through the paper. Then she closed the tablet, took it with her, hid it behind the clothes as usual, and wearily climbed into bed.
Thirteen
I t was Friday, and Ivan would be coming for the girls. But Ella had a better idea—one that had her rushing around her basement kitchen packing food for the supper she would take to him. She’d best hurry though. Otherwise he would be on his way to her place. Just as she packed the last of the food, Mary announced that she couldn’t find her shoes and Sarah, out on the basement steps, began to bawl like a wounded calf.
Ella opened the basement door and asked, “What happened, dear? We’re tryin’ to rush.”
“I slipped and fell,” Sarah said through tears as she clasped her knee.
“Let me see,” Ella said. “Pull your hand away so I can see.”
Ella saw no blood, just a little white scuff where the concrete had rubbed.
“It hurts!” Sarah said, pulling in sharp sniffles.
Ella puckered her lips and blew a long breath on the scraped knee. A look of delight crept over Sarah’s face and she laughed.
“There we go. All better now?” Ella asked.
Sarah nodded vigorously.
How strange that real pain could be fixed simply by blowing air on it. Did Da Hah not know the secret? If He did, she had hurts He could blow on anytime now. But perhaps He was too busy?
“Somebody hurt herself?” Ronda asked, raising the upstairs window and peering down through the screen. “I thought I heard cries.”
“I hurt my knee,” Sarah said, pointing.
“Tsk tsk,” Ronda cooed.
Ella smiled. Ronda already had the air of a young mother, even though the birth of her first bobli was still months away.
“Stay right there…don’t move,” Ella said in Sarah’s direction, as she looked back for Mary, who was proudly holding up her shoes.
“That’s good!” Ella said, rushing to her. “Let me help you put them on. We have to go. And do you think you can carry something out to the buggy for me?”
“Yah, something big,” Mary said without hesitation.
Ella looked over her small body. “I think I’ll make extra trips. You can save time by putting your shoes on by yourself. Can you do that?”
Mary nodded. “But I can’t tie them.”
“Then we’ll have to practice that later. I’ll tie them when you’re ready.”
Mary sat down on the concrete floor, grabbing her shoes. She stuck her right foot into one. Thankfully, she knew how to place the right shoe on the right foot.
Ella turned to go load the food into the buggy. There was so much though. Perhaps Ronda could help her? That might entail questions, but right now she wasn’t afraid of questions. She was taking supper to Ivan, and that was nothing to be ashamed of.
“Ronda!” she called up the stairs.
“Is Ronda going to our house?” Mary asked.
“No,” Ella said. “I need her help with the food.”
The front door opened, and Ronda appeared. “Yah?”
“Will you help me carry some things out to the buggy? Please? I may be late already. Getting ready took longer than I expected.”
Ronda laughed. “Sure, I’d be glad to.”
She came downstairs quickly, and the questions started just as fast.
“Isn’t Ivan comin’ for the girls? Are you leavin’ for the evening? Runnin’ away with his little ones?”
Ella laughed. Ronda was a dear.
“Come on now,” Ronda said, teasing. “Spill the beans with me. You know I won’t tell! Or do you want me to tell him where you have taken them?”
“Ronda, I’m goin’ to his place and takin’ supper in,” Ella said. “I got the idea sudden like, and that’s what’s throwing me behind. Still, I thought I had plenty of time, but I don’t want him drivin’ all the way over here for nothin’.”
“ Ach …you are serious,” Ronda beamed. “But surely you won’t be by yourself in the house with him and the girls. You know how that could look since you’re not married yet.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” Ella said. “Susanna and her
Thirteen
I t was Friday, and Ivan would be coming for the girls. But Ella had a better idea—one that had her rushing around her basement kitchen packing food for the supper she would take to him. She’d best hurry though. Otherwise he would be on his way to her place. Just as she packed the last of the food, Mary announced that she couldn’t find her shoes and Sarah, out on the basement steps, began to bawl like a wounded calf.
Ella opened the basement door and asked, “What happened, dear? We’re tryin’ to rush.”
“I slipped and fell,” Sarah said through tears as she clasped her knee.
“Let me see,” Ella said. “Pull your hand away so I can see.”
Ella saw no blood, just a little white scuff where the concrete had rubbed.
“It hurts!” Sarah said, pulling in sharp sniffles.
Ella puckered her lips and blew a long breath on the scraped knee. A look of delight crept over Sarah’s face and she laughed.
“There we go. All better now?” Ella asked.
Sarah nodded vigorously.
How strange that real pain could be fixed simply by blowing air on it. Did Da Hah not know the secret? If He did, she had hurts He could blow on anytime now. But perhaps He was too busy?
“Somebody hurt herself?” Ronda asked, raising the upstairs window and peering down through the screen. “I thought I heard cries.”
“I hurt my knee,” Sarah said, pointing.
“Tsk tsk,” Ronda cooed.
Ella smiled. Ronda already had the air of a young mother, even though the birth of her first bobli was still months away.
“Stay right there…don’t move,” Ella said in Sarah’s direction, as she looked back for Mary, who was proudly holding up her shoes.
“That’s good!” Ella said, rushing to her. “Let me help you put them on. We have to go. And do you think you can carry something out to the buggy for me?”
“Yah, something big,” Mary said without hesitation.
Ella looked over her small body. “I think I’ll make extra trips. You can save time by putting your shoes on by yourself. Can you do that?”
Mary nodded. “But I can’t tie them.”
“Then we’ll have to practice that later. I’ll tie them when you’re ready.”
Mary sat down on the concrete floor, grabbing her shoes. She stuck her right foot into one. Thankfully, she knew how to place the right shoe on the right foot.
Ella turned to go load the food into the buggy. There was so much though. Perhaps Ronda could help her? That might entail questions, but right now she wasn’t afraid of questions. She was taking supper to Ivan, and that was nothing to be ashamed of.
“Ronda!” she called up the stairs.
“Is Ronda going to our house?” Mary asked.
“No,” Ella said. “I need her help with the food.”
The front door opened, and Ronda appeared. “Yah?”
“Will you help me carry some things out to the buggy? Please? I may be late already. Getting ready took longer than I expected.”
Ronda laughed. “Sure, I’d be glad to.”
She came downstairs quickly, and the questions started just as fast.
“Isn’t Ivan comin’ for the girls? Are you leavin’ for the evening? Runnin’ away with his little ones?”
Ella laughed. Ronda was a dear.
“Come on now,” Ronda said, teasing. “Spill the beans with me. You know I won’t tell! Or do you want me to tell him where you have taken them?”
“Ronda, I’m goin’ to his place and takin’ supper in,” Ella said. “I got the idea sudden like, and that’s what’s throwing me behind. Still, I thought I had plenty of time, but I don’t want him drivin’ all the way over here for nothin’.”
“ Ach …you are serious,” Ronda beamed. “But surely you won’t be by yourself in the house with him and the girls. You know how that could look since you’re not married yet.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” Ella said. “Susanna and her
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