October song by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

the main road, which by now she knew by heart. Perhaps it was the sun-filtered haze over the cornfields, the long road spilling out before her, or maybe the gnawing, aching tiredness in her arms and legs, she didn’t know, but she was terribly homesick and considered writing Mamma a letter to tell her so. ‘Course, she wouldn’t say all the pent-up things in her mind just now. Wouldn’t let her emotions run away with her. Truth was, she was madder ‘n a hornet ‘bout being shuffled off away from home at such a tender age. Seemed heartless, almost.
    On either side of the road, whitewashed fences and farmhouses, bee-buzzin’ apple orchards, and boundless fields of freshly planted corn lay unchanged after decades. Her people had settled here hundreds of years before, many of them buying up large
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    barns, then the houses. A lone cow, shaded by a sycamore tree, watched her blankly, uncaringly as she passed.
    Then suddenly, a car crept up on her. Out of nowhere it seemed to come, hardly making a sound. Had she been oblivious to her surroundings, too deep in thought for her own good?
    “Say, there, young girl!” someone called to her.
    She made the mistake of lookin’ to see who it was. And when she did, she caught sight of a black camera, out the car window, aiming its lens straight at her.
    In the wink of an eye, she turned away. Wasn’t gonna be caught unawares. These were surely English tourists out looking for an unsuspecting soul to capture on film. Well, she was smarter than to let some thing likethathappen to her.
    So she began to run, fast as her aching legs could manage, makin’ a beeline to ward a red-brick house covered on one side in blue wisteria vines. The farmhouse, turned out, belonged to an Old Order Mennonite farmer and his wife. Cheer fully, they took her in, offering milk and sugar cookies, warm from the oven. She told what had just happened out on the
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    road. “The Englischers nearly had me in their camera,” she said, still breathless.
    “Well, we’re just glad you thought to come running here to us,” said the farmer’s wife.
    “Hate to think what Mamma would say just now,” she blurted out before ever thinking.
    The missus had the kindest blue eyes. “Aw, now, don’t go worryin’ yourself. Ain’t your fault what happened.”
    She wondered at the time how the Lord God heavenly Father might size up the sit uation. After all, the Old Testament law ‘bout not making any graven image had come straight from God in the first place. So why had He allowed those tourists to make her sin thataway?
    Just then she thought better of writing home to Mamma to complain ‘bout being “farmed out.” Instead, she would ask Mamma this very question. See whatshethought.
    Meanwhile, Ella Mae had stumbled upon some new friends, discovering the neighbors had the dearest little boys — six of ‘em all in a row ‘cause their mamma wanted a daughter in the worst way. After two boys, they’d had a set of twins and then another set of twins all boys. Ella
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    Mae wondered if she wasn’t a glad sight.That’s why they like me,she decided.I’m a girl.t
    When she returned to her grandparents’ house, she told Mammi what had happened. “One gut thing ‘bout it,” she said, “I met the neighbors down the road apiece and they invited me to visit anytime.” Mammi assured her that they were God-fearin’ folk, and Ella Mae could go whenever her chores were caught up. Turned out the Mennonite farmers made work as much fun as Mamma always had, and Ella Mae spent many pleasant evenings over there helping with the boys, even baby-sat some off ‘n’ on that summer for a little rare pocket change.
    When a letter from Mamma did arrive in the mail, Ella Mae tore it open with all eagerness.
    My dear Ella Mae,
    It was so nice to hear from you. I’m glad you’re doing all right there. We all look forward to summer’s end and seeing you again. Meanwhile, be a sweet girl and help Mammi and Dawdi all you