more.”
Jacob mentally threw his hands in the air. Thirty years old, and his father could still read his mind. It was humiliating.
Finally, Datt turned that look on Simon. “You approve of this or you find another farm.”
Simon nodded once.
“You and Jacob will share everything. Equally.”
“Everything?” Simon asked.
“Everything,” Datt repeated, then he gave one last scowl before he walked away.
Simon watched their father go, then turned and examined his brother’s face.
“What?” Jacob asked.
“Datt wants us to share everything. Equally.”
Simon turned to Ruben. “You know, Ruben, I think Rachel will like such an arrangement.”
Chapter 7
Rachel removed a cherry pie from the oven, freeing a scent like almond paste to mingle with the spicy ones of sausage, onion, and pickled beets. “Smells good enough to tempt a fasting Quaker,” she said.
Esther put her hand on her big belly and smiled. “Then I must be a fasting Quaker, because I’m starved.”
“You’ve been starved for months, Es. That baby is going to be so big, he’ll come out walking.”
They were still chuckling when the kitchen door opened.
“Welcome, Ruben,” Rachel said. “You look nice.”
“Clean, you mean, Mudpie.”
“Esther, you remember Ruben.”
“Hello, Ruben,” Esther said. “You’re thinner.”
“Hello, Es. You’re not.”
Esther’s smile faltered. “I’m sorry about … all of them.”
“I’m sorry you’re going to die.”
“Ruben!” Rachel nearly dropped the beets. “What a terrible thing to say!”
Ruben looked like he’d swallowed a pickle whole. “I can’t believe I said that. Esther, I’m sorry. It’s just that since I lost Alma, then Violet, in child-bed, well it’s just … your chances aren’t good, you know.”
Rachel wasn’t certain who was paler, Esther or Ruben. “Don’t be stupid, Ruben. If all women died in child-bed, none of us would be here talking about it.”
“You’re right, Mudpie.” Ruben took Es’s hand. “Let’s start again. I’m sorry about Daniel, Esther.”
“Thank you, Ruben. I miss him, just like you miss Alma and Violet.”
Ruben grimaced. “It’s hard having two dead wives, you know. If I miss them both, I think there’s something wrong with me for wanting them both back … when I could never have had them both at the same time anyway. But if I think of one and get to really missing her, I suddenly feel guilty for not missing the other one.”
Esther shook her head. “You’re in a bad way, Ruben. That’s for certain.”
He nodded. “If we were luckier, you and I, I would have died instead of Daniel, before ever knowing I had killed another wife and baby.”
“Oh, Ruben,” she said softly, and placed her hand on his arm. “It wasn’t your fault they died.”
Jacob came in carrying the twins, followed by Simon, one cut, purple eye, swollen shut.
“It is not our way!” Levi shouted behind them.
Judging by Levi’s words, and Simon’s face, it looked as if Jacob gave Simon what-for sometime between arriving home with the press and leaving it in the barn. Knowing Jacob, he had good reason. Knowing Simon, Jacob had good reason.
Ruben touched Esther’s cheek. “Don’t cry, Es.”
Simon stopped dead. “Ruben, don’t go making eyes at Esther. She’s Jacob’s.”
“Simon!” three voices shouted.
Jacob turned to his father. “You can doubt I had cause?”
“Turn the other cheek,” Levi said.
“Wasn’t my cheek took the blow, Datt,” Jacob said lifting Aaron.
Levi shook his head in resignation.
“Unkabear, boo-boo ouch?” Aaron said leaning over and poking his finger in Simon’s black eye.
Simon shouted and lurched back.
Jacob retrieved Aaron’s finger. “Don’t, Aaron. It hurts Unkabear for you to touch his boo boo.”
“As if you care,” Simon muttered.
Aaron began to cry, and the two brothers faced each other, a lifetime of anger and disappointment between them.
Aaron raised his arms
Jacob mentally threw his hands in the air. Thirty years old, and his father could still read his mind. It was humiliating.
Finally, Datt turned that look on Simon. “You approve of this or you find another farm.”
Simon nodded once.
“You and Jacob will share everything. Equally.”
“Everything?” Simon asked.
“Everything,” Datt repeated, then he gave one last scowl before he walked away.
Simon watched their father go, then turned and examined his brother’s face.
“What?” Jacob asked.
“Datt wants us to share everything. Equally.”
Simon turned to Ruben. “You know, Ruben, I think Rachel will like such an arrangement.”
Chapter 7
Rachel removed a cherry pie from the oven, freeing a scent like almond paste to mingle with the spicy ones of sausage, onion, and pickled beets. “Smells good enough to tempt a fasting Quaker,” she said.
Esther put her hand on her big belly and smiled. “Then I must be a fasting Quaker, because I’m starved.”
“You’ve been starved for months, Es. That baby is going to be so big, he’ll come out walking.”
They were still chuckling when the kitchen door opened.
“Welcome, Ruben,” Rachel said. “You look nice.”
“Clean, you mean, Mudpie.”
“Esther, you remember Ruben.”
“Hello, Ruben,” Esther said. “You’re thinner.”
“Hello, Es. You’re not.”
Esther’s smile faltered. “I’m sorry about … all of them.”
“I’m sorry you’re going to die.”
“Ruben!” Rachel nearly dropped the beets. “What a terrible thing to say!”
Ruben looked like he’d swallowed a pickle whole. “I can’t believe I said that. Esther, I’m sorry. It’s just that since I lost Alma, then Violet, in child-bed, well it’s just … your chances aren’t good, you know.”
Rachel wasn’t certain who was paler, Esther or Ruben. “Don’t be stupid, Ruben. If all women died in child-bed, none of us would be here talking about it.”
“You’re right, Mudpie.” Ruben took Es’s hand. “Let’s start again. I’m sorry about Daniel, Esther.”
“Thank you, Ruben. I miss him, just like you miss Alma and Violet.”
Ruben grimaced. “It’s hard having two dead wives, you know. If I miss them both, I think there’s something wrong with me for wanting them both back … when I could never have had them both at the same time anyway. But if I think of one and get to really missing her, I suddenly feel guilty for not missing the other one.”
Esther shook her head. “You’re in a bad way, Ruben. That’s for certain.”
He nodded. “If we were luckier, you and I, I would have died instead of Daniel, before ever knowing I had killed another wife and baby.”
“Oh, Ruben,” she said softly, and placed her hand on his arm. “It wasn’t your fault they died.”
Jacob came in carrying the twins, followed by Simon, one cut, purple eye, swollen shut.
“It is not our way!” Levi shouted behind them.
Judging by Levi’s words, and Simon’s face, it looked as if Jacob gave Simon what-for sometime between arriving home with the press and leaving it in the barn. Knowing Jacob, he had good reason. Knowing Simon, Jacob had good reason.
Ruben touched Esther’s cheek. “Don’t cry, Es.”
Simon stopped dead. “Ruben, don’t go making eyes at Esther. She’s Jacob’s.”
“Simon!” three voices shouted.
Jacob turned to his father. “You can doubt I had cause?”
“Turn the other cheek,” Levi said.
“Wasn’t my cheek took the blow, Datt,” Jacob said lifting Aaron.
Levi shook his head in resignation.
“Unkabear, boo-boo ouch?” Aaron said leaning over and poking his finger in Simon’s black eye.
Simon shouted and lurched back.
Jacob retrieved Aaron’s finger. “Don’t, Aaron. It hurts Unkabear for you to touch his boo boo.”
“As if you care,” Simon muttered.
Aaron began to cry, and the two brothers faced each other, a lifetime of anger and disappointment between them.
Aaron raised his arms
Similar Books
