why?”

  “It’s for the birds.”

  Menno frowned. “What’s going on?”

  Dennis motioned to the back door, hanging slightly open. “Go inside, and you’ll see for yourself.”

  When Menno stepped into the kitchen, his mouth dropped open. Kernels of popcorn, some popped, some un-popped, were scattered everywhere—on the floor, all over the stove, and in Ike’s, Carl’s, and Kevin’s hair.

  “What in the world’s going on in here?” Menno shouted.

  Carl looked up from the pile of popcorn he was sitting in and pointed to Ike. “You’d better ask him.”

  The garbage can sat beside Ike, and he was frantically scooping handfuls of popcorn into it. “I was makin’ popcorn, and I guess I put too much in the kettle.”

  “How come you were making the popcorn? Where’s Lydia?” He’d seen her bicycle parked outside, so she was obviously still here. What he couldn’t figure out was why she wasn’t in the kitchen, supervising the boys.

  “Lydia was tired. She’s in the living room, sleepin’ on the sofa,” Carl said.

  “Well, get this mess cleaned up, and then go upstairs and get ready for bed.” Menno hurried from the kitchen. He found Lydia curled up on the sofa, just like Carl had said. She looked so peaceful he hated to wake her. But it was getting late, and she’d probably like to get home. No doubt the boys had worn her out.

  Menno leaned over and touched her shoulder.

  She jumped and quickly sat up, straightening her head covering, which had been pushed askew. “Oh, you’re home! How long have you been here?”

  “Just a few minutes.” He motioned to the kitchen door. “Discovered a mess in there. Apparently the boys tried to make a batch of popcorn. They ended up with it all over the floor.”

  “I’m so sorry. I should have been the one making the popcorn, but Ike said he could do it. He even suggested that I come in here and rest.” Lydia yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “I guess I was more tired than I realized, because I fell asleep and didn’t hear anything going on in the kitchen.”

  “It’s okay. No real harm’s been done, and the boys are cleaning up the mess right now.”

  She swung her legs over the sofa. “How was your day? Did you get your business taken care of?”

  He nodded. “Went real well. I was able to buy some new equipment I’ve been needing.”

  “That’s good.”

  “How’d things go here? Other than the popcorn episode, did the boys behave themselves?”

  “There were a few mishaps with the dog, but basically, we got along okay.” She rose to her feet. “Guess I’d better get my bike and head for home.”

  “It’s dark out and has just started to rain, so I’ll put your bike in the back of my buggy and give you a ride.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I have a light on my bike, and a little rain won’t hurt me. I’m sure you’d like to spend some time with your boys this evening.”

  “It’s no problem. I told ’em to get ready for bed as soon as they get the rest of the popcorn cleaned up. I won’t be gone long, and Ike can oversee things until I get back.” Menno moved toward the door. “I’ll get the horse and buggy ready and pick you up close to the house so y
ou don’t get too wet.”

  Lydia smiled. “I’ll get my shawl and outer bonnet and say good-bye to the boys.”

  A short time later, Menno and Lydia were heading down the road in his buggy. They rode in silence most of the way, partly because Menno was concentrating on the road, but mostly because he was trying to work up the nerve to say what was on his mind and wasn’t sure of the best way to say it.

  As they approached Lydia’s driveway, Menno turned to her and said, “There’s…uh…something I want to ask you.”

  “What’s that?”

  He stopped the horse and buggy near the barn. “I’ve been thinking…That is—” He paused and swiped his hand down the length of his face. “Would you marry me, Lydia?”

  CHAPTER 40

  Did you hear what I said?” Menno touched Lydia’s arm. “I’d like us to get married.”

  Lydia was so surprised by Menno’s proposal that she could hardly find her voice—could hardly even breathe. She should have expected this, because Menno had hinted at it often enough. Even so, she hadn’t prepared herself for his proposal and had no idea how to answer.

  “I…uh…would need some time to think about this,” she finally managed to squeak.

  “I understand, but I’d really like your answer by Christmas.”

  “Christmas?”

  He nodded and smiled. “If your answer’s yes, it’ll make a nice Christmas present for the boys.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Christmas was still a few months away. That would give her some time to pray about things and think it all through. “I’ll have an answer for you by Christmas Eve,” she murmured.

  “Oh, and please don’t say anything about this to the boys. I don’t want ’em to get all excited and then be disappointed if you say no.”

  “I won’t say anything. It’ll be your place to tell the boys.” Lydia’s legs shook as she stepped down from the buggy. “I appreciate the ride home,” she said as Menno took her bike out of his buggy.

  When he hesitated and took a step closer, she wondered if he might try to kiss her. Instead, he merely smiled and said, “I’ll see you at church tomorrow morning.”