The SILENCE of WINTER

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “I can only imagine. If animals could talk to us and share their feelings, it might help them and us to understand things better,” Dorine said, glancing at her horse, who had chosen that moment to whinny. “I’m surprised you aren’t still with Luke’s parents,” she added, looking back at Meredith. “I would think it would help to have their support.”

  “In some ways it did help to be there, but it was time for me to come home and get back into a routine.” Meredith opened the door and motioned for Dorine to come inside. “Let’s go into the kitchen where it’s warmer. We can have a cup of tea and some banana bread.”

  Dorine smiled. “That sounds nice.”

  Once Dorine had removed her shawl and outer bonnet, and they’d been seated at the table with their tea and a plate of banana bread, Meredith realized how badly she needed to take a break. She was not only tired but a bit nauseous, and the aromatic mint tea helped to settle her queasy stomach.

  “This is sure good bread,” Dorine said after she’d taken her first bite.

  “I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for it. Luke’s mamm gave it to me when she dropped by yesterday.”

  “How’s Sadie doing?”

  “She’s still grieving pretty hard, just as I am, but on the day of Luke’s memorial service, I gave her and Elam some news and it seemed to cheer them up a bit.”

  “What news was that?”

  “I’m expecting a boppli. It’ll be born in July.”

  A wide smile stretched across Dorine’s oval face. “Oh, Meredith, I’m so happy for you! Having the baby will not only give you some comfort, but you’ll be kept plenty busy as well.”

  Meredith nodded. “I’m really looking forward to becoming a mudder.”

  Dorine took a sip of tea. “My two kinner can be a handful sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything. Just think, my little Merle will only be a year and half when your boppli is born. I’ll bet they will become good friends once they get to know each other, just like the two of us have been for so many years.”

  Meredith sat silently, staring into her cup, giving no acknowledgment of what her friend had just said.

  “Is there something bothering you that you’d like to talk about?” Dorine asked, gently touching Meredith’s arm.

  Meredith sighed deeply. “There isn’t a lot left in my savings account, and I need to find something to do soon that will bring in some money before taxes come due in April.”

  Dorine’s eyes brightened. “Why don’t you make women’s head coverings to sell? After all, you’ve been making your own since we were teenagers, and you do such a good job. A lot of women don’t like to make their own coverings because it’s such tedious sewing, so I’m sure you’d get plenty of orders.”

  Meredith pondered her friend’s suggestion. “Hmm … I might just give that a try. It probably won’t bring in a lot of money, but at least it would be something to help out until the boppli comes and I’m able to look for a full-time job.”

  “You’re right, and once you are ready to get started sewing, I’ll help spread the word.”

  “Danki, I appreciate that.”

  Their conversation turned to the weather then and how they couldn’t wait for winter to be over so they could begin planting their gardens.

  “With the boppli coming in the middle of summer, I may not get as much gardening done this year as I would like,” Meredith said, taking her empty cup to the sink.

  “I’d be happy to come over and help out anytime you like. I’m sure my mamm would watch my little ones for me.”

  Meredith smiled. “Working in the garden will be a lot more fun if we can do it together.” She appreciated having such a good friend.

  “Changing the subject,” Dorine said, “when Seth was at the buggy shop last week getting new wheels for his rig, Raymond Miller mentioned that his son, Jonah, would be moving here from Sugarcreek, Ohio, and will be working in the buggy shop with him. You don’t suppose it could be the same Jonah Miller you met in Sarasota when you worked there as a teenager one summer?”

  Meredith touched her cheeks. “Oh, my, I haven’t seen Jonah in such a long time; I’d almost forgotten that he lived in Sugarcreek.”

  “So you think it’s him, then?”

  “Jah, I sure do. In the last letter I received from Jonah, before Luke and I got married, he said he was working for his daed in his buggy shop. Until now, though, I hadn’t even thought that Jonah could be Raymond and Sarah Miller’s son.”

  “I wonder if he’s married, with a family of his own,” Dorine said, finishing the last of her tea.

  Meredith shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t heard from Jonah in a long while, and since I didn’t know Raymond and Sarah Miller were his folks, I wouldn’t have thought to ask.”

  “I guess we’ll know soon enough, because from what I heard, Jonah was supposed to have arrived at his folks’ place sometime yesterday.” Dorine pushed her chair away from the table. “As nice as this has been, I really should head out now and get my shopping done before it starts snowing again.” She gave Meredith a hug. “Be sure to let us know if there’s anything either Seth or I can do for you.”

  Meredith nodded. “Jah, I will.”

  Jonah Miller removed the last of his clothes from his suitcase and put them away in the closet; then he placed the suitcase on the floor at the back of the closet. It was good to be unpacked. It was even better to be here now with his folks. He’d had no problem pulling up stakes and moving to Pennsylvania to partner with Dad. After all, it was just him, so making the move was a lot easier than if he had a wife and children to consider. It would be great working alongside Dad again—just like he’d done since he was a teenager, when Dad first taught him how to make and repair Amish and other types of buggies. Jonah and his dad not only had a close father-son relationship, but they were linked in a working relationship, too, and both took their work seriously. From what Dad had said, his business was growing here in Lancaster County, so Jonah figured with the two of them working together they could get a lot more done and make a good living.

  For now, Jonah would live with his folks, but someday he planned to have a home of his own. He would need that if he ever found the right woman and decided to get married. He sure couldn’t stay living with Mom and Dad forever, and he didn’t wish to remain single indefinitely.

  Jonah glanced around the bedroom he’d chosen. Just like their home in Ohio, all the rooms in Mom and Dad’s new house felt homey. Maybe he’d be lucky enough to find a wife some day and have the same type of relationship that his folks had with each other. He dreamed of a spouse who would fill their home with love—a place where Jonah knew he belonged as soon as he walked through the door. His mom had a way of putting her heart into every room in her house, and anyone entering could actually feel the welcome. Even though this new home looked pretty good, he had seen a few things that ought to be done and was anxious to help Dad, not just at the buggy shop but with some of the jobs that needed to be completed here at the house.

  While Jonah and his folks had been eating supper last night, he’d learned that Meredith Stoltzfus had lost her husband in a tragic accident and that she was expecting a baby. It didn’t take Jonah long to realize this was the same young woman he used to know. He was stunned by the news of her sad loss, and his heart went out to her. So today, he planned to visit Meredith and offer his condolences. He hoped this would be a good time for him to drop by, because he wanted to let Meredith know how bad he felt about her situation and see if there was anything he could do to help out. After all, they’d been close friends a long time ago.

  Ever since Jonah was a boy, he’d been sensitive to others, especially when they needed help in any way. He’d had an experience long ago that had embedded kindness into his soul and actually changed his attitude about people and life. Because of that, he’d helped his twin sister, Jean, as much as he could when she’d lost her first husband. Maybe he could help Meredith, as well.

>   Jonah thought about the friendship he and Meredith had developed when they’d worked at a restaurant in the small community of Pine-craft, in Sarasota, Florida. Meredith had been seventeen then, and he’d been eighteen. They’d quickly become friends and after returning to their homes, had stayed in touch through letters, until Meredith wrote and said she was being courted by Luke Stoltzfus and that they were planning to be married. Jonah had been disappointed at first but consoled himself with the thought that Meredith deserved to be happy. He’d been hoping she might be the girl for him but had learned to accept it as God’s will when she’d fallen in love with someone else.

  Meredith was slowly bringing some normalcy back into her life. At least, she was trying. She was most anxious to get things ready for the baby, which would probably keep her busy until the birth. She looked forward to her family coming over for supper this evening. It would be nice to take a break and spend time visiting with her parents and siblings—not to mention having someone to cook for other than herself. Grandma Smucker was coming, too, so they’d all be together like it had been before she and Luke got married.

  Meredith was anxious to tell her family about her plan to start making head coverings. Except for the short time Dorine had been there, Meredith had been busy working around the house all morning and into the afternoon. As soon as the weather warmed, she planned to till the garden and uncover her flower beds. She would find a place to plant the bulbs Mom said she had for her. Several daffodils and tulips would add some color to her flower beds. She would also need to trim all the shrubs around the house, the way Dad had taught her to do several years ago, when she would walk around the yard helping him with spring cleanup. Those memories were probably why, to this day, she enjoyed working in the yard and around the house.

  Thankfully she’d had no problems with her house except for a piece of siding that had blown off during one of the recent windy, snowy days. Dad said he would take care of that for her when they came over this evening.

  Meredith planned to fix a big pot of sloppy joes for the meal, and she’d made a macaroni salad as well as a potato salad to go with it. Mom was bringing a chocolate cake—Dad’s favorite—and Grandma was bringing some of Meredith’s favorite ginger cookies.

  Earlier, Meredith had browned the ground beef and sautéed the onions and green peppers, so all that was needed was to add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, a little mustard, ketchup, and a jar of mild chili sauce. She’d decided to prepare that in an hour or so, giving it plenty of time to simmer before supper. Until then, she thought she’d at least get a start on painting the baby’s room.

  She had to get the ladder from the barn and carry it upstairs, and in hindsight, she wished she had asked Dad to help her with that the last time he was here.

  Well, it was only this one project, and she had consoled herself with the fact that she would get some exercise carrying the ladder up those steps. It was still early in her pregnancy, and she wasn’t even showing yet, so it would be easier to do these things now, rather than when she was big and clumsy.

  Meredith took her time carrying the ladder from the barn and across the yard. She had to put the ladder down a few times—first to close the barn door, and then again when she was on the porch, so she could open the back door and get the ladder inside.

  “I could sure use an extra pair of hands right now,” she muttered, dragging the ladder into the house.

  Next was the chore of getting the ladder up the stairs, and while maneuvering it, a sharp pain streaked across her middle just as she reached the top step. It startled her, and she had to stop for a minute and catch her breath. Meredith leaned against the wall, holding her stomach until the spasm finally subsided. Slowly, she made her way to the spare room and carefully set the ladder in the corner where she wanted to begin painting.

  Standing back, she tried to visualize how the room would look once it had a new coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. Meredith knew the now-drab room would transform after the color had been changed. She couldn’t wait to get started.

  It wasn’t a real big room, so Meredith was sure she could tackle the project herself. She’d decided on a light tan color, which would be good for either a boy or a girl. And since this room was right next to Meredith’s, it would be convenient for her to check on the baby.

  While thinking about putting the baby’s crib in her room for the first couple of weeks, she bent down to open the can of paint she’d purchased at the hardware store the day before. She’d just gotten the lid pried loose when another pain shot through her stomach. Deciding that the painting could wait for now and realizing that she was in need of a break, she headed back downstairs.

  Guess I overdid it carrying that heavy ladder in by myself, she silently scolded herself.

  Before sitting down to rest, she went to the kitchen and made some tea. Then she got out the kettle for simmering the sauce for the sloppy joes.

  Another pain struck. She winced and stood motionless until it subsided.

  Forgetting about the kettle she needed, she walked slowly to the living room to relax in her rocker with her cup of tea. She wouldn’t let her brain think about what her body was warning her of right now. I hope this goes away before my family comes over this evening. They worry about me enough as it is.

  A few minutes later, Meredith heard a knock on the door, and she slowly got up.

  I wonder who that could be.

  When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Jonah Miller standing on the porch. She hadn’t seen him in several years, but he looked much as she remembered him from before—same curly black hair, dark brown eyes, and a small cleft in the middle of his chin. Except for being a little older, Jonah had hardly changed at all.

  “Wie geht’s?” Jonah asked, shifting from one foot to the other and leaning his hand on the door frame.

  “Oh, Jonah, it’s so good to see you.” Meredith opened the door wider for him to enter. “I heard you were moving to Bird-in-Hand,” she said, without answering his question.

  Jonah gave a slow nod. “Got here yesterday, and I wanted to stop by and say how sorry I was to hear about your husband.” He paused, and Meredith could see the sympathy he felt for her in his eyes. “If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

  “Danki, I appreciate you coming over.” Meredith really wasn’t up to company right now, and she was about to say so, when another cramp came—this one much worse than the last. “Oh!” she gasped, doubling over from the pain. “I think I need to see a doctor right away.”

  With no hesitation, Jonah scooped Meredith into his arms and placed her on the sofa. Putting one of the small decorative pillows behind her head, he calmly told her, “I’m going out to the phone shack to call 911. Don’t move or try to get up. Just lie here and rest. I’ll be right back.”

  Trembling and fighting waves of nausea, Meredith drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Dear Lord, she silently prayed, rubbing her hand over her still-flat stomach, please don’t let me lose this baby. It’s all I have left of Luke.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  New York Times bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband’s Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard, live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements throughout the States, where they have several Amish friends. Wanda and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare time, Wanda enjoys photography, ventrilquism, gardening, beachcombing, stamping, and having fun with her family.

  Visit Wanda’s website at www.wandabrunstetter.com, and feel free to e-mail her at Wanda@wandabrunstetter.com.

  THE SAGA CONTINUES IN

  The

  HOPE

  of SPRING

  COMING APRIL 2013!

 

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