Amish Christmas Twins. Shelley Shepard Gray

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ lungs felt heavy, and she didn’t think she was ever going to be able to take a deep breath again. Standing outside Roy’s room, she debated about whether to tell him the news or not.

      Though it was going to be terrible to tell him, she knew she had no choice. There was no way she was going to be able to watch him be happy on Christmas morning when she knew what was going to happen on December 26. That was just too mean.

      Slowly she opened his door and walked inside. Roy had a battery-operated night-light in the shape of a dog near his bed. It was a silly thing, but he loved it and it helped him get to sleep every night. As she watched him sleep, Jemima’s heart felt as if it was breaking as she realized just how many things were about to change. Just like the other homes, they were going to have to leave their special belongings behind when the social worker came.

      Once again, they’d be in someone else’s hands, and be expected to get along, not complain, and pretend that starting all over again wasn’t terrible.

      But it really was.

      Roy shifted in his sleep, opened his eyes, then flinched when he noticed her standing next to his bed.

      “Jemima, whatcha doing?” he asked, both his expression and voice groggy with sleep.

      “I just overhead Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz talking, but I’ve been standing here trying to figure out if I should tell you or not.”

      Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

      “Because it’s not good news.”

      He frowned. “Am I not gonna get a new coat for Christmas?”

      She sat down on his bed. “I don’t know if you are or you aren’t.” She took a breath, then continued. “I heard them talking about what they are going to do the day after Christmas.”

      He smiled. “What?”

      Jemima bit her lip. She didn’t know whether to spoil his night or not. All she did know was that she didn’t think she could keep the news to herself for the next day. She really didn’t think she could face Roy when he discovered that she’d been keeping secrets from him.

      “Roy, I don’t want to tell you this, but I don’t think it would be right to keep it from you.”

      “I’m not a baby. We do everything together, jah?”

      He was right. “Fine.” After peeking at the door again to make sure it was closed, she said, “I learned that E.A. is going to have twins.”

      Roy’s eyes lit up. “Wow! We’re going to have two babies around here. It’s gonna be loud.”

      “You’re missing the point, Roy. I heard them talk about our future.”

      “So?”

      “They don’t have a big enough house for four kinner.” She looked at him meaningfully.

      Her brother screwed up his face. “What are we all going to do then?” He sucked in a breath. “Do you think we’re going to have to share a room with babies?”

      “They’re not talking about moving us around. They’re talking about making room for two babies.”

      “What does that mean for us, then?”

      “What do you think, Roy? They’re going to send us away.”

      He shook his head. “Nee. They love us.”

      “They love the babies they’re gonna have. They don’t love us.”

      “Nee.” His crushed expression matched how crushed she felt in her heart. “That’s not right.”

      “Roy, I know what I heard.”

      He kept shaking his head. “Nee. You must have heard wrong. They wouldn’t do that.”

      “But they are.” She hated how tough she sounded; she hated that she had to be the one to tell Roy the bad news. But she had learned that it didn’t make any difference how a person heard bad things. Even hearing it in a nice way didn’t make it any easier.

      “What are we going to do?”

      “I don’t want to go back to Dan and Shirl.”

      His bottom lip trembled. “We might go back there?”

      She nodded. “They have to send us somewhere.”

      “But I didn’t like them,” Roy blurted. “They were mean.”

      Her brother was right. They were mean. Really mean. “I . . . I was thinking of running away.”

      “Really? We can do that?”

      “I know it’s scary, but maybe we could find someplace better than Dan and Shirl’s house. I don’t want Melanie to make us go back there right after Christmas.”

      He swallowed hard. “I don’t want to be there ever again.”

      “So, it’s decided?”

      Roy gazed at her, suddenly looking much older. “Jah.”

      “Jah? Are you sure?”

      “I’m sure. I’ll get dressed and meet you down in the kitchen in a couple of minutes.”

      “Okay, but remember, it’s snowy out, so we have to wear warm clothes. Lots of warm clothes.”

      “I’ll put on the new socks E.A. knitted for me.”

      She noticed him looking around his room. “Don’t forget, we can’t take much. You can’t take all your toys.”

      “I’m only gonna take a couple of the animals and two of the train cars.”

      “Put them in a pillowcase.”

      “Okay.”

      Even though he looked confused, she slipped out of Roy’s room and padded down the hall. She needed to get dressed in warm clothes and gather her things, too.

      They were really going to do it. They were going to run away.

      Though her eyes stung, she refused to cry. Crying wouldn’t do her any good.

      Besides, she didn’t think God cared if she cried or not.

      For some reason, He had decided to stop looking out for them.

      It was up to her and Roy from now on.

      Chapter 14

      After they made their plans, E.A. had wished Will pleasant dreams, and then gone straight up to bed.

      The fire was still burning, the snow was falling outside, and Will’s heart was full. Far too full to go to sleep.

СКАЧАТЬ