The Healing Jar

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Her eyes widened. “You’re engaged?”

  “Yep. I proposed to her two weeks ago.” He shuffled his feet. “I would have told you sooner, but when Ezekiel contacted me and Ernie about coming here for Thanksgiving, I decided to wait and surprise you with the news.”

  “I certainly am surprised, and I’m happy for you too.” Michelle gave Gina a hug and wrapped her arms around Ernie.

  At that moment, Ezekiel stepped onto the porch and slipped his arm around Michelle’s waist. “See now why I wanted you to answer the door? Are you surprised?”

  “Yes, very.” She poked his arm playfully. “I knew something had to be up when you volunteered to do the potatoes. And I’m definitely getting the dining room ready for Thanksgiving supper, for us and my surprise guests.”

  “Now be fair, Fraa. You know I’m pretty handy in the kitchen.” He chuckled and invited their guests inside.

  As Michelle followed the four of them inside, her heart swelled with joy. How blessed she felt to be married to such a thoughtful, loving husband. Thank You, God, for bringing Ezekiel into my life.

  Strasburg

  “Now that we’ve prayed and before we begin eating, could we take a few minutes and tell what we are thankful for?” Lenore asked as she and their guests sat around the dining-room table.

  “That’s an excellent idea.” Lenore’s father looked at Grandma. “Why don’t you go first, Mom?”

  Grandma sat up straight and folded her hands, placing them on the table in front of her. “Let’s see now …. I am thankful for all the years I had with your daed. There are so many memories it’s hard to choose one, but last year’s Thanksgiving was special.”

  “Oh, you mean because when Grandpa handed the knife to Dad so he could cut the turkey, the bird ended up on the floor?” Peter chortled. “I’ll never forget the shocked look on both of their faces.”

  Grandma smiled. “I have to admit, it was pretty funny.”

  “Jah, and let’s hope after we’re all done sharing what we’re thankful for that I do better this year when I carve the Thanksgiving bird.” Dad gestured to the golden-brown turkey sitting on the large platter in the middle of the table. “I sure don’t want to make any new memories that everyone will be talking about for another whole year.”

  “If it happens again,” Lenore’s mother interjected, “it could be the last time you’re given the honor of using your daed’s carving knife.”

  Everyone laughed, including Lenore’s dad, who sat at the head of the table in the chair that used to be occupied by Grandpa.

  “All right—who wants to go next and share what they’re thankful for?” Grandma asked.

  “I will.” Lenore’s hand shot up. “I’m ever so thankful that I was born into a loving, caring family that can laugh together and cry together and make so many good memories. As Grandpa once said, ‘Quality family time together is the foundation for a solid home.’”

  All heads nodded in agreement.

  Lenore’s dad turned to look at Jesse. “What about you, Jesse? Would you tell us what you’re thankful for?”

  Jesse’s ears turned a dark shade of pink. Lenore figured he wasn’t used to being put on the spot.

  “Go ahead,” Dad coaxed. “Don’t be shy. We’d all like to hear what you’re thankful for.”

  “Well, the first thing I’m thankful for is my precious little girl.” He turned in his seat and gestured to Cindy sitting in her high chair. “She’s my ray of sunshine, even on dreary days.” He then turned his gaze on each one sitting around the table. “I’m also thankful for the pleasure of being here with all of you today. It was kind of Mary Ruth and Lenore to invite me and Cindy to join you.”

  Grandma, who was sitting to Jesse’s left, reached over and gave his arm a few taps. “And we are thankful you two could be here today. It’s our pleasure to have you.”

  Lenore felt content inside, seeing everyone in good spirits. Even though Grandpa was deeply missed, the family’s tradition of celebrating holidays together was being carried on.

  “That was one delicious meal. Danki, Mary Ruth and Lenore, for all the work you did preparing it for us.” Jesse rubbed his stomach. “Now I need to either take a nap or go outside and get some exercise.”

  “I vote for going outside.” Peter pushed his chair away from the table. “Bet there’s enough snow on the ground to build a snowman. Anyone wanna help me?”

  “Count me in,” Jesse said.

  “Me too.” Lenore gathered up a few plates. “I’ll join you after the dishes are done.”

  “No need for that.” Lenore’s mother shook her head. “I’ll help Mary Ruth with the schissele. You should go outside and have some fun.”

  Jesse looked at his daughter, sitting in the high chair with mashed potatoes all over her face. “Maybe I should stay inside and keep an eye on my messy little schtinker. She needs to be cleaned up and might even be ready for a nap.”

  Mary Ruth patted the top of Cindy’s head. “She does look kind of drowsy, but I bet she won’t fall asleep if I put her down. She seems to be awake more than asleep these days.”

  Jesse smiled in response and stepped over to his daughter. He grabbed a couple of paper towels and dampened them before returning to Cindy. With ease, Jesse wiped off her face and hands. His little girl smiled up at him and reached out her hands. “Not yet, little one; hang on there. I’ll have you out in a minute.”

  He continued to clean up the tray that had some small morsels left on it. “That’s better; now you’re ready to come out of there.” Jesse set aside the soiled paper towels and lifted his daughter from the high chair. He held her for a moment and watched the activity around the kitchen, focusing mostly on Lenore. I do care about her. His back stiffened as he looked over at Lenore’s father. It’s just that my feelings aren’t what they should be.

  “I’ll keep Cindy occupied,” Lenore’s dad offered. “We’ll go in the living room, and I’ll give her a horsey ride on my knee.”

  “She’ll like that. Thanks, Ivan.” Jesse got his jacket, hat, and gloves. “You comin’, Lenore?”

  “Sure, I’ll be out as soon as I put on some warm clothes and my boots.”

  “Okay, see you soon.” Jesse followed Peter out the door. As they stepped onto the back porch, Jesse’s foot slipped on a patch of ice. He grabbed hold of the wooden railing and went on down the stairs to join Peter in the yard. The snow was still falling and creating a white blanket over everything. Peter began making a ball of snow, then rolling it along the ground, and Jesse did the same. Before long, he had a good-sized sphere made. “What do you think, Peter? Does this look good enough?”

  “That’s perfect! We’ll use that one for the bottom of the snowman.” Peter went back to rolling his own ball again.

  Meanwhile, Jesse watched him and enjoyed the fun he was having. He soon picked up some snow, packed it, and threw the icy ball at the barn. It hit with a thud and stuck there. “This is some real good stuff.” He made another snowball and tossed it, nearly hitting Peter.

  Peter snorted. “Keep that up and we could end up having a real snowball fight.”

  “No way, but if this keeps up we could have enough to build a couple of snow forts.” Jesse chuckled.

  “I think my section is the right size.” Peter tried picking it up, but it wouldn’t budge.

  Jesse came closer to him. “Wait, don’t lift it. Just roll it over by mine.”

  He watched Peter work on getting the middle over next to the base. “Now you and I can lift it up together,” Jesse instructed.

  They both reached around and put the smaller sphere on top of the base. Jesse stepped back, looked it over, and gave a whistle. “Looks pretty good to me.”

  Peter shook his head. “Nope. It’s leaning kinda funny.” Grunting and groaning, he managed to move the giant snowball until it looked symmetrical. Then he brushed off any imperfections with his gloves.

  “That’s looking more like a snowman now.” Jesse looked around the yard
for some sticks to use for the snowman’s arms. It was getting harder to see things because the snow had accumulated so fast. Peter was taking a break and messing with his hat. “I wonder if Grandma has any spare carrots we could use for his nose when we get finished.”

  “Good question.” Jesse’s nose started to run from the cold. He pulled off his dampened glove and fished around in his coat pocket. Jesse’s numbing fingers found the tissue he’d put in there this morning and wiped his nose. Ah … that’s better. He stuffed the wadded tissue into his pocket and was about to put his glove back on when a snowball hit him on the shoulder. “Hey!” Jesse looked up and saw Peter laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.

  “I wasn’t even trying.” Peter snickered.

  “Okay, now you’d better watch out, because I’m getting ready to throw one at you.” Jesse quickly pulled on his glove.

  Soon they were throwing snowballs one after the other. Jesse was out of breath and laughing so hard he could hardly pick up any more snow. “All right, that’s enough, Peter!” he hollered. “We need to put the finishing touches on our snowman.”

  Peter dropped the snowball in his hand. “Okay, okay … I get it. You’re too tuckered out to keep throwing snowballs at me.”

  Jesse couldn’t deny it. Lenore’s brother was younger than him, and once they’d started the snowball fight, Peter had become even more energetic. “I admit, I am kind of tired, but the truth is, we came out here to build a snowman, so let’s finish the job we started.”

  “You’re right, we still need to find something to use for the snowman’s eyes.” Peter looked around. “There’s so much snow on the ground, we’ll probably never find any small rocks to use. I’ll go look in the barn and see if there’s anything there that could serve as the snowman’s eyes.”

  Peter turned toward the barn just as Lenore came out the back door. Jesse was on the verge of warning her about the patch of ice when Lenore’s feet went out from under her and down she went. When she didn’t get up right away, Jesse figured she must be hurt. He dropped the snowball he’d started, leaped onto the porch, and swept Lenore into his arms. He hoped she wasn’t seriously hurt.

  Chapter 25

  What happened? Is my daughter hurt?” Lenore’s mother rushed forward when Jesse entered the house carrying Lenore.

  Peter came in right behind them. “Is my sister okay?”

  “She fell on a patch of ice on the porch. I saw it there when I went out to build the snowman and should have done something about it then.” Jesse’s voice was filled with regret.

  “Did she break anything?” Grandma asked as Lenore clung to Jesse. It felt good to be held in the safety of his strong arms.

  “I don’t think so, but let’s get her on the couch.”

  As Jesse placed Lenore down, she groaned. “My lower back and hip hurt, but I don’t think it’s serious. Probably just bruised really bad.”

  “I’ll get some ice.” Grandma hurried from the room.

  “Or we could try alternating heat and cold.” Mom’s brows wrinkled. “Come to think of it, I believe a person should use ice in the first twenty-four hours of an injury. Jah, that’s what our chiropractor said.”

  “I think we should call a driver and go to the hospital to have your back x-rayed,” Dad said from across the room where he held Cindy, who was straddling his knee.

  “There’s no need for that.” Lenore pulled herself to a sitting position and stood. “I’ll just walk around for a bit and see how I’m doing.”

  Lenore’s cheeks heated with embarrassment as everyone watched her move slowly around the living room. Each step she took caused pain, but she tried not to let on. It was a good thing the scholars had no school tomorrow, because with the way Lenore’s back felt now, she would not be able to teach. Hopefully by Monday she would feel better, and in the meantime, Lenore would rest and try icing it as Grandma and Mom had suggested.

  When Grandma returned to the living room with a bag of ice, Lenore took it gratefully. Then she excused herself and limped down the hall to the guest room. Her back hurt more than she was willing to admit, and the thought of climbing the stairs to her bedroom held no appeal whatsoever.

  “I think Cindy and I should probably go.” Jesse moved toward the baby.

  “But you haven’t had dessert yet,” Mary Ruth said. “You really need to try some of Lenore’s delicious Pineapple Philly pie.”

  “I’m still full from dinner, and it won’t be long before Cindy’s bedtime.” Jesse glanced at his daughter, who still looked wide-awake. He figured all the extra attention she’d gotten today had her keyed up. Hopefully she’d sleep like a log tonight.

  “Oh, I understand.” Mary Ruth’s slumped shoulders let Jesse know she was disappointed.

  “Guess I could stay long enough to eat a piece of pie. But before I do, I need to take care of that icy porch for you. Do you have any ice melt, Mary Ruth?”

  “Jah, there’s a bag in the utility room. I was going to put some out earlier but got busy fixing the meal and forgot.” Mary Ruth glanced in the direction of the guest room. “If I had taken care of it, Lenore wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

  “Accidents happen, Mom, and if I had known about it, I would have melted the ice for you,” Ivan interjected.

  “Your son is right,” Yvonne put in. “An accident can happen, indoors or out, when a person least expects it. Why, if some water or milk had been spilled on the kitchen floor, Lenore could have slipped on that.”

  “That may be true,” Jesse said, “but the fact is, she slipped on ice that I saw and should have taken care of. And even though it’s after the fact, I’m gonna get rid of it right now.” He headed for the utility room to get the bag of ice melt. I sure hope Lenore will be okay.

  After everyone went home and Mary Ruth had given her kitchen a final inspection, she went to check on Lenore again. The last time she’d looked in on her, to offer a piece of pie, Lenore had been awake but said she wasn’t hungry and preferred not to get up. She asked Mary Ruth to offer her apologies to everyone for not joining them at the dessert table.

  Lenore’s parents and brother had popped into the guest room to say goodbye before heading for home, and Jesse said he would drop by sometime the following day to check on Lenore.

  He’s such a nice man, Mary Ruth thought as she left the kitchen and headed down the hall. Jesse seems to care about my granddaughter, and I’m hoping those two might have a future together. She smiled, thinking about the way little Cindy lit up every time she was with Lenore. That sweet little girl needs a mudder too.

  Mary Ruth had invited Jesse to join them for supper many times over the last few months—partly so he didn’t have to cook, but mostly so he and Lenore could spend time together and get better acquainted. Lenore had waited several years to find a husband, and Mary Ruth hoped Jesse might be the one God intended for her granddaughter.

  She paused by the guest room door. When Lenore feels better, I’ll volunteer to watch Cindy some evening so she and Jesse can go out to eat at one of the local restaurants by themselves. It might help to get them together quicker if they have more time alone.

  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

  “That sure was a great meal, Mom. You outdid yourself today.” Brad yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Eating all that turkey made me sleepy, and I bet I gained five pounds.”

  Taking a seat on the couch beside him, Sara looked at Brad’s mother, Jean, and rolled her eyes. “I think my husband may be exaggerating just a bit.”

  Jean chuckled and poked her husband’s arm. “He gets that from his dad. Isn’t that right, Clarence?”

  “Maybe.” Brad’s father lifted his shoulders and let them drop. “But only about unimportant things.”

  “Food’s important.” Brad thumped his stomach. “And the truth is I really did eat too much today.”

  “I think we all did,” Sara admitted. “But that’s because everything was so good.” She looked over at Jean. “I’ll have to
get your recipe for the dressing you stuffed the turkey with. It was so moist and tasty.”

  “I’ll write it down before you and Brad leave on Saturday.” Jean released a lingering sigh. “I wish you could stay longer. We don’t get to see enough of you.”

  “I know, but it could be worse,” Brad said. “I might have ended up taking a church on the other side of the country. At least Lancaster is within easy driving distance of Harrisburg.” He smiled at his parents. “And you two are welcome to come down anytime you like. There are two guest rooms in the parsonage, you know.”

  “If the roads aren’t bad, we’ll try to come down for your church’s Christmas Eve service.” Clarence looked at his wife. “Your mother still gets nervous when the roads are icy or there’s too much snow coming down.”

  Jean nodded. “Even as a passenger, I’m white-knuckling it during bad weather. Can you imagine what shape I’d be in if I was sitting behind the wheel?”

  “I don’t blame you,” Sara said. “I’ve never enjoyed driving in snow either. And it’s a good thing Brad doesn’t seem to mind, because from the way the snow’s been coming down today, we could have nasty roads to contend with on our trip home Saturday.”

  Jean’s forehead wrinkled. “Oh, I hope not. Let’s pray for warmer temperatures that will melt the snow.”

  When Sara’s cell phone vibrated, she excused herself to take the call and went into the kitchen.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Kenny,” she said, having recognized her brother’s phone number.

  “Is this Sara Fuller?” The female voice on the other end was definitely not Kenny’s.

  “Yes, it is. Who’s this?” She couldn’t imagine why someone else would be using her brother’s phone or calling her. Had he lost it somewhere, and someone found it?

  “Sara, I’m Lynn Moore, Kenny’s girlfriend. We were on our way home from my parents’ house, where we ate Thanksgiving dinner, and after traveling just a few miles down the road, we were involved in an accident.”