A Blessing for Miriam (25 page)

“Laura!” he called out.

A man’s voice answered. “Hold still, please. You’ve been injured. Help’s on the way.”

“Laura,” he tried again. “Laura, where are you?”

“He’s calling for a woman!” The man seemed to be speaking to someone else. “Look around, will you?”

“She’s over here in the ditch,” a voice soon called. “She seems to be badly injured.”

“Don’t touch her until help arrives,” the man ordered.

“Laura!” Ivan shouted. He tried to move, but nothing seemed to work in his body. Laura will be okay, he told himself. The car had hit his side of the buggy. If he was alive, Laura should have fared even better. Blackness threatened and then overwhelmed him. He drifted into nothingness.

Chapter Twenty-Six

M
iriam drove Sally home from the schoolhouse. She glanced toward the west. The sky was dark with clouds seemingly as low as the horizon. She wasn’t used to such displays in the sky. The weather this afternoon had been as stormy as the news had been in the community this week.

Esther Swartz had rushed home to attend her sister’s funeral after the tragic car and buggy accident late Friday night. Miriam wouldn’t wish anything bad on Esther, let alone her sister’s death. But the Lord made His choices, and they often weren’t easily explained.

Now Ivan was a widower. A tremble ran through Miriam at the thought. She could have been the one in Ivan’s buggy instead of Laura. Would she have been prepared to cross over to the other side on such short notice? Likely neither Ivan nor Laura had been aware of the soon-to-happen disaster. From what she’d heard, the two had been on the way to Berlin for some shopping. They may not have had any warning at all.

Miriam turned into her driveway and pulled up to the barn. Wayne’s buggy was still parked near the greenhouse, but he didn’t come out to help unhitch. His help was forbidden since Uncle William’s enforced month-long suspension of their relationship had begun. She could barely wait until the time was over. So far, at the Sunday services and at the youth gatherings, Wayne had behaved himself around Esther and stuck to Uncle William’s rules.

Miriam noticed that Esther had managed to smile a little less at him. That was probably difficult to accomplish because Esther smiled at everyone. But from all appearances, she was making a serious effort to mend her ways since the apology. Miriam chose to trust Esther. There was really no other choice, Miriam decided.

Wayne and Miriam were to be wed this fall. They had parted on
gut
terms, and Wayne had given no indication that he blamed her in any way for Uncle William’s separation order. Perhaps she should have resisted Uncle William’s decree, Miriam thought as she unhitched Sally. Wayne would have followed her lead, she suspected. But that would have caused a rift between them and her relatives. Tension was something they needed less of, not more.

This morning was the first time she’d seen a break in Aunt Fannie’s sorrowful attitude. She had even hummed the tune “What a Mighty God We Serve” as she prepared breakfast. Had Aunt Fannie and Uncle William finally settled their quarrel? The church confession hadn’t come about yet, and the thought of Aunt Fannie’s humiliation in front of the whole church was almost too much for Miriam to bear. With great effort she managed to keep quiet. Aunt Fannie had said Uncle William must have a hidden motivation for his severe reaction.

Miriam glanced again at the sky before she entered the house. Deep, dark storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. She shouldn’t be so wrapped up in her own troubles. Rather, she should pray for protection. There was obviously rough weather ahead this
evening from the looks of things. With a firm push, Miriam closed the front door against a sudden gust of wind.

“You’re home!” Aunt Fannie’s cheerful voice called from the kitchen.

“
Yah,
and just in time. The weather doesn’t look
gut
.” Miriam peeked in the kitchen, and baby Jonathon cooed to her from his blanket on the floor by the stove.

“He likes you.” Aunt Fannie looked up from the kitchen sink with a smile.

Miriam took baby Jonathon into her arms. His arm reached up to touch her face, and Miriam blew kisses into his hand. The baby giggled.

Aunt Fannie watched them for a moment before a concerned look crossed her face. “I noticed the weather too, but it’s normal for around here this time of year.”

“That’s
gut
to hear,” Miriam said as she returned baby Jonathon to his blanket. From her attitude, Aunt Fannie had
gut
news to share so Miriam waited patiently. Perhaps Aunt Fannie would soon volunteer the information.

Aunt Fannie didn’t wait long. “I suppose you’re wondering why I seem so happy?”

“
Yah
, I noticed,” Miriam said with a wondering smile.

Aunt Fannie nodded. “Well, William finally opened up to me, and…”

Miriam interrupted. “You don’t have to tell me the details, you know.”

“It’s okay,” Aunt Fannie said. “I figure you’ll think it’s worse than what it is if I don’t…” Aunt Fannie pulled out a kitchen chair. “Sit, Miriam. We shouldn’t stand for this conversation.”

“Really, Aunt Fannie,” Miriam protested again. “I’m just glad things are going well between the two of you again.”

Aunt Fannie smiled. “I want to tell you, Miriam. You’ve been
honest and open with us about everything, and I want this out in the open too. William no longer asks that I do a church confession.” Aunt Fannie clasped her hands on the kitchen tabletop. “But there’s a reason. It seems William was engaged to an
Englisha
girl before we met! It was during his
rumspringa
time. I didn’t know until he told me this week. William planned to marry her and jump the fence, but the girl broke off the engagement.” Aunt Fannie’s breath caught, and she choked.

Miriam reached across the table to hold her aunt’s hand. “Are you okay?” When her aunt nodded, Miriam continued. “This isn’t necessary, please. I’ve gotten you into enough trouble already.”

A faint smile played on Aunt Fannie’s face. “This was all a blessing, Miriam. I know it didn’t seem so, but it’s true. These things aren’t meant to be kept secret. Look at the bitterness that lay beneath the surface of William’s life. As a result of our confessions to each other, our relationship has deepened in the past few days—more than I can tell you. I have you to thank that everything is out in the open.”

“I don’t know about that…” Miriam demurred.

Aunt Fannie’s hand clutched hers. “And I have the Lord to thank that the scales fell off William’s eyes when his heart was broken by his
Englisha
girlfriend. He saw how close he’d come to joining the
Englisha
world and changing his whole life. After the wedding to the
Englisha
girl, he probably never would have come back to the faith, Miriam.”

Aunt Fannie paused as a shudder shook her. “William told me that in his shame he went to the bishop and offered to confess the whole thing in front of the church, even though he wasn’t yet a member. The bishop told him that wasn’t possible, and this was what
rumspringa
was for. The bishop said he was glad the Lord had opened William’s eyes.”

“So it’s better now—your relationship?” Miriam asked.

Aunt Fannie nodded and rushed on. “William wanted me to
confess in church because he thinks he could have forgotten his
Englisha
girlfriend completely if the bishop had allowed his confession. But he realizes now that confession to each other was all that we needed.”

“I’m still sorry I ever brought this up.” Miriam reached over to hold both of Aunt Fannie’s hands.

“Stop saying that.” Aunt Fannie gave Miriam a quick hug. “On the other side of the pain lies a great blessing. Like I said, things are much better now. Already the Lord has placed a new song in my heart. William loves me as I love him. Our love has deepened now that he has shared this with me. Neither of us should have kept secrets from each other to begin with. Regrets aside, we have much we can be thankful for—and so do you, Miriam.”

“I agree. And that’s kind of you to say,” Miriam said.

Aunt Fannie rose. “So that’s over. Now, we’d better get busy with supper. Here I am all wrapped up in my own problems when the poor Swartz family is dealing with much worse. And your friend Ivan is still in a coma. He’ll wake up to find his
frau
already in the grave with his unborn child. How awful is that?”

“Sometimes I just don’t understand the Lord’s ways,” Miriam said as she stood. She glanced toward the window as a gust of wind shook the house and rattled the panes. “And the weather outside…I’m still worried.”

Aunt Fannie followed her glance out the kitchen window. “Oh, it’ll storm, but that’s normal. Still, maybe we should pray. Would that make you feel better?”

“
Yah
, I think so,” Miriam said as she bowed her head. Aunt Fannie did likewise. Aunt Fannie’s lips moved silently as Miriam spoke her prayer:

Protect the people in the path of the storm tonight, dear Lord. Give them warning of what’s coming and time to get out of the way. Keep the children safe from
harm, and let no awful nightmares enter their lives because of this. Help us all—and especially the Swartz family as they bury their dear loved ones. And Ivan too as he lies in an unconscious state. Be with his soul, Lord.

Aunt Fannie had already lifted her head when Miriam finished with amen.

Aunt Fannie smiled. “It’s so
gut
to have a Father in heaven we can trust even when life looks dark.”

“
Yah
,” Miriam agreed as she glanced again out the window.

Aunt Fannie opened the breadbox on the counter. “Will you change clothes and help me with supper? I expect William will be in soon.”

As if in confirmation, Wayne’s buggy went past the living room window and out the driveway.

“Of course I will. I’m in my own daze.” Miriam smiled and hurried upstairs to her bedroom. She peeked out past the drapes. Wayne’s buggy was a dark dot on the road. With a quick rush around the room, Miriam changed and made a dash down the stairs.

“Slow down!” Aunt Fannie lectured when she ran into the kitchen.

Her aunt was definitely more herself again, Miriam thought as she joined in the supper preparations. They were still at work when Uncle William entered the utility room with a loud bang of the outside door.

“Storm’s brewing tonight!” he hollered.

“We know,” Aunt Fannie answered. “We’ve been talking and praying.”

“That’s a
gut
idea.” Uncle William stuck his head into the kitchen. His worried face broke into a smile at the sight of baby Jonathon. “Hi!” He waved to the baby and glanced toward Miriam.

“I’ve told Miriam the story,” Aunt Fannie said.

Uncle William dropped his head for a moment. “I suppose that was okay. One’s sins always come out in the end. I’m sorry I wasn’t more open to your suggestions, Miriam—the evening you spoke with me in the greenhouse. I was blinded by the reminder of my own sins.”

“I understand.” Miriam gave him a weak smile.

“And now on to a more urgent subject,” Uncle William said. “I’ve spoken with Wayne and told him my objections to your relationship are in the past. I was a little hasty, what with my own problems and all. I explained to Wayne, and he forgave me. I hope you will do the same, Miriam. I am sorry. Wayne said he’ll talk with you tomorrow. And I won’t be surprised if he brings you home on Sunday evening.”

A thrill ran through Miriam. “Thanks for the
gut
word,” she told her uncle. “It was for the best, I suppose. I do forgive you, Uncle William.”

Uncle William nodded with a sober face. “You are a very understanding girl, Miriam. Wayne will be getting a
gut frau
. I need to check on the horses in the barn, and then I’ll be right back for supper.”

“He’s a
gut
man,” Aunt Fannie said with a smile after Uncle William vanished through the washroom door. Outside rain was lashing against the kitchen window, and a roll of thunder pealed across the open prairie.

Chapter Twenty-Seven