Bubble Troubles by Colleen Madden Read Free Book Online Page B

to get there when tomorrow comes.” Mom motioned to Mark’s plate. “Right now, you need to eat your supper.”
    Mark closed the lid on his bun and took a big bite. “Yum. This is sure good.”
    Dad looked at Mark strangely, and then he pointed to the only burger left on the platter Mom had placed on the table before they’d all sat down. “Mark, did you take a hamburger?”
    “I—I think I did.” Mark opened the lid on his bun and removed the lettuce, tomato, and two pickles. When he got to the bottom of the bun and discovered there was no hamburger there, he snickered. “Guess I must’ve forgotten about the burger.”
    Dad leaned his head back and laughed so hard there were tears running down his cheeks. “I think you had so much stuff on that bun that you didn’t even notice the meat was missing.” He forked the burger off the platter and plunked it on Mark’s plate.
    Mark looked at Dad and grinned. “Danki. I’m sure it’ll taste even better now.”
    “I should think so,” said Mom.
    Mark ate every bite on his plate, but he didn’t eat too much, like he had when they’d gone to Grandma and Grandpa Troyer’s for the birthday party. He didn’t want to end up with another stomachache. He’d realized since then that eating more food wouldn’t help him grow any faster. He’d just have to be patient and wait until he caught up to Mattie. After all, she wasn’t that much taller than him—just a few inches. And so far, none of the kids at school had even mentioned his height.
    When supper was over and Mark had been excused from the table, he hurried upstairs and knocked on Mattie’s door.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
    “Come in,” she said in a squeaky voice. Mark wondered if she might have been crying.
    When Mark entered the room, he found Mattie sitting at the foot of her bed, rocking back and forth as she hugged one of her dolls to her chest. As he drew closer, he noticed tears in Mattie’s eyes, so he knew for sure she had been crying.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, feeling concern for his sister. “Want me to tickle your feet or tell ya a funny joke?”
    She flapped her hand at him. “Go away, Mark. I’m not in the mood for tickling or joke telling right now.”
    “Sorry, Mattie. I was only tryin’ to make ya feel better.” Tickling or telling a funny joke was the best way Mark knew of to cheer someone up. He guessed when people were in pain, like Mattie, they probably didn’t want to be tickled, though.
    “I’m not gonna feel one bit better till my tooth stops hurting,” she said.
    “Guess I’d feel the same way if my tooth ached,” Mark commented, unsure of what else to say. He hated to see Mattie sitting there with tears in her eyes.
    Just then, Mom stepped into the room, holding a small dish. “I hope you’re not bothering your sister,” she said, looking at Mark.
    Mark shook his head. “I was tryin’ to make her feel better.”
    Mom sat on the bed beside Mattie. “Is the aspirin I gave you earlier helping your toothache?”
    Mattie nodded. “But I’m still worried about going to the dentist tomorrow.”
    Mom set the dish on the table by Mattie’s bed and took Mattie’s hand. “Let’s pray and ask God to calm your fears. Then you can eat the strawberry yogurt I brought you. It’ll go down easy and shouldn’t hurt your tooth.”
    As Mom and Mattie bowed their heads, Mark closed his eyes, too.
Dear Lord
, he silently prayed,
please be with Mattie when she goes to the dentist tomorrow, and help her not to worry or be afraid
.

C HAPTER 6
Grandpa Miller’s Advice
    When Mattie woke up the following morning, her stomach felt queasy. She’d be going to the dentist today, and he would look at her tooth. She hoped that whatever he had to do to correct the problem wouldn’t hurt.
    I guess it can’t hurt any more than it does right now
, she thought, frowning as she touched her mouth.
    Mattie hurried to get dressed and went downstairs, where she found Mom in the kitchen fixing