by Unknown
*****
“Miss Weaver, do you understand what I’m saying?” The doctor peered into her face and Emma shook her head. “No, I don’t understand anything, but I just want to know- will she be alright?” The doctor sighed and said, “Emma, I know this is all new to you, and we were trying to keep the treatment as minimally invasive as possible, but I’m afraid that option is out now. Your mother’s getting sicker and sicker, and surgery is our last resort. If this works, however, then she’ll be completely free of the cancer and you two can go back home soon.” Emma knew that surgery meant cutting her up and it was too horrible for her even to imagine, but even then, she gulped and asked, “And if it doesn’t work?” The doctor shrugged and said, “Then it doesn’t work. There’s not much else we can do.”
Emma wrapped her arms around herself and started to shake as she said, “May I have some time to think it over?” The doctor nodded sympathetically and said, “Of course. I’ll be in surgery until six this evening anyway, and I’ll drop by after that. I hope you have an answer for me by then.” Emma nodded, and then walked away from him. Instead of walking back to the room where her mother lay in a medical-induced stupor however, she let her legs carry her off outside the hospital and into the grounds. She kept walking until she heard the men working, and that’s when she looked up and saw him.
Michael swung his axe and glanced up to see a familiar figure clad in a long skirt and bonnet. She looked pale and fragile, and immediately ignoring his colleagues’ cries of exasperation, Michael set down his axe and walked over to her. “Emma? Are you alright?” he asked her gently, and she shook her head. “Do you want to get a bite to eat?” he asked, and she nodded, still pale-faced as he took her small hand in his large one and led her to the cafeteria. “Do you want me to talk about whatever’s upsetting you?” he asked, after he had bought them both sandwiches. Emma glanced up and said, “Can we eat outside? This place makes me uncomfortable.”
It was the first thing she had said since she had shown up at his workplace so Michael smiled and nodded, leading her to a quiet shady spot with a nice bench. Emma sat down and held her sandwich in her hand, not having taken even a bite as she stared into space. “Emma?” Michael said softly, but Emma jumped as though he had shouted, and then she said, “I’m sorry. Are you going to get into trouble for not working?” Michael waved a hand dismissively and said, “Don’t worry about me. I just want to know if there’s anything I can do to help you.” Emma looked at him, and then without warning, her shoulders began to shake as she started to cry.
Michael panicked. He had never comforted a crying woman before, and all he could think of doing was hugging her, but he didn’t think an Amish woman would be okay with that. He glanced around helplessly and said, “Emma, whatever it is, you can talk to me about it.” Emma only cried harder and then it dawned on Michael that it probably had to do with her mother. After all, that was the reason she was here in the hospital. “Is it your mother?” Emma nodded, still crying and Michael sighed as he said, “Is her condition worse?” Emma wiped her eyes on her sleeves and took deep shuddering breaths before she said, “I’m being asked to make decisions about things I don’t understand,” she choked back a sob, “It’s not fair. I’m the child, not the mother.”
Michael felt choked up too and he said, “Emma- I’m sorry you have to go through this. If you want- I mean I don’t want to intrude, but I could help you make your decision.” Emma looked at him through her tear-laden eyelashes and he quickly said, “Only if you want me to- I don’t want to be disrespectful or anything-” but before he could finish, Emma had leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his. The entire world seemed to fade away and in that moment, all he knew was the taste of her lips. He kissed her back, realizing it was what he had wanted to do since the moment she had told him off for being rude to her. Just as suddenly as it had started, however, it stopped, and Emma pulled back. She was clearly embarrassed at what she had just done and she got up, turning to leave but Michael held her wrist and said, “Emma, don’t go.”
She touched her lips, where she could still feel his, and she shook her head, “I shouldn’t have done that. It was wrong of me.” Michael stood up too but he didn’t let go of her wrist as he said, “I’m glad you did,” and he pulled her close, pressing his mouth against hers again, and this time she didn’t pull away. After what seemed like several long minutes, when they finally broke apart, Emma shook her head and said, “This is not what I had in mind when I came to visit you at your job.” Michael grinned and said, “No, me neither, but it certainly is much more fun than cutting down trees.” Emma tried to hide her smile but it escaped anyway and soon, she was laughing.
She stopped suddenly, feeling guilty about having a good time while her mother lay in a hospital bed, depending on Emma to make the right decision for her. Emma glanced at Michael and said, “Will you really help me choose what’s right for Mama?” Michael widened his eyes and nodded, “Of course. I’m not well versed with medicine either, but I’ll help in any way I can.” Emma smiled gratefully and thanked him as she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Thank you, Michael,” she said softly, “Thank you for everything. I’m not sure I can do all this alone.”
*****
At six p.m., Michael and Emma waited anxiously for the doctor to return, and soon enough there was a knock on the door and he entered with a grim look on his look. “I’m afraid it’s time to make a decision, Miss Weaver,” he said. Emma glanced at Michael, who smiled encouragingly at her, before she took a deep breath, nodded and said, “You can go ahead with the surgery.” The doctor nodded too and said, “You understand all the risk involved?” Emma nodded again, glancing at her mother who lay limply in bed, the covers dragged up all the way to her chin. “I understand. And if there’s even the smallest chance of recovery, I want to give it to her.”
The doctor nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll get her prepped for surgery. We’ll operate first thing in the morning,” he turned to leave and stopped, turning back as he said gently, “And Emma, please try to get some rest. This will be just as taxing on you as it will be on your mother.” Emma nodded and thanked him as he left. She stood in front of the door for a long time, aware of the fact that Michael was looking at her, but she couldn’t turn and face him just yet. Michael noticed her shoulders shaking, and he stepped closer, placing her hands on her shoulders as he softly said, “It’s alright, Emma. It will all be okay.”
Just then, a weak voice called out, “Emma?” The two of them jumped and Michael hastily let go of her shoulders as they turned to see Verity sitting up in bed. She pulled the covers up and said shrilly, “Who is this?” Emma motioned for Michael to leave as she turned to her mother and said, “Nobody, Mama, just rest.” Her mother was adamant to get answers, however, and she pushed Emma aside and addressed Michael, “You’re the shirtless boy.” Michael’s eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently as Emma said, “Mama, you’re tired and seeing things. Go back to sleep.” As she pushed her mother back down onto the bed, she violently gestured for Michael to leave and he ran out, closing the door behind him with a snap.
“What’s going on, Emma?” Verity asked her daughter sleepily in Pennsylvania Dutch, and Emma shook her head, answering in English, “Just go to sleep, Mother. The doctors will treat you tomorrow, and it’ll be scary but you’ll get better after that.” Verity nodded and fell back into her stupor as Emma sighed with relief and then slipped out of the room quietly. She ran into Michael, who was pacing anxiously in the corridor. “I’m so sorry. Did I get you in trouble?” he asked her as soon as he saw her, but she shook her head and held a finger to her lips as she whispered, “No, it’s alright. She’ll forget what she saw, but Michael I need to speak with you.” He nodded and said, “Let’s go outside.”
As they walked, Emma rehearsed what she had to say in her head, walking a few steps behind Michael and going over everything. Michael knew by the way that Emma was walking that she had something seriou
s to say, and he had already guessed what it was. By the time they reached the spot where they had kissed earlier, Emma sat down with a sigh and said, “I’m not sure where to begin.” Michael sighed too and said, “I know what you’re going to say, Emma, but we don’t have to end things this way.” Emma shook her head sadly and said, “But we do. This is temporary, you don’t understand how different our lives are.”
Michael shrugged and said, “So tell me.” Emma laughed mirthlessly and said, “If only that were easy. Look, this isn’t just about me. I have four sisters to think about. Rosie’s marriage depends on me, and whether I want to marry Daniel Bailer.” Michael felt jealous and angry when he heard her say that, but he reminded himself that he had no right to be. He simply said, “Is that what you want?” Emma shrugged and said, “It doesn’t matter what I want. All that matters is that there are things I have to do. I have to go back and take care of the farm and take care of my sisters and help my father take care of mother. I’m not like you. Don’t you see what kind of world I come from?”
Michael reached out and gently tugged on a strand of hair that had escaped her bonnet, “Emma,” he said, softly, “I care about you. I truly do.” Emma stood up and shook her head, tears streaming down her face now, and she bitterly said, “You don’t even know me.” Michael stood up too and he said, “And Daniel Bailer? Does he know you? Does he care about you?” Emma stepped back as though she had been slapped and she said, “Don’t you dare. You don’t understand me or my way of life. That’s not how things work in the Amish community.” Michael was undeterred as he said, “What, Amish people don’t fall in love?”
Emma stopped short and said, “Love?” Michael’s expression completely changed then as he stared blankly at her. “Did you say love?” Emma asked again and Michael licked his lips before he said, “I know it’s crazy, trust me, I know. But Emma, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you. I know that it sounds like complete madness, but I just always want to be with you, just to be around you. I don’t know you very well yet, but I promise you that I care more about you than any Daniel or Joseph ever can.” He fell to his knees and said, “Emma, I’m asking you to stay. Just stay here with me. I love you.” Emma stared at him with her mouth open and before she realized what was happening, she had turned away and started to run as fast as she could.
*****
Emma cried all night and when she felt too tired to cry some more and her eyes grew heavy with sleep, two nurses walked in chattering brightly. Emma jumped up, startled, and the nurses told her they were taking her mother in for surgery. “You continue resting, honey. We’ll keep updating you.” Emma walked over to her mother and kissed her on the forehead, whispering a quick prayer as they wheeled her away. All along in the ward, she curled up on the window seat and closed her eyes, but sleep seemed to have left her, and she just rested her head against the cool glass of the window, feeling miserable.
She didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke with a start when a voice called out her name. It was the doctor and he peered at her kindly over his glasses as he said, “Emma, the surgery went very well. Much better than we had even hoped for.” Emma sleepily rubbed her eyes and sat up as she said, “Is my mother alright?” The doctor nodded and said, “Yes, she’s still under sedatives, but you can see her if you wish.” Emma nodded enthusiastically and quickly unfolded her limbs, standing up as two men rolled her in on a stretcher and then transferred her onto the bed. As they left, Emma neared her mother and glanced at her face. She still looked weak and fragile but the color had returned to her skin.
“We got the whole tumor. Your mother is completely cancer-free. In a day or two, you can go back home. I’m sure your family’s waiting anxiously to see you.” Emma nodded, tears of happiness and relief streaming down her face as she watched her mother breathe steadily. The doctor clapped her gently on the shoulder and then walked out, leaving Emma alone with her mother. She sat down next to the bed and said, “Mama, I’m so happy to see you better. I know it’s selfish but I’m also happy for myself. I was getting so tired of having to run the house all by myself and raising the girls, knowing I could never do a good job with Miriam and Gracie, not the way you did with us older three.”
She wiped her tears and went on, “Mother, I love you and I love my sisters and Papa and the farm, but a part of me can’t bear to go back. I don’t want to go back to Faith’s Lake and be another Mrs. Bailer. It’s just not for me.” She glanced out of the window. It was too dark to see anything clearly and she sniffled as she said, “He told me he loves me and I ran away, Mama. I didn’t know what else to do. I was so scared. I didn’t think anybody would ever love me, or that I would ever love anybody. But Mama, I do love him. I’ve been feeling it grow since the moment I laid eyes on him.” She was crying heavily now and a sudden knock on the door startled her.
Slowly, she got up and answered the door. Michael stood there, holding out a large bouquet of flowers. Emma stared at him, and he gulped before he said, “These are for your mother.” She took the flowers and shyly looked to the floor as she said, “Thank you.” There was a rustling sound behind her and her mother’s voice called out, in Pennsylvania Dutch, “Is that him?” Emma whirled around and saw her mother sitting up, smiling. Emma blinked and then her mother laughed. So taken aback by the sound of her mother’s laughter which she hadn’t heard it in over a year, Emma started to cry again. “Oh darling,” her mother said, switching to English, “Darling don’t cry.”
Michael’s voice was shaking as he said, “I’ll go- I’m sorry,” and before Emma could respond, he was gone. Emma walked over to her mother and hugged her until her mother said, “Emma, darling. I see you blossoming before my very eyes. You’re my daughter, don’t you think I know you?” Emma wiped away her tears and her mother said, “You love him. It’s clear as day. I would have known even if I hadn’t heard you confess to it a few minutes ago.” Emma blinked and said, “You heard all that?” Verity grinned and said, “I love you. And I know that we live a completely different lifestyle, but I only want what’s best for you. Stay, darling. Stay and see if this story is worth being written.”
Emma shook her head disbelievingly and said, “What about the community? What about-” but her mother shook her head and said, “I nearly died Emma, and I don’t want to live what life God has given me seeing my daughter unhappy. I’ll take care of the community and of that horrid Mrs. Bailer.” Emma started to laugh and her mother pulled her in and kissed her cheek, “Go find the boy.” Emma laughed and picked up her skirts as she ran straight out the door, wondering where she would possibly find him.
As she ran down the hallway, she suddenly tripped and shrieked as she fell. She heard someone cry out in pain and realized she had tripped over Michael, who was sitting on the floor outside her room, leaning against the wall. “Michael,” she shrieked and Michael stared at her in shock. “Michael,” she said again laughing this time as she threw her arms around his neck. “I love you, too,” she gasped and he started to laugh in disbelief as he said, “Really?”
She pulled back and nodded happily before pressing her lips against his, whispering into his mouth, “I’m staying, Michael. If you’ll have me, I’ll stay.” Michael pulled away and said, “Really?” She nodded again and Michael let her go, running down the hallway and shouting with glee. He looked around and found a rolled up sticker which he ran back with and fell to his knees. He held it out and said, “Marry me?” Emma laughed and slipped the sticker ring on her finger as she gasped, “Yes!”
THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 2 of 10
Carpenter Shunned
The cold blue glow of the morning light was enough to force Sarah Miller's eyes open. She threw off her quilt and walked up to her closet. She dressed modestly in a long black dress that covered her wrists and fell below her ankles. Then she wound her hair into a bun, careful to make it tight so that it didn't creep out the back of her bon
net. A woman must never show her hair.
She grabbed a candle, lit it and used it to guide her into the hallway and down the stairs. Her hands were shivering but stiff. She had to hold the candle carefully. She didn't want it falling down the stairs. Her mother's handmade rug was at the bottom and the frayed edges would light right up and burn the house down.
Sarah walked into the kitchen, grabbed her thin black jacket and stepped outside. Her lungs were burning and her throat was so dry it was threatening to cave in. It was getting colder and they would have to harvest the wheat and corn soon. They'd only have enough money to buy basic house supplies and food.
They used to have more than a hundred acres, but when her husband Jethro died, they had to sell it all. Wealth isn't a bad thing, but it should never be a source of pride. It should never bring on conceit or arrogance. It was just God's way of rewarding you for your hard work. That was the way things were supposed to be, but it didn't always feel that way. Now it seemed like no matter how hard Sarah worked she never got anything except for more heartache.