away with him.
“I’m sorry,” Andrew said.
Judith wiped her eyes. “For what?”
“Samuel.” He pointed at Levi and Martha. “Those two.”
“She’s taking it hard.”
Andrew stared at her. Was she really so blind? Levi should be comforting her, not her sister. He glanced back at the two standing close, talking. For Judith’s sake, he hoped his initial impression was wrong . . . but seeing them, he couldn’t be certain Martha hadn’t fallen into Levi’s arms for attention.
Judith pressed the fountain lever and sipped the water. When she finished, Levi and Martha were walking toward them.
Martha bent to drink from the fountain, and Levi stood with Judith.
“She’s mad at God for doing this to Samuel,” he said.
Judith sighed. “Did you talk sense into her?”
Levi shrugged. “I tried.”
Andrew tossed his head. “We need to go.”
They rode down to the bottom floor in silence and spoke little on the ride home.
Andrew stopped the buggy near the Fischers’ porch. “Tell your daed I’ll kumm meiya .”
“ Denki ,” Judith said, stepping out of the buggy. She glanced at Levi. “See you meiya ?”
“Jah.”
Martha delayed getting out. When she did, she paused near Levi’s door opening and leaned in to whisper something Andrew couldn’t make out. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear if he could.
Levi grinned at Martha. “Maybe so.”
Whatever words they shared caused Martha to giggle. Suddenly, she was no longer the grieving teenager seeking comfort.
Then again, maybe she was.
Chapter Six
A t the first hint of dawn, dozens of buggies filed into the drive. Judith’s heart sank, remembering the excitement she’d felt on the morning the community arrived to build the barn. Similar chattiness carried over the air. It wasn’t the same today. But how could it be, with Samuel in the hospital?
Martha met Levi’s buggy in the drive. He glanced over her shoulder, flashed a smile to Judith along with a quick wave.
Judith’s smile widened as she waved back. Surely the day would be brighter now that Levi had arrived.
Andrew walked up behind Levi and tapped his shoulder, and the two headed toward the field.
Judith greeted Deborah as she climbed out of her parents’ buggy.
“How did your talk with Martha go?” her friend asked once they were alone.
Judith shrugged. “Martha is Martha. She blames me. She blames God. I think she’s in love with Levi. I know she’s had a crush on him probably since she turned twelve.” Judith slowly shook her head. “Lately, Ich don’t know what has kumm over her. She used to be a sweet girl.”
Deborah slid her arm under Judith’s. “It’s the world. Didn’t you say she’s been singing Englisch songs?”
“ Jah . But you know Martha. She’s talked about what it would be like living outside the community for the past two years nau .”
“She’ll get over herself.”
“So Ich hope. But mad at God . . .” Judith shook her head. “It’s nett healthy.”
Deborah leaned closer. “I have something to tell you.” She looked around. “Ben asked me to the next singing nacht . That’s wundebaar , jah ?”
Judith squeezed her friend’s arm. “I’m so happy for you.”
Deborah’s gaze moved across the field until it stopped on Ben. He worked the team of four draft horses in the corner opposite Levi. “Well,” she said, pulling her eyes away from the field, “we should find ourselves something useful to do.”
“ Jah , I suppose work will help pass the time.” Judith leaned closer. “Maybe we can volunteer to run water out to the field in a while.”
“ Gut idea.”
Judith and Deborah joined the other women. Deborah seemed oblivious to the women’s aloofness, but Judith wasn’t. Their faces crinkled with concern, fear, indifference—she wasn’t sure what they were thinking. But as the day continued, it became plain to see there was tension every time she entered a room.
Judith pulled Deborah aside. “Why are they
“I’m sorry,” Andrew said.
Judith wiped her eyes. “For what?”
“Samuel.” He pointed at Levi and Martha. “Those two.”
“She’s taking it hard.”
Andrew stared at her. Was she really so blind? Levi should be comforting her, not her sister. He glanced back at the two standing close, talking. For Judith’s sake, he hoped his initial impression was wrong . . . but seeing them, he couldn’t be certain Martha hadn’t fallen into Levi’s arms for attention.
Judith pressed the fountain lever and sipped the water. When she finished, Levi and Martha were walking toward them.
Martha bent to drink from the fountain, and Levi stood with Judith.
“She’s mad at God for doing this to Samuel,” he said.
Judith sighed. “Did you talk sense into her?”
Levi shrugged. “I tried.”
Andrew tossed his head. “We need to go.”
They rode down to the bottom floor in silence and spoke little on the ride home.
Andrew stopped the buggy near the Fischers’ porch. “Tell your daed I’ll kumm meiya .”
“ Denki ,” Judith said, stepping out of the buggy. She glanced at Levi. “See you meiya ?”
“Jah.”
Martha delayed getting out. When she did, she paused near Levi’s door opening and leaned in to whisper something Andrew couldn’t make out. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear if he could.
Levi grinned at Martha. “Maybe so.”
Whatever words they shared caused Martha to giggle. Suddenly, she was no longer the grieving teenager seeking comfort.
Then again, maybe she was.
Chapter Six
A t the first hint of dawn, dozens of buggies filed into the drive. Judith’s heart sank, remembering the excitement she’d felt on the morning the community arrived to build the barn. Similar chattiness carried over the air. It wasn’t the same today. But how could it be, with Samuel in the hospital?
Martha met Levi’s buggy in the drive. He glanced over her shoulder, flashed a smile to Judith along with a quick wave.
Judith’s smile widened as she waved back. Surely the day would be brighter now that Levi had arrived.
Andrew walked up behind Levi and tapped his shoulder, and the two headed toward the field.
Judith greeted Deborah as she climbed out of her parents’ buggy.
“How did your talk with Martha go?” her friend asked once they were alone.
Judith shrugged. “Martha is Martha. She blames me. She blames God. I think she’s in love with Levi. I know she’s had a crush on him probably since she turned twelve.” Judith slowly shook her head. “Lately, Ich don’t know what has kumm over her. She used to be a sweet girl.”
Deborah slid her arm under Judith’s. “It’s the world. Didn’t you say she’s been singing Englisch songs?”
“ Jah . But you know Martha. She’s talked about what it would be like living outside the community for the past two years nau .”
“She’ll get over herself.”
“So Ich hope. But mad at God . . .” Judith shook her head. “It’s nett healthy.”
Deborah leaned closer. “I have something to tell you.” She looked around. “Ben asked me to the next singing nacht . That’s wundebaar , jah ?”
Judith squeezed her friend’s arm. “I’m so happy for you.”
Deborah’s gaze moved across the field until it stopped on Ben. He worked the team of four draft horses in the corner opposite Levi. “Well,” she said, pulling her eyes away from the field, “we should find ourselves something useful to do.”
“ Jah , I suppose work will help pass the time.” Judith leaned closer. “Maybe we can volunteer to run water out to the field in a while.”
“ Gut idea.”
Judith and Deborah joined the other women. Deborah seemed oblivious to the women’s aloofness, but Judith wasn’t. Their faces crinkled with concern, fear, indifference—she wasn’t sure what they were thinking. But as the day continued, it became plain to see there was tension every time she entered a room.
Judith pulled Deborah aside. “Why are they
Similar Books
