[2016] What the Heart Wants

by Aqua Allsopp

  Not once in her life did she think of the last point as valid. She didn’t know exactly why she didn’t, but she knew that it was a legitimate point that she needed to realize.

  It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took a few months. When Chuck passed away and left her, she slowly began to rebuild her life without him. Despite everything that happened to the soon-to-be mother, she knew that there was something entering her life that would forever change and offset the negatives that had happened to her.

  After another six months, she gave birth to her beautiful, baby girl – Isabella. For once, this even was not a tragedy, but a complete joy. At birth, she weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. She was healthy. She was beautiful.

  THE END

  Another bonus story is on the next page.

  Bonus Story 3 of 6

  Love Has a New Beginning

  “And last of all, children, remember that every time you fall into any trouble, don’t be afraid. In such situations, always have faith and God will come to your aid. Jesus loves you; He loves all of us equally! There are no rich, no poor, and no difference in the eyes of the Almighty.”

  A bunch of little faces stared at Annie as she spoke, a certain look of inquisitiveness in their eyes. The whole concept of the Lord did not quite seem to fit in inside their little minds, but they were mesmerized by the way she was speaking, so they listened on. Annie was at her usual animated best, waving around her hands and swaying from time to time as if she was trying to make a point about something.

  “Just like what happened last week with our dear...,” she began again but was cut short this time as a burly man in a pair of slacks and shirt entered the barn.

  “What are you all up to again?” he bellowed in a voice that sent the children scampering out of the building. She remained in her place as her father looked at her. “Annie, how many times have I told you? No spiritual classes while you are working! Why can’t you be a little more obedient? Will it harm so much if you keep this thing aside for later in the day?”

  “I’m sorry papa,” she said, looking down at the ground, “But the children were all so interested I could not control myself.”

  “These children!” the man cursed. “Anyhow, forget it! Here, take this bale of hay over to your mother in the stable. The horses have to be fed. Have you fed the chickens?”

  A look of guilt appeared on her face. Her father sulked. “Come on get it done now, will you? Here, take this bag,” he said and thrust a heavy sack of chicken feed in her direction. Annie grabbed hold of it and immediately made a dash for the chicken coop.

  “Come and get the hay once you are done with the chickens,” her father shouted after her. “And don’t you dare forget!”

  Annie made the short run under the scorching sun to the chicken coop. She sat down in the cool shade of the big tree that grew overhead and protected the chickens. She poured out the chicken feed into the designated spots. Having caught her breath, she once again dashed back to the barn where she picked up the bale of hay and made for the stables at the far end of the farm.

  Though the hay was light, carrying it along was not easy since the hay poked her from time to time and tickled her. Besides, it was annoyingly hot, and the sun felt like it had gained some kind of renewed energy that gave it extra motivation to shine harder. The parched earth underneath her feet was bone dry, and she scurried along as best as she could until the stables came into view. It was an old wooden building with a patched roof. The place bore signs of severe negligence with pock-marked walls and a broken entrance. It was a lucky thing for the family that there were no rustlers or cattle thieves in the neighborhood, else they would have made merry on their property.

  “About time!” Annie’s mother said as she put down the bale of hay close to the entrance of the stable. “Don’t be surprised if the horses give you an almighty kick the next time you go riding on them! You are always messing around with their food.”

  “Sorry mother, but I was in the chicken coop,” she said in an apologetic tone.

  “The chickens too?” her mother cried out in surprise. “My dear Annie, these are all the animals we have left on the farm! If you don’t treat them right, they will all disappear. What made you forget to feed the chickens?”

  “I did not forget mother; I was just late. The children were–” she began to speak. Her mother lifted a hand. “Oh okay, I got your point. Now take this hay and get busy feeding the horses. I need to get back to the house and see how the cooking is coming along.”

  She handed over the keys to the stable to her daughter and walked toward home. Annie untied the hay and hauled it over to the place where the horses stood. Annie loved coming to the stable because it was so peaceful and she enjoyed being able to spend some time on her own. Besides, here she never had to bother about the neighboring kids who were scared of the stable because they had been told it was haunted.

  As the horses munched at the hay from her hand, Annie got lost in her thoughts. Her life was now at a crucial juncture, and there were certain decisions to be made at that point in time. Time was running out, and she knew she had to act fast, for these decisions would shape everything that would be happening in her life going forward. Her mind had been made up for a long time; it was just a matter of time before she revealed it all to her parents.

  Annie King was lying in wait for the opportune moment.

  *****

  Ruth King was in the kitchen managing the preparations for lunch. Her husband Jacob sat at the dining table reading the morning newspaper. It was a Sunday morning, and the family had just returned from the church service at the local community hall. Their daughter Annie was upstairs in her room, freshening up in preparation for a day of relaxation.

  “Do you think it will be a worthwhile choice?” Jacob asked out all of a sudden.

  His wife was caught totally unawares. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said.

  “This, this match for Annie that we just heard about in the church,” he said. “The man, a farm owner, living a few miles down the road. Next door to your friend Sarah. She did tell you about him, didn’t she?”

  “Oh yes, she did do that!” Ruth said with a questioning look on her face, not quite sure she remembered the encounter. “But I don’t recollect much about the young man, do you?”

  He shook his head in disagreement. “No! You know my memory is not the best in this business. Anyways, I think our daughter deserves to put in her own opinion first. After all, she will be the one married to this man.”

  “Yes, you do have a point there, I believe,” she said.

  “But where is Annie? I have not seen her since we returned from church!”

  “Oh don’t worry she is up in her room. She said she wanted to freshen up before coming down for lunch. Won’t be long now I believe.”

  “Right, let’s wait then,” Jacob said as he sunk back into the newspaper once again.

  --------------------

  Annie finished taking a shower and walked out of the washroom. She felt fresh and rejuvenated after what had been an intensely tiring week out in the farm. The heat of summer had only made things worse. She prayed for some respite, much like every other member of the community living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Summers had always been a terror but this year things seemed to be at their deplorable worst.

  She stood in front of the mirror for some time and admired herself. Annie had always been one of the prettier girls in town – even when she was very young – and the resplendence of youth had only increased her beauty. Almost every young man in town took a keen interest in her, and she had been told so as well during the period of Rumspringa, but Annie had avoided all such romantic interests. She had different plans in mind.

  Some of the young men had gone as far to approach her parents directly about a possible marriage, only to be redirected back to her and face the ignominy of rejection. Her parents had been supportive all along and had given her the freedom to do what she felt
. However, of late, they too had been drawn into the talk of marriage much to the displeasure of their daughter. That had prompted her to make a decision, and Annie felt the time was right to tell her parents exactly what she had in mind.

  She changed into her dress and climbed down to the dining room. The smell of freshly prepared beef stew was all too overpowering, and she could not stay back in her room for too long. Annie walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Her father looked up from his paper for an instant while her mother did not seem to take any notice of her as she continued with her cooking. This strange behavior from her parents made her feel a little nervous. She wondered how to put the message across. It was not long before the opportunity had presented itself.

  “There has been a marriage proposal for you today,” her mother said as she laid out the table for lunch.

  “Oh yes, we meant to talk about it right now didn’t we?” her father said with a laugh.

  “Marriage proposal? Another one?” Annie asked, a sense of disgust slightly creeping through her words.

  “Yes dear, both I and your father think that it is about time. After all, you cannot go on like this forever!”

  “But mother, I have already told you what I think about getting married. I am not prepared to take the vows right now!” Annie protested.

  “How will you know if you are ready or not if you don’t get married? We are worried about you, my dear. Rumspringa is almost over, and all your friends have found someone, except for you. We want you to get married and settle down. Don’t you understand our concerns?” Ruth said, almost teary-eyed.

  “Dear Annie, is everything all right with you? I thought you have looked a little different of late,” Jacob said.

  “Everything is fine papa, but I don’t see why there has to be a huge concern over me not getting married!”

  “That’s because you are already twenty-two years of age and nobody in our community remains a spinster after the age of twenty-four unless she wishes to go for baptism and be dedicated to the church.”

  “Perfect, just the moment I need!” Annie thought. She looked at her father, then towards her mother, wondering if it would be a good idea to create a moment of melodrama. “Mamma, papa, do you promise that you will always support your daughter in all that she wishes to do and become in life?” she asked.

  “We have already said that my dear,” her father said.

  “Even if it is a decision that may not find favor with the two of you?”

  Her parents raised an eyebrow at her. “We are not sure what you are playing at, but it sure does not sound like something good,” Ruth said.

  “Just the kind of feeling I was having,” echoed Jacob.

  Annie sighed. “I don’t think the two of you will like listening to what I am about to say, but I don’t have an option,” she said. “You have been wondering why I have been turning down marriage proposals one after the other, right? And you still don’t know what prompted me to remain single even after Rumspringa and even after all my friends had settled down?”

  “Annie dear, what are you playing at?”

  “I don’t want to get married, mamma and papa. I want to go for baptism and dedicate my life towards the betterment of the church.”

  *****

  Jacob and Ruth stared at their only daughter in shock. What she had just said was hard for them to believe. “What did you just say?” her mother asked. “You simply cannot be serious.”

  “But I am serious mamma; I am not looking to get married,” Anne said.

  “Why is that so my child?” her father asked. “Is everything all right with you? I mean…”

  “Yes papa, I understand what you mean, and everything is very much in order as far as I am concerned. What I don’t understand is why you have to make such a big issue out of my decision not to marry.”

  “It’s nothing of the kind, my dear, but as your parents, I think it is important for us to have a certain level of understanding about what is it that you are thinking. After all, it is your future that is on the line,” her mother said.

  “Why does my future have to be on the line because I am not getting married? What are you saying?” she said, starting to sound a little angry.

  “Now, Annie dear, there is nothing to get so upset about. We have not said that we are opposed to the idea. It’s just that we are trying to understand your reason for coming out with such a decision,” said her father.

  “Yes, it is not usual for a young lady of your age to make such decisions. I’m sure most of your friends are already looking forward to tying the knot with their other halves.” Ruth chipped in.

  Annie sighed. “Look, I know this decision is not something you wanted for me. You were probably dreaming of getting an opportunity to play with your grandchildren and things of the kind, and I am terribly sorry if I have disappointed you with this decision. And yes, my friends are all very happy with their lives, but that does not bother me. I follow life by my own standards, and that is the only thing I am bothered about right now.”

  “Explain something, Annie, what made you want to take such a decision in life? As a little girl, you were always playing marriage games with your friends, and I used to see you all excited about being a bride. So why this sudden change in your attitude?”

  “Mamma, that was my childhood you are talking about. Things have changed, and I have grown up. So no point in talking about that right now, do you understand?”

  “Yes but…”

  “Okay. Since you are so interested in getting an answer, I had a glorious vision one night where God asked me to dedicate my life towards the betterment of the church. He said that the church was in need of a lady, a mother figure who could give it a sense of direction and fulfillment in its missions and objectives. Now if God has said that, how can I disobey Him? I can’t, can I?”

  Her parents looked at each other in bewilderment. Then her father spoke. “My dear Annie, if the Lord has chosen you for this purpose then there is absolutely nothing that we can do or say against it. We promise to give you complete support and help you with everything that you need. May the good Lord bless you, my child.”

  Annie looked at her mother who smiled back. “You have my word, child – I am going to support you through this as well. And yes, God bless you!”

  Annie smiled back at her parents. She felt happy. “Thank you, mamma and papa! You are wonderful.”

  “Now enough of the emotional talk, sit down and let’s finish our lunch. You don’t want the food to grow cold, do you?” Ruth asked.

  And so the family sat down for lunch and was soon immersed in the delightful meal of pork sausages, mashed potatoes, and boiled vegetables. Annie was able to enjoy her meal the way she always loved enjoying her food. As far as she was concerned, this was an important matter in her life that had just met with a resolution.

  *****

  “Good morning there Jacob, you are early today I see,” Brother Marshall said as he held open the door of the church. It was a Sunday morning, and the family was at the church. “What brings you here at this time of the day?”

  “Good morning, Brother. Actually, there was something that I wanted to talk to you about. It concerns my daughter,” Jacob answered.

  “Annie? Why, what about her?” Brother Marshall asked. Jacob looked at his wife but did not say anything. The preacher observed that there was a sense of uneasiness about the two of them. “Speak without fear my children! The home of the Lord Almighty is not the place to be feeling scared of anything,” he said.

  “Brother Marshall, we were just talking to our daughter the other day, and she said that she does not want to get married but instead dedicate the rest of her life towards the Church.”

  “Oh really? That’s wonderful news Jacob,” he said, a smile of satisfaction appearing on his face. “It’s not often these days that you have young women taking the path of the Lord’s glory. Don’t you worry about anything; I will see to it that everything is arranged for h
er.”

  “Are you sure about that Brother? Will you be able to help us out?” Ruth asked.

  The old man gave a short laugh. “Sure I’m sure, dear lady. When I have said I am going to get it done; you don’t need to worry about anything. Now if you will please excuse me, I need to get busy for the Sunday service. Since you are already here, I would like you to come inside and take your seats. We will start soon enough.”

  And so the happy couple took their places inside the home of the Lord, happy in the knowledge that their worries had been given a touch of resolution.

  *****

  “Looks like we are in for a very tiring day,” Annie said to her mother as the two of them went around in the barn, feeding the cattle. It was around midday, and the terribly hot sun was beating down on the parched earth below. The atmosphere had an unbearable feel about it, and there did not seem any kind of respite in sight.

  “Yes, I don’t remember summers being so hot ever before,” Ruth replied. “Who knows what has gotten into the weather system!”

  “It’s that global warming thing everyone is talking about. The average temperature of the earth has been rising steadily over the last few years which has contributed to melting glaciers and reduced water in the streams. This is also why we have so many pests and insects attacking the crops,” Annie explained.

  Her mother looked at her. “Well, well, you seem to know quite a lot these days,” she said with a smile. “Anyhow, whatever it may be I just want to get out of this barn as fast as possible. It feels like I’m inside a furnace!”

  “You go back to the house, and I need to attend to the crops. Some of the corn is almost ready for harvest. I better get going and see what condition they are in.”