Ashley glanced around the room to see what area to tackle next. Brianna’s white handbag on the corner of a dresser caught her eye. Why wasn’t it with her other handbags? “Mom, what purse did Brianna take with her?”
“I believe she took her black one,” Caroline said. “That’s the one she uses most.”
“I wonder why her white purse is out.” Ashley frowned, pointing to the dresser.
Caroline’s eyes moved to the handbag, and then her brow creased in confusion. “Hmm…I don’t know. Her others are all in the closet.”
Ashley hurried to Brianna’s purse and promptly emptied it out on the bed. She quickly unzipped the inside pockets. “I don’t understand. Her cosmetic bag is here, her phone… Mom, her wallet and passport are here! She couldn’t have gotten on the airplane without these.”
Caroline and Ashley stared at each other in disbelief, both wondering what to think of their discovery.
Ashley held up Brianna’s driver’s license, her mouth agape.
Caroline spoke, “Do you think…maybe…she could have missed her flight?” She didn’t dare hope.
“After Nine-Eleven, there’s no way they would have let her board that plane. No passport, no I.D.” Ashley thought for another moment. “Mom, did you ever see an official passenger list from Brianna’s flight?”
Caroline shook her head. “No.”
“And they never found her body?” Ashley dared to get her hopes up.
“No, but they said it’s common not to recover bodies of victims lost in the ocean,” Caroline contended.
“We need answers. Let’s call the airline or the FAA or someone to get a copy of the passenger list. Because, by the look of it, Brianna never even got on that airplane,” Ashley asserted.
<><><>
Chapter 18
A light snow covered the ground on Thanksgiving Day, but not enough to utilize the sleigh. Luke was looking forward to the winter months when he and his new wife would be snowed in, sharing special moments together, nestled by the fireplace. He remembered how, as a child, he would love to go for a ride in his father’s sleigh. A pain filled his heart at the stark reality that he and Beth would most likely be childless. He’d always imagined being married to Elisabeth and having miniature likenesses of the two of them running around, bringing joy to their hearts. But at least he had Beth, what more could he ask for?
As he prepared the buggy to ride over to the Schrocks’ house, he’d thought of their marriage so far. They’d gotten along better than he expected. Elisabeth used to demand her way and challenge him, sometimes causing his anger to flare. But ever since she returned from New York, she had been different, like a whole new person. Luke liked the changes, though. He realized he was glad they had waited to marry because it’d given them both time to mature. He was certain that if they’d married earlier in life they would have never gotten along as well as they do.
Elisabeth definitely wasn’t as deft in the kitchen as she used to be, but he didn’t mind her mishaps. He understood that the accident had taken a lot from her and it would take time to learn all of the skills she had forgotten. It made him realize all the simple things he took for granted. Yes, he had a lot to be thankful for.
Luke tethered the horse to the hitching post and marched joyfully up the back porch steps. The delightful aroma of peanut butter oatmeal cookies permeated the air. He spotted his wife near the sink and strode up behind her, wrapping his arms around her trim waist. “Have I ever told you how thankful I am to have you as my wife, Beth?” He nuzzled his nose against her neck.
She turned around in his arms and giggled. “Only every day. But I don’t ever tire of hearing it.”
He bent down to meet her lips. “Nor I of saying it.”
After a few deliciously tantalizing moments in his wife’s embrace, he figured they’d better go before they showed up late. Again. They ended up nearly missing the last supper with his parents because they’d gotten a little too carried away in the passion department. Of course, instances like that were to sometimes be expected with newlyweds…but not too often. Thankfully, their families tended to be a little more understanding than most Amish households. There was a time and a place for everything, and while the place was right, the timing had definitely been off. He wouldn’t have his wife show up embarrassed and rosy-cheeked at her folks’ home on this special day.
Within short order, everything was loaded up, Elisabeth snuggled beside him in the buggy, and they were on their way to spend Thanksgiving dinner with her family. Since he and Jacob were good friends, he always enjoyed time spent at the Schrock home. He was equally glad that Beth would have her best friend Rachel present as well. The newlywed couple had moved into the small dawdi haus connected to the Schrocks’ main dwelling. Luke was glad for the extra privacy having his own home provided.
The couple was greeted with smiles and hugs as they merrily entered Elisabeth’s childhood home. Luke noticed that Jacob seemed happier than his usual self and knew that married life had been good to him too. Rachel, on the other hand, seemed a little pale and he wondered if perhaps she was under the weather.
The menfolk congregated out in the barn while the womenfolk put the finishing touches on the meal and set the table. Children played games around the stove in the living room as they waited for the food.
When the feast was placed on the table and all were seated, Jacob was asked to audibly say the blessing over the food. Before he began, he stood up and cleared his throat. “We have an extra special blessing to be thankful for this year. Besides a wonderful marriage, the Lord has chosen to bless me and Rachel with our first boppli!” His smile couldn’t have stretched larger as he and Rachel received congratulations from the family.
Luke immediately looked to his wife and was saddened when he saw that her previously joyful countenance had fallen. Lord, please help to soothe Elisabeth’s pain, and help us to be thankful for the many blessings we do have.
<><><>
Carson moved the food around on his plate, occasionally taking a bite, but he hardly tasted any of his mother’s delicious meal. This Thanksgiving had been nothing like he’d planned. How had everything turned out so wrong? One minute, he and Elisabeth were the happiest couple in the world, both looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together. The next minute, their engagement was broken, the wedding called off, and he was heartbroken.
He couldn’t stand being around the table a moment longer, especially when his brother sat happily across the table with his wife. First, he lost Brianna and now Elisabeth. There was nothing he could do about Brianna, but the complications with Elisabeth had been of his own making. Was it selfish to want Elisabeth all to himself? Probably. But he’d been around enough bratty kids to know he didn’t want a houseful of them.
A sudden idea popped into his mind—Pastor Bill. Tomorrow he would go have a chat with their pastor. Perhaps he could help him work out this disagreement with Elisabeth and get her to see the light. After all, you don’t just give a ring back because of one little disagreement. He was sure that this problem could be solved with the pastor’s assistance.
Carson decided not to leave the table and became invigorated by his renewed sense of hope. Perhaps there was something concerning Elisabeth that he could be thankful for after all. He smiled slightly as he fingered the engagement ring that he’d carried around in his pocket since the day Elisabeth had given it back.
<><><>
Elisabeth decided to forego preparing a Thanksgiving meal. After all, it was hardly worth it for just her and Samantha. So far, Samantha had been a pleasant roommate and they were becoming fast friends. She’d received an invitation to join Samantha and her family for Thanksgiving dinner, but had declined. She hadn’t had much time for solitude, so this would be the perfect opportunity.
Now, she sat all alone in her quiet apartment. Samantha had gone to her folks place, and Mattie and Richard were out of town visiting Richard’s relatives. She figured Carson was probably
enjoying a vegan Thanksgiving meal with his family. She sighed. Oh, how she wished things could be different between her and Carson, but they weren’t. She knew that if it was God’s will for them to be together, then He would make a way.
What was her family doing back at home? She pictured Dat and Mamm smiling at each other while Mamm placed a large turkey on the table. Jacob, Michael, James, Tabitha, Paul, Martha, and Mary would all be gathered around the table. But there would be one empty spot—hers. She knew that her parents would always keep an open place for her at the table in hopes that she’d come back home. How her mother’s heart must be breaking right now. For a moment, she could feel her pain.
Perhaps it was time to go back, at least for a visit. She would talk to her boss next week and see if maybe she could get a few days off of work. If for nothing else, it would do her good to get her mind off of Carson.
<><><>
Chapter 19
“Hello, Mom,” Ashley’s voice sounded into the earpiece of Caroline’s cell phone. “Have you been able to get any information from the airlines yet?”
Caroline sighed. “No, they keep giving me the runaround. They told me that a passenger flight list is strictly confidential and they are not allowed to release it due to privacy laws.”
“Did you ask to speak to their superior?” Ashley huffed.
“I was talking to the superior, as far up as I could get.”
“But did you tell them that you think your daughter was on the plane?” she said indignantly.
“Yes. They said that Brianna would absolutely have not been permitted to board without a passport,” Caroline declared.
“So that means she wasn’t on the plane!” Ashley exclaimed.
“It appears that way. But if she wasn’t on the plane, where did she go?” she wondered aloud.
“She could still be alive, Mom. You don’t think she would have run away, do you?” Ashley asked.
Caroline gasped. “Run away? She’s twenty years old. Why would she run away?”
“I don’t know. Yeah, I guess that does sound kind of silly. What if she was abducted?” Ashley knew she was grasping for straws, but what could explain her sister’s sudden disappearance if she didn’t die in that airplane crash? “I’ve got it! Carson! Didn’t you say that he was with a woman that looked just like Brianna? Maybe it was her. Maybe he hypnotized her and told her that her name was now Elisabeth!”
“Ashley, that’s absurd! Carson would never do anything like that,” Caroline asserted.
“Are you one hundred percent certain that it wasn’t her? You said that you and Dad both thought it was Brianna, that she was an exact resemblance,” she insisted. “If you don’t get ahold of Carson, I will.”
“I wish you wouldn’t do that, Ashley.”
“But Mom, maybe he has some clues. If nothing else, he’ll probably help us look for her,” Ashley said.
“Alright, we can contact Carson. But please don’t get the police involved, not yet anyway. Let’s see what we can come up with on our own. And then, if we still don’t have answers, we’ll go to the authorities and maybe file a missing persons report,” Caroline said.
“I want to see this Elisabeth person. Does she really look that much like Brianna?” Ashley asked skeptically.
“Ashley, you have no idea.” Caroline shook her head.
<><><>
Elisabeth smoothed her dress and made sure her prayer kapp was on straight before she exited her driver’s vehicle. She figured if she wanted her family to accept her, then she’d better at least look Amish, even if she wasn’t anymore. Besides, if she came to visit in her Englisch clothes, her parents would probably consider her disrespectful.
After the driver dropped her off at the end of the lane that led to her parents’ home, she walked up the driveway, taking in all the familiar scents and sites. The barn and house looked the same as it had when she left, apart from the snow that now covered the ground. The farm seemed unusually quiet, except for the sound of wood splitting.
Elisabeth strode up to the back porch and stood outside the door. She was so used to just walking in, but she no longer owned that right. She took a deep breath before she knocked, her confidence dwindling by the minute. Will Mamm be happy to see me? She hoped so. She knocked on the door again, but no one answered. She knocked once more. Nothing. I guess I’ll check the barn.
On her way to the barn, she heard the sound of wood splitting again so she decided to check the woodshed first. She entered and quickly spotted her oldest brother Jacob. He had his sleeves rolled up to expose his muscled forearms and sweat dripped from his brow as he lifted the axe to slice through an oak log. Elisabeth smiled as she thought of her younger brother, now a man.
“Hi, Jacob,” Elisabeth said sheepishly.
“Oh, hullo, Elisabeth.” He wiped his brow, and then raised the axe again.
That’s it? “That’s all you’re going to say?” Elisabeth stood bewildered.
“What? Are you expecting a party every time you come home?” Jacob lowered his eyebrows.
“No, but—”
“I’ve got work to do. This wood isn’t going to cut itself,” he insisted, turning back to the pile of unsplit logs.
Elisabeth couldn’t believe his indifference about her return. He treated her as if he’d just seen her yesterday. “Do you know where Mamm is?”
“Yes, she and the others went into town. Shouldn’t you be with Luke?” Jacob raised his eyebrows.
“I guess I’ll go see him now. Tell Mamm I’ll be back later.” Elisabeth looked in bewilderment at her brother again, and then stalked off in the direction of Luke’s place. She guessed his home was now finished. Did he have a wife to occupy it with? By Jacob’s words, she guessed not. Would he be happy to see her?
For better or worse, she was about to find out.
<><><>
Carson patiently waited in a comfortable cloth-covered chair near the church secretary’s desk. Pastor Bill had a prior meeting, but should be finishing up soon. He’d turned the volume off on his cell phone, but now it vibrated in his pocket. He stepped outside and tapped the screen on his phone to receive the call, although the number was unfamiliar.
“Hello?” Carson asked.
“Hello. Is this Carson?” a female voice said.
“Yes, who’s calling?” Carson glanced through the window to make sure the pastor hadn’t come out.
“This is Caroline Mitchell, Brianna’s mother. Would you be able to meet with my daughter Ashley and me today? We have something that we’d like to discuss with you,” Brianna’s mom said.
“Sure. Where would you like to meet?” Carson tried to hurry along the conversation.
“How about Carl’s Café at one o’clock?” Caroline suggested.
“That will work fine.” Carson now spotted the pastor emerging from his office with a younger man.
“Thank you, goodbye.”
Carson hung up and strolled back into the church’s administrative building, wondering just what Brianna’s mother and sister wanted to talk to him about. He greeted Pastor Bill with a handshake, and then followed him down a narrow hallway to his office. He smiled as he read a Bible verse someone had painted on the walls of the hallway, ‘…narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ He suddenly remembered his last conversation with Brianna, saddened that she’d never found the narrow way.
“Hello, Carson. I hope you’re doing well.” The pastor offered him the black leather seat across his desk and sat down in an identical chair on the other side.
Carson took a seat. “I’m all right. My fiancée and I had a disagreement and she gave me back my ring.”
The pastor nodded and raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you’d like to discuss?”
“Yes, Sir. You see, the disagreement was about having children. She used to be Amish, so I guess she wants a bunch of kids. I think one or two will be pushing it,” Carson explained.
“I see. Well, it’s a
good thing that you want to work this out before you marry. Raising children is no small thing.”
“I agree.” Carson nodded, noticing the many bookshelves that lined the office walls.
“Have you ever considered where the Amish get their views on procreation?” Pastor Bill asked.
“No, not really. I thought they just want a bunch of kids so that they can help out with all the farm chores and to keep the Amish traditions alive and well.” He shrugged, and then laced his fingers together behind his head.
“While that may be part of it, that’s not the main reason they tend to have so many children. Have you read Psalm one hundred twenty-seven?”
“I’m not sure. Probably.”
Pastor Bill opened his Bible and read all five verses in the chapter. “First of all, this chapter talks about the Lord building the house. If we don’t allow the Lord to build our house, then we are building in vain. In verse three, the psalmist says children are an heritage of the Lord. Heritage can also be defined as an inheritance, something passed down, and usually refers to a privilege or blessing.” Carson nodded, indicating he understood, and the pastor continued, “And then he further states that the fruit of the womb is His reward. Verse five states that a man with a quiver full of arrows—or children—is a happy man.”
“Whoa! Now that’s a new take on things.” Carson blew out a breath. “So, God wants us to have tons of children?”
“I think what God wants is for us to leave our lives in His hands and let Him make the decisions. We’re supposed to allow God to build our house. God knows whether we can handle two or twelve children,” Pastor Bill stated. “The problem is that we’ve become so entangled in the world and its philosophies that we have come to view children as a curse or a burden.”
“When, in fact, they’re supposed to be the opposite,” Carson finished the pastor’s sentiments.
“That is correct.”
“So, I guess the question now is: Do I trust the Lord to build my house?” Carson pondered his own words. He abruptly stood up from the desk and held out his hand. “Thank you, Pastor. You’ve helped open my eyes.” He laughed. “And I thought you were going to back me up so I could show Elisabeth she was wrong.”
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