Abram's Daughters 01 The Covenant (31 page)

Something was surely vexing Sadie. Perhaps it had to do with an unwillingness to repent. Truly, Lizzie wanted to ask

310lu e d e f / lj J-- e im) i s

why she didn't just offer her remorse privately to Preacher Yoder. But Lizzie kept her peace. Besides stubbornness, what on earth was holding the girl back? Was it the sin of pride, or was Sadie downright rebellious?

Then and there Sadie decided not to tell another soul about her plans to visit Ohio. She didn't know just how much longer she'd stay put here. Of course, with news that Jonas Mast was heading in the same direction, might be best to remain in Gobbler's Knob through the summer months till his return. That way, Leah wouldn't think she was running off after Jonas, for pity's sake. But if he was still in the area when she arrived, it sure would be nice to see at least one familiar face, though way off in Ohio.

So come next September, round the time Leah was to make her kneeling vow to God and the church, Sadie would simply slip off into the night . . . take herself away from Lancaster County for a while. And not a single Plain boy in Ohio would have any idea she'd disobeyed the Ordnung so totally. Nobody need know she'd allowed an English boy to court her, deceive her, and father her dead child. She'd be shunned, though, never truly welcomed back into her father's house if she stayed on. But what other choice was there?

311

1 he joyous birth of a daughter on May seventeenth had the libersol Cottage all abuzz with excitement. Aunt Lizzie rushed out of Mamma's bedroom to share the good news, letting the midwife have a chance to examine the pink, wailing newborn.

"It's a girl!" She passed the word to Hannah, who in turn, ran out to the garden rows, where Dat, Sadie, Leah, and Mary Ruth were planting pole snap beans, cucumbers, turnips, squash, and a variety of other vegetables.

"Well, looks like we're still just Abram's daughters," Hannah called, grinning at Dat and her sisters.

Dat stood up and wiped his forehead, eyes wide. "A girl, is it?"

"Jah, 'tis."

At that Leah and Mary Ruth came and hugged her, jumping up and down with glee. Sadie kept working, though, and Hannah didn't quite understand that. But then, maybe their big sister had been secretly hoping for a brother. Who knows?

312

iu J2c

The first few days, Ida chose Sadie the most to help her with Lydiann, especially during the morning and afternoon. She felt sure things might improve a bit for Sadie once sheheld her cuddly baby sister in her arms. Jah, there was something real comforting about holding a wee one. So the firstborn helped change and dress the baby of the family, walking the floor with her when she was a bit colicky of an afternoon.

After a full week of this, Sadie did seem to be settling down some. But not so much that she wanted to share with Ida. Not at all. In due time, she will, Ida decided.

Abram got a kick out of watching his new daughter make funny little face crinkles while she slept. He told Ida this was the pertiest baby he'd ever seen, which, if she remembered far enough back, he'd said the same of their other daughters when they were each brand-new.

Well, now they had five girls living under their roof, at least for now. Both Sadie and Leah would probably be wed here within the year, she guessed. Leah, for sure to Jonas Mast. Lizzie had given her the word about the need for celery, thank goodness, so they'd best be planting some this summer, in mid-July.

Lo and behold, if Abram didn't have to worry over working the land after all, waiting so many years to hand over the farm to a son coming along behind. No, the Good Lord had taken care of that, seen fit to give them a daughter instead of a son. A right healthy girl at that.

So just whenever Dawdi John grew older and it was his time to go on home to heaven, she and Abram could simply move into the little Dawdi Haus with Lydiann build on a bit, maybe raise her over there, and let one of their sons-inlaw tend to farming duties. Of course, by then both Hannah

313o e n a ni

:itul Mary Ruth would be baptized church members and marrictl, too, more than likely.

Thankfully, all things were working out wonderful-gut for ihose who love the Lord here on Gobbler's Knob. Seemed to

Ix-, anyways.

Ida put a kettle on to boil, hankering for a cup of raspberry tea with a spoonful of honey. Never mind the late hour. All day she had been so busy with her little one, she hadn't had a chance to sit down and read her cousin Fannie's long letter, which had come in the afternoon mail.

Wanting something in hand while she read, she waited for the water to boil, then let the tea leaves steep five minutes. Once she poured the simmering tea into her cup, she settled down in Abram's favorite hickory rocker. Glad for the stillness of the house, she knew all too well that Lydiann would be crying for nourishment here perty soon.

So with her ear attuned to the upstairs bedroom, where Abram slept soundly and their infant daughter was tucked into a handmade wooden cradle in the corner of the room, she began to read.

My dear cousin Ida,

Greetings from Grasshopper Level, where Peter and I are the happy parents of twins . . . a girl and a boy. No doubt you've heard through the grapevine of our double blessing. They arrived full-term, though the boy is somewhat smaller and not nearly as hearty as the girl. We named them Jacob and

314

Amanda Jake and Mandie for short. And such a joyous sight the two of them are! Jake has Peter's dark hair andjauiline, and Mandie has light brown hair and blue eyes like our Jonas and some of the girls.

We're ever so thankful to the Good Lord and continue to trust Him to see us through the first months of little or no sleep, as you must surely know by now yourself. I'm so happy to hear that you've had a healthy baby girl. Just whenever you have a free minute, I'd like to know how it is for you and Abram having a new baby after all this time.

Then one of these days, maybe come late summer, our fam.' ilies can visit again and enjoy seeing all three of our young ones lined up in a row. Such a perty sight that'll be.

Well, I hear little Mandie fussing for the next feeding. She cries and then both she and Jake get fed. Now, how about that?

Give my best to Abram and all the girls. (Lizzie, too.)

M)> love to you, Cousin Fannie

Ida sighed, folding the letter. It was awful nice to sit and soak up the quiet, sipping tea late at night, almost old enough to be a Grossmudder, and here she was starting all over as a new mamma, yet. What was the Lord God thinking, anyways?

Of course, she knew she'd just be on her knees that much more, raising Lydiann clear at the tail end of the family, asking for divine wisdom and help along the way. God would continue to be their joy and their strength. Each and every day. Jah, she could count on that and never take such gifts for granted.

314 315Jonas h;kl the use of one of his father's driving horses for I lie special occasion, this day Leah had dreaded to see arrive, yet sin- wouldn'l have missed spending the afternoon hours wiih her beau, Not lor the world. They'd taken to the road In Juiiun'n open buggy, diverting off from the main highway niul hcuillnn toward While Oak Road, where the route curved inund Ilkf H tluHty ribbon under the hot sun.

One nl llig leil'tnwcled paths, which they ended up folluwlngi ihfMlik to I Couple of furrows with a thin row of yelitiW klitmWlimi funnhlK between, leading to a wide and open RtVHtluWi Thick green IhinIich, some I horny, others berrytiuteil, httUi'kld the I'uiuIhIiIp us they went. All the while LpuI) meilUJflwd the lush yrcen ancs and pungeni farm smells .111 tin ul I hem, UN well us iht* way tin- sun light played on Jonas's ll|-;lil brown hull', llsleniuK intently as her clearest love shared Ins plans lor their future.

"I'll return in late September or early October. For sure in lime (or apple picking." Jonas reached for her hand. "And I pray the time will pass quickly."

"Though I car^t see how. . . ." Then she nodded, attempting to be brave. ''But we'll both be ever so busy ... so, jah, it oughta go fast."

"You should go ahead with your baptismal instruction, just as we'd planned. I'll do the same in Ohio."

"Ach, how will that all work out?" Leah had never heard of such a thing.

"I've already talked with my bishop. He's given me the okay, if I can find a conservative order in the Millersburg area."

Jonas slowed the horse as the buggy wheels click'dcicked over a bridge made from old railroad ties, the creek rising and

316

falling over giant stones beneath the old boards, some of them gaping too far apart for Leah's liking.

"I'll be countin' the days till I see you again," Jonas said, his voice husky now.

Oh no . . . don't say such things, she thought, having promised herself she wouldn't spoil the afternoon by shedding a tear. "We have all the rest of our lives, Lord willin', to enjoy our time together as husband and wife," she said.

He smiled at her then, his blue eyes alight with love. Leaning his head against hers briefly, he stopped the horse just as the road leveled out, past a slight incline. "Here's a good place to pick some wild flowers. Want to?"

Standing up quickly, she nodded. Jonas helped her out of the buggy to the grassy paddock, where flowing hills beckoned in every direction. "I'm planning a nice surprise for you," he said.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would

* it?"

She was ever so inquisitive. "Just when will I know?"

He stood there, grinning at her to beat the band. "My dear girl, how will I get along without you by my side . . . even for such a few months?" Gently he pulled her near and brushed her cheek with a tender kiss. "You make it awful hard

to keep a secret. Those big hazel eyes of yours."

She laughed softly as they strolled through the tall grass. "So . . . will you tell me, Jonas? Just what is it you have up your sleeve?"

"I'm going to try my hand at makin' you a big oak sideboard. What do you think of that?"

317id e n a n t

"Oh, such a wonderful'gut surprise! When will you have il finished, do you think?"

"When I return." He touched her face. "It'll be my wedding gift to you."

"I'll look forward to that day." She felt her throat close up and knew she couldn't have spoken more even if she'd wnnted to.

"I love you, Leah." And with that, they spun round and round together. The whirling made her dizzy with delight, but slit" savored most the spot where she landed in his strong nuns. "Remember the day I hurt my ankle?" she said softly. "Yiin pic koil me right up and carried me into your mamma's kilt lien iilinosl before I knew what you were doing!"

"Well, someone bad to carry you, right?"

Aware nl jusi bow near she was to his heart, she laid her I- id HgBlliM hi* wlilk* shirt and whispered back, "I love you,

1 i. JHIWI." And I ben (the blushed. "Now, I have a secret. But

i i-Nt not ti ll."

He r eh il over Mini nipped her face in his hands.

"Tell mi* ur , , ...well, I'll biive to kiss you on the lips."

"II you iln \U\\T, we'll spoil ibln^H,"

Si in, be held her liice leiulerly, moving closer. "What's your secret, Lenb Kherxoir

"Ach, musi you he so impnilent?"

"This minute ... I musi know, my dear one."

She breathed deeply, letting him cradle her in his arms once again. "I always loved you, Jonas. Even back when I was only ten. That's what."

He smiled down at her. "We both felt this way, didn't we? From the first time we met?"

"Jah " she fought back tears "and that we'd mean

318

'Ly e

much more to each other ... go far beyond our childhood promises."

"And here we are, Leah."

"Did you ever think we'd be engaged, for sure and for certain?"

"I never doubted it," he said.

Then and there, she vowed their love must never become run-of-the-mill like other married couples. Theirs would bv the strong and lasting kind, one that flourished well into old age, despite the strain of separation facing them now.

They walked hand in hand up to the crest of the hill, where they looked over grazing and cropland far below, watching butterflies drift up from the grasses. A single bluebird flew overhead, and Leah reached up happily.

"You're my bluebird . . . and always will be," her darling beau had said, back on their first night as a courting couple.

With Jonas by her side, she was right where she belonged for always certain no harm could befall two people so in love.