The Sound of Sleigh Bells

by Cindy Woodsmall

  Lizzy had barely passed through the doorway when she turned. “I…I wanted to tell you something. Omar asked me to marry him this afternoon.”

  “Hmm, he’s still here, and the two of you are glowing, so I guess you said yes.”

  “We’ve been talking about it for a while, but he officially asked today. I told him you had to be the first to know. Can you believe I’ve finally found love?”

  Tears stung Beth’s eyes, and she hugged her aunt tightly. Lizzy had carried unspoken aches for years. Arm in arm they left the room.

  “Ah, you told her,” Omar said softly.

  “Ya.” Lizzy stared into his eyes. Beth headed for the living room to give them a moment of privacy. When she looked back, her aunt and the bishop stood toe-to-toe, holding hands and whispering things no one else would ever know. Omar kissed Lizzy on the cheek, and Beth wondered if they might marry before the wedding season. The rules altered for those who’d lost a spouse; they could marry whenever they wanted. Omar had been single for many years, and Beth knew he’d cherish Lizzy as the great find she was.

  An hour later Beth sat in the passenger’s seat of Gloria’s van, waving to her family as she and Gloria pulled out of Lizzy’s driveway. Snow continued to fall throughout the long, quiet drive, and Beth gazed out the window while chatting with Gloria. It felt magical to have snow on Christmas, but she wished it would stop.

  The weather continued to slow their drive on Highway 22, but a little over four hours into the trip, Gloria merged into the far right lane to cross the Fort Steuben Bridge.

  “I hope your surprise visit doesn’t work out for you like it did for Jonah,” she said.

  “It won’t,” Beth replied. “He said the Kinsinger family spends Christmas Eve at his grandparents’ place, although he goes to Pete’s for a while first.”

  “Maybe we should stop by there on our way, just to be sure.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  Brake lights shone through the white fog ahead of them, and the van fishtailed as Gloria brought it to a halt, barely missing the vehicle in front of them. Surely they could make it all the way to Jonah’s. It was only fifteen, maybe twenty, more miles, but unease made Beth’s skin tingle.

  Beth looked behind them. Three or four cars almost locked bumpers before regaining control. Ahead of them, traffic on the bridge was barely moving.

  Gloria craned her neck, trying to see beyond the cars in front of them. “If the snow gets any thicker, we may both be staying with his grandparents tonight.”

  “I really don’t think you should try to go back tonight. Will staying be a problem?”

  “Ronnie won’t be home until suppertime tomorrow. I’d like to be there in time to have a Christmas meal waiting. This is supposed to let up by morning, so we’re good.”

  “Is it hard having a truck driver for a husband?”

  Gloria wrinkled her nose. “Honey, anything can be hard—having a husband gone all the time, or underfoot all the time, or no husband, or…whatever. The answer is to build a life around those things. If I sat around waiting on him, I’d get unhappy. So would he. If he gets home tomorrow and I’m not there, he’ll start supper, knowing I don’t get mad when he’s gone and he needs to return the favor. It works.”

  They slowly inched across the bridge and continued on Highway 22 until the Ohio River was miles behind them. Just as Beth started to relax, brake lights flashed ahead of them, and a couple of cars slid off the road. The sound of metal crunching made Beth’s stomach lurch, but Gloria managed to stay on the road as she stopped the van.

  “What happened?” Beth asked.

  “Not sure, but it doesn’t look good.” Gloria turned on the radio. “Maybe there will be a report.”

  The minutes inched along almost as slowly as the cars crammed together on the highway. Finally a traffic report let them know a tractor-trailer had jackknifed miles ahead of them.

  Even as they crept onward, Beth knew what they had to do. Once they turned off Highway 22 and began driving the back roads that lead to Tracing, the journey could be even more unpredictable.

  She stared at the snow-covered roads. It seemed wrong that an object as feathery light as a snowflake could collect into something keeping her from Jonah, especially when she was this close.

  “Gloria, we can’t keep trying to ignore the weather. We need to find a motel.”

  Gloria sighed. “I think you’re right. But with this weather, an empty room may not be as easy to find as it sounds.”

  Beth studied an information sign ahead, trying to read what hotels might be close. “It’ll be easier to deal with than getting stranded in a ditch.”

  Like every Christmas Eve, before going to his grandparents’ house, Jonah sat across the table from Pete. But tonight Jonah stayed longer than normal, hoping to hear from Beth. He’d called her, but twice the phone was busy, and since then no one had answered. She’d be with her family by now, and he should leave. He knew that. Still…”

  Care for a game of chess?” he asked.

  Pete’s day-old whiskers formed odd patches as he smiled. “Think you got the Christmas magic on your side this year?”

  “Nope, but I’m all for giving an old man a break once in a while.”

  “Giving an old man…” Pete leaned across the table. “Listen here, Jonah Kinsinger, you’re the Old Man.”

  “Then give me a break. And stop calling me Old Man in front of other people. It’s caused me nothing but grief lately.”

  The phone rang, and Jonah almost knocked the table over jumping up to answer it.

  Pete laughed. “You’re right. You don’t have an ounce of Christmas magic in you.”

  Jonah hurried into the store, glanced at the caller ID, and grabbed the phone. “Merry Christmas. I was hoping you’d call.”

  “Probably not hoping I’d call,” Lizzy said.

  “Well, Merry Christmas to you too, Lizzy, but I was hoping you were Beth.”

  “I figured that the first time we met.”

  Jonah chuckled. “Where is she?”

  “In Ohio, stranded in a motel off Highway 22.”

  “She went somewhere on business on Christmas Eve? In this weather?”

  “No. She went to see you.”

  “Me?” As the news sank in, he felt he housed the excitement of Christmas.

  “The two of you need some serious help with your romantic gestures, which is why I’m intervening. I thought Pete might own a tractor or you might have some way of reaching her.”

  He wasn’t sure he did have a way to get to her. He didn’t know anyone who owned a tractor. He had a sleigh, but it needed a specific type of snow to work. “Do you know what motel she’s in and where?”

  While Lizzy shared the info, Jonah took notes.

  “I’ll give it try. Merry Christmas, Lizzy.”

  “Merry Christmas.”

  Beth looked at the small, dreary motel room. Concrete block walls, cold stale air, and the tinny sound of the cheap television Gloria was watching made the disappointment sting even more. Blasts of frigid air found their way around the door that led directly outside. She removed the pins from her prayer Kapp and bun and, unwinding her hair, sat on the edge of the bed.

  Gloria held out a small bag of chips. “It’s all the vending machine had left.”

  Beth shook her head. “They’re all yours.” With her coat still on, she slid between the cold sheets and pulled a blanket over her head. Gloria flipped from one news station to another.

  Though she didn’t feel sleepy at all, Beth closed her eyes anyway. When the sound of sleigh bells jingled over an anchorman’s voice, she figured she must be sleepier than she’d thought.

  The television went silent. “Did you hear that?” Gloria asked. “Santa must be coming to this old motel.”

  Beth sat up. “You hear sleigh bells too?”

  “Sure do.”

  They moved to the window, but the frost kept them from seeing outside. Gloria shrugged and returned to wat
ching television. Beth slid into her boots and added a wool scarf over her head before she opened the door. A blast of freezing air ripped through the room, stealing what little heat they had. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

  The sound of sleigh bells rode on the night air like magic, and she looked in the direction the noise came from. She expected to see a dad in a red suit playing Santa for his stranded children on Christmas Eve, but no one came into sight.

  As she listened, she realized the sound was coming from the back side of the motel.

  She closed her eyes, letting the snow drift around her as she remembered so many childhood years of dreams and hopes. Memories of all the times her Daed came up with a substitute for a sleigh ride warmed her. The longer the sound went on, the lighter her heart felt. So her plan to see Jonah hadn’t worked. This was a substitute year, but now that she fully trusted him and knew she loved him, they’d fulfill the real dream soon.

  She opened her eyes. Through the dark night and white cloud of swirling snow, she saw a horse pulling a black sleigh with an Amish driver.

  Is it possible?

  Beth blinked.

  Jonah.

  Her heart pounded madly. Jonah pulled on the reins and slowed the horse until the sleigh came to a halt. He looked straight at her, and her mind jammed with too many thoughts to process.

  His beautiful smile didn’t say nearly as much as his brown eyes. “Merry Christmas.”

  Tears brimmed, and she couldn’t find her voice.

  “I knew if I kept circling the motel, you’d come outside.” He held out a basket. “My mother sent dinner.”

  She moved closer and took the basket. The aroma of a Christmas feast filled her.

  “Of course, you’re welcome to come home with me.” He patted the seat beside him. “Or we can stay here and eat…if I’m invited.”

  Stay here?

  Beth shook her head. “No. I mean, yes. But…but no.”

  He laughed.

  She drew a deep breath. “You’re invited to stay, but I’d much rather you go. I… I mean…taking me with you, of course. Oh, and Gloria too.”

  He leaned forward. “Are you rattled, Beth Hertzler?”

  She nodded, and tears warmed her cheeks. Was she dreaming? “How…”

  “Lizzy called Pete. I just happened to be there…waiting and wishing you’d call.”

  In her mind’s eye she saw children in the sleigh—just for a moment. She heard their laughter, but she couldn’t tell how many of them there were. She saw a white prayer Kapp or two and a couple of black felt hats. In that moment she understood why she’d begun hearing the sleigh bells of her childhood again. For her, it was the sound of hope and love. It rang inside her as she slept, trying to remind her that love was alive and worth whatever it took to hear it when awake. But she couldn’t have started hearing them again without Jonah.

  An overnight bag sailed above her head, and Jonah caught it. Gloria took the basket of food from Beth. “I’ll keep this. You go.”

  Jonah placed the bag on his far side. “You’re welcome to join us,” he said to Gloria.

  “No thanks. I’ll turn in early and hit the main roads first thing tomorrow. I have a feast to hold me over until then. I’ll come back for her on Sunday.” Gloria passed Beth her prayer Kapp and pins. “You enjoy your Christmas.”

  Beth hugged her. “I will. Thank you for this, and call Lizzy for me. I’m sure she’s sitting by the phone in the office, waiting to hear what happened.”

  “I will.”

  Beth climbed into the sleigh. Jonah lifted a blanket, and she slid in beside him. The seat, as well as the blankets, was warm. She looked at Jonah for an explanation. He showed her the power source for the two electric blankets—a converted car battery.

  “Pete loaned me the blankets. I had the rest.” He made a clicking sound with his tongue, and the horse moved off, gaining speed.

  Within minutes they were beyond all signs of town life. As they glided along the back roads, going up and down the hills that dominated the area, Jonah told her where the sleigh came from and why it was ready for use that night.

  He then slowly shared his secret—the pain of resenting his siblings, Amos most of all, as Jonah suffered surgery after surgery. And the horrid, guilt-filled days when he felt like he wouldn’t have saved any of them if given the same situation again.

  Beth studied the man beside her, needing to hear every word he shared. “When Henry died, it was easy to forgive him. But how did you get past the pain to deal with your anger and resentment against Amos?”

  “Well, time and medicine and family would have eventually helped, but during the worst of it, I caught a glimpse of how Jesus let go of His anger. Just a fraction of a second, mind you, but I saw Him on the cross, looking beyond the people who’d put Him there and to the Father He trusted. It seemed that He didn’t hold the people accountable because He wasn’t looking at them. When in the worst pain, He kept his focus on everything above.”

  His words circled inside her, and she snuggled closer. They passed through the small town where Pete’s store was located and continued on toward Jonah’s.

  The batteries ran out of energy, and the blankets stopped giving off heat. The wind chill grew bitter. When Beth shivered, Jonah urged the horse to go faster. Soon he pulled into his driveway and headed for his home.

  “You’re awfully quiet, Beth. I don’t think you’ve strung two sentences together since I arrived.”

  The fields were covered in snow that wouldn’t melt for months yet, but the land underneath would respond to the first signs of spring, and it would become rich with nutrients as the snow slowly melted.

  How could she share all that was in her mind and heart?

  Jonah stopped the sleigh in front of his house. She caressed his cold cheek with the palm of her hand, wishing he could read her mind.

  He studied her. “I won’t forget the gift of you being here for Christmas.” He moved in close, and she was sure he was going to kiss her.

  “Jonah!” a man yelled.

  She jolted, and Jonah smiled. “It’s just my brother. When it comes to us, he has really bad timing.”

  “Will he always?”

  “Always?” Removing the blankets, Jonah stood. “Did those words hint of a promise?”

  Beth nodded.

  He stepped out of the sleigh and helped her down. “Is it too soon to ask?”

  She shook her head, and his smile seemed warmer than a hearth at Christmas.

  Amos barreled toward them. “I’ll take care of the horse. The womenfolk insisted we clear a path from your cabin to Mammi’s, so you now owe us.”

  Beth pulled the woolen scarf tighter around her head, suddenly uncomfortable without her hair pinned up or her prayer Kapp on.

  “I’ll pay you guys back. Don’t you worry about that.” The mocking threat on Jonah’s face spoke of his deep friendship with his eldest brother. “Amos, this is Beth Hertzler. I do believe she might be around quite a bit in the future if you don’t scare her off.”

  Amos shook her hand, looking like his huge grin might soon give way to tears. Then he poked Jonah. “Me? What about you?”

  “Take the horse and go.” Jonah lifted her overnight bag from the sleigh. “I have something I need to ask Beth.”

  Amos took the reins. “I started a fire in the fireplace and in the wood stove in your bedroom more than an hour ago. Got coffee started a few minutes ago and lit a lamp in each room.”

  “Now that was useful. Thanks.”

  Jonah planted the end of his cane firmly into snow. With her overnight bag in one hand and his cane in the other, they went up the steps and into the cabin. The warmth of the room made her body ache from cold, but the place felt like a dreamland.

  Jonah held her bag, looking completely at ease. “I’m not sure where you’d rather stay tonight. You’re welcome to sleep here, if you won’t get lonely, or at Mammi’s.”

  “Here, if you don’t mind.”r />
  “Here it is. I haven’t stayed at Mammi’s since I was a teen. She’ll enjoy this.” He carried her bag down a hallway.

  Beth followed him but stopped long enough to peer into two empty rooms along the way. Neither had one stick of furniture or anything else in them, but they were bedrooms. She was sure of it. One for girls and one for boys. He’d built this house in the hope of having a family.

  He stepped into a large bedroom and set her things on the bed. “The wood stove at the foot of the bed will keep it warm all night.”

  Looking at the exposed beams, she tugged at the oversize scarf on her head, loosening it, but keeping it on. “This is so gorgeous.”

  When he turned to face her, she gazed into his brown eyes, a little uncomfortable at the desire that ran between them.

  His face told her he felt the same power. “I’ll check on the coffee while you get settled in.”

  As the soft thump of his cane moved across the wooden floor and down the hallway, she longed to hear that sound every day for the rest of her life. Slowly running her hand along the rough-hewn logs of the cabin’s walls, she left the bedroom and headed down the hall. “Jonah?”

  He stopped at the end of the hallway.

  “This whole place feels like you…I mean, like the carvings”

  “Not everyone would think that’s a great thing, you know,” he teased.

  “I’d never ask you to leave it.”

  “You don’t have to ask. I’ve already decided. Home will be in Pennsylvania.”

  “You’re part of a family-owned business.”

  “I’ve been mulling that over lately, and now I’ve got my eye on a cousin of mine who for years has made ends meet doing odd jobs. He’s even worked at the mill when we’ve needed help, and I feel certain he’d jump at a chance to work at the lumbermill full-time.”

  “But you built this house expecting to always live here.”

  He moved closer, and her heart thumped like a dozen racing horses. “I can build another one, and I have no shortage of siblings willing to buy or rent it. Or, if we economize a bit, we could keep it for visits.” He slowly reached for her hair, which cascaded from the loosely worn shawl that covered her head. His eyes moved over her face as he rubbed a lock between his fingers.