WHY BEN YODELS
by
Robin
""You know that crate of Swiss Cheese Hop Sing ordered for fondue?"
Adam
said as he closed the door behind him.
"Mmmmm.....Fondue!" Ben sighed. "Marie made me fond of fondue!
"
"She's a little orphan girl," Hoss said carrying in the sleeping
child. "She
lived up in the mountains raising goats with her grand daddy."
"An orphan?" Joe asked. "Where did you find her?"
"She was inside the cheese box. Seems she had been chasing her goat
and fell
into the crates and got stuck inside."
"They shipped her to us by mistake?" Little Joe said. "Can
we keep her Pa? I
always wanted a little sister!"
"What's your name, Darlin?" Hoss asked the sleeping child.
"Heidi, sir," she answered politely. "Please send me home
to my grandfather!"
"Can't we keep her?" Joe nagged. "Come on Pa! I'll walk her
and clean up
after her! Please Pa!"
"She isn't a puppy Joe," Adam rolled his eyes and struggled to
explain.
"Please Pa! Heidi is better than a puppy! And she won't get fleas!"
"No sir, no fleas. We don't have fleas in Switzerland. Only Ovaltine
and
Swiss Cheese and Fondue!" she said straightening her smocked dress.
"Please send
me back home to my grand father and my goats!"
"Did I ever tell you how your mother made me fond of fondue on our
honeymoon?"
"Frequently..." Adam rolled his eyes.
"Really?" Ben sighed nostalgically. "Marie, my love,..."
"Fondue from Swiss Cheese?" Little Joe wanted all the details.
"My mama made
you fond of fondue?"
"Yes! And yodeling!" A single tear rolled out of Ben's left eye.
"Yooo
dleeeleellee oooooo!"
"My Mommy taught you to yodel?"
Ben nodded.
"Pa...can I have fifty bucks for a shipping Heidi back home?"
Hoss asked.
Ben was lost in his memories of fondue and yodeling with his beloved Marie.
"You know, nine months after your mother taught me to yodel, you were
born,
Joseph.
"In that little bedroom at the top of the stairs?" Joe grinned.
He loved
that story.
Ben nodded. "In that little bedroom."
"Pa...can I have fifty bucks for a shipping Heidi back home?"
Hoss asked
again. This time, Adam pulled Ben's wallet out of his pocket and handed
Hoss a
wad of bills.
"High tail it out of here before Pa gets weepy and tells how your mother
fed
him gravlox and liggonberries on their honeymoon."
Hoss scooped up Heidi and rushed out the door.
"Boys, did I ever tell you how Inger, my love, taught me to eat gravlox
and
liggonberries?" Ben sighed.
"And nine months later Hoss was born?" Joe said rolling his eyes.
"I sure
wish I had a puppy."
Robin