Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Mary Ann Kinsinger Read Free Book Online

She caught up with him as he started to climb the pile of lumber that Papa kept stacked behind the barn. Joseph stood at the edge of the stack. He flapped his arms wildly, jumped, and landed on the ground next to her.
    â€œI don’t think I flapped my arms fast enough.” He clambered up the stack of lumber and tried again. Flap, flap, jump, land. He tried again. Flap, flap, jump, land. He looked disappointed. “I need to find something higher to jump off.” He went off to search for something else to climb.
    â€œBut you weren’t made to fly!” Lily called after him.
    Joseph wasn’t listening to Lily’s logic. He had found just what he needed: the roof of the new chicken coop. It was much higher than the pile of lumber had been. If he could only find a way to climb to the roof, he was convinced he could fly.
    â€œYou would need a ladder to get on top of the chicken coop,” Lily said.
    â€œCan you help me carry it over here?”
    Lily wished she had not said anything about a ladder. “Joseph, I don’t think you can fly even if you jump off the chicken coop.”
    â€œI’m sure I can. The stack of lumber was just too close to the ground. I couldn’t start flying before I landed.”
    Lily helped him lift the ladder and carry it over to the chicken coop. It was heavy and clumsy and banged their shins as they walked. Every few feet, they had to set it down, rest for a little while, then pick it up again. It took a long timeto carry it to the back of the chicken coop. Once they had it propped up, Joseph climbed up.

    Lily watched nervously as Joseph stepped out on the roof. He looked so small up there. His blue shirt was almost the same shade as the sky that framed him. He was a long way from the ground. She was relieved when she heard Mama call out from the house, “Joseph! Hold still until I come. Don’t move!” She ran to the coop.
    Joseph obeyed and stood quietly until Mama reached the bottom of the ladder. “Hi, Mama! I’m going to fly like a bird today.” Flapping his arms, he threw himself into the air, headfirst. Flap, flap, jump, land. This time, he landed on his arm. He crumpled into a heap and let out a wail.
    Mama gathered him up into her arms. “Oh Joseph, why did you jump? I was coming to help you down safely.”
    Joseph kept on crying. Lily noticed that his arm seemed to be dangling at an odd angle. Mama saw too. She told Lily to run to Harold Young’s house and ask if he could take them to the doctor.
    Lily ran as fast as she could. Harold Young’s house wasn’t very far away, but it seemed to take a long time to get there. Lily was scared. What if Harold Young pointed that big shotgun at her? What would she do? But Mama and Joseph needed help. When Lily reached the door, she knocked, gasping for breath. A plump older lady with warm brown eyes opened the door. Lily peeked around the lady, hoping Harold Young wasn’t behind her. She tried to tell the lady what happened, but her breath was still coming in fits and starts and the words jumbled together.
    â€œSlow down and take your time,” the lady said.
    Lily breathed in and out for a long moment, then tried again. “My brother Joseph hurt his arm and Mama needs to take him to the doctor to get fixed.”
    â€œWait right here,” the lady said. She disappeared into the house. Lily waited until she came back outside with her purse and car keys.
    The lady held open her car door. “You can ride with me.”
    Lily slid inside and sat on the seat. The lady said her name was Helen, and that she was married to Harold Young. It was hard to believe that such a friendly, nice woman could be married to Harold Young.
    It only took a moment before the car turned into the driveway. Mama was waiting outside the house with Dannie and Joseph, who was still crying. Mama asked Helen Young if she could take them to the doctor, and would she mind