by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean; Brunstetter, Richelle
Luella had memorized these verses from Matthew 6, verses 9–13, when she was a young girl. It had brought her comfort during sad times, as it did now. She hoped the same was true for Atlee today. He would most certainly need to seek God’s Word many times in the days ahead.
Looking up after the prayer was said, her gaze came to rest on Eugene Lapp, a friend of hers since childhood. Eugene had been looking at her and nodded when their gazes met. Luella acknowledged him with a slight smile but then turned her attention back to Atlee and Daryl.
Luella thought about her promise to Dena. She wanted to keep her word about caring for Daryl and continuing to work for Atlee. But what if he wanted someone else to watch his son while he was at work or away from the house? Perhaps Atlee had only hired Luella to care for Dena because he knew they were friends. Since Dena’s parents were deceased, and Atlee’s mother, Sadie, had some health issues of her own, no family members were available to take care of Daryl or keep house for Atlee.
He lived near two single Amish women, both close to his age. After a reasonable time, he might decide to marry one of them. That wouldn’t solve his immediate problem of needing someone to manage the house and provide for his son’s needs while he was unavailable. Atlee surely couldn’t take Daryl to his woodshop every day and try to keep an eye on him. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to do all the cooking, cleaning, and other household chores while running a successful business.
Taking a calming breath, Luella put these worries out of her mind. She would speak to Atlee later today—perhaps after mourners had eaten the meal at his house. Luella just needed to think of the best way to ask her question. She didn’t want Atlee to feel obligated or keep her working for him because he thought she needed the money. While the extra income had given her the opportunity to help her parents with expenses, it was not the reason she’d agreed to work for Atlee in the first place. Hopefully when Luella broached the subject, she would make that clear to him.
That evening, after Luella got ready for bed, she picked up the lovely quilt Dena had given her, which she had draped over the back of a chair, and held it snuggly against her chest. Oh Dena, my dear friend, I already miss you so much.
Christmas was only a few weeks away, but this special quilt with Christmas colors would be Luella’s most cherished gift. She took a seat on the end of the bed and closed her eyes, visualizing her friend singing with the angels in heaven. This thought alone gave Luella some measure of comfort. She felt certain that Dena was in a place where there was no pain or suffering. She had been a good Christian woman, and her sweet spirit was a testimony to others. Surely she was welcomed into heaven when she breathed her last breath.
When Luella opened her eyes again, a thought popped into her head. I should place Dena’s quilt on my bed and put my old covering away. Then every time I come into my room I’ll be reminded of the special friendship Dena and I shared and be thankful.
Earlier that evening, she had spoken with Atlee after most of the people had finished their meal at his home and left. Before she could ask about caring for Daryl, Atlee had approached her, saying he hoped she would continue working for him. He also said he appreciated everything Luella had done for his wife and mentioned how well Daryl got along with her. Of course, Luella had agreed to take care of Atlee’s little boy and provide their meals, in addition to doing all the household chores. So tomorrow morning, at Atlee’s request, Luella would return to his house. With the exception of caring for Dena’s needs, her duties would be the same. It would be bittersweet, however. She would miss seeing Dena’s sweet face and their long talks. On the other hand, Daryl needed Luella now more than ever. It would be a difficult adjustment for the boy to not have a mother to tuck him in at night, read him a bedtime story, and hold him in her arms when he needed comfort and nurturing. Luella hoped to provide Daryl with all those things, although she would never try to replace his mother. She felt sure Atlee would do all he could to raise his son in a pleasant environment, but he would need to deal with his own grief before he could bring joy and laughter into their house.
Luella drew in her bottom lip. It will be my job to find things for Daryl to laugh about. And hopefully, when the time is right, Atlee will be able to smile and laugh again.
When she lifted the lid of her cedar chest to tuck her old bed covering away, she noticed one of her childhood storybooks. Sitting on the floor, Luella laid the covering aside and reached for the small, hard-covered book. As she ran her fingers over the front that illustrated two little fawns in the company of a Dalmatian, she noticed the cover was a bit worn.
When Luella fanned through the pages, it pleased her to see the entire book was still intact. “This was my favorite story, growing up.” Luella spoke quietly, remembering all the times her mother had read about the talking animals to her. She stopped at the page where the two orphaned fawns were being scolded by the dog, who’d actually taken on the role of their mother, when the mother deer died. It was a cute story, centered around the fawns, their antics and adventures, and how they adapted to new surroundings. Think I’ll keep it out so I can share it with Daryl. Maybe it will bring him a little joy, like the story did for me when Mom read it out loud.
Sighing, she folded her old bed covering and placed it inside the cedar chest, where she’d put several other items in anticipation of someday getting married. Then, spreading Dena’s quilt out over her bed, she noticed something on one corner of the backing she hadn’t seen before. A scripture had been embroidered there, possibly by Dena, or maybe Dena’s mother.
Luella’s fingers trailed along the precise stitching as she read the verse out loud. “‘For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me’—Psalm 31:3.”
Her eyes teared up. What a wonderful scripture and reminder for me when doubts fill my mind and I don’t know what path to take. Luella closed her eyes once again. Thank You, Lord, for being my rock and my fortress. May I always remember to seek Your will in all things and follow the right path, as You lead and guide me. Amen.
CHAPTER 4
Snow storms had been moving in and out since Luella left Atlee’s house with Daryl. But after each burst of snow, which lasted fifteen minutes or so, the sun would break through, the skies would clear, and the roads remained only wet.
Looking out the front of the buggy window, Luella glanced at the sky, watching another line of clouds approaching. Hopefully the sun will come out after this one, too, she thought, clucking to Dixie to keep her moving. Luella never had any problems with her horse. Even in heavy traffic, Dixie usually remained calm and under control.
Luella could hardly believe tomorrow was Christmas, but here she was, out shopping with Atlee’s son on a cold snowy day. She’d been busy with all her responsibilities at Atlee’s place and hadn’t found the time to buy any gifts for her family. They’d gone to a few stores so far, and she had bought some gifts, but she also wanted to find something for Daryl. Luella had become quite fond of the boy and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with him. But having Daryl along made it difficult to buy anything without him seeing it. She wished now she’d thought to invite her mother along. At least Mom could have kept the boy occupied while Luella picked something out and paid for her purchases.
“I’m hungerich.” Daryl reached across the buggy seat and tugged on Luella’s shawl, as a few snowflakes started to fall.
Glancing at one of her father’s old pocket watches, which she’d put in her purse this morning, Luella realized it was half-past noon. No wonder the boy was hungry. Now that Luella thought about it, she could probably eat something, too. She squeezed Daryl’s cold fingers. Maybe a pair of gloves would be a good gift to get Daryl for Christmas. “Well then, let’s go get something to eat.” Luella snapped the reins and directed her horse onto the road leading to the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant.
When they entered the building a short time later and were waiting to be shown to a table, Daryl shouted, “Sandi Klaas!”
Luella turned to look at the door where the boy pointed. Sure enough, there stood a large man dressed in a red suit and hat, both trimmed with white fur. He wore shiny black boots with large gold buckles, and his curly snow-white beard hung down to his chest. He was obviously one of the local English men dressed up like Santa Claus.
Before Luella had a chance to say anything to Daryl, the man marched right over to him, reached into his cloth satchel, and pulled out a candy cane. “Here ya go, little fella. Merry Christmas!”
Luella wasn’t sure if Daryl understood what the pretend Santa had said, but with no hesitation, the boy took the offered candy, his eyes full of wonderment and a smile stretching wide across his face.
“Say thank you to the nice man,” Luella prompted.
“Danki.” The boy offered a shy toothy grin.
The would-be Santa gave a nod and hurried into the restaurant, where he proceeded to hand out candy canes to all the children who were seated at tables with their parents.
“Will Santa come to my house?” Daryl asked.
Oh, dear. Luella sucked in her lower lip. Now how should I respond to that? She was well aware that the Amish didn’t teach their children about Santa Claus, Christmas trees, or colored lights. Christmas was a time to focus on the birth of Christ, and celebrations were centered around family time and reading the Bible story of how the baby Jesus was born in a stable. How much Atlee and Dena had told their son about Santa Claus, she didn’t know, but Luella felt since the boy was in her charge, she should at least explain it in the way that she knew.
She leaned close to his ear and spoke to him in Pennsylvania Dutch. “Daryl, we don’t celebrate Christmas because of Sandi Klaas. It’s Jesus we think about, and how much God loved us when He sent His Son to earth as a baby.”
Daryl tipped his head. “Does Jesus bring the presents?”
“No, but neither does Santa Claus.”
The boy’s lower lip jutted out. Luella wondered if he was going to cry.
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “After we eat, you can enjoy the candy cane the nice man gave you.”
The hostess approached and led them to a table by the window. By this time it was snowing steadily, and Luella could hardly see across the road. Looking up at the sky, she just made out a dim, milky sun struggling to break through the swirling snow. It almost made her dizzy, watching all the tiny flakes, resembling millions of white bugs flying in every direction. She quickly looked away.
Luella felt relieved when Daryl climbed onto a chair and began playing with his spoon as though it were a train. “Choo-choo… Choo-choo…” Well, at least his mind was on something else. Hopefully the subject of Santa Claus would not be brought up again. When they finished eating their lunch, Luella would stop by her parents’ house and see if Mom was willing to watch Daryl for a few hours this afternoon. This would allow Luella the chance to finish her shopping without the boy seeing what she’d bought.
“Look, it’s snowing!” Luella’s sister pointed out the kitchen window. “I was hoping we’d get schnee on Christmas Day.”
Luella joined her sister at the window, gazing at the lacey flakes drifting out of the sky. Unlike yesterday’s intermittent bursts of snow, this was more like a normal snow event. “It is beautiful. If the snow keeps up, the grass and trees will soon be white.”
Flashing Luella a grin, Sara clapped her hands. “Maybe we can go outside after dinner and catch snowflakes on our tongues.”
Luella chuckled. “I’m sure Daryl will be excited to see the snow. If the wind doesn’t pick up, and it’s not too cold, we can take him outside after our meal, and we’ll all catch snowflakes and let ’em melt on our tongues.”
“I hope it snows really hard so we can build a snowman. Bet Daryl would like that.” Sara’s eyes shone with the enthusiasm of an eager twelve-year-old.
“Jah, maybe so.” Luella glanced at the battery-operated clock across the room. “I wonder what’s keeping Atlee. Sure hope he didn’t change his mind about joining us for Christmas dinner. It wouldn’t be good for him and Daryl to spend the holiday alone.”
“I wouldn’t worry, Luella. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” Mom stepped between Luella and Sara, peering out the window. “You’re right. The snow is beautiful. If the sun comes out later, it’ll be even prettier.” She tapped Luella’s shoulder. “Would you mind checking on the ham, while I go down to the cellar to get a few jars of green beans?”
Luella smiled. “Certainly, I can do that.”
“And Sara,” Mom added, “would you please finish setting the table?”
Sara’s eyebrows lowered. “I did that already.”
“The plates, glasses, and silverware are on the dining-room table, but you forgot the bauchduchdicher.”
“Oops, sorry. I’ll get them now.” Sara grabbed several napkins and hurried from the room.
Shaking her head, Mom looked at Luella. “That girl can be so forgetful at times.”
“I think she’s just excited because it’s Christmas Day.”
“Jah. This is a day when we should all be excited.” Mom pointed up. “As we celebrate the birth of Christ, it’s a reminder of how much God loves us.”
Luella nodded. She hoped Atlee would be able to experience the joy of today, too.
As Luella watched Atlee from across the table, where he sat between Daryl and her brother Samuel, she could almost read the man’s thoughts. Atlee had come here for his son’s sake, but his heart wasn’t in it. Even though she’d hoped it would be different, Atlee’s placid expression let her know he felt no joy in celebrating Christmas this year. How could he, when his wife had died a few short weeks ago? It would be some time before Atlee could smile or laugh again. But Luella would keep praying for him and do everything she could to keep his household running smoothly so he’d have less to worry about.
Several family members, including Luella’s father and older brother, Matthew, had tried to engage Atlee in conversation, but he’d only responded with a few words. Luella noticed that he hadn’t eaten much, either.
When the meal was over and the table had been cleared, Atlee entered the kitchen, where Luella and her mother had begun doing the dishes. “Think I’m gonna head for home now, before the snow gets any worse.”
Luella glanced out the window. Seeing the thick layers of white accumulating on the barn roof and all over the yard, she nodded. “Before you leave, though, I have a gift for Daryl.”
Looking steadily at Luella, Atlee placed one hand against his heart. “Danki for thinking of my boy. This is a difficult time for me, and the only gift I have for Daryl is a little wooden carriage I made for him a few months ago. Since Dena’s death, I haven’t felt like shopping for gifts.”
“It’s understandable.” Mom set her dish towel aside and placed her hands on Atlee’s arm. “We will keep you in our prayers, and if there’s anything we can do for you or Daryl, please let us know. You are always welcome here.”
Ducking his head slightly, Atlee murmured, “I appreciate that.”
Luella dried her hands. “I’ll go get Daryl’s gift now.”
“And while my dochder is doing that, I’ll cut a few pieces of pie for you to take home.”
“That would be nice. And danki for inviting Daryl and me to share your Christmas dinner, Esther. Everything I ate was good. Sorry I didn’t feel up to eating more.”
As Luella slipped out of the room, she heard Mom say, “I’ll give you some slices of ham, too, Atlee. You can eat them later this evening or maybe tomorrow for breakfast. It’ll make good sandwiches for your lunch, as well.”
Luella smiled. She felt thankful to have a mother who was so thoughtful of others. When Luella went to Atlee’s house in the morning, she would fix him and Daryl ham and eggs for breakfast.
Boldness was not in Eugene Lapp’s nature, but dropping hints and stopping by the Ebersols’ on occasion wasn’t getting him anywhere with Luella. So today, he’d decided to come right out and ask if he
could court her. He knew when he pulled his horse and buggy into their yard that they had company, but hopefully he could speak to Luella alone for a few minutes. He certainly couldn’t ask her in front of everyone. It would be embarrassing for him, as well as to her.
As Eugene guided his horse up to the hitching rail, he saw Atlee Zook taking his horse out of the barn, while Daryl waited close by near the fence. I’ll bet the Ebersols invited the Zooks to join them for Christmas dinner. Guess that makes sense, since Luella works for Atlee and they live just a mile from each other. Eugene reached under his hat and scratched his head. It seems strange, though, that Atlee wouldn’t be at his folks’ house today.
Eugene got out of his rig and secured his horse, Chip, at the rail. Since he wouldn’t be here that long, even though it was snowing pretty hard, he saw no point in putting Chip in Owen Ebersol’s barn.
“En hallicher Grischrdaag!” Eugene gave Atlee a friendly wave.
“A Merry Christmas to you, too.” Atlee began hitching his horse. “Did you come for a slice of pei?”
Eugene shook his head. “Came by to bring Luella a Christmas gift, but if I’m offered some pie, I sure won’t turn it down. How about you, Atlee? Did you have dessert?”
“No. We’ll have it later this evening.” Atlee held up and pointed to the paper sack Luella’s mother had packed for them. Then he helped Daryl into the carriage. “My son and I were here for supper, but we’ll be heading for home now.”
“I see. I’m surprised you’re not at your folks’ house today.”
“Mom and Dad went to my brother Dewayne’s place today. Since it’s fifteen miles from here, they hired a driver to take them there. My boy and I were invited, but I decided it’d be best to stick close to home. I’m glad we did, since it’s snowing like this.”
“Guess that makes sense.” Eugene shuffled his boots in the snow. “How ya gettin’ along these days?”
“Doing the best I can.” Atlee stood by his rig. “I’ve been trying to remember that where God leads, He will light the way.” He dropped his gaze. “I just never expected He’d be leading me down a path without a helpmate.”