Second Chances (27 page)

“I knew this would happen,” Salome wept, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
“How will I survive with her living so far away? And among strangers! What do we
know of this man? Of his family?” Another sob escaped her throat. “I never should
have permitted that trip to Lancaster!”

The color drained from Anna's face as she sat beside the distraught mother, fighting
her own urge to cry.

It is done
, she told herself. The decision from eight years ago, the one that she
regretted on a daily basis, was now complete. While there had been room for speculation
as to where Freman lived or whether he had married, she realized that she had still
held out a whisper of hope that,
mayhaps
, circumstances would change and she would
have a second chance.

Now, with the announcement of Leah's wedding, that second chance had instantly vanished
. . . both in reality and fantasy.

“
Maem
,” Hannah soothed, despite her own tears. She sat on the arm of the sofa and
rubbed her mother's back. “You should be happy for Leah.”

Salome clutched the letter to her chest. “Oh, I am,” she said through tears. “She's
a deserving girl. I just wish she didn't have to move.”

Ignoring the bad feelings in the pit of her stomach, Anna tried to focus on Salome's
words as she rambled on. Apparently Mary and Cris would return without Leah, a surprising
but welcomed change of plans. Anna didn't ask what the reasons were for Leah to remain
in Lancaster; she could only imagine that Freman wanted to spend some more time with
his fiancée before they returned to Sugarcreek. Under the supervision of Jonas and
Rebecca, they could make their future plans without facing any gossip from the
g
'
may
.
Once they returned to Leola, they would only get to see each other during brief visits
and on private buggy rides until they married.

Fiancée.
The word made Anna stop breathing, just for a moment. How was this possible,
she wondered? How had life played such an ironic trick on her? She lifted her hand
and pressed it against her chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly against her palm.
It beat for Freman and would never beat for another. What she had been to Freman,
regardless of how briefly, was now reserved for Leah.

From outside Anna heard a shriek which was followed by the sound of a child crying.

“Oh, help!” She stood up and excused herself, not waiting for a response as she ran
from the house in order to check on Walter. Thankfully she could tell that his cries
were not those of pain or injury. Nonetheless, she hurried anyway, grateful for the
excuse to remove herself
from the inevitable discussion that would ensue between
Salome and Hannah about planning for the wedding. The announcement would certainly
take place at church after Communion Sunday, and within two weeks, on a Tuesday or
Thursday, the wedding would come to pass, most likely at the Mussers' house.

After the wedding was announced, it would be a busy two weeks, indeed. The house
would need a thorough cleaning with all furniture removed, walls scrubbed, and windows
washed. Food would need to be planned and prepared, all of the women in the
g
'
may
contributing to help feed the guests, who most likely would number at three hundred
or more. The daylong event would start with a worship service, just like a Sunday.
Toward the end of the service, the bishop would stand before the members and beckon
for both Leah and Freman to join him.

The vows would be exchanged and they would be wed. No rings. No kisses. Not even
handholding. It would be a simple affair, but a binding one.
Till death do us part
was one of the strongest commitments an Amish person could make, second only to committing
to a plain life according to the
Ordnung
of their religion.

Just thinking about what would need to be done exhausted Anna. At least, she thought
as she entered the barn, the housecleaning chores would keep her mind preoccupied
until the day when she would have to watch Freman wed another.

“Walter? Cris? Where are you two hiding?”

She climbed the ladder to the hayloft and scanned the stacks of hay bales, immediately
seeing a few that had toppled over, most likely upon the boys. She hurried over
and lifted the bales, restocking them neatly on the side. When
she saw Walter and
Cris sprawled on the hay underneath, she smiled and pulled Walter into her arms while
Cris stood and brushed himself off.

“Are you hurt, then?”

Walter shook his head and wiped at his tears. “
Nee
,
aendi
.”

“Just scared?” She tried not to laugh as she plucked hay from his hair and shirt.
“You look like a scarecrow!”

That made him giggle and she hugged him once again.

“Come, boys,” she said, standing up and reaching for their hands. “Let's go make
some cookies. I reckon that will make us feel better,
ja
?”

Walter stared at her, an apprehensive look in eyes that were still wet from crying.
“Chocolate chip?”

This time, she laughed out loud. “
Ja
,
ja
! Chocolate chip it is.”

They climbed down the ladder and, hand in hand, walked through the rest of the barn
to head toward the house.

Overhead, a flock of geese flew in a perfect V, heading south for the winter. They
honked as they passed over the Mussers' farm, and Anna stopped the boys to watch
them. Then, silently, they continued toward the house, a new sense of peace and acceptance
falling over Anna. God had plans for her, and
mayhaps
these plans neither included
marriage nor having her own
bopplies
. But, rather than feeling disappointed, she
said a silent prayer thanking Him for all of the blessings that He gave her. She
felt a sense of relief that immediately made her feel better about Leah and Freman.

Later that evening, she managed to take a walk down the lane and onto the road. Salome
and Hannah had
stopped in, offering to watch the two boys and ready them for bed.
Thankful for the break, Anna accepted their invitation. She escaped outside for
some fresh air and time to reflect. While she walked, she prayed to God, thanking
Him for lifting the veil from her eyes and allowing her to feel better. If nothing
else, Leah's announcement gave her the closure that she so desperately needed: the
emotional roller coaster that she had been riding since Freman's reappearance in
Sugarcreek was over, at last.

The sound of an approaching horse and buggy interrupted her thoughts and she stepped
off the road so that it could safely pass. Instead, she heard the beat of the hooves
and gentle hum of the wheels slow down until, eventually, the buggy stopped by her
side.

“What a pleasant surprise!”

Anna smiled at Willis, a slight flush covering her cheeks at his overly cheerful
greeting.

“Out for a walk then?” he asked, although the answer was obvious.

She nodded. “A few moments of peace after watching my nephews all day.”

“I heard,” he said. When he saw her puzzled expression, he quickly explained. “I
had promised to stop into the Mussers' house. I saw Salome and her daughter. They
told me you were walking.”

Anna wondered why he stopped at the Mussers' house and, even more curious, why he
would inquire after her at all. They had just met the other day at the store, and
being cousins of a more distant nature, there was little reason to develop a friendship.
She didn't voice this question, however, not wanting to be construed as prying.

“Here! Let me give you a ride, Anna,” he said, dropping the reins and jumping down
from the open buggy door. Before she could decline, he reached for her hand and led
her to the buggy step. Unless she made a scene, one that would certainly embarrass
him as well as her, she had no choice but to lift her foot and climb into the buggy.

The buggy jiggled as the horse began trotting again, carrying them farther away from
the Mussers' farm. She knew that she had to return soon in order to relieve Salome
and Hannah. After all, once it was nightfall, Hannah would most likely meet up with
Caleb. Almost every night at eight o'clock, Anna heard a buggy roll down the lane
toward the other house. Moments later, it would leave again. Because Anna sat by
the window, reading her daily devotional or the Bible, she couldn't help but notice
Caleb driving with a passenger to his left as he departed the Mussers' farm. Anna
had no doubt that he had come calling on Hannah. With Leah's impending marriage and
Caleb's intentions more than clear, Anna did not doubt that a double wedding might
be in the plans.

“I stopped by your
daed
's farm today,” he said as a way to break into conversation
with her. “What a charming property!”

She glanced at him, wondering how she should respond. Again, she chose to not say
anything, since her first thought was wondering why he would stop there at all. Obviously
he knew that her father was in Pinecraft, Florida, and the house had been let out
to another. However, since she had always been taught inquisitiveness was a sign
of not minding one's business, she remained silent.

“Such a shame that it's not larger,” he added, more to himself than to her. “Another
twenty acres and a man could make a right
gut
living there.”

“I imagine my
daed
did all right,” she finally said, feeling slightly defensive for
her father. Despite his flaws, she knew that he was a good man who had worked hard
to provide for his daughters. While his erratic spending habits raised eyebrows,
that didn't take away the good qualities that he had demonstrated.

“
Ja vell
, he supplemented with selling those minerals, ain't so?” He held the horse's
reins with one hand and leaned back against the green velvet seat.

Anna nodded. She had never taken much interest in her
daed
's mineral business. She
knew that he had regular customers and that paid the bulk of the bills. Of course,
he mostly saved money, but only because his wife was much more frugal than he. Since
the house was paid for and there were few expenses, the bank account had grown until
she became ill. After paying medical bills, what was left began to dwindle away under
William's management, or lack thereof.

Anna knew that Willis was more than aware of the circumstances. She wondered why
he would bring up such an unpleasant memory. After all, it was after their mother
died that William began suggesting that Elizabeth would marry Willis. When the opportunity
came for a family reunion, he was most insistent in insuring that Elizabeth spent
time with Willis, hoping that such a match would salvage his financial situation.
After all, Willis's family owned a larger farm only five miles away. Since he had
numerous brothers, Willis would need to acquire his own home when he married.

And so, at first, it had seemed as if William's scheme would work. Several nights
after the reunion, Elizabeth disappeared after supper. Anna suspected that she went
riding with Willis, a theory that was proven true when Elizabeth confided in her
that she would soon wed Willis Eicher.

Anna hadn't paid much attention to Willis at the reunion, choosing to spend her time
with a group of younger women who sat on folding chairs near the older ones, just
in case their help was needed. With over two hundred people at the gathering, it
had been easy to miss meeting her distant cousin. But she had certainly heard enough
spoken about him, especially when he married another woman without any regard for
Elizabeth's feelings or the family's expectations.

Now, as Anna rode next to him, she wondered about why he had misled Elizabeth in
the first place. Even more concerning was why, after seven years, he suddenly reappeared
and seemed intent on making amends with the family. Had years of remorse and guilt
finally gotten to his conscience? Or had he simply matured and realized the mistake
that he had made?

“Do you farm, then?” she finally asked, feeling compelled to break the silence.

He nodded. “I did,
ja
, with my
daed
.”

She tilted her head. “But you were . . . ”

When she didn't complete the sentence, he finished it for her, “Married.
Ja
, I was.
At the time, we lived at her
daed
's for a few years. When she went home to Jesus,
I stayed with her parents for a short while then went to visit my parents in Pinecraft.”
He paused. “Now I'm pondering
my future. Even the best laid plans can change so quickly,
I reckon.”

“I'm terribly sorry for your loss,” Anna said in response. “How very tragic!”

Willis nodded, remaining silent for a long moment. While Anna didn't know the circumstances
surrounding his wife's death, she felt certain that he had suffered at the loss.
If they had invested heavily in trying natural cures, traveling to Mexico as Salome
had heard, they must have fought hard to win the battle of her illness. Like most
Amish people, however, he did not speak about the emotions regarding his loss. And
Anna knew only too well the pain of death to someone far too young. Still, she also
knew that losing a parent must feel different than losing a fiancée or a wife. It
was expected for a parent to precede their children to heaven, even if that parent
died at a young age. God called His people home when He wanted them to come, not
necessarily when they wanted to go. It dawned on her that both Benjamin and Willis
had suffered very similar losses, yet the former still visibly grieved while the
latter seemed ready to move on.

Willis directed the horse and buggy to trot down another side road that Anna knew
looped back toward the Mussers' home. As they approached the farm, he seemed to deliberately
slow down the horse and glanced at her as he spoke. “Sunday worship is at the Troyers,
ja
?”