the STRUGGLE (31 page)

Bonnie gave Trisha a hug. “You’ve become a good friend.”

“But Esther’s your friend, too, and I figured you’d want her to stand up with you.”

“You’re right, Esther’s a very special friend, but I’m fairly sure that her church wouldn’t allow her to be part of my bridal party, so I only asked you.” Bonnie readjusted her lacy veil just a bit. “I’m glad most of my Amish friends will be able to attend the wedding, however.”

“Will you be invited to Esther and Samuel’s wedding?” Trisha questioned.

“Oh yes. I went when Titus and Suzanne got married, so I’m sure I’ll get an invitation to Esther and Samuel’s wedding, too.”

“Are Amish weddings much different than ours?”

“They definitely are.” Bonnie smiled at Trisha. “Since you and Esther have gotten to know each other quite well, I’m almost sure you’ll get an invitation to her wedding.”

“I hope so. That would truly be an honor for me.”

A knock sounded on the door of the little room in the church where Bonnie and Trisha had gone to get ready.

“Would you like me to see who that is?” Trisha asked.

Bonnie nodded. “If it’s Allen, I don’t want him to see me until I walk down the aisle, so please don’t let him in.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” When Trisha opened the door, Bonnie’s dad walked in. He stepped up to Bonnie and stared at her as though in disbelief.

“Doesn’t your daughter look beautiful in that dress?” Trisha asked.

“Yes, she’s stunning.” Dad smiled and gave Bonnie a hug. Then he turned to Trisha and said, “You look very nice, too.”

Trisha’s cheeks flushed. “Why, thank you, Kenny—I mean, Ken. You look pretty spiffy yourself.”

Bonnie smiled. For the first time, she felt the barrier between Dad and Trisha come down a wee bit.
Thank You, God, for this answered prayer
.

“I believe it’s time for me to walk you down the aisle,” Dad said, extending his arm to Bonnie. “Your groom is waiting for you and probably growing anxious.”

“No more than I am,” Bonnie said, blinking back tears.

They followed Trisha from the room, and when they reached the back of the sanctuary, Trisha turned and gave Bonnie’s dress and veil a quick once-over. After offering Bonnie a reassuring smile, she made her way slowly down the aisle in time to the soft organ music.

Bonnie clung to Dad’s arm as they followed Trisha down the aisle. Just as all the wedding guests stood, an explosion of sunlight spilled through the stained-glass windows. The light seemed to guide Bonnie down the aisle, where her groom waited beside his cousin, Bill, whom he’d chosen to be his best man. Every fiber of Bonnie’s being wanted to be Allen’s wife. He was like a magnet drawing her to him.

Bonnie glanced to her left and spotted Esther sitting with Samuel and his children. In the pew next to them sat Titus and Suzanne, along with Timothy, Hannah, and little Mindy. To the right, she saw Allen’s parents, and behind them Allen’s friend, Zach, with his wife, Leona. They’d come from Pennsylvania for this special occasion and would be staying at Titus’s place. Others from Bonnie’s church and some from the community had also come to witness the wedding. It was wonderful to know she and Allen had so many good friends.

When Bonnie and Dad joined the wedding party at the altar, Pastor Cunningham smiled and said, “Who gives this woman to be wed?”

“I do,” Dad answered in a clear but steady voice. When he kissed Bonnie’s cheek and hugged her before taking a seat in the first pew, Bonnie noticed tears in his eyes.

Hannah sat straight as a board as she watched this very different wedding ceremony and recalled her own wedding day. She wondered what it would have been like to wear a long white gown with a veil and walk down an aisle in a church with people sitting on both sides of the sanctuary watching her every move. At least in an Amish wedding, the bride and groom were able to sit throughout most of the service. They didn’t stand before the minister until it was time to say their vows.

“Dearly beloved,” the pastor said, capturing Hannah’s attention, “we are gathered together in the sight of God and the presence of these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate instituted by God in the time of man’s innocence, signifying unto us the mystical union that exists between Christ and His Church. It is, therefore, not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these persons present now come to be joined.”

The pastor’s expression was solemn as he continued: “Allen and Bonnie, I require and charge you both as you stand in the presence of God, to remember that the commitment to marriage means putting the needs of your mate ahead of your own. The act of giving is a vivid reminder that it’s all about God and not you. Be an encourager to your mate. The more you bless each other, the more God will bless you.”

Hannah cringed. She had fallen short when it came to encouraging Timothy—especially when he’d decided to move to Kentucky. She rarely put his needs ahead of her own.

“Remember, too, that it’s a privilege to pray,” the pastor continued. “Turn your thoughts toward God in the morning, and you’ll feel His presence all day. Make each day count as if it were your last, and forget about the
if only
s, for they can only lead to self-pity. Tell yourself each morning that this day is what counts, so you may as well make the most of it. Finally, don’t harbor bitterness toward God or your marriage partner.”

Hannah shifted uneasily in her seat. She’d been harboring bitterness toward Timothy ever since they moved to Kentucky, and when he’d spanked Mindy the other day, it had fueled her anger.

She turned her head and smiled at Timothy and was glad when he smiled in response. Maybe they could start over. Maybe if she tried harder to be a good wife, things would go better between them.

C
HAPTER
39

Paradise, Pennsylvania

S
ally had just finished washing the supper dishes when she looked out the kitchen window and spotted a horse and buggy coming up the driveway. When the driver stopped near the barn, she recognized who it was.

“Abraham Fisher is here,” she called to Johnny, who sat at the table reading the newspaper.

“He must have come to look at the hog I have for sale.” Johnny left his seat and hurried out the back door.

A few minutes later, Sally saw Fannie standing near the buggy, so she opened the back door and hollered, “You’re welcome to come inside if you like!”

Fannie waved and started walking toward the house.

“Let’s go into the kitchen and have a glass of iced tea while the men take care of business,” Sally suggested when Fannie entered the house.

Fannie smiled. “That sounds nice. It’s been hot today—too hot for the first day of June, if you ask me.”

“I agree. Makes me wonder what our summer’s going to be like.”

Sally poured them both a glass of iced tea, and they took seats at the table.

“I haven’t heard from Timothy in a while,” Fannie said. “Have you heard anything from Hannah?”

“No, not for a week or so.”

“The last I heard from Timothy, he mentioned that he and Hannah were going to Allen Walters’s wedding.”

“Hannah mentioned that, too, but I haven’t heard anything from her since,” Sally said. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t been phoning Hannah as often as before.”

“How come?” Fannie took a sip of iced tea.

“Johnny pointed out that I need to give our daughter some space.” Sally sighed. “I still miss Hannah something awful, and it’s hard having her living so far away.”

“I understand,” Fannie said. “Try as I may, it’s still hard to accept the fact that three of my sons have moved to Kentucky. I’d always hoped and believed that when Abraham and I reached old age we’d have all our kinner and kinskinner living close to us. But I’ve learned to accept that it’s not meant to be.”

“The problem for me,” Sally said, “is that I’m not as emotionally close to our sons and their wives as I am to Hannah. That’s made it doubly hard for me since she moved away.”

“I understand, but you can still be close to your daughter without her living nearby.” Fannie smiled. “Just be there for her, if and when she needs you. That’ll count for a lot.”

Pembroke, Kentucky

Trisha couldn’t believe how lonely she’d felt since Bonnie and Allen had left on their honeymoon. She’d become used to fixing supper and sharing it with Bonnie and didn’t enjoy eating all her meals alone. She didn’t have any guests at the B&B right now, either, so things had been unusually quiet.

“Now quit feeling sorry for yourself,” Trisha mumbled as she entered the kitchen. “You’ve been living alone since Dave died and managed okay, so why’s this any different? Besides, you should be enjoying this little rest before things start to pick up again.”

Resolved to make the best of the situation, Trisha took a container of leftover soup from the refrigerator and poured the contents into a kettle. She was about to turn on the stove when the telephone rang. She quickly picked up the receiver. “Hello. Bonnie’s Bed-and-Breakfast.”

“Trisha, this is Ken.”

“Oh, hi. How are you?”

“I’m doing okay, but I was wondering if you’ve heard anything from Bonnie lately. I’m worried about her and Allen.”

“How come?”

“I just heard on the news that one of those tour helicopters from Kauai went down, and I know they were planning to go up in one, so I’m wondering if—”

“Did you try calling them, Ken?”

“Yes, I did, and I had to leave a message on both of their cell phones. I’m telling you, Trisha, this has me really worried.”

“I’m sure they’re fine. If Bonnie and Allen were involved in that crash, I’m certain you would have heard about it by now.” Trisha cringed.
Oh, I hope they weren’t in that helicopter. What a tragedy that would be
.

“You know, I never used to worry so much, but the older I get, the more I fret about things.”

Trisha gave a small laugh, hoping to reassure him. “I know what you mean. I’m the same way.”

“How are things going there?” he asked. “Have you been really busy since Bonnie and Allen left?”

“No, not really. Actually, business has been kind of slow, but I’m sure it’ll pick up now that summer’s almost here. I guess I should enjoy this little break before it gets busy again.”

Trisha jumped as a gust of wind blew against the house, causing the windows to rattle. Rain pelted down on the roof. When the lights flickered, she said, “I hate to cut this short, Ken, but I’d better hang up. It’s raining really hard, and the wind’s howling so much that I’m afraid the power might go out. I need to get out some candles and battery-operated lights, just in case.”

“Okay, I’ll let you go. Oh, and Trisha, if you hear anything from Bonnie, would you please ask her to give me a call?”

“Yes, of course I will.” The lights flickered again then went off, leaving Trisha in total darkness.

Exhausted after a hard day’s work, Timothy flopped onto the sofa with a groan. He’d put in a full eight hours painting in Clarksville then come home and worked in the fields until it had started raining real hard. Every muscle in his body ached.