Someone to Trust

by Patricia Davids

  Gabe laid his hand on his father’s shoulder. “If I can sell enough of my leather goods to the Englisch tourists, and if we have a decent potato harvest, we will make the loan payment and have another year together. More Amish will come. This is a fine place you brought us to, Daed.”

  The thousands of tourists who attended the Potato Blossom Festival each year were Gabe’s best chance of earning the money the family needed. He was sure his quality wallets, belts, ax and knife sheaths, among other things, would appeal to the festivalgoers. If he could finish more items in time.

  Out in the waiting room, he saw his mother sitting with Esther and Nancy. The sisters were conversing in sign language with a nurse. Gabe had seen people using sign language before, but he hadn’t known any of them personally until now. It looked complicated.

  Esther caught sight of him and smiled. “How are you?”

  He patted his arm gingerly. “Almost as good as new. What about you?” He gestured to her head. Her hair was down and loosely braided, but she had her kapp on.

  “I still have a headache, but I don’t feel faint anymore.” She touched her prayer covering. “I had to take my hair down for the X-ray. The doctor thought the padding my hair provided may have saved me from a worse injury. This is Nurse Heather. She knows sign language.”

  “I see that.”

  Heather touched Esther’s arm to gain her attention then handed her several pieces of paper. “These are instructions for you and your family,” she said as she signed. “Things to watch for. Do you have any questions for me?”

  Nancy and Esther looked at each other and shook their heads. “We will take good care of her,” Nancy said. “I’m so glad you know ASL. It makes things much easier for my sister.”

  “What is ASL?” his mother asked.

  Heather smiled at her. “American Sign Language. My husband and I had to learn it when we realized our son had been born deaf. Because of that we foster two twin girls who are also deaf, and we hope to adopt them. What we once saw as a tragedy was instead a blessing in disguise for us and for our girls.”

  “Were they also born deaf?” Gabe’s mother asked.

  “Their hearing loss is due to untreated ear infections when they were five. Their mother was a single woman with a drug problem. Sadly the girls suffered from neglect and abuse at her hands. However, they are happy and healthy now. It was amazing how quickly they learned to sign. We are investigating bone-anchored hearing devices for them.”

  “What is that?” his mother asked.

  “A small metal post is surgically implanted in the bone behind the ear. When the bone is healed, a hearing device simply snaps onto it. Sounds, which are only vibrations, are transmitted to the inner ear through the bone. It won’t help people with nerve deafness like my son, but my grandfather has age-acquired hearing loss in both ears, and eventually his hearing aids no longer helped. He retreated from his friends and became depressed. He had the surgery, and it has made a world of difference for him. He enjoys being around people again. The girls will wear temporary devices held against the bony place behind their ears with soft headbands for several months before having any surgery. We want to see if it is the right choice for them. I have some literature on the procedure if you would like.”

  “Thank you, but it isn’t something I am interested in,” Esther said.

  “Are you sure?” Nancy asked.

  “Very sure.” Esther looked away.

  Gabe and his mother exchanged puzzled glances. Why wouldn’t Esther want to learn about something that could let her hear? He wished he knew more about deafness. Maybe she knew she couldn’t be helped.

  The nurse turned to Gabe. “You need to come back in a week to have those sutures removed. I’ve made an appointment for you.” She handed him a small card.

  “Danki.” He took it from her.

  “Okay, you are free to go.”

  He opened the door. His mother rose to her feet and took Esther by the arm to shepherd her outside. Nancy hung back and turned to the nurse. “I’d like some information on the device you spoke about.”

  “Of course.” Heather went behind her counter and handed Nancy a brochure. “There is a phone number you can call.”

  “Thank you.” Nancy slipped the paper in her purse and hurried outside.

  On the return trip, Esther sat with her eyes closed and her head leaned against Nancy’s shoulder. Neither sister said a word.

  When the buggy stopped, Esther sat up. Her furrowed brow told Gabe she was in pain. He got out and gripped her arm to steady her as she got down. She leaned heavily on him.

  His mother had noticed her discomfort, too. “Nancy, why don’t you take Esther upstairs and let her lie down? She looks worn out. Your room is at the end of the hall.”

  “All right.” Nancy signed something to Esther, who merely nodded, and they both went in the house.

  While his father put the buggy and horse away, Gabe followed his mother inside. He found Asher and Seth in the living room playing a board game with the two oldest Burkholder sisters and Jonah. The women were smiling and laughing. Waneta sat in the corner with a smug look on her face. She rose to her feet when Gabe’s mother entered the room.

  “How is your dear brave son, Cousin Talitha?”

  Was it odd that she didn’t ask about her stepdaughter first?

  “He will be fine. Esther needs to be watched closely for the next two days. I had Nancy take her up to their room.”

  Waneta pulled a long face. “That girl is always making more work for her family. Her carelessness is the reason your son was hurt, and I’m so very sorry.”

  Gabe scowled at Waneta’s unkind comment about Esther but held his tongue.

  “All is forgiven,” his mother said. “We will speak no more about it. By God’s grace, both our children were spared.”

  Gabe looked at his brothers. “Have you finished the wheel for Jedidiah Zook? Daed told him it would be ready today.”

  “We were just about to go out and finish it,” Seth said. The men murmured their apologies to the women and got up.

  “What did the doctor say about you?” Asher asked as they stepped outside.

  “He put in ten stitches and said not to use the arm for several days. I get the stitches out in a week.”

  As soon as they were out of earshot of the house, Gabe stopped walking. His brothers turned to face him. “I want you to know that matchmaking is the only reason Waneta has brought her stepdaughters along on this visit. Be aware that they are all husband hunting.”

  A frown appeared on Asher’s face. “They seem like nice women, but I’m not on the lookout for a wife.”

  Seth shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know them better. Just because Waneta and Mamm have hatched a matchmaking plot between them doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Waneta has known us since we were babies. If she thinks her stepdaughters would suit us, we should keep an open mind.”

  Gabe scowled at him. “You have changed your tune since this morning. I’ve got better things to do than to start courting someone who lives in another state. If our business doesn’t improve, we could all be taking jobs in the city.”

  “We put our faith in Gott. He will provide,” Seth said quietly.

  Gabe felt his brother’s gentle rebuke. “The Lord sends the rain and the sun to make our garden grow, but we must still hoe the weeds.” It would take faith and effort to keep the family together. The brothers had never been apart for more than a few days. Gabe would do everything in his power to see that didn’t happen.

  Asher crossed his arms over his chest. “We won’t neglect our work because we have visitors, Gabe.”

  “I know. I’m sorry if I sound cranky. Pay me no mind. What did our cousin and her stepdaughters have to say?”

  “Goot things about you.” Moses grinned.

  Asher chuckled
. “I thought Waneta was never going to stop praising your brave deed. You must be more careful, brudder. That could have been the end of the Fisher triplets, and twins are just so common.”

  “I did what any of you would have done, and you know it. Come on, I’ll give you a hand with the wheel. I’ve got one good one left.”

  They chuckled at his little joke and went into the workshop at the side of the barn. Gabe glanced over his shoulder at the second-story room where he knew Esther had gone. He caught sight of her standing by the window.

  He wanted her to be okay. He wanted to see her smile. It appeared that things weren’t good between Esther and her new stepmother. Family was second only to God in Amish life. Gabe never had to worry that his wouldn’t stand by him.

  Esther raised her hand in a brief wave before turning away. It was a shame she was trapped in a silent world. Why hadn’t she taken the information about a device that could let her hear? And why had her sister taken it after Esther left the clinic?

  Chapter Three

  Esther woke early the next morning. There wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t hurt, but at least her headache was manageable. The moment she moved, she remembered everything that had happened yesterday. The vibration under her feet that had confused her, then the glimpse she’d had of the truck from the corner of her eye when she knew it was too late to run. The impact against her that wasn’t hard steel but rather muscle and bone. When she had opened her eyes and found herself looking up at Gabe’s face, she could hardly believe she wasn’t dead. She had been given a second chance at life by an amazingly brave man.

  How was Gabe this morning? Was he as sore as she was? She thought again of his sky blue eyes and his pretty mouth. Maybe it wasn’t right to call a man’s mouth pretty, but she spent a lot of time looking at that part of people’s faces, and she knew a pretty one when she saw it.

  She sat up and stretched her stiff muscles. Her brush with death had given her a new appreciation for life. She might be sore, but she wasn’t going to waste this precious new day lying in bed. If she didn’t get up, all she would think about was Gabe—his strength, his kindness and his smile. It was all that had occupied her mind yesterday whenever she woke. It was probably only natural given the way they had met, but he was occupying far too much of her thoughts. The thing to do was to get moving and work out the kinks from her body and her mind.

  She glanced around the room and saw her sisters were all still in their cots. Two of them had their pillows over their heads, so she guessed that Waneta had been snoring. It was a complaint they had shared about her on this trip and one thing Esther was glad hadn’t disturbed her rest.

  She dressed quickly and went to the window. There was a faint pale pink light across the eastern sky. The sun would be up in an hour. What to do until then? Going back to sleep was out of the question, but a solitary walk in the predawn light held an allure. She would take her sketchbook in case she happened upon some unfamiliar flowers. She slipped the pad and her colored pencils into a quilted pouch and slung it over her shoulder, wincing at the movement but undeterred.

  Downstairs she saw Talitha starting coffee in the kitchen. The family would be up soon if they weren’t already outside doing chores. She didn’t want to bother her hostess, so she slipped out the front door.

  The morning air was cool and crisp. It might be summer in Maine, but the air felt like early fall at home in central Ohio. She drew a deep breath. The smells of pine and wood smoke came to her on a gentle breeze. A walk on this beautiful morning that the Lord had made after resting in bed was exactly what she needed. But to where?

  She looked down the lane toward the highway. Would the moose return to his feeding spot? She’d had so little time to admire the massive creature yesterday. She would take a chance and see if her curiosity was rewarded.

  Walking down to the highway, she followed along the verge of the road until she came to the place where the van had broken down. There was a puddle of oil in the grass, but the van was gone. Bessie must have had it towed away.

  Esther hoped the repair wasn’t costly. Bessie made extra money driving the Amish in their community. She had agreed to this trip because she was meeting some friends in Bar Harbor for a two-week vacation. She had promised to check with Waneta before she returned to Ohio in case the family was ready to go back with her. Waneta thought they would be staying a month or more and had said she would make other arrangements. Esther prayed two weeks was all she would have to spend away from her Deaf friends and the job she loved. Maybe by then she could convince Waneta to let her return with Bessie.

  After looking carefully in both directions, she stepped out onto the highway. The moment her feet touched the pavement, she shuddered. How long would it be before she could walk down the road again without worrying about being struck by a vehicle? Or tackled by a large man?

  Poor Gabe. She would have to find a way to repay his daring action. And she would have to find the right time to tell him she was not husband hunting.

  She checked both directions three times as she hurried across the road to the edge of the pond. She sat down, drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them as she waited for the sun to come up.

  * * *

  Gabriel raised his arm to hang up his hat and stopped halfway at the pull of his stitches and sore muscles. He had gone out to help with the morning chores, but his brothers and his father had made him go back into the house. Switching his hat to his other hand, he hung it up and turned around. The kitchen was full of women chatting and laughing. His mother looked happy amid the company. He searched the room but didn’t see Esther. He didn’t blame her for sleeping in. It had been a wildly dramatic day yesterday.

  He went into the living room until breakfast was ready. He found Jonah reading one of his favorite books.

  “That’s a good adventure story.” He gestured toward the novel.

  “It is,” Jonah said and signed something.

  “Do you always do that?”

  Jonah looked up. “Do what?”

  “Sign although your sister isn’t in the room?”

  “Did I? Habit, I reckon. I want to make sure that Esther knows what’s going on, especially when she isn’t with her Deaf friends. And that’s Deaf with a capital D. They are an amazing group of people. To them deafness isn’t a disability. Sometimes my sisters forget that Esther is around and they don’t sign. She so quiet, so it’s easy to do.”

  “She speaks very well. Was she able to hear at one time?”

  Jonah closed his book, keeping one finger in between the pages. “Daed told me she became completely deaf when she was ten, but she started to lose her hearing when she was eight. We have two deaf cousins, but my folks didn’t think much about it until Esther became hard of hearing. The doctors told them it was an inherited type of deafness that doesn’t show up until the child is older, but she was born with it. They learned more of their children might become deaf.”

  “Does that mean you could lose your hearing?”

  “It’s possible. Since I’m already ten, Daed thinks it has skipped me as it did the rest of the girls.”

  “Maybe it’s not my business, but I noticed that Esther and Waneta don’t seem as close as your other sisters.”

  “Esther likes to be alone. I mean, she helps at the school near us for special-needs children. She loves doing that, but when she’s in a group of hearing people, she just retreats into a corner or against the wall. It’s hard to look at everyone’s face at once to try to guess what they’re saying.”

  “What do you mean, guess? I thought she could lip-read?”

  “With people she knows well, she can get most of what they are saying, but strangers are harder. Only about half the words we use can be understood by someone who lip-reads. The person has to be looking right at Esther and speaking slowly. Waneta has a habit of putting her fingers on her lips and tapping them
and speaking very quickly. Waneta thinks Esther misunderstands her on purpose.”

  Gabriel heard his father and brothers come in. Nancy stepped into the room. “Jonah, tell Esther breakfast is ready.”

  “Okay. Is she upstairs?”

  “Nee, she was already gone when I got up. I thought she must be with you.”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her this morning.”

  “She has to be around somewhere. Look in the garden. You know how she likes flowers.” Nancy turned on her heels and went back to the kitchen.

  Gabe had read through the information the nurse had given Esther’s family. One of the complications they were to look for was confusion. Had she become confused and wandered off before anyone was up? People in their right senses could easily become lost in these woods if they were unfamiliar with the area. He got to his feet. “I’ll help you look for her.”

  Outside he opened his mouth to call her name and closed it again. That wouldn’t help. She couldn’t hear him.

  “You take the garden. I’ll check in the barn. She likes animals,” Jonah said.

  Gabe didn’t find her in his mother’s flower garden. There was no sign that she’d been there. The dew was heavy and undisturbed on the grass walkway. She would have left footprints if she had walked along it. He returned to the front of the house and scanned the farmyard. Where would she go? She couldn’t hear him calling. She hadn’t heard the blare of the semi’s horn yesterday. Surely she wouldn’t go back to the highway. Then he remembered something she had said. She had wanted to see the moose.