Amish Cooking Class--The Celebration

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  The heat and flames that had started in the kitchen when she left a frying pan on the hot stove sent Velma screaming through her double-wide. She’d tried to put out the fire, but to no avail. “Peggy Ann! Eddie! Where are you? We’ve gotta get out of the house!” When neither child responded, Velma’s fear escalated to panic.

  Smoke filled Velma’s lungs as she raced down the hall, coughing, disoriented, and calling her children’s names. Thick smoke filled the air, and she groped her way along, until she reached her daughter’s bedroom. The door was open, and she stepped inside. “Peggy Ann, are you here?”

  Velma tipped her head when she heard a faint whimper.

  “Peggy Ann!” Velma moved forward, trying to focus through the smoky haze.

  Suddenly, her daughter was there, gripping Velma’s hand. “Are we gonna burn up in the fire?”

  “No, honey, we’ll be okay.” Velma swept a hand across her forehead. She needed to call 911, but was unable to get to the phone. “Where’s your brother?”

  “I—I don’t know, Mama. Eddie said he was gonna take the dog for a walk, but I don’t know if he went outside or not.” Peggy Ann coughed. “Oh, Mama, I can’t breathe.”

  Velma pulled her daughter to the floor and instructed Peggy Ann to hold tight to her arm. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll keep my arm around you, and we’ll crawl out together.” She remembered hearing once that, when trapped in a fire, the safest place to be was on the floor, and that a person should try to follow the wall. Velma had to get Peggy Ann to safety and then find Eddie.

  Hearing sirens in the distance, she felt a glimmer of hope. One of her neighbors must have seen the blaze and called the fire department.

  “Look over there! Do you see the smoke?” Lyle pointed as he guided their horse and open buggy up the road in the direction of their house. They’d taken the children out for an early supper and were on their way home, never expecting to encounter such a tragedy.

  Heidi tipped her head back. Lyle was right—there must be a huge fire up ahead. Dusk was approaching, and when they continued on, she saw a red glow in the sky. “Ach, I hope it’s nobody we know, and I pray no one’s been injured.”

  As they drew closer, two fire trucks came up behind them, sirens wailing, and horns blaring. Lyle pulled the horse and buggy onto the shoulder of the road and waited for them to pass.

  Their horse threw her head back and whinnied. “Whoa, Bobbins, steady, girl,” Lyle said in a calming voice. The horse pawed the ground and snorted, but finally settled down.

  Lyle pulled back onto the road, but they’d only gone a short distance, when Heidi recognized the location of the fire. “Oh, no! The Kimballs’ double-wide is on fire! We need to see if they’re all okay.”

  Lyle turned up the Kimballs’ driveway and halted the horse near a tree that stood a safe distance from the burning mobile home. He turned to a wide-eyed Marsha and Randy and said, “You two stay in the buggy with Heidi, while I check on things.” Lyle stepped down and raced across the yard.

  Trembling, Heidi remained in the front seat, while the children stayed seated behind her, both whimpering.

  Randy tapped Heidi’s shoulder. “Are Velma and her kinner gonna die in the fire?”

  “I hope not, Randy. I pray everyone has safely gotten out of the house.”

  “What about the hinkel?” Marsha asked. “Are they gonna be all right?”

  “Jah, the coop is away from the house, so the chickens should be fine.” Heidi felt bad that the children had to witness such a horrible sight, but no way could she and Lyle take them home until they knew if Velma and her family were out of danger.

  Desperate to know what was happening, Heidi reminded the children to stay in the buggy, and then she got out. She needed to see for herself if the Kimballs were okay.

  As soon as Darren pulled his vehicle into the yard of the burning mobile home, Ellen hopped out of the car. He could almost tell by the determined set of her jaw what she had in mind.

  “Where are you going?” Becky leaned out the back window and shouted at her mother.

  “Someone may be hurt, and since I’m a nurse, I need to see if I can assist in any way.” Ellen turned to look at Becky. “I want you to stay right here in Darren’s SUV where it’s safe. Do you understand?”

  “Okay.”

  “You stay put too, Jeremy,” Darren instructed, before climbing out of the car. “I’m going to see if my help is needed.” He waited until his son nodded, then sprinted across the yard.

  “Is anyone in the house?” Darren hollered to one of the firemen he recognized.

  “Don’t know yet. Two of our men went inside when they heard someone screaming, but I haven’t seen anyone come out.”

  Acting on instinct, Darren made a dash for the door, but the fireman stopped him. “Sorry, friend, but you can’t go in there. You’re not suited up, and this fire is not in your district.”

  “I know, but—”

  “There are no buts about it. You know the rules.”

  With a reluctant nod, Darren backed off. It wasn’t in him to stand around and do nothing, especially when lives could be at stake. He glanced to his right and saw Ellen talking to Heidi Troyer and her husband. A few other Amish folk were milling about. He wasted no time in joining the Troyers. “Do you know who lives here?”

  Lyle nodded. “It belongs to Hank and Velma Kimball.”

  Darren’s brows shot up. “The same Velma whose daughter’s been taking Heidi’s cooking classes?”

  “Yes, and this is their double-wide engulfed in flames.” Heidi tugged the narrow ties of her head covering. “I wish we knew if Velma or any of her family is inside.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I pray no one’s been hurt.”

  Darren stood helpless with the others, as he watched the mobile home continue to burn, despite the firemen’s attempts to put out the flames. As the water from the hose hit the scorching inferno, it made a sizzling sound mixed with the popping of things exploding inside. From where he stood, the mobile home was nearly consumed by the fire. And a harsh wind had picked up, making the firemen’s efforts that much more difficult.

  A few minutes later, one of the firemen exited the home with Velma and her young daughter. Darren looked at Ellen and mouthed the words, Thank goodness.

  “Where are Velma’s son and her husband?” Ellen clasped her hands in a gesture of prayer.

  “I don’t know. Let’s go find out.” Darren led Ellen over to where Velma and Peggy Ann stood trembling, despite the blankets draped across their shoulders. Neither appeared to be burned, but their hair and clothes were black with smoke.

  “What happened, Velma? Where’s your son?” Ellen shouted.

  “I don’t know,” Velma rasped. “Peggy Ann said Eddie was gonna take Abner for a walk, and I pray he and the dog aren’t still in the house.”

  Woof! Woof! At the sound of a dog barking, Darren rushed forward. He couldn’t stand out here idly watching when the life of Velma’s son could be at stake.

  Velma shook her head vigorously, pushing aside the oxygen mask the paramedic tried to place over her nose and mouth. “I need to find my boy!”

  “You need to calm down,” the man insisted, holding firm to Velma’s arm. “We can’t let you go back in the house. If your son is in there, one of the firemen will make every effort to find him.”

  Ellen and Heidi stepped up to Velma. “It’s going to be okay,” they said in unison.

  Velma rocked back and forth as a wave of dizziness washed over her. “I don’t know about that. Bad things always seem to happen to me.” She gulped in some air. “Hank will never speak to me again when he finds out my carelessness with hot oil started the fire. And if anything happens to Eddie, it won’t matter if he doesn’t forgive me, because I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Heidi put her arm around Velma’s waist, and Ellen took hold of her hand. They tried to offer her hope, but Velma found no comfort at all. No matter how angry he might get with her, Hank was needed right now a
nd she wished he was here instead of out on the road. He never seemed to be around when she needed him, though.

  After what seemed like hours, Darren emerged from the front door of the double-wide, his face blackened with soot. He carried Eddie in his arms and Abner was at his side.

  Velma rushed forward. “Is my boy all right?”

  “He’s inhaled a lot of smoke, but I think he’s going to be okay.”

  The paramedics took over then, offering first aid to Velma and both of her children, while Ellen and Heidi looked on. A fireman took their dog and checked him for injuries. Other than needing some oxygen, Abner was okay.

  “You’ll need to go to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and observation,” one from the medical team told Velma.

  “But what about my dog?” Velma felt so disoriented she could barely think. Her home, along with everything in it, was gone, and Hank didn’t even know what happened.

  “That’s my best friend and fellow firefighter, Bruce Ferguson, taking care of your pet,” Darren informed Velma.

  Abner was now wagging his tail as Bruce removed the oxygen mask. “Don’t worry about Abner, Velma. He’s in good hands, and I’ll see that he’s taken care of for you tonight.”

  Tears welled in Velma’s eyes as she murmured a quiet, “Thank you.” She had no home and didn’t know what the future held for her family, but at least she and the kids were all alive. That was something to thank God for.

  When Ellen and Darren returned to his vehicle, Becky and Jeremy got out and hugged their parents.

  “We were so scared, Mom. Did anyone die in the fire?” Becky sniffed, clinging to Ellen’s hand.

  “No, Becky. Velma and her children are going to be fine. Their dog is okay too.”

  Running a jerky hand through his hair, Jeremy looked up at his dad. “I was worried you might be killed tryin’ to save someone’s life.”

  “I’m fine, Son. Just a little smoke ridden is all.” Darren gestured to the black Lab at his side. “Velma’s dog needs a home for the night. Think you might want to help me take care of him?”

  “Bacon might not like having another dog in the house, especially one that’s bigger than him. But I guess the poor mutt needs somewhere to go, so I’ll help you take care of him.”

  Darren smiled. “Thanks, Son. I knew I could count on you.”

  Jeremy looked over at Ellen. “I’m glad you’re okay too. Becky and I were worried about you and my dad.”

  “He’s right, we were,” Becky agreed.

  Ellen felt a sense of relief. Not only were their children getting along better, but they seemed more cordial toward each other’s parents. Maybe there was hope for a relationship with Darren after all. There might be no need for her to break things off—at least not tonight. Ellen would give it more thought before making a decision that could affect the rest of her life. Right now, she needed to concentrate on looking for a way to help Velma and her family.

  Chapter 40

  It had been a week since the fire, and Velma couldn’t believe how much had happened since then. Heidi and Lyle had generously invited Velma, Hank, and the kids to stay with them until they could secure a new place to live. On top of that, when Hank came home and discovered their double-wide had burned, instead of being angry with Velma, his attitude toward her and the children actually improved. He was especially grateful for the Troyers’ generosity, and even more so when Lyle told him their Amish community would help them build a new house on their property. Neither Velma nor the children had any serious ill effects from the fire, and that was something to be thankful for too.

  Hank took some time off work to be with his family. Every day he and the kids walked down the road to their property. Randy and Marsha often went along to help feed the Kimballs’ chickens, while Hank checked on the progress of things after the fire. Abner remained his playful self and was getting along well with Rusty.

  Velma was amazed at how the Amish community pulled together to help after the flames destroyed everything. She and Hank, with the assistance of Ellen, Darren, and the Troyers, had gone through the ashes to see if anything could be salvaged. Unfortunately, the double-wide was like a matchstick, and the intense heat of the fire destroyed everything. A week later, most of the rubble had been cleared, making way for construction to begin.

  Velma smiled as she dried the dishes Heidi had just washed. They would soon have a real house, and not just an out-of-date, rundown mobile home with creaky floorboards and peeling wallpaper. Good things come to those who wait, she told herself. Maybe my life isn’t such a train wreck after all.

  She placed the clean plates in the cupboard and shut the door. Now if amends could be made with my folks and if our two older children would come home, or at least make contact with us, I’d feel complete.

  Velma glanced across the room at Heidi, who was busy setting out the things she would need for today’s cooking class. Such a sweet woman, with a generous spirit. I’m glad I’ve gotten to know her. Heidi deserves only the best.

  Heidi glanced at the clock on the far wall, then looked over at Velma. “My cooking class will start in half an hour, so I think I will go outside and check for phone messages before the students arrive.”

  Velma looked out the window. “I see Hank coming back with the kids. Wonder how everything’s going at our place?” A contented smile spread across her face. “My husband sure enjoys your kids. As a matter of fact, I do too.”

  “Randy and Marsha have taken a liking to both of you as well.” Heidi moved across the room. “Guess I’d better head out to the phone shack now.”

  “Okay. I’ll finish drying the dishes and then get to work on the laundry while you teach your class.”

  “You’re doing more than your share of work around here.” Heidi paused near the back door. “Why don’t you take it easy today and join the class? You might enjoy seeing what Peggy Ann and the others will be making.”

  Velma planted her feet in a wide stance, while shaking her head. “With all you and Lyle are doing for us, the least I can do is help out at your place. Besides, I still owe you some work to pay for my daughter’s cooking classes.”

  “I’m not concerned with that, Velma. You’ve done enough work around here this past week to more than pay for Peggy Ann’s lessons.”

  “I don’t mind a’tall. I’d like to repay all your kindness to me and my family.” Velma placed the dish towel on the counter, stepped over to Heidi, and wrapped her in a hug. “Some folks I know wouldn’t lift a finger to help their neighbor, but you and Lyle have gone the extra mile.”

  “We just try to do what the Bible says: ‘Be ye kind one to another.’ ” Heidi tapped Velma’s arm. “I’m sure you would do the same if someone you knew needed assistance.”

  “You got that right.” Velma opened her palms. “Course, in our current situation, we couldn’t do much for anyone in need.”

  Heidi gestured to the clean dishes in the drying rack. “You’ve been doing helpful things for me.”

  A circle of red erupted on Velma’s cheeks. “That’s different.”

  “No, it’s not. Your help is much appreciated.”

  “Thank you, Heidi. You’ve become a good friend.”

  Heidi smiled. “I think of you as my friend too.”

  Denise glanced in the rearview mirror at her daughter, sitting quietly in the back seat. Kassidy hadn’t said more than a few words since they’d left home this morning.

  “I wonder what you’ll learn to make today. When your last class ended, did Heidi say what she would be teaching you today?”

  “Nope, she never said.”

  Not much of a response, but at least Kassidy had answered. Denise decided to try again. “When we get home after class today, why don’t you invite Hillary over?” Denise looked in the mirror again.

  “She’s not home. Hillary and her family are visiting relatives in Nebraska.”

  “You know, you should invite the kids from the cooking class sometime, lik
e you mentioned two weeks ago.”

  “I changed my mind about that. I don’t have anything in common with those kids. Besides, most of ’em don’t like me, so I’m sure no one would come.”

  “You won’t know unless you ask. If you spent a little more time with them, you might find you do have a few things in common.”

  Switching her gaze from the rearview mirror and concentrating on the road ahead, Denise clasped the steering wheel a little harder when Kassidy didn’t respond. Is there any hope for that daughter of mine? Why must she be so difficult and moody?

  “Here we are.” Darren set the brake and turned off the engine. He glanced in the back and was surprised to see Jeremy slumped in his seat. “Come on, Son. A few other cars are here, so we need to get inside. I’m sure class is about to start.”

  “Sure wish I knew where Mom’s barrette got to,” Jeremy mumbled. “The last time I saw it, we were sitting right here, and I remember putting it in my pocket. I must’ve dropped it somewhere.”

  Darren’s gaze flicked upward. How many times is Jeremy going to bring this up? I know he feels sad about losing his mom’s hair clip, but rehashing it won’t change the fact that it’s lost and he may never find it.

  Thinking a change of subject would be good, Darren turned in his seat to make eye contact with his son. “Before we go in, I’d like to clarify something with you.”

  “What?”

  “On the way home last Saturday, after the fire at Velma’s, you said you’d be okay with me continuing to see Ellen.”

  Jeremy slowly nodded.

  “So when I see Ellen today, if I ask her for another date, you won’t have a problem with it?”

  “Said I wouldn’t, so why do ya keep askin’?”

  “Probably for the same reason you keep bringing up your mother’s barrette.”

  “What do ya mean?”

  “Seeing Ellen is important to me, and I want to be sure it’s okay with you, because someday, if things work out the way I hope, I might ask Ellen to marry me.”