Their Son's Amish Baby Read online

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

  Isaiah 40:31

  * * *

  When she saw an inviting line of trees in the distance, she was more than certain that they lined a river or a stream. There was only one fence she had to climb through to reach it, and seeing it wasn’t a barbed-wire fence she slipped through it.

  As soon as she’d made it through she noticed a cow staring at her. Not being comfortable with cows she walked quickly. When she heard snorts she turned to see that the cow wasn’t a cow at all, it looked very much like a bull. She glanced back at the fence she’d just come through to see how far it would be to run back. Should she walk or should she run? She figured that if she ran the bull might chase her, but if she slowly backed away toward the fence, he might leave her alone.

  She heard a male voice yell, “Don’t move! When he turns to me, run for the fence.”

  Bree looked over at the man who was now waving his arms at the bull and yelling. The distraction worked and the bull had turned to look at the man. Taking advantage of the bull turning the other way, she ran for the fence.

  Just as she slipped through, the man yelled, “Are you okay?”

  She looked down at her arm that had grazed against a piece of wire that had been sticking out of the fence post. “I’m okay, are you?”

  “Stay there!” he ordered and proceeded to walk around the paddock, in the opposite direction from the trees, toward her.

  It was Simon’s brother Andrew; she recognized him from the funeral. She wondered if he’d heard the news that she was visiting. He reached her at last. “What were you doing in with the bull?”

  “I was just going for a walk. I was just at your parents’ house. I’m Bree, a friend of Simon’s.

  He smiled. “So you’re Bree?”

  She nodded. “He told you about me?”

  “He mentioned you.”

  “I’m staying at your house for a while. I recognize you from the funeral.” She looked down at her feet and back up into his face. “I might as well tell you because you’ll find out sooner or later.”

  “What will I find out?”

  “I’m having Simon’s baby.”

  He frowned. “You are?”

  She nodded.

  “And you’ve told my parents?”

  “Yes I have. They said I could stay for a while because I’ve got nowhere else to stay.”

  “You don’t have any family?”

  “My parents have disowned me. They told me to move out of their home as soon as I told them.”

  “Your parents weren’t fond of Simon?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “They never met him. They wanted me to marry someone rich, well, his father is rich. When I’d ruined their plan they had no further use for me, and that’s how it always is with them.”

  He scratched his neck.

  “I’ve been a nuisance to them from the day I was born. No, probably before that.” Bree looked over at the bull, wondering why she was telling this man her entire life story. The bull was staring at the both of them. “I hope I haven’t upset the bull.”

  “He’s pretty docile. I’d say you’ve just given him a bit of excitement.”

  “When I told your mother I was going for a walk she said not to go through the barbed wire fence and there’s no barbed wire anywhere.”

  He looked down at the fence and touched the top wire. “This is barbed wire – see, these short pieces are wrapped around the main wire, and their sharp bare ends are called barbs.”

  Bree’s mouth fell open. “Is it? I thought it was something entirely different.”

  Andrew threw his head back and laughed. “I can’t imagine what you’d have thought it would be.”

  “I don’t know. I just thought barbed wire was that crisscross wire.”

  “You might be talking about chicken wire.”

  “Just as well you were around to save me.”

  He shook his head. “You might have been all right if you walked slow and didn’t look like a threat.”

  A giggle escaped Bree’s lips. “I’ll remember that for next time.”

  “I’m sorry to hear you got that reaction from your parents. It must be hard for you. Do you have any kind of plans?”

  She remained quiet and looked at the bull, wondering how much to tell him.

  “I’m sorry; I’m asking too many questions.”

  “The only plan I’ve come up with after weeks and weeks of thinking about it is to find good parents to raise my child. I just can’t do it on my own. From what Simon told me about your parents, they’d be the perfect people to raise my baby. I only hope that they’ll want to do it. Your father said they’d talk to me about it tonight.”

  “They’ve always wanted more than three children.”

  “That’s what Simon told me.

  Since he was an adult, Bree thought she should take advantage of the time alone with him and get him on board with her plans. “The main reason I’m here is I’m hoping your parents will adopt my baby.”

  “Why would they need to adopt the baby if the baby is their grandchild?”

  Bree bit her lip. “I don’t want to raise the baby. I mean, I can’t. I’ve got no money, this wasn’t planned, and for a host of other reasons. If they adopt the baby I can walk away with a clear conscience.”

  “You plan to leave the baby here and walk away?” He drew his eyebrows together.

  “I suppose I’ll have to. Simon told me how wonderful it was growing up in his house and I want our baby to have that same chance. I’d be a terrible parent, besides that, I’m far too young.”

  He took a sideways glance at her. “How old are you?”

  “I’m nineteen.”

  “That’s old enough.”

  “I’ve not done anything. I haven’t lived my life yet.”

  He chuckled. “What kind of things do you want to do with your life that you can’t do when you’ve got a child?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ve got no father for the child and that means that everything will be up to me; it’s too much responsibility.”

  “What did my parents say?”

  “They didn’t say ‘yes’ and they didn’t say ‘no.’”

  He chuckled. “They’re always hinting for me to get married and I know it’s only so they can have grandchildren. When they get over their shock, they’ll be happy – don’t worry about that.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

  “There’s no doubt about it.

  “Do you work on the farm here?”

  He shook his head. “There is no longer much money in running a farm of our size. My father has been a builder for around twenty years now, and I work with him.”

  “Just like Simon.”

  “Yes that’s right. We’re not working today because we took the day off to repair some of our fences.”

  Bree nodded. “And what does your sister do?”

  “Cora stays home with our mother and looks after the house.”He looked about him. “Where were you headed on your walk?”

  “I saw those trees over there and then I thought there might be a stream behind them.”

  “There is.” He smirked and touched the barbed wire. “You can figure that out and you didn’t know this was barbed wire?”

  “I guess that is kind of odd.”

  “Come on, I’ll show you the creek.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Andrew was similar in looks to Simon with his height, dark hair, and brown eyes, although she was beginning to see that their personalities were dissimilar. Simon had always been joking around and he was loud, but Andrew seemed serious and a more mature version of his younger brother. Maybe Simon would’ve been just like Andrew in a few years time.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about my brother?” He glanced over at her.

  “I don’t mind; wh
at do you want to know?”

  “Were you with him when he died?”

  “I was supposed to be, but I didn’t feel well that night so I stayed at home. I didn’t like him racing cars, but I didn’t feel I should tell him what to do.”

  “Surely you could’ve if you were in a relationship?” He shook his head. “Ignore what I just said. Did you live together?”

  “No; I lived with my parents. Simon lived with his other friends.”

  “Yeah, I met his other friends, most of them anyway.”

  Figuring it would make Andrew feel better, she added, “He was going back to the community, you know. He told me he planned to.”

  “Were you coming back with him?”

  “We never got to talk about that.”

  “He did know about the baby, didn’t he?”

  Bree nodded. “He did.” Suddenly feeling very uneasy talking about Simon, she looked up at Andrew. “I better get back to the house.”

  He stopped still. “The creek’s not far now.”

  “I’m suddenly feeling tired.”

  He turned around. “Another day, then.”

  She smiled. “Yes, another day.” Bree considered she’d done the right thing by opening up to him a little. He seemed firmly on her side.

  When they got back to the house, Andrew took Bree around to the back door that led into the kitchen. His mother and Cora were busy in the kitchen and they looked up when Andrew and Bree walked in.

  “Where’s your vadder?” Mrs. Stauffer asked Andrew.

  “I don’t know. I lost sight of him when I rescued Bree from the bull.”

  Mrs. Stauffer’s jaw dropped open and Cora stopped peeling the vegetables and stared at them. Marie looked at Bree. “I told you not to go into the paddock with the barbed wire.”

  “Turns out she thought barbed wire was chicken wire, Mamm,” Andrew said.

  With her mouth open, Mrs. Stauffer stared at Andrew and then looked at Bree. “Did he charge at you?”

  “I’d only just got into the paddock and Andrew distracted him so I could slip back through the fence.”

  “I’m sorry, Bree. I thought everyone knew what barbed wire was.”

  “She’s a city girl, Mamm,” Andrew said.

  “You could’ve been badly hurt,” Mrs. Stauffer said.

  “But I'm not. Just a little scratch that will be fine once I wash it.” Bree gave a little giggle. “I’m fine. Do you need any help in here?”

  “You could help Cora shell the peas.”

  While Andrew walked out of the kitchen, Bree went to the bathroom and washed her hands and the scrape on her arm. Then she sat down at the table with Cora. “I’ve never shelled peas before.” She picked up a pod and examined it. “How do I do it?”

  Cora giggled. “I’ll show you.” Cora demonstrated how to pop open a pea pod and use her thumb to strip the peas from the pod into a bowl, and then Cora popped one into her mouth. “They taste good even before they’re cooked.”

  Bree placed one into her mouth and chewed on it as well. “Not too bad.”

  “You don’t cook much, Bree?” Mrs. Stauffer asked.

  “No. I don’t cook, at all. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked. I did help Mom once or twice at Christmas time with peeling vegetables, but mostly my parents get food delivered.”

  Mrs. Stauffer pulled a face. “Delivered? Do you call a restaurant and it’s delivered to the door?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d like that,” Cora said. “Does it taste as good?”

  “Tastes better than it would if I cooked it,” Bree said, which caused Cora to laugh.

  Mrs. Stauffer put her hand to her head. “I think you’ll have to finish off the meal, Cora.”

  Cora bounded to her feet. “Do you have another headache?”

  She nodded. “If you need anything, Bree, Cora can show you where it is.” Mrs. Stauffer walked out of the room.

  “She gets really bad headaches,” Cora explained when she sat back down.

  “I hope that’s not because of me,” Bree said.

  “She gets them whenever she gets uptight about anything. Sometimes she’s in bed for three days with them.”

  Bree kept shelling peas not knowing what to say; she knew that her coming there must have been a nasty shock for Mrs. Stauffer.

  “My mother told me why you’re here.”

  “I didn’t know whether to say anything or not, but I’m glad she told you.”

  “I’m glad it’s all happened.”

  “Thank you, Cora, but I’m sad it caused your mother to get sick.”

  “Don’t worry. It doesn’t take much to give her a headache.”

  “Does she take anything for them? Are you allowed to take medicines?”

  “We can. We do go to doctors. She’s tried dozens of things but nothing seems to work for her except sleeping it off in a dark room. A cold wet washcloth on her forehead helps,” Cora said. “I’ll go take her one now.”

  “I think drinking a lot of water is supposed to help too.”

  Cora stood up. “I’ll take her a pitcher of water as well.”

  When Cora walked out of the room, the back door opened and Mr. Stauffer walked through.

  “Where is everyone?” he asked.

  “Mrs. Stauffer has gone to bed with a headache and Cora is taking some things up to her. I’m sorry, I’m afraid I might have brought it on.”

  “You need not be sorry,” he said, taking off his hat and hanging it on the clothes peg. Mr. Stauffer closed the door behind him and walked further into the kitchen. “I’ll go and see how she is.”

  Bree wondered if she should leave, but the only thing that kept her bottom on the chair was that she had nowhere else to go. If she did, she might have gone. Cora and Andrew seemed nice and friendly, but Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer were standoffish and it made her feel uneasy. Things weren’t off to a good start.

  It wasn’t long before Cora was back in the kitchen, having delivered the cold cloth and the pitcher of water.

  “She’ll feel better now that Dat’s home.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you things about my brother?”

  “You can ask me anything you like.”

  “Were you in love with Simon as soon as you saw him? Or did the love take a while to grow?”

  After Bree gave a little laugh, she said, “I liked him as soon as I saw him and then when I got to know him we fell in love.” Cora seemed so innocent and young. Bree hoped that Cora wouldn’t make a mess of her life. If she stayed with her Amish community she was unlikely to get into trouble.

  “So you liked the way he looked? Both my brothers are handsome; girls tell me that all the time, but now I’ve only got one brother. I keep forgetting. It feels strange. I had two older brothers and now I’ve only got one.”

  “Simon’s left a void in the life of everyone who knew him.”

  “I just wished he could’ve been around for a few more years. And come back to the community before he left.”

  Bree nodded and hoped Cora wasn’t going to cry. If Cora cried then she’d be unable to stop herself from crying also.

  “I hadn’t seen him in so long. Sometimes I find it hard to remember what he looked like,” Cora said staring into the distance. After a while Cora looked over at Bree. “I shouldn’t be talking like this. You of all people must miss him the most.”

  Bree smiled at her, grateful that Cora was being so kind.

  Chapter 4

  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

  Romans 8:24

  * * *

  Marie had to get away from Bree; she was too much of a reminder of Simon. She was just the sort of girl she’d imagined Simon would marry – pretty and vibrant, and with her blond hair and blue eyes, she was the woman she saw married to her son.

  Once Marie took her prayer kapp off, she slipped between the sheets, longing for her husband to c
ome home. Trying not to cry was something she was well practiced at lately, but today being faced with Simon’s girlfriend and his soon-to-be-born child was reason enough to cry.

  Tears trickled down her cheeks even though she closed her eyes tightly to try to stop them from falling. How she longed to see Simon’s face just one last time. It was too good to hope that what Bree said might be true, but she had no reason to doubt her words. She wondered what her husband really thought of what Bree had told them.

  Cora tiptoed into the room and placed a pitcher of water on the nightstand beside her. “Denke, Cora.”

  “Close your eyes, Mamm. I’ve got a wet cloth.”

  Marie closed her eyes while her daughter placed the cool cloth over her eyes and forehead. “Do you want water now?”

  “Nee, I’ve not long had some.” After that, she heard Cora tiptoe out.

  Marie’s thoughts were drawn back to the visitor. The girl was pregnant and alone; Marie’s heart went out to Bree. Having no other choice but to give up her baby was a dreadful position to be in. She couldn’t imagine being in her place and having to make such a gut-wrenching choice.

  Maybe God had designed everything to happen the way it was unfolding. Was God finally hearing her prayers of long ago, asking to have another child? A grandchild would be a gift from God even if she and Joel never raised the child themselves. They could help Bree in some way so she could raise her own child. She wondered whether Bree could really give up her baby after the birth; she couldn't imagine any mother having to make a cold calculating choice that the baby would be better off with someone else. The young woman was showing a great deal of strength and determination, and Marie admired her for being able to put her baby’s needs above her own.

  For the first time since Simon died, Marie felt close to him. Having Bree and her child around would be a little like having Simon back. Part of him would be living on. It was a disaster having him die senselessly in a car accident, but maybe God had plans for Simon’s child and Simon’s death might make some sense in time. That’s the best thing Marie could hope for.

  Marie sensed someone in the room again, so she moved the cloth and opened her eyes to see Joel. “You home already?” She pushed herself up slightly onto the pillows.