Simple Amish Love 3-Book Collection

by Rachel Stoltzfus

  “Mamm, you’re not going to believe this! A tree branch just hit the side of the house! And I ruined my pattern! I’m only grateful I wasn’t sewing,” Jenny groused.

  “Ach, this weather is so unusual. I hope it calms down and stops raining, or the crops will be ruined. Show your pattern to me. Maybe you can use an art gum eraser or some white error correcting liquid to fix it,” suggested Rebecca.

  “Maybe. Let’s see . . .” After a few minutes, Jenny had almost totally erased the black line. “Whew. Denki, mamm.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jacob and his daed stood outside, looking at their crops, which were standing in at least an inch of rain water.

  “Daed, if this rain and the wind keep up, we won’t have a harvest next fall. We’ve gotten twice as much rain as we should for this time of the year. It’s only early summer. What’s going to happen if we get very much more rain?” asked Jacob.

  “Our crops will not grow correctly, and we won’t have enough of a harvest to see a profit for next spring’s planting. It’s times like this that I’m grateful I don’t have any loans to pay back,” said Mr. Lapp.

  “Ya. I think we’d better start talking about a different plan, just in case. It’s not too late to plant a crop that can withstand this much rain.”

  “We have that field to the south lying fallow. Let’s think about what we can plant. Good idea, Jacob!”

  “Denki. I work with you, so we have to put our heads together to come up with a good plan.”

  ***

  Two weeks later, Jacob and his daed had just finished planting their newest crop. As Jacob had predicted, the rains and blustery weather had continued – the corn stalks were dried and yellow from the force the wind. Looking at the ears, he was stunned to see that they were stunted, even though he had half-expected their smallness. He was about to show his daed the ear of corn when he looked up and saw that the weather had taken an ominous turn – the clouds were gray-black and piled high. They churned with activity. Bolts of lightning jagged down from different areas of the sky, and the air had taken on a metallic, greenish tint.

  “Daed! Look at the weather!” Jacob shouted.

  “Ach! This is tornado weather, son! Let’s finish out here and get back home right away.”

  The two men hastened to finish their work before the storm hit. However, as they worked, Jacob’s straw hat flew off his head, and only by his very quick reaction was he able to grab it. He glanced at the sky and his stomach plummeted. The clouds had grown to a near-black color by now.

  “Jacob! Inside, now!”

  Both men began running for the wagon, wanting to be inside and in the basement before a tornado hit. They jumped in at the same time and the horse, feeling spooked, began running for the safety of the barn. Mr. Lapp looked up and saw a familiar sight: the formation of a wall cloud, indicating that a tornado was about to begin.

  “Jacob! Get off the wagon and into that ditch! It’s here!”

  They jumped off the wagon; the horse continued running for the barn, wanting only to be safe inside. Jacob and his daed ran headlong for a ditch that bordered one of their fields. Flinging themselves in, mindless of the water at the bottom, they lay face-down, covering their heads.

  Jacob squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, trying not to breathe in the cold, brackish water in the ditch. His heart pounded in abject fear as he heard the wail of the wind increasing to eardrum-splitting levels. He thought of a huge freight train passing by, blowing its warning horn. To him, this was what the tornado’s winds sounded like. He felt his body being buffeted back and forth by the force of the wind, so he tried to make himself as heavy as he could. He startled for a second when he felt his father’s arm hook itself around his calf.

  Both men lay on the ground, trying to make themselves as small and insignificant as they could until the high, spinning winds had passed by. Mr. Lapp realized how insignificant all of them were in the face of nature’s and God’s fury. Lord, you are a forgiving God. For any sin we have committed, please forgive us! If it be Your will, let us survive this storm!

  Finally, the storm passed by – the shriek and howl of the wind abated and Jacob no longer felt as if his body was about to fly, spinning, into the air. He looked up cautiously. He and his father still lay in the ditch. He stood up, offering his hand to his daed, who got up shakily. They both looked at the damage wrought around them. Many of the corn stalks lay on the ground, as if trampled by a giant foot. Large tree limbs lay scattered about, like a giant child’s toys.

  “Daed, are you hurt? Let me check you!”

  Both men checked each other for injuries. Finding none, their concern shifted to Jacob’s mamm. They were forced to run for the house, still quite a distance away. The horse had bolted straight for their barn. They ran through mud, slowed down by the sucking action. They didn’t care if they trampled downed stalks of corn – these were damaged, anyway. Finally, panting hard, they arrived at the house.

  “Daed, the roof! It’s blown away over the kitchen and storeroom!” Jacob shouted. He took the porch steps in a huge bound and ran into the house. “Mamm! Mamm! Are you okay?” Listening, he heard a faint response. Running to the closet, he pulled the door open, finding his mamm, huddled on the floor.

  “Mamm, thank God you’re all right! Daed’s fine. We were together when the tornado hit. We jumped into a ditch . . .”

  “No wonder you’re so wet! Change clothes now, before you take a chill! Throw your dirty things into the laundry hamper and I will try to . . .” Mrs. Lapp stopped speaking and began to cry.

  Jacob gathered his trembling mamm into his arms, comforting her and rocking her gently. This was how his daed found them.

  “Mamm’s okay, daed. Just shaken up. She told us to go change clothes. Jenny! The tornado headed in her direction!”

  “Change first, Jacob! We will leave in a minute,” ordered Mr. Lapp.

  Because he wasn’t sure if the road was unobstructed, Jacob and his daed saddled their horses and galloped to the King house. Arriving in a steady rain, they saw that part of the house had been damaged by the storm.

  “Daed, I’ll go find Jenny and Mrs. King,” Jacob said, shaken by the extent of the damage.

  “I’ll see if I can find John and look at the damages here. Go. She needs you,” said Mr. Lapp.

  Jacob bounded into the house without knocking. Running through the rooms, he found Jenny and her mamm in the quilting room. Rebecca was sitting up and trying to move a part of the quilting frame from her lower leg. Jacob lifted it and checked Rebecca’s leg for injuries. Finding none, he asked her, “Jenny? Where is she?”

  Rebecca pointed shakily to a corner of the room – Jenny was lying, unconscious, on her back. A large, jagged piece of wood lay next to her.

  Jacob and Rebecca ran toward Jenny. Jacob didn’t want to move her.

  “Mrs. King, stay here with her, please. I’ll go to the shop and call for medical help,” Jacob said. Outside, he saw his daed and Mr. King looking at the walls and roof of the house

  “What did you find?” asked his daed.

  “Mrs. King is okay. She had a piece of a quilt frame on her leg, but she’s not hurt. Jenny – she’s knocked out, so I’m calling for the emergency services,” Jacob said.

  Hearing the news, John King ran into the house, calling out Rebecca’s name. As he ran into the damaged room, he saw Jenny’s arm come up as she began to regain consciousness.

  “Mamm? Daed? What happened? My back! My neck – they hurt!”

  “Be still, daughter. Jacob’s calling for medical help now,” said John as he smoothed a shaky hand over Jenny’s hair and kapp.

  Fifteen minutes later, an ambulance, its siren wailing, pulled up to the front of the house. EMTs ran into the house, guided by Jacob. Two EMTs assisted Jenny while two others checked everyone else out for injuries. After determining that Jenny had suffered an injury to her back and neck, she was transferred to a gurney, then to the ambulance. Rebecca climbed int
o the back of the ambulance with Jenny while Jacob called for an Englisher driver to take him and John King to the hospital.

  After several hours, the doctors in the emergency room diagnosed Jenny with severe bruising to her neck, a broken shoulder blade and a hairline fracture to one of the bones in her spinal column. Because she had also taken a hit to the head, she was admitted as a patient for several days. She stayed in bed, recovering and wanting to get back home, so she could resume work on the quilt she had in progress for Ken Carey. Rebecca and John King visited every day, driven by an Englisher driver who had promised to bring them to the hospital every day that Jenny was a patient. For the first two days, Jacob stayed at the hospital around the clock. On the third day of her stay, Jenny put her foot down and forced Jacob to go home, where he could get badly needed rest.

  “Go! My doctors tell me I’ll be out the day after tomorrow, if I continue to recover well. Just come with mamm and daed. Promise me?”

  “Ya, okay! I’m just . . . I’m worried about you, Jenny. That piece of wood could have done much worse damage. What does your doctor say?”

  “I have to wear a back brace for several weeks. I don’t know how this will affect my ability to work on my quilts. I sit for long hours at my sewing machine, Jacob! Lying here in bed, I start to hurt after a few hours. I think I’m going to have to take several breaks - which will make me slow down on how quickly I can finish a quilt for Mr. Carey.”

  “You will do what you need to do. He’s a hard man, hard to work for, but if you explain that you were injured in a tornado, he can’t help but give you the time you need.”

  “Hmmm, ya. I’ll call him or send him a letter after I see how much time it takes me to get through a day. There’s no need to cause trouble,” Jenny mused.

  “Nee, there isn’t. Okay. When the driver comes to bring your parents, I will go home with them. But . . . my Jenny, promise me something. Promise that you’ll do everything the doctor says. If he gives you a foul-tasting medicine, swallow it. Just get better!”

  Jenny giggled at Jacob’s words.

  “Ya, I will. I want to go home!”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Two days later, Jenny, wearing a stiff and cumbersome back brace that extended from her collarbone to her waist, was discharged home. As soon as she got home, she made a beeline for the quilting room and began sewing fabric strips together. After an hour and a half, she took a break, lying down for thirty minutes. At the end of the day, she had still made good progress, but she knew she was still behind what she would have been able to do under normal circumstances.

  “So, daughter, how did you do today? How are you feeling?” asked Rebecca.

  “Sore! I will take a painkiller after I eat dinner. I’d rather save the stronger ones for when I go to bed – they make me drowsy. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take ibuprofen every few hours. The doctor gave me this heating pad – I think I can connect it to the car battery and use it when my back starts to hurt. I just don’t want this to slow me down too much. I want to finish my quilts as I agreed to do.”

  “Okay, but, if you start to hurt, slow down and take a break. There’s no need to make yourself feel worse. Understand? Mr. Carey is a hard man, but I think he’d understand an injury slowing you down.”

  “Ya, mamm, but I don’t want to push it. I’ll do everything to protect my neck and back, but I also want to finish my work,” said Jenny.

  After several days, she found she was able to work, but her injury still slowed her down. Her disappointment showed as she wrote a short letter to Ken Carey, explaining her injury and the circumstances under which she had been hurt.

  Mr. Carey, she wrote. I was hurt in a recent tornado that hit Peace Landing and my home. After spending several days in the hospital, I am at home, working while wearing a back brace. I’m still able to work, but my injuries (broken shoulder blade, bruised neck and broken vertebrae in my back) force me to work more slowly. I plan to continue making my quilts for you, as we had agreed I will do. If we can change our schedule, I believe I can deliver one quilt per five months, if not less. Please let me know if this is satisfactory. Of course, once I am fully recovered, I will go back to making one quilt every four months, or one smaller quilt every three months. Sincerely, Jenny King

  With trepidation, she mailed the letter and began waiting. One week later, she heard footfalls on the wooden porch outside the front door. Answering a knock at the door, she was surprised to see Ken Carey standing there.

  “Miss King! How are you?”

  “I’m doing as well as can be expected, thank you. My doctor has told me I can work, but I have to take frequent breaks. I also have to wear this brace for a minimum of two months,” said Jenny.

  “Oh, my God, girl, how were you hurt?”

  “A tornado hit Peace Landing and our house. When it destroyed the wall and part of the roof over our quilting room, a section of the quilting frame broke off and hit my back and neck.”

  “Oh, my God, you could have been killed. I still want quilts from you, but yes, go at the pace that works for you. Will you be receiving physical therapy?”

  “Nee. At least, I hope not. That would mean several hours out of my day, at least twice a week. I would rather ask the doctor to give me any exercises that I could do here at home, on my own.”

  “If you need therapy, do it. Back and neck injuries can cause permanent pain, and you don’t want that,” Ken said. “If we have to go to a lower number of quilts until you’re fully recovered, I’m okay with that. By the way, Mara sends her love and sent this to you as well,” Ken said, handing Jenny a large gift bag.

  Jenny accepted the bag with thanks, looking through the contents. Inside, she found a neck pillow, scented with herbs, a set of wooden massagers and a thick, long pillow.

  “She said you’re supposed to put this pillow between your back and the back of your chair. The less pressure you have on your back, the better you’ll feel – and the more quickly you’ll recover. Put this neck pillow around the back of your neck when you’re reading so it’ll support the weight of your head. And, maybe your mother could massage your back and loosen up tight muscles at night?”

  “Oh, denki! Let me write a quick thank you note for Mara! This is all so wonderful!”

  Jenny grabbed some note paper and quickly wrote a note that she sealed into an envelope, handing it to Ken.

  “Just get better, Miss Jenny. I can be a hard – a hard man to work for, but I still have a heart in this old chest,” said Ken.

  Jenny grinned at him, grabbed his hand and squeezed.

  ***

  Over the next several weeks, she continued working on the quilts, albeit at a slower pace. She found that she could still produce a high-quality piece of work in five weeks. Going outside into the heat of a summer day, she walked to her father’s carpentry shop, where she called Ken’s shop, leaving him a message to let him know her quilt was finished.

  He called her back the next morning and made arrangements to pick the quilt up and deliver her payment.

  On the day he had told Jenny he would be in Peace Landing, he knocked at the door of the house.

  “Come in, Mr. Carey. How are you?”

  “I am doing very well, thank you. More to the point – how are you? How’s your recovery coming?”

  “It’s coming along well, thank you. I don’t have to do physical therapy and I think I’ll be out of this brace in a few weeks.”

  “Here’s your payment, in full. I won’t be deducting for what insurers call an ‘act of God.’ How about making a smaller quilt for your next project?”

  “Denki. Ya, a child’s quilt will work for me. Now that I’m about to get out of this brace, I may be able to start working close to my usual pace – depending on any pain I may feel,” Jenny said cautiously. She had been hit with several days of pain after doing more than her back could handle. She had quickly learned her lesson and, even when her back felt good, she stopped working before it began aching.

&n
bsp; “Okay, then, I will put this beauty on display. Let me know how you’re doing and don’t worry about getting back to full speed just yet. I’d rather have you go a little more slowly and be in good physical health. No need causing any harm to yourself, hear?”

  “Yes sir, I hear. Thank you.”

  At that point Rebecca walked in.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Carey. How do you like the quilt?”

  “Mrs. King, it’s beautiful – as always. Your daughter and I have decided she’s going to work on a child’s quilt next.”

  “Gut. She’s improving, but, if she overdoes it, she still has pain at the end of the day,” Rebecca said.

  “And that’s what I’ve been cautioning her on – to take her time and just follow her back’s cues. I’d much rather wait a little longer than have her be sick.”

  “Denki I’m glad to hear that! I make sure she rests when she needs to.”

  Ken left after finishing his business with Jenny. Jenny took a break, then, after lunch sat down with Mara’s long pillow behind her back. She had arranged the neck pillow so her neck didn’t take very much strain. Once she was comfortable, she began browsing through printed patterns for a children’s quilt. Once she found what she liked, she set it on the work table, then decided to listen to her body and go for a walk. Outside, she saw more dark clouds piling up on the horizon. Swallowing her fear, she looked around for her daed. When she saw him hurrying in on the wagon, she sighed.

  “Daed, look at the clouds!”