As Jared’s horse and buggy approached the Kings’ place that evening, he saw a car pull up along the road about six feet from the Kings’ driveway. A few seconds later, Amy’s teenage brother ran out from behind some bushes and got in the passenger’s side of the vehicle. It was well after nine o’clock and almost dark. I wonder where Henry could be going at this hour. I doubt that Amy or Sylvia would allow him to go anyplace at this time of the night.
Jared was tempted to stop at the house and say something to Amy or her sister but swiftly concluded that it was none of his concern. If they knew Henry was out and about, they might not appreciate me butting into their business.
Clymer
The following morning, Belinda said a tearful goodbye to Ezekiel, Michelle, and the little ones. It had been a joy to spend the last two weeks with them, but Michelle insisted she was doing well enough to be on her own now, and it was time for Belinda to go home.
“We promise to come for a visit as soon as the baby is a little older and Michelle gets all of her strength back.” Ezekiel gave Belinda another hug.
She sniffed. “That would nice. We’ll look forward to it.”
“Danki for all you did to help out.” Michelle, holding the baby, hugged Belinda with her other arm. “I couldn’t have managed without you.”
Belinda leaned down and kissed Angela Mary’s soft cheek. She tried to capture in her mind the softness she’d felt. “Be good for your mamm and help her out when you can, okay my sweet girl?” As usual, Belinda spoke to her granddaughter in Pennsylvania Dutch since the child spoke no English yet.
The little girl nodded soberly, then her face broke into a wide smile.
It melted Belinda’s heart, seeing the special look on her granddaughter’s face. Oh, how selfish I feel right now. If only it were possible, I’d bring all of them home with me to Strasburg.
Belinda kissed baby Vernon’s forehead. “I hope he doesn’t grow too much before I see him again.”
“Maybe by the first week of September we can come for a visit.” Ezekiel put Belinda’s bags in her driver’s vehicle. “Tell everyone hello and please give them our love. We pray for each of you every day.”
“Prayers are always appreciated, and we’ll pray for you too.”
Belinda gave them all one last hug before climbing into the passenger’s seat. With a lump in her throat, she waved goodbye as the van backed out of the driveway. Even though Belinda felt sad about leaving her family here, she had something to look forward to at home. Later today, Belinda would be hugging Sylvia, Amy, Henry, and her other two grandchildren. She could hardly wait to see everyone and find out how each of them was doing.
Strasburg
For a second time, Amy stood by the kitchen doorway and called Henry to come eat breakfast. “He should have been down here an hour ago to do his outside chores,” she told Sylvia.
Her sister nodded. “Maybe he forgot to set his alarm clock.”
After a few more times of calling him, Amy went upstairs. She knocked on his door, and when there was no answer, she opened it. Henry was not in his room, but the bed had been made. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling. If Henry made his bed without a reminder, that’s a first. I wonder what came over that boy.
Amy went back to the kitchen and let Sylvia know that their brother was not in his room. “But the strange thing is, his bed was made, and neatly at that,” she added.
“Since he knows Mom’s coming home later today, maybe he wants to make a good impression,” her sister replied as she set the table.
“Or maybe,” Amy said, “our brother was trying to impress us by making his bed so we won’t mention anything to Mom about him being uncooperative most of the time while she was gone.” Amy moved toward the back door. “Guess I’ll go outside and tell him breakfast is ready. He probably got up earlier than usual and is still out in the barn taking care of the livestock.”
“When you see Henry, tell him to hurry because the quiche is getting cold.”
“Will do.” Amy stepped into the yard but saw no sign of Henry. All seemed quiet as though her sibling was nowhere around. She went to the barn but didn’t see or hear any sign of her brother there, even though she called his name several times.
Amy was about to leave the barn when she spotted an empty cigarette pack on the floor. I wonder where that came from. She picked it up and tossed it into the trash can near the barn entrance.
Back outside, Amy checked inside the greenhouse, pump house, potting shed, and even in the phone shack, but her brother wasn’t in any of those places.
She tapped her chin. This is so odd. What’s going on here this morning? I’ll look one more place before I begin to panic.
In desperation, she walked down the driveway to see if he might have gone to the mailbox to mail a letter or get the mail. She and Sylvia had been so busy yesterday that neither of them had taken time to get the mail.
Amy went to the box and put the key in the lock. Sure enough, there was mail inside. At least I know my brother didn’t take care of this. Holding onto the stack of letters, she looked up and down the road. No sign of Henry, but Amy noticed the neighbor man leaving for work and his wife waving to him from their front porch. Amy gave a wave too before heading back to the house.
“Did you find Henry?” Sylvia asked when Amy entered the kitchen.
She placed the envelopes on the counter near the door. Full of frustration, Amy shook her head. “The only thing I found was this morning’s mail. There was no sign of our brother in the yard or any of our buildings. She made no mention of the cigarette pack she’d seen in the barn. No point in upsetting Sylvia further. “I’m worried. I think I should hitch my horse to the buggy and go looking for him.”
“That’s a good idea.” Sylvia’s gaze flitted around the room, never settling on any one thing. When she looked at Amy again, tears welled in her eyes. “If we haven’t found Henry by the time Mom gets home, I don’t know what we’re going to tell her.”
“I bet our bruder never slept in his bed at all. I believe he may have snuck out of the house after you and I were in bed and gone over to Seth’s.” Amy looked at Sylvia with a firm resolve. “I can’t believe it. Neither of us ever did anything like that during our yuchend. Yet our kid brother did even though he knew it was wrong.” She drummed her fingers on the counter. “Henry’s not going to get away with it, and he can’t use the excuse of being young, either. If he’s not here by the time Mom arrives, she’s going to be very umgerennt.”
“It sounds to me like you’re a little upset yourself.” Sylvia gestured to the kitchen table. “Why don’t we take a seat? We can talk about the situation while we eat our sausage and vegetable quiche. It’ll give us a chance to decide what we should say when Henry’s confronted.”
“Okay.” Amy moved over to her chair but didn’t sit down. In addition to the egg dish, there was fresh fruit and moist banana bread. It was a shame to have all this nice food and their brother wasn’t here to eat it with them.
Normally, Amy’s mouth would water in anticipation but not today. The concern she felt about Henry had diminished her appetite.
“We’ll have plenty of leftovers for Mom to have tomorrow morning.” Sylvia poured herself a glass of orange juice and gave one to Amy. “When we’re finished eating breakfast, you can go over to Seth’s place and see if Henry’s there.”
“I suppose it could wait till after we eat, but while I’m over there, you’ll be stuck opening the greenhouse and working by yourself until I get back.”
Sylvia stood next to the table with one hand clasping the other at the elbow. “I—I hadn’t thought about that. I’m not sure I can handle being by myself in the greenhouse with customers.” Perspiration beaded on her forehead.
Amy had hoped by the end of these two weeks, her sister’s apprehension would have lessened some and she’d be more at ease around other people. Amy certainly felt her sister’s stress. I think it’s necessary to give Sylvia some relief right now. If I
were my sister, what would I need to hear?
She slipped her arm around Sylvia’s waist. “Maybe you’d rather go after Henry once Mary Ruth gets here.”
Sylvia shook her head. “I can’t drive the horse and buggy yet. It would make me too nervous.”
“Then I’ll go—either now or after we eat our breakfast.”
Sylvia pulled out a chair and sat down. “I am really not that hungry, but let’s eat now. Once Mary Ruth shows up, you can go over to Seth’s place and I’ll open the greenhouse.”
“Danki, Sister.” Amy sat too.
“After we’ve finished eating, I’ll check on the kinner and see if either of them is awake. They were both sleeping soundly when I left the room, so I decided it would be best not to disturb them.”
“I agree. Now shall we bow for prayer?”
Sylvia bowed her head, though Amy suspected her sister wasn’t praying.
Heavenly Father, Amy silently prayed, if I don’t get to Seth’s house before Henry leaves there, please bring him home safe.
When Amy’s prayer ended, she opened her eyes. About to reach for the salt and pepper, she lowered her hand when she heard the back door open and shut. A few seconds later, Henry stepped into the kitchen. His hair looked disheveled, and his clothes were a rumpled mess like he’d slept in them. Thank You, Lord, for bringing my brother home safe and sound.
Amy left her chair and marched up to her brother. “Where have you been, young man?” She stood with both hands firmly against her hips. “You were gone all night, weren’t you?”
He gave a slow nod.
“That wasn’t a schmaert thing to do, sneaking out at night and without our permission.”
“Where did you go? Were you at Seth’s?” This question came from Sylvia, who had also left her seat and turned to face their brother.
Silence filled the room as they stood waiting for Henry’s response.
“Jah, I went over to Seth’s, and I spent the night.” Henry lowered his head. “Figured I’d be back early this morning before you missed me, but we overslept.”
Amy was so angry, her hands shook. She was about to give Henry a piece of her mind, but Sylvia spoke again. “You’d better get cleaned up, Brother, and then eat some breakfast. You have chores yet to do, and we expect you to be in the greenhouse on time for opening.”
Henry stared at his feet and then shuffled out of the room.
Amy looked at Sylvia and heaved a sigh. “Wait till Mom hears about this.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t say anything to her,” Sylvia responded.
“How come?”
“It might take the joy out of her trip and make her wish she hadn’t gone at all. Besides, our brother seemed quite desperate to have some sort of fun yesterday.”
“Yes,” Amy said, “and then he went ahead and got his way without our consent.”
Sylvia frowned deeply. “He sure did, but honestly, did he look happy this morning?”
“It didn’t appear so to me.”
“So how about if we keep quiet about Henry’s escapade?” Sylvia suggested again. “We don’t want to stir things up when our mamm gets home.”
“I see your point. And with Mom here to take control of things, it’s not likely that Henry will pull another stunt like that.”
Soon, the soft patter of little feet came into the kitchen. Amy bent down and scooped her nephew into her arms. “Guder mariye, sweet boy.”
Allen grinned at her.
Sylvia stepped over and tickled her son’s chin. “Are you hungerich?”
He bobbed his head.
“I’ll take Allen back and get him dressed while you fix his cereal. We won’t be long.” Amy left with the giggling boy in her arms.
“Where’d you go last night?” Jared’s mother asked as he sat at the table with his folks, eating breakfast. “I heard you come in, but your daed and I had already gone up to our room and were in bed.”
“Figured as much.” Jared drank the rest of his apple juice. “I had supper at Lydia’s house.”
“Is that so?” Mom leaned slightly forward. “Does that mean the two of you are courting?”
Jared shook his head. “I went over to her folks’ to give them a bid on a new roof, and Lydia’s mamm asked me to stay for supper. I didn’t want to be rude, so I accepted.”
In order to take the pressure off himself, Jared turned the conversation in a different direction. “On the way home, I saw something that has me kind of worried.”
Jared’s dad tipped his head. “What was that, Son?”
“As I was going past the Kings’ place, I saw Henry run out of the bushes and jump in a car that had stopped along the side of the road.” Jared squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It was after nine o’clock, which seemed a bit too late for Amy’s brother to be out with a friend.”
“How do you know it was a friend?” Mom asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t for sure, but I suspect it was. I almost stopped to talk to Amy about it but decided it was none of my business, so I kept going in the direction of home.”
“You did the right thing, Son.” Dad thumped Jared’s arm. “A person who goes around stickin’ their nose in other people’s business is likely to get it chopped off.”
Mom squinted her eyes at Dad. “That’s an awful thing to say, Emmanuel. Besides, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if Amy’s brother was up to no good. He has a sneaky look about him.”
Dad shook his head. “Now how in the world can you tell if someone’s sneaky by lookin’ at them?”
“I just can. In my younger days, I was a schoolteacher, don’t ya know?” Mom added a spoonful of sugar to her coffee cup and stirred it around. “None of the scholars in my school could pull the wool over my eyes because I could tell by their expressions whether they were telling the truth or trying to pull a fast one.”
“Well, Ava dear, even if you’re right about Belinda King’s boy, it’s none of our business.” Dad gave Jared’s arm another thump. “Right, Son?”
Jared managed a smile, but he couldn’t help feeling concerned about Henry. He hoped the boy wasn’t hanging around with a rough crowd, which could eventually get him into trouble.
Virginia woke up in a stupor and crawled out of bed. I need to get some coffee into me to clear my head.
As she stood at the window, after opening the shade, Virginia thought about how yesterday she’d seen a beautiful cardinal in their yard. Maybe I could ask Earl to get me a nice birdfeeder to hang in that tree where the cardinal sat. It would be nice to see birds in the yard more regularly.
Virginia yawned. She didn’t feel like she’d gotten a good night’s sleep and could barely keep her eyes open, yet she didn’t want to go back to bed. She’d probably feel worse when she woke up again. At least she’d finally gotten over her cold and sore throat. That was something positive to think about.
When she reached the kitchen and saw the clock, Virginia realized that her husband had already left for work. It was nice of Earl to let me sleep in. I sure must have needed it, because I slept right through him getting ready for work.
The coffeemaker was turned off, but if Earl had used it this morning, the coffee might still be warm. Curious, she touched the carafe, but it felt cold. Virginia poured some into a mug and heated it in the microwave.
Think I’ll go out on the front porch and see what’s happening across the road. She stepped out the door and took a seat on one of the chairs.
Last evening, Virginia had seen the neighbors’ teenage boy getting into a car that had pulled onto the shoulder of the road. She could only imagine what a teenager would be doing out at that time of the night with his friends. Why hadn’t the vehicle pulled into the Kings’ driveway by the house to pick him up? In Virginia’s suspicious mind, it didn’t add up.
She squinted against the glare of the sun and spotted Amy outside on the lawn with a toddler. They seemed to be looking at something in the grass, but Virginia had no idea what it was. It was endearing to s
ee them together. Virginia wished her kids were still little and she could be with them right now. She’d sure do things different if she could raise her children again.
When Amy was about to bring Allen inside, she spotted Henry standing by the fence dropping birdseed on the ground.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m feeding the pretty crow that likes to hang around here all the time. I’ve discovered, in addition to eatin’ lots of bugs, he likes birdseed.”
Amy frowned as she gazed at the black bird. It did have a blue tinge to its tail feathers, although it was not what she would call pretty.
“That noisy crow is nothing but a nuisance, and if you feed it, it’ll just keep hanging around.”
“I thought you liked birds.”
“Not grappe.”
“What have you got against crows?’
“This one in particular makes too much of a racket.” Amy didn’t mention that the crow always seemed to make an appearance right before or after something bad happened. Henry would probably laugh and say she was superstitious.
“Just don’t keep feeding it,” she warned. “There are enough birds around here already.”
Henry said nothing, but the crow responded. Caw … Caw … Caw …
Amy had a hard time concentrating on her work that afternoon. She kept watching for her mother’s arrival. Every time a vehicle pulled onto the gravel parking lot, she had to open the screen door and look out.
At four o’clock, when there were no customers in the building, Amy heard another vehicle pull in. She hurried to open the door and was pleased to see their driver’s van pulling in.
“Mom’s here,” Amy hollered to Sylvia and Henry. They joined her as she stepped outside.
“It’s so good to see all of you!” Mom stepped down from the van and rushed forward.
“It’s good to see you too. Welcome home!” Sylvia hugged Mom first, followed by Amy and Henry.
They all tried to talk at once, and after Mom got her luggage and paid the driver, she suggested they go into the greenhouse.
The Crow’s Call: Amish Greenhouse Mystery Book 1 Page 21