Allison's Journey (28 page)

“I’m sure they appreciate any help you can give them.” Anxious to read Papa’s letter, Allison decided the only way she was going to have any privacy was to go upstairs. “I’ve got to run up to my room a minute, Dan. Why don’t you ask Aaron or Joseph if there’s something you can do to help them this afternoon?”

Dan’s lips curved into a smile. “That’s a good idea. I think Aaron likes me, so he might let me help him pound nails.” He turned and darted away.

Allison hurried into the house and rushed upstairs to her room. As she took a seat on her bed, she realized that her faceless doll was missing. Aaron was probably right—one of the children here today had most likely come into her room, spotted the doll, and taken it somewhere to play.

She placed the little kapp on the table beside her bed and ripped open the letter from Papa:

Dear Allison
,

      
I haven’t mentioned this before, but your aunt Catherine has been having pains in her stomach for some time. Thanks to Sally’s mom, she finally agreed to see the doctor. At first, the doctor thought the pain she was having was from an
irritable bowel. But then he ran some tests, and a few weeks ago we got the results. There’s no easy way to say this, but my sister has colon cancer, and the doctor says it’s spreading quickly
.

Allison clapped her hands over her mouth. Muffled words came out from between her splayed fingers. “Aunt Catherine is sick with cancer? No, it can’t be.”

She sat for several seconds, trying to digest what she had read. Aunt Catherine had always been a healthy woman. Even when Allison and the rest of the family had come down with a cold or the flu, Aunt Catherine had remained unaffected by the bug. Allison used to think her aunt was too mean to get sick.

Needing to know more, she turned her attention back to the letter:

      I received your letter asking if you could stay in Webster County longer than planned. I’d fully intended to tell you to stay as long as you like, but now things have changed. You see, Aunt Catherine has refused to have surgery or undergo any kind of treatment. She asked me not to tell you about her illness and insisted that I not ask you to come home. At first I agreed to her request, but she’s getting weaker every day and suffers with more pain. This morning she couldn’t get out of bed because of the pain. Peter and I are fending for ourselves, but I’m hoping you will set your plans aside and come home as soon as possible
.

Love,
Papa

Allison let the letter slip from her fingers as a cold chill rippled across her shoulders. “Oh, dear God, please don’t let Aunt Catherine die before I get home. I need the chance to speak with her.”

A
s if in a daze, Allison made her way back downstairs. She found Aunt Mary in the kitchen with Katie’s mother and a few other ladies from their community.

“I need to speak with you,” Allison said, stepping up to her aunt.

“Certainly. What did you need?” Aunt Mary asked with a pleasant smile.

“Can we find somewhere private to talk?”

“Jah, sure.” Aunt Mary led the way to her room and took a seat on her bed, motioning for Allison to join her. “What’s this all about?” she asked.

Allison swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I got a letter from my daed today, with some very bad news.”

Aunt Mary’s eyes widened. “What kind of bad news?”

“Aunt Catherine has colon cancer, and it–it’s spreading.”

“I’m so sorry to hear of this.”

“I’ve got to go home,” Allison said with a catch in her voice. “Papa and Peter need my help. So does Aunt Catherine.”

“We’ll be sad to see you go, but I certainly understand.” Aunt Mary clasped Allison’s hand. “Maybe you can return to Webster County when things are better.”

Allison shook her head. “I don’t think things are going to get better. Papa says Aunt Catherine has refused all forms of treatment, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before she dies.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “I need to speak to her about Jesus. I need to be sure she’s accepted Him as her Savior.”

Aunt Mary nodded. “Jah, that’s the most important thing.”

“Could I talk to you for a minute?” Joseph asked Katie when she brought a jug of water out to him. “Someplace in private?”

“Of course.” She motioned to the side of the house, where there was a shady maple tree. “How about over there?”

“That’ll be fine.”

Katie led the way, and Joseph followed. When they were under the tree, she turned to him and smiled. “Is everything okay?”

Joseph wiped the sweat from his forehead and grimaced. “I asked my daed the other day if I could go to work in his harness shop, and he said I could. But when I told him that I needed the job so I could marry you, he wasn’t so pleased.”

“How come? Doesn’t he like me? Does he think I won’t make you a good wife?”

“It’s not that. Papa likes you just fine. He just thinks we’re
too young, that’s all.”

Katie swallowed against the burning in her throat. “I guess no one thinks we’re ready for marriage.”

“After thinking and praying about things, I think they may be right.” Joseph reached for her hand. “To tell you the truth, I really don’t want to work in the harness shop, but I would if it meant we could be married soon.”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want you working at a job you didn’t enjoy. As much as I dislike saying this, I think it’s best that we wait until we’re both a bit older and you’ve found a job you really like.”

He nodded and smiled. “Is it any wonder I love you so much, Katie Esh? You’re exactly what I need.”

She stared lovingly into his eyes. “You’re what I need, Joseph Zook.”

Aaron had just returned to the work site with a can of nails when he spotted Joseph heading his way. He figured this might be a good time to confront Joseph about working at the harness shop, since he hadn’t been able to say what was on his mind as they’d traveled here this morning. Not with Zachary’s big ears listening to everything they said.

“We need to talk,” Aaron said when Joseph approached him. “Meet me over by the buggy shed.”

Joseph’s eyes narrowed. “What’s up?”

“I want to discuss something with you.”

“Jah, okay.”

Joseph headed for the buggy shed, and Aaron did the same.
He was relieved to see no one else was about.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Joseph asked, leaning against the side of the shed.

“It’s about working in the harness shop.”

“Oh, that.”

“If you really want to work in the shop, there’s nothing I can do, but if you’ve got it in your head that you’d like to own the place someday, then I take exception.”

Joseph’s mouth dropped open like a broken window hinge. “Own the place? Ach, Aaron, no such thought has ever entered my mind.”

“Then how come you asked Paul if you could work there?”

“Because I need a full-time job.” Joseph grunted. “ ’Course that’s not so much the case now.”

Aaron wrinkled his forehead. “I’m confused. What are you talking about?”

“As you’ve probably guessed, I’m in love with Katie, and we were hoping to get married soon.”

“From the way you get all starry-eyed whenever Katie’s around, I kind of figured you were in love,” Aaron said. “But I had no idea you were thinking of getting married.”

“Thinking and wanting is about as far as it’s gone.” Joseph slowly shook his head. “Her folks said I’d need to have a full-time job and that they thought we were too young to be thinking about marriage. When I mentioned it to Papa, he said pretty much the same thing.” He shrugged and released a groan. “I figured after three negative votes, there wasn’t much point in talkin’ to Mama about it.”

“Let me get this straight. You thought if you had a full-time job you’d be able to marry Katie?”

Joseph nodded.

“I have to agree with the others. There’s a lot more to marriage than just being in love, Joseph.”

“Humph! What makes you such an expert on the subject of love and marriage? Until recently, I’ve never seen you take much interest in any woman.”

“Things are different now, and I need to be sure my job at the harness shop is secure—in case I should decide to marry.”

“Well, you needn’t worry about that, because I’ve changed my mind about working there. I’ve never really cared much for the smells in that shop, and spending eight or nine hours a day cutting and dying leather really isn’t what would make me happy.”

“What would make you happy?”

Joseph shrugged. “I haven’t figured that out yet. But when I do, you’ll be one of the first to know.”

Aaron chuckled. “After Katie, you mean?”

“Jah. After her.”

“I’m glad we had this little talk,” Aaron said. “I feel much better about things, and now I’m free to ask—” Aaron stopped talking when he noticed Allison heading his way. He needed to get rid of Joseph so he could speak to her in private.

As if he could read Aaron’s mind, Joseph said, “Well, I’d better get back to the work site.” He offered Aaron a wide smile. “See you later, big brother.”

As Allison passed Joseph on her way to speak with Aaron, she hoped he wouldn’t detain her with small talk. To her relief,
he merely smiled and moved swiftly over to the work site. She hurried over to where Aaron stood by the buggy shed, hoping for the right words and praying she wouldn’t break down in front of him.

“Allison, I was hoping I’d get the chance to talk to you again,” Aaron said. “I just got some good news.”

“I could use some good news about now,” she said. “What’s your good news?”

“Joseph was planning to work at the harness shop, but he informed me that he’s changed his mind.”

Allison had no idea why that was good news to Aaron, but she knew if she didn’t say what was on her mind quickly, she might lose her nerve. “I came over here to tell you what was in that letter I got from my daed this morning.”

“Did he give you an answer about staying on here longer?”

She nodded, as tears stung the backs of her eyes. “He said he would have been fine with the idea, but things have changed at home, so he couldn’t give his approval.”

Aaron frowned. “What’s changed?”

“My aunt Catherine has colon cancer, and it’s spreading to other parts of her body.” She swallowed hard. “I’m needed at home to care for my family.”

Aaron stood for several seconds, rocking back and forth on his heels. “I’m sorry to hear about your aunt, but couldn’t your daed find someone to—”

Allison shook her head. “I’m not just needed to cook and clean for them. I need to go home so I can tell Aunt Catherine about Jesus.”

Aaron looked at Allison like she’d taken leave of her senses. “She doesn’t know about Jesus?”

“She knows
about
Him, but I don’t believe she knows Him in a personal way.”

“I see. Then I guess it’s important for someone to tell her.”

Allison nodded. “Aunt Catherine and I have never been close, and I’m not even sure she’ll listen to anything I have to say. But I have to try, Aaron.” Tears clouded her vision and dribbled onto her cheeks.

“You will write to me, won’t you?”

“Of course. I’ll write as often as I can.”

“I’ll write you, too.” Aaron pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back. “Will you come back to Missouri?”