Heidi handed out recipe cards to each of her students, and then gave them the ingredients to make her special egg salad. She could see from a few of the children’s expressions that they weren’t too enthused. Well, it was too late to fix something else, but at least she noticed a few of her students turning the card over to read the Bible verse. This week she’d used Isaiah 54:13: “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”
Maybe the verses are getting through to some of these children, or even their parents. Heidi hoped that was the case.
“Now the first thing we will do is boil some eggs.” Heidi pointed to the egg carton, as well as the kettle she’d set on the table. “If you’ll each take one and gently place it in the pan, I’ll put it on the stove to boil. Be very careful, though. We don’t want to break any eggs.”
Heidi had no sooner spoken the words when Peggy Ann picked up an egg and dropped it into the kettle. The shell cracked on impact, and the yolk, mixed with white, seeped out.
Peggy Ann burst into tears.
Trent stared at the child in disbelief as she ran out of the room. He glanced at Debbie, staring at the broken egg with a sober expression. Wonder how my daughter would have reacted if it happened to her.
“What’s that girl’s problem?” Trent directed his question to Heidi. “It’s only a broken egg. Seems overly emotional to me.”
“Peggy Ann has many reasons to be emotional.” Heidi spoke in a quiet tone. “She and her family are fairly new to the area and they’ve had a rough go of it since their arrival.”
“What kind of problems have they faced?” he questioned.
“For one thing, Velma—Peggy Ann’s mother—was in an accident and totaled her car. Her insurance won’t cover the damages, and Velma and her husband don’t have the money to buy a new vehicle.” Heidi moved away from the table. “I need to check on Peggy Ann. Would one of you please take over until I get back?”
“I’ll do whatever you ask,” Ellen spoke up. “Should I see that the eggs get boiled?”
“Yes, thank you.” Heidi hurried from the kitchen and found Peggy Ann crouched in one corner of the living room, tears streaming down her face.
Heidi knelt beside the little girl and patted her trembling shoulder. “It’s okay. No harm’s been done. You can start over with another egg.”
“I can’t never do nothin’ right. My brother says I’m a klutz, and I guess it’s true.” Peggy Ann sniffed, swiping at her tears. “Mama always says we shouldn’t waste food, but I wrecked a good egg.”
“Don’t worry about it, Peggy Ann. I’ve broken plenty of eggs too.” Heidi shook her head. “And you’re not a klutz. It was an accident and could have happened to anyone.”
Peggy Ann blinked rapidly. “You think so?”
“Most certainly.” Heidi gave the child a sympathetic squeeze. “Now let’s go back to the kitchen.” She rose to her feet and reached for the child’s hand.
Peggy Ann blew her nose on the tissue Heidi handed her. “Okay.”
Heidi smiled. At least one problem was solved. Now, if she could just get Kassidy and Becky to apologize to each other and act civilized, it would be a successful day.
As Trent sat between his children, waiting for the kettle of eggs to boil, he thought about the things Heidi had said concerning Peggy Ann’s mother needing another car. While he couldn’t provide her with a new one, he might be able to buy a reliable used car. It may not prove he was trustworthy yet, but it would be a good deed and could help gain points with Miranda, which, in turn, might pave the way further to a reconciliation.
Trent’s tongue darted out to lick his lips. Yep. Come Monday morning I’ll get on it. I’m sure the right car that would fit my budget and work for the struggling family’s need is sitting on my boss’s lot, waiting for a new owner.
Trent bumped his son’s shoulder and grinned. Hang in there, buddy. It won’t be long and your dad will be coming home where he belongs. Then our family will be complete again.
Denise looked over at her daughter, sitting with elbows on the table and wearing a smug expression. Does my daughter think she’s won the fight with Becky, or does she have something else up her sleeve? Kassidy seemed to be making an attempt to get along with all the other children except Becky—and especially Jeremy.
“Do you have any pets?” Kassidy smiled sweetly at Darren’s son, although her question sounded far from sincere.
“I have a dog named Bacon,” Jeremy answered with little enthusiasm. “Thought I told you before.”
“No, you never mentioned him to me,” Kassidy said in an all-too-friendly tone. “You should bring him to class next time.”
“Naw. That wouldn’t be a good idea.” Jeremy turned his back on Kassidy and made conversation with Randy. Denise couldn’t blame him for that. He probably didn’t care much for her daughter, with the way she acted.
When Heidi returned with Peggy Ann, Kassidy spoke up. “Are you okay now, Peggy Ann?”
The young girl nodded.
Denise watched with suspicion when Kassidy smiled, then turned her conversation to Debbie. “Maybe sometime you can come to our place, and we can spend an afternoon together.”
“Maybe.” Debbie glanced at her father, but he said nothing.
Denise felt pity for Becky, frowning and fidgeting in her chair as she eyed Kassidy. I wonder what that poor girl is thinking.
“Kassidy, quit disrupting the class and pay attention to Heidi,” Denise whispered so that others wouldn’t hear. She felt sure Kassidy was up to something, but couldn’t figure out what.
Velma paused from weeding long enough to watch a mother robin pull a worm from the grass and feed her baby. Even birds and animals cared about their young and provided for their needs.
Her heart clenched. I wonder where Bobbie Sue is living now. Is she doing okay? If we would only hear something from her I’d feel a bit better. She squeezed her eyes shut, reflecting on her son, Clem. He obviously didn’t care about his family anymore either. Maybe I’m getting what I deserve.
Velma thought about her parents and the falling-out she’d had with them before she and Hank packed up their family and moved to Ohio. It was a heated argument that never got resolved. Velma had been so upset when they moved, she’d decided to sever the relationship with her folks. They’d never approved of Hank, and her obligation was to him, so Velma felt she had to choose. Some days she thought about trying to make amends, but she wasn’t sure they would want anything to do with her—especially after the horrible things that had been said on both sides. Hank was even angrier than Velma, and he’d made it clear when they moved that he never wanted to see her parents again. So if she chose to contact them, she’d have to do it secretly. It might be worth taking the chance, however. At least then, she wouldn’t have to live with guilt.
When she heard her name being called, her eyes snapped open. She looked toward the house and saw Heidi heading her way. Velma stood, and wiped her face with her hanky, hoping there were no tears.
“I came out to tell you that the children have finished making their egg-salad sandwiches,” Heidi said. “We made a few extras, so would you like to join us as we eat our sandwiches?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Velma self-consciously brushed a splotch of dirt off her T-shirt. “I’m not really presentable for socializin’.”
“It’s okay. Nobody is dressed fancy, and since Kassidy and Becky have dirt and grass stains on their clothes, no one will even notice the soil on yours. Besides, a little dirt from the garden shows how hard you’ve been working.”
“A sandwich does sound good.” Velma stuffed her hanky into one of her overalls’ pockets. “Before we go into the house, can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“If you had a disagreement with your folks, and your husband didn’t want you to have any contact with them, what would ya do?”
“That would be a difficult situation.” Heidi rubbed the base of her neck. “Does Hank have a good reason for not wanting you to speak with them?”
Nodding, Velma groaned. “We had a fallin’-out with them before we left Kentucky, and some ugly words were said on both parts. Truth is, my parents have never cared much for Hank, so that makes it even harder.”
Heidi placed a comforting hand on Velma’s arm. “If I were in your situation, the first thing I’d do is pray about it.”
“Yeah, I kinda thought I should be doin’ that.” Velma puckered her lips. “Prayin’ don’t come easy to me, though, and it may take some practice.”
“You know, Velma, praying isn’t anything more than talking to God. He wants us to talk to Him—not just about our requests—but to praise and thank Him for our many blessings.”
“Guess you’re right about that. I just don’t feel worthy to even be talkin’ to God. All these years I’ve pretty much ignored Him, thinkin’ I could do things by myself. So why would He listen to me now?”
Heidi shook her head. “If we based our relationship with God on our worthiness, none of us would measure up. But He wants us to humbly come to Him in prayer and supplication, so we should never be afraid to approach the throne with our requests. No prayer is too small or unimportant in God’s eyes.”
Velma’s lips parted as she leaned closer to Heidi. “Know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think you’d make a good preacher.”
Heidi’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, my, no. I’m not qualified for that. Besides, in our Amish faith, only men are chosen to be ministers.”
Velma tipped her head. “Is that a fact?”
Heidi slowly nodded.
“And why is that?”
“We believe the Bible tells us that women are not to teach men. Our ministers, deacons, and bishops are chosen by lot, and women are never included.”
“Looks like I’ve got a lot to learn. Especially about my Amish neighbors.” If Hank heard what Heidi just explained, I’m sure he’d agree with this Amish rule, but not for the same reasons.