Jonathan waved his hand at her. “It’s all right. My cousins know I’d like to attend school too.” He turned to Dad again. “That’s part of the reason I want to change fellowships. Since the Schellberg elders approved Katy to go to school” — he zipped a quick smile at Katy before facing Dad again — “I hoped maybe I’d be allowed to go too. My fellowship is much more traditional. If I stay there, going to a public school will be out of the question. Dan said he’d talk to the elders for me. Of course …” He chuckled, raising one eyebrow. “It all depends on what my folks say. If my dad says no, I won’t argue with him.”
Katy’s heart swelled. Honour thy father and thy mother … The Mennonite fellowships expected children to act in obedience. It warmed her that Jonathan took his faith’s teaching so seriously.
Dad folded his hands on the edge of the table. “It sounds as if you’re making some big decisions, Jonathan. Rosemary and I will be in prayer for you as you seek God’s will for your life.”
“I appreciate that, sir.” Jonathan pushed away from the table. “But I’ve taken up enough of your time this evening. I really just wanted to tell Katy congratulations and wish her well, and …” His expression turned bashful. “Mr. Lambright, would it be all right if Katy and I stepped out on the porch for a few minutes?”
Dad gave a little jolt, as if Jonathan’s words caught him by surprise, but then he smiled. The amused, knowing smile that annoyed Katy. “I suppose that would be all right.”
Jonathan said a proper good-bye to Rosemary, Dad, and Shelby before plucking his hat from the chair back and gesturing for Katy to precede him to the front room. She scurried ahead of him, her heart pounding. What did he want to say that he couldn’t say in front of the others?
On the porch, instead of talking to her, Jonathan moved to the railing. Katy stood to the side, watching him. He wadded his bill cap in his hand rather than wearing it and tipped his face to the sky. Although sunset was still an hour away, a few bright stars already peeked through in the north, and the undersides of the clouds glowed brighter than the tops as the sun slinked toward the horizon. The sky was beautiful, but she preferred to look at Jonathan. Katy stepped alongside him but didn’t say anything, allowing him to enjoy the vast view.
Finally he sighed and shifted to face her. “Katy, I guess it’s no secret that I think you’re a very special girl.”
No, it isn’t a secret. Heat seared Katy’s ears. She ducked her head, uncertain how to respond.
His soft voice went on, so sweet and tender it made Katy’s chest ache in a pleasing way. “I’m not looking for any kind of promise from you — I think we’re too young, and you need to be focusing on school rather than courting — but I wondered if … maybe … if I end up moving to Schellberg, if … someday …”
Katy swallowed a smile. Girls weren’t the only ones who got tongue-tied. Her head still low, she nodded, her ribbons flicking her chin with the rapid movement. “Yes, Jonathan. I think … maybe … someday.”
He slapped his hat onto his head. “Well, I better go then. See you … Friday night.” He clomped off the porch, charged across the yard, and climbed into Dan Richter’s truck. The engine rumbled to life, and Jonathan stuck his hand out the window to wave. Katy got a glimpse of his bright smile before the truck pulled away from the house and headed down the road.
She stood on the porch and watched until he turned the corner and disappeared in a cloud of dust. She stayed, watching, until the dust settled. Then her eyes turned to the same patch of sky Jonathan had been examining. An explosion of colors greeted her eyes, and a poem began to take shape in her mind. She pulled a little spiral notebook and the stub of a pencil from her pocket and scribbled as quickly as she could:
The large ball, turned orange, hangs heavy in the evening sky.
Colors melt together like crayons left outside on a summer day—
Blue, gray, pink, yellow, orange—
All accentuated by white-white clouds with silver linings.
As the large ball sinks reluctantly downward,
colors come alive across the sky —
Glorious orange, dazzling pink, blood red,
luminous yellow, radiant blue —
The sun’s last, brilliantly futile attempt to defy darkness of night.
The large ball disappears beyond the horizon,
And gray overtakes the sky.
She reread the poem and then gave it a title: Farewell, Day. Tears pricked behind her eyes. No one would ever know how the poem represented the bright joy of her time with Jonathan followed by the gray sadness of his departure. She slipped the notebook into her pocket and returned to the house.
Chapter Nineteen
Tuesday morning, as Katy and Shelby headed out the door to work, Rosemary called, “Girls, I’ve got leftover roast beef from last night’s supper. Would you like me to bring you some sandwiches at lunchtime?”
“That’d be great,” Katy said. Without a refrigerator at the shop to keep food from spoiling, she and Shelby hadn’t packed a lunch each day but ordered something from the café. She liked the idea of saving her money. “We’ll see you later!”
The girls didn’t talk much as they headed for town. When they’d gone up to bed last night, Katy had told Shelby the details of her conversation with Jonathan. They’d talked well beyond bedtime. Maybe they’d talked too late, because Katy battled tiredness all morning, and she caught Shelby yawning behind her hand more than once. She intended to go to bed earlier tonight. Being sleepy on the job wasn’t very responsible.
The shop bustled with activity, making the morning zip by, and when Rosemary stepped into the shop with a small wicker basket on her arm, Katy looked at the clock above the door in surprise. “It’s lunchtime already?”
Rosemary laughed. “Afraid so. Are you hungry?”
“Ravenous,” Shelby said. She grabbed her crutches and came out from behind the counter. “For a small town, this place sure rocks with activity!”
Rosemary laughed. She removed wax paper–wrapped packages and jars of tea from the basket. “Well, here, have your lunch. Maybe it’ll recharge you for the afternoon.”
Just as they perched on the windowsill to eat, the door opened and Mrs. Krehbiel entered the shop. Katy rose to take care of her, but Rosemary waved her hand. “You sit and eat, Katy. I’ll see what she needs.”
Relieved, Katy sank back down and bit into the sandwich. The combination of roast beef, sweet pickles, and mayonnaise pleased her taste buds. “Mm,” she said.
Shelby grinned her agreement. She bobbed her head toward Rosemary and Mrs. Krehbiel, who perused the notions at the far side of the shop. “Your stepmom’s a good cook.”
“Rosemary’s good at a lot of things,” Katy confirmed. She took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. “You ought to see the clothes and quilt tops she sews. She sewed for other people for a living before she moved to Schellberg and married my dad.”
Shelby’s eyes flew wide. She grabbed Katy’s arm, dislodging a slice of pickle from Katy’s sandwich. “Hey!”
Katy grunted, lifting the pickle from her skirt. A circular stain marked the spot where it had landed. “Shelby, what’re you doing?”
Shelby ignored Katy’s disgruntled question. “If your stepmom’s good at sewing and stuff, why couldn’t she work here in the shop? I mean, your aunt would trust her, wouldn’t she? She’s family and everything. And if she had her own sewing business, she’d sure know how to keep the books and all.”
Katy shook her head. “Sure, Aunt Rebecca trusts Rosemary. They’ve become good friends. But Rosemary can’t work here.”
“Why not?”
Katy sighed. “She already has a full-time job being my dad’s wife. She takes care of the house, sometimes she helps in the dairy … Dad wouldn’t like the idea of her coming here every day instead of seeing to her responsibilities at home.”
Shelby’s shoulders sagged. “Oh. Well …” She took a bite of her sandwich and chewed, her gaze aimed acro
ss the shop at Rosemary. “That’s too bad. She sure looks like she knows what she’s doing.”
Katy watched Rosemary pluck several things from the pegboard and carry them to the counter, chatting softly with Mrs. Krehbiel. Again, Katy started to rise, but Rosemary shook her head.
“I’ll get it. Finish eating.”
So Katy allowed Rosemary to tally Mrs. Krehbiel’s purchases and make change. She did seem to know what to do in a shop. But if Dad wanted Rosemary to work, he’d have said something at the dinner table. Obviously, he preferred his wife to stay home and see to the needs of the household. She couldn’t blame him, either. He’d gone many years without a life partner. Katy wouldn’t suggest taking Rosemary away from Dad, even for a short time. She finished her sandwich as Mrs. Krehbiel headed out the door with her bag of purchases.
Katy hurried to the counter. “Thanks for taking care of that. It was nice to sit and eat and not worry.”
“You’re welcome.” Rosemary gathered her basket and empty jars. “I’ll get out of your way now so you can work. See you girls at home this evening.” She bustled out.
The afternoon proved as busy as the morning, and Katy wasn’t able to do any cleaning until after she’d put out the CLOSED sign. Her stomach rumbled while she ran the vacuum cleaner, and she could hardly wait to get home and eat. She hoped Rosemary had prepared a big dinner. She hurried into the back room to put the vacuum cleaner in the storage corner then heaved a sigh, eager to go home. Just then a knocking sound carried from the front — obviously a fist on the door.
Katy groaned. If a customer needed something, she’d have to let them in — Aunt Rebecca tried to accommodate people. But she really wanted to leave. She scurried out to the front. Instead of a customer, she found Uncle Albert peering through the window. Gramma Ruthie stood beside him. Their faces wore matching somber expressions.
Shelby pointed. She looked worried. “What do you think they need?”
Katy’s heart fired into her throat. “I don’t know.” She twisted the lock and flung the door open. “What is it? Is Aunt Rebecca all right?”
Uncle Albert and Gramma stepped inside. Uncle Albert headed straight for the back room, and Gramma said quietly, “Katy, lock the door, then come here. We need to talk.”
Katy sent a frightened look to Shelby then gave the lock a twist and headed for the counter where Gramma waited. Uncle Albert emerged from the back room with three folding chairs. He clanked them open in a circle and said, “Have a seat.”
Shelby stayed on the tall stool behind the counter, and Gramma, Uncle Albert, and Katy each chose a chair. Katy braced her hands on her knees. To distract herself she tapped her thumb on the little circle stain left by the pickle at lunchtime. “What is it? What’s wrong with Aunt Rebecca?”
Uncle Albert spoke. “Your aunt isn’t recovering like she ought to, Katy. With the medicine the doctor gave her, she should be able to regain enough strength between treatments to get up and move around some. But she won’t try. She just lies there and refuses to do anything.”
Katy shook her head, concerned. That didn’t sound like Aunt Rebecca.
Uncle Albert glanced at Gramma Ruthie. “We talked to the doctor on the telephone today. He says her blood cell and enzyme counts look good. The medicine she’s taking should relieve her tiredness. So he thinks her problem isn’t physical as much as it is emotional.”
Katy crinkled her brow. “Emotional?”
Gramma put her hand over Katy’s. “The doctor thinks she’s depressed, Katy-girl.”
Uncle Albert continued. “She won’t come here because she said she isn’t needed — everyone has told her what a good job you and Shelby are doing.” He pulled his lips into a sour line. “We thought we were assuring her by telling her she wasn’t needed, but now I’m thinking we made a mistake. Rebecca’s a strong, independent woman. Although she isn’t prideful, I know she tries to be like the woman in Proverbs 31 who takes care of her family and her business.”
He sighed. “Since she got sick, she hasn’t had any responsibility at all. Your gramma sees to the house and children. You see to the shop. So Rebecca doesn’t have a reason to get off that sofa and do anything. She just lies there, feeling sorry for herself.”
Katy held her hands outward. “What can I do?”
Uncle Albert and Gramma Ruthie exchanged a meaningful look. Then Gramma squeezed Katy’s hand. “Katy-girl, we need you to stop doing.”
Katy sent a puzzled glance at Shelby. Shelby raised her shoulders, expressing her own confusion.
Uncle Albert added, “If we’re going to get Rebecca off that sofa and back into life, we’ve got to give her a good reason to get up. We can’t use housework as a reason. She knows Lori and Lola can handle the housework, because they’ve been doing it for over a year already. As much as she loves this shop, it’s the only thing we can think of. If she loses your help, she won’t have a choice. She’ll have to come in.”
“B-but,” Katy spluttered, “I can’t lie to her!” Dad would never agree to let her be intentionally deceitful, not even to motivate Aunt Rebecca. And she didn’t want to be deceptive. It went against her conscience.
“Katy, we’re not asking you to lie,” Gramma Ruthie said. “We’re asking you to be willing to step aside and make room for Rebecca to be in charge again. You just got that new job with the newspaper. Rebecca was asleep the other day when you and Shelby came by, so she didn’t hear the news. At first we didn’t want to tell her because we didn’t want her to worry that you might leave the shop. But we’ve changed our minds.”
Uncle Albert gave a firm nod. “That’s right. At the doctor’s recommendation, we’re going to tell her about it this evening. She knows how much writing means to you, so we hope she’ll decide on her own to come in and let you put more attention on your writing job. Do you see?”
Katy’s heart pattered. If their plan worked — if Aunt Rebecca returned to the shop even part-time — then Katy wouldn’t need to spend so many hours here. The promise of free time danced in her mind. She might even be able to return to school! She closed her eyes. God, don’t let me be selfish. Let me make the right choice for the right reason. Suddenly she remembered the difficult days when she worried about whether Dad would still need her if he took a wife. She wouldn’t wish the feeling of being unneeded on anybody.
Opening her eyes, she looked at Uncle Albert’s apprehensive face. “I’ll do whatever I can to help Aunt Rebecca feel needed again.”
Uncle Albert blew out a huge breath and a relieved smile removed his worried look. He wrapped Katy in a hug. “I knew we could count on you, Katy-girl.” He kissed her cheek and set her aside. “C’mon, Mom, let’s go break this news to my wife.” He bowed his head and crunched his eyes closed. “Dear Lord, please let this work. Bring my feisty wife back to me.”
Gramma Ruthie, Katy, and Shelby all echoed, “Amen.”
Wednesday afternoon, Katy was in the middle of cutting a length of fabric for Mrs. Ensz and her daughter when the door opened and Aunt Rebecca stepped into the shop. Katy stifled a gasp. She hadn’t seen her aunt for several days, but it appeared she’d lost even more weight. With no hair to fill her mesh headcovering, her cap looked too big for her head, and her dress hung on her frame. Her face looked pale, even more frail since her eyelashes and eyebrows had also fallen out. But her eyes snapped with a determination Katy well remembered.
Katy forced a smile and tried to act as if Aunt Rebecca entered the shop every afternoon. “Hi.”
Aunt Rebecca put her hands on her hips and looked around without replying.
Shelby waved from her spot behind the counter. “Good afternoon.”
A little grunt served as her aunt’s reply.
Mrs. Ensz bustled to Aunt Rebecca and embraced her. “It’s so good to see you up, Rebecca! We’ve missed you at services.” She kept her hands on Aunt Rebecca’s shoulders and seemed to examine her. “But we need to fatten you up. Would you like me to bring over my chicken-cheese enchiladas
for your supper tonight?”
Katy cringed. She knew Mrs. Ensz meant well, but Aunt Rebecca’s weak stomach would never handle the rich enchiladas the woman brought to nearly every church dinner.
“That’s kind of you, Lucinda, but my girls already have our supper planned.” Aunt Rebecca stepped away from Mrs. Ensz’s hands.
“Well, what helpful girls you have,” Mrs. Ensz said. “It sounds as if you’re very well cared for.”
“Yes, I am very well cared for.” Aunt Rebecca’s lips formed a firm line.
As soon as Mrs. Ensz paid Shelby for her purchases and headed out the door with her little girl skipping alongside her, Aunt Rebecca whirled on Katy.
“Young lady, I have a bone to pick with you.”
Katy gulped. “Y-yes?”
“I hear you’re leaving me.”
What had Uncle Albert told her? Katy wished she’d been in on the conversation so she had some clue how to respond. She stuttered out a weak reply. “N-not really. I mean, I can still work here, if you need me.”
Aunt Rebecca released a soft laugh. Her eyes crinkled with affection. “Ah, Katy-girl, you are always so obliging …”
She crossed to the counter and rested her arm on its smooth, dust-free top. Standing there, leaning on the counter as if for support, she looked pale and delicate and yet somehow strong and capable at the same time. The sight put a lump in Katy’s throat.
“I do still need you, Katy. But I haven’t been fair, leaving everything to you. This shop …” Her gaze traveled the room slowly, as if reacquainting herself with the contents. “It isn’t your dream — it’s mine. And when a person lets go of her dream, she hurts herself.” She zinged a frown at Katy. “I don’t intend to let you make the same mistake. Not to take care of me.”
Katy held her breath.
“I can’t be here all the time yet. I don’t have the strength.” Aunt Rebecca lifted her chin. “But I intend to come in a little bit each day to rebuild my stamina. It won’t be long, and I’ll be back at the helm.”
KL04 - Katy's Decision Page 14
