Arabella 7

“No, all we want is a barn to rest in for a while. A little hay and water to drink would be fine.”

Arabella 7 Nelson 9/15 860 words

I opened my mouth to speak again but Nadine was already talking and leaving the deck.

“We have a nice barn and plenty of hay and clean water.” She went to the other side of Mary. “Let’s go to the barn. Let me help, please.”

I watched Nadine guide them to the barn and disappear inside. It was ten minutes before Nadine trotted back to the house. In a few minutes, she came out with a huge tray of food: cold fried chicken, sliced tomatoes, rye bread, butter, a glass of milk and more. She didn’t say a word. Just trotted to the barn.

I was getting ready to go to the barn when Nadine came skipping back to the house, humming a song and clapping her hands. I think it was Hank Williams’ gospel song, ‘I saw the light.’ I could tell right then she was out of her gourd.

She had seen the light. She really thought that was the original Joseph and Mary out in the barn.

I knew Nadine had fallen into the pool at the deep end. I knew that wasn’t Joseph and Mary out in the barn and this wasn’t Bethlehem.

“Well, what’s going on out in the barn?” Nadine didn’t answer. She kept on humming. She had switched to ‘Silent Night.’ “You know you are going overboard on this. That is not Mary and Joe out in the barn.”

Something was wrong. She was like she had five vodka and tonics and a tequila shooter. I was scratching my head wondering what I could say to snap her out when she glanced down the lane and started grinning.

I knew who it was without even looking. “It’s Doris, isn’t it?” Nadine smiled and I turned slowly toward the lane. Sure enough, Doris was walking into the yard intently studying her tablet. She stopped about ten feet from our deck.

“Where are Joseph and Mary?”

Nadine was off the deck in a flash and pulling Doris towards the barn. I debated on following them to the barn, but I decided against it. It was all crazy and I didn’t want to get involved. Nadine came running back, went in the house without a word and came out with my best quilt. My mom had made it especially for me.

“Mary needs this. The straw is giving her a rash.”

I started to protest but Nadine was halfway to the barn. I slowly finished my melon and threw the rind out in the yard for the chickens.

Half an hour later they came walking to the deck, I should say dancing and singing. I think they were singing ‘Joy to the World.’

Nadine pointed at a chair at the table. “How about a slice of melon for breakfast?”

Doris nodded and looked at me. “How does it feel to have Joseph and Mary in your barn? I’m so excited and want to yell it from the rooftops but Joseph said not right now.”

“You both are crazier than loons. That’s Joseph and Mary Smith or Joseph and Mary Jones out in the barn. How can you be so dumb and gullible? It’s not even Christmas time. It’s June. And Bethlehem is four or five thousand miles away.”

Doris had a dumb grin on her face. “Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice. Christmas falls in the Winter Solstice time frame. Exactly six months apart.”

Who can argue with logic like that? I was getting ready to tell her how stupid she sounded when I heard a noise. I looked to our lane and three men were coming.

“Good morning friends. We were wondering if you have seen a stray lamb. We were riding by yesterday and one escaped from our trailer. A pretty little lamb. We would love to have it back.”

“Oh my God, Nadine, it’s the Three Shepherds.” Doris looked at Nadine questioningly. “Can we take them to the barn?”

Nadine was off the deck beckoning the three men to follow. She was pulling on them and Doris was pushing. I watched them trot to the door but go in very slowly.

Three Shepherds? Where did they get that crazy idea? They were just three dumb farmers from Ironshire who had lost one of their lambs.

Nelson10464 Azalea Rd
Berlin, Md
September 2023