Life goes on there without me, she thought dolefully.
CHAPTER
21
The mail was late in coming that Friday afternoon, and Lena hurried out to get it the minute she heard the mail truck coming down Eby Road. At long last, an envelope that looked like a card from Hans had arrived!
When she opened it in the chilly outer room, she pulled out a rather ordinary-looking Christmas card. It was pretty enough with its scene of a snow-covered hedgerow and a lamppost neatly tied with a red ribbon and holly, the words Merry Christmas to you centered on the front. But Lena Rose didn’t know what to think of the inside—Hans had merely signed his name at the bottom, although there was a separate note on a plain piece of paper, apologizing for being late with his greeting. The blizzard canceled our mail delivery, he’d written. I hope you had a nice Christmas even though we didn’t get to see each other. Beyond that, there was nothing else—no words of affection or discussion of future plans, or even questions about when she might be coming home. This was nothing like his other correspondence, which she’d cherished over the past months. If anything, she almost wished Hans hadn’t bothered to make the effort, impersonal as the card was.
Lena swallowed her disappointment. Now that work on the Bontrager family farm was at a seasonal lull, Lena had really hoped that Hans would suggest visiting her sometime in the new year.
She wondered now if she should have sent the card she’d hand made for Hans—she had held on to it, not wanting to appear forward while awaiting his reply to her last letter. Was it a mistake to wait?
Removing her snow boots, she sighed and wondered if she ought to reveal her feelings about this to Mimi.
She carried the rest of the mail into the kitchen and placed it on the counter. From where she stood in the kitchen, Lena could hear the treadle running steadily in the sewing room. Then, hurrying upstairs with Hans’s card, she stared at it again, and instead of displaying it on the dresser, she pushed it into the top drawer.
“What’s really goin’ on?” she whispered, worry replacing discontent.
By midmorning the next Wednesday, everyone was abuzz with the news that Harley’s son-in-law, Manny Beiler, was moving to Leacock Township to partner with Arden Mast in a cabinetmaking and remodeling business in a shop to be located adjacent to Manny’s new home. Harley himself had heard the news from Abram Mast when both of them showed up at the same horse auction in Gordonville. And Abram’s gloomy expression made it clear he was none too pleased.
Harley was a bit peeved, as well. Why was he hearing all this from his neighbor instead of directly from Manny, or even Tessa? Abram also relayed that Manny and Tessa had put down a rental deposit on a house on West Eby Road, of all places. Not far from us, Harley thought, downright surprised.
Eager to tell Mimi, Harley first had to wait around awhile at the auction to bid on a road horse to replace his ailing mare, Jennie, who was no longer able to pull even a lightweight wagon.
Will Manny’s move change things for our family? He knew for certain Mimi would be happy to have Tessa nearby once again.
Harley eyed the hoped-for mare, having carefully checked her over two hours ago. She was strong and possessed a gentle temperament. He pulled out his pocket watch. If all went well, it wouldn’t be much longer before he could make a bid on the fine horse.
“Jah, Mimi, you heard right,” Harley said from the doorway to the sewing room. Lena Rose had made herself scarce, quickly excusing herself when Harley arrived. “Our younger daughter is returning to her church district.”
At the treadle machine, Mimi turned around and smiled her sweetest. “ ’Tis gut, ain’t so?”
Harley shrugged. “Not for Abram Mast, nee.” Removing his hat, he ran his hand straight back through his bangs. “Arden’s tellin’ him that the dairy life ain’t one he wants, and the man’s havin’ to scramble for the future of his farm.” He sighed. “Can ya believe it?”
She tilted her head, her face turning pinkish. “Well, it’ll be wunnerbaar, havin’ Tessa so close by an’ all.”
“Tessa, jah. Just not sure how things will be with Manny round here—the Good Lord must know I need help in that area.”
“Now, Harley. No one’s more long-sufferin’ than you.”
He waved his hand. “If only that were true. Well, I must get the new mare settled before the noon meal.”
“What ’bout our Jennie-girl? Are ya thinkin’ of putting her out to pasture? She’s been a part of our family for so long.”
Harley nodded. “It’s the best thing we can do for her now.” While he knew it might be more practical to sell her to one of the Amish farmers who purchased ailing and older horses, somehow it didn’t seem right.
Mimi said no more about that, and Harley put his hat back on and headed for the door.
More than two weeks slogged by with no further word from Hans. Should I be worried? Lena wondered. Why isn’t he writing? Surely he’d received the short letter she’d written him after receiving his card—a note which she’d purposely kept light, hoping to encourage a brighter response.
Ach, it’s out of my hands. I shouldn’t stew over nothing, she thought, trying to dismiss her worry.
Dispirited, Lena offered to go over and spend time with Solomon, wanting to keep him company this Sunday evening.
It won’t matter if I miss Singing. . . .
Mimi protested a bit at the arrangement, but she was down with a bad cold and didn’t wish to expose Uncle Solomon to it, anyway. So Lena thought it probably was for the best, especially when she thought back on her exceptionally friendly conversation with Arden Mast at
