A Season for Tending (35 page)

Rhoda shifted it closer to her mouth. “Uncle James, this is Rhoda. I’m fine, but I need to talk to my Daed.”

James said something Samuel couldn’t make out.

“Ya, I’ll wait.” She jerked air into her lungs, her fingers trembling when she rested them on her lips.

“Rhodes.” Her father came on the line. “What’s wrong?”

“Daed …” Rhoda’s voice cracked for the first time, and she thrust the phone at Samuel, shaking her head.

He eased the phone from her hand. “Karl, this is Samuel King. When we brought Rhoda home tonight, we discovered that vandals had destroyed her garden and vineyard, and I think she’d like you to come home.” Samuel assured Karl several times that Rhoda wasn’t harmed, not physically. They said good-bye, and he hung up.

“Denki.” Rhoda’s voice was barely a whisper. “I need to call Landon.”

Samuel couldn’t imagine why she had to notify her assistant when it was nearly three in the morning, but he handed her the phone.

In a few minutes, when she was done, he’d have to call his uncle Mervin. He hated to disturb them at this time of the morning, but he had to tell him what had happened. It was the only way to head off a panic when the sun came up and his family realized Jacob, Leah, and he were still gone.

“Landon, it’s me.”

Samuel could hear Landon’s response. He had no complaint that Rhoda was waking him at three in the morning.

“Someone’s … destroyed my garden, uprooted nearly every plant and plowed down the trellises we built.”

Landon’s words were laced with concern. “What can I do for you, Rhodes?”

Their conversation gave Samuel a better understanding of their relationship and a greater appreciation for Landon.

“I need you and your dad’s Bobcat.”

Rhoda’s flat words almost broke Samuel’s heart. Apparently, Landon didn’t like them, either.

“Rhodes, no. We can replant and reestablish. File charges this time, and put a stop to it.”

“The decision is made, Landon. I need the Bobcat and its headlights. Are you going to help me or not?”

Silence hung in the air. It was odd how overcome with emotion she was with her Daed and how in control she was with Landon.

“Okay.” Landon’s voice had become a hoarse whisper, but Samuel heard him clearly. “I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

“Thanks. See you soon.” She pressed the Disconnect button and handed the receiver to Samuel. The sadness on her face stirred him. He’d like to get hold of the people who did this and march them to the police station. Because the Amish were nonresistant and believed in always turning the other cheek, they avoided involving the police as much as possible, but this needed someone with legal authority to step in.

Rhoda walked away, and he dialed his uncle’s number, wondering who—if anybody—would answer at this time of night. Had everyone gone to bed, assuming that he and his siblings would slip in when they returned? Or was Catherine waiting up for him, maybe sitting in the barn with Hope—either feeling sorry about their argument or coming up with more accusations to hurl at him?

To Samuel’s relief, his uncle answered. “I’ve been worried about you. Everything okay?”

He explained the devastation of Rhoda’s berry patch. “We’re going to stay and help her clear the land. I doubt we’ll finish in time to get back to your place before the driver picks up everyone in the morning.”

“You want to tell Catherine, or should I pass on the message for you?”

Taking the easy way out was tempting. “I should probably talk to her myself. Is she awake?”

“She wanted to watch for you, but your aunt convinced her to get some sleep. She’s in Dorothy’s room with the rest of the girls. I can have your aunt go in and get her.”

“No. I don’t want to disturb everyone.” Especially since he had no idea how Catherine would react. “When she wakes up, tell her that we’re all right and that I’ll call her as soon as I can.”

As Samuel left the phone shanty, he noticed Rhoda giving instructions to Jacob and Leah. “We’ll drag or haul everything to the back side of the property. Landon will dig a hole there when he gets here. City ordinances allow for fires as long as they’re in a pit and we bury the ashes when we’re done.”

Her strength made him want to be stronger, more patient with disappointments, more determined in the face of battles. He’d been impatient with Catherine of late, hiding situations as he saw fit and then being frustrated when she reacted like a woman caught off guard. He joined the group, and they worked in silence for quite a while before the rumble of a motor started out low and grew louder as Landon pulled up in his truck, towing the Bobcat.

He got out, surveying the destruction. Rhoda went to him, and after a moment of talking quietly, he nodded and returned to the trailer to get the Bobcat.

A van pulled up to the curb more than an hour later, and Rhoda’s family poured out. Her sisters-in-law and brothers unloaded sleeping children and headed for the house.

Her Daed walked toward her. “Rhodes, I’m so sorry.”

She went to him and fell into his arms, sobbing. Samuel wasn’t sure which surprised him more, that she was crying or that his own eyes stung with tears.

Rhoda’s Daed held her tight, whispering words Samuel couldn’t hear. Rhoda’s Mamm put one hand on her husband’s shoulder and the other on her daughter’s. Rhoda’s brothers and sisters-in-law came outside, their children probably tucked back in bed. The two brothers and their wives repeatedly expressed how shocked and appalled they were at this senseless destruction.

“We’ll help you replant,” John insisted.

Rhoda shook her head. “No, and I don’t want to discuss it.”

“But—,” Steven began.

“No.” Rhoda pulled away from her father’s embrace and explained her plan to continue clearing the field so it appeared to have been intentionally plowed instead of destroyed by vandals.

Rhoda’s Daed rubbed her shoulders. “That berry patch means everything to you.”

“I’m doing the right thing, and we all know it. I’ll pour my time and energy into canning for Kings’ Orchard.” She looked both of her brothers in the eye. “This is your land now.” Her voice trembled, and she had to take a few deep breaths before she continued. But her face showed tender resolve.

Samuel watched this close-knit family embrace one another, heard their heartfelt assurances of support and encouragement. What he’d seen as weakness in her brothers—marrying before they owned their own homes and had their financials in good order—was in reality a strength. Both had sacrificed certain comforts to form unions they did not regret. And whatever stress it caused, they obviously dealt with it while learning patience and growing in love. This was the kind of family he hoped to build with Catherine. But his lack of patience was undermining them.

Rhoda wanted the property to look as if what had been done was her doing. Since most of the fence was intact, he and Jacob needed to repair the damaged part. He motioned to Jacob. While the others worked in the berry patch, Samuel and Jacob went to the shed and found a couple of hammers, a
box of nails, some long boards, a can of white paint, and paintbrushes. Samuel gathered several boards about the right size while Jacob loaded the smaller items into a wheelbarrow. They took everything to the fence and worked in silence. As Samuel hammered boards into place, he tried to figure out how to help Rhoda make enough money canning for them that she’d gain in profit rather than lose because of the vandals.

He heard a loud
whoosh
, and he and Jacob turned to see a blaze go up in the middle of the field. Rhoda, her brothers, and Landon stood silhouetted against the bonfire, staring into the flames.

Samuel’s heart went out to Rhoda. He couldn’t imagine how devastated he’d feel if he were watching Kings’ Orchard go up in smoke.

Jacob picked up a paint can. “Guess that’s good enough for now.”

Samuel turned and saw Jacob examining the new fence. “Reckon we’d best get everything back to the shed then.”

“You go on ahead,” Jacob said. “I want to clean up a little here first. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

“Suit yourself.” Samuel filled the wheelbarrow and pushed it to the spigot. After cleaning the paintbrushes, he took everything into the shed. By the time he’d put it all away, the dark night was beginning to lighten, although there was no sign yet of the sun. He closed the shed door behind him.

Rhoda’s Mamm came out the front door. “Breakfast!”

John, Steven, and Landon went to the house. They appeared to want Rhoda to go with them, but she declined and lingered by the fire.

As Samuel walked toward her, Jacob came from the other direction, carrying a bush with its roots wrapped in old cloths he’d gotten from somewhere.

“Samuel and I repaired the broken fence.”

Her face looked as barren as her land. “Denki, Jacob. I didn’t even think about that. I’m glad you did.”

He set the bundle at her feet. “I found this near the fence line.”

She knelt. “Jacob.” His name was barely a whisper on her lips. “You found an undamaged blueberry bush.”

“I guess it was close enough to the fence to be protected.”

Even from a few feet away, Samuel could see that his brother cared how Rhoda felt.

“I’ll see you inside.” As Jacob headed to the house, Rhoda cradled the blueberry bush like a sleeping infant.

Samuel walked up to her and cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going inside?”

“I can’t. Not yet.” She watched the remains of her plants smoldering in the large hole.

Despite his hunger Samuel sat beside her. “It probably doesn’t feel like it, but you’ve handled this mess well, shown a lot of courage.”

“I’m pretty sure who did this.” The sadness on her face gave way to hardness. “Rueben Glick.” Her lips curled as if saying his name brought a bad taste to her mouth.

Samuel waited for her to explain.

“Remember the man Eli talked to when you were here a few days ago?”

“Ya.”

“He’s Rueben Glick, and he may be quite a baseball player, but he’s the reason I had to get rid of my herb garden. He convinced Mrs. Walker and others that I used the herbs for some sort of black magic.”

Samuel looked around the barren field. “And you think he’s responsible for this?”

“Ya, I do.”

He stood. “Even though it’s not the Amish way to call the police, I think you should this time.”

“No.”

He held out his hand. She moved the blueberry bush to one arm and put her other hand in his, letting him help her up.

She gazed into his eyes. “I believe in our ways, Samuel, even when there’s little evidence to indicate our nonresistance works.”

“It’s perfectly acceptable to involve the authorities when destruction of this magnitude takes place.”

She cradled her blueberry bush, staring into the fire, reflections of the flames dancing in her eyes. “Maybe God is letting me get what I deserve, or some small part of it. If I hadn’t been so driven by tending and harvesting my strawberries, I would’ve taken my sister to the store earlier in the day, and she’d still be alive.”

Samuel shook his head. “I’m sorry about your sister, and I can’t begin to know the pain and guilt of what you’ve been through. But, Rhodes, this isn’t God showing you His will. This is what godless men do while trying to show their might.”

“My decision stands. Now all I need to do is figure out how to forgive Rueben.”

Rueben being forgiven wasn’t high on Samuel’s list. He was more interested in Rhoda thinking about what he’d said and finding a way to let go of her guilt concerning Emma.

And he didn’t agree with Rhoda letting Rueben off the hook so easily. God used civil authority to confront the lawlessness in people just as He used doctors to confront the sickness in people. But he’d leave this topic alone—for now.

THIRTY-FIVE

With two freshly baked blueberry pies on the seat beside her, Catherine held the reins firmly, guiding the carriage toward Samuel’s house. She’d seen him early that morning, when he, Jacob, and Leah finally arrived back at their uncle’s home. Immediately after they got there, everyone piled into the van, Craig drove them to Harvest Mills, and he dropped Catherine off at her place. During the trip home, the three explained what had taken place at Rhoda’s, but Catherine didn’t get a moment to speak to Samuel alone. In part because he was exhausted, but something else was on his mind too.

And she had to know what it was.

A multitude of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach, but her nervousness over seeing Samuel was about the only emotion she had that made sense. It was awful—a tragedy, really—that Rhoda’s fruit garden had been destroyed. But Catherine wasn’t as sad as she was threatened by it. Besides, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Catherine had been ugly and petty about Rhoda, and Samuel had seen it. To make matters worse, he was still disappointed in her for telling Arlan that Leah might be pregnant. It was a careless remark, and she shouldn’t have given in to the temptation to say it. She just wanted Arlan to wake up and realize who Leah really was. Now Catherine looked like a whiny, gossipy, green-eyed monster.

She pulled up in front of the house and stopped. Truth was, she had to get her thinking straight, her mouth under control, and her attitude right before she wrecked her future. Everything Samuel told her about Rhoda made sense, and maybe he hadn’t been flirting with her. All Catherine knew for sure was that she disliked and distrusted Rhoda.