Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (4 page)

"Well, sure I would," Lizzie insisted.

Sadie related that she wished her family might have had i he opportunity to know her husband. "Harvey kept folk in .inches, tellin' one story after 'nother whenever we invited

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relatives or friends over for meals or whatnot. Among other things, I sorely miss his laughter."

Aunt Lizzie leaned back, relaxing in her chair. "I daresay there is much to miss. I wish to goodness I might've known your Harvey."

Sadie felt suddenly eager to share something of her married years with Lizzie, having kept fairly mum since her return home, her loss having been too recent. She talked of their Christmases together, happily surrounded by Harvey's extended family, as well as the church folk. "Ach, we had the kindest bishop. I often wished he might've met Bishop Bontrager somehow, ya know." She was ever so careful not to step too hard on their bishop's toes here, but there had been many times when she felt sorry for Dat and Mamma and other members of the Gobbler's Knob church district, as well as herself. But, lest she show disrespect now for the Lord's anointed, she kept her peace. Aunt Lizzie need not know her private opinion of Bishop Bontrager. Besides, Lizzie had never admitted to having a problem with him.

"I'm glad you had such a fine husband and church in Indiana," Aunt Lizzie said after a while, giving Sadie's knee a pat. "We best be checking on the pies."

Sadie followed her downstairs and helped her set the pies out to cool. They then looked in on Dawdi John, who was still sleeping, before Lizzie motioned Sadie back upstairs. "There's something I've been thinkin' on," her aunt said in hushed tones. "And it's best ya hear it from me."

Sadie wondered if this heart-to-heart talk might involve Leah and her maidel status, or some such sad thing. Can it beshe senses I've kept mum about some of my own meddling in that?

But Lizzie readily made it clear she had other things on

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her mind. "When I was but a teenager, I got myself in some

terrible trouble, as you already know." She stopped, as if to

catch her breath. "I never told you all there was to the

Nfory . . . and now I feel you oughta know the daughter I gave

birth to is your sister Leah in all truth, your first cousin."

JAunr Lizzie's face was slightly flushed. "Leah has known this

[nince her baptism, and before the Lord took your mamma, she

Inli;ired this with Mary Ruth and Hannah. I thought it was

[high time you knew, too."

j Aunt Lizzie is Leah's mother? Sadie felt the air go clean out lol her. "Leah's your. . . your own daughter?" I Lizzie nodded her head, a tear glistening in her eye.

Struggling to take in this bewildering revelation, Sadie whispered at last, "How does Leah feel 'bout this?"

"Oh, we never speak of it anymore, just as the People do not speak of the shun once a person repents," said Lizzie.

Sadie found this news not only curious but altogether unnerving. Lizzie had given Leah to Mamma and Dat to raise, yet her child had grown up at arm's length, where Lizzie could observe and love her.

A sftiver of sadness flew up her back, and Sadie, for a fleeting moment, recalled with dread the days and nights she had frequently heard the cries of a phantom baby, a constant reminder of her first wee one.

"I don't know what to say, really," she confessed, choking down the lump in her throat at the thought of Leah's unexpected bond with the aunt Sadie so admired. "To think you and Leah . . . well, I guess I might've wondered all those years why Leah was the only dark-haired one in the family. But I never would've guessed this."

Aunt Lizzie went on to say that, at the time of Leah's

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conception, she had been so caught up in her youthful rebellion she hadn't cared what anybody thought. "I just did as I pleased."

Same as 1 did, Sadie thought ruefully.

"Thankfully, your parents took me in as their own for a time, even as they did Leah when she was born."

"So the young man, Leah's father, never wanted to marry you or care for you?" The question slipped out effortlessly, though as soon as Sadie had voiced it, she felt suddenly sorry. "Uh, that's not at all for me to ask."

"No . . . no, it's to be expected, really 'tis."

But when Lizzie did not offer to say more about Leah's blood father, Sadie knew better than to press the question now burning in her mind.

Just who is Leah's real father? ,'.-. , ., .-[

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j\ Jid says might just be a gut idea if the hex doctor's on hand for rliis baby," Hannah told Aunt Lizzie in the privacy of her Cozy kitchen on Christmas Eve day. "He thinks we should've i'hiul him here for the first two, just to be safe."

She had been pouring tea for herself when who but Lizzie Inul come knocking at the back door. Having felt awful slug#\h\\ all day, Hannah was glad for a chance to sit down and hhnre a nice cup of tea with Lizzie. They'd gotten on to the lupic of Hannah's cjtoice of an Amish midwife when Hannah Icll she ought to speak up about her fears.

"Dat still feels strongly that Mamma would be alive today il he'd had his way about calliii' in the powwow doctor." She wiitched Aunt Lizzie closely, hoping for some further explanation as to why Lizzie, like Mamma, was so opposed to the hyiupathy healers.

Lizzie's hazel-brown eyes appeared more earnest now; it was surprising to see her usually cheery aunt turn suddenly solemn. She poured a rounded teaspoon of sugar into her teacup and stirred slowly before looking up at last. "I hesitate to

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talk much about so-and-so's stubborn stand on this subject, but if I do ... well, please don't say anything."

"You have my word, Aendi."

Lizzie took several sips of hot tea. Then, setting the pretty floral cup down lightly on its matching saucer, she continued. "This has been a sore point with your father and me for much too long, I must admit. Here lately, though, I think he may be coming round 'bout the things your mamma believed in. I pray so."

Hannah found this admission hard to understand. What was Lizzie saying? That she and Dat had started to see eye to eye on the Amish doctors? If so, what would it mean for her and Gid . . . and the baby soon to be born? Would Dat interfere, try to convince Gid otherwise?

She shuddered to think of risking her baby's life as Mamma had done, only to lose her own. It was a miracle young Abe was as sturdy and smart as he was. Any of the women folk, if they were privy to all that Leah said poor Mamma had gone through to birth Abe, might still be bracing themselves, waiting for something wrong to show up either mentally or physically in her little brother. For Dat's sake and Abe's, too, Hannah sincerely hoped Abe would be healthy his whole life long.

"Are ya sayin' Dat would be opposed to having a hex doctor assist the midwife?"

Aunt Lizzie raised her eyebrows. "Why in heaven's name would you want to do such a thing, Hannah? Your mamma never did. She wanted nothing to do with the powwow doctors."

Sometimes Hannah just wished to goodness she could simply share her opinion without Aunt Lizzie raising a stink,

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especiiilly when Ida Mae and Katie Ann were napping not so fill* from the kitchen. Knowing Lizzie as she did, Hannah wouldn't put it past her aunt to speak her mind and then some. Truth was, this minute she didn't feel strong enough to iif(j;uc her side of things and regretted bringing up the subject. Sure, Lizzie had her view, but so did Hannah. And now that she was Gid's wife, shouldn't she take into account his feelings? After all, the growing babe within her belonged to her iind Gid, not to Lizzie.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry, is all," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

Aunt Lizzie placed a soft hand on hers. "Well, now, Hannah, what's to worry? You had no trouble birthing Ida and Katie."

Hannah nodded. " Tis quite true."

"Why do ya feel the need to invite a spirit of evil into this house?"

Hannah gasped. What's Lizzie saying? Does she actually believe the Amish doctor is of the devil?

She'd heard such whispered things from one of Mamma's Mast cousins eitlfer Rebekah or Katie years ago when Dat and Mamma were still on friendly terms with Cousins Peter and Fannie, but never before from Aunt Lizzie.

"I don't think you understand," Hannah began quietly at first, but she felt the ire rise in her as she went on. "I want to have a safe delivery. . . and I want to live to see this new one grow up same as Ida and Katie. Why should you want to stand in my way?"

"And why would ya put your trust in someone other than the Lord God? Powwowing is nothing short of white witchcraft. Your mamma said the same." Aunt Lizzie pursed her

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lips, then stared down at the cup of tea before her, fiddling with the handle.

Hannah shook her head in disagreement but said no more. Something within her wanted to say, We'll decide for ourselves. But there was another urging deep inside her, prompting her to think long and hard about this, even suggest that Gid discuss it with Dat himself.

"Death haunts me, Aunt Lizzie," she surprised herself in saying.

Lizzie reached over to pat her hand again. " 'Cause of your mamma?"

"Maybe so ... and Mary Ruth's first beau, Elias. One just never knows. .. ."

Lizzie fell silent as she stroked Hannah's hand.

Hannah felt the need to fill the stillness, though. "Seems nobody knows for sure and for certain what's waitin' for us on the other side."

Lizzie frowned. "Over Jordan?"

Hannah nodded. "I wish this wasn't so troubling." She continued on, sharing that she'd struggled privately since childhood with the issue of death. "Some days I wish we could simply live forever, the way Adam and Eve were created to."

"Without aging?" Here Aunt Lizzie broke into a winning smile. "Just think, Dawdi John's beard might be dragging on the ground if that's the way the dear Lord intended things to be for us now. . . since Adam fell from grace."

"Guess it was fallin' from grace that turned ev'rything topsy-turvy, ain't? If only Adam and Eve had obeyed God in the first place, things sure would be lots easier."

"Obedience, jah." Aunt Lizzie leaned forward. "Let me tell ya what I think." , ;- ' , .;

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For I lie next half hour or so, Hannah listened as her aunt mhttrcil things she'd never heard from an Amishwoman before, except lor the one time she'd accidentally stumbled onto Muiiinin saying late-night prayers. Now she was fairly sure tltitl what Lizzie believed about the Lord Jesus coming to earth In die to offer eternal life was precisely what Mamma had also hr I It"veil. Hearing Aunt Lizzie say that we can be saved and know it without falling into the sin of pride, that the "Good I look teaches this," Hannah wondered what Gid might think il he knew. And she worried if Gid and the brethren got wind i >l Lizzie's beliefs, that her newly ordained husband would feel obligated to speak about them to Bishop Bontrager.

Could dear Aunt Lizzie be in danger of the shun? A cold kIliver flew up Hannah's back.

Nearly as excited as the children had been at breakfast, I i-iih rode along in Dat's sleigh to Georgetown School after lunch. Sadie, too, had been invited to attend the Christmas piny, bift she'd awakened with sniffles and decided to stay home. Aunt Lizzie and Dawdi John had also been given I homemade invitations, but the children didn't expect Dawdi in make the effort to venture out on such a blustery day none of the family did. And Aunt Lizzie had felt she ought to

8fay put in case Hannah went into early labor, as she had with the first two little ones. Fortunately, she was only a holler nway in the little log house.

"Lydiann said she was awful nervous 'bout the play when

1 look her and Abe to school this morning," Leah said as they rode along. \ ' '::

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Dat made his familiar grunt, which meant he'd heard but was somewhat preoccupied.

"There'll be lots of parents on hand, I'm sure." She made yet another attempt to have conversation with her father, since they scarcely ever found themselves alone anymore.

"I hope we won't be expected to sing the weltlich carols," Dat said, glancing at her.

"Well, why not the more lighthearted ones?" She found this interesting.

He kept his face forward just now, and Leah thought she saw the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Dat? Did I speak out of turn?" ', . ,

His chest rose at the question. "No . . . no, that's fine."

She wished he'd talk about whatever was bothering him. Was he missing Mamma still, just as she was? Leah wouldn't be so bold as to bring up such a thing. All the same she wondered, though Mamma's home-going seemed a distant memory to her.

"I'm sure Lydiann and Abe are havin' trouble keeping their minds on their schoolwork right now," she said.

"They're prob'ly getting the schoolhouse ready, I'd guess."

"Jah, puttin' up string across the room to hang up letters spelling out 'Merry Christmas to Everyone!'" she said, glad Dat was talking freely.

He sighed. "Abe said he was mighty happy with the name he drew for Christmas."

"I hope he didn't tell ya who." She had to smile at this. "Abe's quite the little man ... as thoughtful as any child I've known." : "But he speaks his mind when he wants to." ',' . ;', ;:

She knew this was so. .. , . :.

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I I tat kepi I he horse going at a steady pace just right for a

Hi 11'I tnlk nn a snowy afternoon.

I "Smile seems to be settling in here again, ain't so?" she

Hi I'll, sticking her neck out a bit.

H "I daresay she's missin' her husband something awful." Dat I Milked, bent his head low, and then continued. "She and I have Nomefhing in common for the first time."

I.tmh hadn't thought of it quite like that. But Dat was i mill, Both he and Sadie shared a great sense of sorrow.