Ella Finds Love Again (Little Valley 3)

by Jerry S. Eicher

  “I heard the girl swept him right off his feet.”

  “I’m glad my Naomi is taken already and is gettin’ safely married now she’s twenty-one. At least she’s stayin’ in the faith like most of our people, though even the wild ones usually come back.”

  “Bishop Miller says he’s learnin’ the language. ‘A real natural,’ he said. I guess it makes things easier that way.”

  Ella slid the filled peanut butter containers onto the table and picked up the empty ones. So Robert was serious and had made quite an impression already.

  An older woman pulled on her arm, smiling when she turned around.

  “You shouldn’t be puttin’ yourself out like this, you being a visitor and all. You be sure now and get on the next table.”

  “I’m fine,” Ella said, returning her smile. “I’m not really a visitor. I just live two districts down on Chapman Road.”

  “You’re Ella Yoder, aren’t you? My name is Susie Bender,” the girl said. “Yah, you’re the one with the new house. The one built after Aden Wengerd died.”

  “Yah,” Ella said, feeling a slight stab of pain at the mention of Aden’s name.

  “You’re seein’ that Preacher Stutzman,” Susie added, nodding. “I thought that’s who you were. Noah and Lizzie are your parents.”

  Ella kept her smile firmly in place. She knew what hadn’t been said. That Eli was her brother.

  “They’re settin’ the table now,” Susie said, getting up to guide Ella by the elbow to the table. Several women smiled at them on the way over. Apparently Susie often took young women firmly in hand. “You settle down and eat now.”

  Ella slid onto the bench and waited quietly until Bishop Miller announced prayer. The room settled into silence as a prayer was recited from memory. Ella breathed a prayer of thanks that somehow she had gone unnoticed by the bishop so far. Ella opened her eyes and spread peanut butter on a piece of bread as younger girls bustled down the length of the table, keeping the bowls filled. Ella’s section quickly ran out of bread, but a quick wave from one of the women’s hands brought a fresh supply.

  With the meal over, Ella didn’t linger. She wanted to get home. It seemed like the only safe place left for her. Bishop Miller had invaded so much of her life, even after she had rejected his advances. He seemed to be everywhere.

  She located her bonnet and shawl in the washroom and walked outside. The barnyard was oddly empty. The only male voices were coming from the pole barn. Perhaps the boys had kept their promise and put her horse where she could get to him easily, but who knew for sure. She could ask for help at the pole barn, but nee, that was going too far. A quick glance inside the barn showed Moonbeam was tied just inside the front door. So the boys were true to their word. She smiled.

  With her horse in tow, Ella headed for her buggy. She finally attracted attention from the pole barn. Two of the same boys from earlier raced toward her, making stay-away motions with their hands to the other heads that had glanced out.

  “We wouldn’t leave you stranded,” one of them said. “Why didn’t you yell for help?”

  “What was I to do? Holler in the door?”

  “Ach, yah,” they said together. “We would have loved that.”

  “Well, dream on,” she said.

  They laughed and soon had Moonbeam hitched in the rapid and efficient manner of people who had been doing it their entire lives.

  “Thanks!” Ella said, smiling and taking the reins. They stood back, watching her go. She let her horse have his head on the way home so he set the pace. The sooner I arrive back at the house the better, she thought.

  As Ella pulled in the driveway she noticed Englisha car tracks made in the snow since she’d left that morning. Ronda must have arrived home.

  Ella unhitched in haste, almost running toward the house. She knocked gently on the door and right away Joe answered, a weak smile on his face and dark rings under his eyes.

  “You’re back!” Ella said. “I’m so glad.”

  “Yes, we’re home,” Joe said, holding open the front door. “Come in.”

  “May I see Ronda? Is she well enough?”

  “So, so,” Joe said, his smile strengthening a bit. “They released her this morning. Ronda’s mom arranged for a driver to bring us home. We arrived here around noon.”

  Ella took her boots off, leaving them by the front door, and rushed into the living room. There was no sign of Ronda.

  “She’s in the bedroom,” Joe said, his footsteps behind her. “Just go on in.”

  Ella entered slowly and saw Ronda sitting upright on the bed, propped up with pillows. Ella moved to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! I was so worried.”

  Ronda squeezed her hand. “Thanks so much for what you did for me the other night. I don’t remember much except I stayed warm. Joe said you took all kinds of measures. And you even cleaned our bed from the mess. I’m so grateful.”

  “You would have done the same for me,” Ella said. “It’s so good that you’re back and looking so much better. Do you have something for supper?”

  “Mom would have sent something along, but we didn’t know for sure if I’d be out today.”

  “It was that bad then?”

  “I’d lost a lot of blood, but you already know that. They had to clean things up and give me blood. I was weak for a while, and the doctor wanted to make sure nothing else came up. ‘Infection is a worry,’ he said. So he kept me in the hospital until this morning.”

  “I’ll get supper for you and Joe then,” Ella said, feeling invigorated. Thoughts of Bishop Miller disappeared.

  “That’s so good of you,” Ronda said. “But at least use the kitchen up here. It’s easier, and I’ll enjoy hearing you out there. It’ll help me get better just being around you.”

  Twenty

  What would you like for supper?” Ella asked.

  “Oh my. Anything homemade will be nice after the hospital,” Ronda replied. “But, really, Ella, you don’t have to do this. You’ve done enough already.”

  “Oh, shush,” Ella said, holding her finger to her friend’s mouth.

  Ronda looked at Joe and after a moment said, “Well, last week you made ham gravy and potatoes for the girls. Would that be too much to ask?”

  “If you can wait,” Ella said. “The mashed potatoes take the most time.”

  “For that I’ll gladly wait,” Ronda said.

  Joe’s smiled indicated he would be happy to wait too.

  Ella went to work right away. The potatoes and ham were in her basement root cellar, which worked as well as any Englisha’s refrigerator. She quickly gathered the potatoes in a bowl and the ham on a plate and went upstairs to start the meal. It wasn’t long before she had the stove so hot she needed to open the kitchen window.

  By the time the water was boiling, the potatoes were peeled. Next, she cut them into chunks and put them into a pot on the stove. The ham could wait to be cut later.

  What about a dessert? Ella thought. Ronda probably wouldn’t expect a dessert, and that seemed all the more reason to fix one. Ella would make a favorite: German Sour Cream Twists. They took two hours to rise, but the baking time was just fifteen minutes.

  Ella set more water on to boil, and when the dough had been made and stirred, she set it close to the warm stove to rise. In an hour she would shape the dough into twists and let them rise for another hour. If nothing else, they could begin supper while the twists baked.

  When the potatoes were soft enough, Ella poured the hot water down the drain, and quickly mashed the potatoes into white mounds. Next she chopped up the ham.

  She spent ten minutes dealing with the thermometer inside the oven, adjusting the fire with smaller chunks of wood until the temperature was reasonably stable. Her mamm could do this without the thermometer, but she didn’t dare do that yet. Besides, her mamm did occasionally overheat a dish.

  “Supper’s almost ready,” Ella called toward the bedroom. Joe emerged from the r
oom a moment later with Ronda leaning heavily on his arm.

  It didn’t take long for Ronda to spot the rising dough. “You’re making a dessert too? Oh, Ella, you shouldn’t have!”

  Ella nodded with a smile. “It’s nothing. I had to do something special for your welcome home, you know.”

  “Sounds good to me!” Joe said with hearty approval as he guided Ronda to the couch in the living room.

  Ella laughed. “I think you’ll both like it.” She set the table for three, all the while keeping an eye on Ronda. She still looked weak, white-faced…but happy. Ella realized how hard it must be for her to recover from the physical strain she was under and the loss of the bobli.

  While the ham gravy warmed, Ella starting working on the twists now that the dough had risen.

  “They look like some kind of doughnuts, right?” Ronda asked.

  “German Sour Cream Twists,” Ella replied, spreading waxed paper on the counter and rolling the dough out.

  “I wish I could help,” Ronda said, making as if to rise, but Joe gently pulled her back onto the couch.

  “You’ll have plenty of time to work later, dear,” he said, his voice gentle. “Right now you have to get better fast.”

  “I know,” Ronda said wearily as she sank back into her seat. “It would just feel so much better if I could do something.”

  “I have an idea,” Ella said. “What if I bring over the breadboard, and you can form the dough into the twists?”

  “Oh!” Ronda said. “I’m sure I can do that. I wouldn’t have to get up.”

  “It’ll give you something to do,” Ella said, bringing the board over. “And soon you’ll be back on your feet, perfectly well.”

  Working at the counter, Ella still watched Ronda out of the corner of her eye. She was forming the neatest little twists in the dough. She would be so gut with a child, tender, her touch a comfort for any little one, she thought. Why had Da Hah chosen to take away what she wanted so badly? Was that a principle of His? But, nee, I shouldn’t question, should I? No matter how little things make sense.

  The ham gravy was already on the table, so Ella said, “Come, we’d better eat before the gravy gets cold.

  “Just cover it and it’ll stay warm,” Ronda said. “I’d like to get the twists in first. Then they can bake while we eat.”

  “Okay,” Ella said with a shrug. “They have to rise for a while first, but I guess I can reheat the gravy.”

  Ronda worked quickly, not taking as long as Ella had expected.

  After Ella set the twists aside to rise, they all took their seats at the table and bowed their heads in prayer. Joe looked like he wanted to pray out loud, but he didn’t. He simply announced the end of prayer with a soft “Amen.” Ella started things off by passing the sliced bread, making sure the butter plate was handy in the middle of the table.

  After Joe and Ronda helped themselves to the ham gravy, Ella took spoonfuls for the mashed potatoes on her plate. She glanced at the clock, aware of the waiting twists. It was hard to relax with them not yet in the oven. Unfinished business. She rose and went over to see if they had risen enough. Not quite.

  Ella added another piece of wood to the stove and returned to the table.

  “This is gut food, Ella,” Joe grunted, his mouth full.

  Ronda nodded, her smile weary. “Thanks, Ella. This is exactly what I needed.”

  “You’ll be up on your feet in no time,” Ella said, getting up to put the twists in the oven.

  The last of the meal consumed, Joe said, “I better get to my chores.” They bowed again in prayer. As Joe put on his boots, Ella promised, “I’ll have the twists ready with powdered sugar frosting when you’re done.”

  Joe grunted again and pulled on his coat. He headed out the door.

  Ella poured some powdered sugar into a small bowl, added a splash of vanilla, and stirred in milk until the proper consistency was achieved. She checked the twists in the oven. Almost done. While she waited, she cleared the table and put the food away.

  The first pan of twists was done, and Ella took them out of the oven and slipped a second pan in, making sure the oven was still hot enough.

  Taking the bowl of frosting to the table, Ella and Ronda took turns dipping their knives in the soft white frosting and spreading it over the twists.

  With Joe choring, Ella felt an urge to talk to Ronda about what was on her heart. Is Ronda up to it? she wondered. She studied her friend’s face and took the plunge.

  “Do you mind hearin’ about my troubles, Ronda?” she asked. “It seems like I need to talk to someone.”

  “Of course I don’t mind,” Ronda said, holding the twist in her hand still.

  “I think Bishop Miller is trying to break up Ivan and me.”

  Ronda raised her eyebrows.

  Ella went on. “You know he had his heart so set on winning my hand. He didn’t take it well when I said no. And now I don’t think he’s wanting to take my no at all. You know how he is, confident and all.”

  “So what’s he doin’ to make you think this?” Ronda asked, taking another twist and spreading on frosting.

  “He’s after Ivan about some church issues,” Ella said. There was no need to mention Robert yet—perhaps not at all. If she were wrong in one thing, she might be wrong in the other.

  “Ivan?” Ronda responded, laughing. “He’s usually after other people, so how did he get in trouble with Bishop Miller?”

  “That’s just it. That’s why I think it’s mostly made up. He’s spoken to Ivan in private, and now there’s to be a ministers’ meeting about it soon.”

  “What did Ivan do to rile Bishop Miller? I mean, it has to be something.”

  “Well, you might have noticed that Ivan doesn’t preach like he used to. He’s not as rough anymore. I happen to like him not so rough, but Bishop Miller is believing Ivan is getting liberal ideas. Also Ivan has writings in his house that speak out against tobacco use among the Amish.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Yah.” Ella searched Ronda’s face, waiting. “So what do you think?”

  “It could be serious, I guess. Especially the tobacco thing. I know Daett doesn’t like it either, but they’ve never said anything to him about it.”

  “He’s not a preacher, and Ivan thinks there might be scriptural grounds against tobacco use.”

  “He told Bishop Miller that?”

  “Yah…or Bishop Miller got it out of him somehow.”

  “I don’t know,” Ronda said. “I think Ivan can handle himself. I don’t think you need to worry.”

  “So you think it’s reasonable?”

  “Of course not. These things happen though, and they’re mostly never reasonable. But I don’t think Bishop Miller would do something like trying to break you two up using church trouble. That would be really lowdown, don’t you think?”

  Ella drew a long breath. “Ronda, if I tell you something else, will you promise to tell no one? I mean no one!” Ella whispered. “Not even Joe.”

  “So there’s more to this. I thought so,” Ronda said, touching Ella’s hand.

  “Do you remember the Englisha man who came through here a while back?”

  Ronda nodded. “The good lookin’ one.”

  “Yah,” Ella said. “I didn’t tell you, but he said he wanted to join the Amish. He was asking me who he could contact about joining, and I sent him over to Bishop Miller. I told him such a thing just wasn’t done and figured that would be the end to the matter.”

  “That makes sense. I would have said the same thing.”

  “Well, he’s still here. I went up to Bishop Miller’s meeting today and saw the Englisha man in church. He was in full Amish dress, and everyone’s talking highly of him. He’s learnin’ the language and staying at Bishop Miller’s place. He clearly has Bishop Miller’s full support.”

  “Why would Bishop Miller take such a big chance? If the Englisha man fails, the bishop won’t live that down for a long time.”

&nbs
p; Ella wondered if she dare venture on. Did her sins need to be brought to the light? “Ronda, there’s more.” She hesitated for only a moment, then let it out. “Ronda, the truth is that this Englisha man…he gave me the same feelin’s Aden used to. It happened that day he was here, and that’s why I helped him out and gave him lunch. I thought it wouldn’t go anywhere, that I’d never see him again. But I’m worried Bishop Miller has figured it out. Maybe Robert even said something to him.”

  “Oh, Ella,” Ronda laughed, “that doesn’t make sense at all. Bishop Miller wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “I don’t know,” Ella said, trying to catch her breath. “So you think this is all my imagination?”

  “Really, Ella, it is. It must be.” Ronda touched her hand again. “You can’t suddenly have feelings for a man you don’t know, and an Englisha man at that. I think you and Ivan need to get married as soon as possible. It’s not gut for a woman your age to be alone. If you want me to, I can get help from someone. Tell them what is going on. Perhaps I could speak to your mamm or daett.”

  “My daett?” Ella gasped. “Nee! After what Eli has done? He’d think another of his children has fallen for an Englisha for sure. No, I can’t have him knowing any of this. He might die before his time, and it would be my fault. This can’t go any further than you, Ronda. I’m not going to do to Daett what Eli did, I promise you.”

  “Come…come,” Ronda said, stroking her arm. “It’s not really as bad as you might think. Once you and Ivan have said your vows, you’ll be safe and sound in his arms.”

  “I keep telling myself that,” Ella said, trying to breathe normally. “But what if this church trouble sticks? And they might just make it stick. Then there will be no wedding plans because everything will stop dead in its tracks.”

  “Ach…” Ronda shook her head. “There will be a way around this. Ivan isn’t dumb. He’ll know what to do with Bishop Miller.”

  “But what about my heart?” Ella asked, laying her hand on her chest.

  “Your heart has been broken…greatly broken,” Ronda said. “It still needs a lot of healing, and Ivan can help you with that. You need to be loved by a man, Ella. It does a woman gut.”