Elizabeth finished frosting the cake. Setting it aside, she made a mental note to box it and write down that Barbara had already paid for it. The day went by quickly, as Elizabeth and her employees finished the day’s baking, making several sales. At three, Elizabeth began looking at the front door, expecting Barbara to come in for her order.
At three-thirty, she began to wonder where she was. At four, her anger simmering, Elizabeth gave up. “She had her chance. She knows what time I close the bakery. Let’s clean up.” Turning out the lights, she pulled the blinds down and locked the door. After everyone cleaned, she ushered them out the back door, locking that one securely. By now, it was going on five p.m. I think I got snookered. But why?
***
At home, Elizabeth made a quick meal with several leftovers she had in the refrigerator. Since she only had to cook for herself, this was easy. Once the kitchen was clean, she blew out the lamp and went into her living room with a good mystery book.
Looking at the book, she chuckled. “It looks like I have another mystery to solve before I begin reading. Why did Barbara do what she did? She spent twenty-five dollars as if it was nothing. I wonder what her husband would think of that? Was she checking me out? Looking for Emma? What?”
Giving up on the puzzling questions, she decided to lose herself in her book. Three hours later, her eyes began to droop. Going upstairs and getting ready for bed, Elizabeth’s mind returned to what Barbara had done. Elizabeth, never mind with that. Nobody has ever been able to figure out Barbara Anderson. She probably can’t even figure herself out. I could tell Joe about it tomorrow night. During the night, she dreamed.
Emma and Elizabeth baked what people had ordered, as well as what they customarily baked for everyday sales. Moving around carefully, a newly slimmed-down Emma worked on a complex cake for an English couple about to announce their engagement. Hearing the bell tinkling on the door, they looked up.
Barbara walked in, advancing slowly and looking around suspiciously. “Where is she? Emma?”
“I’m right here, Barbara. What do you want?”
“Nee, you aren’t Emma! I want my real sister! She is heavy and has a hard time moving around. Bring her out!” Barbara’s open mouth seemed to grow bigger and bigger as her screaming intensified.
Gasping, Elizabeth sat up. Looking around quickly, she realized she was in her bedroom, not at the bakery. “Mei Gott! That’s what it is! Barbara’s afraid of Emma losing the rest of her weight! She wants her to stay fat, heavy, unhealthy and unhappy.” Drawing her legs up, she rested her arms on her knees, laying her chin on her arms. Afraid to lie back down and have the dream resume, Elizabeth continued trying to figure out what Barbara’s motivation was. Finally, her eyes drooped again, and she gave up.
I just need to tell Joe so he can tell the other elders. Lying back down, she prayed she wouldn’t have another nightmare. The rest of her night was dreamless. Stirring, she woke and looked at the window. Stumbling to the bathroom, she washed her face and untangled her long, light-red hair. Shaking her head, she tried to force herself into wakefulness.
***
At the bakery, Elizabeth poured an extra-strong, hot cup of coffee. Seeing her employees pouring from the same coffee pot, she warned them that the coffee was stronger than normal. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Jennifer gave her employer a close look. When they were alone, she leaned over. “Why didn’t you sleep that well?”
Elizabeth looked all around. “I had a really bad dream about Barbara. Gott may have given me the answer to what she did yesterday.” Whispering, Elizabeth explained her theory.
Jennifer snorted. “I know we’re supposed to be welcoming of everyone and all, but I cannot ever feel comfortable around that woman. She always seems to have some kind of an agenda in mind. I remember her from when we were teens. She was already engaged to Ben and she always used to crash the groups Emma was in during her running-around time. Because she wanted the attention Emma was getting.”
“Ja, I remember, but Emma wasn’t as heavy then.”
“Nee. Ja, she was still fat, but not as bad as she was a few months ago. But that didn’t matter to her friends or to Jacob. We all loved being with her and spending time with her. And Barbara hated that!”
Elizabeth nodded her head, thinking. “I’m going to discuss it more with Joe tonight. He’s taking me out to eat. Please don’t say anything! I want to tell him what happened with the cake, my nightmare and my theory. And guess who’s walking in?”
“Barbara, I waited until closing for you to pick up your cake.”
“Never mind that. Is Emma here?”
Elizabeth had momentary difficulty catching up with Barbara’s chain of thought. “Uh, nee, she isn’t. I assume she’s at home, working on her therapy.”
“Isn’t she coming back here to work?”
Something told Elizabeth to tread carefully. “Eventually, when she is able to walk easily.”
“I take it you heard about what happened on Sunday.”
“You mean with you abandoning her in a dark barn, knowing your own husband was in there as well? Ja, I did. Jennifer, please go and take care of Bishop Zook’s order. I’ll take care of this.”
Jennifer scuttled into the kitchen, recognizing Elizabeth’s tone of voice. Too bad Barbara doesn’t know that tone means trouble. Getting busy with the order, she kept an ear cocked for the conversation up front.
“I did no such thing! She went in there on her own. Looking for him! She wants to cause trouble in my marriage, with a man I love!”
“Barbara, that’s not what Emma told me. I’ll have you know that the elders have come in, asking me for my words regarding Emma’s character. I asked them for a day so I could remember as much as possible about her. And your appearance here this morning has given me my final piece of information for the bishop, ministers and the deacon.”
Barbara was shocked and felt off-balance with that. “Wha-what do you mean?”
“I remembered, as well as one of my employees, that you used to crash Emma’s gatherings with her friends on our rumspringe, taking their attention away from her. I realized why you’re so reluctant to see her lose that unhealthy weight. And I know that if you are successful, and she doesn’t lose that weight, she will only get sicker and sicker. Her life will end unnaturally early because of a heart attack, an asthma attack or a stroke. That’s no kind of sister for you to be. Now, leave my store before I say anything else!”
Barbara had, by now, gone as pale as a sheet of paper. Clamping her mouth closed, she wheeled around and left.
“And don’t come back! Ever again! You are banned from my bakery.” Elizabeth was shaking in her anger.
Jennifer scurried to the front, gripping Elizabeth’s trembling arm. “Mei Gott! She is a piece of work! I had heard about what happened at the Stoltzfus’ home Sunday, but I could never believe that Emma was capable of trying to steal her own sister’s husband!”
“Jennifer, would you write something to that effect down? I’ll give it to Joe this evening. I need to stop Barbara from destroying her sister or getting her banned.”
Nodding, Jennifer promised the letter before they closed for the day. She was good for it, too. After everyone finished cleaning the kitchen and customer area, she slipped in next to Elizabeth. “Here’s what you need. I remembered everything.”
Elizabeth hugged Jennifer. “Thank you! Now, go before your husband wonders where you are.”
That evening, Elizabeth set her own letter next to Jennifer’s. “We need to get other people do to the same. I’ll ask her friends and family for letters.” Starting as she heard a knock at the door, she scooped up both envelopes. Holding them between her lips, she opened the door and grabbed her coat, slipping it on. “Let me lock up and we can go.”
“Hello. Are you ready? What are those?” Joe was curious.
“These are two letters, from Jennifer Asher and me. Barbara came into the bakery today...” Elizabeth explained all the events that had taken place. “She was looking for Emma, Joe. Then, she asked me if I had heard about what Emma did in trying to steal her husband. Joe, I’m sorry, but I lost my temper. I told her that we had been thinking of everything that we had ever witnessed between her and Emma. Then I told her I’d be going to the elders with that. That’s what these two letters are all about.” She gave the envelopes to Joe.
“Two letters? Is this all? We are going to need to hear from her other friends and, if possible, family members.”
“Ja, that’s what I thought. I’m going to ask my employees to provide their own recollections. I also want them to ask Emma’s friends from school and rumspringe. I’ll also ask her—”
“Nee. I’ll talk to her parents and siblings—all but Barbara. It’s clear she doesn’t support Emma in any way.”
***
Over the next few days, Joe gathered more letters and promises to speak on Emma’s behalf. “I know this is unusual, but I’ve been told that what her sister is doing is part of a long-standing pattern. In getting to know Emma over the years, I just can’t see her trying to induce her own brother-in-law to cheat on his vows. So, anything you remember will only help her.”
***
Finally, the morning of Emma’s meeting dawned, cloudy, cold and threatening snow. Emma, her parents, Abby and her husband all approached the house where the meeting was being held. “Emma!” Jacob raced up. “I’m sorry I’m so late. Ben Anderson wanted me to shoe his horse, today of all days. I told him I’d do so tomorrow, depending on the outcome of today’s meeting.”
Emma was confused. Walking slowly over the frozen ground, she asked him, “What do you mean?”
Jacob leaned down, holding Emma’s elbow in his hand. “I’m dropping him as a customer. I can’t abide that he is allowing his wife to use him this way. Either way, he’s going to have to find another farrier.”
“Jacob! You shouldn’t have to suffer that kind of a loss!”
Jacob snorted. “It’s no loss, believe me. He nearly neglects the needs of his livestock. I am getting sick of it.”
***
“Emma Lapp, please stand and walk to the center of the room. Because of your leg, we have provided a chair for you to sit down.” Bishop Zook’s face was stern, but he was sad. He genuinely liked Emma and he didn’t want to see her going through this.
Emma sat down slowly, feeling shaky. Her face was pale, allowing her large, dark brown eyes to stand out. “De-denki.”
“We will have a brief prayer, and then begin.” After a few minutes of silence, the bishop stood. “Miss Lapp, you are facing charges of trying to induce Ben Anderson, your brother-in-law, to stray from his marriage promise. Would you please tell us, in your words, what happened before, during and after?”
Emma inclined her head, not sure she’d be able to speak. She told the elders and everyone present in the room, just what had happened. “Barbara told me that there were kittens in the barn. Our barn cat died recently and I want to replace her with a few good mousing cats. She looked outside, toward where the kinder were playing and she sighed or clicked her tongue. ‘Sister, I need to go. Michael is about to get himself in trouble.’ Then, she was gone. The barn was dark enough with the doors fully opened. For some reason, she nearly closed them, leaving only one about halfway open. This made it difficult for me to go from box to box, looking for the cats.
“After not finding any cats, I decided to leave. I couldn’t check upstairs because of my leg. But because it was so dark, I had to be very careful that I didn’t do something to make myself fall and get hurt again. I was about halfway to the door when I bumped into someone. It was Ben Anderson. When I told him why I was in the barn and why Barbara wasn’t with me, he offered to help me to the door. I was grateful and accepted his help. When we got there and left the barn, everyone was looking at me. And at Ben. I saw Barbara. She looked... I don’t know. Angry. She also seemed to be crying. And I also saw...a look of satisfaction on her face.”
The bishop was confused. “‘A look of satisfaction?’ Can you explain that?”
“Nee, bishop. I wish I could.”
Other witnesses spoke, attesting to Emma’s good character. By the end of that portion of the meeting, Emma was nearly in tears of gratitude.
“Okay, we are going to talk about the charges, Miss Lapp. You can go into the bedroom on the left. Please close the door.”
Moving slowly, Emma did so. As she sat in the bedroom and waited, she went over the years of clashes with Barbara. It was gut of everyone to speak up for me. They also remembered how she intruded on my rumspringe time. Gott, I wish I could figure out why she is like this!” She jumped at a sudden knock on the door. Opening it, she saw Jacob.
Returning to the meeting room, Emma sat in the chair again and waited for the deacon to speak.
“Miss Lapp, our discussion ranged from the possible punishment you would receive all the way to dismissing all the charges lodged against you. It was interesting. The only one not willing to dismiss and forgive you was your own sister, Barbara. Even her husband spoke in your defense. In the end, after more prayer, we have decided that there was no substance to the charges that Missus Anderson brought against you. You are free to go.”
Sobbing, Emma collapsed against her mother.
“Barbara Anderson, please take the seat your sister just vacated.”
The room stilled. Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Looking around, her face pale, Barbara stood. “What? What do you mean?”
“You heard me. Sit in the chair. We are going to address the false charges against your sister.” The bishop’s voice was hard.
Moving very slowly, Barbara sat down, her head held high. As she heard the questions being asked of her, she tried to answer them, but eventually, her reasoning and defense fell apart. She wasn’t told to leave the room. Instead, she was present during the entire discussion. At the end, she was not banned but was reprimanded.
“Gott tells us to love and honor our families. You have not done so in taking the actions you did against your sister. I strongly urge you to look into your heart and figure out why you don’t want her to have any presence here. Why you are trying to sabotage her return to gut health.”
Barbara’s voice was silent, seeming to have been stolen. Working her lips, she nodded. Looking up at Ben, she saw his look of anger and humiliation. Gulping, she realized how much wrong she had done.
“Come. We go home now.”
Emma, Abby, her husband, their parents and Jacob all walked out as a group. While they were happy, they were also painfully aware of a schism in their family—one that would have to be mended with forgiveness and love.
THE END.