All that was lost in the rush of her emotions as she realized she enjoyed her time with Charles. Enjoyed it immensely. He had been kind and very open with her. His frau, Nichole, had died of cancer only a couple of years ago, leaving him with his daughter, Lisa, who had since finished high school and begun college. To have felt an attraction to Charles was bad enough, but if the man had divorced his frau, Nancy would have brought things to a halt at once. Part of her wished that Charles had divorced Nichole. It would have made things so much easier, and brought her foolish heart to its senses. Now she was falling in love and helpless to do anything about it. Maybe Deacon William had been right. Perhaps this is what came from fancy Englisha notions.
Nancy stepped around a large beam and caught sight of Laura Mast ahead of her. Laura was bent over the still form of young John Yoder, sobbing softly with John’s hand in hers. Nancy hurried forward. Maybe there was something she could do until the paramedics arrived. She had peppered Charles with questions every time she saw him. That was no way to learn proper first aid, but it was the best she could do.
Laura’s sobs rose higher when Nancy knelt beside her. Nancy touched Laura’s arm and whispered, “I’m here, dear, and I’ll stay with you.”
The men kept their distance, seemingly at a loss, as if no one knew what to do with John’s still form.
“He dead,” Laura cried. “And it’s all my fault.”
Nancy reached for John’s pulse and felt a strong heartbeat. “He’s not dead, just badly injured,” she said.
Laura’s sobs caught. “Why doesn’t he move?”
Nancy glanced upward at the high beams and hazarded a guess. “He must have fallen a long way and broken something. But there’s still a strong heartbeat.”
Laura burst into fresh sobs. “It’s all my fault. All of it!”
Nancy ignored Laura to study John’s still body. Should he be moved? Charles said the first rule was not to move an injured person if there was a chance of a back injury. And a fall from that height surely could have injured John’s back.
One of the men cleared his throat and said, “We must move him since the work must go on. Nancy, can you take Laura back to her mamm?”
A protest leaped out of Nancy’s mouth. “But you can’t move the man! His back may be injured or worse. He has to stay until the paramedics arrive. That’s what the Englisha say, and they know.”
The man looked over his shoulder and said something Nancy couldn’t understand. Moments later Deacon William appeared and knelt down beside her.
“Nancy,” the deacon said, his tone kind, “I made the phone call to Heuvelton and the ambulance is on its way, but this is a big day of labor and the community can’t wait any longer. Let the men move John to a safer place.”
Nancy didn’t move from her spot beside the fallen form.
Deacon William’s face grew sober. “Nancy, this is not the way you should act. The work must go on, and John will be in no worse shape waiting somewhere else. In fact, a move might be much better for him.”
Nancy took a deep breath. “As I said, the Englisha say not to move a man after a fall. You might further injure nerves or even cut them. Do you want John to never walk again?”
Deacon William frowned. “Nancy, your Englisha learning has no place among the people. We trust the Lord to hold John in the palm of His hand. No evil can come nigh him unless the Lord allows it. This is the faith of the community. Now take Laura back and let the men move John to the house. The ambulance men can pick him up there.”
Nancy pulled Laura against her with one arm and kept her head low. “I’m going to pray,” she whispered.
She didn’t look up for approval, but that seemed to work. Deacon William would give her a few seconds to pray, and the ambulance might arrive by then. The longer she held on, the greater the chances that John’s future life could be affected for the goot.
Nancy’s lips moved in silent prayer. “Dear Lord, be with John right now, and keep him safe in Your arms. Give me the courage to do what I know is right. Please let the paramedics hurry and get here…”
As if in direct answer to her plea, the distant wail of a siren interrupted Nancy’s prayer. The Lord had heard.
“We will speak more on this later,” Deacon William said at Nancy’s shoulder. “You take things on yourself that are not yours to take, Nancy. Your choices of late…”
But Nancy was already beyond his caution. If the deacon knew half of what her choices of late had been, he would have much worse things to say. How her conscience lived with itself, she didn’t know.
Nancy held Laura tight as the siren wails died down and ambulance bounced into the front yard. Laura clung to Nancy as if she would never let go.
“It’s all my fault,” Laura repeated.
“What do you mean?”
Laura’s shoulders shook. “I kissed John behind the shed not twenty minutes ago and he asked me to marry him. He was thinking about that. He never would have fallen otherwise.”
“Hush now!” Nancy ordered, hugging Laura close. “It’s not your fault. John is a man, and he’s responsible for himself.”
“No! I’m to blame.”
“Whatever you did, keep it to yourself,” Nancy said. “John is still responsible for himself, and that’s that.”
Laura sniffed, but a fresh cry burst out of her when the paramedics pulled the gurney out of the ambulance. Nancy kept her head down. Two younger attendants in front of them had their backs turned, but neither of them was Charles. An Englisha woman hurried toward them, and Nancy recognized her as Wanda Burundi—a longtime paramedic she had met through Charles.
“Nancy!” Wanda’s exclamation rose clearly above the men’s murmuring noises. “Are you okay? It’s good to see you here. Do you want to go in the ambulance to the hospital?”
Nancy tried to smile. “I’m fine.” Hush, Wanda, she wanted to say, but that was no way to address the woman.
“These men can be thankful you were here this morning,” Wanda said in a loud voice. “Looks like nobody moved him. Charles must have taught you well.”
Nancy wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Wanda carried on with her other duties as the two men with her moved John onto the gurney, but the damage to Nancy’s reputation had been done. Deacon William was regarding her with a steady gaze. Clearly the deacon now had more questions than he had before, and there was little she could say to pacify the man.
The paramedics moved John’s gurney toward the ambulance, and Nancy came out of her daze to lead Laura over toward him. “You can go with him to the hospital,” Nancy whispered in Laura’s ear.
“I can?” Laura exclaimed.
“She’s his fiancée,” Nancy told Wanda once John was settled inside. Already the sounds of the men returning to work rose in the background.
Wanda motioned toward the ambulance door. “Hop in, sweetheart. We’re leaving.”
“I had best speak with Mamm,” Laura said at the last moment.
“They’ll know where you are,” Nancy said. “Wanda will take care of you.”
Wanda nodded. “If need be, Charles can drive you home this evening, honey. Nancy knows him.”
Laura didn’t pay much attention to the instructions, but climbed into the ambulance to stare at John’s still form.
“I’ll take care of her and him,” Wanda said. “I’ll tell Charles I saw you.”
Please don’t, Nancy wanted to say as Wanda hopped into the back of the ambulance. As the vehicle pulled away, Nancy waited, afraid to move.
Deacon William had moved closer to her. “Sounds like you knew the right thing to do.”
“Yah.” Nancy still didn’t move. “I hope you don’t hold it against me.”
“How do you know that woman?”
Nancy turned to face him. “Do we have to speak of this now? We both know I indulge in the search of knowledge more than the community allows, but I have not taught any of the medical things I’ve learned to my students. I’ve tried t
o obey your instructions. Wanda knows me from when I…” Nancy looked away. She couldn’t lie. “The truth is, I’ve been invited to the hospital and I’ve met some of the paramedics there. They’ve answered my questions. I admit I wanted to know more things than I do. Is that so wrong, Deacon William?”
“Maybe we had best speak of this another day,” Deacon William said. “There is much work that must be done here, and we did have an accident for which you had the right answer.” The deacon forced a smile and disappeared into the crowd, but this was not the end of the matter. Nancy was certain of that.
Chapter Six
Later that afternoon, Lydia emptied the last of the dirty dishwater down the drain in Deacon William’s home. She straightened her weary back as Bishop Ezra’s frau, Rose, tugged on her arm.
“Sit down for a bit,” the elderly woman ordered. “I’ll finish what little there is to do here.”
Lydia nodded her thanks and took the offered chair. Tiredness had crept into every part of her body, and still most of the afternoon lay in front of them. Lunch had been served and eaten an hour ago. The men were back to working hard, and the newly constructed barn frame was now covered with siding on one side. John’s accident hadn’t been forgotten, but the work had to continue.
Lydia sat up straighter in the chair, remembering Laura’s tearstained face as she had climbed in the ambulance. Lydia had been disturbed herself, and John wasn’t even her boyfriend. How Laura must have felt was difficult to imagine. Lydia’s bone-weariness surely must have come from John’s accident and not from the day’s work. Stress and worry wore the body down much faster than hard labor. She must trust the Lord even when events in life appeared dark. She told herself to practice this virtue more often, and to encourage Laura with the same hope.
Rose’s concerned face appeared above Lydia’s head. “Are you okay?”
“Yah.” Lydia tried to smile. “Is there any word from the hospital yet?”
Rose shook her head. “We might not know until tonight. It will take a while for the tests. But your parents will let you know as soon as they can, I’m sure.” Rose gave Lydia a quick hug. “We’ll be praying for you and for the Yoder family.”
“The Lord will help us,” Lydia sighed.
Rose smiled her approval. “Yah, He will.”
Lydia stood and made her way slowly out of the house. Several women in the house gave her looks full of encouragement as she passed by. Everyone in the community was concerned for John and Laura. They knew the couple was serious with their relationship. Some probably expected a wedding next year, and now this had happened.
Lydia pushed the dark thoughts away. She must not imagine the worst. Everything had always gone well for Laura. Surely the Lord would see her twin through this, and John’s injuries would be minor. Hopefully just a broken bone or two, and soon things would be back to what they had been for John.
Lydia searched the crowd outside and caught sight of Teacher Nancy near the lemonade table. Only a few men were in the line, and Nancy was in a conversation with Deacon William’s frau, Elizabeth. Lydia moved closer. Nancy had been there with Laura and John for most of the time after John fell. Maybe Nancy would know how serious John’s injuries were.
Lydia waited a few feet away, but she still overheard the conversation between the two women. They made no attempt to hide their words.
“I’m sorry for how things went today after the accident,” Nancy was saying. “I meant no disrespect, but I’ve learned some things from the Englisha people that were helpful with John’s injuries. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”
“I understand, but you have to be more careful,” Elizabeth replied. “William is quite worried about how things are going with you.”
Lydia took a step back. She would ask Nancy her question later. This was a conversation she shouldn’t hear, even if the two women didn’t care. Whatever Englisha teaching methods Nancy was in trouble for had helped John, so her sympathies were with Nancy. Besides, she had adored Teacher Nancy since her school years. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Nancy was Milton’s older sister.
Surely Nancy wouldn’t be in any long-term trouble for whatever she had done. As the oldest in the Beiler family, Nancy had always been a model for respect and decorum in the community. Why Nancy had never married had always been a mystery to her. Maybe she ought to bring Nancy up as an example of a successful single woman the next time Mamm lectured her on the necessity of marriage. Look at the respect Nancy received.
Lydia moved closer to the crowd of men. She should find Uncle Henry, who had come down with some of the other men from his district to help, and speak with him about the opportunity at his roadside stand. If she needed further motivation, John’s accident had provided the impetus. Laura would need extra work around the house to distract herself from the grief of John’s accident.
Lydia moved quickly around the edge of the crowd, but she didn’t find Uncle Henry’s broad back until she had almost circled the barn. He was hammering busily away on the barn siding as Lydia walked up to him and called out, “Uncle Henry?”
His hammer stopped, and a big smile filled his face when he turned around. “If it isn’t Lydia herself, my sister’s own daughter. How are you doing?”
“As goot as can be expected today,” Lydia answered.
Uncle Henry dropped his hammer to his side. “Yah, it was such a sad thing to happen when everything was going so well. But that’s when tragedy often strikes. When we’re least expecting it. It’s as if the Lord wishes to keep our thoughts on Him and not on our busy lives.”
“I suppose so,” Lydia allowed. “But I wanted to ask about your letter. Were you serious about me helping with the roadside stand this fall?”
Uncle Henry’s face brightened. “Yah, of course. Why else would a poor writer like me have gone to all the trouble to send you a letter? Could you even read the thing?”
Lydia laughed in spite of herself. “You write quite well,” she said. “Just not straight up and down and in the right places.”
Uncle Henry’s eyes twinkled. “Were you fooled for a moment? Thinking it was from some beloved’s hand?”
“You are so naughty,” Lydia scolded.
Uncle Henry laughed. “I couldn’t help myself. I had to get a little fun out of that horrible letter writing. So will you say yah?”
Lydia lowered her voice and turned red as she forced herself to say the words. “I have one condition. Would you invite Milton Beiler to help with the harvest?”
Uncle Henry appeared shocked, then answered with a sly smile. “Milton?”
Lydia nodded. “But you can’t tell him that I asked. I thought that maybe…” Lydia’s neck burned, and she fell silent. How had she become so bold and brazen about this?
With his sly smile still in place, Uncle Henry bent close. “Lydia, I’m way ahead of you. Milton’s been working for me for two weeks now. Didn’t you know? Of course, I didn’t dare mention that in the letter, what with your mamm sure to read it. She probably had a big enough fit the way it was.”
“You know about Milton?” Lydia’s face blazed.
Uncle Henry reached out to playfully squeeze Lydia’s arm. “Little birdies are everywhere, dear. So it looks like it’s a go, yah? I can expect you next week? Millie’s got the room upstairs ready and waiting. I knew you’d accept.” Uncle Henry appeared quite triumphant as he picked up his hammer and went back to work.
In a daze Lydia forced her feet to move away. Uncle Henry knew about Milton and her. Was it possible that Milton himself had asked for Uncle Henry to invite her? Her heart pounded at the thought. Who would have thought that on this day of Laura’s sorrow such hope could rise in her own heart. How strange were the ways of the Lord.
Lydia paused as she passed the place where John had fallen earlier, where Laura’s heart had been torn in grief. She jumped when she heard a man’s voice behind her. “Looking at the same thing I am?”
Lydia whirled about to face Milton. “Why
are you sneaking up on me?” she said, clearly flustered. “And how did you know…”
He laughed. “Your Uncle Henry just spoke to me. He told me you’d be joining us this fall at the roadside stand. I’m glad you’re coming.” Then his face sobered. “I’m sorry about John. What a tough thing to happen.”
“Yah,” Lydia agreed.
“Do you think Laura will stick with him?”
“Stick with him?” Lydia allowed the horror to show on her face. “Of course she will.”
Milton didn’t appear convinced. “I wasn’t there, of course, but Cousin Amos said Laura was guilt-filled after the accident. She kept telling Nancy that it was her fault. That she was to blame for John’s fall.”
“But why?” Lydia realized she was clutching Milton’s arm.
Milton didn’t pull back. “I heard that Laura was kissing John behind the shed just moments before the fall.” He motioned with his head. “I suppose she thought John was distracted.”
Lydia let go of Milton’s arm. “But Laura wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Milton raised his eyebrows. “Really?” They both knew that Laura would do exactly that sort of thing. “Sometimes people disappoint us,” Milton muttered, as if he knew all about such things.
Lydia kept silent and held her gaze on the ground. No wonder Laura had been so distraught. John had been seriously injured because of…
“Don’t be too hard on your sister,” Milton said. “She’s in love, and people do foolish things when they’re in love.”
Always Close to Home Page 4