Abram's Daughters: The Betrayal Part 3

"Not any more than I mind you goin' to her weddin' ;il all."

Leah sighed. "Well, aren't you goin'?" "Not if I can help it." Sadie sat up in bed. "Friends and relatives are expected to attend the weddin'. I daresay I'm neither of those to Naomi."

Leah paused, then asked gently, "Can you say ... uh, whal happened between you and Naomi?"

"She has no business bein' baptized, is all." Sadie turned her head and was staring out the window.

"Then why do you s'pose Naomi's goin' ahead with it?" "One reason, I 'spect." "To marry Luke?"

Sadie clammed up, and Leah went to the wooden wall hooks next to the dresser and removed her brown chorine dress from a hanger. Standing there, she felt awkward, as if she didn't truly belong in the shared room. " 'Tis a sorry situ ation, Naomi's ... if what you say is true."

"Why must you be judgin' everyone?" Sadie snapped. Leah was startled at her sister's biting words, but the conversation ended abruptly with Mamma's knock at the door.

54 55Che id e{ r a y a I IB to Benin the day, girls" came her soft call, illly, tht'y dressed in their choring dresses and brushed nil Into K iw huns at the nape of their necks. Then they tjluMr ik'volional caps and hurried downstairs to help with klli'lim duties and Leah with the first milking of < i'vrniiik="" when="" leah="" and="" sadie="" were="" preparing="" to="" i="" led,="" sadie="" brought="" the="" matter="" up="" again.="" "you="" surely="" iiii="" name="" of="" me="" as="" you="" do="" of="" naomi,"="" she="" said.="" "ain't="">

in. w.imi'i prepared for this, even though Sadie's accu- I iiitlyjn' everyone" had echoed in her ears all day. I .-v liy now what I think," she said, getting up the E i 11 link Clod will forgive anyone for sin. And so would i i She's all for you, Sadie. She'd forgive you if you'd 1 ?.

niiiiiiii might, but not Dat."

u ti, Sadie, how can you say that? If you went through Klrcr channels, bowed your knee in contrition before L.i, "

Hi(;!ii In,' best to save your breath, Leah." tjii '. toinment pained her. She feared her sister was farrun i iIk-Lord G.o.d and His church than ever before, lit i his Leah felt truly sad.

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ly < sadie="" continued="" to="" seethe="" with="" anger="" as="" she="" picked="" up="" the="" lantern="" at="" the="" back="" door="" and="" walked="" out="" into="" the="" night,="" pasi="" the="" well="" pump="" and="" through="" the="" barnyard.="" the="" moon="" wort'="" ;i="" silver-white="" halo,="" the="" sky="" black="" as="" pitch.="" she="" mightve="" used="" the="" chamber="" bucket="" under="" the="" bed,="" but="" she="" needed="" to="" breathe="" some="" fresh="" air.="" the="" night="" was="" exceedingly="" warm,="" despite="" tinafternoon="" shower,="" maybe="" more="" so="" because="" of="" the="" humidiiy="" that="" hung="" like="" a="" shroud="" over="" the="" farm.="" both="" she="" and="" leah="" had="" thrown="" off="" the="" covers="" before="" ever="" settling="" into="" bed.="" of="" course,="" it="" could="" be="" the="" harsh="" silence="" between="" them="" that="" was="" making="" sadie="" feel="" warmer="" than="" usual.="" even="" her="" fingertips="" were="" hot="" as="" she="" walked="" to="" the="" wooden="">

Who did Leah think she was, ordering her elder sister around? All this fussing between them had left Sadie emo tionally drained. To think her best friend, Naomi, had bypa.s.sed her and asked Leah to be a bridesmaid, of all things! Well, she hoped not to be anywhere near Gobbler's k.n.o.b by the time Naomi and Luke tied the knot.

On the return trip from the outhouse she made a stop in the kitchen to wash her hands and eat some graham crackers and drink a gla.s.s of milk. That done, she felt a little better and headed back upstairs only to discover that, lo and behold, Dat and Mamma were still awake and having a discussion in their room, behind closed doors. Sadie had never encountered this in all her born days because her parents were often the first ones to head for bed, especially with Lydiann waking up at three-thirty for her early-morning feeding.

Dat was doing the talking. "No ... no, I tend to disagree."

"We ain't never goin' to see eye to eye "

"Have you thought it over but good, Ida? Have you?" Dat

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^^Hpiml "I'd you realize what an upheaval this'll cause ^^Kli'iil, 1 liiivo. And I believe ... if you don't mind me ^^W hliini, it's lime we tell her."

^^Hii1 Ih'.'-i" in place. What on earth were her parents dis- ^^B . 1 n io?ri Tell what?

^Hjj' 'invcrsiition ceased altogether with Mamma's ^^Wl Miiiiii'k, and Sadie a.s.sumed her parents had decided IP.

1 !< for="" i="" he="" night.="" as="" for="" herself,="" she="" was="" wide="" awake="" and="" i="" i="" nick="" down="" the="" steps,="" hurried="" through="" the="" kitchen,="" then="" i1="" 144if="" 111="" il="" the="" back="" door="" without="" making="" a="" sound.="" sitting="" i="" buck="" stoop,="" she="" stared="" up="" at="" a="" thousand="">

I litw you thought it over but good?" Dat's words came back II ..mi her, "What an upheaval ..."

I in Lipped her hands over her ears, pressing tightly I ln'1 luiiid ... hoping to halt the memory of what she'd I '< ik="" 1="" it="" be="" they="" had="" been="" talking="" about="">

I mi' . line wandering over from the barn and sat on the in in. iicxi to her, his long black nose pointed toward the nil 1 "In1 reached down to rub his furry neck. "Something illiii 1 hrewin'' she whispered, trembling now. "I feel it fill I" i y in the air."

57 58!i59^f Hi Until finished hoeing and weeding her patch of the irdf n Thursday, along with the girls' separate charity Standing up, she arched her back and attempted to lirr aching muscles. Gazing at the sky, she noticed a i londs drift across the blue at a mercilessly slow pace ii si range connection to them. Ever so restless, she I 11 it-slow-poke pace of her days waiting for school i inj . In a little over a week!

I1 both her and Hannah off at school, Mamma would iiill'er with less help around the house. Still, the law law, and Mary Ruth was happy to be required to I ii i nigh eighth grade. In one more year she'd be eligiln^'h school. The thought gave her chills of both II id dread. She held no hope of Dat ever giving her ilu-iid; it would be next to impossible to obtain his I Ic would simply quote the Good Book to her if she i en enough to share with him her deepest longing. ii wisdom of this world is foolishness with G.o.d'" I with Bible in hand. And that would be the end of

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their discussion, though sadly, it would never reach the phn.se of true discussion at all.

Even the term high school was not without reproach. It rep resented high-mindedness and pride, and she'd heard msiiiy times growing up that "self-praise stinks." Yet what was she in do about the inner craving? Was she the only one smitten with the problem amongst the People?

Hannah wandered over, hoe in hand. "What would yn think of go in' to Strasburg with me?"

"To stop by the little gift shop?"

"I have a batch more handkerchiefs to deliver."

"Okay, then we'll go right after lunch. And 'bout the time Mamma and Lydiann are up from a nap, we'll be back home."

Hannah nodded, all smiles. "Just the two of us?"

"Sounds gut to me." Mary Ruth hoped to squeeze in a visii to the public library while Hannah handled her consignmeni shop transactions. Getting a head start on her studies w.v. heavy on her mind. If she had to, she could easily hide tinnewly checked-out books under the bed. Hannah could Inpersuaded not to tell.

It was clear Hannah was already counting the years till sinmade her covenant with the People and G.o.d. Una.s.suming and on the bashful side, especially around strangers, her sisiei would make a fine Amish wife and mother someday, whit I > was just as appealing to Mary Ruth as the next girl getting married and having children, that is. It was the unceasinj; hankering for books that got so dreadfully in the way. The thought of committing the sum total of her life to the People was troubling at best, and she was grateful to have a few more years till she had to decide one way or the other.

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I Itin'l mind if I run across the street right quick ...

I ij4t I" the gift shop?" Mary Ruth asked Hannah as I ,ilnii i; in the enclosed carriage. She had chosen I - i driving horse of the two, as well as the enclosed I ny. With the gathering clouds and the increasing I1 n hi in, it made good sense.

I nut just say it outright?" Hannah said softly, almost :' iir );oin'to the library."

jj>.... ili Hiii to her left, eyelids fluttering. "Truth be ' I I'lrlcr the summers. And you ... well, you live for I Viir."

i I now me awful gut." She paused, then added, "What 11imk Mamma would do if she ever found my library hidden away?" -.'hi say in' you honestly can't curb your appet.i.te for ! i lire like* friends to me. Words come alive on the '"inning one shoulder slightly, Hannah said nothing. ,. i'i >hc I'm addicted, 'cause now I've started readin' other [ i.pii," she ventured. "I don't mean bad books, don't li. r.iiind. But I must admit, I like readin' stories things In I'nivly made up but that, well ... could happen." She Iiim wh;ii hesitant for Hannah's reaction. Ri 11, I don't know what to think" was her twin's dismal 1 I i ;in accept you readin' geography books, imagining

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e u> e r I y Lu J2e what it's like to travel round the continent and all, but made up tales?"

Sighing, Mary Ruth wondered how to explain. "Heic This is what readin' stories is like to me. It's findin' a sprini; in the midst of a barren land. Just when I think I might y and die of thirst, I stumble onto this fresh, cold water, and I'm suddenly given new life 'cause I can and do drink to my heart's content."

Now Hannah was beside herself, seemed to Mary Rulli. She was staring down at the buggy floor, eyes blinking ami glistening to beat the band. I "Aw, what's a-matter, Hannah?" 1 "I wish I could understand what you mean. That's all II best be sayin'." I The fact they didn't share a great love for reading w;i J beside the point. Hannah was clearly pained by Mary Ruth's I revelation that she was obsessed with books, especially fiction. I I wish I'd never said a word, she thought. I She leaned over and tipped her head toward her twin's, I their white prayer bonnets forming a double heart as the horse I pulled them toward Strasburg. I While Mary Ruth hurried across the street to the library, ] Hannah made a beeline to the gift shop with her basketful of] newly embroidered handkerchiefs in hand. Happily, she received her payment from the owner, Frances Brubaker, a short, pet.i.te woman in her thirties, Hannah guessed. Then she counted out forty more cotton hankies, a third of which showcased embroidered b.u.mblebees this time. The rest wciv birds' nests with pale blue eggs nestled inside, and there were

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iniiluMN of fruit, too all colors. She had decided it was H ntllvh something different than the birds and multii' l b.u.t.terflies of the last grouping.

' >' d she was there, two English women came into the -in more talkative than the other. Both were oohing K .liliyj over the various items, as if never having laid eyes I 'ulinnde" things, which was the word they kept repeat- 1 I (Ills somewhat reverently. They spotted Hannah near I i'ilt'1' and took an immediate interest, peering over at I: 'Till times, unashamed at their curiosity. Each time, i 11, Aw had to look away, suffering the same uncontrol- 1< i="" "linn="" of="" shyness="" she="" had="" while="" tending="" to="" the="" roadside="">< p="">

11 Amishwoman with several children in tow came into 11 11ie other day," Frances addressed her from behind Miner. "She was looking to buy a whole bunch of leivd hankies. But she specifically requested cutuiork I'lc.ry, like the one she brought to show me." I i ' iniiiih was "surprised at this. "What did it look like?"

I r , ii had a dainty emerald-and-gold b.u.t.terfly sewn I.

I ilie corner."

j . ml cutwork, you say?"

I ! 11Hi's nodded. "The customer was very interested in it, 1 ' 'lhing else would do. She said she wants to give a quani ilu-m away on her son's wedding day ... that she'd stop in .i month or so. Could you duplicate a hankie like that .. II'"

I ' liiyho so if I could see it." Hannah found this more 64:.

I i i ' Id e a e r I y J_. e us i s curious than she cared to say. Truth was, she'd made only our such cutwork b.u.t.terfly hankie in her life. And awful pretty, il she thought so herself. She'd given it, along with cross st.i.tched pillowcases, as a gift three years ago to Sadie on lu-i sixteenth birthday. Sadie's reaction had been one of such j< iy="" hannah="" decided="" it="" should="" remain="" extra="" special.="" never="" again="" would="" she="" make="" the="" cutwork="" style="" on="" any="" of="" her="" other="" h;in="" kies,="" either="" for="" sale="" or="" for="" gifts,="" in="" honor="" of="" sadie's="" turninr.="" courting="">

"I would make most anything else ... just not a handkn chief like that." She wondered who the woman had been, ask ing about a handkerchief so surprisingly similar to Sadie', own. But she kept her peace and said no more.

Still, she couldn't stop thinking how peculiar this was and felt a bit crestfallen. Had someone seen Sadie's special hankie ami decided to copy it? she wondered.

Back in the carriage on the ride home, Mary Ruth sat wit h her library books balanced on her lap as she attempted to hold the reins.

"How will you get all of them into the house?" Hannah asked, eyeing the books.

"Oh, I'll manage somehow, even if I have to sneak them in two at a time. Meanwhile, why don't you trade places with me?" She handed the reins over to Hannah, who promptly switched to the driver's seat.

They rode along for a time in complete silence. Mary

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II til ylad fo peek into the pages of the first book in her II I Mt'lt' linn's Cabin. And by the time the horse turned in. narrow road at Rohrer's Mill, the water-powered grist . lu-'il already completed the first chapter. Her heart cried I With t'iimpa.s.sion for the slave girl Eliza and her handsome Lu mm, I larry. With such strong emotions stirring, she ^h'i .iir-w how she could ever give up this fascination ^Hh 'limed page. Could she quickly devour oodles of ^Hui .satisfy her appet.i.te, then join church, hoping that ^BUpring of joy might linger on through the years, even ^H-ttheM never read again? She supposed it was one way ^H nt the problem, though she'd have to come clean to ^Hjf Yoder before ever taking her kneeling vow, espe^wll h this new pa.s.sion for fabricated stories. Wne marked the page with her finger, then asked Hannah, i ikl do you want to be when you get baptized?" isiivn or so," Hannah said. "Seems to me we oughta i Innvh together."

11i'ii as she thought.

I Inimaji was quiet for a time, then she said, "If you end in' h> high school " >h, 1 will go," Mary Ruth interrupted. "Somehow or 'Icuy, then, what will you do 'bout Elias Stoltzfus?" l.iry Ruth paused. "I don't think that's somethin' to uy my head over, really, seein' as how neither of us is of tin' age yet. Elias is just fourteen." Human turned from her, looking away. Bpniy Ruth leaned forward. "I'm sorry. Did I upset you?" Kt's nothin'," Hannah was too quick to admit. She sniffled

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