A Baby for Hannah (32 page)

“We really have to go on in,” Hannah urged. Hopefully no one was listening on the other side of the door.

Behind them the washroom door opened and Betty jumped. Bishop John’s wife came in, her face looking pained, but she smiled gently at them.

“Good morning,” Hannah said. It wouldn’t look proper to rush off just when Elizabeth walked in, as if she and Betty had been having a forbidden conversation.

“I was just telling Hannah,” Betty said, her voice still a whisper, “about all the trouble I’ve been having with Miriam and that awful Dennis Riley. I’m sure he’s just turning on the charm until he has an Amish girl firmly in his clutches. That’s when he’ll make a beeline straight for the Mennonites or who knows where else with his poor wife and children in tow. I say that relationship needs to be stopped before it’s too late.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Elizabeth said, taking off her bonnet. “Dennis seems like a nice boy.”

“That’s how they
all are,
” Betty said, leaning in closer. “They’re charmers, those Riley boys, not to mention how good-looking they are. That’s the problem with men who are handsome. It goes to their heads, and it puts thoughts into a girl’s head that normally wouldn’t be there. Look at poor Miriam and how she has lost all the sensibleness she used to have.”

“I think it will all work out for the best,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “We just have to trust
Da Hah
to help us.”

“
Jah,
but I believe in helping out where I can,” Betty said. “I just can’t understand why no one but me is concerned about the situation.”

“
Da Hah
works in His own time and ways,” Elizabeth said, leading the way through the kitchen door. As Hannah trailed Elizabeth she heard Betty’s footsteps coming. Betty’s mind must be in an awful twirl, but it couldn’t be helped. At the moment the situation before them simply couldn’t be explained.

Slowly Hannah followed Elizabeth around the circle of women, shaking hands. Miriam was at the end of the line, a bright smile on her face. She leaned closer to Hannah and whispered, “I can’t wait till tonight. It’s going to be wonderful.”

Hannah tried to smile. Hopefully Miriam wouldn’t sense her nervousness. Soon enough Miriam too would know that grave trouble had arrived among them. Soon they all would know, and they would look at her from the corner of their eyes. Jake, the new minister, they would think, had grown a big head and was standing up to his bishop.

Thirty-Four

Jake raised his eyes as the song leader led out, drawing the syllables into soaring notes that lingered in the corners of the house. With a blast of sound a hundred voices joined in, singing in unison. Bishop John slowly rose to his feet, followed by Minister Mose. His heart pounding, Jake forced himself to stand, keeping his head down, as they moved up the stairs toward the bedroom for the morning ministers’ conference.

Not that long ago he was the one leading out in the singing, sitting comfortably among the men on a Sunday morning. Why had
Da Hah
chosen to change his position in the church? Briefly his eyes caught Hannah’s face among the women. It was drawn and pale. He quickly looked away again. Hannah was suffering enough without catching a glimpse of the fear in his eyes.

She had been doing exceptionally well this morning, considering everything. Her dream had been frightening last night, but he had remained strong. It would only make matters worse if he gave in to his fears. In the end they would make it through this with
Da Hah’s
help.

Bishop John paused at the door of the bedroom before opening it, and Jake almost bumped into Minister Mose as he did the same. Jake caught himself just in time and waited until Mose moved on. Inside the room, three chairs were already lined up against the wall, and the bed was moved to one side. Not all hosts were this considerate of their needs, but it helped this morning with the tension so strong. Below them the song leader launched into another line of the song, holding the notes an extra few seconds before the congregation joined in.

Jake’s chair scraped on the hardwood floor as he sat down.

Bishop John cleared his throat. “I trust we’ve all rested well,” he said with a faint smile. “I know I managed to get some sleep even with all the thinking I was doing.” He paused and then asked, “Has anything changed with you men since last night?”

Jake waited for long moments before glancing at Minister Mose’s face. He was the oldest and supposed to go first. To Jake’s surprise, the look on Mose’s face was even more tense than his was.

Bishop John must have noticed it too. Finally he said to Mose, “I take it there has been something on your part. Have you turned against me too?”

“Ah,” Mose said. “It’s not what you think. I don’t know how to begin. The truth is, old Menno Troyer came to visit me last night after I arrived home.”

When he said nothing more, Bishop John prompted him. “Yes, go on.”

“I would rather not tell you what he said.”

“Old Menno,” Bishop John said. “Now I’ve heard everything. Surely he’s not joining the Mennonites.”

Mose laughed nervously, “No, but he did have some things to say. Somehow he found out about your plans today, and he said he’s voting against excommunication. He wanted me to warn you.”

“Why didn’t he come to me then?”

“I guess he didn’t come to this conclusion till late, and he didn’t want to drive all the way up to your place.”

“I see,” Bishop John said. “Does he know anything about Jake’s objections?”

“No,” Mose said. “He didn’t seem to, but I didn’t ask.”

“Have you been telling things around, Jake?” Bishop John asked, turning in his chair. “Trying to drum up support for your position?”

Jake shook his head, his throat in a knot.

“Things do get around,” Mose said. “I’m not surprised at that, but I was surprised that Menno would be opposed.”

“Did he say why?” Bishop John asked.

“
Jah.
He said we’re overreacting and would live to regret the decision. Also that he was afraid we will lose more people if we go ahead with this. He said that back East where he comes from, the church would never do anything like this.”

“He comes from Holmes County,” Bishop John said.

“They take quite a liberal approach to joining the Mennonites in Ohio,” Mose said. “So maybe that’s where he gets his thinking.”

“Did you tell Menno about Bishop Wengerd’s letter?” Bishop John asked.

“No,” Mose said. “I thought there were already enough people talking, and I didn’t know how you’d feel about that.”

“You are a wise man,” Bishop John said. “But this still leaves the question open as to what we should do. I don’t think we can survive the vote if Menno doesn’t support us.”

“You were going to read Bishop Wengerd’s letter to the church,” Mose said. “Do you think that will change Menno’s mind?”

Bishop John grimaced. “I doubt it. He’s more stubborn than Jake here, and that’s saying a lot.”

“Then you’ll have to change your mind,” Mose said. “There’s really no other way out of this.”

“There would be if Jake will support me,” Bishop John said. “What do you say to that, Jake? Has the night’s rest changed your mind?”

“I’m afraid not,” Jake said, keeping his eyes turned toward the floor. “I don’t know what else to do. I think we’ll be making things worse if we start excommunicating people over this situation.”

“And what do you think, Mose?” Bishop John asked.

“Old Menno can make a lot of trouble for us,” Mose said. “I think that’s the real reason he didn’t come to you. He’s expecting you not to back down, and it would look better for him if he hadn’t been talking to you beforehand.”

“Probably,” Bishop John said. “But I still wish he would have come to me. I’ll have to talk to him after church. So what should we do?”

“I don’t know,” Mose said. “This is a hard one.”

“Yes, it is,” Bishop John said, stroking his beard and staring at the floor. “I guess I’ll have to be man enough to admit I’m whipped. What do you say, Jake? Do you think I am?”

“I hope you will do what you think is best,” Jake said, not looking up.

“I see,” Bishop John said. “So we will see what that all leads to. In the meantime, let’s still have a meeting after church with the members. I’ll warn them again about the dangers at the tent meetings, but that’s about all we can do, I guess.”

“I think so,” Mose said, shifting on his chair. “I sure hope we don’t end up losing more people.”

“I’ll make the warning as hard as I can, and perhaps the two of you can join in. Jake will even support that. Won’t you, Jake?”

“
Jah,
” Jake said. “I can support that.”

“How
fully
can you support it?” Mose asked, glancing sideways at him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jake countered.

“I mean after last night, I’m wondering if you don’t have some sympathies for the Mennonites yourself.”

“If I did, I would leave,” Jake said. “And I’m not leaving.”

“That doesn’t sound all that encouraging,” Bishop John said. “Could you perhaps make that a little stronger? Especially since I want you to have the main sermon today. I’d like to hear about your reasons for not joining the Mennonites.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Jake said. “I can’t imagine being anything else but Amish. I mean, I don’t want to be anything but Amish.”

“Does Hannah have anything to do with your decision?” Mose asked. “I know she comes from a very stable family and is committed to the Amish life. Is that what’s holding you here?”

“Why would I want to leave, and what does Hannah have to do with it?” Jake asked, sitting upright.

“Not many Amish preachers can preach like you do,” Mose said. “I’m sure the Mennonites would welcome you with open arms. Didn’t Ben Stoll go out of his way to speak with you about the tent meetings?”

“He did,” Jake said. “But that has not caused me to leave the Amish.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Bishop John said. “And let’s not start fighting among ourselves.
Da Hah
knows we have enough troubles already. If Jake says he’s with us, then that’s
gut
enough for me. I want him to have the main sermon today, and you, Mose, will open up. I think it’s your turn.”

“
Jah,
” Mose said, “it is.”

“Then we’re agreed,” Bishop John said, getting to his feet. “Let’s get back down to the church meeting before they think we’ve climbed out the bedroom window and gone home.”

Mose laughed, but Jake kept his head down as he stood up. How was he supposed to preach the sermon when he was so distrusted? How was he to prove himself with such an accusation hanging over his head?

Bishop John walked out the door, the stair treads squeaking on the his way down. The singing stopped by the time Jake reached the bottom. Carefully he looked across the faces of the women, but he failed to catch Hannah’s eye. Another look might draw attention, and perhaps she wouldn’t have understood the emotions in his eyes anyway.

Jake lowered himself onto the hard bench and clasped his hands as Minister Mose got to his feet.

“Dearly beloved, brothers and sisters in the Lord,” Mose began. “We all know that the Day of the Lord draws ever nearer and that the enemy is out and about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may deceive and devour. We have been warned by
Da Hah
Himself and have no one to blame but ourselves if we are deceived.”

Jake shifted on the bench. If there were some way he could see Hannah, he might try a little smile in her direction. Perhaps that would relieve her tension over what she thought was coming. That there would be no vote was
gut
news to share with her. His eyes gazed over the area of women’s benches where she had been sitting, but he couldn’t see her.

“How can we say that we serve God when we have one eye on the world?” Mose was saying. “Each day the temptations are all around us, and if we do not guard against them, the enemy can plant his seeds in our hearts that one day will grow into weeds no one can pull out.”

Bishop John was nodding as Mose continued, and Jake tried to relax. What in the world was he supposed to preach on when his turn came? Mose was doing the warning, and plenty of it. Should more be done? It would be a safe subject even if he was repeating the words. What would convince Bishop John that he had no intentions of leaving the Amish? Not much, once such thoughts were planted and had taken root. Hopefully he wouldn’t say anything that would make things worse. The question was, what would make things worse?

Mose wrapped up his thoughts and sat down.

“Now let us pray,” Bishop John said and a rustling of sound spread through the house. Closing with the Lord’s prayer, Bishop John rose to his feet, and everyone remained standing while he read Scripture. A few of the younger boys shuffled sideways through the tight aisle between the benches to go outside for a short break.

Bishop John closed the Bible, and with the sound of the people seating themselves, Jake walked slowly forward to where Mose had been standing. He took a deep breath and began.