Anna's Trials (Living Plain Book 1)

by June Belfie

“But I’m there for her.”

  “And she knows that, little one. It’s just different is all. A woman and man need each other.”

  “But you don’t need a man. Look at you. You’re almost old!”

  “Denki, fraulein. Just what I wanted to hear.” She grinned over at her niece. “Maybe someday I’ll bite the bullet.”

  “Goodness, why would you do that?”

  “Not a real bullet. It’s an expression.”

  “A silly one, if you ask me. Can I come to your wedding when you have it?”

  “If you’re not too busy having boppli,” Beth said.

  “Wow! I guess you’re not too excited to marry yet,” she said.

  Beth squeezed her hand. “I’d like to get your mamm married first.”

  “Why? She has us.”

  “I know, I know. Let’s talk about something else. Did you understand your arithmetic today?”

  “Jah, it was easy. I can even subtract numbers, Aenti Beth.”

  “Goodness, I’ll have to fire Frau Lydia and hire you!”

  Rachel giggled and dropped Beth’s hand in order to run through a pile of dried autumn leaves on the side of the road. Beth joined her and the two of them laughed as they jumped into a large pile at the corner, crunching the leaves with their feet and arms. When they reached Rachel’s home, Anna met them by the mailbox.

  “You two are a sight. You have leaves all over you,” she said with a smile.

  “Mamm, it was so much fun. You have to jump in the piles, too. I’m gonna get Luke to rake up our leaves when I see him.”

  “Good luck. Getting him to do anything beyond milking Barbie, is a major challenge.”

  “He’ll do it for me,” Rachel said, confidently. “He thinks I’m cute.”

  Beth and Anna laughed and went inside to chat before Beth headed home to help with supper.

  Ohio

  Abe walked over to the youngsters who were playing beneath some large maple trees. Allie looked up at him and then quickly buried her head in her hands, refusing to look up.

  Abe knelt beside her and put one arm around the child’s slender body. “Honey, please look at me. I’m your daed, and I miss your hugs.”

  Slowly, she separated her fingers enough to peek at her father. “Okay.” She raised herself on her knees and spread her arms. He reached for her and held her tightly. The other children just sat and watched, without speaking. Many had never seen a grown man cry.

  “Please come home with me, Allie. We all miss you.”

  She pulled back slightly, but shook her head. “Maybe next year,” she said.

  “Maybe today, honey. You’ll still see your Aenti Naomi every day. Your bruders and I miss you tons and want you home with us in the evenings.”

  She shook her head. “I’m little.”

  He smiled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Jah, you are little and you need your daed to take care of you.”

  “Next year.” She pulled away and reached for her doll and placed it over her face, believing she was invisible if she couldn’t see.

  Abe stood up slowly and walked back to the house, where his sister and brother-in-law were watching from the window. When he came in the back door, Naomi put her arms around him. “It won’t be long, bruder. She’ll come around.”

  He held her an extra minute and then moved away. “Perhaps somewhere there is a woman with a heart gut enough to love my kinner.”

  “Do you give me permission to look?” Naomi asked quietly.

  He nodded. “I just don’t want anyone. She must have a strong love of the Lord, as well as children. And I’d like her to be about my age.”

  “Any other requirements?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t be too fussy now, can I? I’m asking a lot for a woman to take on a readymade family and a man who has no feelings left in his heart.”

  Naomi reached over and patted his arm. “We must begin our search in prayer. We need to trust Gott for the right woman.”

  “Then let the search begin,” Abe said, trying desperately to smile, though his expression was one of pain rather than pleasure. “I need my family together.”

  William joined his wife and Abe and they bowed their heads in silent prayer.

  That evening, Abe sat with John and Benny. “I have something to tell you, my Sohns.”

  They looked up from their game of checkers. “Jah?” ten-year-old John asked.

  “You know how much I loved your mamm and the kinner.”

  They nodded.

  “You know too how much I miss Allie.”

  “We do, too, Daed,” eight-year-old Benny said.

  “There is a way we can make us all a family again.” He sat silently, studying the expressions, searching for signs that they understood. Their eyes appeared blank. “If we had a woman live with us…”

  “You mean like a maid?” Benny asked, wide-eyed.

  “Nee, more like a…a mamm.”

  “We have you, Daed,” John said. “That’s all we need.”

  “You buwe are old enough to understand and kind of take care of yourselves, but Allie is only three. She needs a mamm.”

  “She has Aenti Naomi,” John said, his voice cracking slightly.

  “It’s not like a mamm. She needs to be here with us. Her family. It’s not right for her to be separated from us.”

  “Make her come home then,” Benny said, scowling.

  “It’s not that easy. Her little heart is breaking. She needs a woman.”

  “So where would you find a new mamm? Can you order one through the Budget?”

  For the first time, Abe laughed aloud. “Nee, I don’t think so. I don’t know really, but your aenti and onkel are going to ask around to see if there would be someone willing to come here.”

  “Would you have to marry her?” John asked.

  Abe grimaced, but nodded. “Of course. It would only be the right way to do it.”

  “Maybe she could live somewhere else,” Benny suggested, “and just help out when we need her.”

  “Allie needs someone she can go to when I’m working the farm. We need someone to make meals for us and keep our house clean and our clothes—”

  “Sounds like a maid to me,” John said with a sullen look.

  “That wouldn’t be fair. We’d have to treat her with respect.”

  “Would you forget all about Mamm and kiss her and all?” Benny said, his voice, breaking.

  Abe looked down and shook his head. “Oh, Benny, maybe we shouldn’t look for a new mamm. Maybe it’s a stupid idea. I guess we can manage. I’ll try to win Allie back to us.”

  John shook his head. “Nee, I think it’s a gut idea, Daed. Maybe you need someone like a woman, to like you and make you smile again. It ain’t fair for us to be against it.”

  Benny’s mouth twisted into a pucker. “I ain’t against some of it, but I don’t like the kissing part. Mamm would be mad.”

  John put his hands on his hips and glared at his brother. “Mamm is in heaven. She doesn’t care, ’cause she doesn’t even know what’s going on down here.”

  “Jah, she does! She knows everything! She hears me when I talk to her!” Benny’s eyes streamed with tears.

  “Sohn, we don’t know what happens after death takes us home. But we do know this—your mamm loved us all very, very much and she would not want us to be sad forever. And I know she would be upset to see your schwester living apart from us.

  Your mamm was the best mamm and wife in the world, but she’s gone. We have to face that. Someday we’ll be with her again as well as Harvey, Robert, and Ruth, but for now we’re on this earth and we have to make the best of it. Who knows? Maybe it’s Gott’s plan for us to continue as we’re going, but we will put our trust in Him. Do you buwe agree?”

  They looked at each other and then nodded. “She’d better be nice to us,” Benny added.

  “Daed wouldn’t marry a mean lady,” John said, indignant at the very suggestion.

  “That’s for sur
e and for certain,” Abe said, allowing a smile to spread slowly across his cheeks. “Now let’s go to the barn and make sure everything is ready for the night.” The three walked hand-in-hand.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As Beth turned the corner and headed up the drive to the farmhouse, she spotted a strange buggy over by the barn. Her father was talking to a tall thin man. As she drew closer, she realized it was Josiah Yoder. He turned as he heard her footsteps on the gravel and waved. She waved back. When she came closer, her father nodded over. “Your mamm put the coffee pot on. Go help her, Beth. I think there are some molasses cookies left in the cookie jar. Put them out for our guest.”

  “Jah, Sir.” She saluted as a soldier would to his general and she heard Josiah let out a hearty laugh. Her father merely rolled his eyes.

  When she walked into the kitchen, her mother was already laying out an assortment of homemade cookies on the table. She looked up and smiled at her daughter. “You see we have company,”

  “Jah, couldn’t miss it. Daed barked orders at me.”

  Rose laughed. “That’s your daed. He’s not one to tiptoe around the edges. Why do you think Josiah came by?”

  “No idea.” Beth washed her hands and poured a pitcher with cream and set it on the table.

  “Maybe I’ll ask him to stay for supper.”

  “Whatever you want, Mamm. It’s your house.”

  “You know he came to see you.”

  “I guess.”

  “Now you be nice to him, Beth. There aren’t many nice single Amish men around who even have their own business.”

  “Maybe it won’t work.”

  “Well that’s not a nice thing to say.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want it to, I just mean—”

  “Hush, they’re heading over. Mind your manners.”

  The men came in chatting about Josiah’s new business venture. After washing up, they sat for coffee. Rose catered to their every need. “We want you to stay and have supper with us, don’t we, Beth?” she said as she added a few more cookies.

  “Sure.”

  “That’s very nice. I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “No bother,” Isaiah added as he glanced at his daughter. “You don’t have plans, do you, Beth?”

  “Would it matter if I did?” Seeing her father’s expression turn instantly sour, she added, “I’d change them of course. Sure, we’d all like you to stay, Josiah.”

  His mouth turned up and he nodded. “Denki, Mrs. Beachy.”

  “More coffee?” her mother asked their guest.

  “Nee, I still have a lot in my cup.”

  “Oh.”

  “Have you gotten any orders yet?” Beth asked.

  “Jah, I’m pleased to say I have three orders. Small, but still, it’s a beginning.”

  “A very gut beginning, if you ask me,” her mother added.

  “Guess you don’t need help yet, then,” Beth said.

  “Nee. When I’m ready to look, I’ll let you know. Maybe you’ll know someone looking for a part-time job.”

  “Maybe Beth can work week-ends,” Rose said, looking over at her daughter for her reaction.

  “I’m too busy preparing for the next week at school to work on week-ends, too,” Beth said, frowning.

  “Just an idea,” her mother said, obviously squelched.

  “I’d like to find someone with bookkeeping experience,” Josiah added. “Any young scholars graduating in the spring who might be interested?” he asked Beth.

  “No one comes to mind right now, but I’ll keep my eyes and ears open,” she answered.

  After they were done with their coffee, Josiah asked Beth to walk with him. She pulled her shawl closely around her shoulders and headed out the door, but not before noticing her parents glance and grin at each other. They were so obvious!

  After several minutes into their stroll, Josiah found a large rock and suggested they stop for a while to enjoy the scenery. The rolling farmland spread before them and the fall colors of the tree-lined fields were delightful to the eye. They sat and watched a V-shaped flock of Canadian geese head south, honking as they flew.

  “It would be fun to be a bird,” Beth said, following them with her eyes.

  “Jah. I’ve flown in a plane. That was cool, too.”

  “Really? Where were you going?”

  “Just a short flight. From New York City to Toronto. I was attending a cousin’s wedding.”

  “Goodness, I bet that cost a lot of money.”

  “Not too bad. It was quick, anyway.”

  “Were you scared?” she asked with a grin.

  “Nee. I could be an astronaut, I think.”

  “Right.”

  “Well, I’ll never know, will I?” He reached for her hand and she left it in place for a few moments before withdrawing it. It had been pleasant, but she wasn’t ready for anything beyond friendship.

  “Owning your business should keep you busy enough. What were your orders for?”

  “One was for a wall of shelves in a three-car garage. English folk. The second one was for a cabinet to hold a television and some other equipment.”

  “Obviously English as well.”

  He nodded. “The third one was for another English family. They wanted a small table for their living room. I’ve started it already. Should be done next week. I really came by to ask you to join me for lunch tomorrow in Lititz. There’s a nice restaurant that serves gut sandwiches.”

  He named it and she nodded. “I’ve heard it’s nice. I guess I can go.”

  “Don’t sound so excited,” he said, grinning.

  “Sorry. You have to know me well enough by now to know I’m pretty stoical.”

  “I figured that out. It’s okay. I like you anyway,” he said, jokingly.

  “Gee, denki. So I can be myself and you won’t get mad?”

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I don’t like it when people fake their feelings.”

  “I don’t either. If I get bored, you’ll know it,” she added, glancing over.

  “You have a right to show it, but I hope it won’t happen. I’ll try to amuse you.”

  “Oh, please, spare me. I like intelligent conversation— not comedy.”

  “On that, my dear, we are in total agreement. May I pick you up at noon?”

  “I sleep in a little on Saturday, but I’m always up by nine, so noon will be fine. Shall I dress up – like wear my dark green dress instead of my light green dress?”

  He laughed. “Just make sure your hair stays under the kapp. I wouldn’t want a reputation for dating wild women.”

  They returned to the house where Rose had prepared rabbit stew. It was a pleasant evening and Beth actually looked forward to their date the following day.

  Ohio

  Naomi sat with six of her friends at a sewing bee. They were quilting together and had done so for the last four years, rarely missing a session. Today it was Sharon’s turn to have the group at her home. Many subjects, as well as people, were discussed each time they gathered, so it was not surprising that one of her friends asked how Abe was doing since the terrible accident.

  “Okay, I guess. It’s been rough on him.”

  The young ones were playing together with one of the elder daughters watching over them. They sat in the next room together where they colored and played house.

  “I see you still have Allie with you,” Sharon, one of her best friends mentioned as she cut out some new pieces of red calico.

  “Jah, poor Abe, he’s so upset about not having her home with him.”

  “Why isn’t she there?”

  “She wants to stay with me, Sharon. She needs a mamm.”

  “Oh that’s for certain,” another friend said, nodding.

  “Maybe Abe should marry again,” a third woman suggested.

  “He’s starting to think in that direction,” Naomi admitted. “In fact, I was planning to ask if any of you knew a prospect for him.”

&nb
sp; “Ach, that’s a hard one, Naomi. Young girls don’t want to take on a grieving man with three young kinner.”

  “I was thinking more of a widow or someone mature, but not old,” Naomi said as she laid her needle aside and sat back in the dining room chair.

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around the table at each other.

  “Can’t think of anyone.”

  “Not unless he wants a woman over sixty.”

  “And what woman over sixty wants to start out all over again?”

  “Ain’t it a pity?”

  “Wait,” Sharon said suddenly. Everyone turned to hear what she had on her mind. “I heard about a woman in the next district who just lost her husband to cancer. I think she has twin boys about ten or so. I wonder if she’d be interested.”

  “What’s her name?” Virginia, one of the youngest girls asked.

  “I think it’s Lilly or something. Her last name’s Lapp.” Sharon answered.

  “I think I know the family. Jah, it was about a month ago, right?”

  “Seems so, or maybe two months.”

  “I know where she lives, Naomi,” Virginia said. “I can take you over to see her whenever you want. It don’t hurt to ask.”

  The other women nodded in agreement. “She can’t be too old if she has young kinner herself,” one of them said.

  Naomi’s mouth turned up. “Jah, I’ll go without my bruder first and look her over.”

  “When should we go?”

  “Tomorrow?” Naomi asked.

  “Gut. Tomorrow it is. Anyone else want to come along?” Virginia asked.

  The women shook their heads. “Nee, let us know next week how it turns out,” one of her older friends said.

  “Say a prayer for us. It’s not easy to just walk in and talk about marriage.”

  “Gut thing the Amish don’t get violent,” Faith, a woman about Naomi’s age said with a grin. “Maybe you should give it more time. She’s only been a widow a short time.”

  “I don’t think anyone expects to marry for love the second time. You’re lucky to have love the first time. I mean real love, not that infatuation so many maedel have,” Sharon remarked.

  “Jah, reality hits you when you have your first boppli ten months later,” Virginia said with a grin.