Malinda jerked her head sideways when Todd leaned as if to kiss her again. He laughed and squeezed her arm. “I’ll see you soon.” He winked before turning and jumping down the steps. Once he reached the fancy red car, he gave her an arrogant salute.
“I won’t be calling.”
Todd gave no indication he heard her.
Anger mingled with fear. The man had really crossed the boundaries of proper doctor behavior. Malinda crumpled the card in her hand. The stove was the perfect place for it, as soon as she finished ripping it into itty bitty pieces.
Chapter Twenty
“Are you feeling all right?” Saloma asked.
Malinda stopped the haphazard rearranging of the beet slices and green beans on her plate and gave her mamm a cursory glance. “I’m fine, Mamm. I’m just not very hungry.”
“You need to eat, dear, so you don’t lose any weight. You haven’t yet regained what you lost the last time you were sick.”
Malinda silently counted to ten and backward to zero. She was well aware of her weight, or lack thereof. She didn’t need her mamm to harp at her. It was bad enough Atlee never hesitated to tell her a slight puff of wind would send her airborne. She truly had been trying to eat. If Mamm knew about her afternoon visitor, she probably wouldn’t feel like eating, either. She blew out the breath she’d been holding. “I know, Mamm. I’m trying.”
“Of course you are, Dochder. You just eat what you can,” Rufus said soothingly.
Dear Daed. Ever the peacemaker. Malinda shot him a grateful look but couldn’t miss the frown her mamm sent his way. Malinda nodded. She speared a pickled beet slice and popped it into her mouth despite her stomach’s protest. Maybe the tanginess of the beet would awaken her taste buds and her appetite.
Should she tell Mamm and Daed about Todd McWilliams’s visit? What if he came back? He’d said he would see her soon. Daed would be furious if he knew what the doctor had said to her. Mamm would probably chase the man away with a cast-iron skillet in her hand, though she’d never actually use it as a weapon. Malinda nearly giggled at the image.
She managed to choke down a few vegetables, but her stomach threatened to completely betray her when Mamm urged her to eat the noodles and gravy. Thankfully, Daed started asking Mamm about the neighbor she had visited. Now if she could hurry and clean the kitchen and escape to her room, she might be able to appease the monster residing in her stomach. She would feel much better when the weekend had passed and she knew Dr. McWilliams had left Maryland. Please, Lord Gott, don’t let him kumm back here.
The little bit of excitement she had experienced at the doctor’s flattery in the hospital had given way to anger and fear. Malinda got the impression Todd McWilliams expected her to fall at his feet in adoration and gratitude. He seemed to expect her to willingly and eagerly jump at the chance to be with him. The scariest part was he apparently didn’t want to take nee for an answer.
Malinda didn’t need a mirror Friday morning to know her dark-rimmed eyes and puffy lids made her resemble a sick raccoon. Sleep had merely teased her all night. Every time she had begun to fall down that well of utter exhaustion, her fidgety brain had jerked her back up to consciousness. She splashed cold water on her face again and again but didn’t believe the effort helped at all. Mamm would take one look at her and be ready to haul her off to Dr. Nelson’s office. This would be one time the Englischers’ makeup would come in handy.
She would simply have to avert her gaze as much as possible. At least getting her little bruders off to school should provide plenty of distraction for a short time. It was later, when she and Mamm would be working side by side, that concerned her. Maybe she could invent a cough and plead an oncoming cold. Nee. That would certainly warrant a trip to the doctor’s office. If only Mamm didn’t consider her so fragile. Malinda spent a lot of energy working to dispel that notion. Her appearance today would not help her case.
Continued dawdling would accomplish nothing. If she didn’t hurry to the kitchen, Mamm would question that, too. She might as well get the initial encounter over with. At least Todd McWilliams should be tied up with his conference all day and wouldn’t be able to visit. She should be able to function normally today, whatever normal was.
“Did you have a bad night? Are you feeling all right? You didn’t call for me.”
Malinda didn’t even get both feet onto the kitchen floor before Saloma started in on her. Whoever made up the notion that cold water relieved puffy, dark eyes? Saloma banged the big metal spoon against the side of the pot of oatmeal she was stirring before laying the spoon on the counter. She whisked across the room to press the back of her hand to Malinda’s forehead.
“I’m fine, Mamm.” Malinda gently pulled Saloma’s hand down. “I just had one of those nights where I couldn’t sleep well. You get those sometimes, ain’t so?”
“Sure. But you’re young. You shouldn’t have worries keeping you awake unless . . .”
Unless I’m sick. Malinda could fill in the blank. “I’m feeling fine, Mamm. I’ll get the lunches together.” Malinda darted out of her mamm’s grasp and away from her scrutiny. How she wished there was no such thing as Crohn’s disease. Then Mamm wouldn’t have to fret over her so much. All her prayers for healing had gone unanswered. Obviously healing was not the Lord Gott’s plan. She tried hard to accept that.
Some days Malinda did accept her illness and prayed for strength to face whatever came. Yet, once in a while, she wanted to throw herself to the ground and flail her limbs like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum in protest of the unfairness of her situation. Mamm would definitely be worried if Malinda succumbed to that urge. She hadn’t felt like doing that in quite a while, so maybe her faith had been growing.
The sound of stomping feet and masculine voices put an end to Malinda’s ponderings. She set Aden’s and Ray’s lunches near the edge of the kitchen counter so they could grab them on the way out the door. She tossed plastic baggies filled with peanut butter cookies into Sam’s and Atlee’s lunches and set them aside. Daed and Roman would be working at home and would kumm inside to eat at noon.
Malinda spooned thickened oatmeal into bowls and carried them to the table while Saloma filled the plates with scrambled eggs and bacon slices. It was a blessing their hens were gut layers. The family must go through at least a dozen eggs at a time. She left her own bowl on the counter so she could add a splash of milk to thin it a bit. Otherwise it would sit like a lead ball in her stomach all day.
“Mamm, can I stay home today?”
“May I,” Mamm automatically corrected. “Are you sick, Aden?” Once again, Mamm stopped what she was doing to feel a forehead. “No fever.”
“Aw, he probably didn’t study for the spelling test today.” Ray bumped the table as he settled into his chair, causing kaffi to slosh around in the cups.
“Aden, you know your words. When I called them off to you yesterday, you didn’t miss a single one,” Malinda said, hoping to allay any fears he might have.
“That ain’t it, Ray.” Aden frowned at his older bruder.
“Well, what is it, then?” Saloma stopped dishing up food to stare at the bu.
Aden stared at the floor. After a few seconds, he mumbled, “I’m not so gut at softball, and Teacher said if everyone worked hard today, we’d have a game this afternoon.”
“You’re improving.” Sam ruffled Aden’s dark hair before pulling out his chair. “We’ll practice this weekend, jah?”
Malinda could have hugged Sam. He was always so thoughtful and sensitive to others’ needs. He would make Emma a gut husband.
“Do you promise?” Aden asked.
“You can count on it.”
“Okay. Maybe I won’t even get up to bat today.”
* * *
With all the males out of the house, Malinda and Saloma settled into their daily routine. Malinda attacked her chores with a vigor she really didn’t feel in order to keep her mamm from further questioning her about her health or lack of sleep. Be
sides, Malinda always believed if she expended energy, she received energy. She definitely needed energy today.
As the morning stretched toward noon, Malinda relaxed more and more and began to feel like her old self. A visit from Dr. McWilliams would be very unlikely. Tomorrow might be another matter entirely, but she wouldn’t worry about that today. Didn’t the Scriptures say something about each day having its own concerns? In other words, don’t go borrowing trouble, as Mamm would say. She’d have to remember to search her Bible later for the verse that was hanging at the edge of her memory.
After the disorder from the noon meal had been cleared away, Malinda pulled out the overflowing mending basket. With the canning and preserving over for the season, she could begin to tackle some other duties that had been piling up. Malinda sank into the thick cushion covering the seat of the old oak rocker that had been in the family forever. Mamm had rocked all seven of her kinner in this chair and claimed her own grossmammi rocked her kinner in it as well. Every creak and squeak of the old chair was well deserved.
Malinda pulled the basket and sewing box closer to her and reached for the garment on top. Aden’s pants. Not a surprise. Aden didn’t walk if he could run. Falling, crawling, or rolling on the ground were everyday occurrences for him. Malinda smiled. How she loved her little bruder! She wouldn’t mind having a little bu exactly like him one day. She sighed. That would probably never happen.
“Mighty deep sigh, Dochder.”
Malinda hadn’t even heard Saloma enter the living room. Before her mamm could ask what was wrong—again—Malinda smiled. “I’m just thinking of all Aden gets into, but he’s still a gut bu.”
“That is true, but he can wear his clothes to threads quicker than all the others did.”
“I hope his softball game went okay.”
“All life is a learning experience.” Saloma picked up the next item from the basket.
The women worked in companionable silence for a while, the creak of the rocking chair providing the only sound. Malinda could be content working alongside Mamm the rest of her life if she never married. She kept telling herself that, but her heart had its doubts. “Take one day at a time.” That’s what Mamm always said. Malinda had been feeling well, for the most part, since returning from Ohio. Maybe a complete remission could happen. How she prayed for healing—but she tried to be accepting of whatever the Lord Gott might have planned for her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Saturday dawned bright but brisk. Winter definitely whispered for fall to get out of the way. The shadows beneath Malinda’s eyes had no doubt deepened after another fitful night’s sleep. She need only get through today. Surely Dr. McWilliams knew Sundays were days for church or visiting. After all, he lived in Ohio’s Amish country, so he certainly would respect their ways and not intrude, wouldn’t he?
Saturdays were very busy days for Amish shops. Englischers off from work usually shopped on Saturdays and often brought out-of-town guests to see the farms and shops, so Malinda’s daed and older bruders needed to be out the door the same time as or even earlier than on weekdays.
When Malinda entered the kitchen, Saloma was already standing at the counter cracking eggs into a big glass bowl. Malinda cut slices of the zucchini bread she’d baked yesterday and arranged them on a plate before stirring the oatmeal in the pot on the back of the stove. “Gut mariye, Mamm.” She avoided looking directly at Saloma. No use starting the morning off with the health questions Mamm would surely ask after taking one look at Malinda’s puffy eyes.
“Did you sleep better?”
“Mmmm.” Malinda gave a noncommittal sound in answer. She turned her attention to the oatmeal.
“I need you to take the fall produce to the market today, and some of the homemade jams and jellies, too.”
Malinda grabbed for the spoon she almost dropped into the thick, bubbling oatmeal. “I thought you planned to go.” Malinda debated whether blending into the crowd at the market would be better than lying low at home. A bright, sunny day was bound to bring out a lot of shoppers. The market might be the perfect way to avoid seeing Todd McWilliams if he made gut on his promise to see her soon. But what if he came to the house looking for her when she wasn’t home? What would Mamm think? What if he mentioned he’d been there expressly to see her on Thursday? She hadn’t breathed a word of that to anyone. Maybe she should tell Mamm about that now.
“I had thought to go,” Saloma explained, “but Franny is still ailing. I’m going to go help her out a bit. Since Ray and Roman are helping Daed today, I’ll take Aden with me to entertain Franny’s two little ones.” Saloma shoved her silver wire-rimmed glasses back into place.
“Oh.” Malinda couldn’t think of a single excuse to offer to get out of going to the market. At least the house would be empty if the pushy doctor did show up. Maybe she wouldn’t mention anything just yet.
“Ray and Roman are loading up for you. They’ll hitch the horse so you’ll be all ready to go after you eat. I’ll clean up the kitchen so you can get an early start.”
With much reluctance and trepidation, Malinda clucked to Chestnut and set off for the farmers’ market. Thankfully, at this early hour on a Saturday, traffic was lighter than on weekdays, when cars and tractor trailers flew by at top speed. The bright sun would soon tame the morning’s crispness, but Malinda didn’t mind the little nip in the air.
When she drove into the parking lot, Malinda saw other buggies and carts loaded with items to sell, as well as Englisch farmers’ pickup trucks. Spying a familiar face, she called out. “Phoebe!”
The pretty young woman with the unusual strawberry blonde hair stopped in her tracks. She squinted into the sun’s brilliance. “Malinda Stauffer. Is that you?”
“Jah.”
“I’ll wait for you to unhitch. We can set up together and share a space, if you like.”
“That would be fine. Just give me a minute or two.” Malinda heaved a huge sigh of relief. She wouldn’t have to man a booth alone. Plus, it would be fun to spend a little time with Phoebe. She hadn’t spent much time with freinden, except Timothy, since she and Mamm had been so busy with the bumper crop of apples.
“It’s gut to see you,” Phoebe said when Malinda shuffled closer. The weight of her load slowed her down. “Do you need help?”
Malinda noted the concern in Phoebe’s blue-green eyes. Inwardly she cringed, fearing another inquiry about her health. Would she always be thought of as sickly? “I’ve got it. It’s more awkward than heavy. You’ve got a load yourself.”
“I’ll have to go back for the rest of mine.”
“Me too, but we can cover each other. Mamm was supposed to be here today, but she needed to help Franny, who still isn’t feeling well.” Malinda grunted as she plunked her big box down on the display stand.
“That box is almost as big as you.” Phoebe chuckled as she set down her own heavy load and flexed her fingers. “My fingers went numb on me.” She shook her hands vigorously.
Malinda smiled. “I know what you mean.” She shook her own hands before rubbing her aching upper arms. “I’m glad I’ll have someone to work beside.” And someone to hide behind.
“Me too,” Phoebe agreed. “I wasn’t too crazy about setting up here today, but I need to get over my fears. That’s what Mamm says, anyway. I haven’t been here much since . . .”
Malinda squeezed Phoebe’s arm. “That wasn’t your fault. No one blamed you.”
“I blamed me. It’s taken me ever so long to forgive myself.”
“Have you?”
“Finally. Ben’s grossmammi helped a lot.”
Malinda would have to be blind not to see the light in Phoebe’s eyes at the mention of Ben Miller’s name. She was happy Phoebe had made peace with herself and happy she had found Ben. “Naomi is fine, ain’t so?”
“She’s finally let go of Mamm’s skirts and is back to her normal curious little self. She’s such a sweet little girl.” Phoebe emptied her box. “I’m ready to go back for
the rest of my things while you finish setting up. Then you can go. Is that okay with you?”
“That makes sense.” Malinda pulled jars of jams and jellies from her box and arranged them so the labels would face the customers. Phoebe certainly appeared to have overcome her self-blame over Naomi’s kidnapping from this very market. But Malinda certainly undersood why Phoebe had qualms about being here today. Malinda would feel the same way. She knew Phoebe had counted herself responsible for the little girl’s disappearance, since she and her sister Martha had been in charge of their little schweschders that day. Malinda gave her head a shake, sending her kapp strings swaying. Thank the Lord Naomi had been returned home and Phoebe had absolved herself of all recrimination. No one else, not even Phoebe’s parents, had blamed her for the abduction, but Phoebe hadn’t been able to forgive herself.
That was in the past. Now Phoebe glowed with happiness. Malinda expected to attend a wedding very soon. A tiny, wistful sigh escaped. It must be so nice to be healthy and happy and to plan a wedding.
“Ugh!” Phoebe nearly stumbled before she could lower another huge box to the ground.
Malinda quickly took hold of one end of the box so they could ease it down together. “What do you have in here, cinder blocks?”
“It sure seems like it. Who would ever have thought squash and gourds could weigh so much?” Phoebe tucked a few loose strands of hair beneath her kapp.
“Maybe it’s the pumpkins on the bottom.”
“Pumpkins? That Aaron! He packed the box. He was supposed to bring pumpkins later when Ephraim came here. Bruders!”
Malinda laughed. “I know what you mean.”
“I’m sure you do. You have one more bruder than I have.”
The Mending Page 14