Chapter 6 #2
“There you go.”
She sighed. “Farming is different than I thought. I hope I’ll get the hang of things, but maybe I won’t. When I was chatting with Esther Lapp over the fence, she was telling me that one of her sons disliked farming from the get-go.”
“Jah. Ben Lapp works at the teardrop trailer factory. He told me about it when we talked at the hospital.”
“Probably just as well that the younger son has an interest working someplace different,” Mervin said. “Lukas will be running the farm. It would be difficult for Ben to do the same.”
Ruthie nodded. “It’s good the Lord gave them different strengths. It worked out for all of them.”
“You two are forgetting about Daisy,” Kyle said.
“What about her? She’s their youngest, yes?”
“Jah. But she likes farming, too.”
“Well, it’s not a woman’s job. It’s a man’s job.” Mervin chuckled. “Why, I could hardly handle that plow and I was only out there for two hours.”
Kyle knew that the problem hadn’t been Mervin’s strength, it was his ability. Plain and simply, Mervin was nervous and had only read about plowing a field. His book sense didn’t help him manage either the horses or the plow any more easily.
Kyle sure couldn’t tell him that, though.
“Have you seen Daisy since she came home from the hospital?” Ruthie asked.
“Nee. But she’s probably resting.” It had only been a week.
“Her leg is in a cast, isn’t it?”
“Jah.” Thinking of how restless she’d seemed, even in the hospital bed, he grinned. “I think she’s going to be a little bored very quickly.”
“I thought she had a job.”
“She was let go when they realized that she wasn’t going to be able to be of much use at the store where she worked.”
“That wasn’t very nice.”
“I didn’t think so either, Ruthie.”
“We should visit her soon.”
Wait, we? “You mean you and Mervin?”
“Nee, Kyle. I mean that you and me should both pay her a call.” Glancing at him over the top of her silver-rimmed eyeglasses, she added, “You’re the one who saved her, after all.”
“I didn’t save her, I just saw her accident.” And asked the person who stopped to call 911. Then stayed with her until she was in the ambulance. All before he visited her in the hospital with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
She shrugged. “Same difference.”
Early the next morning, after speaking with Mervin and checking on the team of horses, Kyle decided to wait another day before plowing another field.
There was a chance of rain that afternoon, which would help the plow the next day. He also didn’t want to chance injuring any of the horses, in case one of them was feeling more sore than they let on.
Personally, he was glad to have the day off, too.
It was Saturday. He decided to do a little bit of cleaning in the dawdi haus and even put a fresh coat of paint in one of the spare bedrooms. One day in the future, his parents and Sarah were going to visit.
If that happened, he wanted to be sure to give them a nice place to rest in the evening.
He’d just been thinking about how nice and relaxing his day was going to be when he entered the kitchen for breakfast.
Ruthie had made biscuits, gravy, fried ham, and eggs.
After giving his thanks in prayer, he dug in happily.
They didn’t usually eat breakfast together. Instead, it was understood that he would eat sometime between a quarter to seven and seven thirty every morning. On his day off, he ate cereal or something easy in his own house.
After helping himself to a second cup of coffee, he was surprised to see Ruthie sit down beside him.
“Kyle, Mervin just told me that you weren’t planning on plowing today.”
“That’s right. We want to give the horses a break.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Especially since I think there’s something to do.”
He was slightly disappointed but what could he do? It was a work day and he worked for them.
“Of course, what did you have in mind?”
“It has to do with Daisy Lapp. You know, she’s been on my mind all morning … especially since you brought her up in conversation last night.”
Hating that she was right, he hedged. “I was only making conversation.”
“Perhaps.”
Kyle narrowed his eyes at Ruthie. Did she know something more than she was letting on? If that was the case, it wouldn’t be the first time. He’d already observed that she was very good at discovering details about her children’s lives that they’d never intended her to know.
It seemed she was just as talented as getting him to bend to her will.
Knowing that it was better to not argue, especially since he wouldn’t hate to see Daisy again, he nodded. “Whenever you want to go see her, I’ll be happy to take you.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” Looking pleased, she stood up. “I think now is a very good time to pay her a call. I just happened to have made two apple pies early this morning, and while you do eat quite a bit, I think it would be a good idea if we gave Daisy and her family one, too.”
“Really?” He’d just been played by a spry retiree. Played like a deck of cards.
“Like I said, Daisy was on my mind.” She beamed at him. “I know apple pie can’t help a leg heal, but I do think it might make someone feel better, don’t you think?”
“Jah. Sure. I suppose now is as good a time as any.”
“Wonderful. Let me put one of these pies in a basket and then we can go as soon as you wash up.”
“Wash up?”
“Your shirt looks a bit damp and sweaty, Kyle. You don’t want Daisy to think you smell, do you?”
“Nee.”
“Well, then? Come on, now. We’ve got things to do.”
He looked at Mervin, who had somehow snuck in the room but was still suspiciously silent. “Will you be joining us?”
“Nee,” he said quickly. As if he knew he was sounding too eager to stay behind, Mervin added, ‘I mean, I think it would be best if I let the two of you go without me.”
Feeling a bit panicked, Kyle blurted, “Ruthie. Let’s rethink this. Just because I was concerned about her, it doesn’t mean that I wanted to pay her a visit.” Again.
“I’m sorry, but I think you did. You just said that you would be willing to go whenever I was ready.” She smiled sweetly. “I’m ready now.”
His boss had just played him like a piano in a church choir. Expertly and with verve.
In spite of himself, he was impressed. “You’re right. Let’s go get this over with.” The sooner he got the visit over with, the better.