“We can’t tell Ma. That’s why we need a hero.”
Ry eyed her suspiciously. “And just why can’t you tell your mother?”
“Because we weren’t supposed to be playing with Danny’s things,” she said in a rush of words. “But we didn’t go in his room, honest. He left two of his marbles on the floor in the kitchen. We just wanted to play with them for a little while, then we were going to put them right back.”
Ry hid a smile at her rationalizations. “What do Danny’s marbles have to do with getting Lottie’s hand stuck in the jar?”
“We put them there so they wouldn’t get losted. But when Lottie tried to get them out, she got stuck.”
“I see. Come closer so I can have a look at your problem.”
Lottie dutifully moved forward and set her hand, jar and all, on the bed next to him.
“Did you try opening your fist?” he asked.
Lottie nodded.
“We pulled and pulled but it just won’t come out,” Pippa said, joining her sister. “Can you help us?”
He studied the small hand. It appeared swollen, but not injured. “I think so.” He looked at Pippa. “Can you fetch me some lard from the kitchen?”
The child nodded.
“I need a great big spoonful.”
With another nod, Pippa turned and raced out of the room, leaving Ry alone with the still sniffling Lottie. He sent a silent “hurry up” plea Pippa’s way. “Don’t worry,” he said awkwardly. “We’ll have your hand out of there in just a few minutes.” Hurry Pippa.
Lottie gave him a wide-eyed, trusting look, and nodded solemnly. At least the sniffles had stopped.
Pippa returned, a spoonful of lard bobbing precariously in her hand. “Here it is.”
“Good. Now, take some and smear it all around the part of Lottie’s wrist you can reach and around the inside lip of the jar.”
“This feels icky,” Pippa complained. But she did as he’d instructed.
“All right, Pippa, that looks good. Lottie, I’m going to hold the jar and I want you to ease your hand out, nice and slow. Okay?”
Holding the base of the jar with one hand, Ry watched with satisfaction as the small, well-greased hand did indeed slide right out of the jar.
Both girls looked at him with bright, relieved smiles. “See,Lottie,” Pippa said, “I told you heroes help people who are in trouble.”
Ry handed the jar back to Lottie. “You girls put this back where it belongs, and I suggest you wash your hands as best you can if you don’t want your ma to ask what you’ve been up to.”
With a chorus of thank yous, they skipped out of the room.
Ry chuckled, relieved that their problem had been so easy to resolve.
Would that his own could be handled so easily.
Chapter Eleven
A s predicted, Danny and Audrey both stopped by to visit once school was out. Neither visit was quite as dramatic as the one with the twins, though.
Audrey sat on the chair next to his bed, swinging her legs and telling him about her day, from the time she stepped into the classroom to the moment she came home. The highlight, apparently, had been when she received her assigned part for the upcoming Thanksgiving program. Thanksgiving, it appeared, was a major event in Knotty Pine.
“I’m going to be a gardener,” she said. “I can tell everyone why I’m thankful for the sun and the rain and the seeds and the fruit and everything.”
And for Audrey, “everything” would undoubtedly be taken literally.
Danny came by next and challenged him to another game of checkers. They played two, winning one apiece.
Once he left, Ry tried to sleep, and to his surprise, did drift off for a short nap.
When he woke up, he decided he’d been confined longenough. It was time he tested his legs on something more ambitious than crossing the room.
Moving with care, Ry got dressed. He appreciated the use of Uncle Grover’s sleep shirts but it would feel good to be in his own clothes again. Maneuvering his injured arm into the shirt sleeve caused more then one wince, but getting his
Ry eyed her suspiciously. “And just why can’t you tell your mother?”
“Because we weren’t supposed to be playing with Danny’s things,” she said in a rush of words. “But we didn’t go in his room, honest. He left two of his marbles on the floor in the kitchen. We just wanted to play with them for a little while, then we were going to put them right back.”
Ry hid a smile at her rationalizations. “What do Danny’s marbles have to do with getting Lottie’s hand stuck in the jar?”
“We put them there so they wouldn’t get losted. But when Lottie tried to get them out, she got stuck.”
“I see. Come closer so I can have a look at your problem.”
Lottie dutifully moved forward and set her hand, jar and all, on the bed next to him.
“Did you try opening your fist?” he asked.
Lottie nodded.
“We pulled and pulled but it just won’t come out,” Pippa said, joining her sister. “Can you help us?”
He studied the small hand. It appeared swollen, but not injured. “I think so.” He looked at Pippa. “Can you fetch me some lard from the kitchen?”
The child nodded.
“I need a great big spoonful.”
With another nod, Pippa turned and raced out of the room, leaving Ry alone with the still sniffling Lottie. He sent a silent “hurry up” plea Pippa’s way. “Don’t worry,” he said awkwardly. “We’ll have your hand out of there in just a few minutes.” Hurry Pippa.
Lottie gave him a wide-eyed, trusting look, and nodded solemnly. At least the sniffles had stopped.
Pippa returned, a spoonful of lard bobbing precariously in her hand. “Here it is.”
“Good. Now, take some and smear it all around the part of Lottie’s wrist you can reach and around the inside lip of the jar.”
“This feels icky,” Pippa complained. But she did as he’d instructed.
“All right, Pippa, that looks good. Lottie, I’m going to hold the jar and I want you to ease your hand out, nice and slow. Okay?”
Holding the base of the jar with one hand, Ry watched with satisfaction as the small, well-greased hand did indeed slide right out of the jar.
Both girls looked at him with bright, relieved smiles. “See,Lottie,” Pippa said, “I told you heroes help people who are in trouble.”
Ry handed the jar back to Lottie. “You girls put this back where it belongs, and I suggest you wash your hands as best you can if you don’t want your ma to ask what you’ve been up to.”
With a chorus of thank yous, they skipped out of the room.
Ry chuckled, relieved that their problem had been so easy to resolve.
Would that his own could be handled so easily.
Chapter Eleven
A s predicted, Danny and Audrey both stopped by to visit once school was out. Neither visit was quite as dramatic as the one with the twins, though.
Audrey sat on the chair next to his bed, swinging her legs and telling him about her day, from the time she stepped into the classroom to the moment she came home. The highlight, apparently, had been when she received her assigned part for the upcoming Thanksgiving program. Thanksgiving, it appeared, was a major event in Knotty Pine.
“I’m going to be a gardener,” she said. “I can tell everyone why I’m thankful for the sun and the rain and the seeds and the fruit and everything.”
And for Audrey, “everything” would undoubtedly be taken literally.
Danny came by next and challenged him to another game of checkers. They played two, winning one apiece.
Once he left, Ry tried to sleep, and to his surprise, did drift off for a short nap.
When he woke up, he decided he’d been confined longenough. It was time he tested his legs on something more ambitious than crossing the room.
Moving with care, Ry got dressed. He appreciated the use of Uncle Grover’s sleep shirts but it would feel good to be in his own clothes again. Maneuvering his injured arm into the shirt sleeve caused more then one wince, but getting his
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