The Mockingbird's Song

by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L. Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray

  “Yeah, well, that’s easy enough for you to say. You don’t live across from them, and you’re not being forced to hear the traffic noise brought on by all those people visiting that greenhouse nearly every day.” Virginia got out of the car and limped her way onto the porch.

  “I’m glad we went there,” Stella said, upon entering the house.

  “How’s your family doing?” Virginia asked, needing to change the subject.

  “Everyone’s fine. Jim’s wife got a new job last month, but I must have already told you about it.”

  Virginia shook her head. “I’m sure I’d remember if you did. What about your daughter? How’s she getting along since her divorce?”

  “It’s been difficult, but she’s adjusting to the change. Judy comes by and visits us quite often.”

  Lucky you. Virginia took a seat on the couch and motioned for Stella to do the same. How nice it would be to have a family who would come and visit me and Earl.

  After Sylvia put the children down for their afternoon naps, she went outside to check the clothes on the line. With the gentle warm breeze that had been blowing for the last few hours, all or most of the clothes were bound to be dry by now.

  When Sylvia stepped outside, the sight of clean sheets flapping in the breeze brought back childhood memories. Ever since she was a girl, Sylvia had enjoyed helping her mother hang the laundry. The fresh scent that followed her into the house when the clothes were dry was something she’d always looked forward to. It was strange how she viewed as special what some would see as a mundane chore.

  Two sparrows splashing in the birdbath nearby caught Sylvia’s attention. She paused from her job of removing the sheets to watch as the birds took drinks then flew in and out of their nests in the trees.

  No wonder Henry enjoys watching the birds so much. If I had more time I’d take a seat on the porch and just watch and listen.

  A bird on a branch overhead let loose with its mesmerizing song as it imitated other birds in the yard.

  “That mockingbird is really something, isn’t it?” Henry asked as he joined Sylvia by the clothesline.

  She nodded. “I can’t tell if it’s trying to entertain or mock us.”

  “It’s hard to say.” Henry stared into the tree. “Did you know that young males often sing at night?”

  Sylvia shook her head. “I don’t know much about any kind of bird, but I’d like to learn.”

  “I bet Dennis could tell us more than I know. He seems to have a lot of knowledge about birds found here in this state.”

  “You could be right, Henry, but if you keep studying birds and learning all you can about them, it won’t be long before you’ll know as much as Dennis.”

  Henry’s eyes brightened. “You think so?”

  “I do.” Sylvia took a sheet down from the line and placed it in her wicker basket. “You know, when Dennis met us at the house to get the key, he said that if either of us would like to go bird-watching again, to let him know, and he’d be glad to go along.”

  “I’d like that. Do you have his phone number? Can we give him a call?”

  “He gave me his cell number, but I think it might be too soon to pester him about going bird-watching with us. He just moved into my house last night and will need time to get settled in. He’ll also have to advertise and get his business of horse training going. If you want to go birding again soon, you can either go by yourself when you’re not working, or wait till I’m free to go with you.”

  “I’d rather wait for you. Bird-watching is more fun when you do it with someone else.”

  Sylvia smiled. She was pleased that her brother had not only found a new hobby to enjoy but also wanted to include her. Hopefully, they’d be able to take some time to go birding soon.

  Belinda stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection. She still needed to put on her headscarf before leaving for work. She turned her head from side to side, checking to be sure no hairs had come loose from her bun. After fixing a few stray ones, she tied the black scarf in place.

  Belinda sighed. Today was her fifty-first birthday and the depression she felt made her feel like she was a hundred years old. But it wasn’t turning a year older that put a lump in her throat. Today was the anniversary of her husband, son, and son-in-law’s deaths. Just when she thought she was doing a little better, she was hit once again with the reality that the three of them were gone and wouldn’t be coming back.

  Poor Sylvia. I’m sure she must be hurting real bad too. This day must also be hard for my other children as they think about the family members they lost.

  Tears welled in Belinda’s eyes. I hope the children haven’t planned anything special for my birthday this evening. I need to keep my mind off what day it is, so I’ll focus on my work in the greenhouse. This evening, it’ll be a quiet meal with the family, and then off to bed. No fuss—no bother—just another regular day.

  Belinda dried her eyes and blew her nose on a tissue. Then she splashed cold water on her face. I’ll feel better once today is over.

  Amy scurried about the kitchen, hoping to get breakfast on before her mother got up. It was bad enough that Mom had to work on her birthday. She shouldn’t have to cook for everyone too.

  The children padded into the kitchen in their bare feet, and Allen asked his auntie what was for breakfast.

  “I’m fixing pancakes,” Amy replied. “If you and your sister will go out to the living room and play, I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”

  Allen grinned, grabbed Rachel’s hand, and trotted out of the kitchen.

  Amy smiled as she went back to preparing the meal. She hoped the day would go well for her mother and that she would have a pleasant birthday.

  As a surprise, Amy and Sylvia had made plans to hire a driver and take their mother out for supper at Shady Maple this evening. They hadn’t told Henry yet, but Amy felt sure he’d enjoy going to the big buffet restaurant in East Earl. With so many options to choose from, diners found it nearly impossible not to find something they wanted to eat. Because today was also the one-year anniversary of their loved ones’ deaths, it would be better to go out to celebrate Mom’s birthday than to celebrate at home where the memory of that fateful day still lingered in each of their minds. She hoped by being in a public place with lots of food and action, Mom, as well as the rest of the family, would have an easier time. Who knows, she thought. We might all relax and enjoy ourselves, even though we’ll wish Dad, Abe, and Toby could be with us.

  Amy thought about Jared and how brokenhearted she’d be if something happened to him. Just pondering the idea was enough to put a lump in her throat. She couldn’t fathom how Mom and Sylvia must feel, having lost their husbands.

  When Sylvia entered the kitchen, she saw that Amy had already set the table and was now busy mixing pancake batter. Three banana peels lay next to the bowl, signaling that Amy was stirring together Mom’s favorite—banana pancakes.

  “I’m sorry for leaving you with all the work,” Sylvia apologized. “When I woke up this morning and the reality of what day it was set in, I had to remain in my room awhile to get control of my emotions.”

  “It’s fine. I understand.”

  Do you really? Sylvia wanted to ask, but she kept it to herself. There was no way Amy could understand, so nothing would be gained by posing such a question.

  “Is Mom up yet?” Sylvia questioned instead.

  Amy shrugged her slender shoulders. “She hasn’t come in here, but she might be in her bedroom or the bathroom, getting ready to face the day.”

  “When should we tell her about our plans for this evening?”

  “Not till the greenhouse closes for the day and we come up to the house. She’ll no doubt say something about needing to get supper started, and that’s when we can tell her our plans.”

  “So it’ll be a surprise until then.” Sylvia got out a cube of butter and the maple syrup bottle, along with a jar of honey, which she actually preferred on her pancakes.


  Amy nodded. “I think eating supper at Shady Maple will be good for all of us.”

  “I hope so.” Sylvia released a heavy sigh, looking toward the doorway. “Do you think it’ll be a mistake to take Allen and Rachel along?” she whispered. “We could drop them off at Mary Ruth’s. I’m sure she and Lenore wouldn’t mind watching them while we’re gone. I could go out to the phone shed and leave a message for them right now, which should give plenty of time for their response.”

  “It’s up to you, Sister, but I’m fairly certain that Mom will want the whole family at her birthday supper.”

  “True, but our whole family won’t be there. Ezekiel, Michelle, and their kinner will not be with us.”

  Amy turned to face Sylvia, with her chin tilted down. “I still wish our bruder would have moved back to Strasburg after Dad, Abe, and Toby died. We could certainly use his help in the greenhouse, not to mention the emotional support and spiritual guidance he would offer.”

  Sylvia didn’t care about receiving spiritual guidance from her brother or anyone else, but it would have been nice if he’d decided to move back here and help in the greenhouse. It would take some of the load off Mom, Amy, and even Henry. It would also mean Sylvia would never have to work in the greenhouse again. She couldn’t help thinking that things might be better for all of them if Ezekiel and Michelle lived closer.

  By the time their mother entered the kitchen, breakfast was done and ready to be put on the table. Coming into the room, she sniffed. “Something smells wunderbaar in here.”

  “Happy birthday, Mom,” Amy and Sylvia said in unison.

  “Danki.” Mom’s gaze went to the table. “For goodness’ sake, you girls have outdone yourself this morning.” She put both hands against her cheeks as she looked at the stack of pancakes piled high on a plate in the center of the table. “And it appears that you’ve fixed my favorite banana pannekuche.”

  “We sure did.” Amy’s lips pressed together. “Now if Henry would just get here, we could all eat.”

  “Where is our bruder?” Sylvia asked. “Shouldn’t he be in from choring by now?”

  Mom bobbed her head. “You’re right, he should. Would one of you mind going out to the barn to see if he’s still in there?”

  “I’ll go,” Sylvia volunteered. “The kinner are still playing in the living room and will come to breakfast when you call them.” She pointed to the table. “There’s no point in letting those delicious-looking pancakes get cold, so Mom and Amy, why don’t you go ahead and start eating? I’ll be back soon with Henry.”

  Mom called out to the children and tilted her head, as if weighing her choices. “Okay, if you insist, but when you see your brother, please ask him to hurry. If he’s late eating breakfast, he’ll be late coming to the greenhouse today.”

  “I’ll give him your message.” Sylvia seated the kids before she left the kitchen and then went out the back door. It didn’t take long to see why Henry hadn’t come into the house. She spotted him on the far side of the yard, looking up at a tree with his binoculars.

  She hurried over to stand beside him. “What are you doing, Brother? Mom, Amy, and my kinner have already started eating breakfast, and Mom said you need to hurry so you’re not late to work.”

  “I’m lookin’ at a red-winged blackbird.” He pointed, and then handed Sylvia the binoculars. “See it up there?”

  She held them up and peered through the lenses. Sure enough, there sat the pretty bird that had begun warbling a pretty song. Sylvia watched it several seconds, then handed the binoculars back to Henry. “As nice as it is to watch the voggel, today is Mom’s birthday, and the least we can do is sit with her at the table and enjoy the nice breakfast Amy made.”

  Henry continued to watch the bird. “I realize it’s Mom’s gebottsdaag, but I can’t forget that it’s also been a year since Dad, Abe, and Toby were killed in that horrible accident in front of our house.” He sniffed a couple of times then cleared his throat. “I don’t feel much like celebrating today, and I bet Mom doesn’t either.”

  “None of us do, Henry, but sitting around all day feeling sorry for ourselves won’t change our circumstances, will it?”

  He gave a slow shake of his head.

  “Mom doesn’t know it yet, but we’re all going out for supper this evening at the Shady Maple buffet.” She touched his arm. “So please be careful you don’t let it slip.”

  “I won’t say a word, but I bet goin’ out to supper won’t keep Mom from thinkin’ about what happened to our family members.”

  “Probably not, but it might cheer her up a bit.”

  “What about you, Sylvia?” Henry looked at her pointedly. “Will a trip to Shady Maple take the pain of losing your husband, father, and brother away?”

  “No,” she admitted, “but after a year of mourning, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to put my black clothes away and at least try to start living again and looking for things to smile about. My kinner deserve a mudder who isn’t always sad and moody.”

  “Guess you’re right.” Henry took hold of Sylvia’s arm and started walking toward the house. “You wanna know something?”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m still mad at God for takin’ three important men in my life away.”

  Me too, Henry, and I’m not sure my faith will ever be restored again. Sylvia gave her brother’s arm a little squeeze, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

  Clymer

  “Are you all packed, Michelle?” Ezekiel called when he entered the house at nine-thirty that morning. He’d returned from his shop where he’d made sure he had plenty of work laid out for his employees, Joseph and Andy, to do during the four days he and his family would be in Strasburg. There was no point in traveling such a distance unless they could stay at least that long.

  With their nine-month-old son in her arms, Michelle stepped into the living room, where Ezekiel waited. “Almost ready. Angela Mary’s looking for one of her shoes, and I was trying to help her find it when you called out to me.”

  “Here, let me have this little guy while you assist our daughter.” Ezekiel held out his arms and smiled when Vernon went to him willingly.

  “You’re looking forward to going to see your family as much as I am, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. “I’m glad we decided not to tell them we’re coming. It’ll be a fun surprise birthday gift from us when we show up unexpectedly.”

  “I hope they’re home when we get there. But in case they’re out somewhere, you might want to take your key to their house.”

  “I doubt they’ll be gone, but don’t worry. I have a spare on my key ring.”

  “Good. I’d like to be prepared in the event that they may have made plans to go out somewhere for supper to celebrate your mamm’s birthday.”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “I can’t remember a time in the past when we celebrated her or my daed’s birthday anyplace but at home. They always said home was the happiest place they could be with their family.”

  Michelle leaned forward and encompassed Ezekiel and the baby in a hug. “I feel that way about my little family too. I have to admit, though, it is nice to eat out at a restaurant once in a while.”

  “Same here, but I assure you, when we get to Strasburg around five this evening, everyone will be home, and soon after we get there it’ll be time for supper.” Ezekiel gave a wide grin. “I can hardly wait to see the look on Mom’s face when we show up.”

  Strasburg

  Virginia set her crossword puzzle aside and made her way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. It would be several hours yet before Earl came home from work, and she would need to come up with something for supper.

  She scratched her head. I’m drawing a blank on what to fix. Something different would be nice for a change.

  Her gaze came to rest on the new cookbook sitting there, full of Amish recipes. Unbeknownst to her, Stella had bought them both a copy, and she’d surprised Virginia with it on the las
t day of her visit.

  She exhaled noisily. Stella’s my only true friend, and I miss her company. Virginia lifted the cookbook and thumbed through the pages. I wonder if she’s tried any of these recipes.

  If Virginia had her way, she and Earl would go out to eat every night, but that was unrealistic. He made enough selling cars to pay for their basic expenses, but he’d been trying to put some money into their savings account and had stated several times that there should be no unnecessary spending. He’d made it clear to Virginia that going out to a restaurant once or twice a month was all they could afford. Even then, he almost always chose less expensive restaurants.

  At least my husband isn’t a cheapskate when it comes to buying new appliances when they quit working and cost too much to be repaired, Virginia reminded herself. Guess I should be grateful for that. And, he’s never insisted that I get a job to help with our expenses.

  She filled her mug with coffee and took a seat at the table. Stella and I had some good chats while she was here a few weeks ago. Sure wish I had a friend like her who lived close by.

  Virginia blew on her coffee. I can’t make friends with any of the Amish women who live nearby. We have nothing in common. She tapped her fingers on the table. What would we have to talk about—how many bales of hay they need to feed their horses? Or maybe we could discuss how to wash dishes by hand or sew a plain dress. She wrinkled her nose. I don’t think so. If I’m going to find a new friend, I’ll have to look elsewhere, because sitting home by myself five days a week has left me in a depressed state.

  Belinda felt thankful that they’d been busy in the greenhouse all day, because it had kept her mind occupied and free of negative thoughts. Amy tried to be cheerful too, which helped a lot. Henry, on the other hand, hadn’t said much to either of them, other than his quick, “Happy birthday,” to Belinda this morning before they opened for business.