answered before all the words were out of Willis’s mouth. “I think Daett should answer Joel’s question. I would like to know myself. Does he think he can find another mamm like we had?”
Jesse swallowed hard before speaking. “No other woman will be like your mamm , Mabel. But a new mamm can still be a gut mamm all the same. And I think Emma is the woman Da Hah wants me to marry.”
“Do you think I’m not doing a gut enough job with the housework?” Mabel asked. “Is that why you want to marry again?”
“ Nee .” Jesse smiled. “I just told both you and Carolyn what a gut job you’re doing. But you shouldn’t be working this hard. And you should be thinking about normal girl things instead of doing all this housework.”
Mabel didn’t look convinced. “Emma’s horribly strange, and I don’t like her.”
“Emma Raber is never going to be anything like Mamm .” Carolyn had tears brimming in her eyes.
Jesse stroked his beard, his breakfast forgotten. This hadn’t been a gut idea, he decided, bringing the subject up during breakfast. Millie would have known it wasn’t, but Millie wasn’t here any longer. If anything brought out his need for a frau in the house, this conversation surely was doing so. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. “Emma would not be like Mamm , I agree. But we would grow to love her as time goes by. I feel in my heart that I can, and I believe you also can. Perhaps not like we loved Mamm because nothing can ever be like that, but in a different way, a special way. I believe Emma and her daughter can find places in our hearts.”
“I don’t think I can stand that woman in my house!” Mabel declared, not looking at her daett .
“I can understand how you feel.” Jesse tried to say calm. “All our hearts were torn by Mamm ’s passing. But you children shouldn’t have to bear all the extra work. You’re too young for that. Mabel, you’re only sixteen, and a sixteen-year-old shouldn’t have to plan meals for the whole family, manage washdays, and oversee her younger sister and brother. It’s too much to ask of you, and I’m sorry that I’ve had to. So far I haven’t had a choice, but I’m hoping Emma will change that.”
“I still don’t like it!” Mabel clearly wasn’t backing down an inch.
“You don’t have to make such a fit,” Willis spoke up. “It’s disturbing my breakfast.”
“That’s because you don’t think further than your nose,” Mabel shot back at him. “You can go out to the fields and get away from Daett ’s new frau , but I’ll have to live in the house with her, cook with her, fix supper with her, and take orders from her. She will affect my life the most. How can you do this to us, Daett ? Wasn’t it bad enough when Da Hah took Mamm ? Now you plan to bring a woman in to take Mamm ’s place?”
“Please, Mabel,” Jesse said, “give the idea a chance. Emma would be a gut mamm for you. And have you ever spoken with Katie? She seems like a nice girl from what I’ve seen and heard of her. She was out helping with chores when I visited last night.”
Mabel looked close to tears. “Maybe if I’d help with the outside chores you wouldn’t feel the need to marry someone. But how can I? The housework is more than I can handle now.”
“Stop talking this nonsense, Mabel,” Leroy said. “You don’t like Emma, and neither do I. But don’t feel sorry for yourself. I can’t stand that.”
Jesse figured he had to bring the conversation back under control, but how? Should he tell them all to hush? Tell them he was going to do what he wished, what he thought was right? That would silence the children, but it wouldn’t silence the pain in their eyes or the sorrow in their hearts. Perhaps it was better to allow this ruckus than to drive the pain into hiding. “I’m sorry for how much this hurts,” he said after a few minutes. “You’re all very dear to my heart. I could listen to your desires and not visit Emma again,
Jesse swallowed hard before speaking. “No other woman will be like your mamm , Mabel. But a new mamm can still be a gut mamm all the same. And I think Emma is the woman Da Hah wants me to marry.”
“Do you think I’m not doing a gut enough job with the housework?” Mabel asked. “Is that why you want to marry again?”
“ Nee .” Jesse smiled. “I just told both you and Carolyn what a gut job you’re doing. But you shouldn’t be working this hard. And you should be thinking about normal girl things instead of doing all this housework.”
Mabel didn’t look convinced. “Emma’s horribly strange, and I don’t like her.”
“Emma Raber is never going to be anything like Mamm .” Carolyn had tears brimming in her eyes.
Jesse stroked his beard, his breakfast forgotten. This hadn’t been a gut idea, he decided, bringing the subject up during breakfast. Millie would have known it wasn’t, but Millie wasn’t here any longer. If anything brought out his need for a frau in the house, this conversation surely was doing so. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. “Emma would not be like Mamm , I agree. But we would grow to love her as time goes by. I feel in my heart that I can, and I believe you also can. Perhaps not like we loved Mamm because nothing can ever be like that, but in a different way, a special way. I believe Emma and her daughter can find places in our hearts.”
“I don’t think I can stand that woman in my house!” Mabel declared, not looking at her daett .
“I can understand how you feel.” Jesse tried to say calm. “All our hearts were torn by Mamm ’s passing. But you children shouldn’t have to bear all the extra work. You’re too young for that. Mabel, you’re only sixteen, and a sixteen-year-old shouldn’t have to plan meals for the whole family, manage washdays, and oversee her younger sister and brother. It’s too much to ask of you, and I’m sorry that I’ve had to. So far I haven’t had a choice, but I’m hoping Emma will change that.”
“I still don’t like it!” Mabel clearly wasn’t backing down an inch.
“You don’t have to make such a fit,” Willis spoke up. “It’s disturbing my breakfast.”
“That’s because you don’t think further than your nose,” Mabel shot back at him. “You can go out to the fields and get away from Daett ’s new frau , but I’ll have to live in the house with her, cook with her, fix supper with her, and take orders from her. She will affect my life the most. How can you do this to us, Daett ? Wasn’t it bad enough when Da Hah took Mamm ? Now you plan to bring a woman in to take Mamm ’s place?”
“Please, Mabel,” Jesse said, “give the idea a chance. Emma would be a gut mamm for you. And have you ever spoken with Katie? She seems like a nice girl from what I’ve seen and heard of her. She was out helping with chores when I visited last night.”
Mabel looked close to tears. “Maybe if I’d help with the outside chores you wouldn’t feel the need to marry someone. But how can I? The housework is more than I can handle now.”
“Stop talking this nonsense, Mabel,” Leroy said. “You don’t like Emma, and neither do I. But don’t feel sorry for yourself. I can’t stand that.”
Jesse figured he had to bring the conversation back under control, but how? Should he tell them all to hush? Tell them he was going to do what he wished, what he thought was right? That would silence the children, but it wouldn’t silence the pain in their eyes or the sorrow in their hearts. Perhaps it was better to allow this ruckus than to drive the pain into hiding. “I’m sorry for how much this hurts,” he said after a few minutes. “You’re all very dear to my heart. I could listen to your desires and not visit Emma again,
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