by June Belfie
Dinah laughed softly. “I remember. He was adorable with his bald head.”
“Jah, finally his blond hair came in, but I was afraid he might stay bald forever.”
“How are your buwe?”
“Oh Dinah, they’re such a handful. Ever since Jeremiah passed. It’s like I have no authority over them. That’s one reason I needed to get away.”
“And you wanted to see Hannah,” Dinah said, slightly disappointed.
“Oh jah, that’s for sure. That was the main reason!” Now that was something she’d expect Beth to come out with. She usually had more tact.
Dinah smiled then and nodded. “We’ve been such close friends all our lives. I’ve really missed you. I’m glad you write as often as you do. I’ve been so busy…”
“I understand perfectly, but you’re pretty gut. You get off a letter nearly every week.”
“I guess that’s not too bad. I’ll be better as Hannah gets older.”
“Jah, until you have the next one,” Anna said.
“We hope we’ll have one in a year. I want them to be close in age. They’ll have more fun that way.”
After supper, they sat together in the sitting room as Hosea read from the New Testament. Then Anna went to her room for the night. It was only then that the faces of her children came to her. Oh, she missed them. Little Rachel’s smile hit her especially hard. She hoped her daughter was having fun with her grandparents.
It had been a long day. The travel was draining and before long Anna drifted off into a deep sleep. Jeremiah was in her dreams yet again.
Holmes County, Ohio
Abe woke the boys up early for church. He knew they procrastinated some Sundays and he liked to arrive early to help with the preparations. The Stutzmans could probably use some help setting up chairs for the service.
He shaved his upper lip and combed out his chestnut colored beard while thinking about his Christmas. It had been as difficult as he’d expected. It was getting harder to remember his Mary’s facial features. It saddened him to think he’d never see her again—on this planet, anyway. He could still hear her laugh in his mind.
The dreams were less frequent now, and though Christmas was painful, he had occasional moments when he could think of other things besides his sorrowful loss. He no longer questioned, which in itself, was a blessing. Whether the accident was all part of God’s plan or the natural outcome of people’s poor decisions, he knew he wouldn’t understand in his lifetime. Difficult though it was, he had no choice but to accept what had transpired.
Now his main mission was to bring his daughter back home. With the holiday over, he could be more insistent. The thought of her tears troubled him, though. He loved little Alice with all his heart. How could be watch her cry?
Benny knocked on the bathroom door. “We’re ready, Daed. Should we harness Mickey?”
“Jah, go ahead. I’m almost finished up here. Did you wipe up the counters?”
John did. I washed the dishes.”
“Gut man. I’ll be down.” He heard the quick footsteps of his eight-year-old son as he made his way down the stairs to the barn. Good boys. Wonderful Amish buwe and hopefully they’d marry good Amish maedel and give him lots and lots of grandchildren. His life could be full even without a wife. Or could it?
He reached for his wide-brimmed hat and went out to join his boys. It was warm for late December. Probably close to forty. The snow would be melting soon and the fields would need preparation for the new crops. Though spring was his busiest time of the year, he loved the smells and sights of the earth as it rejuvenated from the long winter. Perhaps as the browns and greys turned to shades of green and pale warm colors, so his heart would lose some of its bleakness and hopelessness. Even now, his steps took on a quickness he thought he’d lost forever. Perhaps his friends were right. Perhaps time was healing the deep wounds of life.
Sunday was his favorite day, especially the church Sundays. Being with friends was a true blessing. In a couple of weeks, he’d spend time with his parents and his other siblings. Naomi always made it over to see her family in January since her marriage. He’d try to tie in his visit at the same time to make it more celebratory.
Abe knew his parents were disappointed he didn’t make it out for Christmas, but they understood when he wrote to explain about Alice and her reluctance to leave Naomi’s side.
His sister was an angel in disguise. Even with her own five children, she found time for his Alice. She also provided them with meals and came by to wash their clothing. God had given her a heart of gold. He’d be forever grateful.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Anna’s children behaved better for their grandparents than for their mother. The presence of a man in their lives was beneficial and Isaiah and Zach encouraged the boys to help with the animals and take on more responsibility while Anna was away.
Rachel spent every moment with her grandmother. She only had problems Saturday night when she went to bed. Rose stayed in her bedroom until the child fell asleep. Other than that, it was going better than anyone had anticipated.
Without phones, there was no way to communicate with Anna, but Rose felt peace in her spirit and prayed for Anna’s well-being.
Anna dressed carefully Sunday morning, making sure her pins were secure and her hair tightly held back under her prayer kapp. She wanted to make a good impression on Dinah’s family and friends. She wasn’t used to being with so many strangers, but she wasn’t fearful. There was such a wonderful feeling of community amongst the Amish that it would probably feel like being with family.
After the service, she sat at one of the tables with Dinah and some of the in-laws to have a meal. A woman by the name of Naomi came over to be introduced to her. While they chatted, a beautiful little toddler with dark brown eyes and pink cheeks came running over and grabbed onto Naomi’s skirt. “Mamm, I hungry.”
“You just had lunch honey. Did you finish your macaroni and cheese?”
“Jah.” The child studied Anna’s face as she and Naomi talked. Then she took a step in Anna’s direction and held a faceless stuffed doll up to Anna’s eyes. “My dolly’s Katie. You like her?”
“Oh, I do. She looks like you. Is she a gut girl?”
The child nodded, as her lips formed a smile.
A young woman tapped Naomi on the shoulder and asked if she’d give her the recipe for the butterscotch bars she’d brought. “Jah, I have it memorized. Let me get paper.” She moved away, but the child remained.
With that, an attractive man with dark hair and sensitive eyes came over. “There you are little one,” he said to the child as he picked her up in his arms. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Oh, she was here with her mother,” Anna told him. “She just stepped away for a few moments. We were having a nice conversation.”
“Jah? Her mother?” His brows narrowed.
“Your dochder called the lady, Mamm, so I guessed…”
He smiled. “Jah, that was my schwester, Naomi. Alice sometimes calls her mamm.”
“Oh, I see.” Anna looked up at the tall man, who was staring at her with a pleasant smile on his face.
“And you are?” she asked, extending her hand for a handshake.
“I’m sorry. Forgive my rudeness. I’m Abe. Abe Stoltzfus.”
“Abe Stoltzfus?” Her mouth barely formed the words as her jaw dropped.
“Jah, is that okay? You don’t like my name?”
“Oh my. And you have a sohn John and another sohn named Benny?”
His eyes widened under his arched brows. “How would you know that?”
“I’ve been praying for you for months now. You lost your wife and three children in a horrible accident. Am I right?”
He couldn’t speak. He merely nodded his head. “But you’re a stranger here.”
“It was in the news. I’m from Lancaster County, but everyone heard about the terrible buggy accident. I read about it in the Budget.”
“
And you’ve been praying for me and my kinner?”
Anna nodded. It was her turn to be silent. She couldn’t believe what was transpiring.
“And you? Is your husband here with you?” Abe was finally able to ask.
She shook her head. “Nee. Jeremiah died last February from a bad heart. He was only thirty-five. It was heartbreaking.”
“Of course it was.” He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry I didn’t know about it, so I could be praying for you, too.”
“Nee, it didn’t make the news. He was only one man. But he was the most important man in my life.”
“Of course. It’s very sad. I don’t know your name, I’m sorry.”
“It’s Anna. Anna Miller.” They sat staring at each other.
“Do you have kinner, Anna Miller?”
“Jah. Four. Three buwe and one maed. They are about the ages of yours.”
“This is amazing. To think you’ve been praying for us all this time and now we meet face to face. It is a Gott meeting, I’m sure of that.”
She nodded. “Jah, I believe it is.”
“Would you like to meet my sohns?” Alice was still hanging onto her father’s neck, but she watched ever so carefully as this stranger and her father talked. He stood, holding his daughter in one arm. “Come with me, Anna. Did Naomi know you were praying for us?”
“Nee, I had no reason to tell anyone. I never, in a million years, thought I’d meet you. I’ve just always had a burden in my heart for you and your kinner.”
He shook his head. “Amazing! How long are you staying here?”
“I leave Wednesday morning.”
“Then we must make every minute count while you’re here. Gott has put us together for a reason and we must find out what it is.”
Anna smiled broadly for the first time in days. No, months. “Jah, I agree, we must find out. Accidents like this just don’t happen every day.”
He grinned at her, taking in her sweet expression and lovely heart-shaped face. She appeared as an angel to him at that moment. Was this a woman he could one day love?
John and Benny were outside trying to form snowballs from the wet remaining snow drifts. When they saw their father and sister arrive with a strange woman, they stopped and stared.
Abe introduced them to Anna, who smiled as she extended her hand. “Jah, and John, you’re ten years old, aren’t you?” He looked like a small version of his father.
“I’m gonna be eleven on January fourth,” he said, proudly.
“Oh my, how exciting!” She turned toward Benny, who also resembled his father with dark brown hair and deep eyes. “And Benny, you’re eight?”
“Jah, but my birthday is soon, too. I was born on February fifth.”
“How nice. Do you celebrate together?”
“Nee, I like chocolate cake and my bruder likes yellow cake.”
“Jah, but with chocolate icing,” John reminded him.
“I see,” Anna said, nodding. “And I bet Benny likes white icing, am I right?”
They both grinned at her. “How did you know that?” Benny asked.
Abe laughed out loud. “This lady knows all kinds of things about us. Gott has sent her to us.”
The boys exchanged looks. Had their father gone crackers? They’d never heard him talk like this. She sure was pretty though, Benny thought, as he considered what this all meant. He didn’t dare hope that Gott had sent a new mudder. That was way too much to ask for. Wasn’t it?
After a few more comments, Alice begged to join her brothers in the snow mound that was left and Abe set her back down on her feet. “Now buwe, be careful of Alice.”
“We know, Daed,” John said. “Allie’s ‘just a little maed.’ We’ve heard that a million times.” Abe nodded as he continued to smile. The boys hadn’t seen his smile last more than a fleeting moment at a time. Had God sent this pretty lady on purpose?
“Would you like to take a walk around the property?” Abe asked Anna as the children began forming small blocks for a wall.
“That would be nice. I have to admit, I get tired sitting sometimes. It was a nice service though.”
“Jah. It was. I need to know everything about you, Anna Miller. Please fill me in.”
She began by telling him how she and Jeremiah had fallen in love young and married. She told about the children’s births and about her sister, Beth, and her parents. Then she filled him in on her older brothers and their children. He even asked their names and nodded as she told him.
“I won’t remember, I’m afraid, but I want to hear anyway. I’m sorry you lost your husband. It must be very difficult for you to handle your children by yourself.”
“Oh jah. They don’t listen too gut to me, I’m afraid. The only easy one is Rachel. She’s so gut, it hurts. She’s my little buddy and I miss her terribly. I just hope she behaves for my parents. I almost cancelled at the last minute, she was so upset.”
He shook his head. “Jah, but you didn’t. Did Gott tell you not to?”
She studied his expression. Was he teasing? He looked serious. “Would you think it funny if I said, jah?”
“Not at all. Do you think you’ll ever re-marry, Anna Miller?”
“Until recently, I wouldn’t even consider it. I loved my husband very much. He was a gut man and a wonderful-gut daed.”
“I know exactly what you mean. People keep trying to find a woman for me to marry. It gets annoying sometimes, to be honest. But you said ‘until recently.’ So now you’d consider it?”
“It wouldn’t be for love. I have no expectations of that, but for the sake of my children, jah, I’d consider it. I’d also like more kinner.”
He nodded as they continued to walk slowly. At one point, she started to slip on an icy section shaded by a large bush, and he grabbed hold of her elbow to support her. She felt uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. He released her as soon as she caught her balance.
“What about you, Abe? Have you considered re-marriage?”
“For the sake of the kinner, jah. I don’t know if I could ever…like be close to another woman.” He looked down at his feet as they walked.
“Maybe she wouldn’t expect anything.”
He grinned, unexpectedly. “Well, if she wanted more boppli…”
Anna felt her cheeks heat up. Goodness, why had she mentioned more children?
“Would you like to come over to my place tomorrow to be with the kinner? I make a pretty gut stew.”
“Oh, I love stew. Beef?”
“Venison.”
“Better yet. Would that be inappropriate? I mean a man and woman–single and alone together?”
“I’m sure Naomi would be happy to chaperone, if you thought we needed it.” His smile was crooked and she held back a giggle.
“I guess we’re old enough and responsible enough to be trusted alone.”
“That’s what I was thinking. I can pick you up anytime you say. The children are off from school. Maybe we can play board games or something.”
“And Alice? Can she play board games at her age?”
He bit his lower lip. “Alice doesn’t live with us right now. It breaks my heart, but since Mary passed…”
“I see. I understand. She would need a lot of care.”
“I didn’t mind. Really, I could handle anything. Diapers don’t even scare me, but she was so unhappy. Naomi took her for a couple nights just to help out and then it became a week and pretty soon, Alice wouldn’t come back with us. She’d cry and it was so difficult for me to even handle the boys at first by myself that I gave in and left her with my schwester. That must change. It has to.”
They stopped and leaned against a wooden fence and stared into the pastures, still covered in a light layer of white. They were silent for a few moments. Finally, Anna broke the stillness. “She needs a woman, Abe. Simple as that. No matter how gut you are as a daed, a little maed needs a mudder figure. Your sister has filled that need. Gott has provided.”
He nodded. “I know you’re right. Maybe now it’s time to move on. For the sake of the children, of course.”
“Of course.” They connected their eyes and both thought the same thing. For the sake of the children, maybe this could work.
“I guess we should head back,” Anna finally said. “I’ll be ready any time after lunch tomorrow. I need to spend the morning with Dinah.”
“Around one?”
“That would be fine.”
“And you’ll stay for supper?”
“If you’ll let me help.”
“I’m lousy at desserts.”
She grinned. “I excel at dumplings. Do you have apples?”
“Oh, jah. Lots of apples. We have a small orchard and they stay real gut all winter in the cold cellar.”
“Maybe we can add candles and pretend it’s birthday time.”
“But then you’d have to bake cakes,” he said, grinning. “That means you have to come back the next day…and the next.”
She laughed. “I leave Wednesday morning, don’t forget. I guess I could bake two cakes on Tuesday.”
“Anna, would you do that? Really?”
“Of course. I’d like to, actually. It’s fun to celebrate gut times. I’ve had enough bad times to last a lifetime.”
“Tell me what you’d need and I’ll go shopping tomorrow morning.”
“You probably have everything I need already. Do you know about baking chocolate?”
“Not really. Oh, wait, I think there is some. The kids were complaining about some chocolate that was bitter and they stuck it back in the cabinet. That was only last week.”
“Maybe to be on the safe side, you should pick up some fresh Baker’s chocolate. The other may be too old. And a box of confectionary sugar.”
“Okay, I’ll write it down back at the house. If you think of anything else, let me know.”
He turned to her and took hold of her hands. “You’re very sweet to do this. And for all your prayers. I believe it was the prayers of others that got us through all this. Denki.”
