The Peacemaker, page 12
“H–how’s Dad?” Ephraim could barely get the question out.
“How is my son doing?”
Ephraim and his grandmother exchanged glances, and he gave her a nod to go ahead with whatever else she wanted to say.
“How serious was my son’s heart attack?” Grandma asked in a voice just above a whisper. It was obvious that she too struggled not to break down.
“He’s currently stable, but it was really alarming when we realized he was in trouble and needed to get to the hospital. The doctor said it was a mild one, but Lewis will need to take a blood thinner now and something to lower his blood pressure.” Mom dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, and her thin mouth appeared to be as tight as the bun at the back of her head. “And if things don’t improve with medication, they might need to do a nonsurgical procedure that uses cardiac catheterization to open up blocked blood vessels. They will be doing more testing and keeping a close watch on him.”
Ephraim peered at the clock on the far wall, although his blurry vision made it harder to see what was displayed. “I know it’s well past our normal bedtime, but can we see Dad tonight? I would like him to know we’re here, and I’m sure Grandma feels the same way.”
“Jah, I sure do,” she said, moving her head up and down.
“The last time I was in his room he was sleeping,” Mom replied. “With all the tests they’ve done so far, he’s very tired, and I think it might be better if we don’t wake him right now. In fact, you two should go to our home soon and try to get some rest. I’m sure the trip here was tiring, and you both must be exhausted.”
Without commenting on Mom’s last words, Grandma’s hand wobbled as she brought it up to her forehead and held it there a few seconds. “Has the doctor said how long they will need to keep Lewis here?”
“He’ll have to remain in the hospital to be monitored for two to five days. But once he comes home, his heart attack recovery may take as long as three months.” Mom pursed her lips. “During that time, he will need to adopt some lifestyle changes to lower the risk of a future heart attack.”
“What about his job at the harness shop?” Ephraim questioned. “I assume Dad won’t be able to work there and keep the shop running?”
“Not on his own, and I’m sure your daed will not close the shop, since it’s our livelihood. He won’t be able to do any work there for a while, and then it will have to be light duty,” Mom replied. “So for now, everything will fall upon the young man he hired after you moved to Bird-in-Hand.”
Ephraim felt torn. He wanted desperately to return to the Big Valley and help out at the shop, but that would mean leaving his grandmother alone to manage that big house and property in Bird-in-Hand all by herself. He was about to ask if she would consider moving here until Dad was back on his feet, but Grandma spoke first.
With the appearance of unflinching dedication in her eyes, Grandma turned to Ephraim’s mother and said, “Dorothy, would you mind if I remained at your house for a while? I’d never sleep a wink at my home in Lancaster County, knowing my son was here, recuperating from a heart attack, and you needing my help to care for him. Lewis must have all the support he is entitled to, and as his mother, I want to be there to help in any way I can.”
“I’d like to stay too,” Ephraim was quick to say. “Dad’s gonna need someone to run the shop in his absence, and I’m the logical one to do it, because I know a lot about the business.”
Tears welled in Mom’s eyes, and she embraced them both a second time. “It will mean so much to my husband to have his whole family around him during this difficult time.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue. “And the rest of us will benefit from having you both here as well.”
Although Ephraim was glad his grandmother had decided they should stay here in Mifflin County to help out during Dad’s recovery, he wished it could be due to more favorable circumstances. And who knew how long they would stay? Once Dad was better and given permission to resume his duties at the harness shop, Ephraim figured Grandma would probably want to return to her home in Bird-in-Hand. Ephraim was beginning to think he would never feel settled anywhere. He couldn’t worry about that right now, though. In their hour of need, they had to rely on one another and follow God’s direction. It was important for Ephraim to keep his focus on taking over the shop so Dad didn’t have to concern himself with anything except following the doctor’s orders and regaining his health.
CHAPTER 13
Allensville
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING, WITH HIS head feeling like it had been filled with cobwebs, Ephraim woke up in his old room on the second floor of his parents’ home. The mellow sunlight of early dawn peeked through the partially open window shade as he lay in bed, straining to keep his eyes open. Ephraim’s thoughts were consumed by his father’s health issues and the uncertainties they brought.
Ephraim sat up in bed and rubbed his temples, trying to clear the sluggish feeling so he could think straight. He still couldn’t believe his father was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack. He was thankful it hadn’t been worse and that he and Grandma had been able to come here to offer their help and support. He also appreciated that in their absence, Grandma’s neighbor had agreed to take care of Grandma’s horse and chickens for as long as necessary. The rooster Grandma landed on when she tripped never made it to the stewpot, so after Ephraim had plucked and cleaned the bird, it had been wrapped and put in the freezer to cook some other time.
It had been nearly midnight by the time Ephraim and his grandmother went to bed last night. Before leaving the hospital, Ephraim had tried to talk his mother into coming home with them, but she’d insisted on staying put, even if it meant sleeping in a chair next to Dad’s hospital bed. Ephraim felt guilty for leaving Mom there, but she’d urged him and Grandma to go home and get some rest.
Although Stan had dropped them off at the house around ten o’clock, they’d spent the next two hours visiting with Ephraim’s sisters and searching for Grandma’s cat. Apparently Blue had gone into hiding after Stan dropped him off, and no amount of coaxing had brought the frightened critter out from under Dad’s recliner. Normally, Blue would come as soon as Grandma clapped her hands and called him, but last night he’d refused to budge. Sounding more than a bit perturbed, shortly before midnight Grandma had instructed the family to give up and go to bed. She’d assured everyone that when Blue got hungry, he would come out of hiding.
After Ephraim had crawled into bed, he’d tossed and turned before weariness overtook him. He’d even gotten up an hour after falling asleep to open the window, allowing the cooler nighttime air to enter and alleviate his discomfort.
Although fatigued from last night, Ephraim was eager to find out if Grandma’s prediction regarding her cat came true, so he pushed the sheet and lightweight blanket aside and forced himself out of bed. It was still early, and he figured there were plenty of chores in the barn to be done. Since Ephraim might be one of the few people in the house awake right now, he would make sure that all the outdoor chores were finished before their driver picked them up. Ephraim was eager to return to the hospital to check on Mom and see how Dad was doing.
The enticing odor of frying bacon drew Ephraim down the hall toward the kitchen. He was hungry but hoped breakfast wasn’t quite ready because he hadn’t been out to the barn yet. Truthfully, he had not expected anyone to be out of bed this early, let alone starting the morning meal. But then he remembered that Priscilla, age fourteen, and Judith, who was ten, had probably started back to school last week and needed a hearty breakfast. Perhaps their seventeen-year-old sister, Lydia, had taken charge of the cooking since Mom wasn’t here.
When Ephraim entered the kitchen, it wasn’t Lydia at the stove, however. Grandma stood with her back to him, tending two frying pans at the same time. There was no sign of Lydia, but the younger girls were busy setting the table. To Ephraim’s surprise, Blue lay curled up on the braided throw rug near the back door. The cat had apparently given up his need for solitude and ventured out from under Dad’s favorite chair. Just as Grandma predicted, Blue had come out of hiding and appeared to be quite relaxed.
That makes one of us, Ephraim thought. As long as Dad’s in the hospital, I won’t relax. Even when he comes home, I’ll be naerfich if he tries to do too much too soon. I’m sure Mom and Grandma will be nervous too.
“I’m surprised to see that you’re up already,” Ephraim said, shaking his thoughts aside and joining Grandma at the stove.
Her forehead wrinkles became more prominent. “Well now, why wouldn’t I be? We all need to eat breakfast this morning, jah?”
“That’s true, but since you got to bed so late last night, I figured you might be tired this morning and want to sleep a little longer than usual.”
“No way!” She gave a brisk shake of her head. “I may be old, but I can still get up at the crack of dawn when I need or want to. And today, it’s a little of both,” she added.
Ephraim chose not to comment. Instead, he posed a question. “Where’s Lydia? When I smelled bacon sizzling in the pan, I assumed she must have been in here cooking breakfast.”
“She’s in the barn taking care of the animals,” Priscilla spoke up. “After you moved to Bird-in-Hand, Lydia took over assisting Dad with the morning chores, and I’ve been helping Mom do some of the cooking.” Priscilla’s chin quivered. “Of course, now with Dad in the hospital and probably faced with a long recovery, Lydia will be doing the barn chores by herself.”
“Our daed’s going to be all right,” Ephraim said, hoping his words and tone were convincing. “And until he is fully recovered, Grandma and I will be staying here to help out. I’ll probably be working at the harness shop too.”
Priscilla’s long lashes fluttered as she looked up at him and blinked her brown eyes. “You’re seriously moving back to Allensville?”
Ephraim glanced at his grandmother and looked back at his sister. “Guess we’ll be staying for as long as we’re needed.”
“That’s right,” Grandma agreed as she flipped a piece of sizzling bacon over in the pan. “We will not return to my home until your daed can resume his normal duties.”
I wonder how long it’ll be until that day comes? Ephraim strode across the room toward the back door, calling over his shoulder, “I’m going out to the barn to help Lydia. We’ll hurry to get the chores done so we won’t hold up breakfast.”
“Be careful you don’t let Blue out,” Grandma cautioned. “Now that he’s feeling more comfortable and is no longer in hiding, I don’t want to lose track of him. And letting my cat go outside is completely out of the question, because he’s likely to run off.”
“That wouldn’t be good, would it, Grandma?” Judith interjected. “You’d be real sad if you never saw Blue again. Right?”
“For sure.” Grandma glanced over her shoulder. “Every time I look at Blue, I’m reminded of the day your grandpa found the cat and brought him inside so I could take care of the poor little kitten.”
Ephraim looked down at the pampered feline, now purring like a motorboat. Although he wasn’t particularly fond of the cat, he was glad Blue had brought Grandma the comfort she needed since Grandpa died.
“I’ll be back soon,” Ephraim called before stepping outside and quickly closing the door. No way did he want to be blamed for letting that katz outside.
There was a bit of a chill—the first hint that autumn was only a few weeks away. Ephraim couldn’t help wondering how long he and Grandma would be staying here. Would it be through the holidays and into the cold winter months? Or would Dad recover quickly so they wouldn’t have to stay more than a month or two? Only time would tell. One thing was for sure: Ephraim was determined to do all he could to help out, and he planned to enjoy being with his family again for whatever time he had.
When Ephraim wandered into the barn, he immediately sensed the sweet smell of freshly stacked hay. The crackle of dry straw crunched beneath his feet as he stepped into the main area of the wooden building. He paused, listened, and glanced around, but saw no sign of his sister. The only sounds were the snorting and thumping of the horses in the barn.
Ephraim cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, “Lydia, are you in here?”
“Jah, I’m feeding the horses!”
Ephraim headed that way and found her feeding Dad’s horse in the last stall.
She swatted at a fly buzzing above her head. “You’re up early, Ephraim. Did you sleep okay?”
“I slept hard and woke up with brain fog.” Ephraim parted the gate and entered the stall. Then he picked up a curry comb to do a little grooming while the horse ate. “It felt strange but good to be in my old room again. I’ve missed my own bett.”
“That makes sense. I always sleep better in my own bed too.”
“How many more horses do you have left to feed?” Ephraim asked.
“I’ve done all but yours. Would you like to feed Ebony yourself?”
“Sure would. I miss my gaul and had been thinking about bringing him down to Grandma’s place, but that thought went out of my head when I heard the news about Dad.”
Lydia’s fingers clutched at the neckline of her dress. “What are we going to do if Dad goes back to work too soon and has another heart attack?”
“He won’t go back too soon, because I’ll be taking his place at the harness shop.”
She lowered her hands and patted the horse’s flanks. “For how long, Ephraim?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes.”
“I doubt that Grandma will sell her house and move here permanently, so when she decides to go back, won’t you feel obligated to return to Bird-in-Hand with her?”
Ephraim inhaled and blew out a noisy breath. “I suppose, but I can’t think about that right now. We all need to focus on Dad and do all we can to help him get well.”
“Our daed works too hard and has ever since you left home to move in with Grandma. If you return to Lancaster County, Dad will push himself again—here and at the harness shop.”
“I don’t need any guilt trips,” Ephraim snapped. “Moving in with Grandma was never my idea, but I did it because she shouldn’t be living alone and our folks pleaded with me to go there and help her.”
Lydia’s shoulders drooped, and she moved closer to Ephraim, resting her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Brother. I’m sure it must’ve been hard to give up a job you enjoyed and leave the only home you’ve ever known.”
“It was,” he admitted. “And I’m sorry you’ve had to carry an extra load here in my absence.” Ephraim put the curry comb away and gave his sister a hug. “I’m also sorry for snapping at you. I’m stressed right now, and not knowing what the future holds for Dad is a scary thing.”
Her eyes, matching the hue of a cloudless sky, filled with tears. “I—I wish I knew enough to help out at the harness shop, but even if I did, it would mean giving up my job at the fabric store, which I really enjoy.”
“You deserve to work where you are happy, so let’s try not to worry about it right now,” Ephraim said. “It’s best if we take one day at a time and see how things play out.” He gestured to Dad’s horse. “We’d better finish up in here and get back to the house as soon as Ebony is fed. I’m sure Grandma has breakfast on the table by now.”
Belleville
Ada took a bottle of maple syrup out of the cupboard and placed it, along with a jar of strawberry jam, on the table. The pancakes her mother was cooking on the gas stove smelled so inviting it increased Ada’s appetite. Of course, pancakes had been one of her favorite breakfast foods since she was a young girl.
Ada’s sister Clara had already set the table and was pouring glasses of milk that she’d put beside each place setting of silverware. Sometimes—especially when they ate a meal—it seemed strange not to have Betty at the table. But Ada’s older sister had been married to Ammon Mast for two years, and they were expecting their first child.
Ada tried not to focus on the fact that Betty was only three years older than her, had a husband, and would have a child of her own to nurture and love. If Ada thought about it too often or for too long, envy would creep in. Oh, how she longed to be married and have children of her own.
An image of Rosa came to mind. Ada could still hear her friend saying that she had no desire to get married, much less give birth to a child. Ada didn’t believe her friend actually meant that, and she imagined Rosa would eventually calm down after growing tired of her obstinate behavior.
They’d had their share of disagreements, but in spite of the differences, Ada and Rosa had established a close friendship. Ada sometimes wondered how this had happened, but it had, and she still missed Rosa. Though her fond memories mingled with uncertainty concerning Rosa’s fate, Ada could only pray that her dear friend was somewhere, happy and unharmed, while living her best life on her own terms.
Now that Ada had established a new relationship with Salina, she didn’t long for what she’d had with Rosa quite as much anymore. Actually, she had more in common with Norman’s future wife than she’d ever had with Rosa. Even if Rosa came back tomorrow, which didn’t seem possible after so much time had passed, it wasn’t likely that the two of them could pick up where their friendship left off.
Too much water has passed under the bridge, Ada mused as she opened another cupboard door to see if there was a new jar of local honey. Rosa, I sincerely hope we’ll cross paths once more in the days to come. If you are out there, surely God will allow that.
“I have some distressing news to share,” Ada’s father announced upon entering the kitchen via the back door.
Ada grabbed the honey and set it on the counter, giving her father’s words her full attention.
Holding her spatula in one hand, Mama turned from the stove to face Papa. “What is it, Jacob?”
