As soon as Henry pulled up to the rail, Sylvia got out of the buggy and headed for the house. “Have you been waiting long, Mr. Weaver—I mean, Dennis?”
“Nope. Got here about five minutes ago.” He stood and gave her hand a warm, firm handshake. “From what I’ve seen outside so far, it looks like you have a nice place here.”
“Danki.” Sylvia put her key in the door and opened it. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll show you around.”
Shortly after Sylvia and Dennis entered the living room, Henry came into the house. “What do you think so far, Dennis?” he asked. “It’s a nice place, jah?”
Sylvia wished she could give her brother’s arm a poke, but he wasn’t standing close enough to do so. “Let’s allow him to make his own decision, okay, Brother?”
“Jah, sure.” Henry pulled off his straw hat and tossed it by the door.
“I’m liking what I see so far.” Dennis lifted his own hat, revealing a good amount of thick brown hair. “This room has a comfortable appeal. Looks like a nice place for relaxing at the end of the day.”
Sylvia’s mind flashed back to some of the evenings she and Toby had spent in their living room. She’d always felt comfortable when they relaxed here together, but now, being anywhere in this house made her scalp prickle.
“It’s an older home, with creaky floorboards and drafty rooms, but it could be quite nice if some of the rooms, like the kitchen, were updated a bit.”
“Looks okay to me just the way it is.” Dennis leaned against the back of the sofa. “Will any of the hausrod be left in the home, or would I need to provide my own furniture?”
“I’m planning to remove all my personal items, but most of the furniture will stay here.”
“I see.”
“Would you like to look at the rest of the house now?”
“Sure thing.”
“All right then, please follow me.” Sylvia looked at Henry to see if he wanted to join them, but he waved her on and flopped onto the couch.
After Sylvia gave Dennis the complete tour, including the four bedrooms, attic, and basement, they went outside to look at the barn and all the property that went with the house.
“The scheier is plenty adequate for horses,” Dennis commented.
“Jah, there are four stalls in the barn, which was more than I needed.”
When they left the building Sylvia showed him the pasture. “Ten acres comes with this house.”
“Sounds good. Have you decided how much you’ll be asking for the rent?”
She stated the amount, and he nodded. “Sounds reasonable.”
“When my husband was alive, he fenced in the pasture, but we only had two horses, so they had all the room they needed to roam around.”
Dennis’s head jerked back slightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were a widow, but then I should have guessed, since you’re wearing all black. I’m sorry for your loss, Sylvia.”
Before she could form a response, Henry spoke up. “Sylvia’s husband, along with our dad and brother, were killed in an accident last spring.” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “It was a tragedy that none of us was prepared for.”
Dennis’s brows pulled down. “That’s sad. I extend my condolences to both of you.”
Sylvia swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn’t break down in front of this near stranger. “I’ve been living with my mother and two siblings since the accident, and it’s been a difficult transition.”
“I can imagine how it must have affected your whole family, because…” Dennis paused and pulled his fingers down the sides of his cheeks. “Umm… This is not something I normally talk about—especially with people I barely know, but I think I should share it with you.”
Sylvia tipped her head. Dennis looked so serious. “What is it you wish to say?”
“I lost my daed in a hunting accident. We’d gone deer hunting with my uncle, and it ended in tragedy when Uncle Ben accidently shot Dad. I saw the whole thing happen, and I couldn’t do a thing about it.”
Sylvia gasped, and Henry stood with his mouth gaping open.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Those were the only words she could think to offer.
“Life is hard, and there are usually no explanations that make us feel better about the hardships we must face on this earth. We just have to figure out the best way to get through them.” Dennis looked at Henry, then back at Sylvia. “Were your family members riding in a carriage when their accident happened?”
Sylvia nodded.
Henry explained the details of the accident, while Sylvia tried to keep her composure. It was always hard to talk about the sorrowful event, and the look of sympathy on Dennis’s face didn’t make it any easier. One thing was certain: he understood the way she felt.
Will the pain of losing our precious family members ever end? Sylvia asked herself. Will I always carry a deep ache in my heart?
Dennis leaned on a fence post as he stared out at the pasture. “Yep, the more I look at this area the more I feel that it would work out well for training horses.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“How soon would it be before I could move in?”
“Probably by the beginning of next week. I’ll need some time to clear out all my personal items, along with any furnishings I don’t want to part with that will fit in my mamm’s house. Would that be soon enough, Mr. Weaver?”
“That should work out fine. And please, call me Dennis.”
“Right. I’ll try to remember.” Sylvia reached up to make sure her head covering had not become crooked from the wind that recently picked up. “One more thing. How many beds will you need?”
“Three would be nice. One would be for me, of course, and the others for any of my family who might come down from Dauphin County to visit.”
“That should work out fine then, since I’m staying at my mamm’s place, where there are enough beds.”
Henry interrupted their conversation when he pointed to a tree on the right side of the pasture. “Look…there’s a male cowbird! See its glossy black feathers and chocolate-brown head? If there were feeders out in your yard, Sylvia, I bet he’d come right to them.”
Sylvia and Dennis both looked in the direction Henry pointed. At least she was able to see the bird without the aid of binoculars.
“It’s a member of the blackbird family,” Dennis commented. “It reminds me of a female red-winged blackbird.” He looked at Henry. “Did you know at one time cowbirds followed bison to feed on insects that were attracted to those immense animals?”
“Didn’t know that. How interesting.” Henry leaned forward with one hand on his knee. “I like finding out new information about the veggel here in this state.”
Dennis gave him a thumbs-up.
Sylvia couldn’t help but notice the enthusiasm in her brother’s voice. Bird-watching, which began for Henry last year when he started feeding the crow in their yard, was definitely a good hobby for him.
When the bird flew out of the tree and across the road, Dennis turned to face Sylvia. “May I go ahead and write a check for the first month’s rent now?”
“It would be better if you wait until I get everything out of the house that I want, and I will also need to clean the place real good.”
He flapped his hand. “Don’t worry about that. I can clean it myself before I move in.”
Sylvia shook her head vigorously. No way would she allow him to move into the house without her cleaning it first. “If you will give me a phone number where you can be reached, I’ll call as soon as the place is ready. Then I’ll schedule a time to meet you over here with a key and you can pay for the first month’s rent at that time.”
Dennis smiled and held out his hand to shake hers. “Agreed.”
When Sylvia and Henry arrived home, Mom met them at the door. “I’m glad you’re back. Supper’s ready and we need to hurry and eat, because our driver will be here at seven-thirty.”
Sylvia touched the base of her
neck. “Why do we have a driver coming? Did something happen that I should know about? Has someone been hurt?”
“Yeah, Mom,” Henry questioned. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going over to the Fullers to see their new boppli. Don’t you remember that I mentioned it this morning?”
Sylvia shook her head. “I was aware that Sara had had her baby, but I didn’t realize any plans had been made for us to go visit them this evening.”
Mom looked at Henry. “Do you remember me mentioning it, Son?”
“Yeah, but I thought it was tomorrow night that we’d be going.”
Their mother sighed. “I’m beginning to think no one listens to me anymore. I got better response from my kinner when they were growing up than I do now.”
Sylvia looked at Henry and shrugged her shoulders, then followed Mom into the kitchen where Amy waited near the stove. Allen was seated at the table on his booster seat, and Rachel sat in her wooden high chair.
“Mammi,” Allen said.
“Mammi,” Rachel repeated, clapping her chubby hands.
Sylvia bent to kiss the tops of their heads. “I hope you were both good for Grossmammi and Aendi Amy while I was gone.”
“They were sweet as cotton candy.” Amy smiled and came over to tweak Allen’s nose.
He giggled. Rachel did too, even though her nose hadn’t been tweaked.
“How did it go over at your house with Mr. Weaver?” Mom asked after she put a loaf of bread on the table.
Sylvia figured they were having sandwiches for supper, because a tray had been piled high with lunch meat and three kinds of cheeses. “It went fine,” she replied. “He liked the house, barn, and the amount of land that comes with it. As soon as I get the rest of my personal things out and have cleaned the house from top to bottom, he’ll move in.”
Mom pursed her lips, but she didn’t say a word. Sylvia hoped she’d thought it over and had come around to accept her hasty decision. But even if her mother didn’t approve of the idea, Sylvia wouldn’t change her mind. She’d made an agreement with Dennis, and she would not go back on her word. Despite what Mom, or anyone else thought, in Sylvia’s heart, she felt that she’d made the right decision.
Ronks
“I have some gut nei-ichkeede to share with you,” Dennis said when he arrived back at his friend’s house and found James in the barn, cleaning his horse’s hooves.
“What’s the good news?” James looked up at Dennis with a curious expression.
“I’m gonna be renting the place I told you about.”
“From the woman you met when you were out birding?”
“Jah.” Dennis leaned against the horse’s stall. “I should be out of your hair in about a week.”
“No problem. Is the place furnished?”
“Yeah, but Sylvia said she might take a few pieces of furniture. There will still be enough stuff for me to use without having to buy anything, though.”
“That’s good. How about the property? Is there enough land for you to train horses?”
“Yep. Ten acres comes with the place. I could raise horses there if I decide to go in that direction.”
“Sounds like things are working out for you then.”
“It would seem so, but only time will tell.” Dennis lifted his shoulders briefly, and then let them fall. “Also found out she’s a widow, and she doesn’t want to sell the house.”
James set the tool he’d been using aside and straightened. “Is she planning to move back there sometime in the future?”
“Not from the sound of it, but then, one never knows. Hopefully if she does, she’ll give me plenty of advance notice. Sure wouldn’t want to buy any horses and then find out I was gonna have to find someplace else to relocate them.”
“Well, you know the old saying: Take one day at a time.”
Dennis gave a nod. He knew that saying all too well, because ever since his dad passed away, the only way he could survive emotionally was to take one day at a time.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Sylvia was surprised to see their driver Polly pull up in a smaller van than she usually drove. She got out, went around, and opened up the sliding door in the back. “Hello, Sylvia,” Polly said in her usual robust voice. “It’s nice to see you and the children, but where’s the rest of your family?
Sylvia smiled as she walked to the van with Rachel and Allen. “They should be out soon. How’s it going?”
“Pretty well. My mother is at one of her bingo games, and Dad’s out fishing.” Polly gestured to the van. “My larger rig is in the shop getting work done, but this one is big enough to haul your family this evening.”
“You’re right. There should be plenty of room.”
“Your children are sure cute. Seems like they’ve grown since the last time I saw them.”
“Yes, and the proof is that I had to let the hem down on two pairs of Allen’s trousers the other day.”
Mom, Amy, and Henry came out of the house, while Sylvia put the children in the back of the van and fastened them into their safety seats.
“Hello, Polly.” Mom and Amy greeted her with a smile, but Henry said nothing. It appeared that he wasn’t too thrilled about going on this trip to Lancaster. No doubt he’d rather spend the evening with Seth or one of his other friends.
Mom chose to sit in the back with Allen and Rachel, while Amy sat in the seat in front of them, next to Sylvia.
“Now where are we headed?” Polly asked as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Hang on a minute. This doesn’t want to clip in.” Mom struggled with her seatbelt until it finally fastened. “We’ll be heading over to Brad and Sara Fuller’s place. Sylvia has the address.”
Sylvia reached into her purse and handed the slip of paper to Polly, as Henry, still quiet, got in and took the passenger’s seat up front.
“Thanks,” Polly said. “I have to take care of a few errands for myself and my mom. How long do you think you’ll be there visiting?”
“I’m not sure,” Mom replied, “but I’ll call your cell number when we’re ready to be picked up.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
As they headed in the direction of Lancaster, Sylvia eyed the farms along the way while listening to Mom chatting to the children. The closer they got to their destination, the farther away Sylvia wanted to be. It would be difficult seeing how happy Sara and Brad were with their new baby. Just one more reminder that my husband is gone and we’ll have no more children together.
Rachel began to kick the back of Sylvia’s seat as she fussed and carried on. Sylvia reached into her tote bag and pulled out a toy, which she handed back to Mom. She hoped it would suffice and felt relieved when her daughter quieted.
Sylvia fidgeted with her purse straps, wishing she had come up with a good reason to stay home this evening. She’d been taught from an early age that it was wrong to allow jealousy to take over when someone had something you wanted. While she had no logical reason to be jealous of Sara, Sylvia’s envy came from the fact that the Fullers’ child would have two parents to love and nurture him, while her children only had a mother. I’m not sure how good of a parent I am, she thought. Without Toby’s assistance, raising Allen and Rachel was proving to be a challenge.
In the last week or so, Allen had begun throwing temper tantrums whenever he didn’t get his way. Sylvia struggled to deal with them and often felt like giving in and allowing him to have his own way. But that would not be good parenting. It probably wouldn’t be long before Rachel began to imitate her brother’s actions, and then Sylvia would have more trouble on her hands.
Maybe Sylvia wouldn’t have such a difficult time making decisions on how to handle her children if she felt content and her soul was at peace. But even the few moments when she did feel a bit of happiness, like when she went birding with Henry, something usually happened to snatch it away. Sylvia wondered if she would ever really know what true contentment and tranquility felt like.
<
br /> “We’re here.” Their driver’s announcement halted Sylvia’s introspections. It was time to put on a pleasant face.
When they entered the parsonage, which had been built on the lot next to the church where Sara’s husband preached every Sunday, Brad greeted them at the door.
“Come in. Come in. It’s so good to see all of you.” He shook everyone’s hand and gave Sylvia’s children a pat on the head. “Sara and I have been looking forward to your visit and introducing you to the newest member of our family.”
Brad led the way to the living room, where Sara sat in a rocking chair, holding the infant. Everyone gathered around—even Henry—to get a look at the bundle of joy.
“He’s a beautiful baby.” A sense of joy mixed with anticipation filled Amy’s soul. Oh, how she looked forward to marrying Jared and hopefully becoming a mother someday.
After everyone pummeled Sara and Brad with questions about how she and the baby were doing and how much the child weighed, Sara asked if anyone would like to hold the baby.
“I would.” Amy was the first to speak up.
Sara stood and let Amy take her seat, then handed the precious bundle over to her. Following that, she took a seat on the couch between Mom and Sylvia.
“We have a little something for the baby.” Mom reached into her tote bag and removed a package wrapped in blue tissue paper. She handed it to Sara.
While Sara opened the gift, Amy watched Sylvia’s expression. Her pinched expression and flushed cheeks made Amy believe that her sister struggled with envy.
Does Sylvia wish she could have another boppli, or is my sister thinking about Toby right now and feeling envious because Sara has a husband and she doesn’t? Amy put the baby against her shoulder and gently patted his back. How will Sylvia deal with it when Jared and I get married? Will it pull us apart when I move out of Mom’s house and set up housekeeping in the home Jared and I choose to live in?
Amy glanced in the direction of her sister again. Perhaps my being gone will strengthen Sylvia and Mom’s relationship. It has seemed a bit strained lately, especially since Sylvia announced her intentions to rent her house to a man she barely knows.
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