“She forgot, so I told her to relax and enjoy her book, and I’d bring out the coffee.”
Doris wasn’t surprised when Elsie handed them their cups and picked up a broom. She never had been one to stand around when work needed to be done. This gave Uncle Lester a chance to sit on an old stool and drink his coffee.
Doris sipped her own coffee and set the cup on a wooden box so she could help Elsie. Soon, they had the horses taken care of and each of the stalls cleaned. When they were done and the tools had been put away, they headed for the house. “Look!” Doris pointed toward the driveway. “Here comes Arlene now.”
Uncle Lester went on ahead, but Doris and Elsie waited for Arlene. Once her horse had been put away, they walked into Dad’s house together. They’d gotten a lot done yesterday, cleaning up after the funeral, but it had been an exhausting day for everyone. All were in agreement to go home and get a good night’s rest and return in the morning to do more. Aunt Verna and Uncle Lester would be staying at Dad’s for the next few weeks to help out, but Doris and her sisters didn’t expect their aunt and uncle to do everything on their own. It was their place to clean Dad’s house and sort through all his things.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Arlene asked Doris while she swept the kitchen floor. “You left in such a hurry yesterday.”
“No, not really. I had a troubling night. All I did was toss and turn. I’m sorry Brian and I left so quickly.” Doris sighed, setting a container on the table before plopping down on a chair. “I brought some apples, oranges, grapes, and celery filled with peanut butter. What we don’t eat today, we can put in the fridge, since we’ll be coming back on Monday to finish cleaning and begin the sorting process.”
“Seems like now’s a good time to have a snack and talk a spell.” Elsie found a box of crackers in the cupboard and called their aunt and uncle to join them.
Opening the refrigerator, Arlene took out a block of cheese left over from the funeral and then grabbed a knife from the counter. “Elsie, why don’t you slice the apples and cheese, while I make us some hot tea?” she suggested.
Soon everyone was seated at the table.
“This sure hits the spot.” Aunt Verna reached for a slice of cheese. “I think we all needed a break.”
Arlene blew on her steaming cup of tea and glanced at Doris. “I was concerned when Brian rushed in and told us you were leaving yesterday. I figured the day’s events might have hit you all of a sudden.”
“You’re right, it did, but it wasn’t just the exhaustion from the funeral. I was upset by something else.” Doris closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. “Even now, thinking about it, makes me feel nauseous.”
“Did something happen?” Uncle Lester asked.
Doris nodded, then quickly explained how she’d discovered Anna when she was heading back from burning the trash. “I never heard such a gut-wrenching cry.”
“Come to think of it, I don’t remember saying goodbye to Anna yesterday.” Arlene handed Doris a napkin. “Why was she crying so hard? Was it because of Joel?”
“Jah.” Doris went on to say how, once Anna had calmed down, she’d confessed her love for Joel had never died. “I thought after all these years she’d gotten over him. Apparently, Anna did, too, until she came face-to-face with our bruder yesterday.”
“Oh dear.” Elsie sighed, and Aunt Verna slowly shook her head.
“Anna said when she looked into Joel’s eyes, she realized she’d buried her feelings. Then when Anna found out who Kristi was and how much Joel’s girlfriend meant to him, she was devastated.” Doris wiped the tears on her cheeks. “All this time Anna’s been hoping Joel would return home to the Amish faith and their relationship could be rekindled. Now she feels all is lost, realizing her dreams were for nothing.”
“Our brother!” Elsie grumbled. “I don’t understand him at all. Joel is a different person than he was growing up. He had a good thing with Anna.”
Arlene nodded. “I hardly know him anymore.”
“After Anna and I finished talking, I drove her home in her buggy while Brian followed me in ours,” Doris continued. “That’s why we left in a hurry with no explanation.”
“Poor Anna.” Aunt Verna patted Doris’s arm. “It’s good she confided in you.”
Doris nodded. “Now that I know, I want to offer her my support.”
Everyone ate in silence until Doris jumped up. “I almost forgot something I want you to see. I’ll be right back.” She rushed out the door.
Shortly after, as Doris pulled the little wagon toward the porch, Arlene and Elsie came out.
“What do you have there?” Arlene asked.
“It’s something I found yesterday up by the maple tree that was hit by lightning. Something for each of us in memory of Mama and Dad.”
As Doris handed her sisters each a birdhouse, she explained how she had come upon them.
“Looks like I may need a tissue.” Teary-eyed, Elsie stared at the birdhouse she’d been given. “This is so special.”
“When I took the trash out to be burned and found the birdhouses unscorched by the lightning’s heat, I believed it was meant to be,” Doris said. “I think I was meant to find Anna, as well.”
Akron
When Kristi got home from work late in the afternoon, the first thing she did was call Joel. She drew a deep breath when he answered.
“Hi, Joel. How was your day?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“How are you doing? Were you able to get a good night’s sleep?”
“Not really, but I’m fine.” Joel’s tone lacked emotion.
“Why don’t we work out at the gym for a while?” she suggested, hoping it might perk him up. “Afterward, we can go somewhere for a bite to eat.”
“I’m too tired from work, and I don’t feel like getting cleaned up to go out.” “Would you rather come here for supper? It’s a bit chilly outside but not too cold to put burgers on the grill.”
“Not tonight, Kristi.”
Kristi winced. “Please don’t shut me out, Joel. Whether you realize it or not, you need support right now.”
“I’m fine, really. I just need to be alone.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go, but don’t hesitate to call if you want to talk.”
“Thanks for understanding. Maybe we can do something tomorrow.”
“That’d be nice. If the weather cooperates, why don’t we go on a picnic at the park after church?”
“Whatever you want to do is fine.” Joel’s words were positive, but the tone of his voice was not. Was he telling her what he thought she wanted to hear, or was he looking forward to being with her? She hoped it was the latter.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening.”
“You too, Kristi. Bye.”
Kristi set her cell phone aside and went to the bedroom to change into her sweatpants. It wouldn’t be dark for another hour or so, and she thought about going for a run. While getting dressed, however, Kristi saw her laptop lying on the bed. She stared at it a few seconds, wondering if she should go online or head out for a run. Maybe I won’t feel like an outsider if I do more Amish research.
She picked up her laptop and carried it to the living room. If I’m going to be part of Joel’s family someday, I need to learn all I can about their way of life.
CHAPTER 7
Millersburg
Monday morning, as soon as the children were off to school and John had left for work, Elsie slipped into her shoes and went out to the phone shack to check for messages.
Cautiously peering in to make sure no spiders lurked about, Elsie stepped inside the small wooden building. She took a seat on the folding chair and started replaying the first message.
“Hey, Elsie. It’s Joel. I’m calling to see if you’ve located Dad’s will.”
Elsie’s fingers curled into her palms. I can’t believe him! When does he think we would have had time to look for Dad’s will? And why does he need money so bad? I h
ave half a mind not to even call him back.
She took in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Joel could be so insensitive. Didn’t he realize how badly they were all grieving? Wasn’t he grieving the loss of their dad, too?
“Maybe not,” Elsie grumbled aloud. “Our brother might only be thinking of himself. I’ll bet Joel doesn’t realize how unfeeling he sounds.”
Struggling with whether to call Joel or not, Elsie finally picked up the phone. She felt a release of tension when she heard Joel’s voice mail play. It would be easier to leave him a message. Less chance of getting into an argument, which neither of them needed right now.
“Hello, Joel, it’s Elsie returning your call. We haven’t had time yet to look for Dad’s will. Aunt Verna and Uncle Lester are still here. They’ll be staying at Dad’s house for a few weeks to help us sort through things. We’ll call you if his will turns up in the process. Please try not to worry about it for now. When things settle down a bit, we’d like to have you and Kristi over for supper. Doris, Arlene, and I enjoyed meeting her. She seems nice, and we’re happy she has one of Mama’s quilted wall hangings. I’ll get back to you in a few weeks.”
Elsie placed the phone back on the receiver, letting a soft breath escape her lips. She was trying her best to be confident throughout this whole process, but she felt frail, struggling against the urge to break down and scream.
She closed her eyes. I’m the oldest child. I have to stay strong, not only for myself but also for my sisters. Imagine how they’d feel if they saw their oldest sister acting like a scared, overly emotional child. Please help me, Lord. I can’t do it without Your help. Elsie quoted Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
A crawling sensation tickled her arm. Elsie opened her eyes, raised her arm, and shrieked. Feeling rather foolish, she brought her hand close to her face, eyeing a strand of long hair dangling from her fingers. Elsie chuckled slightly. She was glad it wasn’t a spider.
She was about to leave the phone shack when the phone rang. Hoping it wasn’t Joel, Elsie was tempted to let the answering machine pick up. But it could be someone else. “Hello,” she said hesitantly.
“Hi, Elsie. It’s Doris. I’m sorry I won’t be able to meet you and Arlene at Dad’s house today. Unfortunately, I’ve come down with the flu.” Doris spoke softly, her voice trembling.
Elsie’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling poorly, but don’t worry about it. We’ll manage without your help today. Aunt Verna is itching to help us, since she got some much needed rest on Sunday.”
“Danki. I appreciate it. I’m glad I have the day off and can stay home and take it easy.”
“That’s what you need to do, all right. Have you taken your temperature to see if you have a fever?”
“I did, and it’s normal. I don’t ache anywhere, either, but I’m quite nauseous. I couldn’t keep my breakfast down.”
“Please get some rest and let me know if you need anything. I’ll be over at Dad’s helping Aunt Verna and Arlene most of the day, but I’ll make sure to check Dad’s answering machine in case you need us to bring you anything.”
“Thanks so much. I’ll talk to you later, Elsie.”
As she started back to the house, Elsie felt torn. Part of her wanted to help out at Dad’s, but she also wished she could go to Doris’s place to check up on her. Since Brian was no doubt at work, Doris would be alone. Of course, Elsie reasoned, she has no little ones to look after, and I did tell her to call if she needs anything. She’ll probably be fine. I need to stop acting like a mother hen.
When Elsie entered her house, she went to the kitchen to put a casserole together for lunch. After placing it in the oven and setting the timer, she wandered around the house, looking for something else to do. She would be heading over to Charm soon, but the thought of sorting through Dad’s things nearly broke her heart.
She paused in the living room to look out the window. Her gaze came to rest on the old wagon wheel leaning against a tree in the yard. Elsie remembered the day she’d acquired the wheel. She and Dad had gone to the local farmers’ market. When she’d spotted the wheel, he’d bought it for her. Then Dad found another one and bought it for Mama. “I’ll find a place to put it when I get home,” Elsie remembered him saying.
Swiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks, she headed back to the kitchen to check on the casserole. Maybe I’ll bake the peanut butter cookie dough resting in the refrigerator for snacks this afternoon. Elsie closed her eyes. Lord, please help me and my family through this difficult time.
Charm
When Elsie arrived at Dad’s, she noticed Arlene’s rig wasn’t there yet. She tied her horse to the hitching rail and carried the box with the casserole and cookies up to the house.
Uncle Lester let her in. “Guder mariye, Elsie. You’re the first to arrive.”
“Good morning. Arlene should be here soon, but Doris won’t be coming. She has the flu and stayed home to rest.”
“Sorry to hear it. I hope she feels better soon.” He closed the door and headed to the living room.
Elsie carried the food to the kitchen, where she found Aunt Verna going through a drawer in Dad’s old desk. “I’m glad you’re here.” Aunt Verna looked up and gestured to the drawer full of pens. “We certainly have our work cut out for us today.”
“We sure do, but it doesn’t have to all be done in a day. In fact, it’s going to take a good many weeks to sort through all my daed’s collections.”
Her aunt nodded. “Will your sisters be coming today?”
“Arlene will be here as soon as she drops off baby Samuel at a friend’s, but Doris is sick with the flu.”
Aunt Verna’s brows puckered. “Did you say, ‘Doris is sick and doesn’t have a clue?’”
Elsie bit back a chuckle. “I said she has the flu.”
“Oh, what a shame. Then she needs to rest and drink plenty of fluids.”
“Jah.” Elsie pointed to the casserole dish she’d set on the table. “This needs to be refrigerated, but I’ll take care of it as soon as I tend to my horse.”
“You go ahead. I’ll deal with the casserole.”
“Danki.” Elsie went out to her buggy and was about to unhitch her horse when her sister pulled in. “Guder mariye,” she called as Arlene guided her horse up to the hitching rail. “Doris won’t be joining us today.”
Arlene hopped out of the rig. “Is she okay?”
“She thinks she has the flu.”
“Oh, no. Is the flu bug going around?”
Elsie shrugged. “A lot of people were at the funeral on Friday, so someone may have been coming down with it.”
Arlene secured her horse then reached inside the buggy and took out a box. “I brought some pickled eggs and dilled green beans.” She smacked her lips. “Both are recipes from Mama, so you know they’ll be tasty.”
“I brought a chicken-rice casserole and some cookies. Lunch will be good, but the reason we’re here today isn’t.” Elsie swallowed hard.
Arlene slipped her arm around Elsie’s waist. “We’ll get through this. We need to trust God and pray for strength.”
“You’re right. Now let’s put our horses in the corral so we can go inside and get started.” Elsie fought the lump in her throat. “There’s a lot to do.”
Akron
Because Kristi’s shift didn’t start until ten, she planned to stop at the bank on the way to work. Friday was payday, but since she’d been at the funeral that day, she had to do the banking today. She planned to put half the money she’d earned in her and Joel’s joint savings account. The rest would go in her checking to pay bills and for incidentals.
As Kristi got in her car and pulled onto the street, she thought about Joel and wondered how he was doing this morning. Yesterday, he’d called to let her know he was too tired to get out of bed and go to church with her. He sounded depressed, but Kristi wasn’t sure if his fatigue and mood was from w
orking too hard or if he was emotionally drained because of his father’s death. She’d been tempted to go over to Joel’s place Sunday evening to check on him but thought he might need more time alone. If Kristi had lost either of her parents, she would need all the support she could get. Joel, however, tended to withdraw when faced with an unpleasant situation. Kristi had witnessed this after Joel’s accident, when he’d been unable to work for a few weeks. Every evening, she’d gone over to fix his meal, but sometimes Joel hardly seemed to notice she was there.
Maybe I’ll give him a few days before I try calling again, she decided. I don’t want to appear pushy or make Joel think I’m too controlling by forcing him to talk about things when he’s not ready.
By the time she pulled up to the bank, Kristi felt a little better. She was sure Joel would call when he was ready, so stressing about it would do her no good. When he decided to open up, she would be ready to listen and offer support.
Kristi got out of her car and hurried into the bank. Fortunately, no one was in line ahead of her, so she stepped up to the teller and handed her the check. “I’ve filled out two deposit slips,” she told the middle-age woman. “The rest, I’d like in cash.”
“Would you like a balance on both your accounts?”
Kristi nodded. It had been awhile since she’d asked for a balance on her and Joel’s account. She was curious to see how well they were doing. If they had enough money, maybe they could set a wedding date soon.
Kristi waited until she got back in her car to look at the deposit slips. When she did, she had to do a double take. What was written there sent a chill up her back. The account she and Joel shared had less than half the money in it since the last time she’d checked. Wait a minute. What’s going on here? She crimped the slip between her thumb and index finger. Did Joel withdraw money from our account without telling me?
Kristi shook her head in disbelief as she leaned heavily against the seat. She could hardly believe Joel would do such a thing. But then, lately nothing surprised her. Too bad she didn’t know where he was working today, or she’d go there right now and confront him.
The Betrayed Fiancée Page 5