by Nancy Mehl
“You needed your sleep. Besides, my mattress is light, and it wasn’t any trouble.” I grinned at him. “But if we spend another night here, I think I’ll trade with you.”
“Agreed.” He paused for a moment. “Callie, I can’t thank you enough for everything. You’ve tended to my outside wounds as well as my inner ones.”
“I wasn’t aware I’d done anything that dramatic,” I said, unable to keep the emotion out of my voice. “You’re being too modest, you know. You probably saved my life last night. Throwing yourself on top of me like that.” I shook my head. “If anything serious had happened to you . . .”
He pulled my fingers to his lips and kissed them. “But it didn’t. I’m fine. You’re fine.” He gently released my hands. “Now you rest. You must have been very tired. You slept pretty late.”
“What time is it?”
“According to the battery-operated clock in the kitchen, it’s a little after two o’clock.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “I’m shocked. I wonder what time I went to bed.”
“I have no idea, but you deserve to be waited on.” He gave me a wide grin. “Your wish is my command. How about coffee to start? Even though it’s past time for lunch, I think breakfast is still in order. Whatever you want. As long as it’s bacon and eggs, since that’s the only thing I’m confident enough to make for you.”
I laughed. “Well, then I guess I’ll take bacon and eggs. But are you sure . . .”
Levi held his hand up, his blue eyes full of humor. “There is nothing I’d like better than to make you breakfast. My mother made sure Noah and I knew how to cook a few dishes. She said she didn’t want to worry about us starving to death if we were ever out on our own. Certainly helped Noah when he was at college those two years.”
“My thanks to your mother, then.” Thinking of Dottie Hostettler made me remember her frantic call from the night before. “Oh, your mother. I don’t suppose the phone’s working yet.”
Levi shook his head. “Tried it first thing after I got up. It’s still dead.”
“Your mother has strong faith,” I said gently. “She knows God will take care of you.” I sighed. “I wish I were more like her. Sometimes I feel so powerless.”
Levi crossed his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious? I don’t think a powerless woman could have done what you did last night. You took care of me, and you cleaned up a mess so big it would have taken three men to match you. You’re not weak, Callie. You’re just not confident.” He frowned. “I blame your father for that.”
I felt the blood rise to my face. “My father? How can you say that? I swear, you and Lizzie seem to have something against him.”
Levi studied me for a moment. “I’m going to start breakfast. Why don’t we talk about this later?”
I started to protest, but he put his finger up to his lips. “Later. Right now I need to throw some bacon into a pan and scramble some eggs. It’s been a while. A small prayer for your protection may be in order.”
He left the room but returned a few minutes later with a carafe of coffee and a cup. He set them down in front of me. “I’ve never made coffee before. I hope it’s the right strength. It looks a little dark.”
I poured some coffee into my cup and took a sip. Even though I tried not to react, I shuddered at the bitter liquid. Trying to smile, I said, “It . . . it’s fine.”
Levi’s hearty laugh made me giggle. He shook his finger at me. “Lying is a sin, Callie Hoffman. If we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, you need to start telling me the truth.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, Levi Housler. This may be the worst coffee I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
He grinned. “Boy, when you tell the truth, you jump in with both feet.” Levi picked up my cup and took a quick sip. “Oh my. This really is bad.” He picked up the carafe and the cup. “Easy to fix. A little diluting is in order.” With that he went back to the kitchen.
His comment about Papa had upset me, but his antics made me feel lighthearted and happy, so it was easy to overlook. While he was gone, I got up and walked over to the front windows. I couldn’t see much out of the remaining window since it was covered with frost. Although the room was warm near the fireplace, the closer I got to the door and windows, the colder it got. I slowly pulled the door open. Even though the bitter air made me gasp, I was overwhelmed by the beauty in front of me. Kingdom was covered with thick, white, glistening snow, and the trees looked as if they were encased in white lace. I couldn’t guess how much snow had actually fallen, but it appeared to be more than a foot. Main Street wasn’t even visible. The steps up to the porch had disappeared too. Drifts blown up next to buildings were very high, as tall as me. I wondered how much more we would get before it was over.
How would Levi and I ever get out of here? We were blessed to have plenty of food, and I wasn’t really worried about others in our community. Kingdom was a very self-sufficient town, and we all prepared carefully for the winters, knowing they could be harsh in this part of the country. But in my lifetime I could only remember one other storm that had dropped this much snow or blown with the ferocity of this winter monster. It had happened right before my mother left. The snow was so deep we were trapped inside for a week. I thought playing in the snow was fun, but Mama, who was already depressed, saw it as one more hardship in a long line of difficult circumstances.
I pulled the door shut just as Levi came back with the coffee. I could smell the bacon cooking, and my stomach rumbled from hunger.
“I think you’ll like this better,” he said as he set my cup down.
“It couldn’t be any worse,” I quipped.
“Very funny. It’s beautiful outside, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but it’s still snowing. We may be here awhile.”
Levi frowned. “I keep wondering if I should have tried to make it home last night. It was rough outside, but—”
“Stop,” I said firmly. “We did the right thing. Besides, we would have had to get your buggy upright, and I don’t think I would have been much help.” I smiled at him. “We just need to have faith that everything will turn out all right.”
“I trust God to defend us. It’s just that I don’t like putting you in this position. People are people. There’s bound to be talk.”
I shrugged. “Well, we’ll just have to ignore it, won’t we? The people who matter will believe us.”
“I know. But a pastor has to think about appearances. I don’t want to cause anyone to stumble in their faith.”
I shook my head. “This is silly. We’ve been over this and over this. It’s time to drop it. I thank God we made it to shelter.” I slid back into my seat at the table and picked up the cup of coffee Levi had filled for me. Although I was a little hesitant, I took a sip. It was perfect. My smile must have given Levi some assurance, because the muscles in his face relaxed.
“I know you’re right,” Levi said. “Guess I need to let it go.”
I could hear the hesitation behind his words. “Look,” I said with a smile, “let’s have a nice breakfast. We’ll be here for a while, and I don’t want to spend our time worrying about what other people might say. Besides, it’s entirely possible that except for our families, no one will ever know.”
Levi’s expression brightened. “Maybe you’re right. You know, we won’t get this much time together again until after we’re married. We might as well enjoy it. Breakfast coming right up!”
He hurried out of the room, and I could hear him banging around in the kitchen. It felt odd to have a man cook for me. Very few Mennonite men cooked, but all the women were expected to. After my mother left, I had to pick up where she left off. I wasn’t very good at it in the beginning. It took a while to bake biscuits that were as light and fluffy as hers. And I burned more than one roast before figuring out the right way to do it. Eventually, I learned to hold my own. I wasn’t as good as Lizzie, but working with her had allowed me to pick up
some of her recipes and skills.
I could hear Levi humming while he prepared breakfast. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about how blessed I was to have found a man like him. There wasn’t anyone else in the whole world I’d rather spend my life with. There were several women in Kingdom who seemed unhappy with the match they’d made. Divorce was not allowed in our community, so they were destined to spend their lives in an unfulfilling union.
The night before I hadn’t read my Bible as I usually did every evening before bed, so I ran upstairs, got it from my nightstand, and brought it back down. How wonderful it would be to hear Levi read some Scriptures this morning. Prince and Dora followed me, deciding it was safe to venture downstairs. I needed to feed them but decided to wait until Levi was finished in the kitchen so we wouldn’t get in his way.
“Here we are!” Levi proclaimed proudly as he came out of the kitchen. “Breakfast for my lady.”
I giggled as he carried two plates to the table. Prepared for the worst, I was surprised to find bacon fried to just the right crispness and a pile of fluffy scrambled eggs. A piece of Lizzie’s homemade bread sat on one edge of the plate. It was beautifully buttered and toasted.
“One more thing,” Levi said after putting our plates on the table. He jogged back to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of Lizzie’s homemade apple butter.
“Oh, Levi. It all looks so good.”
He raised one eyebrow and looked at me with suspicion. “You didn’t think I could do it, did you?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Noah prepares meals whenever Lizzie is sick, but you’re the only man who’s ever cooked just for me.”
He smiled sweetly. “It won’t be the last time. I like doing things for you.”
I shook my head. “I’ve never known anyone like you, Levi Housler.”
“You brought your Bible?” he said, pointing at it. “Were you really that afraid of my cooking?”
I laughed. “I thought maybe you could read to me after we eat.”
He broke out in a wide smile. “I would love that.”
“Um, Levi. There is one little problem with the breakfast.”
He frowned and stared down at our plates. “A problem? Everything looks fine to me. We have hot coffee. Not too strong. Eggs, bacon, toast.” He looked at me with a confused expression. “I know Lizzie always serves hash browns, but I’ve never made them. I don’t know how to—”
“That’s not it,” I said chuckling. “Are we supposed to eat with our hands?”
“Oh my. I guess I wouldn’t make a good waiter. I’ll be right back.” He jumped up and made another trip to the kitchen, this time returning with utensils. “How you do this job all day long is beyond me. I’m already tired, and I’m only taking care of you and me.”
“It’s not easy on my legs, but I really do enjoy it. I love talking to everyone, feeling like I’m part of a large family.”
He raised one eyebrow. “You know the church will probably want you to quit after we’re married, right?”
“I know. Whatever they ask me to do, I will.” I smiled at him. “Being your wife is more important to me than anything else. And besides, I’m sure there will be lots to do in the church that will keep me busy.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” he said slowly. “Well, I’ll ask the blessing, and then you can judge my talent in the kitchen.”
We bowed our heads and Levi prayed, blessing our food and also thanking God for keeping us safe in the storm. He prayed for everyone else in Kingdom and that God would give him wisdom about dealing with our circumstances. I loved to listen to him pray. Levi’s prayers sounded so personal. Not like Papa’s, which had been formal and distant. When I was young, I’d prayed just like him. Not long after Mama left Kingdom, Ruth Fisher befriended me. She prayed like Levi, and after hearing her, I began to get more intimate with God. At first it was a little scary. Something she said once popped into my head. “God loves you like a perfect Father,” she’d told me. “Not like our earthly fathers, who may not know how to love little girls in the right way.”
I heard Levi say “Amen” and repeated it. But Ruth’s words stuck in my head. It was true that my father was distracted when Mama left, but he was a good father, wasn’t he? I sighed and shook my head. Lately, it felt as if I was continually defending Papa. Why?
“What are you sighing about?” Levi asked.
“Nothing. Eat your breakfast.” I stuck a piece of bacon in my mouth. “Oh my. It’s so good. For some reason I’ve been ravenous ever since last night.”
“Me too, although I ate some fruit and bread after I got up. I was hungry and weak. I felt a lot better after I got a little food in my stomach.” He leaned back in his chair, and I saw him wince.
“Oh, Levi. Your back. I need to check the bandages. Do your injuries hurt? And what about your head?”
“My head feels fine today. The bump is almost gone. But for some reason my back stings more today than it did last night.”
“Your wounds are healing. There’s some aspirin in the medicine cabinet. I’ll get it for you.”
“Please finish your breakfast first. I went to all this trouble. The least you can do is to eat it while it’s hot.”
He smiled when he said it, but I could tell he was uncomfortable. I ate quickly, although it was so good, it would have been nice to savor it a little longer. When I got the last bite of eggs down, I went to the bathroom and located the aspirin. I hurried back and handed it to him before I realized he had nothing to take it with.
“You can’t take aspirin with hot coffee,” I said. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”
I patted him on the shoulder and headed toward the kitchen. When I opened the door, I was shocked by what I found. It was a mess. Levi had left all the dirty pans sitting around and grease was splattered on the floor. I almost slipped and fell. Lizzie had complained more than once about Noah not cleaning up after himself. Obviously, it ran in the family. Not wanting to offend Levi, I quickly rinsed some dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I’d have to come back later and clean up the rest of it. I guess Lizzie was right when she told me that men only see what they want to.
I pushed the door open and called out, “Here’s some water,” but Levi wasn’t sitting at the table. Looking around the room, I saw that the front door was open. I put the water on the table and went to the door. As I got closer, I could hear an engine running. Levi stood outside on the front porch. Parked in front of the restaurant was a large tractor with chains on its tires. It took me a moment to make out the figure sitting in the cab. It was Marvin Hostettler.
“It’s Marvin,” Levi said when he saw me. He didn’t sound too happy, and frankly, I wasn’t either. Although I knew I should be thrilled that rescue had come, I’d been looking forward to spending a little more time alone with Levi. I quickly blinked away tears. The last thing I wanted was for Marvin to think we weren’t grateful for his help.
Marvin pushed open the door of the cab and climbed out. He immediately sank into the snow, and Levi went out to help him to the front porch. Marvin’s face was red with cold and exertion. His large frame may have helped to keep him warm, but by the time he got inside the restaurant, he was huffing and puffing. We led him to a chair, where he sat down to catch his breath. Finally, he sputtered, “I been lookin’ all over for you, Levi. Your mama’s been frantic all night.”
“I’m fine, Marvin. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble to find me.”
Marvin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You know your mama better than that, boy. She dotes on you and Noah. When you didn’t come home, she started prayin’. When that woman prays, I know somethin’s gonna happen, and it usually involves me. So I got in the tractor this morning and came lookin’ for you. I went by the church first, but when I found out you weren’t there, I figured this was the only other place you could be.” His eyes searched the room and then settled on me. “Where’s Noah and Lizzie? I thought they’d be here too.”
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br /> “They went home last night before the storm moved in,” Levi said. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
Marvin’s eyes widened. “You mean to say you two been here all night by yourselves?”
I could feel my face grow hot, probably making me about as red as Marvin.
“Yes,” Levi said slowly. “We were here all night, thanking God for giving us a place of refuge.”
Marvin didn’t say anything, but his expression grew somber. He looked over at the table where Levi and I had been sitting. “Sure would love some hot coffee. I’m freezin’ inside.”
“Sure,” Levi said. He got up to get the coffee when Marvin stopped him.
“Levi, you’re bleedin’. What happened to you?”
One of Levi’s cuts had reopened and blood was staining his shirt. “Sit down,” I ordered. “I’ll get a fresh bandage.”
Levi finished pouring Marvin’s coffee from the carafe on the table, then obediently sat down while I fetched the first-aid kit. In the meantime, Levi filled Marvin in on the broken window and its aftermath.
“My goodness,” Marvin said when Levi finished. “You two was surely sheltered by God last night. I expect it had something to do with your mama prayin’ like she was.”
“You’re probably right,” I said as I came back into the room. “We’re grateful to be safe and sound today.” I asked Levi to lean forward. When he did, I raised the back of his shirt and worked at removing the bloody bandage. I quickly took off the old gauze and taped a new piece in its place.
“Look, I know that some folks would frown on Callie and me being here together last night,” Levi said. “But I’m going to ask you not to spread it around. There was nothing inappropriate in our behavior. I would rather not give fuel to anyone who might like to turn this into something it’s not.”