Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (6 page)

After the noontime feast, and once all the dishes and utensils were washed, dried, and put away, the family was

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ir;idy for the gift exchange Lydiann and Abe had been awaiting so patiently.

They assembled in the front room once again, and Abe promptly marched to Dat's side and presented his gift of a I Kind written, homemade book. Dat smiled when he turned to I he first page and saw the printed names and birth dates of each family member, along with several Scripture verses, all In Abe's own hand. "I learnt them from Aunt Lizzie," the boy : explained, looking over at Lizzie and grinning.

Next Lydiann approached Leah. "I drew your name, Mamma," she said, holding out her gift.

"Oh, Lyddie, how perty!" Leah accepted the embroidered handkerchief.

"I made it myself," whispered Lydiann, "but with Aendi's help."

I Leah hugged her girl close. "Denki, dear one . . . I'll treasure it for always."

"Look at the butterfly," Lydiann said, pointing to a fanciful green butterfly suspended over a yellow rosebud.

"I see . . . and it's very nicely done." For a moment Leah likenedsjit to the butterfly handkerchief hidden deep in her hope chest, although this one featured a simple embroidery stitch, not the elaborate cutwork style that Hannah had longago made for Sadie.

Glancing now at her elder sister, who was seated next to Hannah with eighteen-month-old Katie Ann on her lap, Leah wondered when or if she might return the beautiful hankie to Sadie. But no, the connection to Sadie's stillborn son might easily mar the holy day, and that would be heartless. She dismissed the idea quickly, at least for the time being. j When Aunt Lizzie was not so occupied with Dawdi John,

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Leah slipped to her side and gave Lizzie the gift she'd purchased. "I had your name," she whispered, handing her a small case filled to the brim with many colored spools of thread and sewing notions.

Lizzie was pleased. "Oh, just what I needed!" she said, giving Leah a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you ever so much."

Hannah and Gid's oldest daughter, three-year-old Ida Mae, giggled as she licked a candy cane. Squirming out of Sadie's lap, Katie Ann toddled to big sister, Ida, for repeated tastes. "That's awful nice of you to share your treat," Hannah said, touching Ida's chubby cheek.

Gid sat with his arm protectively draped behind his wife's chair, looking mighty pleased about the box of saws and other items given him by his father-in-law. Leah suspected Abe wanted to tell in the worst way how Dat had "kept at it" to win them at the auction.

"Now, don't be tellin' stories out of school," Dat was heard to say to his exuberant son.

Abe frowned comically and went to sit beside Leah. "My mouth's gonna get me in trouble yet," he told her softly.

She patted his arm. "You're just fine."

The merriment continued on through a good half of the afternoon, till time for milking rolled around again. Gid rose with Abram at four o'clock and told both Sadie and Abe to

"stay put."

Not putting up a fuss, Sadie smiled her thanks, and the two men left the house for the barn.

"I wonder if the manger is even smoother now," Abe whispered to Leah. "For baby Jesus' birthday, ya know."

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Leuh was touched by her boy's remark, and she pulled him Into her arms. "Come here and don't be sayin' you're too nli,l fin1 a big hug," she said, her heart truly gladdened by the ilny,

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V/n the walk to the barn, Abram was suddenly aware of the heavy moisture content of the recent snow. Every tree branch, every shrub, and even the roof of the old corncrib sagged with the weight. Several large limbs had snapped under the burden, and he made a mental note to turn them into firewood tomorrow.

Meanwhile, he and Gid had the afternoon milking to tend to, and feeling the cold creep through his work jacket and trousers, Abram quickened his pace toward the barn, as did his son-in-law.

Inside, they washed down the cows' udders, pushed tin buckets beneath, and perched themselves on low wooden stools, talking in quiet tones as they milked by hand. The dogs, all three of them, rested in the hay nearby Blackie eyed them fondly and wagged his long tail while Abram listened without commenting as Gid mentioned their desire to have a hex doctor at the birthing of their third child. "Not in place of a midwife, mind you ... just in case something goes wrong. What do ya think of that?"

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"Why y.iaskin'me?"

"Well, Vihiso Hannah said she and Aunt Lizzie had been nil- Hi1 il over,"

Ahum was fairly sure if Lizzie and Hannah had hashed it Hit, .1. < Mil said, that Lizzie would've had her say and then gnu ' >i ill, he didn't want to butt in since Gid was Hannah's UmUtuil iiikI the man of his house. Abram saw no point, iriily, In speaking his mind, because far as he knew, Gid had UhimI through Lizzie what his stand on powwowing was. "Yon don't need my two cents' worth." "No ... no, Hannah and I want your opinion." I k1 toyed with saying straight out they ought to have as no h help with Hannah's delivery as possible, especially if she it'i lecling nervous for any reason. If that meant having the twwovv doctor, then all well and good. He certainly didn't FHul 10 he held responsible for their making a bad decision, lill loo mindful of all that had gone wrong when Ida birthed

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It- went ahead and told Gid how he'd kicked himself for having the Amish doctor on hand for Ida that terrible

Ilnlii. "I'd d t things completely different now if I could." jrWim.y to have saved Ida's life. . . .Yri his wife's feelings had mattered, too. Ida's opinion had ways mattered to him, thus the reason he'd let her have her .iy now and again, although he had managed to rule his roost, l-i-eping the upper hand for the most part. Sadly that sort of iippmnch had caused great strife and despair for his family, as I if had seen all too clearly for some time now. Looking back, I if realized how rigid he'd been about Leah's choice of a mate, IliiI lie kicked himself every time he thought of her being a (in ulei. He had been equally harsh with Mary Ruth, insisting

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on his own way when it appeared Hannah's twin was as content as can be teaching English schoolchildren, boarding with the Nolts, and attending the Mennonite church. The truth pained him, making it difficult for him to stand by and watch the circumstances unfold. On the other hand, he believed in the deep of his heart that his daughter had somehow found her intended way, although the path she trod no longer embraced the teachings of the Amish church. It wasn't that she didn't look Plain any longer; she did. But the manner Mary Ruth talked about the Lord God heavenly Father was somewhat foreign to his way of seeing things, though not to his Ida's. . . nor to Lizzie's. More and more, he was making the discovery that Ida's Lord was the same as Mary Ruth and Lizzie's, having spent many early morning hours reading and rereading his wife's well-loved Bible, particularly the passages she'd taken time to underline. Truth be known, he was learning far more than he'd ever expected from such an undertaking.

"Should I take this question up with the bishop?" Gid's voice broke the stillness.

Abram knew better than to encourage Gid to speak with Bishop Bontrager on the matter. Why, the whole thing could blow up in Gid's face ... in all of their faces, really. The issue of sympathy healers was troublesome amongst the Amish had the power to divide the church district right down the middle.

"Make up your own mind and stick with it. Do what you think is best for your family."

Gid went on to say that his mother was downright opposed and didn't think "white witchcraft" had any business being invited into the sacred places of their home. "Mamm

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I i.e. :.pokcn out quite adamantly 'bout keepin' the hex doctors l,n I mm our door."

Ahram nodded, considerate of Gid's position stuck I hi wren the opinion of his wife and his mother. Not a good l>l.uv to be for a young man of Gid's character and calling. A hi am suggested Gid and Hannah talk further on it.

"Then you must not view powwowing as of the devil, like my mother does."

Gid had him there, and there was no telling how far this conversation might drift from its origins. "What's the Good hook say on it?" Abram surprised himself by asking but felt sure Gid knew him well enough not to hold such a question ngninst him.

"I don't know. Haven't stumbled onto anything just yet."

Abram grunted, wishing he had something pertinent to ;uld, but he didn't.

In the end, Gid would have to decide for his family. Even so, Abram wondered what difference it made if the blue lohosh herb was used to induce labor when needed, nor did it bother him if a bit of necessary chanting went on. No bother at all. Qn the other hand, he couldn't get Ida's view on the matter out of his mind.

Mary Ruth sat with Hannah in the front room, near Lydiann and Abe, who were playing with their games at Leah's feet while snacking on the popcorn balls and hard candies they'd received as presents from their neighbors, the Peacheys. Mary Ruth was delighted to hold sweet little Katie Ann on her lap, especially because the toddler's usually bright eyes were looking mighty droopy just now, and Mary Ruth hoped the dear girl might give in to sleep right there in her

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arms. Oh, how she enjoyed Hannah's little ones, and the joy of being around them stirred up such eagerness as she looked ahead to the day when she might marry and become a mother herself. She wouldn't dare to think too far into the future, though, because she strongly believed the Lord had called her to teach. She was living the life she'd long wished for, sharing her book knowledge with youngsters who had thirsty minds, ever glad to be able to share the love of the Lord Jesus with her students through word and deed.

Holding Katie Ann and listening to Ida Mae's childish chatter helped fill the hours, as did spending the day with her sisters. She was rather relieved to see how well Sadie was doing now that she had been home these two months, and Leah, too, was smiling more genuinely than she had been at past Christmases, at least that Mary Ruth could recall.

" Tis awful nice of Gid to help Dat with milkin'," Leah told Sadie.

Sadie nodded, glancing at Abe. "Looks like more than one of us got to stay in where it's warm, ain't?"

To this, Abe looked up from his checkers and grinned. "I wouldn't have minded goin' out in the cold," he said. "I'm a strong one, I am."

This brought a round of "ohs," and Abe put his head down, visibly embarrassed.

"Won't be long and you'll be takin' Sadie's place all the time at milkin'," Lydiann spoke up, pausing in her play with her two faceless dolls.

"Now, Lyddie, that ain't for you to say," Sadie pointed out.

Mary Ruth found the exchange between Abe and Sadie to be amusing and, looking down, discovered Katie Ann had

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1,11 leu limp in her arms. "Look who's tuckered out." She

nuilm-il Hannah.

I lannah smiled. "You've got a tender touch."

Mary Ruth scooted back in her chair, being careful not to

n-|;ix loo much lest the crook of her arm not support her pre-

i1 it him niece.

Some time later Lydiann's remark about Carl Nolt made Miiry Ruth pay closer attention yet again to the conversation. L.yJdie was mentioning Carl's New Year's Eve invitation "I le said his parents want all us Ebersols to have supper with I hem. Carl told me himself yesterday after the school play," I ydiann happily announced. "I know he meant it, because lie's the sort of boy who doesn't fib. You can just tell."

"You're absolutely right about that," Mary Ruth spoke up, rortain Dottie must've shared this with Carl.

"Could ya ask about this, Mary Ruth?" Lydiann pleaded.

Leah stirred, appearing somewhat uncomfortable. "Well, dear one, I thiftk we best wait to see if an invitation comes directly from Carl's parents."

"Jah, I think that's wise," Mary Ruth said, backing Leah up. "Wouldn't be right to just assume it."

"But you don't understand," Lydiann broke in. "Carl was sure ... I know he was!"

Leah reached down and put a hand on Lydiann's shoulder, patting her. "Best not fret. There'll be plenty to do here at home this week while school's out."

"Plenty gut things to eat, too!" Abe piped up a bit too I loudly.

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Mary Ruth couldn't help but smile. Leah surely had her hands full with these two that was easy to see yet her sister seemed as content as ever she'd known her to be. For this, Mary Ruth was most grateful.

Sadie wandered out to the kitchen while the happy gathering continued in the front room. She poured fresh cow's milk into a saucepan and set it on the fire, stirring the milk slowly lest it scald. She would surprise her sisters and the children with hot chocolate.

From where she stood at the wood stove, she could see past the utility room, through the back door window, and out to the white expanse of snow in the barnyard. When will I see Miriam Peachey again? Miriam had been so compassionate to her through the scrutiny thus far. Though Sadie was expected to spend time with the older women in the church district whenever she left the house, it was primarily Miriam who had been appointed to oversee her comings and goings. This meant she couldn't go much of anywhere alone, except to visit Hannah and the children, or across the pasture and field to the Peacheys'. She terribly missed her long jaunts on foot, feeling like a caged bird at times.

Presently she stared at the snow weighing down the treetops. The bitter cold would surely visit them again tonight, and she thought of bringing in some wood to stack. Maybe she would tiptoe downstairs in the night to add some logs to the wood stove, like Dat used to before he moved to the downstairs bedroom at the quiet far end of the house. Now he no longer awakened at midnight or after, which meant the upstairs grew cold by morning, and Lydiann's sharp yelps could be plainly heard when she first stepped out of bed. Abe,