The Pretender, page 12
Anthony’s forehead wrinkled. “I wouldn’t be too sure. But you know what, Rosa? I can’t worry about that right now.” He planted his feet on the floor and stood. “It’s kinda stuffy in this room. Think I’ll go outside for a breath of fresh air. You want to join me?”
“Not really. I’m too tired to do much of anything right now. Think I’ll stay here and rest for a while.” Rosa reclined on the bed.
He looked down at her with his thick brows drawn together. “You okay?”
“I’m fine—just tired.”
Anthony leaned over and gave Rosa a peck on her forehead. “All right then, I’ll see you later, Wife.”
“Stop it! That’s nothing to joke about.”
When Anthony left the room, shutting the door behind him, Rosa closed her eyes and tried to relax. She wished there was something she could do to make things up to Anthony for the sacrifice he’d made in bringing her home. Once again, Rosa wished she had never agreed to let Anthony pretend to be her husband. Now they would have to keep up their charade until his car had been fixed and he could be on his way back to New York.
Anthony put on his jacket and went out the back door. When he stepped into the yard, he realized that with Mahlon and Susan working at the store today, Elsie in the basement, Alvin at school, and Rosa in her room, he pretty much had the whole place to himself. It felt kind of good, and he wandered around the area, breathing in the cool, fresh air.
Elsie’s garden, which he guessed must have been vibrant and full of fresh produce, was bare, except for the tops of carrots and other root vegetables. A few colorful mums still bloomed in the flower beds near the house, but those would be gone once winter brought snow and freezing weather.
Anthony stopped walking and flexed his fingers repeatedly. Oh boy! Sure hope I’m not stuck here till the snow flies. I need to get back to New York before Pop carries through with his threat and I end up losing my job.
Caw! Caw! Caw! A noisy crow flew overhead, scattering Anthony’s thoughts and doing away with the peaceful moment he’d experienced when first stepping into the yard. There was no point worrying about his job right now, when there was nothing he could do about it. If Pop did end up firing him, he’d look for another position at some other restaurant. With the amount of eateries in New York, plus the experience Anthony had as a chef, he felt sure that someone would hire him. In the meantime, he might as well make the best of his situation here.
Anthony turned and allowed his footsteps to take him to Mahlon’s rustic-looking barn. After stepping inside, Anthony paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the shadows in the main part of the building, devoid of light except for what little crept in from outside through the bare windows. He paused and lifted his head to inhale the aroma of the sweet-smelling hay that had been stacked neatly along one wall.
Anthony smiled when he heard some soft meows, along with the rustle of straw that had been spread on the floor in a spot where a mama cat lay with a batch of kittens. He remained in place several minutes, watching the little critters and wondering what it would have been like to grow up on the farm, with the option to play in the barn. Anthony assumed there would be lots of places in this building for a child to hide or play games. Of course, for someone like Rosa’s brother Alvin, coming here wouldn’t be all fun and games. He’d heard the boy’s father remind him several times that there were chores waiting for him to do in the barn.
Anthony heard the soft nicker of a horse, and he followed the sound down a shadowy corridor where there were no windows at all. Before coming to the barn, he had seen a couple of horses grazing in the pasture and figured they were all out there, but apparently he’d been wrong.
As he approached the second stall, Anthony heard the stomping of hooves, followed by a series of snorts. No doubt the horse was keenly aware of his presence.
When Anthony drew closer, the chestnut horse stuck its head over the top of the gate. Surprised, Anthony jumped back. “Whoa now! Don’t you go gettin’ any ideas.” In the dim light, Anthony wasn’t sure whose horse this was, but he was glad it seemed to be gentle.
The horse nickered and shook its head, as though it understood what Anthony had said. He relaxed a bit and even chuckled. Anthony was glad no one had witnessed the alarm he’d felt when the animal had first made its appearance. Cautiously, Anthony reached his hand out and stroked the horse’s nose.
“Too bad I don’t have an apple or some other treat to give you,” Anthony said as he continued to pet the horse. “If I’d have known I would end up in here, I’d have brought you an apple.”
Anthony remained a while longer, stroking the horse and enjoying the moment before deciding it was time to head back outside.
Once he was in the cooler air again, Anthony strolled past the chicken run and watched as a couple of cackling hens took a dirt bath, while several others scratched for bugs. Thanks to these plump chickens, we had fresh eggs for breakfast this morning, Anthony mused as he moved on. Guess that’s one more positive thing about living the country life.
Anthony shoved his hands into his pockets and moved toward the back of the Petersheims’ property. He heard the high-pitched maa-maa bleat of several goats inside an enclosed area and went over to take a closer look. Goats were not something one would normally see running around New York City, and Anthony watched with interest as they pranced and frolicked around, some standing on their hind legs to reach and eat the leaves from the lower branches of the tree nearby.
Anthony noticed that one of the male goats was busy rubbing against the fence post, while another one nibbled on the wood. “Strange. Very strange critters,” he mumbled with his arms folded.
Shaking his head, Anthony was about to walk away and return to the house when he caught sight of yet another male goat—this one with a white beard mixed with gray. The animal was foraging in the grass on the opposite side of the fence. Anthony’s side, to be exact. I wonder how that critter got out.
Unexpectedly, and with its head down, the goat, coming at a good clip, headed right for Anthony. “Go back where you came from! You obviously jumped the fence once, you can do it again,” Anthony hollered, waving his arms. Big mistake! The crazy animal gave a low guttural sound and charged.
Anthony did the first thing he could think of. He bent down, picked up some small stones, and pitched them at the goat. His aim was bad, and the rocks missed, but the action did not deter the goat. It made him more aggressive.
Anthony’s adrenaline took over, and knowing he needed to take refuge, he ran for all he was worth toward the woodshed. Seeing a pile of logs on one side of the small building, he scrambled to the top and shouted for help. Meanwhile, the goat, with head down and making a threatening kind of grunting sound, came closer and closer. If someone didn’t hear Anthony’s screams soon and come to rescue him, he figured he might have to fight off the goat with his bare hands. “If I had a stick in my hand,” he muttered, “I would definitely use it right now.”
CHAPTER 16
AS THE AGGRESSIVE GOAT CAME closer to the woodpile where Anthony stood, he didn’t know which emotion he felt the strongest—anger or fear. Regardless of how he felt, he had to figure out a way to get out of this fix.
Anthony moved to the right, nearly losing his balance, and hollered at the goat. “Go away! Get lost! Go back to where you belong!”
“Hey, Anthony, what’s goin’ on? How come you’re standing on the logs and hollering at Buster?”
Anthony’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Alvin coming up behind the goat. “You’d better watch out, kid,” he shouted. “That critter’s a mean one.”
“He could be, I suppose, but not usually. Even so, all goats are good jumpers, so you bein’ on those logs is no protection. Any minute, he could leap right on up there and join you.” Alvin set his lunch box on the ground and marched up to the goat. “He’s got ya buffaloed ‘cause he knows you’re scared.”
“You got that right.” Anthony shifted his stance a bit, keeping both eyes on the bleating goat.
Alvin reached down and opened his lunch box. He grabbed an apple and approached the animal slowly. “You want this treat, Buster?” He held the apple close to the goat’s mouth.
Anthony resisted the temptation to hold his breath as he waited to see what the goat would do. He hoped the critter wouldn’t charge or butt the boy. It could spell disaster. To Anthony’s surprise, however, that ornery animal took one bite of the apple and followed Alvin across the yard and all the way to the pen. When Alvin opened the gate and let the goat in, Anthony climbed down from his log perch.
“That was impressive,” Anthony said when Alvin returned. “How’d you know the goat wouldn’t headbutt you?”
The boy puffed out his chest a bit as his lips curved into a smile. “Buster’s one of my favorite goats, and after school most days, I’ve been workin’ with him and some of the other goats my dad bought a while back.”
“You’re sure a smart fellow, Alvin. I’m impressed.”
The boy kicked at a couple of small stones beneath his feet. “Aw, it ain’t no big deal. I like most animals, and I really enjoy workin’ with ’em.”
Anthony began walking with Alvin toward the house. “What else do you know about goats?”
“Well,” Alvin said, “I’m sure they’re not all as easy to work with as Buster. I am no goat expert, but I’ve heard that some of them can be real mean. But they also like to play, and in the process, they sometimes end up gettin’ carried away.”
“How’d you learn so much about goats?” Anthony asked.
“Mostly from workin’ with the critters, but I’ve also read a book on raising goats that I checked out at the library in town.”
“Sounds like you know what you’re doing, then.”
Alvin shrugged. “Don’t know about that, but as I said before, I do like workin’ with animals.”
“Maybe you’ll end up being a veterinarian someday,” Anthony suggested.
The boy stopped walking and turned to look up at Anthony, who’d also halted his footsteps. “I can’t be a vet if I’m gonna join the Amish church when I’m a bit older.”
“Are you set on joining?” Anthony queried.
“I guess.” Alvin shrugged. “If I don’t join, my dad will be really disappointed. It’s bad enough that Rosa ran off and never joined the church, and I’m pretty sure my sister Susan doesn’t wanna become a church member either.”
Anthony tilted his head toward the boy. “What makes you think so?”
“Because Susan hasn’t taken any classes to prepare for it, and she does a lot of sneaky things that our folks don’t approve of.”
Anthony was tempted to ask for specifics, but he decided it was none of his business. If he truly was Rosa’s lawful husband, it would mean he was actually Susan’s brother-in-law. Only then would he take an active interest in her actions. Anthony figured he might even intervene if he knew she was doing something wrong. Under the circumstances, however, it was best that he keep any questions or opinions about Susan to himself.
“So tell me a little more about the goats you help to care for,” Anthony said. “Are they dairy goats or being raised for the meat?”
Alvin gave a vigorous shake of his head. “Oh, no—we don’t kill any of our goats for meat on the table. Mom likes to have them for milk and cheese.”
“To sell at your dad’s Meat and Cheese Store?”
“No, just for us. Dad gets his goat milk products for the store from an Amish man over in Allensville who has a big herd of goats. We don’t have enough goats to provide what we need for the store.”
“I see.”
Walking slowly as they moved on, Anthony asked Alvin to share a little more information about the goats his family owned.
“Well, let’s see … guess I could tell you how a sick goat will stand hunched, with its head lowered, but it may fake fitness if somethin’ or someone surprises or comes after it.”
Tilting his head, Anthony pointed at the boy. “Did you make that up, Alvin?”
“No way. It’s the truth.” Alvin snapped his fingers. “Oh, here’s somethin’ else that’s kinda interesting. When a goat’s hungry or wants a treat, it may root near the place where its food is usually dished out.”
“So that’s their way of letting you know that they want to eat?”
“Yep.” Alvin’s dimples deepened as he grinned widely. “Is that enough goat information for now?”
Anthony chuckled and tousled the boy’s hair. “I think that’ll do, but if I have any other questions, I’ll know who to ask.”
As they approached the house, Anthony looked up and noticed Rosa standing at her bedroom window. He wondered if she’d heard him hollering for help when the goat chased him onto the logs. But if she had, surely she would have come outside to see if she could help somehow.
Anthony waved and then smiled when Rosa returned the gesture. She really is a beautiful woman. If Rosa decides to join the Amish church, I hope someday she will find a nice Amish man who’ll gladly marry her and be a good father to the child she’s carrying.
“We’ve had a busy day here, jah?” Norman’s father asked as they prepared to close the Meat and Cheese Store for the day.
Norman nodded. “Seems like everyone who came in wanted the same thing, because we’re running low on cheese sticks and pork links.”
“I’m guessing the cheese sticks are for children’s lunches, and a lot of our female customers are planning to cook pork links for supper tonight, or maybe for tomorrow’s breakfast.”
“You could be right, Dad.” Norman glanced over at Susan, who stood quietly near the front door. No doubt she was eager to see the CLOSED sign hung in the window so the three of them could head for their homes. Susan had been in a sullen mood all day, which had been obvious by her lack of conversation with the customers she’d waited on. Norman suspected his sister’s bad mood had something to do with the fact that Rosa was at home with their mother, while Susan was stuck here dealing with Dad’s many requests and expectations.
If my sister dislikes working here so much, I wonder why she doesn’t look for some other job, Norman pondered. There are plenty of other things she could do, but then that would leave us shorthanded here at the store, at least till our daed found a replacement for her.
Dad moved closer to Norman and elbowed his arm. “Did you hear what I said, Son?”
“Jah, you said something about it being busy here today.”
“No, not that. I had moved on to another topic.”
Norman blinked in succession. “Oh, sorry. Guess my mind was somewhere else. What was it you said to me?”
“I was telling you that I think that husband of Rosa’s is freeloading on us. If he’s gonna remain at our house, then he oughta get out there and find a job.” Dad grunted. “I don’t appreciate being taken advantage of, and I have to wonder what Rosa ever saw in the lazy fellow.”
Norman wasn’t sure how to respond to his father’s tirade. If he took Anthony’s side and suggested that the reason he hadn’t looked for a job was because he and Rosa weren’t sure if they’d be staying in the area permanently, Dad might go off on that too. He’d probably say something like, “Well, if they aren’t sure, then they shouldn’t have come here at all.”
As Norman stood mulling things over and trying to decide how best to comment, Susan joined the conversation. “I totally agree with you, Dad. Anthony should be out looking for a job, and he and Rosa ought to find a place of their own.” Her eyes flashed angrily. “It’s not fair that we all have to work for a living while he lazes around at the house all day.”
Norman wasn’t sure why, because he didn’t know Anthony very well, but he felt it necessary to come to his brother-in-law’s defense. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be judging Anthony, especially when he’s not here to defend himself. Maybe it’s going to take a little time for him and Rosa to decide where they want to settle down and raise their family.” Norman looked first at his father and then Susan. “And maybe Rosa’s husband isn’t lazing around all day like you think. He might be doing all kinds of chores to help out at the house while we’re here at the store. If you’re so worried about it, you might want to check with Mom and ask what occupies Anthony’s time during the daylight hours.”
Dad’s brows furrowed, and Susan’s mouth opened slightly, like she might say something, but neither of them commented. Norman was glad this discussion had ended. All he wanted to do was go home to his sweet wife and spend a pleasant evening with her. He was ever so glad that he was married and out on his own, because he could only imagine how much tension there must be in his parents’ house these days.
During supper that evening, Alvin picked at his food as he slumped in his chair beside Anthony.
“What’s wrong, Son?” Elsie questioned from across the table. “Did you snack too much after school and ruin your appetite?”
Alvin shook his head. “I only ate one cookie when I came inside with Anthony.”
“So how come you haven’t eaten much supper?” the boy’s father questioned.
Alvin shrugged.
“This isn’t like you at all,” Elsie said. “Are you feeling grank?”
“I don’t think I’m sick, Mom.” Alvin reached for his glass of water and took a drink. When he set it back on the table, he grimaced. “My throat kinda hurts, though, and my belly aches too.”
“How long have you felt like this?” his mother asked.
“My throat felt scratchy while I was at school today, but the bellyache didn’t start till I sat down to eat supper.”
“You might be coming down with something,” Rosa interjected. “Has anyone in your classroom been sick?”
“A couple of kids were missing today.” Alvin pulled a hand across his forehead. “Boy, it sure is hot in here. Can someone please open a window?”
“It’s not hot in this room, Alvin.” Susan glared at her brother. “You’re just trying to get out of eating scalloped potatoes because it’s not your favorite dish.”
