An Amish Family Christmas: Heart of ChristmasA Plain Holiday

by Marta Perry

  “Are you going to start worrying about me?”

  Her eyes softened and then she looked down. “Isn’t that what friends do?”

  As he gazed at her pretty face and the faint blush coloring her cheeks, Ben realized being friends with Sally wasn’t enough. He wanted more. Was there any chance for them? Knowing it wasn’t the time or the place for that kind of discussion, he rose and went out to do the chores.

  When he came back in, Granny was cooking breakfast while Sally was setting the table. He could smell the coffee and bacon and it made his stomach rumble. He glanced into the living room. Kimi was on the recliner holding Ryder, just as Sally had done, except that she had an open book in front of them and was reading him a story.

  “It’s remarkable,” Sally said softly. He hadn’t heard her approach.

  “What’s remarkable?”

  “The way Kimi takes care of him. Last night opened her eyes in a way a hundred lectures from me would never have done.”

  “I may be cynical, but we’ll have to see if it lasts once she gets her phone battery recharged.”

  “I have a feeling that it will. He still isn’t talking, but he drank some water and took a few sips of hot chocolate.”

  “Sounds like he is on the mend.” Ben smiled at her and she smiled back. His heart did a funny little flip.

  After breakfast, Ben sat down with Ryder. The boy began to whimper when Sally went upstairs to lie down. Kimi came over to sit on the arm of the recliner and said, “She’ll be back. Sally isn’t leaving you.”

  Ryder quieted. Kimi asked, “Do you want me to read you another story?”

  The boy shook his head.

  “How about a game of chess?” Ben asked. “You said that you like to play.”

  Ryder considered the request and nodded. Ben left him propped up in the chair and brought a second chair over beside him. Then, he moved a table with an inlaid checkerboard on it between them. The chess pieces and checkers were inside a small drawer in the table.

  Ben looked at Kimi. “I’ll play him one game, you can play the next.”

  Kimi shrugged. “I never learned.”

  “Kimi, would you like to help me make some bread?” Granny called from the kitchen.

  “Sure.”

  She went into the other room and stood beside Granny. The two were soon measuring flour, mixing dough and giggling. Glancing up from his game, Ben could see they were both enjoying themselves, although Granny’s spotless kitchen was becoming something of a mess.

  When Sally came down a few hours later, she went straight to Ben’s side. Ryder was asleep again on his lap. She sat down in the chair Ben had vacated when the chess game was done. “How is he?”

  “He still isn’t talking. He points and grunts or whimpers if he wants something.”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “Why do you think that is?”

  “I’m not sure, but his little mind is sharp. He almost beat me at chess.”

  She chuckled and the sound delighted him. “I’ve seen you play. It wouldn’t take much to beat you.”

  “If that is a challenge, you’re on. I know I’m good enough to take you.”

  “Careful, pride is a sin and it goes before a fall.”

  “Let’s just say it will be a one-sided match.”

  Ben took Sally’s hand. She didn’t pull away and that gave him hope. “The boy is going to be okay.”

  “I pray that’s true.”

  “God was looking after him. Especially when He sent you to be his nanny. You have been the answer to this young fellow’s prayers, whether he knows it or not.”

  “I was looking for answers in my own life. I wasn’t looking to be the answer to anyone else’s prayers.”

  “And yet you are.”

  She slipped her hand out of his and looked into the kitchen. “What are Granny and Kimi up to?”

  “They have been baking up a storm. Bread, cinnamon rolls, and now they are on to sugar cookies. I think we will all be decorating them this evening. Did you get some sleep?” She wasn’t looking at him, she was still gazing into the kitchen.

  “I did. This is what I have been missing about Christmas.”

  “Being snowed in?”

  “Nee, I was missing the baking and the preparations and the anticipation of everyone coming for holiday visits.”

  “You should go join them. I reckon there’s enough room in Granny’s kitchen for one more cook.”

  She looked at him and shook her head. “I should hold Ryder and give you a break. Besides, I don’t want to horn in on Granny’s time with Kimi.”

  “Ryder and I are fine. Go. You know you want to. Granny will secretly welcome the help.”

  Sally grinned and left him. Even though his arm was growing numb from Ryder’s weight, Ben didn’t move. He had a perfect line of sight into the kitchen. Sally tied an apron around her waist, and then in a move that surprised him, she tied a white kerchief over her hair.

  Her outfit wasn’t particularly Amish, but he knew she was inching back toward her roots. And it gave him hope.

  Chapter Nine

  Although Ryder still wasn’t speaking, he managed to eat a little bit of supper that evening. He developed a cough and a slight fever that put the worry back in Sally’s eyes. He slept on the cot, with Kimi on the sofa beside him and Sally in the recliner.

  By the next morning, he seemed better. Outside, the blizzard continued and Ben began to wonder if they would be rescued before Christmas.

  He sat in the kitchen in the early afternoon pretending to read a book while he studied Sally. She was knitting at the table. She had borrowed some yarn and needles from Granny and was working on a pair of matching scarves. Her needles clicked softly as she worked. He had never seen her so still. So engrossed in something. Sally always seemed to be in motion. He liked that about her.

  He liked a lot of things about her. Had he been ignoring the woman he should have been getting to know better? If she returned to the Amish, he wouldn’t waste any time asking her out. Should he let her know that was his intention? Would it make a difference in her decision?

  Kimi came out of the living room and sat beside Sally.

  Sally stopped working and laid her needles down. “How is he?”

  “He’s sleeping.”

  “Why the long face? Your brother’s doing okay.”

  “I want to make him something special for Christmas.”

  Sally smiled. “Kimi, that’s a wonderful idea. I know he would treasure anything that you made.”

  “It’s just that I don’t know what he would like.”

  “There’s plenty of yarn. Do you know how to knit?”

  When Kimi shook her head, Sally said, “I will be happy to teach you.”

  “I want it to be something special from me.”

  Ben spoke up. “He likes to play chess. You could make him a chess set.”

  Kimi turned to look at him. “How could I do that?”

  “You could carve them from wood, or you could use some of Granny’s wooden bobbins with symbols of the pieces drawn on the tops.

  Sally brightened. “Or we could make some out of bakeable clay. It would be easier than carving, and once they’re baked, the pieces would be hard and durable.”

  Kimi’s shoulders slumped. “We don’t have any bakeable clay.”

  “We can make some. It’s easy. We have everything we need in the kitchen. It takes two cups of flour and a cup of salt. You mix that in a big bowl and then you add a little cooking oil and just enough water to form soft dough. We can make them different colors by adding a drop or two of food coloring. Once you have the pieces shaped, I’ll bake them.”

  “That’s an awesome idea. Sally, you’re the best.”

  Th
e two of them got to work and were soon shaping pawns, horse’s heads for knights and slender columns with crowns and hats for the kings, queens and bishops. One set they left white, and one set they made blue. Ben went in to check on Ryder and found he was still asleep.

  “Sally, are you coming back to Cincinnati with us?” he heard Kimi ask.

  Ben stayed in the living room. He wanted to hear Sally’s answer.

  “That was my plan. Why do you ask?”

  “It’s just that you seem happy here.”

  “I am happy here. It’s like home to me.”

  “There’s something nice about being here, isn’t there?” Kimi asked. “It’s so peaceful. I think this old house must be full of love. Did you know Granny has been teaching Ryder some prayers when she sits with him?”

  “I didn’t know that, but I’m not surprised.”

  “Do you think God left us here so that we could become a better family?”

  “I can’t speak for our Lord, but I think you might be right.”

  “I don’t want Ryder to know this, but I think Mom and Dad are going to get a divorce.”

  “Why do you say that? They are on a fabulous vacation together.”

  “I heard Mom tell Dad that this was their last chance. If they can’t work it out, it’s over.”

  “That would be very sad for everyone.”

  “Granny says the Amish don’t believe in divorce. Is that true?”

  “It is. We must choose our husband or wife very carefully. We must pray about it and we must listen to what God desires us to do. Once we take the vows of matrimony, they can never be broken.”

  “Isn’t it hard to find the right guy?”

  “It can be very hard.”

  “So why don’t you want to stay Amish, Sally?”

  “I do want to remain Amish, but sometimes I feel that God has other plans for me. I must do as He wills, not as I want.”

  “I hope those plans include staying with us. Ryder needs you.”

  “I’m not so sure he does, when he has a wonderful older sister who loves him as you do, Kimi.”

  “If Mom and Dad split up, he’s really going to need you, Sally. He’s not like me. He’s going to take it hard.”

  “Maybe your parents won’t split up. Maybe they’ll work things out in Paris.”

  “Maybe.” Kimi didn’t sound convinced.

  Ben returned to the sofa and sat down with his book. He hadn’t been thinking about how much the children needed Sally. He’d only been thinking about his own feelings. Ryder was as dear to him as any of his nieces and nephews. By urging Sally to remain Amish, he would be sending Ryder back into a family that didn’t hold God and each other at the center of their lives. How could he do that to the child?

  No, Sally had to make her decision without his interference.

  * * *

  Something awakened Sally. She sat up in bed listening to hear if Ryder was crying. She heard only silence. The wind had stopped. She got out of bed. Through the frosted glass of the window, she saw stars glittering outside. Relief was quickly followed by regret. Her time with Ben would soon be over.

  She crept downstairs to check on Ryder and Kimi. Granny had moved the children into her room. Opening the door, Sally peeked in. Everyone was quiet. She pulled on her coat and went to the front door. When she opened it, she saw Ben standing on the front porch. She hesitated, but she could see that he was smiling. “Did I wake you?” he asked.

  She pulled her coat tighter. It was still freezing cold. “I think it was the stillness that woke me. It’s over. Praise be to God.”

  He looked out at the night sky. “Have you ever seen such beautiful stars?”

  She moved close to him. They weren’t touching, but she felt an intense connection with him she had never known before. She gazed up and marveled at the beauty before her.

  The moon wasn’t out, but the stars were as bright as she had ever seen them. The world was white below and sparkling with reflected starlight. The sky above was black with a million twinkling pinpoints of light, glittering as if in celebration that the storm had passed. There was something reverent about the hushed world spread before them. “It’s so still.”

  He said, “The world in solemn stillness lay. This is what it must’ve been like on the night of our Savior’s birth. A great hush of anticipation by the heavenly host as they waited for the moment.”

  With the words of her favorite Christmas hymn flowing through her heart and mind, softly, she began to sing. “It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old.”

  Ben joined in with his beautiful baritone voice and their duet became a prayer of thanksgiving. As the last syllable died away, they gazed at each other and Sally began to hope that this wonderful man cared about her.

  “I didn’t expect to hear caroling at this time of night, but it is a wonderful way to welcome the spirit of Christmas.” Granny Weaver came out to stand beside them. “Could we sing ‘O, Holy Night’? It feels like a holy night, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” Ben agreed. He began to sing, and Sally and Granny joined in.

  “What’s going on?”

  They all turned to see Kimi standing in the doorway. She had a quilt wrapped around herself and Ryder, who stood in front of her peeking out like an owl chick with his red hair pointing every which way.

  Granny moved to drape her arm around Kimi’s shoulder. “We are just giving thanks that the storm is done and that Christmas is almost here. Come join us. What Christmas song would you like to sing?”

  Kimi looked skeptical. “Not the one about a one-horse open sleigh.”

  Ben and Sally looked at each other and smiled.

  “‘Silent Night,’” Ryder croaked.

  Kimi dropped to her knees in front of him. “You spoke.”

  He nodded.

  Kimi pulled him close in a big hug. “You can talk for as long as you like and I will never, ever tell you to be quiet and go away again.”

  “Yes, you will.” He sounded like a little bullfrog.

  Kimi pulled back to smile at him. “Okay, I might, but I won’t mean it.”

  “Sing ‘Silent Night,’” he said again.

  “We’ll sing, you rest your voice, froggy.” Kimi wrapped the blanket around them both. She began to sing in a surprisingly sweet alto. Granny, Ben and Sally joined her. Although she didn’t know the words to more than the first verse, Kimi joined in every chorus until they were done.

  “All right, children, back inside. I’ll make us something warm to drink and then I’m going to read you the Christmas story from my Bible so you will know what our hymns are all about.” Granny made little shooing motions at them.

  Sally was once again alone with Ben. The closeness she felt earlier began to fade. “How soon do you think we will be rescued?”

  “I think we have a few more days yet. I find I’m not eager to leave,” he said.

  “Not eager to get away from me? That’s a switch.”

  He stepped forward and put his hand beneath her chin to tip her face up. “Nee, Sally, I’m not eager to get away from you.”

  Sally held her breath as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. Her heart exploded with joy.

  “It’s too cold to be necking on the porch,” Granny said from inside the door. “Leave it until tomorrow.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ben said as he stepped back. His soft smile sent Sally’s heart racing and she knew she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep the rest of the night.

  * * *

  Ben was rewrapping Dandy’s leg early the next morning when he heard a strange noise growing louder. He didn’t realize what it was until he stepped outside of the barn. A red-and-white helicopter was flying low over the hills to the south. It dipped into the valley and came straight
toward him. To his surprise, it stopped and hovered above the corral at the back of the barn. The blades blew up a blizzard of snow as it slowly settled to the ground. Was the chopper in trouble?

  He glanced toward the house. Everyone was out on the porch to see what was going on. When he looked back at the helicopter, the door on the side slid open and a man in a red-and-white outfit got out. Ben waited where he was as the man approached.

  “Is this the home of Constance Weaver?”

  “Ja,” he answered.

  “Are Kimi and Ryder Higgins here?”

  “They are up at the house with their great-grandmother. What’s going on?”

  “Ryder is here? He’s safe?”

  “Ja. He is fine.”

  The man grinned widely, gave a thumbs-up sign to the pilot, and then pressed a hand to his throat. “The boy is safe. I repeat. Ryder is safe. Over.”

  The pilot returned a thumbs-up sign. The man in front of Ben held out his hand. “I’m Officer Jake Cameron. I’m with the Ohio Search and Rescue. We were dispatched by the children’s parents to find them. They were under the impression that Ryder had been lost in the storm. As you can imagine, they were frantic when they couldn’t reach anyone to confirm that.”

  “Kimi’s phone battery went dead. We had no way to charge it. Please, come up to the house. The children are both fine.”

  “We are under orders to take them to a medical facility for evaluation. Their parents have insisted on it.” Officer Cameron followed Ben to the house.

  Ryder stood wide-eyed on the front steps. “This is so awesomely cool. A helicopter just landed in our yard. No one at school is gonna believe this.” His voice was still hoarse, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

  Jake introduced himself to the group and grinned at Ryder. “I am sure happy to see you, young man. We were afraid you were lost in the blizzard.”

  “I was. I let go of the rope and then I couldn’t find it again. Sally always told me that if I got lost I was to stay where I was and she would find me. I was really, really cold, but I stayed where I was and she found me.” He smiled at Sally.

  “Then we all owe her a debt of gratitude.”

  “This is my sister, Kimi, and this is my Grossmammi Weaver. That means grandmother. She’s Amish. Do you speak Pennsylvania Dutch?”