Amish Redemption

by Patricia Davids

  “Do you have an address where you will be staying?”

  “I’m not sure. There’s a place called the Wadler Inn. They are giving rooms to workers. I’m sure you can find their telephone number. They will know how to reach me if I find lodging elsewhere.”

  “I’d like a little more concrete information.”

  Joshua turned away from the window. “The town was nearly leveled. Some people still don’t have electricity. They don’t have water. Many don’t even have a roof over their heads. I’m sure I’ll be staying with an Amish family, but the Amish don’t have telephones. The phone number for the inn is the best I can do. If you say I can’t go, then that is that. But know there are people in desperate need there.”

  He wouldn’t be able to stay with Ada and Mary. He was sure Nick wouldn’t allow it. Joshua turned back to the window. How could he miss them all so deeply after only a few days? He missed Hannah’s energy and Ada’s cooking and teasing. He missed everything about Mary, but mostly he missed her smile.

  Officer Merlin folded his black notebook and zipped it closed. “All right. You can return to Hope Springs. Check in with Sheriff Bradley when you get there. If I decide to drop in and see how you’re doing, I’ll expect the people at the inn to tell me where you’re staying.”

  “Sheriff Bradley doesn’t want me in his town. I was...I was seeing his daughter.”

  Oliver rose to his feet. “I noticed he was quite sharp on the phone.”

  “He can be more so in person.”

  “It’s a free country. You have limits because of your parole status, but Sheriff Bradley can’t stop you from returning to Hope Springs if I give my approval. However, I would suggest you give serious thought to avoiding his daughter. I’ll be at the inn in Hope Springs on Saturday evening. You will be there.”

  “I will.” Joshua hoped his face didn’t reveal his relief. He would see Mary again. He would explain everything and pray that she understood and forgave him. He would find out if the Lord had a plan for the two of them. He prayed it was true. All he wanted was to see her again.

  When Officer Merlin drove away, Isaac sighed heavily. “I wished only the best for my children. How have I failed them?”

  Joshua came and laid a hand on his father’s shoulder. “You did not fail us. We have failed you.”

  “Life is long. I pray I will see all my sons around this table again one day.” He rose to his feet. “I made arrangements with the Englisch horse hauler to get your animal brought home, but he can’t pick him up until Saturday. Would you write to Ada Kaufman and tell her that?”

  “I will.” Could he explain what happened in a letter to Mary? No, it was better to see her face-to-face.

  After his parents went into the living room. Joshua stayed in the kitchen. Samuel came in carrying the mail. “Was the Englischer satisfied with your behavior?”

  “Well enough, I reckon. He’ll be here again in two weeks and he will check on me in Hope Springs.”

  “Daed and I have loaded a wagon with furniture and lumber for you to take with you. It’s not a lot, but we have some to spare for those less fortunate.” His voice trailed away as he stared at the envelope in his hand.

  “What is it?” Joshua asked.

  “It’s a letter from Luke. He’s never written before.”

  “That will please Mother.”

  Samuel held it out. “It’s not addressed to Mother. It’s addressed to you.”

  “To me? Why would he write to me and not to Mamm or Daed?”

  “You’ll have to open it and see.” Samuel laid the letter on the counter. “I’ve got a rocking chair to finish and a harness to repair. I could use your help.”

  “I’ll be out in a minute.” Joshua picked up the letter and tore it open. It was short and to the point—Luke needed to see him. There was no other explanation. Something was wrong.

  * * *

  “You’ll get over him. Men can’t be trusted. Women are better off without them.”

  “You don’t mean that, Betsy.” Mary looked up from the supplies she was restocking in the Red Cross center and glanced around. The temporary tent had been taken down and the relief center now occupied the basement of the town hall. A new truckload of donations had arrived that morning. The first boxes contained much-needed necessities like soap, toothpaste and shampoo. Some of the men, including Alvin, were setting up tables and folding chairs in the room down the hall that would serve as a place of relaxation and a meeting room when needed.

  “Maybe I do mean it. Just a little. Some men can’t be trusted. And those are the ones we are better off without.”

  Mary didn’t feel better off without Joshua and she didn’t want to talk about it. The ache was too new, too raw. She prayed that he would write and tell her why he left without a word. There had to be an explanation. “Does that mean you haven’t made up with Alvin?”

  Betsy glanced down the hall. It was empty. “He was flirting with another woman. You saw it.”

  “Betsy, you turned him away. He has been faithful to you for two years and you turned him away because you are afraid to commit to marriage. You tell him to go away, and when he does, that makes you angry? Do you know how ridiculous you sound?”

  Betsy snapped the lid closed on a cooler filled with water bottles. “Okay. I didn’t like seeing Alvin interested in someone else, but I don’t know what I want. Do you?”

  Oh, yes, she did. Mary wanted to see Joshua again. She wanted to know that the friendship and affection she thought they shared wasn’t one-sided. She wanted to believe she could have a chance at a normal life and not have to live out her days alone. Joshua had opened her eyes to that possibility, but now he was gone.

  “We aren’t talking about me, Betsy. It doesn’t make any difference what I want. Alvin is still here. You are the one who has a choice.”

  “But what if it’s the wrong choice? How can I tell that I’ll like him in ten years, let alone still love him in fifty years?”

  “Ada says marriages are made in heaven, but husbands and wives are responsible for the upkeep.”

  “It’s a wise Amish proverb, but what does it really mean?”

  “It means you won’t love him in fifty years if you aren’t determined to love him every day from now until then. Answer me this. Can you see your life without him in it?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  Alvin came around the corner with a set of folding chairs in his hands. He dropped them on the floor with a clatter. “I know what I want, Betsy Barkman. I want to have children with you and grow old with you and lie down in the earth beside you when my time comes. That’s what I want. That won’t change in ten years and it won’t change in fifty years. Maybe you can see a life without me, but I can’t see one without you. I love you, and I don’t care who knows it!” He turned to look at the room but it was empty.

  Mary hid a smile and picked up the supplies. “I’m going to take these to the closet.”

  Betsy snatched the box from her hands. “I’ll take them. Alvin, would you give me a hand?”

  His face turned beet-red and he rushed around the end of the counter to take the box from her. Together, they vanished into the supply room that was so full of donations there was barely enough room for one person, let alone two.

  When they came out ten minutes later, Betsy’s lips were puffy from being kissed and her cheeks were bright red. Alvin wore a look of bemused satisfaction. He picked up the chairs and hurried down the hall with them.

  “Well?” Mary knew the answer. Betsy’s eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

  “A fall wedding. He loves me.” She whirled around once and hugged Mary.

  As happy as she was for her friend, Mary couldn’t help the stab of jealousy that struck her. Would she ever find that kind of love?

/>   Nick walked in through the front door, pulled off his sunglasses and came over to the two women. “How’s it going?”

  Betsy composed herself and gestured to the counter. “Two boxes of much-needed things like soap, and one box of shoes that contained two pairs of red high heels and six pairs of flip-flops. Not the best footwear for working in a disaster zone. What are people thinking?”

  He chuckled. “We’ll never know. Mary, I thought I would see if you’d like to join me for lunch. We haven’t had a chance to spend much time together lately. I’m sure Miriam can join us.”

  Shaking her head, Mary said, “I’m not really hungry. You go on.”

  “Mary, you have to eat. He isn’t worth getting this upset over.”

  She knew he meant Joshua. She looked down. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “He wasn’t who you thought he was,” Nick muttered.

  She looked up quickly. “What do you mean by that? What aren’t you telling me?”

  Chapter Twelve

  The following afternoon, Joshua once again faced the gray walls and high wire fences of Beaumont Correctional Facility. The driver his father had hired for the day agreed to be back to pick Joshua up in an hour. Although Joshua dreaded walking in the doors, it was considerably better to come as a visitor than it was to be a prisoner. He was searched and led into a small waiting room. A second door opened and Luke came in. His brother was all smiles, but Joshua knew something was up.

  “It’s good to see you, little brother. Mother’s home cooking agrees with you.”

  “You’re looking thin.” Joshua sat down at the table.

  “The food here stinks. You haven’t forgotten that so quickly.” Luke paced the room.

  “What’s up, Luke? Why am I here?”

  “Maybe I wanted to apologize for getting you in trouble in the first place.”

  “I appreciate that. You know you have been forgiven. The family will welcome you—surely you know that.”

  Smirking, Luke said, “I know the Amish forgive sinners. I’ve heard it all my life.”

  “It’s not something we say. It’s something we do.” Something Joshua was learning to do.

  Luke looked at him sharply. “You’re really beginning to sound like our old man.”

  “I pray that is true. Our father is devout and wise.”

  “Mom wrote that you’ve been working in Hope Springs.”

  “I’ve been helping with the tornado cleanup. There’s still a lot to be done.”

  Luke brightened. “Are you going back?”

  Joshua nodded. “Our family is donating some lumber and furniture and Mamm is sending canned goods. I’m headed back tomorrow with the wagon.”

  He hoped that Mary would forgive him for his sudden departure when he explained why he’d left without saying goodbye. She had the right to be upset that he hadn’t told her about his prison time, but he believed she would understand. He was anxious to see her again. He dreamed of her at night and thought about her every hour of the day.

  Luke sat down at the table. “That’s just great. I was wondering if you met a woman there named Mary Shetler.”

  “Nee, the name isn’t familiar.”

  Luke’s left leg tapped up and down. There was a hollow look in his eyes. Joshua scowled at him. If he didn’t know better, he would suspect Luke was using drugs again, but how could he get them in here?

  Luke frowned and bit thumbnail. “That’s too bad. I need you to do me a favor when you go back. I need you to find her.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve got a friend in here. His name is Kevin Dunbar. Joshua, he saved my life. There was a fight in the yard and I would have been stabbed if Kevin hadn’t knocked the knife out of the guy’s hand. I owe him. You understand that, don’t you?”

  “If he saved you, he was an instrument of God’s mercy. I’m grateful for his intervention, but what does this have to do with finding someone in Hope Springs?”

  “Kevin had a girlfriend, an ex-Amish girl. She was pregnant with his baby when he was locked up. She hasn’t contacted him. His letters have all been returned unopened. He thinks she returned to the Amish. Her name is Shetler, Mary Shetler. He wasn’t sure where she went. He had some friends looking for her in her hometown, but they never found her. He about gave up hope until he saw her on the news about Hope Springs.”

  “If she didn’t answer his letters, maybe she doesn’t want to see him.”

  “He still loves her. He respects her decision. He doesn’t hold it against her. He just wants to know that they are both okay. Joshua, the man doesn’t know if he has a son or a daughter. He’s made mistakes, but he deserves to know his child is okay.”

  “She might not be living in Hope Springs. Many Amish came from other places to help. I don’t know, Luke. The fellow is Englisch. His business is none of ours.”

  “You know it’s important in here to have someone who can watch your back. This isn’t Bowmans Crossing. Things can get ugly in here. This guy is my friend. He’s helping me out.”

  “How?”

  “He’s taking care of me. Making sure I’m okay.”

  “Is he getting you drugs?”

  “That’s not a very Amish thing to say. He’s going to get me a job with a couple of his old pals in Cleveland when I get out of here.”

  “Making meth again?”

  “You are the suspicious one now. They run a salvage yard. I want to help a friend just the way you want to help the people in Hope Springs. Some of them are Englisch, too, aren’t they? This is no different. All you have to do is ask around quietly and see if you can locate her. You don’t even have to speak to her. He just wants to know that she’s okay.”

  Joshua thought of Mary. He longed to know how she was. He hungered for any word of her. He could understand a man wanting to know his child and the woman he loved were safe and happy. “Okay, I’ll ask around.”

  “Great. That’s all you have to do. You are doing me a big favor. I owe you for this, little brother. When I get out of here, we are going to have some good times together, you and I.”

  “Does this mean you’ll come home?” Joshua asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

  Luke rubbed his face with his hands, shot to his feet and began pacing again. “You know the Amish life isn’t for me. I don’t want to be stuck in the Dark Ages. I want to be surrounded by life and fun.”

  “We Amish have life and fun all around us, Luke. We aren’t stuck in the Dark Ages. We work hard and live a simple life so that we may be close to God and to each other.”

  “Like I said, you sound like Daed. So tell me about this girl you’re seeing in Hope Springs. What’s she like?”

  “How do you know about her?”

  “Mamm forwarded all of your letters. You know how she loves to keep circle letters going in her family. You sound quite taken with Mary Kaufman and her daughter, Hannah. Is Mary pretty?”

  “She’s very pretty and very sweet.” His heart ached to see her again.

  “And Amish. Mamm must be over the moon about it.”

  Joshua sobered. “Not as much as you might think.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “What’s complicated about love? It’s spring. It’s in the air, unless you’re locked in this place.”

  “In my case, a lot. Mary is Amish, but she was adopted by an Englisch couple when she was a teenager.”

  “So?”

  “Her father is the sheriff.”

  Luke burst out laughing and slapped the tabletop. “My ex-convict brother is dating the daughter of a sheriff. That has to be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. What does her daed think about you?”

  “Nick Bradley doesn’t care for me.”


  “I can imagine. Are you going to call him Papa Nick after you marry his little girl, or will it always have to be Officer Nick? You might have been better off taking a ride in the tornado.”

  “I’m glad it’s a joke to you. For me, it’s serious.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to tease you. All you have to do is ask around for Mary Shetler when you get back to Hope Springs and let me know as soon as you hear anything. Kevin is going to be paroled soon. You don’t even have to come see me. Just call. Do this favor for me and I’ll come home when I get out. I promise. What do you say?”

  * * *

  It was late in the afternoon by the time Nick turned into Ada’s lane. Mary sat beside him quietly. Their relationship had become strained over the past few days and Joshua was the reason. Nick knew something about Joshua’s sudden departure, but he wouldn’t talk about it. Mary never doubted how much Nick loved her and Hannah, but somehow, his feelings about Joshua were driving a wedge between them. She hated it, but she didn’t know what to do about it.

  In the yard, she saw a wagon piled high with lumber. Two gray draft horses stood with their heads down at the corral fence. They looked as weary as she felt.

  Nick stopped the car. “Looks like more Amish contributions are on their way to Hope Springs. It must be someone who knows Ada.”

  They opened the car doors and got out. Hannah came flying down the steps and threw herself into her mother’s arms. “Mamm, guess what? Joshua is here. He came back.”

  Mary’s heart stopped for an instant and then raced ahead as joy welled up inside her. He was back. He had come back.

  It was hard to breathe.

  She looked toward the porch and saw him standing with Ada. Mary choked back a sob. She was so happy she was ready to cry.

  Joshua came down the steps with his hat in his hand. It was then she noticed that he didn’t look happy to see her. He looked worried. Her joy ebbed away.

  Nick moved to stand beside her and crossed his arms as he glared at Joshua. “I’m surprised to see you here.”