The Lopsided Christmas Cake Read Free

can make a go of things.”
    “You’re right.” Thelma gave Elma’s arm a tender squeeze. “With the Lord’s help, we can handle most anything.”

Chapter 2
    I wonder if we’ll ever get this yard in shape.” Elma kicked some scattered leaves as they walked past a dead bush. “There’s so much to do here; I feel overwhelmed by it all.”
    Thelma clasped her sister’s arm. “Don’t worry so much. It’ll get done in good time.”
    “I hope so, but that’s our first priority.” Elma motioned to the general store, several feet behind the house. According to Grandpa, with the help of his friends, he built the store a few years after he and Grandma were married.
    When Thelma heard chickens clucking, she glanced to the left. “I just remembered, we didn’t check for eggs last night. Think I’d better do that right now.”
    “Go ahead. I’ll head over to the store and start organizing some of the shelves.” Elma took a few steps in that direction but turned around. “Don’t be long. There’s lots of work, and it’s going to take both of us.”
    “Don’t worry. It won’t take much time to gather a few eggs. I’ll join you shortly.”
    After Elma walked away, Thelma headed for the chicken coop.
My sister worries too much. People shopped at Grandpa and Grandma’s store when it wasn’t perfectly organized. If we don’t have everything just so, I’m sure it won’t affect our business.
    Thelma thought about her folks’ store back home and how, between Mom and Elma, everything was kept neat and tidy. One or both of them seemed to be constantly cleaning and organizing. Thelma had never enjoyed cleaning that much. Organizing was definitely not her thing. She’d rather wait on customers so she could visit.
    When Thelma opened the door to the coop, she was greeted by several cackling hens. She remembered collecting eggs with Grandpa when she was a little girl. He would talk about a few of his favorite chickens and had even given them names.
    Thelma fed the chickens first and gave them fresh water. When that was done, she grabbed a basket and filled it with eggs. It was fun to see the different colors. Not all the chickens were the same, and not all of the eggs were white. Some hens laid eggs in various colors. She was surprised to see any eggs at all, since one of Grandma’s neighbors had been taking care of the animals. Perhaps, since they knew Thelma and Elma would arrive yesterday, they hadn’t collected any more eggs.
    Thelma hummed, reaching under a stubborn hen that wouldn’t move off its nest.
Bawk! Bawk!
The chicken ruffled her feathers and hopped to the floor, looking back at Thelma as if to say, “How dare you steal my egg.”
    Thelma looked out the small window facing the corral. She saw Rusty, the horse Grandpa bought a few months before he died. His old horse, Cutter, had been pulling their rig the day of the accident and was killed. That left only Rusty available to the twins. Unfortunately, he was still a bit green and would be a challenge.
One more problem,
she thought.
    Satisfied that she’d gotten all the eggs, Thelma moved toward the door. “Oh, great,” she chided herself when she realized that she’d left it open. “Sure hope none of the chickens got out.”
    Thelma’s brows furrowed as she stepped outside and saw chickens roaming all over the yard. “Good grief! Now I have chickens to round up.”
    She set the basket on the ground and moved toward the nearest chicken. Apparently, the hen didn’t want to be caught, because it took off like a flash. The other chickens scattered, too.
    The chickens really didn’t need to be in the coop all day. She’d wait until nightfall, when they would be subject to predators, to put the birds back in their coop. They’d be easier to catch when it started getting dark, and she’d have Elma’s help.
    Thelma grabbed the basket and hurried into the house. She took care of the eggs first then paused for a drink of water. After working in