The Mercy

by Beverly Lewis

  “Awful nice of Mose and Ruthann to invite us, ain’t?” Rose said, smiling as Sally played with Leah’s Kapp strings.

  “Heard there might be another guest comin’,” Leah whispered.

  Rose didn’t make a peep. Just as she’d thought, this was not going to be a normal family gathering.

  “Seems your brother and wife are bent on matchmaking.”

  Do they feel sorry for us? It was the first they’d ever attempted such a thing. Regardless, it seemed unfitting for Mose to invite two single girls and only one fellow!

  Hen was aware of the ebb and flow of conversation downstairs, but she couldn’t make out what was being said. Brandon and Aaron seemed to be getting along agreeably, even laughing occasionally—something quite remarkable.

  “Mommy, why’s Daddy goin’ to New York?” Mattie Sue asked out of the blue. They had been sitting on Hen’s bed while Mattie Sue played with Wiggles and Hen read her Bible.

  “Your grandpa and grandma Orringer live in New York.”

  Mattie Sue frowned. “I wish he’d stay here . . . with us.” She cuddled Wiggles next to her face.

  “I know, honey.” Hen tickled Mattie Sue under her chin. Wiggles began licking her finger and Mattie let out a stream of laughter.

  “Wiggles wants to stay with us, Mommy.”

  “The puppy told you?” Hen kissed Mattie Sue’s cheek, laughing softly.

  Mattie Sue looked up at her with trusting eyes. Then she surprised her and said, “Beth prays about everything, doesn’t she?”

  “I think you might be right.”

  “Well, then, I want to pray like that, too.” Mattie Sue got down on her knees beside the bed, bowed her head, and folded her hands. Wiggles licked her cheek and Mattie Sue giggled the start of her prayer.

  “Now, honey. Why don’t you wait till you’re more serious?”

  “Dawdi Sol says God can see inside my heart, so He knows what I’m going to say, jah?”

  As a child, Hen had been taught the importance of being reverent while praying. “Still, it’s best to pray when Wiggles isn’t making you laugh,” she urged.

  Mattie Sue rose, gathered Wiggles into her arms, and carried him off to her own bedroom. She closed the door and returned to Hen’s room empty-handed. Smiling at her, Hen opened her arms and held her near. “We must always trust the Lord. He knows our hearts . . . and does all things well, according to His plan and purpose.”

  Mattie Sue’s face shone with joy. “Then will Daddy see again soon?”

  “The doctor believes so.”

  Mattie Sue stayed nestled in her arms. Dear little girl, so in need of reassurance. “God loves Daddy,” whispered Hen. “Never forget, honey.”

  Brandon raised a brow when Hen returned to the kitchen with Mattie Sue in tow. The bishop had left for home, and Hen was curious about how the visit had gone. But her very presence in the kitchen seemed to annoy her husband.

  She went to the table and stood near his chair. “Would you like some more coffee?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  “All right.”

  As he continued to sit there, she made some fruit salad for the noon meal. Glancing over her shoulder, she asked if he was all right. “Can I get you anything to snack on, maybe?”

  “Not now, thanks.”

  He was clearly deep in thought; if only she knew how to ease his anxiety. What had he and the bishop discussed?

  Mattie Sue went over and leaned her head against Brandon’s good arm. “I’ll read to you, Daddy,” she said. “Would that make you feel better?”

  “No, honey. Not now.”

  “Later on?” she asked.

  He kissed her forehead. “Maybe.”

  Hen watched the scene play out before her. Mattie Sue clearly felt rejected, yet she tried to be a big girl and not complain or whine. Their daughter had come a long way since Hen had worked with her on obedience and respect for elders . . . parents, especially.

  Brandon leaned his good elbow on the table, wiping his eyes as Mattie Sue left the room.

  Hen finished making the fruit salad and pressed down on the lid till she heard it snap. Then, nearly tiptoeing, she went to stand beside her husband. She placed her hand on his shoulder without speaking.

  She felt ever so awkward. “I’m here if you want to talk.” She didn’t wait for his reply but turned to go with Mattie Sue into the sitting room to read to her. All the while, Hen kept glancing over at her poor husband, who looked more distraught than ever.

  Rose enjoyed giving Barbara Ann and Sally their little dolls, tickled to see their eyes sparkle with joy. “Denki,” Barbara Ann said in her tiny voice, and Sally tried to do the same. Rose received a wet kiss on the cheek from both girls.

  Afterward, Rose entertained four-year-old Jonas in the sitting room near her sister-in-law’s kitchen. He was inquisitive, much like Mattie Sue, who was the same age. She and Jonas were enjoying a game of checkers when Rose heard the back door open and Mose’s voice. She kept playing, even though she wanted to gawk to see who’d come. Be calm, Rosie . . . this fellow, whoever he is, will probably like Leah Miller anyway. At any rate, she planned to let Leah have all of the attention. After all, the poor girl had suffered terribly, losing her beau to death.

  In a few minutes, Ruthann came into the room. “Kumme, the meal’s all ready.”

  Just that quick, Jonas abandoned the game and hurried to the kitchen. Feeling quite nervous, Rose followed him to the sink, where she helped him reach the towel to dry his hands.

  When she turned toward the table, Rose realized there wasn’t one but two young men seated across from Leah. Tall, dark-headed, and blue-eyed, they looked enough alike to be twins. Upon second glance, Rose was sure they were exactly that!

  By the time she was seated on the wooden bench next to Leah, it was time for the table blessing. Mose bowed his head and they joined in the silent prayer till Mose made a little cough to signal the end of the prayer.

  Without delay, Mose introduced Rose and Leah to the fellows. Then he said, “We’re glad to have Ruthann’s twin cousins visiting from Bart—Isaac and Jacob Ebersol.”

  So Rose’s hunch was correct, although it was apparent by the shape of their faces they were not identical. And Isaac’s eyes were a lighter blue than Jacob’s.

  “Nice to meet yous, Leah and Rose Ann,” Isaac said first, quickly adding, “My friends call me Ike.”

  “Our mother still calls him Isaac, though,” Jacob said, his winning smile directed at Leah. “And I’m mostly Jake.”

  Rose wasn’t sure what to think, but Leah glanced at her, as if quite pleased.

  The children were quiet, and it amused Rose that even young Jonas was smart enough to sense something was up. He kept looking first at Isaac, then at Rose . . . then at Jake, and over at Leah. She wondered what sort of prompting Mose had given Jonas.

  As they passed the serving dishes, Mose took the lead, asking questions to encourage conversation between the four young people. It felt awkward but not as bad as Rose had feared, and the young men were polite and respectful. During the course of the meal, Rose learned that the brothers were twenty-one, regular attenders of their local Amish church, and gainfully employed. Isaac worked for an English farmer down the road from his father’s house, and Jacob was in partnership with his father, raising tobacco.

  Discreetly, Rose observed Isaac, then Jake, wondering which fellow, if either, she found appealing. It was too soon to tell, of course, but she couldn’t help wondering if Leah was doing the same. Which brother did she like? After all, what if they happened to like the same one? And what if Isaac liked Leah, but Leah preferred Jacob?

  Ach, what a pickle indeed, if it comes to that!

  It wasn’t until after the meal, when the twins asked Leah and Rose to go riding with them, that Isaac mentioned having twelve siblings, including another younger set of twin sisters. Thirteen children! She’d known other large families, but none quite so large as the Ebersol twins’ extended family�
�their church district was made up of nearly all first cousins.

  “Every courting-age girl in our church is somehow related to us,” Isaac said, holding the reins.

  Rose understood now why Mose and Ruthann had invited her and Leah to meet these fine young men.

  “Do ya like ice cream, Rose?” asked Isaac, his eyes twinkling. He seemed to have the livelier personality of the two.

  “Oh jah, we make it all the time.” She was conscious of Leah and Jacob in the second seat behind them as they rode.

  “Even in the winter?” asked Isaac.

  “Why, sure, don’t you?”

  Leah tittered under her breath and poked Rose gently. She must think I like him, thought Rose, not giving Leah the satisfaction of turning around.

  “We wait till spring to make it,” Isaac said, glancing back at Jacob, who nodded.

  “The ice cream maker tends to freeze up in the winter.” Isaac chuckled at his own joke.

  Leah laughed softly, but Rose wasn’t sure if Isaac was kidding or not. She sat quietly, thankful the young men had brought their two-seater family carriage, instead of a cramped courting buggy.

  “We could get some ice cream somewhere,” Isaac suggested.

  “Ach, but not on Sunday!” Jacob replied.

  Rose turned, giving Leah a surprised look.

  “It’s the Lord’s Day,” Jacob reminded his brother. “Isaac just forgot.”

  Neither Leah nor Rose said a word.

  “Another time, maybe?” Jacob suggested quickly.

  Rose wondered if this was their way of lining up another date with her and Leah.

  “Jah. . . gut idea, brother.” Isaac urged the horse faster. “Only next time, we’ll bring two buggies, ain’t?”

  Rose felt her cheeks blush in spite of the cold. In so many words, Isaac was asking on behalf of both of them. She smiled at Leah, who seemed right happy next to Jacob in the second seat. And by the time they said good-bye to Leah, whom Jacob walked partway up the lane, Rose realized that he had chosen Leah.

  “A nice pair, jah?” Isaac said, turning to face Rose.

  “Seems so.”

  He was quiet awhile. Then, as if gathering the nerve, Isaac said at last, “What about you and me goin’ riding sometime together? Would that suit ya?”

  She liked him well enough, not only because he had a good sense of humor, but also for his confidence. She was relieved the day was turning out so nicely. “That’d be right fine,” she said, wanting to know him better.

  “Next Saturday evening?”

  “Jah, Saturday,” she replied.

  His face broke into a grin. “Gut, then.”

  Rose couldn’t help smiling in return as they waited for Jacob to hop back into the buggy. Dat would like Isaac, I’m sure of it. Then, reprimanding herself for jumping too far ahead, Rose settled back in the seat, very glad Jacob had chosen Leah.

  Hen had tried hard to be pleasant when Bruce Kramer came to the back door hours earlier, asking for Brandon. Now it was late afternoon and Brandon and Bruce were still gone. Her mind raced: Was her husband actually going to put their pretty house up for sale? Was he also finalizing plans to visit his parents in upstate New York? Taking Mattie Sue along?

  Pondering the latter, she felt she must have some legal recourse. But she remembered what had happened the last time she’d gone to an attorney’s office to fill out forms, though at Brandon’s request. Her husband had been involved in a terrible accident!

  Was God trying to tell me something? For weeks now, she’d asked herself that, as well as whether the Lord was trying to get Brandon’s attention, too. They’d both lived so selfishly.

  Mattie Sue was stirring over on the settee as she awakened from her nap. “Mommy, can we go an’ see Aendi Rose?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Rosie’s visiting Uncle Mose and Aunt Ruthann today, honey.”

  Mattie Sue seemed to consider that for a moment, then asked if they could visit Hen’s grandparents instead. Hen had seen two buggies parked next door and wondered which relatives had stopped by. “That’d be nice, sure. But you need to walk the dog first.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Mattie Sue put on her warm coat and tied on her outer bonnet. She took the leash off the hook nearby and Wiggles came running. “Here, boy . . . time for you to go out.”

  While Mattie and the puppy were outdoors, Hen thought of leaving a note on the door for Bruce to read to Brandon, if he should arrive before they returned. She watched Mattie Sue follow Wiggles, remembering how she’d yearned for a rural setting like this—with her daughter enjoying the farmland surroundings. Never, though, did she imagine Brandon would purchase the puppy Mattie Sue had begged for.

  Hen pulled on her woolen shawl and found her black bonnet, which exactly matched Mattie’s smaller one. Will she follow the Lord in holy baptism when the time comes? But Hen knew it was impossible to project too far into the future. Not the way things were now.

  In a few minutes, when Mattie Sue returned with Wiggles, she asked, “Will Daddy know where we are?”

  “I wondered the same thing. You’re very thoughtful, honey.” She picked up the note and waved it, laughing.

  “I’m just like you.” Mattie Sue smiled up at her.

  Would Brandon think so? Hen thought with a start. Have I been kind enough to my husband? She hadn’t considered this back when she was so determined to work at the fabric shop against his wishes. Had she ever really taken into consideration his feelings these recent months, English as he was?

  “Let’s go!” Mattie Sue said, glancing over her shoulder at Wiggles, who’d already settled down near the warm cookstove.

  Hen could hardly wait to fill her lungs with fresh, clean air as they followed the snow-swept sidewalk to Hen’s grandparents’ little house around the back. The day was crisp and cold, and Hen wished they’d had Preaching service today. With Brandon away, the house felt much too quiet.

  When Hen and Mattie Sue arrived at Dawdi Jeremiah’s, Hen discovered four of her mother’s older cousins—two couples—and several of their own great-grandchildren there visiting, all of them dressed as if for church. They smiled their delight at seeing her and Mattie Sue—the children ran over to greet Mattie, even though they’d never met her before. The older folk sat in a semicircle in the kitchen near the cookstove with Dawdi Jeremiah and Mammi Sylvia, also wearing their best clothes. Several of the cousins mentioned how big Mattie Sue was getting, but as was true to their way, no one remarked on how pretty she was.

  “We’ve been makin’ the rounds this afternoon—saw Aaron and Barbara . . . then stopped in to see your parents awhile,” plump and rosy-cheeked Annie Kauffman said. She was one of Mamm’s many first cousins. “We were planning to drop by and see you next, Hen . . . and here you both are!” Annie’s blue eyes twinkled.

  There was not a hint of curiosity from any of them regarding Brandon’s whereabouts. Hen’s father must have mentioned Brandon had gone to town, like he did most Sundays. Still, Hen felt no sense of judgment from them, and she was grateful for that. It was hard enough knowing her husband had no interest in keeping the day holy.

  “Aaron and Barbara are expecting another grandbaby come spring,” Annie’s sister Nancy announced.

  “Verna?” asked Hen.

  “No, one of the twins—Anna.”

  She’s two years younger than I am. Hen spotted Mattie Sue with one of the toddler girls, Becky Mae, who was babbling away in Deitsch where she sat under the kitchen table. The two were tapping spoons to their hearts’ delight.

  Hen watched Mattie Sue playing so sweetly with the tiny tyke and, just that quick, tears sprang to her eyes. Goodness, she didn’t even know why.

  After an hour-long visit, Hen and Mattie Sue returned to the house. Brandon still had not arrived, so she set about making potato salad. She’d cooked the potatoes yesterday, just as Mammi Sylvia and Mamm had always done, cooking ahead for the Lord’s Day. After that, she sliced cold roast beef for sandwiches, hoping Brandon
might be home in time for supper.

  She had just finished cutting up homemade dill pickles for the sandwiches when she spied Rose Ann at the back door and waved her inside. “We were about to sit down for a bite to eat. Would ya like to join us?”

  Rose glanced about, as if noticing Brandon wasn’t home. “Why, sure, I’ll stay an’ eat with you.” She opened her arms for Mattie Sue, who came running over. “I’ve missed seein’ ya.”

  “Me too,” Mattie Sue said. “And I miss Beth, too.”

  “Well, Beth’s grandmother is prob’ly getting settled in over there,” Rose explained. “Maybe Beth can visit after some days pass. Would you like that?”

  Mattie Sue lit up. “We can go in the pony cart again once the snow’s all gone.”

  Rose laughed. “Well, that might not be for a long time yet.”

  Hen was nodding. “Ain’t that the truth!”

  They sat down together and prayed the silent prayer, then began to eat. Hen couldn’t help noticing the sparkle in Rose’s eyes. Mom had told Hen privately that Mose and Ruthann were “definitely planning something” with two fellows for Rose and her friend Leah Miller today. And there was no doubt in Hen’s mind that whatever Mose had had up his sleeve proved to make Rosie happy. Will she tell me about it? Since Brandon’s arrival, Hen hadn’t been as available to Rose for sisterly talks.

  “Will ya play dolls with me after supper, Aendi Rosie?” asked Mattie Sue.

  “After your Mamma and I do the dishes.” Rose locked eyes with Hen, which confirmed that she’d come for more than just the meal. For that, Hen was ever so glad.

  As soon as Hen drew the water and swished the dish soap around, Rose began to share about her visit to Mose and Ruthann’s. “I met someone today.” Her voice was soft at first.

  “Anyone I know?” Hen smiled, knowing her sister most likely wouldn’t reveal his identity.

  Rose looked toward Mattie Sue, who was presently occupied in the sitting room. “I’ll only say that he’s not from round here.”

  “Out of state?”

  “Well, no. But not from our church district.”