The Restoration

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ;

  “I’d feel better if you didn’t try to drive home tonight,” Priscilla said. “It’s too dangerous to be out on the roads.”

  Tracey turned to face her. “What other choice do we have?”

  “You can spend the night here,” Elaine spoke up. She looked at Priscilla and then David, standing nearby. “That goes for both of you, too.”

  “That’s very generous of you,” Tracey said. “But we couldn’t put you out. Besides, I’m sure you don’t have enough beds to accommodate all ten of us, plus the three of you.”

  “There are six bedrooms in this house, so each couple can have their own room. Priscilla and I will share my room, and David can sleep there.” Elaine gestured to the couch in the living room. “Hopefully by morning, the weather will have improved. There’s plenty of food here for breakfast, too.”

  “Guess we’d better start making some phone calls.” Steve pulled out his cell phone, and several others did as well, including David.

  “I’ll let Gram and Gramps know,” he told Priscilla. “Should I call your folks, too?”

  “I’d appreciate it.” Priscilla clutched the folds in her dress. “I hope one of them thinks to check for messages and, if they do, that they’re able to find the phone shack in all of this snow.”

  Everything was done. The dishes had been washed, dried, and put away. All the bedrooms were clean and ready for the unexpected overnight guests who were here at Elaine’s house this evening. All she needed to do yet was get out some blankets for David to use when he slept on the couch.

  Everyone settled in the living room for a while, and Priscilla made a big bowl of popcorn to pass around. As they sat visiting, where it was warm and cozy, the snow continued to fall, and the wind whistled eerily as it whipped tree branches against the windowpanes outside.

  Steve Munroe had everyone’s attention as he recounted a winter from his boyhood. “I was one of nine brothers,” he said, grinning. “Much like this blizzard, it took all of us helping my dad to get the cows into the barn before the subzero temperatures set in.”

  Elaine’s eyes grew heavy as she listened to his story. She recalled her grandparents telling her of a time, many years ago, when they’d lived through such a snowstorm.

  Suddenly, a loud crash outside broke the silence, causing everyone to jump. It was followed by the sound of glass breaking, as the wind grew louder.

  Elaine gasped. “What was that?”

  “Don’t worry; we’ll take a look.” David jumped up, and he, as well as the other men, grabbed their coats and headed out the door.

  “I hope there’s no serious damage,” one of the Munroe daughters said.

  “I don’t feel any cold air coming in, so hopefully no windows were broken,” Elaine commented.

  Several minutes passed, before David, Mr. Munroe, and his sons-in-law returned.

  “One of the tree limbs broke off by the side of your house. Unfortunately, it busted a basement window,” David explained. “Until you can get the window replaced, if you have some wood in the basement, or something else we can cover the window with, it should help keep the cold air out.”

  Elaine tapped her chin. “I believe there might be some plywood in the basement by my grandpa’s workbench. Could you use that?”

  Steve nodded. “It should work out just fine.”

  Elaine was glad she wasn’t alone here tonight. It was a comfort to be with all these good people during the frightening storm. Now all she had to do when the weather improved was to find someone who could replace the broken window downstairs.

  “It’s getting late, and I’m worried about Priscilla. With the wind and heavy snow that’s falling, she could lose her way coming home.” Iva nudged her husband’s arm. “Do you think you could make your way to the phone shack to check for messages without getting lost? Maybe Priscilla’s decided to spend the night at Elaine’s.”

  Daniel rose from the couch. “I’ll take a walking stick and my brightest flashlight to help guide the way. Guess I should have done what my folks did and strung a rope from the house to the phone shack. Dad did that, only it was from our home to the barn so he could find his way easily during a blizzard. The blinding snow can get a person turned around and confused as to where they are, even on their own property.”

  “Please be careful,” Iva called after he had put on his coat and hat.

  “I will. Don’t worry.”

  When Daniel went out the door, Iva stood at the window with her nose pressed against the glass. Why, she didn’t know, because she couldn’t see a thing. Breathing on the window caused the glass to steam up. Even though Iva used her sleeve to wipe the moisture off, the snow came down so fast and heavy, it was impossible to make out what her husband was doing.

  Finally, realizing the foolishness of it, Iva began to pace while silently praying. Heavenly Father, please be with Priscilla right now, wherever she is, and help Daniel find his way to the phone shack.

  Several minutes passed before Iva heard the back door open and shut. She rushed to the utility room, calling, “Did you make it okay?”

  “Jah.” Daniel bobbed his head, brushing the snow off his shoulders. “It’s definitely a blizzard we’re having, though. I could hardly get the door of the phone shack open because of the strong wind.”

  “Were there any messages?”

  “Just one, from Priscilla. You were right. She’s going to spend the night at Elaine’s.”

  Iva touched her chest. “I’m so relieved to hear that. It would have been foolish to try and come home tonight. I’m glad she called.”

  “Actually, it was David who made the call.” Daniel brushed snow off his jacket and hung it on a wall peg near the door.

  “David? Why would he be calling for Priscilla?” Iva didn’t like the sound of this at all.

  “He said he’d dropped by Elaine’s this evening, and he, as well as Priscilla and Elaine’s dinner guests would be staying at her house overnight.”

  Iva tapped her foot, while folding her arms. This piece of news didn’t sit well with her, but she was glad to know Priscilla was safe.

  “Do you think David is interested in our dochder?” Iva asked as she and Daniel moved back to the living room.

  He tipped his head. “I know they’re friends. Is that what you mean?”

  Iva shook her head vigorously. “I’m afraid it’s more. I believe David is interested in Priscilla romantically.” She stopped talking when she noticed her husband looking across the room at the fireplace instead of at her. “Daniel, are you listening to me?”

  “Jah, I heard what you said.”

  “Well, what do you have to say about my concerns?”

  “I suppose David might see Priscilla as more than a friend.”

  “What are we going to do about this?” She clutched his arm.

  He shrugged. “Don’t see what we can do, Iva. If David is falling for our daughter, it’s between him and her, don’t ya think?”

  “No, I don’t! David is English, and—”

  “He’s planning to become Amish.”

  “Humph! He’s only trying to change to the Amish way so he can take Priscilla from Elam.”

  Daniel grunted. “It’s not likely anyone is capable of taking Priscilla from Elam. If she breaks up with him, it’ll be by her own choosing.”

  “But David’s a smooth talker,” Iva argued. “Priscilla might not even be aware of what he’s trying to do.”

  “Let’s leave this in God’s hands, like we talked about before. Priscilla will know what is right for her. And who knows, Iva—maybe our daughter is supposed to be with David, not Elam.” Daniel reached for her hand. “Let’s head for bed now, okay? I’m mied.”

  Iva nodded. She was tired, too, but doubted she’d get much sleep tonight. The sooner she talked to Elam’s mother, the better, because there was one way to discourage David, and that was for Elam and Priscilla to get engaged.

  CHAPTER 31

  Elaine didn’t know where the time had gone,
but here it was the middle of April. Snow had been replaced with rain, and they’d gotten plenty of it already. But rain was better than snow, even with all the mud it created. Her horse, Daisy, didn’t like the puddles at all, though, and shied whenever they came to one in the road.

  “It’s okay, Daisy girl. There’s nothing to fear.” Elaine guided the horse around the puddle. “Let’s go now; I’m anxious to get home.”

  As she continued her journey, Elaine thought about Leah, whom she’d seen at the health food store a short time ago. Leah’s pregnancy was beginning to show, and all she could talk about was how she couldn’t wait to have the baby. Leah said she’d been feeling well, with no more morning sickness. She still practiced reflexology and had gone to the health food store to buy massage lotion. Little Carrie, as cute as ever, had been with her.

  Leah was fortunate to have three little girls to raise. In another four-and-a-half months, she’d have a sweet baby, too.

  I wonder if I’ll ever have any children, Elaine mused. If I married Ben, by this time next year, I could be expecting a boppli.

  Dismissing those thoughts, Elaine concentrated on getting home.

  When she pulled into the driveway a short time later, Daisy trotted so fast she nearly ran into the hitching rack. Elaine pulled back on the reins. “Whoa, girl. Not so fast!” Elaine’s poor horse seemed as anxious to get out of the rain as she was.

  Once Daisy stood calmly at the rack, Elaine climbed out of the buggy and unhitched the horse. Stepping around several mud puddles, she led Daisy to the barn, brushed her down and put her in her stall, then fed and watered the animal. After she’d taken care of her horse, Elaine headed to the house, anxious to get out of her wet clothes and fix lunch.

  Stepping onto the porch, she fumbled in her purse for the house key but couldn’t find it. Now that’s sure strange.

  Going to the small table on her porch, Elaine dumped the entire contents of her purse out. She’d been right the first time. It wasn’t there.

  Elaine groaned. “Oh no, what am I going to do now, and where is my schlissel?”

  She stood several seconds, trying to recall. She remembered taking the key out of her purse when she was looking for her wallet at the health food store. Could I have set it down on the counter and forgotten to put it back in my purse?

  Elaine shivered. Her dress stuck to her skin from the dampness, and the lightweight jacket she wore offered little protection from the rain. She wished she’d had the good sense to bring an umbrella when she’d left home this morning. The only thing Elaine could do was go to the phone shack and call the health food store. If her key was there, she would call her driver so she could pick it up, because she wasn’t going to take Daisy back out in the rain.

  Stepping off the porch, Elaine moaned as the wind picked up, causing the rain to blow sideways. The driveway was so saturated, it was impossible to dodge all the puddles and mud.

  By the time she reached the phone shack, Elaine was thoroughly drenched. Stepping inside, she collapsed into the folding chair and picked up the receiver to make her call. Oh no! Not something else. Unfortunately, the phone was dead. Apparently the wind had knocked out the power.

  Now what am I going to do? Water dripped from a few strands of hair hanging loosely from her head covering. Elaine wiped at her face; she was saturated straight through to her skin. At this point, her only option was to run to a neighboring Amish home to take shelter.

  Jonah had left the drugstore in Arthur twenty minutes ago, after he’d gone to get some ointment to help baby Martha’s diaper rash. As he headed back to the house, the rain had gotten worse. It was not a good day to be out walking, but up ahead he spotted an Amish woman, practically sprinting along the shoulder of the road. As he drew closer, he realized it was Elaine.

  I wonder what she’s doing out here in this weather, with no umbrella.

  Jonah pulled his horse, Sassy, to a stop with the buggy alongside Elaine and opened his door. “Where are you headed? Do you need a ride?”

  Elaine pushed her black outer bonnet off her face a bit and nodded. “It seems I left my key at the health food store, and I’m locked out of my house. I’d go back to the store to get it, but my horse hates storms. I’m afraid she’ll spook if I take her out again.” She paused and swiped at the rain running down her face. “If you don’t mind dropping me off at my neighbor’s place, where I can wait out the storm, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Get in. I’ll take you.”

  As Elaine climbed into the passenger’s side, a thought popped into Jonah’s head. “Did you try all your doors and windows? Maybe one of them is unlocked.”

  Elaine shook her head, sending a spray of water in his direction. “Oops. Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. A little wasser won’t hurt me any.” Jonah grinned when some drops of rainwater hit him square on the nose.

  “I didn’t try the doors or windows, because I thought I’d locked them all before I left home,” she said. “Guess I wasn’t thinking too clearly. Once I realized I didn’t have my key, I sort of panicked.”

  “Why don’t we head to your house first? I’ll check all the windows for you, and if one is unlocked, you’ll have a way inside. When the weather improves, you can go back to the health food store and check for your key. Or better yet, I can take you to the store right now.”

  “It’s out of the way for you. If you don’t mind taking the time to try all the windows, why don’t we start with that?”

  “My daed and Timothy are working in the buggy shop today, which was why I was able to take off to run an errand,” Jonah explained. “So I have plenty of time to check your windows.”

  Elaine smiled. “Danki, Jonah.”

  “No problem at all.”

  “How are things with your kinner these days?” Elaine questioned. Before Jonah could reply, she sneezed.

  “Bless you.” He glanced at Elaine and smiled. “They’re doing okay, thanks to my mamm. Don’t know how I’d manage without her help, though.”

  “Martha Jean is sure a sweet baby. When I saw her last Sunday at church I was surprised to see how much she’s grown.”

  “Jah.” A lumped formed in Jonah’s throat. “It saddens me that Sara won’t get to watch our son and daughter grow up.”

  Elaine reached over and touched Jonah’s arm, but when he jerked his head, she quickly pulled her hand aside. “Forgive me for saying this again, but I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

  All Jonah could manage was a brief nod. He was certain Elaine understood, since she had experienced her own loss when her parents and later her grandparents had died. But that couldn’t be as difficult as losing one’s mate.

  When Jonah turned his horse and buggy up Elaine’s driveway, he focused on other things. The rain had let up a little; however, the ground was nothing but mud.

  “If you want to wait here in the buggy while I check the windows, at least you’ll be out of the weather.” Jonah guided his horse to the hitching rack.

  “No, it’s okay. I’m about as wet as can be, so I’ll wait on the front porch.”

  Jonah climbed down, and so did Elaine. Once he had Sassy secured, he followed Elaine to the porch. Grimacing, he motioned to his boots and her shoes. “Look at all the mud we’ve picked up.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “But it couldn’t be helped. I’ll be glad when summer comes and we won’t have nearly so much rain.”

  “Welp, guess I’d better get busy.” Jonah tried each of the lower windows at the front of the house and found them all to be locked. Then he went around back and discovered they were all locked, too.

  “Do you have a ladder handy?” he asked after returning to the front porch. “Before I give up, I’d like to check all the upstairs windows.”

  “There’s one in the barn.” Elaine gestured in that direction. “But I feel bad making you go through all this trouble.”

  “It’s not a problem. I’m glad to do it.”

  Jonah sprinted to the barn and retur
ned with a tall extension ladder, which he positioned in front of one upstairs window. “Here I go.”

  “Please, be careful,” Elaine called as she held the ladder for him.

  When Jonah reached the window, he was pleased to discover it was slightly ajar. This shouldn’t be hard at all.

  He lifted it open the rest of the way, and turned around so he could slip in backward. The next thing Jonah knew, he was lying on his back on the floor with his feet in the air. Before he had a chance to roll over, a blob of mud from his boots let loose and landed on his face. “Ugh! I can’t believe I did that.”

  Jonah clambered to his feet, barely taking time to grab a hankie out of his pocket and swipe it across his face. All he cared about was getting the door open so Elaine could come inside where it was warm and dry.

  “What happened, Jonah? Are you all right?” Elaine’s eyes widened when Jonah opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch.

  He saw right away that she was shivering.

  “I did a dumb thing,” he admitted. Then he quickly explained what had happened and ended it with an apology for not taking off his muddy boots. “I’ll clean up the mess I tracked through your house.”

  “Don’t worry, it can be cleaned. You’d better come with me to the kitchen so you can get the mud off your face.” Elaine handed Jonah some paper towels. “While you do that, I need to change into some dry clothes. I’ll be right back.”

  Elaine wasn’t gone long, and by the time she returned, Jonah’s face was clean and he’d set his dirty boots on the porch.

  “I feel much better now,” she announced. “How about I heat some water and make us a cup of hot tea?”

  “Sounds good.” Jonah thought how ridiculous he must have looked when he’d come downstairs with mud all over his face, and he almost started to laugh.

  Elaine must have been thinking the same thing, for she giggled. Soon, her giggle turned into a full-blown belly laugh. Hearing a person laugh like that was contagious, and soon Jonah joined in. It felt good to have something to laugh about—almost as if he were releasing all the things he’d kept bottled up inside himself. It was the first time since Sara’s death he’d found anything amusing, and now that he’d begun laughing he found it hard to stop. Like the Bible said, laughter certainly was good medicine. Jonah realized he needed to look for humor in more things.