voiced the question whose answer she dreaded. “How soon will you go to New York?”
“Not before your mother’s surgery,” he said. “I won’t leave until you know the outcome.”
“Thanks, Brandon—that’s kind of you.”
“Will you go to the hospital with your mother?” he asked.
“All of us are going. Well, most of us.” She explained that her grandparents would stay behind. “Maybe they can watch Mattie Sue that day.”
“How will everyone get there?”
“Dad’s already lined up a good-sized van. Maybe we’ll need another one, if the bishop comes along . . . and he just might.”
Brandon nodded. “I suppose I’d want to have a man like Aaron around if someone was operating on my back.”
She stared at him, surprised at his remark.
“I’d like to go with you to the hospital,” he said suddenly.
“Oh, Brandon . . . honestly?” She lost it then, letting the tears flow.
“Yeah, I’d like to cheer your mom on somehow . . . I guess being there is the best I can do.”
She nodded silently, unable to speak.
“You all right?”
Hen squeezed his hand and tried not to sniffle.
“From what your mother’s told me, this surgery is very serious. There’s a tremendous amount of risk involved.”
“Jah,” Hen managed to say. She gathered herself and blew her nose. “I never thought I’d—”
“Shh,” he said. “You don’t have to say it.” He reached for his coffee cup.
“I wouldn’t have asked you to go along, Brandon.”
He sipped his coffee, then stopped and blinked his eyes repeatedly.
“Are you seeing something?”
“For a second, there were some streaks of light.”
“And now?”
“Gone again.”
Hen felt sure Brandon’s sight would come back if he rested consistently. “Why not lie down now and relax for a while?”
He agreed. “After that, I’d like to go over and visit your mother if she’s up.”
“I’m sure she’d enjoy that.”
He nodded. “So would I.”
Hen waited to clear the table until he’d finished his coffee. Meanwhile, she thanked the Lord for the fleeting light Brandon had just experienced. May he also cling to the light of your truth in due time, she prayed .
Rose was on her way to the house from the barn when she looked up to see her grandfather turn into the driveway with the team. He waved to her slowly and called her name. “Rosie-girl, won’t ya come help me unhitch George?” She picked up her skirt and hurried over, always glad to lend a hand.
“Mighty nice of you,” he said, getting out of the carriage with a long groan. “Ach, the ol’ bones are creakin’ more than usual. Cold sure has gotten the best of me.”
“Where’ve you been, Dawdi?”
“Heard from Gilbert that Jeb’s been under the weather lately. So I went over to have a look-see.”
“Oh?” She wondered if Mr. Browning and Jeb had become friends. The elderly man in the ravine could certainly use a good one.
“Your grandmother cooked up a hot dish of chicken and homemade noodles.”
“Bet he was glad to see you comin’!”
Dawdi Jeremiah chuckled. “Was he ever.”
They brought the driving lines forward out of the buggy, then hung them on the ring in the middle of the harness. “Sure do think the People may have misjudged him all these years,” Dawdi said, unhooking the back hold strap on his side.
“Why’s that?”
“Even though he was feelin’ poorly, Jeb was mighty sharp today . . . has been every time I’ve talked to him recently.”
Rose pondered that. Most folk, her father included, spoke of the elderly Englischer as being a bit soft in the head, though they never said so unkindly. It was merely a matter of fact. “Well, that’s interesting.”
Together, one on each side, they unfastened the tugs and inserted them into the harness around the back. Then, holding the shafts, they led the horse out.
“The man’s mighty frail, for certain. But he ain’t feeble-minded like some think,” Dawdi said, guiding
“Not before your mother’s surgery,” he said. “I won’t leave until you know the outcome.”
“Thanks, Brandon—that’s kind of you.”
“Will you go to the hospital with your mother?” he asked.
“All of us are going. Well, most of us.” She explained that her grandparents would stay behind. “Maybe they can watch Mattie Sue that day.”
“How will everyone get there?”
“Dad’s already lined up a good-sized van. Maybe we’ll need another one, if the bishop comes along . . . and he just might.”
Brandon nodded. “I suppose I’d want to have a man like Aaron around if someone was operating on my back.”
She stared at him, surprised at his remark.
“I’d like to go with you to the hospital,” he said suddenly.
“Oh, Brandon . . . honestly?” She lost it then, letting the tears flow.
“Yeah, I’d like to cheer your mom on somehow . . . I guess being there is the best I can do.”
She nodded silently, unable to speak.
“You all right?”
Hen squeezed his hand and tried not to sniffle.
“From what your mother’s told me, this surgery is very serious. There’s a tremendous amount of risk involved.”
“Jah,” Hen managed to say. She gathered herself and blew her nose. “I never thought I’d—”
“Shh,” he said. “You don’t have to say it.” He reached for his coffee cup.
“I wouldn’t have asked you to go along, Brandon.”
He sipped his coffee, then stopped and blinked his eyes repeatedly.
“Are you seeing something?”
“For a second, there were some streaks of light.”
“And now?”
“Gone again.”
Hen felt sure Brandon’s sight would come back if he rested consistently. “Why not lie down now and relax for a while?”
He agreed. “After that, I’d like to go over and visit your mother if she’s up.”
“I’m sure she’d enjoy that.”
He nodded. “So would I.”
Hen waited to clear the table until he’d finished his coffee. Meanwhile, she thanked the Lord for the fleeting light Brandon had just experienced. May he also cling to the light of your truth in due time, she prayed .
Rose was on her way to the house from the barn when she looked up to see her grandfather turn into the driveway with the team. He waved to her slowly and called her name. “Rosie-girl, won’t ya come help me unhitch George?” She picked up her skirt and hurried over, always glad to lend a hand.
“Mighty nice of you,” he said, getting out of the carriage with a long groan. “Ach, the ol’ bones are creakin’ more than usual. Cold sure has gotten the best of me.”
“Where’ve you been, Dawdi?”
“Heard from Gilbert that Jeb’s been under the weather lately. So I went over to have a look-see.”
“Oh?” She wondered if Mr. Browning and Jeb had become friends. The elderly man in the ravine could certainly use a good one.
“Your grandmother cooked up a hot dish of chicken and homemade noodles.”
“Bet he was glad to see you comin’!”
Dawdi Jeremiah chuckled. “Was he ever.”
They brought the driving lines forward out of the buggy, then hung them on the ring in the middle of the harness. “Sure do think the People may have misjudged him all these years,” Dawdi said, unhooking the back hold strap on his side.
“Why’s that?”
“Even though he was feelin’ poorly, Jeb was mighty sharp today . . . has been every time I’ve talked to him recently.”
Rose pondered that. Most folk, her father included, spoke of the elderly Englischer as being a bit soft in the head, though they never said so unkindly. It was merely a matter of fact. “Well, that’s interesting.”
Together, one on each side, they unfastened the tugs and inserted them into the harness around the back. Then, holding the shafts, they led the horse out.
“The man’s mighty frail, for certain. But he ain’t feeble-minded like some think,” Dawdi said, guiding
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