The Secret of the Medaillon

by Rebecca Byler

“I’m sure, she remembers,” I assured her. “Maybe, that’s the reason why she was looking forward to getting married in your home.”

  Mrs. Miller smiled at me genuinely.

  “Danke, Leah dear,” she said. “You’re a very sweet girl. You see, you are like a dochder to me. There was one last thing I’d like to request from you. I hope you’ll take it seriously.”

  I glanced at the old woman in front of me, and smiled back, unsure of what she wanted this time.

  “You’re still young and lovely, aren’t you dreaming of having your own familye, too?”

  Although I was used to Rebecca’s nagging session about my singlehood, this kind of question from my lovely neighbor actually caught me off-guard. To be honest, I have no plans to replace my dear Amos in my heart. I am worried if I go out, and spend time outside this world, I will change, and might forget everything about him.

  After a while, Mrs. Miller decided to bid her farewell. Gladly, Samson finally went back to the living room just in time and accompanied me as I escorted the old lady to the front door.

  Just like John, she mentioned how my dog was acting odd, and obviously, she suggested I bring him to Joshua, which I politely refused.

  Chapter 3

  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41: 10

  I started my day as usual, but this time, I skipped visiting the market. In fact, I woke up a bit late because Samson, who had been waking me up every morning, was still asleep. I wondered if it was just the effect of the weather. He had been so lazy these past few days, and sometimes, it was actually upsetting me. Aside from that, he had less appetite, which was a bit peculiar.

  Were John and Mrs. Miller right? Maybe something was really wrong with him.

  “Samson is a Sheepdog, Leah. The maximum life span of his breed is only twelve to fourteen years.”

  Rebecca’s voice suddenly echoed in my head. Nee! He can’t die! I can’t lose him! He had been my companion since my familye and Amos died. I don’t think I could survive the loneliness anymore without him by my side.

  “What’s wrong, boy?” I uttered, too worried to recognize my own voice. This was the first time I found it hard to even swallow my pancake.

  Samson whined like he was in pain. He had not even touched his food since yesterday. How I wished he could talk, so it wouldn’t be difficult for me to figure out what was wrong. It was very hard to see him so quiet like this.

  I decided to leave my breakfast and headed to my friend’s haus.

  “He looks worse, Leah,” Rebecca uttered as we observed Samson’s condition.

  “Jah, I noticed it, too,” I replied, sadly.

  “We should bring him to Joshua as soon as possible,” she suggested.

  “Do you think he’s dying?” I asked, fighting the tears pooling in my eyes.

  Rebecca turned to me sympathetically and sighed. “Not, if we take prompt action right now, mei lieb. Get ready, I’ll ask Arthur to give us a ride.”

  “Nee! I can’t ride a buggy, you know that” I refused immediately, sensing my knees as they trembled. “I can carry him,” I insisted.

  “Leah, every second is important to Samson right now. I know, it must be hard for you to deal with your fear, but this is the best option we have,” she explained, tilting my chin to meet her gaze.

  Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Samson, who was still lying on the floor. His eyes were saying it all- he’s already in pain. Ach, buddy! What’s wrong?

  “I’ll go ahead now, and send Arthur to pick you up,” Rebecca uttered, interrupting my silent turmoil, I didn’t know if I nodded or not. She was gone already before I came back to my senses.

  After a while, I heard the sound of the buggy outside the haus, and the only thing I had to do was to pick up my purse. Rebecca returned sooner, than I expected.

  “Leah?” said a familiar voice.

  Is that John? I opened the door right away and confirmed it. John was standing in front of me, and Rebecca was behind him.

  “Guder Mariye, John,” I breathed, feeling a little anxious.

  “Arthur was not home, but luckily, I saw John on the way,” Rebecca said behind him, probably answering the puzzle in my head.

  John nodded, and then he looked around the place to find my dog. “Let’s go, buddy,” he said, caressing poor Samson’s head. He didn’t even bother to look up. Instead, he whined again and surrendered into John’s arms. I could not stop thinking of Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

  “I’ve told you, he looked unwell,” he said, shaking his head.

  “I’m sorry,” I answered, guiltily.

  John said it’s just a ten-minute buggy ride, but it seemed like the longest ride I had ever endured. I felt like I was riding the wheel for the first time. But the fear I was feeling was nothing compared to the fear of losing Samson. I kept praying silently

  “Are you alright, Leah?” John asked. “You’re so pale,” he commented.

  “Ach, it’s nothing,” I replied, trying to cover my cold cheeks with my numb hands. “Please, don’t mind me, it’s nothing,” I lied.

  He didn’t say anything until we reached the unfamiliar wooden gate. “We’re here,” he said as the buggy halted in front of the small, but a lovely cabin. “Don’t worry, he will be fine. Joshua is a great veterinarian,” he assured me.

  “Danke, John,” I answered, appreciatively.

  “You’re always, welcome,” he said. “Let me take him.”

  If Samson had passed out or was just asleep, I had no idea. I was too overwhelmed by the idea of losing him, and I admit I was starting to freak out. A figure of a man came to meet us at the front door, and I supposed it was the veterinarian whom they were talking about.

  “John!” he said, delighted but a bit anxious at the same time. “What happened?”

  “We have no idea,” he answered while carrying my dog effortlessly. “Leah’s buddy here looks tremendously sick. I think he has passed out.”

  I was speechless and unable to contain myself. “Is he dying?” I asked all of a sudden, repeating the question I had asked Rebecca.

  Joshua smiled gently. I could see the sympathy in his eyes, and I was not sure if that’s what I really wanted this time.

  “He’ll be fine, Leah,” he said with a kind voice.

  It was getting late, but I had no plans of leaving Samson with Joshua. John was patiently assisting his friend whenever Samson needed to be shifted from his position.

  After a while, Joshua injected something into my dog, and he assured me it was better he dozed off for a while.

  I have no idea how many times I gasped, or I held my breath as I watched him pinch Samson’s body for several moments. What’s even more alarming was when Joshua’s calm looking face began to change, and I knew that my dog’s condition was worse than I had ever imagined.

  After a while, the veterinarian came to me, while shaking his head. “I suspect, Samson has swallowed something, and it’s keeping his system from working properly,” he informed me. “Is there any way you noticed an irregularity in his bowel movement?”

  I tried to remember the last time he did it. It was then, I realized he hadn’t excused himself for two days now. So, I informed him of my observation.

  “I thought it’s just because he hadn’t eaten for days,” I uttered defensively.

  Joshua nodded as if he finally figured out the missing piece of the puzzle. “We should bring him to my clinic in town tonight. I have a very limited equipment here to confirm my theory. I think Samson has swallowed something, and it’s too large for him to pass it normally.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, worriedly. He was never out of my sight, so I wonder when it actually happened.

  “That’s only my suspicion, so we have to br
ing him to my clinic for an X-ray,” he suggested.

  “An X-ray?” I uttered, totally confused.

  “It’s a machine which can help us see what’s inside his stomach, Leah,” John interrupted.

  I am aware this was not the time to pamper my buggy-ride fear. However, the feeling was too much. Since the town was just a few blocks away, I asked them to bring Samson with them while I took a walk, feigning my need for some exercise to calm down.

  Fortunately, John offered to walk with me. According to him, it was too dark to let me wander the streets all by myself.

  “So, still scared of riding a buggy huh?” he asked on our way.

  “How did you know?” I asked, quite embarrassed.

  “Your face shows it all, Leah,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, I know it’s a bit childish,” I admitted, thankful the darkness was hiding my red face.

  “That’s okay,” he replied. “You were brave enough to take the ride with me earlier, so I guess that was a good start to overcoming it,” he added, with a slight smile on his face.

  “Danke,” I uttered. “Your friend seems confident on what he’s doing,” I commented, diverting the subject of our conversation.

  “Jah, you’re right,” he replied. “To be honest, he loves animals more than humans,” he continued.

  “Ach! You’re exaggerating!”

  “That’s true,” he said, chuckling. “Perhaps, that’s the reason why he is still single.”

  “Really? How old is he, then?” I inquired, curious.

  “About Thirty-five? Ach, I’m not sure,” he answered, shaking his head.

  “He doesn’t seem too old. How about you? Are you married?” I asked.

  “Not yet, but I have a girlfriend. The problem is she is not Amish, so we are currently in the process of working things out,” he answered truthfully.

  “Well, things will eventually fall into place,” I said.

  I knew John wanted to ask about my current status, but obviously, he restrained the urge. Perhaps he knew everything about me already because he was Rebecca’s closest cousin. Besides, how did he know I was afraid of riding a buggy? She must have told him.

  Chapter 4

  "He said, 'If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.'" Exodus 15:26

  Joshua’s clinic was simple, yet large enough to receive two or three patients at a time. His reception area was small but cozy. Perhaps, it was because of the large painting of a beautiful ocean on the wall.

  On the left corner, there was a small door into his examination and laboratory room. John went inside. The door was unlocked, and the lights were already on. It was obvious that he was very familiar with the place.

  As I looked around, I found Samson was still lying on the long, rectangular-shaped table at the center of the room. At first, I thought he wasn’t breathing, but eventually, I realized I was just paranoid. He was still unconscious, but I believed that Joshua was taking control of everything. “Dear Lord, please heal my beloved dog. I cannot bear to be without him,” I prayed silently.

  “I was right, he swallowed something,” Joshua uttered, escorting me to the two large films hanging on the wall. “Look at his X-ray results,” he continued, as I followed his tracing on the black and white picture, of what seemed like Samson’s ribs. “This is his chest, and this part is his stomach. If you will notice, there was an odd round object here.”

  “Looks like a metal or something,” John commented.

  “Yes,” Joshua agreed. “As I’ve said, Leah, this is too large for Samson to pass normally.”

  It took me seconds before I was able to absorb what he meant.

  “What are we going to do now?” I asked him, unsure.

  “He needs an urgent operation,” Joshua responded.

  “Can you do it?” I asked again, totally disoriented.

  “Yes, of course,” he answered, confidently. “There is nothing to worry about, Leah. I assure you, after the surgery, he will be fine as usual.”

  Joshua said I could stay in the room while he was doing the operation. However, I decided to stay in his reception area, instead of watching him cutting my dog’s stomach open. Although I was now convinced he was competent enough to do the task, I was still anxious something unfortunate may happen. Meanwhile, John stayed inside the operating theatre to lend a hand to his friend.

  Alone and restless, I decided to wander around the small reception area, just to kill time. I needed to keep myself busy. On top of the desk, there was a set of magazines and a backpack with an odd zebra stripe design. He must really love animals, I thought.

  I had waited for more than an hour before Joshua came through the door. He smiled at me, and my worries suddenly drifted away.

  “Hey, Leah,” he said, wiping the sweat from his face.

  “Hey, I said. What a nice bag,” I commented, pointing at the backpack I had seen a while ago.

  “Oh, that’s not mine,” he said, then picked it up, and moved it to one of his empty shelves. “A young boy left it here this morning. Anyway, here it is,” he said, handing me a round crystal, framed with gold. “This is what has been bothering Samson for days.”

  “Wow, it’s large,” I uttered.

  “Certainly,” he agreed. “It’s not every day a sheepdog could swallow a large medaillon like that,” he uttered, taking his seat on the couch.

  “Jah,” I muttered, a sudden flash of curiosity came into my head. Who owns this medaillon? And where did Samson get it?

  “Come on, let’s go get ready,” Joshua said gently. “Let’s take him home, he needs to rest.”

  “Is it over now? I mean, will he be fine?”

  “Absolutely, Leah. He’ll be back on track in a matter of days,” he assured me.

  “That’s something I am looking forward to,” I said and smiled.

  I didn’t mind letting out a deep sigh of relief. It didn’t take long before John offered to send us home, and of course, Joshua was with us along the journey back home.

  Finally, we reached the haus. Rebecca was still there, patiently waiting for us. She was delighted to meet the famous veterinarian in the community. As usual, she started nagging me about the checkup thing. Then, after almost half an hour, she decided to go home with her cousin, John while Joshua planned to stay for a while to observe Samson.

  “Danke, Joshua,” I said, as he carried him from the couch and put him down on the improvised bed, which was made by Rebecca . “How much do I owe you?” I asked, feeling a little embarrassed on how to talk about the bill I have to settle.

  “Forget it,” he answered. “Just a cup of kaffee will do,” he added, kindly.

  “Don’t be silly. I knew Samson’s surgery would cost me, don’t worry,” I said, grinning. He’s been so nice to me the whole evening, and it is unfair not to give him what is due. I mean, even the X-ray thing, seems like it would be very expensive.

  “I agree,” he said. “I am not saying it’s free, but I guess, a cup of kaffee every day would do, Leah,” he added with humor.

  “Ach, every day?” I uttered, feeling the blood rushing to my cheeks. I feel like a teenager whose heart has been woken up from a deep sleep. “That’s ridiculous,” I commented.

  “Yeah, I know, but I am looking forward to it,” he uttered, making me more strangely alive. “Ach, well, it’s getting late, Leah. I should probably get going. You should rest, too,” he said. “But you have to monitor Samson for the next 24 hours to make sure your dog is not developing a life-threatening infection of the abdominal cavity called peritonitis.”

  “How am I going to do that?” I asked.

  “Sleep next to your dog all night and check on him as often as you can and give him the antibiotics for the next 24 hours. Samson should start feeling better in two to four days. Guti Nacht Leah.”

>   “Jah, you too,” I replied.

  As much as possible, I didn’t want to leave Samson’s side. He was there during the times I needed company, and this time, it was my turn to return the favor.

  I was glad to wake up in the morning to find him in a better condition. His appetite was back, but I had to stop myself from bringing him too much food this time. Though his wounds were still fresh, Samson was finally able to move and to get on his feet if ever he needed to pee. As if he was aware of his condition, he was very cautious in every move he made.

  “Feeling better now, buddy?” I asked him, caressing his stomach. “You really worried us ,you know.”

  Samson looked up and barked softly. He was guilty and quite sorry.

  “That’s alright,” I said. “What matters most is you’re fine now. Mr. Joshua took care of you,” I informed him. I continued to tell him the story of last night as if I was his mudder telling him a good bedtime story. “…I thought I was going to lose you, too,” I added, and then the tears run through my cheeks unexpectedly. The memories of Amos and my whole familye playing with Samson as a puppy abruptly occupied my head.

  Ach, Gott! Please give me more strength to endure this pain!

  Hugging myself, I realized for the first time I was all alone. How I wish I was married. How I wish I had a mamm like Mrs. Miller, who would be excited to give me the familye’s precious locket on my wedding day.

  I slumped on the floor and watched Samson, who went back to sleep. I don’t feel like doing anything today, so I remained sitting and stared at the ceiling for a minute or so.

  All of a sudden, I remembered the medaillon which was the reason for Samson’s surgery. Quickly, I went upstairs and checked my bedside drawer. It was still there, shining even more against the reflection of the afternoon sun.

  As an Amish woman, I don’t have precious gems and jewels to keep, but I know this medaillon is extraordinary. Perhaps, this one costs thousands or even millions of dollars. I am not so sure. But one thing was certain; its owner would absolutely be searching for this.