Barbara was unaware that she had been smiling as she plotted. “What smile? What are you talking about?” She was almost completely innocent, not realizing Ben had seen her.
“Barbara, you were looking out the window into the garden. I was passing and, in the window’s reflection, I saw your expression. It was...wife, you had a smile that reminded me of an alligator’s.”
Barbara’s eyes widened and she was careful to continue looking puzzled. “Ben, I still don’t know what you’re talking about!” I’m going to have to be more careful when everyone is home.
“Okay, maybe, maybe not. But, if you have some other plan involving Emma up your sleeve, you’d better forget about it. As your husband and the head of this household, I am telling you that you are not going to harm her again. Because you remember what the bishop said. One more time, and the community won’t be as willing to forgive.”
Turning away sharply, he began stripping his clothes off, getting ready for bed. Climbing in, he turned so his back was to Barbara’s side of the bed.
Barbara, seeing this, was crestfallen. She had hoped to start a new baby tonight, to enjoy the tender worship of her husband's touch, but he wasn't interested in her anymore. Maybe he was truly more interested in Emma. Dear, sweet Emma who everyone adored. Taking her hair out of its tight bun, Barbara braided it against tangles and climbed into bed next to Ben. She draped an arm over his side, but he stayed still. Not asleep. His breathing deepened and slowed when he slept. Instead, he lay, too still, tense, his back to her.
Yes, this was all Emma's fault.
Barbara flipped over and curled onto her side, squeezing her eyes shut as tears pushed through her lids. No matter how hard she tried, she was always second best.
This had to change. She had to change it.
Over the next few weeks, Barbara had a lot of time to plan. Ben was getting even busier as he prepared to begin the spring planting. Barbara knew this would mean several long days that stretched into the evening, so she prepared to take care of the kinder all by herself. Every night, the couple went to bed exhausted, but knew they would soon have a large crop of growing corn and wheat to show for it. And Barbara had even more time to refine and finalize her plans for Emma.
This is what I’ll do. I’ll keep track of Michael’s bumps, cuts and bruises. If he doesn’t have enough, I’ll use one of the other kinder. Soon, I’ll ask Emma to watch them for me. And after that, I’ll report that Michael, Annie or Jeb has injuries they didn’t have when I left them with her.
I’ll pretend that I don’t know she’s the source of the injuries and I’ll take them to the doctor for a checkup. When he sees them, I’ll be concerned, because they didn’t have them when I took them to my sister. That’s how I’ll start everything. I’ll have to make sure the doctor can only surmise child abuse. When he asks me who has been with the children, I’ll tell him. If he wants to call the police, I’ll act as if I don’t want that. But I do want a record of it, so this time, the community and the elders have to decide that it was Emma. And she will be disgraced.
With her plan finalized, all Barbara had to do was keep a watch on her kinder. When she bathed them and helped them to get dressed for bed or school, she was allowed the perfect opportunity to look for injuries. When she was around her family or Emma, Barbara was careful not to harp on her sister’s weight loss, simply nodding or giving her congratulations on her progress. At home, Barbara didn’t bring up Emma or her weight loss to Ben. Instead, she tried to give the impression that she had totally given up on the idea of causing any more harm to her sister.
“Wife?”
“Ja, what is it?” Barbara had a rare break and was using it to work on a new, low-fat dessert. Carefully measuring the ingredients, she referred to the recipe as she worked.
“I’ve noticed that your attitude about your sister is much different lately. When we were at your parents, you were genuinely happy that she was able to discontinue her asthma medications completely. And you respected her wishes about not talking about her weight loss. She seemed more comfortable around you. Have you taken the bishop’s warning to heart?”
Barbara paused, looking at Ben. She was careful to seem surprised. “Oh! Denki, yes, I realized that I’m not her keeper. She’s an adult and has the right to determine her own life, within the bounds of our Ordnung.
“And, about the bishop’s warning, you scared me with that, husband. I...I needed that, honestly. Or I would have caused untold harm to our family. I couldn’t do that to you or our kinder, Ben! So, thank you for reminding me. Husband, I’m not perfect. I have my weaknesses, and I rely on you to help me when I am not thinking in a way that Gott would want.”
Walking to him, Barbara wrapped her arms around her husband. “Oooh! You are more slender!” Pressing experimentally on his ribcage and stomach, Barbara marveled on the results of their family diet. “I’m going to have to look at the kinder and see if they’ve lost more weight!”
“Ja.” Ben wrapped his arms around Barbara. “You are more slender as well.” He ran his hands up and down Barbara’s ribcage, realizing that there was less of her to hug. Pulling back momentarily, he realized that her face was becoming more slender, too.
***
Nightly, Barbara stepped up her inspections of her kinder’s bodies, pretending to note their changing shapes. One night, she saw a large, livid bruise on Annie’s ribcage. “Annie! How did that happen?”
Annie looked down at her torso. “Oh, ja. I was swinging with Beth. One of the boys—not Michael—came up behind me and pushed me off the swings. He said he wanted to swing. He got in trouble with teacher and she put some ice on my chest.”
“Does it hurt?”
Annie shrugged. “Nee, not any more. Well, maybe a little, but not like this afternoon after lunch.”
Barbara sighed. “I need to press on it. To make sure nothing else is injured inside you.” As gently as she could, she pressed on Annie’s ribs, watching for reactions from the child.
Annie hissed slightly as Barbara’s fingers probed her ribs. “Ow!”
“Is it your skin, the bruise or your ribs that hurt?”
“Just the bruise. My ribs don’t feel nothing.”
“‘Anything.” Now, Barbara bit her bottom lip and placed her whole hand on Annie’s ribs, pressing in gently and slowly. “Let me know if you feel anything from your ribs.”
Annie closed her eyes, concentrating on her ribs. “Nothing, Mam. Just my bruise.”
“Okay. I didn’t feel anything when I pressed. I don’t think you have anything more serious than that bruise. After your bath, I’m going to have you put some ice on it. So it goes away.”
“Okay, Mam.” Annie ran off to the bathroom.
Barbara waited for Annie to finish. Because she was a girl, she took her bath last. The two boys bathed together to save time. “Okay, gut. Get in bed and I’ll put this on your chest. Keep it on there for ten or fifteen minutes, then you’ll blow out your lamp and go to sleep.”
“Ja, Mam.” Annie complied as Barbara sat next to her on her narrow bed. As Annie read, Barbara rejoiced quietly. It’s time! I’ll stop at the bakery tomorrow and see if Emma can watch the kinder. I’ll make up some kind of appointment. Ja, I know! I’m going to go see the deacon’s wife to plan the next month’s frolic. “Okay, Annie, it’s time. I’m taking the ice pack off.
Annie had nearly fallen asleep with the ice pack on her chest. Opening her heavy eyes slightly, she smiled and stretched. “Goodnight, Mam.” She was asleep as soon as she pulled her blankets over her.
***
Barbara entered the bakery in her usual rushed fashion. “Hi, Elizabeth. Is my sister here now?”
“Ja, she is. Why?” Elizabeth was cautious. The last time Barbara had come into her bakery, she had insinuated that Emma was entertaining male customers of the bakery. Elizabeth would never forget that.
“I need to find out if she has time to watch the kinder tonight. I have a meeting to plan the next frolic.” Barbara’s facial expression was self-important. “I’m planning with the deacon’s wife. She picked me to help.”
“One minute. Emma!” Elizabeth stopped on her way to the kitchen. “Just one minute, and no slimy insinuations from you, Barbara. I remember the last time you were here.”
Barbara flushed, remembering that day as well. “I understand.”
Emma came hurrying out, wiping flour-covered hands on a large dishtowel. “Barbara. What is it?”
“Emma, will you be able to watch the kinder tonight? I know this is last-minute notice, but I just found out myself. The deacon’s wife wants me to plan the next frolic with her after supper and, hopefully, I’ll be back before too long.”
Emma was reluctant. She loved her sister’s kinder, but she still didn't trust her sister. “What about Ben?”
“It’s spring planting time. Or, at least, he’s planning out his crops. He hasn’t been in before the kinder’s baths for a few weeks now, and that won’t end before next week at the earliest.”
“Ach." Emma didn't want to do this, but maybe she was just being overly paranoid. Barbara had been kind lately. Maybe the Bishop, or their dat's heart attack had pushed her to see herself clearly and make some changes. If that was the case, then Emma owed it to her sister to meet her halfway. It was the Christian thing to do. "I see. Well...I guess. But don’t be long, because I have to be here early tomorrow. Elizabeth has an order for a wedding cake. An English couple and they’re being married this weekend. She and I are working on the cake all day long tomorrow.”
“Denki! Nee, I won’t be long. Maybe an hour, maybe less?” Barbara nodded vigorously. “I am so grateful." She took Emma's hands. A chill feeling passed over Emma at her sister's touch. Barbara let go, almost like she'd felt it too. She took a step back, waved once, and said, "Bye!”
Emma gazed after her sister’s retreating form. Already, she regretted agreeing to help her sister out. Abby could have helped. Sighing and feeling out of sorts now, she returned to the kitchen and resumed baking.
“What is it?” Elizabeth’s look was quizzical.
“Barbara asked me to take care of the kinder tonight. She has a planning meeting with the deacon’s wife. She says.”
“And she couldn’t ask you earlier?”
“Nee, she said she just found out about it herself.”
“Did you say you would?”
Emma nodded reluctantly. “Ja. She said she wouldn’t be very long, and I want to be charitable, if she's truly changed.
"Do you think she has?"
"I hope so." Emma sighed. "She's stopped acting like she wants to sabotage me. And yet...Elizabeth, I’ve been getting weird feelings from her for so long. What if she is hiding something—planning something?”
“I told her that she’d better not make any more slimy insinuations like she did the last time she was here. She promised she wouldn’t. But you know her much better than I do. Do you trust her?”
Barbara was her sister. Emma wanted to trust her. They should trust each other. Love each other. But it was also a sin to lie, so reluctantly, she said, “Not any more. Isn’t that sad to say about your own kin?”
“Ja, it is. But she hasn’t acted in a loving or trustworthy way toward you since...”
“Since I started losing all my weight, when I had my weight-loss surgery. She has been trying to slow my weight loss down almost the entire time.”
Elizabeth straightened out. She looked like she was about to say something, then she paused. “Where are you on the pies?”
“Crusts are done, but not baked.”
“Cover them with towels. I want to go for a short walk. They’ll hold.”
Emma hurried to cover the row of pies she was making. “Let’s go.” She threw a light shawl over her shoulders.
“Emma, I hope she’s not out and about. Because I want to say something to you about her.”
Emma laughed. “She runs her errands early so she can get everything done at home. She doesn’t like having a disorderly house. Once she finished here, she headed straight home.”
“Gut. I remember her from our running-around time. She and I were in the same crowd. She is a sneaky one, your sister. Before she began to see Ben, she had her eyes on my husband. Oh, she wanted him! He wanted nothing to do with her. But she didn’t let that stop her. She did everything she could to coax him to begin escorting her to sings and socials. I thank Gott he was a stubborn one, because he resisted her with everything he had. She stepped up her efforts, and one night, she caught him alone in the barn. We were listening to English music. She caught him there and tried to seduce him! Your sister!”
Emma was stunned. “Elizabeth, I...I’m ferhoodled! My sister? She knew she had to stay pure!”
“She didn’t care about that. She wanted Michael.”
Emma looked at Elizabeth, a light dawning. “Michael. I always wondered why she picked that name. None of our brothers or other relatives have it. Mam asked her, and she said she got it from the Bible.”
Elizabeth broke out into raucous laughter as they turned back. “Nee! No, no way! She picked Michael because she had not forgotten that he was...what do the English say? He was the one that got away. And that just irked her pride.”
Emma didn’t laugh. She began to realize the extent to which Barbara was obsessed with getting her own way. She shivered, even though it was almost warm outside. “Mei Gott! She is...I won’t say sick, but very close to it.”
“She’s obsessed. Emma, that’s what I wanted to tell you. She is obsessed with your weight loss. It’s as if she wants to outshine you or something. She is going to do whatever she can to make sure she outshines you, in every way.” She took Emma’s arm, giving it a slight shake. “You be careful whenever she’s around, and even when she’s not. If she tries to lay a trap...”
Emma sighed, feeling prickles of apprehension racing up and down her body. “I feel that, too.”
***
Still, despite Elizabeth’s warning that day, Emma wasn’t prepared for the depths of Barbara’s planning. She opened the door and let the children in. “Remember, Barbara, you said it would be early. Elizabeth wants me at the bakery by 6:30 tomorrow morning.”
“Ja, I will. Denki!” Hurrying off, Barbara clambered into her buggy. As she drove off, she smiled meanly. Soon, you will not be such a popular person to be around. I’ll check the kinder again tonight, telling them I want to see if they’ve lost weight.
Driving to a diner on the edge of town, Barbara ordered a slice of cheesecake to celebrate the beginning of her plan. She finished only three-fourths of it before she looked at the wall clock. I’d better get back. Dropping a tip on the table, she was gone.
***
Knocking at the door, Barbara waited, wiping all evidence of her feelings from her face. The door swung open and Emma stood there. “They’re ready. Homework is done. All they need is to take baths before bedtime.”
“Denki, Emma. You were a lifesaver today! Come, kinder.” On the way home, she half-listened to their chatter.
“Ja, that’s gut! I hope you ate something healthy when your auntie offered.”