A Blessing for Miriam (26 page)

M
iriam climbed into Wayne’s buggy Sunday evening after the hymn singing. “
Gut
evening,” she greeted Wayne, giving his face a quick glance and a smile before she settled into the seat.

Wayne grinned. “I guess it’s legal to be seen with you again. I almost forgot there for a minute.”

“Oh, Wayne!” Miriam leaned against him. “It’s so
gut
to see you and sit next to you.”

Wayne’s smile was broad as he drove out of the driveway into the gathering dusk.

Out of habit, Miriam had almost gone to the barn after the singing ended to hitch Sally to the buggy. The separation from Wayne had seemed to last for months…but, thankfully, that was behind them now. She relived the joyful memory when the ban from each other was lifted.

Wayne had stopped by the house Friday after his work ended in the greenhouse, and they had spoken at length for the first time
in almost a month. She’d expected his arrival, and the knock on the front door that evening had sounded through the whole house.

“Go see who it is!” Aunt Fannie motioned toward the door with her hand.

Miriam set down the plates and forks. Her hands were trembling. Wayne was at the door. She knew it, and so did Aunt Fannie. Her aunt’s gentle smile was all the confirmation the young woman needed. She drew in a long breath as she opened the door to reveal the familiar form on the front steps.

“
Gut
evening!” Wayne’s smile was soft.

“
Gut
evening!” Miriam replied. She tried to quiet the beating of her heart. Other than smiles exchanged at the community meetings, she hadn’t stood this close to Wayne since the separation.

“I wanted to see you, and to speak with you.” Wayne’s smile broadened. “Your uncle told me…”

Miriam didn’t allow him to continue any further. She wrapped her arms around Wayne in a huge hug. They clung to each other for long minutes, until Wayne whispered into her ear. “This is kind of public, I think.”

Miriam had chuckled and let him go. Just like that their separation was over; they were together again.

The buggy wheels rattling beneath them brought Miriam back to the present.

Wayne glanced at her. “Are you cold?” he asked with concern.

“A little—but I’m warm on the inside. Oh, Wayne! We’re together again after those long weeks.”

Wayne wrapped his arm around Miriam’s shoulders for a quick squeeze. He let her go to pull a buggy blanket out from under the seat. He handed it to her.

Wayne was still a gentleman, of course. The thought brought a fresh smile to Miriam’s face. “So what were you doing with yourself during all that time?” she asked.

“Waiting till I could speak with you again.” Wayne’s arm crept around Miriam’s shoulders again. He pulled her tightly against his side. “I’m so sorry for my part in this, Miriam. I know Uncle William insisted that we spend the time apart, but that wouldn’t have been necessary if I’d…”

“Shhh…” Miriam silenced him. “We will speak no more about this. Couples quarrel—even married ones. But, please, I don’t want another fight like this for the rest of my life.”

Wayne laughed. “You’ll get no disagreement from me on that point.”

Miriam looked up into his face. “With this storm in the past, we should be ready to go on with life together. Have you been past the farm north of the community lately? The one we’re looking into buying?”

Wayne shook his head. “I haven’t thought of the farm, Miriam. I was too busy thinking of you. You’re such a dear. I can’t express my appreciation enough for how you’ve taken all of this.”

She hesitated for a moment. “I have my faults, you know. One of them is that I never told
Daett
and
Mamm
about the inherited money. They’ll have to be told sometime.”

“We’ll tell them together.” Wayne’s voice was resolute. “We’ll do everything together now, Miriam. And I’ll have nothing but the best words to speak to your
daett
if he questions your handling of the money.”

“Wayne,” Miriam sighed as she leaned against his shoulder again, “you have no idea what a great weight that takes off my mind. I should have told
Daett
from the beginning, but I couldn’t. He was always so focused on the evils of money. You’ve changed my life for the better. Why the Lord has sent me such a
wunderbah
man, I’ll never know.”

“I think you were sent to me, not the other way around,” Wayne teased. He changed the subject. “Are your parents coming to Oklahoma anytime soon?”

Miriam shrugged. “Not that I know of. Shirley has another operation soon.
Mamm
mentioned it in her last letter. It’s with a plastic surgeon. There’s been no crisis that would require a trip all the way out here. I guess that means you’ll be traveling with me to Possum Valley to meet them after school is out for the summer. They’ll be so happy to see you. I know they will.”

“I hope I pass their inspection.” Wayne hung onto the reins as they approached State Route 48. He pulled to a stop. “Did you tell them about our forced separation?”

Miriam shook her head.

“Thank you.” Wayne smiled down at her. “Even if you had, I could still sit in your halo when I’m around them. The light would drive away all my shortcomings.”

Miriam laughed, and Wayne laughed along with her.

When silence settled in the buggy, Wayne said, “I know you’re still worried about the money, but you shouldn’t. You ought to accept what the Lord has given you, Miriam. Look how well you’ve done with the money so far. You haven’t indulged yourself at all, like many people would have. I love you for that.”

Miriam bit her lip and pressed back the tears. “I’ve had plenty of fears about the money, you know that.”

“You have done well.” Wayne’s arm tightened around Miriam’s shoulders. “The Lord gave you the money, and that’s now part of your life story. Don’t run down the gift or think less of it. Maybe we can do something
wunderbah
with the gift, such as helping other people.”

Miriam studied his face. “I’ll be so glad when this is all over and we’re married. Then you’ll be responsible for the money. After we buy our farm, you can do what you want with the rest.”

Wayne fell silent for a few moments before he spoke again. “Thanks for the confidence, Miriam. Right now I’m focused on counting the days until our wedding day arrives.”

“Oh, Wayne,” she breathed. She steadied herself with one hand on the buggy door as Wayne drove the buggy into her driveway. “I do have to say this yet.
Daett
always taught us that money corrupts so we should stay away from it. I didn’t listen for a while, and then I was afraid of spending the money and falling into a trap set by the devil. That was what kept me out of trouble more than any virtue on my part.”

Wayne reached for Miriam’s hand as he pulled the buggy to a stop. “That’s all behind us now. We’ve weathered the worst of the storm. I’ll be by your side when you break the news to your parents. It’ll be okay, Miriam. You are a blessing to me and to so many in the community. You and I will pray that the Lord will guide our hands as we make decisions on what should be done with the money.”

Miriam gave Wayne a quick hug before she hopped down from the buggy and helped unhitch his horse. She waited while he put the horse in the barn and then returned. She smiled up at him and took his hand. Together they walked toward the house.

When they entered the living room, Miriam motioned for Wayne to seat himself on the couch. “I’ll make popcorn and squeeze some orange juice. You can wait here.”

A look of mock horror filled Wayne’s face. “After all these weeks apart you expect me to twiddle my thumbs in the living room while you work in the kitchen? I’ll squeeze the oranges, if nothing else.”

A warm glow filled Miriam. She’d hoped for such a reaction, but she still teased, “Think you know how to squeeze oranges?”

Wayne’s response was to jump up from the couch and rush toward her. Miriam allowed a delighted squeal to escape her lips as she ran into the kitchen. They were acting like teenagers, but it felt good. They needed relief from the tension of the separation.

Wayne collapsed in a kitchen chair as if exhausted. Miriam stifled a giggle and reached into the cupboard for the bag of oranges.

“There,” she said, plopping them down in front of him. “Let’s see what you can do. We only have a small hand press.”

“I’ll be looking at you,” he teased, “so what does it matter how hard I work?”

Miriam hid her blush with a quick turn of her back. She took her time searching through the drawer even though the hand press was in plain sight. Wayne wasn’t fooled. He had a big grin on his face when she turned back to him.

“What?” Miriam demanded.

“Nothing!” He chuckled. “I’d better get to work.”

“
Yah
, you should,” she chided. She glanced out of the kitchen window as lightning lit the southwestern sky. The strike was distant and filled only the horizon. She’d been too wrapped up with Wayne all evening to notice the weather. Would it storm tonight? On this, their first evening back together? She hoped not.

Wayne had followed her glance. “Awful stormy of late, it seems. Maybe it mirrors our lives right now.”

“I hope not,” Miriam protested. “Besides, in that case it should calm down now.”

Wayne chuckled. “I’m not superstitious in the least. Don’t get me wrong. This is normal for this season in Oklahoma. Spring weather can be quite unpredictable.”

“That’s what I’m learning,” Miriam allowed. “Aunt Fannie says the same thing.”

Wayne appeared pensive. “This year, though, our horses have taken to breaking out of their stalls when the evening storms come through. I don’t know what’s gotten into them. We couldn’t figure out for the longest time how they did it, but my sister, Joy, finally discovered the problem. One of the younger work mares lifted the stall latch with her nose and then let the others out. Now we have to tie her latch down unless we want horses dashing all over the barnyard in these lightning storms.”

“Smart horse.” Miriam grinned and shook the popcorn pan. “But, of course, she’s female so how can she help it?”

Wayne roared with laughter. “You are full of razor blades tonight!”

“I’m just happy,” Miriam said, sending him a gentle look. “Popcorn will be ready soon, so you’d better get busy.”

“You are the limit!” Wayne chided, but he vigorously set to work with the hand press. He had two glasses of orange juice finished when Miriam dumped the still-snapping popcorn into a large bowl. Together they grabbed some small bowls and carried the orange juice and popcorn into the living room.

Wayne settled onto the couch with a sigh. “Now this is living. Popcorn and orange juice on a Sunday evening—with you on the couch beside me.”

“You have your sights set quite low,” Miriam said as she sat close to him. Close enough to touch his arm lightly with her shoulder.

Wayne calmly filled his popcorn bowl, but his racing heart and flushed face revealed he was as overcome by the moment as she was. “Penny for your thoughts,” he teased.

Miriam felt a deep blush spread over her face. “I will not speak my thoughts right now!” she declared.

Wayne laughed heartily. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You may,” Miriam assured him. “But I’m still not talking.”

“The sound of your voice saying anything is sweet enough for me.” Wayne took a long sip of orange juice before he glanced at her with a twinkle in his eye. “And I’m having a little gift prepared for you, after our separation.”

Miriam giggled. “Stop now, Wayne. It’s enough teasing for this evening. You are enough of a gift. Now, let me gather my wits around myself. You have me at a disadvantage.”

Wayne’s pleased look showed plainly that he had no regrets over the situation. Miriam kept her gaze on the front door until the beat
of her heart slowed down. Thankfully Wayne changed the conversation, and she listened as he told a story of chasing horses all over the barnyard in the middle of the last storm. “We could leave them outside, I suppose,” Wayne concluded. “But
Daett
doesn’t think horses do well getting soaked in storms, and I agree. Hopefully Joy’s discovery will solve the problem, and we’ll have no more breakouts from here on out.
Mamm
and
Daett
are leaving for a trip soon to Possum Hollow, and we can use peace around the place.”

“
Daett
would agree with you,” Miriam said once Wayne lapsed into silence. Wayne’s thoughts were obviously elsewhere, as were hers. This conversation had never been about horses or storms. They spoke to enjoy each other’s company, and silence would do just as well now that things had relaxed between them. Miriam reached for Wayne’s left hand, and they finished their bowls of popcorn with their fingers intertwined.

Chapter Twenty-Eight