The Hope of Refuge (35 page)

“I’d bet this place belonged to an Amish family at one point.”

“That’s what the Realtor said. But that was a long time ago.” She moved to the center of the kitchen, feeling hope run through her in spite of the reality surrounding her.

Israel opened the back door. “I want to take a look under the house. I’ll be back in a few.”

As she ambled through the house, a sense of expectancy grew, defying all logical reasoning. Israel came back inside. “It’s in bad shape as far as how it looks, but it’s structurally sound.

“I want to do this.”

“It’s a lot to take on. You’ll need plumbers first. I got an Englischer neighbor who does plumbing.”

“The Realtor said the owners will pay to get the plumbing working. And she said they are willing to subtract from the rent all the cost of supplies and most of the cost of work done. All we have to do is submit the receipts and let them verify every so often that the work is being done. And we have the opportunity to buy the house at a set cost, regardless of the amount of fix-ups we do.”

He set the toolbox on the deeply scratched wooden floor. “Whether you know it or not, I’ve seen you make success out of more difficult situations than this, Ada Stoltzfus.”

“Me?” She watched to see if he was trying to be funny, but he looked serious. “You really think so?”

“I know so. You work in a closet of a kitchen with an apartment-sized stove and sink, and yet you’ve supplied desserts to that Shippensburg bakery for a decade. Just imagine what you could do with a kitchen this big and a full-size stove and double sink.”

“Hello? Ada, are you in here?” the Realtor sang out.

“In the kitchen.” She stepped closer to Israel. “You can’t believe how much I want to do this for both me and Cara. But even if I sign a contract, I can’t begin to make the kind of difference I want to for her without getting her uncles to see her another way.”

“And since she’s the reason Ephraim is shunned, I’m sure she can’t move in with you without the bishop’s approval. We’d better get you home so you’re not late for tonight’s meeting.”

“I’d like to put a deposit down first.”

He looked fully entertained by her as he gave a nod. “Then do it.”

Inside Levi Riehl’s home, Ada’s palms sweated as she set up another folding chair. The warmth of the early-June air had nothing to do with the perspiration trickling down her back or the palpitations of her heart. Through the open windows and doors, she could hear carriages as they arrived and people chatting with one another.

A quick glance out the window let her know that most people were leaving their horses hitched to their buggies, which meant no one expected to be here long. When she’d arrived, her horse had seemed as worn out as she was, so she’d put him in the Riehl pasture.

She’d stopped by her house on the way here, thinking she might catch Mahlon and tell him of her plans, but he wasn’t there. Despite feeling antsy and exhausted, she kept praying. She needed tonight to end with Cara’s uncles—Levi, David, and Leroy Riehl—seeing the situation as she did. Levi seemed uneasy as he moved to the far side of the room and set up the last chair. He glanced at her several times as if he wanted to ask her something, but instead he just straightened the rows of chairs.

The bishop intended to separate rumors from truth tonight, and then he’d make a decision. But he told her that whatever he decided, it had to settle the issue. No more appeals. No more trying to change his mind. Ada agreed. And now she was miserably nervous.

Levi strolled over to her, looking as uncomfortable as he might with a stranger. “How’s Cara?”

“I gave her the box you and Emma brought by. Mostly she’s shaken, angry, and hurt.”

He nodded. “Emma is pretty shaken too. Having to face Cara was heartbreaking for her.”

“I think—”

“Mamm,” Mahlon interrupted, hurrying toward her through the growing crowd. “What are you doing?” he whispered.

“What do you mean?”

He held up the papers she’d signed on the house in Hope Crossing. “I found these on the kitchen table.”

“Can we talk about this later?”

“Are you picking out a house for us?” His tone was stern, but his words were barely audible.

“No, of course not. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

She saw in his eyes some undefined emotion that looked a bit like… hope.

“Then what are you doing?”

“You and Deborah should go on with your own plans. That’s what I need to do. I’m going to move to a place where I can sell baked goods to local restaurants and maybe to another bakery or two.”

While Mahlon stared at her, David and Leroy two more of Cara’s uncles, strolled through the door, chatting with Rueben Lantz. She’d hoped Rueben, Malinda’s former fiancé, wouldn’t be here for this. It’d be so much harder for her to say what she needed to with him in the room. She wasn’t interested in stirring up conflict, but if that’s what had to happen… she prayed for courage.

“Why would you do this without talking to me?”

“I intended to tell you, but things are happening fast. Look, all it means is that you and Deborah make plans that don’t include me living with you. Do you really mind?”

Mahlon studied her, looking unsure and pleased and terrified all at once. She’d seen these emotions in her only child many times over the years but never mingled into one confusing array.

“I guess I didn’t realize you had that much independence in you… not to be disrespectful or anything. You really think you can make a go of this?”

“I do. It’s what I wanted years ago, but you wanted to stay in Dry Lake. You’re a man now, about to take on a wife, and I’d like to do this with your blessing.”

He smiled. “My blessing?”

She nodded.

He looked past her, and she turned to see Deborah standing across the room. “I only wish you’d told me how important this was to you years ago, Mamm. If you’d done it then, things could be different.”

“What things?”

He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor. “It doesn’t matter.”

But she had a feeling it mattered a lot. “Mahlon?”

Looking to Deborah again, he shook his head. “How can I be so in love and at the same time so restless for what might be or could have been?”

“Ada.” David spoke from several feet away, interrupting her and Mahlon. “You came without your famous coconut pie.” He shook the bishop’s hand while he teased her.

His broad grin and easy ways didn’t indicate the temper that tried to get the best of him at times. Leroy stood near him and gave Ada a nod. He was the quietest of the Riehls and probably the one who’d grieved the most when Malinda took off.

“What I’ve come for is a bit more serious than that.”

A few nearby conversations stopped.

“Is this about Cara?” David asked.

Ada nodded, and Mahlon touched her arm, letting her know he was going to where Deborah stood.

Three of the men’s wives—Anne, Susie, and Rueben’s wife, Leah—entererd, talking comfortably and keeping Ada from needing to say anything else right now. She moved to a chair and reached into the hidden pocket of her apron, assuring herself that the documents were still there. She wanted to get them back to Cara tonight.

Mahlon’s eyes focused on her, as if he was trying to figure something out.

His reaction to her news confused her. Then again, his responses to daily events were often difficult to understand, and she hoped Deborah was better at figuring him out than she’d ever been.

As more people entered, Levi clapped his hands once. “Okay, whoever would like a drink of water or lemonade, help yourself and take a seat. It’ll make it easier for those coming in behind you.”

The volume of friendly banter decreased as people made their way to a chair. Most perceived Cara as a troublemaker who needed to be avoided. Rumors about her unacceptable behavior were fresh in their thoughts. Few knew why Ephraim had shared his home with Cara. They didn’t know much about her, except that she was Malinda’s daughter and was a homeless thief with a daughter and no husband. Oh, and that she caused Ephraim to be shunned. But none of that really told them who Cara was. If Ada could convince them to give her a chance, maybe healing could begin for all of them. The Howards would probably put in a good word for Cara, but Englischers were never a part of Amish meetings—not this kind.

Emma hurried inside, wiping her wet hands against her apron. “Levi, those grandbabes of ours had the hose out, watering each other to see if they could make themselves grow.” She wiped her brow. “I passed them to their mothers.”

Everyone chuckled as Emma took a seat.

Ada said a silent prayer that the Riehls would set aside every obstacle that separated them from Cara.

The bishop moved to the front of the room. “Rueben and I found Cara a place in Carlisle. Thanks to the donations of everyone here, we paid the rent for three months. Cara chose to turn it down.”

Murmurs floated throughout the room.

“What happens to the money?” one man asked.

“We made sure beforehand that we could get the money back, so no problem there. More important is why Cara turned it down. Ada said that Cara feels we were trying to pay her to leave. At first that sounded ridiculous, but after thinking about it, I realized there’s some truth in that. It’s possible we’ve reacted to Cara out of misunderstandings and unfair judgment. And a lot of that is because of rumors and who her mother was.”

Levi stood. “Ephraim’s had the most contact with her. Maybe he should be here.”

The bishop took a seat. “What he did crossed the line, and he’ll remain under the ban. Ada, will you tell everyone a little about Cara and what brought her to Dry Lake?”

Ada stood. Her voice shook as she explained how Cara grew up, why she came to their town, and her plans to leave. “She has no family outside of Dry Lake. Do we not bear some of the responsibility for what’s happened to her? With only a few scattered memories from her childhood, she found her way back here. Will we let her slip through our hands a second time?”

The bishop stood. “In order to separate rumor from fact, I’d like to hear from those of you who’ve talked to Cara or seen her do anything firsthand. That means we set aside what you heard Abner say he saw.”

Various people took turns sharing information about Cara. They told of her using drugs, smoking with Amish teens, and letting cows and horses out of pastures. The bishop took the time to look for an eyewitness for each rumor, and everyone soon discovered that no one had actually seen Cara doing any of those things.

When Anna Mary entered the room and took a seat at the back, Ada feared the damage she could do.

“Deborah had a dress go missing,” one young man said. “I know ‘cause she asked if I took it.”

“I sure did,” Deborah said. “If you’d taken it, I wanted to see you wear it.”

Ada chuckled along with everyone else. If anyone knew how to bring humor and peace into a room, her future daughter-in-law did.

Deborah folded her arms. “Whoever took it left money for it the next night.”

Ada figured Deborah knew at this point that Cara had taken her dress, but true to her nature, she wasn’t going to make matters worse by adding that kind of information to the meeting.

Levi explained the conversation he’d had with Cara the night before. Then he added, “She didn’t seem at all like the rumors have said. I’d like to help her, but I won’t go against the bishop’s wishes.”

A man stood. “We offered her help, and she turned us down.”

When he sat, a woman spoke up. “I wasn’t living in Dry Lake when her mother was here, but I saw Cara at the auction. I don’t like the way she dresses, and it’s easy to believe the rumors about her. We can’t afford to welcome someone like her.”

Trying not to look as angry as she felt, Ada measured her words and tone carefully. “Have you once looked her in the eye and talked with her? I have. She’s not to be feared. We might even learn a few things from her.”

“Ephraim looked in her eyes,” a man from the back of the room said, “and now he’s shunned.”

The group started murmuring, and Ada knew she was losing.

“I’ve wondered if maybe it was God’s will that she didn’t make it here as a child,” David Riehl said over the crowd.

“David.” Emma gasped. “She’s your niece, and the mix-up that left her alone wasn’t her fault. It was mine and Levi’s and even yours. All of us talked about what to do, and we made careless mistakes and didn’t try to find out what was going on.”

“That’s because she’s Malinda’s daughter,” another man said, “and everyone in this room over the age of forty knows what that means.”

The room vibrated with disagreements, and Ada feared the night would end without anything being settled. Cara would leave Dry Lake, and it’d be over.

Anna Mary stood, and silence soon fell. “I have more reasons to distrust her than any of you. And she’s caused me to ask myself a thousand questions. But I have only one question for all of you.” She cleared her throat. “Will Ephraim be the only man to stand up for her?”

Ada watched people’s faces, witnessing many attitudes begin to change. Rueben’s face went ashen as he watched his daughter.

Shaking and teary-eyed, Anna Mary took a seat.