The Hope Jar

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Did you know the right blinker on your buggy isn’t working?” The deputy sheriff looked at Sara.

  She shook her head slowly, then glanced at Ezekiel.

  “Sorry, sir. We didn’t know.” Ezekiel exhaled through his nose. When he’d heard the siren and seen the patrol car pull onto the driveway, he was sure he would be in trouble for driving alone, with only a learner’s permit. “I’ll make sure to get the blinker working again. Thanks for letting us know.”

  “So whose buggy is it—yours or hers?” The deputy motioned to Sara.

  “It’s mine.”

  “Oh. I assumed it was hers, since you were driving the truck.”

  Ezekiel explained that the truck and buggy were both his. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he reached up to wiped it off. He sure hoped the officer wouldn’t ask to see his license.

  The deputy nodded his head. “Yeah, I get it. Some of you Amish young people like to have the best of both worlds. I guess you’ll have to sell the truck when you join the church though, right?”

  All Ezekiel did was offer a brief nod. He wasn’t about to tell the officer that he probably wouldn’t be joining the church.

  “Okay then, I’ll be on my way. Just don’t forget to get that blinker fixed.” The deputy gave a wave and got back in his car.

  Ezekiel turned to Sara. “Guess we’d better go. I need to get back home, and you do as well. I’ll park the truck around back of my cousin’s house, and we can be on our way.”

  Michelle waited by the buggy until Ezekiel came back. She still couldn’t believe he had bought a truck or that he’d lied to her about not knowing how to drive. Of course, who was she to talk? She’d been lying to Mary Ruth, Willis, and everyone else she had met since her arrival in Lancaster County.

  She moved up to Big Red and patted his side. I’m sure there are a lot of people in this world—and maybe even this community—who have lied about something or are keeping some deep dark secret to themselves. Her gaze dropped to the ground. So why do I feel guilty for letting the Lapps think I’m their granddaughter?

  Michelle lifted her head when she heard Ezekiel approach. “Are you ready to go? he asked.

  She nodded. “What about the blinker? Do you think we’ll get stopped again because it doesn’t work?”

  He bopped the side of his head. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I’ll go in my uncle’s workshop and see if he has any spare batteries lying around.”

  “Is he in there working?”

  “Nope. The whole family is gone right now. They’re on a camping trip with some of their friends. They won’t be back till sometime toward the end of next week.”

  Michelle’s face tightened. “So you’re just gonna walk into your uncle’s shop and take something without asking?”

  “Yep. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Besides, I’ll replace it with a new one before they get home.”

  “What about your truck? Is that something they don’t know about either? Did you park it here without asking, and because they’re not home, you don’t think they are any the wiser?”

  A splotch of color erupted on Ezekiel’s cheeks. “That’s not how it is at all.”

  “How is it then?”

  “I told you before that my cousin said I could park the truck here. His folks aren’t as strict as mine.”

  “But aren’t they likely to tell your parents?”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ll come over to see them as soon as they get home and explain the situation.”

  Michelle fiddled with the top button on her blouse, to avoid eye contact with him. “Okay, suit yourself. I’ll wait in the buggy until you get the blinker working.”

  Paradise, Pennsylvania

  Brad had spent the entire morning taking an Amish family to and from the Walmart store in Lancaster. He’d just dropped them off at their home and decided he would head down to Strasburg and see if the Lapps needed any work done. It would give him a chance to say hi to Sara too. He’d enjoyed her company at the Fourth of July festival a few weeks ago and thought he might see if she would like to go out for supper with him tomorrow evening. Secretly, he hoped to get better acquainted in an environment where so many people weren’t milling around.

  Brad thought about the night he’d joined the Lapps for supper. It would have been an opportunity to get to know Sara better, but unfortunately, Willis monopolized most of his time. Throughout the meal he’d talked, almost nonstop, about everything from the weather to the benefits of raising hogs. Mary Ruth had managed to get in a few words, asking Brad more about the call on his life to be a minister. Sara, on the other hand, had been quiet during the meal, barely looking in Brad’s direction. He wanted to ask if something was bothering her but didn’t get the chance. After the meal was over, Willis invited Brad into the dining room and challenged him to some Amish card game he’d never played before. By the time they were done, Sara had gone to her room, saying she’d developed a headache.

  “I wonder if she was trying to avoid me,” Brad mumbled. “Though I can’t see why she would. Don’t think I’ve said or done anything to offend her.” He shrugged. “But then, who knows? I could have said something she didn’t like without even realizing it.”

  Brad worried sometimes about his relationships with people. As a minister, he couldn’t be putting people off or making them uncomfortable. He would need to have a good rapport with the people in his church and be sensitive to their needs.

  Strasburg

  When Brad turned his van up the Lapps’ driveway, he saw Sara getting out of a buggy. Then he caught sight of Ezekiel stepping out of the other side of the buggy and realized they must have been somewhere together. Brad wondered if Ezekiel was interested in the Lapps’ granddaughter. If so, did Sara like him?

  “Hi, Sara. Is Willis at home?” he asked, stepping up to her. “I came by to see if he has any chores for me to do today or even sometime in the near future.”

  “My grandpa’s not here,” she replied. “Or at least he wasn’t when Ezekiel picked me up to …” She paused, glancing over at Ezekiel. “Uh … he took me out for a horse and buggy driving lesson.”

  “I see.” Brad glanced at the tall Amish man and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  Ezekiel gave a nod. “Good to see you too.”

  “I’ll, um, go check the buggy shed and see if either Grandma or Grandpa’s carriages are there.” Sara twisted a strand of long hair around her fingers.

  “Okay, thanks.” Brad thought she seemed a little nervous today. Did it bother Sara that he was here and had seen her and Ezekiel together?

  As she headed toward the buggy shed, Brad decided to ask Ezekiel a question. “I’m curious as to the reason you’re teaching Sara to drive a horse and buggy. She’s not planning to become Amish, is she?”

  Ezekiel rubbed a hand across his chin. “I don’t think so. Sara just said she wanted to learn, and I volunteered to teach her. Guess she thought it would be fun and a way to get to know her grandparents’ way of life a little better.”

  “I see. Well, before he sprained his arm, wasn’t Willis going to teach her?”

  “Yeah, but that didn’t work out, so I was glad to pitch in and take over for her grandpa. We’ve been using my horse, which has worked out better too, since Big Red’s easy to drive and doesn’t spook easily.”

  “Guess that makes sense.” Brad really wanted to ask Ezekiel what his intentions toward Sara were, but it would be too bold, and probably not appreciated. Besides, it was really none of his business.

  Brad waited quietly, staring at Ezekiel’s horse. The animal stood patiently at the hitching rail, flipping his tail against the flies invading his space. He did appear gentle enough, at least here, where he didn’t have to pull a buggy.

  A few minutes later, Sara returned, shaking her head. “There are no buggies in the shed, and I don’t know when either of my grandparents will be home. You’re welcome to wait for them if you like.”

  “Oka
y, thanks, I will.” Brad glanced at Ezekiel again, wondering if he too planned to stick around. He was pleased when Ezekiel told Sara he needed to go and climbed into his buggy.

  Sara went around front and released the horse from the rail. “See you soon, Ezekiel,” she called as he backed up his horse.

  “Sure thing.” Ezekiel looked at Brad. “See you around.”

  Brad nodded and waved. Then he turned to Sara and smiled. Guess I’ll get right to the point. “Say, if you’re not doing anything tomorrow night, I was wondering if you’d like to go out for supper with me.”

  Sara pushed a wayward strand of hair away from her face. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

  He smiled. “Great. I’ll pick you up around six o’clock.”

  Chapter 23

  That evening it started to rain, and just as Michelle was getting ready for bed, Mary Ruth knocked on her door and asked if she’d like to come out to the barn. “One of the sows is about to give birth. Your grandpa and I thought you might enjoy seeing the process.”

  Michelle’s eyebrows lowered and pinched together. For the first time since coming here, she wished she was someplace else. Watching pigs being born was not her idea of fun. Not to mention going outside in the drenching rain. But she didn’t want to hurt Mary Ruth’s feelings or act disinterested.

  “Okay, sure,” Michelle called through the closed door. “I’ll be out there pretty quick.”

  “All right. I’m heading out to the barn now. We’ll see you soon. Oh, and Sara, make sure you wear a jacket. It’s pouring outside.”

  “Okay, Grandma.” Michelle smiled, despite the interruption. It felt nice to have someone care for her the way Mary Ruth and Willis did. They were truly the grandparents she’d never had. How different her life would be if she had known these good people since she was a young girl.

  Guess I should enjoy their company while I can, ’cause it won’t last forever. Michelle slipped into her jean jacket and left the room. Downstairs, she grabbed an umbrella in the metal stand near the back door.

  Outside, the rain came down in torrents, and thunder sounded in the distance. Michelle cringed when a flash of lightning lit up the yard. Looking to the west, she saw several bright, zig-zaggy streaks where the fury of the storm seemed to be much worse. She hated thunderstorms—she had ever since she was a child. The noise and bright flashes had scared her the most, especially when she had been all alone in the unfinished, upstairs bedroom. The rain sounded louder, pounding on the roof like a herd of elephants. The thunder and lightning seemed to be right outside her bedroom window, which had only added to Michelle’s fear. When the wind howled, it made the windows sing eerily. And hiding under the covers, like she’d often done, didn’t help. Giving in to her anxiety, Michelle would end up flying down the stairs with her blanket to sleep on the couch for the remainder of the night. Of course, Dad made fun of her the following morning, saying there was nothing to be afraid of and she ought to grow up and quit being such a baby. Michelle’s fear of storms was being passed on to her brothers, who he’d found huddled together and asleep under their bed that morning.

  Pushing her negative childhood memories to the back of her mind, Michelle dashed across the wet grass, flung open the barn doors, and stepped inside. Willis and Mary Ruth’s voices could be heard coming from the back of the building. Michelle headed in that direction. She found them both sitting on folding chairs near the pregnant sow’s pen.

  Willis looked up at her and smiled. “Glad you could join us, Sara. Your grandma and I feel it’s necessary to be on hand during the birth of Penny’s piglets, and we figured you might like to witness it too.

  Laughter bubbled in Michelle’s throat, but she held it back. She couldn’t believe Willis had actually named the mother pig.

  “There’s another folding chair if you’d like to sit on it.” Mary Ruth gestured with her head.

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll sit here.” Michelle took a seat on a bale of straw.

  Outside, the storm grew closer. She heard the wind howling as pelting rain hit the metal barn roof, while booms of thunder continued to sound. The storm didn’t frighten her so much now. In fact, it felt kind of cozy inside the barn with all the familiar sounds and smells.

  I might feel differently if I was alone in my room right now. Would I end up sleeping on the Lapps’ couch?

  Michelle yawned, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around her legs. She figured it might be a long night, waiting to see the piglets being born, but she didn’t mind. It was nice being with Willis and Mary Ruth and listening to them chat. Even when they spoke in their native language, it didn’t bother her. And since this would be the first time she’d seen a sow give birth, she’d be learning something new about farm life.

  “Well, would you look at that?” Mary Ruth gestured to Sara. But her granddaughter had drifted off to sleep with her head on her bent knees.

  Willis snickered. “Guess the excitement of watching Penny give birth wasn’t enough to keep her awake.”

  “It is almost midnight, and I’m about ready to fall asleep myself.” Mary Ruth kept her voice down. “Hopefully the rest of the piglets will be born soon.”

  “Should be.” Willis yawned and reached for the thermos of coffee Mary Ruth had brought out to the barn a short time ago. He opened the lid and poured himself a cup. “Want some?”

  She shook her head. “If I drink anymore kaffi, I’ll be wide awake by the time we go to bed.”

  “Not me. I’ve always been able to drink coffee right up till I hit the hay, and it never bothers me.”

  She poked his arm playfully. “Jah, well, you’re an exception.”

  He grinned. “Guess so.”

  Mary Ruth sat quietly with Willis, watching as three more piglets came into the world. A short time later, the sow laid on her side so all fifteen of her babies could nurse. It was a precious sight, and Mary Ruth never got tired of seeing the miracle of birth.

  She glanced at Sara, who was still asleep, and her thoughts went to Rhoda. Mary Ruth remembered well how their daughter used to react when any of the farm animals had babies. Rhoda would get all excited and sit there watching all day if she didn’t have chores to do.

  Mary Ruth hadn’t expected their daughter to run off like she did—not in a million years. She had spent many years blaming herself for Rhoda’s departure. Was there something she had said or done to cause their daughter to run off? Had they been too hard on her? Or not hard enough? But that was all behind her now. Blaming oneself did no good, and she had determined that she wasn’t going to do it anymore. Thanks to Sara’s letter, telling them who she was, Mary Ruth knew that Rhoda had left home by her own choice. She’d been embarrassed to tell them she was expecting a baby.

  Mary Ruth’s eyes watered, and she sniffed, hoping they wouldn’t spill over. How wonderful it would have been if we could have offered Rhoda support and been a part of the birth of our granddaughter. We would have done all we could to help our daughter during that difficult time. I wish she would have been brave enough to come to us with her problem.

  Despite her best effort, a few tears trickled down Mary Ruth’s cheeks. Oh Rhoda, how I wish we could have seen you one last time before you died. If only you had contacted us, we could have talked things through and assured you of our love and concern.

  Mary Ruth’s only comfort was having Rhoda’s daughter here with them. It was as though God had seen her and Willis’s grief and brought Sara to them as a healing balm. And that’s exactly what she was. The joy Sara brought to Mary Ruth and Willis was beyond words. She hoped they never lost touch with her and could see each other often, even if Sara chose to return to her home.

  Michelle woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was. But after seeing Mary Ruth and Willis standing against the sow’s stall, it didn’t take her long to realize she was in the barn.

  After sleeping on the bale of straw all that time, Michelle’s body ached. She stood and st
retched her sore muscles. Once she’d gotten some of the kinks out, she glanced toward the pen, blinking and rubbing her eyes. “Wow, look at all those piglets! I can’t believe I slept through the whole thing. Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “Your grandpa wanted to, but I said no, you needed your rest more than seeing Penny give birth.” Mary Ruth pointed to the baby pigs lying beside their mother. “She had fifteen little ones. Isn’t that something?”

  “I’ll say. Bet the poor sow’s more tired than I am.” Michelle moved in for a closer look. “That’s a lot of babies, but they’re cute little things.”

  “Yes, indeed.” Willis gave a loud yawn as he stood. “Well, everything seems to be okay here, so we should go into the house and try to get a few hours’ sleep before it’s time to get up and do our chores.”

  Mary Ruth nodded. “Guess that would be good, but not for too long, because soon it’ll be time to fix breakfast.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Michelle said. “I’ll take care of fixing breakfast this morning.”

  “Why, thank you, Sara.” Mary Ruth slipped her arm around Michelle’s waist. “You’re always willing to help out. I just don’t know what we would do without you.”

  Michelle smiled, although her insides quivered. What would they think if they knew the real me?

  After Mary Ruth and Willis headed to their room, Michelle went back out to the barn. She wasn’t sleepy anymore and thought it was a good chance to read a few more notes in the prayer jar. Each time she held the glass container, like she was doing now, her curiosity was piqued. As she shined the flashlight she’d brought along onto the paper, Michelle wished once more that she knew who had written the notes and why they’d chosen certain Bible verses, like the one she’d just read.

  “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” 2 Corinthians 6:17–18.