Abram's Daughters 05 The Revelation (2 page)

Jonas smiled at the thought of comical Joe Zook hitching up with Smitty's serious younger daughter. He well recalled Joe's making fast work of ripe tomatoes at barn raisings and corn huskings as a youngster, eating them whole before the women folk could get to slicing them, the red juice dribbling down his neck. While growing up Joe had helped his own father raise truckloads of tomatoes, no doubt the reason for his nickname, Tomato Joe, as the bishop had referred to him when speaking of the location where Preaching was to be held today. Jonas had been reminded once again of how awful long he'd been gone from home and from Leah.

His thoughts drifted back to his years in Ohio, recalling different nicknames for the young men coming up in the church, Gravy Dan being his favorite. The name brought Jonas back to the present with thoughts of the big Sunday morning breakfast his mother was sure to cook up, and he gave the dog a final pat on the belly and headed inside.

But when the time came for all of them to sit down to the delicious food Mamma had carried to the table, Jonas suddenly felt he ought to skip eating. He was strongly impressed to pray during the breakfast hour, just as he had observed the traditional fast day prior to the fall communion service that had taken place here a week ago. Recognizing the significance of this day, Jonas headed to his room, where he knelt to pray at his chair.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within

me.

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Leah got herself settled on the same backless wooden bench "where Sadie, Lydiann, and Aunt Lizzie sat in an attitude of prayer, Waiting For the house-church meeting to begin. Her bare feet HUllVcil softly against the wood floor, and she briefly wondered when lilt* lirst snow might fly, making it necessary to don shoes again.

'Today several hymns from the Ausbund would be sung, including the Lob Lied, always the second hymn. The introductory sermon Would come next, followed by the silent kneeling prayers of the Peo-

I pie, The main sermon, which would undoubtedly address obedience to the baptism vow, the Bible, and the honor due to parents, was

11H >st likely to be given by Bishop Bontrager. Even now the ministers

I > < iv. upstairs, deciding who should give the sermons.

I What will the bishop require of Jonas following his confession?

I She had awakened in the night to nerve-racking dreams, and

1 in>w, us Leah sat surrounded by her family and church friends, she

I Wondered how Jonas was holding up today.

I Her gaze fell on Adah Peachey Ebersol, her best friend and mil in in by marriage. Fondly Leah looked away to her younger sister

I1 iiiiuiah and her three school-age daughters, Ida Mae, Katie Ann, I Iliul M imi, all of them sitting tall in the row directly in front of Leah. Ihltc focused especially on Mimi, whose present delightful disposition hit ire no trace of the fussy, colicky baby she had been, causing HanI(mIi such emotional trauma at the time. Those days were long past, I mud Leah anticipated the little one Hannah was expecting next lipiiiig, curious as to what sort of temperament he or she might have. I Her thoughts of babies led Leah to note a record number of inNiinis i a the house of worship this day. Will I ever have a baby of my\tium . . as Jonas's wife?

I |ust then Ol' Jonathan Lapp rose from his seat and announced I i 11< lirst hymn in a feeble voice, and the People joined him in uniIhmm, filling the farmhouse with the familiar sound. Glad for the op-

11><>i (unity to raise her voice in song, Leah breathed a prayer for God l|{> be near and dear to Jonas throughout this sacred meeting.

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Jonas knew Leah was definitely amongst the crowd in Tomato Joe's front room all voting church members were required to be in attendance. Besides that, he'd caught a blissful glimpse of her outdoors as she, Lydiann, and Lizzie stood together with the other women before the bishop and the preachers had arrived. Oh, the rapture he felt whenever their eyes met, even briefly. When Leah was near when she was in the selfsame room it was as if there was no one else in the world. Just seeing her lovely face, her honest, shining eyes, the bit of hair showing outside her head covering, near the middle part. . .

But no, he must set aside thoughts of Leah, even though she was the singular reason why he was here in this place on this day. It did seem strange not sitting next to his longtime Apple Creek friends at Preaching service, where he'd enjoyed the good fellowship of many other believers while living in Wayne County. Yet this was Leah's place, and so where he belonged. Already it seemed difficult to believe that it was only last week he'd swiftly purchased a train ticket and come home once he knew for certain, via Abram Ebersol's letter to him, that Leah was a maidel, having never married. His heart had not allowed room for another love, so here he sat, waiting for the moment when Bishop Bontrager would give the nod and present him to the church membership.

His stomach rumbled unexpectedly during the deacon's reading of the Scripture, yet he was thankful to have skipped breakfast in favor of spending time in prayer. Reverently he had once again cornmitted this meeting, as well as his future and Leah's to the guidance of the Almighty.

When Leah's brother-in-law Preacher Gid went to stand before the People, Jonas was particularly interested in observing his manner this man whom he had been fooled into thinking had been the downfall of his and Leah's affection years ago. The brawny man who'd married bashful Hannah instead of Abram's Leah had an unflinching gaze. How ironic that this relatively young man was now one of the Gobbler's Knob preachers!

Slowly, piece by piece, Jonas was taking in all he'd missed during his lengthy absence. But more essential than fitting together details about people and events would be standing humbly before God and the local church this fine autumn day. . ;

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jt'rring Jonas kneeling now before the bishop stirred up something (I 'ih hadn't expected to encounter, and she felt as if she might fail |i" iippress the lump in her throat. Her beloved looked terribly vullin i .ible, bending low that way, admitting to a transgression that was Ik* .ncely sin. At least, she'd never come across such a thing in the l|)ti|4cs of the Bible, although she knew the People viewed keeping If 1 ic* Ordnung agreed upon each year at council meeting as equal to Iholy submission unto God. She could no longer hold back tears as IJonas confessed in hushed tones to having abandoned the church of bis baptism. *

I Sadie reached over and covered Leah's hand with her own, Iwliich made Leah's silent tears fall all the faster. There he was, her Idea rest love, requesting pardon from the brethren and the memberIghip as a whole, having returned here for her, in answer to the love Ble'd carried in his heart for these many years ... in the hopes of Kit king her as his bride someday. For sure and for certain, that undyIlig love was the one and only reason behind the genuine penitence hat seemed to flow from Jonas's very soul.

|l Abram had been altogether curious to observe how this aspect f the membership meeting might turn out, but he had not expected he bishop to insist on a six-month Proving before Jonas could be

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considered a voting member again. Unne^ ^ mine. Of course, it was not nearly as long \

ended up being, though that had been het\ ssary, far as he could detersaw it, Jonas Mast's past disobedience had \^ Sadie's time of testing had ing the whim of one man than God's \ rWn doing. The way Abram was mighty good. It was rather obvious My1016 to ^ W1X^ not f U w~ mained in Ohio when he'd heard and ^V^ anc^ ms record in Ohio ried another any upstanding AmishmA^ytne young Jonas had rebut this was not for Abram to argue. H^umed that Leah had marup, even though he was partially respona might have done as much,

He sighed inwardly, wondering if'l ^ ms indignation rising Jonas's Proving. From as far back as Ida1 ^ le f r what had befallen, followed by Abram's own coming to fai^ ^e was also to blame for with son-in-law Gid Abram and the bil early spiritual questioning, Was Bontrager retaliating by punishing V" and his good friendship to marry Abram's Leah? rhop hadn't seen eye to eye.

The bishop was making a declarat; he man wh had returned was not in any way pleased with Jonas'A

fancy furniture as a livelihood, "no rru ^ now' anc^ ^ was c^ear ^e doin' in other places." The man of W. inclination toward making Jonas's shoulders and stated, "You mi)r1:er wnat our brethren are worldly thing." \0(^ placed both hands on

Abram felt his breath nearly go out * turn your back on that own ears such narrow-mindedness. Duu

Jonas was to earn his living primarily J, f mm as he heard with his the menfolk present, although he woup !**g t^ie time f his Proving, harness or blacksmith shop, as well. W t^e land, like the rest of vote on this decision, but Abram felt c^ be allowed to work in the opposition to what they knew Bishop BV^e membership had yet to

The bishop continued. "I appoint \Vtain no one would stand in this important time in your service to wMrager wanted, toward Gid. preacher Peachey to oversee

What on earth? Surely he must not 4^ ^ an^ nian." He nodded Abram thought. But no, the bishop waA

preacher to come and stand with \uXVe thought this one through, blushing face distinguished him amonA Motioning for the steadfast

* * * ^> and Gid's unmistakably

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A cold shiver ran down Leah's back and she held herself stiffly. IIit* bishop was making a formal pronouncement, saying, "The I ni'tl (iod heavenly Father of us all is manifest in the nearness to nail i ic, the soil the good earth and the best way to stay close to the Multcr of heaven and earth is to till and plow the land and harvest its iibtindance."

There was no doubt now the bishop would not tolerate Jonas's (rtlent and enthusiasm for making desks and other lovely wooden

Itlrces. And with her beau's submissive response came the death of lit* creative gift; she was helpless to stop what was happening before hn eyes. Leah sat straight as a yardstick, willing her breath to come iluwly, more evenly. / can't let Jonas agree to do this for me . . . this horrid thing.

At once she wished she might be more outspoken like Lizzie and M.nnina and talk up to the church brethren.

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This bishop is beyond reason, Sadie decided as she shoved a clothesI ' 11 down on the shoulder of the dress while hanging out the wash nly Monday morning. She thought back to the Preaching service mrday and to Jonas 'slaving obviously expected the right hand of i 111 iwship from the bishop and not received it. She'd seen the light of " "dpiuion in his eyes all of them had. And for what? Only to disi'l' that he must submit himself to a Proving and miss out on mar'ig Leah this wedding season. Truth was, without being reinstated i church member, Jonas could not marry Leah or anyone. Hardly seems fair, Sadie thought, but she'd learned not to ques-

11. .ii this bishop. It was best to do as you were told and nothing less. She set her mind to the work of hanging out the wet clothing in i" orderly fashion Dat's and Abe's trousers lined up together, folI x\ by their shirts, and then the women of the family's cape i -iscs and aprons, each item in a grouping all its own, like the co-

i lumted design of the colorful squares she had been carefully cutin ip, so she and her sisters could stitch up another beautiful quilt this winter.

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Around midmorning, Aunt Lizzie returned from a trip to Georgetown to stock up on necessary fabric and other sewing notions at Fishers' General Store, her face purple. When Sadie asked about it, Lizzie held up her thumb, which looked as injured as anything Sadie had ever seen. "Goodness, Aendi, what'd you do?" asked Sadie, coming to her side.

"Smashed my thumb in a car door gettin' out," she said. "I rode along with Miriam Peachy and her Adah we hired us a Mennonite driver."

"Aw, let's have a look-see." Sadie led her quickly to the sink, where they gently rinsed the blood off the bruised thumb.

"Abram won't be happy 'bout this." Lizzie was shaking her head. "Drivers are to be used as a last resort."

"Dat won't care you went thataway," Sadie reassured her. "He's hired a driver plenty of times for longer trips."

"I s'pose there's a reason for everything." Lizzie muttered something about getting more behind the hurrier she went. She stared at her thumb and tried to move it but winced at the pain. "I daresay it's broken."

"Best soak it in cold water," Sadie replied. "I'll go 'n' get Dat."

"No, don't be botherin' your father. I'll be just fine."

"But, Aunt Lizzie "

"Now, ya heard me. I'll just wrap it with a cold cloth and take myself off to rest a bit."

Sadie tried again to persuade her aunt to let her fetch Dat, but Lizzie was adamant. With a determined glance she hurried toward the stairs, still fretting about riding in a fancy car. "Ach, and goin' much too fast."

Heading slowly to the staircase herself, Sadie listened, taking care to determine her aunt had made it safely upstairs. She'd known some folk to pass out from the pain of a broken bone, and women folk were more prone to such fainting spells.

Once she heard the bed creak with the weight of weary Lizzie,

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Sutlic went to the front room and began dusting, glad Leah had gone up to the log house to help Hannah do some fall housedeaning. A right good thing to get Leah's mind off the lack of Imias's reinstatement.

She could only imagine how Leah must be feeling. Though S.ulie knew it to be so, most everyone suspected the reason why |oiias had come back was to marry his childhood sweetheart at long lust. That was one secret not to be kept, for the light of love was evident on both of their faces. Sadly, their marriage would not take place this year. Jonas wouldn't be recognized as a member till next ipring, once his Proving was past. . . and then only if the bishop el lose to extend the hand of fellowship at that time.

Stepping out the front door to shake out her dustcloth, Sadie Hubs quite relieved her days of close scrutiny were over. Because, just His past week, Leah had begun talking about the thirty-eight-year^n who had come along from Ohio with the other traded men. The ^Iheaded man with the sturdy frame was called Eli Yoder, and Leah Hpmed rather convinced he might be someone for Sadie, though Hpie couldn't help wondering who would want her for a wife, since Trie had been unable to give birth to a living, breathing baby ixccpt, of course, for Jake.