Читать книгу Jedidiah's Bride - Rebecca Kertz - Страница 11

Chapter Two

Saturday, after a day spent at the Sale, Jed and Arlin returned to their cousin’s house and pitched in to ready the Miller property for tomorrow’s church services. The bench wagon had been pulled up to the barn. Services would be held in a large open area in the new building. Jed grabbed a bench, carried it inside and set it down. “This in the right place?” he asked their cousin and host, Pete Miller.

“Ja, that is gut,” Pete said. “We’ll need all of the benches in the wagon and some of the chairs from inside the house. We have guests coming from another district. I hope we have enough room.”

Jedidiah studied the huge barn that had been cleared for tomorrow’s use and nodded. “Looks to me like you’ll seat fifty to sixty easily. Will there be more than sixty coming?”

“Nay.” Pete took off his straw hat and wiped his brow with his shirtsleeve. “Maybe just under fifty.”

“No need to worry, then,” Arlin said. “You’ll have plenty of room without the chairs.”

Jedidiah, Arlin and Pete made several trips with benches. Pete’s two eldest sons pitched in to help finish the job, as did two other churchmen who arrived a half hour after they had. It wasn’t long before the room was set up with benches on three sides facing the area where the appointed preacher would stand and speak. The women would sit on one side, the men on the other. Women with their children would remain together, listening and singing the hymns sung every church Sunday. After services, the church community would gather outside to enjoy the midday meal. The women had prepared food prior to Sunday, and cold meat, salads, vegetables and desserts would be shared among the families. The men usually ate first, with the women and children taking their meal afterward, but tomorrow would be different. The church elders had decided that families would be allowed to eat together this church Sunday.

After they’d finished with the benches and brought in the Ausbund hymnals, the men lingered outside and enjoyed glasses of lemonade from the pitcher that Pete’s daughter Lydia had brought them. As they quenched their thirst, they chatted about Sunday services, the weather and the crops they’d planted this year.

“Pete! Arlin! You bring Jed and the others in for supper!” Pete’s wife, Mary, called out to them in the yard. She stood inside the screen door and redirected her attention to Ned Troyer as he climbed onto the bench wagon and took up the leathers. “Ned, come inside to eat.” She stepped out into the yard and approached.

“I appreciate the offer, Mary,” Ned said, “but Sally is waiting for me at home.” He leaned over the side of the wagon and lowered his voice. “She’s made some gut strawberry jam.” He grinned. “I convinced her to make tarts for tomorrow.”

Mary smiled. “Tell her we look forward to tasting her tarts. The berries are extra sweet this year. I haven’t made jam yet—we’ve been too busy eating the fresh berries.”

“Ja,” Ned said. “Strawberry shortcake...fresh strawberries and cream. A gut year for Delaware strawberries!” He clicked his tongue and steered the horse toward the road. “See ya tomorrow.”

“Ja,” Pete said. He turned toward his cousins as Ned headed home. “Jed, there will be a singing here tomorrow night. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Jed nodded. He enjoyed singings. Back home in Happiness, Pennsylvania, he’d been the one to lead the first hymn. He liked gathering with friends, spending time with the young people in his community and those nearby. He was now older than many who attended. His brother Noah married last year. He was twenty-two and should be wed himself by now, but he hadn’t found the right woman. He’d thought for a time that she might be Annie Zook, but there seemed to be something missing between them. Annie would make a wonderful wife, but she wouldn’t be his. When they discussed their relationship, he and Annie had reached the conclusion that they would be better friends than sweethearts. There were other girls who watched him as if interested, but Jed didn’t have strong feelings for any of them. He wanted to find a love like his brother Noah had. He longed to find a woman who fully captured his heart and loved him completely in return.

Someone is out there waiting for me. He knew it. He hoped he’d find her sooner than later. He wasn’t getting any younger. He was the eldest son of Katie and Samuel Lapp, and he wondered if he’d ever find love...a love like Noah and Rachel’s...a love like his dat and mam’s. He wasn’t going to settle for anyone just to wed, even though he knew that many who married eventually came to love his or her spouse. It wouldn’t be fair to marry any woman unless he truly loved her.

* * *

Sunday morning, Sarah sat in the back of the family buggy, a pie and a cake cradled on her lap. “You all right, Mam?” she asked as she leaned toward the front seat.

Her mother turned to smile at her. “Ja, I’m fine, Sarah. Stop your worrying.”

Her dat glanced back briefly to meet Sarah’s gaze before turning his attention toward the road. Sarah knew Dat was as concerned as she. It had been too long that her mother felt poorly. Mam was pale and constantly tired. She prayed that God would make her well soon.

“It’s a lovely day for church services,” Sarah said to fill the silence.

“Ja,” her mother agreed. “It’s nice to get out and about. I look forward to visiting with our friends after church.”

Sarah felt the same way. She was glad Mam was feeling well enough today to visit. She never missed a Sunday church service, but Dat usually took her home immediately afterward.

The only sound for a time was the clip-clop of their mare Jennie’s hooves on the paved road as they headed toward the Millers’ farm, the location for this Sunday’s church services. Sarah’s young twin brothers were surprisingly silent beside her. She glanced over and realized why. Just that quickly the boys had fallen asleep. Each child looked nice in his white shirt, black vest and black pants. They had managed to keep their clothes clean this morning and their usual wild mop of red hair beneath their black Sunday-best hat neatly combed. She smiled; they were miniature versions of their father. They were gut boys and they did listen and obey her, but still, she didn’t always know what to expect from them.

There was a shift in the direction of the vehicle as Daniel Mast steered the horse onto the dirt lane that led to the Miller farm. Suddenly, Mam turned toward Sarah. “I don’t want you to fuss over me,” she said, holding her daughter’s glance before shifting to send the same message silently to her husband.

“You will tell us if you’re tired?” her father asked softly.

“Ja,” she said. “I will come to you or send someone to find you.”

“Fair enough, then,” Sarah’s dat replied as he pulled the horse into the Millers’ barnyard and parked the vehicle within the row of family buggies on the left side of the dirt drive.

* * *

Dressed in his black Sunday best, Jedidiah stood on the Millers’ front porch and watched as buggies rolled down the dirt lane to the farmhouse and parked in the barnyard.

“Do you know anyone?” Jed asked his uncle, who stood beside him.

“A few,” Arlin said. He ran a hand over his bearded chin. “I recognize the Samuel Yoders. That’s Samuel getting out of that buggy near the barn. He has five sons and a baby on the way. He lives on the neighboring farm.”

“Is that his oldest son?” Jedidiah asked, studying a lad of about twelve years old.

Arlin rubbed his beard as he followed the direction of Jed’s gaze. “Ja, that’s young Abe.”

Jedidiah instantly thought of his mother and wondered how she’d coped when he’d been that young age with four brothers not long behind him. It couldn’t have been easy for Katie Lapp, but his mam had taken joy in raising her sons. It had never occurred to him how much work Mam had endured as a mother to five sons. And since then, she’d given birth to two more sons and a daughter.

Another vehicle pulled into the yard. Jedidiah watched casually as the driver stopped the buggy and climbed down from the carriage. The bearded older man went around to the other side to help someone out of the vehicle, while a young woman climbed from the backseat on the driver’s side, a dish in each hand.

He felt his heart give a lurch, then pound rapidly as he noted the shock of red-gold hair peeking out from beneath her black bonnet. Sarah Mast, he thought. The young mother stood with her hands full near the buggy while her sons Thomas and Timothy scurried out after her. He saw her bend to speak briefly with the twins, watched as the boys nodded before racing toward a group of youngsters who stood waiting outside the barn for church services. He saw the driver—Sarah’s husband? Nay, her dat, he suspected—had helped someone out of the carriage. Sarah’s mother?

Jed frowned. Where is Sarah’s husband?

He watched Sarah pause to wait for the other woman to catch up before they headed toward the Miller farmhouse together. The older woman carried a basket. Jedidiah didn’t know what possessed him to move in her direction, but within seconds, he was reaching out to relieve the frail older woman of her burden. “Let me,” he said with a smile. The basket wasn’t heavy.

Sarah’s mother looked up at him and responded in kind. “’Tis nice of you,” the woman gasped, out of breath.

Jed turned toward her daughter. “Sarah,” he greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Jedidiah.” Sarah looked surprised to see him. Her voice was soft and slightly breathless. “I thought you would have gone home by now.”

“Nay. We leave tomorrow.” He could sense Sarah’s mam’s curiosity. He nodded at the woman respectfully.

Sarah made introductions. “Mam, this is Jedidiah—” She paused a second. “Jed—”

“Lapp,” he supplied, amused.

“Ja.” Sarah nodded and Jed saw her blush as she looked away. “We met at the Sale. He’s from Lancaster. Jed was the man I told you about—the one who grabbed the twins before they got hit by a car.” She turned to Jed. “Jed, this is Ruth Mast, my mam.”

Jed took off his hat. “Nice to meet you.”

Her mother stopped to study him more closely, making Jed slightly uncomfortable under the intensity of her regard. And then the woman smiled, and Jed relaxed. “Thank the Lord that you were there to save my sons,” she said. Unlike Sarah’s red-gold hair, Ruth’s hair was dark brown with streaks of soft gray. Sarah had inherited her mother’s features—nose, chin, smile, but not her hair or eye color. Ruth’s eyes were green, while Sarah’s gaze was a vivid shade of bright blue.

Jed glanced over to check on Ruth’s progress. Satisfied that she was managing, he held out a hand for Sarah’s cake plate. With Ruth’s basket in one arm and Sarah’s cake plate in the other, he escorted the two women to the Miller house. Mary Miller came to the door as they climbed the porch steps.

“Ruth! Sarah!” Mary greeted as she came forward to accept the family’s food offerings.

“Ruth’s,” Jed explained as he handed his cousin the basket and gave Edna Byler, a neighbor who’d followed closely behind Mary, Sarah’s cake. “I will talk with you later,” he told the two women.

“Will you sit at our table for the midday meal?” Ruth asked.

Jed smiled. “I would like that.”

“We will see you then,” Sarah’s mother said as she carefully climbed the porch steps.

Sarah nodded as Jed met her gaze before she followed her mother into the house. Jed looked back to see her standing at the screen door. She quickly moved inside and disappeared from sight.

Sons? He suddenly realized what Ruth had said.

Thank the Lord that you were there to save my sons. The twins weren’t Ruth’s grandsons, nor were they Sarah’s sons, Jed realized. They were Ruth’s sons...and Sarah’s brothers!

And now he understood why there was no husband in sight for Sarah. She wasn’t married and didn’t have children! Jed suddenly felt elated.

I’ll be eating at Sarah’s table. Jed was pleased at Ruth’s invitation. He was leaving tomorrow, but until then, he could enjoy the day, learning more about Sarah Mast. He grinned happily, buoyed by the prospect.

Soon, the community and their guests gathered for church inside the Millers’ new barn. The service began with a hymn from the Ausbund. Jed realized that his community back in Happiness, Pennsylvania, sang the same hymn during services, but the melody was different. Still, Jed was able to catch on quickly, and he sang the hymn with confidence with the rest of the congregation.

Jed saw Sarah, who was seated beside her mother and twin brothers, listen intently as Preacher Byler addressed the church members. He couldn’t help look her way from time to time until he saw her glance in his direction and then back over her shoulder as if she could tell someone was watching her.

He focused his full attention on the preacher and didn’t gaze in Sarah’s direction again...although he was conscious of her for the rest of the service.

* * *

Sarah tried not to look in Jedidiah’s direction, but a prickling along the back of her neck made her wonder if he’d been watching her. Several times she glanced his way only to see that he paid strict attention to Sunday services. Sarah realized that she must have imagined his stare. But then the feeling of being watched came back so strongly that she took a quick look behind her. If Jed wasn’t studying her, then who was?

Jed stood outside the barn door as Sarah left with her twin brothers. “May I help carry out the food?” he asked.

Sarah shook her head. “We can manage. You’d best join the men. There’s my dat. You can sit at that table. The rest of us will join you shortly.” She watched as her two older brothers sat down near her father. “There is Toby and Ervin. They are older than me.”

Jed studied the two young men who sat across from their father. “How many siblings do you have?”

“Besides the twins and the two eldest?” she asked. He nodded. “I have an older sister. Emma married and moved to Ohio with her husband, James.”

“I see.” Jed seemed thoughtful as he looked away briefly. “Then you are the only daughter at home.” He focused his eyes on her.

“Ja,” Sarah admitted. Jed’s intense regard made her quickly look away.

“Your mam...she is unwell?”

Taken off guard, Sarah flashed him a look. “She says she is fine.”

“But you don’t believe it.” His voice was soft.

Sarah sighed as she felt the warmth of his concern. “Nay. She has been tired and sick for weeks now.”

His expression filled with sympathy. “Is there anything I can do?”

His response surprised her. “I appreciate your kindness. Ja, there is something you can do...pray for her.”

“I shall keep her in my prayers,” Jed said quietly.

Sarah blinked back tears. “Danki.” She took a deep breath and pulled herself together. “I must go inside. Please...feel free to sit at our family table. I can introduce you first if you’d like.”

Jed suddenly grinned, and Sarah felt her face warm. “Go help inside. I can introduce myself.” He turned and headed toward the table.

Sarah stood a moment as she saw Jed speak with her father and brothers, watched as her father gestured for Jed to sit across from him. Her brothers shifted on the bench to make room for Jed, who then sat next to her eldest brother, Ervin. Relieved at how well her family appeared to receive him, Sarah headed toward the Miller farmhouse.

Sarah felt a lurch in her chest as she entered the house with thoughts of Jedidiah. Women filled Mary’s kitchen, working to unwrap food that had been prepared previously. She attempted to force Jed from her mind. “What can I do to help?” she asked as Mary set a casserole dish on the counter.

“You can start with those,” her mother said, gesturing toward platters of meat and bowls of salads. She uncovered a bowl of potato salad and moved to place it next to the casserole dish.

Mary gestured for her mother to sit. “Ruth Mast, don’t you overdo!” She smiled at Sarah’s mother. “We like having you here.”

Sarah was happy to see her mother take a seat. “I’ll be careful,” Mam said.

Pleased that her mother was able to join the day’s meal, Sarah made numerous trips outside as she carried platters of cold meat, bowls of homemade potato salad and coleslaw, and dried corn casserole to the food tables. She was glad that Mary refused to let her mother carry anything, happier yet to note that Ruth Mast didn’t object but remained seated in the kitchen until all of the food had been uncovered or unearthed from the gas refrigerator and brought outside. After the meal, they would take the leftovers inside and return to put out the desserts.

Men, women and children mingled, enjoying the food. Sarah set down the last dish on the food table. Where was Jed? She didn’t immediately see him at her family table. She searched the grounds until she found him standing by a tree not far from the table as if he was waiting for her. His eyes brightened as Jed watched her approach. He nodded as she drew closer.

“Hungry?” he asked.

Sarah inclined her head. “You?” His answer was a slow smile that did odd things to her insides.

The food was set up as a buffet for folks to fill their plates. Should I ask him what he wants to eat? she wondered. She needed to fix a plate for Mam. Then her thoughts centered on the brush of his hand on her arm, the touch of his arm against hers, as they walked side by side toward the buffet tables. Sarah felt her heart pumping hard and she had trouble concentrating as she followed behind Jed and they each filled plates. She was puzzled at first when she saw Jed fix a second plate, asking her opinion as he chose food. It was then that she realized that he was filling a plate for her mother. Touched by his thoughtfulness, she blinked back tears.

They went back to the table to find two seats vacant across from each other. When Jed set the plate before Mam, then took his seat, Sarah’s mother seemed as moved by Jed’s kindness as Sarah had been.

Sarah enjoyed the cold roast beef, dried-corn casserole and potato salad, while Jed, she noted, had chosen a slice of ham, sweetened green beans and a huge helping of macaroni salad. They looked at each other’s plates, saw the differences and chuckled.

“I like it all,” Jed said.

Sarah nodded, but she realized that he had chosen carefully for her mother. “I love those beans, but I get them whenever I want, since I made them using Mam’s recipe.”

Jed’s eyes flickered. “You bake and cook.”

Sarah nodded. “Ja, of course.” She didn’t want to tell him that she’d been doing all of the cooking these past few months, that Mam was too tired and feeling poorly to do much more than peel potatoes or snap the ends off store-bought fresh green beans. She saw that he’d guessed the truth by the way he studied her.

Everyone enjoyed the meal. Sarah was pleased to see how at ease Jed seemed in the company of her family, and she smiled and laughed as her father told stories of her twin brothers’ antics on their farm. For Sarah, the meal passed too quickly.