Looking for a Miracle (16 page)

Any other time, Rebekah might have been nervous about driving the buggy alone. But at the moment, she was too excited about the prospect of seeing Daniel and telling him she had changed her mind about them courting to think of the possible dangers involved. Dad had taught her how to handle the horse, and just because she had no one with her didn’t mean she should be afraid. After all, the Beachys’ farm was only a few miles up the road, and it wouldn’t take long to get there.

One thing Rebekah hadn’t counted on was bad weather. She’d gone about a mile or so when a heavy snow began to fall, making it more difficult to see. The road quickly turned slippery, and it became harder to maintain control.

Rebekah gripped the reins a little tighter and talked soothingly to the horse. She knew it was important for her to remain calm and stay focused on the road ahead, or she could end up in trouble. She snapped on the switches for the battery-operated windshield wipers and the lights. With icy snow pelting her windshield, she had to be sure she could see well enough, not to mention the need to alert any oncoming cars that her buggy was on the road.

Rebekah might not have been scared when she’d started this little trip, but she sure felt nervous now. What if she lost control and her horse and buggy skidded off the road and into a ditch? The buggy could overturn and end up on its side.
Who would help me then?
she worried.

Rebekah drew in a deep breath, hoping to steady her nerves, then did what she should have done at the start of her ride. She prayed. Prayed for all she was worth.
Heavenly Father, I know I was wrong for taking the horse and buggy out alone and without Dad’s permission. I probably don’t deserve Your help, but I’d be obliged if You would get me to the Beachy farm safely. When I get back home, I promise to tell Mom and Dad what I’ve done and accept responsibility for my reckless actions. Amen.

Rebekah was almost to the cross street leading to the road where the Beachy farm was located when she saw another Amish buggy. It was lying on its side along the shoulder of the road. The windows were all steamed up, and she couldn’t see inside. With her heart pounding and hands so sweaty she could hardly hold the reins, she pulled up beside the wreck and opened her door. “Is anyone there? Are you hurt?” she called, her voice carrying in the crisp, cold air.

“We’re okay, but the door’s jammed,” a man responded. When she recognized Daniel’s voice, her heart slammed against her chest.

“Daniel, it’s Rebekah. What happened?”

“We hit a patch of ice. Our horse broke free and bolted. Me and the folks are trapped inside my daed’s buggy!”

She lifted a trembling hand to still her racing heart. “Is anyone hurt?”

“We’re all okay; just can’t get out is all.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Is Andrew with you?” Clarence Beachy spoke, and he sounded almost desperate.

“No, I’m alone,” Rebekah replied in a shaky voice.

“Rebekah Stoltzfus, what are you doing out by yourself in this horrible weather?” Daniel scolded.

“I was heading for your place. I needed to speak with you.”

“Could you possibly go for help?” This question came from Daniel’s mother, Frieda, whose high-pitched voice gave clear indication that she was quite agitated. “It’s cold in here, and I’m uncomfortable in this awkward position.”

“I’ll turn around and head back home right away.”

“Be careful now,” Daniel called.

“I will.”

“I’ll be praying for you.”

“I’ll be praying for you, too.” Rebekah choked on a sob, and after turning her buggy around, she started back down the road. “Please, God,” she fervently prayed, “I need You to guide me safely home. The Beachys are in trouble, and I seem to be their only source of help right now.”

Sarah had just set a fresh pot of coffee on the table and was about to serve some apple pie to Miriam, Amos, and Henry Hilty, who had stayed on to visit after the other guests had gone home, when Simon entered the kitchen. His face was bright red, and his jacket was covered with snowflakes.

“Where’s Rebekah?” Sarah asked. “Is she in the barn?”

Simon shook his head as he flicked some snow off his jacket.

“I hope she’s not sitting out on the porch. It’s way too cold for her to be outside this evening.”

“She’s not on the porch.”

Andrew, who was getting ready to pour them all a cup of coffee, looked up at their son and frowned. “Do you know where Rebekah is?”

Simon shuffled his feet a few times and stared at the floor. “Jah, but ... uh ... I’d rather not say.”

A muscle on the side of Andrew’s neck quivered as he set the coffeepot down on the table. “What do you mean, you’d rather not say?”

“I ... uh ... kind of led her to believe I wouldn’t snitch on her.”

“Snitch on her?” Sarah moved over to stand beside her son. Their guests sat quietly, but curiosity covered their faces. “What could Rebekah have done that she wouldn’t want us to know about?”

Simon kept his focus on the floor and mumbled, “She’s headin’ over to the Beachy place to see Daniel.”

“How could she be heading to Daniel’s when we’re all here and the horse and buggies are in the shed?” Andrew asked before Sarah had a chance to respond.

Simon lifted his gaze and turned to face his father. “I got one of our easygoing horses out and hitched it to a buggy so—”

“You did what?” Andrew’s fist came down hard on the table, clattering his cup, and nearly spilling the pot of coffee. He jumped up and stormed across the room, shaking his finger in Simon’s face. “If anything happens to Rebekah, you’ll be to blame for it, is that understood?”

Sarah, fighting to keep her tears at bay, left the table and took hold of her husband’s arm, hoping to calm him down. “Yelling at Simon won’t solve anything, Andrew. What you need to do is go after Rebekah.”

Andrew nodded, then pointed to the door. “Simon, run out to the barn and get a horse hitched to one of our other buggies.”

“We’ll come, too,” Amos said as he and Henry both pushed away from the table.

“Should I get Rebekah’s wheelchair?” Simon asked. “We left it in the buggy shed.”

“I’ll see to it,” Andrew said.

Mim and Nadine joined Sarah at the window, and they watched as the men headed out into the snow. “It’ll be all right,” Mim murmured. “We just need to pray.”

Sarah nodded, tears filling her eyes. “Prayer is always the best thing.”

“That was a good church service we had today, jah?” Johnny asked as he took a seat on the sofa next to Mary Ellen.

She smiled and nodded. “To me, they’re always good.”

“Jah.” Johnny took a drink from the cup he held in his hands and smacked his lips. “This is real tasty. Hot cider always hits the spot on a cold winter’s night.”

“I agree.” Mary Ellen reached for her own cup, which she had placed on the low table in front of the sofa. “Are you hungry? Should I fix us something to eat?”

“Might have a piece of apple-crumb pie after I get all the animals fed and bedded down for the night.” Johnny glanced out the window. “I see it’s started to snow real hard. Looks like we might be in for a storm.”

“Oh, I hope not,” she said with a sigh. “It’s not so easy to get around when the roads are icy.”

“That’s when it’s time to bring out the sleigh.” He reached over and patted her knee. “Always did enjoy goin’ on a sleigh ride with my best girl.”

She smiled and took hold of his hand. “Always have liked riding in one, too.”

He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Lots of snow means we can have a snowball fight if we want to.”

“Oh, Johnny, you’re such a tease.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed each one of her fingers. “And that’s what you love about me, right?”

“Jah, that’s exactly right.”

They sat in companionable silence for a while, drinking their cider and holding hands. Then Johnny set his empty cup on the table and stood. “As much as I hate to leave your good company, I’d best get myself out to the barn. The animals won’t feed themselves, that’s for sure.”

“Okay. I’ll have a hunk of pie and another cup of cider waiting when you come back inside.”

He grinned down at her. “I’m gonna hold you to that,
fraa.
”

When Mary Ellen heard the back door open and click shut, letting her know that Johnny had left the house, she leaned her head against the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. An unexpected vision of Rebekah popped into her mind, and she shivered. Was something wrong with her best friend? Was she in some kind of trouble and in need of prayer?

Heavenly Father,
Mary Ellen silently prayed,
I don’t know why Rebekah’s face has come to mind at this time, but I feel it necessary that I pray for her. Wherever Rebekah is, whatever she’s doing, please bless her, guide her, and keep her safe from all harm. Amen.

The snow fell harder, the chilling wind swirled in a frenzy, and the light of day quickly faded into darkness. With sheer determination and lots of prayer, Rebekah managed to keep the horse and buggy on the road. “Steady, boy,” she coaxed. “Together we can do this. We have the Lord on our side.” A verse from the Old Testament book of Nahum popped into her mind: “The Lo r d is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

A sense of peace settled over her like a mantle of calm, and she knew instinctively that everything would be all right.

A short time later, Rebekah pulled up in front of her house. “Dad! Dad, come quickly,” she hollered when she spotted him standing on the front porch with Uncle Amos and Cousin Henry. She also noticed that her wheelchair was sitting on the porch.

“Rebekah, we were getting ready to come looking for you. What on earth possessed you to take that buggy out alone?” he bellowed.

“I don’t have time to explain things right now!” she cried. “The Beachys’ buggy overturned not far from their house, and they’re trapped inside. Your help is needed right away!”

“Go get some rope,” Dad called to Simon, who was heading for the barn; then he raced over to Rebekah’s buggy, jumped in, and gently pushed her into the passenger’s seat. “You really should get into the house where it’s warmer.”

She shook her head with a determined expression. “I want to go along. I need to see with my own eyes that Daniel and his family are okay.”

“All right then, but we’ll be talkin’ about this shenanigan of yours when we return home,” he admonished.

Rebekah didn’t argue. She knew Dad was right. It was a shenanigan she had pulled, and they needed to talk, even if she was in for a strong tongue-lashing.

Simon came running out of the barn just then. Holding a rope in one hand, he jumped into the backseat of their buggy. Uncle Amos and young Henry climbed into their own buggy.

Dad nodded and moved the horse forward. Uncle Amos’s horse and buggy followed.

Rebekah’s cheeks burned hot, and her hands shook so badly that she had to clench them in her lap in order to keep them still. “They’re going to be all right, aren’t they, Dad?”

With eyes straight ahead, he answered, “I hope so. Did they say if any of ’em were hurt?”

“Daniel said they weren’t, but it’s so cold, and what if a car comes along and doesn’t see them there? They might be hit, and then—”

“Now don’t you go borrowing trouble,” Dad said in a calming voice. “If you want to make yourself useful, then you’d better start praying.”

“I have been praying, and I won’t let up until everyone’s safely out of that buggy.”

“Sure wish our other three kinner hadn’t gone home so much earlier than we did,” Daniel’s father said as he tried unsuccessfully to open the door on his side of the buggy. “If we’d all left at the same time, they would have seen our rig tip over and been able to help. As it is, they don’t even know we’re in this situation.”

“I’m sure after a time either Abner, Harold, or Sarah Jane will become worried, and then they’ll come looking for us,” Daniel’s mother said.

Daniel shook his head. “Why would they? None of ’em knew what time we planned on leaving the Stoltzfuses’ place. For all they knew, we were planning to hang around there until evening.”

“Well, whatever the case, Rebekah’s gone for help now, and we should be out of this buggy soon,” said Daniel’s father.

“I hope Rebekah will be all right,” Daniel’s mother put in. “It’s not good for her to be out alone in this kind of weather.”

How well Daniel knew that, and if it were up to him, she never would have taken her father’s buggy out in the first place. But then, if she hadn’t, how long might it have been before someone spotted their overturned buggy?

“I’m sure Rebekah will be fine,” Daniel’s father said. “We’re all praying for her, so we need to trust God to get her home safely and bring us some help.”

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, remembering that Rebekah had said she’d been heading for his place because she needed to speak with him. He hadn’t thought much about it until now, but he wondered what she could have wanted to talk to him about that would cause her to take her father’s buggy out in the snow alone. Had she changed her mind about them courting? He prayed it was so—and he prayed God would guide her safely home to get them some help.

Rebekah and her father and brother traveled in silence until they came upon the accident a short time later. “There it is. I see their rig!” Simon shouted.

“I see it, too.” Dad pulled his buggy as far off the road as possible, and Uncle Amos did the same with his buggy. “Get out and set up some flares, Simon. They’re in my toolbox behind your seat.”

Simon did as he was told, and Dad climbed down, reaching for the rope Simon had put in the buggy. He handed the reins over to Rebekah. “Hold the horse steady while I get the rope tied around the Beachy buggy.”

Rebekah’s hands trembled as she held the reins firmly, and her heart pounded so hard she thought it might explode any minute.
Please let them be all right, Lord.

She strained to see out the front window. Dad, Uncle Amos, and Henry had tied a rope to the back of the overturned buggy. When it was secured, Dad climbed back inside while Simon joined the other men to help stand the Beachy carriage upright. Uncle Amos, Henry, and Simon put their full weight against the buggy as Dad backed up and pulled on the rope until it was taut. It took several tries because the slippery road made things difficult, but the buggy finally righted itself. The men undid the rope and then tied it to the front of the other buggy.

Rebekah’s father drove around until he was in front of the Beachy buggy; then the rope was tied to the back of Dad’s buggy. In this manner, he towed the Beachy family safely to their farm.

When they arrived, Dad pulled on his reins and said, “Whoa now, boy!” Uncle Amos, who had been following, stopped his buggy, too.

Everyone got out except for Rebekah, who sat with her nose pressed against the window, waiting to see if Daniel and his parents were really all right. She felt so helpless and wished there was something she might do to assist.

“Your door is surely stuck,” Dad called to the Beachys after he pulled on the handle and nothing happened. “Are you all okay?”

“We’re fine,” Clarence Beachy responded. “We’ll push on this side of the door, and you can pull. If it still won’t open, then you might want to look for a crowbar in my barn, so you can pry it open.”

It took two tries, but the door finally opened, nearly spilling all three of the Beachys onto the snow-covered ground.

“Danki,” Clarence said, pounding Rebekah’s father on the back.

“We’re just glad everyone’s all right.” Dad glanced over at his own buggy then. “Actually, it’s Rebekah who deserves the biggest thanks, for she’s the one who found you and drove home to give us the news.”

As soon as Daniel’s feet touched the ground, he hurried around to Rebekah’s side of the buggy and flung open the door. “Rebekah Stoltzfus, I should be furious with you for driving the buggy by yourself—and in the middle of a snowstorm, no less.”

“It wasn’t snowing so badly when I left home,” she said.

Lifting Rebekah into his arms, he held her close. “You’re an angel of mercy, and even though you did take a chance doing what you did, I thank you for being so reckless.”

“I only did what I had to do.”

“You might have saved our lives,” he said in a voice raw with emotion. “Who knows what could have happened if some car had come along and hit our rig while it was tipped on its side?”

“I know. That’s what I was so worried about.”

“What were you doin’ out there on the road, anyhow?”

“I was driving over to tell you that if you still want to court me, I’m willing.”

“Really? You mean it, Rebekah?”

She nodded. “If you still want to, that is.”

Daniel’s lips curved into a smile. “Of course I still want to. What happened to change your mind?”

Rebekah opened her mouth to reply, but Daniel’s sister and brothers came rushing out of the house just then.

“What happened?” Sarah Jane cried when she caught sight of their mangled buggy.

“Has anyone been hurt?” Abner and Harold hollered at the same time.

“We’re all fine, thanks to Rebekah and her family.” Mom stepped up beside Daniel and nodded at Rebekah, who was still held securely in his arms. “It’s getting colder by the minute, so you’d better bring her inside to warm up awhile before she and her family have to start for home.”

“There’s some coffee and hot chocolate on the stove,” Sarah Jane said. “And I’ll get one of my brothers to make a batch of popcorn so everyone can have a little snack before they head out.”

“I could definitely use a cup of coffee.” Uncle Amos clasped Henry’s shoulder and grinned. “And I’m sure my growing son wouldn’t turn down an offer to eat popcorn, now would ya, boy?”

Henry snickered and started walking toward the house. Everyone else followed.

“How are your arms holding up?” Rebekah asked, looking up at Daniel. “I’m probably getting kind of heavy.”

“To me, you’re light as a feather, but I do want to get you in out of this cold.” He wondered how it looked to the others to see her being held in his arms in such a familiar way, but she had to get inside somehow, and he wanted to be the one to get her there.

Rebekah leaned her head against Daniel’s shoulder, and he enjoyed the feeling as he carried her across the yard, up the steps, and into the house.

Soon, everyone had gathered around the kitchen table, and Mom poured cups of coffee for the men and hot chocolate for the young people. Harold got a batch of popcorn going while Sarah Jane sliced huge pieces of spicy gingerbread for the hungry crew.

Daniel placed Rebekah in one of the empty chairs; then he pulled out the one next to it for himself.

“Well, Rebekah, I would have to say that you’re the heroine of the day,” Daniel’s father said, looking over at her with a grateful smile. “We’re mighty thankful that God sent you along to find our overturned buggy when you did.”

“My daughter took the horse and buggy out without my permission.” Andrew gave Rebekah a brief frown, but then his lips curved into a smile. “Still, she did something meaningful today, and it was all on her own. While it may have been rather foolish, it was a brave thing to do, and I’m grateful she was able to bring help to those of you who were trapped in the buggy.”

“Jah, and we truly thank you,” Daniel’s mother said as she handed Rebekah a cup of hot chocolate.

Rebekah blushed, and Daniel figured she wasn’t used to being the center of attention—at least not this way. He knew the recognition she usually got was because of her handicap.

“I was pretty scared when the snow started coming down real hard, making it difficult for me to see,” Rebekah said. “I know I shouldn’t have been driving the buggy alone, but I thank God for watching over me so I could get you some help.”

“And I thank God that you changed your mind about us,” Daniel whispered in her ear.

“Shouldn’t Rebekah and the menfolk have come back by now?” Nadine asked her mother as the two of them stood by the living-room window, looking out at snow that seemed to be coming down harder all the time. “I’m gettin’ kind of worried.”

Mom draped her arm across Nadine’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure they’ll be all right. We just need to pray.”

“That’s right,” Aunt Mim chimed in from across the room, where she sat in the rocker holding a cup of tea.

“I wish Rebekah had thought to ask me to go with her when she went after Daniel in the first place.” Nadine swallowed around the lump in her throat. “But then I guess she wouldn’t have wanted her little sister taggin’ along when she was going to see her boyfriend. Especially since the two of us haven’t seen eye to eye on much of anything lately.”

Mom offered Nadine a sympathetic look. “Why do you think that is, daughter?”

“I—I suppose it’s my fault because I’m always accusing her of being a
verdarewe
child.”

“Is that what you really believe, Nadine—that your sister is a spoiled child?”

Tears welled in Nadine’s eyes, blurring her vision, as she nodded.

“I’ve tried to explain things to you many times before,” Mom said, taking hold of Nadine’s shoulders and turning her around so she could look directly at her. “But you still refuse to understand that Rebekah is not our favorite child, nor do we intentionally spoil her.”

Nadine opened her mouth to comment, but Mom rushed over to the front door and pulled it open. She stepped onto the porch, grabbed the handles of Rebekah’s wheelchair, and pushed it into the living room. “Have you ever tried to put yourself in your sister’s place, imagining what it would be like to be stuck in this chair, unable to walk normally or do all the fun things you’re able to do?”

Nadine shook her head.

Mom grabbed a blanket off the sofa and threw it over the wheelchair, which Nadine knew must be cold from setting outside all this time. “Have a seat, Nadine.”

“Huh?”

“I said have a seat.”

Nadine hesitated a moment but finally did as Mom asked. “Now what?”

“I want you to pretend that you can’t use your legs and that you’re stuck in that chair. Imagine that a group of young people are having a skating party on one of the frozen ponds in the area, and you want to go with them. Would you be able to go ice-skating from your wheelchair?”

Nadine shook her head.

“And how about if I asked you to go into the kitchen and get the jar of cookies sitting on top of the refrigerator? Could you do it?”

“No, Mom.”

“Now do you understand a little of what your sister goes through?”

“I—I think I do.”

“Would you like to be in her place, unable to do so many things that you take for granted?”

“No, I wouldn’t like it at all.” Nadine’s voice faltered, and she drew in a shaky breath. “I guess if I had to pick between gettin’ more attention and bein’ able to do everything I can do, I’d choose bein’ me.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Mom smiled. “So do you think you can try a little harder to get along with Rebekah?”

“I guess it’s my fault that Rebekah gets so annoyed. If I was a better sister, she might not get so exasperated with me.” Nadine released a little sob. “If somethin’ bad happens out there in the storm, I’ll never forgive myself for not makin’ things right with her before it was too late.”

Aunt Mim stepped up to the window then, and motioned Nadine to join her.

Nadine looked to her mother for approval, and when Mom nodded, Nadine left the wheelchair and went to stand beside her aunt.

Aunt Mim slipped her arm around Nadine’s waist. “Did Rebekah ever tell you that I used to blame myself for her handicap?”

Nadine’s mouth dropped open. “How come?”

“Because I allowed her to wait outside for me while I cleaned up the schoolhouse. If I’d made Rebekah stay inside with me, she wouldn’t have been standing beneath that tree branch when it broke.”

“But you had no way of knowin’ the branch would break and fall on Rebekah. It’s not right that you should have blamed yourself for something that was nothing more than an accident.”

“You’re right about that, and I finally came to the same conclusion.” Aunt Mim gave Nadine’s waist a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure Rebekah and the others will be fine, but it will do you no good to blame yourself for not making things right with her before she left. The important thing now is for us all to pray, and when Rebekah gets back home, you need to talk things out between you.”

Nadine nodded. “I know.”

“Both of you need to show more patience and understanding with one another, but blaming yourself, or even your sister, will do neither of you any good at all.”

“Guess I need to ask God to help me be a better sister,” Nadine said tearfully. “Jah, with His help, I’ll do my best.”

All the way home from the Beachys’ place, Rebekah thought about Daniel and how she had agreed to let him court her. She was pleased that he was still willing, but she had a few misgivings yet. Would they find enough things to do together—things that Rebekah was capable of doing? Would Daniel eventually become bored with her and find someone else to court? And what if he wanted something she couldn’t give him—marriage and children?

Psalm 34:4, which she had committed to memory, popped into her mind: “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Then she thought of Psalm 37:5: “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass.” She’d found that passage in Grandma’s Bible and had quoted it often as a reminder that she should trust the Lord in all things, while she committed her way unto Him.

She leaned her head against the seat and closed her eyes, resolving to have more faith and allow God to work things out between her and Daniel.

Winter had definitely come to Lancaster County, as the thick blanket of pristine snow lying on the ground proved. All the trees were dressed in gleaming white gowns, and every pond in the area was frozen solid. Many Amish families exchanged their buggies for sleighs in order to accommodate the dangerously slick roads.

Rebekah loved riding in an open sleigh, especially when it was with Daniel. At least that was something she could do, since she sure couldn’t join the other young people in their area who had gone sledding and ice-skating a few times already. Now that she and Daniel were courting and had found some things they could do together, she didn’t feel so left out and didn’t miss many of the things others her age were able to do that she couldn’t.

In spite of the wintry weather, Daniel and Rebekah had managed to go to several more singings, and Daniel called on Rebekah at her home as often as he could. They played board games, worked on puzzles, or just sat by the fire eating popcorn, drinking hot chocolate, and talking for hours on end.

Sometimes in the late afternoons, Daniel would come over to the greenhouse with his sister, Sarah Jane, who had taken over the job as schoolteacher right after Mary Ellen had gotten married. The three of them would repot plants, take cuttings off larger ones, or start flowers from seeds.

Rebekah and Daniel seemed to be drawing closer, and she had gotten to know Sarah Jane better, too. She was tempted to write something in her column for
The Budget
about the times she spent with Daniel, but she didn’t feel it would be appropriate. The readers wanted to know about significant events such as births, deaths, and birthday celebrations, as well as community events, visitors from other states, hospitalizations, accidents, illnesses, and weather conditions.