The Healing

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “I did. The Amish man who owns the lumber mill in the area had it delivered for me yesterday. It’s piled up on the other side of the garage.”

  “Okay. I’ll cut the pieces I need then start hauling ‘em over.” Samuel started walking in that direction.

  “I’ll be in the house. Esther’s coming over soon to help me do some more cleaning before I open for business,” Bonnie called. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

  Okay now, she thought as she hurried along. That’s one more thing taken care of. Let’s see what I can get into next.

  As Bonnie neared the front door, she stopped and traced her finger on the porch table, leaving a streak of pollen dust. She sneezed. “Yep. Spring is definitely in the air.”

  CHAPTER 21

  When Esther pulled into Bonnie’s yard, she saw Samuel’s horse and buggy parked at the hitching rail. He’d no doubt come to build a chicken coop, as Bonnie had mentioned he was going to do when she’d spoken to Esther yesterday.

  When she stepped down from the buggy and heard a steady—Bam! Bam! Bam!—she knew for certain that was why Samuel had come.

  Curious to see how things were going, Esther made sure her horse was secure and headed around the garage. In a clearing several feet away, she saw Samuel hard at work.

  “Looks like you have a good start on the chicken coop,” she said, stepping up to him.

  “It’s comin’ along,” he mumbled without making eye contact.

  “How big is it going to be?”

  “Eight by twelve feet.” Still, he wouldn’t look at her.

  Bam! Bam! Bam! He hammered another piece of wood to the frame.

  She figured she probably wasn’t going to get much more out of him, so she turned and headed for the house. She wished he’d be a little more sociable.

  Esther found Bonnie in the kitchen, scouring the kitchen sink. “Looks like you’re hard at work,” she said, removing her black outer bonnet and placing it on one end of the counter.

  Bonnie pushed a strand of her curly blond hair away from her face. “Seems like there’s always something to do around here.” She nodded toward the window. “Now that I’ve got chickens, it means even more work for me. Lately, I find myself asking, ‘What was I thinking?’ “

  “You could have said no when that little boy came by with his chicken and sales pitch.”

  “I know, but he was so cute, and I figured his folks probably needed the extra money.”

  Esther smiled. “You have a tender heart, Bonnie.”

  A blotch of red erupted on Bonnie’s cheeks. “I just care about people. My grandma used to say that if a person loves God, they’ll love His people.”

  “That’s what I believe, too, and it’s what the Bible teaches.” Esther made a sweeping gesture of the room. “Now, what would you like me to do today?”

  “With all the renovations that have been done, there’s dust everywhere,” Bonnie said. “So it would be good if you dusted the living room, dining room, and the banister on the stairs.”

  “Sure, I can do that.” Esther found the dust rag and some furniture polish in the utility room, and then she quickly set to work.

  She started in the living room first, and when all the dust had been cleared away from the furniture, window ledges, and fireplace mantle, she moved on to the dining room. Finished with that, she went up the stairs and was about to start working her way down, cleaning the banister rungs, when she heard Samuel come into the house.

  “I came for a drink of water,” she heard him say to Bonnie when he entered the kitchen.

  “Would you rather have a glass of iced tea?” Bonnie asked.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Have a seat, and I’ll fix you a sandwich to go with your tea,” Bonnie said. “When Esther finishes up with what she’s doing, I’ll fix her one, too.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but you don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s no trouble. You’ve been working hard all morning, and I’m sure you’re hungry by now.”

  “Guess I am at that.”

  Esther tried not to eavesdrop, but their voices floated out of the kitchen and up the stairs. So while she continued to dust and unavoidably listened, she wondered once more why Samuel was so talkative to Bonnie but would barely say more than a few words to her.

  “When you first got here this morning, you seemed kind of down,” Bonnie said. “I wasn’t going to bring it up, but I’ve been wondering if there might be something wrong.”

  “Actually, there is. I had a little trouble at home this morning with Leon,” Samuel said. “When I told him to get dressed and do his chores, he smarted off to me, so I gave him a spanking.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “I don’t normally lose my temper so easily, but it irked me when he said I was a mean person.” Samuel groaned deeply. “Guess I was mean to him, and now I feel like a bad father.”

  Esther grimaced. Poor Leon must have been upset when Samuel spanked him. But the boy shouldn’t have said what he did. Even so, I’ve seen how short Samuel can be with the kinner. Maybe he overreacted, the way he did the night Marla dropped her mother’s cup. She was pleased when she’d learned that Samuel had apologized for that and had bought Marla several new books for her birthday present, but he obviously had a long way to go if he was going to establish a loving relationship with his children.

  “You’re not a bad father because you disciplined your son,” Bonnie said. “Besides, kids usually get over things quickly and don’t hold grudges the way some adults do. Well, most kids, anyway,” she added.

  “That may be, but I plan to apologize to Leon as soon as I get home.”

  “When I was little and my dad got mad at me, he never said he was sorry for anything he said or did.”

  Esther could hear the hurt in Bonnie’s voice. No wonder she’d decided to leave Oregon and move here.

  Samuel and Bonnie continued to talk for a while, as Bonnie shared with him some details about her childhood. She’d told Esther a few things during the times they’d spent working together, but not nearly as much as she was sharing with Samuel right now. Apparently Bonnie’s father had been very harsh … especially after his wife died.

  “It’s hard to live in the same house with someone when there’s a lot of stress and undercurrent going on,” Bonnie said.

  “I know what you mean.” Samuel paused. “There’s been a lot of tension at Titus’s house these days—between me and the kids and between me and Titus.”

  Esther thought about a conversation she’d had with Suzanne the other day, remembering how upset Suzanne was because Titus spent all his free time with Samuel and the kids instead of her. Esther figured the solution to the problem would be for Samuel to find a place of his own. If things didn’t get better soon, she was afraid Suzanne might break her engagement to Titus.

  “I can’t believe you’re stuck watching Samuel’s kids again,” Suzanne said when she dropped by Titus’s house that afternoon and he said that he couldn’t go shopping with her because Samuel was over at Bonnie’s, building a chicken coop.

  Titus put his finger to his lips. “Be careful what you say. The kinner are playing in their rooms. All except for Leon, that is. He went outside some time ago. Did you see him in the yard?”

  Suzanne shook her head. “Couldn’t Esther watch the kinner today?”

  “Nope. She was supposed to go over to Bonnie’s to help her clean.”

  Suzanne folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. “Are we ever going to start courting again?”

  “Sure. Just as soon as Samuel finds a place of his own.”

  “When’s that going to be?”

  Titus shrugged.

  “Have you asked him yet?”

  “Well no, but …”

  “What happens if he gets too comfortable with these living arrangements? He’ll never move out if you don’t ask, and you promised you would.”

  “I will when I think he’s ready. Once Samuel
’s home in Pennsylvania sells he’ll have enough money to start looking for a place of his own.”

  “With the economy what it is, his house may never sell, and I doubt he’ll ever start looking for a place of his own here. Not unless you say something to him.”

  Titus’s teeth snapped together with a click. “What do you want me to do … throw my own bruder out of my house?”

  “Of course not, but … Oh, never mind.” Suzanne’s shoulders slumped as she turned and opened the front door.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, stepping onto the porch behind her.

  “Shopping. Alone!” Suzanne hurried off, leaving Titus there, shaking his head. She doesn’t understand. If she’s not going to be more understanding, then maybe she’s not the right woman for me.

  Before Titus went into the house, he decided to go outside to see if Leon was ready to come in for lunch. When he didn’t see any sign of the boy, he stepped into the barn to look there. It was dark and quiet. The horses were in the pasture, so it made sense that he didn’t hear them, but if Leon was in here playing, there ought to be some sign of him.

  Titus cupped his hand around his mouth. “Leon! Are you in here?”

  No response.

  “Are you hungry for lunch?”

  Still no reply.

  Thinking the boy might be hiding somewhere, Titus looked around the barn, checking in every nook and cranny. When he’d searched in all the obvious places, he left the barn and walked around the yard again, calling Leon’s name. There was no sign of Leon at all.

  The hair on the back of Titus’s neck prickled. What if Leon had wandered off by himself? With the exception of walking to and from school now that the weather was warmer, the boy didn’t know the area that well.

  Titus dashed down the driveway and looked up and down the road. No sign of Leon there either.

  He raced back to the house and spotted Marla in the living room, sitting on the sofa, reading a book to Penny and Jared. “Have you seen Leon?” Titus asked.

  Marla shook her head, but Penny nodded.

  “When did you see him?”

  “He came in the house awhile ago. Said he had to get somethin’. After that he went outside and never came back.”

  A shiver of fear shot up Titus’s spine. If Leon doesn’t show up soon, I don’t know what I’m going to tell Samuel when he gets home.

  CHAPTER 22

  When Suzanne got home from Titus’s, she hurried to put her horse away and then went straight to the house. She was still upset about the argument she’d had with Titus and hoped her mother was home so she could tell her about it.

  She found Mom in the kitchen, cutting up pieces of chicken.

  Mom turned and smiled. “I’ve got the chicken almost ready to go in the oven, so supper should be ready in about an hour. Did Titus come home with you?”

  Suzanne shook her head.

  “Is he coming over later then?”

  “No. He’s watching Samuel’s kinner again while Samuel builds a chicken coop for Bonnie Taylor.” Suzanne dropped into a seat at the table. “I’m sure Samuel will be home by suppertime, but I guess Titus figures he needs to be there to cook the meal.”

  “Doesn’t Samuel know how to cook?”

  Suzanne shrugged. “He probably could if he set his mind to it, but why would he want to when Titus is there to do it all for him?”

  Mom placed the chicken in a baking pan and put it in the oven. After she’d washed and dried her hands, she poured them some tea and took a seat beside Suzanne. “You’re upset with Titus again. I can see it on your face and hear it in your voice. Did you two have an argument about Samuel?”

  “Jah. It seems like all we do anymore is argue.” Suzanne blinked as tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I—I don’t think we’re going to be married this fall. I think he loves his bruder more than he does me.”

  Mom placed her hand on Suzanne’s arm. “I don’t think Titus loves Samuel more than you. He loves him in a different way and no doubt feels a sense of responsibility to be there for Samuel and his kinner, because he knows they’re still grieving.”

  “I understand that, but Titus isn’t helping Samuel by doing everything for him or being there all the time. If something doesn’t change for the better soon, I’m going to break up with him.”

  “Ach, Suzanne! You can’t mean that.”

  Suzanne reached for a napkin and blew her nose. “I want things to be the way they were before Samuel and his family moved to Kentucky. I want to go places with Titus and have him come here to visit and share meals with us like he used to do.”

  Mom took a sip of her tea. “Have you tried talking to him about this—let him know how you feel?”

  “Of course I have. That’s why we keep arguing. Every time I express my feelings, Titus gets upset and says I need to be more understanding.” Suzanne paused and drew in a deep breath. She was so upset her hands had begun to shake. “I do feel sorry for Samuel, and I know losing Elsie couldn’t be easy for him, but he shouldn’t expect Titus to sacrifice his own life to care for him and his kinner.”

  “Have you prayed about this matter?” Mom asked. “Have you asked God to give you more patience and understanding?”

  Suzanne hung her head in shame. “I have prayed, but my prayers have always been that Samuel will find a place of his own and that Titus and I can begin courting again.” She blotted the tears streaming down her face. “I—I guess I do need more patience and understanding. Guess I’m not setting a very good Christian example.”

  Mom lifted Suzanne’s chin and looked like she was about to say something, when Grandpa entered the room.

  “Where’s Titus?” he asked. “I thought he’d be joining us for supper this evening.”

  “I invited him, but he said he couldn’t come because he had to watch Samuel’s kinner.” Suzanne felt her cheeks to see if all the tears were gone. She hoped Grandpa wouldn’t know she’d been crying.

  “He must not be watching ‘em too well because when I was on the way home from visiting the bishop just now, I saw Samuel’s boy, Leon, getting into someone’s car.”

  “Whose car was it?” Mom asked.

  Grandpa shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve never seen it before. Thought at first it might be someone Titus knows, but the more I think about it, the more concern I feel.”

  Alarm rose in Suzanne’s chest. She was sure Titus would never allow any of the children to go off in a car without him or Samuel accompanying them—much less with a stranger.

  “Do you know the make or color of the car?” Suzanne asked.

  He squinted and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The car was kind of a silver gray. It was one of those little compact cars, but I don’t know the make, and I didn’t take notice of the license plate number either.”

  “Did you get a look at the driver?” Mom questioned.

  “Not a good one. Just saw the back of his head. I think his hair was blond, and he wore a baseball cap.”

  As fear gripped Suzanne, she pushed her chair quickly aside and stood. “I’m going back over to Titus’s. He needs to know about this!”

  “Where’s Bonnie?” Samuel asked, poking his head into the living room, where Esther was cleaning the brick on the front of the fireplace.

  “Upstairs. Do you need me to get her?”

  He shook his head. “That’s all right. Just wanted to tell her I’m done with the coop and am heading home now.”

  “Okay. I’ll let her know.” Esther was tempted to mention what she’d heard Samuel and Bonnie talking about earlier, but didn’t want him to think she’d been eavesdropping. Besides, he might not want to talk to her about the problem he’d had with Leon this morning, although he sure hadn’t minded discussing it with Bonnie.

  Samuel hesitated, like he wanted to say something more, but then he turned and headed out the door.

  Esther’s stomach growled noisily, and she glanced at the clock on the mantle. No wonder she was hungry. It was almost five o’
clock. She should head home soon and start supper, but the thought of eating alone held no appeal.

  “Was that Samuel’s voice I heard?” Bonnie asked when she came downstairs a few minutes later.

  “Yes, he wanted me to tell you that he’d finished the chicken coop and was going home.”

  “Oh, good. Would you like to go outside with me and take a look at it?”

  “Sure.” Esther put her cleaning supplies aside and followed Bonnie out the door.

  As they approached the new chicken coop, Esther heard the chickens clucking. “Sounds like they’re in there already,” she said to Bonnie. “Samuel must have transferred them from the shed to the new coop before he left.”

  Bonnie opened the door, and as they stepped inside, they were greeted by a cackling hen that managed to slip between her legs. “Shut the door, quick, before she gets out! She might be hard to catch.”

  Esther complied, and in so doing, she spotted a straw hat on the floor. “Looks like Samuel left this behind,” she said, bending to pick it up. “I’ll drop it off to him on my way home. Speaking of which, I should probably be heading out soon.”

  Bonnie smiled. “No problem. You’ve done enough for today. I wouldn’t be this far along with all the cleaning if it weren’t for you.”

  As Samuel headed for Titus’s place, he rehearsed what he was going to say to Leon. The boy needed to know he was loved but that he couldn’t talk disrespectfully to his father—or any other adult, for that matter.

  First off, I need to apologize for being so harsh, Samuel reminded himself. I should never have lost my temper like that with him this morning.

  When Samuel guided his horse and buggy into Titus’s yard a short time later, he saw Titus step out of the phone shanty.

  “I’ve got some bad news,” Titus said, joining Samuel beside his buggy.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Leon is missing.”

  “Wh–what do you mean?”

  “He disappeared. I’ve searched everywhere for him—in the house, in the barn, all around the yard. He’s nowhere to be found.”