A Simple Prayer

by Amy Clipston

  “Hi.” She stepped out onto the deck. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re repairing the deck steps.” Manny pointed to where boards had been removed. “They were rotting away, and Trey asked Aaron to fix it.”

  “Oh.” Linda fingered the ribbons on her prayer covering. “That’s gut.”

  She watched them work for a few moments, enjoying the view of Aaron as he held the saw and cut the wooden planks down to the correct size. His talent and precision mesmerized her. She did a mental head shake, reminding herself again that she had no right to be so attracted to someone who wasn’t a baptized member of the church.

  After the piece was cut, Aaron looked up at her with a questioning expression, and she realized she’d been staring at him. She felt silly as she quickly tried to think of something to say.

  “It’s nearly eleven. Would you like me to make you lunch?” she offered.

  “That would be fantastic.” Aaron tented his hand over his eyes as he looked up at her. “I’m starved.”

  “I am too.” Manny lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his brown hair.

  “I’ll fix something for you.” Linda reached behind her and opened the door. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  She hurried back into the kitchen and pulled out a cookbook. She found a recipe for macaroni salad and began to pull the ingredients together. Once the macaroni was in a pot of water, she pulled what they needed to make sandwiches. When the macaroni salad was ready, she set the table, complete with a fresh pitcher of iced tea.

  She walked over to Hannah’s suite and found her lounging on the sofa and reading a book.

  “I’ve made macaroni salad and have all the fixings for sandwiches. Would you like me to make you something?” Linda offered.

  “Oh, no, thank you.” Hannah shook her head. “I’m not feeling very hungry right now. And when I’m ready, I think we have something in our kitchen I can eat. I don’t need much.”

  “All right.” Linda smiled. “Just call if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thank you, Linda.” Hannah looked down at her book again.

  Linda went through the kitchen and stepped out onto the deck, where she found Trey helping Aaron and Manny. “Lunch is ready.”

  “Great!” all three men said at once. Trey hoisted himself up on the deck since the new steps were only partially finished. “I just got back from the bank.” He stepped past her into the kitchen. “Is Hannah in the suite?”

  “Ya.” Linda said, following him inside. “I just checked on her, and she said she wasn’t hungry.”

  “Oh.” Trey looked concerned. “I’m going to go see how she is. I’m worried that she’s not eating enough.” He disappeared into the hallway.

  Manny and Aaron came in and stared at the table.

  “I hope you like macaroni salad,” she said, wondering if they were disappointed. “It was the only thing I could think of to make quickly.”

  “You just made macaroni salad?” Now Aaron looked impressed.

  Linda nodded. “Ya, it’s easy.”

  “Danki,” Aaron said.

  “I love macaroni salad too.” Manny washed his hands at the sink. “We’ve worked up an appetite.”

  “I’m sure you have.” Linda pointed to the spread on the table. “I also have lunch meat, bread, mustard, and mayo.” She snapped her fingers. “I forgot the chips. Would you like chips too?”

  “I can get them. Just point me in the right direction.” Aaron had come to stand behind her, standing so close that she could smell his soap mixed with aftershave and earth. Her pulse skipped at his closeness.

  “They’re in the cabinet over there by the pantry.” She pointed across the kitchen.

  Manny sat down at the table. “This looks great. Danki, Linda.”

  Aaron fetched a bag of chips and placed it on the table before washing his hands. He then sat down beside Manny. “Are you going to join us, Linda?”

  “Ya.” She sat down across from him.

  After prayers, they began filling their plates with macaroni salad and making sandwiches.

  “How is the bathroom project coming along?” Linda asked while squeezing mustard onto her turkey sandwich.

  “It’s going well,” Aaron said. “The shower is installed and we’ve painted. Now we’re working on replacing the vinyl flooring.”

  “That’s wunderbaar. I know your mamm is enjoying it.” Linda cut her sandwich in half.

  Manny nodded. “She’s really froh. She told mei mamm that she felt much more comfortable using that shower this morning than she had using the tub, even with Becky or her aides helping her. She said we did a great job.”

  “You like working with your onkel, huh?” Linda asked Manny.

  “I do. I’ve learned so much.” Manny bit into his sandwich.

  Aaron gave Manny an adoring look, and Linda smiled at the admiration between the uncle and nephew. She longed to have a similar relationship with her uncle.

  “Have you talked to your business partner lately?” Linda asked Aaron.

  Aaron nodded while chewing and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I talked to Zac last night. He said we’re still busy, but everything is going fine. He told me to take my time coming back. He’s been sending me my mail, so I’m keeping up with everything I need to.”

  “That’s gut.” She hoped that meant he planned to stay for a good, long time.

  “I’m going to send that package to him tonight,” he said as he picked up a chip. “I told you I’d picked up gifts for Zac and his family at Peter’s store. I’m going to mail them out instead of taking them back with me when I return to Missouri. He’s being so patient and understanding.”

  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.” Linda lifted a chip from her plate and tried to hide her disappointment. There it was again, talk about returning to Missouri.

  “How’s work for you?” Aaron asked.

  “The hotel is fine,” she said. “It’s busy as always.”

  Linda told them about one of their more interesting hotel guests while they finished their sandwiches. Then she brought out a plate of cookies for dessert, and as they ate them, they talked about how nice the weather was getting and how happy they were that spring was just about here.

  When the cookies were gone, Linda carried the dishes to the counter. Manny and Aaron picked up the condiments and utensils and brought them to her.

  “You don’t have to do that.” She shooed them away. “You can go outside and work. I can handle the cleanup.”

  “I don’t mind helping.” Aaron stood close to her again. “I’ve told you before that you don’t have to wait on me.”

  Manny smiled at Aaron as if there was a secret between them. “I’m going to go on outside.”

  Aaron nodded at Manny, watched him go, and then looked at Linda. “I want to tell you something.”

  “Oh?” Her mouth dried as he looked down at her. “What is it?”

  “My mamm asked me if I’m going to stay here, permanently.” Aaron’s eyes were intense as they searched hers. “She said I could move into one of their spare bedrooms if I want to come back for good. She wants her family back together again. She was pretty insistent.”

  “What did you tell her?” Her heart thudded in her chest as she awaited his response.

  “I told her I don’t know what I’m going to do.” He stared at her with intensity, as if he might find the answer in her face. “But I guess I’m considering it.”

  Linda lost herself in his warm eyes. “Let me know what you decide to do,” she whispered.

  “I promise you’ll be the first to know.” He smiled. “Danki for the appeditlich lunch.”

  “Gern gschehne,” she whispered.

  Aaron stepped out the back door, and she leaned back against the sink while trying to catch her breath. She had to work to calm her frayed nerves. She couldn’t help but wonder why he’d told her his mother wanted him to move back to Pennsylvania. What did his intense expression m
ean? Did he want Linda to ask him to stay? She wondered if she should’ve told him how she felt about him, but she didn’t want to appear eager in case he didn’t feel the same way about her. All she knew for certain was that she wanted him to stay. She wanted him to move into his parents’ house. She longed to spend more time with him.

  As she stared at the back door, Linda prayed a simple prayer.

  “Lord, you know how I feel. If it’s your will, I’d like Aaron to stay.”

  SIXTEEN

  Linda sat with Ruth in her kitchen while they drank tea together. “You’re looking well, Ruth. How are you feeling?”

  “B-better,” Ruth said. “H-how are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Linda smiled, thinking of the sweet moment she’d shared with Aaron the week before. Ever since he’d told her he was considering staying, she’d felt closer to him. Although they’d only made small talk in passing, she felt as if his smiles held more emotion. She kept hoping he’d tell her he was going to stay.

  “H-how’s the h-hotel?” Ruth asked, her words slightly clearer than the last time Linda had seen her.

  “It’s gut.” Linda clasped her warm mug in her hands. “We really miss you. Carolyn is home with her boppli, and she’s doing really well. Madeleine is working more hours. She’s joining this spring’s baptism class, and she’s so excited. I have a feeling she and Saul will get married after she’s baptized. She talks about Saul and Emma all the time.”

  “That is g-gut.” Ruth picked up her mug with her good hand. “M-Madeleine is a g-gut maedel.”

  “She is,” Linda agreed. “I’m so glad Saul and Madeleine found each other. They both have been through so much since Saul lost his wife and Madeleine lost her fiancé. The Lord works in mysterious ways. He brought Madeleine to the community to her mammi’s haus.”

  “Ya.” Ruth nodded and then smiled. “I’m s-so p-proud of m-my Aaron. He’s s-such a g-gut man.”

  “Ya,” Linda said with a deep smile. “He is.”

  “I asked h-him to st-stay.” Ruth’s eyes gleamed with tears. “I h-hope h-he d-does.”

  Linda nodded and her heart swelled with hopefulness. “I know. I do too.”

  After they finished their tea, Jocelyn took Ruth to her bedroom for her exercises and Linda washed the mugs and the teapot. She then made her way to the hallway and peered into the bathroom where Aaron and Manny were working on replacing the flooring. She stood in the doorway watching Aaron as he knelt on the floor and explained the process to his nephew. She was drawn to his care and patience as he spoke.

  Aaron suddenly looked over his shoulder and gave her a soft smile. “How long have you been standing there?” He rose, wiping his hands on his worn jeans.

  “I just got here.” She pointed toward the kitchen. “I had a cup of tea with your mamm.”

  “That’s nice. I’m sure she enjoyed your visit.” He walked over to her and then looked back at Manny. “Want to take a break?”

  “Ya.” Manny stood and cupped his hand over his mouth as he yawned. “That sounds gut. Hi, Linda,” he said before leaving.

  Linda scanned the bathroom, taking in the crisp-white walls and the brand-new shower stall. The aroma of fresh paint tickled her nose. “You do great work.”

  “Thanks.” He seemed almost embarrassed by the compliment. “The plumber was excellent.”

  She glanced down at the floor. “I like the new vinyl.”

  “I tried to get my dat to go for bright purple, but he wanted to keep it a neutral tan.”

  “You did?” She tilted her head with confusion.

  His lips twitched. “It was a joke.”

  A loud bark of laughter burst from her lips before she could stop it, and she was mortified with embarrassment. She cupped her hand over her mouth as her cheeks heated.

  “Oh,” she finally said as he grinned at her. “Excuse me.”

  “Why are you covering your mouth? You have a great laugh. I enjoy hearing it.” He touched her hand. “I always look forward to seeing your smile and hearing you laugh.”

  “You do?” she asked with astonishment.

  “Ya, I do.” He stepped over to the shower stall. “Let me show you how this works.” He pulled open the shower door and explained the different controls. He emphasized how much safer the shower was for his mother than the tub.

  While he told her all about the shower, she kept replaying his compliments in her mind. He had told her he looked forward to her smile and her laugh. No one had ever said anything like that to her. She never imagined that anyone would say something so sweet. She felt as if she were dreaming. Had she finally found someone who could possibly love her despite her imperfections?

  “Mei mamm said she really likes it,” he continued, closing the shower door. “I’m so glad I can do something like this for her.”

  “What was your most favorite construction job?” she asked.

  “Hmm.” He rubbed his smooth chin while considering the question. “My company once got a job to work on a mansion. I remember telling my nieces and nephews about it when I first arrived.”

  “A mansion?” she asked. “What do you mean by mansion?”

  “Well,” he began, leaning against the counter behind him. “It had six bathrooms and ten bedrooms.”

  “Oh my goodness.” Linda gaped. “How many people lived there?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Would you believe only two people lived there?”

  “Oh dear. Why would two people need such a big haus? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Sometimes people who have a lot of money like to buy things they don’t need because it makes them feel important,” Aaron said.

  “Really? So what kind of work did you do on that mansion?”

  For the next half hour, Linda stood in the bathroom with Aaron and discussed his most memorable construction projects. She enjoyed talking with him and finding out more about his life.

  Later that evening, Linda was still smiling when she served supper to her uncle. She was determined not to let his foul mood ruin the wonderful day she’d had, and she tried to forget about their conversation two weeks ago on their way home from church. He was still her uncle—and, she realized, she was all he had. Her cousin Raymond had given up on him.

  Reuben frowned into his meat loaf while she tried to tell him about her afternoon.

  “You should see the work Aaron has done to Ruth’s bathroom,” Linda said. “He installed this beautiful shower stall that has a bench for Ruth to sit on so she doesn’t fall. He also repainted the walls, and he installed safety bars by the commode. He’s also replacing the flooring. It’s lovely, Onkel.”

  Reuben grunted while scooping mashed potatoes onto his spoon.

  “Aaron told me about this mansion he worked on. Even though only two people lived there it had ten bedrooms and six bathrooms.” She watched her uncle while she chewed. He kept his eyes focused on his food, and she longed for him to look at her the way Aaron looked at Manny. Why wasn’t she worthy of her uncle’s love? What had she done wrong to deserve his constantly cold moods? She had always tried her best to care for him.

  They ate in silence for several minutes, and she couldn’t stop her thoughts from turning to the conversation she’d had with him in the buggy. She must remind him of all the things he’d wanted but never gotten out of life, about how her father inherited the house and land he’d wanted. She was convinced that was the reason he couldn’t love her, not her scars and limp.

  When their plates were clean, she began to clear the table. She couldn’t stand the silence in the house. She wished her uncle would allow her to invite company over for supper so the house didn’t remain so quiet and lonely all the time. Even though there were two of them there, she sometimes felt as if she lived alone. Would he allow her to invite Aaron over for supper someday? Surely dinner would be lively and fun if she had Aaron there to talk to during the meal. No, she knew how he felt about her spending time with someone who wasn’t baptized in the church.


  Linda prepared the sinks, dropped the dishes into the sudsy side, and began to scrub them as she wondered what Aaron was doing. She hoped he was enjoying a lively supper with his family, laughing and talking the evening away.

  “I never thought I’d spend my last years in a tiny haus like this.” Reuben’s booming voice startled her. Had he been reading her thoughts during supper?

  “I always thought I’d have a nice, big haus on a productive farm. I spent so many years slaving on my father’s farm. I didn’t deserve to be stuck in this small haus on my nephew’s land.”

  She glanced toward where he stood scowling at her. As his angry brown eyes burned through her, she felt her shoulders hunch.

  “I have so much to resent in life.” He walked away muttering something she could hardly understand. Something about choices and consequences?

  Linda stared down at the frothy water. It must have been torture for her uncle to keep all that inside for so many years.

  She thought again about her conversation with Aaron when they’d shared coffee at the hotel. Was it true that she allowed her uncle, in his own despair, to beat down her spirit? Did how he made her feel cause her so much discouragement that it made her limp more pronounced?

  Suddenly she realized she was slumping.

  How could she change her life to make it happier and more rewarding?

  Perhaps it was time she made a change. She’d been passive for far too long.

  “How are you feeling?” Linda asked Hannah as they sat on the front porch of the bed-and-breakfast the following Monday morning. It was warm enough now to sit outside with sweaters.

  “I feel huge.” Hannah laughed as she rubbed her protruding belly. “I’m getting close. I can’t believe it. Some days it feels like the time has passed quickly and other days it feels like I’ve been pregnant for years.”

  Linda chuckled and then sipped her tea. “I suppose I could see that. It all must depend on your energy level. Do you feel ready?”

  “I suppose I should feel ready, but I don’t.” She sighed. “Trey started putting the crib together over the weekend. I’m excited to arrange all the baby clothes and supplies, so I guess that means I’m nesting. They say you do that right before the baby is born, and I did with my other children.”