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

by Sarah Price

  With a heavy heart, Leah looked at the doctor and asked the burning question that was on her mind: “What do we do now?”

  “Well,” he began, switching back into professional mode, the sympathetic voice gone and replaced with one that was more focused on being matter of fact. “Being that there is no parent alive and all his siblings tested negative, we’ll need to look for a donor elsewhere,” the doctor said. However, there was a look on his face that told Leah another truth: Other donors would be hard to come by.

  At that moment, Leah knew what she needed to do. The thought had been hiding in the deep recesses of her mind and she had fought to keep it there. Now, she knew that she had no choice but to confront it head on. “There might be one other person,” she said softly. “I’ll need a few days to sort it out, though.”

  The doctor raised an eyebrow but didn’t pry. “The sooner the better,” he replied, but left the matter alone.

  One person. One person that could possibly hold the key to Tobias’ future health and well being. Only Leah didn’t know how to find her. Even if she did locate the woman, what a dreadful and hurtful task it would be. After so many years, she’d have to confront that woman, tell her the truth. Yet, as bad as that would be, Leah also knew that it could very well be Tobias’ only hope. Oh, God, please give me the wisdom and strength that I need right now, she silently prayed as she left the doctor’s office.

  “You okay?” Michelle asked as Leah opened the door of the van, a dark expression shadowing her face. “I sense more bad news.”

  “There’s no match for Tobias among our family,” Leah said softly.

  “Oh Leah,” Michelle said, placing her hand on Leah’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  The gesture was comforting to Leah. It reminded her of something that her mamm would have done. And in that moment, she could almost imagine her mamm whispering in her ear the very words that she needed to hear: you can do this, Leah.

  “Would you mind taking me to the farm and coming back for Sadie?” Leah asked Michelle. “I need some time to think.”

  “Of course not,” Michelle replied, a kind look in her eyes as she put the car into drive. “That’s not a problem.”

  As soon as she returned to the farm, Leah paid Michelle. She had visited the bakery to tell Susie and Lydia that she would close up for the day. She hadn’t had to tell either of them twice for they both barely said danke before they were hurrying out the door.

  Today, Leah didn’t mind. She needed time to think and plan what she would say. She went through the motion of cleaning up what she could while her mind ponder her options. By the time everything was cleaned and ready for the following day, Leah had no more excuses for delaying the inevitable. Like a bandage, she just needed to pull it off and address the underlying wound.

  Her heart was heavy as she locked the door behind her and hurried toward the barn. She needed to talk to Thomas before she spoke to Jacob. She would need the support of her husband to do what needed to be done. She was sure that it would be a hard conversation and one that could surely do more damage than good. But she had no choice in the matter. Jacob was the only one that could help her find the single person who might still be able to help her Tobias.

  He wasn’t in the barn but in the backfield, the four mules pulling the hay baler for the season’s last crop of hay. The sky was changing colors and she knew that he wanted to finish before the rain came. However, when he saw her approach, he pulled back on the reins and stopped the team. He watched her, his expression faltering for he surely knew that Leah was bringing with her more bad news.

  “Wie gehts?”

  She motioned for him to step down from the baler. The setting was not ideal to have this discussion, but she knew that she had no choice. “Need to speak with you a spell, Thomas,” she said solemnly. “Family matter.”

  “Tobias?”

  She nodded. “There was no match among us,” she admitted as he jumped down and stood before her.

  “Oh Leah,” he said, removing his battered straw hat and wiping the sweat from his brow. “That’s not gut news.”

  “Nee,” she admitted. “Sure ain’t.”

  “What now?”

  Leah inhaled, letting the air fill her lungs. She leveled her gaze at her husband and raised one eyebrow in a perfect arch. “It’s time to have that discussion with Jacob,” she said in an even tone. “And I’d like you there to help me.”

  “Jacob?”

  She nodded her head, staring her husband directly in the eye. For a moment, neither spoke out loud for there was no need. Silent words passed between them and, when the look of disbelief had crossed her husband’s face, she knew that he had finally understood what she was really implying. “It’s time he knew the truth and it’s time that he stepped up. He’s the only one who will know where to find her and she’s the only one who might be able to help Tobias.”

  The idea did not sit well with Thomas, that much was apparent. But she also knew that he would not deny her this request. Years ago, when she had first confided in Thomas, he had been understanding and supportive, even if just a tad shocked at the secret. The fact that no one else in the family knew the truth had been the most surprising aspect of the tale. Yet, they had never spoken about it again and, frankly, over the years, she often wondered if he had intentionally forgotten.

  Clearly, that had been wishful thinking. He tugged at his beard and glanced toward the house. She could see his eyes glaze over as he digested what she had just said. Patiently, she waited for him to collect his thoughts. It took a few minutes, long minutes that seemed to drag on even longer, given the heat of the noon sun.

  “Reckon this day had to come,” Thomas finally said with a deep sigh. He planted his hat back upon his head and forced a smile of encouragement in Leah’s direction. “I’ll finish up here and meet you back in the yard. We can tell him together then, ja?”

  “I’ll go check on the kinner; perhaps Rebecca can watch them for a spell, and I’ll meet you there,” Leah replied before turning toward the house. Thomas was a gut man but she knew that he didn’t fully understand the weight of the family that she carried on her shoulders. Nor did he understand that at times, being the strong one of the family didn’t mean that she didn’t need anyone. Quite the opposite. There were times that she yearned for someone to just hold her and tell her that everything would be okay. But that wouldn’t be happening today.

  Snapping back to reality, Leah walked across the dusty yard to the house. “Sure is humid today,” Leah spoke aloud. At that moment, a gust of wind picked up dust particles as it swept across the yard, blowing them into Leah’s eyes. Shielding her eyes for a moment till it passed, Leah continued on to the house. Finding all her kinner to be safe, Leah washed her hands in the kitchen sink and wiped her face, clearing any dust that might have stayed in her eyes. Placing the towel back on the peg hung by the sink, Leah placed a hand on each side of the sink and leaned forward lowering her head. “Lord, be with Thomas and I, as we speak with Jacob, and please give Jacob a soft heart with which to receive the words he is about to hear.” Taking a deep breath, Leah turned and walked out the door.

  “I’m as ready as I’m going to be” Leah said with a sigh as Thomas approached.

  “Let’s find him and get to it, then” Thomas replied with a matching lack of enthusiasm. As they crossed the driveway toward the barn, Thomas lifted his head and looked at the sky. “Looks like the rain is moving in.”

  Leah stared at the dark sky. The clouds were rolling in quickly and the birds were chirping in rapid succession as if expressing warnings to each other. It did look like a storm but the air did not feel quite like rain. “I heard at the bakery this morning that it would be real bad this afternoon,” she finally said. “Storms at the bakery, storms at the hospital, now a storm with Jacob. Let’s hope whatever is blowing in this direction is a bit less dramatic, ja?”

  As the winds picked up around them, they walked toward the barn.

  Susi
e

  She was sitting on the porch when Merv finally emerged from the house. His hair was disheveled and his shirt un-tucked from his pants. One of his suspenders hung by his hip and his feet wore dirty socks. He stood in the doorway, his red eyes squinting in the sun as he tried to adjust to the brightness of the sky.

  It was blue. The clearest blue that Susie could remember having seen in months. Ohio skies had a personality, one that spoke of life and love and God’s blessings. Today was no different, despite the weight that pressed upon her chest. With past experience though, Susie knew that blue skies could quickly turn grey. All morning long, people had talked about an upcoming storm and, sure enough, she could see dark clouds forming along the horizon. The wind was starting to blow harder than just a regular fall breeze, that was for sure and certain.

  Here it comes, she thought as she took a deep breath and faced her husband, knowing full well that their own storm was brewing right there on the porch.

  “Where’s the kinner?” he asked gruffly, scratching at the untrimmed beard that covered his chin.

  “Over at my bruder Jacob’s,” she responded. “Esther is watching them today.”

  If he thought to ask why, he never did.

  “Leah and Sadie were here two days ago,” she mentioned solemnly. Had it been that long already? Had he really been so incoherent during the two solid days that had passed? In truth, she hadn’t even seen him. He had stayed in the barn until late and she had slipped from the bed before he even awoke. For the past two days, she had taken the kinner to Esther who watched them while she continued cleaning the house. While Sadie had volunteered to help, Susie had declined, knowing that it was best to handle this task on her own, especially given Merv’s condition.

  A condition that she had denied for years. A condition that was secret no more, she reckoned.

  “So?” he replied, his voice scratchy and gruff.

  “They helped me clean the house,” she stated. She hated how flat her voice sounded but she knew that she had to be strong and devoid of emotion. “Church service is to be held here on Sunday. You remember that, right, Merv?”

  He made a face but said nothing.

  “You know they found your bottles, Merv,” she said, forcing herself to sound stronger than she actually felt. “They found them and they now know the truth. They know you are drinking all that alcohol. You passed out, Merv. They helped me get you into the bed. Surely you do remember that much.”

  He waved his hand evasively at her and began to turn, attempting to retreat to the house. But Susie jumped up and, finding an inner strength that she didn’t know she possessed, reached out to grab his arm. He swung back and glared at her. “What is it now?”

  This was the moment. Susie took a deep breath as she leveled her eyes at him. For the past day, she had role played this moment, the moment when she would need to confront him. She had stared into the small mirror in the bathroom, practicing the speech she would deliver and the expression she would don. For hours, she had paced the floors, freshly waxed from her efforts to erase the sin from her house, as she replayed in her head what she wanted to say. Ja, she thought. Now is that moment. It has come.

  “I understand, Merv,” she started. “I understand now where your anger toward me is coming from. But I also understand that this is the time when you must face that demon and tell Satan to be gone! Rid yourself of this evil, Merv, and come back to me and to the kinner. Do you want to be like your daed, Merv? Is this the life you want us to live from now onwards? Because I sure don’t.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped, a harsh look on his face as he glared at her.

  “The alcohol!” She clung to his arm. “It ruined your daed, Merv. Now it’s ruining you and ruining our family. You hide it but not so well anymore. Now that people know…that family knows…it’s time to face it and let it go.”

  He continued to scowl at her but said not a word.

  “Your mamm told me about your daed, Merv. All of it. The way she felt. The way you felt. She told me how your daed would raise his voice and show his temper.” She paused and, using her eyes, she pleaded with him silently. She could see that he wasn’t going to respond but yet, she could also see that he was listening. “I felt for your mamm when she talked to me, Merv. I understood how she must have felt. You see, the angrier you get, the less I want to be here,” she confessed.

  It was true. It had taken her a long time to realize the reason behind both her desire…no, her eagerness…to abandon her home in exchange for working at Whoopie Pie Place. Despite the fighting and bickering, the long days and the headaches, it was better to be there, than to stay at home. Her kinner were safer at Dora’s, that was for sure and certain. But the truth was that hiding was no life for anyone. And Dora had taught her that the truth had to be faced.

  “Your mamm is practically raising our kinner and that’s not fair to them or to her.”

  A shadow of darkness fell over the house. She glanced at the sky, suddenly aware of a huge dark cloud that was hiding the sun. A gust of wind began to blow through the air, the leaves of nearby trees rustling.

  “We don’t have a farm anymore and you are barely getting by, working with those Englische men,” she continued. “They are dragging you down, Merv; this is destroying our family.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped.

  “I was there, Merv,” she snapped back. “I saw the liquor bottles. In my heart, I’ve known it all along. It all makes sense now…the anger, the rages, the complaints.” She refused to avert her eyes from his face. “It is unchristian and I won’t be having it in my house.” Lifting her chin, she dared him to defy her next statement: “And I’m telling you now that it needs to stop.”

  “I’m the husband,” he said, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. “I run this house, not you!”

  “Then do it, but do it with a clear head and not one full of demons!”

  If he was surprised by her confrontation, he did not show it in his reaction. Yet, she thought she saw something shift in his confidence. In all of their years together, she had never stood up to him, never faced his wrath or fury with more than a dipped head, averted eyes and silent prayers.

  “I pray for you, Merv,” she continued when he did not speak. “I pray that you will make the right choice. We have kinner to raise and I want to do it in a house full of God and grace. I want a farm, a real farm, with a husband who rises early, praises God, and works the earth with his kinner and his fraa beside him. This life that we have been living has been too separate for too long.” She paused and lifted her chin as if challenging him to defy her. “I won’t live it any longer, Merv. And I reckon that, if you look deep within you, you don’t want to live like this any longer, either. It sure must weigh heavy on your soul.”

  Silence.

  He didn’t respond. Not at first. He seemed to be thinking and she wasn’t certain of what. Yet, the first sign of anything positive was the very fact that he had not responded. There was no anger in his eyes or harsh words upon his lips.

  She took a deep breath and continued, this time with a softer voice. “We love you, Merv. Whatever problems you are facing, the problems that are causing you to hide in the sin of drinking, you don’t have to face them alone.” More silence. She took a deep breath. “It’s time for you to put away that bottle and become the man that God wants you to be. The man that you are capable of being. The man that we need you to be.”

  Once again, Merv narrowed his eyes, the only reaction that he had during the last part of her confrontation. And then, just as quickly, his expression returned to being blank. For a hopeful moment, she thought he was going to open up to her, to talk and share his feelings. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked into the house.

  As the door slammed shut behind him, she sank onto the bench and lowered her face into her hands. God, she prayed, this burden is more than I can bear. I know that I should pray for stronger shoulders
, not lighter burdens, but please, God, show me some mercy or, at least, guide me through these very murky waters.

  Her prayer was interrupted as the door reopened. To her surprise, Merv reappeared. He paused, just a brief hesitation, before he stepped back outside and onto the porch. In his hands, he had a brown bag that was folded over once at the top. He clasped it by the fold and stepped toward her.

  “Here,” he said, thrusting the bag into her hands. The sound of glass bottles could be heard. He lifted his chin and stared down at her. “Ain’t making no promises,” he mumbled. “But I reckon I can try. For you and for the kinner, at least.”

  Looking at the bag in her hand, Susie looked up in time to see Merv walk off the porch toward the barn. His shoulders were slumped over as though he had the weight of the world on them. With his hands shoved into his pockets and his head hanging down, he looked like a broken man, one that was lost.

  She opened the bag and saw that there were three bottles of liquor inside. Satan, she thought, a shiver racing up her spine. Still, as she saw the bottles and then lifted her eyes to watch Merv disappear into the barn, she caught her breath. At that moment, she wondered if her prayers had finally been answered. If alcohol was at the root of Merv’s problem and if he was willing to try to recover from this dreaded disease, then there must be hope for a better future! Surely this wouldn’t be of the devil and one of his tricks. No, she was sure and certain that her sisters, upon finding the bottles, had set in motion their prayers for Merv. His gift to her, this bag filled with evil, was of God’s will.

  Lydia

  She had ridden her bicycle back to the bakery, realizing that she had left her handbag behind the counter. Her headache pills were in her handbag and she needed them. Her mind was whirling as much as the wind around her. The sky had changed in almost no time at all. But she hadn’t feared the storm. It would only take her but a short thirty minutes to make the trip and return. Besides, the time alone and out of the house did her good.