A large, annoying horsefly buzzed Daniel’s head, and he reached up to swat it away. The fly kept on circling and buzzing, flitting from Daniel’s head to the cow’s hind end and then back again. The nervous cow mooed, twitched her tail, and then sidestepped, making Daniel feel more exasperated by the minute.
Finally, when he thought he had everything ready to go, the cow let out a raucous moo-oo, kicked out her back leg, and slammed her foot into Daniel’s leg with such force that he was thrown against the wall behind him. Searing pain shot through his leg, and when he tried to stand, he knew without question that his leg had been broken.
“Pop!” he shouted. “You’d better come on over here ’cause my leg is busted.”
***
It seemed to Rebekah as if all the young people in her community were at the singing. Everyone had crowded into the Yutzys’ barn to play games and sing, and as usual, she sat on the sidelines in her wheelchair, listening to the lively banter and watching the door for some sign of Daniel.
I wouldn’t think he would want to miss out on all the game playing. Could he have changed his mind about coming? Of course, something might have come up to detain him.
Knowing it would do no good to worry or fret, Rebekah forced her attention onto the game of kickball several of the boys were playing on the other side of the barn. Simon was among those involved, and he was running around, trying to get control of the ball as if his life depended on it. Several young women sat on the sidelines, cheering the fellows on, but Rebekah couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm for cheering. If Daniel didn’t show up tonight, then she had come to the singing for no purpose whatsoever.
She sighed, and her eyes drifted shut as an image of Daniel’s kind face came to mind. If she thought hard enough, she could almost feel his warm breath on her upturned face—could almost sense him looking at her.
“Rebekah, are you awake?”
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a start. Someone had been breathing on her, but it wasn’t Daniel. Harold Beachy, Daniel’s sixteen-year-old brother, stood in front of her with his head bent down so his face was a few inches from hers.
Rebekah drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “Don’t scare me like that, Harold.”
“Sorry, but I need to speak with you about my brother.”
“Daniel?”
“Jah. He had a little accident in the milking barn awhile ago.”
“Wh–what happened?”
“A nervous cow kicked him real good.”
Rebekah’s heart slammed into her chest. “Oh, no! Was he hurt bad?”
Harold nodded. “From the looks of things, I’d say his leg was broke.”
“I–I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Our daed called 9-1-1 from the phone he keeps in the shed because of his business, and now Daniel and our folks are on their way to the hospital in our neighbor’s van.”
“How come you’re not with them?”
“Daniel asked me to come here and let you know what happened. He was worried that you might think he’d changed his mind about comin’ to the singing.” Harold gave her a crooked grin. “Don’t tell him I said anything, but I think he was planning to give you a ride home tonight in his courtin’ buggy.”
Under different circumstances, hearing that Daniel had planned to take her home after the singing would have made Rebekah’s heart sing, but learning that his leg was probably broken made her feel sick all over.
“Well, I’d better get going,” Harold said. “My driver’s waiting out front to take me and Abner to the hospital so we can see how Daniel’s doing.”
She nodded soberly. “Tell Daniel I’m real sorry about his leg and that I’ll be praying for him.”
Harold gave a quick nod, turned, and sprinted out of the barn.
Rebekah closed her eyes as she fought to keep the tears behind her burning lids from spilling over. She didn’t want to be here any longer. All she wanted to do was go home, where she could be alone to read her Bible and pray for Daniel.
***
“I hope Daniel will like the plant I picked out for him,” Rebekah said to her mother as the two of them headed down the road in their buggy toward the Beachys’ place. The morning after the singing, they had received word that Daniel’s leg was badly broken and he would have to spend a few days at the hospital, since he might require surgery. Word now had it that he was doing as well as could be expected and had been home from the hospital for two days. Rebekah was most anxious to see how he was doing and hoped that her visit might help cheer him up because he was no doubt in a lot of pain.
Mom smiled and reached across the seat to touch Rebekah’s arm. “I’m sure Daniel will like the plant you chose.”
Rebekah glanced at the cactus sitting in a cardboard box at her feet. “Sure is too bad about him getting kicked by that cow. He probably won’t be able to help his daed in the dairy barn for some time now that his leg is broken.”
“Maybe there are some things he can do from a seated position, same as you’re able to do.”
“Jah, but the kinds of things I do in my greenhouse aren’t the same as what Daniel’s expected to do with those ornery old dairy cows.”
“I’m sure he and his daed will work something out. And Clarence does have the help of his other two sons, so they’ll probably manage okay even without Daniel’s help.”
Rebekah nodded and leaned her head against the seat, trying to relax. As she closed her eyes, a vision of Daniel popped into her head. If it weren’t for her handicap, maybe someone as nice as him might want to court her. But under the circumstances, she couldn’t allow herself the privilege of even hoping for love or romance. She would have to be satisfied with Daniel’s friendship. After all, it was better than nothing.
***
Daniel was lying on the sofa with his leg propped on two pillows when Rebekah came rolling into the living room in her wheelchair holding a cactus with red blossoms in her lap. “It’s good to see you,” he said, as he started to sit up.
She shook her head. “Stay where you are. No need to sit up on my account.”
He dropped his head back to the pillow and grimaced. “I sure hate bein’ laid up like this.”
“I can understand that.” Rebekah wheeled up to the table near the sofa and set the plant on one end. “This is for you, Daniel.”
“Danki, that was nice of you.” Just seeing Rebekah was a gift in itself, but her thoughtfulness made Daniel realize why he’d come to care for her so much. “Is it from your greenhouse?”
“Jah. It’s a Christmas cactus.”
“I thought so. I’ve never tried raising one before, but I hear they can be kind of tricky.”
“Not really. Just be sure you water it once in a while—but not too often,” she added with a smile.
“I’ll do my best not to kill it.” He grunted. “Until I can be up and around more on my crutches, there isn’t much for me to do, so havin’ a plant to care for will be something at least.” Daniel knew his limitations were temporary, but it frustrated him not to be able to do the things he was used to doing. Even milking the cows would seem like fun compared to lying around on the sofa all day with his leg propped up on pillows.
Rebekah just sat staring at the cactus with a tiny smile on her face.
“Sorry I missed the singing the other night. Sure was lookin’ forward to seeing you.”
“Same here.”
“So how’d it go? Did you have a good time?”
“Not really. Since I can’t play any of the games that require two good legs, it’s not so much fun to sit and watch.” She lifted her gaze to meet his, and her cheeks turned rosy red. “After your brother came by to let me know about your accident, I asked Simon to take me home.”
Hope welled in Daniel’s soul. Had Rebekah left because of him not being there? Or had she simply gotten tired of sitting on the sidelines watching the festivities? He was about to ask when his mother stepped into the room with a tray of co
okies and two glasses of milk.
“Sarah and I are having tea in the kitchen, and I thought maybe you two would like some refreshments,” she said, placing the tray on the table beside the cactus.
“Danki, that’d be real nice.” Daniel grabbed the sides of the sofa cushion and pulled himself to a sitting position. “I’m always in the mood for some of your good cookies.”
Mom chuckled and ruffled his hair. “I’ve got a hunch you’re only telling me that so I’ll keep making more.” She smiled at Rebekah. “How about you? Are you hungry enough to eat a little snack?”
Rebekah nodded and patted her stomach. “Jah, I’ve got the room.”
As soon as his mother returned to the kitchen, Rebekah handed Daniel a glass of milk and a napkin with four cookies on it.
“So when’s the next singing, do you know?” he asked, placing the napkin in his lap.
“In a few weeks. I think it’s supposed to be over at the Hiltys’ place.”
He bit into a cookie and washed it down with a gulp of milk. “Maybe by then I’ll be able to go. In fact, I’m countin’ on it.”
Rebekah nibbled on the end of a cookie.
“How about you?” he persisted. “Will you go if I do?”
“I—I suppose I could.”
He grinned and chomped down the rest of his cookie. “That’s good news, Rebekah. It’ll give me somethin’ to look forward to until then.”
She smiled, and the light from the gas lamp nearby reflected in her eyes. “Jah, me, too.”
CHAPTER 17
“I’m sorry to be so late,” Daniel apologized as he hobbled into the Hiltys’ barn on his crutches. “I hope you didn’t think I wasn’t comin’.”
Rebekah, who sat in her wheelchair near the door, stared up at him. “I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe your leg might be hurting, so you had decided not to come to the singing.”
“I told you I’d be here, and I wasn’t about to stay home because of my leg.” Daniel glanced around the room. “Have I missed much?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Just some songs and a few games. We haven’t had anything to eat yet, but some of the men started the bonfire awhile ago, so we should be having the hot-dog roast soon, I expect.”
“Now that is good news because I’m a hungry man.” Daniel propped his crutches against the wall and lowered himself to a bale of straw near Rebekah’s wheelchair.
Rebekah smiled. Daniel made her feel so lighthearted. The sense of peace she felt while sitting with him made her wish the feeling could last forever. But she knew she needed to prepare herself for the day when Daniel would meet someone, fall in love, and get married. Then Rebekah and Daniel’s special friendship would be over.
“How’s the Christmas cactus doing?” she asked. “Is it still thriving?”
He nodded. “Haven’t killed it yet, and it sure is pretty. Makes me think of you every time I look at it.”
Rebekah’s face heated up. Surely Daniel hadn’t meant that he thought she was pretty. He probably had meant that seeing the cactus made him think of her because they both liked flowers and plants.
“Would you like to go out by the fire?” Daniel asked. “Maybe if some of us wander out that way, the Hiltys will get the hint and set out the food.”
Rebekah nodded. “You could be right.”
Daniel stood and grabbed his crutches. Then, following Rebekah in her wheelchair, they left the barn and headed across the yard to the bonfire.
The cool night air was chilly, and Rebekah suppressed a shiver.
“Are ya cold?” he asked in a tone of concern. “We can move closer to the fire, or I could get a quilt from my buggy.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I think my shawl will be enough.” She pulled the heavy woolen cloak a bit tighter around her shoulders.
“Rebekah, there’s something I’d like to ask you,” Daniel said in a most serious tone.
She looked up at him expectantly. “Oh? What’s that?”
“Well, I was wondering—”
Daniel’s words were chopped off when a group of young people rushed out of the barn, laughing and hollering like a bunch of schoolchildren. Karen Sharp along with several other young women began setting food on a nearby table. Then someone yelled, “God is good, and it’s time to eat!”
Rebekah glanced over at Daniel and smiled. “I guess this is what we’ve been waiting for.”
He nodded. “Would you like me to get you a hot dog and a stick for roasting?”
“Don’t bother. I can get it.”
“It’s no bother.” Daniel hobbled off and returned a few minutes later with two long sticks and a couple of hot dogs. “Would you like me to roast yours for you?”
“Roasting a hot dog is one of the few things I can manage to do for myself.” Rebekah knew her words had sounded harsh, and she quickly apologized. “Sorry. I—I didn’t mean to sound so ungrateful.”
He handed her one stick and a hot dog. “It’s all right. Since my accident, I’ve come to understand a little better how you must feel about not being able to do many things.”
“It is hard to rely on others so much of the time.” Rebekah rolled her wheelchair closer to the fire so she could reach the stick into the sizzling coals. Her stomach rumbled as she thought about eating some of the delicious food that awaited them. Besides the hot dogs and buns, there was potato salad, coleslaw, potato chips, sweet pickles, baked beans, chocolate cake, and, of course, plenty of marshmallows for roasting.
Since Rebekah had two free hands, and a lap to hold a plate, she dished up some food for Daniel and handed it to him after he’d found a seat on a bale of straw. Then she went back to the food table and filled her own plate. She had just returned to the spot where Daniel sat when Simon sauntered up to her.
“Rebekah, I need to talk to you,” he whispered.
“What? I can hardly hear you, Simon.”
“I need to talk to you!”
“What do you want?”
“I’ve asked Karen Sharp if I can give her a ride home in my buggy.”
“That was nice of you. I’m sure we can make room for her.”
Simon shook his head. “I don’t think you understand. I want to take her home—alone. So I was wondering if you might be able to find another ride.”
His words and the implication of their meaning finally registered, and Rebekah grimaced. The last thing she wanted to do was beg someone for a ride home.
“I can give Rebekah a ride,” Daniel said before Rebekah had time to think of a reply.
“I’d sure appreciate that.” Simon grinned and thumped Daniel on the back. Then he walked away quickly before Rebekah could say a word.
Her heart sank. Little brother was growing up—about to begin his own courting days. It wouldn’t be fair to hold him back. It wasn’t right to hold Daniel back, either. She studied him as he sat perched on the bale of straw, with his broken leg extended in front of him. She wondered how he must be feeling right now, having been put on the spot by her brother like that. She had hoped Daniel might ask to take her home tonight but not because he felt forced to do it.
“You’re not obligated to see that I get home, Daniel. If you’d planned to ask someone else, then it’s—”
Daniel held up a hand as he swiveled around to face her. “I didn’t agree to take you home as a favor to your brother, Rebekah. I was plannin’ to ask you anyways.”
Rebekah blinked a couple of times. “You ... you were?” “I was.” He smiled at her so sweetly she thought her heart might burst wide open. “So how about it? Will you accept a ride home in my courting buggy?”
Rebekah’s common sense said she should probably say no, but the desire deep in her heart won out. “Jah, Daniel,” she said with a nod. “I would like a ride home in your buggy tonight.”
***
“Your horse is so gross,” Rebekah commented once she and Daniel were settled inside his open buggy.
Daniel chuckled. “Toby’s a big one, all
right. He handles well, though, and we get along just fine.”
“Your buggy’s real nice, too.”
“Danki. I was pretty excited about getting it when I turned sixteen. I’ve had this buggy over four years now, and I still think it looks pretty good.”
“I can see that you take great care with it,” she said, letting her hand travel over the black leather seat, so smooth and shiny.
Daniel answered with a smile and a nod as he took up the reins and moved the horse forward.
They rode in silence for a while, with the only sounds being the steady clip-clop, clip-clop of the horse’s hooves and the rhythmic rumble of the carriage wheels bumping against the pavement.
Rebekah felt such joy being in Daniel’s courting buggy on this beautiful, star-studded night. It’s almost like a real date, she thought wistfully. But then she reminded herself that it was merely one friend giving another friend a ride home from the singing. There was no meaning attached, and she didn’t dare to hope that there was, either.
“Do you ever drive any of your daed’s buggies?”
Daniel’s sudden question pushed her thoughts aside. “Dad’s taught me how, but he never allows me to take the horse and buggy out alone,” she answered. “He says it would be taking too much of a chance because something unexpected might occur.”
“Some unpleasant things have been known to happen, all right. Why, just the other day a buggy was run off the road by a bunch of rowdy teenagers speeding down Highway 6 in their fancy sports car.” Daniel shook his head and grunted. “I guess some of those English fellows don’t care about our slow-moving buggies. They probably think we’re just a nuisance who like to get in their way.”
“It does seem so,” Rebekah agreed.
“We need to be especially careful when we’re out at night. Even with our battery-operated lights and reflective tape, cars don’t always see us so clearly.”
“I remember once my aunt Mim got caught in a snowstorm and lost control of the buggy, causing it to flip over. She was trapped inside for some time until Uncle Amos came along and rescued her.”
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