looked at one another again. “When did you talk to your grandmother?” she asked.
“I talk to Grandma all the time,” Evie proclaimed boldly.
I turned to Erich for a reaction, he must have sensed something, he shrugged and shook his head, without looking up. He was obviously done with the conversation.
“She usually comes to visit when everyone is asleep.”
I was dying to know more, but wasn’t sure how much I could ask without making her realize how unusual her visits with her grandmother actually were.
“That is so nice that she comes to see you,” I said, “what do the two of you talk about?”
“She told me she liked my doll house one time,” Evie replied, “but usually she just talks about grandpa. She’s worried about him. She thinks he’s not very happy.”
I looked at Anja again, she shook her head, neither of us knew quite what to say. Apparently neither did anyone else, we all sat quietly for several minutes before Anja broke the silence.
“So,” she started, directing her attention to the boys, “your parents are comfortable with sending the two of you such a distance by yourselves?”
The boys looked at each other, their eyes wide.
“Oh my word! Your parents don’t know you’re here, do they?” Anja grabbed her chest with both hands feigning a heart attack, “Surely, they must be worried sick!”
“Nah,” Lukas replied casually, “they don’t have to worry about us. And besides, they’ll be so excited to see Evie they’ll forget all about getting us in trouble.”
Chapter 18
Anja excused herself, I could hear the bath running in the other room, the linen closet open and close. “Who’s up first?” she shouted into the hallway. The boys looked at one another, their reaction was remarkably similar to that of a dog that wasn’t used to bathing but had suddenly realized he was destined for a trip to the bath. I went into the living room and looked for something to read while the kids got cleaned up. Anja joined me soon after and the boys wandered out separately as they finished bathing. Lukas carried his left arm with the other and I could tell he was trying to shield something as he passed. When I asked him what he hiding he reluctantly moved his hand to the side to reveal a sizeable wound on his forearm, it covered nearly the entire underside.
“My goodness, Lukas!” Anja exclaimed as she took hold of his arm and pulled it closer so she could take a better look. “What on earth happened here?”
Erich laughed, “You’ll never believe what he did.”
Lukas pursed his lips and squinted his eyes into a pretend mad face directed at Erich.
The boys had been playing in the fields with their cousins. One of the older boys started passing under the horses, he would lower himself to fit beneath the belly and emerge on the other side. The horses seemed indifferent to the antics and for the most part were able to completely ignore the boy. As always happened when the older kids got together, someone eventually dared Lukas to try it. Initially he was reluctant, knowing full well that it was never a good idea to mess around with the horses.
“Come on!” they chided. “Are yuh chicken?”
“No I’m not a chicken!” he screeched before bending slightly at the waist and walking straight into the open area under the horse.
“You’re too tall! You’re too tall!” yelled one of the cousins. “Scrunch your knees! Scrunch your knees!”
It was too late, Lukas raised his head just enough to touch the tender underside of the horses belly. What followed was a rush of air then a floating sensation followed by a crash and a long tumble. He finally came to rest half way across the field. He sat up, the other boys rushed to him, the horse stood unaffected and continued to graze. The boys found themselves shocked by what they’d just seen and looked wildly around the field hoping no one else had been around to see it. They convinced Lukas not to tell anyone which meant the
“I talk to Grandma all the time,” Evie proclaimed boldly.
I turned to Erich for a reaction, he must have sensed something, he shrugged and shook his head, without looking up. He was obviously done with the conversation.
“She usually comes to visit when everyone is asleep.”
I was dying to know more, but wasn’t sure how much I could ask without making her realize how unusual her visits with her grandmother actually were.
“That is so nice that she comes to see you,” I said, “what do the two of you talk about?”
“She told me she liked my doll house one time,” Evie replied, “but usually she just talks about grandpa. She’s worried about him. She thinks he’s not very happy.”
I looked at Anja again, she shook her head, neither of us knew quite what to say. Apparently neither did anyone else, we all sat quietly for several minutes before Anja broke the silence.
“So,” she started, directing her attention to the boys, “your parents are comfortable with sending the two of you such a distance by yourselves?”
The boys looked at each other, their eyes wide.
“Oh my word! Your parents don’t know you’re here, do they?” Anja grabbed her chest with both hands feigning a heart attack, “Surely, they must be worried sick!”
“Nah,” Lukas replied casually, “they don’t have to worry about us. And besides, they’ll be so excited to see Evie they’ll forget all about getting us in trouble.”
Chapter 18
Anja excused herself, I could hear the bath running in the other room, the linen closet open and close. “Who’s up first?” she shouted into the hallway. The boys looked at one another, their reaction was remarkably similar to that of a dog that wasn’t used to bathing but had suddenly realized he was destined for a trip to the bath. I went into the living room and looked for something to read while the kids got cleaned up. Anja joined me soon after and the boys wandered out separately as they finished bathing. Lukas carried his left arm with the other and I could tell he was trying to shield something as he passed. When I asked him what he hiding he reluctantly moved his hand to the side to reveal a sizeable wound on his forearm, it covered nearly the entire underside.
“My goodness, Lukas!” Anja exclaimed as she took hold of his arm and pulled it closer so she could take a better look. “What on earth happened here?”
Erich laughed, “You’ll never believe what he did.”
Lukas pursed his lips and squinted his eyes into a pretend mad face directed at Erich.
The boys had been playing in the fields with their cousins. One of the older boys started passing under the horses, he would lower himself to fit beneath the belly and emerge on the other side. The horses seemed indifferent to the antics and for the most part were able to completely ignore the boy. As always happened when the older kids got together, someone eventually dared Lukas to try it. Initially he was reluctant, knowing full well that it was never a good idea to mess around with the horses.
“Come on!” they chided. “Are yuh chicken?”
“No I’m not a chicken!” he screeched before bending slightly at the waist and walking straight into the open area under the horse.
“You’re too tall! You’re too tall!” yelled one of the cousins. “Scrunch your knees! Scrunch your knees!”
It was too late, Lukas raised his head just enough to touch the tender underside of the horses belly. What followed was a rush of air then a floating sensation followed by a crash and a long tumble. He finally came to rest half way across the field. He sat up, the other boys rushed to him, the horse stood unaffected and continued to graze. The boys found themselves shocked by what they’d just seen and looked wildly around the field hoping no one else had been around to see it. They convinced Lukas not to tell anyone which meant the
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