| OCR Text |
Show -~±J-Peppermint Mon it needed fertilizer, spraying, or a professional gardner. Pa certainly needed to do something. Maybe his best bet was to try all three. Jake could have helped. Jake had a big garden each year from what he had told Russ. Jake wasn't concerned about gardens right now. He, like the doctors, was concerned over Russ' failing health, and like the doctors, he couldn't do anything either. Russ was dropping some little slivers of something to Cheddar. It was probably cheese, but I couldn't tell from where I sat. I couldn't tell what Jake was saying either, because Russ was laughing too loud. It was good to hear Russ laugh. I never made him laugh as freely as he was now. Jake said something serious. I could tell it was serious because Russ quit laughing as suddenly as he would have if someone had slapped him. Jake spoke again. This time it was loud enough for me to hear. "Ya can't die, Russ. Ya can't give up. Promise old Jake you won't." "I'm not going to die, Jake. I promise." My mouth dropped open and I felt my cheeks burning with outrage. If everybody thought Jake was such a help and comfort to Russ, why was he asking for promises. I had never talked to Russ about death. I don't think ma, pa, or Jason had either. It wasn't Jake's right to upset Russ by talking about it now. If Russ had asked Jake it would be necessary to reply, but as it was, Jake had brought it up. Jake was making Russ talk about not giving up and not dying. Russ had no control over it. It wasn't fair for him to think he had. "They're talking about death out there," I told ma. "Jake's making Russ talk about it. Ma had a weary, tired expression and I should have left her alone with |
