Katie Opens Her Heart

by Jerry S. Eicher

  “We’re too late. Ruth is already here,” Leroy announced. “Her buggy is rolling in now.”

  “Are you sure?” Jesse leaped to his feet. “It could be…someone else.”

  “It’s her buggy, I’m certain,” Leroy said.

  Jesse didn’t move, his hands grasping the edge of the kitchen table. Now what was he supposed to do?

  “Can we eat?” Leroy asked. “My stomach has about given up and is now eating its own flesh.”

  “Yah, Daett. I agree with Leroy,” Mabel said. “Supper is getting cold. Perhaps Ruth can even join us.”

  “She will not join us,” Jesse said before bowing his head. He began his prayer. “Our great and merciful Father, creator of the world and all that lies in it. Look tonight upon our poor, weak hearts and give us Your grace for another evening. Give us Your blessing on this food, and bless the hearts and hands that have prepared it. I thank You for Mabel and Carolyn and the boys and all the work they do around the place. Forgive us where we have failed You. Watch over us this evening and during the hours we sleep, that we may awaken to another morning to serve You again. Amen.”

  Leroy dove for the potato bowl almost before Jesse was through speaking. The boy heaped a great pile on his plate. He passed the bowl to Willis and reached for the gravy Mabel had waiting for him.

  “Daett, please eat your supper,” Mabel said. “I’m sure Ruth will sit in the living room quietly until we’re finished. That is, if you still won’t invite her to join us.”

  “All right then,” Jesse said. “I’ll invite her to supper, but then I’m leaving. I have things I have to do.”

  He left the table and the astonished looks on the faces of his children. There wasn’t a minute to spare, he figured. Emma might already be on her way to his place, and there was obviously no way Ruth was going to be talked into leaving. Her tongue would wrap around any objection he came up with.

  Jesse left through the washroom and headed across the lawn. He met Ruth crossing over to the house.

  “Well, gut evening,” she cooed.

  “Gut evening,” Jesse replied, his eyes looking cold, he was sure. “I just learned from the children you were coming.”

  “I hope I’m not causing any inconvenience.” Ruth’s hands fluttered about. “Mabel does so want to learn how to bake pecan pies. You know, the ones you love.”

  “I know,” Jesse said. “The children are still eating supper. Why don’t you go in and join them? Mabel will be available afterward for her lesson.”

  “And you?” Ruth’s eyes were bright. “Have you eaten?”

  “Nee,” Jesse said. “I have someplace I have to be. If I’d known you were coming…”

  “Oh…” Her hands fluttered again. “Maybe next time. Perhaps we could arrange things better.”

  “Perhaps, but why don’t you go on inside now? Mabel is expecting you.”

  Jesse turned and walked into the barn. He closed the door behind him. He took Lucy out of her stall and strapped the harness on her, all the while muttering, “That woman will be the death of me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Emma drove her buggy slowly toward the Mast place, allowing her horse to take his time. Tears formed in her eyes, and she brushed them away. Jesse and the children didn’t need to see her all tear-stained when she arrived. Jesse would think she was troubled over her agreement to marry him, and the children would wonder what was wrong. In reality, Emma was upset at Katie’s announcement when she arrived home from work earlier this week.

  “I’m going with Esther to a shindig at her house on Saturday night—after the youth group does some charity work,” Katie had said as soon as she walked through the door.

  “I wish you wouldn’t,” Emma had said. “Jesse is going to be your daett. He’ll be what you told me you wanted.”

  “That’s all fine and gut,” Katie had said. “But I’m still attending the Mennonite youth gatherings.”

  Emma had pressed her lips together and held in the words that wanted to leap out of her mouth. You can’t do this, Katie! No one ever comes back who gives in to the Mennonites. But words like those would only drive Katie away. Why couldn’t Katie be less impulsive? Why was she throwing so much of her life right out the door? But Emma was trying to change her ways—and speaking less of her mind to Katie might be part of that.

  A movement ahead of Emma interrupted her thoughts. It was a buggy, and whoever was driving toward her was pushing hard. The horse was almost breaking into a gallop. Any young man wouldn’t do that to his horse, and older men usually weren’t in such a hurry. So who could this be? Emma’s hands tightened on the reins as the buggy came closer. She pulled toward the ditch. Whoever this was, he needed plenty of room to pass.

  Instead of keeping up the rapid pace, the buggy slowed. When it neared, the door flew open. Jesse leaned out, waving his hand.

  Emma gasped and pulled to a stop. She leaned out of her buggy, waiting while Jesse climbed down and came running toward her. He looked troubled. Had there been an accident? She breathed slower and held her horse steady.

  Jesse approached her open buggy door.

  “What is it?” Emma asked, leaning further out the buggy.

  “There has been a change in plans,” Jesse said. “It’s not going to suit for us to meet with the children tonight.”

  “Okay.” Emma managed a smile. “I can come some other night. What is it? Relatives stopping by? Did they chase you out of the house? You sure were in a hurry.”

  “Not exactly…” The troubled look grew worse on his face. “Let’s say one of the children’s friends showed up. They claimed it was the only night that would work.”

  Something didn’t seem quite right about his explanation, and Emma wondered if Jesse was telling her the whole story.

  “I’m very sorry about this,” Jesse continued, obviously sensing the question racing through her mind. “It’s just best if you don’t come to the house right now. We’ll try to speak with the children some other night. Perhaps first thing next week.”

  “What if this friend shows up again?” she asked, watching as he winced at the question. He was definitely hiding something.

  “I don’t think she will,” Jesse managed. “I’ll tell the children she’s not to come back again.”

  “Oh, so this visitor is a she. And she’s the children’s friend. Is she also your friend?”

  “Like I said, I’m sorry.” Jesse wasn’t looking at her now. “I had no idea this would happen…really.”

  “Perhaps you’d better tell me who this woman is?” Emma tried to smile.

  Jesse blinked before looking away. “It’s kind of hard to explain. But there’s really nothing going on, believe me, Emma. She’s just the children’s friend.”

  “You said that before, but you haven’t said who she is.”

  “Please, Emma.” His eyes begged for mercy. “It makes no sense to me either. Why my children are the way they are or how they’ve gotten me into this fix tonight, I’m not sure. I will straighten it out. I really will.”

  “Please tell me who is at your house,” Emma said softly. “I need to know.”

  He didn’t answer right away. “Look, Emma. I haven’t had any supper yet. We were already running late before this person came. This is a little too much for me to deal with tonight. Tomorrow I’ll come over and explain to you. She’s leaving as soon as she’s done teaching Mabel how to bake pecan pies.”

  “She’s teaching your daughter how to bake pecan pies?”

  He was obviously searching for the right words. “Yah, but it wasn’t my doing. It just happened—between Mabel, and Carolyn, and her. It’s Carolyn’s teacher.”

  “Ruth Troyer? She’s baking pecan pies at your house tonight?”

  “It’s not what you think, Emma. Please…”

  “Then why is she still at your house?”

  Jesse tried to laugh. “That’s exactly what I mean. She’s still there because of the children. But she won’t be for lo
ng, and she won’t be back.”

  Emma stared into the distance, tears not far away. “So this is what has been going on all the time? You haven’t told me the whole truth, have you, Jesse?”

  He lifted his hand in protest. “Just wait a minute, Emma. That’s not true at all. If it were true, I wouldn’t object to you coming down to my house.”

  “I think I’d better go, Jesse.” Emma pulled on the reins and turned her horse around in the middle of the road. Emma managed to control her emotions enough to swivel around on the buggy seat to look back. Jesse ought to be in his buggy by now and heading for home.

  Emma gasped at the sight behind her. Jesse wasn’t returning home. He was coming after her, and his horse was almost galloping again. She slapped the reins and picked up speed. Minutes later she looked back again. Jesse was even closer now.

  “Get up!” Emma hollered. Her horse laid his ears back and increased his speed. She had to get away from Jesse and the pain that was throbbing in her heart. But her horse couldn’t keep this speed up for long. He wasn’t that young, and neither was she, Emma decided. And what if someone saw her and Jesse Mast tearing through the community like two young people racing on a Sunday night after a hymn singing?

  Emma pulled back on the lines before checking on the buggy behind her again. Surely Jesse wouldn’t be crazy enough to come alongside her and try to speak with her. Well, if he did, she wasn’t stopping. What had she been thinking? Emma slowed down even more as her lane came up ahead of her. Perhaps Jesse would drive on by. If he did, no one would know what had happened between them. He would appear to be on an evening errand. But if he followed her in…Emma held her breath as she turned down the driveway. She glanced back. Yah, Jesse’s buggy was following. He was actually coming to her place. He had to know he was embarrassing himself, but he was still coming. Was he telling the truth? Was Ruth at his place for a reason other than what she’d assumed? Why else would a man make such a fool out of himself by following her home?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Ruth glanced around the kitchen table, taking in Mabel and Carolyn’s smiling faces. Mabel had jumped up moments ago to refill her water glass, even though she’d tried to wave the girl away. If Jesse would only be this easy to win, her task would be an easy matter, Ruth thought. But the man was not cooperating.

  Ever since Joel had let slip in school that his daett thought they all needed a new mamm, she’d jumped into action. But a lot of gut that was doing. She was apparently making no headway at all. And now Jesse had gone rushing off to somewhere unknown the minute she arrived for the evening, even murmuring about not having eaten his supper. If she’d been wise, she would have started work on winning him months ago. By now they might even be married, if she’d acted sooner.

  Now not only had Jesse left so abruptly, but there was something else amiss here. Mabel was smiling, but she had a distant look in her eyes. The same went for Carolyn. Did they know where Jesse had gone in such a rush? Was his departure due to her presence? If so, she needed to know. But would it be proper to ask? And how would she ask?

  Ruth studied Leroy’s face. He was busy chewing on the last of his steak. He had avoided looking at her since the moment she arrived, so the boy must know something and was trying to hide it.

  Taking a deep breath she looked toward Jesse’s empty plate at the head of the table. She turned to Leroy. “Is your daett coming back anytime soon? I see he hasn’t eaten yet.”

  “I don’t know,” Leroy said without looking up. “Daett didn’t tell us how long he would be gone.”

  Did she dare ask more? Yah, she did. “Does he do this often?”

  “No,” Mabel said at once. The other children nodded their agreement. “He just had to take care of something.”

  “And you don’t know what it is?”

  No one said anything, and Mabel looked close to tears.

  “Where could he have gone without eating his supper?” Ruth asked. “Surely one of you has some idea where your daett went?”

  “He sometimes goes over to see Emma Raber,” little Joel piped up. “Maybe he went to see her.”

  “Joel!” Mabel gasped.

  “Well,” Joel defended, “Daett does. And I know because I heard you and Carolyn talking about it.”

  “Is this so?” Ruth asked Mabel. “Your daett is seeing Emma?”

  Mabel broke into tears. “Honestly, I don’t know where Daett is. He’s been acting so strangely lately. And, yah, he has been going over to see Emma Raber. He’s even been talking to us about asking her if she would be his frau. All the while I can’t even stand the thought of that woman taking Mamm’s place.”

  “Of course you can’t,” Ruth said, rising to put her arm around Mabel’s shoulders. Mabel buried her face in Ruth’s apron as sobs racked her body.

  What a mess! Ruth thought. But thankfully the children were apparently not in agreement with their daett’s plan. In fact, they must be hurting worse than even she could imagine. Here their beloved mamm had died not that long ago, and now their daett was threatening to bring Emma Raber, of all people, into the house as their mamm.

  “I can understand perfectly how you feel,” Ruth said, giving Mabel a squeeze.

  “I’m sure Daett has his reasons,” Mabel said between sobs.

  “And Mabel has been working really hard,” Carolyn spoke up. “She’s been running the whole household. Of course I help her, but Daett says it’s too much for us.”

  “Come!” Ruth pulled both girls tightly against her in a hug. “You’re both overworked, that’s the problem. You’ll feel better if you finish your supper and go into the living room. Tonight I’ll take care of the dishes. You won’t have to do anything.”

  “But I want to learn how to bake pecan pies!” Mabel wailed.

  “Now, now,” Ruth soothed. “Let me clean up the kitchen, and then we can see how you feel. You’ve already had a hard day, and pecan pies take a long time to make. I can see you’re troubled tonight. I will come back some other Friday evening. Then we can work on them.”

  “I knew it!” Leroy exclaimed. “With all this fuss there won’t be any pecan pies tomorrow.”

  “You’re just spoiled!” Mabel jerked her head up from Ruth’s apron. “I work my fingers to the bone for you, and that’s all you worry about—when we can have pecan pies for you.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it,” Leroy said, backing off. “I’m sorry. And you do work hard for us.”

  Mabel sniffed and wiped her eyes. Ruth released her embrace of Mabel and Carolyn and retook her seat. So Jesse was clearly making serious advances to Emma Raber. Joel’s remark wasn’t as innocent as she had at first thought. The children were crying out for her help. For all Ruth knew, Jesse might have already asked Emma to marry him. He probably couldn’t bring himself to tell his children the awful fact. Or was Emma putting Jesse off for some reason? But Emma wouldn’t turn down an offer of marriage from Jesse Mast in a thousand years. She had nothing to lose by snatching up one of the most eligible widowers in the community. None of this made any sense to Ruth. But neither did Jesse rushing off and leaving his children alone the minute she arrived at his house.

  “We have to keep the food warm for Daett.” Mabel interrupted her thoughts. “I’m sure he’s coming back soon.”

  “Of course he is,” Ruth agreed. There was no sense in making this look worse to the children than it might be. They’d already suffered enough. “We can keep the food warm in the oven, and keep his plate on the table.”

  Mabel nodded, smiling again.

  “Now you two go into the living room to rest while I clean up,” Ruth told both girls.

  “I’m going to help,” Mabel insisted.

  “And so am I,” Carolyn added.

  “Can we please be excused?” Leroy asked from the back bench. “I don’t have all night to sit here.”

  “Of course you can leave,” Ruth told Leroy.

  He didn’t move. He just stared at her.

  �
��We have to pray,” Willis spoke up. “Daett never lets us leave the table without giving thanks to Da Hah.”

  “Oh, of course!” Ruth bowed her head at once. She knew they’d needed to pray, but her mind was all mixed up right now. Likely the children wouldn’t hold this mistake against her since they looked confused themselves. The poor things. They really did need a mamm to take care of them, and she would be more than willing if Jesse would get his thinking cap set on straight. Some men were like that. They couldn’t see anything even if it sat in plain sight right in front of their eyes. Jesse was wasting his time running after the widow Raber. The nerve of the man. He really was mixed up in his mind, and here she was worrying about a little thing like forgetting prayer at the table.

  Da Hah would help her figure out what she needed to do. She couldn’t afford to lose Jesse. She and Homer had never been able to have children—even though she’d often desired to gather a young one born in her own home into her arms. She’d wanted to see him grow up and sit at their table. How she’d longed with all her heart for that day while Homer was still alive. But the answer from Da Hah had always been nee.

  Now the desire was stirring in her heart again. She wanted her own children, born as gifts from Da Hah’s hand. She should never have allowed her work at the schoolhouse to take her eyes off what she really wanted. Ruth took a deep breath and pronounced, “Amen.”

  Leroy and Willis’s heads came up at once. They leaped to their feet and disappeared upstairs. Joel smiled at Ruth for a brief moment before following his brothers. Ruth rose and tried to shoo the two girls out of the kitchen again, but they stood their ground.

  “We want to learn how to make pecan pies,” Mabel said again.

  Ruth gathered both girls into a big hug, squeezing so hard Carolyn giggled. Ruth turned her face away as tears sprang up in her eyes. She’d always wanted girls to call her own. Now here they were, no longer babies but still young enough for her to mother. Perhaps this would be just as gut as having her own children.

  She could begin to win Jesse by wrapping her arms of love around his children. They still needed things from her—even if it was only instructions on how to make pies. Later there would be many other things she could teach them. And before long they would be young ladies, and the boys in the community would be making eyes at them. She could guide them through the maze of the feelings growing up created in a young girl’s heart. Each day she would see that they got what daughters deserved. And only the best boys would be gut enough for her girls. Thank Da Hah she’d arrived in time. Whatever Jesse was up to tonight—including visiting Emma Raber—it would have to be stopped. It shouldn’t be that hard to accomplish. Didn’t she already have her foot in the door, so to speak?