Cousin's Challenge (2 page)

When breakfast was over and the dishes were done, Jolene slipped on a sweater. “I'm going over to see Ella,” she said to Mom, who sat in front of her quilting frame on the sunporch. “Then I plan to stop and see Loraine and Katie.”

“That's a good idea. I'm sure they'll be real glad to see you again.” Mom had turned her head toward Jolene, and when she spoke, her lips moved slowly, making it easier for Jolene to know what she'd said.

“I'll be back in time to help with supper,” Jolene signed as she spoke. Even though Mom didn't know how to talk with her hands yet, Jolene thought it was good for her to see the hand positions. This evening when the family gathered for their first lesson, she would show them some specific words and letters.

Mom smiled as her fingers moved deftly, creating an intricate pattern on the quilt that was taking shape on her quilting frame. “Could you hand me those
schpelle?”
she asked, pointing to the container of pins on the sewing machine.

Jolene picked up the pins and gave them to Mom. “Guess I'd better get going.”

“Danki,
and have a
gut
day.”

Jolene nodded and scooted out the door. Her nose twitched as the distinctive odor of wood smoke drifted across the pasture from their neighbor's chimney. There had been a day when she probably wouldn't have noticed the smoke, but her sense of smell had gotten keener since she'd lost her hearing.

As Jolene walked toward the barn to get her horse, a blustery breeze hit her full in the face. She looked up and saw the branches in the trees way up high hitting each other. Then she glanced at the dead leaves on the ground and noticed the wet, earthy smell they gave off. They were well into fall, and soon winter would be ushered in by cold snow and harsh winds. Maybe by then, her family would be able to communicate through signing, and she'd feel more at ease. She'd been gone so long that she almost felt as if she didn't belong here anymore. She'd been comfortable living with Aunt Dorcas and Uncle Charlie. Even though she'd missed her family in Indiana, Pennsylvania had begun to feel like her home. Maybe after a few more days, she'd feel like she was part of the family again.

Something soft and fuzzy brushing Jolene's leg brought her thoughts to a halt. She looked down and smiled at the silver-gray kitten staring up at her. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old.

She bent over and picked up the kitten. Its nose felt soft, like a swatch of velvet, and Jolene felt the vibration of the kitten's purrs against her chest. “Where's your
mamm,
little one? Should we see if she's in the barn?”

The kitten opened its tiny mouth in a silent
meow.
Jolene patted its soft, furry head. “We'll find your mother, don't worry.”

When Jolene opened the barn door and stepped inside, she was greeted by the aroma of sweaty horse flesh mixed with sweet-smelling hay. She smiled. Some things never changed.

She spotted Fluffy, the mother cat, sleeping in a pile of straw, and placed the kitten beside her. As Jolene was getting ready to open the gate to her horse's stall, Andrew showed up.

Jolene saw his lips move as he turned his head toward the stall, but she had no idea what he'd said. She tapped his shoulder. “I didn't understand you. Please, look at me when you speak.”

He turned toward her with a sheepish expression. “Sorry. I was just saying that I heard you were going over to see Ella, so I thought I'd get your horse hitched to the buggy for you.”

Even though it had been some time since Jolene had hitched a horse or driven a buggy, she was sure she could do it. But she didn't want to appear ungrateful, so she smiled and said, “Danki, I appreciate that.”

Andrew touched Jolene's arm. “I'm sorry for the way I acted this morning. I'm just not sure I can learn to talk with my hands.”

She thumped his arm. “I learned how to do it. I'm sure you can, too.”

“Guess we'll have to see how it goes.” Andrew took Jolene's horse, Belle, from her stall. As he led Belle out of the barn, Jolene followed.

She marveled at the agility of Andrew's sun-bronzed hands as he worked easily to hitch Belle to the buggy. He'd done it much faster than she ever could.

When Andrew finished the job, he held the horse while Jolene climbed into the buggy. “Guess I'd better get my own horse and buggy ready to go now,” he said, poking his head into the buggy and looking directly at Jolene. “I need to get to the harness shop or I'll be late for work.”

“All right then. Have a good day.” Jolene picked up the reins and got the horse moving. When she reached the end of the lane, she was relieved to see that no cars were coming in either direction. Getting the feel for driving the buggy again would be easier with less traffic on the road.

As Jolene traveled along, she felt the rhythmic vibrations of the horse's hooves pounding against the pavement. This was another sense that had increased since she'd become deaf. Even though she couldn't hear any cars that came up behind her, she could sense their presence by the vibration of the wheels on the road and see them by looking in her buggy's side mirrors.

Jolene relaxed against the seat, enjoying the fall foliage and gazing at the many Amish farms scattered along this stretch of road. Despite the comfort she'd come to know in Pennsylvania, she had missed Indiana and its wide-open spaces. Even though this area was often visited by tourists, it wasn't nearly as congested or commercialized as what she'd seen in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

After a short drive, Jolene guided Belle up the driveway to Uncle Rueben and Aunt Verna's place and pulled up to the hitching rail near the barn. Just as she was climbing down from the buggy, Ella came out the front door and sprinted across the lawn.

“Ach,
it's so good to see you!” Ella said, rushing up to Jolene. Her pale blue eyes filled with tears, and she gave Jolene a welcoming hug. “Are you able to read my lips?” she asked after she'd pulled away.

“Jah, but it would be easier for me to know what you're saying if you could talk with your hands.”

“I'm not sure I could learn to do that. I think it would be too hard.”

“It's not that difficult. I'm going to teach my family, and I'd be happy to teach you if you'd like to learn.”

“I'm willing to try.” Ella motioned to the house and then turned her head in that direction.

Even though Jolene could see Ella's lips move, she had no idea what she'd said. She stepped in front of Ella. “In order for me to read your lips, I need to see your face.”

A blotch of red erupted on Ella's cheeks. “Sorry about that. What I said was, ‘Let's get your horse put in the corral; then we can go inside for a cup of tea while we get caught up on one another's lives.'”

“That sounds good, but I can't stay too long. I want to stop and see how Loraine and Katie are doing.”

“If you stay awhile, you won't have to stop and see them, because they're both coming over here soon.”

“They are?”

“Jah. We knew you were supposed to get home last night, so we made plans to meet here and then go by your place and take you out for lunch.”

“That sounds nice, but it'll be harder for us to visit at a restaurant with so many people around.”

“What if we stay here and have lunch?”

Jolene smiled. “That's fine with me. I'd be more comfortable eating here than at a restaurant, anyway.”

They'd just gotten Belle put in the corral when a horse and buggy came up the drive. Thinking it must be Katie or Loraine, Jolene turned and waved. After the buggy had pulled up to the hitching rail and the driver got out, she was surprised to see that it wasn't either one of her cousins. It was a young Amish man with wavy blond hair. She was sure she'd never seen him before.

Ella must have known him, though, for she rushed right over. They talked a few minutes, but with their backs to Jolene, she had no idea what they were saying.

Finally, they turned, and the young man followed Ella as she headed back toward Jolene. His chiseled cheeks and prominent jaw dwarfed his narrow nose, and his eyes were the rich brown color of spring soil. Jolene couldn't help but feel his curious gaze, and her face heated.

“I'd like you to meet Lonnie Hershberger,” Ella said, looking at Jolene. “He and his family moved here a few months ago, and Lonnie's been working for my daed, tuning and cutting the pieces of pipe that make up our wind chimes.” She looked over at Lonnie and smiled, and then she motioned to Jolene and looked back at her. “This is my cousin Jolene. She's the one I told you had been living in Pennsylvania, where she learned to sign and read lips.”

“It's nice to meet you.” Lonnie shook Jolene's hand. That's when she noticed a large bandage wrapped around his other hand.

“One of my daed's ornery pigs bit me this morning,” Lonnie explained. “The wound was so bad that I had to get stitches and a tetanus shot.”

Jolene grimaced. “Does it hurt much?”

“Not so much at the moment, but it sure did when the
dumm
sau bit me.” Lonnie's thick eyebrows almost met his nose when he frowned.

“Will you be able to work today?” Ella asked. Her question was directed at Lonnie, but she was turned toward Jolene enough so that she could read her lips.

Lonnie's frown deepened. “Afraid not. With only one good hand, I won't be able to cut any pipes.”

“That's too bad. I'm sure Papa will be sorry to hear about your hand,” Ella said.

“Guess I'd better go tell him right now. Is he up at the shop?” Lonnie asked.

“Jah.”

Lonnie gave Jolene a brief nod. “Nice meeting you.”

“It was nice meeting you, too.”

As Lonnie headed up the driveway toward the shop, Ella turned to Jolene and smiled. “He's nice, and he's sure got an ear for music. Before Lonnie came along, Papa couldn't find anyone besides himself to tune the chimes. We're fortunate to have Lonnie working for us.”

Jolene didn't voice her thoughts, but seeing the way Ella's face lit up when she talked about Lonnie made her wonder if there might be something going on between them. As they reached the porch steps, Jolene said, “Lonnie's nice looking, don't you think?”

Ella's eyebrows shot up. “After only one meeting, are you interested in him?”

Jolene shook her head vigorously. “Ach, no! I just meant...”

Ella touched Jolene's arm. “I hope you don't have any ideas about Lonnie, because he's got a girlfriend back in Illinois, and I believe she might be coming here for a visit soon. I suspect from what Lonnie's said that he hopes to marry her.”

Jolene's mouth dropped open. Before she could explain her question, a cloud of dust swirled across the yard as another horse and buggy rolled in. The lathered-up horse, flipping its head from side to side, headed straight for the barn.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Rueben said after Lonnie told him about the sow biting his hand. “Guess you won't be able to work today.”

“Probably not for a few days. Hopefully by Monday I'll be able to use my injured hand.” Lonnie grimaced as frustration boiled in his soul. He wished he didn't have to miss any work. He'd been trying to save up enough money so he could ask Carolyn to marry him, but the more work he missed, the longer it would be before he felt free to ask. Of course, Pop thought Lonnie ought to work for him full-time, slopping and butchering pigs. What was the fun in that? Making wind chimes was a lot more enjoyable.

Besides, Rueben appreciated Lonnie's work; he'd said so many times. And he didn't criticize everything Lonnie did the way Pop often did. Nothing seemed to be good enough for Pop: not the way Lonnie groomed the horses, not the way he butchered hogs, not even the way he fed the stupid swine. In Pop's mind, there was always a better way of doing things. His way; That's what he thought was best.

“You're lookin' mighty glum,” Rueben said, nudging Lonnie's arm. “Are you that upset about missing a day's work?”

“Guess maybe I am. Can't afford to miss too many days, that's for sure.” Lonnie glanced around Rueben's shop. Pieces of pipe that he'd cut yesterday lay on a table where Charlene, Rueben's seventeen-year-old daughter, was busy stringing the chimes. On another table lay several more pieces of pipe still needing to be cut and tuned. Lonnie figured Rueben would probably take over his job until he returned to work, which meant he wouldn't be free to make deliveries and pick up supplies, like he normally did.

“I know what you mean about not wanting to miss too many days of work,” Rueben said. “In this day and age, we all need some kind of steady employment.” His deeply set blue eyes darkened as he pulled his fingers through the ends of his full, red beard. “So many businesses are going under. I'll admit that I'm a little worried about whether folks will keep buying wind chimes with the economic distress we're facing right now.”

“I'm sure everything will be okay,” Lonnie said. “Many businesses outside of our area buy your chimes. If you were only relying on local businesses, it might be a concern, but jobs aren't as scarce in some other places as they are right here.”

Rueben's face relaxed a bit. “You've got a good point. Guess I need to let go of my worries and leave my business in God's hands.”

“That's the best way, all right. Think I'd better head for home and put some ice on my hand. Since there's no church in our district this Sunday, I probably won't see you until Monday.”

“See you then,” Rueben said with a nod.

Lonnie went out the door, but he'd only taken a few steps when he spotted a horse and buggy coming up the driveway at a very fast pace. The horse was lathered up, and no one was driving the buggy. He raced down the driveway, waving his hands, hoping to detour the horse. Ella, who'd been standing near the corral next to her cousin, started after the horse at the same time.

The horse was almost to the barn when it screeched to a stop and stood pawing the ground.

Ella grabbed the horse's bridle. “Whew ... That's a relief! I thought for sure that crazy animal was going to run into the side of our barn.”

“I wonder whose rig this is and how come there's no driver,” Lonnie said.

“I have no idea where the driver is, but this is the horse Papa sold my cousin Katie's daed a week ago. He's always been a bit of a challenge.”

“Your cousin's daed or the horse?” Lonnie asked with a chuckle.

Ella grinned. “There might be times when Aunt JoAnn thinks Uncle Jeremy's a bit of a challenge, but I was referring to the horse.”

Lonnie studied Ella for a minute. Her reddish blond hair and pale blue eyes stood in sharp contrast to Jolene's dark brown hair and vivid blue eyes. It was hard to believe they were cousins. In the few minutes he'd visited with them before going to Rueben's shop, Lonnie had determined that the young women's personalities were very different, too. Ella could be quite outspoken and was a take-charge kind of person. Jolene, on the other hand, seemed a bit more reserved. Maybe that was because she couldn't hear.

Lonnie was grateful for his two good ears. He didn't know what he'd do if he couldn't hear the beautiful melody of the wind chimes he helped create. The melodious sounds made him think about David in the Bible and the harp he used to play.

Ella's eyebrows drew together as she frowned. “Since this is the horse my daed sold Uncle Jeremy, I'm wondering if Katie should have been driving the buggy.”

“What do you mean, ‘should have been'?” Lonnie questioned.

“Katie's supposed to come over here this morning, and so is my cousin Loraine. Maybe the horse got away from Katie before she could get into the buggy.” Ella stroked the horse's mane. “Is that what happened, big fellow? Did you get in a hurry to go and then decide to head over here because it's the place you know best?”

The horse nuzzled Ella's hand in response.

“Would you like me to look for Katie on my way home?” Lonnie asked. “If she's out searching for the horse, I might see her walking alongside the road.”

Before Ella could respond, another horse and buggy rolled into the yard. When it pulled up to the hitching rail, Ella's cousins Loraine and Katie stepped down. Katie looked relieved when she saw her horse, but Loraine didn't seem to notice. She was too busy greeting Jolene.

“I was trying to get in my buggy to come over here when the horse took off without me. I'm glad to see he came here and isn't out on the road running for who knows where,” Katie said.

“That's what I thought might have happened,” Ella said. “Guess it'll take some time for the horse to get used to its new home and owners.”

“I would have used my horse, Dixie, but I thought I'd give Dad's new horse a try.” Katie smiled. “There was a day when something like this would have put my nerves on edge, but I'm dealing better with everything now.” She turned to Jolene and gave her a hug. When she pulled back, she smiled and said, “It's so good to see you again. Welcome home.”

Jolene smiled. “It's good to see you, too.”

Lonnie turned to Ella. “Would you like me to help you put the horses in the corral?”

“I appreciate the offer,” Ella said, “but it might be hard for you to do with only one good hand.”

“Ach, my! What happened to your hand?” Loraine asked.

Lonnie explained his accident and then grimaced. “My hand's starting to throb again, so I think I ought to head for home.”

“That's probably a good idea,” Ella said. “It might help if you put some ice on it.”

“That's just what I was planning to do.” Lonnie gave Ella a nod and sprinted to his buggy.

After the horses had been put away, Ella led the way to the house, where Jolene and her cousins took seats around the kitchen table. Ella's mother, Aunt Verna, set a pot of tea and five cups on the table and then joined them.

“Jolene and I decided we'd like to have lunch here today instead of at a restaurant,” Ella said. “It will be easier for us to visit without so many interruptions.”

“That's fine with me,” Loraine said. “Sometimes it can be awfully noisy at a restaurant.”

“And since we won't have to travel anywhere, it'll give us more time to visit. Oh, and it'll be easier for me to read your lips if you all look at me when you talk,” Jolene quickly added.

“There's some leftover chicken noodle soup in the refrigerator,” Aunt Verna said. “I'll heat that up and make sandwiches to go with it.” She got up from the table. “I'll get it started right now while you young women visit.”

The sunlight streaming through the kitchen window spread a warm glow across the table. When Jolene took a sip of tea, she felt its warming comfort flow through her. It was nice to be with her cousins again. This was the first time they'd all been together since the horrible accident that had changed each of their lives in some way.

“How does it feel to be home?” Loraine asked, touching Jolene's arm.

“It feels good, but I'm a little
naerfich
about teaching again.”

“I don't think there's any reason for you to feel nervous. You were a good teacher before, so I'm sure you'll do fine,” Katie said.

“This will be different, though. The children I've come home to teach are deaf like me, which could be a challenge.”

“What kind of challenge?” Loraine asked.

“What if I can't communicate well enough with the children? What if they don't understand what I'm saying?”

“You'll do fine,” Ella said. “Just believe in yourself and ask God to help you.”

Jolene sighed. “Since I lost my hearing from the accident, I've lost some of the confidence. I-I'm not sure I'll fit in.”

Aunt Verna turned from the stove and stood in front of Jolene. “You're still the same person, so you'll fit in just fine.” She patted Jolene's shoulder and then hurried back to the stove.

Feeling the need to change the subject, Jolene turned to Loraine and asked, “How are Wayne and Crist doing with their taxidermy business?”

“Pretty well, but with jobs being scarce and money so tight, they're concerned that folks might stop bringing things in to be stuffed. If that should happen, they'll need to find some other way to make a living.” Loraine smiled. “I do have some good news to share with you.”

“What's that?” Katie asked.

“Wayne and I are expecting a
boppli.
We're hoping and praying that this baby will be healthy and I'll be able to carry it to full term.”

“That is good news,” Ella said. “I'll be praying with you about the baby.”

Jolene nodded, and so did Katie, although Jolene couldn't help but feel a bit envious. She longed to be a wife and mother.

“I'm so pleased that you'll be here when Freeman and I get married in the spring,” Katie said to Jolene.

Jolene smiled. “At least I won't miss this wedding.” She turned to Loraine. “Sorry I had to miss yours, but Aunt Dorcas needed my help after her carpal tunnel surgery.”

“I know, and I understand. We're just glad you're home now.”

Aunt Verna peered out the kitchen window. Frowning, she turned to face them again.

“What's wrong?” Ella asked.

“Not what, but who. Eunice Byler's buggy is in the yard, and she's heading for the house. She probably came by to deliver the soap I ordered from her awhile back.”

“Don't you want the soap, Mama?” Ella asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Then why are you frowning?”

A rosy color flooded Aunt Verna's cheeks. “Eunice tends to be quite the gossip. Once she gets going, it's hard to make her stop.” She glanced at the stove then back again. “I hope she doesn't expect an invitation to join us for lunch.”

“Who's Eunice?” Jolene asked.

“She and her family moved here after you went to Pennsylvania,” Ella said.

Katie grimaced. “Eunice used to have her
kapp
set for Freeman. I think she was very disappointed when he chose me instead of her.”

When the back door opened, Jolene leaned forward, anxious to meet Eunice. All this talk made her curious about just what kind of person Eunice was.