soup on and I made coffee,” his mother said, pouring David a mug and handing it to him. “Are they okay?”
“Yes, they were relieved, and I’m exhausted,” David said as he carried his mug with him to his room. After closing the door, he peeled off the various layers of clothing down to his underwear before pulling on a pair of thick sweats and a clean sweatshirt. Then he placed the dirty, wet clothes in the laundry and joined his mother at the table.
“It was a good thing you did, helping Benjamin’s father after the way he treated you,”’ his mother said as she put a huge bowl of soup in front of him. David thanked her and began to eat. How Mr. Killinger had treated him hadn’t entered his mind until his mother mentioned it.
“They needed help, and Benjamin’s my friend,” David said before eating ravenously. His friend needing his help was all that had mattered to him.
T HE storm raged for almost two days, and as David expected, school was canceled on Monday because many of the roads were still impassable. Their road had been plowed, and David’s mother ventured out to the store Monday afternoon, once David had blown the driveway and walk with the snowblower he’d convinced his mother to get. David watched television and read; there wasn’t much else to do. He thought about going outside, but doing things in the snow was only fun if there were other people.
David’s mother had been gone about half an hour when he heard activity outside. Peering out the window, he saw a black buggy slowly pull into the driveway. A man got out whom David didn’t recognize, followed by Benjamin’s father, who slowly moved up the walk to the front door. David opened the door to the soft knock and saw Mr. Killinger remove his hat. “How are you feeling?” David asked as he pushed open the door to allow Mr. Killinger to enter.
“Much better, and I understand from Benjamin that we have you to thank for my recovery,” he said stiffly.
“I’m glad I could help and that you’re feeling better,” David said, wondering what this visit was all about.
Mr. Killinger seemed to be studying him as though he were looking for something inside. “Why did you help me?”
David tilted his head slightly. “Because you needed it,” he answered simply. “Benjamin came to my door, upset, and said that you’d been hurt.
“But why?” Mr. Killinger pressed.
“Benjamin helped me when I fell in the creek and nearly drowned,” David answered honestly.
“So helping him and me was just repaying a debt,” Mr. Killinger stated as he nodded slowly.
David felt a touch of anger rise inside him. “I know you asked me to stay away from him, and I did. I also suspect you forbade him from seeing me. But that doesn’t change that Benjamin’s my friend. He asked for help, and that’s all that was necessary. That’s all that will ever be necessary, and I know the reverse is also true, regardless of what you order him to do. We’re friends, and friends help each other.”
Mr. Killinger swallowed. “I have been wrong about you, and for that I ask your forgiveness. You have an honest heart, and I can appreciate that.” Mr. Killinger lowered his gaze slightly. “If Benjamin still wishes to be friends with you, I will not forbid it.” He turned toward the door and stopped. “Benjamin has undoubtedly told you that I don’t approve of you English and believe we should keep ourselves separate. I still believe that, but Benjamin seems to trust you, and according to the doctor you took me to, my family and I owe you a debt for your selflessness.”
David shrugged, unsure how to respond to such a declaration. “You would have done the same, I’m sure,” David replied a bit naively, but smiled when Mr. Killinger nodded slowly.
“I’d like to think I would,” Mr. Killinger said as he pulled the door open. David watched from the door as Benjamin’s father placed his hat on his head and carefully walked back to the
“Yes, they were relieved, and I’m exhausted,” David said as he carried his mug with him to his room. After closing the door, he peeled off the various layers of clothing down to his underwear before pulling on a pair of thick sweats and a clean sweatshirt. Then he placed the dirty, wet clothes in the laundry and joined his mother at the table.
“It was a good thing you did, helping Benjamin’s father after the way he treated you,”’ his mother said as she put a huge bowl of soup in front of him. David thanked her and began to eat. How Mr. Killinger had treated him hadn’t entered his mind until his mother mentioned it.
“They needed help, and Benjamin’s my friend,” David said before eating ravenously. His friend needing his help was all that had mattered to him.
T HE storm raged for almost two days, and as David expected, school was canceled on Monday because many of the roads were still impassable. Their road had been plowed, and David’s mother ventured out to the store Monday afternoon, once David had blown the driveway and walk with the snowblower he’d convinced his mother to get. David watched television and read; there wasn’t much else to do. He thought about going outside, but doing things in the snow was only fun if there were other people.
David’s mother had been gone about half an hour when he heard activity outside. Peering out the window, he saw a black buggy slowly pull into the driveway. A man got out whom David didn’t recognize, followed by Benjamin’s father, who slowly moved up the walk to the front door. David opened the door to the soft knock and saw Mr. Killinger remove his hat. “How are you feeling?” David asked as he pushed open the door to allow Mr. Killinger to enter.
“Much better, and I understand from Benjamin that we have you to thank for my recovery,” he said stiffly.
“I’m glad I could help and that you’re feeling better,” David said, wondering what this visit was all about.
Mr. Killinger seemed to be studying him as though he were looking for something inside. “Why did you help me?”
David tilted his head slightly. “Because you needed it,” he answered simply. “Benjamin came to my door, upset, and said that you’d been hurt.
“But why?” Mr. Killinger pressed.
“Benjamin helped me when I fell in the creek and nearly drowned,” David answered honestly.
“So helping him and me was just repaying a debt,” Mr. Killinger stated as he nodded slowly.
David felt a touch of anger rise inside him. “I know you asked me to stay away from him, and I did. I also suspect you forbade him from seeing me. But that doesn’t change that Benjamin’s my friend. He asked for help, and that’s all that was necessary. That’s all that will ever be necessary, and I know the reverse is also true, regardless of what you order him to do. We’re friends, and friends help each other.”
Mr. Killinger swallowed. “I have been wrong about you, and for that I ask your forgiveness. You have an honest heart, and I can appreciate that.” Mr. Killinger lowered his gaze slightly. “If Benjamin still wishes to be friends with you, I will not forbid it.” He turned toward the door and stopped. “Benjamin has undoubtedly told you that I don’t approve of you English and believe we should keep ourselves separate. I still believe that, but Benjamin seems to trust you, and according to the doctor you took me to, my family and I owe you a debt for your selflessness.”
David shrugged, unsure how to respond to such a declaration. “You would have done the same, I’m sure,” David replied a bit naively, but smiled when Mr. Killinger nodded slowly.
“I’d like to think I would,” Mr. Killinger said as he pulled the door open. David watched from the door as Benjamin’s father placed his hat on his head and carefully walked back to the
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