The Decision (5 page)

Jonah smiled as the gardens came into view. Each of the rock formations was truly unique. This was a place where families could come to relax and find inspiration. He’d hoped to bring Elaine here, maybe sometime this summer, because she liked the gardens, too.

As he neared Rockome Garden Foods, Jonah caught his breath. An Amish buggy was flipped over on its side, and the car that had hit the buggy was parked nearby. His heart pounded. A group of people had gathered around, and one of them was Elaine, who was crouched on the ground next to Priscilla. His nerves calmed, seeing that Elaine and her friend seemed to be okay. But someone was injured, and he wondered who it was they were assisting.

Jonah halted Sassy and leaped from the buggy, but his hands didn’t want to cooperate as he secured the horse’s reins. He’d seen one too many buggy accidents. Some were minor, while others involved fatalities. Once he’d managed to tie Sassy to the hitching rack, Jonah sprinted to the scene of the accident, where he discovered Sara Stutzman’s mother-in-law, Betty, lying on the ground in front of Elaine and Priscilla. She was conscious but gritting her teeth.

“What happened? Is she seriously injured?” Jonah asked, kneeling beside Elaine.

“We’re not sure how it happened, but Betty’s buggy was hit.” Elaine motioned to the car, then back to Betty. “Her leg appears to be broken, and she could have some internal injuries, but we won’t know for sure until she’s been seen by a doctor.”

“Did someone call for help?” Jonah questioned.

“Jah. The paramedics should be here soon,” Priscilla interjected.

“I’ll check around the scene and make sure all of Betty’s things are picked up and taken back to her place.” Jonah stood and looked toward the road. “What happened to Betty’s horse? I don’t see it anywhere.”

“We don’t know yet if her horse was injured, but a passerby stopped and said he saw the mare running into a field down the road,” Elaine replied. “The man offered to go after the horse, and hopefully he’ll be able to bring her back without a problem.”

“Looks like that might be him coming now.” Jonah pointed. “At the pace they’re moving, it doesn’t look like the horse is seriously injured.”

“That’s a relief.” Priscilla looked toward the stranger leading Betty’s horse.

“Betty’s family needs to be notified,” Elaine said. “We could call and leave a message, but they might not check the answering machine in the phone shanty for several hours.”

“You’re right,” Jonah agreed. “I’ll drive over to the Stutzmans’ right now and let them know about Betty. I’ll tie the mare to the back of my buggy and take her with me.”

Arthur

“Wie geht’s?” Leah called when she rode her bicycle into the Schrocks’ yard and saw Edna hanging laundry on the line.

“I’m keeping busy,” Edna replied. “That’s the best cure for depression, I’m told.”

Leah wondered who had given Edna that advice, but she didn’t ask. Instead, after parking her bike, she said, “Would you like some help with those wet clothes?”

Edna shook her head. “I can manage. Besides, I’m almost done. It’s nice to have your company, though.”

Edna is so independent
, Leah thought.
It’s no wonder Elaine is like that. She probably learned from her grandma’s example
.

“Where’s your granddaughter? Is she busy inside?” Leah asked, clasping her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t be tempted to grab a few towels and hang them on the line.

“Oh, Nancy went shopping today. We need a few things for the dinner we’ll be hosting this Friday.”

Leah tipped her head. “Nancy? Did you say Nancy went shopping?”

Edna’s face reddened. “I—I meant Elaine. Guess I must have been thinking about my son’s wife, Nancy. Even after all these years, I still miss her and Milton. Elaine lost out on so much, growing up without her parents.” She sighed deeply and pushed an errant strand of silver-gray hair back under her covering. “There are times when Elaine reminds me of her mother, and during her childhood, I slipped a time or two and called her Nancy. I haven’t done it much lately, though.” Edna readjusted the loosened clothespin that held up one side of an oversized bath towel.

Leah slipped her arm around Edna’s waist. “Elaine was fortunate to have you and Lloyd, and I’m sure she knows it.”

Edna nodded. “It’s been a blessing to raise our only grandchild. I pray every day that Elaine will find the same happiness with Jonah that I had with my dear husband.”

Leah’s mouth opened slightly. “Has Jonah asked Elaine to marry him?”

“Well, no, not yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.” Edna reached into the basket and clipped another towel to the line. “It’s obvious that they’re very much in love. I can see it every time they look at each other.”

“I’ve noticed that, too. And they seem to have a lot in common,” Leah agreed. “They both enjoy flowers, and Jonah admires the unusual rocks Elaine has found and painted, like that one she made to look like a bear. I think he mentioned to Elaine that he plans to take her to Rockome Gardens sometime. They sure have a lot of rocks to look at.”

“Jah.” Edna gestured to the now-empty laundry basket. “Since that chore is done and I’m feeling the need for a little break, should we go up to the house and have a cup of coffee?”

“None for me, thanks,” Leah said. “It’s never been my cup of tea.” She snickered. “You may remember how I used to invite Priscilla and Elaine over to my house for tea parties when we were girls.”

Edna smiled. “Oh, that’s right. Instead of coffee, let’s share a pot of tea while we wait for Elaine to come home.”

Leah smiled. “That sounds nice.”

“We can have some of that moist and delicious banana bread someone gave us the other day, too,” Edna said as they headed toward the house. She yawned noisily and covered her mouth. “Sorry about that. I didn’t get much sleep last night and got up for some water and decided to make pannekuche.”

“You made pancakes for breakfast this morning?” Leah asked.

“Not for breakfast. It was sometime during the night, but I can’t remember what time it was. I was hungerich and decided to make myself something to eat.” Edna smiled briefly, but her expression sobered. “Lloyd loved pancakes. Elaine didn’t eat with me, but she sat and listened while I shared some memories, and then we both went back to bed.”

“Oh, I see.” Leah couldn’t help but notice that even though Edna was trying to put on a brave front, she looked exhausted and seemed kind of forgetful. No doubt the stress and pain of losing her husband was the cause.

When they entered the kitchen, Leah went to the cupboard and got out two cups for their tea. She turned just in time to grab hold of Edna, who all of a sudden had turned pale and seemed unsteady on her feet.

“Dear me,” Edna said, holding her head. “I must have stood up too quickly when I put the clothes basket down. Either that or I’m feeling a bit woozy because I’ve gone too long without something to eat. It’s been awhile since Elaine and I had breakfast.”

“Let me take care of making the tea and cutting the banana bread,” Leah said as she guided Edna to a kitchen chair. “You’ve been through a lot this past week, and it’s okay to rely on others. After all, that’s what friends are for.”

Rather than pushing herself to keep busy, Edna ought to take time to rest and allow herself to grieve
, Leah thought. Once again, she didn’t voice her concerns, figuring Edna might not appreciate it. She would, however, keep Edna and Elaine in her prayers and stop by whenever she could to help out.

“We’re going to see your Grandma Stutzman today,” Sara said, lifting her son up to the buggy seat. Betty had invited them over for lunch, and Sara looked forward to the visit. Spending time with her in-laws made her feel closer to Harley—at least the memory of him. Betty always had humorous stories to tell about things Harley had said or done when he was a boy. Just the familiarity of being at the Stutzmans’ place, where Sara and Harley had visited so many times, gave her comfort.

Riding down the lane before getting to the main road, Sara glanced in the direction of the small grove of trees on the far side of their property. Quickly, she turned away. She couldn’t avoid seeing that area every time she went to and from her home. Hopefully, instead of the constant reminder that her husband’s life had ended there, someday happy memories would override the bad ones and remind her of the joys they’d treasured among their once-cherished woods. Harley and Sara had enjoyed Sunday picnics there, and during the week, it was a resting place where they had many times shared lunch during warmer weather. Sara had delighted in looking up at the leaf-covered branches while relaxing on a blanket beside Harley. The steady currents from the gentle breeze made the leaves move in a beautiful, hypnotic dance as Harley and Sara talked about their future. Sometimes they’d enjoyed simply relaxing in the shade’s coolness before getting back to work again. They had even flown kites one spring day, and Sara would never forget the fun they’d had.

They’d enjoyed bringing Mark to their special woodland spot as well. The baby seemed to love the fresh air, and while nestled on a blanket, cushioned by the soft grass underneath, he would kick his little legs and giggle. Like a store-bought mobile, the wafting leaves above kept him content. It never took Mark long to fall into a relaxing sleep.

“Someday, perhaps, I’ll be able to smile again when I see those woods of ours,” Sara said out loud, as if her husband sat right next to her. But for now, it was a constant reminder of how her life had changed in a split second of time.

Mark’s sleepy blue eyes closed soon after Sara pulled onto Route 133, and he slouched in his seat. She smiled. Either her son was very tired, or the rocking motion of the buggy had put him to sleep.

As Sara guided her horse down the road, she thought about stopping to see how Edna and Elaine were doing. But she’d left the house a little later than planned and didn’t want to be late for lunch. Besides, Mark was napping, and Sara wanted her precious boy to rest. She could stop by the Schrocks’ either on the way home or sometime later in the week.

When Sara pulled onto the graveled driveway leading to her in-laws’ house, she saw Harley’s eighteen-year-old brother, Andy, coming out of the phone shanty. Sara waved but waited until she’d pulled her horse and buggy up to the hitching rack near the barn before speaking. Andy had followed her up the driveway, and he held the horse while Sara got out of the buggy.

“Harley’s friend Jonah was here a few minutes ago, delivering some bad news.” His forehead creased with wrinkles. “My
mamm
’s buggy got hit in front of Rockome Garden Foods, and she’s been taken to the hospital. I called my
daed
at work and let him know right away.”

Sara’s fingers touched her parted lips as she drew in a sharp breath. “I’m sorry to hear about Betty. Was she seriously hurt?”

“I—I’m not sure. Jonah said Elaine Schrock and Priscilla Herschberger were there when the accident happened, and they thought Mom’s left leg might be broken. Jonah also mentioned that she was pretty banged up. We won’t know till we get to see Mom, and since Dad’s on his way home now, I called one of our drivers to take us to the hospital in the next half hour or so.” Andy gulped in a quick breath before slowly shaking his head. “I can’t believe this happened. We aren’t over losing Harley, and now Mom is hurt. What more could go wrong?”

“I know, it’s hard,” Sara agreed, “but at least your mamm’s life was spared.”

“Jah, and I’m thankful for that.”

“I’ll have to go home and get some things, but I’ll be back in time to greet the children when they get home from school today,” Sara offered.

“Try not to scare ’em with the news about Mom,” Andy said. “Don’t think they need to know a lot till we have all the facts.”

“I understand, and don’t worry about anything here. I’ll take care of everyone until you and your daed return home.” Harley’s siblings had taken his death pretty hard, and if they thought they might lose their mother, they’d really be upset.

“By the way,” Andy added, “Jonah brought Mom’s horse back with him. It broke away when the buggy was hit, but the mare seems to be okay. Said he stopped by your place, but somehow you must have missed each other.”