Amish Love Be Kind 3-Book Boxed Set

by Rachel Stoltzfus

  Abram gulped back emotion. That Big Sam still called him “son” meant so much to him. Swallowing a lump, he nodded. “Ya, that is what I’ve been thinking, yet the words of my uncle still intrude.”

  “Abram, was he ever counseled or told that he could be banned if he continued?”

  “Ya, he was. So he complied outwardly. If he hit my auntie or my cousins, he did so on areas of their bodies covered by clothing.”

  “So, he continues.”

  Hannah shivered, feeling chilled. She looked out at the snowy field behind the house.

  Big Sam sighed. “Abram, Gott knows I am not an elder. But I think he will forgive me for what I’m about to say. He knows just how desperate I am. I want you to do this. Put the Meidung on your uncle’s beliefs and words. I am serious. You have got to begin viewing Hannah as a person capable of making her own decisions. She let you know just a little while ago how she feels about your tendency toward violence and angry words.”

  Hannah jumped in. “Abram, before we met, I was my own person. Mamm and Daed have given me the opportunity to use the brain that Gott gave to me. We were arguing about my decision to bake more so I could sell more and set more money back. There’s a reason I want to do that. I’m not going to be able to bounce back to my regular level of activity for a few months after the baby is born. He or she will need much of my time and attention. It’ll take my body time to recover from childbirth. My usual work pattern will be disrupted. And these are things I wanted to explain to you.

  “Now, if you want the chance to have a part in my decisions, as I want to have in yours, we can do that. But I want...nee, I need a husband who is willing to listen and consider my thoughts. I don’t want to see my level of income drop to the point that our savings will be harmed. I’ve been thinking about this all through my pregnancy. Increasing my baking output while I am still feeling strong and energetic will help prevent that.”

  Abram thought Hannah’s idea through. Not seeing any flaws in her thinking process, he nodded. Next, he forced himself to think of his childish reaction. “Ya, I see what you’re saying. Okay. I’m in agreement. I wasn’t aware of the level of thought you had put into it. Could we do this? When you have an idea, can we discuss it together?”

  “Denki! Do you want to have a part in my business decisions?”

  “Nee. I just want to discuss what you’re thinking of. The decisions are yours to make.”

  As Hannah and Abram discussed the issue that had led Hannah to stay with her parents, the Zooks’ heads swiveled back and forth from one person to the other. Both of them closely observed the reactions and facial expressions of each speaker. They were gratified to see that Abram’s eyes stayed mild and calm.

  “Will you come home today?”

  “I’m in the middle of a large batch of cookies and pies. I won’t finish them until tomorrow. I want to have enough to sell for Englisch tourists who are buying for their loved ones.”

  “But Christmas is next week. I was hoping we could begin preparing in our hearts together.”

  “I will be home tomorrow. Early afternoon. Mamm will keep my baked items here so we can take them to the Amish market together later in the week. What doesn’t sell, we’ll sell on Friday.”

  “Ya, that does make sense. I do have to go to the edge of our community anyway. A new customer wants me to begin providing services for his horses.”

  “And that means you’ll be spending much of today, getting to know them, ya?” Hannah tipped her head, already familiar with Abram’s work ethic.

  “Ya. He moved here from Indiana.” Abram was getting ready to leave, though he didn’t want to.

  “Abram, before you leave, I need you to know that the Yoders asked us to volunteer with the Peer Council. I expect we’ll become a part of the group that’s working with you.” Ruth believed in full honesty. “I may also become a peer counselor.”

  Abram nodded. “Ya, my daed and mamm have already had a long, difficult talk with me. Mamm was less than happy that I had, by my words, chased Hannah out of our home. They are also going to begin working with the Council.”

  “Abram, do you have some time? I think you need to hear what happened to a very gut friend of mine.”

  Big Sam looked at Ruth in surprise. She rarely spoke of Salome.

  Hannah made a fresh cup of herbal tea. She needed to hear this, she knew.

  “I am simply grateful that you are willing to speak with me, after what I did earlier this week. Ya, I have the time. I don’t have to be at Hershberger’s place until two this afternoon.”

  “Denki. Okay. My friend is Salome. Salome Adams. She was married to an Amish man, one who beat her horribly. The difference between you and him is that after they were married, his mask of kindness and love toward her came off. You see, she was only nineteen when they married. He was a widower of forty. His two kinder had left the home as soon as they were able and had never come back.

  “Back then, she was Salome Troyer, from another community. He would beat her at the slightest pretense. She didn’t do anything to ‘deserve’ being hit...or worse. What he wanted was a scared little slave, not a loving wife. The bishop of their community came to the house one afternoon as Jake was beating her. The bishop heard the sounds of her screams and of Jake’s yelling. Though the doors were locked, he kicked them in and found Salome lying on the floor in her own blood. Jake was standing over her, continuing to hit and kick her. By now, Salome had stopped screaming because she was only semi-conscious.

  “The bishop was horrified. He grabbed Jake’s arm and marched him to the barn, where he tied him to a post. ‘You stay here until I get back. I’m going to go tend to Salome’s injuries and get help. And don’t think there won’t be consequences.’ He tied Jake securely enough that he couldn’t escape. This allowed the bishop to tend to the worst of Salome’s injuries. But what he didn’t know was that she was pregnant and losing the child. That’s what had set Jake off so terribly. He didn’t want more kinder. So, the bishop left in a hurry, and got more help. Someone called the Englisch emergency system and they sent an ambulance and took her to the hospital.

  “Jake and Salome’s case was brought before all the elders and they decided Jake needed to have a chance to repent. When they visited him, he refused to repent. ‘She’s my wife, my property. I can do with her what I want.’ He told them. So they went to a full community meeting. Again, he refused to repent. By now, Salome was out of the hospital, but in a wheelchair due to her injuries and weakness. She spoke before the community and revealed that almost from their wedding day, Jake had beaten her and that it had only gotten worse.

  “Someone managed to find Jake’s grown kinder. They agreed to come back. They spoke as well, telling a long and horrifying tale of the abuse they had suffered at their daed’s hands. Peter, the eldest, said that their mamm had died after a particularly severe beating. We had all been told that she had died after taking a bad fall that led to a fatal head injury. Well, that sealed Jake’s fate. After he was told to go to another room, the community unanimously decided, within ten minutes, that he would get the Meidung. Only...”

  “Only... what?” Abram was drawn to the story as people were drawn to bad car crashes.

  “Jake had a very gut idea of what was coming. Before the ban could be enacted, he jumped out of a second-floor bedroom window and killed himself by landing on his head and breaking his neck. He died instantly. Salome, now a widow, recovered at her parents’ home. By now, she was ready to leave the Amish. While she loved her family, she just couldn’t live in agreement with a society that allowed abusive men like Jake to live and work among them.

  “She moved away and was, herself, banned. However, she and I stay in touch to this day. She went to college and earned a degree in psychology and counseling. She married an Englisch man, David Adams. He is the kindest, sweetest man.” Ruth stopped speaking, toying with a sudden thought. I know Salome doesn’t like reliving what she experienced. But maybe she would be willing t
o speak with Hannah and Abram. I’ll give her a call.

  Abram went home with a lot to think about. As he ate the dinner his mamm prepared, he thought about everything he’d discussed with Hannah and her parents.

  “You’re quiet today, son. Are you okay?”

  “Ya, I am. Just thinking about what Ruth Zook told me.”

  “What?” Martha dried her hands and sat down.

  “She told me about Salome. She used to be a Troyer before her husband killed—”

  “I hadn’t thought about Salome for months! Ya, she went through a right terrible time. That last beating, before Jake killed himself, she lost their baby. Now, she can’t have any kinder.”

  “Mamm, what else do you remember?”

  “About Jake? Or Salome and her situation?”

  “Everything. I really want to learn as much as I can.”

  Martha sighed. “Her situation was really sad. Jake courted her after his first wife died. I didn’t like him. While he appeared to be so gentle and kind, I just got the bad sense that there was something about him that he was hiding. He had... I don’t know how to explain it, son. Kind of a hard edge to him that would reveal itself if he wasn’t aware someone was observing him.

  “His kinder didn’t seem to take to him real well. And, as soon as they could, they were out of the home, moving to another community. And they never came to see him for holidays or even his wedding to Salome. What else? Oh. Salome was a spirited woman like your Hannah is. She knew her own mind. Shortly after she married Jake, that all disappeared. When she was around him, she was just like a fearful little mouse. Didn’t speak up. Rarely laughed.

  “I got suspicious, but of course, she wouldn’t say anything. One day, at the market, I thought I saw her walking as though she was favoring one side. After everything came out, I suspect he had hit her on her side. And I want you to take this next into serious consideration, Abram.

  “When Jake’s son and daughter came back to Peace Valley to speak at his meeting, they told us that their daed had hit their mamm so hard that she flew against the wall. Her head hit first and from that moment on, she never regained consciousness. She died three days later, of a serious head injury. Jake spread it around that she had fallen downstairs. She was found close to, but not at the foot of the stairs. He put on a real good show, that man. He was grieving and crying. But by then, I had my suspicions. And the kinder! They wouldn’t look at him, let alone speak to him! He didn’t like that. When we were serving the meals, I could just feel his frustration and anger at the children.”

  Chapter 7

  “By then, they were eighteen and nineteen. The girl was the youngest, but she opted to go through baptism instruction with her brother. And as soon as they were baptized, they told the bishop they were moving to another Amish community and away from their daed. Of course, we didn’t know the truth of what had happened to Mary. So, many of us just chalked it up to a poor relationship with their daed.”

  Abram shoved his plate away from him, his appetite gone. “Mei Gott! So he had hatred in his heart. And anger. Mamm, denki. I needed to hear this. I don’t want to do that to Hannah. Instead, I want to learn what I need to learn and stop giving Hannah reasons to worry about my behavior or fear me.”

  “Son, we’re going to start working with the Peer Council. I want you to keep those mental images of Salome Troyer and Jake’s first wife in mind. Every time you get angry and want to scream at Hannah, remember them.”

  Abram nodded. “Ya, Mamm, I will.” Abram was sure he would do so. What he had learned that day sickened him. Looking at the time, he knew he needed to leave. “I need to go see my new customer.”

  “I will have supper ready for you. Hannah will be home tomorrow?”

  “Ya. She is in the middle of baking a large amount of goods. She wants to sell more so she can put more money away.” Abram sighed. “If I had only listened rather than thinking she didn’t know what she was doing, she would be here at home with me. And you wouldn’t have to take care of two homes.”

  “Remember that, too, son.” After Abram had left, she did some quick cleaning, thankful that Abram wasn’t a messy person. Next, turning her attention to Abram’s supper, she mused about the differences between him and Jake. Jake was fake. He figured out what people needed to see from him and he gave that to them. Abram...ya, he has his faults and he has definitely hurt Hannah. But he is genuinely confused and apologetic about what he has done. I only wish we had decided not to allow him to spend the summer with his cousins! He was so impressionable. And now... Martha wasn’t aware that Abram and Hannah’s situation would worsen before it got better.

  ELI AND LINDA YODER didn’t waste any time. They began to work with the Zooks and senior Beilers, teaching them what they would need to know so Abram and Hannah would begin interacting with each other in more loving ways.

  “Isaac, I think it’s best we go and visit that shelter sooner rather than later. I don’t want to leave anything to chance. Then, if you decide Abram should speak with one of the residents, I can set that up.”

  “I thought he would go visit it.”

  “Nee. I remembered after our discussion that the location is kept a secret for the safety of the residents. Even from us. I will call and set up an appointment for you and me to tour. We can do so because we aren’t abusers. Abram can’t, because he has abused Hannah. But I believe I can set up an appointment elsewhere in town.”

  “Ya, that works for me. What days do you have available?”

  “Thursday. It’s light. You?”

  “Thursday and Friday. No calls yet.”

  “Okay, I’ll set up the details. Do you prefer early or late?”

  “Early. I may have a lot of questions and I’d like to have the opportunity to get answers.”

  “Gut thinking!” Eli smiled widely at Isaac.

  AFTER COMING BACK HOME, Hannah continued her accelerated schedule of cleaning and baking. Her baked goods sold well, allowing her to put more money into the joint bank account she held with Abram.

  As the time of their baby’s birth finally drew near, she gave in to the urge to set up the baby’s room. Some misty instinct led her to choose the room with the door adjoining her and Abram’s bedroom. Maybe I just want to be able to get to the baby more quickly in case it wakes at night for a feeding. Yet something kept drawing her to that room, not only for the sake of convenience. One day, as she was folding quilts, blankets, sheets and towels for the baby and putting them away, her gaze fell on the sturdy locks on both doors. It hit her then. It was a refuge, just in case Abram grew angry again. Nee! I want to sense if that’s happening so we can get away before. In fact... I wonder if Eli and Linda should tell him.

  Three days later, she went into labor and Abram notified the midwife, who came over. Two exhausting days later, Hannah gave birth to a long, slender baby girl. Her eyes were dark and it looked like the child would have her mamm’s auburn hair.

  “Abram, her cheeks are all your family’s! She is a gift!”

  Abram was flying high, excited to be a daed for the first time. Looking at his daughter, he saw that she did have the full cheeks characteristic of the babies in his family. “Ya, but look at the mouth. That’s all you. And, if the elders heard us talking like this...”

  “Ya. She’s Gott’s gift to us.”

  The couple named the baby Eleanor. Hannah had been taken with that name ever since learning about First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. “I want her to be strong and to do the right things in her life.” Over the next few weeks, they slowly got the baby acclimated to life in their home. It was a quiet time, with Abram encouraged to be gentle with Hannah and Eleanor.

  Slowly, Hannah began to resume her normal schedule. She got the baby used to lying in a rocker nearby as she baked and sang hymns. As Hannah began baking at her former level, she felt more relaxed, knowing she didn’t have to keep up the frenetic pace she had been on shortly before Eleanor’s birth.

  As she evaluated the state of th
e relationship between her and Abram, she felt reassured. For this time at least, he was calm and accepting of her right to make decisions with him. In fact, he seemed to be just a bit more willing to bring updates to her for discussion. One evening, as she nursed the baby, they discussed his newest client.

  “Ben Herschberger seems to be a gut man and an excellent client. He likes my work with his horses. Yet, I find that he complains about my rates. ‘I only used to pay two-thirds of what you’re charging me.’ And I remind him that there are only two families with farriers here and it’s a large district. So, I wonder what he’s going to say at that time when I have to raise my rates.”

  Hannah listened carefully. “Do you want my suggestions?”

  “Ya, please. All of us, Beiler or Yoder, charge similar rates, so he’s not going to be any happier with my daed, Eli or Jethro.”

  “When you know you’re going to raise rates, whether it’s at the beginning of the year or at another time, let him know a few months early. And keep reminding him of the size of our district and communities. Let him know that we don’t have very many farriers. Hmmm... also, let him know that the prices of the materials and tools you use are going up.”

  “And, if he threatens to go outside our district?” Abram liked all of Hannah’s ideas. Seeing her feeding the baby brought out feelings of tenderness he didn’t even know he had.

  Hannah grimaced. Removing the baby from her breast, she covered up and positioned her for burping. “It’s okay, Eleanor. Husband, what I would do is ask him what he would do in an emergency if he chose not to use you, your daed, or the Yoders. He can’t walk a horse with a thrown shoe. And the next district is at least seven miles away!”

  “Ya, closer to ten, but that’s an excellent point. In the end, I think he’s just used to forcing vendors to push their prices down for him.”

  For the next few months, all was calm in the Beiler home. Hannah and Abram went to meetings with the Peer Council. The Yoders came to their house and gave them instruction on developing and maintaining healthy relationships with one another. While Abram still experienced times of confusion, he was becoming more and more confident that he was better able to handle the idea of a wife who could and should share decisions with him. Yet, he knew that he couldn’t get away with skipping meetings. He continued to attend and listened closely whether the material was interesting or not.