The front door opened, and Dave’s mother gasped in surprise. “Joel and April! What are you two doing here?”
Nora and Hannah ran over to hug her.
“We had nothing else to do, so we thought we’d check on the patient,” Joel said, gesturing to Dave.
Dave’s mother finally noticed that Dave was wet. Her eyes widened in alarm. “What happened to you? I thought you were going to wash clothes.”
“He decided to go for a swim instead,” Joel replied.
Dave rolled his eyes, but his mother laughed and said, “I know Dave wouldn’t do that.” Turning to Dave, she added, “I wondered if you could handle washing clothes with your leg being the way it is. It’s a lot more work than you men give us credit for.” She glanced at April. “Am I right?”
April nodded. “It is a lot of work, and it mostly goes unappreciated.”
“I appreciate it,” Dave said. When had he ever once given any of them the impression he didn’t? “I would much rather pull a calf out of the mud than wash clothes. Pulling the calf out is a lot easier.”
“Judging by the way you were floundering around on this porch when I came here, I believe it,” Joel told him.
“Stop giving him a hard time,” April interrupted. “I’ll be happy to help with the laundry. Is Mary here?”
“She’s helping my husband with the calf that got stuck,” Dave’s ma replied. “I was making lunch and watching the children.” She turned her gaze to her three grandchildren. “Do you want to see your cousins?”
Nora and Hannah indicated they did and ran into the house.
His mother laughed. “I just love a house full of children. April, why don’t you come in? Mary will be back soon. We can figure out a way to do laundry and watch the children after lunch.”
“Or Joel can finish up,” Dave suggested. When Joel looked at him in shock, he explained, “Since you’re so great at everything, I’d hate to deny you the opportunity to show me how the laundry is properly done.”
Joel held up his hands in front of Dave’s face. “These hands deliver babies, perform surgery, and tend to other ailments. They need to be in pristine condition.”
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Dave said. “While we were growing up, all you ever did was make excuses as to why you couldn’t help out on the farm.”
Joel put his hand on his chest. “I do important things, Dave. I save lives. I mend broken bones. I take care of illnesses. I…”
When his voice drifted off, Dave glanced over at his mother and April who stared at Joel. His mother had her hands on her hips and was giving him the kind of look that used to intimidate all of her children when they were young. April’s eyes were narrowed at Joel, and she was shaking her head.
“On the other hand,” Joel continued, “everyone is busy around here, and one of my duties is to help when needed. Where do I need to get some pails so I can fill up the bucket?”
His mother let go of her hips and smiled at him. “Right over there.” She pointed to the two pails that were by the front door. “I’m sure Mary will appreciate the help.”
After his mother and April went into the house, Joel muttered, “If Mary was here, she wouldn’t make me do the laundry.”
“I guess God has a sense of humor,” Dave said, this time smirking at him. “You arrived at just the right time.”
Joel opted not to respond. Instead, he picked up the pails and headed for the well.
***
Three weeks later, Dave waited on the porch for Mary to come down with Rachel and Adam. He was leaning on his crutch by the steps while Isaac was impatiently rocking in the porch swing.
“Can’t I play with Jasper?” Isaac asked for the fifth time.
“No,” Dave said. “You don’t want to get your clothes dirty.”
“You don’t want me to get my clothes dirty.”
Dave shot him a pointed look. “Your mother and grandparents wouldn’t want you to get them dirty, either. Your grandma, aunts, and your ma are going to make some delicious treats for you to eat. The least you can do is look nice.”
Though Isaac sighed, he didn’t argue.
Dave heard Jasper bark from the fenced-in area. His gaze went to the wagon his brother Tom was driving onto the property, followed by a pink buggy that Jessica was driving. Tom and his oldest girl, fourteen-year-old Nelly, and his youngest girl, seven-year-old Daisy, were on the wagon. Jessica was with twelve-year-old Patricia and ten-year-old Erin.
As Tom turned the wagon toward his house, Dave noticed that someone had painted the sides of the wagon pink. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Given that Tom had a wife and four daughters, he could understand Tom having a pink buggy. But why would he paint the wagon pink? Tom already had a house that was pink! Dave didn’t hate the color pink, but it could be overdone.
Dave was glad Mary was more sensible. She let him have a blue house and let him keep the wagon the nice brown color it was supposed to be.
“Do I have to ride in something pink?” Isaac asked as he got off the porch swing.
“Yes,” Dave replied. “Tom and Jessica are helping us by taking us to Grandma and Grandpa’s. Your ma can’t drive a wagon while taking care of us.” And he wasn’t able to make sure Adam stayed still the whole time. Isaac and Rachel would stay good, but Adam was still too young to sit still for a long period of time. “Just be glad you don’t have to ride in that wagon all the time,” Dave added.
Isaac grimaced. “Yeah, I guess.”
Dave
