Free Hope Chest by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Mom.”
    Elizabeth scurried out of the room, and Mom clicked her tongue. “That girl has more energy than she knows what to do with.”
    Rachel smiled, but Anna just took a seat at the table and sat staring across the room as though she were in a daze.
    A few minutes later, Dad and the brothers came in along with Elizabeth, whose exuberance continued to show as she rushed over to the table.
    “Slow down,” Dad admonished. “The food’s not going anywhere.”
    “I know, but I’m hungry,” the child said as she pulled out a chair beside Mom’s wheelchair.
    Dad merely grunted in response, and everyone else took their seats, as well. As soon as the silent prayers had been said, Elizabeth began eating.
    “Guess you really were hungry,” Mom said with a chuckle.
    Rachel glanced over at Anna, who seemed more intent on pushing the spoon around in her bowl than in eating any of the oatmeal she had prepared. If only she could get into Anna’s head and figure out what she was thinking.
    Conversation at the table was kept to a minimum. Everyone seemed anxious to finish the meal and get on with their day. When breakfast was over and the dishes had been washed, dried, and put away, Anna excused herself to go feed the hogs, and Rachel headed to the henhouse to gather eggs. After she was done, she hoped she might be able to have a little chat with her big sister.
    With basket in hand, Rachel started across the yard, wishing she could go for a long walk. The scent of green grass kissed by early morning dew and the soft call of a dove caused a stirring in her heart. There was no time for a walk or even for lingering in the yard, because she had chores to do and knew she had best get them done quickly if she wanted to catch Anna before she left.
    A short time later, Rachel reached under one of their fattest hens and retrieved a plump, brown egg. A few more like that, and she’d soon have the whole basket filled. By the time she had finished the job, ten chunky eggs rested in the basket, and several cranky hens pecked and fussed at Rachel for disturbing their nests.
    “You critters, hush now. We need these eggs a heap more than you, so shoo!” She waved her hands, and the hens all scattered.
    When an orange and white barn cat brushed against Rachel’s leg and began to purr, she placed the basket on a bale of straw and plopped down next to it. She enjoyed all the barnyard critters. They seemed so content with their lot in life. Not like one person she knew, who suddenly seemed so dissatisfied and couldn’t give Silas the time of day.
    “What am I going to do, Whiskers?” Rachel whispered. “I’m in love with someone, and he don’t even know I’m alive. All he thinks about is my older sister.” Her eyes drifted shut as an image of Silas flooded her mind. She saw him standing in the meadow, holding his straw hat in one hand and running his long fingers through his dark chestnut hair. She imagined herself in the scene, walking slowly toward Silas with her arms outstretched. Closer and closer she came to him, until...
    “Sleepin’ on the job, are you?”
    Rachel’s eyes popped open, and she snapped her head in the direction of the deep voice that had pulled her out of her pleasant reverie. “Joseph, you about scared me to death, sneaking up that way.”
    He chuckled. “I wasn’t really sneaking, but I sure thought you’d gone off to sleep there in your chair of straw.” He sat down beside her. “What were you thinking about that put such a satisfied smile on your face?”
    Rachel gave Joseph’s hat a little yank so it drooped down over his eyes. “I’ll never tell.”
    Joseph righted his hat and jabbed her in the ribs with his elbow. “Like as not, it’s probably some fellow you’ve got on your mind. My guess is maybe you and Anna have been bit by the summer love bug.”
    Rachel jabbed him right back. “I wouldn’t talk if I was you. Anyone with halfway decent eyesight can see how much you care for