Allison's Journey (23 page)

Katie smiled. “That sounds like an appropriate name.”

They worked in silence for a time; then Allison said, “I haven’t seen your cousin James lately. He wasn’t at church last week, and he didn’t come to help tear down Uncle Ben’s barn
on Saturday.” James had been on Allison’s mind ever since she’d made things right with God. He seemed angry and brash, thinking only of himself. Since God could change anyone’s heart, and she knew it wasn’t His will that any should perish, she hoped James might find the same peace in his heart as she’d found by accepting Jesus as her Savior.

“James doesn’t care much for church these days, and he doesn’t worry about helping anyone.” Katie wrinkled her nose. “He probably drove that fancy car of his to Springfield for the day so he could have some fun.”

“Maybe James is away on a trip or something. That might be why he hasn’t been around.”

“Could be. You never know what that fellow might be up to. It makes me sick to say this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t decide to jump the fence.”

“You mean, ‘go English’?”

Katie nodded.

Allison looked up when she heard horse’s hooves clomping against the pavement. She hoped it was Aaron and Joseph. Sure enough, Aaron’s buggy slowed. They were just turning up the driveway.

“They’re here!” Katie scrambled to her feet and rushed over to the hitching rail near her father’s barn. Allison followed, her heart hammering with excitement. She hoped what she felt for Aaron wasn’t just a silly crush. She hoped she hadn’t misinterpreted his feelings for her.

“Sorry we’re late,” Aaron apologized as he and Joseph jumped down from the buggy. “Paul and I had a harness that needed to be fixed while the customer waited, and that made us late for supper.”

“It’s okay. You’re here now.” Katie gave Joseph a deepdimpled smile.

“Would you rather I hitch my horse to the rail or put him in the corral?” Aaron asked her.

“Whatever you want is fine. My daed’s still out in the fields with my brother Elam, so none of the workhorses are in the corral yet.”

“We’ll meet you in the garden when we get the horse unhitched,” Joseph said.

Aaron waved his brother aside. “You go on ahead. I don’t need any help.”

“Let’s go then.” Joseph reached for Katie’s hand, and Allison followed as the happy couple hurried toward the berry patch.

Soon Katie and Joseph were on their knees together, and Allison returned to the spot where she’d been working. Rhythmically, she picked one berry after another, but her thoughts were on Aaron. She glanced up every once in a while, wondering what was taking him so long.

Several minutes later, Aaron finally showed up. His straw hat was tipped way back on his head, and his face was red and sweaty.

“What happened?” she asked as he knelt beside her. “You look like you’ve been running.”

“Something spooked my horse, and he pulled away from me. I had to chase him down before I could get him into the corral.”

Since the barn was out of sight of the garden, Allison hadn’t heard or seen the incident, but she imagined it must have looked pretty funny. She held back the laughter bubbling in her throat and pointed to her half-full bucket of berries. “You can help fill
mine if you want. When it’s full, we can get another container for you to take home.”

“Sounds good.” Aaron wiped his forehead with his shirtsleeve and started picking.

During the next hour, they cleaned out most of the ripe berries. When they were done, they sat in wicker chairs on the back porch, drinking cold milk and eating the brownies Katie’s mother had made.

As the sun began to set, Allison stood and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. “Guess I’d better be going. Uncle Ben and Aunt Mary will worry if I’m out after dark.”

Aaron jumped up. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t I drive you home in your buggy, and Joseph can take our rig?”

“How will you get home once you’ve dropped me off?” she questioned.

Aaron rubbed the bridge of his nose as he contemplated the problem.

“I know how we can make it work,” Joseph spoke up. “I’ll stay and visit with Katie awhile, and that’ll give you a chance to take Allison home. When I’m ready to head out, I’ll swing by the Kings’ place and pick you up.”

“That’s fine by me.” Aaron glanced at Allison. “Are you okay with it?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

The breeze hitting Allison’s face as they traveled in the buggy helped her cool off, but when Aaron guided the horse to a wide spot alongside the road and slipped his arm across her
shoulders, her face heated up.

He grinned at her. “I hope you don’t mind that I stopped, but it’s hard to talk with the wind in our faces and the horse snorting the way he does. It’s not very romantic, either.”

Allison smiled. “I don’t mind stopping.”

“I really enjoy being with you,” Aaron said, leaning closer. He smelled good, like ripe strawberries and fresh wind.

She opened her mouth to reply, but his lips touched hers before she could get a word out. The kiss was gentle yet firm, and Allison slipped her hands around Aaron’s neck as she leaned into him, enjoying the pleasant moment they shared.

The
clomp-clomp
of horse’s hooves, followed by a horn honking, broke the spell, and she reluctantly pulled away. “I think a buggy and a car must be coming.”

Aaron nodded and reached for her hand. “Just sit tight and let ’em pass.”

As the two vehicles drew closer, Allison’s mouth dropped open. The horse was trotting fast in one lane, and the car, going the same way, sped along in the other lane.

“That car is attempting to pass, but the
mupsich
fellow in the buggy is trying to race him,” Aaron said with a shake of his head.

Allison sat, too stunned to say a word. She could hardly believe the buggy driver would try to keep up with a car. It really did make him look stupid.

“I should have known. That’s James Esh in his fancy rig,” Aaron mumbled. “He hasn’t got a lick of sense.”

The buggy raced past them so quickly, Allison felt a chilly breeze. Suddenly, the horse whinnied, reared up, and swerved into the side of the car.

A
llison gasped as she watched James’s buggy careen into the car, bounce away, swerve back and forth, and finally flip over on its side. The panicked horse broke free and tore off down the road, and James flew out of the buggy, landing in the ditch.

The car screeched to a stop, the Englisher jumped out, and Allison and Aaron hopped down from the buggy. “I didn’t hit that fellow on purpose,” the middle-aged man said in a trembling voice. “He was trying to keep me from passing and kept swerving all over the road.” He raked shaky fingers through his thinning brown hair and winced as his gaze came to rest on James, who lay motionless in a twisted position.

From where Allison stood, she couldn’t see the extent of James’s injuries. As the man and Aaron rushed over to him, she could only stand, too dazed to move. She saw the English man bend down and touch the side of James’s neck; then he reached
into his shirt pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Aaron’s lips moved, but she wasn’t able to make out his words.

Taking short, quick breaths, Allison leaned against her buggy. Her heart pounded wildly as a vision from the past threatened to suffocate her. . . .

      
“Mama!” Allison gasped as she watched a car slam into her mother’s buggy, thrusting it to the middle of the road before it toppled on its side with a sickening clatter
.

      
“Mama! Mama!” Allison rushed into the road, but someone—maybe the English man who’d driven the car—pushed her aside. She swallowed against the bitter taste of fear in her mouth. “Oh, Mama, please don’t die. You’ve got to be all right!”

Allison struggled to bring her thoughts back to the present and had to lean over and place both hands on her knees in order to slow the rate of her heartbeat. “I remember,” she murmured. “I remember seeing Mama’s accident on that hot summer day when she pulled out of our driveway.”

She glanced over at James and saw that the lower part of his body had been covered with a quilt. Aaron must have taken it from the back of the buggy without her realizing it.

When Aaron and the English man joined Allison, she noticed that Aaron stood in such a way that her view of James was blocked. She wondered if Aaron was trying to shield her from seeing the extent of James’s injuries.

“Is. . .is he dead?” Allison’s voice was little more than a gravelly croak, and the moisture on her cheeks dribbled all the way to her chin.

“There’s a faint pulse, but it doesn’t look good,” the English man answered before Aaron could reply. “I’ve called 911 on my cell phone, and an ambulance is on its way.”

“I. . .I need to see James. There’s something I must tell him.” Allison stepped around Aaron, but he grabbed her arm.

“He doesn’t seem to be conscious, and there’s really nothing we can do but wait for help to arrive.”

“Shouldn’t we get him up off the ground?”

“That’s not a good idea,” the English man said with a shake of his head. “He’s likely got internal injuries, and from the looks of his left leg, I’d say he has at least one broken bone.”

Allison swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I have to talk to James.”

Aaron shook his head. “You don’t want to go over there, believe me. He’s been seriously injured, and—”

“And it’s not a pretty sight,” the Englisher interrupted. “You’d better listen and wait in the buggy.”

“No, I won’t! I can’t!” Allison pulled away from Aaron’s grasp.

“Then let me go with you,” he offered.

“I’d rather do this alone.” Without waiting for Aaron’s reply, she rushed over to James and knelt beside his mangled body. Her heart lurched at the sight of his head, twisted awkwardly to one side and covered in blood. His left leg was bent at an odd, distorted angle, and his arms were scraped and bleeding.

“James. Can you hear me?”

There was no response—no indication that he was even alive.

Heavenly Father
, Allison prayed,
help me get through to him. Please don’t let it be too late for James
. With her eyes closed, Allison quoted Jeremiah 29:13, the same verse that Aunt Mary had shared with her. “ ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.’ ”

Allison heard a muffled moan, and her eyes popped open. James’s eyes were barely slits, but at least they were open. She hoped he could see her.

“James, have you ever asked God to forgive your sins? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior?” she whispered, leaning close to his ear.

His only response was another weak moan.

She laid a gentle hand on James’s chest. It was the only place on his body where there was no blood showing. “If you can hear me, James, blink your eyes once.”

His eyelids closed then opened slowly again.

“I’m going to pray with you now. If you believe the words I say, then repeat them in your mind.”

James closed his eyes, but the slight rise and fall of his chest let Allison know he was still breathing.

“Dear Lord,” she prayed, “I know I’m a sinner, and I ask Your forgiveness for the wrongs I have done. I believe Jesus died for my sins, and that His blood saves me now.”

When Allison finished the prayer, James opened his eyes and blinked once. Had she gotten through to him? Had he sought forgiveness for his sins and yielded his life to the Lord?

Sirens blared in the distance, but Allison felt a strange sense of peace. She had done all she could for the man who lay before her. James’s life was in God’s hands.

As Herman sat on a bale of straw inside his barn, confusing thoughts swirled in his brain like a raging tornado. Catherine
had cancer but refused any kind of treatment. Short of a miracle, she was going to die. She didn’t want Allison to come home.

He let his head fall forward into his open palms.
Why, God? Why? I know Catherine hasn’t been the best sister or even such a good aunt to my kinner. But she’s always seen that we had meals on the table and kept the house clean, organized, and running smoothly so I could be about my dairy business. Even though my sister and I don’t always see eye to eye on things, I don’t want her to die
.