Rebecca's Return (31 page)

Glancing back she saw the mailman stop before crossing the little bridge to the east, waiting on a buggy coming from the Harshville direction. Certain it wasn’t coming to the Keim house, Rebecca resumed walking, drawing her coat tighter.

When the crunch of buggy wheels on gravel sounded behind her, Rebecca stepped aside to let whoever it was pass. But instead of passing her, the buggy stopped and the door slid open.

“Good morning, Rebecca,” Miriam said, her face stretched with a thin smile.

There was news, Rebecca knew at once. Otherwise Miriam would not be here in person.

Sensing the worst, Rebecca gasped, “It’s bad news, isn’t it?”

Miriam shook her head. “No, it’s good news, really. A little too good, but the hospital assured us it was true.”

Rebecca stood, waiting for Miriam to continue.

“John’s awake. Moving around and cheerful.” She tilted her head in Rebecca’s direction at the look on her face. “I know…I thought the same thing. But maybe
Da Hah
has decided to bless us with a fast recovery. We must not doubt His will or power to do what He wishes.”

“But…that soon?” Rebecca finally managed. “Oh, it’s such good news. Are you going down to see him?”

“Yes. And I thought maybe you’d like to come along.” Miriam glanced back toward the house. “Unless you have other things to do?”

“No, of course not. I would love to.” Rebecca said quickly. “I was just dropping off the mail. And then the mailman came, and so I was on my way to pick it up. After I take it inside, I’m sure Mom won’t mind if I go with you.”

“I’ll drive you up to the house then,” Miriam said. “You’ll need a thicker coat for the drive. Unless this snow quits soon.”

“I’ll get my Sunday coat,” Rebecca agreed, quickly running out to the mailbox, then climbing onto the buggy step, being careful not to slip on the wet metal. Sitting back in the seat as Miriam let out the reins, her emotions struggled to catch up with the news.

“I’m surprised too,” Miriam said, aware of Rebecca’s shock over the news. “One doesn’t really know how to feel.”

“They really said he was well?” Rebecca asked. “It’s so wonderful.”

“Sharon took the call this morning,” Miriam said. “I had told them to call at the store if there was news. I guess that’s what they did. They told Sharon that John was awake and moving about. Said his mood was good. They are very optimistic now about his prospects.”

“Sure changes how I was feeling this morning.”

“A little low?”

“Yes,” Rebecca admitted. “Mom just wrote to Leona about the accident. That was one of the letters I was just dropping off. Maybe that stirred up the thoughts again. That and the snow.”

Bringing the buggy to a stop by the house, Miriam waited as Rebecca went inside.

Mattie had noticed the buggy drive up and was waiting when Rebecca entered.

“What’s Miriam want?” Mattie asked.

“Oh, its wonderful news. The hospital called. John’s awake and moving about. She wants me to go down with her.”

“Well…” Mattie let her relief and joy show fully on her face. “I guess that’s one crisis over for you. Now just take care of the other one.”

“I’ll try to,” Rebecca agreed. “I hope John understands. Miriam’s waiting. She didn’t say when we would be back.”

“Take whatever time is needed,” Mattie told her. “We can handle things here. Just thank the good Lord He is helping you out. Things could have been much worse.”

“I know,” Rebecca agreed. Quickly she got her coat and left the house.

In the buggy with Miriam, she settled in for the drive, listening to the wheels squeak in the snow. Miriam’s attention to the driving meant for a quiet ride, at least until they started climbing the hill toward Unity.

“You’ve been handling all of this really well,” Miriam said tenderly. “Many a girl would have fallen apart with what John has gone through.”

“I don’t know about that,” Rebecca demurred, knowing Miriam couldn’t know everything she had gone through. “Maybe I just don’t show it.”

“You still did well. Isaac and I couldn’t be more thankful with the choice John’s made.”

Rebecca said nothing, her gloved hands wrapped up in her Sunday coat, wishing Miriam wouldn’t be so open with her praise.

“Many times I was thankful
Da Hah
gave us a girl first—so John wasn’t an only child. Without that, no doubt, we would have spoiled him completely. Even now,” Miriam said, smiling again, “I wonder sometimes. But we do our best. I know Isaac does.”

“You try, I know,” was all Rebecca could get out.

“Maybe the accident was a maturing point for John,” Miriam wondered aloud. “Not that we thought John needed it, but
Da Hah
must have. Now He has given him back to us so quickly, and that after all of our fears. I feel so ashamed at how we have acted and even thought.”

“I didn’t think you had such thoughts—I did too,” Rebecca assured her.

“We’re all human,” Miriam said, sighing. “Now to get John home and on his way to full health. Even with this good news, I suppose there will still be a recovery time.”

“I imagine the doctor can tell us,” Rebecca said.

During the rest of the ride, the silence resumed between them. Rebecca felt comfortable enough with the quiet ride, for which she was glad. It was a good sign, she figured, of things to come. At least she was getting along with John’s mother, if not totally yet with John himself.

Miriam tied up at the lightpost, and the two of them headed up the walk to the hospital front doors. Their steps made a crunching sound, although the snow had stopped falling.

“What can I do for you?” a cheery young receptionist asked, greeting them.

“My son is here,” Miriam said. “You called us about him.”

“What’s your son’s name?” the receptionist asked.

“John Miller.”

“Miller.” The receptionist tapped the keys on the computer. “Yes. We have two John Millers. A head injury, and then they just brought in a case last night. Appendicitis. A young boy. I believe Nurse Bethany called his family this morning to update them.”

“What about the other John?” Mattie stepped closer to the desk.

The receptionist tapped a few more keys. “Dr. Wine’s the attending physician. There’s nothing new on the case that I can see.”

“Then why did the hospital call us?” Miriam asked, a little upset.

“Who called you?” the receptionist asked.

“The hospital. They called our number, saying John was awake and moving about.”

“That call would have to go through me. No one else was handling the desk this morning.” The receptionist was tapping away on the keyboard.

“But they
did,
” Miriam insisted, her voice firm.

The receptionist seemed to have found what she was looking for. “I gave Bethany this phone number,” she said, pointing to the monitor, “and asked her to call the parents of the appendicitis case.”

“That’s
our
contact phone number,” Miriam said, her voice alarmed.

“
Your
phone number?” the receptionist said with surprise.

“Yes. It’s our phone number.”

“But…” The receptionist’s hand was on her mouth. “I can’t see how. I must have gotten the phone numbers mixed up. I’m so sorry.”

“So John is still in the same condition?” Miriam asked, stepping back from the desk, her face showing no emotions.

“Yes…I’m so sorry,” the receptionist said with genuine regret.

“Can we see John then?” Miriam asked, making as if to head in that direction whether she had permission or not.

“Of course,” the receptionist said quickly.

Rebecca followed Miriam down the hall, waiting as Miriam softly opened the door to John’s room and glanced in.

“Nothing’s changed,” she said quietly, her hand swinging the door inward so Rebecca could see too. “I guess we might as well go on home.”

“I guess so,” Rebecca agreed, feeling numb. “It was all just a mistake.”

“I guess it was,” Miriam said, her voice low, pulling the door of the room shut.

They walked out silently. Rebecca climbed into the buggy and held the reins as Miriam untied the horse and then got in and took her own seat. The snow began to fall again, as they reached the outskirts of West Union and continued all the way home.

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY-NINE

R
achel Byler filled the sink with the hot water and prepared to wash the breakfast dishes. There had been nothing special about the breakfast, just the usual fare she fixed on a weekday morning—oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, and a slab of homemade sausage.

Reuben was still in the house, lingering over his coffee. Rachel let him enjoy the coffee, its steam rising over the rim of the cup, spreading its warmth. Reuben appreciated the rich aroma with every sip of the dark delight. Rachel had made sure to add pure cream to his cup, though she could ill afford to spare it.

This morning at just the right moment, she had another plan to implement, and she felt that this one perhaps had a better chance of success than the last one. At the very least, she figured, it was high time they had a long talk.

There was now a great sense of urgency because she knew she was with child. That she should be bearing a child again at her age was still a mystery to her, but those were things best left in the hands of the Almighty.

The women at church would soon notice her condition, and with it would come approval and admiration. She was certainly looking forward to that.

“Do you want something?” Reuben asked, startling her.

Her mind spun, as the proper moment had not yet arrived. “Ah, yes—no,” she managed.

“It must be something,” he said dryly. “It wouldn’t be another sin you’ve seen in the church? You know I told you no more of that. Only the bishop—he will assign those things from now on.”

His voice had an edge to it and cut painfully. The morning was already threatening to spin out of control, as this was not going as planned. Yet the matter simply had to be discussed. She plunged forward. “But the baby. What about the baby?”

“What about it? It’s going to be born.
Da Hah sei lohbed,
” he said in a voice reflecting the praise he just offered so reverently.

“How can you preach to me?” she asked, her voice rising in frustration. When she caught sight of his astonished look, she lowered her voice. There would be no winning this way. “You shouldn’t use that tone,” she tried again.

“I wasn’t preaching,” he said simply. “We are just blessed.”

This brought a rush of emotion. She struggled to keep it out of her voice as she asked, “How can you say we are blessed? We are as poor as church mice. Even they might have peanut butter to eat once in a while. How are you going to feed another mouth?”

“Children are a blessing of the Lord,” he said, paraphrasing a familiar Bible verse.

“You ought to think about us once in a while. About me and Luke and the kind of girl he’s bound to get with his meager life. What has he got to offer a girl? He’ll have to end up settling for that Susie Burkholder. What is she? Her parents have less money than we do. And all the while Emma sits over there with all our money and you preachers do nothing. And now she’s not in good health. Why can’t you be of some good for once, when it really matters?”

“I see,” Reuben said knowingly. “So that’s what the little Ezra event was about. You have concluded that Emma’s inheriting your father’s estate is a result of sin in the congregation? No wonder
Da Hah
keeps women out of running the church, to say nothing of the world.” He sighed and rolled his eyes.

She glared at him with fire in her eyes, but he held her gaze, his eyes steady as a rock.
Confound his deaconship,
she thought bitterly.
He never dared look at me like that before. Little poor farmer’s boy that he is.

“I was just trying to help,” she said out loud, keeping her voice down. “The baby’s coming, and we have no money—not even for the midwife.”

“Why is Emma’s money such a big thing all of a sudden?”