He held me close without saying a word—all the while, kissing me softly on the cheek and neck.
“I was going to wait to tell you—‘till after I saw Doc Beiler, but that’s silly because I already know it’s true. I felt the fluttering already, which means I’m about four months along.”
“I knew it too, but I was waiting until you were ready to tell me. What a wonderful gift for my birthday,” he said enthusiastically.
I didn’t know whether to be happy that the truth was finally out and my burden lifted, or sad that he wasn’t surprised at my announcement. The smile on his face gave me my answer and his heart-felt words filled me with love for this man that always knew just what to say to smooth things out in my mind.
“I love you Elijah.”
“I love you too, my little wild flower.”
We went downstairs to a well-prepared breakfast with our children, including Eli, who had surprisingly remained home for the special occasion.
As Elijah and I talked of our usual birthday picnic, Abigail graciously offered to take care of the laundry alone. She had stayed behind from school so she could help out. Not wanting to burden the eleven-year-old girl with the entire chore, I decided to assist her until the noon hour. It was then that Elijah and I took a picnic lunch to our favorite spot by the creek, while Eli tended to his father’s usual chores.
****
It was a pleasant day, nearly void of all indications of autumn. The pine trees swayed in the cheerful breeze, causing them to hang toward the creek as though they wanted a refreshing dip in the icy water. The rusty pine needles felt gentle under foot as we walked along the edge of the creek bank to get to the clearing in the trees. Elijah’s soothing voice broke the silence while he spread our quilt on the grass.
“What would you like God to give us this time? Boy or girl?” he asked.
I began to unpack our lunch, while giving his question a moment of thought, though I knew my answer.
“If I had to choose—I suppose I have my heart set on another girl to even out our family. Then we’d be sort of a ‘Brady Bunch’,” I said cheerily.
“What is a ‘Brady Bunch’?”
I giggled slightly at his acquired innocence of the world I came from.
“It’s the name of a television show that I used to watch before I moved here. I’m sorry Elijah; I’d forgotten that you never saw TV before. The family on the show had three boys and three girls. Their last name was Brady and they had a bunch of kids, so I suppose that’s where they got the name for the show,” I explained.
I continued to giggle—not necessarily laughing at him, but his lack of knowledge for the things that I had always taken for granted just seemed funny to me. It was the sort of thing that reminded me of the differences in our upbringing, almost to the point of envy on my part.
“I like the name Eva. What do you think?” I asked with anticipation.
“Eva sounds like the perfect name for her,” he said as he gently lifted my hand to his lips.
He moved my hand along the side of his slightly bearded face. I appreciated the fact that he had chosen not to wear the traditional untrimmed beard that Amish men were known to wear. He had remained without a mustache but kept his beard thin and trimmed at the neckline, just the way I liked it. His skin was weathered and rugged, showing more age than my own. Yet, in the twinkling of his eyes, he remained every bit the teenage boy I fell in love with so many years before.
“Our anniversary is in just a few days. I would like to take you to Das Dutchman Essenhaus for dinner. Would you like to go there?” he asked, his boyish charm sparkling in his blue eyes.
“That would be wonderful Elijah. I’d like that very much.”
The idea of being waited on appealed to me more than anything about the whole idea.
Elijah reclined on the quilt that we’d been sitting on, and I cuddled under his arm. In an attempt at getting more comfortable, I moved my head to rest it upon his chest and listened to the familiar beating of his heart. The sun shone on our faces, as we took in the sound of the leaves dancing in the breeze high above our heads. It felt nice to have an afternoon alone with Elijah, away from the pressures of chores and the demands of whining children. We managed to enjoy a lazy afternoon of talk and cuddling before returning to our responsibilities at home. At the time of our departure from the creek bank, it almost seemed like the end to a small vacation.
****
The days passed quickly, and I gained more energy with each week as my pregnancy progressed. Abigail took to helping me prepare more vegetables with each meal, so I could steer clear of the heavy casseroles that would weigh me down. We continued to bake whole-grain breads, and mash grains for cereals. The cherries and apples from our small orchard provided a variety to our vegetable canning. Abigail and I had nearly stripped the garden of all it’s worth, with the help of three-year-old Elizabeth. It had been a good season, and the farm produced a rich harvest. Our pantry was overflowing with a bounty of canned fruits and vegetables, as well as dried beef and smoked hams. We prepared ourselves for another long winter with the food preparation, and the boys cut a large wood supply daily to prepare for additional winter warmth. On the few remaining warm days, Elijah made repairs to the fence and the barn door to keep the stock warm until spring. He also made sure that the large propane tank was filled and checked so I could cook hot meals during the cold months that were to come.
****
Although we had made all the necessary preparations for winter, it intruded upon us before we were willing to accept it. Soon, the earth around us was covered in a deep blanket of snow, and the sky held steadfast to its dreary, grey form. The trees held in desperation to the last remaining leaves that clung to their bare branches. The edges of the creek already had thin, fragile formations of ice that clung to the rocks bordering it. The only time I dared to venture out of doors was to get short bursts of fresh air, which left me feeling somewhat confined.
****
On Christmas day, our family took a ride in the sleigh that Elijah had surprised me with on our first Christmas as husband and wife. With the passing of each year, the sleigh became more special than the year before it, adding to the delight of our increasing family. The jingling of the sleigh-bells at Christmas time rang across the valley, alerting the Englischers of our enchantment with the season.
At four o’clock, we rode in the sleigh to Elijah’s folk’s house to have dinner with the many generations of friends and family that lived in the community. It had become a yearly tradition that would probably go on for many more years to come. Hannah, who had become my cousin by marriage, had been my best friend since we were fifteen, but we were family now and treated each other as though we were sisters. After having four children, she’d become unexpectedly pregnant at the same time I had. Although my youngest child was three, hers was seven, so it was more of a shock to her and David than it had been to Elijah and me. She would be waiting at the Zook party to compare pregnancy dilemmas with me, while she and Nadine would enjoy a break from their two overzealous boys that were the same age as my Simon and Jakob. For the most part, the children had always seemed more like friends than family. Christmas at the Zook’s had become a tradition that even my parents and siblings with their families participated in. Simple, handmade gifts were exchanged, and the food was always an all-day affair.
****
After a long winter, I was really feeling a yearning for fresh air and sunshine, and very eager to give birth to the child that now fought me for space. Being the first week of March, the crocuses were peeking out from the top of the small patches of snow that still hung onto the earth. As I sat on the porch swing I enjoyed the warmth of the day—it seemed to be filled with a promise that summer was sure to follow. I pushed my arms into my sweater intending to wait on the porch swing for my husband to return from his chores, when suddenly, I felt the first twinges of labor hit me. In my excitement, I got up and paced the floor of the wooden porch that stre
tched the length of the house. I knew that being on my feet would speed the baby’s coming, so I continued to pace. Abigail spotted me from the clothes line that ran along the side of the house, where she’d been hanging the linens to dry in the crisp spring air. She waved and watched me for a minute, then walked up from the side yard.
“Is it time Mam?” she asked eagerly.
“It could be, but it’s still a mite early to tell if it’s real or false labor.”
“Should I get Papa?”
“Don’t worry; he’ll be coming around soon enough. No need to take him away from his work until he’s absolutely needed.”
“I’ll hurry to finish my chores so I can walk with you,” she offered.
“Why don’t you fetch Jakob out of the hen house so he can run up the road to get your Mammy Anna Mae for me? And get her to call Doc Beiler before she comes here,” I instructed.
“Jah, he’s a fast enough runner, he’ll have her here in no time at all,” she said as she scampered off to do my bidding.
I continued to pace, looking around the side of the house toward the back for my husband to return from the barn. My mother didn’t waste any time getting to me. She drove the car down the lane, churning up the dust into a tan cloud that billowed behind the vehicle. When she reached the house, she alerted Elijah from the horse stalls, and he came running up to the house.
“Jane, is it time?” he asked excitedly after running to the house.
“It sorta feels like it is.”
I winced from the increasing pain of a long, painful contraction.
“I think this one’s coming quick—like Eli,” I stammered between taking deep, controlled breaths the way my mother had taught me.
“Mamma called Dr. Beiler and I hope he makes it in time,” I said with a positive smile.
My husband returned the smile.
“I’m going back to the barn to get the boys to finish the choring; I’ll be back in a minute, Jane.”
With Abigail’s assistance, I was able to continue walking back and forth across the porch, pausing momentarily to breathe through the increasing intensity of the contractions.
Without warning, my water broke, creating a puddle beneath me. My mother tried to coax me into the house, but I wanted to remain on the porch until Elijah returned from the barn.
“I’ll be fine Mamma, I’ve been through this almost as many times as you have,” I said, trying to convince her so she wouldn’t try to force me in the house.
“I’m sorry Jane. I know you know best when it comes to your own baby. But don’t blame a grandma for being concerned. What-ever you want to do is fine with me,” she offered kindly.
I felt grateful that she didn’t try to insist that I go in the house. I intended to get in as many miles on the porch as I could handle. I didn’t like being confined to a bed when I labored. I knew it was more effective to walk around. I also feared this little one was not going to wait much longer for its father before deciding to introduce itself. The contractions were coming so close together that there was scarcely enough time between them for me to catch my breath.
As hard as I tried, I couldn’t walk them off any longer. All I could do was stand and lean against the rail of the porch. Luckily, Elijah hopped on the porch in time to escort me into the house. The children had crowded around me by this time wanting to know how much longer it was going to be, and resisting Elijah’s prompting for them to go to school.
“Abigail, keep them busy until your mam is done and we’ll call for you when the baby arrives,” he instructed.
“Oh, and you can all stay until the baby arrives,” he added before closing the door.
I could still hear them cheering even through the closed door. Abigail obeyed promptly, gathering the younger ones into order on the porch to await the baby’s birth.
Elijah carried me up the stairs and placed me on our bed just in time. I could already feel the baby’s head emerging from my womb. After three good pushes, Elijah held up the baby girl that he had delivered.
“You’re a beautiful little girl, Eva,” he said gently, just before he handed her to me. My mother went about the task of tying the cord and cutting it, knowing that she would leave the rest for the doctor when he arrived.
When I got a good look at the slippery baby in my arms, I realized that Elijah was right. She was indeed very beautiful and dainty—much like Abigail had been. Eva uttered a short bellow before yawning and closing her eyes.
“Looks like that little one is worn out from all the excitement, mamma,” Elijah said to me.
“I’m awfully tired too. I could sure use a nap. Mamma, would you take her and clean her up for me?”
After admiring my new baby one more time, my mother took her new grandchild and busied herself about the task of caring for her. Eva let out a wail when the water began to drip over her, making us all joyful for her robust lung capacity. She sounded strong and healthy—almost feisty.
When Dr. Beiler arrived, he checked the baby quickly so her siblings could take a turn at admiring her as well. They’d been waiting for some time to meet their new sister, and Elijah wasn’t certain how long he could ward them off.
One by one they entered the room with such vigor; you’d have thought that she was an attraction at the county fair. They hovered over the child until Doc Beiler ushered them out of the room so he could do a more thorough check of me with a little bit of privacy. When Eli arrived home a few hours later, he asked me why I didn’t wait to give birth until after he’d gotten home. I knew he was joking, but I wished he could have been there.
****
Over the weeks, Eva grew and received a lot of attention from her siblings. There was hardly a moment when someone wasn’t holding her. It was true; she was indeed very spoiled from the moment she arrived, and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight. Even her grandparents seemed especially fond of her. It had been a while since they had any grandchildren, and we were all pretty certain that this would be the last from my family.
****
On Eva’s first birthday, the entire family turned out to wish her well. All her cousins came bearing gifts, as did her grandparents. She was spoiled with all sorts of pretty, handmade clothes, and my mother brought her camera to record the cake that didn’t quite make it into her mouth. Abraham, Elijah’s papa, didn’t like the use of the camera because of his strict Amish background, but over the years he’d gotten used to the fact that Elijah allowed the indulgence for my sake. I was grateful for the few pictures that were taken over the years. Without them, I would have had nothing to put in the locket that Elijah had given me for my thirtieth birthday.
****
After the spring planting, the family’s attention toward Eva seemed to stem off a bit, due to the business that had settled into the community. Elijah plowed the extra land that had been mostly wooded up until last fall. Over the years we’d used a good portion of the wood to heat the house in winter. Although we still had fifty acres of uncharted woods to contend with, Elijah decided to use a portion of it to cultivate more hay crop to feed the increasing amount of cattle that he had built up over the years.
****
When harvest season fell upon us once again, we found that the unexpectedly large hay crop proved to be beneficial for our increasing heads of cattle. The stores in the barn appeared to be enough to last the entire winter, which pleased Elijah. The previous year, he had to barter with his family and friends for extra hay for the hungry heads of cattle. After Thanksgiving, the community settled in for the winter, making preparations for Christmas. Cookies and pastries were exchanged in the community on nearly a daily basis. My parents, like every year, had accumulated a nice collection of Christmas cards that friends and family all over the country still sent them. I was happy they still had some connection with friends they had before we moved. It gave me a sense that my mother felt less stress from what was left behind.
****
Our winter was mild, and it was once agai
n spring—and with that came Eva’s second birthday. Time was flying by at such great speeds that it seemed we could hardly keep up with the goings-on in the family. Spring planting was beginning and Elijah was working extra hard on mending fences and repairing the barn roof from the effects of damaging hail.
On the first day of spring vacation, Eli and Simon assisted their father with the roof, while seven-year-old Jakob complained that he wasn’t getting his fair share of time on the roof of the barn, when in fact, he wasn’t getting any at all. All morning long, he whined for his brothers to come down so he could go up.
“Hey you guys, let me have a turn,” he begged.
“Halten vinen, Jakob.”
“I’m not whining, Papa, I promise. I just want a turn, that’s all.”
“I understand, but I don’t want any more than three people to up on the roof at one time.”
Little Wild Flower Book Two Page 8