Read An Amish Christmas Quilt Online

Authors: Jennifer Kelly; Beckstrand Charlotte; Long Hubbard

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Amish

An Amish Christmas Quilt (6 page)

BOOK: An Amish Christmas Quilt
6.8Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Denki
for looking after Emmanuel and for the way you handled Dat,” she murmured.
“Maybe some of your family issues will get settled today,” Seth suggested gently. “It's hard on ya, feelin' pulled in different directions and not knowin' which path to take.”
The past few moments had revealed a lot about the Millers and the way they handled life-altering conflicts. Seth felt blessed that his family had made the best of his father's construction accident: while his
dat
was still frustrated about being in a wheelchair, he'd taken a hospital job and Mamm had found an outlet for her cooking talents—and a way to bring in additional income—by partnering with Miriam in the café. The Brennemans had known their struggles, but they'd supported each other with patience and love. As Seth took his place on the pew bench with his brothers, he hoped that if Moses Miller was preaching one of this morning's sermons, he wouldn't air his grievances about his daughter. Preachers did that sometimes.
After the first hymn, the four leaders took their seats in front of the crowd and Bishop Tom greeted them with a smile. “We welcome Leah and Miriam's brother, Preacher Mose Miller from Bowling Green—and we appreciate him servin' as our deacon today while Reuben Riehl's out with the flu.”
Denki, Lord
, Seth thought as he settled in for the service. Perhaps the next three hours would ease Mose Miller's testiness and give Mary a chance to prepare answers for the questions he was certain to ask later. Seth saw that young Sol was seated between his two visiting uncles, while across the room Mary and Lucy sat with Miriam and her sisters, who took turns holding Emmanuel. Their smiles suggested that some of the tensions had already been eased. In his way, little Emmanuel was like the Savior, a prince of peace in a troubled family.
While Seth reminded himself that it wasn't a good idea to fall for Mary—or to get crosswise with her father—he believed some good would come from today's difficult visit. Maybe he could make a positive difference.
Or you could hold Emmanuel again. Wouldn't
that
be something?
C
HAPTER
5
As the men began setting up the front room for the common meal, Mary felt she'd mended some fences with the women in her family. They'd passed Emmanuel from aunt to aunt and to his grandmother during church, and he'd won them over with his smiles and gurgles. She'd prayed for ways to ease the tension between her and Dat, as well, although Mary doubted he'd ever change his authoritarian ways. She stayed out of his way by remaining in the kitchen, helping Naomi and Miriam unwrap food the other women had brought to share.
As everyone was seated, Teacher Alberta stood up to address them. “What with only three young Zooks and Sol Kauffman being our current scholars, the traditional Christmas Eve skits and recitations at the schoolhouse aren't going to work,” she said as she fidgeted with the strings of her
kapp
. “I'd welcome your ideas, as it's time to plan our program for that evening.”
A buzz filled the room as folks realized the importance of what Teacher Alberta had said. Taylor Leitner waved her hand excitedly, as though waiting to be called upon in class.
“I know!” she cried. “We could have a Willow Ridge Christmas pageant, with Brett and me joining in, along with the preschool kids—like the four Knepps and Lucy Kauffman. We could dress up like angels and the three kings and—”
“That's too
Englisch
,” Mary's father declared. “As I understand it, your father's not yet been accepted into the Amish church.”
Mary sighed, noticing how Rhoda—who hoped to become Taylor's new
mamm
—looked disappointed about her
dat's
strict, Old Order ideas. While it was quite common for Amish scholars to reenact the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus, her father had rejected the idea. Teacher Alberta resumed her seat, as though realizing she would receive no further help.
“What about a living Nativity?” Brett Leitner asked eagerly. “We could have one of Bishop Tom's cows, and a sheep or two from Dan Kanagy's flock—”
“And our Clarabelle's sorta like a donkey!” Sol blurted.
“And your
mamm's
name is Mary, and she's got a baby called Emmanuel!” ten-year-old Levi Zook chimed in. “How perfect is
that
?”
“And Seth's a carpenter! He could be Joseph!” Taylor said, clapping her hands together.
Mary's cheeks prickled. It was fine when the kids had called out their ideas about using animals, but sitting outside on a December night with Emmanuel was another thing altogether. And even though such an event would last only a few hours, the thought of Seth standing with her as though he were the baby's father . . .
Would it be all that bad? If the animals got out of hand he'd know what to do. And just as Joseph was patient and wise and kind, so is Seth.
When Mary looked up, Seth was staring at her from a nearby table. His wide-eyed expression suggested he was terrified by the living Nativity idea. Why? she wondered. She had a hard time imagining that the man who'd rescued her in the buggy and then assisted with Emmanuel's delivery—and who'd stood up to her
dat
this morning—could be afraid of anything.
But her father once again quashed the whole notion of putting on an untraditional public show, so the subject was dropped. Folks caught up with their visiting, as they always did during the common meal. The women and girls talked of baking their favorite cookies—
“And will ya come home for Christmas, Mary?” her mother asked softly.
Home for Christmas.
The phrase caught Mary by surprise, for she'd never before had to think about it. Had her
dat
asked the same thing, her defenses would've gone up, yet when it was Mama pleading so gently, so desperately, the words melted her heart like butter.
“I don't know,” Mary rasped. “The kids and I have been doing so well in Willow Ridge. We're moving beyond Elmer's death in ways we couldn't if we still lived on the farm.”
The loneliness in her mother's eyes made Mary feel lower than dirt. After she and the kids had come here for Emmanuel's birth, the Miller home had no doubt become a place where Mama walked on eggshells—
And would that change if you moved back? Dat would still tell you what to do—not accepting any of your ideas because they're not
his
ideas.
“And speaking of the farm,” her father said as he squeezed between the crowded tables, “how will you keep the pipes from freezing this winter? What if the propane tank runs out? And what of the horses and chickens you left behind?” His voice rang through the crowded room as he stood beside Mary. “Your irresponsible handling of Elmer's property makes it quite clear that having a baby hasn't improved your ability to make
gut
decisions.”
The room got quiet. Once again, Mary's face flared—and from across the room, Seth's frown told her he was growing more incensed by the moment.
And suddenly,
she
grew angry, too. “I can see
you've
not been by the farm to check on things,” Mary retorted, “or you'd know that the animals are with Elmer's brother, Emery, and that he's winterized the toilets and pipes, like I asked him to. He's also refilled the propane tank.”
Those were the wrong things to say and the wrong way to say them—in front of everyone in Willow Ridge, no less. Mary waited for her
dat
to slap her. Mama slipped protective arms around her and Emmanuel, as though she, too, expected her husband to react badly. But Mary had only stated the facts and corrected her father's assumptions. Was that so wrong?
“Mose,” Miriam said from across the table, “you're takin' this too far. You'd catch more flies with honey instead of pourin' so much vinegar on this situation—on
every
situation—”
“I didn't ask you, Miriam.”
Mary's eyes widened—and she saw her future as though someone had written it with a black crayon on the Brennemans' white wall. Lucy's chin was quivering. From his seat beside Uncle Wilmer, Sol was gaping at his grandfather as though he didn't know the man—and didn't want to. None one had
ever
spoken to Aunt Miriam in such a tone.
Mary blinked back tears. “Truth be told, Emery's interested in Elmer's land,” she said in the strongest voice she could muster. “He'll give me a fair price, and I'm going to build a little place here in Willow Ridge with the money. My mind's made up. It seems like the best thing to do for the kids and for me, as well.”
Beside her, Mama let out a little sob, but she was patting Mary's hand, understanding her predicament.
Her father, however, shook his head as though Mary had once again made a stupid, ill-considered decision. “
Fine.
I hope the Lord looks after you, Mary,” he declared, “because I'm washing my hands of this whole situation. Never mind that you've broken your mother's heart.”
Mary pressed her forehead to Mama's, clutching her shoulders. “I'm so sorry, Mama,” she rasped as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“I am, too,” her
mamm
whispered. “But I—I don't blame ya one bit. I'll write and call when I can.”
“I will, too, Mama. I promise.”
When her father signaled to her uncles, they rose from the table. Mary clung to Emmanuel, her head bowed. Aunt Deborah and Aunt Mattie squeezed her shoulder as they made their way to the kitchen for their wraps. Her mother followed them, of course, and within minutes the three couples were headed back to Bowling Green.
Had there ever been a moment so low—so humiliating? Surely everyone here wondered what sort of trouble Mary would bring into their midst, now that she intended to live in Willow Ridge. She'd remained sequestered at Aunt Miriam's, so she didn't really know a lot of them, beyond making their acquaintance at Miriam and Ben's wedding. Now they had a horrible impression of her. No doubt this angry discussion with her
dat
—the way she'd sassed him, in front of her children—would be the topic of gossip for weeks to come. They probably thought she was an unfit mother....
Bishop Tom stood up. “I think this unfortunate incident deserves a moment of prayer,” he said quietly. “We should lift Mary up as she decides on her family's future, and we should ask the Lord to be present with Mose and Lovinia Miller—to work out His purpose, and to be with all of us as we await the Savior. We need Him as badly today as the folks centuries ago did, when Jesus was born.”
Mary bowed her head, nuzzling Emmanuel's sweet-smelling neck. While it was dangerous to draw too many parallels between her son and the Christ Child, this baby had given her the strength to see her life in a new light . . . the fortitude to speak up for her beliefs. Because she had Emmanuel to raise, she had dared to move beyond others' assumptions. He was saving her from herself and her old fears.
If I'm out of line, Lord, show me a better way. Walk with Mama, and with Dat. If it's Your will, help us find peace and forgiveness for each other. Thank You for the way Aunt Miriam and—and Seth—are standing with me as I consider a new home. A new life.
When the people around her resumed their meal and conversations, Mary felt refreshed. Bishop Tom was such a dear man—so different from her
dat
. It seemed everyone ate quickly, probably because the confrontation between her and Dat had made them uneasy. As Mary looked for someone to hold Emmanuel so she could help clear the tables, Miriam slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“The apple didn't fall far from the tree, honey-bug,” her aunt murmured. “Mose picked up on the same personality our
dat
—your grandfather—was known for. After my Jesse had been around them while we were engaged, it was an easy decision for us to move away.”
“But you newlyweds weren't running
from
something, so much as Uncle Jesse was looking for affordable land where his smithy would do well,” Mary pointed out ruefully. “It's no secret why I'm selling Elmer's land. So now everyone thinks I can't get along with my family, and in the eyes of the church, that's just
wrong
.”
Miriam considered this. “You made your choice based on your heart, not your head,” she murmured. “Your
dat
considers that impractical, but sometimes it's the only way we women can have a life. It's not like you've left your husband, after all. Every woman here understands that you'll be a better parent if you've not constantly got your back up.”
As Mary glanced around the room, where Rhoda, Naomi, and the other women were picking up dirty dishes, their smiles confirmed what Aunt Miriam had just said. Her shoulders relaxed. It occurred to her that over the years, the women in the Bowling Green district had shown the same support for her
mamm
—not speaking out directly against their preacher, but finding lots of ways to encourage Mama when she seemed down. And wasn't that the same sense of community and sisterhood Mary felt here, in this very room?
The men were taking down the tables, and when Ben saw Mary and Miriam conferring, he joined them. “We're standin' with you and your kids, Mary,” he said gently. “Long as ya need it, you've got a home in our
dawdi haus
. And when your farm sells, we just happen to know some brothers who'll build ya a sturdy little home.”
Tears filled her eyes. Mary's heart overflowed with the love her aunt and uncle were showing her. Across the crowded room, she saw Seth shaking his head, holding up his palms in protest as Teacher Alberta pleaded with him. From the snatch of conversation that carried across the crowd, Mary concluded that he wanted nothing to do with a Christmas pageant or a live Nativity scene, no matter how excited the kids were about the idea.
And that suited her just fine. Sitting out in the cold with a new baby sounded uncomfortable and risky, especially if it was windy or snowing on Christmas Eve. Now that her parents had left in a huff—and now that she'd made her poor mother cry—Mary already felt as though she'd set herself out in the cold.
But you honored an important decision, instead of backing down. You have the support of these compassionate people, and they won't let you fail. What's a little cold weather on Christmas Eve, compared to the difficulties you've already weathered? Keep an open mind and an open heart. It's the season for miracles . . . .
BOOK: An Amish Christmas Quilt
6.8Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

aHunter4Ever by Cynthia Clement
Madison's Music by Burt Neuborne
Blood and Memory by Fiona McIntosh
The Lottery by Alexandra O'Hurley
Chicken Pox Panic, the by Beverly Lewis
Undertow by Conway, K
Atlantis Stolen (Sam Reilly Book 3) by Christopher Cartwright
Smoke in the Wind by Peter Tremayne