by Nancy M Bell
“I just need to do one more thing, Oma.” Anna scooped the spade back out of the wagon.
“Not today. The light’s going and the family will be worried about us.” Elsie picked up the handle of the wagon.
“It will only take a minute. I know exactly where it is.” The girl scrambled down the slope, spade clutched in her hand.
“Anna, we really need to go,” Elsie insisted, one fist planted on her hip.
“I’ll be right there.”
The scrape of the shovel accompanied small pants and grunts. “Anna!”
“Coming, Oma.” She popped up over the top of the hill, a straggly bush in one hand, spade in the other. “Can you just move that one stone in the middle, please?”
Seeing it was no use to argue with the child, Elsie shifted the boulder and straightened up. “What in the world…?”
“It’s Blackie’s rose bush,” Anna announced, placing the scraggly plant into the opening and carefully tamping the earth down around it. “There, now he’s a Landmark Rose, and I can come here to visit with him and keep things neat.” She turned and beamed up at Elsie. “Just like we do in the family plot. I even said a prayer for him while I was planting his rose bush.”
“Oh…” Elsie was at a loss for words. Equating the dog with people and awarding him status equal with the members of the family who had gone to the Lord was stretching things, in her opinion. She couldn’t find it in her heart to dim the light glowing in her granddaughter’s face. “Let’s keep that secret between you and me, all right?”
“Now, we can bring Doris and Willy, and the others, up here tomorrow so they can say goodbye. We can, can’t we?”
“You’ll need to ask your mother if she thinks it’s a good idea.” She hesitated and then plunged on. “But let’s keep the bit about Blackie joining the Landmark Roses just between you and me.”
Anna shrugged and nodded. She picked up the wagon handle with one hand and slipped her other into Elsie’s. In the last glow of the sun before it sank all the way beneath the horizon, the pair made their way back to the barn yard.
Agnes was standing on the front porch when Elsie and Anna came out of the barn. “Where on earth have you been all this time?” She came down the steps and marched across the yard. “And what have you been doing? Anna, look at the mess of you! Go get washed up before your father sees you.”
Anna ducked her head and scurried away. “Don’t think this is over,” Agnes called after her retreating back. “You’ve still got some explaining to do. Later.”
Agnes fell into step beside her mother on the way back to the house. “You want to tell me what you two were doing? Where did you disappear to after the children got home from school?”
Elsie mounted the porch steps and sat in one of the big porch chairs and motioned Agnes to do the same. “Anna was out with the dog. She was determined to give him a proper burial.”
“What nonsense! You didn’t let her, did you? Sometimes that girl has the oddest ideas.”
Elsie shrugged and slid her gaze away from her daughter.
“Mother! You helped her, didn’t you?” She reached over and turned her mother’s hand over. “Look at the dirt on your hands! How could you encourage her in such silliness?”
“The child was determined to bury the creature. I couldn’t find it in my heart to deny her. You should have seen the look on her face.”
Agnes sighed. “What’s done is done, I suppose. Where exactly did the ‘proper burial’ take place?”
“Up on the hill behind the Saskatoon patch. She seems more resigned to his loss now.” Elsie got to her feet. “I need to go get cleaned up and see about supper.”
“I’ve got a start on it. You go ahead and get washed and changed. There’s mud on your dress and leaves in your hair.” Agnes held the door open for her mother to pass through ahead of her.
“Goodness, I can’t let Ike see me like this.” Elsie hurried across the living room and up the stairs, thankful to avoid seeing any of the men folks. In the privacy of the bedroom she shook her head while stripping off her muddy skirt. Imagine the child thinking the dog was a Landmark Rose. It was the name her own grossmama passed down to her, and that she had passed down to her own offspring and grandchildren. A wild rosebush bloomed by each headstone in the family plot. They grew in profusion over the prairie, perfuming the air and providing vitamin C rich rose hips in the fall. Offering life; even as the blooms lost their beauty and dropped their petals in the cold autumn winds. Elsie fancied it was symbolic of the beliefs and morals passing from one generation of the family to the next. “Landmark Roses,” she whispered, pulling a clean dress over her head.
Chapter Five
A Matter of Beliefs
“I forbid it! Do you hear me?” John Bertsch’s voice brooked no opposition.
Elsie paused in the doorway of the living room, drawn by the raised voices. The scene that met her eyes was perplexing. Helena stood beside her husband, face white and hands twisting together. Their youngest daughter, Ruth, sat on the sofa, head bowed.
“Whatever is going on here?” Elsie stepped into the room. Her gaze caught and held Leina’s.
“Don’t raise your voice in my house.” Ike appeared at the foot of the stairs, tall and stern.
“I apologize,” John replied. “It is important that Ruth realize what she has done, but I will moderate my voice in the future.” His gaze never left his youngest daughter. “I said, Ruth, did you hear me?”
“Yes, Pape.” Her voice was small and she didn’t look up.
“See that you remember what I said. You can go now.” John dismissed her.
Elsie followed her departure with her eyes. Something in the set of the girl’s shoulders and tilt of the head warned her the subject might not be as closed as her son-in-law appeared to think.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do with that girl. You need to have a talk with her about what is right and wrong. Remind her what the Church’s stand is on men like Fred Klassen.” John frowned at Helena.
“I did talk to her when I first found out. She listened, and I thought she understood,” Helena replied, sitting on the sofa.
“Apparently, you were mistaken.” John perched on the edge of the easy chair.
“What has she done that’s got you so upset?” Ike came down the last step entered the living room. He leaned on the mantle and surveyed his daughter and son-in-law. “You know I don’t allow voices raised in anger in my house.”
“Sorry, Pape,” Helen said.
“Who is Fred Klassen?” Ike persisted.
Helen glanced at her husband and then looked away.
“A young man from Altona. He came up here looking for work,” Helen began.
“Nothing wrong with that,” Ike straightened up and hooked his thumbs in his suspenders.
“Oh, there’s plenty wrong about the boy,” John’s voice was hard.
“Quit beating around the bush and tell me, then,” Ike was losing patience with the whole affair.
“His home church took him off the church register. He’s not welcome there. And he isn’t welcome here either,” John said, revulsion twisting his features. “He enlisted and fought overseas. There’s no excuse for that. He had a choice like all of us. If he truly believed in the teachings he would never have gone. Murderer, our daughter thinks to be friends with a murderer.” A muscle jumped in John’s jaw. “We are pacifists! Thou shalt not kill. Where hate fails, love conquers. How can love conquer when a man has a gun in his hand? Look at the boy from Winkler, bragging about shooting down planes…and wearing his RAF uniform to church…” John’s face purpled and he choked on the rest of his words.
Elsie clenched her hands into fists in her lap, nails biting into her palms. Please don’t let her be serious about this. Please God, give her the wisdom to see the error of her ways. Helen’s lips moved silent prayers as well. Elsie raised her gaze to meet her husband’s eyes. Worry and controlled anger tightened his features.
&
nbsp; “She understands how serious this is? If she continues to keep company with this person, his ostracism will extend to her as well. Does she understand this? Friends and neighbors will cross the street rather than walk by her. She will bring disgrace on this family. You must deal with this quickly and decisively,” Ike declared, he thumped his fist on the mantle for emphasis.
“I can’t agree more,” John replied. “She is forbidden from even being in the same place as him, or any other man who chose to fight over beliefs.”
“That’s settled then,” Ike declared. “Come give me and Walter a hand with the milking.”
Elsie waited until the men went through to the kitchen and she heard the back door close. She scooted close to Leina and put an arm around her shaking shoulders. “There now, Leina. It’s all handled now. Ruth understands what must be.”
Leina raised her head to stare at her mother. “Does she? I’m not so sure. I’m afraid Ruth will do what she believes is right.”
“She’s a good girl. She won’t go against the teachings of the church, and she won’t risk bringing ridicule or worse down on our family,” Elsie spoke with the utmost conviction.
“I hope you’re right, Mome.” Helena wiped her eyes and blew her nose with a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket.
“Now let’s talk about happier things. There’s planning to be done for Sadie’s wedding next spring.”
“Before we get into that. How is Sarah lately? I haven’t seen much of her, and she’s really quiet when we all come over here for faspa on Sundays. I’m worried about her but I don’t know what to say.”
“Sarah is managing the best she can, I suspect. It’s hard to lose child after child before they’re even born.” Elsie sighed and patted Leina’s hand.
“But Mome, she won’t even hold Ed and Betty’s little one. Last Sunday afternoon Betty asked her to take little Katherina for a moment while she tended to Willy. I was shocked at her reaction and so was Betty,” Leina said.
“What did she do? I must have been somewhere else when this happened,” Elsie worried.
“You and Pape had already gone up for your nap after lunch. Sarah looked at the baby like Betty was trying to hand her a snake or something. Then she shook her head, mumbled something and bolted out of the room.”
“Did you go after her?”
Leina nodded. “But not until after I helped Betty with the children. Then I went looking for her. John said Arnold took her home. Something about her not feeling well and needing to go home and lie down in the peace and quiet.”
“I don’t know what to do about her, I’m afraid.” Elsie worried the fabric of her dress in her fingers. “It’s like she’s trying to shut herself off from anything to do with babies and children. Building a big wall to protect herself, maybe.”
“It’s going to be awfully hard to do that with all the babies and young ones in the family,” Leina remarked. “Let’s pray the pain will ease with time.”
“Yes, I hope you’re right and I will pray harder for the Lord to lighten her burden. Now, let’s go find Agnes and talk about Sadie’s wedding plans.”
* * *
Elsie was under the impression the whole issue with Ruth and the boy from Altona was over and done with. At least until she went into New Bothwell with Ike to deliver raw milk to the cheese factory. Ike let her off on the main street of town near the general store and continued on toward the cheese factory. Elsie pulled the list out of her purse and moved toward the door of the establishment. From the corner of her eye a flash of colour caught her attention. Tina Goosen’s bright dress reflected in the plate glass window of the hardware store across the way. She was a long-time friend and she belonged to the same quilting groups Elsie did.
“Tina!” She waved the hand holding the shopping list. A truck rolled by blocking her view until it rattled past. When the way was clear again, Tina was nowhere in sight. “How odd. I’m sure she saw me,” Elsie mused out loud lowering her hand. “Perhaps she’s in a hurry.” Pushing the niggling feeling that something was wrong to the back of her mind, Elsie pushed the grocery store door open.
She paused just inside the door to let her eyes become accustomed to the dimly lit interior. Two women stood by the counter where Liz Rempel was totalling up their bill. Elsie smiled at Liz who raised her head, but gave no other sign another customer had entered her establishment. Whatever is going on? It wasn’t like Liz to not welcome her customers. Elsie moved toward the area where sewing notions were displayed. She selected a few skeins of embroidery thread, a packet of needles and two spools of thread, one white, one black. In the remnants bin, a bit of material caught her attention. It was just the right weight and colour for a new blouse. Tucking it under her arm, Elsie went to the counter to leave her items there while she continued to shop.
“Good morning, Liz,” Elsie greeted the shop keeper.
“Mrs. Neufeld,” the woman replied without actually meeting Elsie’s gaze.
The two women already there gathered up their purchases and left, making a point of not looking at the newcomer or greeting her. Uneasiness she could find no explanation for tightened Elsie’s stomach. Liz’s behaviour was out of the norm. In Elsie’s memory the woman had never called her Mrs. Neufeld. She consulted her list and turned her attention to the woman behind the counter.
“I need a few things. Ten pounds of flour, five pounds of sugar, a pound of coffee…” her voice trailed off.
The shopkeeper produced the requested items without any attempt at small talk or pleasantries. “Liz, what is going on? Have I done something to make you angry? If so, I apologize, but I can’t imagine what it might be.”
The woman paused with the coffee in her hand, an audible sigh escaping her. “Elsie Neufeld, I’ve known you since we went to grade school together and I have to say I’m shocked you would allow such a thing.” Her lips thinned into a straight line, her whole appearance radiating disapproval.
“What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything wrong,” Elsie protested. She glanced around but thankfully there were no other customers at the moment.
“Done nothing wrong?” Liz’s voice and eyebrows rose in indignation. “How can you be so brazen? Do you mean to say you approve of your granddaughter walking out with that…that…”
“That what? I have no idea what you’re going on about.” A niggling thought crept into her head. Surely it couldn’t be that, could it?
“That boy from Altona. He’s as bad as that other one from Winkler, you know who I mean. Wore his RAF uniform right into church…”
Deciding ignorance was the best way to go Elsie plunged in, even though she was starting to have a sick feeling in her stomach she knew which granddaughter and which ‘boy’ Liz was referring to. “Who exactly are you saying my granddaughter is seeing, and while we’re at it, which granddaughter are speaking of?”
“I can’t believe you don’t know.” Liz pressed a hand to her throat. When Elsie remained silent, she continued. “Helen’s girl, Ruth. She keeping company with that Altona boy who went to fight in Europe. Fred something or other.”
Elsie tipped her head down to give herself a moment to think and compose herself. There was no point in denying the girl knew the man in question, honesty was the best policy, she decided. “I believe Ruth was friends with someone from Altona, but to the best of my knowledge that was over a while ago. Her parents spoke to her about it, and her grosspape too. There’s nothing between them anymore.” Elsie tapped her fingers on the counter. “Oh, and I’d like ten cents worth of licorice whips please. Ike loves those things.” She smiled at the woman across from her.
Liz placed the coffee she was still holding on the counter and weighed out the candy with a bit more force than was necessary. She crimped the bag closed and dropped it on top of the rest of Elsie’s purchases. The woman made a tiny noise in the back of her throat before giving a tiny nod and straightening her shoulders.
“Unless her parents spoke to her between this
morning and last evening, there most certainly appears to be ‘something between them’,” Liz clipped the words off.
A wave of faintness swept over Elsie. She couldn’t. Surely she wouldn’t. The more pragmatic bit of her brain assured Elsie that Ruth probably would, and had done precisely what she had been ordered not to. “So that’s why no one will look me in the eye, and Tina wouldn’t cross the street to say hello. Guilty by association am I?” A small fire of anger ignited in her belly, tempered by the knowledge she would have behaved the same way if the situations were reversed. The men and boys who went to fight made a decision to ignore one of the pillars of their faith. They certainly couldn’t have expected a hero’s welcome when they returned home. A good man would have declared they were conscientious objectors and gone and served in one of the work camps with the rest of the Mennonite young men and objectors from other faiths. They made a choice, and now they were having to live with it. But, Elsie’s family had made no such horrible choice. Ruth must be made to see that what she does affects all of us. Just wait until I tell Ike about this.
“Elsie, are you all right? Do you need to sit down?” Liz came around the counter and took Elsie’s arm.
“No. No, I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to breath normally.
“You look awfully pale. Please sit down.” Liz pulled a chair over. There were always a few chairs strewn about the store for elderly or infirm customers to rest in.
Elsie sat carefully on the wooden seat, fussing with her dress buying time to compose herself. She closed her eyes for a moment wishing to settle her racing thoughts. Ike will be mortified if he gets the same treatment at the cheese factory I just received here. If he doesn’t already know, I’ll have to tell him. Oh, and I’m afraid how John will react to this news. Ruth has gone against his wishes and defied him. I can’t even imagine… “I beg your pardon, Liz? I’m sorry I didn’t catch what you just said.” She smoothed the material of her skirt and put a hand up to her hat.