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Miriam drove the buggy along the dirt path leading from the highway. Both she and Ruby had decided to close the store for the week of the wedding. Today, Saturday was her last day free of the store work. Monday would find her back at work. She shook her head. Never did she feel this way. It was not the Amish way to dislike their jobs, whether it was in their homes or at a business or trade.
The buggy wheel fell into a hole and jolted her from her thoughts. She needed to speak to Levi about fixing the holes in the road from the highway up to their house as they used it every day at this time of the year. Today the short distance exhausted her with each bounce.
It was a good thing she had been away from work because an older woman had a difficult birth, and Miriam spent the sum of two days with her. She had not headed home until the roosters were welcoming the district to morning. Once the boppli was settled, after midnight, thoughts of her comfortable, warm bed, even for a few hours, materialized before her and she decided to drive home.
Levi was up and making kaffe when she dragged in, and he pointed her toward the bedroom with a kiss on the tip of her nose.
Miriam slept until noon. Bless Levi. He knew how tired she was. Even with all the sleep, she was exhausted and only fixed chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for supper. After making short work of the dishes, she was back in her bed asleep before seven o’clock in the evening.
***
A week later, the November morning had been clear and crisp, and Miriam enjoyed her walk to open the store. It was only a mile. The air had invigorated her to face the day, but as the afternoon descended, she could hardly drag herself home. Beat. This was the only word which described how she felt. Again. Why had she not driven her buggy to work today?
The wind came up, and the feel of snow was in the air. Humidity gathered on the wool cloak as she wrapped it tighter around her. Rounding a bend in the road, her home came into view. Smoke from the fireplace pumped into the air and it bent as a breeze caught it. Home.
The sight gave her step a bit more energy. All she wanted to do was take a short nap before having to gather up leftovers from her gas refrigerator. Miriam cooked an extra-large meal yesterday in case she had to be away from home. That way, Levi did not need to starve.
Levi’s handsome face shone through her mind. His black hair curling under his straw hat in the summertime. His sparkling, deep blue eyes surrounded by thick lashes and best of all, his full, pink lips. She loved this man so much.
As she neared the back of the house, she saw a horse with a flat work wagon attached. Furniture, stacked this way and every way, covered the wooden flatbed. What in the world had Levi been up to? She did not remember him telling her of an upcoming auction.
The house Levi built for her was large. The original home for the property was on the other side of a large field. It needed cleaning and a few repairs as it sat vacant for many years. Since Levi’s parents passed.
She and Levi wanted many children to fill their new home. Six bedrooms on the second story covered a large front room, big enough for church Sunday’s, a bedroom, kitchen, and mudroom. Miriam walked into the mudroom and took off her cape. With working at Ruby’s store, midwifery, and healings, plus caring for her home and Levi, fatigue dogged her every step.
Her shoes were tinged with dampness, so she slid on her fluffy, warm house slippers. Voices came from the kitchen. Company. It was not what she needed on a night like this. She sighed and walked into the kitchen.
Wayne and Levi, each holding a boppli sat around the kitchen table. What in the world were they doing here? What if the bishop saw them here? They must have stopped for a visit before arriving at the kind family’s home where Levi had arranged for them to stay. Fortifying herself with a deep gulp of air, Miriam smiled and offered, “Wilkum to our home.”
Anna had not heard her until she spoke. “Ach! Miriam. You are at home. I have supper nearly ready. I hope you do not mind I took over your kitchen, and a beautiful kitchen it is. I will enjoy helping you if it is alright, and it is isn’t it?”
Miriam stood there, staring at the girl. She knew from her medical information that Anna was twenty years old. My but the girl could carry on. Where did she get the breath to utter all those words?
“Thank you for doing this, Anna. I’m exhausted. I am glad to see your family. Where are you headed?” Anna turned to the stove and stirred something in a big pot that smelled heavenly.
Levi and Wayne looked nervously at Anna.
Miriam caught their strange looks and felt a sinking in the middle of her stomach.
Miriam remembered the leftovers. “Did you find the leftovers? Did they make enough for all four of us?” she asked wearily, then took a chair beside the men and boppli.
“I added all the leftovers from the icebox and found some potatoes and a jar of tomatoes in the basement. Biscuits are in the oven and will be ready soon. Go get washed up, and I will get the table set, and the food finished.”
Miriam stood, gave her husband a sharp glare as she passed him on the way out of the kitchen. She became angrier by the minute. Levi’s family were taking over her home! What about Levi’s promise to her? Why was this happening?
Walking into their bedroom on the main floor, she wanted to stay there and let the rest of them have supper. She would not be good company.
She looked around the room to calm herself. Levi designed the home for them. He wanted many children, and the separation of levels, making it possible to give them privacy and quiet. If Wayne, Anna, and the kinner stayed here, at least there was separation.
A large bathroom, plain in style with a big tub and shower combination which was accessed from a hallway off the large living room, but near the bedroom. Their company could use it and on Sunday when they hosted services, it was handy.
The one thing Miriam loved in her bedroom was the attached small room to use as a nursery. Once boppli arrived, they lived close to her until they were old enough for a room upstairs.
Splashing water on her face somewhat revived her and calmed her down. If she made it through supper without screaming at Levi or falling asleep in her plate, it would be a miracle. Drying her face and hands with a scratchy towel, she was ready to return to the kitchen. The sooner she got supper over, the sooner she could talk to her husband.
Walking back into the kitchen, Miriam found Anna did indeed have the meal under control. They were all waiting supper for Mirian to join them.
Levi watched her drop onto the chair beside him. “You look exhausted. All the sleep last night did not help?”
Placing a napkin on her lap, she looked at his eyes, which held such concern for her. “It did, but the store was crazy busy today.”
“I will put the kitchen in order after we eat. I want you to ready yourself for bed and sleep the whole night through,” Levi said. His full lips pulled into a smile. Each side dimpled handsomely.
“Neither of you have to worry. I’ll handle the kitchen. We have to pay your kindness back somehow,” Anna offered.
“Jah, I’ll help, too.” Wayne offered.
Anna’s laugh came out in a bark. “Nee, husband. You just make sure the boppli stay asleep. That is good enough.”
Miriam was confused. “What is going on?” She looked questionably at Levi.
“Wayne, Anna, and the children are going to stay with us for a while.” Miriam looked at the two small, plastic carriers which held the babies. Would she be able to sleep with the tiny ones here?
“I have Wayne and Anna in the large room upstairs at the back and the babies directly across from them,” he said, and reached out for her hand, and his other one reached for his brothers. They bowed in silent prayer. Then Levi cleared his throat as a notification the prayer time was over.
Miriam could not concentrate on praying. Too many questions remained unsaid and answered. She was so busy with healing and delivering, and then there was the store. Gott help them all.
Looking up from the silent prayer, frowning, Miriam asked, “What will they sleep on? I have no crib.”
Wayne looked up directly at Miriam. His brows knit together, and his gaze showed how uncomfortable he was. “We have two cradles for the little ones and bedding as well. We will be out of your hair as soon as we can, Miriam. We must find a place to go to. I feel your bishop might not like the shunned sharing a table and a room at your home.”
Levi spoke up, “This is not the case, brother. I have talked to the Bishop.” Levi gave Miriam a sideways glance. “You see since you did not join the church yet with baptism, old Bishop Yoder could not shun you in the first place. The only thing he asks is for you to do a kneeling for forgiveness at a church service when you are ready. Ask for mercy regarding your fondness of drink.”
Wayne sat silently looking at the floor. He finally looked up and directed his vision to his brother and said, “I will do this to bring our families back together. I have missed so much. I have missed you, Levi. The death of our parents...”
“Nee, do not go there. We will be happy again, Wayne. Just look at your family. You can become stronger for them.”
Wayne nodded. “I will find work and a place to live as soon as I can.”
“I have thoughts regarding this, as well. We could fix up our family home for you and your family. Also, you know I am not a farmer. I love my horses. Why not you take over all the farming and I’ll work the south portion of the land, where I grow feed for the animals? This land will support us both.”
Wayne did not say a word for a moment, but Anna gasped at Levi’s solution. Her husband shook his head at her in a silent way to communicate for her to be still.
Finally, he questioned, “You would do this for us?”
Levi nodded. “You are my brother, and I love you. You are welcome here.”
On that word, they fell into silence as they ate. Even the boppli slept through the meal.
Miriam was at a loss as to what to say to Wayne and Anna. They were strangers to her. If truth is known, Wayne was as much a stranger to Levi. They had not seen each other for over ten years. The older man had to be at least forty years old.
“You are welcome here from me as well. I would love to help you with the boppli.”
When she had first met Anna for her appointment, she never realized the age difference between the couple. Twenty years was a lot. She’d have to ask Levi just how old his brother was. He looked old but living the way they did probably took a toll on him. With good food and a warm, safe place to live, surely both he and Anna’s future health might return.
The babies were healthy, but how much had they stripped from their mothers’, bones, teeth, and general health?
“Miriam?”
Levi’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Sorry. I guess I am too tired to sit here any longer.” She managed to eat half a biscuit with honey and some of her meal, pushing much of it around on her plate. “I’m not very hungry, but it was delicious, Anna. Thank you for doing this.”
“Run off to bed. We can handle everything here. I’ll see you in the morning at breakfast after I feed the horses, and with my brother’s help,” he smiled at Wayne showing his joking manner, “the chores should go fast. I have no plans tomorrow but to get this family settled in with us.”
Miriam squeezed his hand and said goodnight to her new family and left the room.
It took all her energy just to slip into her long cotton nightgown and drop into bed. Her eyes closed as her head touched the pillow.