Elsie made her smile wider and looked around at the horrified faces of parents and neighbors who’d come for a nice Christmas program. At this point, its success depended solely on her. “Don’t worry, everyone. Someone has decided to do his own artwork for our program, but I assure you that I took a shower just this morning.”
One or two of the parents laughed uncomfortably. That was a start.
“The children are going to finish the program, because this last part is the most wunderbarr story of all. This is just a reminder to all of us that Jesus loves everyone, no matter our sins, no matter our mistakes. And we know that he loved the children best of all.” Now some of the parents were smiling and nodding. She turned back to her scholars, who were in various stages of upset. Ida Mae held Maizy on her lap, and Ellen was comforting Mary and Lydia where they sat. “Children,” Elsie said, “we all want to see the rest of your program. I know this will be hard, but the true lesson of Christmas is love and forgiveness. Can you do it?”
Toby Byler nodded, and it seemed that was the answer for the whole group. They all knew where to be next. The shepherds put on hats made out of towels, and Ellen went down into the audience to get her baby brother. There was a little sniffling as Ida Mae recited the scriptures, but everyone remembered her part, and the manger scene turned out to be quite lovely, even with “Miss Stutzman stinks” looming behind Mary and Joseph.
After the applause, some of the faters went to work setting up a table, and the maters arranged goodies, all the while whispering about who had done such a horrible thing, and was his bruder going to do anything about it.
Elsie tried not to look in Sam’s direction, but she furtively watched as he marched up to the front, put his arm around Wally, and firmly but slowly weaved him through the crowd of people and down the steps on his crutches. They passed Maizy Mischler, who was holding her special star—now covered with yellow spray paint—and crying softly as she showed it to her mamm and dat. Wally paused as if he might say something to Maizy, as if he might apologize, and Elsie held her breath in anticipation. Instead, Wally quickly turned his face away and let Sam lead him down the stairs and out the door.
Perry, Danny, Maggie, and Sam’s mamm followed close behind like mourners at a funeral. Their bruder had ruined the Christmas program, and they didn’t even get to stay for eats. Elsie wanted to weep for all of them.
Serena Hoover sidled up to Elsie as she was getting some punch. “I’m so sorry, Miss Stutzman. It really was a wunderbarr program. If you ask me, Wally Sensenig should be kicked out of school. He’s caused enough trouble.”
Elsie wasn’t going to participate in any gossip, especially where one of her students was concerned. “Mark did a fine job on his part. He is a gute memorizer and has a strong speaking voice.”
Serena smiled and nodded. “For sure and certain he does. He calls the cows in from the far pasture every summer night.”
Elsie spent the next half hour deflecting questions about Wally and his behavior and whether he should be allowed to come back to school. She couldn’t, just couldn’t be disloyal to Wally and Sam, not when the ache in her heart told her there was still hope for them—even if it was a vain and foolish wish.
Mammi and Dawdi had come to the program to support Elsie. “A teacher never gets the thanks she deserves,” Mammi had said.
When the families started going home, Mammi handed Elsie a hard, round cookie on a napkin. “It’s one of my ginger snaps. They are almost gone, and I wanted to make sure you got one.”
Elsie pretended to be enthusiastic. “Denki. You are so thoughtful.”
“So you are going to Greenwood for Christmas yet?” Mammi said.
“Jah. Dat says they miss me something wonderful, and it’s only a two-hour drive. I’ll be back on January second.” She put her arm around her mammi. “I don’t want to leave you alone, though.”
Mammi made a face. “Nonsense. We will have plenty of family. Esther and her kinner on Christmas Day. Titus and Sally Mae and the family on Second Christmas. Three or four parties before Epiphany. Not to worry. I’ll be so sick of family, I’ll be glad to have them go back to their own homes.” She took hold of Elsie’s hand. “The best news is that on January first we can start looking for a husband. It’s on my calendar. Only twelve days away.”
“But Mammi, we already talked about this. You tried to match me up and it didn’t work out. One match is enough.”
Mammi scrunched her lips and studied Elsie’s face with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m beginning to suspect your heart wasn’t in it.”
Elsie took her mammi’s hand and led her to one of the empty benches. “Mammi, I don’t want to sound vain, but do you think I’m pretty?”
“Of course, dear. You are one of the prettiest girls in the state. Ohio and Wisconsin.”
“But you don’t think I’m the kind of girl most boys want to date?”
Mammi’s mouth fell open. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Elsie huffed out a breath. “Because you wanted to match me with Vernon Schmucker.”
“Vernon Schmucker!” Mammi practically yelled and nearly lost her balance on the bench. Elsie grabbed her arm to keep her from falling backward. The dozen or so people left in the classroom all turned and eyed Elsie. Mammi cleared her throat, leaned close to Elsie, and whispered, “Elsie dear, I have never tried to match you with Vernon Schmucker. Vernon is a very nice young man, but he is quite persistent with the girls and”—she looked around to make sure no one was listening—“and a big baby. I don’t mean to speak ill of him, but his mater still does his laundry. I could never approve of your marriage to him.” She looked positively stricken. “Have you fallen in love with Vernon Schmucker?”
“Nae, Mammi,” Elsie said. “But isn’t he the one you wanted to match me up with? I met him on the bridge and everything.”
Mammi put her fingers to her mouth. “You met him on the bridge? At Yutzys’?”
Elsie nodded.
“Oh, dear. There has been a horrible mistake.” She grabbed Elsie’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “Vernon was not supposed to be on that bridge.”
Elsie breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m wonderful glad to hear it.”
Mammi brightened. “But this means that I can still set you up with the boy who was supposed to be on the bridge.”
“Nae, Mammi. I don’t want to be matched with anybody.” Why did Sam’s face come to mind just then? She’d certainly never convince him to love her.
Mammi seemed undeterred. “You said you’d be willing in January, remember?”
There was nothing Elsie could say. A calendar on the wall was counting down the days to January. She’d have to do what she had decided to do with Vernon—hold her nose and meet the boy and tell him she wasn’t interested.
“Okay, Mammi,” Elsie said, not even trying to sound enthusiastic. “Invite him over for dinner or something. I will meet him, but I won’t promise to like him.”
Mammi grinned. “Don’t you worry. I know you’ll love him. It’s too bad I didn’t know this sooner. He was here earlier, but he seems to have disappeared.”
That news made Elsie feel strangely better. If the boy Mammi had in mind was here tonight, she had nothing to worry about. What boy would be eager to date a teacher who couldn’t even control her students—not to mention the fact that he might have gotten the impression that she had a body odor problem.
Nothing cooled a boy’s passion like a bad smell.
Chapter Eighteen
Elsie pulled the buggy in front of Sam’s house, dread pulsing through her veins like sludge from the sewer. She hadn’t been here since Friday, November 3, more than two months ago. Lord willing, he wouldn’t even be here. She didn’t need to be reminded of the heartache.
Even Mamm had noticed something was wrong when Elsie had gone home to Greenwood for Christmas. “You look sad, Bitty,” Mamm had said after Elsie had been home a total of ten minutes.
Elsie hadn’t been able to bring h
erself to tell Mamm and Dat anything about Wally or Sam. The wound was too fresh, and she didn’t know how to make sense of everything yet. Her heart felt like a lump of coal. Maybe she never would make sense of it. Besides, Mamm tended to make a fuss about such things. Elsie did not want a fuss.
She took a deep breath and knocked on Sam’s door, praying with everything she had that Sam would not be home. She didn’t think she could face him, and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to stand up to him if he resisted her. There was just too much pain, and she was done inflicting it on herself.
To her dismay, Sam opened the door, looking so handsome and miserable that it took her breath away. Ach, du lieva. Couldn’t Gotte have said yes just this one time? Sam’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He most certainly hadn’t been expecting to see Elsie.
There wasn’t any need for small talk. He didn’t like her. She was trying not to like him. They understood each other. “I’ve come to take Wally to the hospital.”
“What for?”
“Maizy Mischler has pneumonia. She’s very sick, and the family has gathered to say goodbye.”
His expression softened momentarily. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He studied her face, and his look tied her tongue in a knot. She should have sent someone else to fetch Wally. She couldn’t do this. “What does that have to do with Wally?”
“Maizy’s been asking for him.”
Sam pressed his lips into a hard line. “Why Wally?”
“She still thinks of him as a friend.” Even though he’d ruined her star. Even though he hardly said a word to her anymore. Maizy was an exceptional child. It was too bad everyone in the world wasn’t more like her.
“Is she contagious? I don’t want Wally to get sick.”
“She wears an oxygen mask, and everybody else wears masks too.”
Sam stood there for so long staring at her, she almost pushed past him into the house. “I’m sorry about what happened at the Christmas program,” he said.
She knew exactly what he was thinking, and she felt compelled to scold him, even if it wouldn’t do any good. “It wasn’t your fault.”
He leaned his arm on the doorjamb and gazed into the distance. “It was no one’s but mine.”
“Well,” she snapped, “I’m not going to argue with you about it.”
“It must be hard to admit you were wrong,” he said.
How many times would he press a shard of glass into her heart before she learned her lesson? “I came to get Wally. That’s all.”
“I know what you’re trying to do, but you can’t change Wally.”
“I couldn’t care less about Wally right now,” Elsie hissed, and Sam narrowed his eyes in resentment. “Maizy is sick. She could die. She’s asked to see Wally. Don’t you have a shred of compassion?”
The muscles of Sam’s jaw twitched rapidly. “He won’t want to go.”
“He’s coming with me.”
Sam shook his head. “He won’t come.”
Elsie pushed her way past him into the house. Trying to discuss anything with Sam was like trying to convince a brick wall to move. She walked through the kitchen, where Sam’s mamm and Maggie were standing at the stove, each tending her own pot.
“Elsie?” Maggie said. “What are you doing here?”
Elsie raced down the stairs, just in case Sam was chasing her. Wally sat on the sofa, playing a game on his TV. There was noise and blood and mayhem, and Elsie resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears. She would have turned everything off, but she didn’t know how. Instead, she folded her arms and stood resolutely between Wally and his TV. Surprise registered on Wally’s face before he leaned to his right to see past her and went right on playing.
She took a step to her left and blocked his view again. “Wally,” she yelled.
“Get out of the way. I need to finish this level.”
“Wally,” Elsie said, moving again when Wally tried to crane his neck to see around her. “Maizy Mischler is very sick. She is in the hospital and wants to see you.”
Wally seemed to lose interest in his game for a second. His hands froze on his controller, and he studied Elsie’s face until something on the TV exploded behind her. Wally frowned. “Maizy doesn’t want to see me. You’re making that up.”
“I think that seeing you would make her feel better. She likes you, Wally.” Elsie tried to say it as if it was no big thing, even though it was a big thing that anybody liked Wally.
By this time, Sam had made it down the stairs. To her surprise, he walked over to the TV and turned it off.
“Hey!” Wally yelled, showing more emotion than Elsie had seen from him in two months. “My guy is going to die.”
Sam folded his arms. “Do you hear what Miss Stutzman is asking you?”
“She’s lying. Maizy hates me. Everyone hates me. I’m a cripple.”
Elsie had never put up with his nonsense before. She didn’t plan to start now. “Nobody hates you, Wally, but it’s true that nobody but Maizy likes you very much.”
Sam scowled.
She ignored him. “Don’t you want to come and see the one person who still likes you?”
Wally glared at her, the resentment so thick she could have sliced it. He clamped his arms around his chest, as if that would make him immovable. “Everybody hates me.”
Elsie didn’t even blink. She could be just as stubborn. “Enough pouting. Your feelings don’t matter. I’m more concerned about Maizy.”
Wally dug in his heels without moving a muscle. “I hate hospitals.” His gaze flicked to Sam. “The last time I was in a hospital, they cut off my leg. Don’t you even care about that?”
Elsie stifled a growl. It was aggravating how clever Wally could be when he wanted. It was brilliant to play off Sam’s sympathies like that.
Just as she expected, Sam put his foot down. “Hospitals make Wally very upset. I won’t put him through that. I’m sorry about Maizy, but Wally is staying put.”
Wally’s lips curled slightly, and his smug grin made her want to give him a well-deserved spanking. “I really hate hospitals.”
“Nae, Wally.” Wally’s mamm, Hannah, stood at the bottom of the stairs, clasping the railing with white knuckles. “Do as Miss Stutzman says.”
Wally and Sam opened their mouths to protest, but in an amazing show of determination, Hannah hushed them both with a hiss and a severe look. “Put on your coat,” she said, the danger in her voice as plain as the flash of righteous indignation in her eyes. “You are going to that hospital.”
It was as if lightning had struck the floor at Wally’s feet. He clamped his mouth shut and drew his brows together. Sam stuffed his hands into his pockets. Hannah had never said very much when Elsie had come to tutor Wally, but maybe her silence was more about sadness than a weak will. Well, there was no weak will today. She was a force of nature, like a stiff wind that blew all the doors shut with a loud bang.
“But he’s frightened of hospitals, Mamm,” Sam said weakly, as if even he knew the argument wasn’t worth making.
Hannah descended the last step and marched to the sofa. Cupping her fingers around Wally’s chin, she said, “You go to that hospital, and you apologize for ruining Maizy’s star and for upsetting Maizy the way you did. She has treated you with nothing but kindness, and you have repaid her with unkindness. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Wally couldn’t withstand such a reproof. He burst into angry tears. “They all hate me, Mamm. They’ll give me dirty looks. Maizy’s dat will kick me out.”
Hannah was unmoved. “You go, and you take your medicine like a man, because, Lord willing, you’re going to be one someday, and you’ll regret it your whole life if you don’t go say goodbye to Maizy—especially if you don’t say you’re sorry.”
Wally sniffled and swiped at the moisture on his face, but he didn’t say another word. He reached for his crutches and slowly made his way up the stairs with Elsie, Hannah, then Sam following. Wally put on his coat and
headed for the front door, not even glancing back to see if Elsie was coming. His mater had told him to go, and he obeyed.
Elsie was satisfied, but not happy. Maizy would be glad to see Wally, unless he did something to offend everybody at the hospital, but Elsie still had to spend an entire buggy ride with Wally. She had told him the truth. Right now, she didn’t like him very much.
Wally spent the buggy ride the way he had spent the last two months of class—in complete silence—which suited Elsie just fine. When they got to the hospital, she led the way up the elevator and into Maizy’s room, where the hospital bed seemed to dwarf such a small girl. She was sleeping with an oxygen mask over her face and a tube sticking out of her arm.
Wally stopped in his tracks in the doorway. “She looks so strumpig, little,” he whispered.
Maizy’s mamm sat in a chair next to the bed, one hand clasped around her embroidery hoop, the other holding a needle. She looked up, gave them a weary smile, and stuck her needle into the fabric. “Vie geht, Wally? Miss Stutzman?”
“How is she?” Elsie asked.
Maizy’s mamm nodded. “About the same.”
Elsie curled her fingers around Wally’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all right, Wally. Talk to her. She wants to hear your voice.”
Wally shuffled to the bed and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Hallo, Maizy.”
Maizy opened her eyes, and even with her mask on, Elsie could tell she was smiling. “Wally,” she said. It was already hard to understand the words that Maizy said, but nearly impossible to understand her with that mask over her face. Still, they all knew what she said.
Wally paused as if he’d already run out of things to say and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Miss Stutzman said you were sick.”
Maizy turned her head and motioned to her mater with her finger. Maizy’s mamm bent down and searched through a small bag that sat next to her on the floor. She pulled a paper star from the bag and handed it to Maizy. It was the same size as the stars Elsie had cut out for the children to decorate for Christmas, the same as the ones Wally had sprayed with yellow paint. Maizy reached out her hand to Wally, and he took the star. It was cut out of white paper and had been colored with blue and purple crayon and decorated with heart and star stickers.
A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill Page 22