carpenter too?”
“ Ya . All my bruders are in the family business. And Aaron’s still working at Gabriel’s blacksmith shop. He really enjoys smithing, although he likes shoeing the horses best.” Elisabeth tapped her finger against her chin, her blue eyes widening. “Oh, and I guess you didn’t know, but I have a new nephew.”
“Really? Which one of your siblings had a boppli ?”
“None of them.” A cheeky grin appeared.
“No one had a boppli , but you have a nephew?”
“Uh huh. Lukas and Anna adopted a bu about a year and a half ago. He’s sixteen now. His name is Sawyer. He’s a Yankee too. Well, not anymore.”
“He’s Amish now?”
“He hasn’t joined the church, but he’s really taken to the Amish ways. Do you know Daniel Mullet and his family?” When Deborah shook her head, Elisabeth said, “They live near an abandoned barn that was destroyed in a fire a while back. But the barn was still standing, and Sawyer was living in it.”
“He was living in an Amish barn? Why?”
“He ran away from his foster family. It’s a long story, but Mary Beth Mullet and her brother Johnny found him and hid him for a while. Eventually he had to geh back to the group home, but then Lukas and Anna decided to foster him for a while. After a few months they ended up adopting him. It’s like he’s been a part of the family all along. Hopefully you’ll get to meet him soon. Lukas will be hosting church in a few weeks. I’d love if you and your family would stay for lunch afterward.”
“I’d like that.” Her emotions began to overwhelm her. “Elisabeth,” she said, trying to keep her voice from catching. It didn’t work. “You’re such a gut freind , more than I deserve. You’ve always been there for me. Even when I was awful to you.”
Elisabeth looked surprised. “You were never awful to me.”
“I was at the Yoder’s party. I should have never talked you into going . . . I shouldn’t have gone either.”
“Deborah, that’s all in the past.”
“Sometimes the past won’t leave us alone.”
Elisabeth reached for Deborah’s hand. “And sometimes, mei freind , we have to stop paying so much attention to it.”
“Nice pasture.” Stephen looked out at the huge field before him, breathing in the scent of sweet timothy grass mixed with hay from the bales stacked nearby. Several yards away, brown and black cows, with noses to the ground, ate their fill. He turned to Moses, who stood beside him. “How many head of cattle do you have here?”
“About thirty. We’re down in numbers right now. It’s been a rough year.” The old man’s face sobered. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, but danki for helping with Martha’s grave.”
“It was my honor.” Stephen’s father had asked him to help dig the grave this morning. It was a sobering task, one he didn’t enjoy at all. But he could shovel faster and remove more dirt than most of the other men who had assisted. He saw the sorrow in Moses’ eyes. He imagined the pain of losing a spouse had to be unbearable, and he didn’t know what to say. Instead he stared out at the pasture again, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black pants.
Finally Moses spoke. “It’s been getting too much lately.” He looked up at Stephen, his head tilted far back. “The farm, I mean. Over the years I’ve had a few freinds help me when they could, and of course, mei dochders and Martha . . .” He gulped and looked away. “They did their share. Then Deborah left and Martha got sick. I just kind of let things geh after that. I’ve had to rely on Naomi for a lot of things,” Moses said. “But I can see it’s getting to her too.”
Stephen didn’t know Deborah very well, only through her friendship with Elisabeth. Even so, he, like everyone else in the community, knew why she had left Middlefield. He had to say that her son was a good-looking boy. Stephen had always had a soft spot for kids, and he enjoyed spending time
“ Ya . All my bruders are in the family business. And Aaron’s still working at Gabriel’s blacksmith shop. He really enjoys smithing, although he likes shoeing the horses best.” Elisabeth tapped her finger against her chin, her blue eyes widening. “Oh, and I guess you didn’t know, but I have a new nephew.”
“Really? Which one of your siblings had a boppli ?”
“None of them.” A cheeky grin appeared.
“No one had a boppli , but you have a nephew?”
“Uh huh. Lukas and Anna adopted a bu about a year and a half ago. He’s sixteen now. His name is Sawyer. He’s a Yankee too. Well, not anymore.”
“He’s Amish now?”
“He hasn’t joined the church, but he’s really taken to the Amish ways. Do you know Daniel Mullet and his family?” When Deborah shook her head, Elisabeth said, “They live near an abandoned barn that was destroyed in a fire a while back. But the barn was still standing, and Sawyer was living in it.”
“He was living in an Amish barn? Why?”
“He ran away from his foster family. It’s a long story, but Mary Beth Mullet and her brother Johnny found him and hid him for a while. Eventually he had to geh back to the group home, but then Lukas and Anna decided to foster him for a while. After a few months they ended up adopting him. It’s like he’s been a part of the family all along. Hopefully you’ll get to meet him soon. Lukas will be hosting church in a few weeks. I’d love if you and your family would stay for lunch afterward.”
“I’d like that.” Her emotions began to overwhelm her. “Elisabeth,” she said, trying to keep her voice from catching. It didn’t work. “You’re such a gut freind , more than I deserve. You’ve always been there for me. Even when I was awful to you.”
Elisabeth looked surprised. “You were never awful to me.”
“I was at the Yoder’s party. I should have never talked you into going . . . I shouldn’t have gone either.”
“Deborah, that’s all in the past.”
“Sometimes the past won’t leave us alone.”
Elisabeth reached for Deborah’s hand. “And sometimes, mei freind , we have to stop paying so much attention to it.”
“Nice pasture.” Stephen looked out at the huge field before him, breathing in the scent of sweet timothy grass mixed with hay from the bales stacked nearby. Several yards away, brown and black cows, with noses to the ground, ate their fill. He turned to Moses, who stood beside him. “How many head of cattle do you have here?”
“About thirty. We’re down in numbers right now. It’s been a rough year.” The old man’s face sobered. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, but danki for helping with Martha’s grave.”
“It was my honor.” Stephen’s father had asked him to help dig the grave this morning. It was a sobering task, one he didn’t enjoy at all. But he could shovel faster and remove more dirt than most of the other men who had assisted. He saw the sorrow in Moses’ eyes. He imagined the pain of losing a spouse had to be unbearable, and he didn’t know what to say. Instead he stared out at the pasture again, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black pants.
Finally Moses spoke. “It’s been getting too much lately.” He looked up at Stephen, his head tilted far back. “The farm, I mean. Over the years I’ve had a few freinds help me when they could, and of course, mei dochders and Martha . . .” He gulped and looked away. “They did their share. Then Deborah left and Martha got sick. I just kind of let things geh after that. I’ve had to rely on Naomi for a lot of things,” Moses said. “But I can see it’s getting to her too.”
Stephen didn’t know Deborah very well, only through her friendship with Elisabeth. Even so, he, like everyone else in the community, knew why she had left Middlefield. He had to say that her son was a good-looking boy. Stephen had always had a soft spot for kids, and he enjoyed spending time
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