Amish Country Arson (20 page)

Not because we have not power, but to make
ourselves an example unto you to follow us. For even when we were
with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work,
neither should he eat. For we hear there are some which walk among
you disorderly, working not at all but are busybodies. Now them
that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that
with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count
him
not as an enemy, but admonish
him
as a
brother.”

Bishop Bontrager looked around the
congregation and settled his eyes on the the teenage boys again.
“What was written in the bible reads so true still today. There are
those among us that think to be busy bodies, as the bible calls
them, when others are working hard to accomplish a task such as the
Stolfus barn raising. When the hard working men were called to come
break bread, the busy bodies came just as fast to sit among the
workers for a share of the food. That was food they did not deserve
since they did not work for it as Paul did. The busy bodies did not
think anyone noticed them accept the food offering. Perhaps, not
many around them took notice, but believe me when I say that what
we on earth see and think is not as important as the fact that God
was watching the busy bodies. It is him they will have to atone to
for their sins.

You see Paul felt very strongly about
laboring for the food he was to be given so he did not owe anyone
for it. What did he tell his brethren? Not to get tired of well
doing. Note the men who do not work as hard and have no company
with them. For those men should be ashamed. We are not to count
them as an enemy, but admonish them for their laziness as our
brothers. Keep that in mind when we see the busy bodies among
us.

Now time for the final hymn and prayer.”

The bishop sat down, and Luke Yoder stood up.
He picked Eli Mast to lead the last hymn. When that finished, Luke
said the final prayer and announced, “Now Bishop Bontrager will
come forward.”

The bishop said, “There is a member meeting.
All those that need to will leave the house now.” After the younger
generation left, the bishop said, “We are sadly missing a school
that meant so much to many Plain generations as a place of learning
and social gatherings.

Adam Keim has furnished a make shift school
in the top of his store until a new school can be built. We are
thankful for his coming forward so the pupils do not get too far
behind in their learning.

Now we meet to determine when to erect the
new school house and how much materials we will need. As soon as
the fellowship meal is over, we should gather a committee to
discuss this matter.

Does anyone have any other thoughts at this
member meeting?”

Rudy Briskey stood up. “
We
sure hope the arsonist is caught soon, before anyone is killed in
one of his fires. We have been lucky so far. Praise the Lord, Nurse
Hal is all recht.”

He was interrupted by the congregation with
shouts of, “Amen!”

Rudy continued, “Each of the fires were an
expense that costs dearly in our brotherly aid insurance fund.
Without that fund, it would take some of us years to get over the
loss of our property. More of the members need to think about
paying their dues.

But for now to put money back in the fund to
replace the barn expense and pay for the school house expense, we
need to have a benefit frolic. It might be gute to have the women
get in on that to give us ideas and help organize the benefit.”

“
That is gute. We have much to think
about and work to do. I would say Paul would be pleased with us and
think we are worthy of being fed. Now meeting adjourned so we can
eat,” Bishop Bontrager said and chuckled.

While Hal was serving the men their dessert,
she set a piece of pumpkin pie by Rudy Briskey's plate. He looked
up at her, concern on his face. “Nurse Hal, are you feeling all
recht now?”

“
Jah, I'm fine, Rudy,” Hal
said.

“
I felt bad that the arsonist was in
your barn when you had to go check the goat you bought from me,”
Rudy said contritely.

“
Don't worry about it, Rudy.” Hal
turned to go back for another tray of pie. It surprised her that
Rudy felt guilty about selling her a jumping goat that almost got
her killed.

“
Nurse Hal.” She turned around. Rudy
Briskey gave her that winning there's a sucker born every minute
smile. “How is the milk goat doing now?”

Hal knew the complaints he expected to hear
now that he knew she'd recovered, but he wouldn't get sour grapes
from her. She looked across the table at John. He was glued to her
every word, wondering how she'd handle the question. “Rudy, Gano is
the friendliest, sweetest milk goat. The whole family has taken a
liking to her. She's doing well with the sheep, too. She fits right
in with them now. Denki so much for suggesting her to me.” She
glanced at John, and he winked at her.

Rudy's mouth gaped open.

Hal asked, “I have to finish helping serve
the dessert. Were you going to say more, Rudy?”

“
Nah, I am just glad the goat worked
out so well,” he said without his usual bluster.

“
Denki so much. Everything about the
goat is just fine for me. Even her name. I'd say for the Lapp
family the name Gano is perfect. She's a
winner
all the way around as far as we're
concerned. Well worth every bit of the bargain you gave us, Rudy.”
Hal whisk away before Rudy could speak.

As soon as the children walked out of the
house, Daniel found Noah talking to Levi Yoder. Levi said, “Daniel,
how are you this fine day?”

“Gute, and you?”

“I'm gute,” Levi said.

Daniel put his hand on Noah's arm. “We need
to talk.”

“All recht, what is it?”

“Alone,” Daniel said urgently.

Levi realized something was wrong. “I should
go find out what time I am to pick my date up for the singing
tonight. See you two there I reckon.”

As soon as Luke was out of ear shot, Daniel
said, “Come away from everyone where they cannot hear us.” Noah
followed. When they stopped, Daniel said, “The sermons today were
aimed at you and me. I am sure of it. Have you listened to the
radio lately?”

“Nah, I have not had the chance since I
bought it, but there is not a way to know that me of all the boys
has that radio. The sermons were for all of us. Your conscious is
just bothering you,” Noah excused.

“It is for a fact. Bishop Bontrager hit the
nail on the head when he looked at me. I hate knowing you have a
radio hid from Daed. When you have a chance, you should make sure
that radio is still where you put it,” Daniel insisted.

During the fellowship luncheon, Wanda Bruner
sat next to Hal. She fingered her silverware nervously.

Hal gave her a tentative smile. “How are you
this fine day?”

“
I am well enough. Praise the Lord!”
Wanda exclaimed sheepishly and dropped her hands in her lap. She
looked around to make sure the other women were busy eating or
visiting with each other and said quietly, “Nurse Hal, I need to
talk to you. My sister, Gladys, is not well. She is growing worse,
and that is what worries me. She will not go to a doctor in
Wickenburg for me, and I have asked often. Now part of the time she
is out of her head with a high fever. I am very worried about
her.”

Hal sensed Wanda didn't want to ask for her
medical help, but she needed Hal to offer because she was
desperate. “Would you like me to make a house call to see
Gladys?”

“
Jah, I would feel better if I knew
what was wrong with her. She is not getting any better, and this
illness has gone on for days,” Wanda said then added, “She has been
in such an ill temper lately you must be careful when you are near
her. She has hit me twice now when she has been out of her head
with fever.”

As soon as they finished lunch, Hal found
Noah. She asked him to hitch up their buggy for her. She whispered
in John's ear where she was going and went to find her son-in-law,
Adam Keim. “Adam, I need a favor.”

His eyebrows went up, and his hand wobbled
sideways.

“
I need to make a house call on Wanda
Bruner's sister. She's ailing. Could you and Emma take the family
home when you're ready to leave if I'm not back in time? Wanda went
to tell Enoch she's going with me so he has their buggy to get
home.”

Adam shook his head yes and waved his hand
good bye at her.

In the quiet between them, Ben's rhythmic
clopping sounded loud on the hard packed country road. To break the
awkward silence, Hal asked, “How was the quilting bee Stella Strutt
had?”

“
Gute. Quilting bees frolics are always
fun,” Wanda said dully, staring at her lap.

“
I agree. When we have one over my way,
I will let you and Gladys know so you can come,” Hal
offered.

“
Denki,” Wanda said. She opened her
mouth to say more than thought better of it.

“
I get the feeling you're uneasy with
me. You haven't any reason to be as far as I can see,” Hal said
quietly.

“
I've heard many gute things about your
nursing in the community,” Wanda confirmed. “The bishop's wife
speaks well of you.”

“
But,” Hal glanced at Wanda for more.
The woman's lips pinched shut. She wasn't going to add more. “I
know there is a but in your mind. Let me guess what it is. Has
Stella Strutt told you I own a car and cell phone?”

“
Jah, she did,” Wanda said
shortly.

“
Did Stella explain I can only use the
car and phone for medical emergencies? I was given permission by
the bishop and church members. Stella was there for the
vote.

The church members recognize the advantage of
having a way to reach the ambulance faster with my phone when I'm
on the scene of a serious illness or accident. As long as I can use
my car I'm getting people to the hospital faster so they have a
better chance of surviving. I've had many occasions to prove this
to the Plain community.”

“
Stella Strutt does not see this like
the others. She thinks you are breaking the Ordnung,” Wanda said.
“So do I.”

“
Stella doesn't have the final word.
That decision was made at a member meeting and sanctioned by Bishop
Bontrager.

Stella Strutt has not needed my medical help.
She likes to complain about me. I think she'd sing a different tune
if Moses or she were sick and needed me to help.

You should speak to some of the Plain people
I've given medical aid to over the years,” Hal asserted. “It's true
you may find the permission to keep my car and phone isn't part of
the Ordnung as you know it. It is what works in the Ordnung for
this community. I do abide by the rule that I cannot use the car
and phone for personal use. You can visit with the bishop about
this. He will tell you the same thing,” Hal said.

“
All recht,” Wanda replied quietly,
watching the road in front of her.

“
I don't wish to speak badly of Stella.
Frankly, she feels she is the Plain Community's policeman as far as
the Ordnung is concerned. She spends way too much time in council
with Bishop Bontrager telling him her complaints. He takes what
Stella tells him with a grain of salt until he investigates on his
own. I don't know if you had noticed that about her.”

Wanda smiled weakly and patted Hal's arm. “I
noticed.”

“
I need to stop at my house to get my
nursing bag out of the clinic to take with us,” Hal said as she
turned into the Lapp driveway.

Once they were on Bender Creek road, it
wasn't much farther to the Bruner farm. Hal pulled in the driveway,
drove close to the grossdawdi house and halted Ben.

Before Wanda opened the door, she cautioned,
“I have to warn you Gladys will not like you coming here. I never
know how she is going to react to strangers. She will be mad at me
for disobeying her wishes about medical help.”

“
Don't worry. I am thick skinned. The
main thing is we need to see if we can help your sister feel
better,” Hal told her.

Gladys's grossdawdi house set in the same
yard as Wanda's home and was one large room. The kitchen was on one
side, containing a small wooden table with a drop leaf to make it
larger and two chairs next to a diminutive wood cookstove. A sink
with a long drain board was under the window. On the other side the
dining table was a small hutch filled with Wanda's china and
glasses. The drawer under the shelves held her silverware.

Two rockers kept a small, round heating stove
company in the middle of the room. On the other end of the house,
hidden behind a quilt hung from the ceiling by wire, was a quarter
size bed. The quilt was blue, black and purple squares in a round
the world pattern. Beside the headboard were wall pegs holding
black bonnets and dresses.

The house had a musky, sick smell like bedpan
and unwashed, sweaty body combined. Gladys had been sick for some
time. Hal slipped in behind Wanda and stood at the end of the bed.
A commode was beside the bed. Along with the other odors, the
house's stale air smelled of strong urine. Clearly, Gladys was too
weak now to get out of bed to use the commode.

The pale, emaciated woman, in the bed, had
her arm over her eyes.

Wanda said, “Sister, are you awake? I have
brought the nurse to help you.”