Abram's Daughters 05 The Revelation (11 page)

After all, the years were flying away. Gne quick look at the grow-

94

ing Abe, and Abram could see his son heading too quickly toward rumschpringe. Was Abe ever mindful of God's mercy and love? Would he receive the great sacrifice of God's one and only Son?

All this and much more weighed utterly on Abram, and he ofttimes found himself contemplating the purpose of his own life even thinking ahead to his days as an old, old man considering all the years he had been the protector of this family.

What will I leave behind for the sake of Christ? Who among my kinfolk will know the love of the Father because of my courage to speak up?

He had a fervent hankering to pass on his beliefs, so following the Bible reading, he closed the Good Book and asked his family to bow their heads while he prayed to their heavenly Father. He paused. "And if any of you want to join in followin' me, that's jusi fine, too."

He was conscious of a deep reverence in the room, a sense of peace and somberness. Raising his voice first in thanksgiving, a deep assurance welled up in him and he went on to utter his few petitions, making his requests known to God, as Philippians chapter four, verse six, had taught him to do.

When he lifted his head, he saw that Lydiann's eyes were glistening, and an hour or so later, when everyone had scattered and headed off to bed, she crept back into the kitchen, pulling a chair up near him.

He wondered why Lydiann had come. What had caused the concern on her face and dread in her eyes?

"Will you pray for me, Dat?" she asked, eyes intent on the Biblehe held on his knee.

His heart went out to her, although he was befuddled as to why she seemed blue, especially with Jake Mast back home. "Jah, I'll pray." He rose to return the Bible to its resting place in the corner cupboard.

"No ... I mean right now."

Taken aback by her urgency, he realized she wanted him to take her seriously here and now. "Are ya feelin' sick?" he asked.

"In my heart, jah. Terribly ill I am."

Is she heartbroken? If that was true, just how was he to go aboul approaching the Lord with that news? Most daughters drew strength from their mothers or older sisters, and Lydiann was

95

blessed to have Leah, Sadie, and Lizzie near. Why on earth she'd anight him out, he didn't know.

(loing back to his rocking chair, Abram nodded and sat down, in,iking his familiar whispered grunt, as he always had prior to a mIcmi prayer. But his young Lydiann had asked specifically, so he hir.nlied in, asking God for divine strength, and began. "Father in lic.ivcii, I come before you with my dear daughter Lydiann in mind. She's downright heartsick and in need of your help, and I humbly a>,k lor your presence to come now and fill her with divine peace and joy . . . even understandin'. In the holy name of our Lord Jesus, I i-.k (his. Amen."

I Ic heard Lydiann's sniffles and was hesitant to open his eyes lest Im embarrass her. But she surprised him by reaching to touch the li.u k of his hand. "What I must do is the worst and best thing I'll ever do in my life," she whispered. "Keep on prayin' for me, Dat. I''.very single day. I need it something awful."

Well, now she had his interest but good, and his heart beat double time. "I promise I will continue talking to the Lord God about your sadness, daughter."

"Denki, Dat." She stood and kissed his forehead before hurrying out" of the kitchen.

lie might've stayed put there, soaking in the sweetness of his youngest daughter in the stillness, but he got himself up and lumhered across the room to the stairs. He meant to help Lizzie take down her long*brown hair from its bun again tonight, knowing she would be grateful, given her broken and painful thumb, even i hough his dabbich fingers and the hairpins didn't mix so well.

Making his way to the stairs, Abram offered up another prayer, i h is one silent, for whatever was ailing Lydiann, dear girl that she was.

Shoe polishing was a regular occurrence every other Saturday night, and Hannah quickly lined up each of her daughters' black Sunday-go-to-meeting shoes alongside her husband's big ones, placing them on waxed paper on the kitchen table. She could hear Ida

96

Mae and Katie Ann and Mimi playing happily together in the front room, where Mimi was saying she was the Amish doctor, "for pictend." On any other Saturday Hannah might've stopped to ask her eldest, ten-year-old Ida, for help with the chore, but she wished to be alone with her thoughts, still reeling as she was from Gid's firm no to her request to invite Zachariah and Mary Ann Henner over for supper.

His refusal makes no sense, she thought, wondering why he'd objected to having a nice hot meal with good folk from a neighboring church district. She suspected his response was somehow related to having gotten another earful from Dat not too many days ago, because he was now saying things like they best be looking to the Lord God for their family's healing, as well as other things. " 'Tis time we relied more on the Word of God."

She knew better than to speak out of turn to her husband, being that she was his helper, not his equal. But now that Gid was down working at the barn again with her Bible-reading father, she was stewing plenty.

He's one of the preachers, for pity's sake!

She must respect the divine ordination of her husband, yet she was eager to get better acquainted with the Henners. Had Gid put his foot down because of studying the Bible? He had even been reciting Scripture here lately, which was considered a serious form of pride. She recalled the bishop stating yet again at Preaching service recently that the Bible was not to be freely read and explored except by those ordained of God: in short, bishops and preachers. And since Gid is a preacher, it must be all right, Hannah decided. All the same, she couldn't help but wonder if Dat's influence wasn't steadily spilling over onto him.

Being an obedient woman, she set about shining her husband's church shoes, hoping the rubbing and polishing might keep her mind busy, as well as her hands.

If not supper here with the Henners, then maybe a visit to Mary Ann instead, decided Hannah. She wanted to pay close attention to whatever it was growing mighty strong in her these days. Lest she be consumed with her desire to know the secrets of the healers, she began to hum a song from the Ausbund, suddenly aware that she no

97The Revelation

Iujjct w;is experiencing a single pain related to her difficult pregliu y. I'he realization made her hum all the louder.

'I'lie handsome cherry writing desk caught Jonas's attention as he . 11feral the front room of Eli Yoder's house. Eli had kindly latched mi to him when Jonas was awaiting the feast at the Kauffman farm, .1 ikI both men had found great satisfaction in discussing familiar landmarks in Holmes County, even discovering mutual friends in .tnd around Millersburg and Berlin. Here it was a week later and |on;is had already taken Eli up on his offer to "drop by sometime," ,1'iking about Eli's woodworking hobby.

"To tell ya the truth," Eli was saying, "cutting and sawing wood, iiainin' it and all, well, it's in my blood."

Jonas nodded. A kindred soul, he thought, withholding an enihusiastic response.

I ',li ran his thick fingers through his red hair. "Seems woodworkin' iin't so accepted here in Lancaster County as it was in Holmes. . . ."

"Well, that decision's left to the bishop and the particular ' I lurch district" was all Jonas said all he best be saying, too. This iopic was something he would do well to steer clear of, although more and more that was becoming difficult. He was altogether

11 rawn to the only*livelihood he'd ever really known.

"That there desk was one of the first pieces I ever made," Eli ..lid, eyes alight with the memory. "I wasn't but twenty-five, I guess, when my father and I laid out the plans for it."

Jonas was all ears. "You must keep in close touch with your I, in lily."

Eli's face broke into a wide grin. "My brothers and sisters are iithin5 for me to find myself a bride. They think a man my age is loo young to give up on ever marryin' again."

"Well, seems to me there's some fine pickin's here." Since he had his heart set only on Leah, he didn't know precisely which girls were rotating age and which were older and already considered maidels.

"Got my eye on a couple of perty ones, for sure. And I s'pose I

98

could be married again and livin' back in Ohio within a year's time." He went on to share that he'd been a widower for nearly two years already. "I had a right happy eighteen years with my Nancy Mae, kindest woman there ever was."

Jonas hadn't heard that a traded man could expect to return to his original church district, once married, but Eli was old enough to decide such a thing. "Seems we're in somewhat similar situations, both bein' older and hoping to marry."

"But you've remained single . . . after all this time." The question in Eli's eyes was evident, but he didn't press further.

Jonas felt no obligation to say why he'd never married. After all, he didn't know this fellow all that well, although he did know the Ohio bishop Eli had grown up under. Surely Eli was also a man ol integrity, and a fine husband for any young woman in Gobblers Knob.

Just then Eli asked if he could pour him some coffee, and Jonas was much obliged to accept. He followed his new friend back into the kitchen and thought unexpectedly of Emma Graber, his former, longtime landlady. His enduring interest in Apple Creek had much to do with the loss of his wonderful-good friends and the weekly Bible studies he had always looked forward to a place of ongoing and keen spiritual interest, where he had regularly enjoyed the bonds of faith. Yet he must not allow his yearnings for his former life to thwart his Proving time, because the reward for fulfilling Bishop Bontrager's stern commands would be the go-ahead to make Leah his bride and not a single Ohio friend was more important.

99/

-*--*-# & ^"W-

J ;ike stormed out of the barn following his attempt to speak to his Tut her about the ridiculous notion of his returning to Ohio. Dat was tlritTmined for Jake to have nothing to do with the Ebersols, but no ni.iMer what Dat thought of his choice of a bride, Jake planned to tu.ti ry Lydiann, like it or not\

' I he fury in Dat's eyes and the sound of the pitchfork scraping liai'il against the concrete floor of the barn had seared into Jake's memory, and all he could think of was running off his anger as hard and fast as he could, hoping to wipe the entire scene from his mind. I 'he words flung at Mm by his father were as terrible as any he'd ever heard.

Running north, he headed toward the vast apple orchard, the mte of numerous joyful days. Much happier times, he thought, not stopping to rest even when pain shot through his lower right side.

To make matters worse, he was befuddled with Lydiann, who'd surely fibbed to him yesterday, saying she was too ill to go riding with him last night when she'd looked hale and hearty standing there i n the side yard, shaking her head as he pleaded with her to reconsider.

His mind in a whirl, Jake dashed through his father's orchard, his feet pounding against the dirt path in a relentless rhythm that nearly matched the beat of his heart.

100

Lydiann knew the longer she waited to break things off with Jake, the harder it would be for both of them. It's horribly unfair, slittold herself in the privacy of her bedroom. He needs to court a girl hecan actually marry. ...

Thinking how innocent Jake was to the predicament they weiv in made her feel like crying, but if she gave in to tears, she'd never complete this terrible yet necessary task. The way things had been progressing, Jake would want them to start baptismal instruction next spring and then join church in the fall to be ready for the wed ding season. She had seen the intensity of his affection growing in his eyes when he looked her way as they rode together beneath a sky dotted by silver-white stars and a shining moon, an affection that had in no way been quelled by their time apart. She'd also observed his discouragement last Saturday evening when she'd claimed she was too ill to go riding with him.

"It must be done this minute ... I must figure out a way to do this gently," she whispered, taking out her best white stationery. Hardest of all was not telling him the real reason.

Moving toward the window, she looked out over the farmland and the east side of the meadow, wishing to goodness it wasn't hunting season so that she might have donned her heavy shawl and hiked up to the woods in search of the rare and beautiful honey locust tree she called her own. But no, she must simply write a few well-thought lines to Jake right here where she sat on the cane chair with Mamma Leah's Bible in her lap. She could not allow herself to think too hard about what she must write. Whatever her words, her letter would be sent on its way, along with her broken heart. ..'.

Monday, November 18 Dear Jake,

I hope you won't despise me for what you 're about to read inthis letter. .... : ..:.

101

Early Tuesday afternoon Jonas and Jake had been out pruning apple trees before the snow flew when Jake suggested they return to liif house to fill up several large Thermoses with cold water. Since it ilidn i take two of them to carry water, Jonas wondered what could piivsihly be on his brother's mind.

" Nobody knows it, but I hurried off to see your bishop first thing llus mornin'," Jake confessed as they walked along the dirt path.

lonas's jaw immediately tensed. "You didn't!"

" I le's one perturbed man, I'd have to say."

"Well, I'm not sure we should be discussin' this."

lake rolled his eyes. "If you ask me, sounds like he's got it in for boili you ^WAbram Ebersol's family."

"You brought up my Proving?"

"I asked why it was all right for you to sell the furniture you made in Ohio but not here. Guess what he said to that? 'We follow tin- letter of the law here.' " Jake snorted.

"1 wish you hadn't gone. It can only make matters worse."

lake removed his hat and swatted it against his backside. "Well, then, why haven't you gone and talked to him yourself?"

" Because I'm followin' the Proving carefully, regardless of what is involved. Receiving the right hand of fellowship come spring is what /'/// alter!" Jonas felf'sure his brother had stirred up a hornets' nest in Ins efforts to help. "Best not to say any more to anyone 'bout this."