would like to do that.”
“It’s addressed to you. You should read it.” She lifted her chin, expecting the worst but praying for the best.
“All right.”
She struggled to maintain a brave front. He tore open the envelope and read the short note inside.
His expression hardened. He pressed his lips together.
“Well?” Katie asked.
He read aloud. “‘Dear Mr. Sutter, I am sorry to hear Katie has burdened your family with her presence. Please understand it is with a heavy heart that I tell you she is not welcome in our home.’”
Elam stopped reading to look at her. “Perhaps it would be better if you read the rest in private.”
She shook her head and clutched Rachel more tightly. “No, go on.”
Swallowing hard, Elam resumed reading. “‘I will not make arrangements for Katie to travel here. Beware of her serpent’s tongue. She has fooled us too often with her words of repentance uttered in falsehood. I pray God will take pity on her soul. She is no longer kin of mine. Your friend in Christ, Malachi Lantz.’”
Katie cringed as Elam lowered the letter. Though she had tried to prepare herself for Malachi’s response, it still hurt. She turned her face away as tears stung her eyes.
She was disgraced with nowhere to go. All her struggles to reach her family had been in vain.
Looking into Elam’s sympathetic eyes, she said, “I had hoped Malachi would take us in, but if he has publicly disowned me…he won’t. I did not believe he would do this.”
“Perhaps when he learns you have a child.”
She shook her head. “I don’t see how that will make him think better of me.”
“What about Matt’s family?”
“I never met any of them. I think Matt was too ashamed of me.”
“Ashamed or not, he has a duty to provide for his child.”
“I don’t know how to reach him or his family. Mrs. Zimmerman said they were out of the country.”
Katie looked up at Elam through her tears. “I truly had nowhere to go.”
Elam longed to gather her into his arms and comfort her, but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. How could a brother be so coldhearted? And Matt! To cast aside a woman and ignore his own child. What kind of man could do that? Elam wanted to shake them both.
Now was the time for her family to show Katie compassion, to welcome her back as the prodigal child and show her the true meaning of Christian forgiveness.
While he had no way of knowing what had transpired between the siblings before Katie left home, this didn’t seem right. Many young people made mistakes and fell away from the true path during their rumspringa, the “running around” time of adolescents, but it was unusual for a person to be disowned by their family because of such activity.
Elam stared at Katie, trying to see her as her brother saw her. Tears stained her cheeks. She couldn’t disguisethe hurt in her eyes. She was simply a young woman struggling to find her way in life.
“Is what your brother said true?”
“About my serpent’s tongue? Maybe it is. I was ready to pretend to be Amish again so that Rachel and I would have somewhere to live.”
“So you were going to lie to your brother when you faced him.”
“I don’t know what I would have done. I was so desperate.”
Would she have lied? Elam wanted to believe she would have found the strength to tell the truth. “What will you do now?”
“I’ll find work. I’ll take care of Rachel.”
“What if you can’t find work?”
She managed a crooked half smile. “I have a little money put back that I won’t have to use on a bus ticket. If I can’t find work here, then I’ll go to the next town and the next one until I do find something.”
“You can’t wander the country with a baby.”
She shot to her feet. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to take care of my child.”
Elam stared at her dumbfounded as she stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
A few minutes later, his mother came in the room and began picking up toys.
“It’s addressed to you. You should read it.” She lifted her chin, expecting the worst but praying for the best.
“All right.”
She struggled to maintain a brave front. He tore open the envelope and read the short note inside.
His expression hardened. He pressed his lips together.
“Well?” Katie asked.
He read aloud. “‘Dear Mr. Sutter, I am sorry to hear Katie has burdened your family with her presence. Please understand it is with a heavy heart that I tell you she is not welcome in our home.’”
Elam stopped reading to look at her. “Perhaps it would be better if you read the rest in private.”
She shook her head and clutched Rachel more tightly. “No, go on.”
Swallowing hard, Elam resumed reading. “‘I will not make arrangements for Katie to travel here. Beware of her serpent’s tongue. She has fooled us too often with her words of repentance uttered in falsehood. I pray God will take pity on her soul. She is no longer kin of mine. Your friend in Christ, Malachi Lantz.’”
Katie cringed as Elam lowered the letter. Though she had tried to prepare herself for Malachi’s response, it still hurt. She turned her face away as tears stung her eyes.
She was disgraced with nowhere to go. All her struggles to reach her family had been in vain.
Looking into Elam’s sympathetic eyes, she said, “I had hoped Malachi would take us in, but if he has publicly disowned me…he won’t. I did not believe he would do this.”
“Perhaps when he learns you have a child.”
She shook her head. “I don’t see how that will make him think better of me.”
“What about Matt’s family?”
“I never met any of them. I think Matt was too ashamed of me.”
“Ashamed or not, he has a duty to provide for his child.”
“I don’t know how to reach him or his family. Mrs. Zimmerman said they were out of the country.”
Katie looked up at Elam through her tears. “I truly had nowhere to go.”
Elam longed to gather her into his arms and comfort her, but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. How could a brother be so coldhearted? And Matt! To cast aside a woman and ignore his own child. What kind of man could do that? Elam wanted to shake them both.
Now was the time for her family to show Katie compassion, to welcome her back as the prodigal child and show her the true meaning of Christian forgiveness.
While he had no way of knowing what had transpired between the siblings before Katie left home, this didn’t seem right. Many young people made mistakes and fell away from the true path during their rumspringa, the “running around” time of adolescents, but it was unusual for a person to be disowned by their family because of such activity.
Elam stared at Katie, trying to see her as her brother saw her. Tears stained her cheeks. She couldn’t disguisethe hurt in her eyes. She was simply a young woman struggling to find her way in life.
“Is what your brother said true?”
“About my serpent’s tongue? Maybe it is. I was ready to pretend to be Amish again so that Rachel and I would have somewhere to live.”
“So you were going to lie to your brother when you faced him.”
“I don’t know what I would have done. I was so desperate.”
Would she have lied? Elam wanted to believe she would have found the strength to tell the truth. “What will you do now?”
“I’ll find work. I’ll take care of Rachel.”
“What if you can’t find work?”
She managed a crooked half smile. “I have a little money put back that I won’t have to use on a bus ticket. If I can’t find work here, then I’ll go to the next town and the next one until I do find something.”
“You can’t wander the country with a baby.”
She shot to her feet. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to take care of my child.”
Elam stared at her dumbfounded as she stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
A few minutes later, his mother came in the room and began picking up toys.
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