Where Love Grows (18 page)

“You must not believe evil can triumph,”
Mamm
said. “
Da Hah
intends only for the good.”

“What am I supposed to believe?” Susan cried softly. “It turns out my own
daett
sinned in such a way.
Yah
, I will forgive, but it's hard to accept this.” She was silent for a minute. “You do know what this will mean, don't you,
Mamm
?”

“
Yah
, but I don't think your
daett
yet knows what all is coming,”
Mamm
admitted. “But I still rejoice with him that his son has come.
Da Hah
would not have sent Donald here at this time without a reason. A son will add joy to your
daett
's heart in his old age just as you girls have always done.”

A
s Donald pulled away in his car, Menno walked to the barn, looking over his shoulder and seeing the retreating forms of Anna and Susan heading into the house. There wasn't much he could say to them right now. He had apologized again, and Anna had seemed to understand. But Susan? That was another matter. In the meantime, how could such sorrow and joy be racing through his heart at the same time? He had a
son
!

He quickened his pace. Steve probably wondered what had happened to him. He was in the field already cutting the corn. Menno took a quick look into the distance.
Yah
, Steve was busily at work, the corn binder throwing the sheaves out behind it.

Menno hesitated. Should he or shouldn't he? The thought raced through his mind. All these years he had never willingly neglected work, yet this morning had been different than any other morning. And it was not over yet. His other daughters needed to know the good news. After they were told, he would need to tell others. Deacon Ray would hear the truth from his own lips, Menno decided. And Deacon Ray would do what he wished after that. Yet even the thought of what might be coming did little to dim the joy in his heart. He had been given a son! No one could take that away.

Running across the field, Menno waved his hat at Steve, smiling at the startled look on his hired hand's face.

“Whoa!” Steve pulled back on the lines. “You must have very
gut
news to share,” he said, turning to Menno

“I do! I have a son. The
Englisha
man is my son.”

“Your son?” Steve was staring now. “How is that possible?”

“It is a long story, Steve, and in many ways a sad one. But
Da Hah
has brought good from a sin of my youth.”

“I see,” Steve said, understanding coming slowly. “Is this man staying around?”

“
Nee
, he's gone back to Missouri where he lives. And now there are some matters I need to take care of today. Can you go on with the corn yourself?”

“Sure. I'll start setting up the stacks when I'm done with the field. How long will you be gone?”

“It may be all day. There are things more important to me right now than the farm. I wish to speak with my daughters about the news. And then I will speak with Deacon Ray and the other leaders.”

Steve shrugged. “Do what you need to. I will carry on the best I can.”

“I will see you later then.”

Steve nodded, slapping the lines. The horses lurched forward.

Returning to the barn, Menno harnessed Toby and tied him to the hitching post. He then hurried toward the house. Across the lawn, he saw Ada walking up the road from her place. And from the other direction another buggy was approaching. He recognized two of his daughters—Betsy and Miriam. They were arriving to begin the cleanup from the wedding, moving down to Ada's place afterwards. Already
Da Hah
was making the path clear for him.

Menno stopped and turned toward the driveway. He greeted Betsy and Miriam as they drove up and climbed out of the buggy. “
Gut
morning!”

“What are you still around the house for,
Daett
?” Betsy asked.

“We've had a lot going on this morning,” Menno said as he undid the tugs.

“I see you have the benches loaded,” Miriam commented.

Menno cleared his throat. “
Yah
. I need to speak with the two of you. And with Ada too. I'll meet you in the house as soon as I put your horse in the barn.”

They glanced at each other as they took their cleaning supplies from behind the buggy seat.

This was going to be even harder than he had thought. Most of the excitement was gone that had been present when he'd told Susan. Taking the horse into the barn and putting him into a stall, Menno slid the bridle off. He shut the stall door and shoved a quarter of a bale of hay into the manger before walking back to the house. How would the girls take this news? The joy was indeed leaving his heart, seeping away under the weight of the words that lay ahead. Yet he could still see Donald's face.
Yah
, Menno thought, my sin had been great, but the goodness of
Da Hah
was just as great—
nee
, it was even greater.

Menno squared his shoulders and walked into the house. Betsy, Miriam, and Ada were standing in the living room with
Mamm
beside them.

“I'm not telling you a thing,”
Mamm
was saying. From the tone of her voice, he guessed she'd said it before. “Your
daett
will have to tell you himself.”

“What is it,
Daett
?” Miriam asked turning to face him when she heard the door open.

Behind them Maurice appeared in the stair doorway with baby Samuel in her arms. Silence fell over the living room.

“Am I interrupting something?” Maurice asked hesitantly.

“If you could give us a moment, Maurice.”
Mamm
tried to smile. “Menno has something he needs to tell the girls.”

“Sure…” Maurice was already turning, and one foot was on the first step.

“Wait, Maurice,” Menno said. “I want you to hear what I have to say. I will not keep this secret any longer.”

“But Menno!”
Mamm
protested.

“This is going to be more than a family issue,” Menno told her. “It involves everyone. The entire community will know very soon.”

“Okay,”
Mamm
agreed, motioning Maurice toward the couch. She then turned and called toward the kitchen, “Susan, please come in here.”

“I already know what
Daett
's going to say,” Susan's muffled voice answered.

“Come anyway,”
Mamm
said, taking her seat on the rocking chair.

Susan appeared a moment later bringing a chair. She sat down, still wiping her eyes. The other daughters sat down and waited, worried looks on their faces.

Menno cleared his throat. “Girls, there is no easy way for me to say this. And yet it must be said, so I will waste no words. A man arrived this morning—well, he was here yesterday. I'm sure you noticed him.”

“
Yah
,” Ada said. “I spoke with him. He's doing research…”

“
Nee
,” Menno said. “He is not really doing research. His real name is Donald Fry, and…and he is my son.”

There was stunned silence.

“I know this will be hard to hear and believe,” Menno continued. “I will explain. Forty-some years ago while I was doing my military alternative service in St. Louis, I went out with an
Englisha
girl. Her name was Carol and she worked at the hospital. We went to parties together, and…well, one thing led to another, and…I…I did something I shouldn't have. I committed a great sin. Then Carol told me she was pregnant. Not long after that, she told me the child had been lost. I believed her.”

The women were still silent, so Menno kept going. “We had talked about our different worlds. She was raised Catholic, and I came from the community. Neither of us wanted to come the other's way. And we parted. Not in the best of circumstances, of course, but for what we thought was the best. Yet I found out a week or so ago that she had not told me the truth. She hadn't lost the child. She thought she was making it easier for me—and for her—by going her way and letting me go mine. She placed him for adoption when he was born. After he grew up, Donald contacted Carol, and she, in turn, contacted me. And he has come to find me.”

“You really did this?” Ada finally asked.

“
Yah
, Ada. I repented of this sin years ago, but the consequences of sin are far reaching. And now I must face it in the open. I shared this with your
mamm
, and she has forgiven me and agreed to accept Donald. I told Susan when Donald came here this morning. Now I am telling you. I will be writing to your other sisters, and Anna and I will go to Deacon Ray this morning yet.”

Betsy was the first to her feet. She walked forward to give her father a hug. The others followed. Susan stayed on her chair and Maurice stayed on the couch.

“I'm very sorry about this,” Menno said for all their benefit. “I know this comes as a shock.”

“When did
Mamm
know about this?” Ada asked. “I never heard a whisper about it growing up.”

“I knew some of the story,”
Mamm
offered. “But even your
daett
didn't know Donald was alive until a short time ago.”

“May I say something?” Maurice asked. “I don't want to speak out of turn...”

When Menno nodded, she continued. “This might come as a surprise to all of you, but this story is the most incredible thing I've heard in my life. And believe me, I've heard a lot.”

“I hope you don't think ill of our people because of this.” Menno looked troubled. “Because I'm the one who sinned.”

“Gracious no!” Maurice exclaimed. “You're human, that's all. Don't you think that makes me feel better, not worse? I was beginning to think you were all angels walking the earth in human form.”

“
Nee
, we are not angels,”
Mamm
assured her.

Maurice laughed. “That's what everyone kept saying, and now it's nice to have some evidence—and in language I can understand. Things like having a baby out of wedlock...a hidden pregnancy…an adoption too. Now that's my world.”

“I'm very sorry about all this,” Menno said again. “I beg your forgiveness.”

“Not to trample on your piety, Menno, but thank you for letting me be part of this. I believe your God is more real after experiencing this confession. I was beginning to wonder. It's good to know He can handle the human failings part of life.”

“I have sinned,” Menno said. “But I have also seen my son this morning—my only son. I repented of the sin years ago. But even with the sorrow there is joy in my heart.”

“Come, Menno.”
Mamm
took his arm. “We have to speak with Deacon Ray. And then you must write to the other girls before the news reaches their communities.” She turned to the girls. “While we are gone, you can get started on the cleanup work.”

Together Menno and Anna walked across the lawn, Anna's hand around his arm. Helping her into the buggy, Menno untied Toby. He climbed into the buggy. Slapping the reins gently against the horse's back, he drove down the road without looking back.

The girls were at the window watching their
daett
and
mamm
leave.

Never again would they look at him quite the same, Menno realized. Sure, they had offered their forgiveness, but he would live with this disappointment for the rest of his days. The shame of it seeped into his very bones. Yet he would also rejoice over his son. He would welcome him home whenever he chose to come. The whole situation would lie in his heart in one irreconcilable bundle. Much like the wrath and the mercy of
Da Hah
. Unexplained, unresolved, and yet existing sid by side.
Da Hah
wouldn't fully undo, in this world at least, the dark deeds of men.