A Hope for Hannah (Hannah's Heart 2)

by Jerry S. Eicher

  “Yes,” Hannah said with a grimace. “I finally got enough nerve to go back into the kitchen.”

  “I imagine that took courage,” Betty said, “but it could happen to anyone.”

  “I suppose so,” Hannah allowed and then got to the news she really wanted to share. “Jake lost his job.”

  “You don’t say!” Betty was all sympathy. “Has he found anything else?”

  “Not yet. He went to the hardware store on Friday. They’re not hiring until the snowy weather settles in.”

  “More snow brings in the skiers,” Betty said. “What are you doing till then?”

  “Jake will think of something,” Hannah said, more confidence in her voice than in her thoughts.

  “I hope so. Let us know if it gets too rough.”

  “I will,” Hannah said and meant it but wondered if she would actually have the courage to ask for help. To beg was an embarrassment, no matter the reason.

  “Will your parents be staying with you?” Betty asked.

  Hannah knew why she had asked. Betty wanted her to share Kathy. But Hannah wanted her mother with her the whole week and said, “Yes. They’ll be with us the whole week.”

  “Well, how about supper at least?” Betty asked. “I’ll have to steal them a little. You’ll come over for supper one of those nights, won’t you?”

  “Of course,” Hannah agreed quickly, delighted at the invitation.

  “What do you think of the minister thing?” Betty whispered.

  “Surprising,” Hannah said because it was true and because the answer seemed safe to say. Any discussion of the subject wasn’t considered good form, and she hoped Betty wouldn’t go any further.

  “There’s Steve now,” Betty said. “I’d better get ready to go.”

  “Will you be at the singing?” Hannah asked, thinking she and Jake might go. If nothing else, it would get them out of the house. If Betty and Steve went, Jake might be easier to persuade.

  “I don’t think so,” Betty said, already moving toward the kitchen to pick up her wrap.

  Ten minutes later Hannah saw Jake hitch the horse and joined him at the buggy.

  They drove home in silence. Jake made no mention of the day’s events, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

  “Do you want to go to the singing?” she asked.

  Jake shook his head just as Hannah expected.

  Eleven

  During the first two days of the week, Jake made some repairs to the springhouse to make it even more secure from the bear. On Wednesday, he headed back into Libby to look for work. How Jake expected to find work as an Amish man in the Englisher world, Hannah wasn’t certain. It seemed to her an impulse-driven move, born of desperation, but she admired him for his persistence. At least he wasn’t sitting around the house moping.

  When Betty dropped by that afternoon, she brought with her the first good news Hannah had heard in a long time. She said Bishop Nisley could use some help with barn repairs. Nothing was said about pay, and Hannah didn’t raise the issue. She knew it was being offered as charity work even though Bishop’s barn probably really did need the repairs. But with winter still ahead, he just as easily could have waited until spring.

  Mr. Brunson stopped by just as Jake was pulling in, returning from his trip to Libby. By the time Hannah noticed and stepped out to the porch, Mr. Brunson had left, heading back toward his place.

  “He was just checking on the bear,” Jake said to Hannah’s unspoken question.

  “Did you find any work?” Hannah asked.

  “Mr. Brunson asked that too,” Jake said dejectedly. “The answer is no.” Jake went into the house and flopped onto the couch, his whole body language communicated discouragement.

  “Betty stopped by,” Hannah said. “John has a few days worth of barn work for you.”

  “So it’s come to that?” Jake asked as he stared out the window toward the quickly falling dusk.

  “It’s better than doing nothing,” she said.

  “I suppose so,” Jake allowed. “Mr. Brunson said he’s seen nothing of the bear the past few days.”

  “Neither have we, now that I think of it,” Hannah said.

  “It probably moved on, what with winter on its way.”

  “I hope it stays away. I don’t want to see it back next spring,” Hannah said. “So, what do you think? Will you go to Bishop’s tomorrow?”

  Jake nodded.

  Hannah made a good supper in hopes it would cheer Jake. He would need a good dinner because he had work tomorrow—work that, no doubt, would be difficult. When she called Jake to the table, the way he looked at the mashed potatoes, gravy, and ham made her glad she had made the extra effort. His eyes were hungry enough, but the doubt on his face still troubled her. He was probably looking at the days ahead, and the dismal view was obviously spoiling his usual enjoyment of a good dinner. Hannah resolved to do all she could for him. What that was, she wasn’t certain.

  After supper Jake got out his Bible and read it at length in the living room. Hannah hoped he would find some comfort there. Perhaps I should try it myself, she thought but wasn’t certain where to start.

  Jake solved the dilemma when he asked her to sit beside him. “I want you to hear this,” he said.

  He then read aloud, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

  Jake paused as Hannah thought of the Cabinet Mountains. Normally she would have agreed with the words about looking to the hills, but lately she wasn’t sure. With the bear possibly still near, the mountains had become dangerous to her.

  Jake continued, “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber.”

  “You think that’s true?” she asked him.

  “It’s in the Bible.”

  “The Bible’s always true, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “No moving of the foot, and God never sleeps,” Hannah said, thinking on the words.

  “Sounds comforting, doesn’t it?” Jake said.

  “Until you’re out of work,” she answered, lamenting.

  “Well, tomorrow I’ll go to Bishop Nisley’s,” Jake said. “Let’s be thankful for that.”

  “Yes,” Hannah agreed even as she realized the work on Bishop’s barn was not enough to solve their problem.

  Hannah went back to finish her work in the kitchen while Jake continued reading. She heard him leave for the bedroom soon after and followed when she was finished with her kitchen work.

  Hannah dropped off to sleep easily, woke only once in the night, but heard nothing unusual.

  She got up to fix Jake’s breakfast when the alarm went off. Jake was already in the barn and had Mosey harnessed for the ride over to Bishop Nisley’s. While Jake ate his breakfast, Hannah prepared his lunch. She packed some extra food just in case he might be extra hungry and then stood by the front window to watch him leave.

  Soon after, a light snow began to fall, and it continued throughout most of the gray day. Hannah liked the snow as long as it didn’t disrupt their lives too much. It wasn’t quite like Indiana snow, though, and that was all right with her.

  Jake returned home before dark, tired but happy at having worked.

  “Supper’s ready,” she said and then asked, “Are you going back tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” Jake said, “I’m going back the rest of the week. We might get done early on Friday.”

  And what then? Hannah wondered.

  When Sunday came around, Hannah was hoping someone from the community would have heard about their situation and might have offered Jake temporary work. It wasn’t to be, though, as church dismissed and not even Betty asked about Jake’s job status.

  Hannah’s parents, Kathy and Roy, would come on Thursday, which gave Hannah plenty to do. She enlisted Jake’s help by giving him a broom and wipe cloth and setting him to clean the spare bedroom.

  Somehow they made it to Thursday. H
annah had to keep her thoughts to herself more than once. She began to hope more and more that her parents might be the ones to suggest a move back to Indiana. Coming from them, it might be easier for Jake to accept. Hannah loved their home, but the presence of the baby inside her caused her to think of what was most practical. They simply couldn’t continue like this. With her parents coming, it would be an excellent time to make a decision, come up with a plan, and get the support they would need for the move. If only Jake would agree to it.

  Even with winter ahead, they would fare much better in Indiana than here. They could rent a place instead of buying one as they had done with the cabin. That was a decision Jake would have to make, though. With her father’s help, perhaps he could get a good-paying factory job, and they might be able to afford the payment on a small place.

  They had formed attachments to the cabin, the mountains, and the people, but she supposed time would heal the pain of leaving Montana. Betty would be the hardest to leave. Hannah could imagine the tears when she would have to tell Betty the news, but facts were facts, and the biggest fact right now was that they needed to do something soon. Surely Jake had realized this when he studied his checkbook. The cost of groceries must be clear to him as well, and now her mom and dad would come to visit. It all added up to extra mouths to feed, paid for by money they didn’t have.

  Hannah felt a little guilty when she gave Jake the list of groceries she needed and sent him into town Thursday morning. Jake studied the list long and hard, she thought, but left with Mosey without saying anything. And he came back with everything, even the maple syrup she wanted for at least one breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

  It will all work out, she told herself. Mom and Dad are part of the answer to getting us back on our feet financially. They are my parents and will surely help just as Jake’s parents would if they could. I will do the same for Jake’s parents, if and when they come to visit.

  Hannah sent Jake up the hill to remind Mr. Brunson of Friday night’s supper invitation. Betty had already spoken for Tuesday night. The van would be returning to Indiana on Wednesday, so Tuesday would be the last night her parents would be in Montana. Hannah’s heart thrilled at the thought of almost a week of family with communion Sunday stuck right in the middle.

  While Hannah was sweeping the kitchen floor, Jake returned with the news that Mr. Brunson was down with the flu.

  “Still, he hopes to make the Friday night date,” Jake said. “If not, he’ll bring word even if he isn’t feeling well, so you’ll know.”

  “Is it something serious,” Hannah asked.

  “Nah, just the flu,” Jake said. “I think he’ll come, though. He looked like he needed some company.”

  Hannah supposed he did, stuck up there on his mountain all by himself.

  That evening the van pulled in while Hannah was fixing supper. The pies were still in the oven, and the casserole was cooling on the tabletop. Jake came out of the barn to meet the van, and Hannah rushed out to the porch to find her parents had already pulled their suitcases from the van and were making their way to the cabin, her mother in conversation with Jake.

  “This is a wonderful spot,” her mother gushed as Hannah approached. “I remembered the area from when I visited Betty, but it’s even better in the fall. And your little cabin—what a place to live!”

  Kathy looked up to see her daughter. “Oh my,” she said and gathered Hannah in her arms for a long embrace. Kathy let go with a question on her face. “You’re not? I mean—really?”

  “Yes,” Hannah said, not surprised that her mother should guess.

  Jake’s face was the color of beets, and he said nothing. Perhaps when the baby was actually born, it wouldn’t seem such an embarrassing subject to him.

  Hannah hugged her dad as he turned from talking to the van driver and then said, “Well, come in. Looks like you were the last ones dropped off.”

  “Yes,” Roy said, “we were. The others had to get to their places first. We’re just the little peas in the pod.”

  “Roy,” Kathy said in mock horror and laughed. “He’s tired from the trip.”

  “Hard van seats,” Roy said. He then turned to say one more thing to the van driver who started to back out toward the main road.

  “The driver’s staying in Libby for the week,” Kathy said. “I guess we’re all on our own till then.”

  It was then that transportation crossed Hannah’s mind. “Oh,” she gasped, “I hadn’t thought of that. We only have a single buggy.”

  Kathy followed the train of thought and instantly waved her hand at Roy to hold the van driver. “So when will we need to get around?” she asked Hannah.

  Hannah thought frantically. “Sunday. I think only on Sunday. Betty can come get you on Tuesday.”

  “Roy,” Kathy called and rushed up to him, “we need transportation on Sunday. They only have a single buggy.”

  Hannah’s father nodded and waved back to the van driver before he drove off to the main road. Roy arranged for the driver to meet them there on Sunday morning for a ride to church. Hannah thought of the extra money her father would have to pay because drivers for the Amish charge by the mile. It made her realize, all the more, how far apart her and Jake’s situation was from her parents’.

  Perhaps, though, that could change—with a move back to Indiana. Now that her mother was here, Hannah’s face lit up with delight and the prospect of a change in their circumstances.

  Twelve

  “A log cabin,” Kathy said, looking around the kitchen and—Hannah was sure—at all the dust and maybe even a few pieces of food from the cooker explosion she had missed. Now that her mother was here, things she had never noticed before or had missed in cleaning, seemed to become evident and demand attention.

  “The explosion didn’t do too much damage,” her mother said by way of reassurance.

  “It’s a log cabin. Things do get dirty quickly,” Hannah muttered, figuring the obvious might as well be stated. No use pretending she had a spotless Indiana Amish house.

  “I didn’t notice,” Kathy said. “I was just looking at the logs. They seem tight enough. It’s cozy.”

  “We like it,” Hannah said, relaxing a bit.

  “I suppose you do. It fits the country and the mountains, which are almost right outside your doorstep.”

  “That and bears,” Hannah said.

  “Bears? Really?” Kathy said, shocked.

  “Yes. It’s a grizzly too.” Hannah made it sound as bad as she could.

  “Did you hear that, Roy?” Kathy stuck her head excitedly back into the living room. “They have a pet grizzly.”

  Roy chuckled, “Jake was telling me it had tried to get into the springhouse.”

  “What are you doing about it?” Kathy’s eyes were wide. “What about when the baby comes?”

  “The game warden thinks it won’t be back,” Hannah said. “I guess it’s holed up for the winter now—or at least headed for the mountains. It got Mr. Brunson’s pig too.”

  “Mr. Brunson?” Kathy asked.

  “He’s our neighbor who lives just up the road. I invited him for Friday night supper. I think he could use the company because I never see anyone visiting him.”

  “It will be nice to meet him, then.” To Hannah’s surprise, her mother asked the very question she had hoped to hear. “So when are you coming to visit us in Indiana?”

  “We can’t. We’re too poor,” Hannah said and then took her opportunity. “We might move back, though.”

  “Really?”

  “Jake lost his job. Bishop Nisley gave him some work last week, but this week he’s had nothing.”

  “Just like that—moving? I thought Jake’s job was long-term?”

  “We’re in trouble.” Hannah felt as though she should justify herself, though Jake probably wouldn’t have. “We have a mortgage to pay, you know.”

  “Most people do,” Kathy said and then glanced around the kitchen. “Are you cutting your expenses? I see all kin
ds of food around.”

  “Mom,” Hannah said as explanation, “you don’t come visit every day. I’m not cutting expenses while you’re here.”

  “But you should,” Kathy said. “Your dad and I understand. We know how to live without money. We had our hard times too.”

  “I never noticed,” Hannah said.

  “It was while you children were young,” Kathy said, “but you should be talking about this to Jake, not me. Is he agreeing to this move?”

  “No,” Hannah admitted, “but I think if Dad talked to him about it, he might. Dad might even be able to find him a job.”

  “We’ll let Jake look into that,” Kathy said, disapproval in her voice. It stung a little, but Hannah felt desperate. Something simply would have to be done—and soon.

  With her mother’s help, supper was soon on the table. Jake, all smiles tonight, asked Roy to say the prayer. It was good to hear her father’s voice again as he said the simple German words of petition to God. Not that Jake couldn’t pray, but he just didn’t have the gravity of tone or the years of experience in his voice.

  “So,” Kathy said when Roy was done, “you two are going to make us grandparents. That’s a first for us. Does it make you feel old, Roy?”

  “Real old,” Roy said, pretending deep regret for his future status.

  “Do your parents already have grandchildren?” Kathy asked Jake.

  “A few.” Jake’s face wasn’t quite as red as earlier. “Eight, I think, and another one on the way, courtesy of my oldest sister.”

  “So you’ve lost track already?” Roy chuckled.

  “It’s hard,” Jake said. “I have older brothers and sisters. I can’t keep up with them all”

  “Just like a man,” Kathy said. “Don’t even try.”

  “You’re going to enjoy being a father,” Roy said.

  Jake was silent for moment and then said, “I hope so. It’s going to be a bit hard for a while. I don’t think I’ve told you yet, but I lost my job.”