SEALing The Victory

by B. Angelica Ellmoor

  When the chores were done, Mary suggested Sadie put on her shawl, since it was cold outside. When she was ready, they both left the house and headed toward the white building. All six brothers[S38] were doing various jobs inside the building. Mr. Yoder and Issac were nowhere to be found.

  Several large tables were built and neatly centered in the room. Along one wall were three cast-iron stoves with warmer ovens above. Everything a kitchen needed was in that room. Sadie knew her soon-to-be brother-in-laws were building a bakery. Just inside the front door was a large glass display case. She envisioned doughnuts and sugar cookies neatly arranged on plain white tissue paper. Another shelf could hold various pies and cakes. A medium-sized table held large glass pitchers, coffee pots, and tea kettles. A wall that ran the length of the building held shelf after shelf built to hold rows of canned jars of fruits, jellies, and jams.

  “What do you think, Sadie?” Mary asked.

  “Oh it is wonderful. A bakery, correct?” replied Sadie.

  “Yes, that is correct. We sell to the locals and send the rest to the market in Shipshawana.[S39]” Baking was the one thing Sadie loved to do. She received positive reviews on her schnitz and shoofly pies.

  Maybe this was the reason her daed had arranged her marriage. He knew she was one of the best bakers in her Amish community. Sadie had to be careful about bragging, not thinking too highly of herself. That was a sin, a big no-no. She could think it, though, and no one would be the wiser.

  Okay, she thought to herself, Issac seems nice. I will have my own home right away, and now I am working in a bakery. Oh, God, you have blessed me in ways I could never imagine. Thank you, God. For the first time in days Sadie smiled. Her future was not so bleak.

  Sadie and Mary walked back to the house and sat down at the kitchen table. Mary asked Sadie to write down the wedding menu. A potluck dinner was always served after the wedding, but this wedding was a little different, so traditional customs would need adjusting. Mary decided on roast chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw, creamed celery, applesauce, canned peaches and pears, spiced cantaloupe, doughnuts, custard pies, layer cakes and sugar cookies. The two women split the cooking, with Sadie doing most of the baking.

  *****

  Sadie's wedding day had arrived. In less than two hours her last name would be Yoder. Issac's female cousins were helping Mary finish the last simple details. Amish weddings were very plain. Sadie had instructions to rest, but for her that was out of the question. She was too nervous. She decided to go for a walk.

  It was cold outside. After all, it was November. She wrapped up in her cloak and headed out the door. For reasons she could not explain, she headed toward the path that led to Issac's house. She still had not been in the house yet. When she arrived, the front door was not locked, so she walks in. The rooms were very large. She went through the house checking out the pieces of furniture.

  Sadie walked into a room and by the furnishings she knew this was her new bedroom. Although plain, simple, and functional, it was beautiful to her. She walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down, her hands gently rubbing the fabric of the bed covering. Something caught her eye. In an instant she felt her heart all but stop. She thought she was going to faint.

  There next to the bed was a handmade oak baby cradle. It meant one thing to her. She was there to produce children. There was to be no love between husband and wife, just babies. What other explanation was there for the location of the cradle? If she had found it in the attic…Wait, the attic, she thought.

  Locating the attic pull-down stairs, Sadie inched her way slowly up the ladder. In the middle of the attic was a trunk. Dare she open it? She did not have to ponder that question too long. Quickly, she threw back the top. The trunk held folded baby gowns and homemade blankets. She reached in the trunk and picked up a handmade Amish doll with her right hand and a small wood carved horse with her left hand. Sadie studied both pieces and laid them back down.

  Sadie, now in shock, spoke out loud, “All these things belonged to a set of twins and now they are gone.” Thoughts and questions filtered through her mind at a rapid speed. Two particular questions kept repeating in her brain: Who is the mother of these children, and where is she now?

  She looked around the attic and discovered two boxes. One box contained numerous dresses, aprons, and prayer head coverings. A smaller box held a hair brush, kitchen towels, shoes, sleeping gowns, and handkerchiefs. Sadie found in the bottom of the box a handwritten note on a sheet of paper which read, “Death came too early to Ruth after giving birth to twins, Hannah and John. May all three be at peace with God.”

  A sea of sympathy washed all over Sadie's body, both inside and out. She felt such compassion for Issac. Although she now understood she was a replacement for Ruth, it did not matter. Her heart broke at the thought of losing not only one person you love, but three at one time. At that moment Sadie vowed to God she would do all she could to be a good wife to Issac.

  Time was flying by quickly, so she returned the items to the proper place and scurried back to the Yoders’ main house. She rewashed her hands and face, slipped into the purple wedding dress her mother had sewn, buckled her black high-top boots, adjusted her black prayer cap, and then walked out onto the porch. Issac was sitting on a bench waiting for her.

  Issac smiled when he saw Sadie. “Oh, how nice you look. I am so glad to see you. I was concerned you might have run away.” he said.

  “Why would I do that?”

  With sadness in his eyes, Issac said, “Sadie, I know you do not love me. This marriage was arranged by our parents, but I have a desire to be a good husband to you.”

  Without hesitation and with great boldness, Sadie placed her hand on Issac's cheek, smiled and said, “Issac, I just promised God I am willing to be a good wife to you. In time we will learn to love each other.”

  Issac put his hand over Sadie's hand and said with a broken voice, “Sadie, this pleases God, but I have to tell you the truth about my third cousin, Ruth, before we marry.”

  Sadie withdrew her hand from Issac's face. “ I know all about Ruth. You do not have to say a word.”

  Issac took Sadie's elbow and guided her towards the house. “There is someone who would like to speak with you before the wedding,” he said.

  As Sadie entered the kitchen, there stood her beloved mamn. Standing behind her were her sisters, slicing and arranging the pound cake Mamn had baked on a serving tray. Sadie cleared her throat and instantly all the ladies turned their heads toward Sadie. She smiled and jumped towards her mamn. “Oh, God has blessed this day!” Sadie said. Within seconds they were all hugging and talking at the same time. Then Mary Yoder entered the kitchen and announced it was time for the wedding to begin. Sadie's sisters ran passed her, leaped off the porch and ran to the scene. Sadie, Mamn, and Mary walked out together.

  The wedding began at the traditional time, 8:30 AM. Sadie exhaled slowly, knowing the wedding ceremony would last three hours and the last wedding guest would leave around 10:30 PM. It would be a long day, but worth every second.

  There [S40]is that silly rooster again, Sadie thought. Wait a second, the rooster is always at the main house. She was sure she was in her new home. Yes, Issac was lying next to her in the bed. He raised himself up on his elbows, smiled at Sadie, and announced he was going to put that rooster in a pot of boiling water one of these days. Sadie laughed and asked, “Is that the same rooster that has been at your parents’ home?” He nodded his head and explained, “The rooster follows me wherever I go, so it appears we will have him here from now on.”

  “Oh, I see. So you were at your parents’ home the entire time after I arrived.” Sadie said. He admitted he was, that he had slept in the bed with his youngest brother, who ended up on the floor before the night was over. Both laughed out loud, just like a newly married couple. As Sadie got out of bed she noticed the cradle was no longer in the room. She let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness there would be no pressure about
having children right now.

  Sadie headed into the kitchen to start the fire, only to discover the task was completed by Issac. He had also gathered water and other items for breakfast. She was amazed at his dedication and kindness. In the Amish community as a rule men are not that helpful in the kitchen. Once breakfast was prepared and eaten, and the dishes were washed, she headed to the barn to help Issac with other chores. She had mastered milking a cow at an earlier age, but goats were a task she had not tackled before.

  She stood behind Issac, observing his milking technique. The process was no different than milking a cow. “What is her name?” Sadie asked.

  Looking rather puzzled Issac responded, “Name? She does not have a name.”

  Sadie went around in front of the goat, looked into her eyes, and claimed a name. “Gay suits her well,” Sadie said. Laughing, Issac agreed with her. Sadie asked Issac to move aside so she could take over this chore. Gay did not seem to mind at all.

  Between the two of them the work for the morning was finished in record time. They walked back to the house holding hands and laughing. They stopped by the spring house to leave the milk. Although it was cold outside, Sadie felt warm on the inside. She spoke silently to God, asking him if this was what falling in love was like.

  Sadie was washing her hands when Issac entered the room. He removed the wash cloth from her hand and began washing her face. He gently kissed her and informed her he was headed to the main house. Sadie had planned to go help Mary, and requested they go together. As they headed to the main house, Sadie wondered what to prepare for the noon meal. [S41]All of this was so new to her as a wife and working woman. The bakery was to open this week, and she needed guidance in the correct direction. She voiced her concerns to Issac. He thought it best for Sadie to confer with his mother, then they would discuss further in the evening.

  Mary was glad to see Sadie walk into the bakery. There was so much to be done, but she knew the community would pull together to help. Sadie approached her regarding the meal situation, which Mary found sweet yet comical. She had to remind herself what it was like to be newly married. Mary informed her that all midday meals would be served at the main house until further notice.

  *****

  The holiday season was approaching and final plans needed confirming. Mary asked Sadie to sit down so they could discuss the bakery. They both agreed they would take orders over the new telephone that was being installed today. The Bishop had approved a phone to go into the business, but not the home. As soon as the telephone number was known, Issac's brothers would make signs and post them in the county.

  Mary thought it best to just get through Thanksgiving. Christmas would require additional planning. The two agreed and started on inventory, making sure there was plenty sugar, eggs, flour, butter, flavoring, spices, and milk. Mary had a list of the Amish in the community who sold eggs, butter, and milk. There was a large stockpile of pumpkins and apples in the cellar.

  Sadie was really impressed with Mary's business mind. Unlike her mamn, who struggled with numbers, her mother-in-law could add in her head. Later that day, as the two women walked to the main house, Sadie felt proud of herself. She knew that was a dangerous thing and could lead her to sin quickly. She would pray in private for God to help her to remain humble. Just tone the bounce in your step down a little, she thought. In reality she wanted to take off praising God. There had always been a side to herself she did not understand. Although she was Amish, her mind often went beyond their way of thinking. It was a battle just about every day for her.

  Sadie and Issac were able to spend a great deal of time together. Traditional newly-married couples visit with friends and relatives for several weeks after the wedding. Gifts and money are given to the couple. The opening of the bakery did not allow the time for such luxuries. Sadie did not care. She had fallen in love with Issac. She could not say at what point it happened, it just did. He was her joy, and she could not wait to see him or be with him.

  Thanksgiving came and went. The day after the holiday, Mary and Sadie sat down together and counted the money. Most Amish do not trust banks, so the money is often put in a somewhere for safekeeping. Mary had a notebook she posted orders in and when complete wrote down the money for that sale. The journal was kept daily. The sales minus receipts for expenditures matched the money to the penny. Mary handed Sadie an envelope with cash as payment for her work. Sadie was speechless. What in the world was she going to do with all this money? She was blessed with everything she could want or need. God and Issac were so good to her.

  She showed Issac the money that evening. He was ecstatic for her. He offered to build her a secret box to house the money. “Issac, part of this is for you. I want you to take some,” she said. He would have no part of it. He wanted her to take care of it and save it. He said something that really frightened her: “My dear wife, God does not promise anyone a long life. We never know when we will die. Please keep this money; you may need it one day.”

  Those words horrified her. She had fallen deeply in love with this man. The very thought of him leaving was more than she ever wanted to think about, much less have to face and deal with. No, it could not happen. Issac was a healthy young man. She got up, went outside to sweep the front porch off, and gazed at the stars. Out of fear or hurt she asked God not to ever let this happen.

  The Christmas season came upon the bakery like a whirlwind. It seem as though the telephone rang nonstop. Mary had to hire someone just to take orders. Sadie had more than twenty orders for her vanilla-flavored pound cake alone, not to mention orders for cookies, gingerbread, pies, and cakes. Mary had to hire several Yoder cousins to come in and help with the baking. Sadie did not understand this at all. Do other women just not bake? she thought. She was so busy she failed to look at who the customers were. The majority of the orders were from non-Amish ladies.

  A lot of the orders were from Shipshawana, which claim to be home to the Midwest’s largest flea market. The market opened in May and closed the last day in October, so no vendors were open. People needed baked goods. No wonder we are so busy, Sadie thought as she poured another pound cake mixture into the cake pan. Once the cake was in the oven, she had just turned to start another batch when she noticed her Issac at the cookie table. He was covered in flour. Bless his heart, he was making cookies. What a wonderful man God has blessed me with, she thought.

  Finally the Christmas baking was complete. Sadie was so tired on Christmas Eve. All she wanted to do was soak in a hot tub of water. Issac had made her a tub as a gift. He brought the tub inside and filled it with hot water. She came in and started dinner, which was really leftovers from the noon meal borrowed from the main house. When dinner was finished, Issac told her to go take a bath and he would do the dishes. She took him up on the offer. As her tired body soaked up the heat of the water she pondered why she tired so quickly the last few weeks. She questioned why she was sick to her stomach a lot in the mornings. The thought of eating turned her stomach. Must be all the orders and hard work, and now that the holidays are over with maybe I can get back on a normal schedule, she thought to herself.

  *****

  The next morning the rooster performed his normal singing routine. Sadie rolled over and immediately thought of the baby cradle. Now it all made sense to her. She was with child. Oh my, am I really? she thought. When her feet hit the floor she made her way past the stove, out the front door, and off the porch. She believed her stomach was turning inside out. When she finished she headed toward the porch. Issac was standing in the door way. “Sadie, are you okay?” he said. He was very concerned and offered to help her up.

  She gently pushed him away, went to the bedroom and changed into her day clothes. He entered the room and with gusto asked if it was time to take the cradle out of the attic. “Yes, I think so, but let me speak with your Mother first,” she replied.

  Sadie made it through Christmas day with all the food, giving of homemade gifts, and singing. Sadie's father-in-law s
at down in front of the fire place and began to read from the bible, Luke Chapter 2. As he told of the birth of Jesus, tears rolled down Sadie's face. Mary noticed but said nothing until her husband finished with the devotion and prayer. Mary questioned, “Why are you crying, Sadie? Do you miss your family?” Sadie asked to be alone with Mary to speak with her. The men got up and went outside.

  Issac returned to the room and was told indeed his wife was with child. He was so happy, but also very afraid. He knew there could be problems. Issac asked God to bless this child and his wife.

  The snow was coming down hard and fast. The wind blew and swirled giant snowflakes over everything. There had to be at least eight inches of snowfall. Sadie was comfortable in her home. The pantry and cellar were full of food. Firewood was stacked on the covered front porch along with Gay. Issac had built her favorite goat a small lean-to at the end of the porch. Gay would stay warm and dry.

  Issac came into the house, hung his heavy winter coat on a peg, slipped out of his work boots, and changed into a night shirt. Sadie knew at once something was wrong. She took the pot of stew and cabbage off the stove and went into the bedroom to check on Issac. She found him in the bed covered under three quilts. His body was shaking and his forehead was very hot. She tried not to panic, but with her heart beating rapidly she ran to the front porch and rang the bell. Soon she saw two of her brothers-in-law racing toward the house.

  Sadie returned to the bedroom with a cold compress for Issac's head. Samuel, the next-to- youngest brother, asked what was wrong. Sadie explained and asked if they would bring Mary to the house. Samuel ran back out the door and within minutes Mary was taking her cloak off and heading to the bedroom. She turned to Sadie and demanded she make the tea.