Amish Country Arson (5 page)

Plain people come from miles around to help.
Some have lost their own barns at one time and received help
rebuilding. They remember how bad they felt about their loss. Now
they are seeking to return the favor.”

Bishop Bontrager swallowed his last bite and
spoke. “The plan is to get the farmer's animals and hay under roof
as soon as possible, both for practical and psychological
reasons.”

Samuel Nisely nodded in agreement. “Sure
enough, a barn fire is a traumatic experience for any farm family.
To see Chicken Plucker's farm animals endangered and his equipment
and hay go up in smoke is a sight none of us can forget. Chicken
Plucker sure enough will never forget how awful it felt.”

Eli Mast added, “So far Chicken Plucker has
lost two cows and a horse that were badly burnt. He is not sure how
many more will die. As it is, his milk production has cut way down
with so many of the cows not feeling well. That means a loss in
income.”

“That's really tough,” Jim agreed. “Winter's
coming, too. A barn on his farm would be the handiest for him, and
those scorched animals need the shelter.

Knowing winter is right around the corner is
why my wife, sister-in-law and me are leaving for home shortly
after the barn is built. I sure don't want to drive all the long
miles home in a winter storm.”

“We do not blame you for we know how hard it
is to travel in the winter,” the bishop said. “Know we will miss
your company, and hope you can come back soon. We will pray for
your safe journey home.”

“Thank you, Bishop. Tootie, Nora and I sure
like visiting with John, Hal and our grandkids. We've made so many
friends around here and will miss all of you,” Jim said
sincerely.

At another table, Hal passed out saucers of
apple pie. She set a serving in front of Rudy Briskey while he
smiled up at her. “How is your sheep doing?”

It was hard to tell if he was teasing. He
knew she'd have trouble when he gave her ewes with mastitis in
their bags for services rendered. She didn't know Rudy the time he
insisted she go with him. She thought she was going to be a midwife
for his wife. He kept talking about Martha in labor, and he sure
didn't bother to correct her. Was it a coincidence that Rudy named
one of his ewes after his wife? Hal suspected the ewe only carried
the name Martha until after she delivered the lambs. Hal pulled the
triplet lambs, and they all lived. Rudy's reason for having the
nerve to ask for Nurse Hal's help was she was closer than the vet.
Saving his lambs was his emergency.

Payment was two ewes. Was he really
interested in how she made out with his worthless ewes? Maybe
inside he was smiling at how he'd pulled the sheep's wool over her
eyes.

Hal replied, “Fine, denki. They both had a
set of twins. I admit I was glad to see the end of bottle feeding
the lambs. That was a job, but I found I love sheep. John bought me
ten more ewes and a buck at the salebarn. I'm looking forward to
lambs in the spring with mothers that can take care of them this
time.”

“You will always have a lamb or two to feed.
It might be the left out one of a set of triplets, or a confused
ewe that refuses to claim her lambs. If you want to get out of
bottle feeding, I have the perfect answer. Buy a milk goat,” Rudy
advised.

“How does buying a milk goat help me? I'd
have to milk her all the time, fill the bottles and feed the
lambs.” Hal wondered what the catch was. John warned her with Rudy
there was always a catch.

“Milk goats often will adopt bottle lambs
along with their kids. Just keep the lambs in the goat's pen. Wean
the lambs along with the kids and dry the goat up. Simple as that,”
Rudy stated.

“I see. That sounds easy. I'll discuss this
with John. If he wants a goat, he can get me one at the salebarn,”
Hal said as she turned to go back to the kitchen.

“Wait!” Rudy exclaimed.

Hal turned around slowly.

“No need to bother with the salebarn. I own a
dozen milk goats. I would gladly sell you one to help you out. Jah,
I would,” Rudy said smoothly.

Hal imagined Rudy would have made a good used
car salesman in another life. “I have to think about this.” Hal
backed up to go get more pie.

Emma was talking to Mary Mast, Eli's wife and
didn't see her step mother coming until Hal bumped into her. “Oh,
Emma, I'm sorry. I should watch where I'm walking.” She nodded
slightly toward Rudy Briskey.

Rudy waved his fork at her. “I will gladly
deliver.”

Emma grabbed Hal by the arm and headed for
the kitchen. She whispered in Hal's ear. “What is Rudy Briskey up
to now?”

“He wants to sell me a milk goat.”

“Really? What did you tell him?” Emma asked,
trying not to smile.

“I'd have to talk to your father,” Hal
said.

“Gute answer,” Emma agreed. “We do need to go
to the salebarn soon though. I have to help you pick out a rooster.
Maybe Daed will see a gute milk goat there if you really want
one.”

Hal put pie filled saucers on her tray. “Jah,
the sooner the better we should go to get the rooster. Tom Turkey
has designated himself as ruler over the flock. I'm afraid a
strange rooster will have trouble living with Tom.”

“Give them plenty of room to run so the
rooster can get out of Tom's way. Hopefully, they will get used to
each other soon. No matter how Tom Turkey feels about it, you must
have a rooster to hatch chicks,” Emma declared.

“How about we go to next Wednesday's sale
while you're not teaching school,” Hal suggested.

“Sounds gute to me,” Emma agreed. “It will be
fun.”

When it was the women's turn to eat, Jane
Bontrager brought a woman to Hal's table. Hal saw them coming and
didn't recognize the woman. She must be one of the newcomers, a
dark haired, thin, stern faced woman, in her mid forties, dressed
in black. The idea passed through Hal's mind that this woman should
get along well with Stella Strutt for a neighbor.

“This is Wanda Bruner, Nurse Hal,” Jane
introduced. “Wanda lives with her husband and her sister on the
Boxholder farm. They have just arrived from Kansas.”

Hal shook hands with Wanda. “Wilcom to our
community. Won't you join me for lunch while we have a few seats
left? Jane, you too.”

“I have to finish dessert serving. Save a
place for me. I will be back,” Jane said over her shoulder.

“Where in Kansas did you live?” Hal
asked.

Wanda placed her plate on the table and sit
down. “Hutchinson, Kansas.”

“I've never been to Kansas,” Hal replied. “Is
it much different from here?”

“Jah, much. Kansas is flat, hot and dry land.
I know I will like the pretty green rolling hills around here. Iowa
already feels cooler to me than Kansas,” Wanda said, smiling.

Wanda's smile was sweet, and she had a soft,
pleasing voice. So much for first impressions. To her surprise, Hal
liked the woman. That made her sorry she'd lumped Wanda into Stella
Strutt's company just because of her black clothes and the fact
they were neighbors. “Sure enough. That's because it's fall. Winter
will be freezing cold and seem way too long. Next summer you will
appreciate the new paper fans the feed and grocery stores hand out.
By then you will wonder what the difference was between Iowa and
Kansas,” Hal advised, returning her smile.

“Jah, that is what the real estate agent told
us when we called to see if there was any farms for sale in the
area,” Wanda agreed. “My husband, Enoch, told the man still and all
compared to Kansas, Iowa sounded much better for gute farm land and
weather wise. We were told there are not as many dry spells here as
in Kansas. The land is more fertile which makes for better
crops.”

Hal took a bite of her ham sandwich, chewed
and swallowed while she thought about the Bruner family coming to
live among strangers. She knew how she felt when she moved from
Titonka to Wickenburg so far away from her relatives. When her
parents and Aunt Tootie left for home, she'd miss them. “So that's
how you decided to move here? A farm was for sale in this
area.”

“Sure enough, that was the final reason.
Another reason is we knew the Old Order Amish in this community had
a strong Ordnung. That is what we want. Too many people in our
community around Hutchinson have become Beachy Amish. They bought
cars and phones. They made their homes modern and live more like
the English around us. With so few left in Old Order at the worship
services, we felt the need to move where a larger settlement
believed as we do,” Wanda explained.

Hal hunched down in her seat and ate.
How
would this quiet, devoutly faithful woman feel when she finds out I
own a car and cell phone. That I am only allowed to use them for
emergencies might not make a difference to Wanda.
“I see. You
must have left many relatives behind which was hard.”

Wanda's face was sad as she ran the potato
salad around her plate with her fork. “Jah and friends. We were
born and raised near Hutchinson. It had always been home, but we
will make this our new home now.”

“Gute, we will be glad to have you.” Hal
said.

From behind her came Bishop Bontrager's
voice. “How are you ladies this fine day?”

“I'm gute, Bishop,” Hal replied, twisting to
look at Elton.

“I'm fine, Bishop,” Wanda said.

Bishop Bontrager looked around the room. “I
would like to meet your sister. Do you know where she is at recht
now?”

“Gladys stayed home today. She hasn't been
feeling well. I think the move was hard on her,” Wanda
answered.

“That is too bad. I hope she is feeling
better soon. We do not want her missing too many worship services
if she can help it. Do tell her I will be around to introduce
myself one day this week, and see how her heath is then,” the
bishop said.

Wanda nodded. “Jah, Bishop. I will tell
her.”

“If you hadn't heard, I'm the nurse for the
community. John built a medical clinic on our home, but I do make
house calls. We use the clinic for birthing as well as treating
patients if you or someone in your family needs help,” Hal
said.

Wanda said quietly, “That is gute to
know.”

“Would you like me to come visit your sister?
Maybe I can help her feel better,” Hal said.

“Nah!” Wanda said much too quickly. When Hal
gave her a searching look, Wanda added calmly, “Nah, no need to
bother. I think Gladys just needs to rest up.”

Later that afternoon when Enoch and Wanda
Bruner arrived home, Wanda said, “I should check on Gladys before I
gather eggs.”

She walked over to the grossdawdi house and
opened the door. “Gladys?”

A tall thin woman came to meet her. “I heard
you were back from church. How did it go with all those
strangers?”

Wanda walked across the large room and sat in
one of two rockers. She smiled cheerfully. “It went well. Enoch and
I met so many nice people that I will have trouble remembering
their names until I get to know them. How are you feeling now? I
told everyone you were not well, but when you were better you would
come to church with us.”

“I feel tired all the time, but I pray I will
be better soon,” Gladys said, easing slowly down in the other
rocker.

“Bishop Bontrager asked about you. I told him
you did not feel well enough to attend the worship service, but he
insisted he would be by one day this week to meet you. He wants to
see for himself that you were not able to go to the service with
us. I hope that your health will improve in two weeks if for no
other reason than to please the bishop.”

“I do not know if I will feel better by
then,” Gladys said.

“I met the Plain people's nurse who has a
clinic in her home. Nurse Hal she is called. She offered to pay you
a visit to tell you what ails you. I said I would check with you to
see that would be all recht.”

“William Boxholder told me about that one and
her clinic when we were buying this farm. He said she was English
married to a Plain man.” Gladys's voice was icy.

“I wondered about that. Her speech does
sounds English. Her red hair makes her stand out some, but everyone
seems to like her. She has done gute work in the community so I
hear from the bishop's wife,” Wanda defended.

Gladys glared down her long nose at her
sister. “I am not sick enough or desperate enough to use an English
woman as a nurse when she pretends to be Plain.”

“All recht, but she is not pretending. Nurse
Hal is living a very gute life as a Plain person and raising her
husband's children,” Wanda said meekly.

Gladys folded her arms over her chest. “I
will hear no more of her.”

At her sister's tone of voice, Wanda shrank
back in the rocker. “Sure enough.”

Gladys patted her sister on the knee to
change the mood. “Now tell me of the people at the worship service
today.”

Wanda straightened up and leaned forward.
“They were talking about someone's burning a barn. Denki to God, no
one was hurt.”

“Do they know how the fire happened?” Gladys
asked.

“Nah, but they know someone started it. Jonah
Stolfus saw a rider on horseback leaving his farm. Bishop Bontrager
asked the congregation to be watchful for such a person,” Wanda
said. “At the member meeting, plans were made to help build Jonah
Stolfus a new barn. He will be able to milk his cows at home soon.
He lost all his hay so the bishop asked for offerings to replace
his loss. Rudy Briskey generously offered a whole wagon load of
bales. That brought other farmers forward to offer their hay to
help Jonah Briskey.

I think we made the right decision to come
here, Sister. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. They all pitch
together when another family needs help.”

“Sounds like it. That is gute,” Gladys
agreed, looking at her hands in her lap.

The Lapp family arrived home from the worship
service after an afternoon of visiting. Hal remembered she hadn't
taken the time to check the live trap before they left for the
Yoder farm. While the rest of the family went inside, she walked to
the end of the porch and looked down. The trap hadn't thrown, but
the two eggs had round holes broken in them and sucked dry. Beside
the trap was another freshly dug hole.