The Amish Millers Get Married BOXED SET Books 1-3 (Amish Romance Book Bundle: The Way Home, The Way Forward, The Narrow Way) (Boxed Set: Amish Millers Get Married) (2 page)

Matthew 5:38-39.

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Chapter 3
.

"Hannah!" Rebecca let out a squeal of delight when she saw Hannah, and Hannah at once felt bad for not wanting to come. It wasn't that she didn’t want to visit Rebecca; she did, but it was the hospital that made her afraid.

She still remembered vividly how she had awoken in a cold, sterile room and the first thing that she remembered was the unpleasant smell of the hospital disinfectant. She remembered the unbearable pain in her leg and how much her head hurt. She remembered the fear of not knowing what had happened to her sisters.

Finally her parents had been allowed into her room and explained that she had broken her leg, and that Martha had two broken ankles and a broken arm. They told her that Esther and Rebecca both had a spinal injury in the form of a herniated disc.

However, Martha was now at home as her injury had responded to medication, whereas Rebecca's injury was far worse and had required surgery.

Hannah felt yet another pang of anger toward Noah Hostetler. They had known each other since childhood and never would she have imagined that he would turn out to be so irresponsible, even on his
rumspringa
. It was only through the grace of
Gott
that no one had been killed by Noah's reckless driving. Even poor old Rock, the big, bay, Saddlebred gelding that was pulling the family wagon, was now retired due to knee injuries sustained in the accident.

Hannah drew her attention back to Rebecca.
Oh well, we're all alive, and even Rock is too
, she thought. Still, she could not get rid of the bitterness in her heart toward Noah. She even used to have feelings for him, before the accident of course. Now her only feelings for him were of anger and resentment.

Back then, Hannah had thought that she would one day marry Noah, but that was before he went on
rumspringa
. That had filled her with dismay. Hannah herself had never even wanted to go on
rumspringa
. The ways of the
Englisch
held no attraction for her, none whatsoever. Now her former adoration for Noah had faded, not surprisingly since he was the cause of all their injuries.

"Hannah! You seem a million miles away."

"Sorry. I was lost in thought," Hannah said, sitting on the end of Rebecca's bed. "How are you feeling today? I'm sorry I haven't been in to see you sooner."

Rebecca smiled. "I'm okay. Are you okay? I know that the hospital really frightens you. Anyway, I'm very glad you've come to visit. I don't know what I'd do without my big sister."

Hannah reached out to clasp her hand. "I'll always be here for you," she said, as Rebecca stifled a yawn. "Are you tired?"

"I am, but don’t think you're going to get away with avoiding the subject. Tell me what you were thinking about. Don't make me guess. You know how annoying I can be when I'm trying to guess what's on your mind."

Hannah laughed heartily. "No matter what's going on, you always guess that the problem's a boy."

Rebecca giggled. "And I'm always right. So are you going to talk about Noah Hostetler, or are you going to spend this whole visit thinking about him while I sit here staring at you? I'm fine with either." Rebecca smirked at her.

Hannah scrunched up her nose. She had no wish to speak about Noah Hostetler, but did not want Rebecca to know how she now felt about him. After all, Rebecca had shown no signs at all that she resented Noah for the accident. "Would you tease me relentlessly if I did talk to you about a boy?"

"Absolutely," Rebecca said, "but you still have to tell me. Don't make me go on and on about how bad I feel, until you have to confess everything out of pity for me. So, do you still like Noah, or not?"

Hannah sighed deeply. "He just seems so changed," she said. "
Rumspringa
has turned him into a person I no longer recognize. I did have feelings for him, I truly did. I know we can never marry now. Not after what happened."

Rebecca shook her head. "Don't take this to heart, but aren't you being a little too harsh on Noah? We've known the Hostetler family our entire lives. There's nobody kinder or more generous."

"I suppose." Hannah shrugged.
If only I could be as forgiving as Rebecca
, she thought.

"Besides, the accident wasn't really Noah's fault," Rebecca said. "They say he was a careful driver, but you remember how misty it was that morning? How frosty the roads were? We could hardly see a thing." Rebecca stifled another yawn. "Sorry, Hannah. I'm excited to see you; I'm just more tired than I thought."

Hannah stood up and patted her
schweschder
on the shoulder. "You rest," she said. "I promise to visit again tomorrow. No matter how terrified I am of hospitals, I'd never dream of letting down my youngest sister."

Psalm 139:13-14.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Chapter 4
.

Tonight there was great excitement in the Miller
haus
as it was the first time that all the three sisters who were back at home were able to sit at the table to eat dinner. Martha had to be helped from the wheelchair onto a chair, as the table was too high for her. Her legs were healing well, but as both had been broken, she was unable to hop along like Hannah could. She was getting better at eating with her left hand, but still had to have all her food cut up for her. Martha often said that she wished it had been her right arm that was broken rather than her left.

Mrs. Miller, with Hannah's help, had prepared meatloaf and mashed potatoes. This was also the first time that the girls' physical therapist, Amy Nolt, had accepted Mrs. Miller's invitation to stay for dinner after one of her visits.

"Thank
Der Herr
you're all recovering." Their
mudder
had a tear in her eye.

Hannah was concerned to see her
mudder's
face as she had never really shown any outward affection.

"My back hurts a bit though,
Mamm
," Esther said, "but it's much better than lying on my side to eat. This is
gut
, being able to sit up."

"Don’t sit for too long then, Esther," Amy said. "Go lie down if it hurts too much. You shouldn't overdo it. If it gets worse it will be a long time before you'll be able to sit again."

Esther nodded and ate another mouthful of mashed potato.

Mrs. Miller turned to her husband. "How was your work today?"

Mr. Miller looked down at his food. Hannah suddenly felt that he was hiding something, but then dismissed the idea as fanciful. After all, what on earth could her
daed
be hiding?

"
Gut
." Her usually talkative
daed
had still not looked up, and Hannah was sure that her
mudder
was glaring at him.

"What work do you do, Mr. Miller? Farming?"

Mr. Miller did look up then, and his face relaxed into a smile. "
Nee
, Mrs. Nolt, I used to, but with four girls I decided to scale down the farming and start another business some years ago. My
bruder
and I are woodworkers; we have a furniture store."

Amy Nolt looked interested. "What kind of furniture do you make?"

"Many things. We make cedar bedroom sets, oak ones too, mailboxes, birdhouses, and all sorts of furniture really, from oak, cherry, hickory, and cedar. Rocking chairs are most likely our best sellers."

Amy Nolt nodded. "Oh yes. I know your store; I've been in there a few times. My husband loves the craftsmanship."

There was silence for a while until Mrs. Miller left the table to serve blueberry pie.

"Hannah."

"Yes,
Datt
?" Hannah looked up to see her
daed's
blue eyes twinkling mischievously at her.

"I was speaking to Mr. Hostetler today and he tells me that Mrs. Hostetler could do with some help with sewing quilts."

It took Hannah a moment to realize that her
daed
wanted her to help Mrs. Hostetler. "But
Datt
," she protested, "I'm not
piffling
around; my days are already taken up by helping Hannah and Martha and trying to help
Mamm
, and visiting Rebecca in the hospital!"

Mr. Miller fixed her with a stern look of disapproval. "The pay is
gut
."

Hannah immediately felt ashamed. The medical expenses for her and her sisters were high, and her parents had refused financial help from the Hostetlers. Her parents had of course accepted the free-will plan, where their community had taken up an offering, and then their community had sent to neighboring communities to take up an offering, but it was still not enough to cover all the expenses. The community had also raised funds through food drives. While no one had discussed it openly with her, Hannah had gotten the impression that while these had gone a considerable way to paying the expenses, there was still a shortfall.

Hannah suspected that the Hostetlers had contributed heavily to the free-will plan, but perhaps this was a way the Hostetlers figured they could contribute even more directly, by paying her wages for sewing. But where would she find the time? She was already exhausted. "Of course I will,
Datt
," she said, as convincingly as she could. What choice did she have?

Mr. Miller beamed at her, but at that moment Mrs. Miller came back in with the blueberry pie. "Mrs. Hostetler," she muttered angrily to herself.

Hannah was glad that the physical therapist, Amy Nolt, was there, or further words might have been said.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses," Mr. Miller said, his tone firm. Her
daed
always quoted the Bible to end arguments or to make his point.

Mrs. Miller did not respond, but muttered, "
Scripture smart
" to herself and cut into the blueberry pie with firmer than necessary strokes. Hannah agreed with her
mudder
; she wanted nothing to do with the Hostetler
familye
, but then again, her
familye
needed the money. What if she ran into Noah?
Nee
, surely Mrs. Hostetler would have the good sense to make sure that that would never happen.

"Mrs. Hostetler's store is only one block from the hospital," Mr. Miller added, avoiding his wife's gaze, "so it won't take up any extra taxi money."

Both Esther and Martha shot Hannah sympathetic glances.

Hannah swallowed her mouthful of blueberries. "
Gut
."
Great
, she thought,
now I feel doubly guilty, all the medical bills and with me using money for taxis, just because I can't get over my fear of buggies
. Hannah had suddenly lost her appetite.

After dinner, Amy Nolt left and Hannah did her best to help her
mudder
in the kitchen. Esther's back was a little sore so Hannah filled a hot water bottle and set it in the small of Esther's back. She returned to the kitchen to fill a hot water bottle for Martha and one for herself. This took some doing as she was only able to manage one at a time with her crutches. Hot water bottles all done, she managed to get Martha out of her wheelchair and onto the mattress. Then she helped both girls into their thick, flannel nightgowns.

Hannah opened the potbelly stove door and looked inside. It was almost out of wood. Hannah sighed. The potbelly was great for putting out warmth but it tended to go through too much wood too quickly. The little wood box nearby was empty so Hannah hobbled out to the kitchen to ask her
daed
to fetch more from the wood box on the porch.

As she drew close, she heard her
daed's
voice. "Was mer net weess macht eem net heess."
What you don’t know won’t hurt you
.

"
Nee
, Abraham. You must tell her! What happens when she finds out?" Rachel Miller's voice was insistent.

Hannah hobbled forward on her crutches, wondering if they were talking about her, and at the same time, determined not to eavesdrop.

Her parents both looked at her, startled, and exchanged glances with each other. By their expressions, Hannah was left in no doubt that they
had
been talking about her. "
Mamm
,
Datt
, there's no wood inside for the potbelly stove."

Her
daed
jumped to his feet. "I'll get some now."

Mr. Miller carried wood inside and filled the potbelly stove. He returned with more wood and stacked the wood box. "Are all you girls warm enough?"

"
Jah
,
denki
,
Datt
," they all said.

"
Guten nacht
."

"Good night,
Datt
."

Mr. Miller scurried upstairs. Their
mudder
was still in the kitchen, banging things around. Clearly, she was annoyed.

Hannah changed into her warm nightdress and climbed under the thick blankets which covered her mattress. She normally found warmth comforting. In fact, she normally found the sound of the cold wind outside soothing and the smell of the wood fires cheering, but tonight there was no reassurance to be found. What were her parents keeping from her? And why did her
mudder
want her to know about this mysterious matter but her
daed
did not?