The Beloved Christmas Quilt

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

  “About that long.” Roseanna saw the concern in Samantha’s smoky-gray eyes. She could tell Samantha wanted the best for Roseanna and Katie’s friendship.

  They both headed downstairs to the kitchen. Roseanna noticed the eggs she’d set out to boil for later. “I forgot about this little job.”

  “I guess we were up in your room longer than you’d anticipated.” Samantha tied her bag closed. “Well, you can’t leave a pot boiling on the burner, or the kitchen will burn down. So maybe you ought to put the eggs back in the refrigerator.” After patting Roseanna on the back, Samantha went over to the door. “Shall we get going to town?”

  “Okay.” Roseanna put the eggs away and followed her friend out the back door and down the stairs. She would have plenty to think about while they were out shopping.

  Ronks

  John climbed down from the ladder leading up to the roof, carefully placing his foot on the small steps.

  “Careful, John. You don’t want to hurt yourself.”

  “Don’t worry. I do this for a living, Aunt Lena.” John jumped down as soon as he was close enough to the ground. “Besides, I know that Uncle Harvey will be happy with it.”

  “I’m sure he will. But I still want you to be careful.” She patted his shoulder. “It’s about time for a lunch break, don’t you think? You’ve been tearing at that roof for a couple of hours.”

  “I’ve gotten about half the roofing off so far, and I’ll need to finish it up after lunch.” John walked out a ways from the house to get a better look.

  “There’s a lot of mess on the lawn with the wayward shingles and those loose nails lying around.” Aunt Lena daintily walked on the grass about halfway to him and turned, looking up at the roof. “I’m glad I don’t have to be up there working.” She looked over at John. “Especially with the way my balance is. I’d be on the ground, lickety-split.”

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about helping me up there. I’ve got it covered.” He smiled. “I’ll get this stuff picked up and out of here in a day or two. Just be careful where you step until I get this all cleaned up out here.” He strode up to his aunt.

  “It will be nice not having to worry about a leaking roof for a long while.” She stood with her arms crossed.

  “I’m really ready for something to eat, and a big glass of water would be good, too.” John stepped toward the porch. Feeling his stomach grumbling, he pulled off his work gloves and laid them on the railing. He inspected his hand for any blisters but didn’t see any. Then he removed his tool belt and carried it with him into the house, putting it on the floor with his shoes. “I better wash these filthy hands of mine before I decide what to have for lunch.”

  “Do you want me to make you anything?” his aunt called from the kitchen.

  “No, thank you. I’ll make myself something.” John went right to the sink and turned on the faucet. After he dried his hands, he eyed the multiple cans in the wooden lazy Susan in the cupboard. “Would it be okay if I had some tomato soup for lunch?”

  “Sure. Go right ahead, dear.” His aunt opened one of the cabinet doors and pulled out a small pot, placing it on the propane stove.

  “Danki.”

  John lit the stove and carefully stirred the soup to keep it from burning. The robust smell reminded him of his childhood. His mother made tomato soup frequently when he was attending school, and he always looked forward to the evenings where a warm bowl of soup waited for him.

  After the soup was ready, John turned the stove off and served himself with a ladle his aunt provided. Carefully, he carried the full bowl over to the dining-room table.

  “John, you could’ve carried the pot over with a pot holder and served yourself.”

  “I figured this would be easier, but I know what you mean.” John placed no amount of force to the bowl when he set it on the table.

  Aunt Lena sat across from him, chewing on a slice of salami. She had an assortment of snack items on her plate. “You know, you can’t stay with your uncle and me forever.”

  John loosened his grip on the spoon, but was able to catch it before it landed in his bowl. “What are you saying?”

  “Roseanna will not wait forever for you, John. She will find someone else to be with, and whether you return to her or not, is all up to you.”

  “Roseanna is better off without me.” John slumped in the wooden chair. “How could I even approach her after what I did to her? I don’t know if she could ever forgive me. Besides, I’m not ready for marriage and may never be.”

  Aunt Lena took a bite of one of the crackers. “You need to pray about what the best choice would be. Otherwise, you may end up regretting it.”

  He shifted in his seat. I’m not good at praying right now.

  Lykens

  “Is Mark already here?” Roseanna asked Mary when she walked into the living room.

  “I don’t think so. I would’ve noticed if he were.”

  “I need some help deciding which dress to wear before Mark gets here.” Roseanna brought down three of her dresses from upstairs.

  “I like the russet one you just set down on the chair.” Mary shuffled her feet on the wooden floor. ”You appear to be putting some extra effort into this date tonight.”

  “Of course I am. Anyone should if she wants to make a good impression.” Roseanna picked up the bluish-lavender dress. “Are you sure I wouldn’t look better in this one?”

  “You do look fine in that one, Sister.” Mary giggled. “But that’s the same dress you wore out last time, remember?”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Roseanna shook her head. “What would I do without your help?”

  “You’d wear the same dress over and over again, probably,” Mary teased.

  “Okay, that’s good.” Feeling a sudden sense of giddiness, Roseanna kept a hold of her head covering as she walked over to Mary. “It was windy most of the day while Samantha and I were shopping.”

  Mary’s eyes trailed upward. “I can see that, Roseanna.”

  “I know. My kapp almost flew away from me. That’s why I’m glad Mark isn’t here yet. I can’t go out with my hair so untidy.” Roseanna picked up the dresses and hurried upstairs. I hope I have enough time to slip into my sister’s choice of garment and redo my bun.

  Fortunately, Roseanna was quick as she changed her clothes, plucked the pins from her bun and brushed through her dark curls. As soon as she placed the covering over her bun and secured it, she stood up, making sure all was good, and hurried down the steps. Her stomach fluttered when she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Hi, Mark.”

  “Hello, Roseanna.” He smiled, not taking his eyes off of her. “Can I talk to you for a second? Before we go on our date?”

  That fluttering sensation was gone as instantly as when it first started. Her mouth felt parched. “What is it?”

  “Come with me outside. It’ll give us more privacy.”

  Roseanna tried to calm herself by controlling her breathing. Does he want to end our relationship? She didn’t want Mark to be aware of her nervousness, so she stood upright to appear more confident. “All right.”

  Leading her outside, Mark held her hand more gently than he typically did. He turned to her when they were next to the garden in the backyard. “Roseanna, I know we’ve been with each other for only a few months, but I feel something has grown between us. We have a good thing going, and…”

  “And what, Mark?”

  He lowered his head and tightened his hold on her hand. “When I asked if I could court you a couple of years ago, you said you weren’t interested in being in a committed relationship.”

  Rosanna nodded.

  Mark raised his head slightly. “But even after I moved away, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I would close my eyes and remember your pretty eyes and wonderful smile.”

  “Mark…”

  “Now that I have you, Roseanna, I never want to let you go.” He paused. “I know it was bold of me to say those words to you.” He looked in
to her eyes. “We can take this relationship between us slow. I’m willing to do that for you.”

  Her legs felt weak, but Roseanna continued to keep herself composed. “I—”

  “It’s okay, Roseanna.” He reached for her other hand. “I know you’ve been through so much when I wasn’t here, and you have every right to be leery. Just think about it, okay?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  Roseanna felt even colder than she did during the winter. Mark admitted how strongly he felt about her, yet Roseanna still wasn’t sure how she fully felt about him. Was it too soon for her to feel this way about another person when she was close to being married just a few months ago? At least Mark sounded willing to take things at the pace Roseanna would feel most comfortable.

  He is upfront with his feelings for me and doesn’t seem to be the type to back out all of a sudden. Not like John…

  CHAPTER 9

  After everything from breakfast had been put away, Karen decided to take the bull by the horns and go work on a big overdue project. It would be a tad cooler in the basement, so she wrapped up in her shawl. The old, familiar steps creaked as she went down to the basement. Because their family had been accumulating possessions for years, she figured it was time to sort through them and give away the items they no longer had any use for. Knowing how many memories she would lose by doing that, Karen felt some regret, but it had to be done.

  When she went over to the stockpile of household goods, her nose tickled from the light coat of dust. I’ll need to clean off these things before I can find them a good home.

  The first cardboard box was full of mismatched dishes. “Oh boy. That will need to go.” She touched the bowl on top of the plates. Why haven’t I given this away or tried to let go of them through a yard sale? Karen dove into another box. Her fingers felt something soft.

  “What’s this?” She lifted the fabric out of the box. “Oh, yeah. This is an old table covering we used before Mary was born.” Karen cradled it close to her and squeezed it with her arms. “Now someone will have the chance to make memories with it.”

  After she placed the tablecloth down, Karen went through more of the family’s belongings. She found some kitchen utensils and piled them on the cloth then stuck her hand in one of the other boxes. Karen had held off sorting their possessions, for the sake of sentimental value. It was her way of recollecting cherished memories.

  A lot of time has passed since Seth and I moved to Lykens. So many things have happened. She grasped a book entitled Beginner’s Guide to Sign Language. “Not all of the memories were positive, but the Lord can bring good from everything, even if we may not see the good at first.”

  After placing more items into a pile, Karen reached into another box and raised her eyebrows when her hands touched familiar material. She pulled it from the box, flipping it over to reveal its face. “Big Ears.” She smiled. “Mary’s toy rabbit.”

  Karen remembered when Mary toddled around the house with Roseanna, carrying Big Ears with her and hopping around like a rabbit. It was adorable. Of course all of her children had grown older, yet it was difficult to move past those memories. In some ways, Karen was relieved when John left a few weeks after he ran out on the wedding. If he and Roseanna had gotten married, Roseanna would be gone and Karen would’ve had to adapt to no longer having her eldest daughter in the house. Roseanna was an exceptional role model for her three younger siblings, especially to Nancy Anne. How would she be without her oldest sister living in the house anymore?

  She picked up the stuffed animal and walked over to the staircase. “Mary! Are you up there?” Karen called.

  “Jah!” Mary hurried down the stairs. “What is it, Mamm?”

  “I have something to give you.” Karen handed her the rabbit. “Do you remember this?”

  “Big Ears!” Mary’s eyes brightened.

  “You used to carry him around with you all the time when you were younger.”

  Mary touched the rabbit’s ears, closing her eyes. “Yes, I did. I had Big Ears with me whenever I was with Roseanna.”

  “That’s right.” Karen reached out, placing her hand on Mary’s arm. “You looked up to Roseanna back then and wanted to be like her.”

  Mary opened her eyes. “I wasn’t trying to be like Roseanna.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Mamm, do you like to retze?

  Karen chuckled. “I’m sorry, Mary. I won’t tease you about it anymore. However, I need to ask something of you.”

  “Hmm?”

  “I know you are closer to Roseanna than you are to Nancy Anne and Adam, but since Roseanna may not be living at this house much longer, I need you to encourage your younger siblings. Especially Nancy Anne.”

  “What? But I’m very encouraging to her. I talk to her through sign language all the time, and we are always together.”

  “Okay.” Karen went over to the boxes. “Do you want to keep Big Ears? I’m sorting through some things and deciding what to give away.”

  Mary looked down at the stuffed animal. “I guess I’ll keep him.”

  “All right, it’s up to you.” Karen reached into the box. “But some of this stuff doesn’t belong to your dad and me. I need you to get your siblings down here to go through these boxes, too. Could you please do that for me?”

  “I’ll go get them, but shouldn’t Daed be going through this stuff also?”

  “Your father does enough around here, so don’t worry about that, and focus on doing what I asked, please.”

  Mary went up the stairs, calling for Adam.

  Karen sighed. If Mark is right for Roseanna, then I’ll have to prepare for my oldest daughter moving away all over again. She gathered up some of the items and looked to the staircase. Mary will have to prepare for that, too.

  Roseanna’s hand shook when she prepared to knock on Katie’s front door. She lowered it immediately. I can’t do this. Katie should be apologizing to me, not the other way around. I have every right to be upset with her. Roseanna turned away and stepped down from the porch step. I need more time to think this over.

  On the way back to her house, she stopped along the side of the road, and her throat thickened. This… this is where I met John for the first time. Roseanna pressed her fingernails into her palms and continued walking. Why am I so bothered by this? John didn’t love me—or did he? She rubbed her forehead and quickened her pace, trying to get him out of her thoughts. Roseanna had Mark now, and he’d opened himself to her weeks ago, yet she still wasn’t sure what to do. She’d had a difficult time trusting people before she met John, but what ability to trust she did have had evaporated after John ran from the wedding. Even her friendship with Katie had been affected by it. No wonder she didn’t want to be hasty with her decisions anymore.

  On her way home, she saw May Yoder at her mailbox. The older woman waved at her. “How are you doing today, Roseanna?”

  “I’m okay. I was out walking this morning and getting some fresh air.” Roseanna grinned. She didn’t want to admit to the widow that she couldn’t apologize first to a good friend. How long was it going to take for her to give in and do the proper thing to save a worthwhile friendship?

  “Getting some exercise sounds like a good idea.” Mary cleared her throat. “I’ve already worn the dress you sewed up that I ordered. You did a fine job. The garment fits well and is comfortable.”

  Roseanna smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

  The older woman looked overhead at the blue sky. “If you take a minute to look around, you can really see the Lord’s handiwork.” She hesitated a spell, looking up toward her house. “I’m thankful for my family and all of the dear friends in my life. We shouldn’t stay upset with any of them. I remind myself to always work toward resolving problems that come along.” The widow looked at the mail in her hands. ”Well, I best get up to the house and try to get some wash going. You have a good day now, Roseanna.” She closed her mailbox.

  “Thank you. You also have
a nice day.” Roseanna turned and started walking. That was weird how she said those things to me, even though she has no idea what I’ve been going through. Maybe the Lord was speaking through her.

  Roseanna kicked her feet against the gravel in her parents’ driveway, noticing Adam was near the shed messing with a pocketknife and a piece of wood. “You’d better be careful with that knife, kid. I don’t want you to cut one of your fingers.”

  Adam looked up at her and frowned. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not the clumsy one in this family. Besides, I’m not a kid.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t offer a warning if you hurt yourself.” Roseanna walked over to Adam and patted him on the back. “You’re my only brother, so I have to worry about you.”

  “Heh. Thanks.” Adam’s expression softened as he continued to slice the wood. “Same to you, Roseanna.”

  She smirked. “That I’m your only brother?”

  “No, I mean—you get what I mean.”

  “I know. I’ll let you get on with it.” Roseanna rushed to the house.

  Removing her shoes, she ran up to her room. Sewing for a while should give her a break from troubling thoughts. She rummaged through a plastic bag, took out her recently purchased supplies, and sat down next to the sewing table. “I better start making one of the children’s dresses, since it uses less fabric.”

  Nancy Anne came bounding into the room where Roseanna sat. “Hi, Sister,” she signed.

  She scooted her chair away from the sewing table. “Hi. What’s up? Come take a seat and visit with me.”

  Her sister did so but looked at her with a strange expression.

  Nancy Anne is too intuitive about me. I feel a bit transparent with little ole smarty pants sitting next to me. Maybe I’ll fool her this time, if I can keep up a good front.

  Nancy Anne signed: “I was about to get the glass cleaner out to wipe down the windows. When I saw you come in from outdoors you seemed a little upset. What’s up, Roseanna?”