Winter of Wishes (22 page)

Once out the doors, both women sighed loudly. “There was a time I thought Hiram was
maybe worth my efforts,” Jerusalem muttered, “and I was happy to help with the kids
while he was under the ban, but this is the last straw, Sister. I believe the Lord’s
tellin’ me to move along. Maybe back home to Lancaster County.”

“
Jah
, I’m with ya, far as not puttin’ up with that pigheaded bishop any longer,” Nazareth
replied in a wavery voice. “But what about the children? And what about . . . well,
maybe I’m bein’ a silly old fool, but I’d like to keep company with Preacher Tom awhile
longer, to see what comes of it.”

Rebecca clicked her key fob to unlock the car doors. “Forgive me if I’m speaking out
of turn,” she said, “but I don’t see how you two have tolerated that man as long as
you have. I think those kids—and your nephews—would miss you a lot, Jerusalem—”

“Not to mention
me
missin’ ya, Sister! We’ve done everything together, all our lives,” Nazareth pointed
out.

“—but I bet other folks would offer you a place to stay,” Rebecca continued. “Mamma
and my sisters love having you around. You fit in at Willow Ridge as though you’ve
always been there.”

As Nazareth squeezed behind the front passenger seat to get into the back, Jerusalem
smiled ruefully. The poor woman’s exhaustion was etched around her eyes and she seemed
to have aged twenty years since the accident. “
Jah
, but there would be no stayin’ away from Hiram, no matter who we lived with,” she
pointed out. “And then there’s the matter of my four goats and the wee ones that’re
on the way. With the twins laid up, there’ll be no one I could trust to tend them.”

Rebecca smiled tiredly. “Mamma would probably say that things will look better come
tomorrow.”

“
Jah
, that’s a
gut
way to look at it. The Lord’ll provide.” Jerusalem climbed into the back, and once
they got on the road, it was a quiet ride to the Knepp house.

After Rebecca parked, she opened the door to assist the sisters out of the car, gripping
their hands until they had a solid foothold on the snow-packed driveway. “Be careful,
now,” she said. “It’s dark and slick out here.”

Jerusalem let out a little laugh. “
Jah
, that’s the way of it a lot of times in this life—dark and slick, with plenty of
chances to land on your backside.
Denki
for lookin’ after us today, child. You’ve got your mother’s
gut
heart.”

As the two older ladies grabbed hands and made their way toward the squares of light
coming from the front windows, Rebecca felt a glow inside. That felt like the nicest
thing anyone had ever said to her. She was cautiously walking around to the driver’s
side when the front door of the house flew open and out rushed Cyrus and Levi Zook.
They stopped a few feet in front of the Hooley sisters, shivering without their coats.

“We—we come over to ask how the twins’re doin’,” Cyrus stammered. “And we’re mighty
sorry we double-dog dared them to race us in the sleigh, too. We helped them hitch
it up, ya know. Didn’t mean for nobody to get hurt.”

“
Jah
, Mamm told us to sit tight until ya got back,” Levi joined in. “She sent some supper
and says we’re to ask about any chorin’ we can do for ya, too, on account of how Joey
and Josh’ll be laid up.”

“
Jah
, and it’s gonna be a
gut
long while before we’re allowed to drive the sleigh again, too,” Cyrus added with
a forlorn sigh.

“Well, now.” Jerusalem studied them in the light coming from the window. “I’m glad
to see you boys ownin’ up to the trouble you caused today. Let’s go inside where it’s
warm and talk about this, shall we? Mighty nice of your
mamm
to see to our supper, too.”

As Rebecca pulled out onto the blacktop, she smiled at the way the Hooley sisters
had indeed woven themselves into the fabric of this community. How would it be when
she moved into the apartment with Rhoda, though? Was she heaping more trouble on her
sister and Mamma by bringing her technology and her English lifestyle into the Lantz
household?

Show me what You’d have me do, Lord
, she prayed as she drove down the dark county road.
Things are getting tricky in Willow Ridge.

 

 

The obstetrics wing was very quiet on this Friday evening, so Andy slipped downstairs.
When he saw that Hiram wasn’t in the recovery room with his boys, he went over to
check on them. Josh was just waking up and had a disoriented expression on his bruised,
scraped face, while Joey—who had undergone more extensive surgery—was still sleeping
off his anesthesia. Both boys sported casts and bandages, and with IV tubes and monitors
all around them, they looked frail and vulnerable. After a glance at Josh’s chart,
he went to the boy’s bedside. “Hey there, Josh,” he murmured. “Do you know where you
are? Do you remember what happened to you?”

The boy blinked and turned away, as though he wanted to be left alone.

“Your dad’ll be here any minute,” Andy assured him. “Joey’s right here in the bed
beside yours. Just rest now, okay? I’ll get your nurse.”

Andy felt a tug on his heartstrings when he imagined his own son in such a painful
predicament. From the talk around the nurses’ station, Hiram had made quite a scene
and might well be taking his twins home tonight, against the advice of every medical
professional here. Dr. LaFarge had instructed everyone on duty to tread lightly: despite
the fact that the Amish preached forgiveness and peacemaking, Knepp was a textbook
example of a man most likely to file a lawsuit.

Andy paused at the nurses’ station to smile at Kayla Burke, who had attended nursing
school with him. “The Knepp twins are coming around,” he said in a low voice. “Has
their father seen them yet?”

“No, and I’ve heard he’s a handful,” she replied. “I’ll check on them and let Dr.
LaFarge know how they’re progressing.”

Andy headed for the elevator to return to Obstetrics, but when he heard a familiar
voice coming from the waiting room, he paused.

“Yes, Mr. Hammond, we Amish believe that God directs us to forgive and submit to His
will,” Hiram was saying in a low, purposeful voice. “But God also holds us accountable
for our misdeeds. I lost a fine horse today—a Belgian I was ready to sell for around
four thousand dollars, as that’s how I make my living. And my sons have undergone
hours of extensive surgery because of your careless driving. Your
negligence
.”

Andy peered quickly into the waiting area. The bishop was using the courtesy phone,
his back to the door as he gave Conrad Hammond an earful. Curiosity made Andy wait
on the other side of the wall to get a sense of how high Hiram might be hanging this
verbal noose.

“Yes, we Plain people prefer to stay out of court and to not get involved with the
police,” Hiram continued archly. “And indeed, Mr. Hammond, once you’ve paid the bill
for today’s ambulance fee and my sons’ extensive hospital procedures, plus any physical
therapy they might require, you’ll be finding other ways to compensate what I’ve endured
today. As a Realtor and a representative of your political district, you’ll be in
quite a predicament if it gets out that two young boys were maimed—or died—because
you lost control of your car while talking on your cell phone.”

Andy blinked. The bishop was certainly using the details from Officer McClatchey’s
accident report to his advantage.

“I’ll be in touch with you after I ascertain the extent of my twins’ injuries. They
should be in the recovery room by now.”

The next part of the conversation was drowned out by a page requesting Dr. LaFarge
to come to the emergency room. Instinct prodded Andy to return to the nurses’ station
rather than go upstairs. His head was spinning as he tried to wrap his mind around
the bishop’s strategy—he was going for Hammond’s financial jugular, after protesting
that the emergency crew and the hospital staff had ignored his rights. Andy was surprised
at how knowledgeable Hiram Knepp seemed when it came to legal affairs and worldly
procedures.

“You’re back?” Kayla asked as he slipped behind the counter of the nurses’ station.
“I’m taking ice chips and teddy bears to the Knepp boys. They’re a little scared,
waking up in a strange place, but I wheeled their beds closer together so they can
talk.”

“Their father’s headed this way. After the conversation I had with him at the scene
of the accident, I’d like to be here, uh—in case he has any questions,” Andy added
quickly. He was reviewing the details of the boys’ surgery on the computer . . . checking
their vital signs on the monitors, in case Hiram made good on his threat to take the
twins home tonight. “Come and get me if he becomes testy.”

Kayla selected the two biggest bears from the toy basket and went on her way, while
Andy went down the long list of injuries and conditions the surgical team had documented.
The boys were stabilizing well, considering the body trauma they’d sustained, but
another day—even spending the night here—would greatly increase their chances for
a full recovery. As he heard the quick, purposeful tread of boots coming down the
hallway, he prepared himself for whatever Hiram might do.

Help me stay calm, Lord, and say the right things
.

As the bishop stopped beside the counter, Andy had the satisfaction of watching his
startled reaction.

“Leitner. You work
here
?” Knepp masked his surprise by glancing toward the recovery room. “I looked in on
the twins about an hour ago, but they were still unconscious. May I go in now?”

“I’m sure they’d love to see you. I was with them as they were coming around,” Andy
replied. He noted the discrepancy between Hiram’s statement and Kayla’s, but kept
a benign smile on his face.

“After assessing their condition, I’ve decided they should remain here until Dr. LaFarge
releases them.” Hiram sighed as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Perhaps it was God’s will that they come here, after all.”

“You’ve made a wise decision, Mr. Knepp. We’ll wheel them to a room after the doctor
looks in on them. We can roll in a bed for you, if you’d like.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

As Hiram headed toward the curtained room where Kayla was tending the twins, Andy
bit back a smile. Oh, but this change of heart suggested some interesting scenarios,
considering what he’d overheard in the waiting room. The bishop was now thanking Kayla
for her attention, and then he talked briefly with his sons, who answered in hoarse
but eager voices. After he assured them he would be back tomorrow, Hiram emerged from
behind the curtains. With a nod at Andy, he put on his black broad-brimmed hat and
then swung his long black coat over his shoulders as he strode toward the exit.

Andy signed off from the computer, almost wishing he worked tomorrow morning. The
rest of his shift in the obstetrics wing went quickly, as he had patients to check
on and plenty to think about.

 

 

As he climbed into his cold car, Andy realized how tired he was, yet how satisfied
he felt. He’d answered Rhoda’s frantic call and saved Joey Knepp’s life. He’d been
invited into the Sweet Seasons as though he were one of the family, to lend support
as Rhoda talked with the police officer. He’d immersed himself in Rhoda’s compassion
again . . . had hugged and kissed her and admitted he was considering a change of
faith.

Her sweet, unassuming smile warmed him all over again. And she hadn’t missed a beat
when it came to responding, either.
New Haven and Morning Star have different bishops, but the faith is the same.

He would have to approach this very carefully . . . couldn’t misrepresent the life-altering
consequences for his kids and his mom, if he talked to them about this idea.

When
I talk to them
, he corrected.
That’s got to happen. Soon.

I wish this preachin’ service could be over soon,
Rhoda thought. She sat on the front pew bench of the women’s side with her head bowed,
as folks needing to confess were supposed to do. It didn’t help that church would
take about three hours before the Members’ Meeting convened, when she could at last
admit her sin and await her punishment for kissing Andy and riding in his car.

It didn’t help that Hiram sat directly across from her, either. He rested his elbows
on his knees, his gaze fixed on the Riehls’ plank floor, awaiting the members’ decision
about reinstating him, fully forgiven. It was a highly unusual fix for a bishop to
be in, yet he seemed unconcerned. Had he made some kind of a deal with Enos Mullet
and Jeremiah Shetler, the bishops who had assisted their congregation during his ban?

Who gets to go first, Lord? If Hiram is welcomed back into the fold before I make
my confession, will he insist that I be shunned? After all the hurtful things he’s
done to us, it hardly seems fair
—

Rhoda stopped that thought before she finished it. God tude, and his owning a fancy
car. The tension in Reuben and Esther Riehl’s crowded home was so thick, she felt
it pressing her nearly to her knees.

Preacher Tom’s sermon on the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, announcing she was to
be the mother of a Savior, lifted Rhoda’s heart. Such courage Jesus’s mother had shown
when she had praised God for the huge responsibility He had placed upon her. Tom spoke
more eloquently than usual, carried away by the miraculous event of Jesus’s birth.
He reminded them that no matter what trials and tribulations they had encountered
in this season, the Christ Child was to be loved and celebrated. Jesus, too, had endured
great pain in His brief lifetime, to better understand human suffering . . .
her
suffering, Rhoda realized.

Then came the silent kneeling prayer, followed by Deacon Reuben’s reading of the first
two chapters of Luke. Bishop Shetler preached on the miracle of Christmas and the
salvation it still offered them centuries later. What with Hiram decreeing that she
should never again see Andy, and bearing up under the guilt of showing her affections
for an English fellow, the season’s joy had nearly passed her by this year. Next Thursday
was Christmas, and the Thursday after that Mamma would marry Ben. Oh, how she hoped
her family’s happiness wouldn’t be spoiled by whatever punishment she received today.

As they stood for the benediction and the closing hymn, Rhoda’s throat was so parched
she couldn’t sing. But Hiram sang out with his customary gusto. Only a few moments
more . . .

“We shall now begin our meeting,” Enos Mullet announced in his reedy voice. “All who
are not baptized into the fellowship are excused.”

Older children led their young siblings toward the room with the coats, so they could
play outside. Rhoda recalled such outings when she and Rachel were small, when Matthias
Wagler’s older sister Ruth had taken charge of them so Mamma could attend the meetings.
Such a sense of belonging had surrounded her all her life, and now she faced the possibility
of separation during a shunning—

“Rhoda, we shall begin with the matter of your riding in a car with an Englishman
and being seen kissing him,” Jeremiah Shetler announced. “Have you come to confess?”

“
Jah. Jah
, I have,” she murmured. Oh, what a blessing to have this matter handled by the bishop
from Morning Star! Rhoda went to her knees before him and Enos Mullet, Preacher Tom,
and Preacher Gabe, overcome by relief and remorse all at once. “I knew I was goin’
against my vows, puttin’ myself in temptation’s way,” she continued contritely. “So
I spoke with Preacher Tom about it, and I stopped workin’ for that family.”

While she confessed to behavior that went against the
Ordnung
, and said she regretted bringing shame to her family, Rhoda did not say she was sorry
for the affection she felt for Andy and his family. That would be a lie, and God would
hold that against her. As tears streamed down her face, her words came out in such
a rush she wasn’t certain what-all she said. But when she finished, Rhoda looked up
to see quiet compassion on the four preachers’ faces. She felt the freedom of releasing
her burden, even if she didn’t yet know what penance the members might require of
her.

“If you’ll step outside, Rhoda, we’ll call you in when we’ve reached our decision.”

She walked quickly down the aisle between the closely packed pew benches, meeting
no one’s eye. Grabbing Esther Riehl’s coat from a peg by the kitchen door, she stepped
outside into the bright sunshine.
I did my best, Andy
, she thought
. Maybe someday, if ya really do take your instruction, we’ll look back on all this
troublesome stuff as God’s way of makin’ us strong enough to mesh together as a family.

Whoops went up on the other side of the buggy-lined driveway, where two teams were
running a relay race carrying huge snowballs back and forth. Rhoda watched the children’s
pink-cheeked exuberance, too caught up in her own concerns to step off the porch and
cheer them on.

Behind her, the door opened. Annie Mae grabbed her in a fierce hug. “C’mon in, Rhoda!
You’re home free!”

Could it be? And so fast? Rhoda rushed back inside, pausing only to hang up Esther’s
coat. Back down the aisle she walked, daring to believe the smiles she saw on everyone’s
faces . . . the quick clasp of a hand as she passed the pew where Mamma sat. She knelt
before the four preachers to hear their verdict.

“Rhoda, we believe your confession was heartfelt and sincere. The members have voted
unanimously to accept it without need for further repentance,” Bishop Mullet announced.
“You may resume your place amongst the members while we take up the other matter before
us this morning.”

Rhoda’s hand went to her mouth to keep a loud
whoop!
inside. She found Rachel’s radiant face several rows back and then squeezed onto
the end of that pew after the other girls made room for her. Her twin reached across
Annie Mae to grab her hand, and from all around her came pats on the back and a silent
grasping of hands while the bishops proceeded with the meeting.

“Six weeks ago we placed your bishop under the ban for his ownership of a car and
his possession of a driver’s license—a highly unusual and unfortunate event,” Jeremiah
Shetler said solemnly. “I remind all of you to prayerfully consider what you hear
now, and how you respond with your comments and your votes. While a bishop is human—as
prone to falling short of God’s expectations as the members of his flock—it’s a matter
of great concern when his sins come between him and the people God has chosen him
to lead.”

Hiram came forward to kneel. “I again admit the error of my ways when I accepted a
car as payment for a debt and then procured a license,” he stated. “It was wrong of
me to hide that car and to drive it, as well. And for those times these past six weeks
when I appeared to forget the separation I was to maintain as part of my shunning,
I am also sincerely sorry.”

Folks mumbled, shifting on their pew benches. Was that all Hiram was going to say?
The two bishops and the preachers gazed at him as though they, too, had expected more.

“All right, Hiram, if you’ll step outside,” Jeremiah said, “we’ll call for discussion
and the vote on—”

“I have something else of great urgency to say,” Hiram interrupted as he rose from
his knees. He looked out over both sides of the whispering crowd, waiting for the
chatter to stop. “First, I wish to thank you for your prayers when my sons were rushed
to the hospital Friday after their sleighing accident. I was determined to bring them
home that evening to allow God’s healing to take place, but as I sat between their
hospital beds, entreating our Lord’s guidance, He came to me with a revelation so
amazing I could scarcely take it all in.”

Rhoda gazed at her sister and then at Annie Mae. The bishop’s daughter seemed as surprised
as everyone else to hear about this. They all gazed intently over the rows of kapps
in front of them.

Hiram cleared his throat. “God has instructed me to start a new colony, saying that
my mission here in Willow Ridge is finished.”

Gasps rang out among the women. The men looked at each other in disbelief.

“Again, I was stunned to hear this, but in the stillness of that hospital room where
my sons lay sleeping, there was no mistaking the Lord’s voice.” Hiram clasped his
hands in front of him, somber yet visibly excited. “When I asked how this was to be
accomplished, the Lord pointed out that our district has grown to about twenty-five
families, which is the upper limit of what a bishop and two preachers can attend to.”

He paused, raising his arms as though invoking the Holy Spirit. “And when I asked
Him where I was to go and what I was to do next, the Lord promised to lead me along
the path He had mapped out. And by Saturday afternoon—just yesterday,” Hiram proclaimed,
“He showed me a large tract of land coming up for sale. And God told me how I was
to go about procuring it for His Plain people.”

Oh, but heads where swiveling and whispers filled the air! Annie Mae grabbed Rhoda’s
hand as her father’s announcement shook her to the core. “Of all the—oh, but I’m not
even believin’ this,” she muttered. She gawked at her sister, a couple of pews behind.

Nellie, too, looked pale. As stunned and scared as Annie Mae.

“I will have more details when we meet again in two weeks,” Hiram went on in a rising
voice. “For now, I have been instructed to place an ad in
The Budget
, calling for families to join me in this holy venture. I invite any of you to assist
me, as well. A fledgling community requires committed families willing to reestablish
themselves in occupations that will support a colony and foster its growth.”

“And just where is this acreage you’re talkin’ about?” one of the men demanded. “Seems
to me—”

“I will disclose its location at our next meeting, when the details are firmly in
place,” Hiram replied. “This is an undertaking of a magnitude none of us has ever
known—or funded,” he added pointedly. “But the Lord has spoken. The way so many details
have fallen into place in such a short time compels me to believe that this is indeed
our God at work.

“And now, if you’ll excuse me, I must visit my sons,” Hiram continued before anyone
could interrupt him. “I’m eager to assess their healing. Excited about the possibility
that more heavenly messages will be revealed.”

Hiram left from the front entrance rather than through the kitchen, probably so folks
couldn’t pester him with questions. The
bang!
of the door reverberated in the crowded room, and then pandemonium broke loose.

“Do ya suppose God Almighty honestly spoke to Hiram?”

“Ya can’t tell me he’s playin’ us straight, comin’ up with this cockeyed—”

“Well, if that don’t beat all!”

“Let’s come back to order, please,” Bishop Shetler called out above the noisy crowd.
“Please, folks. Quiet yourselves. Plenty of time to visit over the meal, after we
adjourn our meeting now with a prayer.”

Rhoda’s head was spinning as she bowed it. Who could have guessed at
this
development? Was it a coincidence that their bishop, often the subject of criticism
these past weeks, had received such divine guidance
now
, when it seemed he might not be voted back into the fold?

Silence reigned for longer than usual, which was probably Bishop Shetler’s way of
allowing folks to pray earnestly about Hiram’s unexpected revelation. “Amen,” he murmured.

Everyone stood at once, talking in a frenzy that filled the room. The women rushed
toward the kitchen, all chattering, as the men began arranging the pew benches for
the common meal.

Rhoda stood up, dazed. She was still holding Annie Mae’s hand, which was shaking.
What must the poor girl be thinking of her father’s announcement? Bad enough that
their family had been shaken by Josh and Joey’s accident. As Nellie joined them, both
Knepp girls looked as pale as the snow that had fallen in the night.

Annie Mae exhaled sharply. “I’m not goin’ with him. That’s all there is to that, and
I don’t care what Dat or anybody else says,” she declared in a vehement whisper.

“I’m stayin’ with you, Annie Mae.” Frightened tears splashed down Nellie’s face.

“Will ya help us, Rhoda? Don’t ya see how it is?” her friend entreated. “He’s up to
somethin’ and I want no part of it. Please promise you’ll keep this under your kapp,
though.”

What could she say? Rhoda understood perfectly why the girls didn’t want to follow
their father. But families were meant to stay together, just as daughters were to
obey their
dats
. And what might Hiram do if he learned she had gone against the Old Ways—and him—to
shelter Annie Mae and Nellie?

“
Jah
, we’ll figure out something,” Rhoda heard herself reply as she gripped their hands.
“Mamma will see your side of it. Don’t you worry about a thing.”