Katie's Journey to Love (22 page)

Arlene glanced around. “There's no one here right now. Will you show me the money? I'd like to see it for myself.”

Katie retrieved the envelope and handed it to Arlene. Arlene didn't just peek inside, she took all the money out.

Katie hurriedly whispered, “Arlene, put it back! Someone's going to see it.”

“I'm counting it,” Arlene said, continuing to flip through the bills. “Five thousand dollars, Katie! Good gracious! Where did all that come from?”

“I don't know! The person who left it with Esther wouldn't say. Now put it back in the envelope!” Then Katie grabbed the bills and stuffed them back into the envelope herself.

“Let's see,” Arlene said, keeping tabs with her fingers, “it could be those Mennonite friends of yours. But as far as I know, they don't have this kind of money to throw around. How about your new
daett
? Would he give you that kind of money?”

“He said he didn't have it the other night,” Katie answered. “And why wouldn't he just give it to me if he wanted to? He wouldn't need the secrecy or want to make it anonymous.”

Arlene nodded in agreement. “I suppose we'll just have to chalk this generosity up to a mysterious friend. This is so
wunderbah
, Katie! What nice things are happening to you. And not that long ago…”

Katie hung her head. Arlene meant no harm with her words, but they were true. Not that long ago she'd considered herself just the daughter of the weird widow Emma Raber. Only by the grace of
Da Hah
was that changing. She certainly wasn't doing anything special—except trying to live as
Da Hah
wanted her to.

Arlene seemed to have forgotten about the mysterious friend. “And from what you told me the other day, you'll get to see a lot of
Europe. Holland, maybe Switzerland, and Germany. What about France and Paris? Oh, Katie, I'm so excited for you!”

“We're not going to Paris, nor will we see that much of Europe,” Katie said quietly, watching as a customer came out of an aisle and headed her direction. “We're going to see the places where the Amish forefathers lived.”

“You have to have some fun too,” Arlene quickly whispered before returning to her register. The customer, an older man, was already unloading his items on the conveyer belt. Katie went over to bag the man's purchases since no one was in her line.

When the man had paid and left, Katie returned to her register. All afternoon both of them kept stealing glances toward each other and smiling at Katie's good fortune.

“Can you believe it?” Arlene occasionally whispered between customers. “I still can't!”

Katie could only smile and shake her head.

A young lady approached with her cart overflowing, and Katie got to work. But even as she scanned the purchases she thought,
Yah
, it would be a long time before she would get over this latest miracle from
Da Hah
.

Chapter Twenty-Three

That evening as Katie drove Sparky down the driveway, the barn door opened and Jesse stepped out. Sparky was lathered up around the harness straps from the fast trip home. Katie hadn't intended to push him so hard, but he must have picked up on her excitement.

“Driving in like a teenager, are we tonight?” Jesse said as he approached with a smile. “Did you catch young Ben on the road and have a race with him?”

He's teasing, Katie thought as she stepped down from the buggy. She turned to him with a wide smile. What a
wunderbah daett
he was! She'd planned to tell
Mamm
her news first, but since Jesse was here, what better chance would she have?

As Jesse helped her unhitch. Katie cleared her throat. “I have some great news to share.”

Jesse looked up. “So that's why you're home so fast? This news must be quite something.”

Katie grinned and looked straight at him. “It is! It's unbelievable!
Today someone gifted me with enough money for the trip to Europe!”

Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Now, that is news! Who was it?”

“I don't know,” Katie said as she shook her head. “Esther gave me the money at lunchtime. She said a woman she didn't know came up to the deli and handed her an envelope. Esther said the woman told her to give it to me—that it was money to help pay for my trip to Europe. Esther asked who it was from, and the woman said the giver didn't want to be known. And, Jesse, it's quite a large amount! I still can hardly believe it.”

“You must have some really
gut
friends among those Mennonites!” Jesse's smile hadn't dimmed a bit.

“So I can go?” Katie asked as she finished unfastening the tug on her side.

Jesse didn't hesitate. “I said you could if you had the money.”

“Here!” Katie walked over to him, reached inside her dress pocket, and handed Jesse the envelope.

He flipped through the bills, counting as he went. “Looks like you're going, all right,” he said, handing the envelope back.

“You don't disapprove?” Katie stood beside Sparky, anxiously awaiting his answer.

Jesse had gone around to lead Sparky forward, so his face was hidden behind the horse's neck. But his voice sounded cheerful enough. “If
Da Hah
goes to this much trouble to help you, then He must wish you over there for some reason. And I'm sure seeing the birthplace of our faith is a
gut
thing.”

“Thank you,” Katie whispered as she held the buggy shafts up.

“Katie, perhaps we should keep this quiet until after supper,” Jesse said as he led Sparky out of the shafts. “You can share it with your
mamm
, but let me tell the family after supper tonight. And then we'll go from there. Okay?”

Katie nodded.

“I'll take care of Sparky tonight,” Jesse said. “Just in case you want to go tell your
mamm
the news.” He gave her one last smile and then led the horse into the barn.

Katie walked across the lawn and entered the house through the washroom door. Inside, the first thing she saw was Mabel's angry face. Why was the girl already angry with her? Katie wondered. And when Mabel stepped toward her, Katie involuntarily took a step back. She caught her breath as Mabel stepped even closer.

“Why was
Daett
helping you unhitch?” Mabel hissed.

Katie glanced around before answering. “I thought we were going to get along better, remember? I didn't tell him about Mose, if that's what you're worried about. And I'm still not planning to.”

Mabel looked a little less angry and a little more relaxed. “So he still doesn't know?”

Katie shrugged. “Not from me anyway.”

Mabel's eyes narrowed. “You seem to make an awful lot of things your business around here. Why do you have to make such a pest out of yourself?”

Angry words pressed against Katie's lips. It wasn't her fault Mabel was hanging out with Mose when her
daett
disapproved. And it wasn't her fault Jesse disliked Mose. Mabel just wanted to blame
Mamm
and her for it. And what of Mabel's agreeing the other night to get along better?

“At least you have the decency to keep your mouth shut,” Mabel snapped. “It's nice you know your proper place in this household.”

In the normal Amish way of authority and respect, Katie shouldn't have to tolerate a younger girl speaking to her like this. But these weren't normal times. She and
Mamm
had basically invaded Mabel's life. Because of that, Katie wanted to treat Mabel with compassion. Still, Mabel was pushing even her limits.

“So what were you talking about?” Mabel demanded, going back to her original question.

“You'll find out soon enough,” Katie answered. She knew if she didn't share Mabel was only going to get angrier, but she wanted to respect and honor Jesse's authority more than please Mabel.

Mabel stepped closer. “If you think I'm going to stand around and let you steal my
daett
's heart away from me, Katie Raber, then you have another guess coming.”

Denial bubbled up inside Katie, but she choked it back.

“You might as well go ahead and tell me your little secret,” Mabel continued. “If you don't tell me, I'll just ask
Daett
.”

“He's planning to tell everyone after supper,” Katie said. “You'll just have to wait until then—or go talk to him now and see what he says.”

Mabel's eyes got big. “I don't like this one bit. What are you up to, Katie Raber?”

Katie walked to the sink and looked out the window.

“Well, it can't be much,” Mabel asserted, her face brightening. “
Daett
is probably trying to make things easier for you by giving you extra attention. He knows you've had a rough life, you know.”

Mabel sure knew how to strike where it hurt, Katie thought. The pain stung deep inside her heart. She checked the quick tears that threatened to spring up. “Your
daett
's a
gut
man, Mabel. You should be thankful for him.”

Mabel smirked. “I
know
that. He's way too
gut
for you. I don't know why he was so willing to bring you and your
mamm
into our home. Pity would be my guess.”

Katie turned and ran upstairs. She caught a glimpse of
Mamm
in the living room as she went by, but she didn't even pause. Had
Mamm
heard their exchange in the kitchen and done nothing about it? Likely she had, but would she let Mabel's accusation
stand? But then what could
Mamm
really do? Rebuke Mabel? That would only make things worse for both of them.

Katie threw herself on the bed and buried her face in her hands. The tears didn't come though. It was like they were frozen inside her. Mabel's last words had taken the joy right out of her. And she was right. Jesse was too
gut
a
daett
for her, just as Ben was too
gut
to be her boyfriend, and just as she didn't deserve all the blessings
Da Hah
was bestowing on her. After all, she was still Emma Raber's daughter deep down inside. Mabel could see that even if no one else did right now. Katie knew she couldn't go back to that old life, even if she wanted to. That place was gone, and
Mamm
was sitting in the living room downstairs married to Jesse.

Did Mabel have any idea what it was like to live the life she had lived—without a
daett
most of her growing-up years, ignored and unnoticed by everyone in the community, and having a
mamm
who was known as being strange? Katie sat up. Mabel would just have to deal with what was happening. No one could control everything in life. In fact, most people could control very little. And she wasn't controlling what was happening at all—it was just happening.
Da Hah
was in charge, and she trusted Him in
gut
times and bad times, just like the preachers said on Sundays. And this was one of those
gut
times!

Katie trembled with excitement. She had so much joy on the one side with
Mamm
, Jesse, Ben, and now this trip to Europe. On the other side was Mabel. What would Mabel say when Jesse told the family tonight? She was already angry, so this might make her explode with jealousy and bad temper.

Katie swung her feet over and stood as the sound of footsteps came up the stairs and stopped by the door. A soft knock sounded. It had to be
Mamm
. Mabel would have stormed up the hallway in the mood she was in. And the other children seldom came to her door.

“May I come in?”
Mamm
asked.

“
Yah
,” Katie said, sitting down.

Mamm
came in and sat beside her on the bed. She studied Katie for a moment. “I hate it that we have to continue talking with each other in your bedroom, Katie. But I wanted to say how sorry I am for the things Mabel said to you. I know it's not easy living with her.”

Katie hung her head. “You're not to blame,
Mamm
.”

Mamm
squeezed Katie's arm. “You've been given a lot of blessings lately. Try to remember that. It wouldn't be
gut
for anyone to have everything go well.”

Katie met
Mamm
's gaze, tears now in her eyes. “I know, but it's hard.”

Mamm
gave her a long hug. “You know Mabel isn't nice to me either.”

Katie choked back a sob. “But you have Jesse to comfort you. I have to face Mabel on my own.”

“You have Ben now.”
Mamm
held Katie at arm's length. “Who would have thought that would happen?”

Katie wiped her eyes. “I thought you didn't approve of him,
Mamm
.”

A smile flitted across
Mamm
's face. “
Nee
, but I'm working on it. You know I don't change my mind very fast. You should still be thankful for everything that's happening, all the same.”