The Divine Secrets of the Whoopie Pie Sisters: The Complete Trilogy

by Sarah Price

  Thomas forced a smile at her, one that spoke of understanding and tenderness. He reached out and rubbed her arm. “You go on inside now,” he said. “I’m sure the kinner want to come up and see the outside. Just warn them to put on their shoes and to be careful where they walk. There’s debris everywhere.”

  She nodded but made no move toward the house. Her feet were firmly planted on the ground. Instead, she watched as Thomas walked away, his shoulders hunched over and his hands thrust into his pockets. He gave no mention to the tear in the side of his shirt where a flying piece of metal had cut into his side. It was almost ten minutes later when she heard the humming of the buggy wheels along with the clopping of horse hooves heading out of their driveway. She waited until the sound disappeared before she took a deep breath and walked toward the house, praying once again for God to give her strength and that Thomas would find everyone safe and well. Especially Susie and Lydia.

  Earlier That Day

  Whoopie Pie Place

  After being closed the previous day, there was much catching up to do. Leah, not able to sleep, had gotten up early and had been in the bakery a couple of hours before the others. The sisters weren’t their usual outspoken selves, each in their own world and not interacting unless necessary. A heavy veil seemed to shroud the bakery.

  At the clanging of the bell, Leah knew that Sadie had unlocked the door and turned the sign to OPEN. Going to the front window, Leah recognized several people already walking up the front steps, women that were regulars at the store.

  Reaching a hand up to smooth the back of her kapp, Leah greeted the first one with a cheerful, “Gut mariye Jenny! How are you this fine morning?”

  “Gut mariye, Leah. I’m right as rain today, danke!” she replied, a bright smile upon her face. “Noticed you were closed yesterday, ja? Everything all right, then?” Jenny questioned, with a look of concern.

  “We had some family matters to tend,” Leah responded, not wishing to divulge more details. Normally, she would have gladly shared the reason for closing with Jenny, but there were other customers starting to enter the bakery. Besides, Leah wasn’t ready to begin answering questions as of yet. Stepping aside to let Jenny through the door, she offered: “Would you like your usual whoopie pies this morning?”

  “Ja, that will do me right nicely,” Jenny responded, glancing over her shoulder at the three Englische women who were already lingering around the store, deciding what to buy. “Busy already,” she pointed out to Leah. “Must be because you were closed, ja?”

  Before Leah could respond, one of the other customers spoke up.

  “Why were you closed yesterday?” the other woman said as she walked up to the counter, her black handbag slung over the crook of her arm. She reached up and brushed her grey hair off her forehead. “You know, I really needed a pie for a women’s meeting at church evening last!” With wide eyes, she stared at Leah, as if expecting an apology for the inconvenience. “I had to settle for one of those day-old pies from the local grocery store.”

  “Oh Layuna,” her companion laughed. “I think you’d just about complain as well, even if everything was perfect!”

  “Now, Julia, that’s just not true!” Layuna fought back. Though a head shorter than Julia, Layuna was definitely a force to be reckoned with and Leah held back her smile at the exchange.

  “Oh fiddle faddle,” their third friend, Patti, scoffed teasingly. “You two would just about argue over the color of the sky! Is it blue or grey?”

  These three Englische women had been regulars of the bakery for well over a year. While they didn’t come in weekly, Leah knew that they visited at least twice, if not three times a month. It was their friend, Esta Mae, who had brought them along with her last fall to buy some whoopie pies for a book club meeting they were having. In fact, Esta Mae almost always accompanied them.

  “Where’s Esta Mae this morning?” Leah asked. “Sure is odd that she isn’t with you. She ain’t feeling poorly now, is she?”

  “Oh, she just plain out ditched us today!” Julia said, waving her hand in the air. “Had some shopping to do with Richard.”

  Patti clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “Choosing shopping and Richard over whoopie pies and us! Who could possibly imagine?”

  They spent a few moments wandering down the aisle, looking at the different pies and cookies that stocked the shelves. After handing Jenny her box of whoopie pies, Leah bid her a good day and then took a moment to retreat behind the counter and put on her apron. She had not done that prior to opening of the store.

  “Have you ladies decided on what you want yet?” asked Leah, glancing up as she heard another car pull into the small parking lot in front of the bakery. It was early for so much traffic, she thought, and wondered if having been closed the day before had, indeed, anything to do with it.

  “I want two of these glazed donuts.” Julia said pointing at the freshly baked donuts that Sadie had brought from the kitchen and put in the display case. “One for each hip,” she added with a wink.

  Laughing, Sadie just about dropped the next batch of whoopie pies that she was carrying into the front of the store from the kitchen.

  “I think she meant for our meeting!” Layuna pointed out. “Two donuts may serve your hips well but what about the other ladies? They have hips, too, you know!”

  While Layuna and Julia laughed at the joke, Patti rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Never you mind them, Leah. Esta Mae told us to get one dozen whoopie pies, half chocolate and the other half pumpkin, if you have them.”

  After putting the last of the goodies in a box for the book club ladies and tying it shut with white string, Leah turned to the next customers, a man and a woman. With a pleasant smile, she enquired as to how she could help them.

  “Are you Old Order?” asked the woman as she marched toward the counter.

  “Kathy, you talk to much,” said the man who appeared to be her husband.

  “And you don’t talk enough, Tim!” she retorted and turned back to Leah, her dark eyes waiting for an answer to her question.

  “My family is Old Order, ja,” Leah reluctantly acknowledged, suppressing the inward sigh that she wanted to exhale. “Speaking of orders, is there something in the display case that I might be able to get for you? A scrumptious ground cherry pie that we made with freshly picked ground cherries? Only available in the autumn and winter, you know. Or how about one of my sister Susie’s scrumptious loaves of bread?”

  While mulling over the delicious pastries, Tim spoke up: “Could you order already, Kathy? Weatherman says it’s supposed to rain this evening and I’d like to get the grass cut before it starts.”

  “Well, I can only hope that Mother Nature changes her mind as the day goes on and that the storm heading our way goes around us. I’ve got a couple of silos that I need filled today. So, since everyone is standing around, mind if I order? My wife sent me for one of those ground cherry pies,” replied one of the local farmers that had walked in unnoticed.

  “Hey Bud, I didn’t see your come in,” Tim spoke reaching out to shake Bud’s hand. “How is Kathleen doing today?” Tim said, moving to the side to let his friend approach the counter.

  “She’s good. Just getting ready to fix lunch for some Amish ladies that work for her. I tried to tell her I didn’t have time for this. But you know how the wives get when an Amish woman is coming to visit!” Leah glanced up at his comment, curious to learn how, exactly, an Englische woman behaved in such a situation.

  “Oh sure,” Tim replied, gesturing toward his wife. “Mine’s no different! She has to have the house spotless and the windows shinier than a new penny.” Both men laughed while Leah suppressed a smile. “What’d you hear about that storm?” he asked, changing the subject. “I’ve got to get that field cleared and my silos filled before all this rain gets here. I hear tell it’s going to be some dandy downpour!”

  As Leah continued to wait on the customers that streamed through the bakery, she was glad when it
slowed down for a moment. Walking into the office, she scanned over the contents of the paper she had filled out for the large order they had upcoming for the convention center, but she was having a hard time focusing on the words in front of her. She’d had a gnawing headache all morning and it seemed to be getting worse.

  Looking at the clock on the wall, she realized she didn’t have time to worry about it. She wanted to go visit with Tobias before she had to go see Dr. Bodine. Today was the day. He would have the results that she was so anxiously waiting for.

  “Sadie, phone’s for you.” Susie yelled across the bakery. Leah was so into her own thoughts that she hadn’t even heard the bakery phone ring.

  Crash, Bang! “I swear Lydia. What is wrong with you today?” Leah cringed when she heard Susie cry out as she jumped when several metal pans fell from the counter onto the floor, causing quite the ruckus.

  “Don’t start on me Susie,” Lydia cautioned back. “I’m not feeling well this morning.”

  Hearing the fussing, yet again, of these two sisters, only increased Leah’s headache. She sat down and opened the right top drawer of her desk. Fumbling through its contents, she found what she was looking for: a bottle of aspirin. With some hesitation, she opened the bottle and dispensed not one, but two round tablets into the palm of her hand before snapping the top back on the bottle and shoving it into the drawer. Without waiting for water, she popped the two aspirins into her mouth and tilted her head back, forcing them down her throat.

  Please let that help, she prayed silently.

  Laying her head on the desk for a moment, Leah took the time to dream about her evening. Oh, she just couldn’t wait to soak in a hot tub later on tonight. The thought of time alone, in hot water, just made her giddy with delight. It was exactly what she needed. Unfortunately, a knock sounded at the door and interrupted her daydream. She thought about ignoring it while knowing only too well that it wouldn’t be possible.

  “Who is it?” Leah asked, stress apparent in her voice

  “It’s Susie.”

  Looking up from the desk as the door opened, Leah replied, “I heard; and let me guess. Lydia’s stormed out again?”

  “Ja. That she did,” Susie responded, shaking her head in disgust. “It’s a daily act now, I reckon.”

  “Oh! For the love of peace! I’ll handle it,” Leah replied angrily, placing both hands on the edge of the desk as she pushed herself to her feet. She sighed and frowned as she brushed past Susie. “Well, for a moment I had quiet! Why do I have a feeling in my stomach that I won’t have any more of it for the rest of the day?”

  Walking out of the back door that Lydia had just stormed through, she spotted her sitting by the barn with her head in her hands. To her surprise, she saw Lydia sobbing, her cheeks stained with tears.

  Despite all of the quarrels and arguments, her bickering and storming about, Lydia was not one to cry. In fact, none of the Miller sisters cried. Something must really be bothering her, Leah thought, but the last thing she needed today was to deal with Lydia. Would this sister ever get it together? Where was all this abundance of emotion and drama coming from?

  “Lydia, what is it? What’s wrong with you today?” asked Leah as she sat down beside her. Not getting a response, Leah tried a different approach. “Lydia, what can I do to help?”

  “I just don’t feel well and no one cares,” Lydia managed to say in-between sobs.

  Rolling her eyes, Leah reached over and rubbed Lydia’s back. “That’s not true Lydia. We all care. We do.“

  “We? Nee, you may care and Sadie may care but that mean ole Susie, she doesn’t care about nobody but Susie.”

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Leah could hardly believe that her grown sister was acting yet again like a two-year-old. Leah responded: “Lydia, I need you today. Do you feel well enough to help me?”

  “Help you with what?” Lydia sniffed as she lifted her head to look at Leah, her eyes red and her cheeks stained with tears.

  “Ja, vell,” Leah began, trying to sound calm and patient. “I’ve an appointment with the doctor this morning and Sadie is going to sit with Tobias for a spell. That leaves only you and Susie. After closing earlier this week, I sure would hate to disappoint our customers.”

  Lydia’s face was softening.

  “So, Lydia, you can see that I really need your help. I simply can’t do it without you.”

  Another sniffle and she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “Really?”

  Leah nodded her head. Inwardly, she wanted to scream. However, she had learned something important today. If Lydia was going to act like a two-year-old, the only way to deal with her was to treat her like one. “Can I count on you to help? It’s important and I can’t do it without you. Susie can’t work both in the kitchen and the front waiting on customers. It’s just not possible.”

  “She does well to work in the kitchen. Out in the shop, she’d just cause trouble for everyone,” Lydia sassed in reply.

  “Lydia, that wasn’t nice,” she scolded but with a gentle tone in her voice. “It would be helping me, Lydia. I need you.” Knowing the only way to deal with Lydia right now was to plead on her sympathetic side, Leah traveled that path.

  “Well, ja, I can help you, I reckon. Just you. I’m not raising one finger to help Susie.”

  “Danke,” Leah said as she put one arm around Lydia’s shoulders and squeezed. Funny, she thought. Lydia sure doesn’t seem that ill, all of a sudden.

  Tapping Lydia on the knee with the palm of her hand, Leah stood up. “I see Michelle pulling into the driveway. Let me go and fetch Sadie.”

  “Leah,” Lydia spoke, her voice prompting Leah to turn back toward her just as she was walking away. “Why doesn’t God like me? Why won’t He give me a boppli?” Lydia asked in a sorrowful voice.

  “What?” Leah asked turning full around and facing Lydia. Not now, she thought, hiding a grimace. I don’t have time for this. Mustering up as much patience as she could find, Leah tried to sound calm. “What did you say?”

  “A boppli. Why won’t He give me one when He’s giving one to Sadie?”

  “Lydia!” She couldn’t help but gasp at what her schwester had just said. “You’re not making sense! Sadie isn’t having a boppli. Why, our Sadie isn’t even married! You’re just spreading gossip and that’s hateful bad!” Looking at Lydia, Leah knew in her heart that she was going to have to speak with Abe. Lydia was getting worse, not only making up her own illnesses, but now projecting them onto Sadie.

  “Tobias told me she is ill most mornings now and I overheard her on the phone earlier, making a doctor’s appointment! She didn’t want anyone to hear, but I heard her talking to a doctor,” Lydia replied bitterly. “I know what I heard.” The tears were gone, replaced by anger as Lydia jumped up and stormed toward the bakery.

  With a deep breath, Leah shook her head and turned back toward the store. Seeing a different side of Lydia, one that she hadn’t seen in a while brought concern to Leah. Lydia was now inventing things in her head. Or is she, Leah wondered.

  Sadie had been sick of late and had been acting funny. And, she did hear Susie tell Sadie that she had a phone call. With a hand to her mouth, Leah gasped. Oh, could it be? Not Sadie. Were the signs right in front of her and she was too preoccupied to see them? Oh Sadie and Manny, what have you done? No. It can’t be. It mustn’t be.

  At that moment, a gust of wind brought Leah back to reality. “One thing at a time, sweet Jesus. Please, one thing at a time,” she said out loud. “Lord, guide me. Wrap your arms around me and carry me through all of this. Help me be the rock that my family needs.”

  Sensing a smell of rain in the air, Leah looked across the sky for any sign that the rain would soon be there. It was said that living off the land made the farmers’ senses keener with such things. Many of the Amish relied heavily on their instinct as well as their little aches and pains and their behavior of their animals to determine that there were changes brewing in the weather. Leah was
no exception.

  Yes, that’s the reason for my headache…a storm, Leah thought. Then she laughed bitterly to herself: Lord, please don’t let my sisters be that storm and destroy our bakery while I’m gone.

  Leah

  “I’m sorry Leah.” His voice was somber and his eyes full of sorrow. While she didn’t know what it meant, she knew it was not good news. He lifted his hands and shrugged, just slightly. “I’m afraid that there are no strong matches amongst your family members…the ones that you bought here, Leah.”

  No matches. The words seemed to reverberate in her head. How was this possible? How could none of her siblings be a genetic match to help Tobias?

  Visibly shaken, Leah responded, “No one at all? Not even close?” She felt the tears brimming in her eyes. Do not cry, do not cry, she repeated to herself. Tears would not help solve the problem. She had known when he called and asked to see her that it was not good news. Good news could be shared over the phone. Bad news needed to be handled face to face. “How is that possible?”

  The doctor gave a gentle shrug of his shoulders. “Genetics have a funny way of not always doing what we think it should,” he explained softly. “There were close matches of the antigens but we are looking for six key antigens to match. Your one brother was the closest match but he shied short of the six.” He paused and leveled his eyes at her. “Without an exact match, we cannot do the transplant.”

  “There are cousins and kinner and…”

  He lifted his hand to stop her. “If a direct family member is not a match, it’s just not likely that more distant relatives will be, either. Of course, you are welcome to test them.” He gave her that look again. “But do you really think that other members of your church will do so?”

  She knew he was right. It was hard enough to convince Jacob and Lydia to get tested. For most of the g’may, illness such as this was God’s will and those affected should put their trust in God. She had often heard of Amish parents who watched as a young one died, rather than subject their kinner to Englische medicine. While it was the parents’ choice whether or not they pursued expensive cures or treatments, no one frowned on such decisions.