Growing Up by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Author:Wanda E. Brunstetter [Brunstetter, Wanda E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62836-171-1
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2009-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Aunt Rachel

On the first Saturday morning in October, Pap came into the house with a huge smile on his face.

“I checked our answering machine in the phone shed. There was a message from Rudy,” Pap said. He hung his straw hat on a wall peg near the door and sat at the kitchen table.

Mom sipped her cup of tea. “What’d the message say?”

Pap’s smile stretched even wider. “Esther had her boppli last night, and it’s a buwe! Rudy said Esther and the boppli will come home from the hospital this morning.”

Mom set her cup down and jumped up from the table. “Alli mudder muss sariye fer ihre famiyle [Every mother has to take care of her family]! I need to get over there right away, because I’m sure she’ll need my help.”

Mom looked at Rachel, who was sitting at the table writing a letter to Mary. “Do you know what this means?” Mom asked.

Rachel smiled and nodded. “It means I’m an aunt.”

Rachel figured being an aunt would make her seem grown up in her family’s eyes. Jacob might even stop calling her a little bensel.

Mom patted the top of Rachel’s head. “Jah, that, too, but it also means if I go to help Esther today, I’ll need your help here.”

Rachel’s smile turned upside down. “Can’t I go over to Esther’s with you?”

Mom shook her head. “You need to stay here and take care of Hannah.”

“Can’t she go with us to Esther’s?”

“It’ll be easier for me to help Esther if I don’t have Hannah to care for, too,” Mom said.

Rachel frowned. “Do you expect me to take care of Hannah all by myself?”

Mom nodded. “There are several bottles of milk in the refrigerator and a fresh supply of clean diapers on the dresser in my room. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” She patted Rachel’s head again. “If you want to be grown up, this will give you a chance to prove it.”

Rachel’s heart sank all the way to her toes. She did want her family to think she was growing up, but she’d planned to do other things today. Watching Hannah wasn’t one of them!

“I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours,” Mom said. “But if you need anything, just ask one of the menfolk, because I think they’ll be around most of the day.” Mom grabbed her jacket and black outer bonnet and started for the door. Then she halted. “I’d better check on Hannah before I go.”

Rachel let her head fall forward onto the table and groaned. She wondered if she’d ever get to go over to Esther’s to see her new nephew.

I may as well finish this letter to Mary, Rachel decided. If I don’t do it now, I’ll probably be so busy watching Hannah that I won’t get it done at all.

Pap pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “I’m going outside to hitch your mamm’s horse to one of our buggies. When I’m done with that, I’ll be in the fields working with the boys.

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