Wednesday morning, after a breakfast of waffles and milk, Jessie and Henry biked to the store for groceries. They walked through the aisles, pushing a cart and picking up bread, milk, hamburger, chicken, buns, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, lemons, chocolate chip cookies, eggs, orange juice, green beans, and corn on the cob. At the deli counter, they bought ham.
When they returned, bike baskets overflowing with grocery bags, they saw Violet and Benny sitting in the porch swing of Joe and Alice’s house. Benny jumped off the porch and dashed toward them.
“See what we’ve brought,” Henry called, pedaling around the back.
“Hurrah for food!” Benny shouted, running around the house to the guest house. He danced around Henry, craning his neck to see what he had brought.
Violet ran after Jessie.
Pulling out one sack after another, Benny asked, “What are we going to do today?”
Violet, setting the gallon of milk in the refrigerator, turned and smiled at Benny. “What would you like to do?”
“Go on a picnic,” Benny promptly replied.
“What a good idea,” Violet said, placing the apples in a bowl.
“Yes!” Jessie said, tossing up a lemon and catching it, “and I’ll make the lemonade.”
“Look,” Violet said. “Ham for sandwiches.”
“And,” Benny said, reaching for the cookies, “cookies for dessert.”
Violet busily set to work making up four sandwiches, while Jessie squeezed lemons and added water and sugar to the juice.
Henry filled four small sacks each with a sandwich and an apple, and Benny added two cookies.
“Let’s not go by the amusement park,” Benny said, “or I’ll want to stop.”
“Then we’ll head in the opposite direction,” Henry said.
In his bike’s basket Henry carried a big thermos, three paper cups, and his lunch bag. Benny carried his lunch bag and his pink cup. Jessie carried her lunch bag, a rolled-up tablecloth, and four napkins. Violet carried her lunch bag and paper plates.
As they pedaled, Jessie pointed to a dirt side road. “Let’s go down that lane. It looks lovely with those elm trees lining both sides.”
“Yes!” Benny shouted. “We’ll explore new lands!”
They laughed and sang all the way down the narrow winding road. Overhanging branches shaded them. They pedaled by a meadow with grazing black and white cows. The yellow field appeared golden in the bright sunlight.
After they had been traveling for a few miles, Benny suddenly groaned. “I’m starving. Are we ever going to stop?”
“Yes, Benny,” Violet answered. “I’m ready to stop, too.”
Henry veered left. “Over there,” he shouted. “There’s a brook and a grove of trees.”
“Perfect!” Jessie said, biking ahead and leaning her bike against a tree.
She lifted out the tablecloth, which she spread on the soft green grass. Violet set out plates while Henry poured the lemonade. Benny put a sandwich on each plate.
Sitting cross-legged, Benny smiled with contentment. “This is nice,” he said. “I can hear the little creek rushing over the rocks.”
“Yes, this is a perfect spot,” Jessie said, gazing over the green grass and the blue water beyond. In the distance was a red barn trimmed in white.
“I wish I had brought my paints,” Violet said.
The tree branches swayed gently in the warm breeze, and nearby a meadowlark trilled a sweet song.
After eating, Henry stretched out while Jessie and Benny ran to the little brook. The water was so clear that they could see the pebbles and sand on the bottom. Before Violet could join them, the little boy and his big sister had slipped off their sneakers and socks, rolled up their jeans, and waded into the water.
“Ohhh, it’s c-cold,” Benny stammered.
“Soon it will feel okay,” Jessie reassured him.
It wasn’t long before Violet splashed into the water, also. Wading downstream, they found smooth pretty pebbles.
At last they came ashore and lay on the bank. In a few minutes, Jessie propped herself up on her elbows. “I wonder what’s in that barn,” she said lazily.
“Let’s find out!” Benny said with excitement.
“Right!” Violet said, turning to look for Henry. “Henry! Come here.”
“I heard you,” he said, standing behind her and chuckling. “I’m ready to check out the red barn. It looks deserted.” He motioned to Benny, and the two boys dashed ahead. Once in the quiet barn, the children gazed at the sunbeams dancing with dust particles. The clean barn floor appeared to be unused. The stalls were brand-new, and fresh hay was piled inside. No one was around. Not a horse. Not a cow. Not even the farmer. There were no tools. The barn was empty.
“Where is everyone?” Benny whispered.
Henry poked his head around one of the stalls and said, “I don’t know, Benny.”
The smell of fresh hay filled the air as they explored the empty barn.
Finally, Jessie said, “Let’s leave. This place gives me the creeps.” They quickly left, puzzled by the silence and the emptiness.
Once they had biked home, they saw Joe and Alice, watering and weeding the flowers in front of the house.
“Hi, kids, come on in for a cold glass of juice,” Alice called, wiping her forehead. She wore gardener’s gloves and held a watering can.
“Gladly!” Benny shouted, dismounting his bike and running toward the house.
The others quickly followed.
Sitting around the table, the Aldens drank the juice and relaxed.
Jessie said, “Today we saw an unusual place.”
Alice, her brown eyes smiling, looked at her. “What kind of a place?”
“A big red barn!” Benny blurted out.
“Yes,” Henry said. “We picnicked near a stream west of here.”
“And we explored a nearby barn,” Violet finished. “It had fresh hay, but it was completely empty!”
“Ah,” Joe said, leaning back. “I know the place. The barn belongs to Old Jim Mitchell, an eccentric man, who lives alone. He doesn’t have any cows or horses and I’ve often wondered why he has such a big barn.”
“What could Old Jim be up to?” Alice wondered.
“It’s a mystery!” Benny said, a big smile crossing his face. “I love mysteries!”
Jessie smiled. “Benny, maybe there’s no mystery at all. Maybe this Old Jim just likes to have a barn for storing things.”
Violet glanced at Jessie. Perhaps her sister was right. And yet remembering the way the deserted barn looked sent a shiver up her spine. |