The HOPE of SPRING (10 page)

Their next stop was the Kitchen Kettle Village booth, where they sampled some pepper
jam and chow-chow. Eating the chow-chow made Meredith think of Luke, because his mother
made it often and Luke had always said that no one could make chow-chow quite like
his mom.

Knowing she needed to focus on something else, Meredith suggested they go over to
Laurie’s stand and see how she was doing. When they arrived, she saw two young English
women talking to Laurie, and one of them was buying two blond-haired dolls—a boy and
a girl. Even the sight of the dolls caused Meredith to think about Luke, as their
hair color was almost the same as his.

I’ve got to stop doing this
, she told herself.
I can’t dwell on how much I miss Luke every time I see something that reminds me of
him.

As Meredith and Alma stepped up to Laurie’s table, she heard the English woman who
wore blue jeans and a pink blouse say something about being a nurse. Then the other
woman, also wearing jeans with a matching jacket, turned to Meredith and smiled. “These
are beautiful dolls, aren’t they?”

Meredith nodded. “My sister makes them.”

“Oh, so Laurie King is your sister?”

“That’s right.” Meredith nodded as she smiled at Laurie.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Laurie said. “Could you and Alma give me a ride home?”

“We can, but I thought your driver would be picking you up.”

“I’ll explain in a few minutes,” Laurie said. “I just need to make change for this
customer and put her dolls in a box.” Her forehead wrinkled as she studied Meredith.
“You look tired. Why don’t you take a seat behind my stand, and we can talk as soon
as I’m done.”

Meredith really wasn’t that tired, but she quietly slipped behind the table and took
a seat in one of the folding chairs. She figured Alma would do the same. Instead,
Alma started up a conversation with the dark-haired women, who seemed to be full of
questions about the Amish way of life. Finally, they thanked Laurie for the dolls
and went on their way.

Meredith figured Laurie would say what was on her mind. Instead, she leaned across
the table and whispered something to Alma.

“What are you two talking about?” Meredith asked, rising from her seat.

“Just discussing what we’ll have for supper,” Alma said, looking red-faced and a little
flustered.

Meredith’s lips compressed. She had a feeling there was more going on than just a
discussion about what they’d be having for supper. Were they planning some kind of
a birthday surprise behind her back? Meredith had thought Mom would invite her to
their place for supper tonight, but she hadn’t heard a word from Mom since earlier
this week. It made her more than a little suspicious.

“Could you please hurry and get the dining-room table set?” Luann asked her daughter
Kendra as they scurried around Meredith’s kitchen, getting the final preparations
for supper finished.

“Sure, Mom.” Kendra removed a stack of plates from the cupboard and took them to the
other room.

“I’m glad your daed could close up his stand and come home early to help out,” Luann
mentioned. “He’s going to take care of hiding the horses and buggies when the Yoders
and Luke’s folks arrive.”

“I heard Dad say that he sold out of kettle corn early today, so it was a good reason
for him to leave the market before closing time,” Kendra put in.

“He also told me that Meredith and Alma stopped by his booth, but he was able to sneak
out soon after they headed to Laurie’s stand.” Luann chuckled as she gently stirred
the fresh fruit salad. “So far, everything is working out.” She smiled at her mother,
who sat at the kitchen table making a tossed green salad. “When I stopped by the farmers’
market this morning to see Laurie, she said she and Alma had planned it so that Alma
and Meredith would go to the market this afternoon, and then she would ask them for
a ride home.”

“I think Meredith will be very surprised,” her mother said. Then she grinned at Arlene,
Katie, and Owen as they stood staring at the beautiful cake she’d decorated earlier.
“You kids can look at the cake, but don’t touch.”

“I won’t,” Arlene said with a quick shake of her head. “And I’ll make sure my little
bruder and schweschder don’t touch it, neither.”

Luann smiled. Arlene always did like bossing the two younger ones around. “I hope
Laurie doesn’t give our surprise party away,” she said. “She’s never been very good
at keeping secrets, you know.”

“I’m sure it’ll all work out,” her mother said in a positive tone.

Luann glanced nervously out the window. “I wonder where Seth, Dorine, and Luke’s folks
are? I figured they’d be here by now.”

“Don’t you start fretting. I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

“I just want everything to be perfect. Meredith deserves to have a happy time tonight.”

“You’re right. She does.” Luann’s mother went to the refrigerator to get a bottle
of salad dressing. She’d no more than returned to the table when Luann heard the rumble
of buggy wheels outside. She glanced out the window again and smiled. “Oh good, Sadie
and Elam are here, and I see the Yoders’ buggy coming in right behind them.”

“I brought a potato salad and some deviled eggs,” Sadie said when she and Dorine entered
the house with Dorine’s two little ones in tow. “Elam and Seth are putting the horses
in the barn, and Philip’s hiding the buggies.”

Dorine glanced around. “Meredith’s not here yet, I hope.”

Luann shook her head. “I expect she, Alma, and Laurie will arrive soon, though.”

The women visited while they continued with the supper preparations, and a few minutes
after the men came in, another horse and buggy rumbled up the driveway.

“It’s Meredith,” Philip announced, peering out the window. “If we’re gonna surprise
her, then we’d better all hide.”

Meredith was a little disappointed when she guided her horse up to the hitching rail
and didn’t see any other buggies parked in the yard. Maybe she’d been wrong about
her family planning a party for her.

“I’ll put the horse away,” Laurie was quick to say. “Just wait right here in the buggy
until I get done.”

“Now why would I do that? I’m perfectly capable of putting Taffy away in her stall.”
Meredith started to get out, but Alma, who sat in the backseat of the buggy, put her
hand on Meredith’s shoulder and said, “We did a lot of walking this afternoon, and
I’m sure you’re tired, so why not let your sister put the horse away?”

“Okay,” Meredith relented, “but there’s no reason for us to wait here until she’s
done. We should go in the house and get supper started.”

Laurie had already led Taffy to the barn, but Alma just sat there, staring straight
ahead.

“Alma, did you hear what I said?” Meredith questioned.

Alma tipped her head. “What was that?”

“We should go inside and fix something to eat.”

“Did you say something about your feet?”

Meredith shook her head. “I said, eat, not feet. Alma, are your hearing aids turned
on?”

Again, Alma said nothing.

Feeling a little perplexed, Meredith climbed down from the buggy and extended her
hand to Alma. A few moments ago, Alma seemed to hear what she’d said, and now suddenly
she couldn’t? What was going on here anyway?

“I’m not so old that I can’t get out of the buggy by myself,” Alma said. “It just
takes me a little longer than some.”

A little longer?
Meredith thought. She’d never seen anyone be so slow about getting out of a buggy.
At least Alma seemed to be hearing better again.

By the time Alma had finally climbed down, Laurie came out of the barn. “I’m sure
hungerich,” she said. “Let’s get up to the house so we can fix something to eat.”

“What about the buggy?” Meredith questioned. “It needs to be put in the buggy shed.”

“I’ll do it after supper.” Laurie stepped between Meredith and Alma, placing her hands
in the crook of their arms.

As they walked slowly to the house, Meredith wondered once again if something might
be amiss. She opened the door and entered the house.

“Surprise! Hallich gebottsdaag, Meredith!” hollered a chorus of voices.

Tears welled in Meredith’s eyes. It felt good to know her family loved her so much,
and it would be a lot easier to put on a happy face this evening because they were
here. But her heart still ached, for she missed Luke and wished he were also here
to help celebrate her birthday. Somehow, she must learn to accept her loss, because
no matter how much she wanted it, Luke wasn’t coming back.

Meredith looked at each of her family members, as well as Alma, Sadie, Elam, Dorine,
Seth, and their children. She couldn’t have felt more loved and knew without a doubt
how very blessed she was.

Philadelphia

Voices … Voices … Somewhere in a faraway place there were voices. What were they saying?
Were they talking about him? Were they talking to him?

I feel like I’m suffocating and the darkness is swallowing me up. I need to open my
eyes. I want to wake up.

Someone touched his arm. More voices—something about his blood pressure and pulse.
He winced, feeling pain radiating from different parts of his body.

Pulling from somewhere deep inside, the man willed his eyes to open. He squinted against
the bright light invading his senses and tried to focus on the faces before him. Who
were these people, and why were they staring at him? He stared back, blinking several
times, trying to make his eyes focus. A woman with blond hair smiled at him.

“Look, Doctor,” she said, turning to the man who stood beside her. “I think our John
Doe is finally awake.”

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

New York Times
bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish way of
life when she first visited her husband’s Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania.
Wanda and her husband, Richard, live in Washington State but take every opportunity
to visit Amish settlements throughout the States, where they have several Amish friends.
Wanda and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare
time, Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, beachcombing, stamping,
and having fun with her family.