Bumpy Ride Ahead! (4 page)

“It’s my turn now,” Mattie said, taking the globe out of Mark’s hands. It was the prettiest snow globe she’d ever seen. It was not only a globe but also a music box, so that made it even more special.

Mattie had only been holding the globe a few seconds and was getting ready to wind it up so she could listen to the song it played, when Mark snatched it right back. “I wanna see that!”

“Hey! I wasn’t done looking at it yet. I wanna hear what song it plays.” Mattie grabbed hold of the snow globe, but Mark wouldn’t let go. Mattie gritted her teeth and tugged. Mark did the same. Suddenly, Mattie let go, but so did Mark.
Crash!—
the snow globe hit the ground and broke into several pieces. It was ruined!

Mattie gasped. Mark moaned. Grandma and Grandpa came running over with worried expressions.

“What happened?” Grandma asked.

Mattie quickly explained. Mark just stood, staring at the ground.

“If Mattie had let me hold the snow globe, it wouldn’t have fallen and broken into pieces,” Mark said.

Mattie frowned. “If you had let
me
hold the globe, it wouldn’t have broken.”

Deep wrinkles formed across Grandpa’s forehead. “Just a minute here. It sounds to me like you were both in the wrong, and now you’ll have to pay for the broken globe.”

Tears welled in Mattie’s eyes. “But I only have fifty cents, and the globe is two dollars.”

“I have fifty cents, too,” Mark said. “So between me and Mattie, we just have one dollar.”

“You two can pay for half, and I’ll pay the rest of it,” Grandpa said. “But you will both have to do a few chores for me and Grandma today to work off your debt.”

Mattie looked down, disappointed that they’d be leaving the yard sale empty-handed. Mark’s frown let her know that he was unhappy about that, too.

“As soon as you pay for the snow globe, I think we should go home,” Grandma told Grandpa. “I’ve had enough yard sales for one day.”

Grandpa gave a nod. “Mark, you can start by helping me tie the milk can I bought at the last yard sale onto the back of the buggy. It’s really too crowded for it to ride inside the buggy.” Then he looked at both of the twins and said, “If you two don’t get over your selfish attitudes, you’re going to have a bumpy ride ahead.”

“What do you mean?” Mark asked.

“If you keep being selfish, you’ll have lots of problems, just like you would if you were riding on a very bumpy road and got jostled around,” Grandpa explained.

Mattie couldn’t imagine having any more problems than she did right now, and she sure hoped they wouldn’t have a bumpy ride home.

C
HAPTER
4

“I’m glad we don’t have to go to any yard sales today,” Mark told Mattie as they entered the barn the following Saturday morning.

“I know,” Mattie agreed. “After what happened last week with Grandma choking and then the snow globe breaking, I don’t care if I ever go to another yard sale again—or eat a hot dog either.”

When the twins had gone back to Grandpa and Grandma’s house after leaving the yard sale, Mattie had helped Grandma with some things in the house, and Mark helped Grandpa do some cleaning in the barn. After Mark and Mattie had eaten some cookies before going home for the day, Grandma had said she hoped they’d learned a good lesson about the consequences of selfishness.

“Let’s climb into the hayloft,” Mark said, distracting Mattie from her thoughts. “Then we can swing on the rope that hangs up there.”

Mattie shook her head. “I don’t want to do that. It’ll make my stomach do little flip-flops.”

“Okay then, let’s find Lucky and play with her. I’ll get some catnip, and we can tease her with it.”

“It’s not nice to tease,” Mattie said. “Besides, I’d rather play with my hund than your katz.”

Mark shrugged. “Do whatever you like. I’m goin’ up the ladder to the hayloft.” He hurried away and was almost to the ladder when Dad entered the barn.

“Your
mamm
and I are going to town to do some shopping,” he said. “So we need you two to go into the house and keep an eye on your little sister and brother. They’re napping right now, and when they wake up, you’ll need to keep them entertained until we get home.”

“Why can’t one of our older brothers keep an eye on Ada and Perry?” Mark asked.

“Because Ike and Russell are visiting some of their friends, and Calvin went fishing with Grandpa today.”

Mark thumped the side of his head. “Oh, that’s right; I forgot about that. Wish now I’d gone fishin’ with them.”

Mattie didn’t want to keep an eye on her little brother and sister, but she knew if Mom and Dad were leaving, she and Mark didn’t have much choice. So she tapped Mark on the shoulder and said, “Come on, let’s go inside.”

As Mom and Dad’s horse and buggy pulled out of the yard, Mark followed Mattie into the house, shuffling his feet and grumbling, “It’s not fair. I really wanted some time to play.”

“Maybe we can find something fun to do in the house,” Mattie said.

“Sure hope so,” he said.

Once they were inside, Mattie suggested they go to the kitchen and have some of Mom’s peanut butter cookies and a glass of milk.

“That’s a really
gut
idea.” Mark smacked his lips. “Just thinking about Mom’s tasty kichlin makes me hungerich.”

Mattie climbed onto a stool, took the cookie jar off the counter, and set it on the table. Then, while she got out two glasses, Mark went to the refrigerator for the milk.

The twins took seats at the table, and Mark poured milk into their glasses while Mattie gave them each two cookies.

Mark reached for a cookie, bumped his glass, and—
clunk!—
knocked it over. “Oh no,” he groaned, quickly grabbing for some napkins to wipe up the mess before it soaked the cookies.

“You should have been more careful and watched what you were doing,” Mattie said.

Mark frowned. “You don’t have to act so bossy.” He picked up the container of milk and poured himself another glass.
Slurp! Slurp!
He drank it all down and poured some more. When he dunked his cookie into the milk, it fell to the bottom of the glass. “Oh great! Now my kichlin’s stuck, and it’s gonna get all mushy.”

“Why don’t you get a spoon and see if you can get it out that way?” Mattie suggested.

“I was just gonna do that.” Mark got out a spoon and put it in the glass, but the cookie remained stuck. He turned the glass upside down and tapped on the bottom while tipping the glass up to his mouth.
Whoosh!—
the cookie fell out, and the broken, soggy pieces stuck to his face.

Mattie giggled. Mark grunted and reached for a napkin to wipe his face. “I’m done with the cookies! I’m going back outside.”

“You can’t do that,” Mattie said. “Dad told us we have to stay in the house to keep an eye on Perry and Ada.”

“But they’re taking a nap. If we go outside on the porch, we can hear them if they wake up.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Mattie agreed. “I’ll put the cookie jar back on the counter, and then we can go.”

“I’m goin’ now. I’ll see ya out there!” Mark hurried out the back door, letting the screen door slam.

Mark had been sitting on the porch step, playing with his old yo-yo for about ten minutes, when Mattie joined him. “Are Ada and Perry still sleeping?” he asked.

“They must be,” Mattie said, “because I didn’t hear a peep out of them while I was putting the cookies away. Good thing, too. The way you let that screen door slam, it’s a wonder they didn’t wake up.”

“Oops, sorry. Guess I wasn’t thinkin’ about that. Anyways, it’s good that they didn’t wake up. Now, why don’t we play a game of hide-and-seek?” Mark suggested.

“There’s no place to hide here on the porch,” Mattie said.

“We can play in the yard. There are lots of places to hide out there.”

Mattie shook her head. “We can’t go into the yard. We wouldn’t be able to hear Ada and Perry from there.”

“I’m sure I can. I’ve got good ears.”

“Oh, alright,” Mattie finally agreed. “But we’d better not go too far from the house.”

Mark stepped off the porch and raced into the yard. Mattie was close behind him.

“Tag! You’re it!” Mark shouted, tapping Mattie’s shoulder.

“I thought we were going to play hide-and-seek,” Mattie said.

Mark shook his head. “I changed my mind. I’d rather play tag instead.”

Mattie folded her arms. “I don’t want to play tag. I’d rather play hide-and-seek.”

“It was my idea to play a game, so I should be the one to choose.”

“Okay,” Mattie said with a huff. “You’d better run fast because here I come, and you know I can run really fast!”

Mark took off across the yard. He knew Mattie could run faster than him, so he darted behind the house and ducked behind a bush. A few seconds later, he heard Mattie calling, “Mark, where are you?”

Mark held very still and didn’t say a word.

“You’d better not be hiding from me. We’re supposed to be playing tag, not hide-and-seek!”

Mark put his hand over his mouth so Mattie wouldn’t hear him snickering. He thought it was fun to play a trick on her.

“Mark Miller, if you’re hiding, you’d better come out and show yourself right now!”

It sounded like Mattie’s voice was getting closer and closer, so Mark crouched down a little lower behind the bush. He waited until Mattie had gone a little past him, then he leaped out and hollered, “Tag! You’re it!”

She shook her finger at him and frowned. “It was my turn to tag you, not the other way around. And you shouldn’t be sneakin’ up on me like that!”

“Sorry, I just wanted to have a little fun. You can run now, and I’ll chase you.”

Mattie shook her head. “I’m done playing this silly game. Besides, we really should be in the house so we can hear when Ada and Perry wake up.”

“Oh, all right.” Mark took off across the yard like a racehorse, leaped onto the porch, and hurried into the house. Mattie never knew her brother could run that fast. He must have been practicing when she wasn’t around.

Mattie remembered the last time Mark had played ball at school. He hadn’t been able to run fast at all, and when he’d fallen, some of the kids made fun of him. If they’d seen him sprint across the lawn just now, they sure wouldn’t be laughing.

“Now what should we do?” Mattie asked when she entered the house and found Mark sitting on the sofa in the living room, trying to fix the yo-yo that had gotten all tangled in his pocket.

“I know—let’s make a tent!” Mark said excitedly. “We can drape a blanket over some folding chairs and anchor it with some of Mom’s clothespins.”

“That’s a real good idea,” Mattie said. “We can pretend we’re on a camping trip.”

Mark bobbed his head. “It’ll be fun. We can fix ourselves a snack to take in there, too.”

Mattie’s eyebrows rose. “Are you hungry again? We just had some kichlin and milk awhile ago.”

Mark grinned. “I’m always hungerich.”

“Okay, we’ll have a snack.” Mattie smiled. “Oh, and I have another idea about the tent.”

“What’s that?”

“We can put a blanket and some pillows inside and pretend they’re sleeping bags.”

“Great! I’ll get the blanket and clothespins to make the tent while you fix us a snack,” Mark said.

Mattie frowned. “You don’t have to be so bossy. Maybe I want to get the blanket and clothespins. Did you ever think about that?”

“I wasn’t tryin’ to be bossy. I just know that I’m better at makin’ a tent than you are, and you’re good at fixin’ snacks.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mattie agreed. “Okay, I’ll fix us something to eat while you build the tent.”

“I’ll put the tent together here in the living room. See you inside the tent soon, Mattie!” Mark hurried out of the room, leaving Mattie to head for the kitchen to fix their snacks.

Mattie took some cheese slices from the refrigerator and got out a box of crackers. Then she grabbed two apples from the bowl of fruit on the table, placed everything on a tray, and took it to the living room. Mark was already there and had draped a big blanket over the back of four chairs.

“I just need to clip the edges of this blanket with a few clothespins, and we’ll be all set,” he announced.

Mattie smiled. “I’ll put our snacks on the little table by the sofa, and then I can help you clip the blanket in place.”

Mark shook his head. “I can do it myself. Why don’t you get the pillows off the sofa and put them inside the tent?”

Mattie thought Mark was being bossy again, but she was eager to get into the tent, so she did what he asked. By the time she’d taken the pillows off the sofa, Mark had the blanket pinned in place.

“I’ll go in first,” he said. “Then you can hand the tray of snacks in to me before you come inside.”

Mattie didn’t think it was fair that Mark got to go in the tent first, but again, she said nothing and did what he asked.