in her bedroom at Hickory Hollow, that it was time to “rise ‘n’ shine,” hurry into choring clothes, get out to the barn to help with the milking. But as she lay there listening, ears attuned for her father’s call up the steps, she realized she was no longer a girl growing up in the Lapp home. She was a young married woman, curled up next to Clan, her sleeping husband.
Morning’s pale light had not seeped under the bedroom curtains, where cotton fabric gently brushed against the window
86
sill. Not a sound was heard, not even the firstpeep-peepingsof a family of birds who’d camped out in the maple tree just yards from their window, birds who’d waited longer than usual to fly south. This being market day, a number of horse-drawn buggies would surely be passing by the house, yet the road was still as night.
Must be nearly dawn,Katie thought, too weary to raise herself and peer over the blanketed mound that was her husband to see the exact time on the illuminated alarm clock.
Lying in the stillness, her drowsiness slowly lifting, she thought of Mam, who’d called the other day, sharing news of a recent visit with Mary Beiler. “She misses ya something awful, Katie. Wealldo.” Mare sounded a bit sad and recounted her morning over at the Beiler home. “Mary’s got her hands full with John’s children, no question ‘bout that.”
“They’reherchildren now, too,” Katie had said, hoping her friend had fallen in love by now with the red-cheeked youngsters.
“Jah but can you just imagine?” Mamma hadn’t said much more, prob’ly catching herself, realizing that Katie, too, had cared deeply for the Beiler brood
87
three boys and two girls having nearly become their stepmamma a while back.
“Is the youngest, Jacob, in first grade yet?” Katie had been especially fond of the bishop’s mischievous blue-eyed boy.
“Jah, and he works so hard at school . . Mary tells me.”
Hearing Mam talk up so ‘bout Mary’s stepchildren seemed ever so awkward. “That’s not to say Jacob isn’tschmaert-smart, really. Just got himself an active mind . awful hard to keep his attention on book learnin’ when he’d prob’ly rather be outside catching a frog down by the creek, you know.”
They chatted about several upcoming quiltings, though Mam wasn’t the one to bring up the subject. Katie had asked about one frolic after another. Seemed there were several more round the corner, too, and Mare, when pressed for more information, said she would be helpin’ her daughters-in-law, Annie and Gracie, put up preserves and vegetables for the long winter.
Perking up her ears at the mention of Annie Fisher, Dan’s sister, Katie said, “Oh, and howisAnnie … little Daniel, too?” I(atie hadn’t seen her oldest brother’s wife and baby in ever such a long time.
88
Mam chuckled a bit. “Well, Daniel’s growin’ up fast, not much of a baby anymore. He’s nearly two and all mixed up on his sleep schedule. Doesn’t seem much interested in napping here lately.., puts the g in go, I should say. Annie says he’s been getting up in the middle of the night, just a-wailing. Must be he’s cutting his second molars.”
Katie could hardly believe her ears. Elam and Annie’s baby a toddler? Where had the time gone?
Mam asked how she and Daniel were getting along, and Katie caught her up a bit on their lives, telling of one church function after another, of Dan’s and her playing their guitars at small home groups, and her weekly visits to shut-ins with another friend, Darlene Frey. She told Mam that Darlene lived not far from Hickory Hollow to the east a bit and that they’d had such “good fellowship” here lately. She didn’t go too far with that, though. Didn’t say just how close she felt to Darlene these days, them both seem’ eye to eye on certain Scriptures and all.
Later in the conversation, Mam suggested Katie “drop by for a chat sometime,” saying that Dat was agreeable to it, but only if
Morning’s pale light had not seeped under the bedroom curtains, where cotton fabric gently brushed against the window
86
sill. Not a sound was heard, not even the firstpeep-peepingsof a family of birds who’d camped out in the maple tree just yards from their window, birds who’d waited longer than usual to fly south. This being market day, a number of horse-drawn buggies would surely be passing by the house, yet the road was still as night.
Must be nearly dawn,Katie thought, too weary to raise herself and peer over the blanketed mound that was her husband to see the exact time on the illuminated alarm clock.
Lying in the stillness, her drowsiness slowly lifting, she thought of Mam, who’d called the other day, sharing news of a recent visit with Mary Beiler. “She misses ya something awful, Katie. Wealldo.” Mare sounded a bit sad and recounted her morning over at the Beiler home. “Mary’s got her hands full with John’s children, no question ‘bout that.”
“They’reherchildren now, too,” Katie had said, hoping her friend had fallen in love by now with the red-cheeked youngsters.
“Jah but can you just imagine?” Mamma hadn’t said much more, prob’ly catching herself, realizing that Katie, too, had cared deeply for the Beiler brood
87
three boys and two girls having nearly become their stepmamma a while back.
“Is the youngest, Jacob, in first grade yet?” Katie had been especially fond of the bishop’s mischievous blue-eyed boy.
“Jah, and he works so hard at school . . Mary tells me.”
Hearing Mam talk up so ‘bout Mary’s stepchildren seemed ever so awkward. “That’s not to say Jacob isn’tschmaert-smart, really. Just got himself an active mind . awful hard to keep his attention on book learnin’ when he’d prob’ly rather be outside catching a frog down by the creek, you know.”
They chatted about several upcoming quiltings, though Mam wasn’t the one to bring up the subject. Katie had asked about one frolic after another. Seemed there were several more round the corner, too, and Mare, when pressed for more information, said she would be helpin’ her daughters-in-law, Annie and Gracie, put up preserves and vegetables for the long winter.
Perking up her ears at the mention of Annie Fisher, Dan’s sister, Katie said, “Oh, and howisAnnie … little Daniel, too?” I(atie hadn’t seen her oldest brother’s wife and baby in ever such a long time.
88
Mam chuckled a bit. “Well, Daniel’s growin’ up fast, not much of a baby anymore. He’s nearly two and all mixed up on his sleep schedule. Doesn’t seem much interested in napping here lately.., puts the g in go, I should say. Annie says he’s been getting up in the middle of the night, just a-wailing. Must be he’s cutting his second molars.”
Katie could hardly believe her ears. Elam and Annie’s baby a toddler? Where had the time gone?
Mam asked how she and Daniel were getting along, and Katie caught her up a bit on their lives, telling of one church function after another, of Dan’s and her playing their guitars at small home groups, and her weekly visits to shut-ins with another friend, Darlene Frey. She told Mam that Darlene lived not far from Hickory Hollow to the east a bit and that they’d had such “good fellowship” here lately. She didn’t go too far with that, though. Didn’t say just how close she felt to Darlene these days, them both seem’ eye to eye on certain Scriptures and all.
Later in the conversation, Mam suggested Katie “drop by for a chat sometime,” saying that Dat was agreeable to it, but only if
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