by Mary Ellis
Maybe they would rock in the porch swing or ride across the newly harvested fields where corn had stood tall this past summer. Or maybe they would grab the flashlight and hike to their secret garden—one even the children hadn’t discovered. Soon Daniel entered the kitchen carrying a parcel, and they all bowed their heads. Isaiah duplicated their behavior, but he didn’t know whom they talked to with their eyes closed. Sometimes he saw their lips barely moving, or they would hold their breath for a moment. Who was this God Catherine talked about? Isaiah couldn’t imagine a person no one could see or hear but could still feel His presence. And this person loved him even though he’d never met Him? How could anyone be everywhere at once and still know what goes on inside people’s hearts?
This was far more confusing than anything that had happened in school all those years ago and more bewildering than this special school in a faraway state. Yet when he’d seen the way Cat’s eyes shone every time she spoke of Him, he yearned to know more…about this God who could love even a backward man like him.
Catherine slipped into the chair next to Isaiah, grateful when Daniel came downstairs. He placed a wrapped package on the table but waited until after silent prayers to explain. “I bought something for Isaiah,” he announced, while Abby began passing the platter of meatloaf and redskin potatoes.
When five pairs of eyes focused on him, Isaiah looked at Catherine with a perplexed shrug of his shoulders.
“It’s a gift,” she mouthed. “Open the package.”
He looked nervous as he pulled off the ribbon and paper. Inside he found a brand-new Bible, which he held up for all to see. He studied the binding and cover and began leafing through it.
“It’s in English, not German, because the only words he knows are English,” declared Daniel. “I thought it was time he had his own Bible.”
“That’s a good idea, now that he’ll be coming to preaching with us,” added Abby. She placed a chicken leg on each of the kinner’s plates.
Catherine glanced at Isaiah. He had set the present aside, and seemed more interested in the bowl of buttered noodles. “Jah, that’s gut,” she said to Daniel. “I’m in the process of explaining about the Good Book, but it’ll take some time.” She selected a small breast and scoop of yellow beans for her own plate. “But I do have some news to report.” She waited until Isaiah looked over at her. “I told you that Isaiah agreed to attend school, even if it means being away from his cabin for many months. He understands that the other students will be deaf like him and with varying amounts of speech ability.”
Abby and Daniel paused in their suppers to give Catherine their complete attention.
“I’ve found the perfect residential school in Kentucky. It’s part of a teacher training facility connected to a large university. The program not only takes adult students, but they have accepted Isaiah into a work-study program. He can defray most of his boarding expenses by working on campus.”
Abby appeared jubilant, but Daniel’s expression turned skeptical. “I trust you have explained that Isaiah is Amish and therefore inexperienced with electric power tools and whatnot.” He cocked his head to one side. “What kind of work can he do for them?”
“He can operate gas-powered lawn mowers, weed-whackers, and rototillers,” interjected Abby. “Will he work with the landscaping department?”
Catherine forked up some yellow beans and smiled with appreciation at her schwester. After she thoroughly chewed and wiped her mouth, she answered her brother-in-law. “Not to worry. They understand he’s Amish. Plenty of Plain folk have moved to the state because of cheaper land prices than here in Ohio or in Pennsylvania. I think they are curious about us and want Isaiah in this federally funded program. Besides, the director said they could put him to work in the equine barns. The college is located near Lexington, in the heart of Kentucky thoroughbred country.” She picked up her piece of chicken for a bite. “I wonder if their grass really looks blue.”
“Blue grass?” Daniel looked from his wife back to her. “I suppose you told them about Isaiah’s riding abilities in your letter of application.”
“I might have mentioned it.” Catherine laughed and winked at Isaiah. The man understood he was their topic of conversation, but he contented himself with the delicious meal.
“On behalf of Isaiah, I thank you for the Bible,” Catherine said to Daniel. She placed her hand lovingly atop the book. “This is one reason why I want him to go to school. They have experts to teach the deaf lip-reading, sign language, and how to read. I’m not equipped to handle this on my own. I’ve made some progress, but I can’t teach him to read. And I can’t teach him about God until he learns to read.” She glanced from one to the other.
“Isaiah’s been away from formal education for a while,” said Daniel after a moment. “This will be a long road for him.”
“A long road for both of you if my assumptions are correct.” Abby arched a brow above her sapphire blue eyes.
Catherine felt a blush rise up her neck to flood her face. “You are correct, sister. He cares for me and I care for him. We’re officially courting, I suppose, even though he doesn’t know the rules and customs that courting entails.”
“Does he have any idea what he’s getting himself into with one of the Yost gals?”
Abby slapped her ehemann’s arm playfully.
Catherine gazed at Isaiah, who had finished his supper and sat watching her. “I think he suspects but is willing to take a chance anyway.”
“Aren’t you glad you didn’t rush home?” Abby popped a bean into her mouth.
“Truly, I am. He told me he actually liked the volleyball party despite everybody talking to him at once. So it’s not just for my sake that he wishes to communicate better. I believe he wants to give the world another try. It must get lonely up in the woods with only wildlife, Cora, and Boots for company.” Recognizing his dog’s name, Isaiah reached over and took her hand. She savored his touch more than she would have thought possible.
“Does this mean you’ll stay here with us?” asked Laura, turning her huge brown eyes toward her aunt.
“At least until Isaiah leaves for school.”
“You had better stick around while he’s in school too. The teachers might need to talk to his family from time to time, and I still have my cell phone.” Abby winked with her smuggest smile.
“Besides,” added Daniel. “Who’ll take care of the kinner if my fraa stays at some farm all night, waiting for a boppli to arrive? You’ve grown on me, Catherine. The house won’t be the same if you return to your mamm and daed’s.” He leaned back while tightening his grip on Abby’s hand.
“Have you decided to go back to work as a midwife?” Catherine asked Abby, straightening in her chair. “You told me you would never go back.”
“I haven’t made up my mind. Five thousand dollars is a lot of money, but I no longer feel confident in my abilities.” Abby lifted her chin and set her jaw. “Let’s not talk about this right now,” she said with a wave of her hand.
Catherine nodded, exhaling as though a great weight had been lifted. “If mamm can spare me, maybe I’ll stay through the winter, but I must talk to her first before I decide one way or the other.”
“What will happen after Isaiah finishes school?” asked Abby. “Will you marry and live in his cabin in the woods? I think we could add on and make changes so you wouldn’t have to take your shower in the barn.” She fought back her grin.
“I don’t believe the bishop would allow her to move into the cabin without marrying first,” Daniel teased. Abby looked aghast and gave his arm a second slap.
Catherine rolled her eyes. “Will you two listen to yourselves? You’ll be picking out the color of my rocking chair lap robe if I don’t stop you now. Can’t a woman see what plans God has in store for her?”
“Good idea, as long as you don’t move away and take my cousin along. Isaiah is my right hand man until Jake gets a little older.” Daniel ruffled his son’s silky hair.
Catherine’s hand shot out for a quick pinch. “How could I possibly go home? Life would be so dull because Meghan is no match for your sharp tongue.” She rose to her feet and carried her and Isaiah’s plates to the sink. “You know what? I think I might mess things up if I do the dishes. What if I break something? I’d better leave them to your capable hands.” Catherine ran toward the door with Isaiah on her heels. The two fled into the cool night before Abby could protest.
Without need for discussion, Catherine and Isaiah headed down the path toward the orchard and dark looming woods. A chilly breeze blew from the north, bringing the scent of pine and tang of wood smoke from someone’s fire miles away. Catherine had forgotten her sweater in her haste to escape the untidy Graber kitchen. Yet she knew she wouldn’t get cold that night. She had a large calloused hand to hold and the sweet promise of new love to warm her from the inside out.
As the evening star rose in the west, she tried to see past Venus to catch a glimpse of God—the One who had made this and all good things possible.
When Abby glanced out the window, she spotted Daniel approaching from the pump house. He usually brought in the mail and newspaper on his way to lunch, but today his hands were empty. Lately the man had grown forgetful, content merely to spend his free time in her company. I may as well enjoy it while it lasts, she thought, heading out the front door on the errand herself.
Daniel was sitting at the table when she returned. He stretched out a hand for the paper. “Ach, gut, you fetched the Budget.”
Abby ignored his allusion to her being a dog and began opening the mail. One pink envelope had caught her attention. “Here’s a letter from Rachelle, my former roommate at Hotel Wooster.” She smiled, remembering Rachelle’s moniker for the jail. “My goodness, it has a Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, return address—that’s where her grossmammi lived.” Abby tore open the envelope and read aloud.
Hi, Abby,
Check out the postmark—I’m in Tennessee.
I was released early on probation and went to live at a women’s group home that the Bible teacher told me about. Well, long story short, when I called my grandmother collect, she was not only happy to hear from me, but she also sent me three Greyhound bus tickets to come see her. I had to get permission from my probation officer to travel out of state, but when he agreed, I was on my way to the land of the Volunteers. That’s what they call themselves. When Gram asked me to move into her spare room to help her take care of the place, I thought, “Why not?” I love it here and my children do too. I got a part-time job as a salad girl at Appleby’s that might become full-time next year if I work hard. It’s good to make a fresh start. And, after all, Gram needs help in her yard too, because folks in a town called Soddy Daisy don’t tolerate weedy flower beds. Write when you get a chance. I’ll never forget you.
Fondly, Rachelle
Abby swallowed down the large lump that had formed in her throat.
Watch over her, Lord, and keep her safe, she whispered and then pawed through the rest of the mail.
“A letter from Dr. Weller,” she announced, pulling it from the business envelope.
Daniel glanced up from the farm commodity prices. “What’s he got to say? Is he begging you to come back to work? If you return to midwifery, we can use the five thousand in our savings account toward school tuition for Isaiah.”
She studied him for a moment. They had had this particular discussion about her retirement several times. She wasn’t comfortable placing herself in a precarious situation again—for the new mother or for herself. What if the doctor wasn’t able to come when needed? Plain women had the habit of calling the midwife first and anybody else only when things went haywire. History could easily repeat itself if she went back because Dr. Weller was spread too thin to be counted on arriving anywhere on time.
Shaking off an uncomfortable feeling, Abby silently read the typed letter from her friend and former mentor, and then she stared at the sheet long after she finished.
Daniel scrambled to his feet and began pulling lunchmeat and cheese from the refrigerator drawer. “Looks like a man must fend for himself when his fraa receives so much urgent correspondence.”
Abby scanned the letter’s contents a second time before dropping it to the countertop. She reached for the bread and a tomato from the windowsill as hope and joy filled her heart. “Doc Weller has hired a new employee,” she stated, slicing the tomato. “Apparently, a licensed midwife has moved to the area.”
Silence spun out in the drowsy-warm room. Then Daniel asked, “To Shreve?”
“Jah. She’s a registered nurse who worked in a Columbus hospital for twenty years in the ER. Her husband has retired, and they have bought a small farm outside town. He wishes to try his hand at raising alpacas.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Daniel snorted. “Dumb as sheep, those critters, but I guess you can get a decent price for their wool. I’ve heard some Plain folk have jumped on that bandwagon as well.”
“But they have faces cute enough to kiss. Anyway, this nurse wants only to deliver babies in the Amish community, a sort of a semiretirement. She grew up Mennonite but left the faith during college.” Abby chewed on her lower lip to steady her nerves.
“This nurse thinks attending expectant women in Wayne County would be akin to retirement? Does she have any idea what the birthrate is among the Amish?” His laughter filled the house and spilled out the open windows.
Abby chuckled too, remembering the time she had spent twenty-four hours waiting for a baby who refused to make a timely appearance. “If a person fully understood how perilous the journey is, no one would take that first step.” She placed the bread and vegetables on the table and bowed her head to give thanks.
When she looked up she met her husband’s gaze. “What else does Doc Weller say?” he asked.
“He wants me to assist the new midwife to lessen his workload. He doesn’t want to be dragged out at all hours of the night to deliver healthy babies to healthy women. He wants me to come back to work.” Abby lowered her voice to not betray her emotions.
“What do you plan to do, Abigail?” Daniel asked as he put his sandwich together.
“I thought you wanted me to stop working, to no longer be on call all hours of the day and night. You said you wanted me home tending my family.”
“That was before Judge O’Neil slapped you with a five-thousand-dollar fine.”
“Is it because of the amount of the fine? That’s why you wish me to go back?” Disappointment welled in her belly. Daniel had never been overly motivated by money before.
“No. Using our savings to help Isaiah attend that school would be an added benefit, that’s all.” He laid his sandwich on the plate. “What I want is for you to be happy.”
She was quick to defend herself. “I’m happy providing for my family and raising my kinner. I don’t need to work to find contentment.”
“I know that, but I also know you love bringing babies into the world. And you were good at it. Not everyone has the patience or the stomach to sit through long, drawn-out labors. Don’t be in a hurry to dismiss this, Abby. A licensed midwife moving to Shreve changes everything, so don’t doubt or second-guess yourself. If your heart leads you back to work, then go with confidence. We will be fine. I’ve even learned how to brew a pitcher of iced tea on my own.” His grin was downright prideful.
She clucked her tongue. “Wonders never cease while married to you, Daniel Graber.”
“Nor to you, Mrs. Graber.” He winked and picked up his sandwich again.
Abby thought she might mull it over for a few days, spend some time in prayer, or maybe even talk to her daed about the matter. Yet by the time she finished her turkey and cheese, she’d made up her mind. Some decisions needed no epiphanies of insight to understand what she was meant to do. “I’ll call Dr. Weller on my cell phone, once it’s charged up again. I�
�ll tell him I’ll come back on a trial basis. Maybe he has already hired someone else. Maybe the Columbus nurse and I won’t see eye to eye. Maybe I’ll get called out too often—Laura and Jake are still too young to be left alone should Catherine return to mamm’s while Isaiah’s gone. A six-month trial period will allow things to sort out.”
Daniel pulled on his beard. “Your time spent in the county ‘hotel’ did some good after all. You’re thinking much more intelligently than in the old days.”
He fled the kitchen so fast, the dishrag she hurled connected with only the pine panel of the back door. But Abby couldn’t disagree with his assessment. Every one of life’s trials or bumps in the road brought with it a better understanding of God’s plan. If I can just keep still and listen.
That night being still wasn’t difficult to do. As Jake and Laura chased around the yard, trying to capture the last of the season’s fireflies, Abby and Daniel rocked on the porch content to enjoy the waning fair weather. Soon a heavy frost would put an end to the lightning bugs decorating the pasture with tiny points of light. Strong winds from the west would curtail porch sitting until next year.
But Abby had tonight to sit dreaming that her life would be long and fruitful, that her kinner would remain at this age forever, and the love she felt for Daniel would never ebb. Because if wealth could be measured by the number of life’s joyous moments, Abigail Graber was a rich woman indeed.
Epilogue
Abby stepped onto a dew-damp porch and breathed in the frigid air. This wasn’t a crisp fall evening or the usual weather of autumn. It was downright cold for the third week of November. Tightening her wool cape around her shoulders, she picked her way gingerly down the stone walk to the barn. A thin coating of frost made for slow progress.
