For Every Season

by Cindy Woodsmall

  “Within the hour.”

  She nodded. “Can we go to the house together?”

  “I’ve never said no to you yet.”

  She and Jacob started walking. She turned. “Kumm.”

  Samuel followed.

  Her heart was as heavy as his. He could see it in her movements, but maybe she needed to stay active right now.

  Would she stay in motion, moving away from him for years to come?

  However long it took to find healing, he’d be grateful that the three of them would navigate through the time without losing themselves or each other—although he doubted if they would see Jacob much, not for a few years.

  The three walked in silence.

  In heartbreak.

  In forgiveness.

  In unity.

  FORTY

  Iva stood on the driveway near Landon’s truck, surrounded by the Kings and Bylers. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Jacob was leaving? Rhoda was staying?

  Did they realize what this meant? Kings’ Orchard wouldn’t need her. When her Daed caught wind of this, would he insist she return home?

  Jacob had promised to help her, and he had. But his leaving undid all that had been set right. Unfortunately for her, Jacob was clearly too upset to think about her future or the promises he’d made.

  Leah hugged her brother. “When will we see you again?”

  “I’m not disappearing. I’ll be in Lancaster, near Uncle Mervin. At least for a year or so. And I’ll be home for Christmas. If you get to Harvest Mills for the holiday, I’ll see you then.”

  Leah nodded. “I feel bad for the selfish things I said.”

  Iva could hear Leah’s guilt for challenging Jacob when he told everyone Rhoda and he would be leaving Orchard Bend.

  Jacob squeezed her tight. “Don’t you ever feel guilty for speaking the truth. Not ever.” He released her and turned to Iva. “Samuel will have my address. You can forward Sandra’s letters, and after the trials are over, you can let me know where she is.”

  Iva swallowed hard. She’d like a hug too. But she didn’t budge from her spot. “I will.”

  He looked sad, but she thought she detected a little relief, similar to what she’d seen in his eyes after he’d given his deposition.

  Steven shook his hand. “Keep up with your instruction classes.”

  “Ya.” Jacob turned and hugged Phoebe. “Take care of those little ones.”

  Iva wanted to scream, What about me? Does anyone realize what this is doing to me?

  Steven caught Iva’s eye, and he nodded, an assuring nod. He then put his arm around Phoebe and whispered something to her. She turned to Iva too, giving a reassuring wink.

  At least Steven remembered what was at stake for her, and he was now a church leader. But he wasn’t willing to go outside the Amish ways like Jacob was.

  Could Steven keep her Daed from pulling her home?

  Rhoda felt detached from her body. Her life seemed disconnected from reality. Was this really happening?

  Despite the heartache and disbelief, she also sensed an unusual peace circling within. She watched as Jacob climbed into the passenger’s seat of Landon’s truck. He propped his arm in the open window and held up his hand, waving a final good-bye only to her.

  Her heart shattered. Jacob then turned and never looked back as the truck drove off, quickly disappearing over a hill.

  It was done.

  There was no turning back.

  She stood there, feeling lost and traumatized. The group slowly dispersed, all except Samuel. He stood several feet away, looking as wounded as Jacob and she.

  Rhoda took a deep breath and dried her tears. There was a room in the house for her again, but she couldn’t sleep in what had been Jacob’s room. Grief was exhausting, and she longed to crawl into bed until late tomorrow. And for now, her bed was at Camilla’s.

  She wished she had a divine clue to share with Camilla. “I’m going home.”

  Samuel nodded. As she passed him, she paused, facing him. She had no words, and apparently he didn’t either. They just stood there. Numb. In shared agony.

  How could a person feel both at once?

  He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes misty. “All I can think to say are things I’ve said too many times already: I’m sorry, and are you okay?”

  She didn’t know how to answer him, so she didn’t. She’d heard Jacob tell Samuel that they were meant to be together. Did Jacob really believe that, or was he trying to believe it in order to release her?

  Peace stirred within her again, like a refreshing breeze before a gentle rain. As she stood there, a thought came to her—an insight. “Samuel, I believe I’ve been thinking about Jojo and Sophia all wrong.”

  He seemed relieved to discuss anything other than Jacob’s leaving. There was only so much that could be said. She wished that were true when it came to thoughts and feelings.

  He studied her. “How so?”

  She and Samuel were here, together. Able to talk. Able to be themselves. She would miss Jacob for a long time, but she was truly grateful to have Samuel fully in her life again.

  Rhoda shrugged. “When I know something, I tend to think of it in the negative. Like last winter when I knew the police would find my fingerprints on those bags of marijuana. I thought God was warning me to brace myself, but He was trying to encourage me.”

  “I remember.”

  Of course he did. He’d been here with her—every step of the way.

  She took a cleansing breath, the first in a very long time. “The investigator is looking through women’s shelters for Jojo and Sophia Dumont, right?”

  “That’s my understanding.”

  “The problem is he’s doing so based on what I told him. But everything I shared was my perception based on Sophia’s point of view. Samuel, she’s a child. When a little girl says she is about to lose her home, what would you think?”

  “That things are going from bad to worse.”

  “But what if they aren’t? What if she was simply frightened by the changes?”

  Tenderness for her reflected on his face, not from a quick friendship of two who barely knew each other, but from a man who knew her as deeply as she did him. “So why were they evicted from the trailer?”

  “I don’t know. That’s not important. What is …” Chills ran over her skin. “Music.” She walked toward the edge of the orchard. “That’s why I heard music.”

  Samuel strode beside her. “What is why?”

  On Rhoda’s first night here, she’d heard music. It ran through her mind even now, and another God clue came to her. “The little girl is a Dumont. She was so adamant about it. But why?” The answer came as quickly as the question. “Because her mother was changing their last name, and Sophia didn’t like it. She was frightened, and the name change wasn’t because of marriage.”

  “That’s why the investigator can’t find them. But why would Jojo change their name?”

  Rhoda closed her eyes. “I don’t know. But Sophia is gifted in music. Everything Jojo has done has been to protect her daughter.”

  “I’m glad it’s clear in your mind, because I’m confused.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not clear. Not at all. Something dangerous is out there, just out of sight. But we can help find Jojo and Sophia. You and me.”

  “That I’m not confused about.” He stared into her eyes. “We can do anything God sets before us.”

  They stood side by side, looking out over the orchard. The breeze played with the leaves, but as the air glided by, she heard voices—Samuel’s and hers radiating with pure joy.

  The orchard seemed to be a metaphor for their lives—a place of seasons, a place of deep roots that had to be nourished, a place that yielded bounties and sometimes very little. This orchard connected Samuel and her.

  For a moment she saw the two of them, years from now, standing in this same spot. Love and all its goodness filled them. But she also saw ominous clouds on the
horizon, ones with the names of people she loved and with names she couldn’t make out. Even so, she felt God’s strength assuring her that He would guide them.

  She folded her arms, watching the orchard. “Ya, I agree. We can do anything God sets before us.”

  APPLE CRISP

  This is an old family recipe provided

  by Aunt Marion Woodsmall.

  8 tart apples, peeled and sliced (Courtland, Macintosh, or your choice)

  ½ cup orange juice

  1 cup sugar, divided in half

  ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  6 tablespoons margarine or butter

  Place the sliced apples in an 8” × 8” ungreased pan. Pour the orange juice over the apples. Mix ½ cup sugar and the cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Work the remaining ½ cup sugar, flour, salt, and margarine or butter together using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Mixture should be crumbly, pea size or smaller. Spread over the apples and pat smooth. Bake at 375° for 40–45 minutes until crust is crisp and brown and apples are tender. Serve with milk or cream. Enjoy this very old recipe.

  OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CAKE

  A family recipe shared by Imogene Moody, the mom of Carla Moody Weatherly, a longtime friend

  2 cups granulated sugar

  1 cup oil

  4 eggs

  ¼ cup orange juice

  2 teaspoons vanilla

  3 cups all-purpose flour

  3 teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 cup chopped pecans

  Filling:

  3 teaspoons cinnamon

  4 teaspoons sugar

  2 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Courtland, Macintosh, or your choice)

  Combine sugar, oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat together for ten minutes.

  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and add them to the wet mixture. Fold in pecans.

  Mix cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

  Pour ⅓ of the batter into a greased Bundt or tube pan. Spread 1 cup of the apples on top of the batter. Sprinkle with 3 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Add ⅓ of the batter. Spread 1 cup of the apples over that batter, and add remainder of cinnamon and sugar. Cover with remaining batter.

  Bake at 325° for 1½ hours.

  This cake is best if baked 1 or 2 days in advance.

  Main Characters in For Every Season

  Rhoda Byler—A young Amish woman who is skilled in horticulture and struggles to suppress the God-given insights she receives. Before her fruit garden was destroyed, her canning products were carried by stores in several states under the label Rhode Side Stands.

  Samuel King—The eldest of three sons. Loyal and determined, he’s been responsible for the success of Kings’ Orchard since he was a young teen.

  Jacob King—The middle King brother. Irrepressible and accepting, he began courting Rhoda a few months before the opening of The Winnowing Season. He struggles with repercussions from mistakes he made while living outside the Amish community.

  Leah King—At eighteen, the eldest King daughter and the only one who moved to Maine with her brothers Samuel and Jacob to establish a new orchard.

  Landon Olson—A single, non-Amish man who has worked as Rhoda’s assistant and driver for several years. He’s a loyal friend of Rhoda’s and has reluctantly, with many reservations, fallen in love with Leah.

  Erlene Olson—Landon’s grandmother, called “Granny,” who has lived in Maine all of Landon’s life. For years she sent Landon realty magazines about Maine property for sale.

  Steven Byler—Rhoda’s brother who moves to Maine to help found the new Amish community.

  Phoebe Byler—Steven’s wife.

  Isaac Byler—Steven and Phoebe’s five-year-old son.

  Arie Byler—Steven and Phoebe’s three-year-old daughter.

  Emma Byler—Rhoda’s younger sister, who was murdered three years ago.

  Iva Lambright—A twenty-one-year-old Amish girl from Indiana.

  Minnie—Iva’s married sister who remains in Indiana.

  Craig Ryer—Jacob’s lawyer from Massachusetts.

  Eli King—The youngest of the King brothers. He stayed on the farm in Pennsylvania.

  Benjamin King—The father of Samuel, Jacob, Eli, Leah, and their two younger sisters, Katie and Betsy. He runs the family’s dairy farm.

  Mervin King—Benjamin’s brother. He’s an Old Order Amish preacher in Lancaster, and he owns a construction company.

  Karl Byler—Rhoda and Steven’s father.

  Schrocks—A large Amish family who is considering joining the new settlement in Maine.

  Crist Schrock—One of the single Schrock men who is considering the move to Maine.

  Millers—A large family with three young, single men who are considering joining the new settlement in Maine.

  Catherine Troyer—Samuel’s former girlfriend and Arlan’s sister.

  Rueben Glick—The young man who destroyed Rhoda’s fruit garden in book one, A Season for Tending.

  Nicole Knight—In The Winnowing Season a young Englisch woman who helped Samuel install solar panels, and they became friends.

  Glossary*

  ach—oh, alas

  alleweil—now

  Daadi—grandfather

  Daed—dad or father (pronounced “dat”)

  denki—thank you

  Englisch—a non-Amish person

  gut—good

  hallo—hello

  Kapp—a prayer covering or cap

  kumm—come

  Mamm—mom or mother

  Mammi—grandmother

  nee—no

  Ordnung—means “order,” and it was once the written and unwritten rules the Amish live by. The Ordnung is now often considered the unwritten rules.

  Pennsylvania Dutch—Pennsylvania German. Dutch in this phrase has nothing to do with the Netherlands. The original word was Deutsch, which means “German.” The Amish speak some High German (used in church services) and Pennsylvania German (Pennsylvania Dutch), and after a certain age, they are taught English.

  rumschpringe—running around. The true purpose of the rumschpringe is threefold: to give freedom for an Amish young person to find an Amish mate; to give extra freedoms during the young adult years so each person can decide whether to join the faith; to provide a bridge between childhood and adulthood.

  singe—sing

  ya—yes

  Pennsylvania Dutch phrases used in For Every Season

  Bischt du allrecht?—Are you all right?

  des iss—this is

  Duh Du will helfe?—Do you want help?

  Geh begreiflich.—Go easy.

  Guder Marye.—Good morning.

  mich kumm raus—me come out

  un du—and you

  Witt geh?—Do you want to go?

  * * *

  * Glossary taken from Eugene S. Stine, Pennsylvania German Dictionary (Birdsboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1996), and the usage confirmed by an instructor of the Pennsylvania Dutch language.

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