Free What a Pair! by Wanda E Brunstetter

far as she knew, Anna Ruth didn’t even have a boyfriend. Maybe she, like Mattie, didn’t plan to get married. Or maybe she just hadn’t found the right fellow yet.
    “I’m glad you like the flowers, and you’re welcome,” Mattie said before taking her seat. Maybe she would do better in school this year if she stayed on the good side of their teacher.
    “Good morning, boys and girls,” Anna Ruth said after the scholars had all taken their seats.
    “Good morning, Anna Ruth,” the children replied.
    Next, the teacher read a verse of scripture from the Bible. “‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.’ James 1:5.”
    Mattie felt like hiding under her desk. Had Anna Ruth chosen that verse to read this morning because she knew Mattie wasn’t smart? Well, why wouldn’t she know it? Mattie had struggled in school last year, and unless God gave her a good dose of wisdom soon, she’d probably struggle this year, too.
    Dear God
,
she silently prayed
,
help me to be smart like Mark
.
    Next, it was time to stand with the others and recite the Lord’s Prayer. When that was done, everyone filed to the front of the room to sing a few songs. The first song they sang was called, “Sing Little Children, Sing,” but Mattie had a hard time concentrating on the words. It was easier to look out the window, where a stream of light filtered through and drifted across the light-colored walls and dark wooden floor. She spotted a big old horsefly on the window, buzzing angrily and trying to find its way out. She was tempted to leave her place and open the window so the fly could escape, but figured she’d be in trouble with the teacher if she did that. Well, at least that old fly hadn’t gotten trapped on the flypaper hanging from the wall in one corner of the room. Maybe when the door was opened at recess the fly would find its way outside to freedom.
    Glancing out the window next to it, Mattie noticed a herd of black-and-white cows grazing and swishing their tails in the pasture across the way. Out another window on the other side of the room, she saw a field of dreary-looking dried cornstalks. Summer was almost over; there was no doubt about it. Soon the warm days of August would turn cool, and autumn would swoop right in. Mattie dreaded walking to school when the weather was cold or rainy. One more reason she hoped for a new bike that would get her to and from school a lot quicker than walking.
    Mattie’s mind snapped to attention when Stella poked her arm and whispered, “It’s time to take our seats again.”
    Mattie shuffled back to her desk and sat down, dreading the arithmetic lesson she knew would be coming next. Later in the day, they would study reading and spelling. Mattie wasn’t looking forward to those subjects either. She glanced up at the sign on the wall above the teacher’s desk: Y ou Are Responsible for Y ou. It was a reminder that she needed to study harder to get good grades, but sometimes her thoughts took her in other directions.
    As the morning wore on, Mattie’s stomach began to rumble. She glanced at the battery-operated clock on the wall and smiled when she saw that it was almost time for lunch.

    After lunch, some of the older students got a game of baseball going. Mark didn’t want to play, but after his friend John Schrock, who was Stella’s cousin, kept pestering him about it, he finally agreed.
    “It’ll be fun,” John said, as he and Mark waited to take their turn up to bat.
    “We’ll see about that,” Mark muttered. It might be fun for those who could play well, but he didn’t like baseball and had never been able to play the game without messing up. Mattie, on the other hand, played baseball as well as any of the boys. Everyone wanted Mattie on their team. In fact, when it was her turn to bat, he could see the look of happiness on her face. If Mattie did even half as well in school as she did on the ball field, she’d be an excellent student.
    The first ball that was