A New Home for Lily (16 page)

So far, Lily noticed that no one had a poem about Jesus. Effie was wrong. Lily hoped Jesus would understand if she felt a little glad that Effie was wrong, for once.

Then came the third graders. Malinda and Beth each recited their poems without a single mistake. Not one. Then came Effie's turn. She flounced to the front of the classroom and turned around, fixing her eyes on Lily. She opened her mouth and recited:

I know that cows have little cows

And dogs have little dogs,

That pussycats have little cats

And frogs have little frogs

I know that birds have little birds

And fish have little fishes

So why can't sinks have little sinks

Instead of dirty dishes?

Effie had stolen Lily's poem! Everyone in the class laughed and laughed about little sinks. Lily's face turned red and she felt tears stinging her eyes. What was she supposed to do for her poem? She wanted to run out the door and flee for home, but she didn't have time. Teacher Rhoda called out Lily's name. It was her turn. Slowly, she shuffled to the front of the schoolhouse and turned to face everyone. Effie
sat in her chair with a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile on her face. There was nothing for Lily to do except recite her little poem.

She said it quickly and didn't make a mistake, but no one laughed. They had heard it already. She went back to her desk and sat down, refusing to look at Effie. Lily wouldn't give Effie the satisfaction of knowing how upset she was. But she was.

T
he goat milk cured baby Paul from pitching fits all evening long, and now Lily thought he had turned into the sweetest baby in the world. She had only one complaint about him: he was always asleep in his little bassinet in the kitchen. Other than sleeping too much, which Mama said wasn't possible, he was a very nice baby. Lily liked to hurry home from school every afternoon and warm her hands by the stove. Then Mama would let her sit on the rocking chair and hold baby Paul. Lily never got tired of watching him. She loved his chubby pink cheeks and his tiny fists that peeped out from under the blanket and waved in the air.

Lily would have liked to spend all afternoon holding Paul. But after a few minutes, Mama would take the baby and tuck him back into his bassinet. It was time for Lily to help make supper. Chores didn't stop even when a new baby arrived.

One evening after supper, Mama asked the family to come
to the kitchen table. She had spread a newspaper out on the middle of the table and dumped a bowl of hickory nuts on it. In front of Papa's seat was a wooden cutting board. Papa pounded nut by nut with a hammer until they cracked open. Then he would pass the cracked nuts to Lily or Joseph to scoop out the nutmeat. Lily hated this chore.

It had been fun to gather the hickory nuts in the woods. Papa had found several hickory nut trees, so Lily and Joseph and Dannie had searched in the grass and leaves until they had found enough nuts to fill a big bowl. Papa said they should leave the rest of the nuts for the squirrels because they would need those nuts to eat during the long, cold winter. “There's plenty of food in the basement for us,” Papa explained. “We don't need to take a lot of nuts away from the squirrels.”

Lily was glad there was a limit to nut collecting. Trying to get the nutmeat out of the shells was long, hard, boring work. Hickory nuts were the worst nuts of all, and her fingers would be stained brown. She wondered how the squirrels managed to get nutmeat out of those shells with only their big front teeth as tools.

Finally, the last nut was cracked and shelled. Papa scraped all the nutshells into the trash can while Mama covered the bowl of nutmeats and put them into the cupboard. They would stay there until Thanksgiving.

Lily loved Thanksgiving almost as much as Christmas. On Wednesday, school was dismissed an hour early. Lily and Joseph ran all the way home to help Mama get everything ready for tomorrow's big meal. When they burst into the kitchen, Mama was toasting the hickory nuts on the stove. They smelled good, all nice and sweet and cozy. Lily couldn't wait until tomorrow.

For the first time, Mama let Lily help her make the special
Thanksgiving pudding—layered with different flavors of orange and vanilla. It was as beautiful to gaze at as it was to eat. Mama told her to put the bowl in the refrigerator, and then she went upstairs to tend to baby Paul. Lily opened the refrigerator, but it was jam-packed with other dishes Mama had prepared. At first, Lily wasn't sure what to do, but then she had an idea. A brilliant idea. Just brilliant. It was cold outside, even colder than inside the refrigerator. So Lily simply set the big bowl of pudding on the porch and covered it with a kitchen towel. And then she saw a bright red cardinal at the bird feeder and she forgot all about the pudding.

Mama called Lily in to help with the turkey. Lily's favorite! Earlier today, Mama had roasted a big turkey. Now, it was time to pick all the meat off into bite-sized pieces. In the big roasting pan, Mama added diced bread to the turkey, plus seasonings. She poured turkey broth over everything and let Lily mix it all together. Lily's mouth watered at the thought of how delicious this turkey would be tomorrow. It was the best way to eat turkey. The very best.

The next morning, Lily jumped out of bed as soon as she heard Mama's light footsteps on the stairs. She didn't want to miss a single minute of the day. She hurried down the stairs to help. Mama gave Lily potatoes to peel. Mama cut each peeled potato into chunks and covered them with cold water so they wouldn't turn brown. The potatoes would have to wait to be cooked until after church.

Mama set the pies on the kitchen counter in a row: pumpkin, pecan, and cherry. Lily wasn't sure which one she wanted to eat, but she thought she might try a small slice of each one. Mama checked the oven temperature and slid the roasting pan filled with the prepared turkey into it.

After breakfast, Papa drove Jim up to the door, and they
climbed into the buggy to go to church. It seemed funny to be going to church on a Thursday, but Lily always enjoyed Thanksgiving church. Everyone seemed extra happy, thinking of the meal that was waiting at home. Even the slow church songs sounded a little faster and happier.

Lily tried to listen to the ministers but her thoughts kept drifting off to the good food in Mama's kitchen. Her stomach started to rumble and she tried to muffle it with her hands, but Effie and her mother heard. They sat right in front of Lily and Mama and turned to frown at Lily at the exact same moment. It seemed as if they had rehearsed it.

The very second church was over, people bolted off their benches and out the door. No one was interested in lingering to visit. Not today!

Lily and Joseph scrambled to the back of the buggy to peer out the little window. The buggies of Grandpa Miller and Uncle Jacob followed them home. The smell of turkey dressing filled the air as the buggies reached Lily's driveway. Mama hurried inside to start cooking the big pot of potatoes. Grandma and Aunt Lizzie helped Mama make the gravy and set the table. Lily was glad that Uncle Jacob didn't have to do anything except sit in the living room and visit with Grandpa and Papa. That meant he could watch Noah and Papa could watch baby Paul and Dannie. Lily could go play dolls with Aunt Susie.

It wasn't long before Mama called for Lily to come to the kitchen. Lily dropped the dolls on the floor and rushed downstairs. Thanksgiving dinner was ready! She looked at all the food on the table: mashed potatoes drizzled with melted browned butter, golden brown turkey gravy, sweet corn, seven-layer salad, freshly baked dinner rolls, and another bowl filled with Mama's secret cheesy peas. In the center was a large
platter with turkey dressing, steaming hot and piled high. Three little bowls, one with honey, one with butter, and one with a special spread of jam and marshmallow cream, were tucked near the bread rolls.

Behind the table on the counter were the pies, a big bowl of fruit, and a chocolate layer cake with fluffy chocolate frosting.

Mama was looking at her list, frowning. “Lily, where is the pudding?”

The pudding?
Oh no!
The pudding!

Lily dashed out to the porch to get it and stopped in dismay. Two big barn cats were sitting in the bowl, licking the last of the beautiful Thanksgiving pudding. Lily snapped her apron at them. “Shoo! Scat! Get away from here!”

The cats didn't budge. They looked at her and started to clean their paws. Lily was so cross at them! She picked up the bowl and tipped it so they tumbled out. “Bad cats!” she said. They didn't look even a tiny bit sorry for what they had done.

Lily took the empty bowl and handed it to Mama. “I couldn't find a place for it in the refrigerator so I put it outside and covered it with a dish towel.” Her eyes welled with tears. She was so disappointed. “The cats found it first.”

Mama's mouth opened in a big
O
. She looked at the big empty bowl, then at Lily, then back at the bowl. “Well,” she finally said with a reassuring smile, “I think we have enough food even without the pudding.”

After dinner was over, Lily and Aunt Susie helped the women clean off the table and put the leftovers away. Then everyone sat in the living room to visit until it was chore time.

Lily waved and waved until Grandpa Miller's and Uncle Jacob's buggies turned the corner onto the road. Papa and Joseph and Dannie went to the barn to milk Pansy and the goats and to feed the rest of the stock. Mama asked Lily to
stay inside and help her make their special Thanksgiving tea—the way they ended the day.

Mama spread all the bits and pieces of hickory nuts into the bottom of a saucepan and covered them with water. Lily watched as the water started to boil. As soon as the water turned a lovely shade of golden brown, Mama took the saucepan off the stove and added brown sugar and milk.

Papa and the boys came in from the barn just as Mama finished stirring the tea. She filled five little cups with it and everyone sat around the table to enjoy the last tradition of Thanksgiving. Lily loved the crunchy sugary nut bits that floated on top of the tea. She wondered why they called it tea when it really wasn't a tea at all. It was more like hot chocolate, only better. She sipped it slowly to make it last as long as she could, unlike Joseph and Dannie, who gobbled it down. They had this special tea only on Thanksgiving. They would have to wait an entire year before they could have some more. Joseph and Dannie had no concept of time. None at all.

It was a perfect day. Except for the pudding.

As Mama tucked Lily into bed that night, she whispered, “Don't feel too badly about the pudding, Lily. The cats work hard for us, keeping the mice away. They deserve a treat now and then.”

Lily thought those silly cats had their best Thanksgiving meal ever.

I
t was Friday, the morning after Thanksgiving, and Christmas was in the air. “It's time to start thinking about Christmas,” Teacher Rhoda said, right after devotions.

Lily sat up a little straighter in her chair. She didn't want to miss a word of this announcement. One seat in front of her and across the aisle—the invisible part—Effie waved her hand frantically.

“Yes, Effie?” Teacher Rhoda said.

“Will we be having a Christmas program this year?”

That was another thing about Effie that bothered Lily. She was so impatient. If Effie would just listen, Teacher Rhoda could explain everything.

Teacher Rhoda didn't seem to mind that Effie was so impatient. She smiled, as if she thought her enthusiasm was cute. “Yes, we will be having a Christmas program here at school. Today, I will give each student a part to memorize.”

Teacher Rhoda walked from desk to desk and placed a piece of paper on each one. Lily quickly read her assignment. She had to memorize a Christmas poem, several verses from the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, and sing “O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.”

Lily's heart sank. She didn't mind memorizing a poem and she didn't mind memorizing Bible verses, but the thought of singing in front of everyone made her stomach feel as if butterflies were fluttering around. She knew she had a month to prepare, but already her hands felt cold and clammy and sweaty.

At home, Lily showed the list to Mama the minute she returned from school. Mama skimmed the list. “I don't think you'll have any problem learning all of this in time for the program.”

“I think I can memorize everything,” Lily said. “But I don't think I can sing that song.”

Mama looked surprised. “You already know it. Why do you think you can't sing this song?”

“My stomach feels funny when I think about it . . . I'm afraid I'll get sick. I might get sick and die, right there at the schoolhouse.” That would be terrible. How embarrassing.

“I'll help you sing it often here at home,” Mama said. “You will get so used to singing it that you won't even have time to get nervous at the program.” She put the list away. “Did everyone exchange names for gifts like they did in New York?”

“No, we didn't,” Lily said. “Teacher Rhoda didn't say anything about exchanging gifts.”

“Maybe they don't exchange gifts in this school,” Mama said. “I'll write a note to Teacher Rhoda and ask her what we're supposed to do. You can give it to her on Monday.”

Lily forgot all about the Christmas program until Mama
handed her the note to give to Teacher Rhoda on Monday morning. She took the teacher's answer back to Mama that afternoon. As Mama read it, she said, “This sounds like a good idea.” She put the note in her apron pocket. “They don't exchange names in this school. Instead, each child takes something small to school for each child. Maybe a balloon or a pencil or some candy. Any ideas of what you'd like to take the children?”

Gift ideas weren't hard for Lily. The hard part would be deciding on just one thing. Oh, so many choices! At first Lily thought of paper dolls, then stickers, then a few new crayons. But each time she thought of something, it was followed by the image of Aaron Yoder, sneering. He would find a way to mock anything she picked. Finally, she thought about what she would most like to receive: candy.

The best gift of all would be to fill a sandwich baggie with several different kinds of homemade candy, including a square or two of Mama's special fudge. She would ask Papa if she could buy Smarties to put in each baggie. Smarties were Lily's favorite candy of all. She was pleased with her decision. Everybody loved candy. Even Aaron Yoder couldn't make fun of candy.

Joseph decided to give each student a balloon. He was crazy about balloons. He was hatching a new plan to blow up a hundred balloons, tie them with strings, and hang on tight to the strings so that he could fly like a kite to his friend's house. So far, he had saved up only three balloons.

Mama thought they had made good choices for their gifts. “Don't tell any of the other children what you have planned,” she said. “You want them to be surprised.”

Effie
, she meant.

Each afternoon in December, Teacher Rhoda asked the
students to practice their poems and verses and sing their songs. Lily was relieved to learn that she wasn't singing alone—all the little girls were assigned the same song.

The days inched along. On the night before the Christmas program, as soon as Dannie and baby Paul were sound asleep, Mama set out different candies on the kitchen table. Smarties, of course. Little candy canes, tiny chocolate bells wrapped in different Christmas colors, red and green gumdrops, and small boxes filled with Mama's homemade candies: chocolate-covered pretzels, fudge, and raisin clusters. Lily started to reconsider her idea. Everything looked too good to give away. Maybe she should just give balloons too and save the candy for the family.

Mama would have none of that. She handed Lily a box of sandwich baggies. “Put one of each candy in the baggie. I'll help you fasten a twister on them.”

Lily had fun filling the baggies, thinking how pleased her friends would be with her surprises. She thought of each child as she filled a baggie. The last person she thought of was Aaron Yoder. She wished she could fill his baggie with stinky brussel sprouts instead of delicious candy. That would serve him right.

The Christmas program was scheduled for the afternoon, so Papa and Mama would bring the special gifts when they arrived. The students, even the bigger ones, couldn't concentrate on their lessons. Too excited. They could hardly sit still. Teacher Rhoda finally gave up trying to teach and told them to put their books away. “We'll spend the rest of the morning practicing the program to make sure everyone knows their parts.”

Lily closed her math book with a snap. She was happier doing anything than long division. All she could think of was the program, anyway. And the candy.

At two o'clock, buggies started to roll into the schoolyard. The girls stood at the window to watch. Mothers carried little children in one arm and bags of gifts in the other as they hurried into the schoolhouse. Fathers tied the buggy horses to the long hitching rack. Each horse would be covered with a blanket so it wouldn't get cold while waiting. It was a chilly day. Big flakes of snow drifted lazily from the sky.
What a perfect day for a Christmas program
, Lily thought. She was so happy she could hardly keep it inside—her happiness kept spilling out.

Teacher Rhoda rang the bell. The students hurried to their seats while the parents found a seat on the benches at the back of the schoolhouse. It was time to begin. The children filed to the front of the schoolhouse and started to sing Christmas carols. Then they took turns telling the Christmas story, verse by verse. After a few more songs and poems, it was time for the best part: the gifts!

One by one, Teacher Rhoda called out a family's name. The children in that family would get the bags of gifts from their parents and hand them out. Lily was thrilled to see the pile of things on her desk grow and grow, as big as a mountain. She saw erasers and special pencils, pretty handkerchiefs and lots of candy. Every other desk had a small mountain of gifts too. Nobody was left out.

“The David Yoder family,” Teacher Rhoda announced. Lily watched as Marvin, Ezra, and Aaron handed out gifts, even though Aaron was invisible to her. Marvin walked up one aisle and down the other, placing a shiny red apple on each desk. Ezra followed behind, giving everyone a banana. Last came Aaron. He gave everyone an orange. Even though Aaron was invisible to Lily, she did notice those oranges. Her mouth watered at the sight. She loved oranges, best of all
the fruit. The only time she ate an orange was for Christmas breakfast. She couldn't wait to have one! Aaron started up her aisle, placing an orange on each desk. When he came to Lily, he hurried past her desk as if no one was there.

Lily was crushed. She was looking forward to that orange! She decided she would not give Aaron a pack of candy. He didn't deserve one.

“The Daniel Lapp family,” Teacher Rhoda said.

Lily and Joseph got up and went back to Papa and Mama to get their bags of gifts. Mama handed Lily the bag and whispered, “Be sure not to miss any children.”

Aaron
, she meant.

Lily walked up and down the aisle, placing a baggie filled with candy on each desk. As she neared Aaron's desk, she wanted to skip past him. She wanted to so badly! But she
knew Mama was watching and would be disappointed in her. She tossed the baggie on his desk and didn't feel at all sorry that it slid off and dropped on the floor. She hoped the Smarties broke into a thousand little pieces. She hoped all that would be left was Smartie dust.

When Lily sat at her desk, she set aside her invisible rule and glanced at Aaron. He had already eaten all of the candy that was on his desk. All of it! She hoped he would have a horrible stomachache all afternoon. Maybe even for all of Christmas. Just the thought of a green, sickly Aaron, languishing in bed during Christmas while she was having fun, satisfied her.

After the last gift was handed out, the program was over and it was time to go home. It had been a good day. A very good day. Lily gathered all her things into a big empty bag. She couldn't wait to get home to divide her candy with Dannie and Papa and Mama. Joseph, she knew, would do the same thing. Maybe, if she asked nicely, he might share his orange.