Free Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Mary Ann Kinsinger Page A

her hair done again. A week seemed like months and months to six-year-old Lily.
    By the time Lily had put away the toys, Mama was already making bread dough and Joseph had come back to the kitchen. Mama let Lily and Joseph stand next to her and help punch and knead the bread dough until it was justright. Sometimes, she would give Lily and Joseph a piece of dough to make into a little loaf. If it was the Saturday before church, Mama baked six loaves of bread. Everyone brought food to share for lunch after church. Lily and Joseph took turns punching the dough until it turned from sticky to elastic. Mama covered the bowl with a towel and set it on the floor next to the stove. It would stay warm and start to rise in that little nook.
    One Saturday morning, a knock came at the door. When Mama opened it, Nate Mast stood there with his daughter, Mandy. She was thin and fair and pale, with freckles sprinkled over her nose and cheeks like a dusting of cinnamon. Mandy was just a little bit older than Lily but she liked to act as if she was the boss of everybody. Mama said Mandy needed extra patience and understanding because she didn’t have a mother. She meant, “Lily, you need to be nicer to Mandy.” So Lily tried to be sweet and patient with Mandy, but it wasn’t easy.
    Nate Mast asked Mama if she had any extra eggs to sell.
    â€œI think we should have plenty for you,” Mama said. She turned to Lily and said, “Keep an eye on Dannie while I go to the basement to wash and crate the eggs.”
    Nate followed Mama to the basement to help her while Mandy stayed in the kitchen with Lily. “Let’s go to your room to play with your dolls,” Mandy said.
    Lily wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Mama had told her to keep an eye on Dannie. She peeked into the living room and saw Dannie playing with his wooden blocks beside the toy box. He seemed happy. Lily decided that if he started to cry, she would hear him upstairs and could hurry down to take care of him.
    Mandy followed Lily upstairs to her room to play with thedolls. Lily opened her closet and took out her dolls. The two girls sat on the bed and played with the dolls.
    â€œIt will be our turn to have church at our house soon,” Mandy said. “Bring your dolls along so we can play with them after church. I found a secret place where we can play.”
    â€œWhere?” Lily asked.
    Mandy put her fingers to her lips. “You will have to wait to find out.”
    â€œMandy!” Nate Mast’s voice bellowed up the stairs. “I’ve got the eggs. Let’s go.”
    Lily and Mandy bolted off the bed and galloped down the stairs. Lily stopped so abruptly when she reached the kitchen that Mandy bumped into her. Flour was everywhere! Dannie had crawled into the kitchen, straight to the jar of flour on the floor. Lily might have forgotten to put the lid on the jar. Flour was in his hair, on his face, all over his clothes. Then he had crawled to where Mama had set the bowl of bread dough to rise in the warm corner behind the stove. He was happily sitting beside the bowl of bread dough, pressing his wooden blocks into the dough. Mama was still in the basement, but Lily knew she would not be happy.
    Mandy pointed to the mess, laughing and laughing. Her father frowned and hurried Mandy out the door. Lily wanted to slap Mandy. She thought it was partly Mandy’s fault that they had gone upstairs instead of watching Dannie like they were supposed to.
    Lily moved the bowl of bread dough away from Dannie. She pulled the wooden blocks out of the dough and set them on the sink. Dannie squealed, happy to have a playmate. Lily had to laugh at him. He looked more like a snowman than her little baby brother.
    Lily turned around and saw Mama standing at the top ofthe basement door, staring at the mess in the kitchen. Without a word, Mama began to clean up. Lily wished she would say something. Oh, but the silence was terrible!
    It