A Life of Joy

by Amy Clipston

  “I guess Onkel Daniel went back to work?” Lindsay asked.

  “Ya.” Rebecca placed her glass on the end table. “He had a project he needed to finish up today.”

  “I bet he’s excited, ya?” Lindsay said.

  “He is.” Rebecca chuckled, thinking back to their time in the examination room. “He nearly danced when he heard the news.”

  “I can see him doing that.” She lifted her glass of tea. “Did the doctor give you any instructions? Are you supposed to take it easy, since you’ve been so tired?”

  “He said to rest if I feel worn out.” Not wanting to worry her niece, Rebecca was careful not to mention the pain she’d experienced.

  “I should quit working at the bakery,” Lindsay said. “I’m sure Elizabeth will understand I need to take care of you and the kinner.” She finished her drink with one big gulp. “You need me here.”

  Rebecca studied Lindsay’s face, searching for any regret but only finding genuine concern. “Lindsay, it’s not your obligation to help me raise my kinner. You know that, ya?”

  “Oh, I know. I’m here because I want to be.” She stood and took their empty glasses. “You rest. I’m going to make lunch.”

  As Lindsay disappeared into the kitchen, Rebecca wondered if Lindsay felt trapped in Lancaster County while Jessica flew around New York City, free as a bird.

  Rebecca hugged her cloak to her chest with one hand and held a lantern in her other as she stepped into the barn later that evening. The sweet aroma of stain filled her throat, and she cupped her hand to her mouth.

  “Becky?” Daniel rushed over to her. “Are you all right?”

  She moved to the rock path and blew out a deep breath and then gave a little chuckle. “I’ve never felt grank in your shop before.”

  “I guess this pregnancy will be different, ya?” he asked, while wiping his hands on a rag.

  “I guess so.” She studied his handsome face. “Did you tell anyone?”

  “No, no.” He shook his head. “I wanted to tell my dat, but I’m going to keep this one a secret, just like the rest.” He touched her arm. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine.”

  “Lindsay seems excited about the baby,” he said. “She’ll keep it a secret, ya?”

  “Of course she will. She kept Daniel Jr. and Emma a secret.” Overwhelmed with emotion, she hugged him. “Ich liebe dich.”

  “I love you too, Becky.” He looked concerned. “Was iss letz? You look upset.”

  She looked up at him. “Do you think Lindsay feels trapped here?”

  He looked surprised. “No. Why would you say that?”

  Rebecca glanced toward the house, spotting a lantern burning in Lindsay’s room. “She said today that she’s glad she didn’t go to New York with Jessica because she can help me with this pregnancy and with the kinner. She wants to quit working at the bakery and help me full-time.”

  “How could that be bad?” he asked. “She wants to help us. She’s always been a sweet and thoughtful girl, so that shouldn’t surprise you.”

  “But does she really love it here, or does she feel like she has to be here?”

  He shook his head. “Becky, you’re not making sense.” He tossed the rag over his shoulder.

  She rubbed her forehead while trying to sort through her swirling thoughts. “What I mean is — does Lindsay feel like she owes us because we took her in? Is she staying here and helping me because she thinks her mother would want her to?”

  He touched her cheek. “Becky, you worry too much. Lindsay loves you and loves the kinner. What’s keeping her here is that love, not obligation.”

  “Are you certain?” She gave him a hopeful expression.

  “Why don’t you go get ready for bed? Dr. Moore said you need your rest.”

  “Fine.” She glowered. She hated it when Daniel dismissed her, but she knew he was right.

  “I’ll lock the barn and be up soon.” He kissed the top of her head before he disappeared into the barn.

  Her shoes crunching the rock, Rebecca walked toward the house. She breathed in the crisp spring air and hoped that Daniel was right about Lindsay.

  Amish Banana

  Chocolate Chip Cookies

  2-½ cups flour

  2 tsp baking powder

  ¼ tsp baking soda

  cup shortening

  ½ tsp salt

  1 cup sugar

  2 eggs

  1-½ tsp vanilla

  1 cup mashed banana

  1 cup chocolate chips

  Beat shortening until creamy. Add sugar and eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and flour mixture alternately with bananas. Fold in chips. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

  7

  Lindsay fell in step with Matthew as they walked across the Esh family’s pasture after the church service a few weeks later. She breathed in the warm spring air and smiled while a bird chirped in a tree nearby.

  “I got a letter from mei schweschder yesterday,” Lindsay said.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked, adjusting the straw hat and pushing back a brown curl that fell into his eyes.

  “She said she loves her job and is also having fun with her friend Kim. They went to a club the other night and talked to some guys.” Lindsay shook her head. “I hope she’s not doing anything dangerous, you know? But I think she’s very smart. She never went to wild parties or anything like that before.”

  “That’s gut.” Matthew looked toward a group of girls sitting on the grass. “Why aren’t you over with your freinden?”

  Lindsay shrugged. “I couldn’t participate in the conversation.”

  He looked confused. “What do you mean?”

  “They were talking about their class.”

  “What class?” He raised an eyebrow in question.

  “You know. The baptism instruction class. They were going on and on about how much they couldn’t wait to get started. I can’t exactly add to that conversation.” She frowned, wondering if she’d made a mistake by not joining the class. But if it didn’t feel right in her heart, how could she consider making such a commitment? Yet somehow, she still regretted not doing it.

  “Don’t let them make you feel bad,” he said. “I’m certain if they knew that they were hurting your feelings, they wouldn’t discuss it.”

  “I know that,” she began, “but I don’t want them to feel like they have to censor themselves when I’m around. They have a right to talk about something that’s important to them.” She gestured toward the group of boys playing volleyball in the middle of the pasture. “Why aren’t you with your freinden?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t feel like playing volleyball today. Is that a crime?”

  “No,” she said with a smile. In all honesty, Lindsay was glad he was spending time with her and not playing volleyball. She enjoyed talking with him instead of listening to her friends discuss their excitement about being baptized.

  She glanced at her feet and spotted a throng of dandelions peppering the lush green grass like bright yellow polka dots. Reaching down, she swiped a dandelion from the grass. “Jessica and I used to make necklaces out of these when we were kids.”

  He smiled, and his eyes seemed to sparkle in the bright June afternoon sun. “My nieces like making them sometimes.”

  “Do they?” she asked. “Funny how all little girls do that, no matter if they are English or Amish.”

  Leaning down, he began plucking the dandelions from around his feet.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “You’ll see.” He continued gathering the yellow flowers until he had a small bouquet. He then sank onto the ground and began tying the flowers together.

  Laughing, Lindsay lowered herself down next to him and watched him create a long chain of dandelions. “It’s a lovely necklace, but I don’t think yellow is your color.”

  “No, but it’s yours,” he said without looking up. He tied the rest of the dande
lions together and then glanced over at the one in her hands. “Are you going to use that?”

  “No.” She held out the flower. His hand brushed hers when he took it, and warmth ran up her arm. Overwhelmed by the feelings he conjured in her, she bit her bottom lip and hugged her arms to her chest.

  “Danki.” He tied in the last dandelion and then held up the chain. “What do you think?”

  “It’s schee,” she said with a grin. “You’d be a wunderbaar jeweler. Perhaps you missed your calling.”

  He gave a bark of laughter as he leaned over and dropped the chain over her head. “You think so? Maybe I should quit my job at the furniture store and go to jeweler’s school.”

  “Do you think the bishop would approve?” She stifled a chuckle while playing along with the banter.

  “Hmm.” He tapped a finger to his chin. “Possibly not.”

  She glanced down and touched the necklace. “It’s beautiful. I’ll be the envy of the girls at the singing tonight.”

  “And you thought your sister was having fun going to bars in New York. She’ll never get a dandelion chain there.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” Lindsay said, her smile fading at the truth in his words. “No, she won’t.”

  He stood and then held out his hand. “Hungry?”

  She took his hand, and he lifted her as if she were weightless. “Starved,” she said.

  While they strolled side by side back toward the house, Lindsay kept her hand on her necklace. She glanced up at his smile and contemplated his thoughtful words. No, Jessica wouldn’t ever spend an afternoon like this, nor would she have a handsome young man like Matthew create a dandelion chain just for her.

  Thursday evening, Lindsay washed the dishes while Rebecca bathed the children. She’d offered to do both the dishes and the bathing, but Rebecca insisted she would handle the children, even though she looked exhausted. Lindsay worried that Rebecca was doing too much, but her aunt refused to slow down.

  “Lindsay!” Rebecca called from the bathroom.

  Lindsay dropped the dish she’d been scrubbing and rushed to the bathroom, where she found Rebecca sitting on the cover of the commode while the children splashed and laughed in the tub. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry for startling you.” Rebecca yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’m fine. Would you mind checking the messages for me? I forgot to do it earlier, and I’m too tired to walk out there.”

  “Of course.” Lindsay grinned at the children and then headed through the kitchen and out the back door toward the phone shanty. She pushed the door open and sat on the stool while dialing.

  After hearing that there were four messages, she began listening to a message that had arrived earlier in the day. She sat up straight when a vaguely familiar voice rang through the receiver.

  “Um, this message is for Lindsay Bedford,” the masculine voice said. “This is Frank McCabe in Virginia.”

  Lindsay’s eyes widened with surprise — it was her father’s best friend! She hadn’t spoken to him or his wife, Trisha, in a few months. Normally Trisha called, so it was unusual to hear Frank’s voice on the message.

  “Lindsay, would you please call my cell phone as soon as you can,” he said.

  She scrambled for the pen and paper sitting on the little desk and wrote quickly while he rattled off the number.

  “Thank you,” he said. “Bye.”

  Wondering what Frank could want, she deleted the message and then played the next one.

  “Linds,” Jessica’s voice was rushed. “It’s an emergency. Something’s happened to Aunt Trisha. Call me as soon as you can.”

  “Oh no,” Lindsay groaned. She hit the keypad, and Jessica’s voice rang through the phone again. “Lindsay? Please call me, okay? It’s important. Bye.”

  The last message was from Dr. Fitzgerald’s office, reminding Rebecca of an appointment next Monday.

  With concern filling her, Lindsay dialed her sister’s number.

  Jessica answered on the second ring. “Linds!” she yelled into the phone. “I’ve been waiting for you to call. I tried to reach you at the bakery, but you’d already left for the day.”

  “What’s going on?” Lindsay asked.

  “Uncle Frank called me earlier,” she said. “Aunt Trisha had an accident.”

  “What?” Lindsay bit her bottom lip. “What happened?”

  “She fell and broke her leg,” Jessica continued. “It’s pretty bad.”

  “But she’s going to be okay, right?” Lindsay confirmed.

  “Yeah, she will. Eventually.”

  “What do you mean by ‘eventually’?”

  “She was in surgery last I heard. She has to have a rod put in her leg or something and won’t be able to walk for a couple of months.” Jessica blew out a sigh. “I feel so bad because I’m so far away. She’ll be incapacitated, and Uncle Frank has to work. His construction firm has really taken off lately. They’re building condos on the Outer Banks, and he’s working long hours.”

  Lindsay grimaced while thinking of how much pain Trisha must be in. “How long will she be in surgery?”

  “I don’t know. Hang on one sec. Someone’s in my office.” She put her hand over the receiver, and muffled voices reverberated through the line. “Okay. Right. I’ll be right there. Sorry, Linds. It’s crazy here. Anyway, her surgery is probably over. I told Uncle Frank I would call him later.”

  “You’re still at work?” Lindsay glanced at the battery-powered clock on the little counter in the shanty and found it was after six.

  “Yeah,” Jessica said with a sigh. “It’s crazy busy.”

  “But you’re an intern, Jess,” Lindsay continued. “Should you be working that much?”

  “If they need me, I work. Anyway, back to Aunt Trisha. I’m really busy here, and I can’t get away. If I walk out of this place, I’ll probably lose my internship and not get a letter of recommendation. Do you think you can go to Virginia and help Aunt Trisha and Uncle Frank until she’s back on her feet?”

  “What?” Lindsay asked with surprise. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me,” Jessica said, annoyance ringing in her voice. “I can’t get away, but you can.”

  “Wait.” Lindsay gestured with her hand, even though Jessica couldn’t see her through the phone. “I told you already that I have responsibilities here. Aunt Rebecca’s expecting a baby and needs extra help at home.”

  “I understand that, but Aunt Rebecca has a big family, so someone else can help her in your place. Uncle Frank and Aunt Trisha need us. Remember all the times they helped when Mom and Dad were alive? Remember when Dad lost his job, and Uncle Frank hired him? Or when we had the flood after that hurricane, and Uncle Frank and his crew came and dried out the carpets? And how about after Mom and Dad were gone? They took us in and helped us. And they’ve always been there when we —”

  “Okay, okay! I get it. You can stop lecturing me now.” Lindsay blew out a deep sigh. “I’ll call Uncle Frank and see what he needs.”

  “Cool. Oh, I gotta go. Call me later.”

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Bye!”

  “Bye.” Lindsay hung up the phone and stared at the wood grain in the desk. The weight of the situation caused her shoulders to hunch. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the receiver again and dialed Frank’s cell phone number.

  “Hello?” Frank’s voice asked.

  “Uncle Frank,” Lindsay said, her voice sounding small and strange to her ears. “It’s Lindsay.”

  “Lindsay!” he said. “It’s good to hear your voice. I’m so glad you called me back.” She was almost certain she heard road noise in the background, and she imagined him driving his Chevrolet Suburban down the winding streets of Virginia Beach toward their house at Sandbridge Beach.

  “I just got your message,” she said, winding the phone cord around her finger. “I talked to Jessica and she said that Aunt Trisha had an accident. How is she?”

  “She’s do
ing okay,” he said. “She broke her leg pretty badly, and she needed surgery. But she’s awake and feeling pretty embarrassed about it now. She admitted she never should’ve stood on the railing to try to water that plant.” He snickered a little.

  “What did she do?”

  “She was trying to water one of her plants on the back deck, and she decided not to use a stepladder.”

  “Oh no.” Lindsay shook her head, imagining Trisha standing on the railing while balancing a watering can. She cringed, remembering just how high that deck was on their oceanfront home. It teetered close to two stories. “What was she thinking?”

  “I’ve been wondering that myself all day,” he said.

  “Can I possibly talk to her?” Lindsay asked.

  “Oh, not right now, sweetie,” he said. “I’m on my way home to pick up a few of her things. But how about you call me sometime tomorrow afternoon? I’m sure I’ll be up at the hospital. Just call my cell, and I’ll hand it over to her. She would love to hear from you.”

  “I will.” Lindsay cleared her throat. “Jessica mentioned that Aunt Trisha is going to be laid up for a while.”

  “Oh yeah,” he said. “She will be for sure.”

  “Will you and Aunt Trisha need help?”

  “Yes, we’re trying to figure out what to do. I can’t stay home and take care of her because I have a big condo job down at the Outer Banks. She won’t be able to get around on her own.” He paused for a moment. “Do you think you could come and help her? I know you’re busy with your aunt and family, but we could really use the help. What do you think?”

  Lindsay bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. She knew Trisha and Frank needed her more than ever, and her heart ached for their predicament. She thought about Rebecca and her pregnancy and remembered that her aunt had made it through her previous pregnancies without any problems. Surely Rebecca would be fine without Lindsay’s help. Trisha and Frank’s problems were much more serious.

  “I’ll talk to my aunt Rebecca about coming down to help you,” Lindsay said. “I’m certain she’ll be supportive.”