Love's Abundant Harvest (8 page)

Nellie grinned. “That's a memory about a young man who courted me when I was young.
He was older than me, and my parents didn't approve. We went three days without talking,
and I thought I was gonna burst. The very next day, he came to see me. I snuck out
the window and ran through the cornfields with him until we couldn't run anymore.”
She stopped and took a breath and then looked up as if she saw it all over again
in her mind.

“It started to rain, but we didn't care. He took my face in his hands and kissed
me. The rain kept coming down and then stopped suddenly. He pulled away and looked
up. There in front of us was a huge rainbow spread out over the sky.” She met Lucy's
eyes. They were soft and bright blue, with a contentment about them.

“What happened to him?” Lucy didn't like the ending. She wanted Nellie with this
young man who was so smitten with her.

“I did as my parents told me to. They encouraged me to court with others, but no
one compared.” She rested her cheek in the palm of her hand. “I'll always have the
memory of lying in the wet grass gazing at that beautiful rainbow. Biggest I've ever
seen.”

“Do you think it really was? That big, I mean?”

Nellie pointed to the patch that was one of the larger blocks. “It's a double rainbow.
See the second arc outside the primary one?”

“How do you know this?” And then Lucy remembered the times she was with Nellie and
how she lingered when she saw a rainbow stretching across the horizon.

Nellie folded her arms as if to protect the precious
moment. “The light reflects
twice inside the water droplets.” She smiled at Lucy. “We saw a two-arced rainbow
that day, and I've never seen another like it.”

“That's sad.” Lucy's heart went out to her, although Nellie didn't seem bitter or
callous in any way, so why should she pity her? “Did you ever see him again?”

“I left soon after we parted. I spent all the time I had quilting and working in
town. I became lost in it to forget about him.” Her face pinched for a moment and
then relaxed again. “When I heard he was courting someone else, I left to start my
own shop, knowing I wouldn't get married.” She pursed her lips for a second and placed
her hands on the quilt. “And I never looked back.”

Nellie's success turned the sorrow into happiness, both with her shop and, more important,
her precious quilts, which were not just quilts but life stories.

“That's an incredible gift you give to people, Nellie.”

“It's been more fulfilling than anything else I could have done.” She paused. “I
do keep a piece of me in every quilt I make.” Nellie pushed the fabric inside out
to show her initials. “I sew it up so they can't see, but I know it's there.” She
chucked Lucy under the chin. “You can do anything you set your mind to.” She put
a hand to Lucy's stomach. “You're going to be a good
mamm
to that baby.”

Just as Lucy was about to complain about her situation, Nellie put up a finger.

“Don't talk of the troubles. No matter what Sam does or doesn't do, you and your
baby will have each other.”

With no daed
.

Nellie was right. And she would be a good mother, no matter what Sam said. After
hearing Nellie's story, Lucy seemed to sense inward resources she hadn't been aware
of before. Instead of feeling helpless with what the future held, she felt strengthened
to take on whatever came her way. This baby would have the best
mamm
she could possibly
be. She didn't need anyone—not Sam or someone like Manny—to make her life complete.

A soft knock at the door drew their attention. “I'll get it.” Nellie stood, and when
she got to the door and looked at the side window, she grinned. “It's Manny.”

Lucy frowned. “Nellie, stop.”

Nellie opened the door wide and let him in. “Good to see you, Manny.” She pointed
to an envelope he held. “Are you the new mailman now?”

“For the time being. Abner's not been feeling well, so I thought I'd help him out.”

“No one needs to bring us the mail. Sam can fetch it.” Lucy stood, more clumsily
than she would have liked, especially while making a stand to be more self-sufficient.

Manny walked quickly over to help her, but she found her balance and stood tall.
“You all right?” Manny's blue eye caught the sun, making her think of the little
lesson Nellie had just shared with her about colors in the sky.

“I'm fine,
danke
.” There was no good reason to look into a man's eyes, knowing what
she knew. Her life was here at Sam's farm with their new child. Manny was a neighbor,
but not one she'd known until recently. Going to two different churches on Sunday
had kept them from getting to know each other. Maybe there was a reason for that
too.

“How's Abner getting on?” Nellie smiled at Manny and glanced at Lucy.

As Nellie watched Manny talking, with his one blue and one brown eye and messy blond
hair, she pressed herself away, and when he smiled at her, she pushed farther still.

L
ucy stood on the porch of her two-story white clapboard house taking in the bright
sun as she waited for the buggy rattling down the dirt path. She didn't recognize
the driver, which made her eyebrows rise in question.

“
Hallo
.” A young Amish man quickly brought the horse to a halt and stepped out. “This
is the first time I've been out this way.” He looked around while walking to the
other side of the buggy. “Nice place you got here.”

“
Danke
. And you are?” She bobbed her head to see what he looked at and took a step
forward out of curiosity. His eyes were fixed on the tall silo standing out like
a beacon—a gluttonous symbol, in her opinion.

“Sorry. I provide transportation for folks visiting local family.” He offered his
hand, and Lucy hesitantly complied. “The name's Jeremiah. I'll grab the bag and
bring it around.” Lucy had heard of this but had planned on picking up her
mamm
once
she got word. Leave it to her to make a surprise entrance.

A woman's voice drew Lucy's attention as the buggy squeaked and leaned to one side.
Her
mamm
stepped out.

As she came around the front of the buggy, Lucy took in a sharp breath.

Mamm
smiled. “I knew you'd be glad to see me.”

“
Mamm
!” was all Lucy could think of to say. Maybe all those thoughts she'd just pondered
were in preparation for this surprise. She'd expected a letter or word from the
bishop,
who had the community phone, to give her the news, not this unexpected arrival.

“You know how I like to keep people on their toes.”
Mamm
thanked the young man and
then looked around the place with pensive eyes. Lucy and her
mamm
didn't look anything
alike, with her
mamm
's dark hair and eyes, and especially her height. She stood almost
a foot taller than
Daed
. Lucy had her
daed
's features and small build and his meek—“not
weak,” he'd say—temperament.

“Well, you sure surprised me. I didn't know you were coming this soon.” She moved
forward and reached out to offer a hug.
Mamm
bent down and patted her back. Lucy
wished she had gotten the
haus
ready. She could already imagine the expression on
her
mamm
's face when she saw the lack of a woman's touch in the
haus—
especially in
the kitchen. Not to mention the bedroom that Lucy hadn't gotten together yet. Three
of the bedrooms weren't in use and were probably collecting spider webs.

Mamm
moved back and examined Lucy's belly. “It's hard to believe you're in your last
trimester. You always were a petite little thing.”

Little did her
mamm
know about the constant stress she lived with. That alone hindered
her appetite, not to mention her cooking, which was mediocre on a good day.

“This babe can't come fast enough. I'm already worn out.” Lucy felt tired just thinking
about the chores ahead of her, with her
mamm
there adding stress to it all. Maybe
it was good to have her
mamm
nearby, at least for a little while, to get her ready
for what was to come.

“How's
Daed
? Feeling any better?” Lucy was almost scared to ask. For him not to come
and spend time with
her told her he was not well. She had hoped he would show up
with her
mamm
but wasn't surprised that he hadn't.

“
Nee
, he doesn't have much energy. I know you were hoping to see him. Maybe after
the baby's born.” She let out a breath. “To be honest, I think it might be you coming
to visit once you and the babe can travel. It's just too much for him.”

Mamm
's look of sorrow was such an uncommon reaction, it made Lucy pause. “I so want
to see him.” Her
daed
was the only one who truly knew her. She looked down at the
rich soil beneath her feet, reminding herself of the reason she was there. Her
mamm
had been sure she would need to leave the community to find a husband. She had always
been shy and more interested in working with her
daed
than being in the kitchen with
her
mamm.
She stroked her belly, worried for her unborn child, but then pushed back
the emotions and lifted her head.

“Lucy?”

When she looked up at her
mamm,
she decided to be grateful for what she had instead
of complaining about what she didn't have.
Mamm
was there. Although stressful at
times, it would be good to have a helping hand. “Sorry,
Mamm
.”

“What a large farm.”
Mamm
put her hands on her hips. “And well kept.” She grinned.
“I can see my handiwork in you.”

Lucy wished she had added her own touches with more of a creative bent than the stringent
ways of her
mamm
. Once they walked into the
haus, Mamm
would be singing a different
tune. But Lucy was prepared for anything now that she was here. “How was the trip?”

“Not too long. You don't live that far away, my dear. Your
sisters will try to visit
once the baby comes.” She stopped to get Lucy's attention. “And from what I'm told,
Fannie will be coming out when I leave.” Her
mamm
told Lucy about the schedule she
had put together as to who was coming out when, but Fannie had bumped up her visiting
time to be there when the baby was born.
Mamm
meant well, but Lucy would rather her
sisters came and went as they saw fit, or all of them at once. She knew that would
never happen, but it would be wonderful-
gut
.

Mamm
watched Lucy's face as she chattered. “This is a large farm. Hopefully you'll
have a boy to help Sam run the place.”

Lucy took a step back. “
Jah
, I suppose. I miss my sisters, so it would be nice to
have a girl.”

Mamm
shaded her eyes with her hands. “It's so still and quiet. Does that bother you?”

“
Nee
, I'm fine.” Lucy didn't want to complain. If she did, she knew her
mamm
would
give her reasons not to be bothered by the silence. It was a twist she put on things
to make her girls stronger, or so she thought.

“I'm surprised after reading some of the letters you sent home to the girls.” She
rubbed what must have been a dirt smudge on Lucy's cheek. Lucy didn't miss the jab.
The girls corresponded through a round-robin. Each wrote a letter and sent it to
the next person in the order, who added her letter, until it went full circle. Their
mamm
was not included.

“It's hard to adjust, but it's starting to feel like home.” But she overstated. Though
she had made great strides, home was where her sisters were. “Sam should be at the
haus
soon for lunch.”

Her
mamm
frowned, maybe expecting a more formal
welcome when she arrived. “Why don't
you show me around while we wait for him?”

She started walking, so Lucy followed. “A greenhouse?”
Mamm
glanced at Lucy and then
walked toward the structure. “I prefer to work outdoors myself. You can't get away
from the heat either way.” She took long strides to reach the small building Sam
had made. The foundation was cement, with a brick base halfway up, and then sealed
with thick plastic on all sides.

“Do you want to see the house first?” Lucy watched for Sam. She already didn't know
how to handle
Mamm
with her determined ways. With the surprise early visit, she didn't
know if she could handle both Sam and her.