A Cousin's Promise

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Wayne snapped on the light and pointed it at her leg. “Ach, Loraine, you’re cut!”

  “I must have scraped it on something—maybe it happened when I fell into the woodpile.”

  “I can’t tell for sure, but the cut doesn’t look too deep. Might not even need any stitches.” He reached into his pants pocket, withdrew a handkerchief, and handed it to her. “You can wrap this around your leg. It hasn’t even been used,” he added.

  “Danki.” Loraine wrapped it securely around her leg and tried to relax.

  They sat in the darkness as the wind roared and shook the cellar door. “I’m scared, Wayne.” Loraine’s voice came out in a squeak, and fear churned like bile in her stomach. “I can’t remember ever being in a tornado before, and I’m not ready to die.”

  “If your heart’s not right with the Lord, then you need to pray and ask His forgiveness.”

  “I’ve done that already. I’m just not ready to leave this world yet. I want to get married and have children.”

  “Jake’s children, you mean?”

  Loraine’s mouth went dry. Did she dare tell Wayne how she felt about Jake?

  She drew in a quick breath and decided to plunge ahead. “I do care about Jake, but—”

  “Figured as much.”

  “But not in the same way I used to.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When Jake and I were going out before he left for Montana, I used to think we’d get married some day.”

  The wooden box creaked beneath Wayne’s weight. “Because you loved him, right?”

  “Yes. No. Well, I thought I did.” Loraine paused, searching for the right words. “I enjoy being with Jake; he makes me laugh and forget about my troubles.” She reached over and touched Wayne’s hand, sending a wave of warmth up her arm. “But it’s not the same as when I’m with you.”

  “No, I don’t suppose it would be. Jake’s a whole man; I’m sure not.”

  “Jah, you are, Wayne. When we were out there in the midst of the storm, could you have carried me all that way if you weren’t a whole man?”

  “I stumbled and dropped you, remember?”

  “But you dragged me to safety, and that took a lot of strength. Then when the door handle broke off, you pried it open and got us inside.” She paused for a breath. “Then you closed and bolted the door all on your own. You were calm the whole time, and I have to think that you can do most anything you set your mind to do.” She gulped on a sob and paused to gain control of her emotions. “Even if you couldn’t do anything at all—even if you were confined to your bed—I would love you for the caring, gentle man you really are.”

  “You—you still love me?”

  “Jah, and truth be told, I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, and I never will.”

  “What about Jake? He’s in love with you, Loraine. I can see it on his face when you’re together. I can hear it in his voice when he talks about you.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to hurt Jake, but I know now that I can never make a permanent commitment to him because my heart will always belong to you.”

  ***

  Wayne sat very still as he let Loraine’s words sink into his head. The breath he’d been unconsciously holding came out in a sigh of relief. She loves me, not Jake. Even with Jake’s good looks and playfulness, she’d rather be with me than him. The revelation was almost too much to comprehend.

  “You’re awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?” Loraine’s sweet voice cut into Wayne’s thoughts.

  “I’m thinking what a fool I’ve been for pushing you away. I’m thinking that I wish I could take back all the things I’ve said to you since the accident. I’m thinking that I made a big mistake even thinking I should move to Illinois.”

  “You were planning to move?”

  “Jah. I thought if I moved away I could leave my past behind, and I wouldn’t have to suffer the torment of seeing how happy you and Jake were together.” He swallowed hard as his throat constricted. “All those things I’ve said about not loving you, they were lies ... just a bunch of lies. I never stopped loving you, Loraine. I only suggested that you go out with Jake because I wanted you to be happy—to have a full life with a man who could give you all the things you deserve, a man who didn’t have to rely on others for help.”

  “So you were giving me up so that I could be happy with Jake?”

  “Jah.”

  “Oh, Wayne, don’t you know I’d never truly be happy without you? If I chose Jake, I’d be choosing second best.”

  Wayne got quiet again, as he continued to mull things over. Could he and Loraine be together again? He’d proven today that he could be there for her in a time of need. In his own strength he could do little, but with God’s help, he could do much. He thought of the words from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

  He reached through the darkness and took hold of her hand. “I love you, Loraine, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath, followed by a sob. “Jah, Wayne, I’d be honored to be your wife.”

  He squeezed her fingers as they sat quietly together, waiting for the storm to subside.

  “What about Jake?” she whispered. “I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t give my heart to him because it belongs to you.”

  “Want me to tell him?”

  “No, I need to be the one.”

  “Maybe we can tell him together.”

  “Jah, okay.”

  Wayne stirred restlessly. “It seems quiet out there. I think I should open the cellar door and check on things.”

  “Are ... are you sure?”

  “Tornados happen fast and don’t normally last too long. I think it’s safe to go out.” Wayne turned on the flashlight and made his way across the small room. He removed the hammer from the handle and pushed on the door.

  It didn’t budge.

  Loraine jumped up. “I’ll help you push.”

  They leaned their weight against the door and pushed with all their might, but it wouldn’t open.

  Wayne groaned. “Something must be blocking the door.” He didn’t say anything to Loraine, but he wondered how long it might take for someone to find them down here. He thought about an article he’d read in the newspaper awhile back about an Amish man who’d hit his head, passed out, and fallen on top of his wife, pinning her to the floor. It had taken several hours before someone came to help.

  Bam! Bam! Bam! Loraine banged on the door. “We’re stuck down here! Somebody help!”

  Wayne pulled her to his side and held her tightly. “There’s no point in banging on the door. There’s no one out there to hear us. Pop took Mom to the hospital, and no one else is around.” He gently stroked the side of her face. “All we can do is pray.”

  CHAPTER 39

  As the wind whipped furiously against his body, Jake lay huddled in a ditch. He’d been heading to the Lambrights’ to see if they needed help with their chores, when he’d heard a deafening roar that reminded him of a jet plane. Then he’d seen it—a huge funnel cloud heading his way. He’d pulled the buggy over, unhitched the horse, and then hurried to take cover in the ditch along the shoulder of the road.

  With his arms over his head, Jake lay unmoving, praying for all he was worth.

  When the storm finally subsided, he lifted his head and rose to his feet. The first thing he saw was pieces of his mangled buggy that had been scattered around like matchsticks.

  Jake’s horse was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, he’d run somewhere safe and had escaped the wrath of the storm.

  As Jake started walking along the edge of the road toward the Lambrights’, his legs shook so badly he thought he could hear his knees knocking. He didn’t know what might lie ahead, but he knew he had to keep going.

  The tornado had whipped through with lightning speed, and what Jake saw along the road told him it had left a trail of destruct
ion. Telephone poles had been knocked over; the roofs on several houses were missing; many barns had been knocked flat; trees had been uprooted; and animals milled about in the fields, making pitiful noises.

  Shivers rippled along Jake’s spine as sirens wailed in the distance. With a sense of urgency, he picked up his speed.

  By the time he reached the Lambrights’ place, he was exhausted. The shock of what he saw there caused him to drop to his knees; everything seemed surreal. Crist and Ada’s home had been leveled by the tornado, and so had their barn. A few sheep, including the ewe with three legs, milled about the place, apparently unharmed.

  Jake looked around frantically. Nothing but rubble lay where the house had once been. Where were the Lambrights? Had they gotten out alive—maybe run to a neighbor’s before the storm hit? Or were their dead bodies hidden under the pile of debris?

  He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, “Is anyone here? Can anybody hear me?”

  No response. Nothing but the moaning of the wind mingled with the animals’ pathetic cries.

  Jake’s palms grew sweaty as he walked from one section of the farm to the other, searching for bodies. When he spotted a man’s boot sticking out from under a pile of bricks, he halted. Oh dear Lord, could it be Wayne or Crist?

  With his heart pounding and his mouth so dry he could barely swallow, Jake bent down and gave the boot a little tug. He heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that it wasn’t attached to anyone’s foot.

  He kicked at the ruins as he continued walking along, praying with each step he took that the Lambrights weren’t here.

  “Help!”

  Jake tipped his head and listened. It sounded like someone calling for help. He looked all around but didn’t see anyone or anything that looked like it might have trapped a victim.

  “Help!”

  There it was again.

  Jake spotted a huge tree branch pushed up against the door of an old root cellar. Could one of the Lambrights be in there?

  He moved toward the door and listened.

  “Help! If anyone’s out there, we’re trapped down here!”

  With his heart beating so hard it seemed to be echoing in his ears, Jake grabbed the end of the branch and pulled.

  It didn’t move an inch.

  “Dear Lord in Heaven,” he prayed out loud, “I need the strength of Samson right now!”

  He gritted his teeth and yanked even harder. This time, he was able to pull the branch far enough away from the door that he could see that the handle was missing.

  He stuck his fingers under the seam of the door and pried it open. A beam of light greeted him, and he saw two figures huddled together inside the cellar, one holding a flashlight, the other with eyes full of fear. Wayne and Loraine!

  They scrambled out, clinging to each other as though they were each afraid to let go.

  “Jake, what are you doing here? How’d you know we were in the cellar?” Wayne asked, clasping Jake’s shoulder with one hand, while he held onto Loraine’s hand with the other.

  “I was on my way over here to see if you needed help with your chores, and the tornado struck,” Jake said. “I jumped out of my buggy and took cover in a ditch. When the funnel cloud passed, and the wind had settled down, I came over here on foot.” He drew in a quick gulp of air. “When I got here and saw the devastation, I was afraid you and your family might be dead. I searched through the rubble and found nothing. When I heard your cries for help, I discovered a tree branch had blocked the cellar door. I asked God to give me the strength of Samson so I could move it, and He did. Are you two all right?” Jake asked breathlessly.

  “We are now,” Wayne said.

  “We didn’t know how long we might be trapped down there, and I was getting more frightened by the minute,” Loraine added tearfully.

  Jake was relieved to have found Wayne and Loraine, but there were still two more people on this farm who were not accounted for. “Where are your folks? I looked everywhere for them, but found nothing,” he said to Wayne.

  “Mom fell down the basement steps trying to get some peaches, so Dad called 911, and the ambulance came and took her to the hospital to be checked over. Hopefully, they weren’t in the path of the tornado.” A look of shock and disbelief spread over Wayne’s face as he gazed at the ruins of his folks’ farm. “Ach! I’m so thankful they weren’t in the house when this hit!”

  Jake’s mouth went dry. It didn’t take a genius to see the look of love on Wayne’s face as he gazed into Loraine’s eyes. And it was more than obvious that Loraine felt the same way about Wayne. At that moment, Jake made a decision—one that would change the course of his life.

  Loraine let go of Wayne’s hand and moved toward Jake. “Wayne saved my life when he helped me get into the cellar, and now you’ve saved our lives by getting us out of the cellar.” She blinked several times, and more tears gathered in her eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you, Jake.”

  He held up his hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to say something first.”

  She nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “I’ve ... uh ... changed my mind about staying in Indiana. I’ve come to realize that my place is back on the horse ranch in Montana.” He looked over at Wayne and forced a smile, even though his heart was breaking. “It’s obvious that you and Loraine love each other very much. I think the two of you are meant to be together.”

  Wayne’s cheeks turned crimson. “You really mean that?”

  Jake swallowed hard. “Jah, I really do.” There was no way he could tell Loraine the truth—that he’d come over to the Lambrights’ hoping she’d be here, that he’d planned to ask her out again, that he loved her and hoped someday they could be married.

  “Danki, Jake,” Loraine murmured. Tears flowed freely down her face, and as much as it hurt, Jake knew he’d made the right decision.

  “The tornado turned my buggy into matchsticks, and my horse took off, but I’ve gotta get home and find out how my folks fared the wrath of the tornado,” Jake said, feeling an immediate need to go.

  “I need to check on my family, too.” Loraine looked up at Wayne. “There are so many in our community who might have been affected by this awful storm, but we have no way to get there except on foot.”

  “One of us could ride that.” Wayne pointed to a bicycle lying in the middle of the yard.

  Jake dashed over to the bike and picked it up. “It seems to be in pretty good shape,” he called to Loraine and Wayne. He climbed on the bike and rode it back to where they stood. “How about if I ride this and you two wait here? I’ll come back as soon as I know something.”

  “I guess we don’t have much choice,” Wayne said. He motioned to Loraine. “She’s got a cut on her leg, and she probably wouldn’t be able to walk very far. For that matter, neither could I.”

  “I’ll be back as quick as I can.” Jake started pedaling the bike down the driveway, but he’d only made it halfway when a van pulled in. It was Marge Nelson and her husband, Brian.

  Marge rolled her window down and stuck out her head. “Is everyone all right here? Was anyone hurt?”

  “Wayne and Loraine were the only ones here when the tornado struck. Loraine’s got a cut on her leg, but I don’t think it’s serious.” Jake turned and motioned to the farm. “As you can see, there’s not much left of the Lambrights’ place.”

  Brian nodded grimly, a pained expression on his face. “Our place is fine, but we saw destruction all up and down the road as we headed this way.”

  “I’m going home now to check on my folks and some of the others,” Jake said, “but Wayne and Loraine are stuck here until I get back with some news.”

  “We’d be happy to give all of you a ride,” Brian said. “You can put the bike in the back of my van if you like.”

  “It’s not mine, so I’ll just leave it here.” Jake dropped the bike to the ground and climbed into the back of the Nelsons’ van. Then Brian headed up the driveway to where Loraine and Way
ne stood huddled together.

  ***

  “I can’t believe all this devastation!” Loraine exclaimed as they traveled down the road in the Nelsons’ van. “So many people left without their homes. So many will have to rebuild.”

  Wayne squeezed her hand as they passed farms, homes, and places of business that had been affected in some way by the wrath of the tornado.

  Brian steered the van around a large tree branch lying in the road and pulled into the driveway were Jake’s family lived. “Looks like your house and barn are still standing,” he said as he came to a stop.

  Jake pointed out the window. “There’s Mom, Dad, and the rest of my family. Thank God, none of them seem to be hurt.” He looked over at Loraine, who sat between him and Wayne. “If you need me to come with you to your folks’ place, I’ll just check on my family and be right back.”

  Loraine shook her head. “You go ahead, Jake. I’m sure your family needs you right now.”

  “Okay. Let us know how everyone fared, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Jake whipped the door open and hopped out. “Thanks for the ride, Brian!” he called.

  When they continued their drive toward Loraine’s house, her heart began to pound as she thought about what they might find. The newfound joy she and Wayne had found when they’d expressed their love in the root cellar could be over if she found that anyone in her family was dead.

  CHAPTER 40

  “Look, there’s a buggy that’s smashed up pretty bad!” Wayne shouted as they continued down the road. “I wonder if it belongs to someone we know.”

  “You’d better stop and see if there’s anyone inside,” Marge told her husband.

  Brian pulled the van over behind the buggy and hopped out.

  Wayne looked over at Loraine. “Sit tight while I check things out with Brian.”

  Loraine nodded as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m so afraid of what we’re going to find at my place. What if—”

  “Try to think positive.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and stepped out of the van.