Read Online Growing Up in Lancaster County by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page A

sure it will be over for you soon, too.”
    “I hope so, because I don’t want to feel sick to my stomach the whole time I’m waiting for my baby to be born.”
    Mom shook her head. “I’m sure you won’t.”
    Esther smiled at Susan. “Thank you for bringing Rachel by so she could show me her new glasses.”
    Susan smiled and touched her own plastic-framed glasses. “I saw how excited Rachel was when she came out of the optical shop. I felt the same way when I got my first pair of glasses.”
    “How old were you when you got glasses?” Rachel asked.
    “I was twelve years old.”
    Rachel’s heart felt like it had sunk all the way to her toes.
If Susan began wearing glasses when she was a girl, and she’s still wearing them now, does that mean I’ll be wearing glasses when I become a woman? she wondered. Maybe Dr. Ben only told me I might not always have to wear them to make me feel better. Maybe I’ll have to wear glasses the rest of my life
.
    “I made fresh lemonade. Would you care for some?” Esther asked.
    “That sounds good,” Mom said.
    Susan and Rachel nodded.
    “I’ll go inside and bring it out,” Esther said.
    “Do you need help?” Mom asked.
    “That’s all right; I can manage.” Esther went into the house and returned a few minutes later with a pitcher of lemonade and four paper cups.
    “Umm…this is refreshing.” Susan smiled. “Thank you, Esther.”
    “You’re welcome.” Esther moved over to the porch swing and was about to sit, when Rudy rushed out of the barn, hollering and waving his hands. “Come back here, you silly
gees
[goat]!”
    Ma-a-a! Ma-a-a!
The goat leaped over the laundry basket under Esther’s clothesline and darted across the lawn. Rudy’s feet slipped on the grass, and he nearly fell, but righted himself and continued the chase.
    Rachel thought Rudy might need some help, so she hopped off the porch and raced after the goat.
    The frisky critter zipped under Rudy’s legs, circled twice around Rachel, and headed back toward the laundry basket. Rachel lunged for the goat, but it slipped through her hands, and she fell on her knees. “Ach, stupid gees!” she shouted.
    Ma-a-a-a!
The goat backed up and stood there, as if taunting her.
    Rachel clambered to her feet and lunged again, but the goat darted toward Rudy.
    Ma-a-a! Ma-a-a! Ma-a-a!
    Rudy sprinted to the left. Rachel scuttled to the right. Mom, Esther, and Susan stood on the porch cheering them on. Suddenly, the goat scampered to Rachel and stopped.
    She squinted. For some reason the goat looked blurry. She blinked a couple of times and reached up to touch her glasses. They were gone!
    Rachel gasped. “My glasses! Where are my glasses?”
    “Be careful!” Mom shouted. “Your glasses are on the ground behind you!”
    Rachel turned, and—
wham!
—she was knocked to the ground.
    “
Dumm
[dumb] gees,” she muttered, realizing the goat had butted her.
    Rudy grabbed the goat. “Are you all right, Rachel?”
    “I—I’m okay.” She scooped up her glasses and scrambled to her feet.
    “I’m real sorry,” Rudy said. “That mischievous goat never misses an opportunity to butt someone.”
    Mom left the porch and rushed across the lawn. “Ach, I hope your glasses aren’t broken!”
    “I—I think they’re okay.” Rachel handed them to Mom.
    Mom studied the glasses and smiled. “Thankfully, they’re fine.” She gave them back to Rachel. “Maybe I can rig up an elastic strap that connects to the earpiece and fits around the back of your head so you won’t lose your glasses when you’re outside playing.”
    Rachel wrinkled her nose. She didn’t like the sound of that. Even if the children at school didn’t make fun of her glasses, someone—probably Jacob—would surely tease her if she wore a strange strap around the back of her head. “No Mom, please!” she said. “I’ll be careful not to let my glasses fall off my face.”
    “We can talk about this later,” Mom said. “We need to get home