A Simple Vow

by Charlotte Hubbard

  “Jah, we’ve got questions, all right,” Will muttered as he kneaded his mother’s shoulders. “I’ve never heard the likes of such carryings-on—of one brother so outrageously deceiving the other concerning their business and a marriage.”

  Asa noticed how grim his father’s expression was, and how Mamm looked ready to burst into tears. It was a sad day, indeed, when parents witnessed such a confession from a son they’d raised to know right from wrong . . . a son who didn’t sound particularly sorry for what he’d done.

  “Since you asked, Mr. Riehl,” Drew continued in a tight voice, “I also witnessed the scene between my brother and Will Gingerich—the day Edith marched down the road and told them to lower their voices because they were upsetting the babies in the buggy. Once again, the windbreak served my purpose. I heard every word—”

  “Why did you follow me here that day?” Asa interrupted. “Why would you—”

  “The real question,” Will insisted, “is why the phone message I’d left concerned you, Drew. When my wife Molly confessed her love for Asa as she lay dying, was she really talking about you? Had you pretended to be Asa when you got involved with her, so Molly believed—”

  “Watch what you’re sayin’, son,” Preacher Ben warned as he gazed at Will. “You’re makin’ a mighty big leap—”

  “Not when you consider that Drew’s been masquerading as Asa to fool Edith,” Will countered. “When Asa and I had a long talk about who fathered the twins, I could tell he was sincerely puzzled about Molly’s crying out his name. The only thing we had to go on was a business card from Detweiler Furniture Works, with both men’s names on it—”

  “So you’re saying Drew got our daughter in the family way? He’s the father of those little twins?” Ruth Ropp asked shrilly. Her work-roughened hands quivered as she fiddled with the ties of her kapp. “When I suspected Molly was . . . Well, I quizzed her about being with a man, and she denied it. Wouldn’t tell me who she’d been dating, either.”

  Everyone around the table got wide-eyed and quiet.

  When Drew tried to clear his throat, he made a choking sound. “Molly and I were . . . I wanted to—I loved her so much, but before I could propose marriage, she broke up with me,” he admitted as his face contorted with agitation. “I had no idea there was a baby—er, babies. Honestly.”

  Molly must be the one who got away, Asa thought as he stared at his twin. He was sorry his brother had lost a woman he’d loved, but that didn’t excuse his behavior. “If you loved her so much, why’d you tell Molly you were me?” Asa asked incredulously. “What were you going to say when she found out you’d lied to her about who you were?”

  “Not a gut way to treat a woman you loved—or to treat your brother, either,” Edith muttered. “This is beyond comprehension.”

  Will’s jaw was working in his slender face. He leaned over his mother’s shoulder to level his gaze with Ruth Ropp’s from across the table. He’d never been fond of Molly’s mother because she seemed so negative about everything. “So you knew?” he whispered harshly. “You suspected Molly was pregnant when you and Orva encouraged me to court her—and you tossed in the rental farm to sweeten the deal?”

  Orva Ropp shifted uncomfortably. “What’re parents to do in that situation?” he implored Will. “Figured it was better to match Molly up with a nice young fellow to start a family than to send her off to have the baby and give it up.”

  “You misled my boy from the beginning?” Marian Gingerich challenged as she reached up to grip Will’s hand.

  In the silence that followed, Asa’s stomach felt as if it were twisting into knots. “Every bit of this trouble circles back to you, Drew,” he muttered. “And you did all these dishonorable deeds in my name.”

  “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” Cornelius quipped dramatically. “Seems apparent to me that—”

  Asa smacked the table with his palm, silencing Edith’s dat and making everyone else jump. “Why?” he demanded loudly. “Why did you pass off your—your scheming and lying on me, Drew?”

  Drew’s cough rattled like a hot wind blowing through a drought-stricken cornfield. “I followed you to Willow Ridge that first time because I—I heard Molly’s name in Gingerich’s phone message. I—I wanted to find out if it was the Molly I’d dated, and I couldn’t believe she’d died,” he said in a strained whisper. “Then—when I got here and saw there were babies involved—I realized they might be mine. I thought if I could get Edith to marry me, I could raise my children with a woman who obviously loved them. I saw it as a way to take responsibility for—”

  “You thought it was responsible to pretend you were me? And to deceive Edith?” Asa blurted out. “I don’t believe that for a minute, Drew.”

  “You’ve crossed the line, son,” their dat muttered with a shake of his head. “This whole situation’s turning my stomach.”

  Asa released Edith’s hand and stood up so fast his chair fell backward and hit the floor. He strode to the opposite side of the kitchen for fear he’d grab Drew around the neck and choke him. The Old Order preached that peace was to prevail in family relations even when one member had done hurtful things to another, but Asa found this situation too disturbing to tolerate.

  “Why?” he cried out. “I won’t stop asking you that until I hear something that’ll pass as an answer. Everyone here has a right to know.”

  Drew stood against the sink, holding his head in his hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His shoulders shook as he struggled to gain control of his emotions, but Asa didn’t feel a bit sorry for him.

  “You really don’t see it, do you?” Drew finally murmured. “You never have.”

  Asa remained ramrod straight, glaring at his twin from across the kitchen. He’d always realized that Drew wasn’t as outgoing or as confident as he was, but he hadn’t suspected his brother was so desperate—so despicable—that he’d use their identical appearance to his advantage with two different women. “You’re right, I don’t see it. Spell it out for me.”

  Drew raised his eyes toward heaven as though beseeching God to lift him away from this painful moment of reckoning. He glanced at the two bishops and Preacher Ben, perhaps hoping for words of wisdom that would get him off the prongs of this pitchfork situation.

  “All my life I’ve wanted to be you, Asa.” Drew gazed at a spot on the wall, speaking in a faraway voice. “You were always quicker to catch on at school. The guys all wanted to be on your team for baseball and the girls— well, the girls whispered among themselves about how cute and smart you were, and how they hoped to go out with you someday,” he continued bitterly. “I could never hold a candle to you, Asa. I might’ve looked exactly like you, but the folks we grew up around knew the difference.”

  Drew paused, clenching his fists at his sides as he stared at the floor. “It was the same at home with Mamm and Dat. They always loved you best—”

  “That is not true,” their mother protested as tears streamed down her face.

  “We treated you both the same,” Dat insisted. “You boys had different personalities from the day you were born, but when one got a pony the other did. When one got lectured about something, the other one had to listen—”

  “But it was always me getting the lecture,” Drew protested plaintively. “In your eyes, Asa could do no wrong, and I could never measure up.”

  “Envy.” Bishop Vernon solemnly raised his hand to stop the discussion. “The book of Job tells us that wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one. You two brothers are mouthpieces of wrath and envy right now.”

  “And likewise, Ephesians warns us not to be provoking one another or envying one another,” Bishop Tom chimed in. “There comes a point when questions and answers are more about provocation than the sincere desire to clarify what’s been goin’ on. You’ve passed that point, fellas.”

  Asa opened his mouth to protest, but Tom’s direct gaze stopped him. Asa let out a long breath. �
�After all Drew has put Edith through, she deserves the truth from—”

  “I’ve heard all the truth I can handle for one day.” Edith folded her hands on the table, gazing at Asa. “Let it be, Asa. No gut can come from the two of you going on and on about this. We’ve all witnessed enough.”

  The people around the table nodded, appearing weary from the onslaught of information they’d endured. Asa’s mother dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, while his dat gazed at Drew as though he couldn’t believe a son of his had committed such heinous sins.

  “Let’s depart in peace after a word of silent prayer,” Bishop Tom said as he bowed his head. “We each have concerns best held up to God alone.”

  In the hush of the next few moments, Asa felt anything but prayerful. He lowered his head, but instead of closing his eyes he watched Edith. Her shoulders slumped, and her forehead nearly touched the table as she prayed.

  What must Edith think of Drew? Does she still want to marry me, or will she want nothing to do with me now?

  As the bishops scooted back their chairs, the others around the table opened their eyes. Cornelius stood up with a deep sigh, glancing from Asa to Drew before he addressed their guests. “I hope you folks will head on over to the Grill N Skillet,” he said. “They’ve cooked up plenty of food, and you might as well enjoy a gut meal before you get on the road.”

  “Fine idea,” Luke murmured, grasping Nora’s hand. As the two of them left the kitchen, Luke squeezed Asa’s shoulder. “Sorry about all this stuff you’ve uncovered.”

  “Now that the wound’s been opened, we hope it’ll have a chance to heal,” Nora said quietly. “Let us know what we can do for you.”

  Asa nodded, appreciating their concern. Preacher Ben got up to follow his brother and sister-in-law. “It’s in God’s hands now,” he murmured. “It’ll work out the way it’s supposed to.”

  Asa wanted to believe that. It was difficult, however, to fully accept Drew’s testimony—his twin had deceived him and Edith so many times, how could anyone know if some of the answers he’d just given were fabricated, as well? His parents’ pale faces attested to their sorrowful hearts as they approached him.

  “Guess we’ll start back home,” his dat said wearily. “Not sure I’ve got the stomach for food that was intended as a celebration of your marriage, Asa.”

  “Jah, it’ll take a while to get beyond what we learned today,” Mamm said. She looked over her shoulder, to where Drew still stood at the sink, alone. “I hope you boys can make peace between yourselves. You’ve got some forgiving to do—and so does Edith, bless her heart. In a different way, Drew must forgive you, as well, if only because he believes you’re so much better than he is.”

  Asa turned to follow his folks outside, until a shrill voice made him turn around.

  “All things considered, I cannot leave Molly’s innocent little children here in Willow Ridge,” Ruth Ropp declared shrilly. “They belong with family—not anywhere near the man who ruined my daughter’s chances for a solid marriage.”

  Asa’s heart pounded as he saw Edith’s stricken expression. “From what we’ve heard, it was Molly who kept her pregnancy a secret—from you, and from Will and Drew,” he pointed out urgently. “Those wee babies are in a gut home with Edith. She loves them—”

  “I brought Leroy and Louisa to Willow Ridge because I trusted the Riehls to care for them when I couldn’t—while you were caring for your mamm after her heart attack,” Will insisted. “Anyone can see how they’ve blossomed since they came here. Asa and Edith plan to adopt them, with my blessings. With all due respect, Ruth, I think you should—”

  “You don’t have a leg to stand on, Will. They’re not your children—and anyway, you should’ve brought them to our house when Molly died.” Ruth stood up, her expression resolute as she focused on Edith. “Where are they? We’ll collect their clothes and—”

  “Ruth, maybe you and I should discuss this,” Orva murmured as he rose beside her. “We’ve got our hands full with your—”

  “Nonsense. Our grandchildren need the stability of a Christian home, and I’ll not have these—these Detweilers raising them!” Molly’s mother said with a scornful glance toward Drew. “Who knows what other insidious situations that man’s gotten himself into? He might have fathered them, but anyone can see he’s not fit to be a dat.”

  “Please reconsider,” Edith implored the Ropps as she went around the table to stand before them. “We’ve gotten all manner of help from the bishop and his wife—from the women around town. I vowed I’d take care of Louisa and Leroy, and no matter what Drew has done, I’ll stand by my word.”

  Asa’s heart went out to the lovely young woman who should have been his wife by now. He went to stand beside Edith, praying for persuasive words. “We’ve got their new room ready upstairs, and we’re ready to be a family—to raise them as our own children,” he insisted. “Drew’s revelations today don’t change that.”

  One of Mrs. Ropp’s eyebrows bent like a snapped twig as she glared at Asa. “Drew’s revelations change everything,” she muttered. “You still have to deal with him, because he’s your brother and your business partner, but I do not. Let’s fetch the twins now so Orva and I can have them home by dark.”

  Asa’s heart lurched. He looked at Tom, hoping for his testimony to Edith’s mothering skills. “Bishop, you surely know how the babies have grown since they’ve been here—partly because of your wife’s goat milk,” he added. “Edith’s devoted herself to their care, and—”

  Bishop Tom raised his hand for silence as he joined their uncomfortable little circle. His sigh sounded apologetic yet resolute. “It’s always been my belief that kids should be raised by their own kin, if possible,” he said. “I’m not denyin’ Edith’s love or motherin’ skills, understand. But because of the circumstances—because you and your family have a lot to work out amongst yourselves, Asa—I think it’s best if these grandparents take the babies home.”

  When Edith’s mouth fell open, a sad gasp escaped her. She looked away, appearing torn between arguing with the bishop and running off to cry.

  “Denki, Bishop,” Ruth said triumphantly. “It’s a relief to know there’s one responsible, trustworthy man here in Willow Ridge.” She looked at Edith then, her sharp features softening slightly. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be present when we take the babies. If you’ll just show us which house—”

  “Come with me,” Cornelius put in. “If the bishop says you’re to have the twins, then that’s the way it’ll be.”

  Asa detected a note of reluctance in the deacon’s tone, and he couldn’t miss the way Cornelius avoided looking at Edith as he escorted the Ropps toward the door. Had the deacon come to love Louisa and Leroy? Or did he think the twins would be better off with his daughter than with the surly, middle-aged Ropps? Bishop Tom gripped Edith’s hand, and Vernon patted her shoulder, and then the two church leaders followed the others through the front room.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” Will said with a sorrowful shake of his head. “That’s not what I intended, Edith. I’m really sorry. I—I don’t even know why they came to the wedding, or how they’d have known about it.”

  Edith squeezed her eyes shut against her pain. “Could be they got wind of it after Dat called Reuben to tell him about the wedding—and about us having babies in the house,” she murmured in a quivering voice. “Dat’s mamm was a Ropp, so some of his cousins could’ve mentioned it, too.” Her head dropped forward, and she began to cry.

  Will sighed. “Let’s get you a bite to eat, Mamm,” he murmured. “Asa, Edith . . . I owe you both more favors than I can count. I’ll do what I can.”

  Asa nodded, but he didn’t feel encouraged by Will’s support. As he wrapped his arms around Edith, sorrow welled up inside him until he couldn’t see straight. Unshed tears made his throat ache as the sound of Edith’s sobs tore at him.

  After a few minutes, she eased out of his embrace. “I’ve got to go o
ver there,” she said as she mopped her face with her sleeve. “The twins will be confused by—and I can’t let those wee ones go without saying gut-bye.”

  As Edith hurried out of the kitchen, Asa knew he’d never find a more loving, steadfast, devoted woman . . . but did she still want him? Did she feel wary about her future as his wife because Drew would live above the shop and work with him every day?

  He started for the door, but then turned toward his twin. “See what a mess you’ve made?” he said bitterly. “You’re my brother, and I’m supposed to forgive you, but you’ve made that very, very difficult, Drew. Stay out of my sight for a while. Got it?”

  His brother’s indigo eyes held pain and yearning and regret, but Asa walked away. He had his own pain to deal with.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Edith entered the house, bracing herself . . . preparing herself to say good-bye to the two babies she’d come to love so completely. As she’d anticipated, Loretta and Rosalyn were each holding a twin, appearing confused and overwhelmed as they listened to Dat. When Louisa and Leroy spotted Edith, they laughed and held out their little arms to her, ignoring the other folks in the room.

  “I know you weren’t expecting this,” Dat was saying to her sisters, “but the Ropps are the twins’ grandparents. They’ve asked to take the babies home, and Bishop Tom has agreed that it’s best if they do.”

  When her sisters stared at Edith, hoping for an explanation—or a correction—she had to swallow a lump in her throat before she could speak. “It’s like he says,” she murmured. “You won’t believe what happened over at the house—”

  “I’m so glad the children weren’t there,” Ruth cut in. She was trying to coax Leroy from Rosalyn’s arms, but he was turning away from her. “Drew Detweiler is exactly the sort of man we should protect these innocents from. Come to Mammi now,” she murmured in a lower voice.

  Leroy swiveled his head to avoid looking at Ruth. Louisa sucked on her fingers, gazing doubtfully at Orva before burying her face against Loretta’s neck.