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.The sun, hiding behind the heavy layers of snow clouds, refused to shine.Still, Mary and her mother and grandmother had come to help make four double batches of the tasty dish she loved better ’n most anything.Katie and Mamma washed their hands at the sink, then tossed the hand towel back and forth merrily before starting to melt and brown the butter.“Won’t Dat and the boys be excited?” Mamma said.Katie giggled.“Jah, and they’ll prob’ly finish off the whole dish before we can ever get seconds,” she said, standing on a chair to reach the top of the counter.She held a long rolling pin in her little hands and was making ready to help squash the graham crackers when it came time.Later, she would help her little friend Mary spread the crumbs all over the top of the gooey dessert.But the best part of all was the lip-smackin’ session just around the corner—eating the delicious dish.Mary scooted a chair over next to her.“I’m almost as tall as you,” she said.“Almost, but not quite.”They leaned close together, taking turns trying to measure each other, but they giggled so much they couldn’t stand up straight long enough.“Ach, hold still now, and I’ll see where your forehead comes on me,” said Katie.Mary sucked in a deep breath and held perfectly still until Katie got the job done.“Half a head shorter,” Katie announced, to which Mary blew all her air out.“And ya have bad breath, too!” she hollered, then burst into laughter again.“Miss Katherine?” Selig said, waving a tea towel in front of her face.“Oh … er, what?” A bit startled, she apologized for daydreaming.“I guess this recipe pulls me right back to my childhood.”“We had a feeling you might’ve gone back and decided not to return,” Garrett teased her.Selig and Katherine joined in the laughter.What a wonderful-good time they were having.She could hardly wait for the “mud” to cool.————The children who could respond with spoken praise for her surprise treat did so.Willy was especially expressive, his fingertips covered with graham cracker crumbs.He put up both thumbs and wiggled them in the air.“Can you teach my mommy how to make this stuff?” he asked.“I’ll see that she gets this recipe—good enough?” Katherine folded the piece of paper in half and placed it on a clean spot on the table.They talked about his weekend, what he did on Sunday.“Mommy and Daddy took turns reading my Bible to me,” he told her, his eyes wide.“I’m glad they did.” She paused, remembering the church service and the Scriptures she’d looked up afterward, and how moved she was by the message of God’s love.“My brother came to visit me, too.” Willy’s expression was serious.“Josh looked real sad, though.”She knew he was speaking of his older brother.“I’m sure he was very happy to see you.”“Josh thinks I’m going to die, but I’m not.I’m going to get well and go home again and …” He stopped in midsentence.Katherine’s heart ached for the little boy.So young to be dealing with issues of life and death.“I want to get well,” he whispered, as if confiding a secret.“We all want you to.”When it came time for him to rest, she wheeled the boy down the hall to his room.Colorful balloons floated gently in the corner near the window, and a lovely handmade quilt covered a portion of one wall.There was a recliner and a hide-a-bed for family members who wished to spend the night.Bright and cheery, Willy’s room was filled with large, graceful ferns and freestanding plants.She helped him into bed, pulling the covers up for him.“Sweet dreams, now.”“Aw, we didn’t have time to play guitar today,” he said suddenly, as if it were terribly important to him.“I’ll come again on Wednesday,” she said.“You can learn to play another chord then.”He nodded reluctantly and reached his arms up for a hug.“Goodbye, Katherine.I’ll miss you.”She leaned down and caressed his head.“I’ll miss you too, Willy.”“Come back tomorrow, okay?”“I’ll see what I can do,” she said, knowing that it would mean changing the schedule and having to get permission from the charge nurse.A bit complicated, but she would talk to Natalie and see what could be done.On the drive home, she wished it were midsummer so she could take her young friend outside.They would sit in the shade of a maple tree, enjoying the fragrance of garden phlox and honeysuckle vines, feel the warm breeze, and watch the sun cast short shadows on the birdbath in the courtyard behind the hospice.As it was, she feared Willy might not live long enough to see July come at all.Later Theodore drove her to the mall, where she found a gift shop.She wanted to purchase several cards for the sick boy, but as she was standing in front of the “Get Well” section, she noticed two Amish teens enter the store.Their dresses were similar to those worn in Lancaster County, and the connection instantly drew her to them.“Wie bischt?” she said, forgetting she wasn’t dressed Plain, let alone Amish, and that these girls might be frightened by a greeting from a stranger who spoke their language.They were shy, lowering their heads, eyes cast down.Katherine stepped back a bit before she made a complete fool of herself.“Uh, sorry.Have a nice day.” She turned to go, the cards for Willy still in her hand.“Didja forget to pay?” the older Amish girl called.Katherine felt her neck and cheeks grow warm.“Oh my, yes.I certainly did.Thank you ever so much.”The girls glanced at each other, grinning.Then one spoke up, “Weren’t you out at our place buying jam the other week?”Katherine couldn’t believe it.These girls looked an awful lot like Mrs.Esler.“Yes, I bought the jellies.Are you related to her?”“We’re her youngest daughters,” said one shyly.“Jah, we spotted you from the front room that day,” said the other.“We had an old quilt that was worn through, so we were puttin’ some new batting in, which was why ya didn’t see us.Usually we help Mamma with the jam and jelly business [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]