The Hope

by Patricia Davids

  “Is it?” Thomas asked. “I don’t even know what a shearing platform is. Guess you can show me.”

  “Sure. It’s the place that Owen makes the sheep sit while he takes off their winter coats. They don’t have buttons or zippers, you know, so he has to use clippers.”

  Joshua grinned at Owen. “I believe we’re going to learn a lot today.”

  Grace was more animated than Owen had seen her before. She didn’t seem at all frightened of the men she’d only met briefly and chatted away as they got down to work.

  Joshua became the catcher. He had a lot less trouble moving the sometimes-stubborn sheep than Ruth had yesterday. Thomas herded the shorn animal out to the next pen, kept the platform swept between each animal and helped Grace clean the fleece before rolling it up. It left Owen free to shear another ewe and the process went much more quickly.

  “I forgot how bad they smell,” Thomas said as he rolled up the last fleece from the morning’s work.

  “You get used to it,” Owen said. The men walked out of the barn in time to see a buggy drive up. Laura Beth, Sarah and Abigail were in the front seat. Abigail was driving. The back door opened, and the Troyer boys piled out. The oldest two were twins. Owen hadn’t yet learned to tell the two blond and gangly boys apart. The younger boy, about five or six was called Melvin. One of the twins held a baby girl of about two that he passed to his mother when she got out. Laura Beth had Caleb in her arms. Grace shot over to talk to him. He grinned and babbled at her.

  “Boys, take all the food inside before you go exploring,” Abigail said. “Don’t go far because we’re going to eat in a little while.”

  They quickly carried in several cardboard boxes filled with plastic food containers. A few seconds later they piled out of the house and came to stand before Owen. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

  Owen cupped his chin as he thought and then nodded. “There is. There are a few stray sheep in the big pasture that we didn’t get penned. Why don’t you see if you can find them and round them up?”

  They started to walk off with Melvin tagging along behind them. The twins stopped and turned to the younger boy. One said, “You should stay here.”

  Melvin crossed his arms and scowled at them. “But I want to come along.”

  “You can’t keep up with us if we have to run. You stay here.” The twins jogged away, and Melvin came back to stand beside his dad. “They never let me have any fun.”

  Owen laughed. “I don’t think they’re going to have much fun getting those sheep out of their hiding spots. The ones who are missing are the young rams. They are not as biddable as the ewes.”

  Thomas laughed and clapped Melvin on the shoulder. “Looks like they did you a favor. Go talk to Grace. She has a pet sheep she wants you to meet and she wants to hear all about Goody.”

  “She does?” He brightened and went up the steps and into the house.

  Owen shook his head. “I’m not sure Grace will be interested in hearing about his pig.”

  “She will. Melvin spins a story every bit as good as the ones Ernest tells. Have you heard from him?”

  “One letter telling me that they arrived safe and sound in Missouri.”

  Ruth came out of the house smiling. “I’ve been run out of my own kitchen.”

  Thomas chuckled. “I imagine Abigail was behind that move. She likes space when she works.”

  Joshua crossed his arms. “I read about Grace in The Diary this morning.”

  Ruth’s smile faded. “I thought her story would reach more people that way. The sheriff wasn’t too happy that I had done it. He said it would bring out the folks without any claim to her.”

  “Do you think someone would try to say she is theirs if she wasn’t their relation?” Thomas asked.

  Ruth held her hands wide. “I don’t see how. She knows who her mother is. She’s not going to accept another woman claiming to be the mother.”

  “You’re right about that,” Owen said. “But what if someone claims to be her aunt or uncle and she doesn’t know them? Was it because her mother didn’t visit them? Or was it because they’re no relation? I’m not sending her away with anyone unless I’m sure they are family.”

  “The bishop will know how to handle this,” Thomas said.

  Joshua shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I lived in the outside world for a lot of years. You would be shocked at some of the things that go on when it comes to the custody of a child. The only way to make sure she is related to someone is to have them take a DNA test.”

  “I’ve heard of it, but I have no idea how it works.”

  “I do,” Joshua said. “They take the cotton swab and run it around inside your cheek. That gives them the cells they need to compare to another person’s cells. That’s all there is to it.”

  “You had this done?” Owen asked.

  “I have. Pretty much everyone who gets arrested these days has to have it done so they can see if you’ve committed other crimes. Skin cells, hair, blood, it all contains DNA. If I had wanted to, I could have had Caleb DNA tested to make sure that he was my son. He was four months old the first time I saw him.”

  Ruth smiled at him. “But you didn’t. He was already the child of your heart, wasn’t he?”

  Joshua grinned. “He is now, that’s for sure. Laura Beth says there’s no doubt about it. He has my stubborn nature.”

  “You men should go wash up. The women are about ready to serve the meal.”

  Joshua and Thomas went into the house. Owen stayed with Ruth. She looked worried. “What are you thinking?”

  “I was wondering if the bishop would allow this kind of testing for Grace.”

  “She is not yet a baptized member of the Amish. I don’t think he will object. We are allowed to use modern medicine. I don’t see how this is different.”

  “You’re probably right. Bishop Weaver is a wise man. He will do what is right for Grace.”

  “To worry is to doubt Gott’s mercy. I need to go wash up, too. I smell like Polkadot.”

  “Like a shaggy sheep?” she asked with a touch of humor in her voice.

  “I like that.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You like smelling like a shaggy sheep?”

  “Nee, I like that you can tease me and not feel awkward about it.”

  “Well, I do feel a little awkward, but you make such an easy target.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “I hope I continue to give you a good chuckle for as long as I’m here. As your friend it’s the least I can do.” He gave a slight bow and swept his hand toward the door. “After you.”

  “I’m going to walk down to the phone shack and check the message machine. Maybe someone has tried to call us already.”

  His humor drained away, leaving him sick to his stomach. Grace’s family could already be on their way to collect her. He hadn’t realized how soon he might have to give her up.

  Ruth gave him an odd look. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Do you want me to walk to the phone booth with you?”

  “Nee. Go in and enjoy the company of men. I’m sure you must have been missing that in your days with only Grace and me. I’ll hurry back. It’s not far. I’m anxious to see if my idea has produced results.”

  She took off down the lane with a barely noticeable limp. The white ribbons of her bonnet streamed behind her in the brisk wind. He pulled his collar tight around his neck. Even with the sunshine the day wasn’t warm. Winter seemed determined to hang on. He went in the house, washed up and joined the others in the kitchen. The women were setting bowls of fruit salad, black beans and rice, and enchiladas on the table.

  Laura Beth was filling glasses with lemonade. “I thought Mexican food would be a nice change for everyone and I’ve been wanting to try this enchilada recipe. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Owen to
ok a seat at the head of the table. “I don’t mind as long as I don’t have to cook.”

  “Good answer.” She grinned at him. “Where did Ruth go?”

  “She went to the phone booth to check if anyone has left a message about Grace.”

  Grace, sitting beside Abigail, gave Owen a curious look. “Why would someone leave a message about me? I haven’t done anything bad.”

  “Of course you haven’t,” he said. “We’re hoping that your mother would call so we could tell her that you’re ready to go home.”

  “Not before we teach Polkadot to pull a cart. I want to show her that.”

  “Then we had better get busy training her.”

  She sat up with bright eyes. “Today?”

  He shook his head. “We have more shearing to be done today. Maybe tomorrow.”

  Melvin sat across from her. He frowned. “My Goody won’t pull a cart. He might ride in one.”

  “Yeah. I can drive my sheep to your house, and we can take your pig for a ride in my cart.”

  Joshua leaned toward Owen. “I think I’d like to see that. Are you gonna charge admission?”

  The twins came in looking mud spattered and out of breath. One said, “We got three of them. One more got away. They sure don’t like to go the way you try to herd them.”

  “Thanks for your efforts, boys.”

  They started toward the table, but Abigail pointed toward the bathroom. “Leave those muddy shoes on the porch and wash those dirty hands before you sit down at Ruth’s table.”

  They nodded and did as she asked. When they came out of the bathroom, Ruth came in through the front door. Owen could see something was wrong. “Ruth, what’s the matter. Was there a message about Grace?”

  Ruth nodded. “Owen, there are six messages from people who think Grace may belong to their family. What do we do?”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  BY THE NEXT day there were three more messages on the answering machine at the phone shack. Ruth carefully wrote down their names and contact information. Owen, with the help of Joshua and Thomas, finished the shearing by the end of the third day. He came in to collect Grace, but he didn’t stay for supper. Instead he went home and left Ruth to wonder how he was feeling about so many claims on the little girl he cherished.

  Ruth realized she hadn’t done him a favor by posting the articles but at least now they had something to work on. It was almost dark when Sheriff McIntyre drove into her yard and got out of his SUV. She stepped out on the porch to speak to him. “Good evening, Sheriff.”

  “Good evening, Mrs. Mast. I thought you would like to know that I am interviewing several people who claim that Grace belongs to them.”

  “I have received nine messages on the machine at the phone shack. I left them on the machine if you want to listen to them. I wrote down their names and phone numbers in case someone else erases the message. There are four Amish families that share this phone. Sometimes the children are sent to listen and they accidentally erase information.”

  “Is Owen around?”

  “He has gone home this evening. Grace is with him.”

  “I’ll stop in and see him on my way back to town.”

  “I can give him a message.”

  “I’ll let you do that. I wanted you both to know that I’m bringing out a caseworker for Child Protective Services tomorrow to interview both of you and Grace.”

  “Is this something I should be concerned about?” She grasped her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Not at all. This is about getting to know you and Owen and Grace, and to make a determination about what kind of care she needs.”

  “I will let Owen know if you don’t want to go out of your way.”

  He tipped his hat. “That’ll be fine. I’d like to make it home in time for supper one night this week. I think my wife is beginning to wonder who she married.”

  “You should bring your daughter out and let her play with some of our lambs when they are born. Children always love them.”

  “I may do that. Thanks for the offer.”

  The sheriff started to get into his car, but Ruth had another question. “Is there a chance that Child Protective Services would take Grace away from Owen?” She held her breath waiting for his answer.

  “They have guidelines they have to go by. I don’t think there will be a problem. They may have some concern about Grace living with an unmarried man who isn’t related to her. I think we can explain the situation to their satisfaction.”

  “Danki.”

  “We will be by about one o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Do you have any other questions?”

  “I would like Bishop Weaver to be here.”

  “I’ll bring him with us if he is available.”

  “Will you need DNA from Grace?”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “As a matter of fact, we will. I’m a little surprised to hear an Amish person ask about it.”

  She smiled. “Joshua King was kind enough to tell us about it.”

  “Ah, that explains it. Joshua’s DNA is on file because he was convicted of a crime. That means he better stay on the straight and narrow. You can tell him I said that.”

  “I will, but I don’t think you need to worry. Joshua seems very happy to be back among us.”

  “He gives the credit to Gott, but I give a lot of credit to Laura Beth. She’s been really good for him.” He touched the brim of his hat, got back in his vehicle and drove away.

  Ruth shivered. The sun was going down. The temperature was falling below freezing according to the thermometer on the side of her porch. She went inside, pulled on her heavy coat and covered her kapp with a knit gray scarf, then she set off across the pasture to tell Owen what would transpire tomorrow.

  She had only gone a little way when Meeka appeared and fell into step beside her. She patted the big dog’s head. “I hope you’re keeping a good eye on all our mothers-to-be. It won’t be long before you have twice as many lambs to look out for. I might have to consider getting another guard dog or perhaps the guard donkey since my flock is growing so well. What would you like? Another dog? Or a long-eared donkey?”

  Meeka woofed once. Ruth giggled. “I accept one woof to mean you prefer a dog. I will take up the discussion with Ernest when he returns. He was right to bring you home. And if I haven’t said thank you, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. For guarding my sheep and for rescuing Grace.”

  Meeka stopped and lifted her face into the wind. She gave a low growl and went trotting away. Ruth hurried on toward Ernest’s farmhouse. She opened the gate that led from her pasture into his corral and hurried up to the house. It was nearly dark.

  She started to knock on the door, but it opened. Owen frowned at her. “Is something wrong?”

  “Nee,” she assured him quickly. “I came with a message from the sheriff.”

  “Come in. You must be freezing.”

  She nodded. “It was a brisk walk.”

  He gestured toward the kitchen. It was smaller than hers and cluttered with unwashed dishes in the sink and on the cabinet. Everything else gleamed because she and the other women had cleaned the house from top to bottom while they cooked and waited for the searchers to come in.

  She sat down at the table and took her scarf off. Owen gestured toward the stove. “Would you like some coffee or hot cocoa?”

  “I’m fine. The sheriff stopped by to tell me a social worker from Child Protective Services will be out at one o’clock tomorrow. I asked him to bring Bishop Weaver with him. He said he would if the bishop was available.”

  “We were expecting this. Once we involve the Englisch law we must abide by what they say.” He stood leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

  She clasped her hands together on the table. “He also said that he is interviewing several people who wish to claim G
race.”

  “Then they will need Grace’s DNA to prove or disprove those claims.”

  “Exactly. I had no idea that my article would bring so many people to see if she is their missing child. One of the callers on the answering machine said her granddaughter disappeared six years ago and wanted to know if it was possible that Grace is older than four.”

  “When someone you love is missing, you will grasp at any straw no matter how small, and follow any lead no matter how far it takes you.”

  “I think I’m beginning to understand what you went through searching for your sister.”

  “At least I found Rebecca eventually and saw that she was okay.”

  “It must break your heart that she turned her back on you.”

  When he didn’t say anything, Ruth clenched her fingers together. “Owen, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “When we were dating, why did you leave without telling me goodbye? Was it something I did?”

  “How could you even think that? Of course it wasn’t anything that you did.”

  He crossed the room and dropped to one knee beside her. He laid his hands over hers. “The night I kissed you, I realized how unfair I was being to you. I had nothing to offer. I knew I had to find my sister before I could think about settling down. I wasn’t brave enough to tell you goodbye to your face.”

  His expression softened. “And for your information, it was the sweetest kiss I have ever known.” Owen rose to his feet. “Clearly it was Gott’s plan for you to wed Nathan. Over the years I came to know that he loved you very much.”

  “As I loved him,” she said, trying to reconcile what she knew now with what she had always believed.

  “It’s getting late. Would you like me to drive you home? I can get Grace up.”

  She shook her head and got to her feet. “Let her sleep. I’d rather walk.”

  He accompanied her to his front door.

  She paused to face him. “Thank you for telling me why you left. I was hurt by it for a long while. I should have asked sooner.”

  “Nee, I should have had the courage to face you and tell you myself instead of running off. I wasn’t much of a man back then. None of it was your fault. It worked out for the best. Nathan was a goot man.”