smiled. “Yes, I can come. Monday morning will be fine.”
Lizzie actually felt her chest deflating as she let out a whoosh of air. Bless Emma’s heart. Lizzie felt like jumping up and down with relief, but she stood quietly beside the refrigerator, chewing her thumbnail to the quick.
How did Emma do it? How did she manage to always do what Mam wanted? It had been that way forever, it seemed to Lizzie. It happened even on days when they were little and some celebrating seemed in order—like the first day of summer after school was out for the year. Early one spring morning, Emma had come running down the stairs, shouting for Lizzie. Sure enough, she had something bossy to say. Emma told Lizzie loudly that as soon as Mam was done washing, they had to help mow the yard, trim around the existing flower beds, and make new ones.
Lizzie hadn’t felt like working in the yard that day any more then than she did now. Emma just upset her, always spoiling a perfect day, telling her what she had to do. So she didn’t turn around. She acted as if she hadn’t heard Emma and kept her back turned.
“Lizzie!” Emma voice rose. Lizzie could tell she was angry at her. Good for her. Emma could go mow the yard with Mam and she’d stay in the barn with Dat and the horses.
“Lizzie!” Emma yelled louder.
Dat stopped combing Dolly’s mane. He did not look very happy as he spun Lizzie around. “Lizzie, answer your sister when she calls you,” he said.
Lizzie looked at the floor, pushing a piece of black leather with one toe as Emma stomped into the barn.
“Dat, you have to make Lizzie listen to me. She’s just mad because she has to work. I already swept the floor for Mam and she didn’t do a thing,” Emma said.
“Lizzie, now go on, and don’t be so stubborn,” Dat said, giving her a shove. He looked frustrated as he turned back to brush Dolly.
“I don’t want to, and I’m not …” Lizzie retorted.
Dat turned very suddenly and loomed over Lizzie. “Don’t say it, Lizzie, or I’m going to have to find my paddle. You go right now and be nice. I’m busy here, and Mam needs you to help her. Now go.”
Lizzie had burst into howls of rage and disappointment. First of all, Emma was bossy, and now Dat was on Emma’s side and was being so unkind. She wailed her way out the door and plopped down hard on the porch step, refusing to budge while she cried loud howls of self-pity.
“Lizzie, if you don’t shut up right this minute—oh!” Emma stood by helplessly. When she simply couldn’t take Lizzie’s crying one more second, she stomped off to the little shed and found the push mower.
Lizzie stopped crying as she watched Emma mow. It looked like fun, and it made the lawn look nice and even in size and color. She sniffed and wiped her eyes and watched Emma some more.
Lizzie wished she were back in school. School was much more fun than this. Emma would boss her around all summer. Mandy was too little to be much fun, but Lizzie guessed if Emma was going to be so grown-up all the time, sweeping floors and mowing yard, Mandy would have to be her playmate. Even Dat was unkind to her today.
Tears welled up in her eyes, because it all hurt dreadfully. She turned away so Emma couldn’t see and ran to the tool shed. She found Mam’s trimming shears and hurried over to the flower bed farthest away from Emma.
She clipped halfheartedly at the edge of the flower bed. A fat brown earthworm wriggled in the grass, and Lizzie clipped him in two pieces. It served the slimy old worm right—he had no business crawling over the grass where she was supposed to trim.
Mam came over and sat down beside Lizzie. The two parts of the earthworm were wriggling furiously, and Mam could see Lizzie’s swollen eyes and tear-stained face.
“What’s wrong with the worm, Lizzie?” she asked.
“I cut him in half.”
“On purpose?” Mam asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Lizzie, why were you crying?” she asked.
“Mam, I–
Lizzie actually felt her chest deflating as she let out a whoosh of air. Bless Emma’s heart. Lizzie felt like jumping up and down with relief, but she stood quietly beside the refrigerator, chewing her thumbnail to the quick.
How did Emma do it? How did she manage to always do what Mam wanted? It had been that way forever, it seemed to Lizzie. It happened even on days when they were little and some celebrating seemed in order—like the first day of summer after school was out for the year. Early one spring morning, Emma had come running down the stairs, shouting for Lizzie. Sure enough, she had something bossy to say. Emma told Lizzie loudly that as soon as Mam was done washing, they had to help mow the yard, trim around the existing flower beds, and make new ones.
Lizzie hadn’t felt like working in the yard that day any more then than she did now. Emma just upset her, always spoiling a perfect day, telling her what she had to do. So she didn’t turn around. She acted as if she hadn’t heard Emma and kept her back turned.
“Lizzie!” Emma voice rose. Lizzie could tell she was angry at her. Good for her. Emma could go mow the yard with Mam and she’d stay in the barn with Dat and the horses.
“Lizzie!” Emma yelled louder.
Dat stopped combing Dolly’s mane. He did not look very happy as he spun Lizzie around. “Lizzie, answer your sister when she calls you,” he said.
Lizzie looked at the floor, pushing a piece of black leather with one toe as Emma stomped into the barn.
“Dat, you have to make Lizzie listen to me. She’s just mad because she has to work. I already swept the floor for Mam and she didn’t do a thing,” Emma said.
“Lizzie, now go on, and don’t be so stubborn,” Dat said, giving her a shove. He looked frustrated as he turned back to brush Dolly.
“I don’t want to, and I’m not …” Lizzie retorted.
Dat turned very suddenly and loomed over Lizzie. “Don’t say it, Lizzie, or I’m going to have to find my paddle. You go right now and be nice. I’m busy here, and Mam needs you to help her. Now go.”
Lizzie had burst into howls of rage and disappointment. First of all, Emma was bossy, and now Dat was on Emma’s side and was being so unkind. She wailed her way out the door and plopped down hard on the porch step, refusing to budge while she cried loud howls of self-pity.
“Lizzie, if you don’t shut up right this minute—oh!” Emma stood by helplessly. When she simply couldn’t take Lizzie’s crying one more second, she stomped off to the little shed and found the push mower.
Lizzie stopped crying as she watched Emma mow. It looked like fun, and it made the lawn look nice and even in size and color. She sniffed and wiped her eyes and watched Emma some more.
Lizzie wished she were back in school. School was much more fun than this. Emma would boss her around all summer. Mandy was too little to be much fun, but Lizzie guessed if Emma was going to be so grown-up all the time, sweeping floors and mowing yard, Mandy would have to be her playmate. Even Dat was unkind to her today.
Tears welled up in her eyes, because it all hurt dreadfully. She turned away so Emma couldn’t see and ran to the tool shed. She found Mam’s trimming shears and hurried over to the flower bed farthest away from Emma.
She clipped halfheartedly at the edge of the flower bed. A fat brown earthworm wriggled in the grass, and Lizzie clipped him in two pieces. It served the slimy old worm right—he had no business crawling over the grass where she was supposed to trim.
Mam came over and sat down beside Lizzie. The two parts of the earthworm were wriggling furiously, and Mam could see Lizzie’s swollen eyes and tear-stained face.
“What’s wrong with the worm, Lizzie?” she asked.
“I cut him in half.”
“On purpose?” Mam asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Lizzie, why were you crying?” she asked.
“Mam, I–
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