Loraine gave a quick nod, turned, and started down the stairs. “Please tell Wayne I was here,” she called over her shoulder. “Oh, and let him know that I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
CHAPTER 10
Wayne squinted at the invading light streaming through his bedroom window, letting him know it was morning. He’d had a fitful night, tossing, turning, dreaming, and soaking his sheets with sweat. The pain he felt where his leg had once been was so intense at times he thought he’d go mad. The medicine they’d given him for pain had barely taken the edge off. He wished there was something he could do to alleviate his discomfort. He didn’t think he could endure the pain if it went on too long.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself to a sitting position, took one step, and fell back on the bed with a groan. It had seemed so normal to be back in his own bed, he’d forgotten he only had one leg. He glanced at his stump and noticed that it had started to shrink. Another thing the doctor had told him would happen.
He reached for the handles of his wheelchair and swung it around. Then, hopping on one foot, he positioned himself in front of the wheelchair and sat down.
“Everything I do takes such effort,” he mumbled. “I wonder if it’ll ever get any easier for me.” At least Mom had moved most of his things to the downstairs bedroom, and he didn’t have to navigate the steps on one leg. The wheelchair wouldn’t work on steps, either, which was why Pop had built a ramp leading to the back porch.
Mom and Pop have done all they can to make my life easier, Wayne thought as he slipped his arms into a long-sleeved cotton shirt. I ought to be grateful and quit feeling sorry for myself, but in my circumstances, that’s easier said than done.
Wayne closed his eyes, and an image of Loraine popped into his head. It had only been two days since he’d last seen her, but already he missed her—more than he missed his leg. His arms longed to hold her. His fingers ached to stroke her soft skin. His lips yearned to kiss hers. If only they could be together. If things could just be as they’d once been. If he could only undo the past, he would....
His eyes snapped open, and he shook his head. All the if onlys in the world wouldn’t change a thing. He’d lost a leg, and he wouldn’t be getting it back. He’d made a decision not to marry Loraine, and he wouldn’t be changing his mind.
***
“I’m heading out now, Mom,” Loraine said as she grabbed her jacket from the wall peg where she’d hung it the night before.
Mom’s eyebrows raised. “Why are you leaving so early for work? You don’t have to be at the hardware store for another couple of hours.”
“I want to stop by the Lambrights’ on my way to Shipshewana and see how Wayne’s getting along. Since he was asleep when I stopped there yesterday, I didn’t get the chance to talk to him.”
“What are you going to talk about—your broken engagement?”
Loraine nodded. “That, plus a few other things.”
Mom opened her mouth like she was going to say something more, but she snapped it shut and turned back to the dishes she’d been drying.
“I’ll see you when I get home from work this afternoon.” Loraine turned and headed out the door.
As soon as she started across the lawn, she spotted Dad coming out of the barn, leading Trixie.
“Figured you’d be leaving for work soon, so I decided to get your horse hitched to the buggy,” he called to Loraine.
She stepped up to him and smiled. “Danki, Dad. That was thoughtful of you. Especially since I’m leaving earlier than usual today.”
“Going by to see Wayne on the way to Shipshewana?”
She nodded. “He came home from the hospital yesterday, and I want to see how he’s doing.”
Dad placed a gentle hand on her arm. “I was sorry to hear Wayne called off the wedding. Sorry to hear you and your mamm had a disagreement about him, too.”
“Mom doesn’t understand how I feel about things.” Tears welled in Loraine’s eyes. “She’s always had more understanding for James, Harold, Earl, and Ben than she has for me.”
Dad shook his head. “I don’t believe that. I just think that since your brieder are all married, and you’re the only one of our kinner still living at home, your mamm worries about you more.” He pulled Loraine to his side and gave her a hug. “Your mamm loves you a lot. Surely you know that.”
“I do know it, but I wish she’d let me make my own decisions without interference. She doesn’t think Wayne can take care of me now that he’s lost a leg.” Loraine sighed. “Of course, Wayne thinks he can’t, either, so I’m really outnumbered.”
“It’ll all work out in the end; you’ll see.”
Loraine forced a smile. At least somebody was on her side.
***
“Did you get enough to eat?” Mom pointed to Wayne’s plate. “You hardly touched your poached eggs.”
“I’m not that hungry this morning,” he said. “The pain medicine has made my stomach upset.”
“That’s because you took it without eating first.” Mom shook her head. “You need to follow the instructions on the bottle.”
“Stop badgering him, Ada,” Pop spoke up. “He’s a grown man, not a little buwe.”
She turned in her chair and glared at him. “Don’t you think I know that? I’m just trying to make things easier for him.”
“Then stop badgering.”
“I’m not.”
“Jah, you sure are.”
Unable to listen to his parents’ squabbling a moment longer, Wayne pushed his wheelchair away from the table and propelled it across the floor. The biggest trouble with being an only child was that Mom had no one to fuss over but him, and sometimes she could be downright overbearing.
Wayne was almost to the hallway when a knock sounded on the door. “I’ll get it!” he called before Mom could come running.
When he opened the back door, he was surprised to see Loraine on the porch.
“Wie geht’s?” she asked with a smile.
“I’m doin’ as well as can be expected.”
“Can I come in? I’d like to talk to you.”
“Jah, I guess it’ll be okay.” He opened the door wider. “My folks are about done with breakfast, but I’m sure there’s still some coffee left if you’d like some.”
“A cup of coffee would be nice.”
Wayne pushed the door closed and headed back to the kitchen. He couldn’t help but notice the scowl on Mom’s face when Loraine entered the room with him. He hoped Loraine hadn’t noticed.
“Guder mariye,” Loraine said, smiling at Mom and then Pop.
“Morning,” they said in unison.
“I invited Loraine in for a cup of coffee.” Wayne looked at Mom. “Is there still some in the coffeepot?”
She nodded, frowned, and pushed away from the table. When she returned with a cup of coffee for Loraine, she was still frowning.
“Danki.” Loraine took a seat at the table and looked over at Wayne. “I came by yesterday, but you were sleeping. So I decided to stop on my way to work this morning and see how you’re doing.”
“He’s got an upset stomach,” Mom said before Wayne could respond. “Didn’t eat much breakfast because of it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you think you’re getting the flu?” Loraine asked Wayne.
He shook his head. “The pain medicine upsets my stomach.” “That’s because you took it without eating first.” Mom reached for the teapot sitting in the center of the table, poured some into a cup, and handed it to Wayne. “Drink some of this peppermint tea, and I’m sure it’ll settle your stomach.”
Wayne set the cup down. “I don’t care for any tea—especially not peppermint. I never did like the taste of it.”
“Well, I’d like you to at least try a little bit,” Mom insisted.
Pop poked Mom’s arm. “You’re doing it again, Ada.”
“Doing what?”
“Badgering.”
“I’m only trying to make him fe
el better.”
Loraine fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth, obviously uncomfortable. “When I was here yesterday,” she said, lifting her gaze to meet Wayne’s, “your mamm said you were in a lot of pain.”
Wayne was about to speak when Mom butted in.
“Like I told you then, Wayne’s been having some terrible phantom pains.”
“How come you didn’t tell me Loraine was here to see me yesterday?” Wayne asked, leaning close to Mom.
She shrugged. “You were asleep. By the time you woke up, I’d gotten busy and forgot.”
Wayne ground his teeth. He had a feeling Mom had deliberately not mentioned Loraine’s visit. Mom clearly didn’t care for Loraine anymore, and he didn’t understand why.
They sat in silence for a while; finally, Loraine drank her coffee and pushed away from the table. “I’d better go. I don’t want to be late for work.” She moved toward the door, but hesitated as though there was something else on her mind.
“I’ll see you out,” Wayne was quick to say. He sure didn’t want Mom walking Loraine to the door.
Once they were on the porch, Loraine turned to him and said, “There was another reason I came by today, only I didn’t want to say it with your folks sitting there.”
“What’s that?”
“I wanted to know if you’ve reconsidered your decision not to marry me.”
Wayne’s heart began to pound. Loraine was everything he wanted in a wife. Yet he loved her too much to strap her with a cripple who couldn’t even support them by doing what he loved best.
“My answer’s still the same,” he mumbled. “And if you’re gonna keep bringing up the subject, then I think it’d be best if you didn’t come over here at all anymore.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“I do mean it. In fact, it might be best for both of us if we didn’t see each other except at church.”
She stared at him several seconds, tears welling in her eyes. Then she sprinted down the stairs and raced to the hitching rail where her horse and buggy waited.
Exhausted and fighting the phantom pain once again, Wayne turned his wheelchair around and entered the house. With only a glance in Mom’s direction, he wheeled down the hall and into his room. He didn’t have the energy to deal with anything else.
***
As Loraine guided her horse and buggy down the road, she replayed some of the things that had been said during her visit with Wayne. Every time she saw Ada, it became more obvious that the woman didn’t care for her. And every time she saw Wayne, he seemed to withdraw from her all the more. Even so, Loraine’s heart longed to be his wife.
How could he have suggested that I not come over to see him anymore? she fretted. I was so sure if he had a few days to think things over he’d have changed his mind about his decision not to marry me.
Tears stung the backs of her eyes, and she blinked multiple times in order to keep them from spilling onto her cheeks. I still think that at least part of Wayne’s rejection has something to do withhis mother’s dislike of me. If I could only think of something to do that would make Ada accept me, maybe Wayne would change his mind. Oh, I wish I knew what to do.
More tears came as Loraine passed the one-room schoolhouse where Jolene used to teach. Dorene Lehman, Timothy’s thirty-year-old unmarried sister, taught there now, but it was just until the school board could find a permanent teacher. Dorene was planning to move to a small town in Montana soon.
My cousin was well liked at this place, Loraine thought as she slowed her horse and studied the two-story wooden structure where she, too, had gone to school. The scholars must miss Jolene terribly. Jolene’s probably missing them a lot, as well.
Loraine gripped the reins a little tighter. I, too, miss Jolene, and also Katie. We four cousins were always so close. In times past, I could go to any of them for comfort when I was upset about something. Now Katie and Jolene are gone, and Ella’s so busy trying to comfort her mother and take care of things at their home that I feel guilty for bothering her with my problems. Wayne’s pushed me away, and Mom doesn’t understand me at all. I feel almost friendless right now.
Beep! Beep! Loraine startled when she realized that her buggy had drifted into the wrong lane, and she gasped when she saw that a car was coming straight at her!
CHAPTER 11
Loraine jerked on the reins. The horse pulled out of the way just in time to avoid hitting the car coming toward her. “Thank You, Lord,” she murmured. “That was too close for my comfort.”
She gave Trixie the freedom to trot, and by the time they were halfway to work, the horse had worked up a sweat. Suddenly, a siren blared behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her seat. Thinking that a rescue vehicle must be coming down the road, she guided her horse and buggy to the side of the road. The next thing she knew, a police car had pulled in behind her. She gulped when a uniformed officer got out of the car and headed her way.
“Is there a problem?” Loraine asked when the policeman stepped up to her buggy.
“Someone called in a report about a horse and buggy that had nearly hit them on this stretch of road.” He squinted over the top of his metal-framed glasses. “Since your horse and buggy is the only one I’ve seen on this stretch of road, I figured it had to be you.”
Loraine hated to admit that she hadn’t been concentrating on the road, but she didn’t want to lie to the man, either. “I ... uh ... yes, it was me.”
“Have you been drinking?”
“No, of course not! I was in deep thought about my fiancé having just lost his leg in an accident he and I were involved in several days ago, and I didn’t realize my horse had wandered into oncoming traffic.”
His forehead wrinkled. “I should give you a ticket for reckless driving, but since I can see how distraught you seem to be, I’ll let you off with a warning. However, I caution you to be more careful from now on.”
“Yes. Yes, I will.”
The officer glanced at Trixie and squinted. “I see your horse is pretty well lathered up, which tells me you must have been running it too fast. I really should call a vet to come check on the animal.” His bushy eyebrows pulled together as he slowly shook his head. “There’s too much animal abuse going on these days, and it’s got to stop!”
“My horse is lathered up, but I haven’t been running her too hard,” Loraine said. “She’s prone to sweating, so this is perfectly normal for her.”
“Are you sure about that?”
She nodded. “If you don’t believe me, you can call a vet to check Trixie over.”
“Trixie, is it?” The officer chuckled. “Okay, I’m going to trust that everything you’ve told me is the truth.” His smile faded. “Next time, though, you’d better keep a closer eye on your horse. Besides the fact that you should never run a horse too fast, there have been way too many accidents on this stretch of road, and we sure don’t need any more.”
“Thank you, sir.”
His smile was back. “Now run along, and don’t forget to rub that horse down good.”
“Of course.”
The officer returned to his vehicle, and Loraine breathed a sigh of relief. This was not starting out as a good day!
***
Wayne closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Loraine and how dejected she’d looked when he’d said he hadn’t changed his mind about marrying her. It almost killed him to give her up, but he saw no other way.
He curled his fingers into his palms as he stared at the stump of his leg. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept what’s happened to me because I’ll never be a whole man again.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Wayne turned his head toward the door and called, “Come in.”
“I’m glad you’re not asleep,” Pop said when he poked his head into Wayne’s room. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What’s that?”
Pop stepped into the room and took a seat in the chair
next to Wayne’s bed. “I’ve been praying about something for sometime, and I’ve finally made a decision.”
“A decision about what?”
“I’m going to quit farming and turn my hobby of taxidermy into a full-time business.”
Wayne’s teeth snapped together with a noisy click. “You’re kidding!”
Pop shook his head. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long while, and I feel now’s the right time.”
“What about your land? Who’s going to farm it if you open a taxidermy business?”
“I’m going to lease out the land to Harold Fry. I’ve already talked to him about it, and he’s agreed to the arrangement.”
Wayne’s face contorted. If felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. He had a hunch Pop’s decision to quit farming and open his own taxidermy business was because of him and his missing leg.
Pop tapped Wayne’s shoulder a couple of times. “If things go well, like I hope, then I might need a partner in my new business.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of me.”
“I sure was. I think taxidermy would be a good thing for you to try, and it’s something you can do from your wheelchair if necessary.”
Wayne shook his head vigorously. “No way! Working with a bunch of dead animal skins isn’t for me!”
“How do you know that?”
“ ’Cause it isn’t, that’s all. I’d rather be farming.”
“But you can’t farm anymore. You said so yourself.”
Wayne jerked his head, feeling as if he’d been slapped. “I—I know what I said, but if I should get a prosthesis, and if we were both farming, then maybe—”
Pop held up his hand. “The decision’s already been made about the farm, and I think I know what’s best. You’ll just have to accept things as they are.” The floor squeaked as he rose from his chair. “Anytime you feel ready, I’ll be happy to teach you what you need to know about taxidermy.”
When the door clicked shut behind Pop, Wayne rolled over and punched his pillow. If he wants to become a taxidermist, that’s up to him, but he’ll never talk me into messing with it!
A Cousin's Promise Page 6