Andy (15 page)

Read Andy Online

Authors: Mary Christner Borntrager

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Juvenile Fiction, #Religious, #Christian, #test

BOOK: Andy
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Page 119
22
The Prodigal Returns!
No words could bring more joy to the Maust family than the few on that card.
"Mom!" squealed Esther. "I brought the mail in, and there's a card from Andy."
"Wunderbaar
(wonderful)!" Lizzie cried out, clutching her throat. "Where is he? What did he write?" she asked breathlessly.
"I don't know where he is," Esther answered, "but he's coming home."
"Oh,
danke Gott
(thank God)!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Let me see that card," she demanded, reaching for it.
She sat down on a chair and read it. Turning it over and over, savoring every word, she remarked, "Why, it's from Alabama. Ach, my! How in the
Welt
(world) did he get way down there?
"I wish Dad were here so he could read this. It will make him so happy. We can't keep it from him till suppertime. Esther, you take this to the end of the corn-
 
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field. I think he and Johnny are cutting corn by hand to open the field for the binder."
"Ya, Mom, I'll go right away."
Esther was happy to be the bearer of such good news. Even though it had been about six weeks since Andy had left, it seemed much longer.
Jake was busy tying a bundle of cornstalks and didn't see his daughter approaching, but Johnny did. Johnny Swartz had helped Jake since Andy left.
"Here comes Esther," Johnny said.
"Was is letz
(what's wrong)?" Jake asked. Alarm showed in his voice.
"Nix
,
nix is letz
(nothing, nothing's wrong)," Esther assured him. "Here, read this." She handed the card to her father.
Jake read the postcard and cleared his throat. He took his big blue work handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose. Trying to hide his emotions, he forced a cough.
Esther and Johnny saw a tear escape the corner of his eye and roll down his cheek. He quickly brushed it away as if he were shooing a fly.
Finally Jake said in an unnatural voice, "I'm glad." He gave the card back to Esther.
"What did Mom have to say?" he asked.
"She said, 'Thank God.' Did you see that the card is mailed from a town in Alabama? Mom wondered how he got there. She wanted you to hear the good news as soon as we could let you know. Ya, Mom cried, but I think it's because she's happy."
"I know it is," Jake agreed.
"Well, I'm relieved, too, that he is coming home,"
 
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Johnny put in. ''We boys were pretty hard on him sometimes. That will change now. I hope since we found out what happened to your dog, uh, I mean his dog, that Andy will forgive us. Do you think Andy will believe us when you tell him about Shep?"
"Yes, Johnny, I think he will."
The Amish are close-knit families, and since the Mausts knew many of the relatives and friends were concerned, they shared the glad news. It only took a day for everyone in the community to hear that Andy was coming home.
Both sets of grandparents wept and rejoiced with the Maust family. But none was happier than Aire Mast. She hoped their friendship would take up where they had been when Andy left.
"Esther," she asked the next Sunday, "do you think Andy has forgotten me?"
"Of course not, Aire. He wouldn't forget you."
Andy had not written when he would be home, only that he was coming. Day after day the family watched. At evening they wondered if he might come during the night.
"Waiting for Andy is like watching and praying for Someone else to come. Only that waiting is even more important because we are to be ready then to go with him. Are we watching and praying as eagerly for Christ to come as we are for Andy?" Jake asked his household. It was a soul-searching thought.
Andy had only one more week of work for Rafe. That seemed like the longest week of his life. He was so glad to get out of that smoke-filled shanty and away from those foul-mouthed men.
 
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He felt his parents and others must be praying for him. That thought helped him to make it through and head for home.
His train ticket was in his pocket, and the rest of his pay was safely put into traveler's checks. The banker advised Andy to do this when he heard that Andy was riding the train.
"Can't be too careful nowadays, you know," he warned. "Hard telling what kind of riffraff ride that line. Why, I've heard of some people who lost all their luggage and money. Mind you, they lost everything they carried!"
Andy remembered how he had been robbed on the train coming south, but he didn't discuss it. Besides, he was going honestly by passenger car this time.
With mixed emotions Andy settled comfortably in a seat by himself. The train was not full, and Andy was glad. He wanted to be alone.
His mind was drawn to a story in the Bible. He had read it many times in Luke, chapter 15. Yes, he thought, I'm that prodigal son. Let's hope my father is as ready to take me back as that father was in the story.
There was no train through his hometown. Andy didn't mind. Once before he had walked the distance. This time he need not keep to the back roads or woods.
Andy had not gone far after leaving the train station until he caught a ride with a local farmer in his truck. He dropped off Andy a half mile from his home.
How good the fields of ripened corn looked, and the rustling of its dry leaves was music to his ears. He took in all the familiar sights.
Slowly he made his way to the house. Lizzie heard
 
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the door open and looked up into the face of her youngest son. Breakfast was just about ready and, oh, it smelled so good to Andy.
"Andy!" exclaimed Lizzie. "Is that you?"
"Ya, Mom."
She gave him a tight hug.
Jake came from the washroom where he was cleaning up from morning chores.
"Hello, Dad," Andy said hesitantly, not knowing how he would be received.
"Welcome home, Andy!" Jake exclaimed as he gave him a bear hug. "Sit down. Breakfast is soon ready. We always set a plate for you in case. . . ."
Jake had to stop. His eyes were watery, and he swallowed hard before he said, "You're so thin. Didn't you get enough to eat?"
"I had food, but it wasn't as good as what I smell now.
"You're
englisch!"
Lizzie remarked.
"Only because my other clothes were stolen or didn't fit anymore."
"We'll make others, the girls and I, won't we?" she said, looking at Esther and Fannie, who stood speechless at the change in their brother's appearance.
"Ya," they agreed.
Johnny came over to help Jake with the day's work.
Jake met him at the door. "Thanks for your help this fall, Johnny, but I don't need you anymore. Andy's home!"
"Oh, that's good! Now let me tell him about Shep," Johnny begged.
"Andy, I'm glad you're home," Johnny said warmly
 
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as he stepped into the farm kitchen. "We didn't kill Shep, but we found out who did. It was two
englisch
hunters. They told us they didn't know whose dog it was. One of them was aiming for a rabbit, and just as he pulled the trigger, Shep chased the rabbit and got hit. I'm sorry."
"I believe you. I'm sorry I ever blamed you."
"But you had reason to."
"Let's call it forgotten," Andy said.
After Johnny left, Andy told them all about Cloyce. They too were shocked.
"That's what made this prodigal decide to come home. I saw how I had been misled," Andy admitted.
"Well," whispered Esther, "I know someone who will be very happy to hear the prodigal is back."
"Who?" Andy asked.
Esther mouthed words to him with no sounds: "Aire Mast."
Andy blushed.
Homeoh, it was the nicest place on earth!
 
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23
No Greener Grass
The week after Andy returned home was so different from Alabamacold and blustery. Yet he was glad because it was a perfect excuse not to go to singing that first Sunday evening.
"Come on, Andy," Esther begged him. "You've been home all day. People are asking about you. You'll be surprised to see so many new faces among us
Yunge
(young folks)!"
"No, I don't think I'll go this time. It's so chilly and rainy. I'm surprised you're going."
"Ach, she won't mind the weather as long as somebody picks her up at the end of the lane," Lizzie teased.
"But somebody isn't coming to take me to singing tonight. He went to Illinois with his folks for a funeral," Esther said.
"Is it a relative of the family?"
"Yes, his nephew. The child was only two years old."
 
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"What happened?" asked Andy.
"The little boy slipped through the gate into the outside yard and was run over by the milk truck."
"Ach
,
du liebe
(oh, my goodness)!" exclaimed Lizzie. "I must send a card, even if I don't know the family. Can you get their address for me, Esther?"
"Oh, I'm sure I can," her daughter said.
How like our people, thought Andy. They are so kind and sharing. Not at all like Cloyce Rader or the hard foreman in the cotton fields.
In his heart he knew there were good-hearted persons elsewhere. But it just made him happy to be part of his own people again, people he could trust.
"Sure you won't change your mind about taking me tonight?" Esther coaxed.
"Don't believe I will. I'll stay inside by this warm fire."
Andy also realized that he didn't want to be seen among the other young folks until he looked Amish again. His hair had not yet grown long enough to be cut in the Amish style.
And his dark-blue serge Sunday suit hung loose on him when he tried it for size. Lizzie had quickly made everyday clothes for him, but she had never made a man's Sunday suit.
"I'll order a new suit from Bertha Kauffman," Lizzie promised her son.
"Sie dut gute Arewet
(she does good work)."
Bertha was a single woman who worked as a
Maut
(hired girl) in other Amish homes and sewed men's Sunday suits.
"I hope she doesn't have a lot of orders lined up
 
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right now," Lizzie mused.
"So do I," Andy agreed. "I'd like to have mine done before long."
"Well
,
was welle mir duh
(well, what do we want to do)?" Esther wondered.
"Since you don't want to go to singing, Andy, what do you suggest we do as a family?" asked Jake.
"Oh, I don't know. Guess I'm content to listen to the rest of you talk, and I'll spend my time eating popcorn."
Sunday evening after chores was always popcorn time. Everyone looked forward to relaxing and spending a peaceful evening together.
"I know what we could talk about," proposed Fannie. "Andy, tell us about the green grass where you were and what you did there?"
"What do you mean by green grass?" Andy asked, astonished.
"Well," answered his sister, "Johnny Swartz said you thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence, so you went away."
Jake, Lizzie, and Esther wished Fannie hadn't said that, but Andy only smiled.
"Johnny was right, you know," Andy finally remarked. "I guess that's exactly what I thought."
"Will you?" begged Esther.
"Will I what?" Andy said.
"Tell us what happened to you while you were gone."
"Now don't pester him if he'd rather not talk about it," Jake cautioned his daughters.
"Maybe it would be good if I'd get it out in the

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