Abram's Daughters 01 The Covenant (10 page)

My dear friend Leah,

Greetings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus.

I happened to hear that you are under the weather, suffering an injured ankle. M;y sister Adah promised she'd deliver this letter to you in person, and 1 hope you will accept this heartfelt gesture as one of great concern and friendship. Please take care to stay off your bad foot and know that our family's prayers follow you daily.

Very soon, you will be up and around, going to the Sunday night singings you, Adah, and I will be. Mend your foot quickly.

Da Herr sei mit du May the Lord be with you.

Most sincerely, Gideon Peachey

She was touched momentarily by the tender tone of the letter, but she knew she ought not to reveal this to Adah. No, she knew she must be very careful not to lead Adah to think her brother had a courting chance. "Denki," she said softly. "Tell Gid the letter was right thoughtful of him."97e C^ o ij e n a n I

Adah's face shone with delight. "Jah, I'll be sure 'n' tell him."

Her heart sank just a bit seeing the look of near glee on Adah's face. So then, no matter what nice thing she might've Niiiil about Gid's note, his sister would have probably misunderstood, so hopeful Adah was. Ach, Leah felt she couldn't win for losing.

The afternoon could've easily been mistaken for early i-veiling, so gray it was outside, with drenching rain coming lown like Noah's flood. Not even the hearty fork-tailed mari ins who resided in the four-sided birdhouse next to the barn attempted to take flight this day. They preened their white lorso feathers, waiting not so patiently for the sun to shineiigain.

Leah sat in the front room, her foot still propped up with i old packs, listening to the boisterous music of the rain on I he roof. She didn't mind being alone, sitting there embroidering yellow and lavender pansies on a new pillowcase. Actually, she was beginning to enjoy the domestic "indoor" work of womenfolk and wondered what Dat might think if she joined ranks with Mamma, Sadie, and the twins. She knew she'd miss the infrequent yet meaningful chats with her father, would miss them terribly. Still, she couldn't help but (eel she'd purposely been kept away from her mother and sisi ers all these years. Besides being the "sturdy girl" of the family, she didn't know, nor did she care to speculate, on the reasoning behind Dat's initial plan to keep her busy

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outdoors . . . except for the farm permit, so she wouldn't fall prey to higher education, as Sadie had.

Just as soon as her ankle was strong again, she'd be right back outside helping in the chicken house and elsewhere. Meanwhile, she found she rather liked the glide of the needle and thread weaving a path through the fabric. She hoped she might have more opportunities to sew and quilt, though not with a bum foot for company.

Aunt Lizzie surprised her by coming for another visit the next day. Leah was pleased, hoping for some quiet time with her favorite aunt. With eight years between Lizzie and Mamma, Leah had often marveled that the two seemed closer than Mamma and her other siblings, though some were only a couple of years or so younger or older. Goodness, how the two of them loved to joke and laugh together while out gardening in either Mamma's or Lizzie's vegetable patches!

There had also been a few times when Leah, as a young girl, had happened upon them and they'd startled her a bit by ceasing their talk when they saw her- embarrassed her, really acting as if they were still youngsters themselves . . . secretive little sisters playing house. Made her wonder, though she had no idea, really, just what they were whispering. Probably nothing at all about her. Yet such things had been going on for years, for as long as Leah could remember.

"Didja have a very long rumschpringe?" she asked when Lizzie and she were alone in the front room at last.

"Well, I wouldn't say long really." Her aunt offered her a

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plump strawberry from the bowl she held. "I can tell ya one thing . . . I'm not proud of those years. Not a bit."

"Oh? Didja tempt the devil?" The words flew out before she thought to stop them. "Like some young people do, I mean."

Aunt Lizzie sighed loudly and turned her face toward the window. The rain was still coming down hard, hammering against the roof. "I wish I could say I led a godly life during that time. Truth is, I went the way of the world for too long. I should've put my trust in the Lord instead of..." She stopped then, looking at Leah. "You're comin' into that time of your life, too, honey-girl."

Leah was surprised to hear her aunt use the nickname. How long had it been since Lizzie had called her that? She sighed. "Well, I don't want to make the mistakes many young folk do," she told her aunt.

" 'Tis a gut thing to wholly follow the Lord no matter what age you are. My prayer for you is that one of our own boys will court you when it's God's will."

One of our o^m . . . The way Lizzie said it had Leah thinking, wondering if Lizzie knew something about Sadie. But no, how could she? As for the Lord God having anything to do with her courting days, well, she wondered if Aunt Lizzie had forgotten about Dat's plans that Smithy Gid would be asking for Leah's hand in marriage sooner or later. How could the Lord God heavenly Father have any say in that?

She felt she had to ask, wanted to know more. "Did you fall in love with a Plain boy back then?"

A faraway look found its way into Lizzie's big eyes again. "Oh, there were plenty of church boys in my day, jah, there

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were. One was 'specially fond of me, but he ended up marryin' someone else when all was said and done. Can't blame him, really. En schmaerder Buhl a smart fellow he was."

"To miss out on marryin' you, Aunt Lizzie? Why, how on earth could that be? I say he was dumm stupid if you ask me."

"No . . . no, I dawdled, sad to say. Fooled round too long. He had every right not to waij: for me."

Leah wasn't so curious about the boy as she was annoyed that her aunt thought so little of herself. "I think you're ever so perty, Auntie," she said suddenly. "Honest, I do."

Eyes alight, Lizzie touched her hand. "Keep as sweet as you are now, Leah, will ya?"

She wanted to say right out that she'd never think of hurting Mamma and Dat nor Aunt Lizzie either the way Sadie was bound to if she kept on rubbing shoulders with the world. But she said none of what she was thinking, only reached over and covered Aunt Lizzie's hand with her own, nodding her head, holding back tears that threatened to choke her.

When the day was through, long after Aunt Lizzie had gone back up the hill to her own little house, Leah lay on her bed in the darkness. Positioning her still-painful ankle just so beneath the cotton sheet, she thought of her newfound joy needlework and mending with her sisters and Mamma. Of course, she didn't dare tell Dat she thought she might prefer to work inside, where she rightfully belonged. No, she wouldn't just come right out and say something like that to him. She'd have to bide her time . . . wait for the right moment, then feel her way through, just the way she carefully

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Withered eggs of a morning, so the fragile shells wouldn't shatter in her gentle hands.

Leah sat out in the potting shed, glad the afternoon shower had held off till just a few minutes ago. After returning home from school, Hannah and Mary Ruth had helped her hobble out to help Mamma redd up the place a bit before it rained.

"This place has never been so filthy," Mamma said, using a dustpan and brush to clean off the counter that lined one complete wall. Several antique birdhouses sat there, waiting for spring. A collection of tools hand rakes, gardener's trowels, hoes, and suchlike and a bag of fertilizer were arranged neatly at the far end, along with the family croquet set and a box of quoits on the highest shelf. And the shared work apron, hanging on a hook.

"I'll wash the inside of the windows," she volunteered, happy to be of"help. Today had been her first day outdoors in nearly two weeks. She'd gathered eggs in the chicken house and later scattered feed to a crowd of clucking hens and one rooster, who, come to think of it, had treated her like a stranger. She'd never considered her interaction with the chickens before and burst out laughing as she sat washing the dusty streaks off the shed window.

"Well, what's so funny?" Mamma asked.

Just now, looking at her mother, Leah noticed yet again that gleam of contentment. Mamma was always lovely to look at.

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She began telling how the hens especially had behaved oddly, backing away from her as if they didn't know her.

"Hens are temperamental, that's all. Don't make anything of it, dear."

"It's funny, ain't so?"

Mamma seemed to agree, her blue eyes twinkling as she smiled. "They ate the feed, though, didn't they?"

That brought another round of laughter. "Jah, they did."

Still smiling, Leah was happy to share the amusement of the moment. Seemed to her that she and Mamma had made some special connection in the last couple of weeks. "Mamma, what would you think if I told Dat I want to sew and cook and clean, like you and Sadie do?" she asked.

An unexpected burst of sunlight streamed in through the newly washed window, merging with the dust Mamma was sweeping up. "Sounds like you've been thinking hard 'bout this."

"I have" was all she said, and she found herself nearly holding her breath, waiting to see what Mamma's answer might be.

"Jah, I think it's time you learned the womanly skills. It's all right with me."

She felt more than relieved with Mamma's response. After all, wouldn't be too many more years and she'd be married, keeping house for her husband, sewing clothes for her children. It was high time she caught up on her hope chest, which was fairly empty at the moment, except for the few quilts and linens Mamma, Aunt Lizzie, and several other relatives had given as gifts over the years.

"Wouldja like me to talk to your father?" asked Mamma.

Leah felt she wanted to do it herself. "Denki . . . but no.

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Best for me to see how Dat takes to the notion. All right?"

Mamma shrugged her shoulders, going back to her sweeping. Leah felt some of the burden lift. Jah, in a few more days she'd get up the nerve to talk things over with Dat.

*

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|l_/eah's ankle had improved so much by now she was able to

jjwnsh down the walls and floor of the milk house. She had to

|be mindful about where to place each step, hesitant to ask for

Ihelp from the twins anymore, though her family was more

fthan willing to rush to her beck and call. Stopping only to

(batch her breath, she gingerly climbed up the ladder to go sit

piigh in the haymow. There she coaxed a golden kitten out of

[hiding and was stroking its soft fur, rubbing her hand gently

[down its back, when Dat opened the upstairs door and stood

[there with a serious look on his sweaty face. "Hullo, Leah,"

ihc said.

| "Mind if we talk, Dat?"

I He came and crouched in the hay, eyeing the kitten in

I her lap. Then slowly he removed his straw hat and wiped his

i forehead with the back of his arm. "Glad to have you back,

[Leah. Missed ya."

| "Me too. I was just thinking . . ."

I "I was hopin', now that your ankle's all healed up, that I

I could still count on you."

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She waited patiently for him to go on, wondering now if Mamma had said something, even though Leah had made it clear she wanted to be the one to break the news to her dear father.

His eyes were flat, his ruddy face deadpan. "Truth is, Leah, as much as you want to help your mamma and sisters, that's how much I need your help out here in the barn ... in the yard, and with the harvest."

Am I stuck doing men's work forever? she wondered, though she didn't dare speak up.

"If I thought you were going to marry in, say, a year or two, well then, I might think otherwise," Dat explained.

She was ever so glad he hadn't put Gid's name in the middle of things. "I don't even have my hope chest filled yet." The kitten's purr turned to a soft rumble in her lap. "What sort of wife would 1 be with no table linens or bed quilts? How could I keep a husband happy with no cookin' skills, not knowing how to make chowchow, put up green beans, or make grape jelly?"

"This you've been thinkin' through, jah?" A hint of a chuckle wrapped round Dat's words.

"Just since I hurt my ankle. Before then I was downright ignorant to what I was missing in the house." She filled her lungs for courage, smelling the sweet hay and the hot lather of the animals in the stalls below. "Now that I know how to stitch and mend, make Chilly Day stew, and bake date-andnut bread all the things Mamma enjoys well, I'd like to have a chance to practice ... be as skilled at keepin' house as every other girl in Gobbler's Knob."

Dat's jaw twitched a bit, but he looked straight at her, his honest eyes filled with understanding. "Are ya tellin' me that

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you're ready to be a daughter, too, 'stead of just a son?" A

; I winkle appeared in his eye. "Aw, Dat . . . I "

: "What do ya say we make ourselves a deal?" He was more

i serious again.

i She was all ears. After all these years, what would he tell her?

"What if you do the milkin' twice each day, gather the eggs, and if Dawdi Brenneman comes to live with us and he needs help feeding and waterin' the barn animals well, you

. could do that, too?"

Ach, she could think of a gut many things he'd failed to mention. Things like mowing and fertilizing the front, side, and back yards, shoveling manure out of the barn, washing the milking equipment, and much more. Did he mean to tell her that Dawdi might be up to doing all of that? Sure, what Hat had suggested was a place to start, so she spouted off what she thought he was getting to really. "Then, I 'spose the rest of the day I can work helpin' Mamma?"

Dat smiled weakly, nodding his head one slow time. He lifted his hat to his oily head and stood up, still looking her full in the face.