Where Healing Blooms

by Vannetta Chapman

  “Slow down a minute.” Emma reached for the strings of her prayer kapp and ran her fingers from top to bottom. The familiar gesture calmed her jumpy nerves. “He worked in the service, versus going to war—”

  “Or to jail.” Danny’s eyebrow arched when she glanced over at him.

  “Eldon was assigned to a wildlife camp, tending quail that would later be released in state parks. That was the first year. The second year he worked at a tree farm.”

  “I didn’t think they were paid for their service.” Danny finally reached for a cookie, but he didn’t eat it, opting instead to break it into pieces on his plate.

  “They weren’t. Many families struggled because of this, but Jeremiah, Eldon’s father, was always looking for an opportunity to better the farm. During the Great Depression, Jeremiah had planted large fields of mint.”

  “It was quite the cash crop during the 1930s.”

  “And continued to be for many years. By the time Eldon had left for the CPS camp, Jeremiah was still making a good profit from the crop. Companies used it to make toothpaste, gum, candy, even food flavoring. We conserved our resources, as everyone did during the war, even though we were doing well with the crops. When Eldon returned from the CPS camp, his father gave him one-third of the profits from those years.”

  “One-third because—”

  “Because there were three brothers. All had served in various camps. Jeremiah thought they could use the money to get started with their families, once they returned.”

  “So why didn’t you use it?”

  “Eldon and I didn’t need the money to start a home. We stayed here, stayed with his parents. He was the oldest, and it was his responsibility. He told me a few weeks after he returned that he didn’t mind serving in the CPS. He missed me and his parents, but he was convinced Gotte used that time away from home to mature him. However, he also felt the money from his father was tainted somehow. He was adamant that he didn’t want to begin our life together with proceeds made during the war.”

  “So you buried the money?” The story made no sense to Emma. Who buried money and left it for nearly seventy years?

  “Ya. We buried it beneath the bench—”

  “And near the mint.” Danny wore a satisfied expression, as if he’d successfully solved a mystery.

  “We didn’t want to forget where it was, and we knew that sometimes old people have memory problems.”

  The clock on the wall ticked as Emma considered all Mary Ann had said. Danny finally began to eat his crumbled gingersnap, then reached for another.

  Emma stared at the stack of bills in the box, which now sat in the middle of the kitchen table. “This is a lot of money, Mamm. All of it came from a mint crop?”

  “Nein. You will also find war bonds in the stack.”

  “War bonds?” She was beginning to feel dizzy.

  “Everyone was encouraged to buy war bonds in those days. The local Mennonite community helped us to choose which bonds were not specifically used for war purposes. That way we could help our neighbors but not betray our convictions.”

  Emma reached forward and flipped through the stack. Finding one of the war bonds, she pulled it out and placed it on the table. “Why didn’t you cash them in?”

  Mamm smiled and sipped her tea.

  Danny offered an explanation. “War bonds were given a ten-year extension, up to forty years.”

  “Can these still be cashed?”

  “Sure. I met a man in Pennsylvania who would take some into his bank once a year. He used it to pay the taxes on his land. A twenty-five dollar bond issued during World War II is worth approximately one hundred dollars today.”

  “But these are hundred-dollar bonds—”

  “We had no children when Eldon left.” Mamm stared out the kitchen window. “At first the days seemed so long. Then I began to work in the garden and to sew. I sold the handmade items and canned goods at the local mercantile, and I used the money to buy the bonds.”

  Emma sipped her tea and tried to process all she was hearing.

  “When Eldon returned, we placed the bonds in the box, added Jeremiah’s money, and buried it in the garden.”

  “And you were never tempted to dig it up?”

  “Gotte has provided all these years.” Mamm sat back and sipped her tea.

  Emma stared at Danny, but he said nothing, content to smile back at her. This wasn’t his family history that had been dug up, but something made her think that it involved him. After all, Mary Ann had chosen to reveal her secret when Danny was present. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

  Closing her eyes, she pulled in a deep breath. Then she opened her eyes, sat up straighter, and asked the question that had bothered her since Danny’s shovel struck metal.

  “Why now?”

  “I have a feeling you and Danny are going to need it.”

  Emma nearly choked on the sip of tea she’d taken. “Me and Danny?”

  “Ya.”

  Danny’s grin widened and Emma’s cheeks warmed to the color of the red roses yet to bloom in the garden.

  “Mamm, why would we . . . Danny and I aren’t . . . That is . . .”

  Stuffing an entire gingersnap into his mouth, Danny didn’t help her out at all.

  “The Lord is calling you, calling both of you.” Now Mary Ann leaned forward and pinned Emma and Danny with her gaze. “He’s doing something important on this little piece of land, and you two are going to be in charge of it.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Can’t you see? Gotte brought Danny home. He brought Joseph to us. And soon there will be others. The money has been cleansed by nearly seventy years of rain and sunshine. Now it’s time for you to use what we have to bless others.”

  It occurred to Emma at that moment that perhaps Mary Ann did have a concussion, but her eyes were clear and a smile continued to play across her lips. The money on the table was certainly real, though Emma had no idea how much it totaled.

  “Don’t worry.” Mary Ann reached forward and patted her hand.

  “But I don’t understand what—”

  “You don’t need to. Gotte will provide the answers and the direction you need.”

  With that, she stood, waving away their offer to help. Leaning on her cane, she stumped down the hall to her new bedroom.

  Danny and Emma stared at each other for one minute, then two. Finally he cleared his throat. “She’s something else, Mary Ann is.”

  “I think maybe my mamm has misunderstood our relationship.”

  “Maybe.” He smiled down into his mug of hot tea. “And maybe not.”

  Emma didn’t know what to say to that, so she remained silent.

  What was the money for?

  What were they to do with it?

  Had it actually been buried in the garden since the 1940s?

  Danny seemed in no hurry to go, and Shadow was still in the barn with Joseph.

  Unable to resist, she pulled the bundle toward her and ran her fingers along the time-worn string that bound it.

  “Want to help me count?” She suddenly felt emboldened. They had never been poor. Even since Ben had died, they’d been able to meet their financial needs with what was saved.

  But this?

  With this stack of money they had different options available to them. They could use it to help other people. She wondered if Ben had known. What would he have advised her to do? Then she looked up at Danny, and somehow knew he understood what she was thinking.

  He reached over and squeezed her hand.

  Together, they cut the string surrounding the bills and began to count.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Later that evening after dinner, Emma carried fresh sheets and blankets out to Joseph.

  He’d pulled down an old cot from the attic and set it up in the corner of Ben’s office, which was now quite clean. It still smelled of horses and hay and tackle, but the room was warmer than the stall. He wouldn’t need a heater, and she was thankful for
that. Heaters in barns worried her. On any farm, fire was a constant fear.

  She would rather have him in the house, but Joseph seemed to still need his space. Perhaps a little privacy would allow him to work through the things that still haunted him. Perhaps in the barn, among the animals he obviously loved, he could once again find Gotte’s wille for his life.

  Joseph helped her with making his bed. As they worked, he talked about Shadow and Danny and how he’d like to learn to train dogs. Maybe one day, he would have a place where he could raise litters, train them, and then sell the pups to good homes.

  It was the most she’d heard him say.

  Perhaps the words and dreams that had been bound inside of him were suddenly freed.

  The thought made Emma happy. There had been many days in the last year where she found it was an effort to endure the hours from sunrise to bedtime. Other times the days had merged together, and she found little to look forward to. Seeing Joseph smile made her realize that though her children were grown and living in homes of their own, she could still be a help to others.

  Was that what Mary Ann was trying to tell her?

  Was that why she’d chosen to reveal the treasure?

  Emma had thanked Joseph for his hard work that day and was turning toward the barn door when they both heard the clatter of buggy wheels. Grabbing a large battery flashlight, she and Joseph hurried out into the night at the same moment. The lamplight from the kitchen spilled out across the yard. Emma was able to make out Bishop Simon as he stepped down from his buggy and began to walk toward their door.

  “Bishop?” Emma called out as she rushed to meet him. “Is everything all right?”

  Joseph was hurrying along beside her. She could feel him tense. Was this about his parents? Were they going to insist he return home?

  “I’m sorry to disturb you so late.”

  “It’s no problem. Was iss letz?”

  “I’ve brought Nancy and her boys. I’m afraid there’s been another . . . incident.”

  “She’s here? Now?”

  “Ya. Waiting in the buggy.”

  Emma didn’t stay to hear another word. Her pulse had kicked up a notch, and her mind was racing. What had happened to Nancy? Were her boys all right?

  Then she walked around to where Nancy waited in the back seat of the buggy with her children. The moment Emma saw her, she knew the details of what had happened weren’t important. All that mattered was that they provide this family a safe place to stay.

  Nancy’s lip was swollen, recently cut open by the looks of it. The black eye Verna had spoken of during sewing circle had turned a deep purple. Nancy’s older boy was huddled next to her, his face hidden, pressed into her dress. The youngest was in her arms sound asleep.

  “Nancy, wilkumm. Let me help you out.”

  Nancy said nothing, but when she stepped out of the buggy, Emma saw how dangerously thin she had become. The boys wore clean clothes, but when the oldest looked up, the fear in his eyes tugged at her heart.

  They moved quickly inside the house. Nancy and her boys sat at the table. Bishop Simon stood at the door, watching the darkness outside. Joseph shifted from one foot to the other, as if unsure whether he should stay.

  “Joseph, didn’t you offer to help Danny with some home repairs early tomorrow?”

  “Ya.”

  “You best go on to bed then. We’re fine here.”

  He glanced from Nancy to the bishop to Emma, and then he shuffled out into the night.

  “Let me find you some dinner.”

  “It’s enough for you to let us stay. You don’t have to feed us as well.” Nancy’s voice was strong and her eyes resolute. How did she manage to hold herself together after all she’d endured?

  “Of course I’ll feed you, and I trust you will accept my hospitality. Now would your boys rather have cold ham or cold chicken?”

  “Both, p-p-please.” The oldest boy kept his hands folded on top of the table. He was close to five years old, if Emma remembered correctly, and he had his father’s blond hair.

  “Jacob, Emma might need to save some of that food for—”

  “Nein. It’s leftovers and I already have a casserole put together for tomorrow.” She placed the platters of meat on the table and added fresh bread and cheese. It wasn’t a perfectly balanced meal, but it would do for an evening snack.

  Jacob didn’t touch the food. Instead he bowed his head and waited for his mamm to indicate it was okay to eat. Her eyes met Emma’s, and Emma saw the tears she was valiantly holding back. Nancy touched her son’s head and whispered, “Amen.”

  The boy reached for a piece of fried chicken. When his teeth sank into it, a smile covered his face. “Th-th-this is gut, Mamm.”

  Nancy stared at her son, then looked at Emma. “Danki.”

  “Gem gschehne.”

  In that moment they had more in common than one would have imagined. They were two moms who cared immensely for their children. They were two women whose lives had taken unexpected turns, leaving them alone without their husbands. And they were two members of a community who cared for one another.

  Nancy’s younger son, Luke, began to fuss, nudging her as if he wanted to nurse.

  “You’ll be comfortable in the upstairs bedroom, first one to the left. The boys can sleep with you or in the room next door.”

  Nancy stared at Jacob, uncertainty and worry filling her eyes.

  “I’ll bring him up when he’s done eating.”

  “All right.”

  Simon motioned Emma into the mudroom once Nancy had gone. “I have three bags of clothing in my buggy. I’ll go and fetch them.”

  “What of Owen? Will he be looking for his family?”

  “Nein. He’s in town courtesy of the Shipshewana police at the moment.”

  “The police?”

  “Drunk driving.”

  “Oh my.” Emma had heard of folks being arrested for driving an Englisch automobile while drinking, but she’d never heard of anyone being arrested while they were driving a buggy!

  “Captain Taylor phoned me and asked that I send someone for the horse and buggy, which I’ve done. They’re going to hold him for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “It was a gut time for Nancy and the boys to leave.”

  “Yes.” Simon ran his fingers through his beard. “This is temporary, Emma. I spoke with Owen, and he seems repentant, but I doubt he has the strength to resist his addiction.”

  “What will you do?”

  “Minister to him. Encourage him to seek an intervention at the center in Elkhart or Goshen. After this, I think he will.”

  “And their farm?”

  “Neighbors will care for the animals and his crops. I need you to provide a safe place for them to stay, if you’re willing.” He hesitated, then continued. “In my opinion, it would be better if Nancy and the boys weren’t alone, and Owen will more likely agree to treatment if his family is gone.”

  “Of course, but I don’t know anything about helping an abused woman.”

  “Love her, Emma. Offer the entire family our Lord’s grace and mercy. Feed them. Pray for them. Gotte will take care of the rest.”

  He brought in the bags of clothing, and Emma promised she would take them upstairs. Mary Ann had slept through the entire episode. The less folks tramping up and down the stairs the better.

  She tapped softly on her guests’ door and then opened it.

  Nancy sat in the rocker near the window. Her babe was asleep in her arms. Jacob had carried one of the bags of clothes, which he set down near his mother, kissing her, and then his baby brother, before sitting on the bed.

  Emma placed the other two bags underneath the hooks they used for hanging clothes.

  Was this all she had left? All she’d brought from her home? But her home was still there. It hadn’t blown away in some storm. Perhaps with Gotte’s help, Owen would be able to return to it whole and ready to care for his family.

  “You’re welcome to stay
as long as you need.”

  Nancy nodded and swiped at the tears cascading down her cheeks. Emma’s heart broke for her again, so she crossed the room, enfolded Nancy in her arms, and let her cry.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Mary Ann didn’t seem a bit surprised to have extra people eating breakfast with them the next morning. As Emma placed raisins and brown sugar on the table, then brought the pot of oatmeal from the stove, she couldn’t help smiling. A week before it had been the two of them, but their lives had turned and taken an entirely new direction.

  Emma’s mind flashed back to the afternoon she had knelt in the garden and swiped her dirty fingers against her clean apron. It had left a brown mark, but one that had washed away after two launderings. In a similar way, Christ washed away their sins. He never failed to offer them another chance.

  Joseph was talking to Jacob, telling him about Shadow. Luke lay in a cradle Emma had found in one of the upstairs rooms. Often it had been used for her grandchildren, and she supposed one day it would hold her great-grandchildren. Truly, God had blessed them.

  Nancy appeared to have rested, but the bruising around her eye seemed worse in the daylight, and her busted lip looked painful. Emma was certain Mary Ann would know what herbs they could put on both to soothe the skin.

  The morning passed quickly. Nancy washed the clothes that had been in the bags and hung them to dry on the line. It was funny to look outside and see diapers drying in the May sun. Mary Ann baked a cake and fresh bread, while Emma aired and cleaned Jacob’s room. By the time Danny and Joseph joined them for lunch, they once again had a full table.

  Then there was a commotion at the back door, and Emma’s son stepped inside.

  Her oldest, Henry was always the first to check on them when anything out of the ordinary was going on. He had turned thirty recently. He was tall, big enough to handle the horses he worked with, and balding slightly. Although he was a farrier in town, they spoke occasionally about him moving back to the farm. They had rented out the fields after Ben had died, but the barn and yard and house were a lot of work for two women living alone.