Katie's Forever Promise

by Jerry S. Eicher

  Though the thought of not seeing Ben for a long time depressed her, she had at least seen him today for a few brief moments. Coming had been the right thing to do.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Two evenings following the court trial, Katie was seated on the couch in the living room. The supper dishes still sat on the kitchen table needing attention, but Mamm and Carolyn weren’t moving either. A hushed silence hung over the house, each of them lost in their thoughts. Jesse had completed the reading of the evening Scripture—a portion in Ephesians, chapter 2, beginning with “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us…”

  Katie wondered what the love of God had in store for her next, now that Ben was in jail. Somehow God’s love would make something gut out of all this. Mamm gave her a weak smile from across the room, so she must be thinking similar thoughts. They were all troubled again tonight knowing they were helpless to do anything about Ben.

  Katie’s head jerked up at the sound of buggy wheels turning into the driveway. Mamm jumped up to look out the window and gave a little gasp. “It’s Enos Kuntz!”

  “I wonder what he wants.” Jesse said, laying the Bible aside.

  “I don’t know.” Mamm glanced toward Katie.

  “Neither do I, but it can’t be anything gut,” Katie said, throwing up her hands in puzzlement.

  “It’s surely not about Mabel?” Jesse said as he stood.

  Mamm’s face went white. “No, it couldn’t be. I hope not!”

  “I think we’d better scatter,” Leroy said to Willis from his chair by the stove.

  Jesse nodded to the two and asked them to take Joel with them. Leroy led the way upstairs.

  Katie looked at Carolyn and whispered, “Come to my room. We can stay together until he leaves.” Carolyn looked quite grateful, and the two crept up the stairs. They stood by the bedroom window that looked out over the yard. Enos was now out of his buggy, nodding and speaking with Jesse.

  “I don’t think it’s about Mabel,” Katie offered. “That doesn’t seem right. Bishop Miller would come over if there had been another incident. Plus, I think Norman has learned his lesson.”

  “Mabel has been looking a little happier on Sundays,” Carolyn allowed. “But she still won’t come home for a visit.” Carolyn gave Katie a wise look. “I know because I heard Mamm ask her.”

  “It’ll all come in due time,” Katie said, trying to smile but the attempt quickly faded. “Look, they’re coming into the house.”

  Both of them ducked behind the drapes even though the men had their heads down.

  “It must be gut news then,” Carolyn whispered.

  Katie snorted. “How could Enos Kuntz be the bearer of gut news?”

  “I don’t know, but I still hope it’s gut news,” Carolyn said.

  Carolyn was trying to be her usual cheerful self, Katie knew, and she shouldn’t dampen the girl’s spirits.

  “Katie!” Mamm called up the stairs.

  Carolyn gave Katie a startled look. “It’s about you! Be brave and strong.”

  Katie set her face into neutral lines and took her time going down the stairs. Mamm, Jesse, and Enos were waiting in a circle when she arrived. Jesse didn’t look upset, but Mamm was looking away.

  “Enos wishes to speak with you,” Jesse said.

  Katie turned to face Enos. “Yah?”

  Enos blurted out the words without further ado. “You know that teacher Ruth has fallen on the ice outside the schoolhouse and is laid up at home…”

  Katie didn’t hesitate. “I was sorry to hear that. Is she okay?”

  Enos nodded but added, “Other than having to heal up, which may take some time.”

  “I’m glad it’s not worse,” Katie stated.

  Her words seemed to give Enos fresh courage. “The school board is asking you to consider coming back, Katie, and filling out the rest of the term. Ruth is expecting a child in the late summer, she has told us, and with the trauma of the fall, she doesn’t think she can complete the year.”

  Katie stared at the blank wall. Had she heard correctly? She was being asked to return to her job? But what was different now? Had Enos changed his mind? Or was he giving in to the wishes of the others? Perhaps he planned to make trouble for her later even if he were being forced to ask her to return now?

  “And you?” Katie asked. “You are also asking me back?”

  Enos hesitated and then cleared his throat. “It seems I may have been mistaken about you, Katie. Bishop Miller feels we have been…perhaps…well, too hasty in judging you. I hope…you can forgive us…well, me, for my rash opinion. And we have heard about Ben and his willingness to endure jail rather than testify.” Enos was sweating now and visibly uncomfortable.

  “I’m sure Katie will accept your offer,” Jesse spoke up. “She hasn’t taken on any other job so far, and she’s not that busy around the house. Emma and Carolyn can handle things well enough.”

  Jesse was trying to make things easy for her, and Katie appreciated it. Being asked back was a great honor, one she had never dared imagine would happen. Now it was her place to offer Christian forgiveness—even to Enos Kuntz.

  Katie offered her hand. “I’ll be glad to come back on Monday morning. I’ll want to meet with Ruth to see where she’s at with the lessons.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Enos fumbled in his pocket and produced several sheets of paper. “Ruth sent these along. They may not be exactly accurate, since she’s going from memory, she said. But this is where she believes everyone is in their lessons.”

  Ruth probably didn’t wish to see her after this humiliation, Katie surmised as she took the papers from Enos’s hand. Or maybe Ruth was too ill to go out or have company. Katie reminded herself to not imagine the worst about someone.

  “I’m glad this is straightened out.” Jesse was all smiles now. “And in the future, if there are problems with Katie’s schoolwork, perhaps you could come to me before anything drastic is done.”

  “Of course,” Enos said. “There’s no reason why not. You are, after all, her daett.”

  “I hope all is going well with Norman and Mabel.” Jesse was obviously driving home his advantage.

  Katie hid her smile. It was high time someone stood up to Enos.

  “Yah, of course.” Enos’s face was turning red.

  Seeing your son making a knee confession in front of church wasn’t the most pleasant experience in life, Katie thought. But neither was being fired from her teaching job.

  “Well, I should be going.” Enos was retreating toward the door.

  Mamm rushed over to open it for him.

  “Goodnight, now,” Jesse called after him.

  Enos didn’t look back as he headed toward his buggy.

  Mamm stayed at the door and watched him go. She glanced over at Jesse, who was standing in the kitchen doorway. “You should have walked him to his buggy. His feelings are hurting right now.”

  “I suppose so,” Jesse allowed. “But he’d feel worse if I showed him pity. At least I would.”

  “I expect you’re right,” Mamm said just as a police car turned into the driveway. Mamm gasped. “Now what?”

  Jesse rushed over to stand beside Mamm just inside the front door. Katie hurried over to the window for a look. The police car had stopped beside Enos’s buggy moments before Enos took off.

  “Do you know what this is about, Katie?” Mamm asked.

  Nee, of course she didn’t, but the words froze in her mouth. She looked out again and—and it couldn’t be! And yet it was. Ben was in the police car! But he was supposed to be in jail. And yet there he was speaking out of the police car window to Enos.

  Mamm and Jesse were silent as they watched the scene. Katie couldn’t see whether Enos responded to what Ben was saying or not. Likely Enos was too much in shock for anything but staring. Here Enos had just faced the great humiliation of having to hire her back on as a schoolteacher, and now Ben Stoll was being driven to her house in a pol
ice car.

  Apparently Da Hah was piling things on Enos Kuntz’s plate thick and heavy. But why was she thinking about Enos when Ben was out there? With a shriek, Katie raced out the door, and sped across the lawn. She leaped into Ben’s arms right after he climbed out of the police car. Let Enos think what he wished! she thought.

  “My, my, what a welcome!” Ben held her at arm’s length. “It’s so gut to see you.”

  “And you!” Katie gave Ben another hug. She caught sight of Enos’s buggy disappearing out the lane but didn’t care. “How is it that you’re here?” she asked Ben.

  The officer driving the police car cleared his throat behind them. “Um, I’d best be going, young man. Take care.”

  “Thank you for the ride,” Ben said as the officer left, following the tracks Enos’s buggy had left in the snow.

  Katie kept holding Ben’s hand. “You still haven’t told me how it is you’re here.”

  “Shall I leave?” he teased.

  “Ben, stop it! Tell me right now!”

  “It’s very gut news.” His eyes twinkled. “Can we go up to the porch where your mamm and daett are? I’m sure they’ll want to hear for themselves, and that way I don’t have to say things twice.”

  “Of course!” Katie led him by the hand across the lawn.

  “What did Enos want?” Ben asked as they approached the house.

  “Ruth Gingerich broke her hip, and Enos asked me to come back and finish the teaching for the school year.”

  “That’s great!” Ben’s eyes shone with happiness. He stuck out his hand to greet Jesse. “Gut evening, Jesse.”

  “And gut evening to you,” Jesse said. “It sounds as if Katie was just filling you in on the evening’s news.”

  “Yah,” Ben said with a smile. “That’s a sudden turn of events. And gut evening to you too, Emma,” Ben said, turning toward Katie’s mamm.

  “And you…being here tonight…” Mamm shook Ben’s hand. “What a surprise. We were not expecting this.”

  “Neither was I. The sheriff came in this afternoon and told me the judge was letting me go.”

  “Really?” Jesse asked. “And did he say why?”

  “The sheriff didn’t, but the prosecutor told me. Turns out the jury brought back a guilty verdict after lunch today. Enough other evidence had been presented, I guess. And I think the prosecutor pulled a little trick on the defense by having me refuse to testify in front of the jury. It was obvious why I was refusing, and this added to the belief that the accused shooter was guilty. At least that’s the theory. There’s no further need for my testimony.”

  “Da Hah has His ways!” Jesse exclaimed. “And we must not question even when things get difficult. But at least you did what you needed to do. No one can hold anything against you for how you handled this situation. I’m sure Bishop Miller will feel likewise.”

  “Thank you.” Ben glanced away. “That means a lot to me.”

  There was a tear in Ben’s eye, and Katie reached over to squeeze his hand. “Have you had supper yet?”

  Ben shook his head.

  Mamm gasped and exclaimed, “Then we have to fix something for you right now! There’s still leftovers in the kitchen. Come, Katie, it won’t take much to throw something together.”

  “Daett will entertain you until then,” Katie said, letting go of Ben’s hand. “Will that be okay?”

  “Anything will be okay after where I’ve been these past few days.” Ben sighed as he followed the others into the house.

  “So what are your plans now?” Jesse was asking as the two men settled in the living room and Katie and Mamm left for the kitchen. Katie didn’t hear Ben’s answer, but she could guess. Ben would be reporting to Bishop Miller, perhaps even tomorrow. And if things went well—and there was no reason for them not to—Ben would be in church on Sunday. And he’d bring her home that night in his buggy pulled by Longstreet after the hymn singing—if he’d moved back in with his parents by then. If not, by the next Sunday. She might even go help him bring his things back from town if there was time now that she was resuming her teaching job.

  “You certainly look happy, Katie,” Mamm said, her face beaming.

  “I should be!” Katie said. “Can you believe all that has happened tonight? Pretty soon I’ll be jumping up and down like Joel does.”

  “I might even join you,” Mamm said. “I’m so glad things are working out for you, Katie.”

  “Then you approve of Ben and me?” Katie asked as she motioned toward the living room.

  Mamm didn’t hesitate. “I think I see Da Hah’s hand at work, that’s all I can say. And you’ve stayed true to the man, Katie. That means a lot.”

  Katie grabbed Mamm’s arm and squeezed it before she calmed down. The two hugged each other for a long moment before rushing around the kitchen to prepare Ben’s supper.

  Chapter Forty

  During the second week in February, once things at the school had settled down to a routine again, Katie set out with Sparky for a visit to the ailing Ruth Gingerich. She soon pulled to a stop beside Albert and Ruth’s house, where they had set up housekeeping after their wedding. Hopefully Albert wouldn’t be home yet from his construction job since it was early in the afternoon. Katie had made a point of coming right after school even though a stack of papers still needed checking and were sitting on her desk. Tomorrow she would just have to work extra hard.

  Mamm made a point yesterday of reminding her that Ruth needed a visit. It would be displaying a Christian attitude for her to stop by while Ruth was healing from her broken hip. Last week Mamm had been over herself, taking along a cherry pie and loaf of bread.

  According to Mamm, Ruth would be glad to see her, but Katie was skeptical. Too many things had happened in their past for ill feelings to blow over. And yet Da Hah’s ways were great, and she shouldn’t doubt the power of His hand. Look at what He’d done for her and Ben!

  On Sunday evening she’d been driven home again with Ben in his buggy, leaning against his shoulder for the drive and stealing a quick kiss before he left the house near midnight. Ben was sparing with his kisses, even though he enjoyed them as much as she did. He was only trying to do the right thing, she reminded herself.

  Leaving Sparky tied to the hitching post, Katie approached Ruth’s house and knocked. A faint voice called out, “Come in!”

  Katie pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of Ruth propped up with pillows on a couch.

  “Hi,” Katie said as she halted in the doorway.

  “Oh, it’s you, Katie.” Ruth was smiling at least. “Come in and sit down. I’m glad to see you.”

  Katie hesitated. “I just thought I’d stop by for a minute. Mamm said you were doing some better last week. I’m sorry for what happened.”

  Ruth waved her hand toward the rocker. “Sit down, Katie. You don’t have to feel sorry for me or explain yourself. I’m the one who should do that.”

  Katie obeyed, taking the offered seat.

  Ruth paused to pat her injured hip with one hand. “This is nothing but Da Hah’s judgment. Something I needed to bring me to my senses, Katie. If you hadn’t come over to visit, I would have stopped by the schoolhouse to apologize the first chance after I get on my feet.”

  “But you mustn’t speak this way,” Katie protested. “We can’t know how Da Hah judges.”

  Ruth shook her head. “On this one I’m right, Katie, so don’t say I’m not. Albert has told me I’d better come over and apologize before Da Hah strikes me with something worse. That’s what Albert said once he found out what all was going on. I can only say how ashamed I am of myself, Katie. It is only Da Hah’s mercy that I didn’t kill myself on that ice spot. Thankfully, one of the children was still there to call for help. As overweight as I am, it took three ambulance workers to get me onto the gurney.”

  “Everyone has their faults,” Katie offered.

  Ruth ignored her. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life—at least that I can remember. B
etween that and the pain, I begged Da Hah’s forgiveness right then and there. I saw clearly what this was. The smiting hand of Da Hah. I told Enos Kuntz the same thing that very afternoon. That he had best get things made right with you before he was also smitten down. Yah, I said that, even though I knew seeing his son Norman on his knees in front of church had already put gray hairs on the man’s head. Yet all the time my turn was coming, and I was too blind to see it.”

  “I still don’t think you’re seeing this correctly,” Katie interrupted.

  Ruth paid her no attention. “I’m also sorry, Katie, for my part in running down you and your mamm’s reputation. I let jealousy enter my heart all those years ago when your mamm won Jesse’s hand instead of me. That was very wicked of me, and it wouldn’t have worked anyway. I can tell that now. Jesse Mast and me? Ach! Albert’s so much better suited for me. But I was too blinded by my own wishes, I suppose. I hope you can forgive me as your mamm forgave me last week.”

  “Yah, of course,” Katie whispered. No wonder Mamm had told her to stop by if this was how her conversation had gone with Ruth. Yet Mamm hadn’t breathed a word, no doubt wanting her to hear the words fresh from Ruth’s mouth.

  “I asked your mamm please not to tell you what I’d told her,” Ruth confirmed Katie’s thoughts. “And from the look on your face, she didn’t.”

  “Mamm only suggested that I stop by. That’s all.”

  “You are wunderbah people. I’m sorry it took this to open my eyes—that and Albert’s words. You should have heard what he had to say, the poor man, when I told him the whole story after my fall on the ice. He had no idea what his frau was capable of. Albert is so innocent in some ways, but he sure has a pure soul.” Ruth paused to wipe away a tear before continuing. “And poor Mabel. I’ll have to visit her when I can ride in the buggy again. Here I led her into such sins over the years. Turning her against your mamm, and probably helping her along with her marriage to Norman. How poor Mabel has had to suffer because of what I’ve done.”