Miriam quickly dressed in her jeans and sweater, feeling strange in her old clothes that used to be so comfortable to wear. She stuck the wad of fifties she had retrieved from her car in her pocket and then finished crocheting the scarf and left it on the bed with a note for Emma. She had also crocheted a woolen scarf for Abram to wear when the winter came next year. He could wrap it around his neck when the days were cold and he worked outdoors.
She gazed though the window at the horses grazing on the hillside. Would he even remember her or what they had shared by then?
She wrote a second note, this one to Abram, but she kept it breezy and light. No reason to bare her soul at this late date.
With a heavy heart, she hurried downstairs and poured a cup of coffee. After cutting a slice of Emma’s homemade bread, she covered it with apple jelly. She would never find breakfast as good in the city. She would never find a life as good as here on the farm.
Once she had eaten, she washed her cup in the sink and then glanced at the wall clock. The car would pick her up in an hour. Not enough time to start a new project. Perhaps she should offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the people who had taken her in. She wasn’t used to praying, but it seemed appropriate. She folded her hands and bowed her head.
Lord, You provided a light in the window and a place of refuge in my time of need. Thank You for Abram and Emma and for the love I found in this home. Thank You, too, for their faith that has shown me the importance of placing You at the center of my life. Forgive me the years of abandonment when I didn’t have time for You. Forgive me for my unforgiving heart closed to my mother’s love. Forgive me for arguing with Hannah before she left home. Lead me to Hannah so we can reconcile. Protect Sarah wherever she might be. If only Serpent would reveal her whereabouts.
She trembled, thinking of sweet Sarah and of what she could be experiencing.
Lord, I can do nothing, but I place her in Your hands, and I trust that You, oh, God, will honor my prayer and keep her safe. Let me not grow despondent about what is to come, but let me know that You walk with me into each of my tomorrows. With Your help, I will not despair, but I will find a new life even if it is without Abram. Send an Amish woman into his life who will love him the way I do.
Love him? The thought startled her.
She shook her head. It was time to admit her feelings. She loved Abram.
If only he could have recognized her love.
She sat for a long moment reflecting on all that had happened. Then realizing there was something more to tell the Lord, she bowed her head again and prayed aloud.
“Lord, You know my heart, but I still need to confess my sinfulness. I made the trip to Georgia to find my mother’s estranged sister, hoping she would accept Mother into her home so the burden for my mother’s care would be lifted from my shoulders. I thought only of myself. Forgive me, Lord, for my selfishness in my mother’s time of need.”
She sighed. “And, Lord, I love the Amish way and long to join this community of believers and the faith they follow. If only it were possible.”
A faint knock sounded at the door. Miriam checked her watch. The driver was early.
She opened the door to find Daniel standing wide-eyed with his right hand outstretched.
“Did Emma tell you to visit me?” she asked, appreciating the Amish woman’s thoughtfulness.
He shook his head. “No, but Datt told me this belongs to you. I found it in the pasture.”
He opened his hand and revealed Miriam’s cell phone.
Hot tears of relief burned her eyes. The Lord had heard her prayer.
“Oh, Daniel, I am so glad you found my phone. Thank you.”
“It was protected by a pile of rocks. Datt said it should still work even with the recent rain. He said you can use the electricity that runs to the dairy barn to charge your phone.”
Some of her heaviness of heart lifted. She would be able to see if Hannah had answered her email. Once she retrieved the contact information, she could call Hannah since her sister’s number was programmed into Miriam’s phone.
“Let me get the charger.” She pulled the apparatus from the plastic bag that held her few belongings and hurriedly walked with Daniel to his father’s farm.
Isaac greeted her warmly and ushered her into the barn where he pointed to the electrical outlet. “I wanted Daniel to give the phone to you before we left for market. We can wait until after you have made your call, if you would like to go to town with us.”
“Thank you, Isaac, but I’ll stay here. You’ve been so helpful. I’m very grateful to you and Daniel.”
Miriam plugged in the charger and connected it to her phone, feeling another swell of relief as the cell turned on. Hannah had not sent a reply email, but Miriam quickly accessed her contacts and memorized her sister’s phone number. She never wanted to be without a way to contact Hannah again.
Sending up a prayer of thanksgiving, she tapped the number into the keypad and pulled the phone to her ear, expecting to hear Hannah’s voice. But the call went to voice mail. Miriam’s euphoria plummeted so much that she almost failed to speak when she heard the beep.
“Hannah,” she finally gasped. “It’s Miriam. I’ve been hiding out in Willkommen. It’s in the North Georgia mountains. I found refuge with the Zooks, an Amish family. I’m catching a bus to Atlanta later today. Can you pick me up at the bus station downtown? I sent you an email, but I’m not sure if you got it.”
She pushed the phone closer. “I’m sorry about our argument when you left. Oh, Hannah, Mama’s dead. She was killed by a man who stopped our car on the mountain road. Sarah was taken and I don’t know where she is. The police...they were involved...at least, most of them. I have so much to tell you. I’m begging your forgiveness for the hurtful words I said. And Mama—I’m sure she loved us even if she couldn’t show that love.”
The voice mail beeped again, indicating the end of the recording. Had Miriam told her sister enough? Tonight she would arrive in Atlanta and she would fill her in on everything else.
Miriam allowed her phone to partially charge before she left the barn, latching the door behind her. Isaac and Daniel were on their way to town and, just as yesterday, Miriam felt very much alone.
She ran back to Abram’s house and hurried up the drive, but when she turned the corner of the house, she came to an abrupt stop.
Serpent.
Her heart crashed out of her chest and her pulse raced. She started to run, but he was too fast and too strong. He grabbed her shoulder and threw her to the ground. The cell phone slipped from her fingers. She screamed and raised her hand to protect her face as his fist crashed against her forehead, hitting her in the same place he had hit her before.
She tried to roll away from him, away from the heinous tattoo, away from the man who would take her to his mountain cabin and kill her.
Serpent had found her again. The last thing she thought of before she slipped into darkness was Abram’s handsome face that she would never see again.