A Life of Joy

by Amy Clipston

  “Yes, Mamm,” Katie said. “I’ll be finished very soon, and I’ll change and get into bed.”

  Sadie nodded. “Gut nacht. See you bright and early. Nancy is finishing up in the shower.”

  “Gut nacht,” Katie echoed. As soon as her mother disappeared from the doorway, she turned back to her letter. She stared at the page, again considering whether or not she should tell Lindsay about Rebecca.

  With a heavy sigh, she continued writing.

  I’m enjoying helping Aenti Rebecca with the kinner during the day. They all miss you, and Emma and Junior ask about you all the time. I tell them that you will be back soon and will give them plenty of hugs and kisses to make up for the time that you’ve been gone.

  My mamm just told me that it’s time to snuff out the lantern because it’s late. I pray that you are doing well. Keep in touch and write very soon.

  Love,

  Katie

  18

  Humming one of her favorite hymns from the Amish services back in Lancaster, Lindsay walked through the halls of the Sandbridge Beach Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. She smiled at the residents sitting in the corridor in their wheelchairs and waved to a nurse at the end of the hallway. Although it was only her second time volunteering at the home, she felt like she knew everyone as old friends.

  The past two weeks had flown by at near lightning speed. She spent her days taking care of Trisha, cooking, cleaning, writing letters to friends and family back home, and walking and swimming at the beach. Whenever Trisha was working with her physical therapist or resting, Lindsay pored over the GED Study Guide, memorizing information and taking practice exams. She studied late into the night, sometimes even dreaming about the book and the tests.

  When Lindsay spoke to Jessica a few days ago, Lindsay finally admitted that she was planning to take the test, and Jessica was thrilled. Lindsay immediately regretted telling her about the test because it would be painful to admit if she’d failed. However, she refused to let that worry haunt her. She pushed that thought from her mind and continued to study, putting her heart and soul into every page of the study guide.

  On Sundays, she stopped studying long enough to go to church and Sunday school, and she planned to attend church and Sunday school every week until she returned to Lancaster County. While she enjoyed going back to her childhood church, she missed the Amish way of worshiping. Being among the Amish had become her home and her security, much like the prayer covering she missed wearing.

  During her journey down one of the main hallways in the nursing facility, Lindsay stopped and peeked into the room of Mrs. Warren, an elderly lady who’d asked Lindsay to read the Bible out loud to her last Saturday. The older woman was completely bedridden and also hard of hearing, but she’d smiled while Lindsay read from the book of John when they sat together previously.

  The stark white walls in Mrs. Warren’s private room were dotted with family photos, showing smiling faces of people Lindsay assumed were adult children, grandchildren, and possibly even great-grandchildren. A few of the photos looked to be Mrs. Warren and the late Mr. Warren smiling together by different scenery, including standing in a studio, posing in front of a pretty brick house in front of a lake, and dressed in their Sunday best while holding hands. A shelf in the corner held a collection of plush teddy bears and cats.

  From what Lindsay could surmise through the photos and the basket full of daisies on the windowsill, Mrs. Warren had a large, loving family and had enjoyed a full life before she came to the nursing home.

  Lindsay tapped on the door frame, but Mrs. Warren didn’t break her trance from the television set, which blared a black and white movie on the classic movie channel. Lindsay stepped into the room and moved to the bed.

  Mrs. Warren looked up at Lindsay and a smile broke out across her lips. “Hello. How are you, dear?” she asked, her voice loud and raspy.

  “I’m doing well, Mrs. Warren,” Lindsay answered in an equally booming voice in order to be heard over the television. “Would you like me to read to you today?”

  Mrs. Warren nodded, her gray curls bobbing in response to the moment.

  After turning off the television, Lindsay lifted the Bible from the small table and lowered herself into a plastic chair next to the bed. “Do you have any particular chapter you’d like to hear?”

  “No,” Mrs. Warren said, closing her dark brown eyes. “Please just read.”

  Lindsay flipped to the book of Romans and began reading. After several minutes, she heard a grumbling sound. Glancing up, she found Mrs. Warren snoring. She gingerly closed the Bible and placed it on the table behind her. She then stood and straightened the pink blanket around Mrs. Warren’s tiny body.

  Lindsay walked into the hallway and nodded to a nurse who smiled while rushing past her. She glanced down the hallway and decided to go visit a nice elderly man who liked to do puzzles. Last Saturday she’d sat with him for nearly an hour, helping him with a five-hundred-piece puzzle of an underwater scene, complete with sea creatures and plants.

  As Lindsay made her way through the knot of wheelchairs, she heard a crash and a loud moan coming from a nearby room. She changed direction and followed the moans, coming to the room occupied by two elderly ladies.

  The lady by the door was asleep in her bed; however, the woman near the window was on the floor, mumbling words that were like music to Lindsay’s ears. The woman was clad in a plain green dress and wearing a prayer covering that was slightly different from the heart-shaped ones worn in Lindsay’s district. Lindsay had wanted to speak to her last Saturday, but the woman was sleeping during Lindsay’s shift.

  A nurse stood over the moaning woman and frowned as she spoke. “I can’t understand you, Mrs. Fisher. Would you please speak slower?”

  “Ich hap schmatza,” the woman repeated. “Ich hap schmatza.”

  “Dietsch,” Lindsay whispered. It had been so long since she’d heard Pennsylvania Dutch that she couldn’t stop a smile from forming on her lips. She’d wondered if the woman was Mennonite or Amish, and now she had her answer. She’d found a little piece of Pennsylvania in Virginia.

  “Please calm down and try to speak in English.” The nurse tried to calm the elderly woman by stroking her hair and moving it out of the woman’s eyes, and Lindsay caught a glimpse of her name tag, reading “Gina.”

  “No!” Mrs. Fisher said. “Ich hap schmatza.” She continued her moaning, and her eyes filled with tears.

  Lindsay stepped into the room and cleared her throat. “Mrs. Fisher,” she began. “Was iss letz?”

  As if on cue, both the nurse and Mrs. Fisher widened their eyes.

  “You understand her?” Gina asked.

  “Kannscht du Pennsilfaanisch Dietsch schwetze?” Mrs. Fisher asked.

  “Ya,” Lindsay answered them both with a nod.

  “What is she saying?” Gina asked. “Since her stroke a few months ago, when she is very upset or, as in this case, in pain, she can’t get the words out in English.”

  “She’s speaking Pennsylvania Dutch,” Lindsay explained. “It’s the language the Amish speak.” She turned to Mrs. Fisher. “Was iss letz?”

  “Mei beh,” Mrs. Fisher said.

  “She says her leg hurts,” Lindsay told Gina before turning back to Mrs. Fisher. “Did you hurt it when you fell?” she asked in Dietsch.

  Mrs. Fisher nodded.

  Lindsay looked at Gina. “She said she hurt her leg when she fell. I think she’s afraid to move it.”

  Gina popped up from the floor and touched Lindsay’s arm. “Thank you.” She hit the button on the wall, and a buzzer sounded, telling the main desk that help was needed in the room. “I’ll be right back. Would you sit and talk to her?”

  “Of course.” Lindsay sank onto the floor next to Mrs. Fisher and her brain clicked to her language lessons from Kathryn. “She’s getting help,” she said in Dietsch while taking the elderly lady’s hand in an effort to comfort her.

  “You’re Amish?” Mrs. Fisher asked
in Dietsch while rubbing her leg.

  Lindsay smiled. “My aenti is Amish.”

  Soon Gina returned with another female and two large male nurses in tow.

  Gina motioned toward the blonde nurse. “Lindsay, this is Cheryl. Would you please tell Mrs. Fisher that Cheryl is going to examine her before we help her up?”

  “Of course,” Lindsay said before she turned to Mrs. Fisher and explained what Gina had said.

  Mrs. Fisher nodded and Cheryl proceeded with her exam. She then turned to Gina and the other nurses. “I think she may have injured her leg. I believe it’s safe to move her and I’ll order x-rays. I don’t think her leg is broken, but we need to find out for certain.” She looked at Lindsay. “Would you please tell Mrs. Fisher that the guys here are going to help her up? Thank you for your help.”

  “I’m glad I can help,” Lindsay told Cheryl. She then repeated everything to Mrs. Fisher before the male nurses lifted Mrs. Fisher and gently placed her in bed.

  “Thank you for your help, Lindsay,” Gina repeated.

  While Gina helped Mrs. Fisher get situated in the bed, Lindsay couldn’t help but grin. The nurses had needed Lindsay’s help with a patient, and the feeling was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Despite what Jessica frequently said about Lindsay needing an education, Lindsay knew she had something to offer to the modern world, and she had “made something of herself” without going to college. She was making a difference in someone’s life. And the education she’d received in order to help Mrs. Fisher had come from Kathryn’s informal lessons in the bakery, along with the practice she received at home with Rebecca and Daniel.

  Lindsay couldn’t wait to share the excitement of her day with Jessica and also with Rebecca and Katie. Wouldn’t they all be surprised?

  Gina wrote on a clipboard and then looked up at Lindsay. “Would you like to visit with her until we’re ready to do the x-ray?”

  “I would be happy to,” Lindsay said.

  Gina touched Lindsay’s arm. “I’m so glad you were here to help. We’ve been trying to communicate with Mrs. Fisher for quite some time. We could tell that she was speaking a German dialect, but no one could determine exactly what she was saying.”

  “I’m thrilled that I was able to help you and Mrs. Fisher.” Lindsay perched herself on a chair next to Mrs. Fisher’s bed while Gina disappeared through the door.

  “What did she say?” Mrs. Fisher asked in Pennsylvania Dietsch.

  “She’s getting ready to take you for your x-ray,” Lindsay explained. “How are you feeling?”

  Mrs. Fisher frowned. “Mei beh schmatze.” She then nodded toward Lindsay. “You aren’t Amish. How do you know Dietsch?”

  Lindsay explained that her parents had died, and she’d been living with her aunt for four years. She also told Mrs. Fisher that she was visiting for the summer.

  “I’m also from Pennsylvania,” Mrs. Fisher began in a tired voice. “I remember Bird-in-Hand. I visited friends there often.”

  “What brought you to Virginia?” Lindsay asked while moving her chair closer to the bed and taking the elderly lady’s hand again.

  “I moved to Virginia to be with mei dochder ten years ago after my husband died,” she said softly. “She didn’t want to be Amish, but I wanted to be closer to her. When I became ill, mei dochder put me here and moved to California.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Lindsay said. “You must miss her.”

  “I used to spend my days reading,” Mrs. Fisher continued, seeming to avoid the subject of her daughter. “However, since my stroke, I can’t read or write.”

  “I would be happy to read to you,” Lindsay offered.

  “No,” Mrs. Fisher said. “Tell me about your life in Bird-in-Hand.”

  “Okay,” Lindsay said. She was in the midst of sharing a story about the bakery when Gina arrived with a gurney.

  “We’re going to take Mrs. Fisher for a few x-rays, but we’ll be back soon,” Gina said.

  “Kumm,” Mrs. Fisher told Lindsay, reaching for her.

  Lindsay turned to Gina. “She wants me to go with her. Is that okay?”

  “I guess so,” Gina said. “You can’t go into the x-ray room, but maybe it would give her some comfort to have you wait outside.”

  Gina pushed the gurney down the hallway, and Lindsay followed. As they made their way to the x-ray room, Lindsay prayed that she could bring Mrs. Fisher some comfort.

  Later on that afternoon, Lindsay nearly ran out the door and hopped into the Suburban at full speed. She was bursting with excitement about her day at the nursing home.

  “Well, well, well,” Frank said with a grin. “You look like you had a good day.”

  “You won’t believe this!” Lindsay buckled her belt and took a deep breath. “The most incredible thing happened to me today.”

  “All right,” Frank said, steering out onto the main road. “Lay it on me, Lindsay-girl.”

  “I met a woman who speaks Pennsylvania Dietsch!” She gestured wildly with her hands as she shared the story of meeting Mrs. Fisher and helping her by translating what she said for Gina.

  “That is incredible,” Frank said. “I bet it’s a great feeling to be able to help someone in need.”

  “Oh yes,” Lindsay said, clasping her hands together. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I went with her when she had her leg x-rayed and then I sat with her for hours discussing Lancaster County.”

  “How is her leg?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah!” Lindsay laughed. “I almost forgot to tell you. It’s bruised up, but it’s not broken.”

  “That’s good,” Frank said. “I bet she’ll look forward to seeing you next Saturday.”

  “I know,” Lindsay said. “I can’t wait to see her again either. I think I’m going to call Jessica tonight and tell her all about it. I haven’t talked to her in a few days. Oh, and I need to write a letter to Katie too. I’ve been so focused on studying that I haven’t written her in almost a week. I bet she’s worried I ran off to Mexico or something.”

  Frank pulled into the driveway, and Lindsay jumped from the truck, bolting into a run as she hit the stairs to the second floor. She found Trisha sitting in her recliner, and she dropped onto the sofa across from her.

  “Why, hello there.” Trisha smiled. “You look like you’re about to burst.”

  “I have to tell you about my day,” Lindsay said.

  Frank came through the door and stepped over to the recliner. “Lindsay is very excited.”

  Lindsay smiled at him. “I’ll make dinner after I tell my story, okay?”

  “Don’t be silly,” Frank said, heading toward the kitchen. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “What?” Trisha looked surprised. “You’ll cook?”

  “I didn’t say that,” he called from the kitchen. “I’ll order pizza.”

  Trisha rolled her eyes. “Typical.” She then folded her hands and studied Lindsay. “Tell me what happened today. I’m all ears.”

  Lindsay shared her story about Mrs. Fisher. By the time she finished with all of the details, the pizza had arrived. Frank served them pizza on paper plates and cans of Coke, and they ate in the family room in front of the television set.

  After they ate, Lindsay cleaned up the dishes and then started toward her room.

  “Lindsay,” Trisha called after her. “When was the last time you spoke to your sister?”

  Lindsay faced her. “I think it’s been about a week.”

  “You should call her,” Trisha said. “See how she’s doing and if she’s staying out of trouble.”

  “Great idea. I was planning on it.” Lindsay grabbed the phone from the kitchen wall and dialed as she walked to her room.

  Jessica picked up on the second ring, and loud music and voices blared in the background. “Yeah?” she yelled into the phone.

  “Jess,” Lindsay said, almost yelling back. “How are you?”

  “What?” Jessica called. “I can’t hear you. I’m in a club.”

>   “Jess,” Lindsay said, louder this time. “It’s me — Lindsay.” She sank onto the edge of her bed.

  The background noise faded slightly, and Lindsay wondered if Jessica had moved to another place in the club or if the DJ was taking a break. She hoped the DJ went for a long coffee break.

  “Hey,” Jessica said. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing well,” Lindsay said, flopping onto her back on the bed. “Where are you?”

  “At a club with Kim and Eddie,” Jessica said. “We’re celebrating.”

  “Celebrating?” Lindsay asked. “What’s the occasion?”

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Jessica gushed. “They’re engaged!”

  “What?” Lindsay sat up straight. “Engaged? How long have they known each other—a month at the most?”

  “I know!” Jessica exclaimed. “It’s crazy, right? But they say it’s true love.”

  “True love?” Lindsay said. “Are you kidding me?”

  The music blared again, and Lindsay rolled her eyes. So much for the DJ’s coffee break.

  “I can’t hear you very well,” Jessica yelled into phone. “Can I call you later?”

  “Sure,” Lindsay said with a frown. “Tell Kim and Eddie I said congratulations.”

  “I will,” Jessica said. “Love ya. Bye!”

  Before Lindsay could respond, the line went dead. She shook her head and placed the phone on her dresser.

  “So much for sharing my news,” she mumbled with a sigh. As usual, Jessica seemed to be too wrapped up in her own life to take an interest in Lindsay’s.

  Her eyes moved to her study guide, and she knew she needed to hit the books again. The test was coming fast and she wanted to be prepared. Sitting on the bed, she pulled out the study guide and flipped to the marked page where she’d left off last night.

  After a few minutes of studying, her eyes panned over to Katie’s letter sitting on her desk. She felt wretched for not responding to Katie’s letter or calling her during the past week.

  Although she knew she needed to study, she wanted to let Katie know she was doing okay. Also, she’d been contemplating Katie’s comments about Matthew for the past week, wondering if Katie was right about Matthew’s feelings for her. She needed to write Katie and find out if Matthew had said anything about her.