Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (11 page)

I This time the blacksmith himself came and opened the Id* >r, his eyes growing round when he spied unconscious Abe. I"/ limmel, come in, Abram, come in."

I "He was all sprawled out on the ice," Abram said, a catch in i liis voice as both Smitty and Miriam gathered near.

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"Lay him out on the rug here, close to the wood stove," Smitty offered.

Miriam knelt beside Abe, touching his hair and face. "Ach, he's ice-cold."

Abram's heart caught in his throat and he realized he was petrified with fear. As gently as he could, he removed the boy's shoes and socks to check for frostbite, noticing immediately the telltale signs of hard and shiny grayish skin.

"We best not be warmin' him too quickly," advised Miriam, hovering near Abe and wearing a worried frown.

Abram made an attempt to keep his emotions in check, but the strange chalky pallor of his boy's face caused him grave concern. He shook Abe and called to him, "Can ya hear me, son? Wake up!" but to no avail.

"I best be ridin' for the hex doctor," Smitty said, resting his big hand on Abram's shoulder.

The smithy turned and was heading toward the back door to begin the process of hitching up when Miriam let out a moan. She shook her head and was weeping, which brought the smithy back into the kitchen. "Why must ya first think of powwowin'?" she asked. "Why not call for a real doctor Dr. Schwartz, not but a mile down the way? He's ever so much closer, ain't so?"

"Ach, Miriam, can't ya see Abe's in trouble here? There's no sense callin' for Dr. Schwartz when what the boy needs is the Amish doctor," Smitty replied, his brow creased with a deep frown.

Abram struggled greatly, going back and forth in his mind, knowing full well the time might be short. M51 boy could bedying, he thought. M;y only son ... I can't let what happened to dear Ida befall my Abe. : . : < .

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I Always before he'd decided for the powwow doctor it Lhm iIk- best way, the method that made the most sense to him.

I Ihii what would Ida want me to do? She sacrificed her lifemvinji birth to our boy. He labored over this, feeling the burden u Ncconds ticked away. He must hurry and do something . . . Ihlnk on it later.

I Yet he knew the answer knew it in his innards for not Wily bad his devout wife made her wishes known in her wholehearted disapproval of the powwow doctors, she'd also Mil lu-r legacy of beliefs in the form of her own Bible, marked lip almost to the point of irreverence. Abram knew this as well as anybody, because, for the past several months, he had If en reading every New Testament Scripture Ida had underIll ml on healing and other issues.

I Smitty stepped out to the utility room within Abram's ll^'hl and pulled an additional woolen scarf off the wooden If I,'. "Well, who's it gonna be? Dr. Schwartz or the hex doctor? By I he looks of Abe all conked out like that..." Smitty's lokv faded.

I Abram could #jst imagine Lizzie having her say if word got In her ears about this, and even though he had always put his Iriisl in the sympathy healers, all of a sudden he experienced I Miong desire to please Lizzie, as well as his beloved Ida. I With a conviction that surprised him, he made his choice. IRide to Dr. Schwartz, and make it quick!" I Miriam sighed, obviously relieved. Then, as if in prayer, My closed her eyes while Smitty rushed out the back door. I Watching Miriam kneeling there beside Abe, he wished lizzie were here with him, too, for though she had a regular ildency to share her opinions a bit too freely, she might

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know what to do for Abe's frostbite at least that. And she was as encouraging as the day was long, which would be of help to Abram at this terrible moment.

Now that Smitty was gone, he hoped against hope he had done the right thing. This being New Year's Day, what chance was there of the doctor being home? A niggling fear crept in at the back of his mind.

He continued to sit cross-legged on the floor next to Abe as worrisome thoughts nagged him. When he thought he might lose the ability to keep his chin from quivering, Leah startled him by flying in the back door.

"Dat . . . what on earth!" Immediately she slid to her knees beside Miriam, close to her little brother lying on the floor ... in truth, her son. "Oh, Abe . . . Abe." Then to Abram she asked, "Whatever happened? Where did ya find him?"

"He must've gone walking out on the pond and tripped . . . fell forward, hitting his head. When I found him, he was knocked clean out. . . near frozen, too." Abram could hardly manage that much.

"Splash some water on him, maybe," Leah suggested, and they tried that, but Abe lay still as death, his breath mighty shallow.

Will he ever open his eyes again? Abram held his own breath, steeling himself against the worst.

Leah was now holding Abe's small hand in her own, cradling it as she took his pulse, glancing up at the round day clock, high on the kitchen wall. "Seems a mite too slow," she whispered, eyes locking on Abram. "Where's Smitty?"

"Gone for Dr. Schwartz," Miriam answered quickly as she reached an arm around Leah and pulled her near.

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Mil's iIiniiIi weighed heavily on Abram's mind after

levin Inii),: years, images of that night were still vivid: the

hliihril, siul lone of the midwife; Leah's ashen face and the

V^iiy kIip IiiuI lield Ida's wrist so gently, taking her pulse just as

Ijllir WHH iliis minute lovingly caring for Abe. "Dr. Schwartz'll

nt Iwi'c in no time," he heard himself say for Leah's benefit.

i'Wo enn't lose hope."

"Oh, my sweet, precious Abe," cried Leah, putting her (tii ncxl to his now. "I love ya so . . ." Her soft crying shook Ivi Nlituilders.

Plrtclng his hand on Abe's ankle, too aware of the stiffness, j'1-1 tin wrestled to bring to memory one or two Scripture i i i-N (hat dealt with troublesome times so many there |i> M- hut why couldn't he recall a single one? And why was m I (In ;il ways seemed to have had a fitting verse on the tip of to tongue for nearly every occasion?

^H|dn had ignored the brethren in all of that, he thought. She

^^w/u disobeyed by studying the Bible, even memorized certain

^Hp, because she couldn't keep herself from it, as she'd always

Hp, Her yearning had caused her grief for Abram, too but

Mpftt'hovtteor other she'd managed to keep from having the

Biinn put on her by the bishop, maybe because Ida agreed to

1<> i-|i her opinions on Scripture to herself. Although, in the

iiil, his wife had felt comfortable enough to keep sharing her

i- ws on the Bible with him, for she had known him all too

V' II. Never, ever would he have turned her in to the bishop

ii .my of the brethren. His love for Ida had been stronger

Lin his devotion to Bontrager or to the church.

IAi last the words of the psalmist David crept into his iiiiuI: f le shall call upon me, and 1 will answer him: I will be with i/im in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

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Reaching now for Abe's other hand, Abram clutched it between his own rough and callused hand and closed his eyes right along with Miriam and Leah.

O Lord God and heavenly Father, hear my desperate prayer. ... ,

Leah was astonished to see her father's head bowed as they waited for Smitty to return. Silently, she joined him with a prayer of her own. Lord, please allow Abe, our dear boy, to live ... let him open his eyes and suffer no lingering ill effects from this nasty fall, she prayed. I trust your grace and mercy, Lord, your many kindnesses to us.

The prayer was the best she knew to offer, and she wished either Aunt Lizzie who'd remained at home with Dawdi John or Mary Ruth were on hand to offer a spoken prayer of faith. She certainly didn't feel comfortable beseeching the Lord almighty out loud herself, and her heart fell as she again looked at Abe's stony white face.

Sighing deeply, she felt as if her own heart might stop beating if Abe did not soon blink his shining eyes open or twitch one of his childish fingers. Anything at all.

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Abe

/"Ybe Ebersol, seven years old," the young nurse repeated, writing Abe's vital information on her clipboard. "Date of birth?" .. . ,

Leah replied quickly, "December 27, 1949." \

"Does he have any allergies?"

"None that I know of." Leah glanced over at Dat, who was sitting, slumped in a heap, on one of only two chairs in I he semiprivate hospital room. Her father was unable to be of much b^elp after his ride in Dr. Schwartz's front seat, where he'd stiffly braced himself for dear life while Leah and Aunt Lizzie sat in the backseat with unresponsive Abe stretched out between them. Drawn by her growing concern, Lizzie had shown up at the Peacheys' just before Dr. Schwartz's arrival, and by the look on Dat's face, he was ever so grateful to have her here.

Dat was distraught beyond anything Leah could recall in recent years, and she felt terribly sorry for him. Goodness, he hadn't ridden in the front seat of an automobile much at all, and never at such a high speed.

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As soon as the nurse left the room, having tended to a doctor-ordered oxygen tent for Abe, Aunt Lizzie said, "He'll be comin' to ... here 'fore long." But her voice trembled, and Leah noticed Dat glance up at Lizzie, his eyes softening.

"Jah, I daresay he will." Leah retuned her gaze to poor Abe, lying as quiet and motionless as can be. Oh, how small a boy he was, even though he'd grown out of nearly all his school pants lately. She'd teased him just last week that he was shooting Up like a Weed, "and much too fast at that." At this moment, as unchecked tears rolled down her cheeks, she promised herself she would never, ever again grumble about such things, even in jest.

"Let's talk in Dutch," Dat said suddenly, getting up and leaning on the bed rail closer to Abe.

"A wonderful-gut idea." Lizzie rose to join him.

Softly they reminded Abe of their love for him. Aunt Lizzie even spoke of the day the men had all gone ice fishing and what fun he'd had' and of the fish fry they'd enjoyed that evening. All the while the nurse came in and out of the room to check the boy's vital signs.

Not long after Dat and Aunt Lizzie had slipped out to the waiting room for some water, Leah turned to see Gid and Hannah coming in the door, babe in arms. "Oh, Hannah . . . Gid!" She ran to her sister and buried her face in Hannah's neck.

"We carrve as soon as we could get Ida Mae and Katie Ann settled in with my folks," Gid explained, saying Sadie had remained with both Lydiann and Dawdi John.

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When Leah had composed herself, she took Mimi from Hmuuih and saw Gid reach for Hannah's hand. Together, they JVeni and stood at Abe's bedside; he had been wrapped in sevfrnl warm blankets in an attempt to slowly raise his body temperature, which was low due to prolonged exposure to the elements, The hospital staff had also surrounded his head with "" *ygen tent and was watching him closely for signs of a h;iin concussion.

"Does anybody know what happened?" Hannah whis|"-red. "Did he slip and fall?"

t-rid reached around her and drew her near as Hannah k'Kan to sob in his arms. "Dear. . . dear," he said.

Ach, this is just what I saw in my dream," she cried, and (iid, trying his best to soothe her, suggested they join Dat and lizzie in the waiting area.

This left Leah alone with Abe and the tiny infant asleep In her arms. Her heart went out to Hannah, who seemed tertiUy fragile today, both physically and emotionally, likely I'"""> having given birth so recently. The shock of Abe's accil'l'nl had no domht set her back even more.

flipping quietly to Abe's side, Leah began to sing the song Mamma had taught her so long ago: '"Jesus loves me, this I know ... for the Bible tells me so.'"

1 he baby in her arms stirred slightly, and she leaned her iiicc near to sing to sweet and tiny Mimi, too. " 'Little ones to I Inn belong . . .'" With each precious word, she realized that those dear ones did, in fact, belong to God, and she was suddenly too overcome to continue singing.

Instead, she found Abe's hand and touched it lightly, hopI Intf she might feel a hint of a stir. Anything to give her hope.

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After a while Hannah and Gid returned to the hospital room to get Mimi. They visited with Leah a bit longer, although Leah could see in Hannah's eyes that she wasn't ready to come to town just yet, especially under such distressing circumstances.

Soon Gid looked tenderly at Hannah before nodding his good-bye. "God be with you, Leah," he said, and they turned and waved, leaving the room again nearly as fast as they'd returned.

There was little time between clusters of visits, and Dan and Dottie Nolt arrived soon after with Mary Ruth. Dottie told Leah that Carl had wanted desperately to come, but they'd asked Lorraine Schwartz to look after him because he was under twelve and wouldn't be allowed upstairs to the room anyway. "It was Lorraine who came running over to our house to announce the sad news, asking us to pray for Abe."

Leah clung to Mary Ruth's hand as she listened, ever so glad to see her. "I was hopin' you'd hear somehow and come."

"All during the ride here ... we were praying," Mary Ruth said of the three of them.

"Denki, oh, thank you," Leah told Dottie, accepting a concerned embrace.

Meanwhile, Dan excused himself to go in search of Dat and Aunt Lizzie, after Leah explained how distressed her father had been earlier. "He's having the hardest time seein' Abe like this. We all are, truly." She stopped, not wanting to go on so for fear Abe in his stupor might hear them talking.

Mary Ruth nodded. "Dan will do Dat some good," she

114 115MHid, offering a brave smile even in the midst of her tears.