to have together.” Suzanne bumped Esther’s arm with her elbow. “Speaking of Samuel, if you think he doesn’t like you, then maybe you should ask him why.”
Esther shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Samuel’s hard to figure out, and I don’t want to say or do anything that might make him angry at me. I enjoy watching the kinner and wouldn’t want to lose my job.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. Samuel needs someone to watch them while he’s working, and since you’re so good with the kinner, he’d be foolish to let you go.”
Esther was about to comment, when Penny stopped walking, turned toward Esther and Suzanne, and pointed upward. “Look there—some
gens!”
Esther leaned her head back. Sure enough, there was a flock of honking geese cutting across the sky. “Looks like spring can’t be too far off now.” She smiled. “They’re heading back north.”
“And look over there.” Suzanne pointed to her left. A small doe pranced into the empty cornfield, now covered with snow.
“Ach, how cute!” Penny watched the doe a minute, then she hurried on.
After they’d gone a bit farther, Marla handed her sled rope to Leon and joined Esther and Suzanne. “I’m hopin’ I get a sled of my own for my
gebottsdaag
,” she said.
“When is your birthday?” Esther asked.
“I’ll be nine years old next Saturday. Daadi hasn’t said a thing about it, though, so I’ll bet he forgot.” Marla frowned deeply and scrunched up her nose. “He don’t remember much of anything anymore.”
Esther gave the girl’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure he won’t forget something as important as your birthday.”
Marla shrugged. “We’ll see.”
As they continued on, Esther determined in her heart that she would do something special for Marla’s birthday. That way, if Samuel should forget, the child wouldn’t be quite so disappointed.
“Since we only have three sleds, we’ll have to take turns,” Suzanne said when they came to the top of a hill that looked perfect for sledding.
“Me first! Me first!” Leon shouted, hopping up and down. He raced for one of the sleds and took off down the hill before Esther had a chance to respond. Barking and nipping at the back of the sled, Lucky followed.
Marla grabbed another sled and went right behind him. “Look out, Leon—here I come!”
“Penny’s kind of little to manage the sled by herself,” Esther said to Suzanne, “so maybe I should ride down the hill with her.”
“That’s a good idea,” Suzanne agreed. “When one of the others gets back with their sled, I’ll take Jared for a ride with me.”
Esther seated herself on the sled, situated Penny in front of her, and pushed off with her feet.
“Whee … This is schpass!” Penny hollered.
“Jah, it’s a whole lot of fun.” Esther giggled as they gathered speed and the snow sprayed back in their faces. The faster they went, the more she laughed, enjoying the memory of her youth when life was so simple and carefree.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Lucky was there, ready to slurp Penny’s cheek.
Penny giggled as she turned her head. “Get away, Lucky! You’re gettin’ my face all wet.”
Woof! Woof!
The dog wagged his tail, and with one final slurp, he dashed up the hill behind the others.
They went up and down the hill several more times, with Esther taking turns with Suzanne as they gave Penny and Jared rides on the sled.
“I wanna ride by myself now.” Before anyone could stop her, Penny grabbed hold of the sled Marla had been using and took off down the hill in a flash. Lucky raced ahead of her, barking excitedly and zigzagging through the snow.
“Penny, look out!” Esther shouted.
It was too late. Lucky bumped the sled, and Penny screamed as her hat flew off. The sled flipped over, and Penny landed at the base of a tree with a horrible
thud
!
C HAPTER 13
E sther raced down the hill and
Esther shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Samuel’s hard to figure out, and I don’t want to say or do anything that might make him angry at me. I enjoy watching the kinner and wouldn’t want to lose my job.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. Samuel needs someone to watch them while he’s working, and since you’re so good with the kinner, he’d be foolish to let you go.”
Esther was about to comment, when Penny stopped walking, turned toward Esther and Suzanne, and pointed upward. “Look there—some
gens!”
Esther leaned her head back. Sure enough, there was a flock of honking geese cutting across the sky. “Looks like spring can’t be too far off now.” She smiled. “They’re heading back north.”
“And look over there.” Suzanne pointed to her left. A small doe pranced into the empty cornfield, now covered with snow.
“Ach, how cute!” Penny watched the doe a minute, then she hurried on.
After they’d gone a bit farther, Marla handed her sled rope to Leon and joined Esther and Suzanne. “I’m hopin’ I get a sled of my own for my
gebottsdaag
,” she said.
“When is your birthday?” Esther asked.
“I’ll be nine years old next Saturday. Daadi hasn’t said a thing about it, though, so I’ll bet he forgot.” Marla frowned deeply and scrunched up her nose. “He don’t remember much of anything anymore.”
Esther gave the girl’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure he won’t forget something as important as your birthday.”
Marla shrugged. “We’ll see.”
As they continued on, Esther determined in her heart that she would do something special for Marla’s birthday. That way, if Samuel should forget, the child wouldn’t be quite so disappointed.
“Since we only have three sleds, we’ll have to take turns,” Suzanne said when they came to the top of a hill that looked perfect for sledding.
“Me first! Me first!” Leon shouted, hopping up and down. He raced for one of the sleds and took off down the hill before Esther had a chance to respond. Barking and nipping at the back of the sled, Lucky followed.
Marla grabbed another sled and went right behind him. “Look out, Leon—here I come!”
“Penny’s kind of little to manage the sled by herself,” Esther said to Suzanne, “so maybe I should ride down the hill with her.”
“That’s a good idea,” Suzanne agreed. “When one of the others gets back with their sled, I’ll take Jared for a ride with me.”
Esther seated herself on the sled, situated Penny in front of her, and pushed off with her feet.
“Whee … This is schpass!” Penny hollered.
“Jah, it’s a whole lot of fun.” Esther giggled as they gathered speed and the snow sprayed back in their faces. The faster they went, the more she laughed, enjoying the memory of her youth when life was so simple and carefree.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, Lucky was there, ready to slurp Penny’s cheek.
Penny giggled as she turned her head. “Get away, Lucky! You’re gettin’ my face all wet.”
Woof! Woof!
The dog wagged his tail, and with one final slurp, he dashed up the hill behind the others.
They went up and down the hill several more times, with Esther taking turns with Suzanne as they gave Penny and Jared rides on the sled.
“I wanna ride by myself now.” Before anyone could stop her, Penny grabbed hold of the sled Marla had been using and took off down the hill in a flash. Lucky raced ahead of her, barking excitedly and zigzagging through the snow.
“Penny, look out!” Esther shouted.
It was too late. Lucky bumped the sled, and Penny screamed as her hat flew off. The sled flipped over, and Penny landed at the base of a tree with a horrible
thud
!
C HAPTER 13
E sther raced down the hill and
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