Abram's Daughters 03 The Sacrifice (32 page)

"I'm Cousin Leah," she said, not revealing her last name, ml I his is Lydiann and Abe."

"Abe already told us his name." Jake smiled broadly,

* Imi! his white teeth. A wider grin she'd never seen.

I ih's a right perty name," Mandie said. "And . . . you're sin?"

Ik straightened, repeating that she was indeed. They've i heard tell of their eldest brother's first love.Suddenly Jake jumped down out of the carriage. "Let's see .' tn 11 1 am next to you, Lydiann."

"Juke, what on earth are ya doin'?" Mandie scowled from I'liiiiage. "She's a girl, for pity's sake." "She's oyr cousin, for pity's sake!" Jake hollered over his i iK k-r.

"No need to yell, children," Leah found herself chiding in, watching in disbelief as Jake and Lydiann simultanely I iirned themselves around and stood back to back, head !ieiul.

'Tin taller, ain't so, Mamma?" asked Lydiann, staring Ikjlil ahead, holding still as could be.

(Iksorving the childish scene play out before her eyes, she

iniriil on the irony of the unexpected meeting Cousin

Mine inside paying a visit to the doctor for a summer flu;

308

the twins out here. "Well, it's hard to say, really . . . but juli, ! s'pose you are. But only by a hair."

To this Lydiann giggled. Jake, on the other hand, lookci) terribly concerned, if not upset.

"See, Jake? I am taller than you!" Lydiann said a bit imi gleefully.

"That can't be," Jake insisted, his hands on his sk-mlcf hips.

"Come along, now," Leah said, turning to go while Ahp and Lydiann said good-bye to their newfound cousins.

"Won'tcha come to Grasshopper Level 'n' visit us?" Juki* asked.

"That'd be fun," Lydiann said, waving.

"See ya later!" called Mandie.

Obviously Abe and Lydiann were quite taken with iln cute twins. When at last they joined Leah, they hurried up the long walk toward the clinic.

Glancing over her shoulder at Cousin Fannies youngsiris, Leah had mixed feelings about the encounter. For as obstinate as the Masts were toward the Ebersols, there was little or un hope they would ever see hide nor hair of Jake and Mamlir again.

309^ -

/

12--V

Ujj.

I #t?ith quickened her pace to keep up with Lydiann and Abe, I flight ing in their chatter as the three of them walked down llir road to the schoolhouse this second week of school. Abe Wiii in second grade this year, looking splendid in his lavender ulilii, Mack broadfall trousers, and suspenders. Today, for a nli > > hange, he wore his straw hat firmly on his head. I vili-Hin was pretty as a picture in her green dress and crisp |t|tn 1 apron, her small hair bun hidden beneath her white|Hii\i-i veiling. J*

I i-a11 had been mighty busy sewing several new sets of hthes for each child during the final weeks of August, and ^B hiul volunteered to help clean up the schoolhouse with ^Htr parents in preparation for the start of school, as well. ^B "Won'tcha come back for our school picnic today?" ^Hlhim asked her.

^B "iHease, Mamma," Abe begged, hopping up and down. H[ "po ya really want me to?" she said, knowing full well the UPwcr.

" 'Course we do!" Abe shouted.

310

"The pupils from the school over on Esbenshade Road m* joinin' us today, too," Lydiann said.

"A wunderbaar Picknick!" said Abe.

In her busyness, she'd completely forgotten the comhimui school event. Mandie and Jake Mast attended the olhci school that served the conservative Mennonite and Amiftlt children in the Grasshopper Level area. What fun it would he* for Lydiann and Abe to see their Mast cousins again. "Sine, I'll return at eleven-thirty with the horse and buggy," she s:ili|

"Will ya stay for story time after lunch recess?" Abe asknl, swinging his lunch pail.

"We'll see." She wanted them to enjoy their classmaii-s, feel at liberty to make friends, not be too dependent on her.

"Aw, won'tcha, Mamma?" she whined.

"None of the other mothers stay, do they?"

Abe shook his head. "But you ain't like them," he s:iii|. "You're younger than most."

"Pettier too." Lydiann reached for her hand and held n tight.

Quickly Leah directed their attention to the various tr< <--., different kinds of birds, and other familiar landmarks aim in the road. It was a good long walk, but it was a fine way in extend her day with them. They never seemed to tire ol I mi presence, as if they required her more than some chiKIn n needed their mammas.

+

Back home again, Leah canned seven quarts of pencil then made up a large batch of catsup, with help from Li,

311Cjacrifice

lillc making a sandwich to take back with her to the chil'

l''Mi's school, a decisive knock came at the back door. The

iHiliy bad "sorrowful news to bear" of Preacher Yoder's pass-

ii n; "1 lappened just hours ago." Their longtime minister had

In (I of a heart attack.

"We're in need of a new preacher," Aunt Lizzie said as the i \ 11 women watched smithy Peachey scurry out to the barn to till i lie news to Abram and Gid.

"I 'spect we'll be having an ordination service 'fore too li in^'," Leah said.

"We best start prayin' for God's will in the selection of a h< w minister," Aunt Lizzie said reverently. "Does Dat ever pray thataway?" asked Leah. "What do ya mean?"

"Does Dat beseech the Lord God heavenly Father for ill vine will in all things the way you do?" The way Mamma iil-ii'd^.s did, she thought.

Aunt Lizzie's face brightened at Leah's question. "I believe

11 if Lord is definitely at work in Abram's heart," she replied ulily, yet confidently. "You wait 'n' see. He'll come round to iIn- saving grace."

fc I .izzie's remarks wondered Leah. "I hope you're right 'bout Him," she found herself saying. "Maybe then there won't be B much talk of hex doctors anymore."

p "Oh j ah ... all that white witchcraft talk will fly out the u-iiulow. You'll see."

I .izzie's words went round and round in Leah's head. Even

-i she hitched up the horse and headed back to the little onemi im school for lunch, the words "you'll see" continued to > i ho in her brain.

312/O e 0 e r I ij JL^ e im> I s

Actually, she was glad for a reason to be gone over lh# noon hour, what with plans for the minister's wake no doubt taking shape. Lizzie's far better at such things, she thought Hi she rode down Georgetown Road.

When she arrived, the school yard was bustling with dill* dren, girls eating their sack lunches on the grass, boys eafiny theirs on the merry-go-round.

Lydiann looked awful sad when Leah found her. "Ow Mast cousins didn't come," she said. "All the other puplU did . . .'cept not them."

They must've told their mamma about meeting Lydiann and Abe, Leah decided. Cousin Fannies shunning the youngest Ebt'Tsols through her twins!

Leah had to offer some sort of explanation to distract pi >i Lydiann, though in all truth, a mere girl didn't need to know such spiteful things. "Maybe Jake and Mandie are under ilir weather," she offered as a possible excuse.

"That can't be it," Lydiann piped up. "The teacher snii| their mamma kept them home today."

On purpose . . . in case they might have themselves another good time with Abe and Lydiann, thought Leah. Will this neverend? She was tempted to ride over to the Masts' orchard house and storm up to the back door to give Cousin Fannie a good tongue-lashing. It was one thing to punish the Ebersol grown ups, but this!

Following the news of Preacher Yoder's death, Lizdr promptly hurried across the field to visit Miriam Peachey. They spent a few minutes at the kitchen table making a list of food items necessary for supplying the grieving family; (hen

312

. I313Cj a c r i j i

c r l f l c e

If niul Miriam said good-bye and Lizzie ambled back to the BllHC It) prepare roast-beef sandwiches for her father and Ibnim.

I At the noon meal she was mindful to stay out of their hit1 conversation as the two men discussed the Yoder family hki* and the subsequent funeral and burial services. I When they were finished eating, Abram bowed his head li I lit- silent prayer; then she cleared the table and washed in I 11 lied the dishes. That done, she swept the kitchen floor, lii I I hen the back porch and sidewalk. All the while, she LiiUMnplated her earlier exchange with Leah. Was it possible Ipriiin would indeed embrace the Lord as Savior? Lizzie had pn strong indications he was softening, little cracks of light jowly penetrating his gritty soul.

I Privately she continued to share with him what she'd innied over the years through time spent on her knees in tnyrr and by reading Scripture. Faith cometh by hearing, and l(ir/n,t; by the word of God. Tenaciously she clung to this pasjifr in Romans whenever Abram became resistant. Yet she |h sure the frequency and the fervency of her witness was I I ing through to him, touching the deep of his heart.

+

"Mamma? Are you upset?" Abe asked hours after the pic, sitting next to Leah in the front seat of the carriage as drove them home.

I ,eah hadn't realized it, but here she was groaning, disturb[ the children. She gathered her wits. "I'm all right."

314 1 - lu e o e r I y c-L- e u? i s

Lydiann began to rehash the day. "S'posin' I should lu> upset, too, since our own cousins didn't come to the picnk ,"

Abe shook his little head. "When will we see them nguiii. Mamma?"

Before Leah could answer, Lydiann suggested they iuvilt* Jake and Mandie to Abe's birthday, "come December."

Abe's eyes shone. "Jah, and maybe Christmas dinner,

too!" .' : .-.., . ,. : .. ..'. '' ...

; . .: ...'. .. --.. .- ..,.:.-... - .-. z1 .;-; .;.; ' It

..' ' . w . '*

Late that night, Leah was too fidgety to sleep. So ... 11 > Mast twins had told their mother of meeting Cousin Lculi Oh, to have been a fly on the backseat of the buggy!

She struggled to put into practice what the Scriplnn taught about forgiveness, for the Masts surely needed to l forgiven, didn't they?

Sitting up in bed, she stared into the darkness of Iut, room. She wished she could be at peace with all men tmd' women including kinfolk like Peter and Fannie and flu-If children.

Dear Lord, drive 'my anger far from me, she prayed.

314 315vt'^t'4- e^-t'

-*--*-

TV &

I lie letter from Sadie to the bishop was a single page long, H^ Ahram's first reaction was to walk away and ignore it. ^Bishop Bontrager, large man that he was, stood near the ^H I ulrr in Abram's own barn, blocking the setting sun's horHhi.il rays from coming through the door. "Go ahead, ^Binn, have a look-see." The bishop pushed the letter into ^Ii.iikIs, apparently eager to hear what Abram made of it. ^Mf'iiirly torn, Abram felt pressured to read his long-lost ^flghlrr's letter. At the same time he was curious to know Hy sIk'VI written in the first place. Walking toward the dooriVtiy, lu- held the page up to the last vestiges of daylight.

I'Vidtry, September 14, 1956

I >r

Greetings from Nappanee, Indiana, where I have been living for eight years.

I am writing to ask your kind permission to return to my family. This would be ever so helpful to me, even necessary at this distressing time. You see, I am a widow as of two weeks

316 H|ll|| , . ^/Oetyerly J~^ e u? i s '

1 i;i;i ;.. : ago, due to a silo-building accident in Goshen.

I , Since I am under the Bonn in my home church, I thought

Lu, ; .' it best to contact you directly. 1 hope you might pave the uwv

Bj for this request. It has been a long time since my baptism din/

Hj my leaving, and since then I have been a God-fearing woman

Bl .'., and made my peace with the Lord God and with a church hnr

Hi 1

HI "''':",'," in Nappanee, as well as the Millersburg, Ohio, district, whoi' \

W\\ ].... first 1 confessed my sins privately to the ministers. j

1' i

| j|l Will you allow me to make things right with this letter! I i

if,1 | : : want to return home to look into the faces of my dear father,

B . mother, and sisters with the shunning lifted from me.

\ '''. Respectfully, A

Hi ' /. "' '' ':; ...... . Sadie (Ebersol) if

| : Afcram scarcely knew what to say. Sadie wanted to

I 1 '.'. home, wanted to repent. "So much she doesn't know 'I t

I I:!. us," he said. "She has no knowledge of Ida's passing . i

R 'I, , unaware of her little brother."

I . j ;, ' My firstborn . . . a young widow, he thought, pained.

I. ! . Before Abram was fully ready to relinquish the lettci, ili#j

K . i ' ; . bishop reached for it and quickly stuffed it back inl<>

I ..;': envelope. "I have half a mind to say she ought not mum.':

I Simply puttin' words on a page is not enough for me to it

I a shunned woman the go-ahead to come home."

I'1.'!- :'.' Abram's heart sank. "Then, ya must not believe sheV m

If); cere?"

P I

i "Sincerely wrong, she is. Your eldest ain't above the (, >ul

'.' nung, though she might think so. If she wants to live vvlfb

, you and Leah and the rest of the family, she'll have to nlfcr n kneeling repentance before the entire membership. Noil mi less." The bishop tapped the envelope on the palm of hi:. < il

317a c r I f

acriti.ee

>\ luiiul. "If she should be stupid enough to make an "I1' .il returning without takin' the proper steps, you and ! ill he shunned, too."

'i/j;h(. coming and going, Abram thought, realizing he was

plnting the same things Ida used to say and Lizzie

I l now. It made little sense to slap the Bann on a family

I uuse they had a shunned relative, and one obviously I, But he kept his opinion to himself, not wanting to

i lizc an opportunity to see his daughter and possibly

'.' irrandchildren. What an awful long time had passed

.idie had left home, and now she was living in Indiana.

! iiily Jonas couldn't make it as a carpenter in Ohio.

1111 wasn't too surprised at that; not with the bishops out ' nid here frowning hard on young men who thumbed ii noses at farming. Seems mighty English to do otherwise, he