The Beloved Christmas Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean; Brunstetter, Richelle

  “Oh, you saw that. Well, I brought some things for your family.” Emma went back for silverware.

  Mary came in behind her grandmother. “Was inwendich?”

  “What’s inside?” She reached into the utensil drawer. “I’m getting the forks, spoons, and knives out.”

  “No, Grandma.” Roseanna let out a small giggle. “Mary meant what’s inside the big bag you brought to our house.”

  “Well, Grandpa and I brought you each a small gift from home. You’ll see after dinner when I give them out.” Emma then headed for the table with her hands full of the needed silverware.

  After dinner, the girls enjoyed their new books from their grandparents. Roseanna’s paperback was a story about a kitten and a butterfly. Mary’s book had animals with names by each picture. Karen and Seth received hardcover novels. They both enjoyed a good story. Grandma Allgyer had made a cloth book for Nancy Anne. It was cute, and Karen placed it in the nursery to share with her littlest one.

  Tuesday morning after breakfast, Seth announced that he was popping over to the neighbor’s place. Not long afterward, Seth returned and came whistling into the kitchen. The girls were hanging out with Grandma and Karen. Clearing his throat, he announced, “Okay, Mel will be coming by about nine thirty this morning to pick everyone up in the van! We’re going to the auction to find Millie a new friend.”

  “Yippee! Yippee!” Roseanna jumped with excitement.

  “Yippee, yippee, yippee!” Mary mimicked her sister, hopping around in her lilac-colored dress. Her whole face smiled.

  Roseanna put a hand on her little sister’s shoulder. “Okay, Mary, you’re getting too happy.

  “Can a person really be too happy?” Grandpa’s deep voice resonated.

  “I’ll get things put together for Nancy Anne and the girls to take along,” Karen said as she finished wiping off the table.

  “I’ll get the dishes washed so you can get the girls’ things ready,” Emma volunteered.

  “Thanks so much. That will help us be ready in plenty of time.” Karen hurried off to the nursery.

  The auction was a huge success. Roseanna and Mary enjoyed seeing other children, and when they noticed an English couple with their two older boys who were selling some cute bunnies, they asked if they could pick one out to take home. Seth found a horse that he felt would work well with his family.

  The food servers grilled burgers and chicken that would whet anyone’s appetite, along with warm rolls, fresh coleslaw, and fountain drinks. Seth chatted with a friend from their community. As they ate, Karen saw Rachelle Stoltzfus, a friend from their church district, and introduced Seth’s folks to her. When the others finished eating, Karen stayed to visit with Rachelle a bit.

  “It must be nice for you to have some family come visit.” Rachelle put her hand on Karen’s shoulder.

  Karen nodded. “Even though I’ve made friends here in Lykens, I miss my family so much. We have always been very close, as most Amish families are, and they share memories of my childhood.”

  “I understand. I feel blessed to have my family living nearby now, but we’ve had times of living at a distance. It can be hard to focus on the other blessings we have.”

  The women chatted for a few more minutes, and then Karen caught up with Seth and his family.

  Emma wanted to look at some quilts, and Karen was happy to go with her while the men agreed to stay behind with the children. As the afternoon reached an end, Seth and his dad took them all to get ice cream with their favorite toppings.

  Karen was having a wonderful time with Seth’s parents, but she already dreaded the day when they’d have to leave. Even though she had a loving husband and a friend like Rachelle, they couldn’t be there for her all of the time. The bond she had with her mother and even Seth’s mom was so tight that she felt like part of her was torn away whenever they went home. Would she ever move past this need? Maybe she needed to try focusing on her other blessings, like Rachelle had suggested.

  CHAPTER 4

  Seth heard his ride pull into the driveway for work. He dashed about putting on his shoes, getting lunch, and grabbing his commuter mug full of coffee. “Don’t forget, you and I have a dinner date this evening.” Seth hugged his wife good-bye for the day.

  “I won’t forget, Seth. I’m looking forward to a nice meal out with you.” Karen gave him a hurried embrace. He kissed her quickly and ran out the door. Seth had wanted to take Karen out for a while, but here it was, the first week of June, and they hadn’t found the time till now.

  He certainly was looking forward to this evening. He’d be taking out the new buggy horse, Ash, a young, charcoal-gray gelding. Seth had taken him to be trained several weeks ago. He’d done some test-runs with the horse in the couple of days since Ash was brought home. What a difference from Millie! This new horse moved with fresh energy and a smooth transition between its gaits.

  “Good morning, Mike.” Seth climbed into his foreman’s green pickup and set his drink down in order to put on his seat belt.

  “It’s a nice morning.” Mike put the truck into gear. He seemed in a good mood. Seth felt that his foreman was more of a friend than a boss.

  The sun was quickly raising the temperature, but a commuter mug full of hot coffee was still welcome. Mike’s truck was an older vehicle that made various types of squeaking noises. Sometimes it could make a tired guy drift off.

  Seth was eager for the day’s work to end. He and Karen had agreed to go to the China House on Main Street in Lykens. Karen told him she’d arranged for her friend Rachelle to watch the kids this evening. He hoped Karen would enjoy the break. She’d been in the dumps since his folks left. Seth wanted his wife to be as happy as he was living here. He closed his eyes and prayed: Lord, please help bring joy to Karen’s heart. Show me how to be a good husband for her. Amen.

  “Did you get your brother’s place painted all the way yet?” Seth asked Mike.

  “Almost done, but we ran out of paint. So we’ll hit it hard this evening and should be finished with the living room. His kids’ rooms will be next.”

  “It’s nice to get projects finished around the house, but eventually they need attention all over again.” Seth chuckled then gulped down a large swig of his drink.

  “I gave this green beast a wash on the way to my brother’s house yesterday. You probably couldn’t tell since it’s needing a new paint job.” Mike slowed the truck to a crawl, before going around a horse-drawn buggy in front of him.

  Seth waved at the Amish driver as they passed by. “Actually, it looks cleaner—I just hadn’t had a chance to mention it yet.”

  “David and Roy are working on the fireplace. Hopefully that cabin house should be done in short order. David mentioned the homeowners are wanting to move in soon, and they come by about every day, checking out the progress.” Mike glanced over at Seth.

  “The patio turned out nice. It’s a good-sized space for them to entertain in.” He fiddled with his hat brim then set it back in place.

  “If you’ve got the money, then you can add anything you want.” Mike turned on his blinker.

  As they pulled in to the job site, Seth noticed the new employee out by his car, finishing up a cigarette. Stan Ronald had started work last week. Mike had mentioned that Stan liked to talk about how much better he was than anyone else and that he didn’t think much before opening his mouth.

  This morning, first thing, was the shop safety meeting. Then the boss would send his crew out to various jobs for the day. The men gathered in the rather nice-sized break room. Everyone grabbed a seat except Stan, who stood back by the counter.

  The boss came in and cleared his throat. “Good morning, everyone.”

  “Morning,” most of the workers replied.

  “Hope you’re ready for this brief video I’ve got for you all. When it’s finished, I’ll read some more on this topic and try to answer any questions you may have.” The boss started the video and dimmed the lights.

  When the pre
sentation was over, no one had any questions, so the boss gave the men their assignments for the day. Seth hadn’t worked with Stan yet, but today it was his turn.

  Seth filled up his coffee mug and headed for the truck. Stan followed. “How do you like working here so far?” Seth asked.

  “It’s not bad, but at my old job, the shop was twice the size of this one.” Stan climbed in and started the vehicle.

  “This masonry shop isn’t the biggest, but we do keep very busy.” Seth tugged at his collar.

  “We also had newer trucks, not like this one with all the dents and scratches.” He shut the door, pulled on his seat belt, and began backing out of the lot.

  “I don’t mind it, as long as it gets us there.” Seth looked over at Stan.

  “You’re Amish, like a couple of the other men who work here.” Stan looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Don’t you wish you could drive and not rely on us English to do it for you?”

  Seth rubbed his beard. “Not really. My transportation is horse drawn, and that suits me just fine.” He then told Stan to take the next right.

  “Horses aren’t so tough. I rode them on the beach one year during a trip out to the Washington coast. Those horses hardly did anything. The only time it was exciting was on the way back when the horse finally moved like it wasn’t half dead.”

  Seth bit his lip. Apparently Stan wasn’t too impressed with Amish ways.

  At the job site, Stan helped Mike set forms for the driveway. Then they had a curved front sidewalk to do that led up to the front door.

  Seth and Ervin, another Amish employee, worked on the front of the house, adding bricks to accent the siding.

  The boss had let them know the concrete truck would be there late this morning.

  The time flew along, and soon the rumbling of the cement-filled rig came up the road.

  Mike walked along the forms, checking them, making sure they’d hold. “Hey, Stan, these are still loose right here.” He shook his head. “Get this fixed.” Mike walked over to the concrete truck as it pulled in and stopped near the driveway.

  Seth’s foreman chatted, while Stan walked over and fiddled with the form. “I don’t know why he’s so worried about it. I could sure use a smoke right now,” he mumbled.

  Ervin stepped up to Seth with a dropped tone. “Er iss net schpassich.”

  Seth lowered his voice. “No, he’s not funny.”

  The four men worked on the driveway pour, spreading then smoothing the concrete. Then Seth and Ervin went back to the brickwork. Mike supervised Stan with the walkway. Later on, they had their break and went back to finish what they could before the end of the day. Seth was relieved to learn Stan would be working at the cabin house next, so tomorrow Seth could relax and work like normal.

  Karen had heated up some leftover chicken-and-rice casserole for her daughters. They were eating in the kitchen while Karen nursed Nancy Anne in the living room. As she sat in the rocker, she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Seth would be getting home in a half hour, and Rachelle would be here about the same time with her two kids. Roseanna and Mary were excited to have a “play date,” as Karen had heard the English call it.

  “I’m done with dinner and put my dishes in the sink.” Roseanna traipsed into the living room, holding her book from Grandpa and Grandma Allgyer. “I really like this book a lot.”

  “I’m glad you do.” Karen spoke soothingly.

  Something hit against the kitchen floor. “I dropped my cup!” Mary shouted.

  “I’ll go see.” Roseanna turned and hurried to the other room. “It’s just a little spill, Mom. I’ll get it clean.”

  Karen smiled as she carried the baby to the nursery. After she fed and changed Nancy Anne, she placed her in the crib. When the baby kicked her little feet, Karen reached in and tickled her toes. She was rewarded with giggles and the sweetest of smiles.

  After Nancy Anne settled down, Karen went to her bedroom to get ready for her date with Seth. She couldn’t wait to take Ash, the new horse, for the trip into town. Karen had just put on her prayer kapp, when she heard knocking. She opened the door to Rachelle and her two small children: six-year-old Melissa, and Tim, who was a month older than Mary. Roseanna and Mary were happy to see their company and wanted to head right upstairs to play.

  “I’m not going to have a lot to do. Our children will be playing, and I’ll be with Nancy Anne. That will be easy.” Rachelle hung her sweater on the wall peg, along with her kids’ outer garments.

  “She shouldn’t be a problem, and I put out snacks on the kitchen counter.” Karen also showed Rachelle the drinks in the refrigerator.

  As they waited for Seth to get home from work, Rachelle talked about how her mother and aunt had been working on a quilt project with her and had enjoyed a nice lunch together.

  Seth walked in and smiled at Rachelle. “Would you like me to put your horse in the corral?” He sat his lunch pail on the counter and turned toward Karen’s friend.

  “That would be great.” Rachelle stepped away from the fridge.

  Seth came over and stood close to Karen. “We’ve got plenty of time. I’ll get Ash ready, too. Then I’ll come back in and get washed up before we leave.” Seth grinned at Karen before walking out of the house.

  Seth and Karen had a nice ride into town, enjoying their new buggy horse and the opportunity to talk without interruptions from the children.

  Once they placed their order at the restaurant, they chatted over hot tea while waiting for their meals to arrive. The food looked and smelled wonderful. They both silently prayed before reaching for their forks. No way was Karen going to try eating with chopsticks. She would probably end up with more food on her lap than in her mouth.

  “Mmm… This food is good.” Karen rested the fork on the plate and reached for her cup of tea.

  Seth nodded. “I wish we could do this more often. I’ve been wanting to come here with you for weeks, but something always seemed to change our plans.”

  She looked across at her attractive husband. His stunning blue eyes were almost hypnotic.

  “I’m glad we did this. It feels nice to come here, especially not having to cook this evening.” Karen dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Rachelle said this restaurant has been here for some time.”

  “I hope it continues to stay in business because their food is good.” Seth took another bite of almond chicken.

  The restaurant was busy, with the hum of conversation a constant in the background. They visited while they ate, but Seth wasn’t as talkative as when they first sat down. He seemed preoccupied, looking out the window. Karen wondered what was up.

  “The girls are enjoying the new bunny. We took it out again today and held it.” Karen sipped her tea. “They named it Star, for the little mark on its head.”

  Seth chuckled, giving Karen his full attention. “I think we need to get a trampoline for our girls to play on.”

  “I would be tempted to climb up and give it a try.” Karen sat back in her seat and sighed. “I’m full. I’ll need a box for the rest of my food.”

  “Mine was good, but I’ve got nothing left on my plate.” He patted his stomach.

  Their waiter dropped off their check and a box for Karen’s food. Karen scraped her leftovers into the container, while Seth paid the bill.

  Soon they were walking out to the buggy, and Karen climbed in while Seth untied their horse. He backed up Ash and headed out of the parking lot.

  “You haven’t said much about your day at work. How did it go?” Karen asked.

  “Not so good. The new guy is not easy to work with.” Seth frowned.

  “What did he do that caused problems?” She smoothed the folds in her rust-colored dress.

  Seth urged Ash onward with a snap of the reins. “Well, Stan likes to put himself first, and he comes off like he knows everything.”

  Karen looked away. This was the first time she’d known her husband to be put off so quickly by someone. I wonder if this problem
will cause Seth to want to move back to Bird-in-Hand.

  “Tomorrow Stan should be working at another job, so that’ll be okay.” He kept a solid grip while driving the buggy horse. Seth leaned closer to her as he drove along. “But enough about Stan. Did you know you are my favorite girl?”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Seth. You are my world.”

  They soon pulled into the driveway and parked near the barn. Seth got out and tied the horse up to the hitching rail. She helped him get the horse and buggy put away. It was nice having two horses now. Karen hoped in time they’d get another buggy that would hold more people.

  Coming into the house, Karen and Seth hung their jackets on the wall pegs. Roseanna and Mary came up and hugged them. Rachelle asked how their dinner went and reported that everything had gone well with the children.

  “We should get together again just for a visit sometime soon,” Karen said to her friend.

  “That’s a great idea,” Rachelle agreed, “but I need to check my schedule. We have a few family birthdays coming up, and I want to make sure I don’t create a conflict.”

  Karen smiled, but inside she envied Rachelle’s closeness to her family. Can I learn to be content, or will I always long for home?

  CHAPTER 5

  Roseanna and Mary had offered to help Seth clean out the stalls one Saturday morning, and their eagerness to pitch in did his heart good. They took turns picking up the used hay and putting it into the wheelbarrow.

  Seth glanced over at his tractor calendar hanging on the wall. “Hmm… I need to change the month on that.” Seth stopped what he was doing and set his shovel off to the side.

  “What Daddy?” Roseanna paused and looked up at him.

  He moved toward the calendar. “It’s not June anymore. It’s the second week of July.” He chuckled. “I don’t know why I’ve missed it this long.”