The Love Letters (37 page)

“Must be.” Ellie grinned as he opened the envelope.

“It's a card. And it says, ‘You saved the day.' ”

Roman stopped what he was doing and leaned over to look. “Ya know, son, I believe they're right.”

Small Jay read the rest of the card aloud, including the personal note at the bottom. “I think it's from Abigail,” he said. “Listen to this. ‘Boston's doctors are trying a new therapy, and he's written another song, which is just as outstanding as his others. On the days Boston's memory is fairly clear, he fondly recalls his time with you and your family, and even makes me smile with talk of a cat named Sassafras
—“like the tea,”
he says. We very much would enjoy hearing from you, Jake. Your friend, Abigail (for Boston Calvert).' ”

Ellie smiled. “A very nice note.”

“I oughta tell Sassy 'bout this,” Small Jay said. “If only Boston had kept the envelopes with his love letters, ain't so?”

“Well, but then we might not have gotten so well acquainted,” Roman wisely observed.

“True.” Small Jay stuffed the card into his pants pocket and picked up the mane comb, returning to the driving horse.

Ellie appreciated that Abigail had sent such a considerate card. “Lord bless her for that,” she whispered as she made her way back to the house. Halfway there, she noticed a big black cat sitting in front of the outhouse, looking pleased as pie. “Shredder's back? Oh, wait'll Roman hears this!”

O
h, Mammi, that was just awful,” Marlena said once she'd pulled herself together after Gordon left with Angela Rose.

Her grandmother cut a sliver of honeydew melon for her, fresh from the garden. “You were just wonderful to Gordon, dear. The Lord was with ya, I know.” Mammi opened her arms to Marlena. “Never forget you did a very
gut
thing for your sister's wee babe this summer. Luella couldn't have asked for more.”

How can I dismiss what I felt the Lord wanted me
to do?

Mammi tilted her head and smiled thoughtfully. “There is no sorrow bigger than the grace of God.” She carried a large basket of dozens of cucumbers out to the back porch to peel. “Take your time eatin' the melon, Marlena.”

Marlena pondered Gordon Munroe's visit and all that had just taken place. When she finished eating, she opened the utensil drawer and found a paring knife and went to help Mammi with the chore. “After this, do ya mind if I take a walk? Will you be all right here alone, Mammi?”

“Well now, I'll have to be.” Mammi glanced up at her. “You'll be leavin' for home soon, honey-girl.”

“I
could
stay longer if you'd like.”

“But would ya want to?” Hope sprang into Mammi's eyes.

“I'm in no hurry to get back . . . now.”

A peaceful expression spread across Mammi's face, and Marlena felt good about pledging more time.
She still needs me.

———

Later, Marlena headed through one of the fields. The alfalfa was ready for its third cutting, and in the next big field over, thousands of cabbages were ready for harvest.

Out there alone with the soil, the air, and the sky, she pushed her way to the willow grove and let herself cry. She purposely rejected imagining Gordon's drive home, fretting that Angela had cried all the way, nor did she wish to relive the scene in Mammi's front room, where Angela had clearly been frightened of her own father.
Dear little girl.

Looking over toward the Bitners', Marlena knew she had to cling to Dawdi Tim's wise words even as tears rolled down her cheeks.
I mustn't worry. I will be stronger once
the storm is over.

Overhead, the willows swayed slightly.
Like a heavenly green fountain,
she thought as she watched Small Jay and his father harness one of their big road horses, working together at last.

She'd heard from Ellie that Boston's wife had come to take him home to Virginia, and that Ellie would start up her sewing classes again next week.
Maybe Mammi and I could go and make a wall hanging from the material in
Angela's little dresses.
The classes, and the good fellowship, were something to look forward to, something to distract her from her grief.

Turning south, where the pond seemed to mingle with the
nearest trees, Marlena walked toward the road. Someone was pushing a stroller, headed this way. Drawing closer, she saw Sarah Mast and quickly wiped her wet face with the back of her hand.

“Hullo there, friend,” Sarah called. “We meet again.” Then she must have realized that Marlena had been crying. “Are you all right?”

She put on a smile. “It's been a hard day, is all.”

“Come, let's walk together. By the way, this is my oldest brother's baby, Lena Mae.”

Marlena moved toward the stroller and smiled for the wee girl, who grinned back at her.
Just a little older than Angela.
Tears came again, and she fell into step with Sarah, telling her about Angela Rose going home with her father and grandparents a little while ago.

“Oh, that
was
hard for ya. I'm so sorry.”

“Well, I knew it was comin', but knowing didn't make it any easier. What a wonderful thing, really, that Gordon was found alive.” It was good to talk to someone like Sarah and not have to hold back as she did when sharing with Mammi Janice, protecting her. “Honestly, I hardly know what to do with myself. Oh, there's plenty of work ahead—I don't mean that. It's just that right about now, I'd be thinkin' ahead to Angela's supper in a few hours, ya know. Then we had a sweet ritual after family worship . . . her bath, and then I'd sing a hymn while she took her bottle, rocking and lovin' her as best I could.” Marlena stopped her recitation for fear she'd start crying again.

“It'll take time to make new daily patterns,” Sarah said gently. “Not that I know anything 'bout the kind of sadness you're sufferin'.”

“Well, there's actually more you don't know. No one does, although I think my grandmother might suspect by now. And my parents surely know, too.”
Actually,
she thought,
they must be relieved.

Sarah didn't probe, instead just kept pushing the stroller up the hill, near fenced pastureland where mules and cows grazed. A farm stand stood nearby in all its late-summertime glory.

Testing the waters, Marlena said, “Have ya ever harbored a secret about a relationship?”

Sarah looked at her. “It's been two years now, but
jah
, I suffered a heartache.”

Marlena pressed ahead and began to share her loss of Nat Zimmerman, keeping his name to herself. “I lost my beau because of my growing faith in the Lord . . . and because of Angela Rose. But I'd do it all over again . . . make the same choices, if I had the chance.”

Sarah shook her head, looking shocked. “You had to choose 'tween him and Angela Rose?”

“I know it sounds just awful. But that's all over now. Besides, I love my little niece.”

“Well, ya must've loved your beau, too.”

“Sometimes I question what I felt for him, tellin' the truth.” She confided in Sarah that she believed if he'd sincerely loved her, he'd never have put her in such a bind.

Sarah said she'd pray for her. “The Lord alone understands your former beau's situation. And sees his heart.”

“I believe that. And I hold out no hope of getting back together, even now that Angela's gone. We don't see eye to eye spiritually anymore.”

“Sounds like you've made a clean break. You know your own mind, Marlena.
Des gut
.”

“My Dawdi Tim used to say,
‘
Storms make a strong tree, just like trials make a strong Christian.'
”

Sarah had tears in her eyes, too, as she reached for Marlena's hand while gripping the stroller with the other. And they walked that way for a little while, a sweet comfort.

“My brother Luke's taking our Ohio cousin to the train just now,” Sarah said, making small talk. “You may have seen her with me at Preachin' the day you visited.”

“A tall brunette?”

“
Jah
, that's Cora Sue. Sweetest girl, really. I wish she could stay longer than just summer's end.”

Their cousin?

Luke's hush-hush revelation resurfaced in Marlena's mind.
I must've been wrong about who he's sweet on.
But she breathed not a word to Sarah, wondering who the very fortunate young woman must be.

“Dat's gonna teach me to drive the team,” Small Jay told his mother that afternoon before supper.

“To hitch up, too?”

“Says so.”

Mamma looked like she might burst. “Such
gut
news,
jah
?”

“I had to pinch myself on the way inside.” He showed his arm. “See here?”

“You're becoming a young man, son.”

Like Boston had called him. He took off his straw hat and ran his fingers through his thick bangs, glad they'd grown out so Mamma could even them out just today. “Boston hardly ever used my nickname, ya know.”

“Maybe it's time we all call ya by your given name.” Mamma's thoughtful expression touched him. “If you're ready.”

He considered that. “Well, I don't feel so small no more.” He patted his chest. “If Dat thinks it's all right, then Jake's fine.” He thought then of Gracie Yoder and wondered if she'd ever referred to him as Small Jay to others.
Does she even think of me?
he wondered, recalling Boston's comical aside about wearing the lost bow tie to market.
To impress Gracie, maybe.

Truth was, that bow tie was long gone. Besides, you didn't really need a bow tie or sugary-sweet words to catch a girl's attention. How many times had he thought back to that wonderful-good moment at market? Sometimes he wasn't sure if he hadn't just dreamed it. Well, he hoped not. Oh, did he ever.

“Dat's never ever called you Small Jay,” Mamma was saying, “so I guess it's up to your sisters and me to catch up, ain't so?”

He was suddenly full of love for dear Mamma and mighty glad no one was around to see him go and give her a hug. Something he told himself he'd never do again.
Grown men don't hug their mothers,
he knew.

Then Jake Bitner straightened to his full height, turned, and headed toward the stable, where his work was waiting.
And Dat, too.

Marlena considered heading back to Ellie's to set a time for returning the baby furniture, once she'd washed everything down good. But Sarah wanted to stop at one of the farm stands, and they stood and visited for longer than they'd intended. Now it was time to hurry home to help Mammi finish making supper.

As it turned out, Sarah caught a ride with her father, who'd
seen her with the stroller and stopped to pick up both her and the baby in the family buggy. Abram Mast waved cordially at Marlena.

“I'll come over and see ya again soon,” Sarah said as they rode away.

Marlena waved until Sarah was out of sight; she so appreciated her friendship. Walking back toward Mammi's, she hoped she wouldn't have disturbed dreams tonight. Sighing, she realized anew that Angela Rose wouldn't be waiting for her with sweet drooly smiles when Marlena walked into the kitchen.

O Father, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
. . . .