The Hope Jar

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Many of them are migrating south right now, and they stop over here at our river.”

  “We should come here on our lunch break some time. There is so much to observe by the river. And I didn’t realize this was so close to where we work either. It really is a pretty place.”

  “Yes, Harrisburg has a lot to offer. I live not far out of the city, but I come here a lot when I have free time.” Susan stared out at the river too. “I like your suggestion about coming here on our lunch break sometime.”

  Michelle smiled. She felt thankful she had made a new friend in Susan. She’d never realized how important friendships were until she lived in Strasburg and had become friends with Ezekiel, Brad, and even Lenore. Those days were gone though, and it was time to move on.

  “You know, my grandma said that when my daddy was a little boy, he had a hard time pronouncing the word Susquehanna.” Susan’s voice broke into Michelle’s thoughts. “Guess he used to call this body of water, ‘the second-handed river.’ ”

  “That’s really cute.” Michelle chuckled, then she pointed. “What’s that over there?”

  “It’s called City Island. They have baseball games there, and a little park where kids can play. A lot of the people who work in Harrisburg park their cars on City Island too.” Susan pointed in that direction. “They park their cars over there and just walk back across the bridge. By the way, that’s the Market Street Bridge.”

  “That’s interesting. I might wanna walk across that bridge sometime.”

  “Hey, do you want to take a walk now? It’s Saturday, and we have most of the day to do something.” Susan stood up. “This is a great place to get some exercise.”

  “Not only that, it looks like a wonderful area to come and clear your mind. Almost like the country, where I used to live,” Michelle said. “Maybe we can get lunch somewhere after we walk awhile, since we still have a lot of time before we have to work the evening shift tonight.”

  “I know just the place. It’s a nice little sub shop where we can have a leisurely lunch. Then you can tell me all about where you used to live.”

  “Okay, let’s go, and we’ll work up an appetite.”

  Strasburg

  “I wish you didn’t have to go so soon, Sara.” Mary Ruth placed her arm across Sara’s shoulders after they had finished eating an early lunch. “We’ve barely had a chance to get to know you.”

  “Your grandma’s right,” Willis put in. “Can’t ya stay another week or so?”

  “I would love to, but I can’t afford to be gone from my part-time job any longer. I’ve already stayed longer than I planned. My boss is great, but if don’t get back to work by Monday, he might decide to hire someone else permanently—maybe even the young woman who’s been taking my place these past couple of weeks.” Sara gave Mary Ruth a tender squeeze. “I promise to come back for Thanksgiving and again at Christmas. That is, if I’m still invited.”

  “Course you are.” Mary Ruth nodded. “It will give you the opportunity to get to know your Uncle Ivan and his family better too. Even though you were able to meet them while you were here, you didn’t get to spend much time together.”

  “I look forward to knowing them all better—especially my cousin Lenore.” Sara smiled. “Never knew I had a cousin until I came here.”

  Mary Ruth thought about Lenore’s reaction when she’d found out Michelle had been posing as Sara. She, as well as the rest of her family, had been quite upset about the situation. Mary Ruth didn’t have the nerve to tell them Michelle had taken all the cash they’d been putting away inside their coffee can for incidentals and a small vacation fund. Truth be told, she and Willis would probably never see that money again.

  But maybe Michelle needed it more than they did. And it wasn’t as if she’d taken everything they owned, for they still had money in their bank account. They were getting along okay and didn’t really miss the amount that had been stashed away in their cupboard. Despite all that, what Michelle had done was wrong, and some folks might not be so quick to forgive. Mary Ruth was sure, however, that Ivan and his family would eventually find it in their hearts to forgive Michelle’s misdeed.

  After all, there were plenty of verses in the Bible to remind people of the importance of forgiveness. Jesus was a prime example, for when He hung on the cross, close to death, Jesus asked God to forgive those who had crucified Him, for they knew not what they were doing. Of course Michelle did know what she was doing, but that didn’t mean her deeds shouldn’t be forgiven. “Hate the sin, but not the sinner.” She’d heard Willis quote that phrase in several of the sermons he’d preached over the years.

  Turning back to Sara, Mary Ruth smiled and said, “I believe you and Lenore can be good friends.”

  “I hope so.” Sara reached for her suitcase. “And now, I’d best be on my way.”

  “Here, let me get that for you.” Willis stepped forward.

  “It’s okay. I can manage, Grandpa.”

  He hesitated but finally nodded.

  Mary Ruth held back a chuckle. Their granddaughter was independent, just like her mother had been, and dear Willis had a hard time not taking charge of things. Sooner or later, he would learn that some folks liked to be self-sufficient.

  They followed Sara out the door and walked her to the car. Mary Ruth was pleased when Sara allowed Willis to put her suitcase in the trunk of the car. Hugs were given all the way around, and then Sara said a tearful goodbye and got in her car.

  Mary Ruth, swallowing against the lump in her throat, stood beside Willis and watched as their granddaughter drove away. I hope Sara keeps her promise and comes back for Thanksgiving.

  Harrisburg

  Ezekiel arrived in Harrisburg shortly before supper. It didn’t take him long to locate the hotel Stan had told him about. It wasn’t in the best part of town, but he figured Michelle had chosen it for the cheaper rate advertised on the lighted reader board outside the building. Unable to find a spot to park his truck in the hotel lot, he realized he’d have to look for something on the street. He finally located an empty spot, put money in the parking meter, and went inside the rundown building.

  After making some inquiries at the front desk, Ezekiel felt relief hearing that Michelle was still staying here. The female clerk said she wasn’t supposed to give out room numbers to just anyone asking. But since Ezekiel looked like an honest sort and said he was Michelle’s friend, she told him that his friend’s room was on the fourth floor. The desk clerk also mentioned the room number.

  Ezekiel thanked the young woman and headed for the elevator. Looking around after he got on, Ezekiel knew without a doubt that he was nowhere close to home. One of the first things he noticed were the smudges and fingerprints on the walls, not to mention crumpled gum wrappers, dirt, and even a few flattened plastic water bottles. Metal rubbed against metal, and there were squeals and squeaks as the doors shut. It was too late now, but Ezekiel wished he’d taken the stairs. As the elevator began its ascent, Ezekiel wondered what would happen if there was a power outage or even an elevator malfunction. Being trapped in a confined space like this would be frightening enough if there were other people inside with him. But the thought of being stuck here by himself sent shivers of apprehension up Ezekiel’s spine.

  Just breathe and try not to think about it, he told himself.

  The elevator shuddered and made a sudden jerk, and then the door came open. Fourth floor. What a relief.

  Ezekiel wasted no time stepping out. A few minutes later, he found the room Michelle had rented and knocked on her door. Unfortunately, she didn’t answer, so he assumed she wasn’t there.

  Heading back to the lobby, he took the stairs. Then, checking with the desk clerk again, Ezekiel asked if she knew where Michelle might have gone.

  “If she’s not in her room, then she’s probably at work,” the tall, dark-haired woman said.

  “Can you tell me where that is?”

  She leaned over the counter, as if sizing Ezekiel up and down
. “Yeah, I do know, but I’m really not supposed to give out that information either.”

  His patience waning, Ezekiel tapped his foot, then leaned against the counter. “You told me her room number a few minutes ago, so what would it hurt to give me the name of the place my girlfriend works?”

  The woman’s scrunched up face relaxed slightly. “Well, why didn’t you say she was your girlfriend in the first place? You just said she was a friend before. Course I’ll tell ya where Michelle works.”

  On the one hand, Ezekiel was relieved that the desk clerk would give him the information he needed. But on the other hand, he couldn’t believe he’d blurted out that Michelle was his girlfriend. At no point had he ever asked her, nor had she ever said she wanted him to court her. Even so, there had been a spark between them. Ezekiel had even admitted to Michelle, when he’d thought she was Sara, the feelings he had developed toward her. He felt sure she had developed the same feelings for him during her stay in Strasburg.

  Of course, Michelle had lied about her name, so maybe she’d only pretended to be interested in me, Ezekiel thought.

  He stood straight when the brunette woman handed him a slip of paper. “Here’s the name and address of the restaurant where Michelle works. It’s just about three blocks from here.”

  “Thanks.” In his eagerness to leave the hotel, Ezekiel almost tripped over his own big feet. Righting himself before he toppled over, he stuck the paper in his pocket and made his way out the door. He figured since the place where Michelle worked wasn’t far, he would go to the restaurant on foot. A walk in the evening air might be just what he needed to clear his head.

  Walking down the street, Ezekiel couldn’t get over all the big buildings he saw. Some looked like offices, and others were stores. He’d never seen so many places to eat either, tucked in and around everything else.

  As he continued to walk, large homelike structures appeared, some three stories high with huge porches. The buildings looked old, and some were rundown, but most appeared to be well cared-for. Surprisingly, huge trees seemed to grow right out of the sidewalks.

  Ezekiel glanced toward one of the porches where several people sat. They stared at him as if they’d never seen an Amish man before. This is making me uncomfortable.

  Ezekiel picked up his pace and nearly fell on his face when he tripped over a section of concrete that a tree root had lifted up. As he moved on, he could still hear the porch-sitters talking and chortling. He hoped they weren’t laughing at him.

  When Ezekiel approached the eatery a short time later, he noticed a group of young men, hanging around outside, smoking and drinking. When he walked up to the front door, one of the men hollered, “Say, buddy, what’s with the straw hat? You ain’t one of them Amish guys, are ya?”

  Ezekiel ignored the man’s question and reached for the door handle. But before he could get it open, another fellow grabbed his arm and turned him around. With one quick swipe, he knocked Ezekiel’s hat off his head.

  Then, someone else gave Ezekiel’s other arm a hefty punch and snorted. “I think he’s a yellow chicken. That’s what I think.”

  The rest of them joined in and kicked his hat around as if it were a ball. One guy remained close to Ezekiel, as if ready to pounce on him, in case Ezekiel tried to fight back.

  As he looked from this guy, to the others who were playing with his hat, Ezekiel wasn’t sure how to deal with the situation. One thing was sure. He didn’t want any trouble. Should I stand up for myself? Run? Or try to reason with them?

  Chapter 41

  Listen now, fellows, I don’t want any trouble. I just want to go inside so I can see my girlfriend.” Ezekiel held his ground, staying close to the restaurant’s front door. He couldn’t believe the predicament he was in. It had been hard enough waiting for Stan to return home so he could locate Michelle. Then Ezekiel had dealt with the flighty desk clerk. And now that he was in front of the place where Michelle worked, he faced an even bigger challenge.

  The guy who’d begun the taunting, leaned so close to Ezekiel that he could smell his raunchy breath. “Oh yeah? Who’d go out with a big oaf like you?”

  Before Ezekiel had the chance to respond, the second young man hauled off and hit him in the stomach.

  Umpf. Ezekiel doubled over and dropped to his knees. He’d been taught from an early age not to fight. The Amish were pacifists and should not retaliate. The Bible said in Matthew 5:39: “But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Ezekiel also remembered another verse in that chapter that said: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” This was a tall order, and Ezekiel wasn’t sure he could abide by it right now. Every fiber of his being wanted to defend himself.

  His muscles quivered as he struggled to get up, heat coursing through his body. He fought the urge to vomit. What he wanted more than anything was to punch the guy who’d hit him, but he was clearly outnumbered here. And if he did fight back, what kind of message would it send? Certainly not a good Christian witness. Besides, he’d likely end up in worse shape than he already was.

  Glancing at her watch, Michelle realized she hadn’t been at work an hour, and already her feet were killing her. I can’t even think about how many hours I still have to work. She ground her teeth together so hard her jaw ached. Not only did her feet hurt from walking along the riverfront earlier today, but for the last ten minutes, one of the customers had been giving her a hard time. Frank was a guy who came in at least once a week and reminded her of Jerry.

  She knew his type and tried to stay clear, but it was difficult in this small restaurant with its confined eating area. Frank constantly asked her out and showed no respect when she said no. This time, however, Frank had become more insistent. When Michelle walked by his table, he grabbed her arm. “I’m tired of you always saying no to me. What’s the matter, babe? Ain’t I good enough for you?”

  Before Michelle could respond, someone in the restaurant hollered, “Hey, there’s a fight goin’ on outside!”

  Frank let go of Michelle’s arm, and she almost lost her balance. She recovered the plates on her tray in time to keep them from falling onto the floor. Fights outside weren’t unusual, so she didn’t follow Frank or any of the other patrons over to the window. But when she heard someone shout that there was an Amish guy outside getting roughed up, Michelle dashed across the room to see what was happening. As far as she knew, no Amish lived in Harrisburg. Maybe it’s an Amish man just passing through, and he stopped for a bite to eat. But why here, in this crummy part of town?

  Michelle slipped between two customers so she could peek out the window. She was stunned to discover Ezekiel lying on the ground. Two big guys with raised fists stood over him. With no thought at all for her safety, she jerked open the door and hollered at the guys to stop.

  They sneered at her, and one of them let loose with a couple of cuss words. “Now don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend,” the biggest guy taunted.

  To her relief, Dan, the owner of the restaurant came out. “Okay you scumbags … Break it up, or I’ll call the police.”

  Looking none too happy, one of the guys mumbled something to Ezekiel, and then he and his buddies all slunk away.

  Michelle dropped to her knees beside Ezekiel, cradling his head in her hands. “Are you badly hurt? Do we need to call for help?”

  “No, I’ll be okay.” He took her hand and clambered to his feet.

  “What are you doing here anyway?” she asked, leading him inside and over to a seat.

  “Came to see you.”

  Michelle’s friend, Susan, came over and handed him a wet washcloth, which he held against a place on his face that appeared to be scraped.

  “But how did you know where to find me?” Michelle took the chair beside him.

  “I found out Stan drove you away from the Lapps’. Took me awhile to talk to him about it because he was out of to
wn. But when I did make connections, he said he drove you to a hotel here in Harrisburg, and he gave me the name of it.” Ezekiel paused and took a drink of water another waitress had brought him. “I went there, but you weren’t in your room, so I talked the desk clerk into telling me where you worked. Then I came over here so I could talk to you. But thanks to those bullies I encountered, I never made it through the front door.”

  It was all Michelle could do to keep from hugging Ezekiel, but she didn’t want to give those in the restaurant anything more to talk about. Besides, she wasn’t sure how Ezekiel would respond. The last time they’d seen each other, he’d been pretty upset with her.

  “How’d you get here?” she questioned. “Did Stan drive you up from Strasburg?”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “Came in my truck.”

  “So you still haven’t sold it, huh?”

  “Nope, but I did come clean and tell my folks where I’d taken it.” Ezekiel rubbed his stomach. “Boy, that guy could sure hit. Feels like I’ve been head-butted by one of my uncle’s goats.”

  “I’m sorry you were subjected to that. Maybe you should have stayed home today.”

  “No way! I wanted to see you. We need to talk.”

  Michelle wasn’t sure what they had to talk about, but she excused herself and went to speak with her boss. “Would you mind if I left a little early today? I know my shift started less than an hour ago, but this is kind of important, and I need to leave.”

  He nodded. “Sure, go ahead. I’m guessin’ you want to spend some time with your friend.”

  “Yes, I do. I need to make sure he’s really okay.”

  “Well, go on then.” Dan flapped his hand. “Looks like it’s gonna be a slow night anyway, so I’ll see you tomorrow, late afternoon, for the evening shift.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  As Michelle headed back to the table where Ezekiel waited, she caught sight of Frank stealing tip money off several of the tables. “Hey, what do you think you are doing?”