al laid out. I’m sure we’l eat after Anna and Elizabeth both try out the new toilet.”
David rubbed his bel y and looked around. “ Onkel Ivan go back to his haus ? I thought he might stay for supper.”
“He went home, mumbling something about taking Katie Ann out to eat.” Daed’s brows furrowed as he walked closer to David. He lowered his voice. “I think your aenti and onkel are having some problems. We need to offer extra prayers for them.”
“What do you mean ‘problems’? In their marriage?” That seemed unlikely to him, but his father nodded. David stared at a spot on the floor. “Is it serious?”
“I don’t know. Ivan won’t talk to me about it, but I’ve sensed unhappiness between them for a while now.” Daed rubbed his forehead. “I think that’s the reason they wanted to make this move with us, for a fresh start.”
“That makes sense.” David lifted his chin, putting him almost eye to eye with his father. He couldn’t resist asking, “You and Lil ian havin’ trouble too? Is that why we had to make this fresh start?” He knew good and wel that his father and Lil ian were as happy as any married couple could be, but this was his roundabout way of getting the truth, he hoped.
“David, I know you don’t believe that, and we’ve been over this a hundred times. There needs to be enough land for everyone, and prices are—”
“I know, Daed . That’s what you keep tel ing me.” He ran a hand through his hair; then he shook his head. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up for supper.”
David walked up the stairs to his room. He eyed the bed, dresser, and nightstand he’d brought from Lancaster County, then glanced at a rol top desk that had been left in the far corner of the room by the prior owners. It was a battered piece of furniture that badly needed refinishing. He tossed his coat and hat onto the bed, since there was nowhere else to hang them, and wandered down the hal to the bathroom, glad the girls had cleared out.
He inspected the new toilet. One toilet was better than no toilet. Maybe they’d get another bathroom put in downstairs soon. He twisted one lever of the antique faucet, and cold water slowly trickled out, splashing onto the rusted porcelain below. Then he turned the other lever, hoping for hot water. After a couple of minutes, he gave up and ran his hands under the droplets, gasping as he brought a handful of icy water to his face. He picked up a green towel draped across the sink and patted his face dry.
He could hear everyone gathering in the kitchen downstairs, and his stomach rumbled ful force.
LATER THAT NIGHT David popped a handful of medicines into his mouth, the same thing he did every night and every morning. That’s the way it would be for the rest of his life, however long that would be. He swal owed the four pil s with a glass of water and thought of the conversation he’d overheard between his father and Lil ian five years ago. He’d only been home from the hospital about a week, and his fifteen-year-old mind hadn’t real y considered what he’d been through.
“I don’t care what the doctors say,” he’d heard Lil ian say. “Ten years is only the average time that a kidney wil last.”
Hearing those words had been difficult. Not just about the kidney transplant, but realizing that his chances of living a ful life had been cut short. He’d decided on that day that he was not going to get married. He remembered when his mother died and how that destroyed his father. He wanted to avoid inflicting that type of hurt on someone. When he heard Lil ian speak his fate, he came to terms with it. He’d accepted God’s wil , and he planned to be the best man he could be, void of any long-term goals or commitments.
He turned up the lantern on his nightstand and glanced around at al the boxes he had yet to unpack. Hard to believe they’d only arrived last night. Today had been a ful day. He thought about Emily and the way she’d reacted this
David rubbed his bel y and looked around. “ Onkel Ivan go back to his haus ? I thought he might stay for supper.”
“He went home, mumbling something about taking Katie Ann out to eat.” Daed’s brows furrowed as he walked closer to David. He lowered his voice. “I think your aenti and onkel are having some problems. We need to offer extra prayers for them.”
“What do you mean ‘problems’? In their marriage?” That seemed unlikely to him, but his father nodded. David stared at a spot on the floor. “Is it serious?”
“I don’t know. Ivan won’t talk to me about it, but I’ve sensed unhappiness between them for a while now.” Daed rubbed his forehead. “I think that’s the reason they wanted to make this move with us, for a fresh start.”
“That makes sense.” David lifted his chin, putting him almost eye to eye with his father. He couldn’t resist asking, “You and Lil ian havin’ trouble too? Is that why we had to make this fresh start?” He knew good and wel that his father and Lil ian were as happy as any married couple could be, but this was his roundabout way of getting the truth, he hoped.
“David, I know you don’t believe that, and we’ve been over this a hundred times. There needs to be enough land for everyone, and prices are—”
“I know, Daed . That’s what you keep tel ing me.” He ran a hand through his hair; then he shook his head. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up for supper.”
David walked up the stairs to his room. He eyed the bed, dresser, and nightstand he’d brought from Lancaster County, then glanced at a rol top desk that had been left in the far corner of the room by the prior owners. It was a battered piece of furniture that badly needed refinishing. He tossed his coat and hat onto the bed, since there was nowhere else to hang them, and wandered down the hal to the bathroom, glad the girls had cleared out.
He inspected the new toilet. One toilet was better than no toilet. Maybe they’d get another bathroom put in downstairs soon. He twisted one lever of the antique faucet, and cold water slowly trickled out, splashing onto the rusted porcelain below. Then he turned the other lever, hoping for hot water. After a couple of minutes, he gave up and ran his hands under the droplets, gasping as he brought a handful of icy water to his face. He picked up a green towel draped across the sink and patted his face dry.
He could hear everyone gathering in the kitchen downstairs, and his stomach rumbled ful force.
LATER THAT NIGHT David popped a handful of medicines into his mouth, the same thing he did every night and every morning. That’s the way it would be for the rest of his life, however long that would be. He swal owed the four pil s with a glass of water and thought of the conversation he’d overheard between his father and Lil ian five years ago. He’d only been home from the hospital about a week, and his fifteen-year-old mind hadn’t real y considered what he’d been through.
“I don’t care what the doctors say,” he’d heard Lil ian say. “Ten years is only the average time that a kidney wil last.”
Hearing those words had been difficult. Not just about the kidney transplant, but realizing that his chances of living a ful life had been cut short. He’d decided on that day that he was not going to get married. He remembered when his mother died and how that destroyed his father. He wanted to avoid inflicting that type of hurt on someone. When he heard Lil ian speak his fate, he came to terms with it. He’d accepted God’s wil , and he planned to be the best man he could be, void of any long-term goals or commitments.
He turned up the lantern on his nightstand and glanced around at al the boxes he had yet to unpack. Hard to believe they’d only arrived last night. Today had been a ful day. He thought about Emily and the way she’d reacted this
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