Mom nodded and sat down as well. “That’s a good idea. I’d be happy to help with whatever needs to be done in the store.”
“Would you two mind if I go with Dad after I get the counter cleaned?” Thelma asked, looking at Elma and then their mother.
“That’s fine with me,” Elma said with a nod.
Dad put the broom away and took a seat at the table. “Before we go anywhere, I’m going to finish my breakfast. Then I’ll see about closing up that hole in the floor under the sink. After that, I’ll head down to the basement and take a look at the water tank.”
“Did Grandma and Grandpa have rats to deal with?” Thelma asked.
Dad shrugged. “I don’t know. If they did, they never said anything about it to me. Maybe with their house sitting empty for a few weeks after their death, the mice and rat moved in.”
Elma frowned. “They can’t move out soon enough to suit me.”
While Elma helped Mom do the breakfast dishes, she kept glancing down, fearful that the rat might make another appearance, even though Dad had put a temporary patch of wood over the hole before he and Thelma went downstairs. She couldn’t believe all the problems she and her sister had encountered since they’d moved to Topeka. Was there no end in sight? How glad she was that the rat had appeared when Dad was here. She had every confidence that he would get rid of it, too. Elma knew the unwanted creature had made its escape and disappeared down the hole in the kitchen floor. But the route it took would put it somewhere in the basement. She hoped her sister would keep a watchful eye on her surroundings and be wary of that rat and its creepy long tail.
Mom reached for a dish to dry as she looked over at Elma. “You girls really ought to sell this place and move back home. It’s not safe here, and there’s too much work.”
“I don’t think we’re in any grave danger,” Elma said, “but you’re right, there’s a lot of work to be done.”
“So you’ll consider selling?” Mom’s expression was hopeful.
Elma shook her head. “Thelma and I both want to make a go of this venture. It’s become a challenge for us that we can’t back away from. Can you understand that?”
Mom pursed her lips. “Not really, but it’s your life and your decision, so I’ll try to keep my opinions to myself.”
Elma smiled. “We don’t mind your opinion on things, but we also need your support.”
“You’ve got it.” Mom glanced at the clock. “I wonder what’s taking your daed and schweschder so long. Seems like they’ve been down in that basement quite a while.”
“Should we check on them?” Elma asked.
Mom nodded. “The dishes are done now anyway, so jah, I think we should go downstairs.”
“What are you two still doing down here?”
Thelma jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Oh, umm… Dad was checking the water tank.”
“That’s true,” Dad said, “and I discovered that in addition to the gas burner being shot, the bottom of the tank is rusting out. I’m afraid you’re gonna have to get a new one.”
Elma’s mouth formed an O. “That’ll probably be expensive. I don’t think we can afford it right now.”
“What other choice do we have?” Thelma asked. “We can’t keep taking cold showers.”
“Not to worry,” Dad said. “I’ll pay for a new tank. Think I’d better call my driver at the place he’s staying in Middlebury and see if he can take me to Goshen to get a new one today.” He looked at Thelma. “Instead of going to the hardware store here in Topeka, I can pick up a rat trap while I’m in Goshen. Do you still want to go with me?”
She nodded. “I sure do. And danki, Dad, for offering to get that for us.”
“No problem; I’m glad to help out.”
Suddenly, Misty appeared, meowing and swishing her tail against Elma’s legs.
Elma jumped back. “Ach, what’s this katz doing down here?” She eyed Thelma suspiciously. “Did you bring her into the house?”
Thelma shook her head. “Remember that noise I heard last week before we left for church?”
“Jah, but when you came down here you said you couldn’t find anything.”
“I didn’t at first. Not until I came back down again.” Thelma moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “What I discovered that second time was Misty, and she had given birth to a bussli.”
Elma blinked. “There’s a kitten down here, too?”
“Not just one. Misty had more.” Thelma held up four fingers then watched as her mother crouched down to look at the kittens. Gingerly picking one up, she held it close to her chest, petting it carefully.
“Well, they can’t stay.” Elma shook her head. “The mother cat and her babies need to be out in the barn.”
“I disagree,” Mom said as she stood. “If you’ve had mice and now a rat in the house, the logical thing to do is keep some katze around. Look at this cute little thing.” She nuzzled the ball of fur against her cheek. “You don’t really want to take them to the barn, do you, Elma?”
Dad, who hadn’t said a word so far, spoke up. “Your mamm’s right, Elma. Having a cat in the house is a good way to keep rodents away.”
Thelma was surprised to see her mother cooing over the kitten. And she certainly never expected Mom to side with her on this issue. She was glad Dad was in agreement, too.
Elma sighed. “I suppose you’re right, but we don’t need five katze in here.” She gestured to Misty, who had moved over to rub against Thelma’s leg.
Thelma bent down to pet the cat; then she, too, picked up one of the kittens. “As soon as the kittens are old enough to be weaned, I’ll see if I can find them all homes. Then we can let either Misty or Tiger come into the house for at least part of each day.”
Elma frowned. “I’m not thrilled about the idea, but it looks like I don’t have much choice in the matter.”
Mom slipped her arm around Elma’s waist. “You’ll get used to the idea, dear, especially if the katz catches that old ratt.”
“I can’t wait for that.”
Chapter 13
Thelma kept her eyes closed and breathed slowly in and out, trying to make herself relax, but sleep wouldn’t come. The last time she’d looked at the clock beside her bed, she’d realized she had been lying in bed for more than an hour. She couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the day. Her brain felt like it was going in fast motion. I hope I can fall asleep soon, or I’ll be exhausted in the morning.
Slowly, she pushed back the covers and went to stand by the window. The moon wasn’t full yet, but bright enough to illuminate her room and create shadows in the yard below. Lifting the window a ways, Thelma breathed in the cool night air. The only sound was a lone katydid singing as if it were still August. It was the middle of September, and the weather had been giving little hints of what was soon to follow.
Thelma yawned and rubbed her arms, shivering from the chill. She lowered the window and climbed back into bed. Breathing in deeply, smelling the fresh air that now lingered in her room, she rolled onto her side, hugging her pillow. Closing her eyes, she smiled, thinking how nice it was having Mom and Dad here. It almost made her feel like a child again, with no worries. But she didn’t want their visit to be all work, like it had been today. While Dad and Thelma were in Goshen, Elma and Mom had worked in the store, cleaning, organizing, and waiting on customers. After Dad and Thelma came back, Thelma had fixed sandwiches and brought lunch out to the store. When they’d finished eating, Dad set up the water tank. How nice it was to finally have hot water.
The big old rat still hadn’t been caught, but Dad had set a trap for it, and they’d let Tiger into the house before going to bed. Hopefully, the long-tailed creepy critter would be gone by morning.
Thelma reflected once again on how Mom had sided with her about having a cat in the house. Poor Elma still wasn’t happy about it, but at least she’d accepted the idea. With the fear her sister had over mice and rats, it was a wonder she didn’t insist
on having several cats around, even if she was afraid of them scratching her. “Give them a wide berth, and they’ll leave you alone.” That’s what Dad had always said about the cats they had at home. Of course, those felines he was referring to stayed outside for the most part.
Before heading to bed, Elma told Thelma that Mom had tried to talk her into moving back home. Thelma had been pleased to hear that her sister told Mom she was committed to making things work here.
As a sense of drowsiness came over her, Thelma pulled the blanket up to her chin and snuggled against her pillow. She’d started to drift off, when a loud clatter, followed by a catlike shriek, brought her straight up. As the noise continued, she leaned forward, realizing that it was coming from somewhere downstairs—the kitchen, perhaps.
Thelma climbed out of bed, put her robe and slippers on, and grabbed a flashlight. She clicked it on, but the beam grew dim. “Oh, great! This thing is useless, and I have no batteries up here.” Thelma hit the flashlight a few times, hoping it would brighten the beam, but all that did was make the light go completely out, so she dropped it onto her bed. Using the glow of the moon shining through her window, she carefully made her way to the door. Her curiosity about the ruckus downstairs was enough to give her the determination to try and navigate her way down the steps.
When Thelma stepped out of her room, she nearly bumped into Elma outside her bedroom door. “Where’s your flashlight, Sister?” Elma whispered.
“Ach, my! You startled me. It’s on my bed. The batteries must be low because it isn’t bright enough to help anyone.” Thelma also spoke in a quiet tone.
“Did you hear that noise?” Elma rasped. “What’s going on downstairs? It woke me out of a sound sleep.”
“I–I’m not sure, but I think we’d better check it out.”
“Let me get my flashlight first,” Elma said. “We’d probably fall down the steps without some light to guide us.”
“Okay. I’ll wait right here till you get back.”
When Elma returned with her flashlight, she led the way and Thelma followed. “I wonder if all that commotion woke our folks.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Elma responded. “I don’t see how anyone could sleep with all that racket.”
As Elma led the way with her flashlight, the twins went carefully down the stairs, where they met Mom and Dad, both heading for the kitchen. When they all stepped into the room, and Elma turned on the gas lamp, Thelma gasped. Tiger was on the counter near the sink. The cat’s rigid frame moved in closer to his prey, while he growled and hissed. Tiger seemed larger than he was, hunching his back as he swatted and nipped at the rat. The next thing she knew, the fat rodent was in the sink. Like a flash, Tiger jumped in there, too. A few seconds later, the cat leaped out of the sink with the rat in his mouth. When Tiger’s paws hit the floor, his head jerked forward, and he dropped the rat.
Mom and Elma both screamed as the rat zipped under the table, with the cat in hot pursuit.
“I’ll get the broom!” Dad shouted, while Mom and Elma each grabbed hold of a chair and climbed up on the seat.
Unsure of what to do, Thelma stood off to one side so she wouldn’t get hit when Dad returned, swinging that broom.
By the time Dad came back, Tiger had caught the rat again, and the rodent was dead.
Thelma breathed a sigh of relief. At least that problem had been solved.
“What are you baking?” Elma asked when she entered the kitchen that Wednesday morning and found Thelma putting something into the oven.
Thelma closed the oven door and smiled when she turned to face Elma. “I mixed a batch of dough for surprise muffins. I put a teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of each muffin.”
“Sounds good. Should I fix some oatmeal to go with them, or would scrambled eggs be better?”
“We have a lot of eggs in the refrigerator, so I think you should scramble some eggs.”
“Okay.” Elma went to get the eggs. “I’m surprised Mom and Dad aren’t up yet. They’re usually such early risers.”
“I know, but with all the ruckus last night, between the cat and the rat, we were all up later than normal.”
Elma took the egg carton over to the counter—a place she’d made sure to clean thoroughly before going to bed last night. Who knew what kind of horrible germs that old rat had left behind, not to mention the cat’s dirty paws? “It’s hard for me to say this, but I’m glad we let Tiger come into the house last evening. As far as I’m concerned, he can come in every night.”
Thelma smiled. “I’m glad we’re in agreement on this. Between him being up here, and Misty in the basement, we shouldn’t have any more mice or rats to deal with from now on.”
Elma wrinkled her nose. “I certainly hope not. Those creatures are ekelhaft.”
“I agree. They’re downright disgusting.” Thelma went to the cupboard and took out four plates. “Guess I’ll set the table while the muffins are baking.”
“Should I wait to cook the oier till Mom and Dad are up?” Elma asked. “I sure wouldn’t want to serve them cold eggs.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Thelma motioned to the teakettle whistling on the stovetop. “Let’s have a cup of tea while we’re waiting for them.”
“That’d be nice.” Elma beat the eggs and added some milk, then she set the mixture aside and took a seat at the table, while Thelma fixed their tea.
“Poor Grandma and Grandpa. So much needed to be done around this place. I guess it was too much for them to keep up.” Elma blew on her cup of tea. “I wish Mom and Dad didn’t have to go home next week. They’ve been such a big help already, and since there’s so much yet to be done, a lot more could be accomplished if they could stay longer.”
“You’re right,” Thelma agreed, “but they have a store to run and need to get back to Sullivan. Plus, I don’t want them working the whole time they’re here, but it seems that’s what they want to do for most of their visit.”
“I know, and we can’t reject their offer of help. That would hurt their feelings.” Elma sighed. “I’m sure going to miss them when they leave.”
“Are you feeling homesick?”
“Maybe a little. I was doing fine till Mom and Dad came. Then I started missing the familiarity of home and being with our folks.”
Thelma patted Elma’s arm. “I’m sure things will be better once we develop some close friendships here. It’s not like we can never visit Mom and Dad again. They said they’d try to come here for Christmas, and if they can’t, then maybe we can hire a driver and go there.”
“What’s that smell?” Mom sniffed the air as she entered the room. “Is something burning?”
Thelma jumped up. “Ach, my muffins! I hope they’re not ruined.” She dashed across the room, grabbed a pot holder, and flung open the oven door. A puff of smoke billowed out. Thelma groaned while waving the smoke away with the pot holder. “Oh no, they’re not fit for any of us to eat!” She set a folded towel on the counter and placed the muffins on that.
Elma grimaced. Even the tops of the muffins were burned.
“Look at it this way,” Mom said cheerfully. “The hinkel will have something to nibble on.”
Elma snickered, but Thelma frowned. “I’m not sure even the chickens would eat these,” she muttered, dumping the muffins into a plastic container. “I should have kept an eye on that oven. Now, thanks to me, we won’t be eating my surprise muffins.”
“It’s all right, Sister. It could have happened to me. We’ll still have scrambled eggs.” Elma pointed to the bowl of eggs she’d mixed up.
“You know what I think you girls need?” Mom moved over to the stove.
“What’s that?” they asked.
“A lesson in cooking on an antique woodstove.”
“Or maybe,” Dad said, entering the kitchen, “what our daughters need is for each of them to find a husband who can cook.”
LaGrange
Joseph’s hands shook as he fumbled with the harne
ss he was working on. He’d made oatmeal for breakfast and had managed to scorch it, so he’d ended up eating nothing and drinking three cups of coffee instead. Not the best way to begin his day, but with all the work he had facing him, he didn’t want to take the time to cook another batch of oatmeal.
“Probably would have ruined that, too,” he muttered under his breath. He heard a commotion outside and stopped to look out the window. Usually when someone came to visit, his dog, Ginger, alerted him. Grinning, he watched the golden retriever sitting at the base of the oak tree in the yard between his house and shop. With tail wagging, the dog kept her head tipped toward the branches high in the tree.
Glancing up, Joseph saw a big black crow, squawking loudly as it looked down at Ginger. “Crazy critters,” Joseph muttered. He tapped on the window. “Knock off the noise, Ginger!”
As the crow flew off and the dog wandered toward the barn, Joseph returned to the table. Normally, Ginger’s barking didn’t get on his nerves, but today he felt kind of gloomy and a bit lonely, too. He had been on his own since he’d bought the small log-cabin house and harness shop eight years ago. Even though his folks and sister, Katie, lived in the area, their homes weren’t close enough that he could take his meals with them every day. In addition to Joseph’s inability to cook, he tended to be a procrastinator, which meant he often put off grocery shopping. That led to the problem of not having enough food in the house, which was the situation he’d been faced with this morning. At first, Joseph had planned to fry some eggs, but when he’d opened the refrigerator, there weren’t any eggs. His next choice was cold cereal, but there wasn’t any milk.
As Joseph sat holding his cup of coffee, a thought popped into his head. I think there’s a package of cheese and crackers in my other jacket that I wore last week. Setting his mug on the workbench, he walked over to the coatrack. He put his hand into the pocket, but it came up empty. Joseph checked the other pocket, and this time he pulled out the sealed snack. “Wish this were a hot meal instead of cold crackers,” he mumbled, heading back to the bench.
The Lopsided Christmas Cake Page 9