The Christmas Remedy

by Cindy Woodsmall

  “Wait, wait, wait. You’re breaking up with me?” She was almost yelling by the end of the question.

  What does that mean? “Is this a big shock? We haven’t been connecting for months, even before I left for Raysburg.”

  “You don’t understand.” She made a sound that signaled frustration. “I’ve been the patient one.”

  “Patient?”

  “Yeah, patient. You never have money or time for us to enjoy life, but I knew you’d have both within a few months. And you seemed to be a good friend. You actually care about others, unlike most people I know. But apparently not about me. Now I’ve wasted so much time waiting, and for what? To be dumped right before you get your license?”

  Brandon recoiled from the phone. He didn’t expect her reaction to be happy, but this wasn’t what he expected. “I wasn’t thinking of it that way. I’m sorry. I never asked you to waste your time. But maybe if we were good together, you wouldn’t think of it as a waste.”

  “You really don’t get it.”

  Was their entire relationship some sort of exercise in patience for her rather than the partnership he’d thought they had? “Can you help me understand?”

  “Seriously? If I have to explain further, then there’s no hope. I guess you made the right call.”

  They were both quiet for a moment, the silence weighing as heavy as the thick snow that would soon blanket their state. He couldn’t even ask to retain her friendship after a conversation like this. Not right now.

  “Mila—”

  “There’s really nothing more to say. Goodbye, Brandon. I would tell you, ‘I hope you enjoy your life,’ but I really don’t mean that right now.”

  “Fair enough.” The phone beeped as she hung up on him.

  Brandon took a deep breath, running his hand through his short hair. He sank back down on the bench. Breaking up was the right thing to do, even though it currently felt horrible.

  From: store7006@bbdrugs.com

  To: mikeprice@bbdrugs.com

  Subject: re: Possible Acquisition

  November 14, 2017

  It seems that Lyle Greene is still in a bind with the pending charges he will face from the PA State Board of Pharmacy, and perhaps that’ll be the push he needs to sell. As soon as the December board meeting is over, we should move to make him an offer. Depending on the consequences he faces, he might owe a decent amount of money. Besides, the deal we can make him will give him some funds to put down for retirement. It will be the best option for him, and he will have to take it.

  Standing on a stepladder inside the storefront window, Holly tapped another tiny nail into the soft wood. There was plenty of room at the front of Greene’s to decorate. It was a corner store with beautiful bay windows facing each street. Ivy followed her on a separate ladder hanging tinsel and a garland. Since the store was decorated each year, it seemed that it would at least have the nails in the right place for hanging trimmings, but that was never the case, because Ivy changed the displays every year.

  Her sister hummed “Deck the Halls.”

  Holly would love to feel one smidgen as happy about life as Ivy did. If the whole issue of liking Josh wasn’t painful enough, she ached with embarrassment for trying to sneakily set him up with Ivy. Why would she think doing something like that was okay? How had she fooled herself into believing she wouldn’t mind if Josh liked Ivy more than her?

  What had started as Ivy quietly humming had now progressed to singing, and she wasn’t being all that reserved about it.

  “Must you?” Holly really needed some peace and quiet. Her misery seemed to need unhindered time to contemplate.

  “Yes, I must,” Ivy managed to reply to Holly between verses and didn’t miss a beat of the song. No one loved Christmas the way Ivy did.

  Each year since Lyle’s wife, Beverly, died, Ivy was responsible for decorating the store for holidays. Ivy and Holly had arrived at Greene’s two hours before its ten o’clock opening, and it was now approaching ten. Surely Ivy was almost finished, although there were two more large and suspicious boxes that she had pulled from storage. Holly had no clue of their contents.

  “Are we about done here?” She needed to get in her rig soon and head for the Miller family reunion. Hopefully, Sam Miller would be there.

  “Done? Ha. All we’ve put up is one animatronic snowman, a puffy snow scene in the window, jingle bells around the door, and this tinsel stuff.”

  “And the Christmas tree.”

  “And the Christmas tree,” Ivy agreed. “Too bad we can’t have one in our home. Although I suppose it makes it more special for us and other Amish to visit here.”

  Holly glanced at the tree in question. It was a live Canaan fir, grown at a local Christmas tree farm, and they had decorated it with beautiful handmade ornaments, most of them gifts from Lyle’s patients over the years. It had already given the pharmacy a wonderful piney smell, which mingled with the cinnamon scent from the straw broom Ivy had placed in the snowman’s stick hands.

  “You aren’t the first Amish kid to want a tree in the house, but I think it’s nice not to have distractions in our home—just a focus on Christ’s birth. But I do love your annual Christmas window here at Greene’s.”

  “I hope you find your patient today.” After securing the ends of the garland, Ivy climbed down and folded her ladder.

  “I really hope so too. It’ll be a little awkward showing up at a family reunion that isn’t my family.” Holly stepped off her ladder and moved it and Ivy’s aside to be put in the storage room later.

  “Wasn’t Josh going with you?”

  “That was our original plan before I played matchmaker.”

  “Ya, that was a brilliant plan. But I was pleasantly surprised when he agreed to participate in the Christmas caroling without you. I think he just likes music. And he wanted to follow through with the commitment. Look how much he has already put into helping you find this Sam Miller. He’s a good one, Holly.”

  “He is.” Holly looked at the ground. She’d known that about Josh not long after meeting him. He was a great guy, but that didn’t change that she wasn’t available. Keys jingled as the back door opened, and Holly knew Todd had arrived. He would go to his station to start filling scripts without interrupting them.

  Ivy tucked the remaining tinsel inside its box. “What gave you that crazy idea to attempt to romantically set up him and me? A blind man could see that you are the one he likes.”

  “Look, Ivy, you know what’s going on here.” Holly spoke quietly, hoping Todd didn’t overhear them. “I can never marry, so why waste his time dating?”

  Ivy put a hand on Holly’s arm and waited until their eyes met. “You know that Daed wouldn’t want you to give up your life, right? You don’t have to give up your own happiness in order to help our people get medicine. Besides, as much as I believe in your cause, you have to accept that with or without you enlightening and prodding them, people have a responsibility to pay attention to the pain in their bodies, listen to the doctor, and take the medicine prescribed. Our people need what you’re doing. We do. But you can’t take so much responsibility to get the message out that you sacrifice your whole life.”

  Holly rearranged a nativity set in the bay window. “But you know what would be expected of me if I were to marry. The Amish expect marriage and children to take up a woman’s whole life.”

  Ivy shrugged. “The Amish as a whole didn’t approve of you becoming a GED-educated pharmacy tech either, but you are one, and you have our bishop’s approval. And now you’re studying for the entrance exam to nursing school. When you get in, you’ll earn your LPN degree—with his blessing.”

  “Ya.” Holly held the small manger, cleaning dust off baby Jesus’s face. “But when the bishop agreed to my getting my GED and going to nursing school if I could pass the exam, he was very clear about hi
s expectations and my future.” Holly set the manger back in place.

  “Our bishop is a good man, and good men listen to reason and change their stance. He won’t change it today, and maybe not even in a year. But I believe you can win him over. So tell me again, who says you and Josh can’t live your lives in your own way? A way that both respects our Amish faith and allows you to follow your God-given mission.”

  “It’s not—” Holly shook her head. “It’s not that easy.”

  “Of course it won’t be easy. All valuable things take work, like your GED and convincing the Amish of the importance of medicine. If anyone knows how to focus on what has value and to be patient with the Amish ways while working with and around them, it’s you. And that’s all I’ve got.” Ivy hugged her.

  Holly closed her eyes as they embraced. Was Ivy right? Her sister had planted hope, but even so, Holly knew Amish tradition wasn’t the only brick wall that stood firm. Still…“How did you get to be so smart?”

  Ivy squeezed her tight. “By taking lessons from you.”

  As Holly pulled away, she looked up and noticed the time on the wall clock. “Oh, rats! It’s already three minutes after ten o’clock, and I haven’t unlocked the doors.”

  “You better get to the reunion.” Ivy grabbed Holly’s coat off a box. “I’ll remind Todd you’re off this morning. Come by the store and see my finished creation later.” Ivy winked at her.

  Holly took her coat. She flipped the sign on the door so Open was facing out and then fiddled with the old lock. It clicked, and she exited the store. The mid-November wind sent a chill through her, and she put on her coat and looked around her side in search of the belt to tie it.

  “Oof.” She had run into something—or rather someone, tall and warm.

  Strong hands steadied her as she looked up into the brown eyes of Josh. What was he doing here? His smile was faint, but she supposed any smile was a good sign.

  “I thought you didn’t run late?”

  She backed up, totally unprepared to see him. “Only when you show up apparently.” Was Ivy truly correct? Would a life with him be possible? Would he even be interested after all she’d put him through?

  “I looked in the store window, and since you seemed to be finishing some major decorating project, I was waiting out here. Ready to go to the Millers’ anniversary party?”

  “Go to the…” Who was this true to their word? “You…don’t mind going with me? Even after what happened Sunday?”

  He stared at her. “I told you I’d help, and I’m going to follow through.”

  A cold shiver of guilt ran through her while embarrassment burned the back of her neck and cheeks. “I’m sorry, Josh. I really am. It was foolish and pushy to try to set you up with Ivy.”

  “Apology accepted.” His warm eyes seemed to embrace her—the parts of her he understood as well as the ones he didn’t. “Other than inviting me to go to the caroling practice Sunday, you’ve been very up-front in your stance about not dating. I’ve decided I’m fine respecting that and just being a friend.”

  His casual mannerisms seemed to confirm that he’d reevaluated her and dating her was no longer on his list. That was a good thing. So why did it hurt?

  “Josh.” She paused, unsure if she should say the rest of the sentence. “If I were ever willing to date or marry, you would be the reason.”

  He angled his head, looking taken aback. A few moments later he smiled. “I’m willing to be comfortable with that if you are.”

  Wow. How was it possible she’d found someone so open and agreeable? “I am.”

  He smiled. “About time you were agreeable to something.” He gestured toward a car. “It’s a long way to the Miller party by horse and carriage. My plan is better. Okay?”

  * * *

  When the driver stopped the car in the driveway of the Miller anniversary party, Joshua got out of the back seat. Holly slid across the seat and followed him. The place was a sea of tethered horses and parked buggies. All these rigs for one couple’s seventy-fifth anniversary? But if his own parents had a gathering like this one day, he suspected it would be the same.

  “You wanted Millers. I found you some Millers.” Joshua gestured at the large number of rigs.

  Holly smiled. “I actually just need a particular one if you can work that miracle.”

  “That I’m still working on.”

  It was good they could still laugh together. He’d been so angry after she left the singing Sunday evening. A week of working with his chickens had lessened his temper but not his disappointment. Still, even time with Holly as friends was better than no time at all.

  They walked into a large building that Joshua knew was used for timber framing. Lots of men, most bearing some similar familial features, were chatting quietly, while women were setting the large table for a meal. Children were helping their mothers with the table, and a few were gathered around the elderly couple seated at the head of the table. That had to be Noah and Rachel.

  “Good morning.” He paused near one of the groups closest to him. “I’m Joshua Smucker, and this is Holly Zook.”

  The three men and two women greeted them warmly and soon were talking with them about chicken farming and Joshua’s and Holly’s relatives that they knew. Joshua let the chatter go on for a bit before he shifted the focus. “The reason we’re here is I spoke to Simon Miller at a fall festival last week, and he invited me to come here because we’re trying to find a Sam Miller. My friend Holly needs to talk to him.”

  One of the older men wearing a hat gave a short laugh. “My name is Sam Miller.”

  Joshua glanced at Holly. She shook her head, indicating this wasn’t the man she had seen on the tape.

  “Good to meet you.” Joshua shook his hand. “But we’re looking for a Sam Miller who went to Greene’s Pharmacy in Raysburg in October.”

  One of the men near Joshua called out to another man. “Hey, Sam. You been to Greene’s Pharmacy lately?”

  The man shook his head. “Nee.”

  A few more men came to see what the conversation was about. Joshua explained the situation again.

  “Excuse me. I may be able to help you.” A middle-aged man stepped around his family members to stand in front of Joshua and Holly. “You said Sam Miller who went to a pharmacy in Raysburg?”

  “Ya,” Holly confirmed. Joshua could hear the excitement rising in her voice.

  “My cousin Sam Miller and I were in Raysburg back in October, the weekend of the fourteenth and fifteenth.”

  “Is he here today?” Joshua asked. Maybe, just maybe, they could catch a break.

  “Afraid not. He sent his regards to Noah and Rachel, but he’s working today, trying to catch up with all the orders before their shop closes for Thanksgiving. Sometimes I contract to work with him when he gets too busy. Come to think of it, he did mention needing to go to a pharmacy while we were there. He needed to get some medicine. Something about his heart, and it couldn’t wait.”

  Holly was grinning as if they had won a prize. “That must be him! Can you give us his cell phone number?”

  The man’s eyes widened. “He has a new cell number, and all I have is his old number. He’d had his former number a long time, but for some reason about six weeks back, he started getting a bazillion weird calls a day. He said it was as if someone used his number to start an illicit business or something. I can give you the old number I have for him.”

  “I have the old one, but denki.” Holly shifted her weight from one foot to another. This had to be frustrating for her to get so close to having the man’s number but it to remain just out of reach. “What you said could explain why we haven’t been able to reach him by the number he had on file. What about a current address?”

  “ ’Fraid he has a few addresses he stays at.”

  “A few?” Holly’s voice rose
in pitch.

  “He’s single and works at several locations. He usually stays with Amish friends and family when on the road. He’s a certified housing inspector for new construction. He’s one of the few Amish who can do that job because he studied electric wiring. You know what? I’ve got his boss’s phone number and an address where he’ll be working the week after Thanksgiving. But it’s a pretty long ways from here. You got a pen?”

  “Ya, I do.” Joshua pulled it from his pocket along with his pad of paper. “Go ahead.”

  After the man gave him the address, Joshua reached out to shake his hand. “Denki, this is very helpful.”

  “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Holly’s blue eyes were sparkling.

  Joshua smiled, but he felt torn. He was thrilled for her breakthrough. But that also meant the time was coming soon when he wouldn’t have an excuse to see her.

  He really was his own worst enemy.

  Voices from outside the tiny office space in the storage room were dull and soft, and Brandon found them easy to tune out. Six days ago Holly was given an address that should lead to the right Sam Miller, but only time would tell. Brandon tapped his fingers impatiently on his laptop as he waited for the high-definition videos to download from the flash drive. He glanced at the closed door and wondered if he should have invited his dad or Holly to see this new security footage. But Dad felt so guilty about his memory problems, and Brandon didn’t want to remind him by showing footage of the day he lost unless Brandon discovered a real lead.

  About an hour ago Brandon had signed for a confidential package from MediSecure, a remote security company. He’d wanted to open the package right then, but he’d steadied his emotions and completed his normal pharmacy tasks. Then he had ducked into this private room so he could watch the footage away from everyone else.

  After what felt like hours, the videos finished saving to his computer. He opened the file from Sunday, October fifteenth, and hit Play and then went to double speed to watch it faster. When the one Amish customer of the day came into view, Brandon paused the video. The view was from a different angle than they’d previously seen, but it didn’t tell him anything more than what they already knew about Sam Miller.