The Memory Jar (28 page)

Jathan nodded and offered Sarah his arm, but when she glanced up at him, she noticed his face had grown pale.

“Is it going to be too hard … going in there without yer d
at
?”

He shrugged. “I spent some time with him this afternoon. I read his favorite chapter in Psalms and his eyes were on me. I could have sworn he understood. But this will be the first time I’ll be going out to the shop since his stroke.”

“Can I meet him?” she asked. “Before we go to the shop, can we stop by the
dawdi
house?”

“Yes, of course, Sarah.
Danki. Danki
for asking.”

Jathan led the way, and Sarah prepared herself for what she was about to see. But when she entered the bedroom of the small house, a smile filled her face. Jathan’s father lay in a hospital bed, but his face was as peaceful as if he were sleeping. His hair was gray, but she would have recognized Jathan’s features anywhere. A younger woman sat in a chair next to him.

“Sarah, this is my niece Belinda. She’s Catherine’s older sister.”

Belinda rose and offered a quick hug. Her hair was as red as any Sarah had seen and freckles dotted her nose. “Glad to meet you. I’ll leave you two to be with
Opa
.” She held up a novel in her hand. “It’ll give me a chance to get another book, too, in the big house. I finished this one thirty minutes ago.”

Belinda hustled out of the room.

“It’s
gut
everyone is helping out.”

“
Ja
, I have a
gut
family.”

Sarah stepped closer and noticed Mr. Schrock’s wide forehead and fine nose. “You look like him,” she said.

“I get that often.”

Sarah chuckled. “Yer
Mem
says yer stubborn like him too.”

Jathan nodded. “That’s probably true.”

Sarah neared and took Mr. Schrock’s hand in hers. He stirred slightly and she leaned closer. “You don’t know me yet, but I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Sarah, and I think yer son is pretty special.” She paused and wrinkled her nose. “Yer youngest one that is. The others I know are already taken.”

His eyelashes fluttered as if he were trying to open his eyes. Sarah gasped. “Did you see that?”

“
Ja
, today his eyes were open as I read. It’s a good sign. He’s probably trying to open his eyes now to get a good look at the woman who would be crazy enough to care fer his son.” Jathan laughed, and then his face grew serious. “Or maybe to see if yer face is as beautiful as yer voice, which it is.”

Sarah blushed, but she didn’t look away. She soaked in his gaze the same way she soaked in the evening sunlight coming through the window.

“Thank you fer coming out here.” He motioned to the doorway. “But we better get to the shop before dinner.
Mem
will have a fit if the food gets cold waiting fer us.”

Sarah nodded, but she had a hard time releasing Jathan’s father’s hand. Tears filled her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Jathan took her free hand in his.

“
Ja
… it jest makes me remember,” she said.

“Patty?” he whispered her friend’s name.

“It’s been better lately, but a memory was attached to every
wooded path. So I stayed inside, and I hid away in the kitchen. I started working more hours at the restaurant. In the kitchen I didn’t have to think about Patty. It kept me busy. I enjoyed the new friendships with the customers there, but …”

“But it wasn’t the same, was it?”

“No. I got mad at God for a while. Why — out of everyone — did he have to take my best friend? I tried to talk to my
Mem
about it, but she said the same thing as everyone else. That Patty is resting in peace compared to life in this troubled world. She meant the words to give me reassuring strength, but until lately, all I felt was numb.”

Sarah released Mr. Schrock’s hand. “Well, that’s how I used to feel until I met you. Jathan, please don’t take these words wrongly, but I’m glad you couldn’t figure out how to get us back out of those woods that night. I’m glad we had time to talk … to get to know each other better.”

“
Ja
, me too.” He stroked his hand down her jawline. “I’m not sure where I’d be or what I’d be doing if it weren’t fer you. I’d most likely be working in the factory, completely miserable.”

A clock in the room chimed five o’clock and he pulled back slightly. “Come. There’s more I need to show you.”

She followed Jathan out of the
dawdi
house and to the other building and waited as he opened the door to the workshop. The fragrance of wood shavings met Sarah as she walked into the shop. To her, it was the smell of her back porch at home — the place her father stored up wood for the stove.

As Sarah looked around, it was the array of colors that surprised her most. Wood colors, from light to dark.

Sarah neared the pile and eyed the wood. “I never really thought about all the different types of wood before. It makes me realize the wonder of our Creator even more.”

Jathan’s face brightened. “Ja. Some people think you can use any wood for any project. That’s not the case. Beech is for carving. Pine and chestnut are best for boards. Many people like cabinets out of maple. We use a lot of maple around here.” A wistfulness crept into Jathan’s voice.

Sarah placed a comforting hand upon his forearm. “You thinking about yer
Dat
?”

“
Ja
. When we walked in, my eyes immediately went to his workbench. I expected him to be there — tall and strong. The man you see in the bed, curled up and quiet, that’s not my Dat, Sarah.”

“I wish I could have known him … before.”

Jathan nodded. “I wish you could have too.”

In the shadows of his father’s shop, Jathan scanned the quiet work area while Sarah ran her fingers over the back of a child’s bench. A smile grew on her face when she pictured a young boy and girl sitting on the bench listening to their mother’s story. When she looked closer, Sarah noticed initials on the back.
J.S
.

Jathan?
She leaned down to get a closer look. “This craftsmanship, it’s beautiful. Did you do this?”

“
Ja
, but I’m afraid I didn’t get high marks from my
bruder
. I like it though, and I was saving it to give to some of my nieces and nephews — a family gift.”

The wood was reddish brown and polished to perfection. The design was simple yet unique with a heart-shaped back. “How could you not get high marks? It’s perfect.”

“That’s the problem. I spent too much time on it.” Jathan approached “I want to enjoy the process, but all Yonnie understands is the bottom line. The more we can produce in the least amount of time, the more profit we make. That’s when it was decided.”

“What?”

“That I would work in the factory. I could make more money there than I could in this shop.”

Sarah frowned, not liking his answer. “I know you told me that was the plan, but when did things change? How did you end up in the bakery with me?”

“I convinced them that I could make more money there. That
we
could make more money. If we can grow our business and increase profits, it’ll help the whole family. It’ll also take some of the stress off
Mem
. She’s getting older, and I want her to be able to have more time with
Dat
. Who knows how long he’ll be around?”

“I’m happy to be part of yer grand scheme. I hope I won’t let you down.”

“That’ll never happen. Never.”

“
Ach
, I wouldn’t be sure about that. I’ve been known to have a temper, and I like my own way. You should have seen me when my
bruder
switched the salt and sugar as a joke.”

He chuckled. “I saw the jar and the snake, remember?”

“Oh,
ja
.” She patted her cheek. “Some first impression there.” She remembered the humor in his eyes when she’d tossed that snake into the grass. At the time, she’d disliked the way he’d looked at her, but now … she imagined she would have laughed at herself too.

Jathan approached and removed his hat, scratching the top of his head. “That wasn’t a first impression.”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw you in the restaurant … often.”

“I remember now. With so many ba …” She let her words trail off and bit her lip. “Never mind.”

“I know what you were going to say. With so many bachelors,
it makes it hard to distinguish one from another. I admit, I’m not one to stand out.”

“
Ja
, that might be true to start, but once I did get to know you, I discovered yer someone worth getting to know. I’m looking forward to that. To getting to know you better.” Sarah’s fingers slid off the bench as she walked to the next piece of furniture. “As surprising as it might be, Jathan. I didn’t jest come to make cupcakes.”

He smiled softly, but she could tell cupcakes were the last thing on his mind.

“Sometimes I wish I loved this place as much as he wanted me to.” Jathan leaned forward and braced his hands on the unfinished table as if the rough wood was his only security. He closed his eyes, and Sarah saw the ache of a young boy.

The sound of a hammering from beyond a closed side door caught her attention.

Mixed in with the pounding of the hammer, Sarah heard singing. She paused. She couldn’t remember ever hearing her father or brothers in song. And at their church services, they always sat on the other side of the room.

“Does he always sing?”

“Yonnie?
Ja
.”

“He enjoys his work then?”

“Very much so.”

Jathan opened the connecting door and they entered. It was another wood shop similar to the first, but much neater, with a row of finished furniture pieces lined against the wall.

Yonnie glanced up and nodded to them with a slight movement of his chin before focusing his eyes back on the task at hand. He put down the hammer and slid a carving knife down what looked to be a coatrack in the process of being built. The
shaved curls of wood reminded Sarah of the way her sister Evelyn’s hair dried after a bath. The golden brown was the same color too. Thinking of her sister caused a small pinch in Sarah’s heart, but glancing over at Jathan soothed the sore spot.

As he watched his brother, Jathan moved his weight from one leg to the other, as if wanting to be anywhere but there.

Sarah grasped his arm, causing him to jump slightly. “Can we see the barn?” she asked excitedly, as if she’d been waiting for that very thing all day.

“
Ja
, all right.” He turned and led the way.

Instead of opening the doors wide to let in the evening light, Jathan lit the lantern and closed the doors behind them. “If my nieces and nephews see the doors open, they’ll be all over my horse. She’s an old gal, and I’d like to protect her from that.”

He took Sarah’s hand and led her to the first row of stalls. “Besides, I don’t think the two of you have been properly introduced yet.”

The barn smelled of fresh hay and the sweat of horses. Sarah also smelled the leather of the harness too. Those scents made her ache for
Dat
.

She blew out a breath, telling herself that being here, being with Jathan, was worth it. Except for meeting Anna, so far everything was going just as she had hoped.

“This is Patience.” Jathan patted the nose of a dun-colored Appaloosa that looked to be older than Sarah.

The horse smelled of grass and sweat. She smelled of hard work.

“Yer a pretty thing, aren’t you?” Sarah patted the horse’s nose. Patience pricked her ears. “So yer the other lady who’s captured Jathan’s heart?”

Patience snorted and pressed her nose under Sarah’s armpit.

Sarah reached up and scratched behind her ear like she used to do to Patty’s dog. Patty’s family had been too heartbroken to keep the dog, but it made her happy to know that the dog — now called Trapper — had a new owner, Marianna, who loved him very much.

Poor thing. Patty’s dog had wandered the forests near the West Kootenai for nearly a year, refusing to join any other home. Sarah had tried to bring him home at least a dozen times, but he’d only run away. Thankfully, the Sommer family had moved in. Trapper had quickly embraced the new family that now lived in the home of his former family. Maybe because Marianna seemed to need him as much as Patty had.

Sarah glanced over at Jathan. Maybe that’s what worked about their relationship. They needed each other. Each needed the other to believe in his or her dreams.

Sarah stepped back from the horse and opened her mouth to tell Jathan they should get back, but she couldn’t force herself to say the words. Being with him, looking at this place, brought a connection to him she hadn’t felt before.

He must have felt it too, because he bent his head to look at her hands.

She glanced up at the shadow the lantern cast. In the shadow, it appeared Sarah and Jathan were connected at the shoulders — a broad-shouldered giant with two heads. She smiled at the mental image, but in a way it was a perfect symbol of their growing relationship. They had different strengths and different smarts, but together they worked as one.

Jathan turned his head, and she could tell from the shadow that he was looking at her. She glanced up. His eyes were dark. The softest smile touched his lips.

“I love you, Sarah Shelter.” The words were so soft, she almost didn’t believe she heard them. “But there is something I need to tell you —”

“Jathan, Sarah!” A voice called into the barn. The door swung open and one of Jathan’s nieces stepped in. “You in there?”

Jathan took a step back. “
Ja
, we’ll be right there.” He turned to the door.

“Did you have something to tell me?” She looked into his face. The deep passion from a moment before was gone.

“I will when the time is right, Sarah. It’s nothing.” He shrugged. “Jest something from my past I think you should know.”

Ten minutes later, Sarah sat in a chair at a long dining room table filled with food — mashed potatoes, gravy, fried chicken, roast beef, dressing, corn, salad, pie, cornbread and butter.

She looked around.
Can you see yerself a part of this for the rest of yer life?
A half a dozen conversations were happening at once. Bursts of laughter rose and fell with the clinking of forks and knives on plates.