An Amish Christmas (4 page)

“No. I was only resting.” John wasn’t about to make Karen feel bad after all that she’d done for him. He rose to take the linens from her. Their fresh sun-dried fragrance filled his nostrils.

Taking a step back, she folded her arms nervously. “I left you a plate of food on the table. You should eat. You need to regain your strength.”

“Thanks.” He expected her to hurry away, but she lingered.

“Is the house to your satisfaction?” she asked.

“It’s great. Better than a four-star motel. That’s a place where people can stay when they’re traveling—if you didn’t know.” Did he sound like a fool or what?

An amused grin curved her full lips. “I know what a motel is. We do travel sometimes. I have even been to Florida to visit my great aunt and uncle there.”

“I’ll bet the horse got tired trotting all that way.”

Her giggle made him smile. A weight lifted from his chest.

Composing herself, Karen said, “I took the train.”

It surprised him how much he enjoyed talking to her. He asked, “Can’t you fly?”

“No, my arms get too tired,” she answered with a straight face.

He laughed for the first time since he’d awakened in the hospital. “I don’t know Amish rules.”

“We can’t own automobiles, but we can hire a driver to take us places that are too far for a buggy trip. With our bishop’s permission, we can travel by train or by bus and even by airplane if the conditions are warranted.”

“That must be tough.”

“That’s the point. If it is easy to get in a car and go somewhere, to a new city or a new job, then families become scattered and the bonds that bind us together and to God become frayed and broken.”

“It’s an interesting philosophy.”

“It is our faith, not an idea. It is the way God commands us to live. How is your headache?”

“It’s gone,” he said in surprise.

“I thought so. You look rested. And now you must eat before your supper gets cold.”

He followed her down the hall to the kitchen. A plate covered with aluminum foil sat on the table. He peeled back the cover and the mouthwatering aroma of roast chicken and vegetables rose with the steam. His stomach growled. He was hungry. “Smells good.”

He hesitated, then said, “I remembered something tonight.”

Her eyes brightened. “What?”

If he shared his small victory would she think he was nuts? He didn’t care if she did. He was tired of being alone.

“I’ve cooked trout before. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s my first real memory. At least, I believe it was a memory.”

“It is a start. We must give thanks to God.”

His elation slipped a notch. Wasn’t God the one who’d put him in this situation? If he were to give thanks it would
have to be for remembering something important—like his name.

She said, “At least you know one more thing about yourself.”

He could cook fish, he had no criminal record and he didn’t crave drugs. Yeah, he was off to a roaring good start in his quest to collect personal information. Maybe tomorrow he’d find he knew how to sharpen a pencil.

Depression lowered its dark blanket over him. “Thanks for the supper.”

“You are most welcome. I will expect you at our breakfast table in the morning,” she stated firmly. The look in her eyes told him she was used to being the boss.

Her family would be there, people who would stare at him with pity or worse. Was he ready for that?

Not waiting for his answer, she said, “I will send Jacob to get you if you don’t appear. No, I will send Noah. His endless questions will make you wish you had stayed in Hope Springs. The only way to silence him is to feed him.
Guten nacht,
John Doe.”

“Good night, Karen.”

The ribbons of her white bonnet fluttered over her shoulders as she spun around and headed out the door. It appeared he wouldn’t be allowed to hide here in the house if she had her way.

That was okay. He wouldn’t mind seeing her face across the breakfast table or at any other time. Why wasn’t she married?

He reined in the thought quickly. It was none of his business. She was an attractive woman with a vibrant personality, but he was in no position to think about flexing his social skills. What if he had a wife waiting for him somewhere?

He stared at his left hand. No discernible pale band indicated he normally wore a wedding ring. It wasn’t proof positive, of course. Not every married man wore a wedding band. Did he feel married?

How could he remember frying trout and not remember if he had a wife?

The creaking of a floorboard in the other room caught his attention. Was there someone in the house with him? His mouth went dry as a new fear struck.

Had someone come back to finish the job and make sure he was dead?

G
rabbing a knife from the drawer beside the sink, John walked slowly to the doorway of the sitting room and scoped it out. It was empty.

Was he imagining things now? He started to turn away, but another sound stopped him. He focused on the sofa just as the face of a little girl peeked over the back. The moment she saw him watching she ducked down again.

Relief made him light-headed. Karen had mentioned she had a sister. It seemed one Imhoff was too curious about him to wait until morning. He said, “I see you.”

“No, you don’t,” came her reply.

Feeling foolish, he laid the knife on the table, then he crossed the sitting room and bent over the sofa. Looking down, he saw her huddled into a little ball. “Okay, now I see you.”

Wearing a dark blue dress with a white apron and a white bonnet identical to her older sister’s she looked like a miniature Karen. She nodded and grinned. “
Ja,
now you see me.”

Scrambling to her feet, she sidestepped to the other
end of the sofa. “You are my dead man. I saw you in the ditch. Everyone said I made it up, but I didn’t.”

“I was in the ditch, but I wasn’t dead.”

She moved around the room trailing her fingers along the furniture. “I know. God didn’t want you, either. We are just alike.”

He had no idea what she was talking about. “I’m not sure we are.”

“It’s true,” she insisted. “This house belonged to my
grossmammi.
”

“I don’t know what that means.”

She cocked her head sideways. “Really? It means grandmother. These are her things, but God wanted her in heaven, and she had to leave her things here.”

John sat on the sofa. “Do you think your grandmother will mind that I’m using them?”

She shook her head. “She liked it when people came to visit.”

He said, “My name is John. What’s your name?”

“Anna.”

“It’s nice to meet you Anna. What did you mean when you said we are the same?”

“God didn’t want me to go to heaven the day my mother died. Seth, Carol and Liz got to go to Heaven with Mama, but God didn’t want me. And he didn’t want you. Why do you think that is?”

“I have no idea.”

She came to stand in front of him. Tipping her head to one side, she said, “Papa says it is because God has something special for me to do here on earth. I don’t think it’s fair, do you?”

John stared at his toes in hopes that an appropriate answer would appear. None did. He wasn’t up to dis
cussing the meaning of life with this odd child. “I think maybe you should talk to your dad or Karen about it.”

“Okay. Are you going to eat all that chicken?”

“I was, but I’m willing to share.”

Spinning around she bounced toward the kitchen and settled in one of the chairs. He followed her and took a seat at the head of the table. Uncovering the plate, he pushed it toward her. “I’ll let you choose the piece you want.”

“I like the leg, but you are the guest.”

“That makes it easy because I like the thigh.”

He watched her bite into his supper. “Anna, can I ask you a few questions?”

She considered his request for a moment then nodded. “Okay.”

“What’s with the bonnets that you and your sister wear?”

Reaching up to touch her head, she asked, “You mean our prayer
kapp?
”

“Yeah, why do you wear them? I know you do because you are Amish, but why?”

She looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you joshing me?”

“No.”

“It says in the Bible that I should cover my head when I pray. I should pray all the time so I wear this all the time. Sometimes I forget to pray, but Karen reminds me. Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why were you in our ditch?”

“I don’t remember what I was doing there. I don’t remember anything that happened to me before you saw me. John Doe isn’t even my real name. It’s a name they gave me because I can’t remember my own.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Now you
are
joshing me?”

Shaking his head, he smiled and said, “I wish I were.”

The outside door opened and a teenage boy entered. He frowned at Anna. “You should not be here.”

She rolled her eyes. “Neither should you.”

“She’s not causing any trouble,” John said in defense of his visitor.

The boy ignored him. “Come now or I will tell
Dat.
”

Anna finished her chicken and licked her fingers. “This is my brother, Jacob. He says having an
Englischer
stay here will get us all in trouble with the bishop.”

John looked from Anna to her brother. “Is this true? Will my being here cause trouble?”

Jacob came into the room and took Anna by the hand. Looking at John he said, “You should leave this place.”

Turning around, Jacob left, taking his little sister with him.

It seemed getting to know the Imhoff family was going to be more difficult than John had anticipated.

Karen was cooking breakfast when John knocked at the door the following morning. She hadn’t had to send one of the children to wake him. After bidding him enter, she turned back to the stove and smiled as she stirred the frying potatoes. John was an early riser. That was one more thing he could add to his list about himself.

She moved the skillet off the heat. “Take a seat, Mr. Doe.”

He said, “Please call me John.”

Noah and Anna were already at the table sitting opposite each other but Eli and Jacob had not yet come in from
the milking. Anna pointed to the chair opposite her. “Sit by Noah, John.”

He settled himself into the chair she indicated and looked at the boy beside him. “You must be Noah.”

Karen glanced over her shoulder to see Noah fairly bursting with curiosity. “
Ja,
I am Noah. Is it true you can’t remember your name? Not even where you came from? Do you remember that you’re English or did someone tell you? How did you know how to talk? If you need to know how to use a knife and fork I can show you.”

Karen caught John’s eye and said, “I warned you.”

While John patiently answered Noah’s rapid-fire questions, Karen pulled her biscuits from the oven. Dumping them into a woven basket, she set it on the table in front of everyone.

Just then the front door opened. Her father and Jacob came in. After washing up, they took their places at the table. Karen sat down opposite John. Everyone folded their hands. Silently her father gave a blessing over the meal. He signaled he had finished by clearing his throat, then giving a brief nod to Karen. She began passing food down the table.

Eli said, “
Guder mariye,
Mr. Doe.”

“Good morning, sir.” John took a biscuit and watched with a bemused expression as the children dived into their food. By the time the plate of scrambled eggs reached him only a tablespoon’s worth remained.

Eli spoke to Karen. “William Yoder wants me to look at one of his draft horses this afternoon. His gelding has a split hoof. He wants my opinion on which treatment to try.”

She asked, “Do you need me to drive you?”

Jacob perked up with interest. “Can I go with you, Papa?”

Karen’s spoke quickly, “You have school today.” Jacob was growing up fast, but she wasn’t ready for him to take on their father’s tough and sometimes dangerous profession before it was necessary.

Sitting back in his chair, Jacob said, “I don’t see why I have to go to school now. Papa needs me at home to help him with the horses.”

“You will be out of school soon enough,” Karen said.

“A few more months won’t do you any harm.”

Jacob made a sour face. “Ken Yoder has already left school. He is only two months older than me. I don’t need any more schooling. I want to work with you, Papa. I want to be a farrier.”

John said, “A farrier needs an education, too.”

Karen looked at him in surprise. It was becoming clear he did know a thing or two about horses.

“What do you know about it?” Jacob scowled at their guest.

“Jacob.” Eli’s firm tone rebuked his son.

Bowing his head, Jacob mumbled, “Forgive me.”

Spreading jam on a piping-hot biscuit, John said, “If the horse has a turned foot, a farrier needs a shoe to correct it for him. You would have to know how many degrees the foot was off true in order to make a shoe that brings it up to level. How thick does the shoe need to be to give such an angle? These things you learn in school.”

Anna shook her head. “We don’t learn horseshoeing in school. We learn how to read and write, how to speak English and how to do our sums.”

Eli smiled at her. “And did you finish your sums last night?”

Her bright face clouded over. “No, Papa.”

“And why not?” Karen asked, surprised to hear Anna had neglected her homework.

“Because I went to visit John Doe.”

John said, “I would have sent her back if I had known. She kept me company while I ate.”

Jacob glared at John and then spoke to Karen. “See. No
goot
can come of having him stay here.”

“Hush Jacob, this is not how we treat our guests,” Karen said.

Pushing back from the table, Jacob got up. “The
Englischer
will only bring trouble. You will see.”

He grabbed his coat and hat and headed outside, letting the door slam behind him. Eli rose, motioning to Karen to stay seated. “I will talk to the boy.”

Slipping his coat over his sling, he followed Jacob outside. Embarrassed by her brother’s display, Karen glanced at John.

He gave her a tight smile and said, “I’m sorry I upset him.”

“It’s not you.” She knew what troubled her brother and her heart ached for him.

Noah spoke around a mouthful of egg. “Jacob doesn’t like the English ever since the accident.”

Puzzled, John asked, “What accident?”

“The accident that killed our mother, brother and sisters,” Karen explained. “That
Englischer
was drunk. He hit their buggy doing like seventy miles an hour,” Noah added dramatically.

Karen was thankful Noah had not been there that day. It had been she and Jacob who came upon the terrible carnage.

Karen reached across the table to grasp Noah and
Anna’s hands. “We have forgiven him as God has asked us to do.”

Nodding solemnly, Noah agreed. “We have.”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t think Jacob has.”

Karen squeezed her hand. “We will pray Jacob finds forgiveness in his heart.”

John asked, “What happened to the driver?”

Letting go of her siblings, Karen folded her hands in her lap. “He had barely a scratch.”

Frowning slightly, John looked from the children to Karen. “How do you do that? How do you forgive someone who has done something so terrible?”

“It is our way,” Karen replied. Closing her eyes, she sought the peace that forgiveness always brought her.

When she opened her eyes, she found John’s gaze resting thoughtfully on her. Heat rose in her face. Hoping he hadn’t noticed, she said, “Hurry up children, or you will be late to school.”

In the resulting rush, Karen masked her nervousness by handing out lunch boxes, scarves and mittens. By the time the children were out the door, she had a better grip on her emotions.

John, on the other hand, looked ill at ease. The frown lines that creased his forehead yesterday were back.

Karen began picking up plates. “Would you like more coffee or more eggs?”

“I don’t want to cause you extra work. Coffee is fine if you have it.” He remained seated, elbows resting on the table.

“It’s not extra work. Cooking is what I do all day long. Ask now or go hungry until lunch.”

“Okay, more eggs would be great.”

“Did you sleep well?” She pulled a bowl of fresh eggs from the refrigerator.

“Not bad.”

She glanced his way. Something in the tone of his voice made her suspect he hadn’t. “The bed was not to your liking?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “It wasn’t that.”

“Then what was it?”

“Anna mentioned that Jacob thinks your family might get in trouble for having me here.”

Turning around, she folded her arms and stated as firmly as she could, “You were invited into this house. There is nothing wrong in that.”

“Are you sure? Because I got the feeling your father wasn’t happy to see me, either.”

“Papa has agreed that you may stay.”

It had taken some persuading, but Karen had been able to convince her father that having an outsider with them for a short period of time would not be harmful. She was sure her father didn’t suspect the depths of her interest in John Doe. If he did he would never allow him to stay.

To change the subject, she asked, “How do you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled.”

She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Is that a thing you remember?”

“I don’t know. It’s just the first thing that came to mind.”

Using a fork, she whipped the eggs quickly and added them to the skillet. “What is it that you would like to do today?”

“I need to discover why I was in this area.”

Wrapping the corner of her apron around the coffeepot
handle, she carried it to the table. “If the sheriff could not discover the reason, what makes you think you can?”

He waited until she had finished filling his cup. After taking a sip, he said, “I don’t know if I can do better or not, but I have the most at stake. I have to try.”

Karen returned the coffeepot to the stove and stirred the eggs. “It seems a simple thing. If you were on this road, then you must have been on your way to, or coming from, one of the farms along this road.”

“It’s a simple thing if I was on this road in the first place because I wanted to be.”

She glanced at him and frowned. “What you mean?”

“The sheriff is going on the assumption that I was robbed and my car was stolen along with my wallet and any personal effects. I could’ve been dumped here by someone who was attempting to hide my body.”

She shook her head. “There are much better places to hide a body than on our farm lane.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

She dished the eggs onto a plate. After carrying it to the table, she got a second mug, filled it with coffee and sat down across from him. “Will you then visit every farm along this road?”