The Quilter's Daughter

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Abby closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly. She had given up saying her nighttime prayers. Truth was, since Lester died she’d only pretended to pray before and after meals, as well as during church. There wasn’t much point in praying when God didn’t answer her prayers. She’d prayed for Lester and asked the Lord to keep him safe and bless their upcoming marriage. And what good had that done?

  Grief rose in her throat like bile, and scalding tears seeped under Abby’s lashes, rolling onto her cheeks. She leaned over the bed and reached into her small satchel, pulling out a handkerchief— the same one Mary Ann had made her several months ago—the one with the initials A. M. embroidered in one corner.

  Abby dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. Oh, why couldn’t it have been me who was killed in that fire instead of Lester?

  Linda had just drifted off to sleep when she was awakened by the sound of deep moaning. She turned her head and saw Jim writhing about and punching his pillow. She was tempted to wake him but thought better of it, remembering how irritable he got if his sleep was disturbed.

  “No, baby. Put the Amish quilt back,” he mumbled. “No. I said, no.”

  Amish quilt? Baby? What was Jim talking about? Linda knew he must be dreaming, and since they had an Amish covering on their bed, the fact that he’d mentioned a quilt did make sense. But she couldn’t figure out what would cause him to dream about a baby. Had he recently been watching a rerun of Witness on TV? No, there were no babies in the movie that she recalled. Maybe Jim’s dream was a combination of things locked away in his subconscious. The Amish quilt, which Linda had wanted a long time. The baby they had adopted when they’d gone to the East Coast and toured Amish country. That’s all it was. . .just a silly dream full of blended things that had occurred in the past.

  Linda was relieved when Jim’s moaning subsided and turned to soft snores. Maybe now she could get some sleep. In the morning, if she didn’t forget, she would ask if Jim remembered the dream.

  Abby proceeded down the lane on foot, heading to the general store and mindful of the snow that still lay in patches. She couldn’t believe she had been in Montana two weeks already. She was beginning to like it here. The trees seemed greener, the air fresher, and other than Cousin Edna, no one knew her situation.

  Although Abby still felt empty inside, at least she didn’t have the pressure of trying to measure up to what others expected of her. She’d always been a hard worker, but truthfully, she was getting tired of doing chores all the time in order to keep from thinking about Lester and what her quilt shop had done to him. All she wanted to do was rest and saturate her mind with the things of nature, the way she could do here in the Kootenai National Forest, where it was ever so peaceful and quiet.

  When Abby reached the mailbox at the end of the driveway, she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and retrieved the letter she’d written to her mother last night. She knew Mom was worried about her; she could read it between the lines of the letter she’d received last week. Mom probably hoped Abby wouldn’t be gone too long, but Cousin Edna seemed in no hurry to leave, and that was fine with Abby.

  When Abby opened the mailbox, she was disappointed to see that the mail had already come. If she put the letter to Mom inside now, it wouldn’t go out until tomorrow. Still, it was better than taking it back to Elizabeth’s house and trudging down here again in the morning. So, she placed the envelope inside the metal box and lifted the red flag.

  Thumbing through the stack of mail that had been delivered, she noticed a letter for Edna bearing her daughter Gretchen’s return address. Should I take the mail up to the house now or continue on to the store? Abby decided on the latter, figuring the letter for Edna was probably nothing important and that she could wait another hour or so to read it. She dropped all the mail into her black canvas satchel and kept walking.

  A short time later, Abby stepped inside the general store, feeling a rush of warm air that quickly dispelled the chill she had encountered on her trek over here.

  “Can I help ya with somethin’?” the young Amish girl behind the counter asked.

  Abby rubbed her hands briskly together and shook her head. “I just need a couple of items, but I think I can find them.”

  “All right then. Let me know if you need help findin’ anything.”

  “Jah, I will.” Abby proceeded to the back of the store, where the notions were kept. She was almost out of writing paper and planned to buy a new tablet and maybe some colored pencils for drawing. Elizabeth had asked her to pick up two spools of white thread, as well.

  When that was done, Abby decided to climb the stairs and see what might be up there for sale. She’d been in the store a couple of times since her arrival but had never thought to look in the loft above.

  At the top of the landing she spotted a couple of men’s black felt hats lying on a chest of drawers that was also for sale. There were several other pieces of Amish-made furniture—two rocking chairs, a small table, and a couple of straight-backed chairs. To the left, four quilts hung on a makeshift clothesline. The sight of them almost brought Abby to the floor in a pool of tears, but she gritted her teeth and looked away. She knew it was silly to feel so anxious whenever she looked at a quilt, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Quilts were part of the Amish life. They were warm and cozy, and she had covered up with one nearly every night since she was a child.

  Guess it’s not the quilt itself that bothers me so much, but the sight of one hanging in a store reminds me of my own quilt shop and the grief it caused the day it burned to the ground.

  Abby moved slowly around the small upstairs and finally headed back down, deciding there was nothing she needed.

  Up front, near the counter, stood a refrigerated dairy case where Abby found a brick of Swiss cheese, her favorite kind. She was surprised to see that it had been made by one of the cheese places near her hometown in Berlin. Abby missed Ohio, especially the times spent with Lester during their courting days.

  For a moment her sorrow dissipated, as she allowed memories of Lester to bathe her in warm thoughts. They had gone to the cheese store down the street from her quilt shop on several occasions, sampling the various cheeses, laughing, and talking with others they knew. Seeing the cheese now was a painful reminder that Lester was gone, yet in some ways it was comforting to find something so familiar here.

  Abby drew in a deep breath. At one time I thought Lester and I would be together as husband and wife for many years, and that our love could withstand anything, even time spent apart. But now he’s gone, and others expect me to move on. She blinked against the tears clinging to her lashes. Despite her resolve to push thoughts of Lester aside, Abby often dreamed of him. Not the nightmare with fire and smoke, but dreams of happier days, when they’d been courting. Help me, Lord. Help me let go of Lester if I need to, and show me if there’s any meaning in life.

  With a determination not to give in to her tears, Abby turned and set her purchases on the counter.

  “Will you be needin’ anything else?” the young woman asked, as she rang up the three items.

  Abby shook her head. “That’ll be all. Danki.”

  The girl opened her mouth, like she might be about to say something, but the telephone rang and she reached for it.

  Abby counted out the money for her purchases and left it on the counter, not wanting to interrupt the phone conversation.

  Fannie didn’t know what had possessed her to load both boys into the buggy and drive over to Caleb and Naomi’s store. She could have left them at home with Nancy, who wasn’t working at Anna Beechy’s today, but decided the fresh air would do them some good. Besides, there were a few things she needed from the store, and she didn’t want to wait until Abraham was free to bring her.

  Just a short ways from the house, Titus started to holler, and then Timothy joined in. Fannie figured they probably wanted her attention and felt frustrated because they were confined in the buggy.

  “Calm down!” Fannie clut
ched the reins and tried to keep her focus on the road. The last thing she needed was to get in an accident while trying to settle her fussy sons.

  The boys howled all the way to Paradise, and it wasn’t until Fannie took Titus out of the buggy that he finally stopped crying. She was relieved when Caleb, who’d been sweeping the store’s front porch, spotted her and came to offer his assistance.

  “Danki,” she said as Caleb reached into the buggy and scooped Timothy into his arms. “These two are sure gettin’ to be a handful these days.”

  Caleb nuzzled the top of Timothy’s downy dark head. “I hope Naomi and I are blessed with a couple of boys some day.” He gave Fannie a sheepish grin. “Not that I’m unhappy with Sarah and Susan, you understand.”

  Fannie chuckled. “Jah, I know. Most men want at least one son to carry on their name.”

  He nodded and lifted his left hand. “With this bein’ practically useless, it’d be nice to have a boy’s strong arm when there’s heavy stuff to be done at the store.”

  Fannie followed Caleb into the building, wondering if he ever regretted his decision to buy Abraham’s store and sell his buggy shop to his two younger brothers. Of course, she knew he’d done it because of his love for Naomi.

  So many sacrifices some folks make in order to care for their loved ones, she thought. Look at what Abby sacrificed on my behalf. And what’s she got to show for it but a lot of heartaches and regrets?

  “It’s nice to see you,” Naomi said, stepping out from behind the counter and giving Fannie a hug. “Have you come alone, or is one of the girls with you today?”

  “It’s just me and the twins.”

  Naomi touched Titus’s rosy cheek. “Looks like he’s been crying. Is everything all right?”

  Fannie motioned with her head toward Timothy, still held in Caleb’s arms. “They carried on somethin’ awful the whole way here. Guess they wanted my full attention and were determined I should know about it.”

  Naomi exhaled with a groan. “I can relate to that. Bringing our girls to the store every day can present some problems whenever one of them acts up.”

  “Where should I put this little fellow?” Caleb asked, stepping between Naomi and Fannie. “I’d hold him all day, but I’ve got some boxes on the back porch that need to be brought inside.”

  Fannie glanced around. “Matthew’s not working here today?”

  “Nope. Said he had some things to do in his woodworking shop at home.”

  “I didn’t see him at all this morning. He never even showed up for breakfast.”

  “Maybe he had errands to run,” Naomi put in.

  “That could be.” Fannie motioned to the back room. “Are the girls down for their naps right now?”

  Naomi shook her head. “Susan’s in her playpen, but she’s not sleeping. Sarah’s seated on a throw rug by the bookcase with some of her favorite children’s books. I’ll get Susan out of her playpen and set her next to her big sister, and then you can put the twins in the playpen while you shop. Would that work?”

  Fannie smiled. “Sounds fine to me.”

  A few minutes later, the twins played happily in the playpen, while little Susan sat on the floor beside Sarah. Fannie smiled at the older girl, pretending to read to her eight-month-old sister. Even though the girls weren’t Fannie’s grandchildren by blood, she’d become quite fond of them.

  She thought about Harold and Lena and the baby boy they now had, wishing they lived closer and wondering when they might come to Pennsylvania for a visit. It wasn’t easy making a trip by bus or train when you had a baby or, in her case, two babies to care for.

  “You think you might want to run the quilt shop again?” Naomi asked, driving Fannie’s thoughts to the back of her mind.

  “I’d like to, but with the boys keeping me so busy, I believe it’s best that I do my quilting at home and leave the store to someone more capable.”

  “Wish I could do more,” Naomi said, leaning her elbows on the counter. “But I’ve got my hands full helping Caleb in the store, and about all I can do for the quilt shop is ring up folks’ purchases and answer a few questions.”

  Fannie nodded. “I understand, and I don’t expect you to do any more than you’re already doing now. Things will just have to stay as they are until Abby returns and we see how she feels.”

  “Have you heard anything from her lately?” Naomi asked.

  “Got a letter from her last week. She seems to like it in Montana, and I believe the change is good for her.”

  Naomi opened her mouth as if to comment, but her words were cut off by an earsplitting crash. “Himmel—heavens! What was that?”

  Both women headed to the back of the store, and they’d just reached the spot where Sarah and Susan sat when both girls started to howl.

  “Der bichler!” Sarah sobbed, pointing to the stack of books strewn on the floor.

  “Susan must have pulled one out, and then they all tumbled down,” Naomi shouted over the noise of her daughters’ weeping.

  Titus and Timothy began to holler then, and Fannie clicked her tongue. “See why I can’t come back to work?” She headed for the storage room. “I’m comin,’ boys. Jah, your mamm’s right here.”

  Linda sat at the kitchen table with a cup of hot apple cider in one hand and her open Bible before her. She’d seen Jimmy off to school a few minutes ago, and Jim had left for work before she’d gotten out of bed. He’d been leaving early almost every morning and coming home late. It was hard to have any family time with him gone so much. Linda hadn’t even been able to ask about the dream he’d had a few weeks ago, when he’d mumbled something about a baby and an Amish quilt. In fact, she’d forgotten about it until now.

  “I’m supposed to focus on God’s Word, not worry about some silly dream,” she muttered. “It probably didn’t mean anything other than Jim had eaten too much junk food before going to bed. Unless he has the dream again and talks in his sleep, I won’t bother to ask him about it.”

  The phone rang, and Linda placed a bookmark inside the Bible to indicate the spot in 1 Corinthians where she wanted to begin reading. She hurried across the room and picked up the receiver. “Hello, Scott residence.”

  “It’s Marian, Linda. Is Jim there?” Jim’s mother’s voice sounded even more strained than the last time she had called, and Linda felt immediate concern.

  “No, he’s not. He left for work early this morning. Can I take a message?”

  There was a brief pause. “I guess I’d better try his cell phone then.”

  Linda glanced at the kitchen counter, where Jim had left his phone. This was the second time in the past week he’d forgotten to take it with him. She wondered if he’d become forgetful because he wasn’t getting enough sleep.

  “Sorry, Marian, but Jim forgot to take his phone this morning. Would you like him to call you when he gets home?”

  “I’ve got bad news, and it can’t wait until then.” Marian’s voice caught on a sob.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Bob’s in the hospital and may be faced with open-heart surgery. It could be serious, Linda.”

  Linda’s forehead wrinkled as she felt her mother-in-law’s pain. “I’m so sorry. Jim will be upset when he hears, and I’m sure he’ll want to fly out to Ohio right away.”

  “I was hoping he would. And you and Jimmy, too, if you can get away.”

  Linda nodded, even though she knew Marian couldn’t see her. “As soon as I hang up, I’ll see about getting some plane tickets. Jim will call you tonight and let you know when we’ll arrive in Millersburg, then you can give him more details on Bob.”

  “Okay.” Marian sniffed and blew her nose. “There’s one more thing. . .”

  “What’s that?”

  “I know from your letters that you go to church and believe in God. So if you could offer a prayer on Bob’s behalf, I’d really appreciate it.”

  “Of course. I’ll call our church and get it put on the prayer chain, too.”
r />   “Thanks. See you soon.”

  Linda hung up the phone with a sense of frustration because she didn’t have any idea where Jim was working today. She wouldn’t be able to speak to him until he came home, whenever that might be. She could, however, purchase their plane tickets and pray for Jim’s dad.

  “I picked up the mail, Elizabeth,” Abby said when she entered the cozy log house after her walk to the store. “There’s a letter for you, too, Edna. I think it’s from your daughter.”

  Edna took the letter, and Abby handed Elizabeth the rest of the mail. Then she went to the loft to put away her jacket, scarf, and gloves. When she returned, she found Edna sitting at the kitchen table, shaking her head, and staring at the letter she had received.

  “What’s wrong? It’s not bad news, I hope,” Abby said with concern.

  “All three of my granddaughters are down with the chicken pox, plus Gretchen has the flu. Looks like I’m gonna have to return home as soon as possible, because my daughter could surely use some help.”

  Abby nodded. “I’ll run down to the store and use their phone to see about getting us some train tickets.”

  “There’s no need for you to go, Abby,” Edna said, pursing her lips.

  “What do you mean, there’s no need? I thought you were afraid to travel by yourself.”

  Edna folded Gretchen’s letter and stuck it inside the band of her apron. “I think I’ll be fine on the train now that I’ve done it already.”

  Abby leaned on the cupboard, wondering what she should do. Truth be told, she wasn’t ready to return to Pennsylvania, but would it be right to stay on without Edna? She’d only met Elizabeth a few weeks ago and hesitated to ask if she could stay longer.

  Elizabeth spoke up as though she could read Abby’s thoughts. “I’d be happy if you stayed on awhile, Abby.”

  “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all. I’d like the opportunity to get to know you better.”