Today, Sam was hers. Sometimes she had to share him with Rebecca and Rachel. She didn’t mind. In fact, she was happy the other two also doted on him. After all, she couldn’t spend every minute with him. Besides, Sam lived by himself. He surely got lonely in his big old house. Thank goodness for faithful Buddy, his dog.
Annie wanted to make sure Sam had all the love and kindness he deserved. They were things you could never have too much of. Annie knew God had a plan for everyone, but she still thought it sad that Sam had outlived his two sons. And that he’d lost his wife to pneumonia. Still, his faith was strong.
His work never ceased to amaze her. He was a unique talent. There weren’t many in the Plain Faith who hadn’t heard of hope chest maker Sam Beachy. In fact, his artistic designs had made him a sort of celebrity. And to think he’d made a special chest just for her. The gift she kept by her bed was her rarest treasure. Sometimes she would just stand over it, admiring the beautiful sponge cake recipe.
As she watched him work, wood chippings dropped to the concrete floor. The woodsy smell filled her nostrils with delight. There was something so nice and homey about the scent. It was just like the way the air smelled after grass was mowed. It was incredible what art could come from a simple piece of wood. Old Sam created magic with his large, skilled hands.
Annie trusted him. Loved him. She heeded his advice. He was wiser than anyone she knew. Not many were fortunate enough to have such a friend.
It was moments like these that she loved most. The times she watched Old Sam create works of genius to make others happy. While he did his work, she allowed her mind to wander to a faraway dreamland she shared only with him.
His leathered, wrinkled hand held his designer knife with great steadiness as he carefully carved. From time to time he paused and pressed his lips together in deep concentration. The lines around his eyes deepened as he bent closer to the board. Crinkles outlined the clear brown depths.
“Who’s this one for?” Annie sat next to him in the special wooden rocking chair he’d made just for her, with Sam’s Irish setter at her feet. Buddy rested happily against Annie’s black shoes, gazing up at her from time to time. The dog loved attention. Annie bent to plant an affectionate kiss on his reddish hair. In response, Buddy offered a grateful whimper.
Finally, Sam put down his knife and turned to Annie with a sigh. “This one’s for a Seattle woman who learned about me from a website set up by an English lady.” Sam cleared a knot from his throat and dusted the area around his work with long, artistic fingers. He took his own seat next to Annie and continued. “It a sad story actually.”
“Why?”
“The woman’s name is Elaine. She was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.” A sad shake of his head followed.
Annie’s chest ached at the thought. “That’s terrible.”
Sam nodded. “She’s not expected to live much longer, so she’s collecting her most special treasures to put in the chest I’m making for her daughter to pass down to her children. Elaine’s hoping to see her daughter married.”
Annie blinked back a salty tear. “That’s a sweet story. But I’m still sad that her child won’t have a mamma. Do you know the girl’s name?”
Sam paused, rubbing Buddy’s back with his shoe. “Patricia.”
“Patricia must be devastated.”
The thought prompted an uncomfortable feeling in Annie’s stomach, and she wrapped her hands around her waist. “I mean, she’ll have a husband but not a mamma. I don’t know what I would do without mine.”
Sam’s gentle eyes met her gaze. As he rocked back and forth, his voice was comforting, as always. “We’re each planted here on this earth to carry out a mission for God. And we leave on His time.” Sam sat back in his chair.
“I wish I could talk to God to ask Him why He does some things. It would seem like Elaine’s purpose would be to be a good grandmamma to Patricia’s children.” She hesitated. “Nothing’s more important than being a mamma or grandmamma.”
Sam eyed her in understanding.
“Why would God take Patricia’s mamma from her when she’s so young? It’s not fair.”
Sam smiled a little. He had a way of making her feel everything would be okay because God would make sure of it. Even so, Annie still wondered why Patricia had to lose her mother so soon.
“Little one, God’s plan is His choosing.” He paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he seemed to drift away. Annie straightened, wondering if he was thinking about Esther. Annie was sure she was in heaven. In fact, she was probably busy making sponge cakes for everyone. She had been well-known throughout the community for her home cooking, and after she passed on, Annie had continued making her delicious desserts so Old Sam wouldn’t go hungry. He loved those cakes. Good thing Annie had learned to make them. But it had taken several attempts to get them the right texture.
Sam’s voice was soft. “One of my favorite proverbs goes like this: The person who sews seeds of kindness enjoys perpetual harvest.” He cleared his throat. “I imagine Patricia knows in her heart that her mother will finish reaping that harvest in heaven. And it’s that very realization that will get her through her loss.”
Buddy whimpered for attention. The desperate sound seemed to pull Sam from his reverie, and he stood and squared his bony shoulders. Slow, thoughtful steps took him to his workbench, where he continued his project. He held the lid in progress in front of him, checking what he’d done as he continued his conversation with Annie. He never forgot anything. Sometimes, though, he would think a while before responding. Now he said, “Sometimes we wonder why God does what He does, but we have to trust His plan. He created us. In God’s eyes, we are masterpieces.”
He threw her a smile and she breathed in relief. “He loves us so much, and even though we may not understand why things happen, He does. And there’s a reason behind every decision He makes.”
Sam focused on his work, but Annie couldn’t get Patricia and Elaine out of her mind. She gave a quick shake of her head to clear it. “Sam, when you lost Esther, didn’t you miss her terribly?” The tension in her hands went away and she dropped them to her sides.
Sam chuckled. Annie loved his laugh. The timbre of his voice was joyful. “Little one, we can’t expect to stay on this earth forever. My father used to tell me that the real secret to happiness isn’t what you give or receive; it’s what you share. And what I shared with Esther was the best blessing God ever could have given me, not to mention eternity in heaven together. What better gift could I have? Patience isn’t always easy, but when we let God guide our lives, we’re on the path to salvation.”
She gave an accepting nod. “But you must miss her. I know I do. Because she always made us sponge cakes.”
After a big grin, he went back to carving away at the wood. “And now you make them for me. She’d be pleased. Not a minute goes by when I don’t think of her. But God will let me be with her again, and next time will be even better than our earth days. Besides, my work here isn’t finished. Think of all the folks who order these chests for loved ones. You know what they say about it being better to give others a piece of your heart than a piece of your mind.”
Annie giggled.
“It’s what’s inside of us that really makes us special.”
Annie marveled at his faith. She knew God would take care of her, too, but wondered if her belief would ever be as strong as Sam’s. Maybe when you got old, your faith got stronger. By that time you’d have a lot of opportunities to think about things.
“Annie, God’s plan is bigger than anything we can imagine.” His eyes sparkled as he eyed her. “Of course we’ll have to wait to get to heaven to see what it is.”
She leaned forward and put a confident hand on her hip. “You know what I think?” Before he could answer, she went on in an excited voice. “I agree with you. God puts us here to do a job.”
Sam pressed his lips together and nodded in agreement.
“After we finish
it, He pulls us into heaven.”
Buddy rolled onto his back. Annie knew him so well; he wanted his tummy rubbed. Annie bent to gently move her hand over the sensitive area while Buddy moaned in delight. But Annie’s mind stayed on their conversation.
“Why do you think God put you here, Annie?”
She let out a happy sigh. “That’s easy. To take care of you.”
Sam’s lips lifted into a wide grin. “I don’t doubt that for a minute. I’m not sure what I’d do without you three girls. Rebecca brings me wildflowers. Rachel listens to my horse-and-buggy stories over and over, and you . . . how would I survive without your sponge cakes?”
Annie lifted a shoulder. “You would go hungry.”
They laughed.
“I’m not sure, but I suspect Esther would be impressed. You’re turning into quite the cook.”
Annie’s voice lifted in excitement. “Really?”
Sam gave a firm nod and grinned. “Back to Elaine. She specifically requested an image to depict the future of her only daughter and husband-to-be.”
Annie thought a moment and pressed her lips together. At the same time, she tapped her foot against the barn’s concrete floor. Buddy nudged Annie’s ankle with a long, red, hairy leg.
Automatically, Annie bent to run an obedient hand over the canine’s back. “She’s leaving it to your imagination?”
He nodded. A huge grin followed. “This is the part of the job I love the most. It’s like choosing a book cover. But I admit I’ve been undecided. And there’s not much time to make up my mind. So . . . I decided the future of the new couple would be a flower garden.”
He moved to the other side of the bench and faced her. For a moment, white flecks danced in his wise eyes. “Let me explain.” He paused to rub some particle board off his work and evaluate what was in front of him. “In a flower garden are many varieties of plants. Lovely petals. You might see a bright pink tulip alongside a plant without any bloom at all. Some are tall; some short. Perennials and annuals. When one dies, another appears. And if you allow your imagination to wander a bit, you’ll see it’s the same with life. There are beautiful moments and painful ones.”
She lifted her chin. “Like birth and death.”
“But in life everything’s thrown in together. Life can toss difficult situations at you, but because God takes care of us, we know those moments will go away and we’ll see the sunshine again.”
“I guess you’re right. Kind of like rain. You can’t do much, but then when the sun comes out, you forget about the dreariness.”
He nodded. “And marriage is sort of like that, too.”
She waited for him to continue. He stood and meandered to the door and she walked beside him. “There might be a perfect-looking daisy. In life, there might be a day when everything goes the way you pray for it to.” He paused to rub the back of his neck. “On the other hand, there are times when obstacles hit you from every direction. That’s where faith comes in.”
As Annie watched him, she considered his wisdom. In the English world, there were surely doctors and lawyers who would envy Old Sam’s ability to reason. She didn’t know them personally, but there was one thing she was sure of: No one could figure things out like Sam. He knew the answers to everything. Annie yearned to talk to him about her feelings for Levi. If it was wrong to wish she could be with someone who wasn’t Amish. If she was a sinner for even daring to imagine spending every moment with a person who no longer practiced her faith.
But she considered what Sam had said. If Annie believed as she had been taught, wouldn’t God figure out a way for her to be with her best friend? As Annie tried to make sense of reality, a light breeze slipped in through the open door and scattered sawdust particles everywhere. To the side, Sam’s horse, Ginger, whinnied for attention. She stuck her head out of her stall.
Annie’s thoughts drifted to Levi and the realization that she might as well stop thinking about him. Her pulse slowed to a disappointing pace. Would Levi ever join the Amish church? He already knew the Pennsylvania Dutch language.
But her own community, the very body of people who had raised her to forgive, had shunned his father. As a result, their families were divided.
A future with Levi Miller would be a road that would never be built. But was she really sure about that? Sam’s words about faith stuck in her mind.
“What are you thinking, young one?”
Pulled from her reverie, Annie sighed in relief. Sam always seemed to read her thoughts. “It’s about Levi.”
His lips curved into an amused line. The deep green of his eyes lightened a shade. “I figured.” The words were followed by a quick wink.
She pressed her fingers to her chin and spoke in her most adult tone. “Sam, what if you wanted to be with a person who went to a different church?”
“Marry?”
She thought a moment. “Maybe.”
A long silence passed as he carved. Moments later, he put his knife aside on the lid. “Let’s take a ride to your house. We can talk on the way. I’ve been meaning to discuss church stuff with your father.”
She smiled in relief. Old Sam was going to answer her questions. Soon she wouldn’t have to worry about what to do or think about Levi anymore. Sam would know. He gave the best advice. Ever.
When they stepped outside of the barn, she blinked as the bright sun hit her face. The large orange ball came out from behind a white fluffy cloud.
In the buggy, Annie stretched her legs and breathed in happiness. She loved rides with Sam. As they moved forward, Ginger yanked on the reins. The old Standardbred knew the route by heart. Sam ran a thoughtful finger through his long gray beard and spoke in a serious tone. “I’m still thinking about your question about the Miller boy. And I guess the answer is really up to you.”
“But . . .”
Sam paused. “Let me ask you this: How important are your beliefs to you?”
It didn’t take Annie long to answer. “I’ve never really given them much thought, but really, they’re everything.” She felt obligated to clarify why she’d said that. “I mean, when I think about it, my faith is the way I live, how I think; I’m pretty sure my decisions come from what I believe.” Annie realized, though, that at her age, she hadn’t yet made any big choices. The thought of being with Levi was by far the most complicated issue she’d confronted.
“Hmm.”
Annie adjusted herself in her seat, smoothing the soft blanket beneath her, which Esther had crocheted. She was sure Sam would never take it off the hard wooden bench.
Annie enjoyed the familiar view before her. Cows grazing. Baby goats. To her far right was her own backyard. From a distance, she glimpsed the clothes on Mamma’s line, moving up and down with the breeze. A mouthwatering aroma floated through the air, making her stomach grumble. She was pretty sure the delicious-smelling scent was shepherd’s pie. Mamma baked it on Wednesday afternoons and everyone in town knew it was the best. Maybe one day Annie would learn how to make it herself, for when she had her own home and family.
“I think you can come up with your own answer.”
Annie contemplated his words. “How on earth can I do that?”
“It’s really simpler than you’re making it out to be. Just ask yourself this: Let’s say there’s the Amish church. At the same time, there’s a man you like. If you could only choose one, which would it be?”
Annie frowned at the poignant question.
“I don’t know. What if both are equally important?”
“You can only pick one.”
She thought a moment. She wasn’t sure. “How on earth can I decide?”
A stunned look crossed Sam’s face. Long moments passed as she tried to interpret his expression.
“What would you have done if Esther had gone to a different church?”
A long silence ensued as tears filled his eyes. He seemed to swallow a large knot in his throat. His voice was emotional, his words coming out barely in a whisper. “I
t’s impossible to say.”
She studied his serious expression.
“You see, if Esther hadn’t been Amish, I wouldn’t have courted her.”
Annie let the words sink in before she countered, “But what if she had left the faith and you became reacquainted with her? Like Levi and me? What would you have done?”
* * *
Later that day, Annie’s heart pumped with uncertainty as she considered that conversation with Sam. She and her sister were hanging fresh noodles on the clothesline they’d set up in the kitchen.
“It was a nice wedding, jah?”
Elizabeth’s soft voice broke the silence. At the end of the dark-stained oak table, Annie darted a curious glance at her sister as she drained water. The sisters’ eyes met, and Annie realized her older, married sibling awaited a response.
“Sorry,” Annie apologized. “I was thinking about Old Sam and the hope chest he’s working on.” She gave a quick, agreeable nod. “The wedding was wonderful.” She drew in a deep, satisfied breath and locked excited gazes with Lizzie.
The tantalizing aroma of Mamma’s pork roast and cabbage baking in the oven floated through the air.
“Jeremiah and Katie looked so happy. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. And the food . . . oh!”
Elizabeth agreed.
Annie began hanging noodle strips on the wall-to-wall line. “They’ll make good parents.”
“And I hear Katie makes a tasty raspberry cobbler. They’re living on the outskirts of town with her folks while they help them get situated in the dawdy house,” Lizzie said, referring to the grandparents’ house.
Then Lizzie eyed Annie with a curious, raised brow. “At the wedding . . . did you get a chance to chat with Rebecca Conrad?”
Annie shook her head.
Lizzie sighed. “She and William seem happy, too. Rebecca and I caught up. They’ve been in their place a few months now. It’s finished enough to live in, but they’re still painting and working on the inside.”
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