[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey by Wanda E Brunstetter Page A

morning,” Titus muttered. “I’ll bet you wouldn’t be singin’ so cheerfully if you had to fix a roof.”
     
    Titus usually wasn’t so negative, but ever since he and Phoebe had broken up, he couldn’t seem to find anything cheerful to think about. He needed something positive to focus on—something to get excited about and look forward to.
     
    As the bird continued to sing, Titus stepped onto the roof and glanced around, looking for any low spots where water might be lying. He discovered one area, and was heading in that direction, when—
crack!
—a hunk of wood gave way and his foot went through.
     
    His boot hit something, and he looked down through the hole. “Oh, great. I think I’m standing on the refrigerator!” Titus gritted his teeth and pulled his leg out of the hole. Now he’d have to look for a piece of plywood to repair that hole.
     
    He moved cautiously toward the ladder, wincing from the pain in his calf. He leaned over and pulled up his pant leg. Blood oozed from scratches and a cut.
     
    “Guess I’d better get my leg cleaned up and bandaged before I try to patch this stupid roof,” he mumbled. It was a good thing he’d thought to buy a bottle of peroxide and a box of bandages when he’d gone to the store yesterday.
     
    Titus limped his way down the ladder and moved slowly toward the back door. This was not the best way to start out his morning.
     
    What a
dummkopp
I am. This is so typical
. He gritted his teeth.
I’ll bet this wouldn’t have happened to Timothy. He’d have probably seen that rotten board in time to keep from stepping on it. If I hadn’t been distracted by that stupid chirping bird, maybe I would’ve seen it, too
.
     
    Titus shook his negative thoughts aside. He couldn’t waste time being angry at himself. He needed to get inside and tend to his leg.
     
    After cleaning the wound, Titus was relieved to see that the cut wasn’t too deep and wouldn’t require stitches. However, a large bruise was already forming, and it had begun to throb. Well, he couldn’t let it stop him from getting the roof patched, so as soon as he’d put a bandage on, he grabbed the hammer from the kitchen counter and limped out the door.
     

     
    Sometime later, with the roof temporarily patched, Titus saddled Lightning and headed to work.
     
    As he approached the Yoders’, he spotted their phone shanty at the end of the driveway.
Since I’m already late, I may as well stop and make a phone call
, he decided.
     
    Titus tied Lightning to a tree and stepped into the shanty; then he took a seat on the folding chair and dialed his twin brother’s number. Of course no one answered, because it wasn’t likely that anyone from Timothy’s family would be in their phone shanty. He left a message on their voice mail, telling Timothy about the condition of the trailer, and asking him to tell their folks he said hello.
     
    When Titus entered the woodshop, he found Nelson sanding a door. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized.
     
    Nelson frowned. “It’s a good thing Grandpa’s not here right now. He’s always believed in starting work on time. He’d probably say, ‘No rule of success will work if you don’t.’ “
     
    “Sorry,” Titus mumbled. “I had a rough morning.”
     
    “What happened?”
     
    Titus explained about repairing the roof.
     
    “That trailer needs a lot of work.” Titus slowly shook his head. “I didn’t know the roof was bad until it rained yesterday and left me with a puddle in the middle of the kitchen floor. There’s so much work to be done I hardly know where to begin.”
     
    “Not to worry,” Nelson said. “Grandpa’s out right now, spreading the word that the trailer needs repairs, and we’re planning to have a work frolic there on Saturday.”
     
    “That’d be great.” Titus felt relieved. It would be much easier to make the place livable if he didn’t have to do it alone. “Is there anything special you’d like me to do today,