A Baby for Hannah (38 page)

“Mom, please,” Jake said, his hand on his bowl of popcorn.

“Someone just drove in,” Uriah said, his voice low.

Jake jumped to his feet. “It’s Mr. Brunson. I wonder what he wants on a Sunday afternoon?”

“I still want my question answered,” Ida said. “But I can wait until the man leaves.”

“I should think so,” Uriah said as Jake went to open the door.

“Am I intruding?” Mr. Brunson’s voice reached the inside of the cabin.

“Not at all,” Jake said. “My parents are here. Why don’t you come in and meet them?”

“I’d like that,” Mr. Brunson said, stepping inside. “I so enjoyed meeting Hannah’s parents last year.”

“This is my mom,” Jake said, “Ida Byler. And my dad, Uriah. This is only their second time visiting Montana, and Dad already wants to move here.”

“Then they can have my place,” Mr. Brunson said, shaking their hands. “How are you folks? It’s great to meet you. Hannah and Jake have been such good friends during the time they’ve lived here. I can’t tell you what great people they are.”

“That’s good to hear,” Uriah said. “The Lord wishes all of us to have a good testimony to those who are without.”

Mr. Brunson laughed. “I don’t think I’ll be on the outside much longer.”

“Oh,” Uriah raised his eyebrows. “Are you thinking of joining the Amish?”

“Please have a seat, Mr. Brunson,” Jake said, offering him his chair.

“I really can’t stay long,” Mr. Brunson said. “But thanks anyway.”

Hannah held her breath, watching Mr. Brunson’s face, waiting for his answer to Uriah’s question.

“Well, it’s like this. I
almost got
to join the Amish,” Mr. Brunson replied. “But the good bishop turned me down. Not that I have any hard feelings, as the Lord worked things out splendidly between Mary and me.”

“Mary?” Ida gasped. “Is that the Mary who left the church? The widow? You have doings with her?”

Mr. Brunson paused. “I guess Jake and Hannah haven’t told you?”

Jake shook his head slightly.

“I didn’t mean for Jake and Hannah to keep this a secret,” Mr. Brunson said. “Or is this one of those Amish ways I haven’t learned about yet?”

“We just didn’t come across the subject,” Jake said.

“I guess you know that we work together at the furniture shop,” Mr. Brunson said, glancing at Uriah, who nodded.

“Mary’s leaving has been hard on all of us,” Jake said, clearing his throat.

“I imagine so,” Mr. Brunson said. “I guess that means I have a lot of explaining to do.”

Uriah cleared his throat loudly, “Do I understand you correctly that you are taking one of the Amish women out to the
Englisha
world?”

“No,” Mr. Brunson said. “I am joining the Mennonite church with her.”

“I see,” Uriah said. “That’s a little better, but is that something a man of your obvious character should be doing? Aren’t there women in your world who could be your wife?”

“Uriah,” Ida gasped. “Please don’t speak such words.”

“It’s okay,” Mr. Brunson said, a look of joy crossing his face. “Mary has been a gift from the Lord as certainly as my first wife, Bernice, was. Not since her passing have I felt such love for a woman.”

“But this Mary is Amish,” Ida said, shifting slightly in her chair.

“I must say it looked impossible,” Mr. Brunson said, the joy still glowing on his face. “But the Lord worked things out okay. Let’s just say I’m one happy man in my old age.”

“Well, then, we wouldn’t want to speak against such a thing,” Uriah said. “And anyway, this is a local church matter.”

“Jake has been wonderful to work with,” Mr. Brunson said. “But I really don’t want to interfere with your afternoon any longer than I already have. Mary has been wanting me to stop by and tell you the news, but I haven’t gotten around to it. I could have said something to Jake at the shop, but I wanted to speak with both of you, Hannah and Jake.”

“
Jah
?” Hannah said, leaning forward on her chair. “Good news?”

“We’ve set the wedding date for next month, and I’ll be moving to Kalispell to be with her. We’ve already found a place and are closing on it next week. Mary said she wants to send you a wedding invitation, but she doesn’t wish to make things more uncomfortable for you than they already are.”

“I’d love to attend,” Hannah said, catching a glimpse of the look on Ida’s face. “But of course we can’t, so tell Mary I wish her all the best with her new life. She is such a
gut
woman.”

“Yes, she surely is,” Mr. Brunson said. “Now, I really must be going.” Turning to Uriah and Ida, he said, “You two have a safe trip back home, and the offer still stands about my place.”

“I don’t think we’re moving to Montana,” Ida said quickly. “Uriah is very much a farm boy.”

“He looks like a farm boy,” Mr. Brunson said, glancing back as he opened the cabin door. “Sorry again to interrupt your Sunday afternoon.”

Jake followed him outside, and their voices rose and fell as they continued to talk on the porch.

“An interesting character, that man is,” Uriah said, resuming his popcorn eating.

“But he stole an Amish woman,” Ida said. “That might be interesting, but it’s not very nice.”

“I think Mary was quite willing,” Hannah said. “She went to the tent meetings on her own, and they met up there. That’s the story at least, and I guess they think it is
Da Hah’s
doings—His way of getting them together.”

“People deceive themselves in all kinds of ways,” Ida said. “It sounds unlikely to me.”

“Ah, let the old people enjoy each other,” Uriah said. “At least Mary’s not leaving the Amish for the
Englisha
world.”

“Is that what you’re going to say when one of our children leaves for the Mennonites?” Ida asked, an edge in her voice.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t a serious matter,” Uriah said. “But it’s a local church matter here, not anything we have a say in.”

As Jake entered, Ida said, “Now, I want an answer to my question. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about it. Sit back down and start talking.”

“You could at least remind Jake what the question is,” Uriah said. “He’s probably forgotten.”

Jake shook his head. “I remember. And I don’t know that I understand everything, but I did think of something the other day that might help.”

“I want you to explain the verse in Romans,” Ida said. “Where the apostle says we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For how can we continue to hope for what we already have?”

“
Jah,
” Uriah said, nodding solemnly. “That’s a hard question, and one that I’ve never seen the answer to. It seems to me that if we can know we are saved, then there is no more reason to hope for it.”

“Don’t you think Christ has brought salvation to us?” Jake asked.

“That’s what the bishop tells us,” Uriah said. “But if He has then we don’t need to hope for it.”

“It’s best not to make the Scriptures say what they don’t say,” Ida said. “I think the apostle wrote very clearly in Romans, and there is no way around what he says.”

Jake countered, “But Jesus said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to deliver the captives, to give sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are bruised. Doesn’t that sound like salvation has come?”

“
Jah,
” Uriah said, stroking his beard. “But I do not like to set a Scripture against another Scripture like two bulls fighting each other. The apostle said what he said.”

“I’d say it’s pretty plain,” Ida added.

“I hope you don’t think me out of my place,” Jake said, his face pained. “But perhaps you’re not understanding properly what the apostle is speaking of.”

“I don’t see how it could be better said. We are saved by hope,” Uriah said, taking a deep breath.

“But what is being saved?” Jake asked. “I think the apostle said what it was a few verses earlier, and it’s not the spirit, it’s the body. When Christ came, He brought us spiritual salvation, but our body isn’t saved yet. If it would be, we never would get sick or have temptations anymore. That is what is saved by hope someday.”

“He talks like a Mennonite,” Ida said. “Jake, who has been filling your head with these thoughts?”

“I wasn’t trying to instruct you, Mom, or you either, Dad, but you asked the question.”

“
Jah,
it does say that,” Uriah said, still stroking his beard. “But I have always thought this was a very dangerous doctrine.”

“Then don’t go falling for it,” Ida said, getting up to refill his lemonade glass. “Now that I’ve heard your answer—if that is indeed your answer—maybe it’s time we talked about something else.”

“Since we’re leaving tomorrow you’d better start talking fast,” Uriah said with a smile. “That is unless you plan to move back here with me. That Mr. Brunson has offered us the sale of his place.”

“If I didn’t know you were teasing I’d leave right now,” Ida said, then softened by adding, “But I have to admit Montana is a wonderful place to live.”

Forty-One

Hannah remembered that the hardest part of carrying a baby was the waiting. Even with the first pregnancy and the tragedy of losing the baby, she had learned that patience was very much part of the process.

The few weeks since Jake’s parents had visited had flown by with little to set the days apart. Now that her time was drawing closer, Hannah’s waiting seemed all the harder.

The late morning found Hannah waiting by the front window of the cabin, glancing repeatedly down the graveled lane toward the road. If the midwife didn’t come soon, there wouldn’t be time to get to the bus station in Libby before her mother’s arrival. Seeing Mattie yesterday would have fit her schedule much better, but the midwife said in her letter that today was the only day she could come.

Hannah glanced around the small cabin. It was spotlessly clean. She had tried to keep it that way since Jake’s parents had been here. Yesterday’s quick cleaning was all that had been necessary to keep it in good order. At least there was much to be thankful for—a clean house. Things could have turned out quite badly with Ida and Uriah’s visit, but it hadn’t. Jake’s parents had left on the bus with big smiles on their faces, and Jake seemed much happier now whenever he talked about them.

A small cloud of dust rose in the distance, and Hannah went out on the porch and waited.

The midwife’s car came to a halt at the end of the walk, and the woman got out of the car with her large bag.

“I’m not late, am I?” Mattie asked.

“Not really,” Hannah said making sure she smiled. “It’s just that I have to meet my mom at the bus station at noon. I think I can still make it.”

“Oh my, how rushed everything is these days. It seems like I can’t keep up anymore. But it’s wonderful that your mother is coming to visit. She’s a bit early for the baby though. You’re not quite ready yet.”

“She’s coming for my sister Miriam’s wedding in two weeks.”

Mattie raised her eyebrows. “Well, in your condition I hope you’re not having a big part in it or anything.”

Hannah laughed. “No, not if Jake has anything to say about it. He’s quite worried about me, so I suppose I’ll sit and watch everyone else do all the fussing around.”

“Has the stress been getting to you?”

“Not really. Not the wedding anyway. Jake’s parents were here for a visit. That was stressful enough, but we made it.”

“Ah, the in-laws, well, sit down on the couch so I can look you over.”

Hannah lowered herself down slowly. “I’m glad his parents came. I really am. They’re wonderful people, and Jake needed to talk some things through with them.”

“Then we’ll count it a blessing in disguise. How’s your eating coming along? Any change in appetite?”

“No, not really, unless it’s
less
of an appetite. Nothing much fits down there. I think it’s going to be a big boy.”

The midwife laughed. “Did Dr. Lisa ever do an ultrasound?”

“No, it’s just been my guess from the way the
bobli’s
carrying on.”

“They can get a little rowdy, both boys and the girls, so that doesn’t tell us much. Are you still comfortable having the birth at home? It’s your first time, after all.”

“I think so. Dr. Lisa said we could contact her if necessary. You’re not expecting any problems with the birth are you?”

“No,” Mattie said. “Everything looks as it should. I’d like to leave you some herbal tea though. It’s not a miracle worker of course, but it can help prepare your body for the hard work ahead.”

“I’m glad our child will be born in the cabin.”

“Idealistic, are you?” Mattie said with a grin. “My guess is the stars in your eyes will grow dim once the contractions start. Childbirth is no picnic.”

“I’ll be ready. In fact, I
am
ready.”

“You’ll be fine, Hannah. The baby’s still turned right, seems healthy, and has a steady heartbeat. You don’t have any excess swelling in your feet.”

“Just in the middle section,” Hannah said, laughing. “I must say it feels
gut
though, in a strange way. It reminds me that I’m bringing a child into the world.”