Life with Lily (5 page)

Lily carried the cookie bowl carefully as she followed Grandma out to the harness shop. Grandpa was sitting at his big sewing machine, making a new horse harness. He sewed the pieces of leather together carefully with strong thread. Lily took a deep breath as they walked into the shop. She loved the smells of leather and polish.

Grandpa looked up in surprise when he noticed Lily and Dannie with Grandma. “Well, well. Look who came to see me,” he said, a wide grin on his face.

Lily handed the cookie bowl to him and said, “I helped Grandma make these cookies.”

“You did?” he said. He took a big bite and closed his eyes in delight. “Mmmm!”

Grandma explained to Grandpa what had happened to Joseph. “Joseph will get better and be fine again,” Grandpa assured Lily as he stroked her hair. “Don't worry about him. The doctor will take care of him. His arm will heal quickly and be as good as new.”

In the kitchen, Lily helped Grandma pick out a nice little dish and place some cookies on it to give to Joseph. They had just finished putting the dish and cookies into a little paper bag when Helen Young's car drove into the driveway with Mama and Joseph.

Lily ran outside to greet them. Joseph's arm was covered with a heavy white cast. In his other hand, he held several
stickers. He gave a little kitten sticker to Lily. She smiled and carefully slipped it in her pocket. Grandma joined them at the car with Dannie in her arms. As they drove away, Lily turned in her seat and waved goodbye to Grandma until she couldn't see her anymore. When they arrived at Lily's home, Mama offered to pay Helen Young for taking them to the doctor.

“No, no, I don't need anything at all,” Helen Young said. “That's what neighbors do for each other. I was happy to be able to help you.”

Mama thanked her again. After Helen Young drove away, they went into the house. So much had happened since this morning! Finally, finally, Lily had some nice thoughts to think about Harold Young. She still didn't think he was a nice man, but he did have a nice wife.

C
lip clop, clip clop
. Jim's hooves pounded a steady beat on the hot asphalt. The storm front of the top buggy was open so Lily was able to lean over to braid Jim's long tail as he trotted down the road. Mama held Dannie on her lap. Joseph stood between Mama and Lily, watching Jim's feet. Lily felt hot and sticky. The trees were silent. No birds wanted to sing on this muggy July day. Even the leaves on the trees hung hot and listless. Only the dragonflies were out today, darting about with their big googly eyes and glassy wings.

They were on their way to help Mama's sister, Aunt Mary, in her bulk food store. Lily looked forward to playing with her cousins, Hannah and Levi, while Mama helped Aunt Mary measure out flour and sugar into little bags to sell.

Hannah ran out of the house when she saw Mama drive Jim to the hitching rack. Lily jumped off the buggy. Hannah grabbed Lily's hand and they ran to play with their dolls on
the porch swing. Joseph and Levi could find something to play with of their own. Little boys didn't play dolls very well.

Aunt Mary came out of the house to meet Mama and Dannie. Lily thought she looked wilted, like the leaves on the big maple tree next to the house. Lily decided this summer heat must make everything and everyone uncomfortable.

All afternoon, Lily and Hannah played while Mama worked in the little store with Aunt Mary. Too soon, it was time to go home. Lily was sorry to leave Hannah. In the buggy, she chattered to Mama about her day and how much fun she had. Mama seemed extra quiet. Lily peeked around Mama's big black bonnet and saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

Despite the heat, Lily felt a shiver. “What's wrong, Mama?”

“Mary is sick,” Mama said quietly. “She has cancer.”

Cancer. Lily didn't know what the word meant, but if it made Mama cry, it must be something very horrible.

Lily and Joseph loved playing in the barn while Papa worked. Each evening, he would curry Jim or sweep the hay from the hallway. A new litter of kittens had been born recently. Lily thought there was nothing as cute and fun as baby kittens. Every evening she and Joseph would sit on the barn floor and hold the kittens in their lap, stroking them gently as they purred. Sometimes, the kittens were in a playful mood and didn't want to be held very long. They would chase each other around the ladder and hay bales. Lily and Joseph would laugh and laugh, until their sides hurt. Even Papa would stop his work to watch the silly kittens play.

One evening, the kittens ran into the barn where the buggies were kept. Lily and Joseph ran after them. Lily picked a
kitten up in her arms and noticed another one under a wooden pallet. Only its tail peeped from under the pallet. Lily tried to coax it out by stroking its big black tail. My, it had a big bushy tail. Bigger than the kittens' tails. “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” The cat wouldn't budge. Lily went to find Papa and ask him to help her.

Papa took one glance at the cat's tail that stuck out from the pallet and grabbed Joseph, hoisting him into his arms. “Follow me, Lily! Now!” Papa turned and ran from the barn. The tone in Papa's voice was alarming. Lily ran after him.

Once they were outside, Papa let out a big “Whew! That was close!” He looked at Lily, chuckling. “You are the only little girl I know of who has petted a skunk.”

Lily's mouth opened in a big O, but not a word came out. She was too shocked to speak. That tail did seem a little different from their other cats, but she had no idea it belonged to a skunk. Oh, how dreadful if she and Joseph had been sprayed with a heavy choking cloud of stink. The very thought made shivers run up and down her spine.

In the house, Papa told Mama the skunk story. He thought he might ask around to see if he could find a dog. “Too many varmints have been coming around the farm,” he said. “A good dog would make those varmints think twice before calling our barn a home.”

Later that week, Papa came into the kitchen to find Mama. Lily and Joseph were helping Mama can peaches. His blue eyes were twinkling like they did whenever he had a surprise. “I found a nice dog in town,” Papa said. “Let's go out and meet her.”

Everyone followed Papa outside. A big black dog was tied to a tree near the house. Its wet pink tongue hung out of its big mouth. Lily spotted some big sharp teeth. As big as fangs and sharp as razors.

Mama seemed pleased. Didn't she see those big teeth?

“I think we should call her Stormy,” Mama said as she stooped down to pet the big ferocious-looking dog.

Papa knew that if Mama named an animal, it could stay. “We're happy to have you live with us now, Stormy.” He stroked the dog's big head. “I'll make a nice bed for you out in the barn. In a few days, we'll let you run anywhere you like on our property. You can play with the children and keep critters away.”

All Lily could think about were those big sharp teeth. She did not want to play with that dog. She didn't want to get anywhere near it.

Papa smiled at her. “Would you like to come pet Stormy?”

Lily shook her head. Tears prickled her eyes. The dog was too scary! Lily's tears made Joseph cry too. That often happened. If Lily cried, Joseph cried. If Joseph cried, Dannie cried. Soon, they were all crying. Papa was surprised that they didn't like the new dog and told them that they didn't have to play with it today. He assured them that once they grew used to Stormy, they would find the dog would be a lot of fun. Maybe one of their best friends, even.

But Lily was sure she could never be friendly with a dog that had such great big pointy teeth.

As summer deepened, Aunt Mary grew weaker and sicker. Several times a week, Papa would hitch Jim to the buggy for Mama so she could help with Aunt Mary's laundry, cooking, and cleaning. Lily and Joseph would go along to play with Levi and Hannah. On days when Mama stayed home, Grandma Miller would tend to Aunt Mary.

Lily felt sad. Hannah wasn't fun to play with, like she had been before her mother had become sick with this cancer. Hannah looked sad all the time. Each time Lily arrived, she would find Hannah at the sink, washing breakfast dishes. Her blue dress was on backward so the buttons ran down the front. Her mother was too weak to help her get dressed and Hannah couldn't reach the buttons in the back. Mama would help Hannah dress properly, then start the day's work.

Uncle Elmer spent a lot of time sitting on a rocking chair next to Aunt Mary's bed. He would read to her or just sit quietly as she took little naps.

Lily tried to shake the feeling of dread that covered Hannah's house like a scratchy wool blanket. How she wished
they could laugh and sing and play like they used to! Even when they stayed at home, Mama wasn't bubbly with laughter like she had been.

A few nights later, Papa had just finished asking a silent blessing for supper when a buggy rolled up the driveway. Lily saw Uncle Elmer jump out of the buggy and tie his horse to the hitching post. He walked back to the buggy and gently lifted a big box. He carried the box to the porch. Papa went to open the door for him. Lily wondered what Uncle Elmer had in the box. He set it down in a chair in the kitchen and carefully lifted out a tiny baby wrapped up in soft white blankets.

“Mary is in the hospital,” he told Mama and Papa. “Since the baby has been born, the doctors want to do something about the cancer right away.”

A baby? Lily didn't know that Aunt Mary was going to have a baby! That was good news. Very good news! No wonder she had been sick and tired. But now that the baby was here, everything would be better. Babies always made people happy.

“Hannah and Levi will stay at Grandma and Grandpa Miller's,” Uncle Elmer said. He was in a hurry because he wanted to go to the hospital to be with Aunt Mary. He ran the back of his fingers over the baby's soft cheek. He handed the baby to Mama and turned to go. He opened the door and took a step outside as Lily called out, “Wait! What is this baby's name?”

Uncle Elmer stopped abruptly. Lily felt her cheeks grow warm. It was bold to question a grown-up like that. Children must be seen and not heard. Wasn't Mama constantly reminding her of that? But Uncle Elmer wasn't cross. He smiled at her.

“I almost forgot to tell you. We named him Davy.”

As Uncle Elmer drove off in the buggy, Lily looked at baby
Davy. His skin was white and creamy. His head was covered with thick fuzzy black hair. Lily wanted to stroke it to see if it felt as soft as it looked. His face wasn't red and wrinkly like Dannie's had been. He wasn't ugly like Dannie had been. In fact, Lily thought Davy was the cutest baby she had ever seen.

Lily liked having two babies in the house. Davy couldn't do anything but wave his hands and feet and make funny little noises when he was hungry. Mama said she never knew a baby who cried as little as Davy. Lily liked sitting next to Davy's bassinet and talking to him. Sometimes Mama would let her hold the bottle to feed him.

Uncle Elmer brought Hannah and Levi over several times a week so they could see their new little brother. They never stayed very long. Lily wished that she and Hannah could play with their dolls like they used to do, but Hannah didn't want to play. She only wanted to hold Davy.

Lily heard Uncle Elmer tell Papa and Mama that the doctors were doing everything they could to make Aunt Mary better. That news made Lily happy. She hoped it wouldn't be much longer before Aunt Mary could come home. Then, everything could be like it used to be. That's what Lily prayed for each day.