from the rest of my skin.”
Sammy nodded and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. “Can I ask ya another question?”
“Sure.”
“My other grandma used to live with us, but she’s goin’ blind and had to move to Easton awhile back. I was wonderin’ if we could stop and see her there.”
Elias shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sammy, but I don’t know where your grandma lives. Even if I did, I couldn’t leave my boat and mules unattended to take you there.” He gave Sammy’s shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe you’ll get to Easton to see her some other time.”
Sammy stared down at his plate and mumbled, “I sure hope so.”
Elias pushed the loaf of bread toward Sammy. “Would you like another piece?”
“Think I’d better wait for the soup. Wouldn’t wanna eat up all your bread.”
“That’s okay. There’s plenty.” Elias cut Sammy another piece of bread; then he went to the small cabin where he slept and got out his accordion.
“Ever heard one of these?” he asked the boy.
“Nope, but the preacher’s wife plays the zither and the organ.”
“Well, this is called an accordion. It has keys and bellows, sort of like an organ.” Elias slipped the straps over his shoulders. “Now here’s a song just for you, Sammy. It’s called ‘Go Along Mule.’ ”
Elias began to play and sing: “
I’ve got a mule, she’s such a fool; she never pays me no heed. I’ll build a fire beneath her tail, and then she’ll show me some speed
.”
Sammy laughed and joined Elias as they sang the song together.
What a joy it was for Elias to spend time with this easygoing young lad. It made him long to be a father.
But that’s just an impossible dream
, Elias thought as he touched the red mark on his face.
Surely no decent woman would want someone as ugly as me
.
“Mama, I’m hungry.” Willis, who sat at the table beside Sarah as she drank a cup of tea, tugged on her sleeve. “Is it time for supper yet?”
Sarah glanced at the windup clock sitting on the counter across the room. It was time for supper, but she didn’t want to eat until Sammy got home. She couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t here yet. Even if he’d been kept after school, he should have been home by now.
Willis gave Sarah’s sleeve another tug. “Mama, I’m hungry.”
“We’ll eat supper as soon as Betsy gets back here with Sammy.” Sarah rose from her chair. “Would you like a piece of jelly bread to tide you over?”
Willis bobbed his head and then pointed to his little sister, who was sitting on the floor, petting Bristle Face. “I think Helen would like one, too.”
Sarah winced when she picked up a knife to butter the bread. Even a simple movement caused her ribs to ache.
She’d just given the children some bread spread with jelly and a glass of milk when the back door swung open and Ned stepped in. “If supper’s ready, I can eat real quick and get back outside, ‘cause the last canaler who went through said there were three more boats comin’ up the canal behind him.
“Let me check on the stew.” Sarah lifted the lid on the kettle and poked a potato with a fork. “It seems to be done enough, so as soon you wash up I’ll dish you and the kids a bowl and then you can eat.”
“I already washed in the canal.”
“Oh, I see. Well, have a seat then, and I’ll get you some stew.”
“What about you? Ain’t you gonna eat with us?”
She shook her head. “I’ll wait until Sammy gets home.”
“Didn’t realize he wasn’t here.” Ned pulled his fingers down the length of his bristly face. “Where’d the boy go?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I think he may have been kept after school.”
Ned grunted as he took a seat at the table. “Can’t tell ya how many times I was kept after school when I was a boy. ‘Course, I only had a few years of learnin’ before I started workin’ for my pappy.” He reached for a piece of bread and slathered it with some of the
Sammy nodded and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. “Can I ask ya another question?”
“Sure.”
“My other grandma used to live with us, but she’s goin’ blind and had to move to Easton awhile back. I was wonderin’ if we could stop and see her there.”
Elias shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sammy, but I don’t know where your grandma lives. Even if I did, I couldn’t leave my boat and mules unattended to take you there.” He gave Sammy’s shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe you’ll get to Easton to see her some other time.”
Sammy stared down at his plate and mumbled, “I sure hope so.”
Elias pushed the loaf of bread toward Sammy. “Would you like another piece?”
“Think I’d better wait for the soup. Wouldn’t wanna eat up all your bread.”
“That’s okay. There’s plenty.” Elias cut Sammy another piece of bread; then he went to the small cabin where he slept and got out his accordion.
“Ever heard one of these?” he asked the boy.
“Nope, but the preacher’s wife plays the zither and the organ.”
“Well, this is called an accordion. It has keys and bellows, sort of like an organ.” Elias slipped the straps over his shoulders. “Now here’s a song just for you, Sammy. It’s called ‘Go Along Mule.’ ”
Elias began to play and sing: “
I’ve got a mule, she’s such a fool; she never pays me no heed. I’ll build a fire beneath her tail, and then she’ll show me some speed
.”
Sammy laughed and joined Elias as they sang the song together.
What a joy it was for Elias to spend time with this easygoing young lad. It made him long to be a father.
But that’s just an impossible dream
, Elias thought as he touched the red mark on his face.
Surely no decent woman would want someone as ugly as me
.
“Mama, I’m hungry.” Willis, who sat at the table beside Sarah as she drank a cup of tea, tugged on her sleeve. “Is it time for supper yet?”
Sarah glanced at the windup clock sitting on the counter across the room. It was time for supper, but she didn’t want to eat until Sammy got home. She couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t here yet. Even if he’d been kept after school, he should have been home by now.
Willis gave Sarah’s sleeve another tug. “Mama, I’m hungry.”
“We’ll eat supper as soon as Betsy gets back here with Sammy.” Sarah rose from her chair. “Would you like a piece of jelly bread to tide you over?”
Willis bobbed his head and then pointed to his little sister, who was sitting on the floor, petting Bristle Face. “I think Helen would like one, too.”
Sarah winced when she picked up a knife to butter the bread. Even a simple movement caused her ribs to ache.
She’d just given the children some bread spread with jelly and a glass of milk when the back door swung open and Ned stepped in. “If supper’s ready, I can eat real quick and get back outside, ‘cause the last canaler who went through said there were three more boats comin’ up the canal behind him.
“Let me check on the stew.” Sarah lifted the lid on the kettle and poked a potato with a fork. “It seems to be done enough, so as soon you wash up I’ll dish you and the kids a bowl and then you can eat.”
“I already washed in the canal.”
“Oh, I see. Well, have a seat then, and I’ll get you some stew.”
“What about you? Ain’t you gonna eat with us?”
She shook her head. “I’ll wait until Sammy gets home.”
“Didn’t realize he wasn’t here.” Ned pulled his fingers down the length of his bristly face. “Where’d the boy go?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I think he may have been kept after school.”
Ned grunted as he took a seat at the table. “Can’t tell ya how many times I was kept after school when I was a boy. ‘Course, I only had a few years of learnin’ before I started workin’ for my pappy.” He reached for a piece of bread and slathered it with some of the
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