Five minutes later, the ambulance pulled into the Stoltzfus yard, siren wail dying down. Several strong EMTs captured Barbara’s wrists and ankles, lifting her forcefully onto the ambulance gurney, then strapping her down for everyone’s safety. She was still screaming that Annie had “stolen” Mark from her. As the back doors of the ambulance slammed shut, the neighbor pulled up in his SUV, positioning it as close to Annie as he could.
“Annie, we are going to lift you and put you in the back seat. I know it will hurt, and I’m sorry. I’ll be in the front seat,” promised Mark.
Annie nodded quickly. “I can handle the pain, Mark.”
Mark, his father and two other neighbors gently lifted Annie, raising her to the height of the back seat. As they began moving toward the vehicle, Mark’s mother clambered into the back seat, ready to grip Annie’s underarms and help pull her inside.
Once inside, Annie propped herself up so her legs would stay straight. Perspiration rolled down her face as she struggled with the pain in her leg.
“Annie, we will let your parents know what has happened to you. They will be at the hospital, too,” Mrs. Stoltzfus said.
Annie nodded her thanks as Mark climbed into the front of the vehicle.
At the hospital, she waited in an emergency room cubicle, as she was taken for an x-ray of her leg. Her parents arrived just as the doctor and a nurse came in to set her leg and place a temporary cast on it.
“Because of the swelling, she’ll wear a temporary plaster cast. Once the swelling has gone down in a few days, she’ll need to come back so we can put on the cast that she’ll wear for the next month-and-a-half” said the doctor. The nurse ushered Mark and Annie’s parents out so Annie’s leg could be set. Annie shivered as she heard Barbara’s far-off screams coming from another area of the emergency room.
“Ach, I hate that noise!” she said to the nurse.
“Is she the one that did this?” asked the doctor. “You can file a criminal complaint, you know. I know that you prefer to work things out among yourselves, but she needs help. She’s more likely to get it if the judge sees that she committed a criminal act stemming from any possible mental condition she might have.”
“I will talk to our ministers. I want to make sure that we follow Ordnung. She can’t help her condition,” Annie said.
“Okay. If you do decide to file charges, let the police know we have a record of your injuries here, if they want them,” the doctor said.
“Denki, doctor.” Five minutes later, Annie nearly dozed off as the morphine the nurse had given her began to work on the pain in her leg. After several minutes, she wore a large, bulky plaster cast extending from her upper thigh to her foot. Mark and her parents came in, waiting for her to wake up.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, she has an uncomplicated break, meaning there are no bone fragments. We’ve set her leg so the bone will grow back together straight. I’ll be sending her home with some pain medication, which she will need to take every four to six hours. She should stay in bed for at least the next forty-eight hours and I’ll write a prescription so you can rent a wheelchair for her. She’ll need that to get around until she’s ready to use crutches. I’ll need to see her in my office in about two weeks so I can assess her progress,” said the doctor.
“Denki, doctor. We will make sure she rests and takes her medication,” said John Fisher as he accepted the small pill bottle and prescription slips.
“I have a wheelchair coming for her so you can get her home – do you have a ride?”
“Ya, doctor. An Englischer neighbor is waiting to take us home,” said Annie’s mother. The wheelchair was pulled in backwards as the nurse pushed the door with her back.
Mary roused Annie as John and Mark lifted her from the bed and transferred her gently to the wheelchair.
“I gave her only a small dose of morphine because it can cause some real stomach upset. She’ll need a pail pill as soon as you get home – she should take these with food in her stomach, because they are strong,” the nurse advised.
“Denki. I’ll make sure she eats a sandwich before she takes one,” promised Mary.
At home, John and Mark carefully carried Annie inside.
“I’ll make a bed downstairs for you, Annie,” said Mary as she dropped her purse on the table. Rushing to the linen cabinet, she pulled out sheets and blankets to cover a soft, long sofa for Annie. Once this had been done, the men transferred Annie to it.
Annie, feeling the pain returning in her thigh, winced.
“Ach, That sandwich, then a pain pill,” muttered Mary. Five minutes later, she was back with a thick sandwich made of roast beef, tomato, lettuce and mustard. A glass of milk accompanied it.
Annie ate the food and took a pain pill with the milk.
“Denki, mamm. I am so . . . so tired,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“I will get you your nightgown and help you change,” Mary said.
With that, John ushered Mark to the front door. “She’s going to sleep all night long – I pray. Come back tomorrow when you can. Let’s go outside for a minute,” John said, glancing quickly to Annie.
“Mark, I expect a visit from Mrs. Kurtz tomorrow. I will be staying here at the house while Mary is at school. Annie doesn’t need any more excitement or threats – from anyone, and I believe Barbara is just as . . . insane . . . as her mother.” He turned as Mary opened the door.
“John, I am not going to school tomorrow. Annie needs us both. Mark, if you would stop at the Lapp’s and ask Mrs. Lapp to take my place, I would be very grateful,” Mary said quietly.
“Ya, Mrs. Fisher, I will. I will stop by every time I can, so I can see for myself that she’s getting better,” Mark said.
“You are beginning to . . . care for her, aren’t you?” John asked.
“Ya, very much,” Mark said. “Please, let me know if you have trouble. I will be happy to stay here and help you protect her.”
“We will. I can stay home here and protect her if anything happens. I’ll send Mary in the buggy to you. Since you have a phone in your shop, she can call authorities.”
“Ya, this is good. Good night. I had better get to sleep – it’s been a very . . . eventful day,” Mark said. He couldn’t smile. He was too tired and too worried.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Annie woke up to the sun streaming in and bathing her face in its brightness. As she tried to sit up, an unfamiliar heaviness dragged at her left leg, then she felt a sharp twinge of pain.
“Ow! Mamm!”
Mary hurried in from the kitchen, carrying a tray laden with breakfast.
“Gut mariye! You are awake! Gut! I know you are hurting, so eat breakfast and take another pain pill. You slept all night long, so the one you took last night wore off,” said Mary as she pulled a small table to Annie’s side.
“Mamm, will those pills make me sleep? I need to finish more doll quilts for Ruth. I can’t do anything, so . . .” As she spoke, John came in, walking behind Annie.
“Let me help you sit up more comfortably so you can eat,” he said. Sliding his hands under Annie’s arms, he slowly lifted her and positioned her so she was sitting upright.
“Denki, daed. I need to find a way of sitting up so I can use the sewing machine.” As she ate, she and her mother thought about how she could accomplish this.
“Annie, until you are in less pain, you need to keep your leg propped up on these pillows. That’s what the doctor said. It will keep your leg from swelling too much. I think you should just match fabrics and cut them out, along with the batting. How many more do you want to make?” Mary asked.
“As many as I can. Since I won’t be able to move around for a while, I can do that and help Ruth and the Beilers out as much as possible. I might as well be useful to someone, since I can’t help you out here,” Annie said as she chewed toast and eggs. Mamm, did you hear Barbara screaming from the other side of the emergency room last night?”
“Ya, I did. Remember I told you abou
t the genetic issues? Barbara broke down last night, under her delusion that Mark had promised himself to her. Your daed is staying home today, because we – and Mark – are all worried about Mrs. Kurtz coming here and causing more trouble. He will be here or in the barn all day long, so one of us will always be here in the house. And, don’t you worry about not helping me around here. It’s just the three of us, and you are not a messy person. Mrs. Lapp is taking my place at school today, so don’t worry,” Mary said.
“Denki. I will cut fabric and quilting today. I’ll have to wait to move to the sewing machine until I can position my leg more comfortably,” Annie said.
“And that won’t be until tomorrow, at the earliest,” said Mary. “We have a prescription for a wheelchair for you. Your daed can go for it tomorrow. Maybe, once you can sit without pain, you can roll the chair to the sewing machine and work on putting quilts together,” Mary suggested.
“I like that. Okay. I’ve eaten as much as I can. I need a pain pill - but I hope they won’t put me to sleep,” Annie said.
“Here’s one – with your coffee,” Mary said, handing a small pill to Annie. She read the label. “I can’t tell if you will get sleepy. If you do, put the scissors away and take a nap. You need to recover, anyway.”
Annie’s head began nodding a little more than an hour after she had taken her pain pill. Setting the scissors on the tray, she allowed her head to slump to the back of the couch . . .
She was back in the Stoltzfus back yard, where Barbara was swinging the heavy branch. Barbara was talking madly, telling Mark that they were “destined” to be man and wife. Annie was standing by the front window, trying to predict what the unpredictable Barbara would do. She saw Barbara’s face subtly change, revealing the depth of her delusion and insanity. This change frightened her, to the point that she ran off the porch, only to confront Barbara’s deranged eyes and spittle-covered face . . . PAIN! Annie collapsed, hearing a cacophony of screams and yells all around her . . .
“John! It’s Mrs. Kurtz! She’s outside and she’s trying to get into the house!”
Annie woke up suddenly, hearing her mother’s voice. She turned, trying to look out the window and her mother said, “Keep your head down! Barbara’s mother is outside and she’s in just the same shape as Barbara was yesterday.
Annie kept her head down, hearing the screams and yelling outside. She felt her blood chill as she remembered the nightmarish events that had led to her broken leg.
“Bring her out here! Annie stole Mark Stoltzfus from my Barbara! Send her out, right now, so she can face me, the little coward!” screamed Mrs. Kurtz. “She and the Stoltzfus family have conspired to lock my Barbara away in a mental ward,” she said, forgetting that she and Barbara wanted one of the Stoltzfus family members to join with her family.
John came running in from the back yard.
“Mary, you go to the barn from the back door! The horse is hitched to the buggy – go to our neighbors and tell them we need help with Mrs. Kurtz. I’ll stay here with Annie. Go!”
Mary ran. John made sure Annie was not visible from the front window. Peering out through the curtain covering the front window, he determined where Mrs. Kurtz was standing.
“Annie, I’m locking both doors. You stay down and I will be right back in here.”
“Ya, daed. I don’t want her seeing me,” Annie whispered.
In less than ten minutes, Mary had returned.
“John, Mark and his father are the closest. I called the emergency services number and they are sending help. Mark’s father brought two other men with him to make sure Mrs. Kurtz can’t get in,” she whispered to John.
“Good. Stay here with Annie and I’ll go help them. Did Mark stay at the shop?”
“Ya. His father deemed it best and Mark agreed. Annie, he said he will be here later on, once he has finished his day’s work,” Mary said.
“Thank you, mamm. What’s happening outside?”
Mary peeked outside and provided a running commentary.
“Your father, Mr. Lapp and Mr. Stoltzfus are all surrounding Mrs. Kurtz. She is trying to find a way around them to get to the porch and front door, but they are all in a circle around her . . .”
“Does she have a stock or anything she can use as a weapon?” Annie asked.
“Nee. She’s waving her hands in the men’s faces, though. Ach, I hear the siren. She will be gone soon enough,” Mary said thankfully.
“Gut. Then, all we need to do is deal with the sons,” Annie said.
“Nee, Annie. I believe that, once Mr. Kurtz knows how sick his wife and daughter are, he will be happy to get help for his remaining children. In the meantime, Mr. Kopp has given you the approval to find an Englischer therapist. When he heard what happened to Barbara, he knew you were right. What’s happening now, will only reinforce that for him,” Mary said. “Now, the ambulance attendants are talking to Mrs. Kurtz. They are holding her and taking her to the ambulance. It’s taking them, your daed, Mr. Stoltzfus and Mr. Lapp to get her on the gurney. Thank God. She is inside the ambulance. Annie, I think it’s over.”
Annie was hit with a sensation of relief so strong, her head dropped into her hands. She thanked God quietly for His intervention.
Looking up, she asked Mary for help in scooting up. “Mamm, I’m glad it’s over! We aren’t related to the Stoltzfus family are we?”
“Ach, nee, Annie! If a relative had asked to court you, we would have said ‘no.’ We are aware of the dangers of mingling blood that is too close. So. If Mark proposes, are you going to accept?”
Annie blushed. “Ya. I will.” At that, her father came in, pale-faced and trembling.
“Daed! What’s wrong?” Annie asked, as she saw his face blanched white.
John dropped into a simple rocker. “Annie, the threats she was making! She is just as mad as her daughter, if not more. You do know that she married a distant cousin, right?’
“Ya. I talked about that with mamm when I asked about a therapist for Sarah and her brothers. So, if intermarrying causes these kinds of problems, are Mrs. Kurtz’ parents related by blood, too?”
“Ya, they are. Your mamm and I decided years ago that, if any of your cousins tried to get permission to court you, we would not give this permission. We do not need this kind of mingling of the blood. We are strong and healthy because we allow ‘fresh blood’ to mix with ours,” said John.
The family talked more as they ate lunch. John set his fork down as he looked seriously at Annie.
“We haven’t talked about this for several weeks, Annie. Once you are able to move around more easily, it’s time for us to go talk to the ministers about your baptism. If you are ready to follow the Ordnung, you are ready to commit to the Amish faith and be baptized,” John said.
“I’m ready, daed. What just happened with the Kurtz family made me realize I need to commit myself to the Plain life,” Annie said quietly.
“Gut. When you are able to move around then . . . we will go talk to the ministers. You will make your confession of faith in front of the whole community. Remember, if you break any of the Ordnung, you could be Shunned and excommunicated.
“Ach, nee! I am ready to follow the Ordnung! I do not want to be Shunned and kept apart from you or my friends!” Annie said, feeling fear at the prospect.
CHAPTER NINE
As the days slowly passed, Annie began recovering from her broken leg. First, she began using her wheelchair. After receiving a more-stable cast, she was able to move about the house and help her mother with some tasks. She began sitting at the sewing machine and piecing together more doll quilts. Eventually, the doctor allowed Annie to begin moving around on crutches.
Her friends came to the house, with news of Barbara and Mrs. Kurtz.
“They are locked in a mental ward and can’t leave. The doctors have said they are too much of a threat to you and Mark,” Jenny said.
“Mr. Kurtz has begun to ask about a therapist in the Englischer community. He’
s scared about this for the rest of the children,” Ruth said.
“I want to give him some numbers and names,” Annie said. She limped on her crutches to the desk, where she pulled out her address book. Jotting names and numbers down, she tore the piece of paper out and gave it to Ruth. “Give this to him, please, and tell him these are my friends. They are good at what they do, and they can help Sarah, Ben and Joseph.”
On the meeting day chosen for Annie’s baptism, she walked to the front of the assembly on her crutches, where she publicly made her commitment to the Amish faith and way of life.
At the community lunch, Annie sat with her friends as was her habit. Sarah, Ben and Joseph came up to her and sat with her.
“Miss Annie, thank you. Our daed is getting us someone who we can talk to about what’s in our heads,” Sarah said softly. As she spoke, her face flushed deeply and she wrung her fingers together in extreme nervousness.
“Thank you, miss. We were very mad when our Barbara and our mamm were put in the hospital, but our daed told us that we have some of the same problems. We don’t want to end up crazy, so he made us start seeing a therapist. He told us that you gave him the names. Denki for forgiving our family,” said Joseph, the oldest boy.
“Joseph, it’s not your fault. I’ve forgiven Barbara and your mamm for what they did to me and to Mr. Stoltzfus. They – and you – are getting the help you need. Just do all the work you can so you can have a normal, happy life here in Peace Landing,” Annie said with a gentle smile. She turned herself carefully so she was facing the 13-year-old boy. Her gentle brown eyes searched his face and saw only gratefulness.
“Denki.”
Ben, the 11-year-old boy, tilted his head at Annie. “Is it true you’re going to be our new teacher next autumn?”
“Ya, it is. I will be teaching you, hopefully for many years to come. I know how intelligent you are, and I expect you to learn. Understand?”
“Ya, miss. Denki,” said Ben with an engaging grin.
After the group sing, Mark helped lift Annie into his buggy and he drove slowly to her parents’ farm, where they visited. Instead of using the porch swing, Mark accepted a large blanket from Annie’s mother and spread it out under the large oak tree. He and Annie sat close to each other, talking, playing with blades of grass, drinking lemonade and eating oatmeal raisin cookies. Shortly before it grew dark, he stood and pulled Annie to her feet, helping her place her crutches under her arms. He walked her slowly up the porch steps to the front door, where he opened the door for her.
Simple Amish Love 3-Book Collection Page 6
