A Hope for Hannah (38 page)

Eldon chimed in, “I sure can. Most of the
Englishers
are charmed by your good work. We pay good money for it too.”

Mr. Brunson continued, “As a matter of fact, I’ve been giving this some thought, and I think Eldon just showed me the last piece of the puzzle. Jake, perhaps this spring I could help you out with a better place to work—maybe in town. Maybe I can get you set up right so you can produce a lot of this stuff. You do real good work.”

“That’s awfully nice of you, Mr. Brunson,” Jake said, “but…”

“It’s not charity, Jake. I’d be investing in you. In a sense you’d be working for me in the same way you worked for your Mr. Howard. Now, do you have a piece Eldon can take with him to the airport?”

“I have a small rocker that might work,” Jake said, still in a sort of daze over this unexpected attention.

“Good!” Mr. Brunson said. “Can you get it ready so Eldon can take it with him and ship it from Missoula?” Mr. Brunson paused. “You
do
like the idea, don’t you?”

“Like it?” Jake asked, but the relief and joy on his face gave the best answer.

“Dad, we really have to be going,” Eldon said.

“Jake, go get your rocker,” Mr. Brunson said.

In just a few minutes, Jake had the rocker in the back of Mr. Brunson’s pickup truck, and after words of thanks from Jake, father and son left.

“Do you really think he can sell your furniture?” Hannah asked.

“It does seem too good to be true. I guess we have to wait and see.”

“Jake, you deserve to succeed in this. You really do. I hope it happens.”

“God doesn’t decide things that way,” Jake said.

“Maybe He will this time,” Hannah said. Then she added, “Isn’t it wonderful about Eldon? Now he and his father are reunited. That’s the best part of the whole thing.”

“That it is,” Jake agreed.

“Jake, I’d love to tell Betty the news. Do you think it’s too late?”

“Not if we go now,” Jake said, sounding just as eager as Hannah to share their news. “Let’s go,” Jake said, grabbing his coat.

When they pulled into Betty’s driveway minutes later, they were warmly welcomed in. From the living room, Steve hollered, “The starving and the poor are welcome. We have food.”

“Steve,” Betty said, “that’s not nice.”

Jake just grinned as Hannah said, “Tell them our news, Jake.”

Betty and Steve both perked up as Jake said, “Well, it looks like the clouds could be breaking up for us…and sunny days could be just ahead.”

“Mr. Brunson may be able to sell Jake’s furniture,” Hannah said, too excited to wait for Jake to say it.

“How’s that?” Steve asked.

“His son came to visit from the East and thinks he can sell my work back there for a good profit. I think it might actually work out,” Jake said.

“That is good news!” Betty exclaimed. “I was so worried about you two.”

“Good news indeed,” Steve agreed.

“It’s God’s doing,” Jake said, “and we’re very thankful.”

Hannah just nodded.

Betty and Hannah then went to the kitchen to prepare a fruit plate. In the middle of slicing apples, Hannah told Betty about Eldon and Mr. Brunson’s happy reunion.

“That is so wonderful,” Betty said, her eyes edged with tears. “He could have ended up old and lonely and never reunited with his son.”

Hannah smiled her agreement.

Betty stopped in mid slice and said, “Oh, Hannah! I just thought of something. You really owe all this to that troublesome bear.”

Hannah thought for a second and said, “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you see? If that bear hadn’t shown up, Mr. Brunson never would have shot it. If he hadn’t shot it, he wouldn’t have been fined. And if he hadn’t been fined, his son wouldn’t have found him. Why, if Mr. Brunson’s interest in Jake’s furniture proves out, then that too is a result of all this trouble with the bear, at least as far as having Mr. Brunson’s son sell it for him back East.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Hannah said, “but I suppose you’re right.”

Hannah finished the apples and added the grapes and oranges Betty handed to her. She carried the plate back to the men while Betty followed with water glasses. They ate and chatted till after nine when Jake said they had to get home. He had work to do tomorrow.

When they went to bed that night, Hannah told Jake what Betty had said about the bear.

Jake thought for a moment and said, “I think she’s right. God does work in mysterious ways sometimes. That bear did bring about some good for us…and even more for Mr. Brunson.”

On the following Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Brunson stopped by with the news that Eldon wanted more pieces of Jake’s handiwork. He also left a check, representing Jake’s share of the rocking chair sale. He said Eldon wanted the pieces—large or small—shipped as soon as Jake could have them ready.

Two weeks later Mr. Brunson found a place to rent in Libby and set Jake up as the owner of his own furniture shop. Mr. Brunson told Jake he was investing in the shop and knew that both he and Jake would profit from the enterprise.

Within a week, Jake had things up and rolling; building baby rockers, log desks, and the specialty items Eldon ordered for his upscale clients. Jake also made a trip to Dr. Lisa’s office with a baby rocker in hand as payment for her services after Hannah’s miscarriage.

Spring broke early that year—according to Betty—and arrived with a warm breeze from the south. Hannah stood on the porch, watching Jake drive the buggy out of the driveway and onto the main road to go to his shop in Libby. The dawn had just broken, and the peaks of the Cabinet Mountains were splashed with reds, yellows, and bright oranges. The sight filled Hannah’s soul to overflowing. She suddenly remembered her old desire to move to Indiana and then realized the thought had not crossed her mind in weeks.

“
This
is our home.” She said the words softly, surprised that they were true.

“Yours too,” she added a moment later. The awareness had come last night while Jake slept. Life had awakened inside her once again.

Discussion Questions

   1. Do you believe Hannah had valid reasons to want to leave Montana? If so, what were the reasons and why do you think they were reasonable?

   2. What responses does Mr. Brunson give to make Hannah believe he is hiding from past problems?

   3. Do you think the game warden and other officials responded properly to Jake and Hannah’s grizzly problem?

   4. Have you or a family member ever experienced a pressure cooker malfunction? If so, describe the experience and the damage.

   5. Regarding Jake’s appointment to the Amish ministry, how does his experience differ from what is typically experienced in Protestant churches?

   6. Why do you think Mr. Brunson so enjoyed the dinner and time spent with Hannah’s parents?

   7. Were Bishop John Nisley’s fears for his new minister’s future well-being groundless?

   8. How well does Hannah handle her miscarriage?

   9. As Jake’s wife, describe Hannah’s ability to fully accept her new responsibilities and handle the strains of marriage and ministry.

 10. How has Hannah’s faith in God’s goodness grown? Do you believe it will continue to grow and become stronger? Why or why not?

About Jerry Eicher…

As a boy,
Jerry Eicher
spent eight years in Honduras, where his grandfather helped found an Amish community outreach. As an adult, Jerry taught for two terms in parochial Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. He has been involved in church renewal for 14 years and has preached in churches and conducted weekend meetings of in-depth Bible teaching. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina, and their four children in Virginia.

Other fine Harvest House
Amish fiction from Jerry Eicher…

The Adams County Triology

by Jerry Eicher

Rebecca’s Promise

Rebecca Keim has just declared her love to John Miller and agreed to become his wife. But she’s haunted by her schoolgirl memories of a long ago love—and a promise made and a ring given. Is that memory just a fantasy come back to destroy the beautiful present…or was it real?

When Rebecca’s mother sends her back to the old home community in Milroy to be with her aunt during and after her childbirth, Rebecca determines to find answers that will resolve her conflicted feelings. Faith, love, and tradition all play a part in Rebecca’s divine destiny.