Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (18 page)

I "They're joyful tears," Mary Ruth confessed with a warm Iliuilc. Sadie's opening her heart, she thought, full of thanksIglving.

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Leah

.Leah awakened in the morning to the sound of fussing corning from Abe's bedroom. Quickly she scurried into her slippers and made her way down the hallway. When she looked in on Abe, he was all tangled up in his bedclothes, struggling to get loose. "Mamma, Mamma!" he was crying. "The room's spinnin' round and I'm stuck. I have to get out of bed."

Panic seized her heart and she sat down with him. "There, now, lie back, Abe. I'm here . . . just rest." She stroked his forehead gently, her other hand on his chest. His heart was pounding nearly out of his rib cage, and he was breathing ever so fast. "You'll be all right now. Take longer breaths . . . that's right. Jah."

Whatever had caused him so much turmoil this morning? She couldn't imagine, nevertheless she stayed right there with him till he quieted down enough to fall back to sleep.

He's exhausted, she thought, straightening the sheet and blankets, taking care not to awaken him. Dr. Schwartz had kindly suggested she bring Abe in for yet another checkup, and now she was determined to do so ... as soon as she felt

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11 milurtable taking him out in this cold weather.

She hurried back to her bedroom to dress, setting forth on her daily routine. Once her hair was twisted tightly on both liidt's iind the low bun at her neck was secure, she put on her hem I covering and went to her hope chest at the foot of her I'ril. There she located Sadie's delicate butterfly handkerchief. | She truly hoped she wasn't making a mistake in taking it In her sister today. Ever since Sadie's confession, Leah had | H Mulered the past Sadie's and her secret keeping. The whole I" nle of secrets had brought a world of hurt. Yet looking iiiiully now at the pretty handkerchief, she couldn't be sure Iiiivv Sadie would respond to receiving this physical memory t>l her first dear baby's birth.

Is this the right time, Lord?

I Two hours before she was to arrive at the clinic for work,

It tNih could hardly wait to head off on foot to see Sadie. A

ljf!i"wing urgency to forgive compelled her along as her boots

Iplmliled through the snow. She felt she was carrying an

Ilinuecessary burden, and it was time to do what she knew she

jliiii',1 what she longed to do.

1 When Sadie flung wide the front door, Leah blurted,

1" \i h, sister, I just had to come see ya."

I Sadie's eyes narrowed and a brief frown creased her brow.

l"( nine in, come in," she said after a moment, nearly pulling

El ih inside. "Here, let me take your wraps and mittens."

I "Denki, but I shouldn't be long." She sighed, hurrying

llnio the front room, following Sadie. "I miss ya so much," she

Ltnhl.

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Sadie's pretty eyes shimmered with tears. "Oh, Leah . . ." Sadie reached for her hand.

"I've come to say something else, too" Leah struggled to continue "something that has been brewin' in my heart."

Sitting next to her on the settee, Sadie said, with trembling lower lip. "I'm awful sorry for what I did against you and Jonas, honestly I am. I don't deserve your forgiveness, Leah. It was plain awful to hurt you the way I did. The letter I took belonged to Jonas. ..." Her apology trailed away into a sniffle.

When at last Leah was able to speak, her voice sounded thin to her own ears. "Oh, Sadie, I do forgive you ... I do. I came here to set things right 'tween us."

At this Sadie seemed overwhelmed, her eyes welling up with tears. Leah drew her near, and they embraced with fond sisterly affection.

When they broke free, Leah was at a loss to know what to say. Second-guessing her plans to show Sadie the butterfly hankie, she wondered, Is this really the best time? Will it open new wounds for her?

Still searching for words, Leah said quickly, "Lydiann wanted me to tell ya hullo."

Sadie sighed. "And you say the same back for me, won't ya?"

" 'Course I will." Leah sat tall and straight uncomfortably so. "And I'm hopin' you'll think of askin' the bishop to forgive ya . . . soon, maybe?"

Sadie hesitated, and Leah feared she'd perhaps spoken out of turn. "I know 'tis an awful trying thing," Leah said.

Sadie nodded, and her words were soft and labored as she spoke. "I've heard tell best not say from whom that the

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I'i'-iliivn may be payin' me a visit."

I .rail's heart rose at the thought. Gid's meeting with the I In.hop had accomplished something.

Siulic folded her hands. "Not so sure what I'll do 'bout it." "What do ya mean?"

"I daresay I don't deserve a second chance ... if that's what, the ministers are thinkin'."

Leah faced her. "Well, you surely didn't mean to get your'.' 11 in such a pickle, did ya?"

'T'rankly, I don't know what came over me, wantin' to Mii-jinler away from the house like that." Sadie paused. "I I in-viM" should've lied to you."

"This has all been so hard on you," Leah replied. "It'll be nil right. You'll see."

Sadie drew in a deep breath. "I thought comin' home

Would be easy somehow, but. . . oh, Leah, the memories are

everywhere for me. I thought they were buried in the past,

mill , . ." She nearly gasped. "Being here, I still think of my

I first baby ever so often. Is that so wrong?" Sadie wept softly

h"\v, but her gaze held Leah's, as if a newfound trust was

in' vi'loping between them.

It is time, Leah thought hopefully. Touching Sadie's hand

I r< mi ly, Leah reached under her black apron. "I'm hopin' what

I1 li.ivc here might help make ya feel some better." She took I In'in her dress pocket a handkerchief. "I thought you might

w .me to have this back," she whispered, holding it up. | "Goodness me," said Sadie, obviously recognizing the cutI \vi 'i k embroidered butterfly. "Isn't this . . . ?" I Leah nodded.

I Raising the white cotton hankie to her face, Sadie I hushed it against her cheek. "Where on earth did ya find it?"

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"On the sidewalk leading to Dr. Schwartz's clinic."

"How'd it get there1," Sadie asked, appearing startled.

"I wondered that, too, but it looks as if Dr. Schwartz simply forgot to return it followin' the night of your baby's . . ." There was no need to go on.

Sadie fingered the handkerchief lovingly. "Thank you ever so much, Leah. 'Tis the closest thing on earth to my wee son."

Leah was moved by Sadie's response, and she wished she'd returned the hankie sooner perhaps upon Sadie's return home last fall. Still, she's happy to have it now, and that's what matters.

Minutes later Dottie came in carrying a tray of goodies and hot cocoa. Leah rose and offered to help serve her sister. "No, that's all right. This is what I love to do," said Dottie, setting the large tray on a table near the settee.

"Thank you," Leah said.

"Jah, this'll hit the spot," Sadie added, the handkerchief laid out on her lap.

Dottie pointed to the hankie, a bright look of recognition in her eyes. "Well, now, that looks exactly like the embroidered hankie an acquaintance of mine had and lost."

Leah felt herself frown, but it was Sadie who spoke up. "Here, have a careful look-see," she offered, holding the handkerchief up for Dottie to inspect. "I have a feelin' you must be mistaken, 'cause if you'll look closely you'll see that this is one of a kind. Hannah made it especially for my sixteenth birthday."

Dottie touched the edges of the emerald green butterfly. "No, I'm quite sure I've seen this before today... or one exactly like it."

Dottie was so unyielding that for a moment Leah wanted

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In nsk where she thought she'd seen it, but then they got to t;i Ik ing about the stitching and how Hannah must have a very Mo;idy hand to create such beauty.

"Fannie Mast pointed out some of the same lovely features nn i he butterfly hankie she had. A gift to her," Dottie said m;ilter-of-factly.

Leah's eyes locked with hers. "Fannie, ya say?"

Dottie nodded. "She's an Amishwoman with a set of boyk'irl twins the same age as our Carl. Fannie had a hankie like I his with her one day. I couldn't help noticing it when she was sitting in the waiting room at Dr. Schwartz's clinic with Ikt twins, just as I was with Carl. We talked quite a lot, exchanged names, and got along famously, I must say." Here she laughed a little, and then she told how she and Fannie had seen each other several other times since. "I purchased a bushel of apples from the Mast orchard this past fall. Real nice lulk, they are."

Leah felt slightly queasy hearing talk of her former beau's liimily.

"Did you say Fannie lost the handkerchief she had like ibis?" Sadie's question disturbed Leah's thoughts.

Dottie nodded, returning the handkerchief to Sadie. "Quite some time back."

"Well, there's only one like this, that's for sure," Sadie said pointedly.

For a fleeting moment, Leah wondered if this hankie was in fact Fannie's, especially since she'd found it lying on the sidewalk just outside the clinic door. Was it possible Cousin l;:iiinie had dropped it on her way to a doctor visit? How couldthat be?

Yet the way Sadie was going on now with Dottie about

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this absolutely being Hannah's handiwork, Leah dismissed the notion that there could be two identical hankies. ;

"God be with you, sister," Leah whispered as she hugged Sadie good'bye. She was relieved to note her sister's spirits had greatly improved.

Outside, though, Leah was unable to forget Dottie's selfassured remarks about the butterfly hankie. No, I'm quite sureI've seen this before today, Dottie had said.

Impossible, thought Leah as she headed around the corner to Dr. Schwartz's clinic.

There she began by sweeping and cleaning the floors, and then moved on to dusting the furniture in the waiting area.

After a time she stopped her work and went to see if Dr. Schwartz was in his office. Along with Dottie's supposed memory of that same handkerchief, Leah had also been struck by Sadie's renewed grief for her first baby, born in Aunt Lizzie's former log house on the hill.

Till now Leah had rejected the notion of approaching Dr. Schwartz again on the subject, but today's visit had made her certain it might help Sadie if she knew her baby was buried in the vacant lot below the Peacheys' farmland. Why else would Dr. Schwartz tend the tiny grave?

Another recent storm had blown piles of snow against the north side of the clinic, and she could see the tops of drifts at eye level out the doctor's lone office window as she waited in the doorway. "Mind if I come in?" she asked. : "You certainly may, Leah." He pushed up his glasses and

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Vltlldlccl ber for a moment. "How's Abe feeling now? Back to

phonir

m "Not just yet, but Lydiann brings home plenty of school-

MI'lv Id keep him out of mischief."

H "And the dizzy spells, have they lessened some?"

H "Not much just yet and it does worry me. He still has a

Bit of confusion when he gets to talkin', too."

H' The doctor's eyes narrowed and he removed his glasses.

Hiring him in and I'll check him over for you. No charge."

He wont on to ask about the follow-up tests made at the hos-

till. "Anything show up there?"

"Nothin' alarming," she told him. "But he doesn't yet Hknifinber a stitch of what happened that day, and it clearly fonoys him. His mind used to be ever so sharp."

B I )r. Schwartz assured her that the symptoms should diminKh over time. "I know it's difficult, but try to be patient and H|ep Abe as calm as you can."

Leah had to laugh. "Well, he's all boy, so that ain't an easy jtlk." They exchanged small talk for a bit; then Leah decided B nsk the thing plaguing her.

"I hesitate %o bring this up, really," she began. "It's just

11>;11 Sadie's strugglin' these days." She quickly explained as I >i 'Sl she could something of the Proving requirements and the burden they placed on her sister. When she revealed that ' i.ulie had temporarily moved in with the Nolts, he admitted

Mfi having already heard this news from his wife, Lorraine and

K

BpOttie having become good friends over the years. K "I hate to ask, but I wondered if it might not help Sadie ttlH'how to know. . . well, ever since I stumbled onto a little live on your property, I've wondered if, by chance, you ini|;lii've buried Sadie's baby there." ; : , ! .'' .

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He started at her words and his eyes squinted nearly shut. "What do you mean to imply?"

"I saw you clipping the grass in one small spot, tending to it, last spring."

The doctor rose suddenly. "You surely recall that your sister's baby was quite premature. You saw him yourself. There was simply no need for a burial."

"But . . . your car was parked nearby, and Lydiann and I saw you while we were walkin' back from Mamma's grave at the Amish cemetery."

His eyes avoided hers for a moment, and then he turned to face her. "What you saw was my attempt at dowsing for water." He indicated there was a small spring-fed pond on the same sweep of meadow not to mention Blackbird Pond behind the smithy's property, not so far away and he assumed there might be a well on his land. "And there is."

"But there was a grave ... I know it, for sure and for certain, she insisted."

The telephone rang just then, jolting her nerves, and the doctor excused himself, wasting no time rushing off to the receptionist's desk.

Alone now, Leah thought again about what she had seen that warm day, but she was fairly sure the doctor had not been carrying a forked water-witching stick. No, he had been down on all fours, working close to the ground. Was it possible he had the ability to simply use his hand to dowse for water?

If that were true, neither she nor Aunt Lizzie would want her to be in the employ of someone who had such powers. But since she didn't know for certain just what the doctor had been doing, she ought not be too hasty in judging this man who had been ever so kind to her. Still, the way he'd stood