Sarah shook herself out of her dark mood and reminded herself that she had one good and precious thing in her life. God had finally answered Thomas' and her prayers, and she would soon be a mother—she couldn’t let anything weigh her down. She had to stay strong for her baby.
Naomi had told her to take a vacation; so Sarah would make this stay at her mother’s a vacation. Maybe she should stay a little longer than she’d planned. That way she’d have a little more time away from her mother and her demanding ways.
Now, taking another look around the living room, she just hoped her mother had enough money in the bank for all the repairs. She’d go to the barn and call Naomi and have her pass on a message to her mother. Perhaps her mother had left bank details in the house somewhere, or had money hidden away. Naomi wouldn’t like having to go and talk to her mother, but Sarah couldn’t think of any other way around it.
She picked up the phone in her mother’s barn and dialed Naomi’s number, which she knew by heart.
"Naomi, it's me."
"You got there okay?" Naomi asked.
"I did, but I need to you to ask my mudder something for me."
"You want me to go there?"
Sarah said, "Jah, I need you to ask her something.”
“I’ll do it for you, but you know how she speaks to me.” Naomi’s voice had gone from normal to whining.
“Jah, don’t worry, she’s like that with everyone; it’s not just you. She doesn’t know she’s doing it.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“I’m sorry. Can you help me?”
“Okay, I’ll do it for you.” Naomi heaved a sigh. “What do I need to ask her?”
“Denke. Ask her if I can take money out of her bank account to do the haus repairs. When she says yes, ask her where her bank book is." Saying that out aloud, Sarah felt a little foolish and unorganized that they were only now thinking about the cost of the repairs. All of this should have been sorted out before she left home.
"I'll ask her, and then do you want me to call you back?"
“Jah.” Sarah gave Naomi her mother’s phone number and waited by the phone in the barn for Naomi to call her back. She figured it would take fifteen minutes for Naomi to walk next door, talk to her mother and then walk back.
The phone rang again; it had taken a little longer than Sarah had anticipated. "Naomi?"
"Jah, it's me."
"What did she say?" Sarah asked.
"She said she hasn't got any money. That's why she needs to sell the haus."
What? Sarah rubbed her forehead. How did her mother expect her to find the money—out of thin air?
"Sarah, are you there?"
"Jah, I'm just having a little panic attack that's all."
"She said to use a builder friend of hers. His name is Isaac King and she said to give you his address. Do you have a pen?"
"I do, but does she want me to pay for the repairs?”
“I can loan you some money if you need it, Sarah.”
“Nee, that’s okay, denke. I guess I’ll have to use my savings and Mamm can pay me back when the haus is sold.” That was the only solution and that explained why her mother had been ‘fuzzy’ about things.
Naomi gave Sarah Isaac King’s address.
"Denke for keeping an eye on Mamm while I'm gone, Naomi."
"I’m happy to do that—from a distance. Don't worry about things here. You just try to relax and have a good time."
"I'll try." Sarah heaved a sigh and then said goodbye to her friend before she replaced the receiver.
Then, Sarah walked into the paddock and slipped a rope around her mother’s horse.
She reminded herself to tell the boy next door that he didn’t need to feed the horse while she was there. After she hitched the buggy, she headed to the address that Naomi had given her for the builder. She wondered whether Isaac King was a part of the community and if that was how her mother knew him. The name wasn’t familiar to her, but she had only made a handful of visits to her mother in all the years that her mother had lived there. She just hoped that the man was reliable, and available to commence work soon.
When she found the address, she passed a buggy that had just come from the house. There was a woman in the buggy and she looked upset.
Chapter 4
Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
Joel 2: 23
* * *
Isaac King was happy to close the door on Nancy Hostetler. He placed the pie she’d made him alongside the three pies he’d gotten in the past two days—all from single ladies.
Being a widower for two years now, he got plenty of attention from the mature single ladies in the community who thought he needed fattening up, or perhaps they were trying to soften his heart with their cooking skills.
Nancy had asked to come inside, but Isaac had said he was just leaving to do some work on a new job he’d just secured. He stood in his kitchen, hands on hips, looking at his baked goods sitting on the counter like ducks in a row.
The sound of a buggy made his heart beat faster in fear. Was that Nancy coming back again, and if so, what did she want this time? There were only so many ways a man could convey to a lady that he wasn’t interested.
He was pleased when he looked out the window and saw that it wasn’t Nancy. Squinting at the driver of the buggy he saw another woman. His shoulders drooped. Would he have to move—find somewhere else to live? Should he just not answer the door? He couldn't do that; he had to go through with it and answer the door. Why couldn't they leave him alone? He didn't think himself a handsome man and there wasn't anything particularly special about him. What was it that attracted all these women to his door?
She knocked on the door. Rat-a-tat-tat. Even the sound of the knock annoyed him. He glanced up at the ceiling. Give me patience, Lord. He placed his hand on the handle of the door and slowly opened it, reminding himself to wedge himself in the doorway in case the lady tried to walk inside. As he did so, he was surprised to see he didn’t readily know this lady, yet she was vaguely familiar.
“Hello,” she said sweetly.
She was an attractive woman, and if he ever intended on being even the slightest bit interested in another woman, he would’ve been pleased that she’d knocked on his door. He shook his head. “Please, no more pies. I have plenty—too many in fact.”
The woman laughed, showing her even white teeth while her bright blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “I don't have any pies. My mudder sent me here.”
He took a better look at the horse and buggy. It was Ruth Eicher’s horse and buggy.
“I’m looking for Isaac King,” she said.
He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He couldn’t believe he’d been so carelessly rude to Ruth’s daughter. Being rude at all was the opposite of how he wanted to be perceived.
The attractive woman continued to speak. “My mudder sent me here. She said you could do some building work for me, well, for her actually. Her name is Ruth Eicher. I hope you know her or I might have the wrong address.”
"You’re Ruth Eicher’s dochder? I thought I recognized you. She wants me to do some work on her haus?” His face lit up.
“Jah, I am her dochder, Sarah Hersler, and jah, she does.”
“Gut. Come inside.” He stood back and flung the door open. "How is your mudder?"
Sarah stepped through the door. "She's moved in with me. I live in Lancaster County."
“She’s gone? Since when?”
“She arrived a few days ago.”
“She didn’t say goodbye."
“Knowing my mudder, it was probably a sudden decision.”
“You said she wants me to do something?”
"She asked me to come here to see if you’d do some work on her haus because she wants to sell it and then move into my haus. Also
, she's done things backwards and moved first before she sold her place."
He laughed heartily. "That sounds like Ruth all right."
"She said she wanted you to do the work if you can. Will I have to wait for you to do it?” Sarah put her fingertips to her lips. “I’m sorry. I’m messing this all up. I’m not sure what the right thing is to say. My husband has always done these things for me."
Here was one woman he wouldn’t have to be wary around because she was married. “And you’re here by yourself?”
“I am.”
"Are you in a hurry?" he asked.
“Nee, I've got all the time in the world."
"Fancy a slice of pecan pie, Mrs. Hersler?"
“I’d love some.”
Sarah stared at the row of pies on his kitchen counter, suddenly feeling hungry.
* * *
When Sarah sat down at the kitchen table, Isaac cut a slice of pie. “Why don’t I remember you ever visiting your mudder?”
“I’m not certain. I don’t recall you being here either.”
“When were you here last?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe it was longer than I thought. Maybe two years, maybe five. Time has a way of getting away from me.”
“I only became friendlier with your mudder after my fraa, Veronica, died. Your mudder was such a blessing and a comfort to me.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your fraa.”
He looked down and nodded.
She added, “My mudder? You found her comforting?”
“Jah, she’s a caring woman much like my own mudder was. I’ll miss her, as will everyone else in this community. She’ll be a blessing to you.”
Were they talking about the same woman? “My mother is Ruth Eicher, and she was married to Hezekiah Eicher.”
He chuckled. “Jah, I know. We’re talking about the same person. And that’s her horse and buggy out there. I recognized the horse as soon as I saw him.”
Sarah nodded, wondering how there could be such varied opinions about her mother. She could barely make her friend deliver a message to her, and now this man was all but singing her praises.
When he sat down with her, he said, “I can come by this afternoon, see what needs to be done, and then I’ll work out some costs.”
“So you can start on it soon?” The sooner the better.
“Jah, I don’t have anything urgent to do at this time.”
“Gut! That works out well.” Sarah noticed that he wasn’t eating. “You’re not joining me? I don’t want to be the only one eating.” Sarah gave an embarrassed giggle at the way she’d been hungrily attacking the pie.
“Nee, sometimes you get to the point where you just have too much pie.” He glanced at the other pies.
“Jah, I’ve noticed you’ve got quite a few.”
Sarah spent the next few minutes telling Isaac everything she’d seen that needed repairing in her mother's house.
“Why don’t I stop by first thing in the morning? It’s getting late in the day and I’d rather do my investigations in the strong light of the day.”
“Okay.” Sarah nodded, thinking she’d have to go into town and draw some money out of the bank so he’d have the needed cash to start buying materials. “What time approximately might you be there? Early morning or late?”
“I’ve got a few lose ends to tie up on a job I’ve just finished. Why don’t we make it eleven?”
“Perfect.” Sarah looked down at her empty plate and suddenly felt awkward. She didn’t know this man and had no idea what else to talk about with him. “Well, denke for the pie.”
He laughed as his eyes flickered to her empty plate. “You seemed to enjoy it. Would you like to take the rest?”
Sarah couldn’t work out why he had so many pies if he didn’t eat them. “Nee, denke.”
He rose to his feet and took hold of one of the pies. “Why don’t you take this one at least? I won’t eat it and it’ll only go to waste.”
“Are you certain? I don’t like to see anything wasted.”
He chuckled. “I’m certain.”
She stood up and pushed her chair under the table, and went to pick up her empty plate to carry it to the sink.
“Nee, leave it.”
She looked up at him. He was at least five inches taller than herself and she wasn’t a short woman. He was still smiling at her.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow morning then.”
“I’ll walk you out.” He carried the pie to the buggy for her and placed it on the seat next to her.
“I’m so pleased you can do the repairs at such short notice.”
He laughed. “I don’t do so much these days. Just the odd job here and there.”
She clicked the horse forward, turned the buggy around, and headed toward the road.
Chapter 5
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup,
and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my Father.
Matthew 20:23
* * *
“Denke for coming here, Isaac." Sarah said, as she stood next to him. They stood side-by-side on the porch, staring into Ruth’s house.
"Eleven o'clock in the morning isn't exactly early for me," he said with a smile.
"What I meant to say is denke for putting this as a priority and leaving your other jobs so that you could do this one."
"I told you yesterday, I'm not working much and besides that I’ve just finished up a job. Anyway, even if I was busy, I’d be happy to do this job. Anything for Ruth."
She eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he were being sarcastic. “You certainly speak highly of my mudder. It’s nice of you.”
"See how nice you think I am when you get the quote." He laughed. "From what you said there's a lot of work to be done inside."
"Don't worry about a quote. My mudder was adamant that you were the only person she wanted to do the work. She wouldn't hear of getting a quote from another builder."
"Rest assured I'll do it for as little as I possibly can. I won't charge Ruth for the labor, just for the materials."
"Nee, that’s too generous. This is your livelihood; my mudder wouldn’t expect you to charge so little.”
"It would be a crime if I charged Ruth. She's been a good friend to me and this is a small way I can do something for her. As I told you yesterday, I don’t do a lot of jobs these days. It’s not as though I have a familye to spend time with."
Sarah looked at the man’s face. She couldn’t speak for her mother; if the man wanted to do things that way, who was she to tell him otherwise? "Come inside and see the rest of the haus. You might change your mind.”
“After you.”
Sarah led the way inside.
Holding a notebook and pen in one hand, Isaac took his hat off with the other hand and placed it on the table inside the door. "She never had people inside the house, she told me, and now I can see why," Isaac said as he stood in the center of the house looking around.
"I left it too long to visit her. I should’ve come more often. It was hard though, with my husband being ill for so long."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he’s better now."
"He's… " Sarah didn't finish her words because Isaac King wasn't really listening; he was already walking into the kitchen, alternately looking up at the ceiling and the cabinets, and jotting on his notepad.
He swung around and stared at her. "If Ruth had said the word, the community would've come and fixed the place for her. No one should live in a state like this."
She looked at the floor, embarrassed that her mother had been living in a house in such ill repair.
Sarah continued to follow Isaac around the house as he made notes. When he was done, he stood at the foot of the stairs.
"How long did you say you’re staying here?"
"I'll stay here until the work is finished."
He scratched his head. "I hope you're prepared for a long stay."
"I am. My mudder is at home looking after things. I'm able to stay until the work is done and to do anything that you need me to do to help."
"That's good." He nodded. "Now I’ll go away and work out some estimates for materials. And I’ll work out how long everything might take so you’ll be able to let your husband know how long you’ll be here for.”
"Nee, I don't…" She didn't finish her sentence because, once again, the man wasn't listening; he was concentrating on his notes. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Isaac?"
"Could I be rude and ask for a cup of kaffe?"
Sarah laughed. "That's not rude at all. I'll fix you one."
* * *
Sarah sipped her tea and looked across at the handsome stranger with the green twinkling eyes. "Can I ask you something, Isaac?"
"Of course, ask away."
"Why do you have so many pies at your haus when you don’t like them?"
He burst out laughing and then stopped abruptly. “That’s a very gut question. My wife, Veronica, died two years ago. I guess now some women think enough time has passed for me to get married again and that's where all the pies are coming from."
"From women who want to capture your heart?"
"That's one way to put it."
"I'm sorry to hear about your fraa. It's never easy when someone close to you dies."
"Jah. Your vadder died not long ago."
"A few years, and it’s still not easy. People who leave us go to a better place, but that doesn't make it easier for those who are left behind with holes in their hearts."
"Exactly, Sarah. And a place that can never be filled by another. Your mudder knows that pain, perhaps that’s why we connect on some level."
"Can I ask how your wife died? She must've been fairly young."
* * *
Isaac looked into the dark reflections of his coffee, thinking about Veronica and how he missed her laugh and her liveliness. She’d lit up his life like a beacon and without her; he seemed to be living life in the shadows. The stream of women vying for his affections had only increased the pain in his heart.
The Middle-Aged Amish Widow Page 2
