Read A Simple Song for Free Online Page B

“Can’t you just join in on the chorus?”
    â€œSomeone might hear us,” she warned him.
    â€œOut here?” He waved his hand to the fields all around them.
    â€œSounds carry.”
    â€œI don’t understand you, Katrina. You have such a pretty singing voice, and I don’t know anyone who is more worried about it than you are.”
    She considered telling him about the times she’d been chastised over her singing but decided not to.
    â€œMy grandmother told me something,” he said in a slightly mysterious tone. “Something about your grandmother.”
    â€œWhat?” She stopped walking and turned to look at him.
    â€œIt seems that your grandmother was good friends with my grandmother’s younger sister.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œMy grandmother said her younger sister—Great-Aunt Martha—was the one who first took your grandmother in.”
    â€œTruly?”
    He nodded, pleased to have her full attention now. “My grandmother’s family lived in a different settlement. And although my grandmother was already married and living over here when Great-Aunt Martha took your grandmother in, my grandmother knew about it. She met your grandmother back then.”
    â€œWhat else did she tell you?”
    He shrugged.
    â€œCome on, Cooper. Please tell me.”
    â€œI would tell you if I knew. Truth is, that’s all I know.”
    She frowned.
    â€œBut my grandmother said that if you want to come visit and talk to her, she’ll be happy to tell you whatever she knows.”
    â€œDo you think she really knows anything . . . I mean, anything that interesting?”
    â€œShe might.”
    Katrina thought about Aunt Alma. She’d been to visit her only once since the funeral. She could tell Aunt Alma was sad, but it had seemed to cheer her up to talk about Mammi. “Do you think I could bring my Aunt Alma to visit your grandmother?”
    â€œI don’t see why not.”
    â€œAll right then.” She nodded in agreement. “Tell your mammi that if she doesn’t mind, I’ll bring my aunt to visit her—the first chance I get.”
    Cooper grinned. “Great. I’ll tell her.”
    She nodded toward her house. “Here we are. Thanks for walking me home.”
    â€œAnytime.” He paused. “I know my grandmother will be home tomorrow. Just in case you and your aunt can make it.”
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind.” She waved and hurried up to her house. But when she peeked in the kitchen window, she could see that Mamm and Sadie hadn’t even set the table yet. She decided to pop over to ask Aunt Alma about visiting Cooper’s grandmother. She listened to her radio as she walked the fence line, and when she got there, seeing the front door was open, she went on inside just like she’d always done when Mammi was alive. She was barely in the front room when she heard the sounds of loud voices in the kitchen—arguing! Realizing she should’ve knocked, she was about to make a quick exit when she saw Daadi in his chair. She froze in place, then realized he was fast asleep and snoring.
    â€œYou can’t let him keep taking advantage of you like that,” Aunt Fannie was saying loudly. “He doesn’t lift a finger for this farm, and yet you treat him like a full partner.”
    â€œQuiet,” Uncle Willis said. “Daed and Alma will hear you.”
    â€œI don’t care who hears me,” Aunt Fannie said. “Frost is going to drain you dry, Willis. And it’s not fair.”
    â€œBut his boys are working and—”
    â€œAnd you can pay them a fair wage for their labor,” she continued. “But that’s all you owe that family. It’s wrong for you to take from our family to help someone who’s not working. The Bible says if you don’t work, you don’t eat. Frost doesn’t work, and he doesn’t deserve