Sarah's Orphans

by Vannetta Chapman

  “Nein. There’s not. Amelia Stark was supposed to give me a ride. She drives—”

  “The white van. I know.”

  Paul sat beside her on the couch. It seemed as natural as the sun rising in the morning for him to reach for her hands, for him to find a way to calm her nerves. Her fingers were freezing. Had she been pacing on the front porch? He covered them with his own and rubbed some warmth into them.

  “I learned Amelia couldn’t take me after Andy and Henry had gone. They offered to go with me to Tulsa, but I know how much Andy is counting on the seed he will receive from the Tripp family.”

  “Tell me about Amelia.”

  “She sent someone by with a note. Her radiator is broken, and she can’t come. I was waiting for Andy to return home.” She glanced up at him, seemed to finally realize that he was there, in her house, holding both of her hands in his. She hopped off the couch and stood in front of the stove. “I thought Andy could take me to town or go to the phone booth.”

  Glancing around the room, she spied her shawl, grabbed it, and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “There’s a list of drivers inside the phone booth.”

  “I’ve seen it.”

  “So I need to go and call someone. I need to find a ride to Tulsa.”

  “You don’t want to go out in the rain. I’ll go. I’ll call them for you.”

  She seemed to hesitate but then nodded in agreement. “Danki.”

  “It’s not a problem. Promise me you’ll stay here and wait. Don’t try walking to town or harnessing Dusty.”

  She gave him her word, and he hurried from the house. Twenty minutes later he was back, soaked through and through, and Bob Johnson was on his way. “Said he’d be here in ten minutes. Said it would be no problem to get you there in time, not at this hour. Barely any traffic at all.”

  “Go with me.”

  “What?” Paul had found a towel in a pile of laundry. It looked clean enough to him, so he was using it to dry himself off.

  “Please?” Sarah stepped closer, near enough that he could smell the soap she’d used that morning and something else—probably a type of lotion, something with a hint of springtime flowers. “It’s only that I’m so nervous and there will be no one…no one to sit on my side. They have Mateo and Mia on one side, with the bishop and his wife, and I’ll be on the other side—”

  “I’m soaked.”

  She seemed to notice his wet clothes for the first time. “Andy’s clothes will fit you. Please, Paul. If you could, I would be…that is to say, I am forever grateful.”

  He nodded once and headed up the stairs to Andy’s room. It wasn’t too hard to find. They were approximately the same size, though Andy’s trousers were a good inch too short for him. Not that he expected anyone would be looking at his pants.

  He changed quickly, hurried down the stairs, and arrived in the living room at the same time that a knock was heard at the door. Five minutes later, they were speeding down the road, headed west toward Tulsa.

  CHAPTER 35

  Sarah felt relieved, terrified, and embarrassed all at the same time. What had come over her? She’d practically begged Paul to come along. For all of her independence and determination, she’d melted at the thought of standing alone before the judge.

  Which was ridiculous. Levi and Mary Beth were on her side. Tommy was on the children’s side. The Lord was on her side. She would not be alone in the courtroom.

  She glanced at Paul, who was sitting beside the driver. They’d had a conversation about the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team for the last twenty miles. How could there be that much to say about basketball?

  Finally, they pulled up to the courthouse. The rain had stopped once they had reached the outskirts of the city, but the sky was still gray, and the forecast promised heavy storms with a drop in temperatures before morning. She’d heard that much on the driver’s radio.

  Paul helped her out of the van. “Everything’s going to be fine,” he assured her.

  She nodded once and reached for the money in her purse.

  “I already paid him.” Paul steered her toward the courthouse steps. “Fortunately, he has some errands to run here in town. He said he’d be back here in two hours.”

  Paul held open the door of the courthouse and motioned for her to go before him. Once inside, she stopped, frozen.

  “I don’t know why I’m in such a dither. This is what I’ve wanted, what I’ve prayed for and now…well, now I’m a basket of nerves.”

  “Anyone would be.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this is a big deal.”

  He glanced up at the clock, which she saw read ten thirty. They had made it. By some miracle they had made it and with time to spare. He pulled her over into an alcove.

  “Sarah, don’t be so hard on yourself. This is a very big thing you’re doing, a wunderbaar thing. But it’s just like having a baby—”

  “What would you know of that?”

  “Lots of nieces and nephews, and every time—absolutely every time—the family is full of nervous energy. It’s the adrenaline in your system, and it’s completely normal.”

  She took a deep breath, forced her heart rate to calm, and pushed the thousand and one things that could go wrong from her mind.

  “Ya. I suppose you’re right.”

  “First time you’ve said that.”

  Sarah closed her eyes. When she opened them, she looked at Paul directly. “I haven’t been a very gut neighbor. I’m sorry.”

  “Nothing to apologize for.” Paul rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Though you did insult my house.”

  “Which is a disaster.”

  “Indeed.”

  They smiled at one another, and all of the tension inside of Sarah melted.

  “Let’s go up to the courtroom. I doubt they’ll let me in, but I’ll wait in the hall for you. I’ll pray the entire time you’re there.”

  She wanted to thank him, but she found herself at a loss for words. She had completely misjudged Paul Byler—taking his serious nature for a sour one, not bothering to get to know the man. Perhaps she’d even been afraid to know him better. Maybe her father had left a scar on her heart that prohibited her from even being friends with another man.

  Which was ridiculous. She had been friends with Charlie Everman when they had worked on the mission team in Texas. Joshua and Alton Kline were both good friends. The bishop was a man, and he was like a grandfather to her. As they climbed the steps to the second floor courtroom, she almost laughed at her emotions, which seemed to be all over the place.

  Completely normal she reminded herself, and then she glanced at Paul and smiled.

  When they gained the second landing, Sarah saw a group of familiar faces and felt her world settle back onto steady ground. Mateo and Mia noticed her first and rushed to meet her. Mia threw her arms around Sarah’s waist and demanded, “Up!” Mateo stood there grinning, shifting from one foot to the other.

  “Today’s the day, Sarah. Maybe we can come back and live with you.”

  “I hope so, Mateo.”

  They walked down the corridor and joined Levi and Mary Beth. As Paul explained about her transportation problems, a young woman with curly black hair cut shoulder length and an irrepressible smile hopped up from the bench and walked over to say hello. “I don’t know if you remember me…”

  “Ya. Of course. You’re the newspaper reporter.”

  “Chloe Vasquez. I married three months ago. I was Chloe Roberts when I covered Anna’s story.”

  “The girl who was healed?” Paul asked.

  “Ya, that was before you moved to Cody’s Creek, Paul.” Levi’s smile broadened as he sat back down on the bench. “A special time in the life of our community, for sure and for certain. Chloe was a wunderbaar help in getting the word out about our auctions and benefits. Still is, in fact.”

  “Why are you here today?” Sarah asked Chloe as she set Mia back down.
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  Even as she was speaking to the reporter, Sarah noticed that Mary Beth had found another set of clothes to fit the children. They weren’t quite Plain, but they were close. Dark pants and a long-sleeved white shirt for Mateo, a knee-length, long-sleeved dress for Mia. The young girl twirled in a circle, causing the floral print to fan out like an umbrella.

  “I heard through the grapevine that you are trying to adopt these two.”

  “Actually, this is a temporary placement hearing.”

  “Our foster care system needs more families to step up and provide a home for those in need. By reporting on your case, I can bring some attention to the Rainbow program and the children who want for a home.”

  Sarah glanced toward Levi, who nodded in agreement.

  “I suppose, if it helps the children, then ya—I’d be willing to speak with you.”

  “Awesome. I’ll wait here in the hall, and then after the judge’s ruling we can set up a time to speak.”

  Sarah nodded, though her mind was flashing back on the mess she’d left in the house. There simply hadn’t been enough time with the certification hours in addition to trying to cook meals and care for her own brothers. She suddenly remembered that Paul had seen her house that morning. As if he were reading her thoughts, he squeezed her arm in reassurance and sat down on the bench next to the bishop.

  She thought they might have to wait awhile. She’d heard that court cases could even get postponed to another day.

  But suddenly the door to the courtroom opened, and a bald man with thick white eyebrows and a large belly stepped out.

  “Mateo and Mia Lopez?”

  Levi and Mary Beth stood. They didn’t seem the least bit hesitant to enter the courtroom and proceeded to usher the children forward.

  “And Sarah Yoder.”

  Sarah also stood, though her knees were practically knocking against each other.

  “I’ll be here, Sarah.” Paul walked with her toward the courtroom door. “I’ll wait here with Chloe, and I’ll pray.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Mateo didn’t think he’d ever been in a courtroom before. This one was a little scary. For one thing it was huge, the ceiling reaching up so high that he had to crane his head back to look up and see the top. There was a lot of dark wooden furniture, and their steps echoed as they walked to the front and sat on a bench.

  There weren’t many people in the room. There was the man who had brought them in and a woman at the front, typing on a little machine. Tommy, their social worker, sat in front of them. He’d been by the bishop’s house a couple of times, and he’d also stopped by the school one afternoon. Fortunately, it was during lunch and the other kids didn’t seem to notice. He’d asked Brian later if he was in trouble, and Brian had said, “Not even a little bit.”

  Tommy said hello to Levi and Mary Beth, and then he asked Mateo and Mia how they were doing.

  “Good, I guess.” Mateo cleared his throat and tried to sound surer of himself. “Good.”

  Mia slid closer to Mateo. She had been clingy all morning. He knew that meant she was scared. He was scared too.

  Sarah sat on the other side of the aisle. He hated that she was sitting alone, but he guessed her brothers couldn’t come with her.

  Someone walked in through the side door and said, “All rise for the Honorable Judge Murphy.”

  The judge wore a long black robe. She wasn’t old or young, and she had light brown hair. She wore purple glasses, and she smiled at everyone as she sat down at the front of the room, up on a raised platform and behind an important-looking desk.

  “You may be seated. How is everyone this morning?”

  “Gut.”

  “Great.”

  “Fine, your honor.”

  Mateo didn’t know what to say, so he settled for bobbing his head up and down. He’d been scared the night before when Levi told them they were coming to the courthouse. Levi had explained that the judge was going to decide where they would live.

  “What if she decides wrong?” Mateo had asked.

  “We will pray that Gotte gives her wisdom.” The bishop talked a lot about praying. Mateo wasn’t too sure. He’d prayed for stuff before, like food or a place to stay or even for his mom to return. Didn’t seem like his prayers made it all the way up to God. Maybe he was doing it wrong.

  “This is a temporary placement hearing for Mateo and Mia Lopez. Mr. Cronin, let’s speak first about the children’s mother. Have you been able to locate her?”

  “No, your honor. We’re still working on it.”

  “All right. Any other family that has been notified?”

  “No. We found birth records for both Mateo and Mia in Texas, but neither lists a father. Both do list the mother as Elisa Lopez, current age twenty-three, born in El Paso, Texas.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Cronin.” The judge studied some sheets of paper before she pushed them to the side and directed her comments to the bishop. “Mr. and Mrs. Troyer, it’s good to have you in my courtroom again.”

  “Likewise,” Levi said, and Mary Beth smiled.

  “I want to thank you on behalf of the State of Oklahoma for opening your home to these children. You’ve done so in the past, and your continued participation as a Bridge parent is appreciated.”

  “It’s our privilege to do so, and these two have been a real blessing to have with us.” Levi patted Mateo’s hand.

  For some reason, that made Mateo want to cry. When had anyone ever said they were a blessing? When had anyone ever wanted them? He remembered some arguments between his mom and her boyfriend, him saying that he didn’t need two brats hanging around. Stuff like that. Mostly, he’d tried to distract Mia and keep her from hearing, but some of it had leaked through.

  While he’d been remembering that, the judge had asked Tommy a few more questions. He only caught the words background check and home study.

  The judge had then asked Sarah a question, and Sarah had smiled at them and answered, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

  It seemed to Mateo as if all the conversations around him were happening at the end of a long tunnel. Or maybe his ears were clogged up. He heard just fine when Judge Murphy called his name, though. “Mateo, I’d like to speak with you and Mia in my chambers. Miss Yoder, I would appreciate it if you would join us.”

  Mateo didn’t realize the judge meant Sarah until she stood, walked over to where they were, and reached out her hand. Mateo and Mia practically jumped off the bench. Together, the three of them followed the judge into a little back room.

  It looked less scary than the large courtroom. There was another big desk, though it was smaller than the other. One wall was covered with framed stuff—pictures and fancy-looking sheets with gold seals on them. The other wall looked like a library.

  “You have a lot of books,” he said.

  “Yes, I do.” The judge sat behind her desk and took off her glasses, indicating that they should sit in the chairs opposite her.

  Mia climbed up onto Sarah’s lap, and Mateo perched on the edge of the chair next to them.

  “Do you like books?” the judge asked him.

  “Not usually, but Brian has some books on snakes and frogs and stuff.” Mateo wanted to tell her how he and Isaac had been in trouble and had to read the book. It had been the coolest punishment ever. But he couldn’t slow down his thoughts enough to think of the words, so instead he said, “We’re reading Treasure Island.”

  The judge smiled at that. “One of my favorite books.”

  She turned toward Sarah. “The Amish educational system has proven itself to be exemplary in teaching children reading and writing and math. I suspect Mateo is doing very well there.”

  “Ya, Brian, our teacher, keeps both myself and Levi and Mary Beth up to date on Mateo’s progress. He’s doing very well.”

  They talked for a few minutes about Amish life and how Sarah felt about providing for so many even though she was only a young woman. Twenty-three seemed awful old to Mateo, but he didn’t think he should c
orrect the judge.

  “And do you like the school, Mateo? Or would you rather be in an English school?”

  He swung his foot and thought about that for a few moments. He knew his answer, but he wanted to find the right words. Finally, he said what was on his heart. “I like our school. I don’t get lost going to the bathroom. No one makes fun of me or calls me estúpido. I even help the younger kids sometimes.”

  “Sounds like a good place to be.”

  Mateo nodded his head. It was a good place to be, and he didn’t want to leave it. He didn’t want to move again unless he was moving to Sarah’s house.

  “Tell me about Sarah’s brothers.”

  Mateo nearly started laughing. “Isaac is most like me. We’re in the same grade, and he’s kind of like mi hermano. When there’s snow, we sled down the hill on all sorts of things—feed sacks, trash can lids. You name it, and Isaac can sled on it.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fun.”

  “Luke is older and laughs at us, but not in a mean way.”

  The judge looked down at a sheet of paper. “And there are two older brothers?”

  “Andy and Henry. They’re like mi tíos.”

  The judge nodded and Sarah smiled. Maybe he’d said the right thing. He hoped so.

  The judge asked Mia a few questions, but she still wasn’t saying a lot of words—in English or Spanish. She pulled Sarah’s arms around her waist. Maybe it wouldn’t take words for the judge to see how much she trusted Sarah.

  “I have one more question, Mateo. If we could find you a home with a Spanish family, would you like that better?”

  Mateo had thought about that. He’d never had a family of aunts and uncles and grandparents, but his mom had hung out with other people like them. Everyone spoke a mix of Spanish and English, and the food was good. But none of those people had wanted them. They had been nice enough, for a little while, but then they had been ready for them to leave.

  “Maybe it doesn’t matter that Sarah is white and we’re brown,” he said. “Maybe it only matters that she cares about us.”

  CHAPTER 37