Amish Promises

by Leslie Gould

  This family, their neighbors, had experienced all of that, plus the realization of that fear—around the same time Joel had been injured.

  “I’m so sorry,” Shani said again.

  Tim swallowed his food. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”

  Shani knew the next line—Blessed be the name of the Lord—but didn’t say it out loud.

  A long silence fell on the table as everyone ate. Finally Charlie said to Tim, “That’s a nice piece of property you have.”

  “God uses it to provide for my family,” the man responded. “Along with the land I lease.”

  “Which land is that?” Shani asked.

  “Old Man Williams’ property.”

  “My grandfather’s?”

  Tim nodded. “How long will you be staying in the house?”

  “For as long as we need,” Shani answered.

  “Oh,” Tim replied.

  “Why?”

  “I thought it was just a short time.”

  Shani’s face grew warm. “No. I mean, I’m not sure.” If it was up to her, they’d stay indefinitely, but it wasn’t her choice alone.

  Tim put his toast down, wiped his hands on his napkin, and took a long drink of his coffee. Then he focused on Zane. “You scared the horse, jah?”

  “I didn’t mean to,” Zane answered.

  “Jah, I know. But you did. And then the horse backed up and kicked Simon.”

  Shani’s heart beat faster.

  He continued. “And now Simon won’t be able to do his chores. The doctor said he’ll have to rest in a dark room. We’ll see what else they say after the test.”

  Zane exhaled.

  “So now you need to take responsibility for your actions.”

  Zane squared his shoulders and said, “Eve said I’ve already been forgiven.”

  “Jah, that’s true,” Tim answered. “But you still need to make the situation right.”

  Shani shifted in her chair. “What are you getting at?”

  “The boy needs to do Simon’s chores. I’m down a worker. If Daniel and I have to take the time to do Simon’s work, we’ll get behind.”

  Shani couldn’t help but look at Charlie. He nodded in return and then said, “That sounds fair.” Shani wasn’t so sure.

  Zane leaned back in his chair. “What chores does Simon do?”

  “He helps milk the cows twice a day—all forty of them. And feeds the chickens and gathers the eggs. He waters, feeds, and grooms the horses, and cleans out the dairy and all the animal stalls. Plus he helps in the fields and repairs fences some, although I do most of that.” Tim took the last bite of his eggs.

  Zane appeared bewildered. “That’s a lot of chores. What about Daniel?”

  “He does the same and helps Eve around the house as well.”

  Zane tipped back on his chair, but Shani reached over and placed her hand on the edge of the seat, pushing it back to the floor as she asked, “How do they have time to do all that and go to school too?”

  Tim reached for another napkin. “They manage.”

  Shani felt her face grow warm at Tim’s abruptness.

  But Zane didn’t seem upset at all. “What time do you need me?”

  “Six a.m. Sharp.”

  Shani couldn’t help but ask, “For how long?”

  “An hour or two in the morning,” Tim answered. “And then another hour in the afternoon.”

  “No, I mean how many days?”

  He shrugged. “Until Simon can take over again.”

  Shani couldn’t imagine how that would work once she started her orientation and Zane was in school. But she wouldn’t say anything now. She’d talk to Tim without Zane around.

  She took a bite of her omelet, wondering how Joel would react to Tim’s edict. Then she nearly choked as her name came over the PA system. “Shani Beck,” the voice said again. “Please report to X-ray.”

  “Uh-oh,” Zane said.

  “Want me to come with you?” Charlie asked.

  “Please,” she answered. “And you too,” she said to Zane.

  “I can go with him.” Zane pointed to Tim. “And see Simon.”

  “He’s not up to visitors,” Shani said.

  “The boy can wait out in the hall,” Tim answered. “Come find him there when you’re done. Leave your trays. We’ll take care of them.”

  Shani nodded her thanks and hurried out of the cafeteria. Charlie’s footsteps sounded behind her. Every day she struggled to juggle it all—Joel, Zane, the pregnancy, her job, their finances, the mass of Army paperwork. She thought coming to Lancaster would simplify things.

  Not make them worse.

  8

  That afternoon Eve opened the oven door and grabbed the first pan of sticky buns, lifting it to the stovetop. Then she did the same with the second pan.

  “Grab me a towel,” she said to Lila. She’d checked the answering machine in the barn for a message from Tim after she put Trudy down for her nap, but there hadn’t been one. There had been one from the bishop though, left for Tim, asking what the results of Simon’s test had been. Obviously Tim had called him that morning.

  She supposed no news was good news as far as Simon was concerned, but she still wondered how he was doing. That’s why she’d decided to go over to the new neighbors’ with sticky buns to see if they’d returned from the hospital. She should have thought to ask Charlie to give her an update.

  Eve would help Daniel with the evening chores after she delivered the rolls. He insisted he could do it all himself, but she knew he’d need help with the milking.

  Lila returned with the towel. “Can I come with you?”

  “I need you to stay with Rose and Trudy.” She could hear the baby fussing in her crib.

  “They could come too. The fresh air would do them good.” Lila spoke with confidence. “I’ll tell Rose to get her shoes on. And I’ll carry Trudy.”

  “All right,” Eve said. It wasn’t as if she planned to spend any time visiting with the neighbors. She just wanted to give them the buns, ask about the Englisch woman’s husband, and see if they had any news about Simon.

  She spread the towel out on the table, put a couple of hot pads down, and then set the pans on top. By the time she had the first pan wrapped for the neighbors, Lila stepped into the kitchen with her cape on and holding the baby.

  Rose sat on the floor, pulling her shoes on.

  “Hurry,” Eve said to her as she headed to the mud porch for their capes. Rose appeared a minute later.

  “Will we see the man from this morning?” she asked, taking her cape.

  “Maybe,” Eve responded, but of course she didn’t know if they’d see Charlie.

  “He’s nice,” Rose said.

  Eve didn’t answer. She knew Tim wouldn’t want her encouraging his children to feel fondly toward an Englisch man, but she silently agreed with Rose. He had been kind.

  “Ready?” Lila waited at the door, bouncing the baby on her hip.

  Eve doubted Lila was looking forward to seeing the man again. More likely, she had her eye on the boy. Tim wouldn’t be happy about that either.

  Rose led the way out the door and ran down the steps and toward the lane. “Let’s go the back way,” Eve called out. “And check on Daniel on the way back.” He’d be herding the cows toward the barn for milking soon.

  For a moment Rose lagged behind, probably a little miffed at not being able to choose their route, but then she ran ahead again toward the gate, her cape flying behind her.

  Eve stopped for a moment. If Charlie was at the neighbors and Shani wasn’t, would she appear forward? She wrinkled her nose. Probably not, considering she had the three children with her. That thought made her thankful Lila had suggested tagging along.

  As Rose reached the gate, Charlie appeared on the other side. He wore a baseball cap, the same coat, and leather gloves.

  “Well, hello, little lady,” he said, swinging open the gate for Rose. “Where are you off to?”

&nbs
p; “Your house.”

  “My house?”

  Rose tilted her head back as she looked up. “With a pan of sticky buns.”

  Charlie looked past Rose, first at Lila and the baby and then at Eve. “Well,” he said. “That’s awfully kind of you. But you’d better hurry.” He pointed toward the lane. “Shani is getting ready to head back to the hospital.” He waved at Eve. “I was headed to your place to tell you how Simon is doing—but Shani can fill you in.”

  “Come on, girls,” Eve said. Lila ran ahead, making Trudy laugh, but Rose didn’t move.

  Eve tugged on the girl, pulling her along.

  Lila had reached the lane and was waving. As Eve arrived, Shani stopped her van. She lowered the passenger window and leaned toward it. “Did Charlie tell you how Simon’s doing?”

  Eve shook her head and stepped forward, bracing herself for bad news. That seemed to be all they’d had lately.

  “He’s awake but has a concussion. And a broken jaw. They wired it shut, so he’ll only be able to eat liquids for six weeks, maybe a little longer. There’s no bleeding in his brain, so all and all he’s doing amazingly well.” She smiled. “He should be fine once everything heals up.”

  Eve’s knees felt weak in relief. “And your husband? How is he?”

  The woman shook her head. “He broke his tibia again. And on top of that, he’s out of sorts. He had . . . an unsympathetic X-ray technician this morning. I snuck home while he’s in surgery to get some of his things.”

  Eve didn’t know how to respond. Should she say she was sorry? That hardly seemed appropriate. Instead she said, “How about Tim? Is he coming home tonight?”

  Shani shook her head. “He said he’d spend the night at the hospital.”

  Eve lifted the pan. “I made some sticky buns for your family.”

  “Oh, thanks,” Shani answered. “I don’t know what time I’ll be back. Could I get them tomorrow? I’ll be around then. I need to start on the unpacking.”

  “Of course,” Eve answered as she stepped back from the car.

  “Thank you.” Shani waved. “I’ll see you then.”

  As they walked back to their farm, Lila said, “We could help her unpack.”

  “I doubt we’d do much good,” Eve answered. Shani seemed awfully self-sufficient. “I’ll put the sticky buns back in the house, and then let’s go see how the milking is coming along. I’ll stay and help Daniel while you watch the little girls.”

  A few minutes later, as they approached the barn, her nephew barked, “Just one shovelful of grain.”

  Eve quickened her steps, wondering whom Daniel was talking to. Lila hurried along too, bumping into Eve as they made their way through the barn door. Daniel leaned against a cow, pushing her head into the stall, while Zane stood back a few feet away, a shovel in his hands. Charlie led a cow out of a stall, directed her toward the exit, and then turned around, his eyes connecting with Eve’s.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He grinned. “Milking.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” she said, reaching for the last vinyl apron hanging from the hook on the wall. “I’m going to help Daniel.”

  Charlie motioned toward Zane. He stepped back to the grain bin and dug the shovel in. As he dumped it into the trough for the next cow, the boy said, “Tim said I needed to do Simon’s chores.”

  Eve’s face grew warm. Leave it to her brother to try to control the neighbors’ lives too.

  “He’s going to help out until Simon is well enough to help again.” Charlie’s voice was extra kind. He must have sensed her discomfort.

  “How about you?” she asked. “Surely you have better things to do than our chores.”

  “No, I enjoy it. I grew up on a farm.”

  “Really?” She’d taken him for a city boy.

  “Not a dairy, mind you. We raised beef, but my grandparents had a milk cow.”

  Daniel cleared his throat, looking straight at Charlie. “Are you getting the next one or should I?”

  “Daniel!” Eve stepped toward her nephew. It wasn’t like him to be so bossy.

  “I’m just doing my job, Aenti,” he said. “Someone needs to be in charge.”

  Charlie grinned again and then said, over his shoulder as he hurried the opposite way toward the holding pen, “The boy’s right.”

  Trudy began to fuss. “I can stay and help,” Lila said. “I’ll trade you the baby for the apron.”

  Eve draped the apron over her niece’s shoulder and then hoisted the baby from the girl’s arms.

  “You can show Zane how to do the feed,” Daniel told Lila as he checked the tubing and then headed toward the vat in the milk room.

  “Bring everyone in for dinner when you’re done,” Eve said to Lila, shifting Trudy to her hip. It was the least she could do, considering all that Charlie and Zane were doing to help. And it wasn’t like Tim would be getting home anytime soon, although Rose would tell him later that she’d invited the Englischers into the house for a meal. She’d just have to deal with him when the time came.

  Charlie herded another cow into the barn.

  “If you put the grain in now, it’ll encourage the cow to come to the right slot.” Lila pointed to the trough, and Zane dumped the grain. The cow moved forward and dipped her head down to eat.

  “Good work.” Lila scratched the cow between her ears while Zane turned back around to the grain bin.

  Eve reached for Rose’s hand.

  “I want to stay,” the girl said. “With the Englischers.”

  Eve spoke softly. “Not today.”

  As Charlie approached with another cow, Rose put her free hand on her hip and asked, “What did the lady mean when she said her husband was ‘out of sorts’?”

  Eve shook her head. “Rose,” she whispered. “That’s none of our business.”

  Zane stood at the trough, balancing the shovel in his hands. “Did my mom say that?”

  “Jah,” Rose answered.

  Zane turned toward Charlie. “He’s always out of sorts these days.”

  “Your dad had a rough time with the X-ray technician is all.” Charlie pointed toward the shovel. “Dump the grain.”

  Zane did as he was instructed.

  “Come on, Rose,” Eve said, leading her niece toward the door. To Charlie, she said, “We’ll have supper waiting for all of you when you’re done.” She’d sit Rose down first and give her a talking to though. Eve had been lax in teaching the child her manners.

  “Good-bye!” Rose called out to Charlie. As Eve dragged her through the barn, the little girl called out again, this time to Zane, “Don’t scare the cows. They kick too!”

  “Rose,” Eve chided.

  “We’ll be careful,” Charlie replied, the hint of a smile pressing against the serious line of his lips.

  An hour later Eve put the noodles into the boiling water when Lila, Daniel, and Zane came in—without Charlie. “He’s going to the store outside of Strasburg,” Zane said, “to get some groceries. But he said I could eat with all of you.”

  Eve’s face grew warm. She shouldn’t have asked Charlie to supper.

  “Then I need to head home so we can move boxes and stuff around,” Zane said.

  “Why don’t you help them?” Eve turned to Daniel as she dished up the green beans.

  “I can help too,” Lila said.

  Eve shook her head. “I need your help here.” She put the plates on the table and the children gathered around.

  Rose climbed onto Tim’s chair. “Do you have a TV?” she asked Zane.

  He nodded.

  “And a computer?”

  He nodded again.

  “How about a cell phone?”

  “Not yet,” he answered. “But Mom said she’ll get me one by the time I’m in high school.” He sat down next to Daniel. “You don’t have any modern stuff in your house, right?”

  “Jah,” Lila answered. “Just the phone in the barn.”

  “We don’t need anyt
hing else,” Daniel said. “None of our people have electronic stuff.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Sure, none of the families in their district had TVs, but some had a computer in their shop or barn, to use exclusively for business. And many of the youth had cell phones they charged with batteries out in their barns, but she didn’t need to explain that to Zane.

  Eve drained the noodles and placed them on the table along with the creamed chicken, green beans, and applesauce. Daniel led them all in a silent prayer again. As the children ate, Eve started on the pots and pans and listened to their chatter. She wasn’t hungry.

  After a few minutes, Daniel asked, “What did your Dat do in the Army?”

  “He was a staff sergeant in a signal unit.”

  Eve was grateful Simon wasn’t hearing the conversation. Daniel leaned forward. “What’s that?”

  “They figure out the communication stuff—installing networks, connecting with satellites, teleconferencing, fixing cables, that sort of thing.”

  “So he wasn’t really a soldier?” Daniel said, leaning back in his chair.

  Zane shook his head. “He was.”

  “But he didn’t shoot anyone?”

  Eve turned toward the table. “Daniel,” she said. “There are all sorts of different soldiers.”

  Daniel shrugged.

  “He got shot at,” Zane said. “Lots of different times. Then an RPG hit his Humvee.”

  Daniel sat up straight. “A what?”

  “A rocket-propelled grenade,” Zane explained and then shoved his last bite of noodles into his mouth.

  “Oh,” Daniel responded and then asked, “Does he have one of those uniforms?”

  “Sure,” Zane said. “Lots of them.”

  Daniel frowned. Zane picked up his plate and headed toward the sink.

  “Thank you,” Zane said.

  “’Wilcom,” Eve answered.

  “Pardon?”

  She smiled. “It’s Pennsylvania Dutch for ‘you’re welcome.’”

  “So that’s what it’s called. It’s what Daniel and you were speaking this morning.” Zane pointed toward Rose. “And what she speaks, right?”

  “All of us speak it, but, jah, Rose more than the rest of us. She hasn’t had as much experience with English.”