by Beth Shriver
“Sorry, ma’am.” He looked back over to Amos. “We’ll let you know when the trial is. We’ll need both young ladies to be witnesses.”
Amos grunted. “It’s not our way.”
“I understand, sir,” the short, dark-haired cop answered. “But if we’re going to have any justice involving this incident, we’ll need to hear their accounts.”
“You’ll have to take it to our minister.” Amos left it at that and walked out of the room.
“Thank you for coming, officers.” Mamm seemed ready to be rid of them as well. To their way of thinking, the situation was best forgotten, especially with everything else that had gone on recently.
“We’ll be in touch.” The tall cop led the way to the door.
“Would you like to join us for noon meal?” Mammi asked, as was the way of the Amish, but it wasn’t heartfelt.
“No, thank you, ma’am. We need to get back to work.” The shorter officer tipped his hat and followed his partner out the door.
“Danke.” Annie smiled at him as they left but was uncomfortable about the possibility she might need to appear in court. The police seemed to think they were a bother due to the Amish disinterest in the legal system, and she most definitely didn’t want to see the young man they’d identified. She tried to distract herself preparing the meal.
With the excitement over, the men and boys went out to do chores, and the women and girls started the noon meal. Chicken and dumplings would be served with potatoes and gravy, one of Annie’s favorites.
As Annie filled a large pot with water and began to cut the chicken into bite-size pieces to make a broth to boil the dumplings, she began to think about how the legal process worked. The young man was caught doing an illegal activity, and now he would go to court to see what his punishment would be, much as she’d gone through when she had returned here. But it sounded like this man could walk away with no punishment if she didn’t tell of his crime. Annie compared her situation to his, and although she understood one better than the other, it seemed strange to her that this young man could get caught in the act and avoid repercussions by simply not telling the truth. It was all a matter of others proving his guilt.
She mixed the flour, eggs, and water together as further thoughts came to her. Since her visit to the outside world, she contemplated these situations more; she’d never had any reason to think about them before. The more she thought about it, the more she appreciated where she was and the lifestyle the Amish lived. She rolled out the dough and let the noodles dry and thought of the young man and all the material possessions he had. That seemed to give him more control of the situation in that he could get his way because of the money.
When the noodles were dried out enough, she put them in the boiling broth and went over to help Mamm with the side dishes. A vegetable, bread, and sometimes a fruit were usually served with every meal.
“What are you thinking about?” Mamm’s voice broke her concentration.
“Ach, I was just wondering about that young man and how this all works.” Annie went on, explaining to her mamm all she’d thought through. But Mamm remained silent. “What do you make of it?”
“It’s not our worry. And it’s not our way. I’m praying, and that’s all that can be done at the moment.” Mamm pulled out two steaming loaves of bread from the stove and set them on the counter to cool a bit before cutting slices.
Although Annie didn’t respond, she understood completely and took her mamm’s words to heart. Once Zeke got involved, it would be taken care of, so she needn’t spend any more time trying to figure out something that was over as far as they were concerned.
As she placed the food on the table, Annie looked around the kitchen. The room glowed. It went beyond clean; it was simplicity too. The large table, black metal stove, and linoleum floors were nothing special in color or fashion, but the air vibrated. There was no place she’d rather be.
As everyone began to gather around the table, Annie felt the light atmosphere, as it had been before all of the changes happened. When they finished, the young ones poked one another and bantered back and forth. The adults talked about the weather and how thankful they were for the bountiful crop they’d brought in to get them through the upcoming winter. There were no harsh words or tension; only kindred spirits reunited. But through it all the nagging thought of the upcoming trial drew her away from the calm. Annie prayed she wouldn’t have to set eyes on that young man ever again.
Chapter Forty-One
ANNIE WALKED OUT of the chicken coop twirling a basket of fresh eggs around, bumping her leg as she walked slowly to the house. She stopped to admire the sunrise. The yellow sun wore a skirt of red just above the mountain range, and the chilly air bit at her lungs as she breathed in deeply.
Looking across at the nearby farms, Annie thought of each of the families individually and how they had dealt with her adventure. She’d realized most of the speculation was when she was at church with Zeke nearby. She hadn’t thought of Zeke’s power negatively until John had told her his true feelings on the matter. She wondered how many others shared his thoughts.
Time had healed the wounds inflicted when she first returned. It took some longer than others, but overall most understood, and some even supported her decision to make the trip to the English. Still, there were some wounds that might never mend. Hanna, for one, was so different when she came back, Annie didn’t know whether their relationship would ever be the same again.
“It’s awful cold to be standing outdoors without any work at hand.”
Annie welcomed John’s brisk voice. He had been hurt and reacting out of pain when she returned. She understood that completely now.
She pulled her light jacket around her. “I should have listened to you about the cold weather.” She took in his mud-splattered pants and soiled shirt. “Have you been wrestling with one of the hogs?”
He looked down at his clothes and brushed off some of the dried dirt. “Robert spooked the milk cows this morning while I was in the pen trying to herd ’em in to the milk barn.”
Robert was John’s youngest and orneriest brother. “I can’t imagine he did it on purpose,” Annie teased.
“Ach, I’m sure.” The ends of John’s lips turned down with a small shake of his head. They walked in silence for a moment. “Why don’t you talk about your birth mother?”
Annie turned to him. “I think about her all the time. I feel awkward talking about her. That’s what all the fuss was about.” She glanced at the house. “And I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
“Everything’s quieted down, but you shouldn’t limit your relationship with her. I think people might understand that now.”
“Maybe. I just hate to stir things up since peace has settled in again.”
He squinted into the bright sun. “It is nice out here.”
“Nice and quiet.” Annie kissed him on the cheek and then looked around to see if anyone might have seen.
John chuckled. “I’ll see you later.”
She nodded and took the eggs into the house. Then she went to her room and sat at her desk. She fiddled with a tablet of paper for a while and took out a pen.
She peered out the window for a moment to take in the rolling hills and never-ending pastures before beginning to write.
Monica,
I hope this letter finds you well. I think about you often, about your haus that reminded me so much of the one I live in. I thought since I’ve seen your world that you might want to know about mine.
We have fifty acres to the south and another hundred north of our haus. We grow crops and raise livestock, mainly corn, tobacco, and Guernsey cows that make us a good profit selling their milk and cream. It’s prettiest in the summer here when the leafy tobacco is a shade of yellow and the corn is plump. Honeysuckle wraps around the fence lines and in Mamm’s garden, creating a sweet scent as you pass by. You can pick a bloom off the vine and suck on the end. It tastes like honey, which is why the bee
s swarm around those flowers more than any others.
I spend my day milking, gathering eggs, churning, canning, and cooking. In the off time we quilt, make candles and dolls. I’ll send you one of my quilts if you like. I just finished one called “sunset and shadow.” It means a lot to me. Maybe it would for you too. It’s about finding the balance in life. You might understand if you could see it.
Annie looked at her bed with the orange, yellow, and black quilt folded over the steel footboard. Would she think it was silly to send the quilt to her?
I should go help with the noon meal. Write to me if you want to. If not, I understand.
She hesitated on how she should sign the letter. They weren’t living the lives of mother and daughter, but Annie felt a connection with this woman who had struggled so from Annie’s conception to meeting with her eighteen years later.
Yours truly, Annie
She scrunched up her nose, feeling funny about the word truly but unable to think of another to replace it. She folded the letter and stuffed it into an envelope, addressed it, and went downstairs. After lunch she would find an excuse to go into town.
The small town of Staunton bustled with tourists. The approaching holidays brought them in by the droves. Annie pushed her way through the hordes of people huddled together listening to the guide talk of the first Deitsch settlers.
John held her by the arm, not wanting to lose her to the mass of people. “How did you talk me into this?”
“It was your idea, remember?”
“Contacting your mother, jah. Coming into town, nee.” He looked for cars, found an opening, and pulled her along quickly to reach the other side. A pickup flew past them, causing Annie to scream out in protest.
She turned just in time to see the truck fly down Main Street. She pointed. “That’s the pickup.”
John glanced down the street to the oncoming traffic. “I didn’t see it. Are you sure?”
“Jah, it was red with the dark stripe on the side.” Annie bent over to catch her breath.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s all coming back to me. Like it’s happening all over again.” The cars seemed to move quicker, the lights flashed brighter. More and more people came into view. The feel of John’s grip on her arm brought her back.
“Annie. Annie.” His stern face drew her attention to him.
“What?” she squeaked out.
“Come with me, out of the street.” He guided her to a bench where three tourists sat staring. “Can we have this seat, please?” They quickly moved away but continued to stare and did nothing to help.
Annie sat and held her face in her hands. “I thought he was gone, in jail or somewhere.”
John sat next to her. “Me too. Something must have happened.”
“Like what?”
“Like Zeke.”
“What do you mean?” Annie remembered her contemplations after the police left the other day, thinking everything would be taken care of without their involvement. This made her wonder whether it was necessary for them to do something to make sure he wouldn’t be able to drive. It seemed a natural consequence.
“If Zeke told those officers you and Hanna wouldn’t help identify him, he might not have gotten any punishment.” John’s serious expression made Annie wonder what he was planning. He wasn’t one to intercede unless absolutely necessary, but she had a feeling this would be one of those times.
“Do you feel well enough to walk to the buggy?” He took her by the arm and helped her up without waiting for an answer.
She nodded as she stood. “What are you going to do?”
He narrowed his eyes and tightened his lips. “Something I should have done from the beginning.”
Chapter Forty-Two
THEY HURRIED HOME in John’s buggy with cars whizzing past by the dozens. “I hope this dies down after the holidays.” Annie sat back in her seat holding onto the door handle with white knuckles.
“It usually does. Once they get their Amish doll for their niece and quilt for Aunt Betsy.” John didn’t mean to be sharp, but he’d had it with Englishers. From the time Annie left to the car accident to tourists, it was enough.
“What are we going to do?” Annie still seemed a bit out-ofsorts. The hit-and-run must have upset her more than she’d let on. This gave him another reason to figure out a way to stay away from town for a good while.
“Talk to Zeke and wait for the police to contact us.”
“Maybe we should have just gone to the station while we were in town.”
He’d thought about it but wanted to get Annie home, and then there was the matter of Zeke. “Let’s see what Zeke has to say for himself first.”
“What do you think he did?”
“What he always does. The Amish way, no matter what the cost.”
“Aren’t we supposed to?” Annie seemed confused at John’s disobedient remark.
“Sometimes our lives cross, and we have to work together. This Englisher who has caused harm to us and is still on the roads, able to hurt others, is something we need to help stop in whatever way we can, even if it means bending our rules.” They pulled into John’s, and he began to unhitch the horse. “Let me finish here, and I’ll walk you home.”
Annie fidgeted as she waited. “Nee, I want Daed to contact Zeke so we can figure out what to do.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to walk home?” He didn’t feel comfortable with her being alone. The sight of that pickup again had upset her more than he’d expected.
“Jah, come over when you’re done.” She walked over to him with quick steps.
He rubbed her cheek with his rough fingers, wanting to get a good look at her before she left. Her heavy eyes and tight lips didn’t give him any comfort. He’d just hurry things along.
He watched her go and went to work on cooling down Rob and putting away the harness and bridle. He’d just moved the buggy into the shed when he heard a commotion coming from Annie’s. A scream had him in a full run down the hill and across the dried-up creek, through the trees, and up another hill to her home.
The front door was wide open, and it was silent. John took a step forward, his head spinning with a mix of fear and the need to protect. Just as he was about to step inside the house a flash of red whizzed by. He turned to see the red pickup truck hit the dirt road. Its tail slid back and forth across the loose gravel. Dust lifted as the truck drove out of sight.
There was no way to catch him. John just watched helplessly until he heard sobs come from inside.
Annie.
He couldn’t move fast enough. Soon he was by her side, but it wasn’t Annie in tears. It was Hanna. Her body shook with anxiety and fear. “What happened?” John rested his hand on Hanna’s shoulder.
Annie tried to explain. “I only saw him leave through the back door and drive off. Hanna’s so upset I can’t get her to talk.”
“He must have followed us here.” John lifted her face to his with two fingers under her chin. “Hanna, tell us what he did.”
She sucked in air, trying to calm herself. “He didn’t do anything.”
“Then what happened?” John couldn’t stand not knowing. He wanted to belt the guy, but he knew he could have no quarrel with another soul.
She hiccupped and tried again to explain. “He told me not to show up.”
“He threatened you?” Annie shook with anger as well, or maybe fright.
“Jah, and I won’t.” She shook her head back and forth several times.
“Won’t what, Hanna?” Annie rubbed Hanna’s back.
“Say he’s guilty.” She trembled.
John hated that the Englisher had the freedom to do this. It was wrong in Amish culture and should be in Englishers’ culture. “If you don’t, he’ll be free to come torment you again.”
Annie looked at John. “Why is he able to be out around us?”
John didn’t understand the system but figured he’d worked himself out of jail somehow. “Maybe he posted
bail.”
“What kind of justice is that?” Hanna cried out.
“English justice,” John sneered. “I’m going to talk to Zeke.”
“Now, at this hour?” Annie asked, as if she didn’t want him to leave her.
John didn’t care what time it was. He walked through the door and to the barn, grabbed a bridle, and tacked up Perry. He raced down the hill past Amos and the others, who were on their way back from hymn singing. He didn’t stop. They’d find out soon enough.
As John approached Zeke’s modest home, he prayed for patience and self-control, neither of which he had at the moment. The small clapboard house was only big enough for Zeke and his wife. Louisa was barren, a tragic and unbearable way for an Amish woman to live out her life, as John knew through his mother. Although others were kind and said it was Gott’s will, their lives were made up of family and children, making it uncomfortable at times for the childless.
Louisa opened the door before he reached the first step. “John, what brings you here at this hour?” Her flannel, floor-length nightgown flowed against her as the night breeze blew in.
Zeke stepped in front of her, blocking John’s view. “What is it?”
“The man…” John leaned over to catch his breath, “…who hit Hanna and Annie came to their home.”
Zeke’s eyes widened with surprise. “That’s crazy, narrisch.”
“Why isn’t he locked up, Zeke?” John stood to his full height.
Louisa peered around Zeke, irritated. The fire in John’s belly went upward into his throat and came out in his words. “What do we need to do? Hanna was harassed by the same man who hit her. Annie’s just as distraught watching him drive down Main Street and then finding him in her home.” John took a step forward. His eyes narrowed at Zeke. “You and I need to talk.” John walked past him and stood in the living room.
Louisa’s eyes darted from John to Zeke. With no response from Zeke, she frowned and started for her bedroom. “Well, I never.”
“Hanna had a difficult experience. I understand. We’ll contact the police.” Zeke crossed his arms over his round belly.