A Cousin's Prayer (8 page)

“Supper’s ready,” Mom called through Katie’s bedroom door.

Katie groaned. She’d been taking a nap and didn’t want to be disturbed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Katie, are you awake?”

Katie nestled under her covers like a kitten burrowing into a pile of straw. She didn’t want to eat supper, but she knew if she didn’t, Mom would probably badger her some more about taking the remedy she’d bought at the health food store.

Tap. Tap.

“I’ll be right there!” Katie pushed the covers aside and climbed out of bed. Using her fingers, she tried to smooth the wrinkles from her dress, but it was no use; she looked a mess. She was tempted to change clothes but figured that if she took the time to do that, Mom would knock on her door again.

She set her head covering in place, tucked a few stray hairs under the sides, and left her room. Pulling her shoulders back, she hurried down the stairs.

When she entered the kitchen, she couldn’t help but notice the impatient look on Mom’s face.

Dad tapped his foot a couple of times. “It’s about time,” he mumbled. “I’m hungry, and the food’s gettin’ cold.”

“Sorry.” Katie slipped into her chair and bowed her head.

After their time of prayer, Dad looked over at Katie and said, “Your mamm told me what happened earlier today. You shouldn’t have run off the way you did. Don’t you know how worried your mamm was when you didn’t come back right away?”

“I didn’t mean to make her worry; I just needed to be alone.”

“Jah, well, you could’ve gone to your room instead of takin’ off like that.” Dad helped himself to a slice of ham. “And what’s all the fuss about a few bees?”

“It wasn’t a few bees, Dad. It was whole swarm.” Katie forked a piece of ham onto her plate and handed the platter to Mom. “I’m sorry for not helping with supper. I fell asleep in my room.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mom said with a wave of her hand. “When we’re finished eating, you can clear the table and wash the dishes.”

Dad looked over at Katie and frowned. “Your mamm also said that she bought something at the health food store to help calm your nerves, but you refused to take it.”

Katie slowly nodded. She didn’t like being questioned like this. It made her feel like a little girl.

“Why didn’t you give one of the remedies a try?”

“I didn’t think I needed it. I just needed to rest awhile.” Katie took a drink of water. “I feel much better after my nap.”

“Glad to hear it.” Dad shoveled some mashed potatoes onto his plate and dropped a pat of butter on top. “Your mamm and I have been very worried about you, Katie.”

She gave a shaky laugh. “Well, you don’t need to be. I’m fine.” “Are you sure about that?”

Katie nodded.

“You weren’t fine when you passed out during church,” Dad said.

“That was because it was so warm in the buggy shop, and it may also have been because I hadn’t had much breakfast.”

“What about how upset you got today?” Mom asked. “You sure weren’t fine when you ran off the way you did.”

“I was upset about the bees, and I’m sorry if I upset you.”

Mom’s disbelieving look made Katie even more determined to prove to her folks that she didn’t need any kind of remedy to settle her nerves.

Loraine had just set a kettle of water on the stove to boil when Wayne stepped into the kitchen.

“What’s for supper?” he asked, sniffing the air. “I don’t smell anything cooking.”

She pointed to a package of noodles on the counter. “I’m just getting started. We should be ready to eat in a half hour or so.”

“I’m surprised my mamm’s not in here helping. Where is she anyway?”

“She spilled coffee on her dress and went to her room to change.”

Wayne’s forehead puckered. “I hope she didn’t burn herself.”

Loraine shook her head. “It was a cup she’d forgotten to drink, so it wasn’t hot.”

“That’s good.” Wayne looked over his shoulder. “My daed came in behind me, but I think he headed down the hall to the bathroom.”

Loraine lowered her voice to a whisper. “By the way, have you had a chance to speak to your folks about their problem?”

“What problem?”

“Their marital problem.”

Wayne shrugged. “I’m not sure they’re having a problem. I mean, I haven’t heard them raise their voices for a couple of days.”

“
Absatz!
Stop badgering me, Ada!” Crist rushed into the kitchen, his face bright red. He halted in front of Wayne. “Your
mudder
just won’t leave me alone!”

“That’s because he won’t listen to reason!” Ada shouted as she followed him into the room. She frowned at Crist. “If he
could
listen, that is.”

Crist took a step back from her. “You don’t have to yell! I’m standing right here!”

“If I didn’t yell, you wouldn’t hear what I was saying!”

Wayne held up his hand. “Don’t you two realize how it makes us feel when you argue like this?”

“We wouldn’t argue if your daed wasn’t so stubborn.” Ada motioned to Wayne. “Can’t you talk him into getting his hearing tested?”

Wayne’s eyes widened. “Is that why you’ve been hollering at each other so much lately?”

Ada nodded. “I’m surprised you and Loraine haven’t been yelling so your daed could hear you, too.”

Wayne gave a nod. “Now that you mention it, I have had to repeat myself to Pop several times lately.”

Ada nudged Crist’s arm. “Uh-huh, I knew it.”

Loraine heard a buggy rumble into the yard, and she glanced out the window. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

“Now who’s come here this close to supper? I hope it’s not someone bringing another dead animal hide to your taxidermy shop.” Ada craned her neck to look around Crist. “Ach, it’s the bishop! I wonder what he wants.”

Loraine’s mouth went dry.
What if Mom spoke to the bishop’s wife like she said she might do? What if Sadie told James, and he’s come here to speak to Ada and Crist about their marital problems?

“There’s only one way we’ll know what Bishop James wants, and that’s to open the door and let him in.” Wayne ambled out of the room and, moments later, returned with the bishop.

The bishop pulled his fingers through his thick, full beard and looked right at Crist. “I heard some rather distressing news today. Figured I’d better come over here and find out if it’s true.”

“What good news did you hear?” Crist asked.

The bishop’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “I said
distressing
news, not
good
news.”

“What distressing news?” asked Ada.

Loraine’s heart started to pound, and she stepped between Ada and the bishop. “I ... uh ... think there’s been a mistake.”

“What kind of cake?” Crist scratched his head. “Are we having cake for dessert tonight?”

Ada groaned. “No one said anything about cake.” She turned to the bishop. “What kind of distressing news did you come to give us?”

The bishop shook his head. “Didn’t come to give you any news. Came to see if I could help with your marital problems.”

Ada’s mouth formed an O. “Crist and I aren’t having marital problems. Who said we were?”

The bishop motioned to Loraine. “Her mamm told my fraa that you and Crist have been hollering at each other a lot lately.”

“I holler because he can’t hear.” Ada needled Crist in the ribs. “He needs to get his hearing tested, but he refuses to go.”

“That’s all there is to it?”

Ada nodded.

A look of relief flooded the bishop’s face. “You come with me later this week,” he said to Crist. “I’ll take you to my doctor to get your hearing tested.”

Crist moved closer to the bishop. “What was that?”

“Said I’ll be by later this week, and we’ll get your hearing tested!”

Crist nodded and smiled. “Jah, sure; I’d be happy to go along when you get your hearing tested.”

Loraine looked at Wayne; Wayne looked at Ada; and they all laughed. It was a relief to know that Ada and Crist’s marriage wasn’t in trouble. And if the bishop could get Crist to have his hearing tested, then Loraine was sure all the shouting would end.

“Where are you going?” Fern called to Freeman as he started out the back door.

“I’m headin’ to the phone shed to call a few customers. Need to let ’em know that their bikes are ready.”

“Well, don’t be too long. Eunice will be here soon, and supper’s almost ready.”

“No problem. I’ll be back in short order. Wouldn’t risk missing out on your baked ham and mashed potatoes.” He winked at Fern and went out the door.

As Freeman headed down the path leading to the phone shed, he thought about Katie and wondered how she was doing. After seeing how she’d acted this afternoon, he was sure something was weighing on her mind besides missing Timothy. If there was just some way he could get her to open up about her feelings. If he could get her to do that, maybe he could find out what was at the root of her nervousness.

I’ll just have to keep praying for her, and whenever I get the chance, I’ll offer an encouraging word,
he thought as he stepped into the phone shed.

Since the small building had no windows, it was dark inside. Freeman left the door open and turned on the battery-operated lantern sitting on the small table beside the phone. Then he took a seat in the folding chair, placed his notebook on the table, and punched in the phone number of the first customer he needed to call.

He got a busy signal, so he tried the next number. There was no answer there, so he left a message on the customer’s voice mail.

He’d just started dialing the third number, when a gust of wind came up.
Bam!
The door blew shut.

A sense of uneasiness tightened Freeman’s chest as he thought about the discomfort he felt whenever he was in a confined place like this.

He moved away from the phone and grabbed the doorknob. When he turned it, the knob fell off in his hand.

“Oh no!” Sweat beaded on Freeman’s forehead and ran down his nose. His shoulders tensed, and he drew in a quick breath.

Don’t panic. Relax. Stay calm.

He placed the doorknob on the phone table, took a couple more deep breaths, and closed his eyes.

An image from the past leaped into his head. He’d been seven years old and had gone down to the cellar to get a jar of peaches for his mother. He hadn’t been afraid at first—not until he couldn’t get the door open. Then when his flashlight batteries died, Freeman had panicked. He’d pounded on the door and hollered until his throat hurt, certain that no one would find him and he’d die in the cellar. By the time Mom realized he was missing and come looking for him, he was bawling like a newborn calf.

Freeman’s eyes popped open, and his mind snapped back to the present.
I’m not a little boy anymore. I’m a grown man, and I know how to diffuse my fear.

Breathe deeply ... move through the anxiety ... float with it ... get mad at it ... do whatever it takes.

He stared at the doorknob, wishing he had the tools to put it back on. “This is really dumb,” he muttered. “All I need to do is call someone and say I’m locked in the phone shed.”

He dialed the number of their closest neighbor, got their answering machine, and left a message. Then he called another neighbor, but there was no answer there, either.

After making five calls and getting nothing but voice mails and answering machines, he was more than a little frustrated.

Stay relaxed,
he told himself.
If someone gets my message soon, they’ll rescue me. Or else when supper’s ready and I’m not at the house, Fern will come looking for me.

Freeman drew in another deep breath and rested his head on the table.
While I’m waiting, I may as well try to take a nap.

As Eunice guided her horse and buggy in the direction of the Bontragers’ house, her excitement mounted. She could hardly wait to see Freeman again and hoped he would enjoy the pie she’d brought for dessert.

An unexpected gust of wind pushed against the buggy, and it started to rain.

She leaned forward, straining to see through the rain-spattered windshield. At this rate, it would take forever to get to Freeman’s house.

Eunice didn’t like driving in the rain, but fortunately she didn’t have far to go. She hoped that by the time she was to return home this evening the weather would improve.

A pair of wide-beamed headlights went by; then she saw the red taillights as the car disappeared. Eunice leaned over and flipped the button to turn on the windshield wipers, keeping her focus on the road.

As Eunice passed the Millers’ place, she thought about Katie and the way she’d fainted in church. Between that and the things she’d heard Katie’s mother say at the health food store, Eunice was almost sure Katie must be pregnant. She wondered if anyone else thought that, too. Mom had cautioned her not to mention her suspicions to anyone since she didn’t know for sure that Katie was pregnant, but it was going to be hard to keep quiet about this.

Soon the Bontragers’ place came into view, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned up the driveway, drove past the phone shed and the bike shop, and halted the horse near the barn. Then she climbed out of the buggy, unhitched the horse, and put him in the corral.

Returning to the buggy, she grabbed the plastic container with her pie inside and sprinted for the house.

When she stepped inside, she was greeted by Fern.

“It’s good to see you; you’re right on time,” Fern said, glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall.

Eunice smiled and handed her the container. “I brought a strawberry-rhubarb pie for dessert.”

“Umm ... that sounds good. Strawberry-rhubarb’s one of Freeman’s favorites. It’s also one of mine.”

Eunice glanced around. “Where is Freeman? I didn’t see any light coming from his shop, so I figured he must have quit working and was here at the house.”

“He was here, but he went out to the phone shed to make a few calls.” Fern’s forehead wrinkled as she looked at the clock again. “That was quite awhile ago. He should have been back by now.”

“Maybe he went out to his shop after he made the phone calls.”

“That could be.”

“Want me to go check?”

“If you don’t mind going back outside. It’s raining pretty hard out there.”

“It started coming down soon after I left home.” Eunice motioned to her rain-soaked dress. “I’m already wet, so I guess a little more rain won’t matter.”

“There’s an umbrella hanging on the wall peg by the back door,” Fern said. “You can borrow that if you like.”

“Danki.” Eunice grabbed the umbrella and scooted out the door.

She’d only made it halfway to the bike shop when a gust of wind came up and turned the umbrella inside-out.

“I don’t need this kind of trouble,” she mumbled as she hurried along.

Her feet slipped on the wet grass, and she went down on her knees. With a sense of determination, she scrambled to her feet. When she finally reached the bicycle shop, she discovered that the door was locked. Freeman was obviously not inside.

He must still be in the phone shed.
Eunice quickened her steps and headed in that direction.

Freeman lifted his head from the table and stared at the phone, wondering if he should make another call. He was sure someone would eventually hear one of the messages he’d left, but in the meantime, his rumbling stomach kept reminding him that it was time for supper.

I wonder if Eunice has arrived yet.
He hadn’t heard her horse and buggy come up the driveway, but then the wind and rain were making so much noise, he probably couldn’t have heard a dump truck if it had roared past the shed.

A knock on the door pulled Freeman’s thoughts aside. “Are you in there, Freeman?”

Freeman was relieved to hear Eunice’s voice. “Jah, I’m here. The doorknob came off, and I’m trapped.”

He heard a rattling noise; then a few seconds later, the door opened. When Eunice stepped inside, he noticed that her dress was sopping wet and her kapp had gone limp from the rain. Even so, he thought she looked like an angel.

“How long have you been in here?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Too long. I don’t like small places.”

She motioned to the phone. “Why didn’t you call someone for help?”

“I did, but all I got were folks’ answering machines or voice mails.” Freeman groaned. “I was beginning to think I’d have to spend the night out here.”

She snickered. “I’m sure your sister would have eventually come looking for you.”

“Jah, I suppose.”

“We’d better get up to the house right away, or she’ll probably come looking for both of us.”

Freeman pointed to the doorknob lying on the phone table. “Guess I’ll worry about fixing that later. It’s not likely that anyone will come by wanting to use the phone shed in this crummy weather.”

As they stepped outside, Freeman wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Danki, for coming to my rescue, Eunice.”

“You’re welcome,” she said smiling up at him sweetly.

They hurried across the yard, and when they entered the house, Fern gave Eunice one of her dresses to change into.

While Eunice changed clothes, Freeman told Fern about his ordeal in the phone shed.

“I had no idea you were trapped in there. I wondered why it was taking so long for you to make a few calls.” Fern touched his shoulder. “Did it bother you being stuck in that small shed?”

“It did at first, but I worked through it okay.”

Fern smiled. “And then Eunice came along and rescued you.” “That’s right, and I’m grateful she did.”

Fern gestured to the stove. “Supper’s ready now, so as soon as Eunice comes out of the bathroom we can eat.”

Freeman stared into his nearly empty glass. Throughout the meal he’d become acutely aware that Fern approved of Eunice and was making every effort to get them together. No doubt that was the reason she’d invited Eunice to join them for supper this evening. Well, that was okay with Freeman. He could enjoy Eunice’s company, even though he had no plans to settle down to marriage for a good long while.

“Now it’s time for us to eat the dessert I brought.” Eunice smiled at Freeman, her eyes sparkling in the light of the gas lamp hanging above the table.

He patted his full stomach and groaned. “I ate so much supper, I’m not sure I have any room for dessert.”

Eunice’s chin jutted out, and her nose crinkled. “You have to try some of my strawberry-rhubarb pie. I baked it just for you.”

Freeman smiled. “That’s my favorite kind of pie, so I guess I can’t say no.”

“You ought to see how hard the wind’s whipping the trees in our backyard,” Katie’s mother said, staring out the kitchen window. “I hope your daed’s not having any trouble getting the horses put in the barn.”

Katie stepped up beside Mom and peered out the window. It was hard to believe the warm weather they’d been having had changed so drastically and in such a short time.

She caught sight of Dad struggling to get one of their horses into the barn. If Katie’s four brothers weren’t married and still lived at home, they’d be outside helping him right now.

Maybe I should go out and help.
Katie hurried across the room and plucked her jacket off the wall peg near the back door. “I’m going out to help Dad,” she called to Mom before she rushed out the door.

Katie fought against the harsh wind as she made her way to the corral. Two of Dad’s newer horses that weren’t fully trained hadn’t gone into the barn yet. They stamped their hooves, reared up, and kicked out their back legs, obviously frightened by the howling wind.

Dad had a rope and was trying to fasten it around one horse’s halter, while the second horse ran around the corral in circles.

Katie darted into the buggy shed and grabbed a buggy whip. Dad never used a whip on any of his horses unless it was absolutely necessary. Katie figured she could put the whip to good use without hitting the horse, so she snapped it behind the horse a couple of times, and that did the trick.

By the time they got both horses into the barn, Katie was out of breath, and her dress was soaking wet from the rain.

“Danki for your help.” Dad gave Katie an appreciative smile. “I think those two were really spooked by this nasty weather.”

Katie nodded. “The wind and rain are enough to spook anyone.”

“I’d better get the door shut or we’ll have rain and wind in here.” Dad grabbed the handle of the barn door and gave it a tug. He almost had it closed when a gust of wind whipped against the door, and it slammed shut, smacking him in the head.

Dad let out a moan and crumpled to the floor.