Amish Widow's Christmas Read online

  Amish Widow’s Christmas

  Expectant Amish Widows Book 12

  Samantha Price

  Amish Romance

  Copyright © 2016 by Samantha Price

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  The next in the series is:

  EXPECTANT AMISH WIDOWS

  About Samantha Price

  Chapter 1

  The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

  the Lord is the strength of my life;

  of whom shall I be afraid?

  Psalm 27:1

  * * *

  Sarah looked up in fright as Matilda breezed through the door waving an envelope.

  “What’s that?” Sarah asked, her eyes fixed on the moving object.

  “A letter. I met the postman just as he pulled up to put it in the box. I wonder who it could be from. Perhaps it’s from some distant relative asking you to come visit them. Or maybe it’s a childhood friend you haven’t seen in years.”

  “I don’t think so.” Sighing, Sarah shook her head. “It would be nice to get a letter once in awhile. It’s another bill; that’s what it is.”

  Matilda sat on the couch next to Sarah. She looked at the envelope and flipped it over. “Looks like a letter to me,” Matilda said. “And such nice handwriting.”

  “Trust me, it’s another bill.” Sarah shook her head again. “I can’t open it. I just can’t. I can’t face another bill.”

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait for another day.” Matilda leaned over and placed it on the coffee table and leaned back. “How are you feeling today anyway? Still bored and cranky?”

  Sarah sighed. “Yeah, about the same. I just want my boppli in my arms and then I’ll feel better. We can face the world together. Then the bills won’t matter so much.”

  ”I know things are hard right now, but that doesn’t mean things will be that way forever. Tom and I went through some hard times, and then things changed for us. He was out of work for about six months. At the time, it seemed like it would last forever.”

  Sarah smiled at her friend who was like a sister to her. If Matilda were in this position, Sarah knew that she’d be saying exactly the same kind of things to her. "I just don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve got enough money for maybe another two months and then what do I do?” She laid a hand on her swollen belly. She was about to give birth any day.

  “Please stay with Tom and me until you get on your feet. You can stay as long as you want.”

  Matilda had asked her many a time and Sarah had always refused, but now it was looking like the only option. “Denke. That’s a kind offer, but you know how I hate to impose.”

  Matilda was a good friend, but it was times like these when Sarah wished she had family. She’d been an only child born to older parents who had since gone home to God, and then her husband had died five months ago. They’d been married since she was eighteen and he had been her whole world.

  “You’ll look back on this time a year from now and you’ll be amazed how much your life has changed for the better. Gott will provide for you. I know it. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. He will provide.”

  As much as Sarah wanted to believe her friend, she couldn’t. So many things had gone wrong, starting when Joel had died, that it was hard to believe that things would ever get better.

  ”I hope you’re right about that.”

  “You shouldn’t have to worry about anything now. You should be enjoying the last days of your pregnancy.”

  “I do feel a little better now that I know I can stay at your place. Are you sure Tom won’t mind?”

  “We’ve talked about it and he wants you to stay.”

  Matilda and Tom had four children, and that was another reason Sarah had resisted taking up her offer. She didn’t want to be in the way and she also didn’t want to take charity; she wanted to be in a position to provide for herself and her child.

  “When did you last eat?” Matilda asked.

  “I can’t eat too much at the moment because this baby is squashing my stomach and taking up all the room.”

  Matilda giggled. “What have you got for the evening meal?”

  “Don’t fuss, Matilda, you’re my friend not my mudder.”

  “I have to watch over you.”

  “And I’m sorry that the burden has fallen on you.”

  ”It’s not a burden, Sarah. You’re like a schweschder to me. I’ve already figured I can put my kinner in the same room and you can have the bedroom overlooking the pond. Alright?”

  Sarah nodded. “Denke. As long as it’s truly alright with Tom.”

  “He wants to have you there, and he loves babies. When do you have to be out of here?”

  “In four weeks. I just gave my notice to Mrs. Collins yesterday and told her I’d be out at the end of the month.”

  “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll store your furniture in the barn and I’ll organize the ladies to help you pack. Tom can get a few men together and he’ll borrow his bruder’s long wagon to load everything.”

  Holding her head, Sarah found it hard to comprehend all of the things that would happen after the birth of her child. The main thing she wanted to concentrate on was her baby’s safe arrival into the world. Her stomach churned with the anxiety of the unknown. The worst thing would be if she went to Matilda’s house and felt that she was in their way. What if she never got any money to enable her to leave their house—what then?

  “Now, have you got everything ready for the boppli?”

  Noticing Matilda’s gaze had come to rest on a pile of sewing on a chair, Sarah said, “That lot’s been done and is ready for them to collect it tomorrow.”

  Since Joel had lost his job due to cutbacks, Sarah had taken in alterations for the local tailor. The work she got from them put food on the table but wasn’t enough to cover the rent. Her last money had gone on Joel’s funeral expenses and the last month’s rent. Now, she had to face living on the kindness of the community.

  “I should go. My kinner will be home from schul anytime now.”

  “Denke for stopping by, Matilda. I don’t know what I’d be like if it weren’t for you these past few months.”

  “I’ll stop by again tomorrow and I hope you’ll be able to tell me that you’ve had some signs of your boppli coming.”

  “Florence says that I might have twinges, but I’ve had nothing.”

&
nbsp; “No pain—nothing at all?”

  Sarah shook her head. “And my due date was yesterday. Did I tell you that?”

  “Jah, six times yesterday and several times over the past weeks.”

  Sarah’s lips turned up just a little at the corners. “But it's the first time I mentioned it today. Florence says not to worry about anything; everything’s perfectly normal.” It was hard for Sarah not to worry. She had a feeling within that all would go well and her baby would be healthy, but what if she was wrong?

  “See? So stop worrying. Start smiling. You’ll soon have a beautiful boppli in your arms.” Matilda jumped to her feet, then leaned down and tapped on the letter. “Open that. I’m certain you’re worried about nothing.”

  “I will. And denke, for everything, Matilda.”

  Matilda leaned down and kissed Sarah on her forehead. “Everything will work out fine, you’ll see. Don’t get up. I’ll see myself out.”

  Once again Sarah was alone. Before she’d met Joel, she was alone most of the time. Her mother had died first and soon after, her father had followed. As much as she detested being alone, she’d grown used to it.

  Now tired, Sarah closed her eyes and listened to the distant hoofbeats of her friend’s buggy horse as they gradually grew fainter. Soon nothing but silence filled her house. She reached out and grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it over herself. It was comforting to be wrapped in something soft and warm.

  Often Sarah wondered how God chose some to have hardships while others seemed able to breeze through life with no concerns at all. To ask someone or to talk about things like that would make her seem petty and selfish. It was thoughts like these that Sarah kept to herself. Things seemed so easy for Matilda, who’d married Tom within two months of meeting him. Four children had arrived one after the other, and now Matilda was one person Sarah knew who had a perfect life.

  She wasn’t envious of Matilda or anyone else. It would just be nice for some happiness to come her way. Joel and she had been in love, but they had endured hardships, and Joel had been so pleased that their baby was coming, a boppli who would bring both of them great joy and happiness, but Joel would never see their baby in this life. They would meet in God’s house when the day was done.

  * * *

  It was dark when Sarah woke up from her sudden nap, and several hours had passed. The fire had gone out and it was the cold that had awakened her. If Joel were still alive, she would’ve cooked a meal and they would be sitting by each other on the couch in front of a raging fire. Life was definitely better when it was shared. After Sarah had rubbed her eyes, she pulled the blanket tighter around her and, after she had lit the gas lantern beside her, she made her way into the kitchen. It was too late to bother with lighting the fire now. A quick meal and an early night were what she decided on.

  Chapter 2

  As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them

  that trust in him.

  2 Samuel 22:31

  * * *

  Matilda came at exactly the same time the next day and, as Sarah knew she would, the first thing she did was reprimand her for not opening the pesky envelope from the day before.

  Matilda slumped into the couch next to Sarah. “Don’t tell me you haven’t opened that yet?”

  Sarah pouted, staring at the envelope. “I nearly did earlier. I’m getting around to it.”

  Matilda reached out and took up the envelope. “Whatever it is, you should know about it. There’s no point burying your head in the sand. If it is another bill, just put it with the others. Don’t let it stress you. I can call all the people you owe money to and work out a payment plan with them.”

  “What with? I have no income except a little sewing income, and I haven’t been doing much of that of late. And I won’t be able to do much after the boppli’s born.”

  “Then that’s what I shall tell the companies.”

  “I’ve considered it and there’s little point to opening it. I’ve got little left. Whoever wants money now will just have to wait. Just like I’m waiting for my boppli. When he wants to come, he’ll come. When I get money, they'll get money.”

  “I don’t think it’s the same thing. I don’t think you can compare waiting for money to waiting for a birth.”

  “Probably not.”

  “Why don’t I open it for you? If it’s really bad, I’ll just put back in the envelope and I won’t mention it again. I’ll just put it in the pile with the others. If it’s only a small bill, Tom and I can help you out.”

  “I can’t ask that.”

  “I offered, you didn’t ask.”

  Sarah stared at her friend, hating the position she was in.

  “I’m going to open it right now,” Matilda said.

  Sarah sighed again. “Okay. Open it quickly and if it’s bad don’t tell me.”

  Through gaps between the fingers now covering her face, Sarah watched Matilda carefully put her fingernail under the flap and lift the fold just enough so she was able to rip the top of the envelope open. When she pulled the contents out Sarah saw that it was one piece of paper. It didn’t look like a bill. It had to be a letter from someone since Matilda was now reading it and hadn’t put it back down. It couldn’t have been a bad bill or a letter of demand for payment of a bill.”

  “This is not a bill.”

  “That’s a relief. Who’s it from?”

  “I’m still reading it.”

  She dropped the envelope into her lap as she grabbed each side of the page with her hands. Her eyes were round like saucers as she stared at Sarah. “You won’t believe it!”

  “What? What is it?”

  “It’s from a lady called Nellie and she’s a friend of your onkel from Sugarcreek.”

  “I remember him. He’s Dat’s bruder, Onkel Harold. I visited him when I was a little girl. He died a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t I tell you that? I couldn’t even afford to go to his funeral.” Sarah wondered why Matilda had gone quiet. Was Nellie reprimanding her for not going to the funeral? It would only be natural for Onkel Harold’s friend to want a family member there. “I feel dreadful. I’ll write to her and explain why I couldn’t go, now that she’s written to me.”

  “Nee, Sarah, you don’t understand. It's not about that. She’s saying your onkel has left you his farm. He had a share farm and a house, a buggy and a horse. It’s all yours now! Sarah, it’s all yours!”

  Sarah stared at Matilda, not able to take it in.

  “Nellie said her husband is helping to look after your onkel’s estate and handling his affairs until you get there.”

  Her fingertips flew to her mouth. “Get there? I can’t go anywhere with the boppli coming. Matilda, there must be some mistake.”

  “Nee, there’s no mistake. You now own a farm and a haus.”

  “Nee, it can’t be real. I can’t believe such a thing.”

  “It’s all true. The papers are waiting for you to sign, and then you’ll own it free and clear. Here, read it for yourself.”

  “I can’t. You read it out loud to me.”

  Sarah listened while Matilda read the description of all that she’d inherited from Harold.

  Matilda placed the letter on the table in front of them. “You can sell the farm and buy something here.”

  “I’ll go there to live, I think. I feel like I need a new start. There are too many sad memories here. This is perfect. But do you think it’s all true? I can’t take it in; it doesn’t seem real.”

  “I can't think the woman would lie about something like that. Your onkel died, and who else would he have left his things to?”

  “A friend? He had no other relatives. I know Dat only had his bruder, Harold. And he'd never married, so there were no kinner to be my cousins.”

  “She’s put her phone number at the bottom of the page. Why don’t we call her now and talk to her?”

  “Okay, let’s do it. And then we’ll know whether it’s real.�
��

  Together they walked outside to use the phone in the barn, which was soon to be disconnected.

  “You dial, Matilda. I’m too nervous.”

  Minutes later, Sarah was talking to Nellie, who told her she had a big house to live in, a grossdaddi haus for rental income, and the farm which made good money. Nellie went on to tell her that she had been a good friend of Harold’s.

  “I’ll be there at the end of the month,” Sarah said to Nellie.

  As soon as Sarah replaced the receiver on the phone, Matilda said, “Didn’t I tell you all your problems would soon be over? I didn’t know it would be this soon, though. It reminds me of the story in the bible about the starving men who had no money, and they thought they were going to die, so they walked to the nearby town where the invading enemy had encamped, figuring it would be better to be prisoners.”

  “I know the story. Gott had sent a loud noise over the city, and the enemies had fled in terror. The men entered the vacated city and found food and great riches. They hid treasures for themselves, before realizing the right thing was to report to their king and let the bounty be shared amongst the people. Gott turned things around for them in one day.”

  “He’s done the same for you, Sarah.”

  Sarah sat down on a bale of hay and tears flowed down her face. She thanked God for providing, but she couldn’t help wondering why Joel had to be taken away. Couldn’t he have shared in this too? She stared at the beams of light shining into the barn from the holes in the roof. Death had taken her husband away, and death had now provided for her and her child. Life indeed was a cycle, as the bishop always said.