The oblong blob of light at the window told me the sun was up. I remembered to put on my glasses and look at the clock rather than tap it. Six-fifteen a.m. I got up, donned my shorts and t-shirt from the day before, and trotted downstairs where I found Mom alone in the kitchen, just finishing her breakfast.
"Mornin', Mom," I said.
"Good morning, Trey. My, you're up early."
"We didn't stay up late. I think we were all tired."
"Yes, I saw your light was out. I'm glad everyone got a good rest. Let's try to keep things quiet so the others can sleep."
"I wish you could get some rest, Mom."
"Well, son, they need me at the care home, and I need the job."
I declared, "When I grow up I'm gonna get rich so you don't hafta work anymore."
Mom replied, "You might not be doing me any favor. I love my work."
"Really, Mom? But you get so tired."
"Getting tired over something you love is worth it. How many times have I seen you read until your eyes get so tired you get a headache? You're going to be a great scholar, and it will take you a long way in life, and help a lot of other people."
"If I don't go blind first."
Mom responded her voice firm, "Trey, you are not going to go blind. How many times have the doctor and I told you that?"
"How do you know that?"
"Because hardly anybody does. Why can't I get you to believe that?"
"Why can't I just see like everybody else? It just ain't fair."
"Honey, come here," she said. She pushed her chair out from the table and motioned me to sit on her lap.
"Ain't I getting a little big for that?"
"Just one more time, all right?" So I sat on her lap and put my arm around her shoulders. She took my other hand in hers.
"Trey, if anything terrible were to happen to you, you've got so many people in your life who care about you. Haven't you seen how your cousins really love you? And I think people at your school care about you a lot more than you give them credit for. And you know what? You're smart and clever. You could work your way around anything. Look at Charley, how he makes just about anything work for him."
"But Mom, I'm not Charley. I'm not anything like Charley."
"I think you're learning a lot from Charley, and you're going to learn a lot more, and you've got some things to teach him, too. Think about all that's happened since Charley came into your life. Promise me you will."
"All right, Mom. I promise."
"Now honey, I have to go. I'll be late for work."
I kissed Mom on the cheek and stood up. "I love you, Mom," I said.
"I love you too, honey. I'll see you this afternoon."
Mom gathered up her things and I followed her out to the driveway where the pickup had spent the brief night. The cooler air heralded by the storm raised goose bumps on me. Once Mom turned the pickup around I waved until she rounded the curve. Then I got my bike out from under the deck and rode up the lane to get the paper. When I returned I went to the living room and stretched out on the couch to read it. Next I knew Paul was gently shaking my arm as he asked softly, "Is the news that boring?"
"Hey, Paul. What time is it?"
"Around eight. Uncle Mack and Grandpa just left for the city, and I guess Aunt Laura and Jack and Jimmy are still asleep. Your mom's gone to work, right?"
"Yeah, I got up and we talked some." Just then the rhythmic clicking of Charley's walking gear sounded from the kitchen. He came in and said, "I got hot fresh biscuits for you on my bike."
Paul asked, "Didja make 'em yourself?"
"Nah, my mom," Charley admitted.
I asked, "Can you stay and have some with us?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Charley replied. "My mom said I could if you invited me."
I said, "You don't need an invitation here." While Paul was out getting the basket of biscuits Aunt Laura came down the stairs with Jack and Jimmy, and into the living room.
"Good morning, boys," Aunt Laura said.
"'Mornin', Aunt Laura," I said, "Charley's mom sent us hot fresh biscuits. She said he can stay for breakfast."
Aunt Laura said, "Charley, your mom and dad would be welcome to join us."
Charley replied, "Sometimes they like some time for just the two of them."
"Ah, very good," Aunt Laura said with a knowing look. Paul poked his head out of the doorway to the kitchen and asked, "Am I gonna hafta eat all these biscuits myself?"
Aunt Laura said, "We're coming, Paul. I'll fix some sausage and gravy. You boys set the table."
As Aunt Laura worked over the stove I asked, "Aunt Laura, can we go swimming this morning?"
Charley volunteered, "I'm sure my mom would come and watch us once my dad goes to the church office."
"That would be good, Charley," Aunt Laura said. "I'm the only grownup here today." She looked at the clock and said, "Around nine-thirty if that's all right."
"Can I call her and see?" Charley asked.
"Sure, Charley," Aunt Laura replied. Charley went to the phone, returned in a minute or so and said, "She said she'd be happy to and she'll bring my stuff with her."
We finished breakfast and cleanup quickly and were left with the hour before swimming could start. Paul whispered something into Charley's ear and he nodded and said, "Take it to the driveway." I figured out what was up but Jack and Jimmy were left to exchange puzzled looks. They followed Paul, Charley and me out to the yard, where Paul got onto Charley's trike and began steering it toward the garage and on up the drive as far as the curve.
"Me next!" Jack exclaimed.
"No, me!" Jimmy retorted.
"I called it first!" Jack hollered.
"Hey," I said, "you can both have a turn. You'll see, he won't ride it long. It's hard if you're not used to it."
Paul surprised all of us as he turned around, came back down and rounded the circle in front of the house. Then he did it all again as Jack shouted after him, "Hey, it's my turn!" Paul finally pulled in in front of us gathered in front of the garage and got off, saying, "That's hard."
"You're out of practice," Charley said. Jack started to get on it and Charley said, "Hey! Wait a minute!"
Jack said, "What?"
Charley said, "Did you ask if you can ride it?"
"Oh. Sorry," Jack said. "May I?"
"Say please," said Charley.
"Please," Jack said.
"Say pretty please," Charley said.
Jack, a bit exasperated, said, "Pretty please."
"Say pretty please with sugar on it," Charley said, enjoying the tease.
"Shit!" Jack exclaimed.
"Aw, go on," Charley said. As Jack started out, Jimmy tapped Charley on the shoulder and said, "Please?"
"Yeah, sure, Jimmy," Charley said, smiling.
Jack didn't last as long as Paul, just going up to the curve and back. While Jimmy took his turn, Jack asked, "How far can you ride that?"
Charley answered, "Pretty much as far as I want."
"Man," said Jack, rubbing his biceps, "I sure don't understand how."
Charley said, "It's 'cause your arms and shoulders get real strong when they gotta do the work of your legs."
Jack asked, "Can I try your crutches?"
Paul intervened, "Jack, that's too personal."
"It's OK," Charley said. "Just don't take them far." We followed him to the porch, where he sat on the top step and handed the crutches to Jack. Jack's arms fit well enough but the crutches barely reached the ground when he held them at his sides. Charley motioned for Jack to give them back and he adjusted the shafts a couple of inches longer so Jack could propel himself. Jack fitted them to his forearms again and tried a tentative step, swinging his legs together as Charley did, then tried a couple more, then got a more or less consistent rhythm as he started around the circle. About a third of the way around, however, he took the crutches in his hand and walked back. "That's too hard," he said. "I could never walk like that all the time."
"You could if you had to," Charley said. "Any other takers?" Everyone demurred so Charley adjusted the crutches to fit himself once again. As he did so his mother came around the bend in their Suburban and pulled up in front of the porch. I said, "Hi, Ms. Rhoda. Is it 9:30 already?"
"Not quite," she replied, "but it will be by the time you're ready to swim. Charley, why don't you change in the downstairs shower room?"
Charley replied, "OK, Mom. Good thinking." Ms. Rhoda, already dressed for swimming, got out of the Suburban, took out Charley's wheelchair and knapsack, and headed to the laundry room with him while the rest of us stampeded upstairs to change. When we came down we found Ms. Rhoda and Aunt Laura chatting in the kitchen while Charley sat at the table. Charley asked, "Mom, can I start on down?"
"Yes, go ahead," Ms. Rhoda replied. When we all started for the door she added, "No one in the water until I get to the dock."
"Yes'm," we all said, and started out as Jack and Jimmy held Charley's chair as it bounced down the steps from the deck. Jack pushed it on across the yard. Paul stayed behind and hosed down the lawn chair the storm had dumped into the lake, then carried it to the dock and set it up. I parked my glasses in the old oak tree and found my way to the dock with the rest. We all sat with our legs hanging over the edge, as Ms. Rhoda told us to, with Jimmy at Charley's right and me on his left. I realized Jimmy must have been staring when Charley challenged him, "Whatcha lookin' at, Jimmy?"
Jimmy asked, "You really can't move them, no matter how much you want to?"
Charley replied, "Well, this one, a little." Charley kicked his left leg out a couple of times and let it fall back, as his foot flailed lifeless from the ankle. "Ohh," Jimmy exclaimed in evident horror.
Charley pleaded, "Hey buddy, please don't turn on the waterworks again."
Jimmy just heaved a deep sigh and rubbed Charley's back a few times. Everyone lapsed into silence, lost in thought, so much so we didn't take note of Ms. Rhoda's approach.
"So quiet," Ms. Rhoda said. "What's going on?"
"Nothin', Mom," Charley replied. "Can we get in the water now?"
"Go ahead," she said. "Buddy up and be careful."
I cannonballed in and waited for Charley as he crept to the end of the dock, sat up and flipped himself in. We swam, raced and horsed around in the water for a good hour. We wound up flopped out on the raft like a bunch of dead fish. The sun gave us warmth enough despite the cooler air. After a while someone rolled off and swam to the dock.
"Who's that, and what's he doing?" I asked.
Charley said, "It's Jack. He's talking with my mom." Just then Jack came to the end of the dock and hollered, "Hey guys, Ms. Rhoda says we can come up and shoot baskets at their place."
"He shoulda said somethin' to Aunt Laura first," Paul said. He jumped in the water and swam to the dock, and we followed. By the time Charley and I reached them Ms. Rhoda was saying, "Yes, Paul, I told Jack that. Why don't we all go up to the house and see what Ms. Laura says?" As usual, Charley hung back so as not to slow everyone down. I fetched my glasses and pushed the chair to help him. By the time the two of us reached the house we found everyone crowded into the laundry room where they had found Aunt Laura doing wash. Apparently Ms. Rhoda had invited us all to lunch at their place, for Aunt Laura was saying, "No, really, Rhoda, we've laid in plenty to feed them here. You don't have to do that."
"Please, just let us, and you're invited too," said Ms. Rhoda. "Your sons and nephews have given Charley so much pleasure, it's the least we can do."
"All right, Rhoda," Aunt Laura said. "Let me get this one last load done, and I'll join you. You're really too kind. Now you boys get a couple of beach towels and spread them over the seats of Ms. Rhoda's Suburban. You're still pretty wet. Get your t-shirts too." While we complied and piled in the Suburban, Charley and his mom rounded up his gear from the laundry room. Paul hung back and when they came out he said, "Someone needs to bring Charley's bike up to your house. Mind if I do it?"
Charley asked "Are you sure you can make it that far?"
"Yeah, I'll pace myself," Paul said.
"All right," said Ms. Rhoda. Jack and Jimmy watched in fascination as Charley hauled himself into the Suburban and pushed himself up on to the front seat next to me. Ms. Rhoda passed in his braces and forearm crutches and we laid them across Jack and Jimmy's laps. Paul climbed onto Charley's trike and started pumping away with his arms as we headed up the drive.
"Why's he wanna do that?" Jack asked.
"'Cause he does," I answered. "What do you care?"
"Hey, I was only askin'," Jack retorted. It only took a minute to arrive at Charley's house. Charley said, "Hey guys, wanna see my room?"
"I hope your bed is made," cautioned Ms. Rhoda.
"Yes, Mom, it is," Charley replied. I carried one of Charley's braces and handed Jack the other one and Jimmy the crutches while Charley made his way up the ramp to the deck behind his house and we followed on through the kitchen and down the hall to Charley's room. He had us toss his walking gear on to the bed. Jack and Jimmy gravitated to the framed photos of President Roosevelt and President Kennedy over Charley's desk. Jack asked, "What's wrong with the President?"
"Which one?" Charley asked in return.
"President Kennedy. Our president," Jack replied. Kennedy, of course, had been president since we were little kids. To us, Roosevelt seemed to belong to another world.
Charley said, "His back got messed up real bad in World War II. Sometimes he needs crutches to walk. He can't even pick up his kids."
"Oh," Jimmy said. "I didn't know that. He always seems so strong."
"Yeah," Jack said. "He's got vigah. I always heard President Roosevelt had polio, but I've never seen a picture of him in a wheelchair like that."
"They're hard to get," Charley said. "My parents gave me that for Christmas last year. I guess it's s'posed to inspire me. You guys gonna vote for me when I run for President?"
"Yeah!" Jack hollered. "McDougall for President!" and we all cheered and whooped and hollered.
"OK, let's go," he said, and the five of us trooped out and down the hallway. As we passed the kitchen Ms. Rhoda asked, "What was all that hollering about?"
Jack said, "Charley's runnin' for President."
"Oh," she responded, as if this was not really news.
We went on through the garage, where Charley picked up the basketball from its corner and led us out the "people door."
Paul rolled up as we came out and said, "That upgrade is tougher than it looks."
"Yeah, I know," I said. "I did it once, too." Paul parked the trike next to the garage and joined us in shooting baskets. I said, "You sure you should be doing this, Paul?"
"My mom's not here to catch me, right?" he replied. With that, we started shooting baskets, or in my case shooting for them. After a while Charley said, "Trey, why don't you try using my chair?"
"Why, Charley?" I asked, as my cousins stared at me.
"Let's call it an experiment," he replied. He wheeled over to the section of the garage wall between the two big doors, right under the basketball goal, slipped himself forward onto his knees and pulled himself back with his hands so he could lean back against the wall. I hesitated.
"Go on, get in," Charley commanded.
I shrugged my shoulders and complied, feeling very strange. Paul tossed me the ball and I went for the shot, and surprised myself by making the basket, though the ball bounced off the backstop and rolled around the hoop a couple of times before falling in. Jack caught the ball and made a shot that bounced off wildly, not far from me. I beat my cousins to the ball and returned with it in my lap. As I wheeled toward the basket Charley hollered, "Foul! Only three pushes!"
"Whaddya mean?" I asked.
"You can only push the wheels three times while you're carrying the ball before you have to dribble it or pass it," he explained.
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.
"Wheelchair rules," Charley replied. "I used to play in a wheelchair league back in California."
"Really?" Paul asked. "You mean people play basketball in wheelchairs? I never heard of that."
Charley asked, "Where in Ohio do you guys live?"
"I live in Dayton," Paul replied, "and they live near Columbus," he continued, indicating Jack and Jimmy.
"They're pretty big cities, ain't they? I betcha they got wheelchair leagues there," Charley said.
Jack objected, "But ain't it kinda embarrassing, playin' sports in a wheelchair?"
"Not when everyone is," Charley replied. "And do you know what? Sometimes when they can't get enough people for a team, friends will get in a wheelchair and play too. Happened a lot in the kids' leagues back home ... I mean, in California."
"You mean, kids who can walk would play like that?" Jack objected, pointing at me with his thumb.
"Yeah," Charley replied, "if it made the difference between their friend playing or not playing. When you're handicapped you find out who your real friends are."
Paul said, "That's true."
I asked, "Hey, did we come up here to talk or to play?" and shot another basket. Our competition for the ball got more aggressive but I had to give it up after a few minutes when my arms got too tired. I wheeled over to Charley and said, "Here, you can have this back."
Charley asked, "Didja notice how you shoot better from the chair?"
"Yeah," I said. "So what?"
"So," he said, "If I ever find a kids' league, maybe sometime we'll need a fifth player."
Just then Paul came up. "Can I try it, Charley?" he asked.
"Sure, go for it," Charley said. Paul, Jack and Jimmy went at it while I sat myself down next to Charley. He asked, "How long are your cousins staying?"
I replied, "Last I heard they plan to go to church Sunday, maybe have a quick lunch at our house, and head back after that."
"Are you gonna miss them?" Charley asked.
"Yeah, kinda," I replied. "Are you?"
"Yeah, they're a lot of fun," Charley said.
I asked, "If we really get invited up to Dayton, do you think your parents will let you go?"
"I guess so," Charley said. "I dunno. Let's see if we get invited first."
"Yeah," I said. Just then Aunt Laura came around the corner of the garage and said, "Lunchtime, boys. Paul, what are you doing?"
Paul replied, "A little experiment, Aunt Laura, that's all."
"Yeah, Mom," Jack said, "like rollin' all over our toes."
Paul exclaimed, "That's not so, Jack, and you know it!"
Aunt Laura said, "Well, come in and wash up for lunch." It was as if Jack had said nothing. Paul wheeled over to Charley and vacated the wheelchair. Charley nimbly hiked himself into it, and we all headed for the bathroom and the kitchen. The active morning had whetted our appetites and we ripped through the sandwiches and fresh fruit Ms. Rhoda had prepared for us.
"Hey, Trey," Jack said, "how far is this Amish store where they've got the good ice cream?"
"About a mile down this road," I replied.
"They got cones?" Jack asked.
"Sure," I replied.
"Hey Mom," Jack said, "Do you think we could hike down there?"
"What about Charley?" Aunt Laura asked. "Would that be fair to him?"
"I can walk a couple of miles easy," Charley said, "as long as I don't try to go too fast."
"Rhoda?" Aunt Laura said.
"He can, Laura," Ms. Rhoda said, "with his braces."
"I'm kinda tired," Paul objected. "Maybe I won't come." Charley and I looked at each other, knowing the real reason.
Aunt Laura said, "Well, I don't think I'm going to let my boys go without you, Paul. I know you're very responsible, and my boys, well, sometimes they're not." She looked at Jack as she said it. Jack's face flushed, whether with embarrassment or anger I couldn't tell.
"Aw Paul," Jack said, "You can't be that tired. You're the biggest and strongest of any of us."
"Paul, Trey, huddle," Charley said. He led us out to the deck while the rest stared after us. When we got out there Charley said, "Paul, dontcha think it's time you explained what's happening with you to them? Or would you rather listen to Jack whine the rest of the week?"
"Yeah Paul," I said. "Didn't Grandpa say it's time to quit keepin' secrets?"
"Please, guys," Paul pleaded. "I just can't."
"Why not?" Charley demanded.
"'Cause I don't wanna be a cripple," Paul said, anguish in his voice.
"You already are a cripple," Charley said. "You know your hip is only gonna get worse. Your problem is, you don't wanna be seen as a cripple."
"Hey, Charley, what about you and your wheelchair?" I asked.
"Shut up, Trey," Charley said.
"Shit!" Paul exclaimed. "I'm going back to the house." He got up and stormed off the deck and down the lane.
Charley said "Thanks a lot, buddy ".
I said "Hey, you were hurting his feelings."
Charley shot back, "Well, the truth hurts, don't it?"
I said, "Don't matter what's true or not, if he ain't ready to hear it. Look, he's my cousin and I felt like you were beating up on him, OK? And maybe I was too."
Charley heaved a deep sigh and said, "We better go inside." We did, and Aunt Laura asked, "Where's Paul?"
"He went back to our house," I said.
"By himself?" Aunt Laura asked. "He shouldn't have done that. He should at least have thanked Ms. Rhoda for inviting us. Rhoda, I guess we'd better go on back, too."
"Charley needs to get his rest, anyhow," Ms. Rhoda said.
"No hike?" Jack asked.
"Not today," his mom replied. "Thank Ms. Rhoda, and let's go." We all said thanks, and Charley said, "Seeya, Trey."
"Seeya, Charley. Bye," I replied. We walked in heavy silence through the piney wood, full of angers unnamed and unspoken. When we got to our deck Aunt Laura told Jack and Jimmy, "You two find something to do," and motioned for me to sit at the picnic table while she took a seat across from me.
"All right, Trey," she said, "just what is going on?"
I said, "Aunt Laura, you need to ask Paul. I promised not to tell."
"Tell what, Trey?" she pressed me.
"You need to ask Paul," I persisted.
"All right," she ordered, "go find him and bring him here." Meanwhile Jack and Jimmy had gotten out the whiffle ball and bat and were going at it about halfway to the dock. I went upstairs and found Paul sitting disconsolately on his bed. I took one look and said, "You've been crying, man."
"Shut up," Paul retorted.
"Aunt Laura wants to talk to you."
"About what?"
"I dunno, you'll hafta ask her."
"Did you say anything about ... you know ...?"
"No. I promised you I wouldn't."
"Where's Aunt Laura?"
"At the picnic table on the deck."
"I'm gonna wash my face and then I'll go. You come too."
"Why?"
"Maybe I want a witness, I dunno." He was the picture of misery.
I returned to the deck and told Aunt Laura, "Paul will be here in a minute, he hadda use the bathroom." I figured it was no lie not to say what he was using the bathroom for. Paul appeared almost immediately and Aunt Laura motioned for him to sit across from her, where I sat before. She said to me, "You can go, Trey. Thank you."
Paul objected, "Aunt Laura, I want him to stay."
"Why, Paul?" Aunt Laura asked.
"To make sure I don't leave anything out," Paul replied.
Aunt Laura said, "All right," and I sat beside Paul. "Now," she said, "please help me understand what got into you, that you left the McDougalls' without saying anything to anyone."
Paul started in, "Aunt Laura, you remember how when I was little I had Perthes disease in my hip and couldn't use it for a long time. Well, it turns out that it didn't really heal right..." He went on to explain everything he had told me, and how his mother was pressuring him to use crutches again, and what had passed between him and Charley and me.
"Well," Aunt Laura said when Paul had finished, "nobody knows better than I do how your mother always thinks she knows what's best for everyone."
"But Aunt Laura," Paul said, "what am I gonna do?"
She replied, "Paul, honey, you need to sit down with your parents and tell them what you heard and how you understood it. If you don't agree about what the doctor meant, then maybe you need to get him to explain it to the three of you together – and don't let him stop until you fully understand what he's saying. You're old enough, and smart enough, for that."
Paul said, "That's hard, Aunt Laura."
"Well, do you want to keep fighting with your mother for the rest of your life?" she replied.
"And what if she's right? What if I'm gonna be a cripple forever?" Paul asked with anguish in his voice. Tears came to his eyes and he buried his face in his hands.
Aunt Laura reached across the table and took his hands in hers. "Paul, honey," she said, "I know you. I know you've got an inner strength that will overcome anything. And you've got your family to stand with you, you know that."
"So you agree with my mom."
"Not necessarily, Paul. See what the doctor says."
Just then we heard a car door shut by the garage. Mr. Bob came around the corner, dressed in old blue jeans and a t-shirt and work boots.
"Why, Reverend," Aunt Laura said, "what a surprise."
"Well," he explained, "I got our church member who's neighbor to Mr. Stoltzfus to take me to the farm. Mr. Stoltzfus had a bunch of boys hunting the boards from the barn that were scattered by the storm and bringing them back to get the nails pulled out of them. I'm taking Charley out there to help and wonder of any of the others might want to come along."
"You may go if you like," said Aunt Laura. "It could be very interesting."
"I'll go," I said.
"Yeah, me too," said Paul.
Aunt Laura called to Jack and Jimmy "Boys, come here, please." They trotted up to the deck and agreed to join the expedition. "You'll need to put shoes on," their mom said, "especially if you're going to be around boards with nails in them."
"Aw, Mom," Jack whined.
"No discussion," said Aunt Laura.
"Yes'm," the twins said together.
"The Amish don't wear shorts," Mr. Bob said, "so t-shirts and overalls might be best."
Aunt Laura said, "All that Paul, Jack and Jimmy have here are shorts, aside from their dress pants."
"I've got a couple extra overalls," I said. "It's what we mostly wear around here in cooler weather."
"Well," said Paul, "maybe I better not go." Paul was too big to fit into anything of mine.
I said, "Aw Paul, I hate that."
"It's OK," he said, "I'll help Aunt Laura around here."
Mr. Bob said, "We'll wait for you to change." We all went upstairs and I got out overalls for me and my cousins. We were back downstairs in less than two minutes. I got in the front seat of the Suburban while Jack and Jimmy got in the second seat with Charley. We turned right at the road, toward the Amish settlement. About a half-mile past the Amish store we turned left onto a gravel road. Soon we turned into a farm lane and saw the barn, its top half entirely gone and the rest reduced to the bare frame.
In the field beyond the ruined barn, along a trail of several hundred feet of wrecked cornstalks, were a couple of men and several boys. They wore the standard Amish long-sleeved shirts, long pants and suspenders and straw hats. They were hunting boards and stringers and bringing them to two boys under a huge oak tree who were engaged in sorting them by length and pulling nails out of them. As we got out of the Suburban an Amish man who looked to be in his late thirties limped toward us and said, "Hello, friend Bob. I see you've brought me a few more hands."
"Yes, Amos," Mr. Bob said. "Boys, this is Mr. Amos Stoltzfus that we're going to help today. Amos, this is my son Charley, and our neighbor Trey Ross, and his cousins who are visiting from Ohio, Jack and Jimmy Ross."
Mr. Amos asked, "Are you Ross boys anything to Mr. Scott Ross that my father used to know?"
Jack replied, "Yes, sir, he's our grandfather."
Mr. Amos said, "Fine man, yes, right fine. When I was a boy my father used to fix the rig his son Carl used so he could walk. After Carl died we didn't see much of Mr. Ross."
I said, "The Reverend wanted Grandpa to bring him out here today, but he had to go to the city to take care of some stuff. My Grandma died, you know."
"Yes, I heard about that, said Mr. Amos. "I'm very sorry for your trouble, boys,"
"Thank you, sir," I said.
"Well, said Mr. Amos, "let's get these kinner to work. Charley, I guess you'll need to be a nail puller. Would the rest of you rather hunt lumber or pull nails?"
Jack said, "We'll hunt lumber!"
I said, "I'll stick with Charley and pull nails if that's all right."
"All right, goot," said Mr. Amos. He called over a teenager who was bringing in boards, and said something to him in their German dialect. The youth went to the farmhouse and soon reappeared with a three straw hats exactly like the ones all the men and boys were wearing, and a pair of claw hammers.
"Here," Mr. Amos said, as he handed me the hammers, "for Charley and you. And here," he handed the larger hat to Mr. Bob and two smaller ones to Jack and Jimmy. "Wir gehen." Mr. Amos and the others set out for the field while Charley and I went over to the boys under the tree. I recognized one, who looked to be about our age, as the one I persisted in calling the cripple boy. As he sat on the ground his left leg lay at an odd angle. In the grass at his side lay a pair of old-timey wooden crutches painted black. Dark leather covered the tops, just as Grandpa had described Uncle Carl's. The other boy, who looked a couple of years older, sorted out the boards by length as they came in from the field. The familiar knot made its appearance in my gut as we approached them. The younger boy looked up from under his straw hat at Charley and said, "Hey, you're the kid we saw on the road the other night. What's your name?"
Charley replied, "I'm Charley McDougall, and this is my friend Trey Ross. What's yours?"
"David Stoltzfus," the boy replied, "and this is my cousin Elijah Miller. What's the matter with your legs?"
Charley let himself down to the ground next to David and I sat beside Charley. "I got polio when I was real little," he said, "right before the vaccine came out." Elijah brought over some boards without acknowledging our presence in the least. I handed Charley one of the hammers and Charley and I joined David in pulling out nails.
"Try to pull them out straight if you can," David said. "Maybe they can use them again that way. Put the straight ones in this pile and the bent ones over here. Those we'll take to the schmied."
"Shmeed?" I asked.
"Uh," David replied," the man that makes horseshoes and stuff."
"The blacksmith," Charley said.
"Ja, the blacksmith," David said.
We set ourselves to the task and after a while David said, "The grownups talk about polio sometimes. Some of the parents want to us to get shots that keep people from getting it but the elders say no, it's not our custom, if God sends polio he sends it."
"What do you think of that?" Charley asked.
"Well I guess that's so," David answered.
"I wish I coulda been vaccinated," Charley said.
"Ja, and I wish my leg worked too," David said, "but we accept what God sends. Like that big wind yesterday. A week from Saturday everyone will come together and rebuild our barn and all will be right."
"Do you speak Pennsylvania Dutch?" Charley asked.
"Ja, that's what the English call it. We call it Deitsch." He started kind of chanting in a weird singsong voice, "Mer misse glawe an sell was unser Harr un unser Heiland Jesu Christi uns g'sagt uns, ja, sell hot er g'sagt, ja ich glab, sell is recht..."
Elijah looked up from his sorting and said sharply, "Nix de breddicher verspotten!" David stopped instantly, but as soon as Elijah looked down at the boards he was sorting David stuck out his tongue at him.
Charley asked, "What did he say?"
David replied, "Said don't mock the preachers."
"My father's a preacher, you know."
"Ja, so I heard, but he don't preach like that, does he?"
Elijah interposed once again, more intensely "Das recht, David!"
Charley asked, "What did he say?"
David answered, "He told me to shut up."
Charley said, "You're a kinda bad boy, aintcha." David just shrugged. The three of us kept pulling nails as Elijah brought boards over to us. Pretty soon Jack and Jimmy came at either end of a stack of several boards they were carrying, and Mr. Bob was right behind them with several more on his shoulder. I got up and went over to introduce Mr. Bob and my cousins to Elijah and David. Mr. Bob said, "Elijah, your uncle says to come out to the field and help there, Trey can sort the boards here." Elijah went off without a word while Charley and David went back to pulling nails and I started sorting the boards for length. Soon Charley reached over and drew one of David's crutches to himself. He examined the leather that was molded to the underarm piece and asked, "Did your grandfather make this cover?"
"No," David replied, "It was my father. My grandfather's hands are all crippled up with arthritis and he don't work leather anymore."
"It's stuffed with something," Charley said as he squeezed on the leather.
David replied, "Ja, horsehair. We got lots of horsehair."
Charley said, "Yeah, I guess you do. Is your father teaching you leatherwork?"
"He's trying to," David replied.
Charley asked, "What do you mean, he's trying to?"
David said, "I don't like it. The hides stink, the stuff we use on 'em stinks, everything stinks."
Charley said, "But you're gonna need a trade, aren't you? I mean, with your leg and all..."
"Not if I can get college," David said.
Charley asked, "But don't Amish kids leave school after eighth grade?"
"Not if we don't stay Amish," David said.
Charley asked, "You mean, like, leave your family and all?"
David said, "Only way someone like me can make somethin' of himself."
"That's hard," Charley said. We lapsed into silence as we worked with the boards. Charley and David made such short work of the nails with their strong hands that I had a hard time keeping up with my job.
After a while Charley asked, "Does your family know how you feel?"
"Ja, they do," David replied, "but we don't talk about it much. Makes my mother cry."
Charley said, "You'd only be, what, fourteen? You can't just go off on your own that young."
"Well, some do," David replied, "but they just about always get in some kind of trouble and wind up in an orphanage or foster care or somethin'. Some of them find a Mennonite family around here and work for them for their keep, and they get through high school that way. Sometimes they even get in with an English family."
Charley said, "You seem to know a lot about it."
"Ja," said David, but he didn't elaborate. Once again we lapsed into silent thought as we worked.
After a while Charley asked, "Does anybody ever want to come back?"
David replied, "Ja, some of them come back."
Charley asked, "What happens to them? Is there some kind of punishment?"
David said, "No, it's always just like nothing happened. As long as they've asked forgiveness from their parents and keep to the Ottning, no one brings it up."
I asked, "What's the Ottning?"
David replied, "It's the rules we have to keep."
I said "Wow, that must be a pretty big book."
"No book, all up here," David replied, tapping his temple. Just then Mr. Bob and Jack and Jimmy arrived along with Elijah, toting more boards. Mr. Bob said, "Boys, we need to get Charley home for his rest before suppertime."
"Aw, Dad," Charley protested.
Mr. Bob insisted, "Son, you know how miserable your back is by bedtime if you don't get that rest. Come on, now."
"OK, Dad," Charley said. He got himself to his feet and I got up as well. David took hold of his own crutches and stood up also. It looked much easier for him than for Charley. He said, "I'm going to walk with you to your car."
"What about these hats?" Jack asked.
"Just leave 'em here with Elijah," David replied.
"Hey!" Elijah protested.
David said, "You pull the nails. I'll be back." As he started walking next to him I could not help staring at his bad leg. As he walked it seemed to pull up into his pants so that only the front half of his foot peeked out of his pants.
David said, "See that? Kids say it's because of my last name."
Charley asked, "What's that got to do with it?"
David replied "Stoltzfus means 'proud foot' in Deitsch. They say my foot's too proud to touch the ground."
"That's mean," I said.
David said, "Ach, it don't matter. I don't much care what they say. Hey Charley, I never seen crutches like them before. Do you like them?"
Charley replied, "Yeah, I like them a lot. They gave me these about a year ago. Before that I used your kinda crutches all the time. You can try these when we get to the car if you want."
"I don't know," David said. "I'd like to but someone might think they're too showy, get my parents in trouble with the elders."
"Is that why yours are painted black?" Charley asked.
"Ja," David replied.
As we rounded the corner to the front of the house an older man called from the porch of a one-story bungalow on the far side of the main house, "David! Komm her!"
David said, "My grossdaadi's calling me, I'll be right back." He skip-stepped with his crutches over to the bungalow and spoke briefly with the old man, then hustled back to us and said, "He wants to meet you." The man's gray beard was the longest I had ever seen. The hands that rested upon it were knotted with arthritis. He sat in a wheelchair like the one in the picture of President Roosevelt in Charley's room. His clear blue eyes, however, sparkled with life as he said, "You're Scott Ross's grandson, aren't you?" I felt the knot materialize in my gut.
"Yes, sir."
"Fine man, fine man. I'm told your grandmother died last week."
"Yes, sir," I replied. I was glad the gentleman made no move to shake hands, for my palms were almost dripping sweat.
Charley, irrepressibly forthright as always, said, "You're Mr. Eli Stoltzfus, right, sir?"
"Ja, I am, boy. Who are you?"
"I'm Charley McDougall, Trey's friend, and this is my father, Reverend Robert McDougall, and these are Trey's cousins from Ohio, Jack and Jimmy Ross." Mr. Bob approached Mr. Eli with his hand extended but Mr. Eli waved him off. "No, please, hurts too much. Boy – Charley – come up here." Charley mounted the step up to the low porch and stood before Mr. Eli. He reached over and grasped the right leg of Charley's overalls between his arthritic hands and slipped it up to the knee. "Ach, de kinnerlemming, just like Carl Ross," he said as he examined the knee pad and the straps that held the brace in place.
Charley said, "In English we call it polio."
"Ach, you're so young. I thought all the English kinner had the shot for it."
Charley explained, "I got it when I was real little, the year before the vaccine came out. I guess I'm one of the last polio kids. Trey's grandpa told us how you used to fix Carl's braces."
"Ach, I'm done with all that now, boy," said Mr. Eli as he let Charley's pants leg slip into place. He held up his gnarled hands. "Maybe my Amos can help you, or David here when he learns the trade."
"Yes, sir, maybe so," replied Charley, who stood aside as a way of trying to get the focus off himself.
Mr. Eli said, "Robert, I'm told you're the new minister in the village."
"I am," Mr. Bob replied.
"Gut, then you know how to accept what God sends,"
"I had to learn, after Charley got sick. I wasn't always a minister."
"Ach, so?"
"I was a very successful civil engineer. I thought I could find a solution to any problem, but I found I could not engineer Charley's situation. After a lot of inner struggle I turned the whole thing over to God and I found a joy and peace of soul I had to share. So I became a preacher, and I've been rewarded with the world's best son."
Charley blushed crimson and said, "Dad, please..." Mr. Eli broke into a big smile. Then he turned to me and said, "Young Trey – please tell your grossdaadi I'd like to see him sometime. After Carl died we hardly ever saw each other, just a few times we ran into each other in the village. I don't go anywhere anymore, but I hope he'll find his way here."
I said, "I'll be sure to tell him, sir."
Mr. Bob said, "I asked him to bring me here today but he had to go to the city, something about Mrs. Ross's Social Security."
Mr. Eli said, "Ach, Social Security. I'm glad we never got into that."
I said, "I'll try to get him to come tomorrow."
"Gut, gut, danki," said Mr. Eli. Just then an older Amish lady came to the door of the bungalow and said, "Who are all these kinner?"
Mr. Eli replied, "Ach, Hannah, Mr. McDougall here is the new breddicher in the village. He brought them out to help gather up the boards from the barn and pull the nails."
"Ah, danki," she said. "Will you come in and have some torten?"
"Mrs. Stoltzfus, we have to get Charley home," Mr. Bob demurred. "Doctor's orders."
"Well then, have one to eat on the way," said Ms. Hannah. "Wait there." She disappeared into the house. By the time David said, "These will be good," she had reappeared with a tray of pastries dusted in powdered sugar that looked, well, good enough to eat. We passed by and took one each, saying "Thank you" as we did so. Jimmy took two, explaining, "The other one's for Charley, I'll carry it to the car for him."
"Ja, ja, gut," said Ms. Hannah. Charley grinned and said loud enough for all to hear, "Danki."
"Ach," said Mr. Eli, "we'll have him speaking Deitsch in no time."
David asked, "One for me, grossmudder?"
"Ja, ja, David, you too," said Ms. Hannah.
"It's very good to meet you, Mr. Stoltzfus," Mr. Bob said. "Right, boys?" We nodded and grunted our agreement, our mouths full of Ms. Hannah's pastries. "We'll be on our way now."
"Thank you for helping us," Mr. Eli said. "Good-bye." We made our way back to the Suburban and waved at David and his grandparents as we pulled away.
As soon as we were under way Jack leaned forward and asked me, "What's the matter with that boy David?"
I replied, "You explain, Charley."
Charley said, "Ms. Jane says he has no hip joint."
"Oh," Jack said. "But how did that happen?"
I responded, "He was born that way. My mom says it's because they only marry Amish people, but when I asked what that had to do with it, she said it's complicated and she'd explain it to me after everyone goes home."
"Oh," Jack said again. "Do you think my mom will let us swim?"
"Not without Ms. Rhoda or Mr. Bob or some grownup with us," I said. "Maybe if your dad's back from the city she'll let us."
It was after four o'clock when we got back to our house. We found my Mom and Aunt Laura chatting in the kitchen and Uncle Bob and Grandpa not yet returned from the city. We recounted our Amish adventure and I said, "Mom, Mr. Eli wants Grandpa to come out and visit him."
Mom said, "I remember Mr. Eli and Ms. Hannah. Your Grandpa took me with Carl to their house a couple of times. Is Ms. Hannah still living?"
"Yeah, Mom," I said. "She gave us some big fat cookies she made."
Mom asked "How is Mr. Eli?"
I said "He's all crippled up with arthritis. He said he don't go anywhere anymore. Mr. Amos is running the farm now. And me and Charley and were working with David, that boy with the bad leg. He's Mr. Eli's grandson."
Mom said, "Well, be sure to tell your grandpa about Mr. Eli. I'm sure they have a lot of stories to share. It'll be good for your grandpa to get out, now that he won't be taken up so much with caring for your grandma."
"Yeah," I said, briefly taken into my own store of recent disconsolate memories. "Mom, can we go swimming?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, son," Mom replied, "I have to clean up and Aunt Laura and I need to get dinner together, and there's no one else to watch you. I do hope your uncle and grandpa get back soon. Paul's upstairs reading. Maybe he'd like to play Monopoly or something."
"OK, Mom," I said, and Jack, Jimmy and I headed for my room. We found Paul stretched out on his bed, absorbed in the book Charley had lent him. He looked up and said, "This really helps me understand a lot about Charley."
I asked, "Do you think you can finish it before you hafta leave?"
"I'm gonna try," Paul said. "I'm more than halfway through already."
I said, "I wish you coulda come with us. Me and Charley worked all afternoon with the Amish cripple boy. His name is David Stoltzfus."
"Doing what?" Paul asked.
I said, "Pulling nails outta boards."
Jack said, "Yeah, the tornado ripped all the boards off the barn and scattered them a mile into the cornfield."
"C'mon, Jack," I said, "that field can't be a mile long."
Jack replied, "Well, a real long way, anyhow. Me and Jimmy and Mr. Bob was out there hunting 'em and bringing 'em in to them to get the nails pulled. Some of the Amish kids was making fun of us for wearin' sneakers, called us 'English tenderfoots', but they shut up when they saw we was finding and toting just as many boards as they were."
Jimmy said, "Yeah, that was after we got them to tell us in English what they was laughing about."
Jack said, "They were pretty nice, though, and David's grandma gave us some big cookies."
Jimmy said, "So you see, Paul, you gotta find a way to come tomorrow."
"Well, guess what?" said Paul. "Me and Aunt Laura went to the general store in the village after you guys left." He got up off the bed and went to the dresser, where he opened a brown paper bag that sat atop it, pulled out new overalls and held them up in front of him. He said, "Now I can dress for work. Aunt Laura says I can leave them here for when you grow into them."
"Cool!" I exclaimed. "You can come with us tomorrow."
Jack said, "Are we going tomorrow?"
I replied, "Gosh, I dunno. Nobody said. Maybe we can call Mr. Bob and see."
I went to the kitchen and asked Mom if I could make the call and she said OK. Mr. Bob said he couldn't go because he had work to do on his Sunday sermon but he was going to talk to Grandpa about trading cars for the day and have him take us out there. We'd have to wait and see what Grandpa said. As he was saying that I heard Uncle Mack and Grandpa come into the kitchen. I said, "Mr. Bob, wait a minute, Grandpa just came home, I'll go get him." I called Grandpa to the phone, watched him nod gravely as Mr. Bob explained. He replied "Yes, sure, Reverend. That'll be good. I'll come out around eight if that's all right." He paused and listened for a moment and said, "I'll be glad to. I've already tasted your wife's biscuits and wouldn't mind tasting some more." Another brief pause. "Good-bye, Reverend. See you in the morning."
Grandpa hung up the phone and said, "You boys and your Aunt Laura and I are invited to breakfast at the Reverend's house. Then I'll take you out to the Stoltzfus place and have a good visit with Eli while you help them get ready for the barn raising."
I broke into a big grin and said, "That'll be great, Grandpa."
Mom came into the hallway and said, "Trey, go tell your cousins to start washing up, dinner will be ready in ten minutes."
"Yes'm," I replied, and we did so. Dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans with cookies and ice cream for dessert. We kids did the dishes while the grownups chatted in the living room. Once again the sky began to darken, distant thunder rumbled and the smell of rain was in the air. All eyes turned to Jimmy. He said, "I been thinking about what Trey told me. I ain't gonna be afraid." He was trembling but we all chose not to notice as we finished the dishes and headed for my room. As we passed through the living room Aunt Laura said, "Jimmy, are you all right?"
"Fine, Mom," he said and we trooped on up the stairs. The summer storm that broke out as we played Monopoly was not nearly as fierce as the one the afternoon before, but it went on for nearly half an hour. Jimmy played on, still trembling and with the faintest hint of tears welling up. As the sun came out he heaved a deep sigh of relief. At this Jack started clapping and Paul and I joined in. Aunt Laura appeared at the door and asked, "How are you doing, Jimmy?"
"I'm fine, Mom," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?" Aunt Laura came in, picked him up bodily and hugged him tight. "My brave little boy!" she exclaimed. "I love you so much."
Jack said, pretending to pout, "Dontcha love me anymore?"
"Of course I do, you rascal," Aunt Laura said. "Come here." She let go of Jimmy and squeezed the grinning Jack in his turn.
Paul said, "Hey, Aunt Laura, thanks for taking care of us this week. I don't know about them, but I'm really enjoying it."
She replied "I'm enjoying it too, honey. Maybe we need to come here more often."
"We'd sure enjoy having you," Mom said from the doorway. No one had noticed her standing there.
"Where's Grandpa?" I asked.
"He decided to try to beat the storm home," Mom said. "He wants you all to be at the McDougall's at eight tomorrow, ready to go out to the Stoltzfus place after you've had breakfast."
Jack said, "Hey Mom, Aunt Jane, why dontcha play a game with us?"
Aunt Laura said, "I don't know. The way you play, it's pretty much a man's game."
Jack begged, "Aw, c'mon, Mom. Libby and Jane played with us. Just one game." So Mom and Aunt Laura joined us. They quickly went broke but we had a lot of laughs. When we finished Aunt Laura said, "OK, today was a big day and you'll have another tomorrow. I think you'd better get ready for bed."
Mom said, "I agree. Let me have the bathroom first, though. I've got to be out the earliest."
"Good night, Jane, boys," Aunt Laura said. "I'm going to finish up a couple of things in the kitchen. Boys, what time do you need to be at McDougall's tomorrow?"
"Eight o'clock!" we chorused. Mom headed for the bathroom and Aunt Laura went downstairs, leaving the four of us to sit around and talk for a few minutes.
Jack asked, "Trey, what did you say to Jimmy about thunderstorms?"
Jimmy said "I'll tell you. He said if I can see the lightning and hear the thunder, it hasn't got me. I thought a lot about that."
Paul said, "Hmmm. Interesting."
Jack asked, "Trey, did you get to talk with that kid David much?"
I said, "Well, Charley talked with him, mostly. He seems like kind of a rebel."
Jack asked, "Whaddya mean?"
I replied, "Well, he don't wanna get into leatherworking like his father and grandfather do. He wants to get out of the Amish community and go to college. He feels like that's the only way someone like him can make something of himself."
Jack asked, "Why can't he be Amish and do that?"
I replied, "'Cause the Amish only go to school to eighth grade. They figure that's all they need to live in the community."
Paul mused, "I wonder if they're doing right, living like they do."
I said, "I don't know. They seem like real good people. They keep to themselves but if there's real trouble they're always there to help."
Paul said "Well, we better get to bed if we're gonna be ready to help them tomorrow."
We all did our bathroom business and said our good-nights, and soon the sandman came.