The Peacemaker, page 24
“I don’t believe so, but I’m sure we’ll all hear about it when they do.”
Although Ephraim was still stunned by this unexpected news, he was happy for his dear grandmother and for Josiah as well. He was also glad that he hadn’t rushed into a marriage proposal with Ada. Even though his grandmother would be getting married after a few months of being courted by Josiah, it was too soon for him and Ada. Yet if he had anything to say about it, Ada Detweiler would one day be his wife.
Belleville
Elsie entered the living room, took a seat in the rocking chair, and closed her eyes. Their Christmas meal was over, the dishes had been done, and the house was quieter than it had been all day. Susan had gone for a buggy ride with Ben, Norman was at Salina’s house, and Tena and Alvin had gone out to the barn to see the batch of kittens that were born on Christmas Eve. It was one of those rare moments when Elsie and Mahlon could relax in the living room without any noise or interruptions.
Elsie wanted desperately to talk about Rosa and express how difficult it was for her to have no closure. Although it had been hard to accept, short of an unexpected miracle, they would probably never know what had happened to their eldest daughter.
But I don’t dare bring up the topic, Elsie told herself. My husband has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want to talk about Rosa or even hear her name mentioned in this house.
She opened her eyes and glanced across the room to her husband’s recliner. Mahlon’s eyes were closed, his mouth hung open a bit, and noisy snores were confirmation that he’d fallen asleep.
A knock sounded on the front door, and Elsie waited to see if Mahlon would wake up. When the knocking continued and her husband didn’t budge, she was on her feet. If it was one of the children, they would not have knocked. Elsie’s heart raced in the hope that it could be Rosa standing on the porch, waiting to be let in. Oh, now wouldn’t that be a Christmas miracle?
Elsie reached the door, and her hand trembled as she turned the knob. A gust of frigid wind blew in as she opened the door. Straightaway, Elsie knew that the face greeting her was not Rosa. It was a middle-aged woman she did not recognize, shivering as she clasped the collar of her coat against her neck.
“I am sorry to bother you,” the woman said. “But I’m lost and can’t find the road to my daughter’s house. Can you give me directions?”
“Do you have her address?”
“Yes, but my GPS doesn’t seem to be working, and it’s taken me in what felt like twenty directions.” She rolled her eyes. “Gotta love technology.”
Elsie invited the woman inside and even offered her a warm cup of coffee to take the chill off.
“That’s very kind of you,” the woman replied, “but I should have been at my daughter’s an hour ago. I’m sure she must be worried.” She dug into her purse, pulled out a slip of paper, and handed it to Elsie. “This is her address. Do you know how I might find that road from here?”
Elsie felt relief when Mahlon came out of the living room and joined them at the door. Admittedly, she’d never been very good with directions. She handed him the slip of paper. “Can you please explain to this lady how to get to this address?”
“Jah, of course.”
Elsie stood off to one side while Mahlon took a piece of paper and a pen from the drawer in the entryway table. Then, as he wrote down the directions, he explained in detail what road the woman should take to get to her destination.
A broad smile spread across the traveler’s face. “Thank you so much. I live in northern Ohio and haven’t seen my daughter for several years, due to a misunderstanding. This is the first time since Debbie moved to Pennsylvania that she’s invited me to join her family for Christmas, and now she probably thinks I’m not coming.”
“Follow these directions, and you should be fine,” Mahlon stated.
The woman turned and was almost out the door when Elsie hollered, “Please wait a minute. I want to give you something.” She hurried into the kitchen, filled a plastic container with pumpkin cookies, and rushed back out to where the woman stood on the porch. “These cookies are favorites with my family, and I hope your family will enjoy them too.”
“Thank you so much. Stopping here to ask for help was truly a blessing.” She stepped off the porch and trudged to her vehicle, her feet sinking almost entirely into the snow with each step.
Elsie stood watching her drive away, offering the woman a wave. Dear Lord, please bless that woman, she silently prayed. And give her a joyous reunion with her daughter.
Although she did not receive the miracle that she had hoped for, Elsie returned to the house thankful that she’d been able to bless a stranger in need on this freezing-cold Christmas evening.
CHAPTER 26
ON THE LAST SUNDAY OF February, Sarah Peight became Mrs. Josiah Weaver. Their wedding had been published during a church service just three weeks ago, and the invitations stated no gifts were expected. It read, in large letters, “Your Presence Is Our Gift.”
The elderly couple’s ceremony followed the church service, with a good number of their family and church members present. Several people from Sarah’s church in Bird-in-Hand had traveled to Allensville for the special occasion. Since this was a second marriage for both Josiah and Sarah, things were done a little differently than for a younger, first-time marriage. Most Amish weddings with a bride and groom who had never been married would take place on a weekday and include more than one wedding meal following the ceremony.
Ada shed a few tears, thinking about Sarah’s expression as she stood beside her groom and acknowledged the wedding vows set forth by the bishop in the Peights’ church district. She felt privileged to have been invited to be at this special occasion, since this was not her home church district and she wasn’t a family member. It brought joy to her heart to see Sarah’s son and his wife act as Sarah’s witnesses. Josiah’s son and his wife also served as witnesses for him.
Ada wondered who she would ask to be her witnesses if she were getting married. If Rosa were here, would I ask her? There was a day when I’d definitely want her to be sitting beside me as a witness during the wedding service. Now, I’m not so sure. I doubt Rosa would want to attend a wedding where her ex-boyfriend married her closest friend. Ada rested the heel of her palm against the dullness in her chest. I know they broke up, but I still feel like I betrayed Rosa by fostering love for Ephraim, especially while they were dating. It doesn’t matter now because she’s not here, but what would happen if Rosa did come back? Would she ever talk to me again, or would she be understanding of our relationship?
As she wandered over to where the wedding feast would commence, Ada caught sight of Ephraim, who was speaking with Priscilla. What about Ephraim? It’s possible that Ephraim was waiting for Rosa to return so they could get back together. If Rosa had shown up at this moment, would he run back to her?
Her thoughts turned aside as she took her seat next to Ephraim’s youngest sister, Judith, at the meal following the ceremony. I can’t let myself dwell on the uncertainties. I want nothing more than to have fun while I’m here and to simply live in the moment.
Three of Sarah’s grandchildren, Ephraim, Lydia, and Priscilla, had been asked to be table waiters at the celebration meal. Josiah’s nephew Rudy, who was the son of Josiah’s brother Samuel, and his niece Sharon, the daughter of Josiah’s other brother, Stephen, were also table waiters.
What a special honor, Ada thought as she watched Ephraim pass a bowl heaped with mashed potatoes to the first person who sat at the end of the table where he stood.
Next came a bowl of bread stuffing, followed by thick, delicious-smelling chicken gravy. As she scooped a spoonful of stuffing onto her plate and poured gravy over it and the potatoes, Ada remembered something she’d read in one of their Amish newspapers recently. The scribe who’d written the account of attending a recent wedding had stated that the couple responsible for making the stuffing had misread the recipe and ended up using far too many eggs. To correct the problem, they’d added more bread in order to take up the excess moisture. Ada could only imagine how embarrassing that must have been, not to mention how time-consuming it was to remedy the problem they’d created by not paying close enough attention to the directions.
She glanced in Ephraim’s direction when he started the platter of chicken going from his end of the table. Ephraim grinned and nodded, indicating that he had seen her. Things had been going well between Ada and Ephraim, and she hoped that sometime in the future, he might ask her to marry him. Then instead of him acting as a table server and her a friend at his grandmother’s wedding, they would be the bride and groom, sitting at the special table referred to as the Eck, which was the Pennsylvania Dutch word for “corner table.” She’d briefly considered how she would decorate for her own wedding. Grass green was her favorite color, so she’d want to have a dress of that shade.
As Ada enjoyed each morsel of food on her plate, her thoughts continued to wander. Ephraim had told her that a few days from now, Josiah and Sarah would be making a trip to the Village of Pinecraft in Sarasota, Florida. In “English” terms, it was a kind of honeymoon for the couple. They planned to stay there through March, and when they returned to Mifflin County, they would live with Josiah’s son and his wife until the addition that was called a daadihaus had been added on to Aaron and Katrina’s home. Ada thought this was a good solution for the couple because they would be living close to both of their children. Of course Josiah had two other sons who resided in other Pennsylvania counties, but since Aaron and his wife had no children, it would be a quieter, more tranquil environment for Sarah and Josiah. Living close to their children would also mean receiving help when needed.
Ada figured it must have been difficult for Sarah to part with her home in Bird-in-Hand, which she’d shared with her husband for a good many years, but when the house sold a month ago and all Sarah’s personal belongings and some furniture were brought to Allensville, Sarah seemed quite content. She had even stated that if the man she loved wanted to live here, then that’s where she wished to be as well.
Sarah was tempted to pinch herself when she settled next to Josiah at their own special table, just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. The marriage ceremony had gone well, and now so was their special meal. She’d been happy to see so many of her church friends from Bird-in-Hand who had hired drivers to come up for the wedding. Although it would be painful to say goodbye to her dear friends from Lancaster County, Sarah’s home and heart were now with Josiah, as well as his and her families. There would be no more lonely days or nights, and she looked forward to however many years she and her new husband would have together on this earth. Sarah was thankful that their pets got along, and she felt grateful when Aaron and Katrina said they didn’t mind taking care of the two cats while Sarah and Josiah were enjoying the warmth of Florida for the next month.
“Are you as happy as I am right now?” Josiah asked, reaching under the table to clasp Sarah’s hand.
“Oh, jah … definitely, Josiah. I feel like a young woman who has found true love for the second time.”
He gently compressed her fingers. “I agree, and we are both doubly blessed.”
She gestured to his plate, which was empty of food. “Do you think you’ll have room to eat anything when we gather together this evening with our immediate family for our private second meal?”
Josiah smirked at her and winked. “Most definitely, because after all the trouble our family has gone through on our behalf, even if my belly was full, I’d make room for more food.”
Using her fork, Sarah nudged the remaining bit of fried chicken around on her plate. “I shouldn’t have taken a second piece of meat. It looked and smelled so good. Guess my eyes were bigger than my bauch.”
“Now listen to me, dear fraa. Your stomach is not big at all. In fact, your body is quite pleasing and petite.”
His compliment caused Sarah’s cheeks to warm. As a new groom, no doubt he was just being polite. But she appreciated his kind words just the same.
Josiah leaned closer to Sarah and whispered in her ear, “Have you ever wondered how things might have gone if we’d met each other before knowing the ones who became our first mates?”
Sarah hadn’t really thought about it, or if she had, she’d pushed the notion aside. She’d loved her first husband very much, and she knew that Josiah had been in love with his first wife. Even so, if she’d met both men at the same time in her life, she may have picked Josiah. It was hard to say, really, because both men had admirable qualities.
“I believe God brought us together at the right time in our lives,” she answered in a hushed tone. “And that’s what we need to focus on. Don’t you agree?”
“That’s absolutely true.” He squeezed her fingers once more. “You’re a schmaert woman, Sarah Weaver.”
Sarah wasn’t sure how smart she was, but she was quite sure that agreeing to marry Josiah had been a wise decision.
“Look at those happy faces,” Dorothy told Lewis, motioning to the bride and groom.
Lewis snorted. “Jah, they look like a couple of lovesick teenagers.”
“Do you realize that if it hadn’t been for your heart attack, your mamm would never have come here and met Josiah? Isn’t it amazing how God can take a frightening situation and turn it into something good?”
“You’re right, Dorothy. The other good thing that came from my health scare is that it brought our son home, and now he’s pretty much in charge of the harness shop—a responsibility he seems to enjoy.”
She nodded. “And in addition to Ephraim working in the harness shop, his return had brought him and Ada together in a new, loving relationship. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them aren’t the next couple to be published in our church.”
Lewis’ eyes widened. “You think so?”
“Jah, I do. Haven’t you observed the way those two look at each other, with such love and devotion?”
He picked up his glass and sipped some water before gracing her with a response. “You may be right, but are you sure what you see on their faces isn’t just a deepening of their friendship, rather than romantic love?”
Dorothy shook her head vigorously and gave his arm a gentle poke. “I know what the expression on a man’s gsicht looks like, because I saw it on your face when we were going steady and even more so once we were married.”
Lewis cracked a broad smile. “And I could see on your gsicht as well.”
Once the afternoon meal was finished and Ephraim’s responsibility as a table waiter was over, he sought out Ada and found her visiting with Priscilla and Lydia. Ephraim felt bad about interrupting their conversation, but he really wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend.
“I hope you’ll stick around for the family meal this evening,” he murmured, slipping in between Lydia and Ada.
“But I’m not part of your family.” Her response was as wispy as her eyelashes, which flickered as she blinked.
No, but I wish you were, Ada. The words remained in Ephraim’s head because he couldn’t say them out loud with two of his sisters standing so close. Besides, other people were milling around who might also be listening.
“My grandma thinks the world of you, and I’m sure she’d be happy if you stayed for our evening supper.” Ephraim said, bumping her elbow gently.
Ada shrugged. “There’s so much going on, she probably wouldn’t even know I wasn’t there.”
“Jah, she would,” Priscilla interjected. “Our grossmammi is very perceptive and always aware of what’s going on around her.”
“That’s right,” Lydia agreed.
“See, even my sisters think you should stay.” Speaking in the lowest voice he could muster, Ephraim drew closer to Ada. “And I would definitely miss you if you weren’t here.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“For how long?” he asked.
“I don’t know. For however long it takes for me to make a decision.” Ada puckered her lips, and Ephraim knew she was trying not to laugh.
I’d sure like to kiss her soft lips right now, he thought. But that will have to wait till we can find a place to be alone for a while.
As much as Ada wanted to stay for the evening supper, the fact she couldn’t ignore was that she wasn’t part of Ephraim’s family and might never be. Although she and Ephraim had been going out with each other for several months, he’d made no mention of the prospect of marriage. He’d said he loved her, so that gave Ada some measure of hope, but since Ephraim hadn’t said anything about having a future together, she often found herself wondering if he was serious about a permanent relationship.
Or perhaps, Ada thought, as she slipped into her outer garments as she prepared to depart, Ephraim might still be emotionally tied to Rosa and doesn’t feel a sense of commitment to me. That has to be it. Ada brought her arms firmly to her chest, as though she had just ventured outside to brace the crisp winter air. Her vision started to become hazy. Am I being unreasonable in expecting a proposal from Ephraim, especially so soon? Or perhaps I’m not. Maybe all I am is a distraction to Ephraim, and maybe he does still have deep feelings for Rosa.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
At the sound of Ephraim’s voice, Ada whirled around to face him. “I’ve thought it through, and I don’t feel comfortable staying for your family’s meal this evening, so I’m going to get my horse and head for home.”
“Please don’t go.” The cords on Ephraim’s neck were visible as he clasped her arm. “I thought I’d made you understand earlier that you were welcome to stay, and I wanted you here.”
Ada glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was listening. “I appreciate that, Ephraim, but I’m not comfortable with staying for a meal that’s meant for family only.”
“But everyone in my family likes you, and …”
Ada shook her head. “I’ve already said goodbye to your grandma and Josiah, as well as your parents, and none of them tried to stop me from going.”
