RASPBERRY SUMMER

                                                                               By Heather Voight

“Prince Laspian,” Abby said calmly.                                                                                     

“I thought you were done with those books,” said Jake. 

“Well, I like to bring them when I visit here in the summer because…” Abby paused as she tried to think of something polite to say.  Jake annoyed her sometimes but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.  Finally, she asked, “Don’t you wish something exciting would happen here?  In these books, the kids have all kinds of adventures.  It’s great playing with Ralph and Tabitha, but I wish something exciting would happen.”                                                                                

Jake stared at her for a few seconds.  Then he said, “We can always create our own excitement.”

Abby put the book down on the swing and looked at him intently.  “What do you mean?”

“Sometimes I pick raspberries in our neighbor’s yard.  There are tons of them and they’re delicious,” said Jake.                                                                                                               

“Don’t the neighbors mind that you’re taking their food?” asked Abby.                             

“Nah, the old lady will never notice that they’re missing.  But we can always take Ralph and Tabitha along for protection.”                                                                                                    

Abby glanced at Ralph as he drooled in his sleep.  She doubted he would be much of a protector if they were caught and she didn’t think picking raspberries was very exciting compared to her book.  Still, she thought it would be better than sitting on the porch all afternoon.  “Let’s go,” she said.

Jake dashed into the house to grab the cat.  When he came out he held Tabitha in his arms and handed Abby a basket for the raspberries.  He whistled to Ralph who bounded off the swing and trotted after them toward the neighbor’s house.                                                                   

As her uncle’s farm disappeared from view, Abby noticed they had to trudge through a lot of brush.  She could barely make out the frame of a house.                                               

“Doesn’t your neighbor ever trim these bushes back?” she asked.                                        

“Nope.  She doesn’t have anyone to help her.  That’s why there are so many raspberries on some of them, see?”  Jake knelt down, picked a raspberry off one of the bushes and popped it in his mouth.  “Yum,” he said.

Photo by Leo Michels - Source: http://www.imagines-plantarum.de/

Abby was just about to pluck a raspberry herself when a few drops of rain fell on her hand.  A quick look up at the sky made her tug at Jake’s jacket.  Dark clouds had formed directly over them and Abby saw a flash of lightening in the distance.                                                   

“We have to go back,” she said.  As they sprinted toward the farmhouse, Abby heard a gravelly voice yell, “You rotten kids!  Jake, I’m going to tell your father about this.”  Suddenly the voice screamed.  Abby looked over her shoulder and saw the elderly neighbor fall to her knees on her porch.  They were almost to the farmhouse where Uncle Bill was waving them to come into the barn.  

Abby shouted to Jake, “Your neighbor’s in trouble.  We have to help her.”                        

“Not worth it,” said Jake.  “What if there’s a tornado?”

“I’m going back,” said Abby.

“You’re crazy!” yelled Jake as Abby started running toward the neighbor’s property.  The thought of experiencing her first tornado sent goose bumps down Abby’s arms.  She wished Jake had come along, but she remembered that God was always with her.  As she ran she prayed silently for God to keep her safe so she could help Jake’s neighbor. 

Fortunately she was already familiar with the extensive brush and so navigated through it quickly.  Although a few branches tore at her jacket, she climbed the rickety stairs of the neighbor’s house.  The elderly lady looked up at her with surprise.  Abby pulled her to her feet and said, “We need to get inside.”  The lady limped slightly, but Abby easily helped her into the house.                                                                                

Abby led the lady to the basement and they were on the bottom step just as the tornado sirens sounded.  The basement had a couch which the two of them sat on to wait out the storm.            

“Thank you,” said the lady once the sirens stopped and they both had a chance to catch their breath.       

“Sure,” said Abby.  “I’m sorry we stole your raspberries.”   

“It doesn’t matter.  It’s just that sometimes I get so bored here by myself that I can be cranky sometimes.”         

“So Jake isn’t going to get in trouble?” asked Abby.

“No.  In fact, I have a better idea.  After the ground dries, maybe you and Jake could help me clear away some of my old bushes and I could host a raspberry festival.”