Accidentally Amish (39 page)

“That doesn’t mean she’ll be glad to see me. You have to be Amish to understand.” Ruth looked down at her long brown skirt. “She’ll hate what I’m wearing. And Sophie will be in trouble for writing to me.”

“Surely under the circumstances they would all want you to know what happened.”

“You might think so.”

They didn’t speak for a long time after that. Annie followed the directions displayed by the navigation system in her dash.
You have to be Amish to understand.
The simple sentence tolled in Annie’s head. She was fond of the whole Beiler family and curious about her own family roots. But no, she was not Amish.

Finally, the hospital was in sight. Annie found street parking close to the main entrance.

“You’re coming in, aren’t you?” Ruth asked. “Rufus will want to see you, won’t he?”

Annie shrugged. “Not sure.”

“I need someone.” Ruth pleaded with those violet eyes that were just like Rufus’s. “Please come in.”

They walked through the sliding doors together and stopped at the information desk. Rufus was still listed as a patient on the floor just above them.

“Get off the elevator and turn right.” The woman wearing a pink smock pointed. “There’s a nice waiting room on the wing. They just redecorated.”

When the elevator doors opened on the second floor, Franey Beiler stopped her pacing down the center of the hall. Ruth stared into her mother’s sallow face. Everything in her heaved, and she barely avoided falling into a stagger. Annie hung back a little, moving just far enough to let the doors close behind her.

“You’ve come,” Franey said simply in Pennsylvania Dutch.

Ruth stared at her mother’s crossed arms, aching for them to open. She straightened her skirt and tugged at the sleeves of her pullover shirt as mother and daughter considered each other. She searched for a hint of forgiveness or understanding. Even a simple welcome would give her something to hold on to.

“He will be glad to see you.” Franey’s voice sounded haggard. Ruth wished her mother would reach out and hold her. Then she would know it was all right to reach back. If only she had thought to wear a prayer
kapp.
At least her hair was braided and pinned up.

Annie moved a little closer. “May I ask what happened?”

Franey pushed out her breath and moved her fingers to her temples. She switched to English. “Somebody hit him from behind then apparently pushed him down a flight of stairs. Tom found him, by God’s grace. We’re not sure how long he was there. Rufus doesn’t remember much. Yesterday they took out his spleen. Several ribs are broken and he has a concussion. He’s resting right now.”

Ruth opened her mouth to speak, but the knot in her throat refused the passage of air. She forced herself to swallow and found her voice. “Mamm, this is so much for you to bear.”

“If I hadn’t asked him to take preserves to town, he might not have been there at all.” Franey’s voice cracked.

“It’s not your fault,
Mamm.
”

“God’s will,” Franey muttered. She gestured into the waiting room. “It’s comfortable in here. Your father is sitting with Rufus now. We take turns.”

In the waiting room, a little boy in a straw hat looked up from a book. His face split into a grin. Jacob hurtled himself into Ruth’s arms, and she spun him around once. He was so much bigger than the last time she saw him. She soaked up the weight of him straddling her hip, the feel of his limber form fitting against her torso, the smell of his hair under her neck carrying the scent of home.

“I’m happy to see you, too, Annalise,” Jacob said, “but I haven’t seen Ruth in a really long time.”

Annie smiled. “I understand.”

“Did you bring her in your car?”

“Yes I did.”

“
Danke
.” He nestled his head under Ruth’s chin, knocking his hat off.

Ruth squeezed him and avoided her mother’s glance. If
Mamm
disapproved of Jacob’s enthusiasm, Ruth did not want to know.

Annie picked up the hat and reached for Jacob. “Why don’t we go look at your book together so your mom and sister can talk?”

Jacob let Annie take him out of Ruth’s arms and set him on the floor. She took his hand and led him to the far end of the waiting room. Ruth watched as they settled into a wide, stuffed chair together. Her cheeks burned, knowing her mother was looking at her. Finally, she turned to Franey.

“It’s good to see you,
Mamm
,” Ruth said in the easy language of her childhood.

“
Dochder
,” Franey answered. Daughter.

A simple word that might have reassured Ruth instead stung. She was a daughter who disappointed her mother deeply. Ruth doubted her mother meant anything but that simple truth.

A reminder of the choice she did not make. Could not make.

Franey chose a chair, and Ruth sat beside her. “Elijah Capp has spent many hours here waiting with us for news,” Franey said.

Elijah? Here? Another sting.

“He had doubts, too, you know.”

“I do know.” Ruth could hardly get the words out.

“But he was baptized that day.”

Ruth had always supposed Elijah went through with his baptism. Even knowing his doubt and what it would mean that she did not follow, she let him do it. She had sealed both their fates that day.

They retreated into flaccid silence. Ruth sucked back her tears.

“Would you like me to take Jacob home?” Annie approached Ruth and Franey a few minutes later. She was no mother, or even a babysitter, but she could see the boy was getting wiggly.

“The girls are busy with the animals and canning.” Franey rotated her slumped shoulders. “Joel is in the fields. They have no time to look after him.”

“I’ll stay with him.”

Franey tilted her head and considered the offer. “He has some lessons he should be working on.”

“I can do that.”

“I don’t know when I’ll be home.” Franey clutched a used tissue in one hand. “It’s a long way to be going back and forth.”

“Take your time.”

Franey turned to her son. “You mind Annalise.”

Jacob nodded. “They won’t let me see Rufus. At least at home I can see Dolly.”

“Do your chores.”

He nodded again.

“Thank you, Annalise,” Franey said.

“I’d like to see Rufus,” Ruth said.

“I’ll take you now.” Franey stood to lead the way.

Annie caught Ruth’s eyes and hoped her smile spoke reassurance. If Ruth’s nervous state during the drive down was an indication, Rufus was not the most daunting mountain Ruth faced.

At the main doors on the first floor, Annie hesitated and swallowed hard. Her stomach burned. She was leaving the hospital without seeing Rufus for herself. She’d been in enough hospitals to picture what it must be like for Rufus. He was the man so many depended on, and now he was lying in a hospital bed minus a spleen.

This did not have to happen. If Rufus had fought back even a little bit when Karl Kramer had been slashing tires, this might never have happened.

Annie settled Jacob in the backseat and made sure his seat belt was fastened. In the driver’s seat, she adjusted the rearview mirror slightly so she could see him. “Have I ever told you that you have a great name?”

“Jacob Beiler is a great name?”

“Yep. Some very good men have had your name.”

“
Daed
says it’s a family name.”

“You can be proud of your family.”

“No I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“That would be
hochmut.
Pride is against
Ordnung
,” Jacob said simply. “I think I’m going to like riding in your car. We can’t have a car. That’s against
Ordnung
, too.”

Annie started the ignition.

At the Beiler house, Annie found the schoolwork Franey wanted Jacob to do, got him settled on the porch where she could keep him in sight, then stepped off the porch to use her phone. Somehow it seemed sacrilegious to use it in the house. Her eyes gazed at Rufus’s workshop as she tracked down the number she needed.

“Tom Reynolds.”

“Tom, this is Annie Friesen. I just heard about Rufus today.”

Tom sighed. “He’s in bad shape. I want to get over to the hospital to see him again.”

“Tell me the police are involved now.”

“Of course. I called 911 when I found him.”

“And?”

“And not much. Because it’s a work site, the place is crawling with footprints, so nothing stands out. So far they haven’t found anybody who saw anything out of the ordinary. It’s not like there’s a neighborhood watch looking out for a bunch of half-built houses. But they’re still talking to people who might not realize they saw something that mattered.”

“Are they talking to Karl Kramer?” Annie paced in fury. “It’s been three days. They should have arrested him by now.”

“Nobody would like that more than I would,” Tom said. “They just don’t have any evidence.”

“Somebody must have heard Karl threaten Rufus at some point.”

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean Karl actually did anything.”

“I’m going to talk to my lawyer,” Annie said.

“Rufus would rather you didn’t, I’m sure.”

“Probably,” Annie said, “but look where that’s gotten him so far.”

“Annie, leave it alone. The police are involved whether Rufus likes it or not. Give them a chance.”

“Even if they press charges, he’ll refuse to testify in an
English
court. We need evidence that doesn’t depend on Rufus.”

“We have to respect his wishes,” Tom said. “I don’t think he’d want you fishing around.”

T
en days later, Annie slowly pushed open the door to Rufus’s room at the Beiler home.

“It’s all right. I’m awake.”

His voice, though weak, poured relief through her. “Your
mamm
said I could come up for your lunch dishes.”

“Yes, I’m finished.” Rufus was propped up in bed, but at least one of the pillows had escaped.

Annie moved to the side of the bed and gently pressed the pillow back into place. Rufus had eaten little from the tray. “Would you like something different to eat?”

“No thank you. I’m not very hungry. They keep bringing me food.”

Annie smiled. “They want to help.”
Just like I do.

“How is the new house?”

“I have a long way to go with it,” she said, “but I have no regrets.”

“So this means we will see you … often.”

“I believe so.”

“Gut.”

“
Ya
. Gut.”

Rufus started to chuckle but winced.

He struck her as surprisingly well, considering what he had gone through barely two weeks ago.

“Lydia tells me you plan to attend church tomorrow,” Annie said.

“She tells you the truth. They won’t let me help with the benches, though.”

“Your mother made me promise not to disturb your rest.” Annie picked up the tray.

“I admit I’m ready for a nap. Thank you for coming. And for bringing Ruth.”

Annie would have liked to pull up a chair and watch Rufus sleep, or if he stayed awake to be helpful so he would not have to move. But Franey’s instructions had been strict.

Thank You, God. Thank You.

Downstairs in the kitchen, breads, cheeses, garden vegetables, and
schnitz
pies lined up in anticipation of the next day’s congregational meal. Annie set the tray on the table. “Rufus is frustrated he can’t help with the benches for church tomorrow.”