“Dad … Mom … can we talk to you a minute?” Ezekiel asked when he and Michelle entered the greenhouse.
“Sure, but you’d better make it quick. It’s only a matter of time before a slew of customers show up,” Ezekiel’s father responded. “As you well know, the summer months are our busiest time of year.”
Ezekiel shook his head. “I haven’t forgotten, and what I have to say won’t take long.” He slipped his arm around Michelle’s waist as she waited nervously for him to proceed.
Ezekiel cleared his throat a couple of times. “Michelle and I have an announcement to make.”
His mother’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands. “Are you two in a family way?”
“No, we’re not.”
Just the mention of being pregnant sent a stab of regret into Michelle’s soul.
“What then?” Belinda tipped her head.
“We have an opportunity to move to an Amish community in New York, and I’ll be taking over someone’s business. I’ve already talked to the Amish man in Clymer, and the wheels are in motion. Even so, we probably won’t make the move till sometime after the new year.” Ezekiel undid the top button on his shirt and rubbed his neck. No doubt he felt as apprehensive as Michelle did right now. She didn’t like conflict and feared there might be one between Ezekiel and his parents.
Belinda squinted as she pointed a finger at Michelle. “Was this your idea? Did you ask Ezekiel to move because you’ve never felt welcome in our community here? Because if that’s the case, I can assure you—”
Michelle shook her head, but before she could say anything, Ezekiel spoke again. “Moving to New York was my idea, Mom. You and Dad know that I’ve never been happy working here in the greenhouse. I enjoy working with bees and selling my organic raw honey.” He stood rigidly with his hands behind his back.
Belinda’s shoulders drooped, and her chin trembled slightly. “But how will we manage without your help here?”
Ezekiel’s father nudged her arm. “Didn’t you hear what our son said? He’s not happy working in the greenhouse.”
“I know, but—”
“We’ll manage without him. Our son has a right to live where he wants and work at the job of his choosing. We cannot stand in his way.” Vernon looked back at Ezekiel. “What kind of business will you be taking over, Son?”
“I’ll be making supplies for beekeepers. You know … things like hive kits, frames, foundations, and extracting equipment. I’ll even be selling protective clothing, honey containers, medications for mite and pest control, as well as all the tools needed for the job of beekeeping.” Ezekiel spoke in a bubbly tone. Clearly he was excited about this new venture.
Belinda’s voice cracked as she said in a near whisper, “Do what you think is best, Son, and go with our blessing.”
A slow smile spread across Ezekiel’s face, and he gave both of his parents a hug. “Danki, Mom and Dad.”
While Michelle still struggled with mixed emotions concerning their move to New York, she knew in her heart that her place was with her husband. Her throat clogged with tears. But oh, how she dreaded saying goodbye to Mary Ruth and Willis, not to mention Sara, Brad, and all of Ezekiel’s family. It would be an adjustment to start over in a strange place, but with God’s help they would do it.
Chapter 16
The first two weeks of August were busier than ever. Not only was Lenore taking care of Cindy, but she also was putting up garden produce for the winter and getting ready for the new school term. Lenore had gone out to supper with Jesse again, and at Grandma’s invitation he’d eaten supper with them on several occasions—including Lenore’s birthday last week. Lenore’s parents and brothers had been there too, and it had been a fun evening, filled with lively banter and laughter. Sara and Brad were involved in a church activity, so they weren’t able to come, but Michelle and Ezekiel had dropped by briefly to wish Lenore a happy birthday.
Grandma had given Lenore a lovely throw pillow for her bed that she’d hand-quilted. Mom gave Lenore a set of pillowcases she’d embroidered along the edges and said it was for her hope chest. Peter and Ben went in on a gift card to Shady Maple in East Earl—the largest restaurant in the area. Dad’s gift was a card with some money in it so she could buy whatever she wanted. Even Jesse had brought her a gift—a book on the history of Christian County, Kentucky. All in all it had been a pleasant evening, and the more time Lenore spent with Jesse, the more she liked him. She’d quickly realized that it wouldn’t take much for her to fall in love with Cindy’s father. But the question was, had he begun to develop any feelings toward her that went beyond friendship? If so, he hadn’t verbalized them.
Of course, Lenore reasoned as she placed Cindy in her high chair, we’ve only known each other a short time. It’s too soon to be thinking of anything more than having Jesse as a friend. I need to be patient and see how things go.
Cindy slapped her chubby hand against the wooden high chair’s tray, scattering Lenore’s introspections. “Hold on, sweet girl, and I’ll feed you some lunch.”
The little girl babbled something unintelligible as she grinned and looked up at Lenore.
“That child sure likes you,” Grandma said when she wheeled Grandpa into the kitchen. Even though he could walk with the aid of his cane, he often preferred to use the wheelchair.
Lenore smiled. “I like her too.”
“You need a few bopplin of your own,” Grandpa mumbled as Grandma pushed him up to the table.
Lenore saw where this discussion might lead, so she quickly changed the topic. “Grandma and I picked lots of tomaets this morning.” She gestured to the plate full of sliced tomatoes on the table. “They’ll go nicely on our ham-and-cheese sandwiches.”
“Yum.” He smacked his lips.
“Yum.” Cindy mimicked him. At least it sounded like she had said “yum.”
“Here you go, sweetie.” Lenore placed a few pieces of cooked carrots on Cindy’s tray and was rewarded with another big grin.
“Bet she won’t eat those.” Grandpa scrunched his nose.
“Just watch.”
Cindy rolled one of the mushy carrots around on the tray a few seconds, picked it up, and popped it right in her mouth.
“See, Willis, you guessed wrong.” Grandma took out a loaf of homemade whole-wheat bread and placed it on the table. Lenore opened a container of cooked squash and gave Cindy a taste. The little girl didn’t seem to mind that it was cold. She ate it hungrily and then picked up another carrot Lenore had placed on her tray.
“I’ll feed her some applesauce after we’ve eaten our sandwiches.” She glanced at Grandpa, who wore a crooked smile as he watched Cindy eat.
After Grandma joined them at the table, they bowed their heads for silent prayer.
About halfway through the meal, a knock sounded on the back door.
“It’s open. Come in,” Grandma called.
A few seconds later, Michelle entered the room. Instead of her usual perky stride, she walked with her head down, like she was the bearer of bad news.
“It’s good to see you, Michelle. If you haven’t had lunch yet, come join us for a sandwich.” Apparently oblivious to Michelle’s somber mood, Grandma pointed to the empty seat beside Lenore.
Heaving a sigh, Michelle sank into the chair. “I came over here to give you some news.”
“I hope it’s good news. We surely could use some of that these days.” Grandma clasped her hands under her chin, looking at Michelle expectantly.
“Ezekiel and I will definitely be moving to New York in a few months. His parents gave us their blessing, and the business sale is going through.”
Grandpa’s eyes widened, Lenore dropped the spoon she’d been using to feed Cindy, and Grandma let out a little squeak.
“We’ll miss you, of course, but I’m sure you’ll make lots of new friends in your new community.” Grandma spoke with feeling. “Please tell us a bit more about the new business Ezekiel will be involved in.”
&n
bsp; Lenore continued to feed Cindy as she listened to Michelle explain the details of the business Ezekiel would be taking over. This certainly seemed like a spontaneous decision—one she hoped they’d prayed about. But it wasn’t her place to make any negative comments or throw cold water on their plans, so Lenore kept her thoughts on the matter to herself.
“Ezekiel feels that it’s God’s will for our lives, so it’s not for me to say otherwise,” Michelle continued. “We’ll come back for visits whenever we can, and we hope our friends and family will be able to come see our new home too.” Michelle’s tone sounded overly cheerful all of a sudden, but the way she sat slumped in her seat told Lenore that her friend was not entirely thrilled about moving. Lenore felt sorry for Michelle. No doubt she felt forced to move because her husband wanted a change. Being married meant making sacrifices sometimes, and a wife’s place was with her husband. No doubt Michelle would adjust to the change once they got to New York and settled in.
Lenore reached over and took her friend’s hand. “As Grandma said before, we will miss you, and we’ll be sure to keep you in our prayers.” She looked at her grandparents. “Isn’t that right?”
With a grunt sounding much like one of his previously owned hogs, Grandpa moved his head up and down. Grandma nodded too, but the tears in her eyes could not be concealed. Although Michelle was not part of their family by blood, she’d become like another granddaughter to them. This would be one more adjustment for Grandma and Grandpa to get through. But I’ll be here for them, Lenore told herself. And I’ll pray for Michelle and Ezekiel—that the move will go smoothly and it will be an easy adjustment for both of them.
After the lunch dishes were washed and Cindy had been put down for a nap, Lenore felt like taking a walk to the barn. She hadn’t read any notes from either of the prayer jars recently and figured she could use some words of inspiration or encouragement.
Sadie greeted Lenore as soon as she entered the barn, wagging her tail and begging for some attention.
“How are you doing, girl? Did you come in here to take a nap or pester the katze?” Too many times Lenore had caught the collie running after one of the cats. She’d never hurt any of them, though—just barked and chased until the felines found a safe place to hide.
Sadie responded by nuzzling Lenore’s hand. Then she flopped down with a lazy grunt.
Chuckling, Lenore stepped around the dog and went to fetch the ladder. After climbing it and retrieving the old jar, she took it outside and seated herself at the picnic table. She wanted to read the messages written on several of the slips of paper, and it was too warm and stuffy in the barn to remain there very long. The picnic table was the perfect spot because it was shaded by a huge maple tree, which offered a nice respite from the heat.
Once Lenore was seated on the bench, she opened the lid, reached deep inside, and removed a slip of paper. A verse of scripture had been written on this one, and she read it out loud. “‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17.’”
Lenore reflected on the verse a few minutes before taking another note out of the jar. This one was a prayer. “Dear God, please help me learn how to discern Your will. I want to do what’s right, but I am so confused.”
Lenore rolled her neck from side to side. What was my aunt Rhoda confused about? If only I would find a note in one of the jars that would explain things better. Did she know when she left home that she would never connect with any of her family again?
“Lenore, the boppli’s awake and crying pretty hard,” Grandma called from the house. “Do you want me to change her windel?”
“No, that’s okay,” Lenore shouted through cupped hands. “I’ll be right there.”
She got up and headed back to the barn to put the jar away. The next time Lenore had a free moment, she would come back out and read a few more of the notes her aunt had written. Surely one of them would reveal more information.
Chapter 17
Lancaster County was in the middle of a sweltering, overly humid heat wave. Farmers across the road from Lenore’s grandparents’ home toiled under the blistering sun, while young barefoot children found solace in nearby ponds, where they swam, fished, and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being together in a place where it was cooler. School would be starting in ten days, and then it would be back to books and a more structured schedule. For Lenore, that meant giving up precious time spent with Cindy as she returned to her job of teaching. Since Jesse had not found anyone to replace Lenore, his wife’s great-aunt had agreed to watch his baby daughter again.
“I’m gonna miss you, sweet girl,” Lenore murmured, taking a seat on the porch swing and placing Cindy in her lap.
The child leaned heavily against Lenore’s chest while sucking her thumb.
Sighing, Lenore stroked Cindy’s silky curls, admiring the softness of the baby’s pretty hair. What she wouldn’t give to have a child like this. Although teaching was a satisfying profession, it didn’t compare to the joy of motherhood. Not that Lenore knew firsthand what it was like to have children, but she’d witnessed plenty of interactions between mothers and their little ones to realize how much she longed to be a parent.
As she got the swing moving rhythmically, Lenore closed her eyes and listened to the cicadas singing their summer song from nearby trees.
Sara took a seat at her desk to compare the figures in the ledger of the previous month to the profit the shop had made so far in August. The flower shop had done well this summer, and as far as she could tell, word of mouth seemed to be the best form of advertising. Sara’s assumption came from all the positive comments she’d received when people came into the store and mentioned they’d heard about it from a friend or relative.
Sara looked at the perpetual calendar on her desk, filled with beautiful pictures of Amish country that an English man who’d grown up in Pennsylvania had taken. Flipping the page over each day was a continual reminder of how much she loved living here. She hoped Brad would be able to continue serving as pastor to the church in Lancaster for a good many years. Sara couldn’t imagine having to move away from Grandma and Grandpa.
Her thoughts went to Michelle and Ezekiel. Ezekiel had family here, and Michelle had established a good many friends. Starting over would be quite an adjustment—especially not knowing anyone in their new Amish community.
Sara tapped her pen against the ledger. Life was full of changes—some good, some not so beneficial. Certain people adjusted to change easily, while others resisted it and felt depression or anger about their circumstances.
She closed her eyes briefly. God, please grant me the courage to accept any changes that might be in my husband’s and my future.
Sara’s cell phone rang, and she was quick to answer when the caller ID showed it was her husband. “Hi, Brad. How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m just calling to remind you that tonight’s Bible study will begin at six, since I invited everyone for grilled burgers.”
“I haven’t forgotten, and I’ll make sure to pick up a couple of salads and some baked beans at the deli before I head home.”
“Sounds good. See you later, hon.”
“Oh, before you hang up—have you heard anything from Rick Osprey … about whether he plans to attend Bible study tonight?”
“No, I haven’t, but since he only came to the first one and we haven’t seen him at church, I’m guessing he won’t be coming.”
“Have you tried calling him?”
“Yes, several times, but all I’ve gotten is his voice mail. I don’t have his address, just a cell number, or I’d drop by his house to check on him.”
“That’s too bad. Guess we’ll have to wait and see whether he shows up or not. I’ll see you in a few hours, Brad.”
Sara clicked her phone off and glanced at the inspirational quote on today’s calendar page: How much better off we’d be if we learned to listen to God’s still, small voice, instead of trying to do things our own way.
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“Okay, Lord, I get the message,” Sara said out loud. “If it’s meant for me to speak with Mr. Osprey again, it will happen in Your time.”
Jesse’s palms felt so sweaty he could barely hold on to his horse’s reins. He was heading to the Lapps’ on a mission, and it wasn’t just to pick up Cindy. Today he planned to ask Lenore if he could continue seeing her socially after she started teaching school. What he really wanted to do was ask her to give up teaching and marry him, but it was too soon for a proposal. If Jesse asked Lenore to become his wife without a proper time of courting, she might figure out that he had an ulterior motive.
Vera can’t watch Cindy indefinitely, and in addition to caring for my little girl, I need someone to run my household. These were selfish thoughts, but Jesse was concerned about Cindy’s need to have someone care for her on a full-time basis, not just a few hours a day. And he sure couldn’t ask Lenore to move into his house without marrying her. This was a delicate situation, and he needed to proceed with caution.
The Lapps’ collie barked a friendly greeting as Jesse guided his horse and buggy up the lane. Seeing Lenore by the clothesline, he headed in that direction as soon as his horse was secured to the rail.
Sadie ran beside him, barking and wagging her tail. Jesse paused briefly to give the dog a few pats.
“Need some help taking the clothes down?” He pointed to the partially filled wicker basket.
Lenore’s dimples deepened as she smiled up at him and nodded. “It’s kind of you to offer.”
Jesse removed a bulky towel from the line. “How’d my little maedel do today?”
“Very well. She has a good appetite and is learning how to feed herself some foods.”
Jesse grinned as Lenore filled him in on what Cindy had eaten for lunch. “She’s growing so fast; it won’t be long before she’ll be ready to eat big people’s food.”
The Healing Jar Page 10
