by Leslie Gould
The older girls played with the baby in the living room, rolling a ball on the floor to her.
“Where’s Shani?” Charlie asked.
Lila pointed to the stairs. “Making the beds. They’re almost done.”
The little girl grinned. “Then we’re going to have pizza. The Englisch lady—”
“Shani,” the older girl said.
“Jah,” Rose said. “Her. She drove to the highway and called in the order. It’s going to be delivered.” She clapped her hands together, which made the baby giggle.
Charlie smiled. Rose appeared so sweet with her miniature bonnet and apron, but at the same time she was full of spit and vinegar. He liked that.
“But we’re going to eat it over at our house,” Lila explained. “Aenti thought that would be easier.”
A burst of laughter from upstairs stopped the conversation.
A yearning overtook Charlie. He sometimes wondered if Joel knew how blessed he was. Sure, he’d nearly lost his leg. He’d nearly died. But he hadn’t.
He had a wife and son and a baby on the way. Charlie shook his head. Self-pity was a trap. He wasn’t going to fall into it now.
He realized the older girl was staring at him, so he smiled and then said, “Tell your Aenti and Shani that Tim’s headed over to help the boys with the chores. And I’m going to keep working here until it’s time to eat.”
He had a feeling Tim might not be thrilled with pizza. He hoped Shani had ordered the meaty kind—sausage and pepperoni, the works. Not one of those pizzas with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes.
By the time the women were done, Charlie had a section of framing completed. Shani led the way onto the porch, followed by the girls and then Eve, carrying the car seat. All of them were smiling, as if they’d just had a good laugh. Eve, her eyes shining, said something to Shani that Charlie couldn’t hear, and then the women chuckled again.
“Want a ride?” Shani asked him. “We can squeeze you in.”
“No thanks,” Charlie said. “But I’ll send Tim’s tools back with you.”
Eve started down the steps. Charlie put down the hammer and hurried to help her.
“Denki,” she said, passing the car seat to him, their fingers brushing for a moment.
Trudy looked up at him with her big blue eyes and gurgled.
Once he had the baby in the van and Tim’s tools in the back, he worked for ten more minutes, using Joel’s hammer, and then headed down the lane. When he arrived at the Lehmans’ driveway, the pizza delivery car was turning toward the highway. By the time he knocked on the back door, Tim and the boys were approaching, on their way from the barn.
“You know better than to tease a cow,” Tim said to Daniel.
“I wasn’t, not really. Besides Simon does it all the time.”
“Simon would never do something like that.” Tim’s nostrils flared. “Besides, that’s no excuse.”
Daniel didn’t answer his father. Zane fell behind.
“You’ll have to do better tomorrow,” Tim said. “I’ll be spending the night at the hospital again. You’ll be in charge in the morning.”
Daniel halted and turned toward his father. “So it’s safe for you to go back?”
Tim stopped too but didn’t turn toward his son.
“Have Dawdi and Mammi gone home?” Daniel asked.
Tim bristled.
Daniel fisted his hands. “How come they went to see Simon but they don’t come see us?”
Tim said something in Pennsylvania Dutch as he started marching away from his son and then stomped up the steps, past Charlie, as if he weren’t there, and into the house. Daniel put his head in his hands, knocking his hat off his head. Zane bent down and picked it up and then put his arm around the boy. As Charlie waited, the back door opened and Lila stepped out onto the porch, her eyes filled with tears.
“Are you all right?” Charlie asked.
She nodded.
Charlie opened the door, pulling his eyes away from the boys. “Is dinner ready?” he asked as he motioned for Lila to go first.
“Jah,” she said, looking over her shoulder. The boys had reached the steps.
Charlie tried to smile. “So what kind of pizza are we having?”
“Shani said to tell you vegetarian.” Lila giggled.
“Great,” Charlie responded, hoping his sarcasm was evident. He could smell pepperoni. And he was pretty sure sausage too.
As soon as dinner was done, Tim was anxious to get back to the hospital, but Shani said she needed to rest first. “I think I overdid it,” she said.
“I’ll take Tim and visit Joel,” Charlie offered. “I can take you back to the house first.”
“Just stay here,” Eve said to Shani. “Charlie can pick you up on the way back. That way you can keep me company.”
It seemed as if Shani and Eve had been friends for years. Funny how women could do that, but he wouldn’t have expected it between Shani and an Amish woman.
Shani grabbed her purse from beside the couch and dug out her keys, handing them to Charlie.
“Put your feet up while I get the baby ready for bed,” Eve said to Shani.
She obeyed, lowering herself to the couch a little awkwardly.
“You okay?” Charlie asked.
She nodded. “Go. Tell Joel I’ll see him in the morning.”
Charlie nodded and then motioned for Tim to follow him out to the van. The Amish man was silent the entire way into town. Finally, Charlie turned the radio on to an oldies station, but then he wondered if it was offensive to Tim. He switched to a news station instead. “ . . . a bomb attack injured five US soldiers on the main highway from central Baghdad to the airport . . .”
Charlie’s neck tensed. Injured. No one was killed. That was good news.
The reporter continued. “ . . . oil pipelines were bombed outside of the city, and three soldiers were killed in a mortar attack in central Baghdad.”
Charlie snapped off the radio.
Tim crossed his arms across his wide chest. “People who volunteer for the military are practically asking for it.”
Charlie turned toward him, appalled. “Asking for what?”
“The Scriptures say to turn the other cheek.”
“But it also says to love our neighbors, and in our country, we do that by protecting them.”
Tim shook his head. “The Iraqi people aren’t our neighbors.”
“They are in the eyes of God.”
“How’s that? We’re thousands of miles away. Their neighbors are on their borders.”
“The world’s changed in the last century,” Charlie said and then turned the radio back on, switching it to the oldies station. He was tempted to add that people who weren’t willing to protect their country got a free ride. But he couldn’t. Not because of Tim. But because of his pacifist grandparents.
His nation protected all—regardless of their beliefs.
11
Eve sat down in Tim’s chair after she’d put all the kids to bed. They didn’t know what time Charlie would be back from the hospital, so she and Shani had decided to let Zane sleep in Simon’s bed. Eve curled her stockinged feet up beneath her and picked up her knitting.
Shani scooted to a sitting position on the couch, pulling the quilt up around her. “What are you making?” The woman had twisted her long hair on top of her head.
“A scarf for Lila,” Eve answered. The yarn was a dull blue, preapproved by Tim.
“Did you make this quilt?” Shani asked, running her finger over a burgundy block.
“No. Abra did.”
“It’s beautiful. The green and burgundy really make the black and blue pop. It reminds me of the quilt at my place.”
“Jah.” Eve reached the end of the row. “Abra had a gift when it came to quilting—her Mamm has a quilt shop. Abra made the one at your house too.” She felt awkward talking about Abra’s quilts.
“Why did you take it over there?”
Eve smiled. “I
wanted you to have it.”
Shani sat up straighter. “But you didn’t even know me then.”
“I’d prayed for you though, when I heard about you coming.” She looked up at Shani. “I felt it was what God wanted.”
Shani shook her head, perhaps in disbelief. “Did Abra make the quilt for someone, originally?”
“Me,” Eve answered, hooking the yarn. “But, well, I’m not going to be using it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too big for my single bed for one thing . . .” She didn’t want to tell Shani that she’d never marry, that she’d never have reason to use the quilt. She was glad she’d put it on Shani’s bed, especially now that she’d met her.
“Well, I love Abra’s quilt. I’m honored to have it,” Shani said. “Will you teach me how to make one?”
Eve laughed. “You don’t want me to teach you. I’ve never been good at it.”
“We could learn together, then,” Shani responded.
A peal of laughter came from down the hall.
“Those boys.” Shani stood. “I’ll go tell Zane to knock it off.”
“They’re okay,” Eve said. “They have to be exhausted. They’ll be asleep in no time.”
Eve found ignoring the children worked best. If they weren’t asleep within half an hour, it meant they weren’t spending enough time outside. That was her philosophy on bedtime.
Shani leaned forward. “I’ve been overwhelmed by your generosity—Tim’s too.”
Eve’s face warmed. “It’s what neighbors do, right? You saved Simon’s life.” She smiled. “The least we can do is help you.”
“Not all neighbors would build a ramp,” Shani said.
“Well, you did say you’d pay him,” Eve said. She couldn’t help but smile. “Besides, Jesus said, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’”
Shani nodded. “Right after he said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind.”
Eve nodded. Her neighbor seemed to know about the Lord, more than she’d expected.
The baby began to fuss.
“They woke her up,” Shani said.
“No, she’s not a good sleeper.”
“Will she settle back down?”
Eve shook her head. She’d tried to ignore her. Over and over. But the baby’s screaming would upset Tim and then wake Rose. It was easier to give her a late bottle and then hope she’d sleep through the rest of the night. Every once in a while she would. Eve put her knitting down.
“I’ll get her.” Shani stood.
“She’ll need her diaper changed,” Eve said.
“I figured.” As Shani headed down the hall, Eve walked into the kitchen, pulling her shawl tight against the evening chill. She took a bottle from the rack, scooped the formula, and poured warm water from the kettle on top.
She mourned for all of her nieces and nephews, but her sadness for Trudy was deepest. In the two months after Trudy’s birth, Abra hadn’t been able to nurse and care for her youngest daughter like she had her other babies. And Trudy would never remember her mother.
When Shani joined her in the kitchen, cradling the baby in her arms, Eve expected the little one to start screaming. She didn’t. Instead her blue eyes stayed on Shani’s face.
“She likes you.” Eve placed her finger over the tip of the bottle and shook it.
“She’s awfully sweet.” Shani nuzzled Trudy’s fine hair with her nose. Eve handed Shani the bottle, and she slipped it into the baby’s mouth. As they headed back into the living room, a car door slammed outside.
“Charlie must be back,” Shani said.
Eve took the baby from her and settled back in the chair while Shani put on her shoes. Her belly wasn’t big enough to have a problem tying them. Eve thought of Abra when she was pregnant with the twins. She’d had no idea a woman could get that big.
She’d been such a slight girl. Seventeen and just over a hundred pounds when she got pregnant. By the time she was six months along, Eve had to put her shoes on for her.
Spending time with Shani made her miss Abra all the more, but her best friend—and sister-in-law—would have been thrilled that Eve met a new friend. She’d be thankful the children had been distracted from their mourning for her and their worry about Simon too. Regardless of the uncertainties, it had been a good day.
“Is it hard—” Shani stopped.
“Go on,” Eve said, her attention still on the baby.
Shani shook her head. “I’m tired. I was going to ask something that’s not my business.”
Eve met Shani’s eyes. “Is it hard for me to take care of my nieces and nephews when I don’t have a husband or children of my own?”
Shani wrinkled her nose. “Something like that.”
“I get asked that some.” Eve stared down at her niece for a moment. “The truth is, I do wish I had my own babies, but if I did I’d be taking care of my nieces and nephews too. They’ve been the greatest blessings of my life.”
“Surely you must be seeing someone,” Shani teased. “You’ll have your own family someday.”
Eve shook her head, remembering the bishop’s greeting passed on by Tim. Gideon had been friendly lately. She wondered why, when he knew her story as well as anyone. She couldn’t imagine he truly thought she was worthy of him. Maybe there was a scarcity of women available for a new widower right now, but in a couple of months, once he came to his senses, he’d move on from being interested in her. At least, she hoped he would.
“I’m content being single,” Eve said to Shani. “I’ve come to accept it.”
Before Shani could respond there was a commotion at the back door. Eve was expecting Charlie to knock gently on the front. Why had he gone to the back?
But then Tim called out her name, adding, “Simon’s home.”
And Zane was in his bed.
“Oh dear.” She inched forward and then stood, still holding Trudy’s bottle in place.
“I’ll get Zane,” Shani said.
Shani stepped into the hallway as Tim reached the living room.
“Why is she still here?” he asked.
“She was waiting for Charlie to give her a ride home.”
Tim shook his head, and Eve guessed at what. He didn’t think it appropriate for Charlie to be staying down at Shani’s. “Where’s the boy?” Tim asked.
Eve spoke quietly. “In Simon’s bed.”
Tim threw up his hands.
“Simon was coming home tomorrow. You were spending the night. Remember?” Eve peered down the hall as Charlie and Simon came into the living room.
Zane let Shani lead him, as if he were sleepwalking, past Eve. Shani said hello to Charlie and Simon and then led Zane into the kitchen.
Simon stood watching, and Eve turned toward him. She put her hand on his shoulder and peered into his eyes as the baby giggled and reached for him. He tried to smile, showing a bit of the metal in his mouth, but couldn’t. However, his eyes lit up, as bright as ever. Eve gave him a hug, and whispered, “I’m so grateful you’re all right.” After she released him, she said, “Now go get in bed.”
Tim stood with his arms crossed.
“Go tuck him in,” Eve said.
Zane sat on a kitchen chair, pulling on his shoes, while Charlie stood by the counter, talking to Shani. “Joel was missing you.”
“I should have gone,” Shani said. The lamp cast a long shadow, and Eve couldn’t see her friend’s face.
“No, he’s fine,” Charlie said. “How are you?”
“Better.”
“See—you needed to rest.”
Eve turned the lamp up higher.
Shani turned toward her. “Thank you for allowing me to hang out here.”
“Zane and I will be over to help with the chores in the morning,” Charlie said.
“That’s not necessary,” Eve said, hoping the tension in her voice wasn’t obvious to Charlie and Shani.
Charlie seemed disappointed but didn’t say any
thing. “Zane will come by himself, then.”
She nodded. “But after tomorrow he should only help in the afternoon. There’s no reason for him to come before school.” She would help, if necessary.
“Okay,” Charlie said, directing Zane toward the door. “See you tomorrow.”
Eve was pretty sure they wouldn’t.
Shani waved and then yawned as she followed Charlie toward the door.
Eve headed down the hall to her room, where the crib was. Tim thought she should move the baby out, but the girls would be crowded if she did. There was more space in her room.
Once she had Trudy settled, she stopped at the door to the boys’ room with the bottle still in her hand. Tim had left.
“Aenti?”
She stepped inside. “I hoped you were asleep.”
“All I did was sleep at the hospital.” Simon’s words were slurred and slow. “I’m not tired.”
She sat down on the edge of his bed. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me too,” he said. His mouth didn’t move as he spoke.
She started to tousle his curls but then stopped. Maybe it would hurt his head. “Your Dat said you’ll need to be in a dark room. And stay quiet.”
“Jah.”
“And only drink a liquid diet.”
“I’m going to starve,” he said.
Shani had a blender. Eve had unpacked it. Maybe she could make smoothies over there for Simon. Or maybe that was just an excuse to see the new neighbors. “Right now, let’s concentrate on resting. In the morning we’ll figure out the food.” She stroked his forehead. He was Tim’s favorite, which meant Eve concentrated on the other children more. But there was no doubt that Simon was likeable. Easy to get along with. Funny. And he didn’t take advantage of being Tim’s favorite the way he could have.
She pulled the quilt up to his chin with her free hand. “Come get me during the night if you need to.”
