Abram's Daughters 03 The Sacrifice (6 page)

He was indeed thankful for Sam's wholehearted chortle, which continued for several more jokes, at least until well past Rohrer Mill Road. Soon the horse turned north at Paradise Lane, taking them closer to the Strasburg Pike and then west, past the railroad depot and into the town of Strasburg.

"Did ya hear of the boy who attended his first singing, hooked up with a wild bunch, drank himself full of moon-

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hine, and passed out on the front seat of his own carriage?"

lam asked.

"Ach, what happened?" Adah asked innocently. , "From what I heard and this is true his horse simply

rut red on home, the drunk youth sleepin' all the while in the

Km-"

Gid had heard such stories, too, and he said so but added |uickly that there were "some fatal accidents happening Jflder those kinds of circumstances, too." He didn't especially Vnnt to be a wet blanket, but, truth was, several young men Hid been killed that way when their horses galloped right ,h rough a red light at a dangerous intersection, the carriage file broadside by an unsuspecting automobile.

His comment stirred up some talk from Leah, and a few ninutes later Sam jumped in with more jokes. With an Dward sigh, Gid realized the evening was going to turn out Ust fine. He felt the tension drain from his jaw, and when he jould do so discreetly, he saw that Leah, too, seemed much {lore tranquil now, her hands not so tightly clasped in her lap.

It was on the ride home from Strasburg, as they made the (end onto Georgetown Road, that Gid spotted two open bug' ies riding side by side at a fast pace. "Look at that!" he said.

Both Leah and Adah gasped.

"Pity's sake, what're they doin'?" Adah hollered. ;

Leah held on to the seat with both hands. "Somebody's a Summkopp!"

"Worse than a blockhead," Gid added.

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'i'llMiM58 : ' ' . " fO e d e r L y J-, e u? I s .'''.

"I should say!" Adah said.

"Let's not get too close, in case. .. ." Leah's voice trailed off.

"Don'tcha worry none," Gid reassured her, wanting to touch her hand but refusing to take advantage of the harrowing situation. Instead, he steered the horse onto the right shoulder and slowed down, allowing some distance between his buggy and the two speeding carriages ahead.

Suddenly he heard a girl's voice from one of the buggies. "Elias, stop!"

"Ach no," Leah whispered.

"What?" Gid leaned near. "Do you recognize someone?"

"My sister .. . Hannah." She turned in her seat now that they had rolled to a halt. "She may be dating one of the deacon's sons."

"Then he oughta know better!" Adah was standing up behind them now for a better look.

The deafening sound of a car horn pierced the stillness. Quick as a wink, one of the buggies fell behind the other, and Gid breathed a sigh of relief. "Too close for comfort."

"You can say that again." Leah put her hands on her throat.

Gid waited a few more minutes, then clicked his cheek and his horse pulled forward. "We could follow the buggy your sister's in," he suggested. ,, . .. .

"Gut idea," Adah said. .] ',.... \

"Jah, let's follow'em!" Sam said.

Leah said no more, and Gid wondered if she was worried the Stoltzfus boy might feel threatened somehow, that trailing them might cause a rift between herself and her younger sis-

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Iits. He certainly understood if she was thinking that way. I i-ah might've told him, if the two of them had gone riding ;ilone, that Abram's other daughters she and Sadie, at least had surely endured enough strain between them to last ;i lifetime.

;W"'

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Xiannah said not a word to Mary Ruth as they slipped into the house through the kitchen door. She was so upset with Elias and Mary Ruth for egging him on all she wanted to do was hurry and undress for bed. At least in my dreams I won't be ridin with the likes of Elias Stoltzfus! she thought, heading for the stairs.

Once the two of them were situated in bed, scarcely needing even a sheet, with the room so stuffy and warm, she was careful to sigh ever so lightly, hoping Mary Ruth wouldn't mention anything. She felt done in from having clung to her seat for dear life, and literally, too! Goodness, she was fairly sure the driver of the car coming straight at them tonight scarcely had enough time to sound the horn, let alone pray that the wild buggy driver could get out of his way.

"I know what you're thinkin'," Mary Ruth whispered on the pillow next to her.

Hannah inhaled and held her breath for a moment, then let it out gradually. "Honestly, I felt I saw my whole life flash in front of my eyes tonight." , ;

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I "I don't think we were ever in any real danger, Hannah.

I fur pity's sake!"

I "t, >li, but we were1. Didn't you see how close that car came

l|ii Inning us?"

I Mury Ruth was quiet, stirring only enough to turn her

Ihnk I" Hannah.

I "Weren't you frightened, Mary Ruth?"

I "1 did feel the hairs on my neck stand straight up, but that

Ivviin only from excitement, nothin' more. Frankly it was lots

It'll Inn." Mary Ruth pulled on the sheet, leaving little for her

[twin, "Resides, Elias is a right gut driver, really he is."

I I limnah thought her sister was sadly mistaken. "Well, if

[thill's what you call fun, then maybe we'd best not go double

Icoiirring anymore."

I "If that's what you want" came the empty reply.

I .She has no sense of good judgment, Hannah thought. Maybe

IMiiry Ruth preferred to court alone, after all. If so, Hannah

Hidn'i quite know how she felt about that, though it would

[give her and Ezra more time to get to know each other. That

Knight be a good thy^g; however, she wasn't so sure it would

Ifcu1 wise to encourage Mary Ruth and Elias to court alone. She

IhnU'd to think of her twin ending up the way Sadie had . . .

llnd like Aunt Lizzie evidently, too, according to Mamma's

Hi vount of things most private. : : !, ,

I Leah was becoming more and more eager to get home, Ihii'k to the comfort of her soft bed. The carriage seat felt hwhil hard now, and Gid seemed too eager to keep driving jlnnind in circles. Adah and Sam were silent in the second llciil behind them, and she wondered if Adah had dozed off

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on Sam's shoulder. Surely they weren't smooching, knowing Adah.

Looking to her left, away from Gid, Leah recalled her firstever kiss. Jonas had shown no hesitancy whatsoever, and as much as she had delighted in the feel of his lips on hers that afternoon in the meadow, she'd also heard clearly Mamma's admonition: Save lip-kissin' for your husband. . . .

Well, obviously she and Jonas had been only betrothed, not married, so according to Mamma, she had no business yielding to his embrace. And every day that passed, she pushed away the warm thoughts of her former beau, wishing to high heavens she'd waited to let her husband be the first to kiss her, whoever that was to be.

She had been meaning to ask Aunt Lizzie about all this, or Mamma. If they knew, would they say her disobedience had caused her to lose Jonas in the end? Might Mamma admit such a thing? Was the lip-kissing rule passed down from all the People's mothers to their daughters as keenly important as that? She knew of a good many young married couples that never kissed till their wedding day; some stricter groups even forbid holding hands before marriage.

Wishing the road was better lit than by an occasional yard light whenever they passed the English farmhouses, Leah wondered what time it was and how much longer she'd have to wait to return home.

Out of the blue, Smithy Gid got a talk on, and as tired as she was, she thought it best to lend her ear . . . show respect. "What would you think of going to Strasburg again sometime?" he said. ,/:; ',."'...

She wasn't sure if he, meant to ask if she enjoyed the visit

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to I lie neighboring village or if he was asking her for another (Idfc. So, not to confuse him, she mentioned the nice supper .^they'll had, how awful kind it was of him to include her.

"Pidja like the food?" he asked.

"Right tasty, it was. Denki."

" ''I was my first time eating there. Sam has been tellin' me nil ;iiul on for several weeks that we oughta go."

"Ho Sam knew of it, then?"

He nodded cheerfully. "That's how I heard of the place."

She was feeling sorry for Gid, truly; he was trying to draw liri (nit of her shell, wanting to make good conversation. "I lll'.i'd it just fine," she said, putting on a smile. "As gut as Imme cooking, really."

She saw him glance down to see where her hands were |iiti* then, and she was glad she'd folded them on her lap. No iciiNe making things more complicated than they already wi'i'o, him wanting more than mere friendship and her con-

l

j i' m| with things as they were. For now.

"How would you feel 'bout going to the next singing?" he

iM.Kfd.

"1 haven't been for the longest time. Might seem pecuI...I."

"Maybe you and Adah could ride together, and then . . . I'd he happy to bring you home."

She didn't know what made her say it, but without think-

lii)Ji twice, she simply said, "Sure, Gid. That'd be fine." She

r Itoped they might not end up with Adah and Sam again,

llnnigh. It was awful complicated riding around the country-

I HitU* with them when all they talked about was renting or

tmllding a house, what they needed in the way of furnishings,

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and whatnot typical talk for a serious couple. Surely Gid must either know or strongly suspect this about his sister and Sam.

She looked off toward the horizon line to the west, her thoughts straying hard to Ohio . . . wondering if Sadie and Jonas were still living there. Were they happy as larks? Was it even possible for Sadie to find joy with Leah's first and only love? Quickly she felt ashamed, because it was wrong to begrudge her sister and Jonas anything.

"Sometimes you seem almost lost without your older sister," Gid said unexpectedly.

"Is it that noticeable?"

They rode along in silence for a ways. He surprised her when he slipped his arm around her shoulder, barely touching her as he did. "It pains me so ... you must know this, Leah."

Then and there, she felt the oddest twinge. She turned and looked at him really looked. Such compassion in his face, his eyes much too serious now. Usually he was easy to talk to, but this minute she felt awkward, unable to speak. She wanted to please him, to let him know how grateful she was for his caring about her, yet what should she say? What could she say?

Slowly he drew her near, letting go the reins and reaching for her ever so gently. "Oh, Leah. I'm awful sorry for what you've been through. ..."

She couldn't help herself as she began to cry, at once glad Adah and Sam were asleep sitting up in each other's arms. "You're so nice to me, Gid. You've always been so."

He held her fast, and she was surprised at how good it felt "to. rest in the strength of his arms. Like he was truly a dear

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.I I nisi ihI friend, not an anxious young man wanting to get '. with rimrting, hoping she might fall in love with him so In muld marry before his younger sisters. No, there was a genuine consideration in his warm embrace, and she laid her litutd HjUfninst his burly shoulder.

Two long, sad years had come and gone, and she'd

U'lillVCil nearly like a widow, never attending singings or corn

1 I'ln^s where young men and women paired up, so dis-

I In1 love of the Lord God and whatever He had in store

I ir r life. She'd even turned her back on the idea of marry-

I hinking that if Aunt Lizzie could be happy as a maidel,

! ii why couldn't she?

Mm now, with these familiar feelings stirring within, what Jtlu; to do? Yet, when all was said and done, Leah was free ' Invt* again. If I choose to, she thought, surprising herself.

Sitting this close to Gid, she felt genuinely cared for,

I' iked after . . . even cherished. She was wary of the feeling

In 'd missed it so desperately after she and Jonas split up. Now

In- was afraid it might overcome her, because as they rode

if n% she suddenly knew she wanted more, wanted to drown

In i resentment toward Sadie in Gid's loving arms.

When they neared the turnoff to the Peachey farm, he I . I .^1, "Do you mind if I walk you home? We could cut

1111' m i>;h the field, if that's all right with you."

I She said she didn't mind, and right then she realized how

I1 I n| hIk1 was. This happy night had completely changed her ! in look. Gone was her impatience to get home. Something

I1 nder that had died in her was beginning to revive, and at

I11 in moment, she felt she might at last be able to cast aside

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the stranglehold of sadness and animosity hindering her path.Just look at the smithy and Miriam Peachey . . . how happy theyare, she told herself. If Gid's father was as loving to his mother as Leah had always observed him to be, then Gid would also be a compassionate husband, wouldn't he? How foolish of her to pass up the chance to be loved so dearly, to be so cornpletely adored.

She found herself thinking ahead to what it might be like to accept Gid's hand, to live with him and cherish him, to care for their little ones ... to be his devoted helpmeet. As thoughtful and kind as he was, how hard would it be to follow her heart if truly her heart was coming round, as it seemed to be?

Lest Leah was getting ahead of herself, she chased such thoughts away, but she was altogether pleased she and Gid had yet another few minutes to spend together this night.

They were enveloped in the green scent of jagged grass and the dank smell of cow pies as they strolled through the wide field between the Ebersol and Peachey farms.