“I can get it, Mamm. You go ahead with whatever you need to do. You’ve wasted enough of your day tracking Dr. Nelson down for me.”
“I haven’t wasted my day, Malinda. And it’s no trouble to fix you something to eat. Do you need help getting to the kitchen?”
Malinda bristled at the idea of being considered an invalid, but she told herself Mamm was only concerned and wanted to help. “I can get it, Mamm. Really.”
“If you say so. Holler if you need me.”
Malinda nodded and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Now to find some food her irritable insides would accept with a minimal amount of protest. She wandered around the kitchen weighing her options. What she really wanted was to go back to bed, as her mamm had urged her to do, but she would not give in. She had no desire to wind up in another hospital.
Bread. She should be able to handle a small slice of Mamm’s homemade whole wheat bread. If that was accepted by her belligerent gut, she’d try some applesauce or something else light. She at least wanted to have the strength and energy to work on the mending or her quilting.
Chapter Twenty-Six
By the end of the week, Malinda felt more like her normal self. She’d been eating a little more each day, and her strength gradually returned. Her pain had lessened, and she’d taken little walks outside whenever she felt worried or stressed. And time spent talking to Gott among His creation did wonders for the mind, body, and spirit.
The long white envelope she pulled from the mailbox on Friday afternoon nearly sent Malinda into a tailspin. Her breath came in short, quick pants, and her heart pounded with such force she felt sure the earth was shifting beneath her feet. She didn’t have to look at the letter twice to know who sent it. She considered tearing it to bits without opening the offensive thing, but she needed to read it to learn of any possible impending propositions or visits. Malinda had been truly glad to help Aenti Mary, but she certainly wished she’d never set foot in Ohio. She should have stayed in Maryland and let someone else tend to her aenti.
Malinda tucked the other letters and advertisements under one arm and slid a forefinger beneath the loosened flap of the envelope addressed to her. She withdrew a single sheet of white paper that had been folded in thirds to fit inside the envelope. She sucked in a deep breath before shaking the paper open. The words, written in a neat, bold script, were few and to the point.
I’ve missed you, my angel, and will be back to get you as soon as you give the word. Maybe I’ll come anyway. I’m sure I can persuade you to join me.
Yours,
TM
Oooh! How could he write such a thing? She had told him in no uncertain terms she would not even consider returning to Ohio with him. Why was the man so obsessed with her? There were plenty of women right under his own nose at that huge hospital or the nearby university who would be far better suited for him than she was. Could he be that determined to prove a point? Did he find it an irresistible challenge when someone refused to share his opinion and ideas or to blindly follow whatever he demanded? And a demand was what this had all seemed like to Malinda. Or maybe a threat veiled as an invitation.
Malinda shivered, although the day was merely crisp, not cold. Maybe Todd McWilliams was a stalker obsessed with his prey. Maybe she should be afraid instead of angry. She stomped a sneakered foot on the gravel driveway. She would march straight up to her room and write Dr. Todd McWilliams a letter telling him to leave her alone. She’d run right back out so the letter would go out in tomorrow’s mail. That should take care of this ridiculous problem once and for all.
Determination provided the energy that allowed Malinda to quicken her pace on her return trip to the house. So much for the peacefulness of nature! She slipped inside the house, grateful her mamm was nowhere in sight. She dropped the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter and tiptoed through the house and up the stairs. She wanted to complete her mission while anger fueled her. If fear set in, she might not get the necessary words written.
Malinda entered her room and carefully closed the door so it would latch softly. She needed a few minutes to herself. That’s all it would take. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a sheet of writing paper, an envelope, and a black ink pen. She knelt on the floor and slid the lamp aside to use the top of the nightstand for a table. With no hesitation, she scrawled her message. There. That should do it. She sat on the floor to read the words she had written.
Dr. McWilliams,
I do NOT plan to move to Ohio as you wish, not now or in the future. My life is in Maryland, where I intend to stay with my family and community. I am grateful for your help when I was in the hospital, but that is all. There is no possibility of any other relationship. I am happy with my life here. Please do not write or visit or otherwise contact me again.
Malinda Stauffer
Short and to the point. She’d made her stand clear, she hoped. The doctor was a smart man. Surely there would be no other interpretation of her words. She didn’t want to be rude and write Leave me alone, but maybe she should have.
She folded the sheet of paper in half and slid it into the envelope. She licked the gummy edges and pressed the flap closed before she could change her mind or add any other words. She pulled out the doctor’s crumpled letter so she could copy his address on her envelope. At least he had written a return address on his envelope. She tossed the crumpled letter and the pen into the drawer before creeping down the stairs to retrieve a stamp.
This time she race-walked down the driveway, adrenaline still pumping. She set the letter inside the mailbox, closed the metal door tightly, and raised the red flag on the side of the box so the mail carrier would be sure to stop tomorrow. She wanted that letter on its way to Ohio with a quickness.
“Malinda, was that you going out twice?” Saloma called from wherever it was in the house she’d busied herself.
Malinda sighed. Nothing ever escaped Mamm’s notice. Here she thought she’d been so quiet. “Jah, Mamm. It’s me.” Even if Mamm was deaf and blind, Malinda had no doubt she’d still know exactly what was going on in her house.
“Is everything all right?”
“Fine. Where are you?”
“I’m upstairs cleaning your bruders’ room.”
She must mean the room Roman, Ray, and Aden shared. It’s a wonder Mamm didn’t waylay her when she was upstairs a few minutes ago.
Malinda climbed the stairs and paused in the doorway of her bruders’ room. Mamm was on her knees, reaching under the bed for some unidentifiable object. She jerked back with a little yelp. Malinda dashed across the room. “Ach, Mamm! What is it? It’s nothing alive, I hope.”
“I’m not sure. It’s something kind of prickly in a box. That bu is going to make every last strand of my hair go gray.”
“I’ll check.” Malinda dropped to her knees beside her mamm. “At least we don’t have any porcupines around here, so it can’t be a family of those critters.” Malinda felt around under the bed until her fingers found the edge of a fairly large box. Slowly she dragged it out.
“Whew!” Saloma blew out her breath. “Pinecones. At least it’s not something I have to chase out with a broom.”
Malinda rummaged through the box. There were large, fat pinecones, long, skinny pinecones, and perfectly formed pinecones shaped like little trees. Even pieces of pinecones and dilapidated pinecones littered the bottom of the box.
“Why in the world is he collecting these?”
“They are kind of pretty, Mamm. The intact ones are, anyway.” Malinda picked up a few of the pinecones and turned them over in her hands. Some had sharp points that bit into her fingers. “They are all slightly different, like snowflakes.”
“I’m just glad it isn’t a box full of worms or spiders or something equally as bad.” Saloma shuddered.
“He probably shoved them under the bed so Ray and Roman wouldn’t squash them with their big feet. Do you want me to push the box back under, Mamm?”
“I think I�
�ll tell him to keep his collection in the barn. When these things rot and fall apart, we’ll have a big mess.”
“I think I felt another box under there.” Malinda flattened herself on the floor to stretch her arm out as far as possible. With a little grunt, she grasped the edge of the box and slid it toward her. Something inside the box rolled and clacked against something else.
“It sounds like marbles,” Saloma said.
Malinda slithered out from her position halfway under the bed. “Rocks.” She sat up and rummaged through the box, which was filled with every kind of rock imaginable. “Do you want these in the barn, too?”
“They won’t make a mess. We’ll leave some of his treasures inside.”
“I’ll take the pinecones downstairs for you.” Malinda scooted the box of rocks back under the bed.
“Danki, dear. Why were you outside twice?”
“I’ve been trying to go for walks lately, you know.”
“Two times so close together?”
“I went back the second time to mail a letter.” Malinda hoped a simple explanation would satisfy her mamm.
“Did you get a new circle letter?”
So much for wishful thinking. “Nee. The letter was to someone I met in Ohio.”
“It’s gut you made some new freinden there.”
This person definitely did not fit into that category. Should she say as much to Mamm, or keep silent and let the matter drop? Malinda chose the latter. She pushed to her feet, brushed off her dress, and reached for the box of pinecones.
“You don’t have to take them all the way to the barn,” Saloma said. “You can leave them by the back door, and Aden can tote them out later.”
“I don’t mind. That way I can peek at the new kittens.”
“You’re as bad as Aden as far as animals are concerned.”
“I know. Those kittens are so adorable, though. Can we keep them? There are only four.” Malinda hated the thought of separating them and giving them away.
“Four more cats!”
“They’re so little.”
“They won’t stay little for long.”
“They’ll probably grow up to be gut mousers like their mamm.”
“We’ll have to see what your daed says.”
At least Mamm hadn’t refused outright. She and Aden together could probably convince Daed to let the kittens stay. Malinda shuffled toward the hallway with the box of pinecones. She had successfully drawn the conversation away from the letter. Maybe during supper preparations she could get Mamm talking about Sam’s upcoming wedding.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Winter was definitely only a whisper away. Malinda gazed around the Swareys’ big barn, set up to hold all of Emma’s and Sam’s wedding guests. She wouldn’t be surprised to see snowflakes flying through the frosty air by Thanksgiving next week. The joy lighting Emma’s face almost brought tears to Malinda’s eyes. To know such happiness must be truly amazing.
Emma and Sam had exchanged vows in strong, confident voices near the end of the three-hour service. The Swareys had relatives visiting from three states. All the neighbors and relatives practically filled the barn to overflowing. With so many bodies in close proximity, along with her duties as a table server, Malinda should be wiping perspiration from her brow. Instead she rubbed her arms in an attempt to chase the chill away as she checked the laden food tables. If the bagginess of her blue dress served as any indication, her latest flare-up had left her another few pounds lighter. If she lost any more weight, Atlee’s prediction may very well prove accurate. She might blow clear into Charles County with a fair-sized puff of wind.
“Are you okay?” Phoebe paused in her duties as a server to whisper to Malinda.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m just a little chilly.”
“You’re chilly, and I could use a breath of fresh air.”
“I think being so scrawny makes me cold. Atlee says I’m going to dry up and blow away.” Malinda chuckled.
“That Atlee! Don’t you pay any attention to that rascal! You look just fine. And we definitely won’t let you blow away. There’s one person here who can’t take his eyes off of you. He will definitely not let you get away.”
“Go on with you.” Malinda playfully slapped Phoebe’s arm. Now she felt warm. Her face must be glowing.
Phoebe leaned closer and whispered, “I hope things work out between you and Timothy. You’ll give him a chance, won’t you?”
Malinda shrugged.
“Don’t let your fears push him away, Malinda. He’s a great guy.”
Malinda nodded. “I’d better refill some dishes. There are a lot of people here with healthy appetites.” Malinda sped off before Phoebe could sing any more of Tim’s praises. She knew Phoebe cared and wanted Malinda to know the same happiness she’d found with Ben Miller, but Phoebe didn’t have health concerns weighing her down. A little tingle racing up her spine forced her to glance around until her eyes connected with sky blue eyes that had been observing her every move.
* * *
Tim smiled when Malinda’s chocolate eyes connected with his own. He wondered what Phoebe had been saying to Malinda. Too bad he hadn’t been close enough to hear. He saw Malinda’s face flush and the little punch she gave Phoebe. He wished with all his heart Phoebe, or someone, would talk some sense into Malinda. Someone needed to help her see that her illness didn’t define her, and it did not make her unattractive or undesirable. So far, he had not been successful in getting through to her.
Timothy winked at Malinda and smiled more broadly when her lovely face flushed an even brighter shade of red. She quickly broke eye contact and scurried about her duties. Tim felt the smile slide from his face. His best freind had gotten married today. Would he and Malinda ever get married? He knew his own feelings, but sometimes he wasn’t so sure of Malinda’s. His gaze swung to the newlyweds, seated at the eck. Their special table had been set up in the corner. Their heads were tilted toward each other, and huge smiles lit their faces. Would he ever be seated at such a table and smiling down at his bride? Timothy sighed.
“Mighty deep thoughts on a festive occasion.” A jab to the ribs accompanied the comment.
“Hey, Atlee. I’m just taking a little break.” Tim and Atlee were both table servers, too. “It’s hard to believe Sam got married.”
“So when are you getting married?” Atlee nodded in the direction Malinda had just taken.
“When are you getting married?” Tim turned the tables on Sam’s younger bruder.
“Me? I’m not ready for that. I’m not even courting anyone.”
“That could change in a hurry. I’m sure you’ve been looking.” Timothy couldn’t resist teasing the fellow who was always so quick to tease everyone else.
“Looking, maybe. Acting, not at all.”
“I’ve seen a few girls staring in your direction.”
“Jah? Who?” Atlee’s eyes roved the crowd.
“I thought you weren’t interested.”
“Interested, but not ready to settle down. You, on the other hand, are the same age as Sam. From the looks you give my schweschder and your visits to our house, I’d say you were ready to tie the knot yourself. Right?”
“Both people have to be ready.”
“She’ll be ready soon, if she isn’t now.” Atlee folded his arms across his chest and nodded knowingly.
“How can you be so sure?”
“I know my schweschder.”
“I’m not so sure, Atlee.” Timothy frowned. He thought he knew Malinda pretty well after all the years he’d hung around the Stauffer house. He’d watched her grow from a spindly little girl to a lovely young woman. Sometimes he felt secure in the knowledge that she cared for him. Other times she pulled away and dashed his hopes. “Whenever she has any kind of setback, she pulls inside her shell like a scared box turtle and shuts me out.”
“Malinda has always been determined. You might not remember because she was behind us in school,
but she always wanted to be perfect. She had to spell all her words correctly. She had to add all her sums right and have the neatest handwriting. She had to be the best she could be. Well, she can’t control her illness. She can’t make everything all right when she has a flare-up, no matter how hard she tries. So it’s been hard on her physically, for sure, but it’s also hard up here.” Atlee tapped the side of his head. “She has to accept she is powerless over this disease.”
“That makes sense. You’re pretty smart after all, Atlee.” Timothy nudged the younger man.
“I’m not just a pretty face.”
Timothy chuckled. Atlee could find—or invent—humor for any situation.
“So which girls did you see watching me?”
“We’d better get back to our duties, Atlee.”
Tim continued to covertly observe Malinda every chance he got. She began to look tired as she helped clear the last tables, but he could plainly see the determination etched on her face. Atlee’s words had given him much to think about. He could see things a bit more clearly now. Malinda needed to feel in control over this disease by forcing herself to accomplish her usual activities.
For some reason, she seemed to want to fight the illness on her own without accepting help, except possibly from her mamm. She wrestled with accepting any limitations, and maybe with accepting Gott’s grace to sustain her. He closed his eyes for a moment to offer a brief prayer for the girl he cared for so deeply.
* * *
By the time most wedding guests had departed, except for the young unmarried folks, who would sing and socialize, Malinda’s weariness had seeped all the way down to her bones. Fatigue rapidly gobbled up the joy she’d experienced all day.
“Kumm sit with me.”
Malinda leaned into Timothy and let him lead her to a seat. His hand wrapped around her upper arm, giving her the strength to place one foot in front of the other. She silently prayed the exhaustion wouldn’t trigger another flare-up. She’d barely recovered from the last one.
The Mending Page 18