“Nee, I don’t think I’ll ever leave my family. Not with Mamm being sick most of the time, and all.”
“But what if things got serious between the two of us, would you move to Ohio with me?”
Martha swallowed hard. A cool breeze caressed her face, while she looked up the still, dark road. “It would depend if Mamm was better. If she was well and didn’t need my help, I’d move to Ohio.” Martha smiled and looked into his face.
“That’s what I hoped you’d say.” His eyes twinkled in the moonlight.
The way he looked at her made her breathless. “I have never been on a buggy ride before,” she confessed.
“Haven’t you? You’re doing a fine job.” He smiled at her and held out his hand.
She looked down and placed her hand in his. He closed his fingers around her small hand. With a pounding heart, she looked back into his eyes. They held each other’s gaze for more than a moment.
“We should go, before I kiss you,” he said, which caused Martha to giggle again.
“I had better get home or Dat will come out looking for us.”
He turned the buggy and headed back to her house.
Martha’s heart beat wildly again once he stopped the buggy outside her house. How would they say their goodbyes? Would they hold hands again, or would he kiss her cheek? “I had a lovely time.”
“Does that mean you’ll come out with me again?” He moved a little closer.
“Jah.” Martha knew she should get out of the buggy fast. At least one person would be watching them out of a window. “I had a lovely time,” she repeated, “Denke, Michael.”
“Me too, Martha, and I’m glad you came.”
After she got out of the buggy, she turned to him. “Do you want to come in?”
He shook his head. “I’ll go.”
They smiled at each other for a moment before Martha turned and walked into the house. After she closed the door behind her, she saw her father on the couch. “You weren’t waiting up for me, Dat, were you?”
“Jah, I was.”
“Can I get you anything before I go to bed?”
He nodded his head toward a cup of tea. “I just got myself a cup of tea. I’m okay denke, child.”
“I’ll go to bed now.”
“Not so fast; sit down here with me.”
Martha frowned, hoping she wasn’t in trouble and sat down by her father.
“And what do you think of Michael Glick?” he asked, looking none too happy.
Martha hoped Gabbie wasn’t listening in from upstairs. She spoke in a quiet voice. “I think he’s very nice, Dat, very nice indeed.”
“Was he a gentleman?”
Inwardly, she heaved a relieved sigh. It was just a general father/daughter talk. “Ach jah, very much a gentleman.”
“I’m glad of that. You better get your sleep. You’re taking your mudder to Nellie Byler’s haus tomorrow.”
That trip had been put off so many times. Martha hoped her mother would feel well enough to go. “Jah I know, Dat. I hope Nellie can help her.”
“She will. She’s helped before.”
“Gut nacht, Dat.”
“Gut nacht.”
She left her father alone in the living room. He was always the last to go to bed, enjoying quiet moments alone with God as he read his Bible.
As soon as Martha stepped into the room, Gabbie sat bolt upright in bed. “Well, how did it go?”
Martha sat down and unwound her hair. “I had a good time.”
“I’m happy for you.” Gabbie threw herself down, pulled the covers around her neck, and did not ask another thing.
Martha tried hard not to concern herself about Gabbie and her feelings, but guilt bubbled within. She changed into her nightgown and slipped between the covers of her bed hoping sleep would come quickly. Martha was drifting off when she heard Gabbie sobbing. She knew that she was crying over Michael.
Martha rushed to her side, “Gabbie, what’s wrong?”
Gabbie sat up and rubbed her eyes. “It’s just that I’m missing Joseph.”
“Are you sure that’s all?”
Gabbie sniffed a couple of times and nodded. “And I can see that Michael likes you better than me.” Her mouth turned down, and she cried uncontrollably.
“Sh, stop it, Gabbie.” Martha felt sorry for her, but she also hoped that Gabbie’s crying wouldn’t wake the girls or Micah.
“I can’t help it,” she said sniffing again. “No one likes me, not even Joseph.”
“Sh, it’ll be all right.”
“How will it be all right? I don’t mean to cry. I feel silly. I’m just upset, that’s all.”
Martha rubbed Gabbie’s back. “I know, Gabbie, I know.”
After half an hour of Martha comforting Gabbie, both girls went back to sleep, but not before Martha had softly stroked Gabbie’s arm to soothe her to sleep.
Chapter 27
The next morning, neither Gabbie nor Martha mentioned Gabbie’s outburst from the night before. Martha daren’t bring it up and was pleased they had the distraction of taking her mother to Nellie Byler’s house.
On the way there, Gabbie asked, “Have you taken one of this woman’s tonics before, Mrs. Yoder?”
“Jah, I have. I’ve been to her on and off over the years.”
“What does she give you?” Gabbie asked.
Mrs. Yoder frowned. “I’m not sure exactly what’s in the tonic, it’s just a mixture of herbs.”
“Last time when Mamm went to a doctor, he said she was low in iron. The medicine they gave her made her sick, but she got better after she had taken the tonic from Nellie,” Martha said.
Mrs. Yoder drove the buggy over the bumpy roads. The roads near home were smooth but the closer they got to Nellie’s house the worse the roads got. “I don’t like doctors or hospitals. I prefer to stay well away from them,” Mrs. Yoder said while doing her best to steer the buggy over the best sections of the road.
“We don’t have anyone who gives tonics back home,” Gabbie said.
Martha asked, “What do you do when you get sick?”
“We go to the doctor when we’re really sick. We don’t get sick often. My little bruder had a bad fever and had to be transferred to the hospital. They let him out two weeks later.”
“Fevers can be dangerous, can’t they?” Martha asked.
“Jah, they said his temperature went so high it was nearly the highest temperature they had ever recorded for someone his age.”
“Did they ever find out what was wrong with him?” Martha asked.
“Measles,” Gabbie said.
"Ach, that’s not gut. Did it go through the whole familye?” Mrs. Yoder asked.
“Nee, no one else caught it.”
“I don’t have anything like that; I’m just a little run down I’d say. Now that Amy’s been preoccupied I’ve more work to do,” Mrs. Yoder said.
Martha frowned. “I help you, Mamm.”
“I know you do, and you’re a blessing, but there’s extra work now with Micah.”
“Well, Micah can’t be much of a burden because it seems to me that Amy looks after him mostly. He even sleeps in her room.”
Martha was uncomfortable with the direction Gabbie was taking the conversation. “We’re close now, aren’t we?”
“She lives in that old house up there.” Mrs. Yoder nodded her head to the left of them.
The girls looked across to the old house. As they drew closer, they saw that the house's boards had no paint and were weathered gray.
“Look at the garden, all grown over. I’ve never seen such a thing,” Gabbie said with disgust.
“I think they could be herbs or weeds she uses for the medicine,” Martha said trying to recognize the plants as herbs or medicinal grasses and plants.
“I would never eat weeds,” Gabbie said.
“Only some people call them weeds. Gott might’ve made them for our medicine, and people call them weeds when they grow unbidden in our flow
er beds,” Mrs. Yoder said.
Gabbie raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never thought of it like that.”
Mrs. Yoder chuckled as she brought the horse to a halt. “Gott has a purpose for everything, Gabbie.”
Gabbie smiled and nodded at the older woman before both girls got out of the buggy. Mrs. Yoder tied the horse’s reins, and they approached the front door.
“Nellie, are you home?” Mrs. Yoder stepped back as the door creaked open. She wandered through with the two girls close behind. “Yoohoo, Nellie, are you home?”
“Did she know we were coming?” Gabbie whispered.
“Nee, she’s usually always at home.” Martha looked around the room to see shelves on every wall, filled with bottles of dried herbs.
“She’s not home then,” Gabbie said.
Nellie stepped out of the kitchen causing everyone to jump. “It’s the Yoders.” She looked at Gabbie. “And …?”
Mrs. Yoder spoke, “This is Gabbie. She’s staying with us and she comes from Augusta.”
“Where’s the little one?” Nellie asked.
“We left Micah with Amy,” Mrs. Yoder said.
“Ah. What is it you’ve come to see me about?” Nellie stepped forward and peered into Mrs. Yoder’s eyes and before she could speak, Nellie held up her hand. “Don’t tell me. You haven’t been yourself and you’re tired constantly, and light-headed and often feel dizzy.”
“Jah, that’s right. How could you tell?” Mrs. Yoder asked.
“I can see it in your eyes, and in the color of your skin.”
The two girls looked at each other in amazement.
“How can you know that just by her eyes?” Gabbie asked.
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I read the signs just as you would read words on a page. Although, I think you might have more than one thing ailing you.” Nellie picked up Mrs. Yoder’s hand and pressed down on her skin.
“I was hoping you’d be able to mix me a tonic again,” Mrs. Yoder said.
“Jah, I will. Now, what was it I gave you last time?”
“I don’t remember. It was dark green and bitter. You had me take two tablespoons of it night and morning.”
“Bitter, you say?”
Mrs. Yoder nodded.
“How long before you started to feel better?” Nellie asked.
“Just a couple days later, I was improved.”
“I see, I see.” The old woman walked down the bottle-lined wall.
“Are you a witch?” Gabbie asked.
Martha froze in shock and Mrs. Yoder said, “Gabbie!”
The old woman laughed and turned to face Gabbie. “I know nothing about witches, but it’s not the first time I’ve been called one. People are frightened of the unknown.” The old lady wagged a bony finger at both young girls. “Now, when I was a girl, we only had herbs as medicine. Gott gave them to us. We didn’t go to doctors so much like they do today.”
“I’m sorry, I said that without thinking,” Gabbie said.
“As you do quite often, Gabbie,” Mrs. Yoder snapped.
The old lady turned her attention back to her herbs. She hummed as she unscrewed various bottles to sniff the contents.
Martha was surprised to hear her mother speak so harshly to Gabbie. Martha turned her attention to Nellie and watched as she selected five bottles by smell. None of the bottles were labeled. She knew what they were by sight and by smell even though they looked exactly the same to Martha.
Nellie turned to see the three of them staring at her. “Sit, sit.”
Mrs. Yoder and the two girls sat on the small couch that was really only big enough for two people.
“It’ll take me half an hour to make this. Do you want to call back for it?” Nellie asked.
“Nee, I think we’ll wait. By the time we get home, it’ll be time to turn around. Can the girls take a walk?”
“Jah, there’s a creek down by the trees. There’s a bridge that runs across it and it’s full of frogs.” The old lady laughed.
“Come on, Martha.” It seemed Gabbie couldn’t get out of there fast enough as she grabbed Martha’s arm and pulled her out the door. Once they were outside, Gabbie said, “That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Sh, she’ll hear you.”
“Nee, she won’t. Let’s walk down here.” Gabbie pointed to the trees.
“She’s okay. She seems a little strange, but she’s harmless. There’s nothing wrong with her at all.”
“I shouldn’t have asked her if she was a witch.”
Martha laughed. “Nee, you probably shouldn’t have. You must think before you speak.”
“I guess.” Gabbie looked over her shoulder at the old house. “I hope your mudder will be all right.”
“She’s just low in iron again, or something like that. That would explain why she’s tired so often.”
“My mudder’s never been sick. I can’t remember one day she’s been sick in my whole life.”
“Jah, my dat’s like that; he’s never been sick either,” Martha said.
They found the wooden bridge and took off their shoes. Sitting on the low bridge, they dangled their feet in the cool water.
“You should come back with me when I leave, Martha.”
“I don’t know if I can leave Mamm. She needs my help.”
“Ach, jah. I forgot.” Gabbie gave a small giggle and looked back at the old house. “Does Nellie live there alone?”
“Jah, she’s never married and she hasn’t been to a gathering in a long time.”
“My vadder always visits people who don’t go to the meetings often.”
“I guess that’s the bishop’s job.” Martha stared into the water.
“If they don’t go for a long time Dat tells them that they’ll have to make a choice. I’ve heard him call them fence-sitters. It’s not gut to stay away from the gatherings.”
Martha scratched her face. “I guess not. I suppose she’s had visits by the bishop and his fraa. I don’t know.” Martha kicked the cool water and looked to see if she could see any frogs, but the water was too murky.
“You girls aren’t following me, are you?”
The girls jumped and turned their heads to see Michael.
Gabbie leaped to her feet. “Michael! What are you doing here?”
Chapter 28
Martha pulled herself to her feet by hanging onto the railing of the bridge.
“Nellie is my grossdaddi’s schweschder. I’ve come for a quick visit,” Michael said.
Martha smiled. He knew that she’d be there, and that’s why he showed up today to visit Nellie.
“Why are you so surprised?” he asked both girls.
“We didn’t expect to see you, that’s all,” Martha said. “Is Nellie related to Mr. or Mrs. Glick?”
“Neither, she’s related through my mudder’s side of the familye and the Glicks are through my vadder’s side.”
Martha nodded.
“It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere out here, and Nellie seems a strange lady. I thought she was a witch,” Gabbie rambled, as she walked up the slight rise to meet him.
Martha held her breath. She’d only just advised Gabbie to think before she spoke. She hoped Michael wouldn’t be offended. Martha gathered both sets of shoes and walked to catch up with Gabbie.
“I’ve just been inside to see that your mudder is waiting on a potion. They kicked me out and told me to come back in half an hour. Mrs. Yoder said you’d both be down here.” He looked around. “I used to play here as a child. I stayed here one summer. I think I was about eight.” Michael sat on the grass and Gabbie was quick to sit in front of him.
Martha walked forward and sat beside Gabbie, placing their shoes behind them. Gabbie was so interested in Michael that she was not aware she’d left her shoes. “What was it like staying with her?” Martha asked.
“I remember playing with frogs, and I don’t remember much else. She cooked gut food, and she was kind to me. Is your mudder sic
ker now, Martha?”
“Run down is all. I try to help her as much as I can. She gets tired a lot.”
Michael nodded and picked a long blade of grass.
“How are you enjoying your stay here?” Gabbie asked.
“I’m liking it. Although, I would like to get back to my old job. It’s much better than farming.”
“How did you play with the frogs?” Gabbie asked.
Michael’s lips turned upward at the corners, and a dimple appeared in his cheek. “I’d take some frogs out of the creek and watch them as they hopped back into the water. I also gathered the tadpoles and watched them slowly turn into frogs.”
“How far would you take them out of the water?”
“About five yards, that’s all.” He looked over at the creek. “I never caught any fish in there. I don’t think there are any in there, probably too shallow.”
“You could be a bad fisherman.” Gabbie laughed.
He smiled and put the blade of grass in the corner of his mouth. “That might be why I never caught anything.”
Martha tried to think of something to say but she couldn’t think fast enough. She felt calm and silent every time she was with him, but if she didn’t say something then she might lose him to Gabbie. Gabbie got all the attention because of her constant chatter.
Gabbie suddenly lunged forward and clasped one of Michael’s large hands. “Ach, Michael what happened to your hand?”
He pulled his hand away. “Just a little scrape. I did it this morning when I was hammering a nail back into the barn wall.”
“It looks very bad,” Gabbie said.
“It’s not hurting or anything.” He pulled his arm back even further. “Stop worrying. It’s nothing.”
“Maybe Nellie has something she can put on it,” Gabbie said.
“I wouldn’t bother her with something so small. I’ve had much worse injuries than this. I nailed my fingers together with a nail gun before I knew how to use it properly. See that?” He held out the fingers of his left hand to reveal two deep scars.
“Oh, that looks like it would’ve been painful,” Gabbie said.
“It was, believe me.” Michael laughed. “This little scratch is nothing.”
The Amish Deacon's Daughter Page 15
