“I know, and I find that very annoying. They don’t understand how our hearts have been broken.”
They drove around for a while chatting like they were old friends. Rose felt at ease with him and enjoyed his company.
Getting back to the house, Miriam cornered Rose in the kitchen while the men were sitting in the living room.
“So, you and Abraham were gone for a while. What do you think of him?”
“Miriam, I like him but as a friend only,” Rose said, thinking that maybe she should change the subject. “He’s been through the same thing as I have so it’s always nice to talk to someone who knows how you are feeling.”
“But do you like him? I think he likes you.”
“We are friends, and that is all we will be. We both agreed that we have no room in our hearts right now for anything else,” Rose said, glaring at her sister. “So don’t ask again.”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just thought that this could be a sign from Gott. It just seems funny that both of you have had your hearts broken in a similar manner,” Miriam said.
“Come, Rose, it’s time to go home,” John said getting up from the couch. “Miriam, Joshua, thank you so much for the meal and the hospitality.”
When they arrived home, Rose went up to her room and closed the door. She was tired of people always asking when she would marry or if she was seeing anyone. Now that she had met Abraham, she didn’t feel alone anymore. It was nice to have someone to talk to; someone who understood what she went through; someone who didn’t judge.
She knew she had a true friend in Abraham and that was all it would ever be. Hopefully, others would see that too and stop trying to match them up.
* * *
Chapter 7
Weeks went by, and Rose was slowly catching on to how to manage all the household chores. With the help of Miriam, she had set up a schedule for herself and even mastered the art of cooking. On slower days, Rose would even attempt new recipes, which delighted her father. She knew in her heart that he wanted her to meet a nice man and settle down, but she just wasn’t ready, and she didn’t know if she ever would be.
She had seen Abraham several times over the next few weeks, and she liked to think they had a unique friendship. It was nice just to be around someone who understood and didn’t ask any questions or make any demands. She thanked God every night for bringing a friend like him into her life.
“Good morning, Rose,” Miriam chirped as she walked into the kitchen.
Startled, Rose jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Sorry, Miriam I didn’t hear you come in. I guess I was in my own world.”
“That’s okay. I wanted to bring you this bushel of apples. Joshua and I went to an apple orchard last night, and I picked a few bushels for pies and crisp. I thought you might like some,” Miriam said, setting the bushel down on the floor by the pantry.
“Danke!” Rose said, delighted. “I was thinking of making some pies this week. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“That would be nice,” Miriam said sitting down. “This bobli is almost ready to come into the world and it’s getting heavier every day.”
“You’re due very soon, aren’t you?” Rose asked, filling up the kettle.
“Jah, in two weeks and it can’t go by fast enough,” Miriam said, rubbing her belly. “I wanted to talk to you about something, though.”
“What about?”
“Well the other night when you were over I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Abraham,” Miriam said. “Rose is it healthy for you two to only talk about your past loves?”
“You were snooping,” Rose said angrily.
“Nee, I was in the other room, and I could hear everything, and all you two spoke about was how much your hearts were broken,” Miriam said. “I just don’t think that it’s healthy to keep bringing up the past.”
Rose glared at her sister. “What Abraham and I talk about is nobody’s business but ours.”
“I’m sorry,” Miriam apologized. “I just worry that you are letting the past stand in the way of your happiness. Rose, you are a good person and deserve to be happy.”
Rose took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I reacted so angrily. I know you only mean well but really, Abraham and I are just friends, plus it is good for us to talk about it.”
“Promise me, if Gott gives you a sign, that you will follow it and not ignore it,” Miriam said.
“I promise,” Rose said.
* * *
After Miriam had left, Rose went outside to get the laundry off the line. Turning, she saw a buggy come up the drive. She smiled when she recognized Abraham.
“What brings you out this way?”
“I was passing by, and I wanted to ask if you would like to go to dinner with me tonight,” Abraham asked, sticking his head out of the buggy. “There’s a new restaurant that opened up in the next town, and I hear it’s great.”
“I would love that. I can start getting supper ready for my daed and Katie will be home around four so she can take over.”
“Perfect. I’ll be by a bit after four to pick you up.” Abraham grinned and pulled on the reigns. “See you later.”
By four o’clock, Rose had completed all her chores and fixed a big pot of chicken stew for supper. Tying her kapp under her chin, she heard Abraham’s buggy pull in front of the house.
“I’ll see you later, and no fighting!” she called out to her sisters as she ran out to meet Abraham.
“It’s a glorious day today, isn’t it,” Rose said as she sat in the buggy watching the scenery pass by.
“That it is, and it’s even more glorious now,” Abraham said, smiling at her. “I’ve been given a promotion at the printing factory,” Abraham said proudly.
“That’s wonderful! Does that mean you will be settling here for good?”
“Jah. I guess I should start looking around for a house. As much as I appreciate Joshua and Miriam opening up their home, I can’t stay there forever,” Joshua said. “Who knows, maybe I’ll find love and settle down one day.”
Rose smiled and sat back, thinking about his words and wondering about the strange feelings she was beginning to have towards him, when suddenly the buggy jerked to a halt.
“What happened?” Rose asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said, shaking the reigns to try to make the horse move. The horse pulled as if trying to break free of whatever was holding him back.
Rose looked out the window and looked down. “Ach! We’re on the train track.”
“All the more reason to get the horse moving,” he said, jerking the reigns even harder. The horse tried desperately to move forward but with no luck.
Abraham lifted up his hat and scratched his head. “I guess we should take a look.”
Both he and Rose jumped out of the buggy and checked the wheels.
“There’s the problem.” He pointed, and Rose saw a large piece of steel from the train track that was bent up and was snagged in between the spokes of the wheel.
“How do we get it loose?” Rose asked, looking a bit uneasy.
“I’ll try and pry the steel up a bit if you can back the horse up. Maybe we can make him go backward and that will free the wheel,” Abraham suggested.
On the count of three, Abraham lifted with all his might as Rose tried to get the horse to go backward. After about five tries, Abraham wiped his brow with his sleeve.
“I don’t think we can get it free without getting help,” he said, realizing there wasn’t a house in site.
Suddenly, Rose lifted her head and listened. In the distance, she heard the faint sound of the train whistle.
Abraham’s eyes suddenly widened when he also heard the sound of the whistle.
“We need to move fast,” he jumped up and grabbed the piece of steel. “Come on Rose. Push the buggy. We need to get it out of here fast.”
“Abraham, I can’t get the horse to move. This isn’t going to work!” What are we going to do!?”
Rose pulled on the harness with all her might, cutting the tips of her fingers on the sharp shards of metal. Working as quickly as she could, she kept whispering to the agitated horse, telling him everything was going to be alright.
“Mine’s undone. Did you get yours?” Abraham called out.
Pulling as hard as she could, the harness finally gave way and unclipped. Abraham slapped the horse on the behind and it ran a few yards away, frightened.
“Quick, Rose, run!” Abraham shouted over the roar of the train.
“Abraham, my dress!” cried Rose when she realized the hem of her dress was caught on the shaft of the buggy.
Acting quickly, Abraham grabbed Rose’s arms and pulled with all his might as the dress ripped free. The two of them landed on the ground, and Abraham quickly covered her with his body just as the train hit the buggy, demolishing it.
* * *
Chapter 8
They stayed in that position as they listened and waited for the train to pass, cringing at the sound of glass and wood splintering. After what seemed like an eternity, Abraham lifted his head.
“Wow— Gott was sure looking out for us today,” he whispered. “Are you okay, Rose?”
“Jah, I think so. I cut my hand trying to get the harness undone,” Rose said, holding up her bloodied fingers.
“Let me see,” he said taking her hand in his. “I have a handkerchief to wrap them in until we get home.”
“Abraham, you ripped your shirt nearly in half!”
“And your dress is torn,” Abraham said sadly when he saw the huge rip in her dress.
They both looked up, and their eyes met and held the gaze for a moment. Rose wanted so much to say what was really on her mind, but the thought that they both could have died suddenly brought her back to reality.
“Abraham—the buggy! Miriam and Joshua will be so upset!” Rose cried.
“I’m sure when they hear what happened, they will be grateful we are both alive and that their horse is safe,” Abraham said looking over at the horse that had found a large patch of grass and was nibbling away, oblivious to the devastation that just happened.
Rose looked towards the tracks and gasped at the sight. The only thing left resembling a buggy were the four wheels laying hap-hazard on the road and the front seat. The rest was a pile of wood and debris.
Rose gasped and broke into tears. “Abraham, we could have been killed, and the horse, the poor horse.”
Putting his around her shoulders, Abraham said, “Shh, Rose. We’re alive, thanks to Gott. He was watching over us for sure. I’m just thankful that we got out in time and were able to save the horse.”
“So what do we do now? We can’t just leave this mess here on the road,” Rose said.
“Well, this being a country road, there won’t be much traffic. Let’s pick up the bigger pieces and try to clear what we can. Then we’ll grab the horse and start walking into town,” Abraham said. “We can walk to the police station and report the accident and then we’ll figure out how we’re going to get home.”
“We could ride the horse,” Rose suggested.
Abraham laughed aloud. “Jah, I suppose we can. I didn’t even think of that.”
Riding into town, Rose clung to Abraham’s waist resting her head on his back. As the horse clip-clopped his way along the road, Rose couldn’t help but feel how muscular Abraham’s body felt underneath her arms and he smelled like a mixture of lavender and musk.
Closing her eyes, she breathed in his scent and felt that strange feeling in her stomach again—as if a million butterflies were fluttering about. Blushing to herself, she remembered the feeling of his arms around her and couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt. Was this a sign from God?
“Here we are. I hope you didn’t find the ride too uncomfortable,” Abraham said, jumping off the horse first then reaching for her.
“Nee, it was fine,” Rose muttered, ashamed of herself for thinking such thoughts. Abraham was her friend.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Abraham asked as he gazed into her eyes.
Feeling a bit flustered, Rose met his gaze and held it. Looking into his eyes, she felt the rest of the world melt around her. She held her breath, afraid to say something that would spoil the moment.
“Errr… I guess we should go in and talk to the police,” Abraham said.
Rose cleared her throat. “Jah, we should.”
They walked into the police station and waited at the desk for someone to serve them.
A tall policeman came and greeted them. “Hello, folks. I’m Officer Wilson. What brings you in here today?”
“Well I’m afraid I have to report an accident,” Abraham said. “Our buggy got stuck on the tracks and was hit by a train.”
“Oh no, are you alright? Was anyone hurt?” Officer Wilson asked, pulling out a report form.
“No, no one was hurt, but I’m afraid there’s quite a mess left on the road. We couldn’t move our buggy out of the way,” Abraham answered.
“Alright, we’ll send a tow truck and cleanup crew. Where was the accident?”
“We were driving along County Road 4, and it was the train tracks that cross by the old willow tree on the corner of the Miller’s property,” Rose explained.
“Oh, yes. I know that spot. How did you get stuck?”
“Seems a piece of steel was sticking up on the track and it snagged our wheel. We tried to get it loose but we just couldn’t,” Abraham said.
Officer Wilson stood thinking for a few seconds. “Seems to me we’ve had problems with that section of track before.” Opening up a file cabinet drawer, he sifted through the files. “Yep, here it is.”
Abraham and Rose looked at each other confused and Rose asked, “Have there been other accidents there?”
“No, but three months ago a car had its tire punctured because of a piece of steel from the railway tie. A report was filed, and the rail company was told to fix the problem,” Officer Wilson said, pulling out a piece of paper. “We’ll do a full investigation, but if I’m correct, the rail company is in the wrong which means, they may owe you a new buggy.”
“Really? That would be wonderful. The buggy wasn’t even mine, it was my cousin’s.”
Handing Abraham a form, Officer Wilson said, “Write down your address. After the investigation, I can drive out and let you know what the outcome is. I can’t make any definite promises, but it may very well work out in your favor.”
Walking out of the police station, Rose said, “Gott was certainly with us today.”
“That He was,” Abraham said, grabbing the horse’s harness. “Do you feel like walking for a bit?”
Rose smiled. “Jah, riding a horse with no saddle is not very comfortable.”
They each grabbed a reign and proceeded to lead the horse down the road.
“We’ve had quite a time of excitement, haven’t we?” Abraham said, glancing at Rose.
Rose kept her eyes to the ground. Part of her was embarrassed because of her thoughts but another part was afraid that she’d blurt out what she truly was feeling. “We certainly have.”
After a few moments of silence, Abraham said, “Rose, I’m glad I have you as a friend.”
“I’m happy that you’re my friend also, Abraham,” Rose said, almost disappointed. She was having a hard time fighting her feelings. She was so ashamed of the thoughts she had been having.
But she knew that she must keep her emotions inside. Abraham was a friend and nothing more, and she valued his friendship more than anything. She was not going to let her feelings spoil their relationship, ever.
* * *
Chapter 9
“What on earth happened to you two?” Miriam asked, running outside when she saw the two walk up the yard leading the horse. “Where’s the buggy?”
“Well, there was a bit of an accident,” Abraham said.
“What? Accident? Are you both okay?” Miriam cried, running over to Rose when she saw her torn dress.
Abraham went on to explain what happened, the whole time keeping his arm around Rose’s shoulder.
“I thank Gott for watching over you,” said Miriam. “Come on in. You could both use a cup of tea and something to eat.”
“Miriam, your buggy... I’m so sorry. There’s nothing left of it,” Rose apologized.
“Don’t worry about the buggy. We can always get another. I’m just glad you both are okay and that you saved the horse.”
Hearing the front door, everyone turned as Joshua came into the kitchen.
“I see the horse, but where’s the buggy?” he asked, when he saw Abraham and Rose sitting in the kitchen.
Abraham retold the story of what happened. Miriam couldn’t help but notice Abraham holding onto Rose’s hand and how Rose continued to stare at Abraham as if he was the only man alive.
“I’m sorry about the buggy, but the Police said they are doing an investigation and if the rail company is at fault, they will be replacing the buggy,” Abraham said. “If they don’t, I will pay you back over time.
“Never mind that. I’m just glad you both are okay. It could have been a lot worse,” Joshua said.
They chatted for a bit longer until Rose mentioned she should be getting home. “Daed will wonder what happened to me.”
“I’ll bring you home, Rose.” Abraham stood up and walked towards the door. “If you don’t mind a short horse ride.”
Smiling, Rose looked at Abraham. “Nee, that will be fine.”
Abraham helped Rose up onto the horse then jumped on himself. Rose put her arms around his waist and closed her eyes. Why was she feeling these emotions? She and Abraham were supposed to be friends only. Why was she suddenly noticing things like how his eyes glistened when he smiled and how he smirked when he was just about to say something to tease her. This wasn’t right, he’s only a friend.
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