The Hope Jar

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Quicker than she could blink, her boss ran past and wrestled the guy to the floor. “I can either call the police, or you can hand over the money you took—now!”

  “I’ll give up the money,” Frank mumbled. He handed over all the bills, and when Dan let him go, Frank turned and glared at Michelle. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I just know the price people must pay for their dishonesty.”

  With a loud snort, the troublemaker ambled out of the restaurant.

  Michelle returned to the table where Ezekiel waited with a wide-eyed expression. “Unless you have somewhere else to go, let’s head over to my hotel so we can talk and you can get cleaned up.”

  “I have no place else to go. I came here to see you, remember?” Ezekiel clasped Michelle’s hand. “By the way, how are you doing? You look good, so I assume that bump you took on the head is much better.”

  She nodded. “I haven’t had any problems since I came here. At least not with my head.”

  “I’m glad.” He gave her fingers a tender squeeze.

  Michelle felt a mixture of hopefulness and humiliation. If Ezekiel hadn’t come here, he wouldn’t have gotten beat up. But if he’d stayed down in Lancaster County today, she wouldn’t have this opportunity to apologize to him or find out how Willis and Mary Ruth were doing.

  Chapter 42

  Strasburg

  The rocking chair creaked beneath Mary Ruth’s feet, as she sat rocking, staring at the note Michelle had left on their kitchen table. How many times had she read the young woman’s message revealing her true identity? Probably as many times as I’ve read Rhoda’s note. While parts of Rhoda’s note gave Mary Ruth peace of mind, Michelle’s note still confused her.

  She couldn’t help wondering where the young woman was and how she was doing. During the months Michelle had spent with Willis and Mary Ruth, a bond had been created between them. At least for Mary Ruth it had. She had no idea how Michelle truly felt about them. Since everything the young woman had told the Lapps had been a lie, Mary Ruth wondered what Michelle’s life was really like. Who were her parents? Where did she come from? Why had she pretended to be Sara? Despite Michelle’s deception, Mary Ruth couldn’t help missing her.

  Slowing the rocker, she released a heavy sigh. I suppose we will never know anything about her past. But at least I can keep praying for her, asking God to keep Michelle safe and on the right path.

  “Whatcha doin’ in here? I thought we were gonna have lunch.”

  Mary Ruth jumped at the sound of her husband’s voice. “Ach, you scared me, Willis!”

  “Sorry about that.” He ambled across the room and stopped in front of her chair. “So how come you’re here and not in the kitchen? It’s past lunchtime already, and you said you would call me when the meal was ready.”

  “I apologize, Willis. I got busy doing some cleaning and lost track of time. Then, feeling kind of tired and depressed, I came in here to rock and think for a bit.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’re missing our grossdochder, right?”

  “Jah. It is lonely without her.”

  “Don’t forget. Sara will be back next month, for Thanksgiving.”

  Mary Ruth nodded. “I’m also missing the young woman who pretended to be Sara.”

  He cocked his head. “Figured as much. Those four months she was with us created a connection. It’s just a shame she wasn’t honest with us from the beginning.”

  “I’m partly to blame as well.”

  “How so?”

  “I was so excited to meet our granddaughter at the bus station that day, I never even thought to question whether the young woman we thought was Sara truly was.” Mary Ruth lifted her hands and let them fall back in her lap. “She went with us so willingly, I just assumed …” Her voice trailed off. “Oh well, what does it matter now anyway? We’ve finally met Rhoda’s rightful daughter, and Michelle ran off, unable to face us. We’ll probably never know where she is or how she’s doing.”

  “Jah, and I have to say once again that I seriously doubt we’ll ever see the money she took from us.” Willis shuffled his feet. “So let’s put it in the past and try not to think about it, okay?”

  “It is in the past, but I can’t guarantee I won’t think about it.” Mary Ruth stood. “Let’s go to the kitchen, and I’ll fix us something to eat.”

  Harrisburg

  Michelle sat in a chair across from Ezekiel inside her stuffy hotel room. Even with the window open, it seemed too warm. Of course, it didn’t help that the hotel’s furnace didn’t work any better than the air-conditioning. Her room was always too warm or too cold.

  Michelle was glad Ezekiel hadn’t been seriously injured by those guys outside the restaurant, but the question he’d just posed had slammed into her like a horse running at full speed into the barn.

  “I can’t believe you want me to go back to Strasburg with you.” Michelle stuck a fingernail between her teeth and bit off the jagged end. “I don’t have all the money I took from the Lapps to return to them, and just thinking about facing Mary Ruth and Willis again makes my heart palpitate.”

  “It won’t be as bad as you think, Michelle. The Lapps are good people. I’m sure they’ve already forgiven you by now.”

  She sniffed. “Don’t see how they could. What I did was awful. I’ve asked God to forgive me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.”

  Ezekiel nodded. “Believe me, I understand. I’ve had trouble forgiving myself for lying to my folks all this time. It was a huge burden off my shoulders when I finally admitted to Dad that I still owned the truck.”

  “So what are you saying—that I should admit what I did to Mary Ruth and Willis face-to-face?” Michelle shifted on the hard-backed chair she sat upon. “I already told them I was sorry in the note I left on their kitchen table.”

  Ezekiel glanced around the room. “You don’t belong here, Michelle. Your place is with the people you love in Strasburg, and who also love you.”

  She shook her head vigorously. “The Lapps would never invite me to stay at their house again. And even if they did, I wouldn’t feel right about it. Besides, they have their rightful granddaughter now, so I doubt they’re even thinking of me. I can’t imagine how the real Sara feels about me either.”

  “Not true. I can’t speak for Sara, but Willis and Mary Ruth have both mentioned you to me several times.” Stretching his arms over his head, Ezekiel gave her a playful grin. “Rascal misses you too. I’ve seen the sadness in his puppy dog eyes.”

  Michelle pressed a palm against her chest. Merely thinking about the dog she’d left behind put an ache in her heart. “Do the Lapps know you’re here?” She leaned slightly forward.

  “No. I told no one I was coming to see you. Stan probably suspects, since I asked him to tell me where he’d brought you.”

  She drew in a deep breath and sighed. “Even if I did go back, it would only be to apologize again and give them back the money I took.” Frowning, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Only problem is, I don’t have all of it yet. The restaurant doesn’t pay much, and most of what I earn I have to use for the weekly rate on this crummy room. It could take months till I have enough saved up to pay the Lapps back.”

  “I’ll loan you the money, and you can pay me back when you’re able.” The sincerity she saw in Ezekiel’s eyes was almost enough to make her agree to go back to Strasburg with him.

  He got up from his chair and moved across the room. Clasping her hands, he pulled Michelle to her feet. “I care about you, and I’d like the chance to court you.”

  She tipped her head back and gazed into his brown eyes. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, Ezekiel.”

  “Does that mean you’d be willing?”

  “Willing to let you court me, or willing to return to Strasburg and face Willis and Mary Ruth?”

  “Both.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  Michelle’s h
eart pounded. “Have you decided whether you want to remain Amish or go English?”

  “I haven’t made up my mind for sure yet, but after getting a little taste of the English world, I’m not sure I would fit in.” He touched his stomach. “I am a bit baffled and dissatisfied with what I’ve seen so far. Truth is, I’m probably not cut out to be English.”

  “Ezekiel, what you experienced outside the restaurant doesn’t paint a picture of the entire English world.” Michelle lifted her hands and let them fall against her sides. “It’s true, there are some bad ones, like I’m sure there are in the Amish world. But there are a lot of good English people too, same as the Amish.”

  “What you’ve said makes sense.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “To tell you the truth, my decision about whether to go English or join the Amish church might depend on you.”

  “What does that mean?” She reached up and pushed a lock of hair out of his eyes.

  “It means, if the only way I can be with you is to live in the English world, then I’ll do it. But if you’d be willing to …”

  “Willing to what? Join the Amish faith?”

  “Yes.”

  Michelle gave Ezekiel a playful tap on the arm and snickered. “Yeah, right. Can’t you just see the Amish church allowing someone like me into their flock? That’s never gonna happen, Ezekiel, and you know it.”

  “I’m no better than you. But if I were to take the necessary classes and showed that I’m sincere in my desire to serve the Lord and follow the rules of the Amish church, I’d be allowed to join.”

  “But I’m an outsider,” Michelle argued. “And even on the off-chance that they did allow me to join, it would be a difficult transition.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. I saw what you did when you lived with Willis and Mary Ruth. You enjoyed the simple things and even wanted to learn how to drive a horse and buggy.” He pointed to her. “That was the real you, not the pretend Sara.”

  Michelle couldn’t deny it. She had enjoyed her time at the Lapps’ and had even daydreamed on several occasions what it might be like if she were Amish. Even so, she felt sure it was just a foolish dream, so why get her hopes up?

  “Do you care about me?” Ezekiel asked.

  “Yes, I do.” Her words came out in a whisper.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She slowly nodded.

  “Then go back to Lancaster County with me, face the Lapps, and let’s see where things go from there.” He gestured to the line of ants crawling across the floor. “Anything you might face in Strasburg can’t be as bad as the way you’re being forced to live here.”

  “I’d have to go by the restaurant and tell my boss that I’m quitting.”

  “No problem. We can do that.”

  “And I’d also need to let the desk clerk here know I’m checking out for good.”

  “Yep.” Ezekiel leaned a bit closer. “So how about it, Michelle? Are you willing to go back with me now?”

  Michelle’s thoughts raced as her heart beat a staccato. “I may be crazy, but jah, I’ll go.”

  He grinned and gave her a kiss—this time full on the lips.

  Michelle melted into his embrace. How could I have ever thought I might be falling for Brad? Ezekiel is the man I love. While Michelle felt apprehensive about going back to face Willis and Mary Ruth, she was ready to accept whatever they decided. She didn’t know what the future held for her or Ezekiel, but having him by her side would make it easier. They would need to put their faith and trust in God, and with His help, Michelle and Ezekiel could face any obstacles that may lay ahead.

  “I don’t want you to worry about anything either,” Ezekiel said as they pulled slowly apart. “I’ll help you pack up your things, and soon we’ll be heading for home.”

  Home. Michelle liked the sound of that. For the first time in many months, she felt a sense of hope and peace. She couldn’t be sure yet, but perhaps returning to the Amish community in Strasburg was God’s will for her life—and Ezekiel’s. Maybe one of the prayers Michelle had found in the old blue jar inside the barn would become her prayer for life.

  Ezekiel’s Favorite Johnnycake

  Ingredients:

  1 cup cornmeal

  1 cup flour

  ¼ cup sugar

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 cup milk

  1 egg, beaten

  ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted shortening

  Grease 8-inch square baking pan. In bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, egg, and oil to dry ingredients, stirring only enough to blend. Spread in baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold with butter.

  Mary Ruth’s Tasty Scalloped Potatoes and Pork Chops

  Ingredients:

  5 cups peeled and thinly sliced raw potatoes

  1 cup chopped onions

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 (16 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

  ½ cup sour cream

  6 pork loin chops (1 inch thick)

  Chopped fresh parsley

  In greased 9x13-inch baking pan, layer half the potatoes and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layer. Combine soup and sour cream and pour over potato mixture. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile in skillet, brown pork chops on both sides. Place pork chops on top of casserole. Cover and return to oven for 45 minutes or until pork chops are tender. Uncover during last 15 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Yields 6 servings.

  Discussion Questions

  1. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to set your modern, worldly things aside and live on an Amish farm for several months with no electricity or modern conveniences? What would be the one thing you’d have the hardest time giving up?

  2. If you had been Michelle, would you have been honest with the Lapps right from the start? If you had decided to pretend you were their granddaughter, would you have been able to deceive them for as long as Michelle did without breaking down?

  3. Mary Ruth and Willis Lapp were deeply grieved when their only daughter, Rhoda, left home when she was eighteen and never made contact with them again. If you had an adult child old enough to make their own decisions, and he or she left home without word of their whereabouts, how would you cope with the situation? Would you try your best to find them?

  4. Have you ever lost a loved one quickly, as Sara did, and barely had time to deal with their illness before they were gone? How did you get through the ordeal? Were there any verses of scripture that helped you along the way?

  5. Do you think Willis and Mary Ruth Lapp wanted so badly for their granddaughter to truly be coming home to them that they threw caution to the wind and approached the first person at the bus station who they thought was their granddaughter? Should they have asked more specific questions to make sure it really was Sara?

  6. Michelle deceived everyone she met while living in Strasburg. If you had been any of them (the Lapps, Brad, Ezekiel, Ivan, Lenore) would you have been able to forgive her when you found out what she did?

  7. Michelle’s interest was piqued when she discovered some old jars that contained prayers, sayings, and Bible quotes. It was because of these notes that she began thinking about someone other than herself. Have you ever found a note in an unusual place and didn’t know who had written it or why? Did it make any kind of an impact on your life?

  8. If you were the real Sara, how would you have felt after discovering that someone had been pretending to be you?

  9. At one point Michelle convinced herself it was okay to deceive the Lapps because she had grown fond of them and didn’t want to hurt them. Is there ever a time when it’s all right to keep the truth from someone, for fear of them getting hurt?

  10. Ezekiel had also been living a lie, keeping the truth from his parents about the truck he’d bought. Why do you think some Amish young people want to have modern things or take part in some activities
that English young people might do?

  11. How do you think Amish parents should deal with their young people who try out worldly things? Should they look the other way, hoping their children will become dissatisfied with what the world has to offer? Or should Amish parents forbid their children to experience what English young people do?

  12. When Ezekiel was attacked by a group of bullies outside a restaurant, he chose not to fight back. He had been taught from an early age that Matthew 5:39 says if someone hits us on the right cheek, we are supposed to turn our left cheek to him as well. How do you interpret this verse? How would most people react if they were picked on by bullies, the way Ezekiel was?

  13. Would the unkind greeting Ezekiel got in Harrisburg outside the restaurant where Michelle worked give you the impression that’s how the English world really is? Does it make sense that, following the incident, Ezekiel became a bit more hesitant in his decision to become English?

  14. Did you learn anything new while reading this story in regards to the Lancaster County Amish? In what way is their life different from any other Amish community in America?

  15. Were there any verses of scripture, prayers, or sayings that Michelle found on the slips of paper inside the old jars that spoke to you or touched your heart in some way? What was your favorite quote?

  About the Author

  New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nation’s most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.

  Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.