The Hope Chest

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Silas frowned. He hadn’t thought about Reuben for several weeks, and he wished he wasn’t thinking of him now. Reminders of Reuben always made him think about Anna, and he wasn’t sure he was completely over her yet. He’d loved her a lot, and she’d hurt him badly. A fellow didn’t get over being kicked in the gut like that overnight. Matters of the heart took time to heal, and until a moment ago, Silas had begun to think his heart might be on the way to mending.

  “I’ll feel better once I’m seated on the dock at the lake with my fishing pole in the water and the warm sun against my back,” he muttered.

  “Who ya talkin’ to, Silas?”

  Silas whirled around. His brother Sam stood looking up at him like he was some sort of a bug on the wall. “I wasn’t talking to anyone but myself, and you shouldn’t go around sneaking up on others.”

  Sam scrunched up his freckled nose. “I wasn’t sneaking. Just came out to the barn to feed the cats, and I heard you talking about going fishing.”

  Silas nodded. “That’s right. I’ll be headed to the lake in the morning.”

  “Can I go along?”

  “Naw, I’d rather go alone. Besides, you don’t even like to fish.”

  “I know, but it might be better than hangin’ around here all day. Ever since Mom got that cast on her arm, she’s been askin’ me to do more chores.”

  “Things will go better soon. Mom won’t always be wearing her arm in a sling. Besides, there won’t be a bunch of chores for you to do on Sunday.”

  “I guess you’re right about that.” Sam turned to go, calling over his shoulder, “If it’s a girl you’re meeting tomorrow, could ya save me a piece of cake from the picnic?”

  Silas pulled his fingers through the back of his hair. That little brother of his was sure no dumb bunny. Only thing was, it wouldn’t be cake he’d be bringing home tomorrow, because Rachel had said she was going to bake his favorite kind of cookie.

  CHAPTER 15

  As Anna combed her hair in front of her dresser mirror, her mind was plagued with doubts. Did she really want to go to church this morning? If Reuben were going along, then she might be more in the mood. But to go alone didn’t seem right. Of course, she wouldn’t really be alone. Kathryn and her husband, Walt, would be with her. Still, it might be difficult to be with Kathryn, whose husband eagerly attended church every week, and not feel sorry for herself because Reuben showed no interest in anything spiritual these days.

  Had he ever? Anna wondered as she turned to look at him sleeping in the bed across the room. Oh, sure, Reuben had attended church with his family throughout his growing-up years, but he hadn’t been baptized or joined the church, which was a good indication that he hadn’t taken anything of a spiritual nature too seriously yet. If she could only get him to go to church with her, that would be a step in the right direction.

  Anna turned from the dresser and moved over to the bed. “Reuben, are you awake?” She nudged him gently with her hand.

  “Am now,” he responded with a muffled grunt.

  She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be leaving for church soon. Are you sure you won’t come with me?”

  He pulled the covers around his ears and groaned. “Too tired. Need to sleep.”

  She released a sigh. Would there ever be a time when Reuben wasn’t too tired? Would he ever come to realize that spending time with God—and with her—was more important than working so much or lounging around on Sundays?

  “I’ll see you shortly after noon.” Anna whispered a silent prayer on her husband’s behalf, then tiptoed out of the room.

  ***

  As Rachel stood in front of the kitchen sink, doing up the breakfast dishes, she felt like hugging herself. The thought of going on a fishing date with Silas was enough to take her breath away. She couldn’t help but wonder and, yes, even hope that Silas’s sudden invitation was a sign that he was beginning to care for her.

  Maybe she should start filling her hope chest with a few more things. If Silas enjoyed her company today, he might even offer to take her home from the next singing or young people’s function. Now that would mean we were officially courting. Rachel smiled to herself. She would have to remember to thank Joseph for letting Silas know how much she liked to fish.

  As Rachel’s thoughts continued to swirl, she wondered how she could get away without telling her family that she planned to meet Silas at the lake.

  She was alone in the kitchen at the moment, so as soon as she finished the dishes, she began packing the picnic lunch she’d promised Silas she would bring, hoping no one would come inside and see how much she’d stashed inside the wicker basket and small cooler she planned to take along.

  Rachel had no more than shut the lid on the cooler, when Elizabeth and Perry bounded into the room.

  “What’s with the picnic stuff?” Perry asked. “Are ya goin’ someplace, Rachel?”

  She nodded. “I’ll be leaving for the lake soon. I plan to do a bit of fishing.”

  Elizabeth stepped up to the table, where Rachel had placed the cooler and wicker basket. “Can we go along?”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “How come?” Perry questioned.

  “You two like to throw rocks into the water, holler, and run around.” Rachel pursed her lips. “That scares away the fish.”

  Elizabeth’s lower lip jutted out, and Perry squinted at her as he wrinkled his nose.

  A sense of guilt came over Rachel. She hated to tell the children they couldn’t go along, but if she and Silas were going to get better acquainted, the last thing she needed was her rowdy brother and nosy sister tagging along.

  “You meetin’ someone at the lake?” Perry asked as he started to open the lid on the cooler.

  She held the lid down with one hand and drew in a quick breath. “You two can go to the lake with me some other time, but today I’m going by myself.”

  Perry grunted and stomped out of the room.

  “Guess I’ll go with Mom and Dad when they call on some of their friends,” Elizabeth said with a shrug.

  Rachel leaned down and gave her sister a hug; then, grabbing up the cooler and picnic basket, she hurried out the back door.

  The morning sun slid from behind a cloud as Rachel hitched the horse to the buggy a short time later. It was a bit chilly out, but the day held the promise of sunshine and blue skies. She was glad her folks hadn’t insisted she go calling with them and was even more relieved that neither of them had asked any questions when she’d told them a few minutes ago that she planned to go fishing at the lake.

  Rachel was about to climb into the driver’s seat when Dad called out to her. “I’m not so sure I like the idea of you going to the lake by yourself.”

  “I’ve been fishing there since I was a kinner, and I’ve never had a problem. Besides, plenty of people are usually around, so I probably won’t be alone.”

  Dad left Mom sitting on the porch in her wheelchair and hurried over to Rachel. “That may be, but it isn’t good for a young woman to be running around by herself. I think you should take your sister or one of your brothers along.”

  Rachel placed the picnic basket under the front seat and turned to face her father. “I’m meeting someone.”

  He gave his beard a couple of yanks. “Ah, so my daughter has a beau now, does she?”

  Rachel’s face heated up. “He’s not a boyfriend, Dad.”

  He chuckled. “So it is a fellow you’re meeting, then?”

  She nodded.

  “Mind if I ask who?”

  “It’s Silas Swartley.”

  He winked at Rachel. “Should I be askin’ your mamm to start makin’ a wedding quilt?”

  Rachel grimaced. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. Like I stated before, Silas and I are just friends.”

  “Then why the big secret about meeting him?”

  “I—I didn’t want anyone jumping to conclusions.”

  Dad gave her arm a gentle pat. “
Your secret’s safe with me. Now run along and catch plenty of fish. Some nice, tasty trout would look mighty good on the supper table.”

  Rachel grinned and climbed into the buggy. Maybe Dad thought there might be some hope for her and Silas, too.

  ***

  As Silas sat on the dock with his fishing line dangling in the water, he noticed several small boats on the lake, but no one else was on the dock or shoreline. Maybe he and Rachel would be alone all day. Did he really want to be alone with her? He’d thought he did yesterday when he asked her to meet him here. Now that he’d had ample time to think about it, he worried that he might have been a bit hasty making the invitation. What if Rachel thought he was interested in her as more than a friend? What if she thought this was a real date?

  Silas stared across the lake, his gaze settling on a crop of trees where several crows sat, making their distinctive call of caw, caw, caw. Truth be told, he really did enjoy Rachel’s company. The fact that she liked birds and fishing was a benefit, but it was her sweet spirit and appreciation for the simple things in life that had really captured his attention.

  She isn’t too bad-looking, either. Silas closed his eyes, and Rachel’s pleasant face flashed into his mind. Her pale blue eyes and soft, straw-colored hair made her appear almost angelic. Whenever she smiled, those cute little dimples made him want to reach right out and touch her cheeks.

  What am I thinking? Rachel is Anna’s little sister. She’s five years younger than me and isn’t much more than a kinner. He shook his head. Of course, I do know of some married couples where one is older than the other. Guess five years isn’t really so much.

  Silas was driven from his inner conflict when he heard a horse and buggy coming. He turned and waved as Rachel directed her horse onto the grassy spot near the dock.

  ***

  Rachel smiled and waved at Silas, who sat on the edge of the dock, holding a fishing pole and wearing an eager expression. Was it possible that he was as happy to see her as she was to see him? She prayed it was so.

  “Catch anything yet?” she asked, as she stepped down from the buggy.

  He shook his head. “Not yet, but then I haven’t been here very long.”

  Rachel grabbed her pole from the back of the buggy, along with the can of night crawlers she’d caught last evening. When she walked onto the dock, Silas slid over, making room for her to sit beside him. “Sure is a nice day. Should have our share of trout in no time.” He winked at Rachel, and her heart skipped a beat.

  Does he have some feelings for me? She would cling to this glimmer of hope.

  The sun shone brightly, the sky was a clear aquamarine, and the lake looked smooth as glass. Rachel felt a sense of peace settle over her as she cast out her line. It felt so right being here with Silas. If only...

  No, I mustn’t allow myself to start daydreaming. Today, I’m just going to relax and enjoy the company of the man I could surely spend the rest of my life with, if he was willing.

  By noon, Silas had caught six trout and four bass, and Rachel had five of each. They both cleaned their own catch, then put the fish inside the small coolers they had brought along.

  Silas eyed the picnic basket Rachel had taken from the buggy and placed upon the quilt she’d spread on the ground. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he said, as a dark flicker came into his eyes.

  “I made plenty, so I’m glad you’re hungry.”

  He dropped to the quilt. “What’d you bring?”

  Rachel knelt next to the cooler and opened the lid. “Let’s see now ... ham-and-cheese sandwiches, dill pickle slices, ribbon salad, pickled beet eggs, iced tea to drink, and for dessert ... chocolate chip cookies.”

  Silas licked his lips. “Yum. Let’s pray; then we’ll eat ourselves full!”

  As Rachel and Silas ate their lunch, they shared stories, told jokes, and got to know each other better. By the time they’d finished eating, Rachel felt as though she had known Silas all her life. Actually, she had, but not on such a personal level. Silas, being five years her senior, had always hung around her older sister, so she’d never had the chance to learn what many of his likes and dislikes were. Today he’d shared his aversion to liver and onions, a dish his mother seemed intent on fixing at least once a month. He’d also talked about his love for God and how he had been praying for the Lord to have His will in his life.

  “I believe strongly in prayer,” Silas said with obvious conviction. “It’s the key to each new day and the lock for every night.”

  “You’re right about that.” Even as Rachel said the words, she wondered if she was being sincere. Oh, she believed in prayer, all right. The problem was, she didn’t pray as often as she should anymore. Since she’d been keeping so busy helping Silas’s mother and trying to keep up with her chores at home, Rachel had let her personal devotions and prayer time slip. It was something she needed to work on, and right then she promised herself that she would spend more time with God.

  Silas chewed on a blade of grass as he talked about Reuben and how he had persuaded Anna to go English with him. “If I ever have any kinner, I’m gonna hold a tight rein on ’em so they don’t decide to leave the faith.”

  Rachel leaned back on her elbows and let his words digest fully before she answered. “Holding a tight rein could turn someone’s head in the opposite direction. Take a baby robin, for example. If its mamm never taught it to fly and always kept it protected inside the nest, do you think that bird would ever learn to soar in the air?”

  Silas scratched the back of his head and squinted. “Guess you’ve got a point. You’re pretty bright for someone so young.”

  Rachel felt as though Silas had slapped her on the face with a wet rag. Why did he have to bring up her age? And just when they were beginning to have such a good time. “For your information, I’ll be nineteen next Saturday. My mamm was married by the time she was my age, and—”

  Silas held up one hand. “Don’t get your feathers all ruffled. I sure didn’t mean to offend you.”

  Rachel grabbed their empty paper plates and the plastic containers the food had been in and began slinging them into the picnic basket. Her face felt hot, her hands shook, and tears stung the backs of her eyes. She had wanted this day to be perfect. Maybe it would be better if they ended it now.

  She stood and proceeded to move toward her buggy. “Guess I’ll head for home.”

  Silas jumped up and ran after her. “You can’t go now, Rachel. We haven’t spent any time looking at birds.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe some other time. I’m not much in the mood anymore.”

  Silas placed a restraining hand on Rachel’s arm. “Please, don’t go. I’m sorry if I made you mad.”

  She swallowed hard, struggling to keep her tears at bay. Silas stood looking at her with those big brown eyes, and he really did look sorry. “I’m not exactly mad. I just get tired of everyone thinking I’m still a kinner.” Her arms made a wide arc as she motioned toward the lake. “Could a child catch as many fish as I did today? Could a child have fixed such a tasty picnic lunch or baked a batch of cookies you kept on eating?”

  Silas continued to stare at her a few more seconds, then in an unexpected gesture, he pulled her to his chest. “No, Rachel, only a feisty young woman could have done all those things.”

  Rachel held her breath as Silas moved his fingers in gentle, soothing circles across her back. Was he about to kiss her? She wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her head against his shoulder.

  Then as quickly as Silas had embraced her, he pulled away. “Now that we’ve got that all cleared up, how’s about I get my binoculars and bird-identification book, and the two of us can spend the next hour or so lookin’ for some unusual feathered creatures?”

  Rachel nodded as a sense of embarrassment rattled through her. Silas’s sudden shift in mood hit her like a blow to the stomach, and she wondered what he must have thought about her brazen actions. Even though it was Silas who initiated the hug, s
he had taken it one step further. Truth be told, Silas had never led her to believe he had any romantic feelings for her. The embrace was probably just a friendly gesture.

  “You get your gear, and I’ll put away the picnic stuff,” she said, scooting away quickly before he could see how red her face must be.

  A short time later, Silas and Rachel were seated on the grass, taking turns looking through his binoculars as though their physical encounter had never taken place. In no time at all, they had spotted several gray catbirds, a brown thrasher, a few mourning doves, and several species of ducks on the lake. Silas looked each one up in his bird-identification book, and they discussed the various traits and habitats of those they’d seen.

  “Do you have a bird book or binoculars of your own?” he asked.

  Rachel shook her head. “Whenever I save up enough money, some other need always comes along, so I just jot notes on a paper about all the interesting birds I see.” She was tempted to tell Silas that here lately, she’d spent most of her money buying more things for her hope chest, but she thought better of bringing up that subject. He might think she was hinting at marriage, and she wasn’t about to say or do anything that would spoil the rest of the day. Except for that one misunderstanding, their time together had been almost perfect. Even if she never got to be alone with Silas again, she would always cherish the memory of this day.

  ***

  Rebekah sniffed as she sat at the table reading the letter she’d received from Anna the day before. She’d been so busy when the letter arrived that she’d set it aside and had forgotten about it until she’d spotted it a few minutes ago, lying on the desk under a stack of bills that had also been in the mail.

  Anna was doing well and wanted to come home for a visit—maybe for Rachel’s birthday. That thought put a smile on Rebekah’s lips. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the whole family together to help celebrate Rachel’s special day? Rebekah would fix a special dinner and bake a cake. Maybe she could talk Daniel into making a batch of homemade ice cream. How wonderful it would be to see Anna again.