by Beth Shriver
Mose stared at Gideon. Maybe he was being too forward to make such an offer, but with her daed ill it gave Gideon the leeway he needed. “With your daed’s permission, of course.”
Rachel stood. “If I could leave my brothers alone for any length of time, I would come. You know how helpless they are without me. But I’ll come by to check on you. As a matter of fact, I should start making the evening meal. But I’ll come over and check on you later, Elsie.”
“Don’t worry about me. But it would be nice to have your company. Too many thoughts go through my head if I’m not visiting or working.” Elsie hugged her friend, and they went to the door.
Mose stood too and walked toward Gideon as the others made their way out. “Do you feel it’s proper to be with Elsie alone?”
“There are certain circumstances that require someone to be with her, even more so with her parents being away.”
Mose kept his stare.
“I’ll let you know what that is after I talk with Elsie about it.” With that Gideon took a step toward the back door, but Mose caught his arm.
“I’m not sure what’s going on exactly, but as far as I know, Elsie can make up her own mind about what needs to be done and who she should have with her.” Mose stood almost equal to Gideon’s height, and there was a certain defensiveness he showed more than just Gideon.
“Let’s not make this about you and me. Let’s think of what’s best for Elsie.” Gideon felt it was a good time to walk away before the conversation became heated.
“Do you plan to court Elsie?” Mose spoke loud enough for Rachel and Elsie to look over at him.
Gideon smiled at them and turned to Mose, speaking as quietly as he could, “My intentions are not clear right now. I doubt yours are either.”
“Jah, they are. To help the Yoders with the problems at hand. Anything else can wait.” Mose put on his straw hat and pushed past Gideon.
Gideon watched him walk away, tipping his hat to Rachel and Elsie, and then walk out the door. He felt small after hearing Mose’s response, but he couldn’t seem to keep his feelings for Elsie out of the way when making decisions. When he had the opportunity to talk with Elsie’s daed, he would ask him what he wanted done. But that would mean telling him about the English men whether Elsie wanted him to or not.
Chapter Sixteen
ELSIE LOOKED HIGH and low for her two brothers. She checked every room in the haus, but there was no sign of them. After making their beds, sweeping, collecting eggs, feeding the livestock, and milking with Timothy, the boys had been dragging during breakfast.
She had excused them from the table and told them to rest until midday when she had lunch ready and the afternoon chores would need to be done. They usually had at least one if not more of their neighbors come to help out, but this morning only her one-legged neighbor came by, and he talked more than he worked. But she didn’t mind; his stories were always a good distraction and made the chores go by quicker.
Once he left, Elsie went to Daed’s woodworking area in the back of the barn. It was quiet now, no tapping of a hammer or sounds of a saw. She swept up the wood shavings and put some tools away. Just being in this room made her feel a little closer to him.
After making a complete circle around the house, she went outside to search. How she wished she had someone to help her figure out where they could be. She tried to think like two five-year-old boys, but she’d run out of ideas. There was no noise in the barn once the milk cows had all been turned out. The horses were grazing in the pasture, pigs were squealing over their slop, and the chicks the boys became fond of were quiet in their nest.
“Elsie.” Gideon’s voice created a rush of relief. Even though he’d done nothing yet and only said one word, Elsie knew she had the help she needed.
“Thank goodness you’re here. I can’t find the boys. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of, both inside and out, but—”
Gideon took her hands in his. “Slow down. You haven’t looked everywhere or you would have found them. You searched thoroughly in the house?”
“Jah, and I’ve been searching around the barnyard and can’t think of where they could be out here that I wouldn’t hear them.
We’ve finished the morning chores, so they’d be playing . . . or sleeping. They were really worn out this morning after milking.”
“Hmm, I have a thought. Come with me.” He went over to the side of the barn where the large tree with the nest of chicks stood tall.
“I already checked there.” Elsie felt an urgency that was making her inpatient. She wanted Gideon to fix this. That’s what he did for goodness’ sake; he was a fixer. He turned and headed to the tall barn doors and opened one side.
“We were in here right before breakfast. They wouldn’t be in here; the milking is done.” She was so sure that she didn’t follow him into the barn to where the stalls were.
He walked to the farthest stall next to the open back barn door overlooking the back pastures and then stopped. Elsie quickly came up to stand beside him in the stall. She was so relieved she almost wept. Adam, Aaron, and the foal were asleep lying in a fresh bed of straw. The boys’ soiled clothes and dirty faces were a sight, but their heavy eyelids and breathing showed how content they were. The brown foal rested right next to them on the soft, yellow, straw bedding.
The mare turned to Gideon and Elsie with a stance of protection over the three little bodies in her care. “It’s okay, girl.” Gideon stroked her strong thigh, and she gave him a soft whinny in return. Her stare focusing out the window was a perfect example of a mamm’s sacrifice for her young. Elsie would remember to let her out for a good romp around the pasture after the little ones woke up.
“They seem so comfortable it makes me want to lie right down there with them.” He looked over at Elsie. “You can breathe now.” His smile lit up his handsome face.
She laughed giddily and thanked him. “They do seem to be content, all three of them.” They both watched the boys and their equine friend in their peaceful slumber for a moment until Gideon motioned for her to step outside with him.
“How did you think of them being in there?” Elsie kicked her-self for not checking the barn.
“I bonded with a premature colt that required a lot of attention when I was young. He needed milk every couple hours a day, couldn’t take large amounts at a time.” He turned away in thought, as if he was there again. “That little fella followed me around every chance he got.”
“What happened to him?”
“He was a hardworking horse, and my dead was offered a good deal of money from an Englisher for him. I cried like a baby, so Daed made a compromise, that he’d sell him to someone in the community so I could still see him every now and then.”
“And did you?”
“For a while, until I became interested in other things.” He shook his head fondly. “I can remember sleeping with him like those two are; that’s what made me think of it.”
“Danke, Gideon. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.” And she didn’t want to find out. She was grateful to have Gideon there with her.
“You don’t need to thank me.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “Did Katie ever call back?”
Her head lifted, and she took a quick glance at him. “Nee, she hasn’t.” There was a long pause. She had nothing more to say. The only way to deal with the pain was to try not to think of her. She didn’t exist in Elsie’s world any longer. That’s the only way she could deal with the rejection.
“Did you tell your daed and mamm that you called her?” He looked up into the sun and held up a hand to block the bright rays.
“I didn’t see any reason unless she called me.” As much as Elsie wanted Katie to call, there was a part of her that didn’t. There were too many things that may have happened that she didn’t want to know. It wouldn’t be the same as before she left.
He nodded and then zeroed in on the fence line. “What needs to be done?”
“Everything
is taken care of. A lot of people have come to help, and Will has been doing most of the work that daed usually does. And we have more food than we can eat in a month.”
“I’d like to tackle that torn-up fence. It’s only a matter of time before it breaks completely.” He looked toward the toolshed. “Can I grab a hammer and some nails?”
“Help yourself. I’ll start on lunch.” She would rather be helping him patch up that fence. If Mamm were here, she would be able to. Elsie was appreciative of all that her parents did to keep the farm running and hoped they’d be back soon. Help from the community was more than they needed, as usual for their people, but Elsie wanted her family back together.
Elsie had almost reached the door when Gideon spoke. “If you can’t find me later, you know where I’ll be.” He grinned and pointed to the barn.
She turned around and laughed. “Not you too?” She teased and pushed open the screen door. It closed with a slap, and Elsie found herself in the kitchen, alone. How she missed the time when it was Katie and Mamm with her, all cooking, cleaning, and doing the work together. This was the first time she didn’t have someone with her.
A sense of loneliness came over her, and her tears welled again. She willed them away and got to work. That was the best medicine, as her mammi used to say. With that thought she missed her mammi now too. She only had one set of living grandparents and felt deprived because of it.
Elsie decided on chicken potpie and got to work. She had just gotten the meat out to slice when she heard a knock at the door. Most hollered and walked in, with a few exceptions, so Elsie was curious as to who it was. She wiped her hands with a towel and went to the back door. “Ruby!” She couldn’t hold back her surprise.
“I came by to give the boys the pie they liked the other day.” She held a basket with a cloth covering the pastry.
“It smells wonderful. The boys will be thrilled.” They went into the kitchen together, and Elsie instantly felt better to have Ruby with her. “I’m making chicken potpies. Would you like to make the crust?”
Ruby’s eyes lit up. “Well . . . sure.”
The time went much faster once she focused on cooking and not on how she was feeling every minute. While making the crust, Ruby watched and learned how Elsie made the chicken potpies. When they were in the oven, they warmed one of the loaves of bread Beverly Zook brought them and set the table.
The back door opened, and in came Aaron and Adam. Adam had a few pieces of hay still stuck in his hair, so she sent him back outside with his brother to clean each other off. “Are you two hungry?”
“Starving.” Aaron sat at the table, with Adam close behind. “Ruby made you some peach pie.”
Adam and Aaron looked at each other and then at the napkin covering the pie. “Hurry up and eat,” Aaron told his brother. Ruby and Elsie chuckled, and then Elsie got serious.
“You two scared the life out of me. I didn’t have any idea where you went to. If it wasn’t for Gideon, I don’t know when I would have found you.”
“Gideon’s here?” Adam’s eyes widened, as did Aaron’s.
“Jah, he’s working on the fence line.”
Aaron jumped off his chair and ran out the back door. Adam stared at the pie on the counter and then the back door, debating. Then he took off after his brother.
Elsie was about to holler at them to come back but decided their stomachs would bring them home. Not much later all three of them walked in together.
“Ruby, the boys said you were here. More importantly, that your pie was here.” The boys started for the table, but Gideon put up his hand. “Wash up first.”
It was nice to have someone helping her with the boys. They were so young and full of energy that they made her tired. She wondered how her mamm did such a good job and seemed to have energy to spare. “I’m so glad you came over today, Ruby.”
“I didn’t mind the work. It’s good to stay busy.” She folded the napkin and took the basket she brought the pie in. “I should go. Will’s probably getting hungry. But danke for showing me how to make those chicken pies. Will is going to be surprised.”
“Take one with you. We made extras.” Elsie took one off the counter that was ready to go in the cooler and placed it in Ruby’s basket.
“Danke, Elsie.”
Elsie couldn’t have been happier to have spent time with her sister-in-law. She and her mamm could cook a meal with little instruction, but with Ruby there was a lot of interaction, which was a nice change. Maybe it was because of them being close in age . . . like a sister.
The boys dove into the chicken pies, and Gideon had another. Elsie decided to cook this time instead of heating up one of the meals from her neighbors because he was there. He didn’t let her down and raved about the food. The boys finished quickly but stayed at the table until Gideon stood. “I’m almost done with one section but then found another, so I’ll be awhile.”
“Do you have the time, Gideon? If not, I understand.”
He wiped his lips with a napkin and plopped it on his plate. “I wouldn’t want to see that little foal get through that fence. I’ll feel better if I know he’s safe.”
The boys went with him to “help,” and Elsie cleaned up after the meal. She had made three extra chicken potpies, so she thought she’d deliver one to a family in the community whose mamm was ill. But that would wait until Daed and Mamm would be home and the boys could stay home with them.
Elsie took a break once the kitchen was spotless. She thought she’d take the boys a snack of baked pretzels and iced tea. Then it would be about the time the doctor would call or Mamm would come home for a while. Each day she hoped the news would be that Daed was coming home. Three nights had passed, and Elsie began to worry there was something she wasn’t being told. The daily report had always been positive, but if so, why wasn’t he released from the hospital?
Adam ran to her when he noticed the food and drinks. “Thanks, Elsie.” He started to grab for a snack, but she stopped him.
“Guests first, Adam.”
He frowned and walked back to the others with her. “Now?”
She nodded, and he handed Gideon and Aaron a pretzel, and then to her delighted surprise he handed one to her before taking one for himself. She loved his big heart and accepted his gesture.
They had just settled in when Rachel rode up the driveway on her favorite horse, Charles. Elsie waved with apprehension, wishing Rachel would kick her lazy horse into action.
“Afternoon, Rachel.” Elsie tried to hold herself back from rushing their greetings, but it didn’t last long. “Do you have news?”
“Jah, the doctor said there was an infection, so they are keeping him longer until it’s gone. They say he should come home soon.”
That wasn’t what Elsie wanted to hear. She wanted him home now, but at least he was healing. “So he’s okay?”
“The doctor said it’s better to have him heal in the hospital. They say the Amish go back to work too soon.” She smiled, and Elsie didn’t know if she was just trying to make her feel better or if that was true.
As Elsie pulled away, she noticed Gideon staring at the road. She turned to see Mose driving a horse with the wagon her daed wanted repaired. Elsie had almost forgotten about it, but she knew her daed would appreciate getting it back. But the timing couldn’t be worse. There was an ever-heightening tension whenever the two young men were together, making Elsie more than uncomfortable.
Rachel seemed to notice as well and shifted her weight from one foot to the next as Mose walked up. His confident ways always made him appear he was in control of any situation. Gideon had confidence as well, but in a more humble way.
“Afternoon, Mose.”
He nodded to Gideon and smiled at Rachel. “Elsie, tell your daed I’m sorry it took me so long to get this trailer back to him. There was a few other things wrong with it, and I had to go into town to get a couple parts.” He pointed to the trailer and cringed. “This is an old wagon, hard to find parts for it.�
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“Danke, Mose. I’m sure daed will appreciate all the effort you went to.”
He shook his head. “I feel badly I didn’t get it back to him sooner.”
“He’ll get payment to you when he gets to feeling better.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the least I can do with him laid up and all.” Mose stuck his hands in his pockets and sheepishly smiled. It was one of the few times she’d seen him so humble. She couldn’t help but find that attractive in him.
“Well, that’s awful kind of you. I’m sure he’ll want to thank you in person, but right now Mamm has him stuck in bed until he’s healed.”
“When will that be? Do you know yet?”
“Mamm said when the doctor says so and not a day before.”
Gideon hadn’t said a word, just fiddled with the tool in his hand as if waiting for Mose to go. “Thanks for dropping off the wagon, Mose.”
Elsie let out a breath, glad he’d finally spoken. It was almost rude the way he was acting. It made Elsie wonder what was between them. But by the way they looked at each other and then at her, Elsie was pretty sure what she suspected was true.
Chapter Seventeen
ELSIE PLACED A cup of tea on the tray along with a bowl of Rich Man’s Rivvel soup that consisted of chicken broth, corn, flour, eggs, and a dash of salt. She tried to balance the tray so the soup didn’t spill as she went up the creaky stairs. She usually looked forward to the outing, but today she wasn’t. Those young men surely lived in town, but were they bold enough to cause a scene in public? She didn’t think there was anything they wouldn’t do. Had the people in town heard of the things they’d done? The police became involved when the wheat field caught on fire, but that was the only time the people in town were involved. They would never know if it was deliberate now that the field had been tilled and reseeded.
Her daed’s head hung to the side, and he softly snored as he slept in his double-sized birchwood bed. She hated to wake him, but he needed to eat, and the soup would go down easy.
