An Unexpected Amish Courtship

by Rachel J. Good

  Be sure to encourage your aunt to do her physical therapy exercises. They hurt, but they’re essential for recovery.

  Please know I’ll be praying for both of you.

  In God’s love,

  Mrs. V

  With tears in her eyes, Sovilla lifted out the gifts—two Christian novels, a book about finding God’s peace in difficult circumstances, and a Bible crossword puzzle book. The multiple inside pockets held juice boxes, soda, chips, candy bars, granola bars, and an apple. Below the books, a small, thin cooler bag held a sandwich and some cheese sticks.

  Until she’d opened the bag, Sovilla hadn’t realized she was hungry. Bless Mrs. Vandenberg. After eating the sandwich and several snacks, Sovilla settled back with the book about God’s peace. Perhaps when she finished, she could leave it on her aenti’s bedside table. Maybe if Wilma got bored enough, she’d read it.

  Reading helped the last two hours to pass quickly. Sovilla had almost reached the end of the slim book when the information board announced Wilma was in the recovery room. That meant she’d be moved to her room in about forty-five minutes to an hour. Sovilla finished the book before they paged her and gave her Wilma’s room number.

  When they wheeled Wilma into the room, she barely lifted her lids. “Go to work,” she commanded, although her words were slightly slurred.

  “It’s too late,” Sovilla told her. “The market will soon be closing.”

  “If anyone stole my pickles . . .”

  “Don’t worry. Lots of people are watching the stand.” Sovilla hoped a soothing, confident voice might reassure her aenti, but Wilma tossed her head from side to side and plucked at the sheet.

  “Try not to agitate her,” the aide whispered to Sovilla. “She seems distressed. Do your best to calm her.”

  Wilma peered at them, her eyes narrowed. “What are you two plotting?” She tried to lift her upper body but fell back on the pillow and groaned.

  “You need to be still for a while, Ms. Mast.” The aide raised the back of the bed slightly so Wilma had a better view of Sovilla. “Relax a bit and let your body heal.”

  “Easy for you to say. Nobody’s robbing you blind while you’re stuck in bed.” Although Wilma’s words came out slowly, they hadn’t lost any of their tartness.

  The aide picked up the water cup with a straw and held it out. “I’m sure the police will take care of it.”

  Wilma batted the cup away. “Police? A lot of good that’ll do me.”

  “It’s a market stand,” Sovilla explained.

  “Oh.” The aide put the water back on the bedside stand. “Try to get her to drink a bit.” She pointed out the various buttons and headed for the door. “Someone will be in later to help you with your exercises.”

  “I don’t want do to exercises.” Wilma’s declaration ended in a whine. “I’m tired and want to sleep.”

  “The exercises are important to keep the mobility in your joints.”

  Sovilla remembered Mrs. Vandenberg’s note. “You need them to help you recover properly.”

  Her aenti glared at her.

  The aide smiled at Sovilla. “It’s so nice you have your daughter here as a coach.”

  “She is not my daughter.” Wilma spat out each word. “I don’t have a daughter.” Her face twisted, and she slumped back onto the pillow with her eyes squeezed shut.

  “I’m her niece,” Sovilla told the puzzled aide.

  “If she’s in pain, she can use the button.” The nurse frowned. “She shouldn’t need it already, though.”

  A few tears trickled down Wilma’s face.

  Sovilla moved closer to the aide to whisper, “I don’t think she’s hurting from the operation. She’s upset about something.”

  The aide nodded. Good luck, she mouthed. With one last I-don’t-envy-you expression, she closed the door behind her.

  Once the door shut, Wilma swiped at her eyes with her fist.

  Sovilla hurried over to the bedside table and plucked a tissue from the small box. “Would you like this?”

  “I wouldn’t need one,” Wilma said savagely as she snatched the tissue from Sovilla’s hand, “if they didn’t give you medications that make your eyes water.”

  Sovilla hid a smile. Her aenti went to great lengths to avoid appearing soft or vulnerable. Then Sovilla sobered. Now that she’d learned some of her aenti’s history, she understood Wilma’s need to appear strong.

  “I wanted to ask you about what you said before your operation,” Sovilla said.

  Wilma glared. “Forget everything I said. Consider all of it the ravings of a sedated lunatic.”

  “It didn’t really happen?”

  “None of your business.” Wilma pinched her lips together.

  “Do you want to find your son?”

  “Drop it. No use pining for what you can’t have.”

  “I could check at New Beginnings.”

  “They closed. Now don’t mention it again.”

  Wilma shut her eyes, but the tears leaking out from under her lids revealed she wasn’t sleeping. Sovilla set the inspirational book on the bedside table and prayed.

  After a while, a bouncy, bubbly woman knocked and entered the room with a walker and a cheery smile. “You must be Wilma. I’m Jen.” She turned to Sovilla. “And you’re her coach?”

  “Yes, I’m her niece Sovilla.” She didn’t want Jen to mistake her for Wilma’s daughter. They didn’t need another meltdown. Her aenti would provide enough of a trial.

  Jen glanced at the bed, and her eyebrows rose. Wilma lay back on the pillow, and light snoring sounds came from her mouth. “I could have sworn she was awake when I walked in.”

  Evidently, her aenti had no intention of cooperating.

  With a loud sigh, Jen asked, “Which do you think would wake her up fastest—a dousing with ice water or a mild electrical shock?” She winked at Sovilla.

  Wilma opened one eye. “Don’t you dare.”

  Jen smiled at her. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I hate disturbing people when they’re sleeping.”

  Sovilla suspected her aenti had met her match.

  “Let’s get you up and into the reclining chair to start.” Jen leaned over to help Wilma into a sitting position.

  “I can do it myself.”

  To Jen’s credit, she waited patiently while Wilma struggled. Then she reached in right before Wilma admitted defeat. “You did very well.”

  “No, I didn’t. I needed help.”

  “We want you do as much as you can on your own, but you might need a little assistance here and there. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

  “I’m not afraid. I don’t want any help.” That statement, along with Wilma’s resistance to exercising, set the tone for the rest of the session.

  By the time her aenti had returned to bed, both she and Jen looked exhausted. Sovilla’s jaw ached from clenching her teeth.

  Jen turned to Sovilla. “You saw what we did, right? She’ll need to repeat the exercises she practiced today. And then we’ll add more.”

  “I will not endure any more of your torture,” Wilma announced.

  “Don’t worry. It won’t always be me.” Jen looked relieved.

  When she left the room, Wilma pointed at Sovilla. “You get out of here too. I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “I’m not—”

  “I said go,” Wilma thundered. “I don’t want anyone sitting here watching me sleep. Besides, the house could get robbed along with the stand. I can’t rest thinking about that.”

  Her aenti’s ashen face revealed she needed sleep. Sovilla was torn. She knew how much Wilma worried, but she didn’t want to leave her alone.

  Wilma sagged back against the pillow, and her eyelids drooped. “I didn’t sleep at all last night. And I want to be alone.”

  Sovilla rose. “I’ll go, then.”

  Before she made it to the door, intermittent snores—not fake ones this time—lifted her aenti’s chest in gentle waves. Sovilla eased the door closed behind he
r and called for the driver.

  When he arrived, she sank into the cushiony seat, grateful for Mrs. Vandenberg’s kindness. After he pulled in front of the house, she thanked him multiple times and asked him to tell Mrs. Vandenberg how much both she and her aenti had appreciated everything.

  “I’ll do that,” he said. “She also sent this.” He handed her a large, warm insulated bag. “She figured you’d be too tired to fix a meal when you returned.”

  After another round of thanks, Sovilla entered the house with gratitude in her heart. Like her aenti, Sovilla couldn’t wait to drop into bed. The meal was a heaven-sent blessing. She wondered if Mrs. Vandenberg was an angel on earth.

  After eating the delicious hot meal and storing the leftovers, Sovilla sank into bed. She prayed for her aenti’s recovery and for the staff who cared for her. They had difficult jobs already. Her aenti wouldn’t make it any easier.

  Before she fell asleep, Wilma’s request gnawed at her. Should Sovilla search for her aenti’s son? Although Wilma had said to drop it, she’d longed for Sovilla to give him the inheritance. An inheritance that rightfully belonged to him. If they found him, Wilma could rewrite her will.

  Sovilla prayed again for God’s direction. As she drifted off, one last thought came to her. She’d been so busy all day, she’d had no time to think about Henry. Maybe the stress of caring for Wilma would be a blessing.

  * * *

  Since he’d be driving Sovilla, Isaac wanted to be able to talk to her. Slipping into the kennel as often as he could, he worked hard on his speech. He needed to improve on releasing his first word on the outbreath, so he didn’t blast the first syllable in people’s faces. He wanted to sound natural.

  When he took Snickers to obedience class on Wednesday, Isaac inhaled before each command. Some came out too loud, but other people in the class used strong tones. No one seemed to notice anything different. Maybe it wasn’t as noticeable as he thought.

  On Thursday, he stayed away from Wilma’s stand, assuming it would be empty. But Friday, he and Snickers took off for the stand as soon as they’d unloaded the lambs and chickens. He only had a short break before the auction began, but he wanted to spend it with Sovilla. Without Wilma to stop him, he could ask Sovilla how her aenti’s operation had gone and discuss the plans for picking her up next week.

  A few stands away, he stopped and stared. The stand was empty. He’d been expecting Wilma to be missing, but not Sovilla.

  A sign said, CLOSED UNTIL TUESDAY.

  Tuesday? He wouldn’t see her until then? That seemed so far off.

  The sign meant she wouldn’t be here tomorrow. He should have expected that she’d stay with Wilma in the hospital, but her aenti didn’t seem to like attention. And she’d never left her stand untended. Not in all the years he’d come here with his family.

  “Are you looking for Sovilla?” a soft voice behind him asked.

  Isaac spun around. He couldn’t lie to Mrs. Vandenberg, so he nodded.

  “A reasonable assumption. Wilma has never taken a vacation or stayed out sick. Seeing her stand closed is like a sudden gap from a missing tooth. A gigantic, uncomfortable hole.”

  A huge empty space. Isaac hoped he didn’t look as gloomy as he felt.

  “As you can see, Sovilla won’t be back to the market until Tuesday. You’re still willing to pick her up, right?”

  He bobbed his head up and down so vigorously, she laughed.

  “Good. But Tuesday is a long wait for someone in love.”

  Love? He barely knew Sovilla. Jah, he was attracted to her, interested in her, but love took time to grow.

  “I planned to invite Sovilla for dinner on Saturday night. Would you like to be my guest?” She smiled. Before he answered, she said, “I take it the answer is yes.”

  Had his face glowing with eagerness given him away? Try as he might, he couldn’t erase his excited grin.

  Mrs. Vandenberg handed him a card. “This is my home address. Be there at six. If you’d prefer to be picked up, I can send a car for you.”

  Too excited to practice his techniques, he answered, “N-neh. D-danke!”

  After she hobbled away with a contented smile, he wanted to leap in the air the way his little sister did whenever she was waiting for a special treat. Instead, he strolled casually to the pretzel stand and ordered extras for his brothers and Daed. He’d share his happiness.

  That day and the next passed in a slow, tedious drip. Saturday seemed to be nonending. Isaac watched the clock tick off minute after minute. Finally, they piled into the buggy to head home.

  Normally, Isaac dreaded the days Andrew drove. His brother, a fast and reckless driver, often took chances. Most of the time, Isaac prayed they’d make it home without an accident. But today, instead of silently begging Andrew to slow down, Isaac mentally urged him to hurry.

  He hadn’t told anyone about Mrs. Vandenberg’s invitation except for his mamm. And he never mentioned the other guest. Now he needed to get cleaned up and change his clothes. He hoped he could slip out without anyone, especially Andrew, noticing. But he’d need help with the dogs.

  Isaac went into the kitchen, caught Leanne’s eye, and signaled for her to meet him in the kennel. He headed outside and tended to the dogs while she finished the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

  She came through the door with a puzzled frown. “What’s going on?”

  He kept practicing his speaking techniques as he explained about Wilma’s operation and Mrs. Vandenberg’s dinner. “Could you t-take care of the d-dogs tonight?”

  “Sure. I guess I have to since you’ve been mucking out the stables for me.”

  “Danke.”

  “If you’re going to Mrs. Vandenberg’s house, do you want me to watch Snickers? I’m guessing her house is too fancy for a dog to be sitting on the furniture.”

  “Gut idea.” He smiled to let her know how much he appreciated her thoughtfulness.

  “You know, Isaac, you’re doing great with the stuttering. You started your sentences without any problems.”

  Talking to Leanne didn’t make him nervous. He did much better when he could relax. And trying to speak on the outbreath seemed to help. Too bad he couldn’t keep up the momentum through the whole sentence.

  “Why did Mrs. Vandenberg ask you to supper?” she asked.

  This time, he couldn’t help stammering, “S-Sovilla.”

  “She’s going to be there too?”

  He tried to act casual as he nodded.

  Leanne laughed. “People say Mrs. Vandenberg’s a good matchmaker. She helped Fern and Gideon get together.”

  Isaac hoped Mrs. Vandenberg’s skills extended to him. Except ... did she know Sovilla had a boyfriend?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Since Wilma’s operation, she’d balked at doing the exercises and remained uncooperative. As her coach, Sovilla’s job included learning how to do the exercises and encouraging her aenti during sessions.

  By the time they finished, Sovilla felt like a limp rag, wrung out and drained. Dealing with her aenti was difficult during the best of times, and this proved to be worse.

  Wilma crossed her arms and ignored the therapist’s instructions. She closed her eyes and refused to respond to questions.

  The therapist turned to Sovilla. “Can you do anything with her?”

  Before Sovilla could admit defeat, the cell phone in her bag rang. For the first time in her life, she was thrilled to answer. Mrs. Vandenberg’s kind voice on the other end almost caused Sovilla to burst into tears.

  “Are you all right, dear?” Mrs. Vandenberg’s concern vibrated through the phone.

  “Well . . .” Sovilla couldn’t complain with her aenti listening in. “Not exactly,” she admitted.

  “Is Wilma giving you trouble?”

  “You could say that.” All the tears Sovilla had been holding back threatened to overflow.

  “I rather expected that. Is she refusing to do her therapy?”

  “Yes.”


  “Put her on.”

  Sovilla carried the phone over to her aenti, but Wilma ignored it and kept her eyes shut. “I’m sorry,” Sovilla said to Mrs. Vandenberg. “She won’t take the phone.”

  “Just put it near her ear. I’m going to give her a talking-to.”

  Sovilla held the phone close to her aenti’s ear.

  “Wilma Mast,” Mrs. Vandenberg’s voice blasted from the phone.

  Her aenti jumped but didn’t open her eyes. Sovilla moved the phone to her aenti’s new position.

  “Now, you listen to me, Wilma. You do those exercises.”

  Wilma moved her head away, but Sovilla followed her movements, keeping the phone close.

  “Do you know what will happen if you don’t do your therapy? You’ll lose your mobility. Do you want to spend the rest of your life limping around? Or stuck in a wheelchair or using a walker?”

  With a noise deep in her throat, Wilma tilted her head. Once again, Sovilla held the phone to her aenti’s ear.

  “Are you being fair to Sovilla? You shouldn’t expect her to care for an invalid.”

  “Leave me alone,” Wilma shouted. Then she glowered at Sovilla. “And get that thing away from me.” She flung an impatient hand in the direction of the phone.

  “It’s all right.” Mrs. Vandenberg’s soothing voice echoed from the speaker. “I’d like to talk to you, Sovilla.”

  Sovilla moved away from her aenti, who was grumbling. “I got a reaction from her,” Mrs. Vandenberg said. “Sometimes getting a person angry will give them the energy they need when they want to quit. I hope that’s the case with Wilma.”

  It would be wunderbar if Mrs. Vandenberg was right, but Sovilla couldn’t see her aenti’s anger as productive. Mrs. Vandenberg had been right about other things, so maybe she’d be right about this. Sovilla hoped so.

  “I imagine you’re exhausted, aren’t you, dear?”

  The word dear wrapped Sovilla in a warm hug. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the love.

  “Would you be able to come to dinner tonight? I could have my driver pick you up in an hour.”