“Simon was always the noisy one of the family. He always entertained the others by making up things to do.” Mrs. Stauffer stared down at the table and smiled. “He’d make up games for the others to play.”
“Andrew and Cora?”
Mrs. Stauffer nodded. “Back when they were growing up we had no close neighbors. The three of them always used to play together.”
“From what Simon told me he was close to you and your husband as well as Cora and Andrew.”
Mrs. Stauffer looked across at Bree. “I hope it's not upsetting you, having me ask you questions about him?”
“No, not at all. I was worried that I was upsetting you.”
She shook her head. “I just like hearing about him because I didn't see him in that last year; he didn't come home. Now I wonder why he didn’t want to see us.”
“Would he have been welcome to visit on a rumspringa?”
She nodded. “Jah. That wasn’t the reason.”
“Perhaps he wasn’t ready to come home and if he visited he might not have wanted to leave?”
“Could be.”
“That must've been it because he talked about you guys all the time. He told me all about your family and what a good life he had growing up. That's why I wanted my baby, our baby, raised here with you.”
“You must be certain this is what you want.”
“I’m certain. What else do you want to know about Simon?”
“I miss him so much.”
As Mrs. Stauffer’s face contorted, trying to stop more tears from falling, Bree searched her mind for words of comfort. What could she say to this woman who was in so much pain?
“Perhaps when Simon’s child is born, you’ll feel better?”
Mrs. Stauffer blinked hard a couple of times then nodded. “Perhaps.” Mrs. Stauffer smiled. “I’m glad you’ve come to us Bree. Simon would’ve wanted us to meet you.”
Bree felt her whole body brighten up. Mrs. Stauffer seemed genuinely happy to have her there.
The rest of the day, Bree followed Cora and Mrs. Stauffer around helping wherever she could. Surely this would make Mrs. Stauffer see that she was a good person and that had to help in their decision whether to let her stay there or not.
By the time Andrew and Mr. Stauffer came home, Bree had worked herself up into a nervous state. Dinner was polite, with conversation about the gardening they’d done and what work Andrew and his father had done.
After dinner, Mr. Stauffer instructed Cora to stay in the kitchen while the rest of them moved into the living room. Bree sat on a chair and Andrew joined his parents on the couch. There was an awkward silence while Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer looked at each other.
“Marie tells me you’d like to stay here a while,” Mr. Stauffer finally said.
Dusty walked over to her and nudged her hand. “I don’t want to put you out, but I would be grateful if I could stay here.” She patted Dusty.
“You can stay here for as long as you like. Stay here until you have your baby and you can see how we live. Then you can judge if that’s how you’d like your baby raised.”
Bree studied Mr. Stauffer’s face, and then looked at Mrs. Stauffer. “So does that mean you agree that you will take the baby?”
Mrs. Stauffer said, “As long as that’s what you decide to do after the baby is born. The baby will always be our grandchild, but if you don’t want to raise your baby then we’ll be happy to raise Simon’s child.”
Bree suddenly felt lightheaded and she sank back into the chair. When she found her voice, she said, “Thank you, I’m so relieved.” In Bree’s mind, things couldn’t have gone better; this was exactly what she wanted. She glanced over at Andrew trying to gauge what he thought of the whole thing. He seemed to be deep in thought because his eyes had glazed over and he was shifting around on the couch looking uncomfortable.
“Gott has blessed us with a grandchild,” Mr. Stauffer said to Bree.
Bree nodded. “And is your bishop okay that I stay here?”
Andrew and Mrs. Stauffer looked at Mr. Stauffer, waiting for him to answer.
“He is. He knows the situation. And do your parents know your plans?”
“No. They don’t care about my plans because they don’t want anything more to do with me or my child.”
Mrs. Stauffer said, “They might come around and see things differently over time.”
A memory flashed through Bree’s mind of the last time her mother had screamed at her to get out. You’ve always been a disappointment to us, is what her mother hollered at her. You could’ve had everything if you’d married Ryan. Why couldn’t you have had his baby instead? Her mother’s last words to her were, You’ve ruined everything! Get out! I never want to see your ugly face again!
“No. They never will. I’ve ruined their plans to marry me off to a certain person, so that’s that, as far as they’re concerned.”
“Starting in the morning, you’ll live as we do. You’ll be up early with Cora to help with the chores,” Marie said.
“Okay,” Bree agreed. “Will someone knock on my door? I don’t know any other way to get up that early.”
Marie smiled. “I’ll have Cora wake you when she gets up”.
“That would be good; thank you.”
“How much did Simon tell you about us and our community?” Andrew asked.
“Quite a bit.”
Andrew nodded. “Tomorrow you’ll see what our meetings are like. We hold them every second Sunday.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“It’s an early start. We get there at seven in the morning.”
“Get there at seven? What time do we have to wake?”
“Around six. We have all the meals for Sunday prepared ahead of time because we don’t do any chores on Sunday. It’s our day of rest.”
“We only do the things that must be done.” Marie looked at her husband, “Is that all we need to talk to Bree about for now?”
Her husband nodded.
“I’ve got some women’s things to speak with her about so we’ll go into the kitchen.”
Once they were seated at the kitchen table, Mrs. Stauffer wasted no time in getting to the point. “Have you seen a midwife yet?”
“I’ve seen a doctor. I don’t know much about midwives.”
“Have you thought about the birth procedure?”
The birth was something that Bree didn’t want to think too much about. “My doctor said I’m supposed to book into the hospital a few weeks before.”
“You’ve arranged that, then?”
Bree nodded. “I mean, I will, when the time gets closer.”
“We usually have our babies at home with a midwife,” Cora butted in.
Mrs. Stauffer turned around and spoke to her daughter. “It has to be what Bree’s happy with.”
“The only thing is that I don’t have money for the hospital, but I might be able to get some.”
Mrs. Stauffer gave a nod. “Let us know how much it will be.”
Bree looked up at the ceiling figuring she might be able to break into her parents’ house and find some cash. After all, she was their daughter and they should be the ones paying for it not Simon’s parents.
“Bree?” Mrs. Stauffer jolted her out of her daydreams.
“I’m sorry; what?”
“Let us know how much it will be. Mr. Stauffer and I will pay the doctor’s, or the hospital bill.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t let you do that. I’ve got money at home; I’m just figuring out how to get it since my parents have most likely changed the locks, knowing them.”
Cora pulled out a chair and sat next to Bree. “I could take you there as long as it’s not too far away for the horse.”
“Thanks, Cora, but it’s too far for a buggy.”
“Now don’t you worry about anything; it’s not good for the baby.” When Mrs. Stauffer patted Bree’s hand, it came as the first sign of warmth she’d seen from either of Simon’s parents.
Bree immediately relaxed knowing that what Simon had told her about his parents was true and she was doing the right thing for her baby. “What should I wear tomorrow? I have another dress and it’s fairly plain. Would that do?”
Mrs. Stauffer’s eyes flickered over what Bree was wearing. “Do you sew?”
“I learned at school, but I haven’t sewn by myself.”
“Cora and I will show you how to sew and we can sew you some dresses. You’ll need some new clothes for when you get bigger.”
Bree forced a polite smile. “Thank you.” All her life she’d tried her best to stay slim so getting bigger wasn’t something she was looking forward to.
Later that night, Bree lay in bed wondering what to do. She didn’t feel right taking money from Simon’s parents. It was bad enough that she was staying with them until the birth. The only thing for it was that she’d have to sneak back to her parents’ house and get money. If there was no money to be found she’d have to take something of value so she could sell it. They owed her that much.
Chapter 7
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:3
* * *
Bree was jolted from a deep sleep when she heard a loud knock on her door. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t know where she was for a moment. She sat upright in bed and Cora stuck her head through the doorway.
“Time to wake up.”
Bree’s natural instinct was to throw something at the person who’d woken her from a deep sleep, but she’d asked for someone to wake her. The best she could do in her groggy state was mutter a polite word of thanks to Cora. When the door was closed, she stretched her arms over her head and looked out the window. It was barely light and the treetops were swaying; it looked cold out there.
Not wanting to make the family late, she got out of bed and found her dress. Once she’d pulled it over her head, she grabbed her wooly pullover and slung it around her neck in case it was as cold outside as it looked. She rubbed her half-opened eyes.
“Now what?” Seeing her shoes near the door she slipped her feet into them, then drew a brush through her hair. There was no mirror to see what she looked like. All she could do to look her best was to brush her hair. Even though she’d brought makeup with her, she wanted to look as plain as possible so she’d fit in. After she figured she looked as good as she could under the circumstances, she headed downstairs and joined the family in the kitchen.
They fell quiet when she entered the room and Marie stood up from the table. “Bree, have a seat. We’ve got scrapple for breakfast.”
“I’m not sure what that is, but it smells nice.”
She looked at Andrew and when he forced a smile, Bree sensed tension and knew that he was not totally happy with her being there. After she took a seat at the table, Mrs. Stauffer placed a plate in front of her.
“Scrapple is made from meat and cornmeal,” Cora told her.
Not only was there scrapple, there were also eggs and potatoes on her plate. “It looks like a fine feast. I didn’t expect this, I thought there might have been a cold breakfast this morning.”
“There’s not much to it,” Mrs. Stauffer said with a warm smile.
Bree smiled back at her and picked up her knife and fork, glad that Mrs. Stauffer was not as stressed as when she’d arrived. Seeing everyone had nearly empty plates in front of them she ate quickly so she wouldn’t make them late.
“Andrew and I need to hitch the buggy,” Mr. Stauffer said as soon as they’d eaten.
“We’ve got plenty of time, you don’t need to eat so fast,” Cora said to her.
Bree nodded, pleased that she’d be able to slow down and enjoy the food. She wondered what type of meat it was but wasn’t sure she should ask. She wasn’t certain if she’d finish it if she found she was eating rabbit or pork. At home, the only meat she ate was steak or chicken.
When Bree had finished everything on her plate, Cora took the plate from her and ran it under the tap in the kitchen sink.
“Okay, are you ready, Bree?” Cora asked.
Bree stood up. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Bree walked out the front door behind Cora. She’d never been in a buggy before and wondered what it would be like. Cora sat in the middle of the backseat in between Andrew and Bree. Bree felt like a child in the backseat. She looked across Cora to Andrew. How did he feel about being well into his twenties and still living with his parents?
The buggy set off down the driveway. The air was fresh as it blew across Bree’s face and the rhythmic beat of the horse’s hooves soothed her nerves. They hadn’t gone far up the road when they turned into another driveway.
“This is the Millers’ house where the meeting is being held today,” Cora explained.
Bree looked at the buggies lined up in a row not far from the house. “How many people are coming?”
“We normally have around one hundred and fifty people,” Andrew said.
The buggy traveled a little farther and pulled in-line at the end of the row of buggies. Simon had told her nothing of the Sunday meetings and Bree was intrigued to see what they were like.
When they got out of the buggy, Cora leaned in close. “You can stay by me.”
“Thank you. I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been to a church except for weddings.”
“There’s nothing to be nervous about.” Cora walked toward the house and Bree walked alongside.
Mrs. Stauffer caught up to them. “I’ll take you to meet the bishop when the meeting’s over, Bree.”
“Yes. I’d like to meet him.”
“Bree’s going to sit with me, Mamm.”
Marie nodded.
“I always sit at the back row,” Cora said to Bree.
“That sounds perfect to me.” Bree looked at the crowds of people heading into the house and considered they would have to sit fairly close together so they could all fit in.
Once they stepped inside, Bree kept her head down as she walked to the back of the room with Cora. They sat on a long wooden bench with no back. Bree had imagined she might be able to relax or doze off but how could she? She’d most likely topple off the bench if she did. Bree stifled a yawn; she wasn’t used to waking up so early. If she were home, she wouldn’t have gotten out of bed until twelve on a Sunday.
Once the place was filled to capacity, a man stood and led the congregation in a song in German. Even though she’d studied German at school, she could only pick up a few words here and there.
“That’s the bishop,” Cora whispered to Bree when a man with a long black beard stood at the front of the room.
After a prayer was said, the bishop began his sermon. He was a little hard to understand which caused Bree’s mind to wander. Looking over the crowd of people, she wondered who these people were, and what their lives were like. It was impossible to see who was married and who wasn’t, as none of the couples sat together. Women sat on one side and men on the other.
Simon had never mentioned how tedious and formal the Sunday meetings were. He’d obviously only told her about the good things the community offered. Taking another look at the men’s side, Andrew caught her eye. Staring at his head, which was turned slightly to one side, she noticed his profile was exactly like Simon’s. He had the same straight nose, which was neither too big nor too small, and the same strong jawline.
Then, Bree’s eyes wandered to the other side at the younger women. She couldn’t get a look at their faces, but from what she’d already noticed they were all plain-looking women. Plenty of people had told Bree that she was an attractive girl, so she knew that was true, but she wondered if she looked all right with no makeup and dressed in hideous clothes.
Lost in a world of jumbled thoughts, Bree jumped when Cora jabbed her arm. “Come on, we can go out now; it’s over.”
“Oh good,” Bree said without thinking, which caused Cora to giggle.
“If we hurry, we can get out first before
the old ladies come to talk with us. Follow me.” Cora took the lead and Bree followed close behind until they were safely out of the house and away from the crowd.
“What’s wrong with the old ladies?”
Cora giggled. “Nothing really, but they’ll tell me how much I’ve grown, even though I’m sure I’ve stopped growing by now. They’ve said the same thing since I was five-years old.”
“I guess everyone’s wondering who I am.”
“Yes they’ll all want to know who you are. They won’t ask you or anything. They’ll just ask around until they find someone who knows. Let’s go and get a drink.”
Making sure not to let her new guide out of her sight, Bree stayed close. Cora poured Bree a drink, and then got one for herself.
Bree took a mouthful and then noticed Andrew talking to a small light-haired girl just outside the house. “Is that your brother’s girlfriend?”
Cora giggled. “No! That’s Cilla Jones. Her brother is a friend of his, and he’s broken his leg. I’d say Andrew is only finding out how he is. Andrew doesn’t have a girlfriend. He had one once.”
Her interest was piqued. “What happened?” Bree took a sip of her soda, pleased to hear some gossip.
“He doesn’t know that I knew about it, but he took Michelle Fuller home from a singing a few times, and then nothing.”
“They mustn’t have got along, then.”
“Mamm thinks he’s too fussy, that’s what she said.”
“I suppose when it’s right, then you just know.”
Cora smiled. “Like you and Simon?”
“Yes. Just like me and Simon.”
As more people came out of the house, Cora took Bree over to one side of the yard. They stood looking at the crowd and then Cora suddenly waved to a girl around her age.
“Is that your friend?” Bree asked.
“That’s Becky, she’s my best friend.”
“Why isn’t she coming over?”
“She’s shy. She’s always been that way with people she doesn’t know.”
“You don’t have to stay with me. Go and be with your friends.”
“No! I can’t leave you by yourself.”
Their Son's Amish Baby Page 4
