Jacob's Return (29 page)

Levi told a story about his wife and an ornery mule who’d tried to kick her. “She was so mad, she kicked the stubborn cuss back,” he said, slapping his knee. “After that, that mule loved her until we buried the mean thing out beyond the pasture.

“Mom? or the mule?” Jacob asked.

After a shocked second, a smile broke on Levi’s face, and he roared with laughter.

“I have a story to remember Anna,” Jacob said. “You know, she was slow to talk.” He eyed the company. “But that didn’t matter, because I always knew what she wanted. Twins always know about each other. So I would tell mom, ‘Anna wants a drink,’ and mom would give it to her. Or, ‘Anna is tired, or she is hungry ...’ Always, I knew what Anna wanted and I told whoever needed to know so they could take care of her.”

“Ya, and when Anna finally spoke,” Levi said, picking up the tale. “Her first words were for her twin. She said, ‘Shut up, Yacob!’”

Ruben shook his head. “But he never did.”

Jacob’s frown brought laughter.

With Emma leaning against his knee, Ruben showed her how to dip her finger in a cup of warm syrup and lick it off. Then he let Daniel, in his arms, lick some off the tip of his own finger.

“Ruben Miller! That baby’s going to be sick,” Esther scolded, her smile giving little meaning to her words.

Ruben winked at her. “This baby’s just like his mother. He likes sweets. Look at him licking his lips. He wants more.”

“Don’t you dare!” Esther chided.

Jacob laughed at their banter as he dribbled hot maple syrup atop a pan of clean snow. “Come and get it,” he called. When it cooled to a brittle candy, he handed pieces to the children first, then offered some to the adults.

Simon refused to take any.

“Go ahead, you could use some sweetening,” Ruben said.

Esther told her husband to hush and poked him for good measure as she took Daniel. Ruben grabbed her poking finger and kissed it. “Even without maple syrup, it’s still sweet.”

“Hush, I said.”

Rachel stood and rubbed her back.

“You all right, Mudpie?” Jacob asked.

Simon snorted. “Does she look all right to you?” He stood and took her arm. Come along, it’s time for you to rest.” He led her toward his section of the house. “I’ll take you upstairs.”

Rachel could not imagine what had gotten into Simon, but when she turned to stop him, she saw a significant look pass between him and her father.

Simon did not want her father to realize they slept apart and she understood that. “I’m not ready to lie down, Simon. I need to walk for a bit.” She disengaged herself from his hold. With her hands on the small of her back, she paced the perimeter of the room. After a while, she went into the kitchen where Esther nursed Daniel.

“Back hurt?” Esther asked.

“Ya. Bad all right.”

“How long?”

“All day, but worse now.”

“Oh, Rache. Side-back or middle-back?”

“Middle. Why?”

“You’re in labor.”

“You think?”

“After your false start, Hannah said it would probably take you this way. I should have told you, but until this minute, I didn’t think of it again.”

“Don’t tell anybody, Es. Please? Simon is trying to get me to go up to the bedroom in his house while Pop is here and I just can’t.”

“I must say, I wondered when you had false labor why you were not in the
kinderhaus
with Simon.”

Rachel sat at the table and stared at her hands. “It’s a long story.”

“You don’t need to tell me. I’ve seen plenty enough to imagine. But you do need to lie down soon, and we should send for Hannah.”

“I feel more like I need to walk right now,” Rachel said. “When I feel like I need to rest, I’ll bring the twins up to bed. Then you and Ruben can leave and Pop will go, too. Can Ruben bring Hannah by, after he takes you home?”

“Of course. He’s a good man, my Ruben.”

Rachel squeezed her sister’s shoulder when she passed by her chair in her trek around the kitchen. “I’m happy for you.”

“I wish I could be happy for you.”

“You should be. I have many blessings. And Simon is … has tried to change.”

Esther nodded. “Listen to those men. Too much dandelion wine, I think.”

“You’ll have to drive home. Oh, no. I need Ruben to drive Hannah.”

“Make some coffee,” Esther said as she patted little Daniel’s back, and he blew a bubble while closing his heavy eyes.”

“I don’t think I can manage it, Es.”

“Go put those babies to bed, then. I’ll make sure Jacob gets the notion to follow so he can do the work. A cup of strong coffee and Ruben’ll be fine once the cold air hits him.”

“Thanks, Es.”

“What are sisters for? I’ll come back with Hannah.”

“Then don’t leave.”

“But how—”

“I’ll tell Jacob once I’m upstairs and he’ll send Simon. Pop will probably stay, but we’ll say I’m too taken with labor to be moved, if he asks. Maybe he won’t.”

“You know Pop.”

“Ya,” Rachel said. “He’ll ask.”

When Rachel came to the best room from the kitchen, she found Emma sleeping in Ruben’s arms and Aaron in his father’s. Simon was nowhere to be found. Her father and Levi were playing checkers. “You all calmed down fast.”

“Simon told us to quiet down so the twins could sleep, then he slammed out of here,” Ruben said.

“Bring the twins, you two,” Rachel said to Jacob and Ruben. “I need to put them to bed.

“I’ll put ‘em down, Rache,” Jacob said. “You don’t need to go climbing those stairs.”

Standing behind her father, Esther rolled her eyes at Rachel. When Jacob caught the by-play he looked from one to the other. Esther made a go-along motion with her hand giving him the idea he should be quiet and do it.

Ruben and Jacob looked at each other and shrugged. Their manner suggested that going along was better than arguing. Rachel marveled how so much could be expressed with shrugs and rolled eyes.

Each holding a sleeping three-year-old, Ruben and Jacob followed her to the stairs.

Jacob knew something was wrong as soon as Rachel began to climb with that slow, determined pace. He turned to Ruben. “Take Aaron.”

Stepping up beside Rachel, he took her arm. And as if she’d been waiting to let go, she faltered. Certain no one was at the bottom of the stairs watching, Jacob lifted her into his arms and carried her to her room.

When he put her down, his arms were wet. “I think your water broke, Rache,” he said somewhat shocked, then he saw her abdomen become high and round. When he placed his hand over it, it was hard.

Rachel moaned and Ruben began to sweat.

“Put them to bed, Ruben. Their night clothes are hanging on the peg near their cribs.”

Like a man in a trance, Ruben nodded and left.

Jacob removed Rachel’s kapp, then took the pins from her hair. When another pain took her so fast, he too began to sweat. This baby seemed to be coming awfully fast. He slipped the pins from her clothes very carefully and removed her apron. Then he opened her dress and prepared to free her from the sleeve.

Feeling a hand on his arm, he looked up.

“I’ll do it,” Esther said.

“But I—”

“I understand, I do, but it would be better if I undressed her, in case somebody—”

“Yes,” Jacob said. “Of course, Es. You’re right. I’ll wait outside.”

“Don’t act like a man suffering the fires of hell, Jacob. Everyone will see, and Simon won’t understand.”

Jacob nodded and went to his room. Ruben was putting Daniel in one of the cribs.

“Esther said put the twins together in one and Daniel in the other. Is that all right?”

Jacob smiled. “Lots of nights, one climbs in with the other anyway. Emma and Aaron will be fine.”

“Will you?” Ruben asked.

“I guess.”

“Simon gone for Hannah Bieler?”

Jacob ran his hand through his hair. “I forgot the midwife. I’d best go.”

“Shouldn’t Simon?”

“Es said I can’t stay around here like a man crazed.” He sighed and punched a pillow. “She’s right. And if I heard Rache suffer, Ruben, you know how I would be.”

Ruben slapped him on the back. “I’ll come with you. Screaming won’t be too good for me either. If I have to be around another birthing, it’ll take me another two months to go near Es.”

Jacob stopped. “You didn’t go near Es for two months?

“Shut up, Yacob!”

“But I saw you kissing her.”

“Yes, and that’s about all I did for a while. You need details, nosy man?”

“Jacob!” Rachel screamed.

Jacob moved to respond to her call, but Ruben grabbed his arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

Jacob was grateful Ruben propelled him forward, because, for the life of him, he could not leave on his own.

Simon, Levi and the Bishop stood at the bottom of the stairs.

“Rachel’s in labor,” Ruben said. “We’re going for the midwife.”

“Jacob, I need you,” Rachel called again and Ruben did not know who was more upset by it, Rachel’s father … or her husband … or the man whose arm muscles under his hand screamed to be let free, so he could go to his love.

In Levi’s eyes, there was only sadness.

* * * *

Hannah Bieler was not at home and the English Doctor had permanently relocated to Philadelphia.

It took them more than a half-hour just to discover where Hannah was. After several calls on neighbors they discovered she was at her sister’s in Strasburg, nursing a sick nephew. When they got there, she said if she left, her nephew might die.

It was two more hours before they arrived back at the Sauder house.

Inside, Ruben was struck by the quiet.

Jacob, ahead of him, stopped at the threshold of the best room.

Ruben, coming up behind, gazed about, the buzzing in his head threatening to fell him.

Levi sat alone, elbows on knees, face in his hands.

“Datt?”

When Levi looked up, there was deep sorrow in his look. “You’re too late.”

Chapter 18

A scream tore from Jacob as he raced up the stairs. At the threshold of Rachel’s room, he stopped, stunned.

On her bed, Rachel lay unmoving. Beside it, Bishop Zook gave the Amish blessing for the dead. Esther was standing with her back against the wall, eyes closed, face wet with tears.

Simon rose from his kneeling position at the foot of Rachel’s bed, his face hard with hate. “An eye for an eye,” he said for Jacob’s ears alone, before he left the room, the Bishop behind him.

Jacob dropped to his knees and placed Rachel’s cool, limp hand against his cheek. “God no,” he begged. “No! Please!”

Through a haze, Jacob imagined that Rachel’s fingers moved at his shout, and a palsy overtook him, salty tears wetting his lips, regret swamping him and threatening to drown him.

The imagined movement came again. Longer. Stronger.

Jacob shot to his feet, bent close and touched Rachel’s cold cheek. He gazed in anguish at her perfectly serene face … and she opened her eyes.

Jacob’s breath caught. Mighty sobs, with no beginning nor end, broke from him.

Rachel held his hand in a weak grip.

With another sob, Jacob touched his cheek to hers. “I thought that … that you did not ...” He took a breath, shuddered, raised his head. “The blessing for the dead, your Pop was giving.”

“Not for me,” she said, large tears shivering down her cheeks. “For them.”

Jacob spied the cradle he’d not seen in his anguish, where two tiny, bloody little girls lay. Despite the cowl of birth, they were very red. He knelt beside the daughters he would never know, lifting, one in each hand, bringing them against his heart.

He heard a whimper so soft, it might have been a mouse, felt a ripple so slight, it might have been his imagination. But the sound came again, the merest cry, weak, thready, the movement, weaker still.

“They’re alive! Alive and freezing to death! What the hell’s the matter with you Esther?”

Esther rushed from the room.

Remorse stabbed Jacob, but he could not spare the time for concern. “We’ve got to warm them. Datt, Datt, come up here!”

His call made the babe who squealed cry in earnest. “Good,” he said to Rachel who was watching with wide, round eyes. “Crying will warm her. I haven’t lost my mind,” he said, answering her look.

Once he’d wrapped each babe mummy-like in the blankets set aside for this purpose, Jacob lay them side by side and wrapped them together in another, until just their faces showed.

He pulled Rachel’s blanket down and tucked the twin girls against her. He was about to tell her to put her arms around them to warm them with her body, but he did not need to.

Her sorrow turned to joy as Rachel cradled her babies and crooned to them. As if no one else existed for her, she fussed and tucked, whispered love, kissed tiny foreheads, and prayed aloud. After some time, her pleas sent to He who watched over them all, she looked at him. “Thank you.”

And Jacob thought, ‘for what?’ For giving her a few minutes of her children’s lives? She deserved more than that. She deserved better than to be branded a sinner by her husband. Jacob closed his eyes. Rachel deserved more than to be seduced and brought down by him, the man who professed to love her.

From her, he deserved no thanks. From above, he deserved no forgiveness. He cleared his throat. “In a minute, I’ll carry you down to the best room where it’s warmer.”

His father entered with hers, the Bishop clearly surprised she held the babies.

“Bishop Zook, go into the room two doors down, if you please, and take the bed apart. Bring it downstairs and set it up near the big fireplace.”

“This is not the time for crying,” he said to calm his own father. “This is the time for doing. How did you and Mom warm me and Anna when we were born? You saved two tiny babies who should have died.” Jacob looked beyond the ceiling toward the heavens. “Help us save two more, Lord.”

“Amen,” said the Bishop from the next room.

Rachel echoed her father and hope shone in her eyes.

“We wrapped you in raw sheep’s wool and put you in a bureau drawer by the fire,” Levi said. “Your mama fed you every half hour even if you only got a drop. When her milk dried up, we used a lambing bottle.” His brows furrowed. “I have the bottles, but we have no sheep for wool.”