The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but he will by no means clear the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children,
to the third and the fourth generation
Numbers 14:18
Aaron began the children’s favorite bedtime story.
“Hundreds of years ago there was a king who made a rule that everyone in the land had to bow down to a great golden statue that he had made. They were to bow down before it whenever the king ordered special music to be played. Everyone in the land was so frightened of the king that they all bowed down and worshipped the statue. Everyone that is, except three men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Before long, word got back to the king that these three men had refused to obey his rules. He called for the men to be brought before him. King Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego whether it was true that they disobeyed him. They said that it was true, and then the king, feeling a little kindly toward the men offered to give them one more chance. If the music played again and they bowed down and worshipped, then they’d be free to go. If they didn’t, what did the king tell them would happen?”
“They’d be thrown into the fire,” Ben said.
“That’s right.”
“Keep going,” Jared urged his father.
“He said that their God would not be able to save them. The three men saw the burning fire and knew the king would throw them in if they didn’t bow down next time. But they remembered the word of God that says that you should not worship any other gods. Now they could’ve thought that it wouldn’t hurt to pretend to worship the golden statue, but they feared the judgement of God more than the king and his fire. They knew they had to obey God rather than men. They told the king that God would save them from the fire and they would never serve his gods or worship any images made by the hand of man. The king became furious and ordered that the fire be heated seven times hotter than it had ever been heated before.”
“Nee,” Amy said, wrapping her hands around her knees, her eyes wide open.
“Then the king ordered the men to be tied up. The fire was so hot that no one could get near it. The king's men couldn’t even get close enough to it to throw the three men into it. But the king didn’t care. He ordered his strongest men to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire. The men who threw them in fell to the ground and died because they were overcome with the heat of the flames. The king didn’t care. He was glad to be rid of the three men who'd disobeyed him, and he was sure they were dead.
But then someone noticed there was someone standing in the fire and he yelled out to alert the king. The king didn’t believe it but he looked in the fiery furnace and didn’t see one man. How many did he see?”
“Four men,” the three children yelled out.
“Jah, there were four men in the fire. The king was astonished, as he’d only had three thrown in the fire and all three of them should be dead, but there surely shouldn’t have been four living men. Word traveled that people said the fourth man looked like a son of the gods. The king hurried from his throne and cried to the three men and ordered them out. He said to them, 'Servants of the Most High God, come out!' They came out, and their clothes weren’t even burned.”
Courtney saw Ben and Jared’s eyes wide like saucers. She would’ve loved someone telling her stories when she was a child, but she had no one giving her devoted attention like Aaron was giving his children.
“And you know what else?”
“Their clothes didn’t smell like smoke,” Amy said.
“And the fire had only burned the ropes around them,” added Jared.
“That’s right and that’s our Gott. We serve a powerful Gott who is able to do wondrous things and we need to follow him and do what he says and he will watch over us and keep us safe.”
It gladdened Courtney’s heart to see the look of wonder on the young faces. She looked across at Aaron and they exchanged smiles.
“Well, it’s off to bed with you now,” Aaron said.
“One more story?” Ben asked with a pout.
“Not tonight. You’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
“What are we doing tomorrow?” Jared asked.
“You all have to show Miss Courtney around and tell her where everything is. And you have to help her all you can.”
“We will,” Amy said in a tiny voice before she opened her mouth widely and yawned.
“Will you tuck us in, Miss Courtney?” Ben asked.
Courtney looked at Aaron who said, “We can both tuck you in and you each have to get used to sleeping in your own rooms. Jared you take Ben and Amy and all of you wash up and clean your teeth, and we’ll be along soon.”
The three children headed to the bathroom.
“They are very well-behaved.”
He scoffed. “Only because I keep at them. They aren’t as well-behaved as I’d like them to be, but at the same time I don’t believe in cruelty to keep them in line.”
“Nee, neither do I. All children need understanding and kindness.”
“That’s what Bessie said you believed.”
“Oh, I didn’t tell her that.”
“You didn’t?”
Courtney shook her head.
“She must have guessed.” He smiled.
“Maybe,” she said back, frowning a little.
The children passed them and went to their rooms.
“This is good. I can see how you put them in bed so I’ll know what to do when you’re not here.”
“I hope I’ll be here all the time.” He stared at her as he rose from the couch. “But there might be the odd occasion you’ll need to put them to bed.”
She stood. “I’ll follow you.”
He walked towards Jared’s room first and said over his shoulder. “I always start with the oldest first. The oldest always has privileges. He gets to ride in the front of the buggy when there’s no other adult traveling with me.”
“Okay. I’ll remember that.”
He kneeled down beside Jared’s bed and pulled the quilt up around his neck. “Sleep tight, Jared. Say your prayers.” He kissed him on his forehead.
“Gut nacht, Jared.”
“Gut nacht, Dat; gut nacht, Miss Courtney.”
They walked out of the room and Aaron closed the door behind him. Courtney walked to the other two bedrooms and waited by the door for Aaron to walk through. He walked into Ben’s room and followed the same routine except, after his father kissed him on the forehead, Ben raised his arms to Courtney.
Courtney glanced at Aaron and after a nod from him, she leaned down and kissed Ben on his forehead. “Gut nacht, Ben.”
“Gut nacht.”
When they walked into Amy’s room she was fast asleep with the top of her head poking out from under the quilt. Aaron lifted the quilt just slightly to see her sucking her thumb. Courtney smiled and Aaron looked up at her and grinned before he placed the quilt back over her.
They both crept out of the room.
“Well you must be really tired by now.”
“I am a little, but I’m also excited. I’ll go home and read how your home runs. I want to do everything just right.”
Aaron chuckled. “I don’t think there is a right or a wrong. Just do your best and we’ll all be fine.”
“I certainly will.” She hesitated wondering if he’d want to talk to her some more.
“Shall I walk you to your cabin?”
“Nee, denke. I’ll be fine. I left a lamp on. I’ll soon see my way.”
He nodded. “The light from the kitchen is still on so that will light the pathway.”
“Gut nacht, Aaron and I thank you for the job here. I will do the very best I can for you and the boys.” She giggled. “Oh, and Amy.”
“Denke, Courtney.” He walked her to the door and then took her shawl off the peg and placed it around her shoulders.
Once she was out in the cold night air she hugged the shawl to herself and pushed it up around her neck. With her hair always pulled up under her kapp, her neck and ears were always the first to feel the cold.
She trod carefully on the silvery moonlit path until she arrived at her cabin, which was less than thirty paces from the main haus.
When she opened the door, a waft of warm air engulfed her. She hurried over to the fire and placed another large log into it. The cold weather wasn't here just yet, but even still, it was colder than an August night would’ve been back in Lancaster County.
After she changed into her nightgown, she pulled on her warm robe and sat in front of the fire. She picked up the huge wad of papers, which held all the notes that Aaron had jotted down about how to look after his children, and their daily routines for each day of the week.
When she was nearly halfway through, she found it difficult to keep awake. Knowing that she had an early start in the morning to cook Aarons’ breakfast before work, she placed the notes back on the table and went to bed.
She threw back the curtains and lay in bed watching the clouds gently roll past the stars against the backdrop of a dark blue sky. As soon as it was light she would wake. She always woke at first light and wanted to keep within that pattern.
Whenever she was nearly asleep thoughts would plague her, and tonight was no different. It pained her that her baby would grow up without knowing who his or her father was, but she couldn’t let her pain pass on to her child. Nor could she allow her child to be defined by someone who’d grown up not knowing a parent. She’d seen a man in her old community who’d grown up not knowing who his father was and it played on his mind day and night—he spoke of little else. Courtney didn’t want that for her child—she had to be strong. Things will be how they will be, is what the woman she’d called her mother had always said to her when she was growing up. Ach, Courtney, you’re such a worried girl. Things will be how they will be and no matter how much you worry you won't change anything.
Courtney smiled as she recalled that same woman standing there with her arms folded across her chest berating her about worrying. After she exhaled heavily, she rolled over onto her side. All her movements were slower since her belly had grown larger. She was certain her belly was much more prominent in the last two days. If Bessie saw her now she would most likely guess that she was expecting.
She’d have to tell Bessie in her letter that she was expecting and she would apologize for not mentioning it right away. It was a normal thing within the community that people wouldn’t discuss pregnancy, but she really should’ve told Bessie of her situation. Hopefully, Bessie would understand why she didn’t. She put her hands over her baby and smiled. It wouldn’t be long until she was face-to-face with the little person that God had blessed her with.