#84b
Noonday meal was going to be tricky. As more and more visiting adults came streaming in the door, Helga added more quarts of canned tomatoes, potatoes, green beans and corn. As a salute to Mark, she added two of the last four quarts of canned elk.
Not only did they have their normal 15 to feed, there were 9 more adults with healthy appetites to fill up. Helga slid a roaster of peach slice crisp in the oven to cook right after the biscuits came out of the hot oven. People were stashed all over the house eating bowls of stew and hot biscuits. They didn't seem to mind, as the friendly talk flowed and laughter happened everywhere.
Scotty was totally charmed by how the simple food added so much to the pleasure of the meal. After everyone was full and the older boys scraped the pot clean, the dishes had to be washed so they could be used once again for desert.
The warm peach crisp with a mound of cream, whipped or otherwise, and plenty of fresh hot coffee was a perfect ending.
Tom and Adoree were the first to leave, they elected to walk back to Wayne's and Tom had a half gallon of milk in a jar.
Millie and Wayne were next, Millie was feeling the crush of people and needed quiet.
Karen and Gene lingered long enough for Gene to ask Mark if he would consider being a special deputy if he needed one, perhaps there were some things happening in the county that needed a bigger touch than a friendly, folksy deputy who was related to everyone.
Mark shrugged and said Ok, he sincerely hoped he was never needed.
Doc and Maggie sat holding hands in the living room, where Doc snuck in a quick nap in the warmth of the parlor stove. Maggie eased her hand out of his and scooted into the kitchen to praise Helga and the gigantic effort she had made to feed them all.
"Honey, I shore do appreciate your work at dinner today," she told Helga. "Why people just kept coming and coming. I can't remember when I've ever been made to feel more welcome, and Doc and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Once again Helga gave Maggie a suspicious look, not exactly sure if the older woman was sincere or not in her gushing praise.
Helga nodded, "yous are muches velcome," she finally said.
The chore crew got ready and Maggie excused herself and Doc. "I want to get back to town while it's still light. I'm not the best of drivers and I surely don't want to drive in the dark." When the door closed on them, Helga turned to Clora and said "Humph, I no knows iffs she vas sinceres, ot nots."
"Well, lets just pray that she was. My goodness, thank the Lord we had such a turn out, and thank the Lord we had the food to feed them. This however is going to be a problem unless we can take turns hosting this group. I believe we used resources for three meals on this one alone." Clora was fanning herself with a limp napkin.
"Ud coffee for three days." Helga almost complained. "I saved the grounds and vill pour boiling vatters over them again to gets a coffee concentrate. I nos had times to reuse them todays."
Clora nodded. "Thank you for your frugal ways Helga, we need to use them all. What do we have left that we can make for supper?"
"I haff rice cooking and ve haff last twos jars of elks. Ve can makes muches gravy ud haff a simple meal vith cornbread."
"Sounds like a good one to me. I didn't pay attention, is there any peach crisp left?"
"Noes, nots afters Meester Vaynes and Toms gets in there. Milo ud Roberts vere going to sneak in and eats it, buts they vere too lates."
In the living room, Mark, Karl and Scotty were cleaning guns as a way to sit and relax by the fire. "Does this be happin every Sunday?" Scotty inquired. "Yer Lassie dinna seemed to be bothered by all the unexpected guests."
"She's not, but I have to admit I get a touch, pinched feeling. 24 people are quite a few; but Clora feels if she is bringing them to God, it's all worth it."
"Ye both have good lassies," Scotty complemented, "keepers."
"Like I said before," Mark chuckled as Sam crawled up on his lap and pointed to the half assembled rifle and Mark shook his head no. "Our lassies chose us and we have been kept slaves ever since."
All the men chuckled, and from in the kitchen came Helga's voice. "I heards that. Just for telling muches outrageous fibs, ve shall have elks again tonights for suppers." she decreed.
Mark made an awful face, silently pretending to gag, holding his hand around his throat.
"I sees that," Helga spoke a touch louder over the noise the barn crew was making as they came in, "meybee noes desserts for youse mens for the awfuls vay yous are actings."
"That ought to straighten them out right quick," Clora was laughing as she helped hold the jars for the strained milk.
"It's starting to snow, just in time for school tomorrow," Teddy complained. "I like going outside and getting a breath of fresh air, but the teachers don't want to get wet and one of them has to be outside with us."
"You just like looking at that red headed girl that tried to kiss Milo," Tess tattled and got a chase around the table for her lip flapping.
"Oh NOES, I no haves bread for sandwiches mades for lunches tomorrows." There was a long string of agitated Kazakh as Helga whipped out the bread bowl and packages of flour. There was no way her 'keeds' were going to school without a proper lunch to carry.
"Stand back everybody," Milo acted like a reporter with a microphone in hand, "this could get dangerous for the unaware and small children."
"OK, all you wise and terrific kids, go line up your school books and finish any homework you were supposed to have done," Clora ordered. "We're still an hour away from supper, and don't worry, we'll call you in plenty of time to wash up."
The triplets were up from their nap, and John was rattling the bars on his crib like a gorilla in a cage. Clora went to do diaper duty, and the men finished reassembling the rifles.
Mark let Sam hold the 22 that Karl had been cleaning, as long as the small boy kept it pointed at the floor. "Bang, bang," Sam said and Mark almost dropped him in astonishment.
"Yes it's bang bang," Mark replied thrilled and when Sam jumped down to join the herd headed for the bedrooms, Mark silently clapped his hands. Of course, the story about Sam and his brothers and sister had to be told to Scotty.
