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Annie woke up to the sun streaming in and bathing her face in its brightness. As she tried to sit up, an unfamiliar heaviness dragged at her left leg, then she felt a sharp twinge of pain.
“Ow! Mamm!”
Mary hurried in from the kitchen, carrying a tray laden with breakfast.
“Gut mariye! You are awake! Gut! I know you are hurting, so eat breakfast and take another pain pill. You slept all night long, so the one you took last night wore off,” said Mary as she pulled a small table to Annie’s side.
“Mamm, will those pills make me sleep? I need to finish more doll quilts for Ruth. I can’t do anything, so . . .” As she spoke, John came in, walking behind Annie.
“Let me help you sit up more comfortably so you can eat,” he said. Sliding his hands under Annie’s arms, he slowly lifted her and positioned her so she was sitting upright.
“Denki, daed. I need to find a way of sitting up so I can use the sewing machine.” As she ate, she and her mother thought about how she could accomplish this.
“Annie, until you are in less pain, you need to keep your leg propped up on these pillows. That’s what the doctor said. It will keep your leg from swelling too much. I think you should just match fabrics and cut them out, along with the batting. How many more do you want to make?” Mary asked.
“As many as I can. Since I won’t be able to move around for a while, I can do that and help Ruth and the Beilers out as much as possible. I might as well be useful to someone, since I can’t help you out here,” Annie said as she chewed toast and eggs. Mamm, did you hear Barbara screaming from the other side of the emergency room last night?”
“Ya, I did. Remember I told you about the genetic issues? Barbara broke down last night, under her delusion that Mark had promised himself to her. Your daed is staying home today, because we – and Mark – are all worried about Mrs. Kurtz coming here and causing more trouble. He will be here or in the barn all day long, so one of us will always be here in the house. And, don’t you worry about not helping me around here. It’s just the three of us, and you are not a messy person. Mrs. Lapp is taking my place at school today, so don’t worry,” Mary said.
“Denki. I will cut fabric and quilting today. I’ll have to wait to move to the sewing machine until I can position my leg more comfortably,” Annie said.
“And that won’t be until tomorrow, at the earliest,” said Mary. “We have a prescription for a wheelchair for you. Your daed can go for it tomorrow. Maybe, once you can sit without pain, you can roll the chair to the sewing machine and work on putting quilts together,” Mary suggested.
“I like that. Okay. I’ve eaten as much as I can. I need a pain pill - but I hope they won’t put me to sleep,” Annie said.
“Here’s one – with your coffee,” Mary said, handing a small pill to Annie. She read the label. “I can’t tell if you will get sleepy. If you do, put the scissors away and take a nap. You need to recover, anyway.”
Annie’s head began nodding a little more than an hour after she had taken her pain pill. Setting the scissors on the tray, she allowed her head to slump to the back of the couch . . .
She was back in the Stoltzfus back yard, where Barbara was swinging the heavy branch. Barbara was talking madly, telling Mark that they were “destined” to be man and wife. Annie was standing by the front window, trying to predict what the unpredictable Barbara would do. She saw Barbara’s face subtly change, revealing the depth of her delusion and insanity. This change frightened her, to the point that she ran off the porch, only to confront Barbara’s deranged eyes and spittle-covered face . . . PAIN! Annie collapsed, hearing a cacophony of screams and yells all around her . . .
“John! It’s Mrs. Kurtz! She’s outside and she’s trying to get into the house!”
Annie woke up suddenly, hearing her mother’s voice. She turned, trying to look out the window and her mother said, “Keep your head down! Barbara’s mother is outside and she’s in just the same shape as Barbara was yesterday.
Annie kept her head down, hearing the screams and yelling outside. She felt her blood chill as she remembered the nightmarish events that had led to her broken leg.
“Bring her out here! Annie stole Mark Stoltzfus from my Barbara! Send her out, right now, so she can face me, the little coward!” screamed Mrs. Kurtz. “She and the Stoltzfus family have conspired to lock my Barbara away in a mental ward,” she said, forgetting that she and Barbara wanted one of the Stoltzfus family members to join with her family.
John came running in from the back yard.
“Mary, you go to the barn from the back door! The horse is hitched to the buggy – go to our neighbors and tell them we need help with Mrs. Kurtz. I’ll stay here with Annie. Go!”
Mary ran. John made sure Annie was not visible from the front window. Peering out through the curtain covering the front window, he determined where Mrs. Kurtz was standing.
“Annie, I’m locking both doors. You stay down and I will be right back in here.”
“Ya, daed. I don’t want her seeing me,” Annie whispered.
In less than ten minutes, Mary had returned.
“John, Mark and his father are the closest. I called the emergency services number and they are sending help. Mark’s father brought two other men with him to make sure Mrs. Kurtz can’t get in,” she whispered to John.
“Good. Stay here with Annie and I’ll go help them. Did Mark stay at the shop?”
“Ya. His father deemed it best and Mark agreed. Annie, he said he will be here later on, once he has finished his day’s work,” Mary said.
“Thank you, mamm. What’s happening outside?”
Mary peeked outside and provided a running commentary.
“Your father, Mr. Lapp and Mr. Stoltzfus are all surrounding Mrs. Kurtz. She is trying to find a way around them to get to the porch and front door, but they are all in a circle around her . . .”
“Does she have a stock or anything she can use as a weapon?” Annie asked.
“Nee. She’s waving her hands in the men’s faces, though. Ach, I hear the siren. She will be gone soon enough,” Mary said thankfully.
“Gut. Then, all we need to do is deal with the sons,” Annie said.
“Nee, Annie. I believe that, once Mr. Kurtz knows how sick his wife and daughter are, he will be happy to get help for his remaining children. In the meantime, Mr. Kopp has given you the approval to find an Englischer therapist. When he heard what happened to Barbara, he knew you were right. What’s happening now, will only reinforce that for him,” Mary said. “Now, the ambulance attendants are talking to Mrs. Kurtz. They are holding her and taking her to the ambulance. It’s taking them, your daed, Mr. Stoltzfus and Mr. Lapp to get her on the gurney. Thank God. She is inside the ambulance. Annie, I think it’s over.”
Annie was hit with a sensation of relief so strong, her head dropped into her hands. She thanked God quietly for His intervention.
Looking up, she asked Mary for help in scooting up. “Mamm, I’m glad it’s over! We aren’t related to the Stoltzfus family are we?”
“Ach, nee, Annie! If a relative had asked to court you, we would have said ‘no.’ We are aware of the dangers of mingling blood that is too close. So. If Mark proposes, are you going to accept?”
Annie blushed. “Ya. I will.” At that, her father came in, pale-faced and trembling.
“Daed! What’s wrong?” Annie asked, as she saw his face blanched white.
John dropped into a simple rocker. “Annie, the threats she was making! She is just as mad as her daughter, if not more. You do know that she married a distant cousin, right?’
“Ya. I talked about that with mamm when I asked about a therapist for Sarah and her brothers. So, if intermarrying causes these kinds of problems, are Mrs. Kurtz’ parents related by blood, too?”
“Ya, they are. Your mamm and I decided years ago that, if any of your cousins tried to get permission to court you, we would not give this permission. We do not need this kind of mingling of the blood. We are strong and healthy because we allow ‘fresh blood’ to mix with ours,” said John.
The family talked more as they ate lunch. John set his fork down as he looked seriously at Annie.
“We haven’t talked about this for several weeks, Annie. Once you are able to move around more easily, it’s time for us to go talk to the ministers about your baptism. If you are ready to follow the Ordnung, you are ready to commit to the Amish faith and be baptized,” John said.
“I’m ready, daed. What just happened with the Kurtz family made me realize I need to commit myself to the Plain life,” Annie said quietly.
“Gut. When you are able to move around then . . . we will go talk to the ministers. You will make your confession of faith in front of the whole community. Remember, if you break any of the Ordnung, you could be Shunned and excommunicated.
“Ach, nee! I am ready to follow the Ordnung! I do not want to be Shunned and kept apart from you or my friends!” Annie said, feeling fear at the prospect.