The Mockingbird's Song

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

  “Are you still fretting about not getting an invite to that wedding?”

  “Uh-huh. I can’t help it, Earl. It was my ace in the hole to get Stella back here for a visit.” Virginia wiped her tears away. “Now I’m stuck here with no friends at all.”

  He put his arm around her. “Not true, Wife. I’m here with you, and I thought we were friends.”

  “We are, Earl, but I need someone I can hang out with when you’re not at home.” She sniffed. “Even a dog or a cat would be nice.”

  “Well, if it means that much to you, then we can go looking for a dog at the animal shelter on Saturday.”

  “How about a cat? That gray-and-white one that rubbed my leg would make a nice pet if it shows up here again.”

  “I’m sure that cat belongs to someone. What you need is a pet that doesn’t already have a home.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Virginia was pleased that Earl cared enough to get her a pet—especially when he wasn’t that fond of cats or dogs. Still a critter couldn’t take the place of a human friend—at least not for her.

  What continued to weigh heavily on Virginia’s mind, though, were the binoculars she’d dropped in the weeds across the street. She needed to fetch them before Earl realized they were missing, so she wouldn’t have to explain the whole stupid story of her spying on the Kings. Earl would be ready for his after-supper nap pretty quick. He already had his favorite TV show on, and it wouldn’t be long till he was out like a light.

  Virginia limped to the kitchen and poured herself some coffee. She had previously cleaned up everything from their meal. Despite the gnawing pain in her leg, she felt determined to sneak back over to the neighbors as soon as possible.

  Virginia returned to the living room with the coffee in hand and took a seat again on the couch. Sure enough, like clockwork Earl reclined in his chair, engrossed in his show. Wild horses couldn’t rouse him out of that chair right now. She covered her mouth to keep from snickering.

  Earl glanced in her direction briefly but didn’t say anything. He turned his head back to his favorite program, while Virginia waited for his nap to start.

  As she looked through her magazine, her mind got to thinking that it was getting later and darker outside. She’d probably need a flashlight in order to see. Virginia hoped no one would catch her shining the beam of light around their driveway. I just need to be careful, is all, and make sure I’m not seen.

  It didn’t seem that long before Earl was slouched in his chair and snoring. He had mentioned during supper that he’d been busier than normal at work today and felt more tired than usual.

  Now was Virginia’s chance to take care of the task. She grabbed a flashlight, put on an old pair of shoes, and crept out the back door. It was dark, and she needed both hands to carry things, so again, she left her cane behind. I’ll get those binoculars quickly and will be back in no time.

  Virginia paused to wait for a passing car, then headed across the road. She shined a beam of light in front of her, and halfway up the Kings’ driveway, she headed for the side she’d last had the field glasses.

  “Okay, it was about here that I was crouched,” Virginia whispered as she kept the light pointed directly at the ground. “Ah, that must be it.” She caught sight of something shiny on the ground, but it turned out to be an aluminum can, so she gave it a kick. Ouch! That was dumb.

  As Virginia kept searching, her leg started hurting again. Come on—where are those binoculars? I’m pretty sure this is where I was before. She continued to search, but was interrupted when a couple of horse and buggies pulled in. Virginia ducked behind a tree and waited until they passed.

  What’s the deal? Are they having more people coming to this event? Oh, yeah, I bet it’s the second meal Jared and Amy had told us about.

  Others followed in both cars and Amish rigs. Her nerves were about shot from hiding and waiting for the guests to quit flowing in. Why did I decide to do this? If Earl wakes up and I’m not there, he’ll come looking for me.

  When the coast was clear, Virginia did more hunting. After a few minutes, she bumped something hard with the toe of her shoe. At last she’d found the binoculars, so she leaned down and grabbed them up. Now the goal was to head back home quickly, but her leg throbbed even worse, making walking more difficult.

  Virginia was almost to the mouth of the driveway, when another buggy came down the road. She moved into the shadows, out of sight, but managed to slip and fall. Her knee took the brunt of it, and when the rig went past, she clambered to her feet and, despite the pain, made a beeline straight for her house and in through the back door.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she put away the flashlight and carried the binoculars into the living room.

  Earl sat up in his chair and looked at her. “What are you up to, woman?”

  “What do you mean?” Virginia’s heart pounded so hard she worried Earl might hear it from across the room.

  “You’re holding those field glasses. Are you spying on someone again?”

  “I could be.” She sat down on the couch.

  He pointed at her knee. “What’s that on your pant leg? It looks like dirt and grass stains.”

  “Um, well…maybe.” She tried to brush it away.

  “You red-headed spy. Were you outside in the dark, trying to see what our neighbors are doing?” He shook his head. “Woman, we need to find you a better hobby.”

  “I was bored, Earl, that’s all.”

  “That is an understatement.” He sat back and grabbed the TV remote.

  Virginia was glad her husband didn’t know any of the details about what had really happened. She still couldn’t help feeling cheated by those Amish people. How could they have forgotten to send her an invite?

  She crossed her arms and frowned. I can’t help being mad over the whole thing. I wish we lived somewhere else right now.

  Sylvia tried to relax and enjoy the evening, but she was tired from the long day and felt a headache coming on. She’d put Allen and Rachel to bed half an hour ago and wished she could join them, but didn’t want to be impolite. After all, it wasn’t every day they got to visit with Ezekiel and Michelle. Since they would be returning home the day after tomorrow, she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

  “Would anyone like more cake or coffee?” she asked.

  Mom yawned as she shook her head. “I’m too full and tired to eat anything more. How about the rest of you?”

  “No thank you. I’m full too,” Michelle said.

  “Same here.” Ezekiel looked at Henry. “I bet you’ve got room for some more cake. Am I right, bissel bruder?”

  Henry blew out his breath in a noisy huff. “I ain’t your little brother. I’m almost a man, and I work full time in the greenhouse and other places around here, so in my book, that makes me a man.”

  Mom lifted her hand toward Henry from across the room, where she sat in her rocker. “You’re right, Son. You do the work of a man, and it’s much appreciated.”

  Henry shrugged in response, then got up out of his chair. “Think I’ll go on up to my room.” He hurried off before anyone could say goodnight.

  Sylvia felt sorry for her brother. He had a lot on his young shoulders and had been cheated out of being able to fully enjoy his teenage years. She was thankful Dennis had come into their lives, because he’d filled a void in both her and Henry’s lives.

  She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, remembering how handsome Dennis had looked today. She’d invited him to stay awhile after everyone else went home, but he said he’d better go and tend to his dog and the horses. Dennis did promise to return in the morning to help clean up and put everything back together.

  Her lips formed a smile. What a kind and thoughtful person he is.

  “What are you grinning about, Sylvia?”

  Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Ezekiel’s question. “Oh, nothing much—just reflecting on what a nice day we all had.” She wasn’t about to admit that her focus ha
d mostly been on Dennis. Quite likely her brother would start in with some teasing, which Sylvia didn’t feel like dealing with right now.

  “It was a good day, wasn’t it?” Mom spoke up.

  Michelle bobbed her head. “Yes, it was great. Amy and Jared make such a nice couple. Their faces glowed with the happiness they shared on their wedding day.” She looked over at Ezekiel and smiled. “And I know exactly how it feels.”

  He grinned back at her. “Same here, Fraa. Being married to you has made me so happy.”

  “Michelle, you have been a welcome addition to our family,” Mom said. “We all love and appreciate you.”

  Patches of pink erupted on Michelle’s pretty face. “Danki, Belinda. I love and appreciate all of you too.”

  Sylvia’s thoughts turned to Dennis. Why can’t Mom be as accepting toward him as she is with Michelle? Of course, Sylvia reasoned, it wasn’t always that way. In the beginning of Ezekiel and Michelle’s relationship, Mom made no bones about how absolutely she opposed their courtship. My sister-in-law had to prove herself before Mom would let her in. Hopefully Dennis will eventually do or say something that will cause my mamm to see him in a positive light.

  Around midnight, after Belinda and the others finally retired for the night, she lay in bed, unable to sleep. Too much excitement from the day might be part of the reason, but mostly Belinda couldn’t turn off the thoughts swirling through her head concerning her family and the situations each of them was in. Her oldest son seemed content living in Clymer, New York, while she sensed his wife would rather they still lived in Strasburg. But Michelle had agreed to be content living away from the friends she’d made here and seemed supportive of her husband and his business aspirations.

  Amy was now a married woman and would settle into a routine as Jared’s wife. No doubt children would come in the next few years.

  Henry still struggled with the turmoil of losing his father and brother. Even when he smiled and things seemed to be going along okay, Belinda sensed a battle raging inside her son.

  Then there was Sylvia, who had made progress in accepting her husband’s death, and now appeared to be looking to the future with another man.

  Belinda reached back and clutched the edges of her pillow. I just wish things weren’t moving so fast between Sylvia and Dennis. I still don’t think she knows enough about him to make a permanent commitment, and I hope Dennis doesn’t push her into a marriage she’s not ready for.

  A fiery orange shone through Belinda’s bedroom window, putting an end to her musings. Could the sun be coming up already? Could I have fallen asleep and not realized it?

  She pushed her covers aside and crawled out of bed, then padded over to the window and lifted the shade. She froze, rooted to the spot, before she let out an ear-piecing scream and ran from the room. “Fire! Our barn is ablaze!”

  Belinda stood with tears rolling down her cheeks, staring at what was left of their barn. She still couldn’t believe it was gone. Oh Vernon, you sure liked that old building, and so did I.

  She plucked a tissue from her sweater sleeve. In the light of day it looked worse than it had in the blackness of night.

  After she’d seen the fire and called out to her family, they’d all rushed outside, and Henry dashed to the phone shed to call for help. In the meantime, Belinda, along with Ezekiel, Michelle, and Sylvia made every effort to put out the fire with the hose and buckets of water. By the time the fire trucks arrived, nearly half the barn was gone. Ezekiel and Henry had managed to get the horses out in time, and Henry’s dog, as well as the barn cats had all escaped danger.

  Belinda had left a message on Amy and Jared’s voice mail, but she couldn’t be sure when they might check it and learn the sad news. Maybe they won’t know until they get here. Belinda gripped her face on both sides. Oh my…what a shock it will be.

  Sylvia stepped up to Belinda and reached for her hand. “How could this have happened, Mom? Was the fire set on purpose, or could a gas lamp have gotten knocked over?”

  Belinda shook her head. “The only evidence the firemen found was an empty pack of cigarettes outside the barn.”

  “Who do you know that smokes and might have been in our barn? Could it have been someone who attended the wedding yesterday?” Michelle asked. She’d been in and out of the house several times, checking on the baby, who lay sleeping in the living room in his playpen. The other children played outside by the house, where it was safe, while the adults stood around the site of the damage.

  “I know of nobody specifically,” Belinda responded, “but I suppose the empty package could have been from one of our guests.” She crossed her arms as she looked at her youngest son, who appeared to be fidgeting. What’s going on with my boy? Henry wasn’t looking at her much, which seemed odd to her.

  “Seth smokes,” Henry finally spoke up.

  “What was that, Son?” Belinda blinked.

  “I said, ‘Seth smokes.’ Of course he wasn’t at the wedding.” His brows furrowed. “Seth has been in the barn before, and maybe he came here late last night after everyone else had gone home.”

  “Why would he show up that late and drop a pack of cigarettes outside the barn?” Ezekiel looked at Henry.

  “He’s mad at me right now.”

  “Oh? How come?” Ezekiel tilted his head.

  Henry explained Seth’s reasons, and Belinda quickly spoke up. “I don’t believe Henry’s friend would deliberately set our barn on fire. It was probably some kind of an accident that started the blaze.” Belinda turned her head as Jared’s horse and buggy entered the yard. He brought it to a halt at the hitching rail, then both he and Amy jumped out of the carriage.

  “What in the world?” Amy’s ashen face reflected her shock. “Did this fire happen during the night?” She pointed to what was left of the barn.

  Belinda nodded. “We discovered it shortly after midnight.”

  “I wish you had notified us,” Jared interjected. “We would have come over right away.”

  “I left a message on your voice mail but not until the fire had been put out,” Belinda explained.

  Jared pulled his fingers through the back of his hair. “Amy and I slept longer than we expected, and I forgot to check for messages before coming here.”

  Amy’s cheeks colored a bit as she nodded. “Yesterday was a long, busy day, and we were pretty tired.”

  “And it turned out to be a long night.” Ezekiel gazed down with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “I hope this was not another act of—”

  Belinda looked at Amy and put a finger to her lips. No way did she want Ezekiel or Michelle to know about any of the damage that had been done on the property.

  “We’ll need to have a work party to clean this mess up.” Jared gestured to the debris. “And also build a new barn.”

  “We’ll stay long enough to help clean things up and also come back to help with the reconstruction.”

  “There’s no need for that,” Belinda was quick to say. “I’m sure we’ll have more than enough help when it’s time to have a barn raising.”

  “Maybe so, but I wouldn’t feel right about not being here for that, so I’ll try to make sure it will happen.” Ezekiel gave Belinda a hug. “You know, Mom, I’m still willing to move back here if you want me to.”

  She shook her head determinedly. “Not a chance! I won’t ask you give up the life you have created for your family there in New York. Is that understood?”

  He bobbed his head.

  Belinda drew in a sharp breath. She hoped no one else would bring up any of the things that had previously been done to their property.

  When Dennis showed up a short time later, Sylvia felt like running to him and throwing herself into his arms to release her pent-up emotions. But she held herself in check when he joined them in front of the devastation and stared with incredulity.

  Sylvia noticed her mother’s quick look of disapproval toward Dennis. Did she think he shouldn’t have come to help out
?

  “What happened here?” He looked at Sylvia and placed his hand on her arm. “I came this morning to help clean up after the wedding but never expected to see something like this.”

  Sylvia didn’t trust her voice to respond to his question, but she was saved from having to answer when Mom spoke up. “During the night, someone or something started the fire in the barn.”

  “Oh my!” His mouth opened slightly.

  “We did our best to put the fire out,” Ezekiel interjected, “but on our own we couldn’t do much until the fire trucks arrived. Even then, they couldn’t save much of the barn.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Dennis’s words were spoken in a kind, soothing tone.

  Sylvia felt better with him being there, and it gave her heart pleasure, despite the charred remains that lay in front of them.

  “We’ll be having a clean-up frolic and later a new barn will be raised,” Jared said. “I’ll get the fellows who work for me to help put on the new roof when the structure’s ready.”

  “I will help in any way I can.” Dennis slipped his arm around Sylvia’s waist. “Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?”

  “I’m fine, and so is everyone else. Thank the Lord for that.”

  “Yes, indeed.”

  Sylvia felt comforted by Dennis’s presence, and his arm around her waist made her feel protected and loved. I’m certain that he loves me, she thought. I love him too. I hope as Mom sees how much Dennis cares about all of us that she’ll change her mind about him.

  Sylvia looked up when that crazy mockingbird began to carry on. “Go away, you silly bird.” Once again, she thought it seemed as if the feathered fowl had been mocking them.

  Virginia stood at the living room window with her binoculars. She tried to see, but it was hard with the amount of trees and bushes covering part of their neighbors’ property. She looked up their driveway intently. Sure wish I could see into their yard better. I know where there’s a good place to see things, but I’d have to go back to the spot where I was yesterday.