Katerina's Wish by Jeannie Mobley Page A

him. “What is the matter with you?” she said, but he only laughed harder. It was a long moment before the laughter quieted enough for him to speak.
    â€œYou remember, Trina, when your sisters made wishes and you would not?”
    â€œI wished for plum dumplings,” Aneshka said.
    â€œAnd I wished for hair ribbons,” Holena said.
    Papa nodded, still chuckling, “And Trina wouldn’t wish, but I did, remember? I said I’d wish for a farm. And here it is—a garden and livestock of our very own. Our little farm here in America. You should have wished, Trina, but since you wouldn’t, it looks like I got the third wish instead!”

Chapter 7

    I GAPED AT my father in disbelief. Had my wish come true, only to leave us stuck in the mining camp?
    â€œYou and your foolish nonsense,” Momma snapped at Papa. Then she turned to me. “What were you thinking, Trina? Chickens? Where on earth are we going to keep them?”
    â€œI thought we could keep them behind the house,” I said. “They will be old enough to start laying eggs in a few weeks. I just wanted to help us save money to get our farm,” I said.
    â€œAnd just how are we supposed to fence or house them?”
    â€œI hadn’t thought of that,” I admitted. The truth was, I hadn’t really thought of any of it.
    â€œThere is always scrap wood in the mine dump,” Mark said, surprising everyone. “We could probably dig up enough to make a chicken coop.”
    â€œAnd when will you have time for that?” Momma asked. “You boys work too hard now as it is.”
    â€œBut we are going to need the extra food if we get laid offat the mine,” Mark pointed out. “I think it’s a lucky thing that Trina found that farm and got these chickens.” He smiled at me, and I blushed so suddenly I could not hide it. All I could do was smile back, grateful for his support. Then I caught my mother’s eye and my smile quickly faded.
    â€œI know I shouldn’t have spent the money without permission, Momma. But please let me try. If it doesn’t work out, we could still butcher and eat the se chickens. I got all three for less than a whole chicken from Mr. Johnson’s store.”
    Momma was watching the little hens scrabble and peck around the crate as Aneshka dropped bits of bread in to them. She sighed. “You do have an eye for a bargain, I suppose, but your head is so full of dreams. You get that from your father.”
    â€œCan we keep them then?” Aneshka asked.
    Momma looked to Papa for his decision.
    â€œIf you can house them and feed them, Trina, you can keep them,” Papa said.
    I nodded. “They can eat kitchen scraps. And grasshoppers down by the creek.”
    â€œBut do not do such a thing again without permission,” Papa warned.
    â€œI won’t. I promise.”
    â€œAnd the first time they start costing us money instead of saving it, they go in the pot,” Momma added.
    That evening Aneshka and Holena herded the chickens around the small yard, but since we had no house for them, the chickens spent the night in the kitchen in their crate.
    The next morning I woke to someone quietly calling my name through the open window. The rest of my family was still asleep, so I slipped outside to see Mark measuring out space and writing down his measurements on a scrap of wood.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” I asked.
    â€œGood morning, sleepyhead. I’m getting started on your henhouse.” “So early?”
    â€œI only have today off, and I’ll have to sleep this afternoon before going back on the night shift tonight, so I thought I’d better get started. It shouldn’t take long.”
    â€œReally? I wouldn’t know where to begin,” I admitted.
    â€œThen you’re lucky you have me,” he said, grinning. He looked like his old self, with his hair flopping over his forehead, and I couldn’t