Unbreakable (10 page)

I nodded. “He was lying down on his blanket behind the counter.”

“I remember how he used to greet everyone when he came to town with Avery. That tail of his wagged so fast you could barely see it.”

“He might not act like himself for a while. He's been through a lot.” My voice caught. Thinking about Beau reminded me of Avery.

Jonathon must have felt the same way, because he didn't say anything for a moment. Then he cleared his throat before looking at me. “So are you coming to the meeting?”

I started to answer him, but at that very moment, Ebbie walked in the door. I suddenly felt incredibly guilty. Why did he have to pick this moment to come here? I reminded myself that we weren't engaged anymore and forced myself to meet his gaze.

His eyes went back and forth between me and Jonathon. “I-I'm looking for Noah. Is he here?”

I shook my head. “He took my father over to Avery's house to see Berlene. They should be back any minute. You can wait with us if you'd like.”

Ebbie looked like he'd rather do anything than sit down at our table. His eyes darted around the room until he spotted Lutz. He appeared to be considering Lutz as an alternative, but the elderly man got up and headed out the door, grunting a quick greeting to the three of us as he passed by. Ebbie wasn't left with any choice. He sat down on the
other side of our table, as far away from Jonathon and me as he could get.

At that moment, Lizzie came out of the kitchen with Jonathon's pie. “Ebbie!” she said warmly. “How nice to see you. I've got a piece of Dutch apple pie hot from the oven with your name on it.”

“Um, no. But thank you, Lizzie. I'm waiting for Noah.”

The sound of an engine coming up the road outside drew Lizzie's attention. She put Jonathon's pie down on the table in front of him and hurried to the front door. First she shot me a quick look of concern, suspecting how ill at ease I was.

“It's Noah,” she called out.

As she waited by the door, the three of us sat in an uncomfortable silence. Papa was going to walk in and see me sitting with Jonathon and Ebbie. What would he think? Even more important, what would he say? I decided to leave.

“I . . . I'd better get back to the store,” I said. “Excuse me.”

Ebbie and Jonathon just stared at me without responding.

“Oh, Hope. You don't have to go yet,” Lizzie said, looking my way. “You haven't even finished your pie.”

For the life of me, I couldn't think of a response. Finally Noah came in the door. He kissed Lizzie and then noticed me standing near Ebbie and Jonathon. His eyebrows shot up. “Well, hello,” he said, looking a little confused.

“Noah,” I said, frowning, “where's Papa?”

“He decided to stay a little longer. Herman will drive him back to town when they're through visiting.”

I was surprised, to say the least. “What are they talking about?”

Noah shook his head. “If you don't mind, I think I'll let your father explain that to you. I don't think it's my place.”

I found the situation bewildering. What in the world would Papa, Herman, and Berlene have to discuss that would take so long?

Ebbie stood up. “I'd like a word with you, Noah. If you don't mind.”

“If it's a continuation of what we talked about at the elders' meeting, there really isn't anything more for me to say.”

The door opened and Sophie slinked in. Her eyes darted to Noah and then to Jonathon.

“Go on upstairs, Sophie,” Noah said. “We'll be up in a minute.”

Noah, Charity, and Lizzie lived upstairs in the small apartment where Lizzie stayed when she first came to Kingdom. It was a tight fit, but until their house was ready, it was the best place for them. Lizzie was grateful to have an option that kept them so close to the restaurant.

Ebbie glanced over at me before addressing Noah. I could see the conflict in his face. “I just wanted to encourage you not to go outside of what was decided in our meeting, Brother Noah. I'm concerned this could end badly. I know you're trying to protect our town, but isn't that God's job? Isn't He our protector?” He shook his head. “Please reconsider.”

Lizzie walked to the door and turned the Open sign to Closed
.
I stood there like a trapped rat. My first instinct was to flee, but I honestly wanted to attend the meeting. Maybe it was mostly curiosity, but I felt the need to look at the argument from both sides. I'd already listened to Papa's opinion.

“Look, Ebbie,” Noah said patiently, “as I explained at the
elders' meeting, I simply want to make sure we're exploring all our options. I still believe in peaceful resistance. We're not advocating guns or violence. We're simply trying to find a way to keep our citizens safe. There's nothing wrong with resisting our enemies in nonviolent ways. That's the kind of solution we're trying to find.”

Jonathon stood to his feet, his face set and angry. “If either one of you had been on the road with me, watching Hope nearly run down, you wouldn't be so quick to rule out weapons.” He focused on Ebbie. “You cared enough about Hope to want to marry her, yet you would have stood by and watched her die for some misguided religious belief? That's not love. That's exalting your principles over her life.” He swung his gaze to back Noah. “You congratulated me for protecting her, but didn't I use my truck as a weapon? I threatened the man on the road with bodily harm, didn't I? What's the difference between that and showing these animals we're armed? It doesn't mean we'll actually shoot anyone. It's just a warning. Like my truck.”

I watched Noah, wondering what his response would be. Frankly, I thought Jonathon had made a pretty good point.

“I understand what you're saying,” Noah said slowly, “but I'm not prepared to shoot another human being. I just won't do it.”

“You hit a man over the head with a chair when Lizzie's life was in danger,” I said softly. “What's the difference between using a chair or a gun? Aren't they both weapons when used to hurt someone?”

“Hope's right,” Jonathon said, jumping on my comment. “Are you sorry you hit that man?”

Noah was silent for a moment, staring down at the floor. Finally he lifted his head. “No. No, I'm not sorry.”

“So answer Hope's question. What's the difference?” Jonathon repeated.

“I reacted in a situation that suddenly presented itself,” Noah said harshly. “I didn't plan to go out and hurt anyone.” He pointed his finger at Jonathon. “But you're preparing to confront other human beings, and you're planning to use violent means if you decide it's necessary.”

Ebbie slowly rose to his feet. “I hear both of you justifying yourselves.” He shook his head. “I understand why you reacted the way you did, Noah, trying to save the life of the woman you love. In your situation, I can't say I would have behaved differently. But that doesn't make it right. God created a world of peace. Maybe men brought unrighteousness and violence into that world, but God's original intent has never changed. Jesus was threatened, but he didn't defend Himself. He freely gave His life.”

“Wait a minute,” Jonathon interjected. “Christ's mission was to lay down His life for our sins. It wasn't Hope's mission to die on the road to Kingdom. And it wasn't Lizzie's mission to die at the hands of a man who wanted to steal her child. You're twisting the Scriptures to fit your purposes. Your argument doesn't hold up.”

“What about being persecuted for righteousness' sake?” Ebbie asked. “Turning the other cheek? Not resisting your enemies? Do you just ignore these Scriptures?”

“No. I practice them, Ebbie,” he answered, his words clipped and carefully measured, “but not at the expense of someone I love. If you fault me for that, then I'll accept it.”

When Jonathon used the word
love
in reference to me, Ebbie flinched as if he'd been struck. I saw the hurt in his face, and I felt awful.

“Ebbie, why don't you come upstairs and talk with us?” Noah said. It was obvious to me that he was trying to calm rising tempers. “We need to hear what you have to say.”

Ebbie shook his head. “No. I believe you've already made up your minds, and I don't want any part of it.”

“But I haven't, Ebbie,” I said softly. “And I would truly like to hear your opinion. What you've said makes sense to me.”

His eyes searched mine, and for a moment I think he considered it.

“No,” he said finally. “I don't think we have anything more to say to each other.”

His words stung more than I thought they could, and I was unable to stop the tears that filled my eyes. Ebbie turned away from us and walked toward the front door. Just as he reached for the handle, the door swung open. Roger Carson, a young man I'd gone to school with many years ago, walked in. His wife, Mary, who'd been raised in Kingdom, followed him. She'd left town when she was eighteen and married Roger not long after that. Although Mary was raised as a Mennonite, she and Roger now attended a nondenominational church in Washington, where they lived. I'd run into Mary a few times during my trips to the fabric store and was happy to see her. Ebbie didn't say anything to either one of them. He just pushed the front door open and left. I stared out the window as he unhitched Micah and rode out of town. As I watched him drive away, an odd sadness washed through me.

Roger and Mary greeted everyone and followed Noah upstairs. Lizzie and Sophie headed up as well.

“What do you want to do, Hope?” Jonathon asked.

I stared at him for a few moments, my brain racing. “Let's go,” I said, still unsure about my decision.

With that, we climbed the stairs, Beau trotting along behind us.

I loved Lizzie and Noah's apartment.
Homey, warm, and charming. The four rooms had been turned into two bedrooms, a living room, and a spare room with an extra bed, dresser, and desk. Lizzie liked to work on her accounts in the fourth room, keeping her papers and receipts in a small wooden filing cabinet. When she and Charity first moved here, Cora used the room for storage, but after Lizzie and Noah married, he set up shelves and storage space in the basement, freeing up additional space for the three of them. Even though Lizzie was excited about the new house, I knew she would miss this place. I wondered if the lovely rooms would sit empty or if someone else would move in.

We congregated in the living room. Noah grabbed a couple of chairs from other rooms so everyone would have a place to sit. Once we were settled, Roger began the meeting.

“We've gathered as much information as we could,” he said, pulling a small notebook out of his pocket. “You've got to understand that the sheriff isn't what you'd call . . . helpful.
He's keeping a lot of information to himself. Besides, he has a really bad attitude about Christians.”

“We've certainly seen that,” Noah said. “What's his problem?”

Roger shook his head. “About ten years ago, he and his wife attended a small church in Washington. His wife worked as the church secretary. One day she took off with the pastor, who left his wife and children behind too. That explains why Sheriff Ford seems so bitter toward people of faith.”

“That's awful,” Noah said. “How can people call themselves Christians and make such selfish decisions? The havoc wreaked in the lives of their families can take years to repair.”

“Well, it certainly sowed some bad seed in Sheriff Ford's life. You remember his son, Tom?”

I nodded. How could I forget? I tried to keep his leering grin out of my mind.

“Well, he was really hurt when his mother left. Tom used to be a nice kid, but he's changed. Now the sheriff has to deal with him too. Frankly, I feel sorry for the guy.”

“I feel bad for him too,” Jonathon said, “but he still has the responsibility to do his job. If he can't, he should step down.”

Roger shrugged. “I agree with you there, but I wouldn't count him out. He may not like us, but I think he'll do what he can to find out who caused Avery's death.”

While I searched my heart for some compassion for Tom, which was more difficult than it should have been, I couldn't help but notice Lizzie staring at Roger with suspicion. Although I was two years older than Lizzie, we were both terrorized by Roger when we were in grade school together in Washington. Children from Kingdom were treated like
oddities by the regular kids. Roger had been one of our worst tormentors, and for some reason, Lizzie had been at the top of his list. In the past couple of months, tensions had eased some. Noah and Roger had become friends, and Roger had offered his heartfelt apologies to Lizzie for being such an “ignorant jerk.” She forgave him, but I knew she still didn't completely trust him.

“Why are you helping us?” Lizzie asked suddenly. “You don't live here.” She turned her attention to Mary. “And you moved away years ago. This isn't your fight.”

Mary smiled at Lizzie. “First of all, just because I moved away doesn't mean I don't care about the people in Kingdom.”

“I appreciate that,” Lizzie said, “but your presence here still surprises me.”

Mary frowned at her. “My parents live here, Lizzie. I'm trying hard to repair the misunderstanding between us. Things are actually going very well. I guess I feel if I can do something to help this town, people here may forgive my selfish actions.”

Lizzie's expression softened. “Leaving wasn't selfish, Mary. I left for a while too. At the time I felt I had no choice.”

Mary nodded. “I felt the same way. But ignoring my parents for years when I lived only a few miles away was wrong. They were good to me, and they deserved better.”

“Your father was very strict. I remember when he pulled you out of school for eating lunch at a sandwich shop in Washington.”

She smiled. “What you don't know is that he didn't take me out because I went to the deli. He took me out because I was extremely rebellious at home, and he was worried about me.”

Lizzie stared at her for a moment without saying anything.
“All these years I had it wrong.” She shook her head. “Not the first time, and I guess it won't be the last.”

Mary laughed. “So am I allowed to stay?”

Lizzie waved her hand. “Please ignore me. I'm obviously an idiot.”

“You're not an idiot. And thanks.” She cleared her throat and the smile left her face. “Roger and I actually visited with several people who'd been harassed by these men.” She tossed her head, her long hair flipping across her shoulder. She was no longer the shy, backward little girl with dull eyes and lifeless hair.

“So what did you find out?” Noah asked.

Roger spoke up. “Believe it or not, we think they're young guys. Late teens, early twenties. No one we talked to got a good look at them, but everyone's description was pretty much the same. Oh, and a couple of people mentioned a red truck. No license plate or anything. I wish we'd gotten that.”

“Hard to worry about a license plate number when you're fighting for your life,” Jonathon said with disgust.

“You've got that right,” Roger said. He frowned at Jonathon. “Didn't you say you had another man who might be able to help us?”

“Yes, Aaron Metcalf. He offered to assist in any way he could, but right now he's so busy with the store I don't think we can count on him.”

Roger shrugged. “I think keeping this town safe is a little more important than worrying about a business.”

“It's not like that at all,” Lizzie said sharply. “A lot of people are counting on Aaron, and he's got agreements set up with different distributors that can't be changed.”

Roger noticed her tone and backed off. “Okay. I understand.”

I held my hand up. “Could I ask a question?”

Mary smiled at me. “You don't have to raise your hand, Hope. This isn't Mrs. Gaskin's class.”

Her mention of a particular teacher at Washington Elementary made me laugh. I put my hand down. “Does the sheriff have this same information?”

Roger nodded. “He should. We didn't have any trouble finding people who wanted to talk to us.”

“Then I'm confused. If he's looking for the people behind these attacks, why are you doing the same thing?”

“I know it might seem redundant, but we don't trust him enough to leave the entire investigation in his hands. We want to make sure he doesn't miss something important.”

Mary smiled and patted his leg. “Roger has always wanted to be a policeman. This gives him the chance to try out his investigative skills.”

Roger colored with embarrassment, but he didn't disagree with his wife.

“Sheriff Ford threatened us when he came here after Avery was killed,” Jonathon said. “He told us that if we made a big deal out of it, the media would be all over our town and that would open us up for more trouble than we had now.”

“That's ridiculous,” Mary said loudly. “That man really makes me mad. How in the world did he ever get elected in the first place?”

“Well, we sure didn't vote for him,” Noah said with a deadpan expression.

Everyone burst out laughing, aware that the Kingdom community shunned involvement with the government or politics.

“Okay, you got me,” Mary said, grinning, “but seriously, what can we do? How do we catch these guys, and how do we protect Kingdom?”

No one said anything for a moment. Finally Noah spoke up. “First of all, let me make one thing clear. I won't carry a gun or any other kind of weapon. I don't mind patrolling our borders . . . or doing anything else that might help, but my views are much closer to Ebbie's. I may have cracked a chair over a guy's head once who was trying to hurt Lizzie, but that's as violent as I'm ever going to get.” He cleared his throat. “I hope.” He gazed around the room. “So what are we signing on for here? I don't think you want me driving around with a chair in my truck just in case I happen upon one of these men.”

Roger chuckled. “No. I think you can leave the chairs in the restaurant. Look, I've never been Mennonite, and Mary may be a fallen Mennonite”—he grinned at his wife—“but we're not into violence either.”

Listening to Roger helped me to realize that Ebbie was wrong. No one here was promoting aggression. They were just trying to find a way to help our people in the most peaceful way possible.

I noticed that Sophie was scowling at Roger. No one appeared to be paying any attention to her. When she wasn't glaring at the rest of us, she was looking at Jonathon as if she were a dog and he a piece of meat. He didn't seem to notice.

“So all we're going to do is patrol?” Jonathon asked. “What happens if we see someone we don't know? How are we going to stop these troublemakers from coming into town?”

Noah stared at him blankly.

After clearing his throat, Roger spoke up. “Look, I understand how you all feel about this nonresistance thing—”

“It's not really nonresistance,” Noah said. “We just don't believe in resisting evil with violence.”

“The Bible says we're supposed to resist the
devil
, and he's evil,” Sophie spat out. “So how are we gonna do that? Maybe Lizzie could make him a pie. That oughta do it.” She shot daggers at Noah, anger distorting her features. “Do you have one single idea about how we can stand up to these people?”

“That Scripture you referenced also says we should submit ourselves to God first,” Noah said gently. “Which is what we're trying to do.” He shook his head. “And you're right. Our resistance should be against the devil. Not human beings.”

Sophie snorted. “What in the world does that mean? You sound like my father. Saying things that don't make sense just so you can control everyone.”

Noah frowned at her. “I'm simply saying we need to figure out how to protect ourselves in a way that won't betray our faith.”

“Ebbie says we should just pray and let God protect us.” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Everyone's eyes turned to me.

“I know,” Jonathon said, “and I'm trying to respect him for his faith, but God uses people, Hope. And again, we're not advocating violence. We're just trying to find a way to . . . I don't know . . . a way to keep these people away from Kingdom. If we can do that, we'll be fulfilling the intent of Christ's teaching without giving them free rein over us.”

“Look,” Roger said, “I'm going to suggest something I'm pretty sure you're not going to like.”

Noah nodded toward him. “Go ahead.”

“Everyone here has a gun, right?”

“Well, rifles for hunting,” Noah said.

“What if we set up different times to patrol the road into Kingdom, and we carry our hunting rifles? We're not going to use them, but no one needs to know that.”

“Yeah, but everyone knows Mennonites aren't going to shoot anyone,” Lizzie said. “How would that help?”

“Most people don't have a clue what Mennonites believe,” Mary said. “Since leaving Kingdom, I've found that our . . . I mean,
your
community is a mystery to other folks. They think all you do is drive around in buggies, wear weird clothes, and shun electricity. To be honest, what the church believes isn't that interesting to them.”

“So you're suggesting that we look like we're willing to shoot intruders even though we're not?” Noah shook his head. “I don't know. . . .”

I started to raise my hand again but stopped myself at the last second. “Isn't that dishonest?”

Lizzie nodded. “That's exactly what I was thinking. Besides, if they weren't planning to shoot us in the first place, waving a rifle at them could start something we don't want.”

Jonathon stood to his feet. “I understand what you're saying, but these guys are playing for keeps.” He directed his attention toward Noah. “If that had been Lizzie in that buggy—”

“I know. I know,” Noah said harshly. “But this is different. This isn't a spur of the moment reaction. It's a prearranged strategy that could lead to someone getting hurt. Or worse.”

“What if you carried a rifle that isn't loaded?” Roger asked. “Would that make you feel better?”

“That might do it,” Jonathan agreed. “We wouldn't be in a position to really shoot anyone, but they wouldn't know that.”

“We're splitting spiritual hairs here,” Noah said. He looked back and forth between Lizzie and Jonathon. Finally he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I'm an elder in the church. I appreciate what you're saying and how you feel, but I just can't do that. Carrying a rifle as a weapon, whether it's loaded or not, feels wrong to me. I'll do anything else I can to help, but I won't do that. You'll have to patrol without me.”

Roger got up from his seat and walked over to where Noah sat on the couch. He put his hand on Noah's shoulder. “I respect that, Noah, and I think you're doing the right thing. Can I ask you to keep our plans to yourself though? I'm afraid if word gets out, it might make our efforts more difficult.”

Noah chuckled. “You've never lived in Kingdom, Roger. You can ask Mary about it, but secrets are hard to keep here. I won't tell anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised if the whole town knows about it before long.”

Roger patted Noah's shoulder once more, walked over to the window, and looked down on the street below. “All we can do is hope people understand.”

“I believe they will,” Jonathon said. “A lot of changes have already come to Kingdom. People are open to new ideas and have more freedom to make decisions on their own.”