by Beth Shriver
“Jah, I guess I have,” Rosy responded, which surprised Lucy. She was usually the last one to get into a controversy. But then Rosy was probably the most honest as well. Not that the others weren’t, but Rosy had complete loyalty to the truth.
“Aha. I’m glad to hear someone say it.” Mamm looked over at Frieda, whom she probably expected to comment about anything concerning Sam. Frieda normally made it obvious that she didn’t like the man and never had. Verna probably didn’t either, judging by her comment about him, but would never admit that.
Verna had encouraged the match between him and Lucy when she heard that a wealthy widower was looking for a young, strong wife to help him farm. Lucy wasn’t sure then why Sam looked for a wife outside his own community, but Verna convinced her that she would enjoy working alongside him, just as she’d enjoyed working with her daed. And it didn’t hurt that Sam didn’t seem to mind her scar. But even now that she could see what Sam was really like, Verna was unlikely to own up to the fact that the match hadn’t turned out to be a happy life for her daughter.
“This isn’t the time.” Lucy didn’t look directly at her mamm but hoped she’d know not to continue the conversation. It wasn’t likely Sam would be walking through the door, but in case he did, this wasn’t the time to talk about him. It never was. This was her cross to bear.
Nellie reached for a patch and needle and began quilting, which was a wise thing to do. It was as if a cow was in the room, but no one admitted seeing the creature. “You’re looking a little peaked, Lucy.”
“Jah, I think I’ll take a walk.” She noticed her mamm shifting in her seat. “Alone, if that’s all right.” She looked away before her mamm could speak. The usual warm conversation she shared with Rosy, Nellie, and Frieda was interrupted by her mother’s presence.
Boom!
Lucy sat straight up.
Sam jumped out of bed. He grabbed his clothes from a chair, hopping on one foot, stuffing his other leg into his pants.
Lucy held her belly and turned to the side of the bed, placing one foot down and then the other. She felt like a snail, moving in slow motion. Heat filled the room, and when Lucy went to the window and opened the shade, she gasped. Yellow, orange, and red flames engulfed the seventy-six-foot silo.
“Move, woman! My farm’s gonna blow!” Sam screamed and ran down the stairs.
The top of the silo shot into the air, hurling chunks of concrete across the road. Smoke poured from the silo, rolling out of the structure like a white cloud.
Lucy lifted her arms to cover her face and pulled the curtain down. The back of the haus shook as if a boulder had smacked into its wooden frame, knocking out the mudroom downstairs. Lucy moved as quickly as she could, holding her belly with each step. Tears flooded her cheeks as the heat scorched her flesh.
“Mamm!”
No reply.
“Mamm!”
As she passed Mamm’s room, she poked her head inside but saw no one. Lucy hoped she was already outside. It wasn’t the smoke so much as the heat that made her eyes spring with tears and pain crawl on her flesh as if she were in a living hell with no mercy from the scathing heat.
What about my baby? How will he be affected by smoke filling my lungs?
Getting to the front door opposite the silo’s location seemed to take forever. Her bare feet hit the wood planks of the porch. She fell but got up, dismissing the pain in her ankle. All she could do was run fast. She took in a breath and coughed on the soot and bits of flying debris filling the air.
When she was in the middle of the yard, she stopped and turned to take in the scene around her. All she could do was stand and watch as the silo burned. Relief washed over her when she heard the wail of the fire truck in the distance. A few minutes later the firefighters arrived and they leapt out and took to the hoses. There were no hydrants, only the water in their vehicles. One fireman ran over to her and motioned for the medic. “Is there anyone else in the house?”
Lucy shook her head but then nodded.
It didn’t take long for word about the fire to get around the community. Soon buggies and wagons and a couple of riders on horseback filled the road. A stream of Amish came prepared to help with whatever they had. The men went as close to the fire as they could, which wasn’t close due to the heat. The women came toward Lucy with hands full of food, drink, and, she hoped, something to cool her skin from the blistering heat. She looked for Sam and Mamm but saw neither of them.
Lucy felt hands on her . . . water on her lips . . . salve on her face and arms. She looked at faces, but they were only a blur. Drops of water fell from her eyes. She was weeping. Then she heard her own voice, crying out, asking about her baby.
Hushed tones and whispers calmed her. Frieda and Rosy loomed over her with wide, pensive eyes. Nellie rubbed her back, and Lucy flinched as hot debris flew around her. Lucy looked through the blur to see Rosy crying. Then, all went black.
Manny jumped out of bed at the sound of a knock at the door. He pulled on the clothes closest to him and grabbed his boots. More pounding spurred his pace. When he opened the door, Caleb had his hand on the doorknob, ready to burst in. Manny’s eyes stung from smoke.
“There’s a fire.” Caleb started down the porch steps with Manny right behind him.
“What happened?” Manny jumped into Caleb’s buggy and braced himself.
“Hi-ya!” Caleb’s driving had Manny hanging on and his foot pressed against the foot rest. “Silo exploded. Didn’t you hear it?”
“Jah, but I didn’t think it was something like this. Where?” Manny wrestled with his shirt, trying to hold on and still brace himself so he wouldn’t go rolling out of the buggy. Manny looked at Caleb, wondering if he’d heard the question. “Whose place?”
Caleb turned toward him. “Sam’s.”
Manny’s gut churned. “Is anyone hurt?”
“I don’t know. I came and got you and haven’t had a chance to find out anything more than I told you.” By the way he looked at Manny, it seemed Caleb knew he’d be more upset than just any other neighbor, and it made Manny wonder if his concern for Lucy showed more than he thought.
“Can’t this nag go any faster?” Manny felt like jumping out and running. He could blow off steam, and it would at least feel as if he was getting there faster.
“Should have thought to hitch up two horses, but I was in a hurry to come get you.” Caleb glanced at him. “You’re no good to her upset this way. Keep your head together.”
Manny paused in surprise. He didn’t think he’d been around her enough with Caleb there to observe his concern for her. He overlooked the comment and kept his eyes on the inferno before them. “I just hope she’s . . . they’re all right.”
The closer they got, the hotter the air grew around them. The wind had picked up, blowing smoldering debris around the area. Sparse groups of people walked past them, going the opposite way. Manny leaned out the window. “Where are you going, Elam?”
“Ach, Manny. The firefighters are telling people to leave, sending us home. They say we can help best tomorrow when things are under control.” Elam patted Manny’s arm. “You younger men might be of some help to them, but for most of us we’ll be doing what we can some other way.”
“Did you see Lucy?”
He shook his head. “Nee, but her mamm was looking for her.”
Manny nodded. “Danke.�
� They went a few feet forward but drew up when the heat became too much for the horses. He jumped out of the buggy, with Caleb on his heels. They both stopped short when Manny saw Lucy on the porch. A medic held an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth.
He moved forward, but Caleb stopped him, clasping him on the shoulder. “Take a breath, friend. She needs to see your strength, not your concern.” Caleb let go and slapped his back.
Manny took in a breath and nodded, coughing out the stinging air. When he got closer, he saw Lucy’s head fall to one side, eyes closed. She didn’t move. He ran the last few feet, hovering over her, waiting to see her chest rise. “Is she all right?” he asked the paramedic, keeping his eyes on her.
“Are you family?” The young medic didn’t look up, monitoring the oxygen intake.
Knowing he might not give him the information if he wasn’t, Manny said the first thing that popped into his head. “Jah.”
“Husband?” The medic stood then waved over to the ambulance.
Manny fingered his beard. He was lying and knew it, but Sam wasn’t there, so someone should be. “They’re both okay?”
The paramedic stuck a pen in his shirt pocket and almost smiled. “She’s exhausted, but her vitals are good. She should be just fine.”
“And the babe is well?”
“I got a strong heartbeat.”
The ding-ding of an ambulance backing up ended the conversation as the medic motioned for the driver to approach carefully so they could drive straight out. “Excuse me, sir, we need to load up a couple of the injured.”
“What hospital?” Manny stepped forward, but the medic stopped him. “Pomerene Hospital.”
Manny raked his hand through his hair, knowing it would take much longer to get there in his buggy. “My buggy can’t keep up with you.”
“She doesn’t have to go in, but I think she should get checked out. It’s three others.”
He lifted his hand up flat to stop the vehicle.
Manny looked back over at Lucy surrounded by Frieda, Rosy, and Nellie along with a handful of others, all fussing over her. Her eyes were open, but sleepy. “Thank Gott.”
He turned back to the medic. “Who are you taking in?” He didn’t think he’d get an answer, but it was worth a try.
The medic was called away by another paramedic. He nodded toward the news teams driving down the road. “Someone around here might be able to tell you.” He turned and jogged to the ambulance, and then hopped in as the siren blared.
He walked over to the ambulance where they had moved Lucy, selfishly wishing he could be the one to comfort her, care for her, and take her home. He had no right to have those feelings, so he tried to stuff them away—but he couldn’t because when he had those thoughts, he felt whole, if only for a moment.
He stopped, almost to the cot, and scanned the area. Sam was nowhere to be seen. Knowing him, he helped the others who were cleaning up the heaps of rubble that his farm had now become. He looked back at Lucy and the three older women who stood nearby. She couldn’t be in better hands, but he thought he’d try to horn in and at least see her face.
When he got closer, she turned her head and gave him a tired smile. The ladies turned around and called him over.
“What a sight for sore eyes . . . ” Frieda put her hands on her hips.
He moved closer and studied her. “How is she?” Her fair face had been wiped clean and her reddish hair combed out and tucked behind her, something he hadn’t seen since before Glenda passed away.
“It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s Mamm and Sam.” Lucy’s eyes closed again, and he thought she might have passed out or just fallen asleep. He knelt down closer to see her chest rise, and then her eyes fluttered.
Her color was ashen, and her hands shook. “You don’t seem okay.” He was just as worried about the baby.
“I’m just tired.”
“What did the medic say about the baby?”
“Said he’s fine.”
Nellie chimed in. “She needs some sleep.”
“And water.” Rosy held a bottle up to Lucy’s mouth and watched her drink.
“I’ll go see what I can find out.” He patted her hand.
“Danke, Manny.” Her eyes lingered on his. He took two steps backward and then turned to go find out what had happened.
The first police officer he saw was on his phone, but he stopped the next one he came to. “Excuse me. I’m looking for a couple of people. Can you help me find them?”
“Sure. I’m Officer Jeff Streeter. What are their names?” He took down the information. “You’re family?”
“I told the friends and family I’d look into it.” He felt guilty skirting around the question again. Something inside him told him he was supposed to take care of this family, at least until other family members could do the job.
“I’ll ask around for you, but I can’t promise anything. Unfortunately it’s a matter of priority.”
“Jah, I understand. The woman in the ambulance is who I’m asking for—Lucy Wagner.” He glanced toward the ambulance. “You’ve probably explained this a number of times, but what happened?”
“This one’s the worst explosion I’ve seen.”
Manny had heard silos blowing before, but not to this extent. It could be that since Sam’s silo is the largest, it would be more of an issue with something like this happening, but it seemed to be more than that to do this kind of damage. “What made this one so bad?”
“There have been many cases of silos and the associated ducts and buildings exploding. If the air inside becomes laden with fine granulated particles like grain or dust, it can trigger an explosion.”
“I didn’t know how powerful one of these could be, until tonight.” Manny watched the firefighters’ futile attempt to stop the fire.
“Oh, yeah, powerful enough to blow a concrete silo and adjacent buildings apart, usually setting the buildings on fire like it did here.” Officer Streeter checked his phone.
“How can some dust do this?” Manny bought as much time as he could, hoping he’d hear something over the officer’s radio from another officer.
“It’s often triggered by sparks caused by metal rubbing against metal ducts or due to static electricity produced by dust moving along the ducts when they’re extra dry.”
Manny couldn’t stand it any longer. He took a deep breath. “Would you tell me if there were any fatalities?”
“If you are family.” He nodded toward the vehicle. “I just got here, but I can try and find out for you, if the lady there is able to vouch for you. It’s all protocol.”
“I’d sure appreciate it.”
The officer stepped away and spoke quietly to another officer. Manny stood, taking in the scene. He figured he would have heard by now if someone had died, but there was something eating at him. It wasn’t right that Sam was not around. Manny would have been more worried about Lucy than his farm if he was in Sam’s shoes. It also bothered him that Lucy’s mamm wasn’t with her. It sounded like her mamm was a take-charge kind of lady, but he was beginning to think she might not be able to be with Lucy. Something might have happened, that he hadn’t heard of; his suspicions were increasing.
The officer came back to Manny and nodded toward Lucy. “Let’s take a walk over to the ambulance.”
Manny didn’t
say a word while they walked to the ambulance where Lucy sat on a stretcher drinking out of a white paper cup. When she saw him, she looked up expectantly.
The officer stepped forward. “I’m Officer Jeff Streeter. And you are Lucy Wagner?”
Lucy nodded, and Frieda quickly added, “I’m her mammi, her mamm’s mamm.”
He tipped his hat to Frieda and turned his attention to Lucy. “How are you?”
“We’re fine.” Lucy rubbed her belly, and the officer looked down.
“Ma’am, your mother was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.”
Lucy put a hand to her chest. “Is she going to be okay?”
Frieda held Lucy’s hand. “She’ll be all right. You know how strong she is.”
Manny hadn’t met the lady, but from the little he’d heard about Lucy’s mamm, he felt their assessment about her was right.
Lucy held Frieda’s hand so tightly that it turned white. “Danke for letting me know, officer. And Sam?”
The officer looked her in the eyes. “Your husband suffered extensive burns. I’m sorry to have to inform you that he passed away.”
Gasps and murmurs filled the air, but Lucy remained still and wordless, as did Manny. “I’ll give you all a minute and wait over here in case you need me.” The officer walked a few steps away and stood at attention.
Lucy’s eyes turned to Manny, who stood staring at her. Her first instinct was to go to him, so he could console her as she knew he would and as no one else could at this moment. There was something about him that pulled at her, telling her she’d be safe with him. And that he would know what she could do, since he too had lost a spouse. She was at a loss. But even more than that, she had harbored horrible thoughts about her husband, and now he was gone. She would have to live with those harsh feelings and great regret. She closed her eyes and said a wistful prayer for forgiveness, knowing she would say many more as long as the guilt clung to her.