Sarah's Gift (7 page)

The ice surely wasn’t thick enough to hold one, let alone two. Sarah’s body stiffened, and she leaned forward as if she could reach them through the glass.

Thank the dear Lord, Benjamin seemed more sensible than the girl. He stood on the bank, reaching out to her. Sarah couldn’t hear his voice, but she could imagine the words. He’d be telling Louise not to be so foolish, to come off the ice.

Louise reacted predictably for a girl her age, with a toss of her head that seemed to say he needn’t think he could tell her what to do. She took another step toward the middle of the pond.

Sarah whirled, grabbing her coat and hurrying out the back door and down the three steps. They wouldn’t thank her for interfering, but maybe just the realization that an adult was watching would be enough to make the girl act sensibly.

Sarah hurried around the house, her eyes fixed on them. Should she call out? If she did—

All in a moment it was too late. The ice cracked—the sound was a shot in the cold air. The girl’s arms flew out, reaching for a support that wasn’t there. She plunged through the ice.

Sarah broke into a run, her jumbled prayers keeping pace with her racing feet.

Hold her up, Father. Please. Please.

Benjamin, frantic, ventured a foot onto the ice.

“Benjamin, stop! Stop!” The cry was torn from her throat. “You muscht stoppe.”

He turned toward her, his young face distorted by fear and panic. But he was heeding her.

“Lie down.” It took all she had to shout and run. “Lie down on the ice.”

She could see the sense come back into his face at her words. He threw himself onto his belly, inching forward onto the ice.

An eternity of running, and she was there. A broken branch lay near the tree, and she grabbed it, plunging down on the ground behind Benjamin.

Louise bobbed up, arms thrashing, breaking the ice still more as she grasped for it. Her lips were blue—she’d exhaust herself, disappear under the surface . . .

“Louise!” Sarah shouted the name, putting every force of her will into it. “We are coming for you. You must stop moving. Listen to me! Stop moving. Just keep your head above the water.”

Benjamin slithered out onto the ice, which was still firm near the edge of the pond. “Hold my feet.”

“Ja, I will.” Sarah shoved the branch into his hand. “Hold this out so she can reach it. Don’t try to take her hand, or you’ll go through as well.”

Harsh words, but she’d seen a cousin break through the ice when she was a child. Her father’s orders as he organized the rescue filled her mind as if in answer to her prayer.
Move slowly, stay flat, use whatever you can find to reach out to her.

Benjamin took the branch, sliding it out in front of him. Not quite long enough. He inched forward.

Sarah grabbed his ankles, holding tight. The cold already penetrated her coat and dress to her skin, making her shake. Soaked with icy water, how much longer could the girl stay up?

“Grab it,” Benjamin ordered, shoving the branch farther across the ice. “Louise, grab the branch. You can do it. Now.”

The girl’s terrified face seemed to calm for an instant. She reached, ice breaking, the effort nearly submerging her, but then she had the branch and was holding on tight.

“Gut, gut. Now the other hand.” Sarah was half on the ice herself now, clinging tight to Benjamin. She would not lose him.

For a moment she thought the girl couldn’t do it. Then Louise swung her arm, grabbing the branch and holding on with both hands.

“Back now, Benjamin.” Sarah tugged on his ankles. “Back, drawing her with you.”

Benjamin slid back. The ice breaking around her body, Louise moved closer. They were going to make it—

The ice began to crack around Benjamin. Sarah clasped his ankles, pulling with all her strength. She had to get them out, she couldn’t feel her hands anymore—

Another hand reached out, closing over hers, and then Aaron was pushing her away, taking her place, pulling his brother toward safety.

“Not so fast—” Benjamin began, but Aaron already had him, pulling him and the girl toward the bank.

With a final crack, the ice gave way entirely, but it was all right. Aaron had them both.

Denke, Father.
Sarah forced herself up, ripping her coat off to wrap it around Louise.
Denke.

The
girl caught up in his arms, Aaron set off for the house. Get her warm and dry—that was the important thing now.

His relief that all three of them were safe turned quickly to anger. How could Benjamin have been so foolish, so heedless, as to put Louise in danger like that? What had he been thinking?

The words burned in his throat. He choked them back. He would not say anything in front of Louise. He certainly wouldn’t do so with Sarah there.

He glanced over his shoulder to find that Sarah had her arm around Benjamin’s waist as they stumbled along behind him. It was hard to tell which of them was holding the other up.

“Sarah, you need not come with us. Go back to your house and get warm and dry.”

Go home.
He didn’t need Sarah around while he dealt with this situation.

“Unless there is another woman at your house, you need me.” The chill in her voice said that she knew he’d like to be rid of her.

But she was right. He did need her.

“I hadn’t thought about that. Denke.”

She didn’t spare breath for an answer. Sarah would be chilled to the bone as well, but she kept trudging on. Across the yard, up the porch steps, and into the welcoming warmth of the house.

Sarah hurried to his side. “Take her to the warmest bedroom. I must get those wet clothes off her.”

“This way.” He climbed the stairs two at a time, ignoring the sodden weight that dragged at his arms. “Molly’s room is ready for her, and it has the best heat in the house.”

He carried the girl through the door and set her carefully on the bed, stepping back so that Sarah could get at her.

The poor girl shivered, teeth chattering together, her face dead white. His concern deepened. “Should I send for the paramedics?” he asked.

“Let’s see how she is once we get her warmed up.” Sarah spared him a reassuring glance as she pulled off first her coat and then Louise’s own sodden one. “More blankets, if you have them. If you have any hot water bottles, fill them. But you’d better leave now.”

“Ja.” Louise seemed to find her voice.

She was embarrassed by the situation. If Sarah hadn’t been here . . . well, he’d have done what he had to, but he didn’t want to think about that.

He removed an armful of blankets and quilts from the blanket chest at the foot of the bed and piled them next to Louise on the bed. “I’ll look for a hot water bottle. Call me if you need anything else.”

Sarah nodded, her focus on the girl. Obviously the best thing he could do was leave them alone. Sarah knew what to do.

Benjamin waited at the foot of the stairs, one hand on the railing as if unable to decide whether he should go up. His wide, frightened gaze met Aaron’s. “Is she . . . How is she?”

“Sarah is taking care of her.” He led the boy away from the stairs. “We’d best leave it to her.”

“Ja. Sarah will know what’s best.” Benjamin blew out a long breath, as if he’d forgotten to breathe for a while. “Thank the gut Lord Sarah saw what was happening.” A shiver went through him. “I don’t know if I could have gotten Louise out alone.”

Aaron bit back the words that wanted to explode from his mouth. “Go and change into something dry. You can’t do anything for Louise. You’ve done enough—”

He cut that off. Hadn’t he just told himself not to speak, not now, while he still shook inside at the thought of what might have happened?

But Benjamin probably knew where that thought had been going. He stiffened, fists clenched tight against his legs, staring at Aaron.

“What do you mean? Are you saying Louise’s accident was my fault?”

Aaron’s control slipped. “Wasn’t it? You took the girl out there. You were responsible. What were you thinking to let her go on that pond? You should have known the ice wasn’t thick enough.”

Benjamin was as pale as the girl upstairs. “I knew. I told her so. What was I supposed to do?”

“You were supposed to be responsible. To stop her.”

“How could I do that? She ran out onto the ice before I knew she was going to do it.”

“It was your responsi—”

“My responsibility. Ja, I know. You’re always telling me, aren’t you?” Benjamin flared up like dry tinder. “Whatever happens, it’s always my fault. You never believe me.”

“That’s not true.” It wasn’t, was it? For just a second Aaron doubted.

“You never believe me,” Benjamin repeated. “You always blame me. And I know why. You’ve never forgiven me for living when Mammi died.”

Aaron could only stare at his brother as the words penetrated. He couldn’t speak—it seemed he couldn’t even think.

Benjamin was silent, too, as if shocked by his own words.

The sound of a step broke the stillness. Sarah walked into the living room. She’d heard them. She must have.

But when she spoke, her voice was calm. “Louise is doing much better now. She’s come to no harm, I think. If I might use the kitchen, I’ll make her a hot drink. That will help. Did you find a hot water bottle?”

“It is in the bottom kitchen cabinet, I think. I’ll look for it.” Aaron had a battle to keep his voice even after what Benjamin had just said.

She led the way into the kitchen, and the two of them could do nothing but follow. Aaron should resent the way she was taking over, but he couldn’t. It was a relief to have someone else decide. He began rummaging in the lower cabinets for the hot water bottle.

Sarah put an armload of wet clothes on the counter. “These should be hung in a warm place to dry, but Louise will need some other clothes to wear when she feels like getting up.”

“Ja.” He tried to think, but his mind seemed as frozen as the pond.

Sarah filled a kettle and set it on the stove. “I could go and get her something of mine, but her parents will have to be told anyway. Maybe they should just bring her clothes when they come to take her home.”

“I will go and tell them.” Benjamin spoke before Aaron could. “It is my responsibility.”

“Gut,” Sarah said. “But go and put dry clothes on first.”

To Aaron’s surprise, Benjamin didn’t dispute that. He turned and went quickly upstairs.

“He didn’t argue with you. That’s how he always was with Molly, too.” He started hanging the wet clothes on the rack next to the stove. “Molly was always better with Benjamin than I was.” Aaron’s thoughts edged around the impossible, hurtful thing his brother had said.

“Do you have tea bags or hot chocolate mix?” Sarah’s tone didn’t give anything away.

“Ja, both.” He opened the cabinet and got out tea bags, sugar, and hot chocolate mix so that she could choose.

“I happened to be looking out the kitchen window when I saw Benjamin and Louise walking across the field.” She busied herself measuring the chocolate mix into a mug, not looking at him. “They were talking and laughing—flirting a bit, the way kids do.”

He picked up the hot water bottle and found a towel to wrap around it. “They’ve always been sweet on each other, I think.”

Sarah nodded. “When they reached the pond, Louise seemed to be teasing him. Then all in a moment she ran out onto the ice. I could tell that he was trying to get her to come back.” She shook her head slightly. “Girls that age can be heedless. I expect she wanted to show him that she didn’t have to do what he said.”

The kettle started to steam. She poured hot water into the bottle, then into the cocoa mix, stirring as carefully as if everything depended on getting the chocolate just right.

She picked up the mug and the hot water bottle. “I’ll take this up now. It will help to warm her.”

Benjamin passed her as he came back in, shrugging into an old coat of Nathan’s. Too big, but at least it was dry.

“I’ll go get Louise’s parents now.” He didn’t look at Aaron.

“Benjamin.” Aaron didn’t know what to say, but he had to say something. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you as I did. What happened wasn’t your fault.”

Benjamin stared at him for a moment. Then he nodded, and the very air in the room seemed to ease. “Denke.” He went out quickly.

Aaron stared after him, running his hand through his hair. He should have said more. They had to talk about Benjamin’s accusation. If he really believed that Aaron blamed him for Mammi’s dying . . .

He shook his head. He couldn’t start on that now. But soon they had to talk.

He put the kettle on the stove again and got down another mug. Sarah was chilled, too. She should have something hot.

By the time Sarah came back into the kitchen, he had a mug of chocolate waiting for her. “This is for you.” He gestured to a seat at the table and pushed the mug over to her. “I wasn’t thinking. You probably need some dry things, too. If you want to go home . . .”

She shook her head and picked up the mug, pressing her hands against the warm sides. “It is best if you have a woman here when Louise’s parents arrive, I think.”

“Ja, I’m sure you’re right about that. They will be upset enough.” He stared down at the table for a moment, knowing he had to say something about what had happened. “Denke, Sarah. For everything. If you hadn’t seen what was happening . . .” A shudder went through him. “It was your cry I heard.”

“A gut thing, too. I couldn’t have held on much longer.”

He looked at her then. “I think you would have held on as long as you had to. You are a strong woman in every way.”

Color flooded her cheeks. “Ach, I’m just glad you reached us when you did. Benjamin wouldn’t let go, even when the ice was cracking around him.”

“I have told him how sorry I am for my hasty words. I shouldn’t have blamed him.”

“We often say things we don’t mean in the heat of the moment.” She paused. “I’m sure Benjamin can understand that.”

“I hope so. It’s just . . . sometimes Benjamin reminds me too much of our father. I worry that he might turn out to be a man like him.”