by Nancy Mehl
She crossed her arms across her chest. “I do believe we’re different, Callie, but I don’t think we’re perfect. If you expect too much from those of us who live here, I’m afraid you’ll end up disappointed. And hurt.” She shook her head. “You’ve built a wall of protection around yourself to keep out painful truths or emotions you can’t control. Someday that wall may fail. I’m not sure you’re prepared for what’s on the other side.”
I stared at her, not knowing what to say. Papa used to tell me that I lived in a dream world. Was Lizzie saying the same thing? I started to respond but the phone shrilled, cutting me off. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The phone in the kitchen didn’t ring much, but when it did, it was disconcerting, to say the least. Lizzie picked it up and said hello. She listened to whoever was on the other end, thanked them, and hung up.
“That was Roger. The KBI has opened the road. There are still agents out there, and they’ll be checking the cars and buggies that go through, but at least people can start heading home.”
I sighed. “Well, that’s a little good news.” I started to ask her if she’d like me to announce the road opening to the crowd in the dining room when the kitchen door opened and Noah came in with Charity. Charity held out her arms to her mother, who hugged her fiercely.
“Sorry I had to send you upstairs for a while, Cherry Bear,” Lizzie said.
“That’s okay,” Charity replied. “I got a lot of my homework done.”
“I thought you were going to ask my mother to keep her a little longer,” Lizzie said to Noah.
“I did, and she said she would, but your father decided to bring her back because your mother wasn’t feeling well.”
Lizzie sighed with exasperation and let Charity go. “I wish my mother would just tell us when she’s ill. I know she thinks she’s being a good soldier, but she could make Charity sick too.”
Noah grunted. “You know your mother. She wouldn’t complain if her hair was on fire.”
Lizzie nodded. “You’re probably right.”
Noah was clearly upset and didn’t acknowledge my presence. His attention was fixed on Lizzie. “I wanted to go with Levi, but the men from the KBI wouldn’t let me.”
“He’ll be all right, Noah,” she said soothingly. “They said they’d only keep him a couple of hours. Don’t worry. They know he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’ve got to call my parents and let them know what’s going on. I don’t know how I’m going to explain it.”
I looked over at Charity, whose large dark-brown eyes were wide with anxiety as she stared at her parents. Lizzie noticed her too.
“Callie, could you take Charity out to the dining room? Maybe you could get her a piece of pie.”
I nodded and quickly cut a piece of pie and a grabbed a fork. Then I motioned to Charity. “Let’s go, honey.”
She followed me into the dining room without argument, and I sat her down at the only empty table in the room. I noticed that Ebbie, Hope, and Beau were just getting ready to leave. I hurried over to them.
“Ebbie, the road is open now, though it’s still being patrolled by some of the men from the KBI. Could you let folks know?”
He nodded and walked to the middle of the room. Although it took a couple of tries to get everyone’s attention, once he shared the news, people immediately began to leave. I quickly checked out the customers who hadn’t paid yet, but within ten minutes, the room was empty except for Charity, Matthew, and me. Charity asked for a glass of milk, so I told her to stay put and headed for the kitchen. As I opened the door to the kitchen, I heard Noah say, “You’ve got to talk to her. And soon. She needs you to be honest with her.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I need a glass of milk for Charity.”
“Oh, sure,” Noah said, looking uncomfortable. “I’ll go out and tell everyone the road is open.”
“Don’t worry about it. Ebbie already did.” I took the milk out of the refrigerator and got a clean glass out of the dishwasher.
“Thanks, Callie,” Lizzie said.
“By the way,” Noah said, “the KBI talked to Harold. Told him that he and Mercy weren’t to describe what she saw to anyone. Specifically, they’re not to mention the plastic around the body or exactly where the woman was found.”
Lizzie snorted. “As if Harold can keep a secret.”
“I know Harold’s a gossip,” he said, “but all in all, he’s a good man. He won’t say anything. He wants this killer caught as much as anyone. Maybe more. Mercy will have to live with that awful image the rest of her life. That’s got to be tough on a father.”
“Speaking of fathers,” I said, “how did your mother and stepfather take the news about Levi?”
Noah shook his head. “That’s a call I never want to make again. They were shocked, of course. Marvin’s first reaction was to drive over to the jail, but I encouraged him to wait. I doubt he’d get to talk to Levi anyway, and I don’t think he needs the distraction. I told him we’d call if we heard from Levi first.”
I nodded and poured the milk into a glass. As I put the milk container back into the refrigerator, I could feel their eyes on me. Were they wondering if I’d overheard Noah’s comment? Had they been talking about me? I wanted to ask them about it, but I couldn’t. What if it had nothing to do with me, and I ended up looking ridiculous? I grabbed the glass and left the room.
I delivered the milk to Charity, who was sitting with her grandfather. “How about a piece of pie, Brother Matthew?” I asked.
“Thank you, Callie, but no,” he said. “Anna feeds me too much as it is.” He smiled at me, and I was struck by the difference in him over the past several months. He had definitely changed in some ways, although his earlier actions reminded me of the old Matthew.
I was trying to come up with a topic of conversation when I heard the kitchen door open. Lizzie and Noah came into the room.
“Are you hungry, Father?” Lizzie asked. I could hear the weariness in her voice. It had certainly been a tiring day. Emotionally and physically.
Matthew shook his head. “Callie has already offered me food. I am convinced you are all trying to fatten me up.”
Lizzie smiled, but Noah didn’t.
“Levi is a good man, Matthew,” Noah said sharply. “He wasn’t trying to avoid going with those men.”
Matthew sighed. “I did not mean to make it sound as if he was resisting. Perhaps I was not careful enough with my words. My intent was simply to encourage him not to fight their request.”
Lizzie sat down at the table with us. “We should all be praying for Levi—and trying to help officials find the person who committed this horrible crime.”
“I agree,” Matthew said. “The idea that something like this could come so close to us . . .” He shook his head. “It is hard to accept.”
Noah didn’t say anything. He just kept frowning at Matthew. His lingering anger with his father-in-law was evident.
“What happened?” Charity asked after swallowing a piece of pie. “What horrible crime is Grandpa talking about? Why is everyone so upset?”
Lizzie reached over and brushed a dark curl out of Charity’s face. “Nothing for you to worry about, Cherry Bear. Finish your pie. We’re going home.” She looked at Noah. “Would you mind warming up the truck? It’s freezing out there.”
He rose slowly from his chair. “No, I don’t mind.” He stood there for a moment as though he wanted to say something else to Matthew. However, after getting a warning look from Lizzie, he put on his coat and went outside.
“Charity, why don’t you run to the bathroom before we leave?” Lizzie said. When Charity started to argue, Lizzie stopped her. “I’m not asking,” she said. “It’s a long ride home, and there’s nowhere to stop. Just go.”
Charity sighed and stuck the last bite of pie into her mouth before getting up and walking toward the bathroom. She gave her mother one last withering look and closed the door. As soon as the lock clicked, Lizzie scowled at her fa
ther.
“I know you’ve been saying things around town about Levi,” she said. “And I want you to stop it. Don’t you dare use this situation to hurt him. He’s a wonderful pastor. His age has nothing to do with his ability to do his job.”
Matthew’s expression hardened. I’d seen that look on his face before and knew what it meant. Sure enough, what he said next wasn’t a surprise.
“God’s Word states very clearly that a man in authority in the church should not be a novice. It is not God’s way to use young men to oversee His church! I do not say this of my own opinion. It is from God himself.”
“Being a novice has nothing to do with age, Father,” Lizzie blurted out. “Levi is hardly untrained when it comes to the things of God. He has studied the Word and served the church for many, many years. He knows more about God than almost anyone I’ve ever known.” She quickly glanced toward the bathroom door, obviously worried about Charity overhearing her discussion with her father.
Matthew’s solemn expression turned even more venomous. “Age has everything to do with this, Elizabeth. Obviously, the longer a man lives, the more he learns. Levi is not even married yet. I believe the church overstepped clear boundaries when he was elected as our pastor. He should not have been considered for this position. He does not qualify.”
“But he is getting married, Father,” Lizzie said, trying to keep her voice low. “And soon. All of the Scripture requirements will be fulfilled.” She shook her head. “Please don’t stir up trouble for him. You know he doesn’t deserve it.”
Matthew stood to his feet. “Getting betrothed simply so he could be voted in as pastor is not sufficient, Daughter. And now, he has become entangled in this evil situation.” He shook his finger at Lizzie. “This is what happens when God’s commandments are broken. Mark my word. This situation will get much worse before it gets better.”
“I wish you’d explain to me why you waited until after Levi was appointed to the pastorate to begin your objections. Why were you silent when his name was offered as a candidate?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to object, but at the time I was encouraged by several in the church to stay quiet—for the sake of peace. After the vote, I realized I had been wrong to allow myself to be swayed by the opinions of others. Christ did not come to earth to bring peace, but a sword. He said clearly that a man’s enemies would be those in his own household.”
“Brother Matthew,” I said hesitantly, “wasn’t Jesus talking about the world’s system in that passage? That He wasn’t bringing peace to the world and that households would be disrupted because some in a family would choose to follow Him and some wouldn’t?”
“Callie’s right, Father. Christ is the Prince of Peace in the hearts of His children. And you are trying to bring strife and division into His church. I think the Bible has some pretty strong things to say about that, doesn’t it?”
“I will not quarrel about God’s Holy Word with you,” Matthew snapped. “How dare you try to teach the Word to me?”
Lizzie pounded the table with her fist. “Father, I mean it. If you don’t let this drop—”
The door to the bathroom swung open, and Charity came back into the room, halting the vitriolic conversation in its tracks. She walked slowly over to the table and sat down next to her mother, leaning against her shoulder. “I’m tired, Mama. When can we go home?”
Lizzie patted her daughter on the head. “Get your coat and your school bag. Your dad should have the truck warmed up by now.”
Charity smiled and jumped up, skipping over to the corner where her coat hung on the coatrack and her bag lay on the floor underneath. While she pulled on her coat, Lizzie pleaded with Matthew.
“Please, Father, I’m begging you to think about this before you cause damage that can’t be undone. Your legalistic attitude has created so much harm.” Lizzie wiped away a tear that snaked down her cheek. “Don’t stir this up.”
Matthew stared at her, his jaw working. I expected an angry backlash, but instead he only nodded and buttoned the front of his coat.
“I will carefully consider your words, Lizzie,” he said finally. “And yours as well, Callie. Forgive me for losing my temper. It is a problem I struggle with. But you must realize, Daughter, that sometimes we will disagree. I am not always wrong. You are not always right. However, it is true that God is merciful to His children. He has been merciful to me. Perhaps I am not behaving the same toward others.” He fastened the last button and frowned at his daughter. “But remember that God also warns us about certain situations—just as a parent warns a child to stay away from danger. We must listen when He chastises us. Both of these paths lead to our protection and security.” He stood to his feet. “I know you have confidence in Levi. I hope you will also have some confidence in me.” He smiled at Charity, who had come back over to the table. “Thank you for coming to our house today, Charity. I am always so glad when you visit us. You make your grandmother and me very happy.”
She grabbed Matthew in an exuberant hug. “I love you, Grandpa,” she said.
“And I love you,” he responded. He turned his eyes toward Lizzie, and I was surprised to see tears in them. “And I love you too, Elizabeth.”
With that, he left. Lizzie was silent as she watched him get into his buggy and drive away.
When he was out of sight, I turned to her. “I’m worried. He could make things very difficult for Levi.”
“I know,” she said slowly. “My father is as stubborn as they come. If he believes he’s right, he won’t back down.”
“What’s the matter, Mama?” Charity asked in her little-girl voice. “Is Grandpa doing something bad again?”
The innocence displayed on her face hurt me. The last thing I wanted was for division to once again rear its ugly head in Lizzie’s family.
“No, honey,” Lizzie said. “We just disagree about something. That doesn’t mean Grandpa’s being bad.” She cast a quick look my way.
“Your mama’s right, Charity,” I said gently. “You and your mother don’t always agree, but you still love each other, right?”
Charity’s dark eyes narrowed as she thought this over. Then she smiled. “Yes. Mama makes me go to bed too early sometimes, but I still love her.” She shook her head and her dark curls bounced. Like her mother, Charity didn’t wear a prayer covering except on Sundays in church. “I don’t want anything to go wrong with Grandpa.” She sighed deeply. “It took a while to straighten him out.”
Even though Lizzie and I were both concerned about Levi, we couldn’t help but laugh at Charity’s statement.
The front door was suddenly pushed open, and I shivered from the chilly air that rushed in.
“Truck’s warmed up,” Noah said loudly. “Let’s get going.”
Lizzie stood up. “You get in the car with your father,” she said to Charity. “I want to talk to Callie for just a minute.”
“Not too long, Lizzie,” Noah said. “It’s late and it looks like we’ve got more snow on the way.”
“Okay.”
Lizzie was silent as she watched Noah and Charity head for the door. They both said good-bye to me and went outside to their truck.
“Listen, Callie,” Lizzie said when the door closed, “I don’t want you to worry about my father. I’ll talk to him.”
“I hope he reconsiders,” I said. “At least he promised to think about his attitude.”
“And that’s a step in the right direction,” she agreed. “He needs to understand that stirring up trouble in the church again would put us right back where we were a year ago. I don’t think he really wants that.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” Lizzie continued, “Ebbie Miller, Noah, and Levi are the best leaders we’ve ever had. And Levi is a wonderful pastor. They all work so well together. I’m convinced they will bring positive changes to Kingdom.”
“Elder Zimmerman, Elder Scherer, and Elder Wittsman are strong men of God too.�
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She shrugged. “I guess. They certainly don’t seem to have the passion of the younger men though.”
“Maybe that’s the reason younger elders are such a blessing. They bring great enthusiasm to the position.” I sighed. “Levi loves being our pastor, Lizzie. He’s never cared about anything except serving God.”
Lizzie grinned. “And being with you.”
I could feel myself blush. “Yes, and being with me.” I stared at her silently until she frowned.
“What’s wrong, Callie?”
I hesitated a moment, not certain I wanted to open a door I might not be able to close. “It’s late, Lizzie, and your family is waiting. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?”
“A few minutes won’t make any difference. What’s on your mind?”
I took a deep breath. “Is it possible Levi became engaged to me just because an elder is supposed to be married?”
“Oh, Callie. Is this because of what my father said?” Lizzie got up and slid into the chair next to me, taking my hands in hers. “I know Levi’s not very demonstrative, but if you could see his face when he looks at you . . .”
I wrinkled my forehead in confusion. “I see his face all the time, Lizzie. He doesn’t look at me in any special way.”
Lizzie squeezed my hands and laughed softly. “He hides his emotions around you, sweetie. But when he’s sitting in the dining room, watching you work . . .” I was startled to see tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat and smiled at me. “Never doubt his devotion to you, Callie. Trust me. Levi loves you. You really need to believe that. It could be very important in the days ahead.”
“I was afraid to bring this up. I was so insistent earlier when I said I knew he loved me.”
She nodded. “I’ve been concerned that you didn’t really trust his love. But you should.” She gazed earnestly into my eyes. “There may be some things you might doubt, Callie. But Levi’s sincere devotion shouldn’t be one of them.”
