A New Home for Lily Read online

  “The red one on the counter.”

  Mama looked horrified. “Oh, Lily, that was cayenne pepper, not paprika.” She jumped up and grabbed the platter of eggs, but David Yoder stopped her. His forehead began to look slick and it wasn’t a hot day. “David, you don’t have to eat those.”

  “I want to,” David Yoder said, coughing through his words. “I don’t know how you knew it, Lily, but I happen to enjoy spicy food.” He helped himself to another egg as beads of sweat popped out on his brow.

  No one else touched the eggs, not even Joseph, and he ate anything. David Yoder ate every single stuffed egg left on the platter, sweat running in rivers down his face and neck. He seemed very fond of her spicy stuffed eggs. Lily thought he might be one of the kindest men she had ever known. She didn’t expect such kindness, considering Aaron was his son. Life was certainly a puzzle.

  33

  Spring Days

  Baby goats, Lily thought, must be the cutest and funniest animals of all. They were never still, never asleep. They could find a way out of every pen, slip under every gate. Papa said they were called “kids,” which explained the phrase “kidding around.”

  Tonight, when Papa and Lily and Joseph went out to the barn to feed the animals, they stopped short at what they saw. A kid was standing on one of the roof beams in the barn. It reminded Lily of a circus tightrope walker in one of Joseph’s books.

  Even Papa seemed stunned. “How did that little goat get up there? I’ll have to get a ladder and help it down before it falls and breaks its legs.”

  Papa went to fetch a ladder while Lily and Joseph stood, necks craned, to watch the kid. Ever so daintily, it walked along the beam until it came close to the stack of hay, piled in the hayloft. It hopped nimbly into the hay. Joseph scampered up the hayloft ladder and caught the little goat. As he climbed back down the ladder, he handed the kid to Lily and she put it safely on the ground. The little goat went off to sniff around for more food.

  When Papa came back with the ladder, he was surprised to see the kid back on the ground. He shook his head. “What a nuisance.”

  Papa sat on the little milking stool to milk the nannies. Lily liked to watch. It never took long to milk a goat, not like Pansy the cow. Tonight the kids jumped around the pen, like they were on pogo sticks. One kid plopped two front hooves on Papa’s back and peered over his shoulder. He looked like he was supervising Papa while he milked the nanny. Lily and Joseph laughed and laughed. Even Papa had to laugh. As he rose to his feet, the kid tumbled to the ground. It scampered off, bleating, annoyed.

  “We’ll miss these little goats when we sell them next week,” he said. “They keep chore time interesting.”

  “Sell them?” Lily was horrified. “We can’t let them go! We have plenty of room in the barn for them.”

  “We might have room,” Papa said, “but we don’t need more goats. We’ll keep the nannies and the billy. It won’t be long before we have plenty more kids.”

  Lily did not understand that logic at all. Why not just keep the ones they had? Then they wouldn’t need new ones. Sometimes, grown-ups just didn’t make sense.

  It was a beautiful spring day. During recess, Marvin Yoder invented a new type of tag game that included everyone, oldest to youngest. Lily could tell this was going to be one of the children’s favorite games to play.

  Aaron Yoder was it. He stopped abruptly and pointed to the ground. “Hey, Sam. Look what I just found.”

  Sam Stoltzfus, who could never think for himself, ran over to see what Aaron had found. Both boys crouched down to look at the ground. It wasn’t long before the rest of the boys ran over to see what Aaron and Sam were studying. Lily was curious, but she didn’t trust anything Aaron Yoder said or did. He was full of whoppers. Just yesterday, he told everyone he was going to spend the entire summer in the woods, living off nuts and berries. That would last about two minutes, Lily predicted.

  She turned her attention away from the boys and back to her friends. Not a minute later, Aaron came toward the girls with a squirming garter snake dangling in his hand.

  Lily considered herself to be very brave about most things, but she took exception to snakes, with their slimy scales and fangs and evil eyes. They gave her the willies. She made a run for the schoolhouse. Too late! Aaron spied her and started running after her. Lily screamed a silent scream and burst up the stairs, sure that even Aaron had enough sense not to follow her inside.

  He followed right on her heels.

  Teacher Rhoda looked up from her desk in surprise as the doors to the schoolhouse opened up and Lily flew in with Aaron in hot pursuit. Lily ran behind Teacher Rhoda.

  “Aaron!” Teacher Rhoda stood up so fast her chair fell over. “You take that snake outside and let it go. Then wash your hands!”

  Even Aaron stopped short at the crisp tone of Teacher Rhoda’s voice. He spun around and went outside. Teacher Rhoda picked up her chair. “Lily, you shouldn’t let Aaron bother you. If it’s not fun for him to tease you, he’ll stop.”

  That, to Lily, would be like telling a rash not to spread. Aaron Yoder wasn’t like most boys. He was far worse, far more troublesome. She thought he should be sent off to a school for bad boys, if there were such a thing.

  A few days later, the children came in from noon recess and sat at their desks to listen to Teacher Rhoda read a story. The ten minutes of story time went too quickly and Teacher Rhoda always stopped at a good part. Lily had a hard time waiting until the next day to find out what was going to happen next. Someday, when she was a grown-up—age fifteen or sixteen—and if she were a teacher, she would read an entire book to her class in one sitting. No more waiting.

  And she would definitely not schedule long division right after story time. It was difficult to go from happiness to sadness. She sighed as she opened her desk to get her tablet and math book. She screamed and slammed her desk shut! Inside were jumping grasshoppers and a wiggling earthworm.

  Lily glared at Aaron Yoder. He sat at his desk with a cat-that-caught-the-mouse smile on his face. She wanted to smack him.

  Teacher Rhoda hurried over to see what had caused Lily’s shriek. Lily pointed to the desk, so Teacher Rhoda lifted it, peeked inside, and shut it tightly. She spun around to face Aaron Yoder. She knew, without being told. It was always Aaron. “Aaron, please come get these things out of Lily’s desk. All of them. Then take them outside.”

  Aaron couldn’t stop grinning as he fished out the grasshoppers. He jammed the earthworm into the pocket of his trousers. Disgusting. He was just disgusting.

  Lily recovered from everything but embarrassment. She kept imagining that grasshoppers were jumping around her feet. She could practically feel them climbing up her dress. And then she would feel angry with Aaron Yoder all over again. She wished he would just disappear.

  With each passing week, Papa worked as much as he could on the new addition, but he also had Mama’s garden to plow and corn to plant. Sometimes, Lily worried the new addition would never get finished. Now and then on a Saturday afternoon, Uncle Jacob or Grandpa Miller would drop by and help Papa for a few hours, but they had busy jobs and gardens to plow too.

  Lily had a hard time making sense of the fact that the men in their church didn’t come to help Papa. Even when Papa had fallen off the roof and hurt his back and couldn’t work for a month, no one came to help with chores other than family. Catching Mama in a quiet moment, Lily shared her thoughts. “In New York,” Lily said, “they would have come.”

  Mama stopped peeling carrots to look at Lily. “The church in New York was made up mostly of farmers. Our church in Pennsylvania has more people who work for other businesses.”

  “Like Papa,” Lily said.

  “Like Papa. Working away from home means that your schedule isn’t your own. You can’t just take a day off of work unless it’s a funeral or a wedding or to help someone move in. That’s one of the reasons Papa is going to try to start a carpentry business at home.” Mama picked up the carrot pee
ler and started peeling another carrot. “Now do you understand?”

  Lily gazed out the window at Papa. He was nailing floor joists. “It just seems as if friends should help each other.”

  Mama came over to the window and stood behind Lily. She watched Papa for a long while. “Lily,” Mama added in a thoughtful voice, “it’s good that you have happy memories of New York. But your imagination might be making New York seem like a perfect place, and it wasn’t. No place is perfect. Papa and I made the move to Pennsylvania because it was the right decision for our family. It was the best decision for you children.”

  Maybe. But it made Lily sad to see Papa working away, all by himself.

  34

  Hannah Moves Next Door

  Lily was almost too excited to eat her breakfast. It was the last day of school. Normally, this would be a sad day for Lily, but not today. Not on this special day. Uncle Elmer and Aunt Mary and Hannah and Levi and Davy were moving into the farm right next to Lily’s home. She suggested to Mama that it might be a good idea if she were to stay home today to be ready and waiting to welcome cousin Hannah the minute she arrived, but Mama said no, that the two girls would have plenty of time to play this summer. “Besides,” Mama said, “school will only last an hour or so.”

  That was Lily’s next point. The children would sing, they would get their report cards, they would be sent home. She wouldn’t miss a single minute of learning today because they wouldn’t be learning anything.

  But Mama said no.

  So Lily and Joseph walked to school. Today would be a perfect moving day for Hannah. Spring was in full bloom with its bright green grass and delicate flowers. The sun was shining brightly and birdsong filled the trees.

  When they arrived, all of the children were chattering about heading to Uncle Elmer’s after school because their parents would be there to help with the move. As soon as school was dismissed, they would all walk there together.

  Lily didn’t like that idea. She had wanted time with Hannah all by herself. Instead, she would have to share Hannah with Beth and Malinda.

  And Effie.

  As Teacher Rhoda rang the bell for the last time this term, the children hurried inside to sit at their desks. They sang a few favorite songs, and then it was time to go up to Teacher Rhoda’s desk, one by one, to get their report cards. She started with the big boys and girls and ended with the little ones. Just like last year, Lily had to wait until Aaron Yoder received his report card. Just like last year, Teacher Rhoda spoke to Aaron for a very long time. Lily was sure that Teacher Rhoda was telling him that he wasn’t going to be promoted to the fifth grade because he was so horrible. He might be in fourth grade until he was thirty years old. Maybe eighty.

  A smile crept across her face as she thought about Aaron, still in fourth grade, as a little old man with a cane. Toothless and bald as an egg.

  Finally, Aaron was done getting his scolding. He turned around and strode to his desk, appearing pretty satisfied. He flashed his report card at Lily. It said, “Promoted to Fifth Grade.” Astonishing. Just astonishing.

  Teacher Rhoda didn’t have much to say to Lily other than congratulating her for getting promoted to fourth grade. It sounded so much more mature than third grade. Lily went back to her desk and smiled. Why, she was nearly halfway to being all grown up!

  Lily sat impatiently at her desk, tapping her toes on the ground, waiting until Teacher Rhoda had handed out the rest of the report cards and made her end-of-the-year speech. Lily was pleased to hear that she would be back to teach again in the fall. She had no doubt that Hannah and Levi would like Teacher Rhoda. No doubt at all.

  A horse whinnied outside the schoolhouse. Lily leaned back in her desk and saw that Effie Kauffman’s mother had arrived. As soon as Teacher Rhoda dismissed school, the children ran to get their bonnets and hats and started up the road. Effie climbed up on her mother’s buggy and waved as the buggy hurried down the road, passing all the children.

  How infuriating! Effie would get to Uncle Elmer’s before the rest of the school children. Before Lily got there.

  The boys ran ahead of the girls. Today, Joseph ran off with the boys instead of waiting for Lily. She wished she could be a boy and run ahead too. Beth and Malinda chattered pleasantly and compared the grades in their report cards. Lily’s thoughts were too scattered to join in the conversation.

  She felt a little mixed-up about having Hannah move to Cloverdale. Cousin Hannah had been her New York best friend. Beth had become her Pennsylvania best friend. What if Hannah and Beth liked each other better than Lily? What if they left her out? She hadn’t even thought about Effie. What if Effie said mean things to Hannah and made her cry?

  And then there was Levi. What if Levi and Aaron Yoder got into another fight? Lily sighed. There was so much to worry about.

  As the girls walked past Lily’s house, they could see a big truck in Uncle Elmer’s driveway. Men from the church were busy carrying in furniture and boxes. The girls became quiet and shy as they made their way into the house. Lily felt relieved when she saw Mama in the kitchen with Aunt Mary and some other women.

  “Where is Hannah?” Lily said.

  “She’s upstairs in her room with Effie,” Aunt Mary said. “You girls can run on upstairs and help her get the room organized.”

  Lily had been in the house once before and knew the way to Hannah’s room. Beth and Malinda bobbed along behind her. Hannah and Effie were unpacking a box that held a pretty pink oil lamp. Effie set it on top of her dresser. Lily felt a twinge of jealousy as she saw that Effie and Hannah seemed to enjoy each other. She hadn’t expected that. Another worry.

  Hannah saw them at the doorjamb and smiled. She waved the girls into the room. “Come help us unpack,” she said.

  Lily reached into the box and started to unwrap the newspaper that protected the candy dish. Beth handed the lid to her. They placed it next to the lamp. It was fun to help make Hannah’s room look pretty.

  Effie drew out a thin box and opened the lid. In it were the paper dolls that Lily had given to Hannah. Beth and Malinda stopped what they were doing to see the dolls. For months now, Lily hadn’t stopped thinking about those dolls. She was hoping Hannah might offer them back to her, since she had moved to Cloverdale. She doubted it, but she hoped.

  “They’re so pretty,” Beth said.

  Effie narrowed her eyes. “You shouldn’t have something so worldly. Those dresses aren’t Amish at all. The dolls have their hair hanging loose.” It sounded just like something Effie’s mother would say.

  They were only paper dolls. Secretly, Lily thought it would be fun if she could dress up like that—with a ruffled hoop skirt and curly hair flowing down her back—but she would never dare tell Effie. Why, Effie would run and tell her mother. Then her mother would think it would be necessary to talk to Mama about it and then Mama would have a talk with Lily. No thank you! Some thoughts were better kept to yourself.

  Beth and Malinda looked through all the paper dolls and admired all the dresses. “I wish we had time to play with them today,” Beth said.

  “Let’s finish unpacking the boxes,” Hannah said. “Then we can all play with them.” The last box was quickly unpacked and put away. The girls sat on Hannah’s bed and spread out the paper dolls. Lily was having so much fun playing with them that she didn’t notice Effie wasn’t joining in until Hannah scooted over on the bed to make room for her. “Here, Effie. You can come sit next to me. We still have two more dolls to play with.”

  Lily knew Effie. If Effie had wanted to play, she would have elbowed her way onto the bed. She wouldn’t have waited for an invitation.

  Suddenly, Effie gathered all the paper dolls and their clothes into a heap in front of her and then quickly crushed them all together in a big ball. She tossed them into the empty box of crumpled newspaper packing. “There!” she said. “Now you can’t play with such fancy worldly things.”

  The girls stared at her in disbelief. The paper dolls were ruined. Tear
s prickled Lily’s eyes. Those used to be her paper dolls. It had been hard enough when Mama made her give them to Hannah. Now Effie had destroyed them.

  Lily peered into the box to see if she could try to make them nice again. She drew out a paper doll and almost had to squeeze her eyes shut when she saw it. Its head was twisted off and one arm was dangling. All the clothes were ruined. Lily knew without even asking Mama that they could never be made nice again. There was nothing left to do except throw them away.

  Effie seemed smugly satisfied. No one was laughing or talking. There was nothing more to say. The girls didn’t feel like playing anymore. They went downstairs to see if their mothers needed help.

  Lily was glad when the truck was unloaded and everyone started going home. Grandpa and Grandma Miller and Papa and Mama stayed to help get everything in order before leaving.

  Hannah and Lily went down to the basement to unpack jars with fruits and vegetables and place them on the shelves.

  “I don’t think Effie Kauffman was very nice today,” Hannah said.

  “She is never very nice,” Lily said. “But most times she isn’t quite as mean as today.”

  “Beth and Malinda seem nice. It will be fun having friends in school.”

  Lily felt better about sharing Hannah with Beth and Malinda. Apart from Effie’s outburst of craziness, the time together had been fun. Working together, playing together, being with their families together . . . it was fun. She was finally feeling as if Pennsylvania were home.

  Or maybe, Lily realized, you just couldn’t escape people like Mandy Mast or Aaron Yoder. Or Effie Kauffman.

  35

  Lost!

  One evening, the Lapps had just sat down to a supper of pot roast and fried potatoes when a rap on the door interrupted them. Lily and Joseph followed Papa when he went to answer it, opening it to David Yoder. Bending toward Papa, he spoke in low, urgent tones. Lily couldn’t even hear him.