Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (20 page)

I i ',ic leaning down to remove a large sheet of chocolate-chip nil>kies from the oven. On the way over, she'd noticed the In ml room was empty. Dawdi John must be upstairs resting, she divided.

"(. ">h, hullo," Aunt Lizzie said, noticing her right then. I .c;ih joined*sher as Lizzie sat at the table to scoop warm i' ikies from the cookie sheet with a spatula, carefully placing

I1 ii'in to cool on brown paper. "They smell wonderful-gut," i In- said.

"Your father's favorite, ain't so?" Aunt Lizzie smiled |iin;idly as she mentioned Dat.

L Leah breathed in the tempting aroma. "I'll wait till they out a bit before having a taste. But I'm having only one." P "Ach, goodness, you could stand to eat a whole handful." i I i '..ie eyed her curiously. "You ain't tryin' to lose weight, now,

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In all reality, Leah hadn't gained a single pound in more than ten years; she had been cutting her dress and apron patterns the exact same size since she was coming into her time of rumschpringe. "I just best not be eatin' more than one" was all she said.

"Some sugar will do ya gut," Aunt Lizzie pressed.

"Makes me droopy after a time, though." Leah supposed it did that way with many people. She'd noticed the same in Lydiann when she ate lots of cookies in one sitting or had too much cake or pie. Lydiann had a surge of energy too much, really and then she'd become whiny and worn out. The same wasn't true of Abe, though. Like Dawdi John, he could eat and eat desserts and never be bothered.

"We'll have plenty of goodies and pies and things for the wedding," Aunt Lizzie spoke up. "I've asked Miriam and your aunt Mary Ebersol to help with the baking."

Leah's ears perked up. "I didn't realize there would be more than just the immediate family invited."

Lizzie broke out in a wide smile. "Abram and I got to talkin' and we changed our minds 'bout that. Peacheys Smitty and Miriam will come, as well as most of your father's siblings. I've mailed handwritten invitations to my brother Noah and his wife, Becky, as well as all my siblings over in Hickory Hollow. We'll see who shows up." Suddenly her smile grew a bit cunning. "I even stuck my neck out and invited Peter and Fannie Mast."

"What on earth?" Leah couldn't believe her ears. "They'll never show their faces, ya know."

"No, prob'ly not. But we can keep extendin' the hand of friendship."

Leah wondered if her father had been in favor of this, but

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he was more interested in something else. "Since most

people don't know about you and me bein' mother and

miinghter, I've been wonderin' what we Sadie, Hannah, and

jKl:iiy Ruth oughta call ya, once you and Dat are wed."

I "Well, now, I'll always be Aunt Lizzie to you girls, I'm

Sllimkin'. Lydiann and Abe, too, of course." Lizzie's eyes nar-

ll'ttwi'd. "Did ya have something in mind?"

I To this Leah had to smile. "I wondered if Dat might want

Ills lo call you Mamma, out of respect, maybe." She paused. "I

doubt any of us would mind that, but. . ."

I Lizzie patted her face. "Nothing much 'tween you and me

Ii u your sisters and me will change when I marry your father.

I'luTe'll always be a shoulder to cry on and plenty of love to

kii round. No need to alter any of that, right?"

I Leah could feel herself relax a bit; she had wanted to

Ilimior Lizzie as her father's new wife, yet she longed to keep

JNc|i:irate the special place dear Mamma still held in her heart.

I Hannah dropped off Ida Mae and Katie Ann at the llVacheys', eager to slip away from the house and go with Mimi to visit one of the hex doctors. She'd gotten to thinking Ilkii perhaps all* her ceaseless worrying about everyone and Ipvi-rything was more her problem, really something unique ||m her. She seemed to turn near all the little things in the life Inl her family, immediate and otherwise, into an overwhelming mnysiiick of issues. As she had tried to rest last night between iMinii's bouts of colic, she couldn't stop thinking about wantIfh)! lo fall asleep forever, never to wake up. She didn't know wvliy she would think such a thing, when it would appear she ftml the kind of life any Amishwoman would envy a Ihiindsome, kind, and loving husband and three beautiful little kii k's. So what was wrong?

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Well, she was on her way to find out, and with baby Mimi tucked snugly in a makeshift cloth carryall next to her on the buggy seat. Hannah rode as fast as she could to the only woman powwow doctor in the area: Old Lady Henner, as old as Gobbler's Knob itself, some said.

Hannah's mental road map proved to be absolutely accurate, even though she had visited this doctor only one other time in her life. The place was a quiet and unassuming white three-room cottage, set back from the road and lined on either side by lilac bushes and other flowering shrubs, which, as she recalled, were always more abundant in blossoms than any others in the area come springtime.

She made her way up the short walkway and, holding her baby near, she rapped on the screen door, heart pounding as she did so. The elderly woman hobbled to within a few feet of the door and waved her in, not bothering to come and open it, almost as if she'd been expecting her.

"I hope it's all right to visit today," Hannah ventured.

"Come in, come in." The white-haired woman nodded. "What can I do for ya, Hannah?"

"I'm here for help with three ailments," she replied, thinking of the troubles of baby Miriam, herself, and her brother.

The nearly toothless woman gave a swift smile and peered into the small basket where Mimi, miraculously, was fast asleep. "Oh . . . you've brought your littlest one. Well, now, she looks something like your husband, ain't so?"

Hannah readily agreed. "She has Gid's eyes and hair."

"Ah, our youthful preacher. . ." The old woman looked at her, gray eyes cloudy, and Hannah wondered if she might be going blind. "This one's got herself a quick temper, and so

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mini young at that. Ain't that a big reason why you've

(1! ' ' l I II ,

I human removed Mimi from the basket. "I'd hoped Miri mi wasn't a bad seed, so to speak. I'd hoped she simply had Inn)' bout with the colic."

The old woman leaned hard on her gnarled walking stick mil hacked up and lowered herself into a rocking chair. I -low," she sighed, "give the wee babe to me."

1 lannah lowered Mimi into the old woman's frail arms ii id lap. She wasn't exactly sure what Old Lady Henner began i > softly utter while holding sweet, sleeping Mimi, but the si it iri chant sounded mighty strange.

As she finished, the baby's eyes flew open, and Mimi icached her tiny hand up to the old woman's face and cooed

11intently.

"Now, then, Hannah, what can I do for you?"

Reaching down, Hannah picked up Mimi and placed her h;u k in the basket, noticing how limp her daughter felt. Uuickly she turned back to the old woman. "I'm afraid I have i lie mother fits, and there just ain't anything to stop 'em." She Mniggled withihe lump in her throat. "Honestly I think I uii^ht be losin' my mind some days."

The old woman looked up at her. "I'll see to all of that. I Xin't you worry your perty little head." And Old Lady Heniht motioned for Hannah to sit cross-legged at her feet.

Eager for relief from the gloom that tenaciously enveloped her, Hannah went willingly to the floor and sat like a child, closing her eyes.

When the chanting was through, Hannah felt so relaxed she wanted to stay sitting there, without budging an inch.

But Old Lady Henner was eager to move ahead to the

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third ailment, so Hannah began to describe Abe's symptoms as best she could.

Then, for the longest time, the older woman squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on something, her lips moving slowly. . . silently. After a while, though, she opened her eyes and shook her head, wearing a look of consternation. "Ach, I'm havin' me an awful time breakin' through for Abe, no matter how hard I try."

Hannah found this to be ever so peculiar, as she'd never heard of such a thing. Evidently Old Lady Henner's powers were fading with her age, but Hannah said not a word about that.

Abram swallowed his intense nervousness. He had never before thought of doing what he'd just done. The strongest urging had come to him from the Lord God, he felt certain. "What do ya think of me placin' my hands on Abe's head to pray for him?" he'd asked Leah.

"For his healing, ya mean?" Leah's hazel eyes had shone.

He had nodded, reverently whispering the Scripture he'd committed to memory: "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover...."

With Leah accompanying him, they had gone to Abe's room. There, Dat had knelt beside Abe's bed, placing his hands on his sleeping son, and fervently prayed, "O Lord God and heavenly Father, I come before you to ask for my son's healing, in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus. . . ."

It was Abe who broke the news to Leah, just as she was encouraging him to lie down for an afternoon rest, following

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11ii- noon meal. She had been thinking about all the school-

1, .ik lydiann was gladly carrying home each day for her Ij I '"Iher, worried the boy might never catch up, even a little

11 11fill t'liat he might lose a year and have to be held back. I 'lie doubted Dat would ever hear of such a thing, not for his I l

11ilug for which Leah was grateful each day.

I "1 can see better today," Abe told her as they headed up I ilir arnirs.

Leah noticed his speech was less garbled, too. "Of course,

'ii're gettin' better. I knew you would." She followed him to

In. room and stood in the doorway, wanting to share with him I li.il Adah had said in the hospital, that with God all things

u. it- possible. "Our heavenly Father's lookin' after you," she

111 'li| him. "I've been askin' almighty God to heal you. Dat has,

11 "

He looked St her quizzically. "Ya talk to the Lord God I 'I.. mt me? 'Bout my hurt head?"

I She couldn't help herself; he was such a dear boy. She

11ii'.hod to his side and squeezed him good. "Of course I do.

' 're the apple of His eye, just as you are your earthly

I niter's."

I When she released him, he looked up at her, his eyes Hi Ii iirly focused. "God must care for me an awful lot." I "I'd have to say that's ever so true." She pulled back the li|inl: and top coverlet on his bed, and Abe climbed in, having l|u i removed his shoes. "By takin' it easy and not complain-

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ing, I believe you're doin' your part. Now let the Lord do the rest."

He smiled up at her from beneath the blankets. "You're downright smart," he said. "I'm glad you're my mamma."

She leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. "Have a nice sleep now, ya hear?"

Tiptoeing out of the room, she smiled at Abe's sweet remark, ever so glad God had given her the opportunity to care for him and Lydiann. Glad, too, that Sadie was back home and would be on hand for Dat and Lizzie's wedding. She dearly hoped Hannah would be able to attend, as well Leah was deeply concerned about her sister's present mental state.

Heading to the kitchen to begin preparing supper, she wondered if, like Hannah, Lorraine Schwartz might not also be a melancholy sort of person. There had been times when, upon entering a room, she'd discovered Lorraine's eyes red, a handkerchief in her hand. Leah's heart went out to her and Hannah both. It seemed to her there was much to be joyful about in life, but obviously Lorraine didn't see it that way, at least not since her younger son had forsaken his family. As for Hannah, she had every reason in the world to be happy.

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Blushing a bit and wearing her new blue cape dress, Aunt Lizzie stood before Preacher Gid on Saturday morning with Dat near and looking sober yet happy in his clean black Sunday trousers and coat. The front room of the Ebersol Cottage was packed to the windowpanes with wedding guests. Leah watched and listened ever so closely, not wanting to miss a single word as Dat and Lizzie promised "nevermore to depart

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Rum each other," but to faithfully care for and cherish each lit her, fill that time when the dear Lord God should separate linn by death.

I Leiih sat between Sadie and Lydiann, glad to see such a wi'Kt' gathering of folk on hand to witness the wedding ser'

11'. , iiware of the sunny faces of Dat's relatives and a good In 111y of Lizzie's, too most coming by horse and sleigh I" . .11 isc the roads were packed with plenty of new snow. Sadie |v i- all smiles today, too, a sight Leah hadn't seen in some I inn , although she and her sister had enjoyed a long heart-to|i< hi lallc upon her return, when Sadie shared that she was Kuli iH lo see it through this Proving "no matter what. I won't jjiNiippoint my family or God this time." Glancing at her lluw, Leah reached for her dear sister's hand as the People flu i'.m to sing in unison three wedding hymns from the Auslinni/.

I The one and only thing to cast a faint cloud over the day Iv i. i he obvious absence of the Masts, though neither Leah In n Lizzie nor Dat especially had expected Mamma's cousin io grace them with their presence this day of days. I Whe the time came Bishop Bontrager rose and took I'llnicher Gid's spot before Dat and Lizzie. He placed his big Btu ids over theirs and solemnly recited, "I say to you: the God f Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be present with you and aid you liul carry out His blessing abundantly upon you, through Jesus I'I nisi. Amen."

I ' I 'hoy were pronounced husband and wife moments later, In. I Leah found herself thinking right then of the mother ItL'>M raised her. Oh, Mamma, if you're looking down on all of Us >unv, surely you know how happy Dat is this wonderful-good