Looking for a Miracle (5 page)

The farmers’ market seemed unusually busy, and the proof was in the parking lot, nearly full of cars. “It must be all the summer tourists,” Dad said to Mom as they began unloading their things from the back of Vera Miller’s van.

She smiled. “Jah, business should be good today.”

Rebekah sat in her wheelchair beside the van, holding a box of African violet cuttings in her lap. “I hope so,” she put in. “All the pruning and potting I did yesterday had better pay off.”

Nadine, who stood behind Rebekah, leaned over her shoulder. “Want me to push you inside the building?”

Rebekah nodded. She hated to ask for assistance, but if she let go of the box in order to manipulate her wheelchair, she would probably end up losing the whole thing.

A few minutes later, they headed for the market building, each carrying a box of their own.

Once Rebekah’s father and brother got tables set up, they started making sales. Mom had some vine-ripened, juicy red tomatoes and baskets of plump, sweet raspberries from her garden; Dad had brought some of his delicious, quick-to-make root beer; Simon sold cartons of bulky brown eggs; Nadine had several batches of chocolate cupcakes and ginger cookies for sale; and Rebekah had her freshly cut flowers and starts from several of Grandma’s plants.

By noon, nearly all of Rebekah’s African violet starts had been sold and many of the cut flowers, as well. It was the first time she’d ever made so much money in such a short time, and she was pleased that she had finally done something that might prove to be financially productive if she had more plants to sell and could come to the market more often.

“How’s business?” Mary Ellen asked as she stepped up to the table Rebekah shared with her two siblings.

Rebekah grinned. “Much better than I’d ever imagined it would be. I only wish I had more plants and flowers to sell. If the market was open six days a week, I believe I could actually make enough money to be self-sufficient.”

Mary Ellen nodded. “That would be
wunderbaar,
all right.”

“Even if it was open all week, I couldn’t afford to hire a driver that often.” Rebekah shrugged. “Oh, well. It was a nice thought, anyway.”

“You really do like flowers and plants, don’t you?”

Rebekah’s head bobbed up and down. “Jah. Ever so much.”

“And as you’ve said, you’ve discovered today that they sell quite well.”

“Indeed! I’ve done real well.”

Mary Ellen leaned close to Rebekah’s ear. “Can you take a little break? I’d like to talk with you—in private.”

“About what?”

“I think I might have a great plan for you.”

“What is it? Can’t you tell me now?”

“We’d probably be interrupted by a customer if we tried to talk about it here.”

Rebekah nodded. “Okay. It’s time for lunch anyway, so I’ll ask Nadine to watch my end of the table, and then I’ll get the box lunch my mamm prepared this morning. We were planning to eat in shifts, so I’m sure Mom won’t mind if I take my lunch break with you.”

Mary Ellen grinned. “Sounds good to me. We can eat under the shade of that old maple tree out behind the building.”

Soon after Rebekah wheeled away from their table, Nadine spotted her friend Carolyn Weaver heading her way. A freckle-faced Amish boy who looked to be about Nadine’s age walked beside Carolyn. Nadine didn’t think she had ever seen him before, but she thought he was awfully cute.

When Carolyn and the boy reached the end of the table where Nadine sat babysitting Rebekah’s plants, they came to a halt.

“Didn’t expect to see you here today,” Carolyn said, offering Nadine a wide smile.

“Didn’t expect to be here, neither.” Nadine’s gaze went to the dark-haired boy who stood beside her friend. Wasn’t Carolyn going to introduce him?

As if she could read Nadine’s mind, Carolyn nodded at the boy and said, “Nadine, this is my cousin Melvin. He and his family live in Missouri, and they’ve come to Lancaster County to visit for a couple of weeks.”

Nadine put on what she hoped was her best smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Melvin.” She glanced over to see what her folks were doing and was pleased to see that they were both busy with customers at the moment.

“Nice to meet you, too,” he said with a friendly grin.

Nadine leaned her elbows on the table and stared up at him. “I’ve never been to Missouri before. What’s it like?”

Melvin shrugged his broad shoulders. “The weather’s not much different than it is here, but the community we live in is a whole lot smaller.” He scrunched up his nose. “Not much to do around there—that’s for certain sure.”

“No big towns nearby?”

“Nope. Just Seymour, and that’s a pretty small place. The closest big town is Springfield, but of course, I don’t get to go there so often.”

“Is there a farmers’ market in Seymour?”

“Just during the summer, and it’s nothing at all like this place.” He made a sweeping gesture to the tables nearby. “Ours is held outside in a vacant lot across the street from the hamburger place, not in a big building such as this.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Have you had your lunch yet?” Carolyn asked, breaking into their conversation.

Nadine shook her head.

“Want to get a hot dog with me and Melvin?”

Of course Nadine wanted to go. Selling Rebekah’s plants was boring, and it would give her a chance to get to know Carolyn’s cousin a little better. “Let me ask my folks.”

Nadine pushed her chair aside and moved to the other table, where Dad sat with his jugs of root beer, and Mom her mounds of produce. “Can I go have lunch with my friend Carolyn and her cousin?” Nadine asked, leaning close to her mother’s ear.

Mom shook her head. “Not until Rebekah gets back. You’re needed here right now.”

“How come?”

“Someone needs to keep an eye on her flowers.”

“But that’s not fair. You let Simon go to lunch at the same time as Rebekah.”

“And you shall go as soon as they get back.”

“But why can’t you and Dad watch Rebekah’s table?”

“Because the market is really busy, and a lot of customers are heading our way,” Dad interjected. “So put on your best smile, sell lots of your sister’s plants while she’s gone, and no sulking. You hear?”

Nadine grunted and moved back to her end of the table. “Sorry, but I can’t go to lunch until my sister and brother get back.” She kept her gaze fixed on one of the African violets, afraid if she looked at Melvin as she spoke he might see the tears that were stinging the back of her eyes and threatening to spill over.

“How long will they be gone?” Carolyn asked.

“Probably another half hour or so.”

“I guess we could walk around awhile and come back for you then.”

Hope welled in Nadine’s soul, but before she could give a reply, Melvin spoke up. “I’m really hungry, so if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll head over to the hot-dog stand right now.”

“Jah, okay. Maybe we can visit some other time,” Nadine mumbled.

As Carolyn and Melvin walked away, Nadine pushed one of Rebekah’s plants closer to the front of the table and gritted her teeth.
Rebekah always gets to do what she wants. Sometimes I wish I were the one in a wheelchair.

“It’s another hot, sticky day,” Rebekah remarked as Mary Ellen took a seat on the grassy patch beside her wheelchair. “I’m glad we have a nice shady place to help keep us cool.”

Mary Ellen took a drink of her foamy root beer. “Umm ... your daed sure makes some good soda. This helps put the fire out on a muggy summer day such as this.”

Rebekah giggled when the end of Mary Ellen’s nose became covered with the frothy white head of the root beer. “And you wear my daed’s soda real well, too.”

Mary Ellen reached into her lunch basket and retrieved a napkin; then she swiped it across her nose. “There. Do I look any better?”

Rebekah nodded. “But then, you always look good in the face. It’s not hard to figure out why so many of the fellows we know act like silly kinner in order to seek your favor.”

“There’s only one man whose favor I seek.”

“And who might that be?”

“I’d rather not say just yet. Not until I’m sure he likes me, too. Besides, you didn’t agree to have lunch with me so we could talk about my love life. I want to discuss a possible business venture with you.”

“Business venture?” Rebekah’s eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. “You and me?”

“No, just you. I’ve got my teaching job at the school, remember?”

“Of course I do, but what business venture are you thinking about that would involve me?”

“You’ve been telling me for weeks that you want to be self-sufficient. Isn’t that right?”

Rebekah nodded. “Right as rain.”

“Then I think I have an idea that might work quite well for you,” Mary Ellen said as a feeling of excitement welled in her soul. She did so want to see her cousin make some money of her own.

“What idea do you have?”

“You need to make money in order to be more independent, correct?”

“Right again.”

“Today you found out that you have a product people will buy.”

“Jah. The flowers and plants.”

“And you enjoy working with them?”

“Very much so.”

“Then all you have to do is get more plants and sell more plants.”

“That sounds wunderbaar, but you’ve forgotten one important thing.”

Mary Ellen pursed her lips. “What’s that?”

“The farmers’ market isn’t open often enough, and even if it were, there’s the problem of me being able to afford transportation to and from.”

“I’m getting to that.” Mary Ellen tapped her finger against the side of her head as the excitement of her plan continued to mount. “I was thinking if you had a greenhouse near the front of your property, you could sell your plants and flowers from there. News travels fast around here, so I’m sure folks—especially the tourists who come to our area—would soon find out about your business. In no time at all, you would probably have a stream of customers coming the whole year long.”

Rebekah’s forehead wrinkled in obvious confusion. “That sounds like an interesting business venture, but there’s one big problem.”

“What problem is that?”

“We have no greenhouse on our property.”

“So you have one built,” Mary Ellen said, reaching into her lunch basket to retrieve a sandwich.

“It–it’s not that simple. Building a greenhouse would take time and money.”

“Not if your family and friends did all the work. I’m sure my daed would be glad to help out, and so would your other uncles and cousins. Maybe some of the neighboring Amish men would come, too.” Mary Ellen grasped Rebekah’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You really must ask your folks about this.”

“Well, I don’t know—”

“I’m sure your family wants you to be happy and self-reliant. Won’t you at least give my idea some thought and talk it over with them?”

Rebekah finally nodded. “I’ll think about it and, of course, pray for some answers. If God wants me to do something like this, then He will have to show me how.”

Mary Ellen smiled, pleased that her cousin liked the idea and even more pleased to see Rebekah so excited about something.

The entire Stoltzfus family had been invited to a picnic at the Hiltys’ place, and Rebekah looked forward to going. Family picnics were always fun, and it was a good time for the busy farmers and craftsmen to get caught up with one another’s active lives. Since preaching services in their Amish community were biweekly and this was an off Sunday, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Mom had insisted that Rebekah wear her leg braces for at least part of the day, reminding her that she needed to get out of that wheelchair once in a while and exercise the lower half of her body. As much as Rebekah disliked the cumbersome braces and the effort it took to walk, she didn’t want to make a fuss about it, so with the aid of her crutches, she gritted her teeth and hobbled up the dirt path leading to the Hiltys’ front porch.

Mary Ellen had been sitting on the porch swing, but when Rebekah approached, she jumped up and rushed toward her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you walking today.”

Rebekah frowned and shook her head. “This isn’t really walking. I feel like one of those little metal robots I’ve seen in the toy section at the Wal-Mart store.”

“Here, let me help you up the steps,” Mary Ellen offered, ignoring Rebekah’s negative comment. “We can sit on the swing and visit awhile.”

Rebekah allowed her cousin to help her up the stairs, then over to the swing. “What’s new in your life?” she asked, once she was seated.

“Not so much,” Mary Ellen said with a shrug, but her hazel-colored eyes sparkled as though she could hardly contain herself.

“Are you sure about that? You look pretty happy about something.”

Mary Ellen stood for a few seconds, rocking back and forth on her heels. Then her lips turned into a wide smile. “If you must know, Johnny has finally asked if he can court me.”

Rebekah had mixed feelings about that bit of news. She was trying to be happy for Mary Ellen because she was her best friend and all, but she felt sorry for poor Daniel. Now that Johnny would be calling on Mary Ellen, Daniel’s chances of winning her would be slim to none.

Rebekah plastered a smile on her face, although she really felt like crying. “It’s nice to see you’re so happy.”

“Jah, I truly am.” Mary Ellen’s face fairly glowed as she took a seat beside Rebekah on the swing and reached out to clasp her hand. “How are things with you these days? Have you thought any more about my greenhouse idea?”

Rebekah nodded, glad for the change of subject. “I have. I even talked to Mom and Dad, and they think it’s a good idea, too. Dad says he can begin building it sometime next week.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a rush.

“Just think, I might actually be able to support myself if this business takes hold.”

“That would be wunderbaar, all right.” Mary Ellen squinted. “But what will you sell? Do you have enough plants and flowers?”

“Not yet, but with the money I made at the farmers’ market, I’ll be able to buy some of what I need to get started. I can use more starts from Grandma’s plants, and there’s always fresh-cut flowers from our garden to sell.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

“I’m working on it. In the beginning, all my profits will have to go back into the business. I’ll need to buy more plants, seeds, fertilizers, pots, and potting soil. After the first year or so, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to start supporting myself.”

Mary Ellen pumped the swing back and forth with her legs—legs Rebekah would have given nearly anything to have owned. “It’s good to see you so cheerful. You’ve been acting kind of gloomy lately.”

Rebekah sighed. “That’s partly because of those awful dreams I kept having about Grandma dying and then others in my family leaving me, too.”

“Are you still having the nightmares?”

“Not since I started praying more and committing to memory some scriptures on trusting God and not fearing the unknown.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Which verses have you memorized?”

Rebekah was about to reply when Aunt Mim stepped onto the porch, interrupting their conversation. “I see you two have found my favorite swinging seat,” she said, smiling brightly.

“Would you like to sit here?” Rebekah offered. “We can go someplace else to visit.”

“You stay right where you are. I can’t take time to sit just now, anyway. I have to see about getting some food set out for this family picnic of ours.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Mary Ellen questioned.

Aunt Mim shook her head. “Maybe later. Sarah, Crystal, and Grace are here to help, so you two can sit right there for now and keep on visiting.” With a wave of her hand, she hurried into the house.

“Aunt Mim’s a sweet lady. She always seems so full of joy,” Rebekah said, nudging Mary Ellen with her elbow.

“Jah. She may not be my real mamm, but she loves me like she is. I thank God for bringing her into our lives when I was a young girl—though she wasn’t always so happy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember when she was our schoolteacher and some of the kinner used to call her en alt maedel with a heart of stone?”

Rebekah nodded. She wondered how many folks thought of her as an old maid. She knew her sister did because she’d already said so. Despite the fact that Nadine had apologized for her hurtful words, things hadn’t been the same between them since their last disagreement.

“God can change hearts if we allow Him to,” Mary Ellen said, waving her hand at a bothersome fly that seemed determined to buzz their heads.

“Do you think God still performs miracles?”

“Of course He does. Why would you ask such a thing?”

Rebekah’s eyelids fluttered, then closed and opened again. “Sometimes I think I might be able to actually
feel
God’s presence if He gave me an enormous miracle the way He did for folks back in the Bible days. In fact, I’ve been praying for such a miracle and trying to trust that He will answer that prayer.”

“We don’t need big miracles in order to see God. He performs small miracles in people’s lives nearly every day.” Mary Ellen took hold of Rebekah’s hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Often we don’t see the small miracles because we don’t have our eyes wide open.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Not in particular. I’m talking about believers in general. Even when clouds of pain seem to hide God’s face, we’re never hidden from His miracle of love and His tender mercies.”

Rebekah studied Mary Ellen’s pretty face. “Just how did a nineteen-year-old woman get to be so smart, anyway?”

Mary Ellen smiled, bringing to the surface her two matching dimples. “I think my wisdom comes from God, but I wouldn’t be teaching school if I wasn’t putting it into practice every day.”

Rebekah nodded and released another audible sigh. “You’re probably right. I’m praying that God will give me lots of wisdom, and I hope it’s real soon. For as I’m sure you’ve heard some of the older folks say, ‘we grow too soon old and too late smart.’”

Four large picnic tables had been set up on the front lawn for eating, and two more were loaded with a variety of food and beverages. Rebekah noticed that everyone seemed to be in good spirits and had come with hearty appetites, for not only was a lot of visiting going on, but in no time at all, most of the food was gone, too.

When it appeared that everyone had finished eating, Rebekah’s father stood and called for their attention. The hum of talking subsided as he clapped his hands together. “Those who work hard eat hearty, and you’ve all done right well. Now it’s time to share some good news with you.” He paused and glanced over at Rebekah. “I want you to know that my oldest daughter is about to become a businesswoman.”

All eyes turned to Rebekah, and she felt the heat of a blush creep up the back of her neck and spread quickly to her face.

Dad laid his hand on her shoulder. “Rebekah wants to open a greenhouse that will be built near the front of our property.”

Cheers went up around the tables, and everyone smiled at Rebekah—everyone except Nadine. She just sat stony-faced, staring at her empty plate, which only confirmed in Rebekah’s mind that things still weren’t right between her and her sister.

“If the greenhouse is to be built before summer ends, I’ll need some help with the project,” Dad continued. “Are there any volunteers?”

“You can count on me,” said Uncle Lewis.

Uncle Jonas nodded. “Jah, me, too.”

“I’d be more than happy to help,” Uncle Amos put in.

“Same here.” This came from Cousin Henry, whose eager expression made Rebekah think he might like to begin building on her greenhouse right away.

“Don’t forget about us,” John and Jacob said in unison.

“I would help if I was bigger,” seven-year-old Matthew piped up.

Dad laughed. “I’ll not turn away any help. Danki, to all of you.”

“I’m ever so grateful,” Rebekah said, feeling tears of joy flood her eyes.

“What will you call this new business of yours?” Aunt Mim questioned.

Rebekah sniffed and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands as a vision of Grandma Stoltzfus came to mind. “I’m thinking about calling it Grandma’s Place. I’ll be using lots of starts from her plants, and she loved flowers so much. It seems only fitting to name the greenhouse after her.”

“I think it’s a wunderbaar name,” Aunt Mim said with a nod.

“I do believe we’d better move this conversation indoors,” Mom interjected, “because I just felt something wet splat right on my nose!”

Everyone scrambled to get the dishes cleared off the tables and into the house, but Nadine, arms folded, and chin tucked against her neck, remained seated. Why was it that everything always had to be about Rebekah?
Rebekah needs more understanding. Rebekah should sell plants at the farmers’ market. Rebekah will soon be getting her own greenhouse.
Nadine was sick of her sister being the center of attention and getting to do all the fun things she was never allowed to do.

She thought back to the day at the farmers’ market when she’d been denied the privilege of having lunch with Carolyn and her cousin Melvin. Rebekah had gotten back late from her lunch with Mary Ellen, and by the time Nadine was free to go, Carolyn and Melvin had already left the market.

It’s not fair,
she grumbled in silence as the rain continued to fall.
I’m always kept busy with chores, and I hardly ever get to do anything just for fun.

“How come you’re still out here in the rain? I thought you’d gone inside with the other women.”

Nadine whirled around. Dad stood behind her with a disgruntled look on his face. At least he hadn’t referred to her as a little girl. She supposed that was something to be thankful for.

“I was just sitting here thinking,” she mumbled.

He lifted his hand and caught several raindrops in his palm. “You like thinkin’ in the rain?”

She gave an exaggerated shrug.

“You’d better get into the house now. This storm is getting worse, and we’ll be leaving as soon as we’ve had our dessert.”

With a weary sigh, Nadine climbed off the picnic bench and trudged toward the house, feeling even more frustrated because she wouldn’t be allowed the privilege of sitting in the rain by herself.

“Dad, I wish we weren’t heading for home already,” Nadine complained from the back of their closed-in buggy. “That homemade ice cream Uncle Amos made was sure good, and I wanted a second helping.”

“We left because of this storm,” Dad called back to her. “It’s getting worse all the time, and we need to be home to see that the livestock gets fed and put to bed.”

It was obvious by the way their father gripped the reins that he was fighting to keep the horse under control. Jagged streaks of lightning zigzagged across the horizon, thunderous roars shook the sky, and the rain pelted to the ground in torrents.

“I’m scared,” Nadine whined. “I hate
wedderleech
and
dunner.
I wish we could have stayed at Aunt Mim’s house until the storm was over.”

“Aw, a little lightning and thunder is nothin’ to be scared of,” Simon asserted. “This is just a typical summer storm.”

Mom looked back at them over her shoulder. “There’s nothing typical about this weather, and I think it would be wise if we all kept quiet so your daed can concentrate on his driving.”

Rebekah leaned her head a little closer to Nadine, hoping to calm the girl’s nerves. “We’ll be home soon enough.”

Another shuddering clap of thunder sounded, and the horse whinnied loudly. “Whoa there. Steady, boy,” Dad said in a soothing voice.

They were nearing their farm, and as they turned up the gravel driveway, Mom let out a shrill scream. “Fire! Oh, Andrew, our barn’s all ablaze!”

“It must have been struck by lightning.” Dad urged the horse into a fast trot. When they reached their front yard, he halted the gelding and jumped down from the buggy. “Go get help!” he called to Mom. “Simon, you and Nadine should start filling some buckets with water right away.”

“What about me?” Rebekah asked, feeling helpless and frightened. Wasn’t there something she could do to lend a hand?

“You can either go on up to the house or ride with me,” Mom said over her shoulder.

Rebekah looked out the window and saw Dad running toward the water trough, with Simon and Nadine on his heels. It was obvious that none of them had the time to help her out of the buggy right now. “I’ll ride with you, Mom,” she replied, knowing full well that they couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.

Mom nodded and quickly turned the buggy around. As they tore out of the yard, Rebekah grabbed the edge of her seat, fearing she might be thrown out. When she turned to look out the back window again, she saw Dad, Simon, and Nadine running frantically toward the barn, each carrying two buckets of water in their hands.

The rain soon turned to a trickle, but the wind continued to blow furiously. Rebekah was painfully aware that, unless the fire department could get to their place quickly, Dad would surely lose the whole barn.

The first stop Mom made was at their English neighbors’ house, which was about two miles down the road. She asked them to call the county fire department; then she headed over to Jonas and Crystal’s place to let them know what had happened.