The Amish Potato Farmer's Widow Read online

  Magda and Jeanie left Werner and walked into the house that was now full of people. Jeanie was pleased so many were there to remember Malachi. Well into the evening, she listened as folks told stories about the jokes and pranks Malachi had played on people when he’d been younger. It had gotten him into dreadful trouble more than once.

  That night, the same as every other night since Malachi had died, Jeanie stayed up as late as she could to avoid going to bed alone. It was easier to enter her room when she was exhausted, too worn-out to think.

  After Jeanie had breakfast the next day, she headed to Amos’s place anxious to find out what the future was — not only for the potato farm, but for her family. When Amos’s uncle died and left him the run-down farm, Amos had been just about to sell it for next to nothing when Malachi urged him to keep it. Malachi went on to tell him it was a valuable piece of land and if worked on properly, it would once again be profitable.

  That was when Amos struck him the deal. He offered Malachi the opportunity to live on the farm for nothing and work it, keep the profits and if certain figures were reached, Malachi could have the farm. Those figures had already been reached and the papers had been drawn up and were waiting at the lawyer’s office for signing.

  Jeanie had often wondered why Amos couldn’t have given Malachi the farm outright if he didn’t want to farm it himself, but the two of them were always like that. They were always teasing and testing each other, just as brothers would. Making a success of the farm in a certain time period was Amos’s test for Malachi. And he’d passed the test and, with his family’s help, he’d exceeded the goals Amos had set.

  Amos lived alone in what Jeanie considered a storybook house. It was a two-story white house nestled in fields of varying shades of green. It was surrounded by a high white picket fence to keep in his beloved dog, Jasper. When his home came into view, Jeanie knew she’d be annoyed if Amos delivered her bad news. They’d made a working potato farm from a dust bowl within the space of four years. If he sold it, then where would they live and what would become of them?

  Heading up his driveway, her heart sank when she saw a buggy hitched to a dark brown horse. Zelda was there. All that morning when she’d carefully rehearsed what she’d say to Amos, he’d been alone. The last thing she wanted was to have a heart-felt conversation in front of a woman who sent prickles up her spine. There was no doubt Zelda would continually have her say and give her opinion.

  When she got down from the buggy, Amos came to greet her with Jasper by his side. As usual, the tall, white and tan mixed-breed dog bounded toward her. “Hello, Jasper.” He stopped in front of her and sat for a pat. Jasper was very well behaved whenever his owner was nearby.

  While Amos secured her horse, they talked about the weather, and then they walked into the house. It seemed to Jeanie they were both nervous as they were chattering over nothing. Thankfully, Zelda was nowhere to be seen when they sat on the couch in the living room. Jasper sat on a rug by the fire and then lay down.

  Because Amos hadn’t mentioned the farm, Jeanie knew she’d have to be first to do so. She cleared her throat, and began, “Amos, I’m here about the potato farm. I’m just wondering if you’re going to have those papers redrawn in my name, or our three names.” She paused for a breath. “Magda, myself and Werner.” When he just stared at her, she knew he had other plans. “Or, even just in Werner’s name?”

  “I have to make a decision. It won’t be an easy one.”

  Chapter 3

  Jeanie swallowed hard. It was as she’d feared. “To my way of thinking, you made the promise to Malachi, so —”

  “Don’t say anything, please, Jeanie. I’ve given this a lot of thought over the past days. This is my idea.” He cleared his throat. “I will buy the three of you a haus to live in and take back the potato farm.”

  She gulped. “That’s very generous about the haus, but what would you do with the farm?” She knew the potato farm with its acreage was worth more than just a house, but it wasn’t the monetary value she was concerned with. The promise he’d made to her husband was what worried her.

  “Zelda wants to have her brothers run it. Then they can move here to this community.”

  Jeanie couldn’t believe what she’d heard. What did the farm have to do with Zelda or her brothers? “What do they know about potatoes?” She knew the answer — a big zero.

  “The same as Malachi knew when he started. Look, I know how hard you and everyone else have worked on the farm and that’s why I’m willing to buy you a haus in exchange. As compensation, if you will. One of your choice.”

  “As I said, it’s very generous and I’m grateful, but is there some way we can work it out so I can buy the farm from you? You were just about to sign it over to Malachi.” She tried to keep her tongue in check, but she couldn’t help saying, “It really has nothing to do with Zelda’s brothers. This is the first I’m hearing about them.”

  He rubbed his chin. “I’m in a difficult position.”

  Obviously, Zelda was in the midst of this. “Is that Zelda’s buggy outside?”

  “Jah. She’s in the backyard.”

  “Oh.” She nodded, and knew Zelda was waiting until she left so she could celebrate the good news with Amos. Jeanie and her family would be tossed from the farm and Zelda’s brothers would be the ones to prosper from her late husband’s years of toil and sweat. “It’s like this, Amos. In the first two years, we made next to nothing, it’s only in the third year we were able to turn a profit once we knew what we were doing. What would’ve happened if Malachi had lived? He would’ve had the farm by now.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “I thought you’d be happy with what I’ve offered. Don’t you see that things won’t be as easy at the farm with him gone?”

  'Easy?' Things were never 'easy' for us. Is that what he truly thinks? Now, Jeanie was upset and a flush of heat coursed through her body. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I know the potato farm is worth a lot more than a haus.” She had to fight for the farm for the sake of Werner and Magda. Then she shook her head knowing she sounded like she was a money-grabbing person. “It’s not the value or the money. It’s what we’ve all worked for. We all worked so hard and … well … especially Malachi. Nothing about the farm has ever been easy, but it was our life's work. We’ll continue to make it successful.” She fixed a confident smile on her face.

  He stared at her. “Why’s it so important to you?”

  “It’s not just me, it’s my family.”

  “Ah, Werner.”

  “Jah, Werner. It would’ve been left to him since Malachi and I have no kinner.”

  “What would you say if I keep Werner on as manager? He can teach Zelda’s brothers how to run the farm. He’ll have a wage, of course.”

  That was another insult to her. It was no solution at all. Amos was smiling as though that would fix everything. “I run the farm now, not Werner. He doesn’t know everything like I do.”

  “What he doesn’t know, you could teach him, and it’s a way of giving him an income.”

  He doesn’t need an income. Not when he could have the potato farm. Was this man really just going to hand over what should’ve been theirs to Zelda’s brothers? She took a couple of deep slow breaths to help her remain rational. Long ago, before she’d met Malachi, she’d had a problem with anger. Waiting a minute or two before speaking was always wise, she’d learned. “So, are you and Zelda getting married or something to give her such a gift?”

  He looked away. “I’m fond of Zelda.”

  From his reaction, Jeanie wondered if he was ever going to marry Zelda, and if it was to make up for her moving all the way from Ohio that he was handing the farm over to her brothers. Did Zelda know what was going on in Amos’s head? On the other hand, he could be about to marry Zelda and she was pressuring him to do that favor for her brothers before she agreed to the nuptials.

  Jeanie’s gaze was drawn to the intricate carving on the legs of the coffee table. It was unusual
for an Amish person to have something that wasn’t plain. Everything else in his house had no decoration at all. “That’s a nice table.”

  “Zelda gave it to me.”

  She frowned, not liking the table so much anymore. She’d never been comfortable around Zelda and she’d struggled with that in the past. Now the woman was becoming a thorn in her side. “I’ll be honest with you, Amos.”

  His eyebrows rose. “I wouldn’t want you to be any other way.”

  “The thing is, I thought you’d honor your agreement with Malachi by signing the farm to me as his rightful heir. I know the contract was never signed, but it was as good as done. Malachi met your criteria and he put his heart and soul into that farm. We all did.” She leaned forward. “If he’d lived, he would’ve gone to your lawyer’s office, signed that contract and the farm would be mine right now. Won’t you sign the farm over to me? All it would need is to cross out his first name on the contract and write mine in.”

  With the worst timing in the world, Zelda walked into the room. “A woman running a farm? Don’t be stupid, Jeanie!”

  Chapter 4

  Prickles of annoyance covered Jeanie’s body over Zelda eavesdropping on them. She’d been justified in not liking this woman. What did Amos see in her? “Nee, Zelda. Why would you call me stupid? Women run farms and businesses all over the place.”

  “Not Amish women.”

  “Jah, I’m talking of Amish women. They don’t all stay home baking and cleaning anymore while their husbands toil in the fields. This is a new age. Most of the women in the community work outside of the home. They run roadside stalls and sew quilts for the tourist outlets.”

  “Well, I don’t like it and neither does Amos.” She sat next to Amos folding her hands into her lap like a prim and proper lady.

  By walking into the room, she’d woken Jasper. He raised his head, looked at Zelda with what Jeanie thought was an unhappy look and then he placed his head back between his paws.

  Jeanie let out an exasperated sigh and looked at Amos. “Is it because I’m a woman? If I were Malachi's bruder would things be different?”

  “If he’d signed the contract when he should’ve we wouldn’t be talking right now, but he didn’t. The contract was waiting at my lawyer’s office for nearly a week.” He showed no emotion, simply spoke the words. “My agreement was with Malachi.”

  “He’s no longer with us.” Zelda leaned toward Jeanie, sticking out her pointed chin as she spoke.

  In shock, Amos stared at Zelda, for the first time showing his disapproval.

  “Jah, I did notice that,” Jeanie shot back. “I know that for a fact every day when I wake up alone.”

  “You haven’t been Amish long enough to know —”

  “Zelda, that’s enough,” Amos said. Zelda stared at Amos as though she were dreadfully hurt.

  “You know nothing about me, Zelda,” Jeanie said.

  “Well, excuse me.” Zelda rose to her feet and then walked stiffly out of the room.

  The two of them sat in silence until they heard the back door close.

  “I’m sorry about that, Jeanie,” Amos said.

  “Don’t be sorry. She’s only saying what you’re thinking. At least she had courage enough to verbalize it.” Jeanie stood up and Amos bounded to his feet.

  “I don’t agree with her.”

  “Then give the farm to me.” When she saw his unchanged expression, she added, “I can pay you off over time. I’ve even got a small up-front deposit to make.”

  He hesitated and then looked away from her.

  “Do you want to set higher goals for us to reach? As long as they’re realistic, we can reach and even exceed them.”

  He looked back at her. “It’s not that.”

  “Then what is it?”

  He placed his hands on his hips. “Zelda expects certain things.”

  Frowning at him, she tried to keep her voice steady. “Why does the farm have anything to do with her?”

  He shook his head. “I know the two of you have never gotten along.”

  “I don’t really know her.”

  “She said she made an effort to get to know you.”

  Jeanie shook her head. “Did she now? I don’t remember that.” It seemed Zelda had been filling his head with nonsense. Zelda had never said two words to her because she kept to herself and rarely mixed with other women. The only female friend Zelda had in this community was Amos’s cousin, Veronica. “I have nothing against her, but I was surprised at her attitude just now.”

  “She has strong opinions on things, I’ll give her that.”

  Jeanie was annoyed that Amos thought highly of Zelda. He must’ve seen something in her that no one else did. Her thoughts returned to the issue at hand. “What can I do, or say, that will make you happy to sell the farm to me?”

  “I know you don’t have money enough to do that, Jeanie.”

  “I can pay for it over time. I can even see if a bank will give me a loan and you can get your money immediately. They probably will when I show them the figures for what we’re earning. I’ve kept the books myself, and you know I used to be a professional bookkeeper before I joined the community, so the books are in excellent order.”

  “I didn’t know that about you. Anyway, there’s no need for all that. Leave things with me and I’ll give everything some more thought.” He rubbed his chin. “Now I’m in a very difficult position, even more so. I didn’t know you’d feel so strongly about keeping the farm without Malachi.”

  “We all do — Magda, me and Werner.” She could see the whole thing upset him. Being in the middle like that couldn’t have been easy. “Thanks so much, Amos. I hope I haven’t made things awful between you and Zelda.”

  “Nee, not at all.” He shook his head.

  She didn’t think that would be true once Zelda heard he was rethinking his options.

  He gave her a small smile. “Give me a few days, maybe a week?”

  “Okay.” She didn’t hold out much hope of him changing his mind. Zelda had the advantage of being close to him and would be talking at him constantly, making sure she got her way.

  He walked her to the door guiding her gently with his hand on her elbow. “Until then, just keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

  “We will.” She stepped out onto the porch, and then turned around. “I should say goodbye to Zelda.” When his face froze, she knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.

  “I’ll say goodbye for you.”

  “Thanks.” She walked down the steps and headed to her buggy feeling uneasy. Zelda was ready to pounce on the potato farm as urgently as a cat would jump on a mouse. She’d be back in there by now, and ready to fill Amos’s head with all kinds of nonsense.

  Jeanie patted her horse’s neck and when she had collected the reins, she looked back and saw Amos had already closed the door. All is not lost, she thought, as she climbed into the buggy. Clicking her horse forward, she told herself she’d had a good result because she’d been able to delay his decision at least for a few days. The only thing was, they’d be living in limbo, still not knowing what was going to happen. Now she had to tell Magda and Werner that nothing had been sorted.

  Chapter 5

  When Jeanie got back to the farm, Magda and Werner were both standing outside waiting to hear the news. Jeanie stepped out of her buggy and her face must’ve said it all.

  “What happened?” Werner finally asked when his mother said nothing.

  “He hasn’t decided, but one thing I know is that it’s not looking good.” Jeanie had thought she’d be able to appeal to Amos’s sense of fairness. She hadn't seen herself coming home having to tell them Amos was undecided. It hadn’t helped matters that Zelda had been there.

  “Tell us what happened,” Magda said.

  “I don’t know where to start.” She gave a sigh. “I need a moment to clear my head.”

  Magda looped her arm through hers. “Come inside. You need kaffe.”

  “I don’
t feel like kaffe. A cup of hot tea would be better.”

  Werner took hold of the horse’s cheek strap. “I’ll take care of the buggy. Don’t talk about anything until I get there, okay? I want to hear it too, from the beginning.”

  “Denke, Werner. Sure, we'll wait,” Jeanie agreed, and together she and Magda walked to the house. Magda made a pot of coffee and a pot of hot tea, and then they sat waiting until Werner joined them.

  Werner walked into the house, took off his hat, placed it on the end of the table and sat with them. Jeanie wished she had better news and hoped they could tell by her demeanor that he wasn’t giving the farm to them just yet. Nervously, Jeanie took a sip of tea, feeling them both watching her and waiting for her to begin. She set the cup down on the table and took a deep breath. “At first, he said he wanted Zelda’s brothers to take over the farm.”

  “What?” Magda shrieked.

  “Nee!” Werner was just as shocked.

  “It’s true, and to make up for it, he said he’d buy us a haus.”

  “Then you should’ve taken the haus,” Werner said.

  “Did you say we’d take it?” Magda stared at her, her green eyes nearly bulging from her head.

  “Nee, Magda, we want the farm. I mean, there isn’t a haus. He said he’d buy one of our choice and he’d take back the farm.”

  “Doesn’t sound like we’re going to get it now.” Werner leaned back in his chair clearly disappointed with her negotiations. Magda seemed of the same mind.

  “We could possibly get nothing now,” Magda added. “A haus would’ve been better than nothing, don’t you think?”

  “Come on, you two. We don’t need handouts from Amos. All I want is what rightfully would’ve been ours if Malachi had signed that contract.”

  Magda made tsk tsk sounds. “He was always putting things off. They said the ownership paper was ready to sign. He should’ve gone in to sign it without delay.”