The Missing Will (5 page)

“You’re right,” Elsie agreed. “Should we all work in the same room, or would you rather each take a separate room?”

“It might be better if we work separately,” Arlene replied. “If we work together, we’ll be apt to visit and get less sorting done.”

“Maybe I’ll continue working in the attic.” Elsie smiled at Doris. “Would you mind going through some boxes in your old room, and Arlene can sort boxes in the room she used to sleep in? That way, we’ll all be upstairs, and if any of us needs something, we’ll be able to hear each other.”

Doris nodded, and Arlene did the same. “If you start feeling sick to your stomach or get tired and want to lie down, please don’t hesitate to do so.” Arlene touched Doris’s arm. “There’s no way we can get all the sorting done today, so we shouldn’t push ourselves too hard.”

“I’ll rest if I need to.”

“Did either of you find Dad’s will?” Elsie asked when the sisters stopped working to fix lunch.

“The only thing I found were a lot of old copies of
The Budget,
plus way too many catalogs.” Doris groaned. “I don’t understand why Dad thought he had to keep all those.”

“I don’t either,” Arlene agreed. “All I can say is Mama was lenient on Dad’s behalf. Each time one of us moved out, she’d let him put his things in the empty rooms. Using our old bedrooms to store boxes only gave him more places to keep all that junk.”

“To Dad, it wasn’t junk. He must have had a purpose for all his collections.” Elsie picked up the box of pens she’d found in the attic.

“Maybe we shouldn’t throw out any of the magazines or catalogs until we’ve had a chance to look through every page.” Arlene took out a loaf of bread to make sandwiches.

“Why would we want to do that?” Doris questioned.

“It may seem strange, but Dad could have stuck his will inside one of the magazines or even at the bottom of one of the boxes.”

Doris went to the refrigerator to get the mustard, mayonnaise, meat, and cheese. “If we take time to thumb through every magazine, catalog, and newspaper, I’ll be helping here sorting till my boppli’s born—maybe longer.”

Elsie was about to comment when she heard a familiar rumble. She went to the window and watched as a tractor entered the yard. “Henry Raber is here, and it looks like he brought his hund.”

Arlene gestured to the food Doris placed on the counter. “There’s plenty to make several sandwiches. We should invite him to stay for lunch.”

“I’ll bet he came over because he misses Dad so much,” Doris interjected. “Poor Henry has no family living in the area. I’m sure he gets lonely.”

“He and Dad were best friends, even though Henry was New Order and Dad was Old Order. Their friendship was special.” Elsie opened the back door just as Henry, holding Peaches under one arm and a book in his other hand, stepped onto the porch.

“I won’t trouble you.” Henry handed Elsie the book. “I borrowed this from your daed some time ago and thought I’d better return it. I heard your son Glen was staying here and hoped I might find him at home.”

“Glen’s at work,” Elsie explained. “I’m here today with Doris and Arlene. We’ve been going through some of Dad’s things.” She glanced at the book—a fiction novel set in the Old West. “Why don’t you keep this, Henry? I’m sure Dad would want you to have it.”

Henry nodded slowly, his eyes misting as Elsie handed the book to him. “I have many good memories about Eustace. It’s hard to believe he’s gone.”

“It is for us as well.” She opened the door wider. “We’re about to have lunch. Why don’t you come in and join us?”

“Oh, I don’t want to put you out.” Henry turned his head in the dog’s direction. “Besides, I have Peaches with me, and if I put her back in the cage, she’ll whine and carry on like a squalling baby.”

“It’s okay, bring her in. She can lie on the throw rug near the door.” Elsie felt sure the dog would stay there because she’d witnessed how well-behaved Peaches was before.

After Henry came inside and washed his hands, he told Peaches to lie on the rug. Everyone gathered around the table, and once their silent prayer was said, Elsie circled the table and passed around the platter of sandwiches. As they ate, their conversation covered several topics, including the weather.

“Can’t say I’m lookin’ forward to snow, but I’m sure it’ll be comin’.” Henry’s bushy eyebrows drew together. “I’m thinkin’ about spending the winter in Florida, like so many other Amish and Mennonite folks my age do.”

“Maybe you should.” Doris handed Henry the bag of chips she’d brought along to share. “I bet Peaches would love romping on the beach.”

“Jah.” He looked over at Peaches. “I was hoping Eustace would want to go there with me, but I guess going with my hund would be better than not goin’ at all.” He motioned to Dad’s old hat on the wall peg. “I’ll never forget the day I came to visit your daed and he was wearing that old hat held together with duct tape. Seeing it hangin’ there now makes me feel as though he might come through the door any time. Course,” he quickly added, “I know it’s not gonna happen.”

In a spontaneous decision, Elsie rose from her chair and took the hat down. “How would you like to have this, Henry?” She held it out to him.

“Ach, no, I can’t take that. You already gave me the book. Besides…” He lowered his gaze. “It’s your daed’s special hat.”

“It’s okay, Henry. I want you to have it. We have plenty of other things here to remember him by.” She smiled. “Besides, none of us have a reason to wear a straw hat. As long as you’re wearing it, it’ll be put to good use.”

His eyes filled with tears as he took the hat from her. “Danki. Think I’ll hang it in my kitchen. Then every time I look at it, I’ll think of your daed.”

Seeing how choked up Henry had become, Elsie moved over to the refrigerator and took out the pie she’d brought for dessert. “Who wants a piece of millionaire pie?” she asked.

Doris and Arlene held up their hands, but Henry continued to sit, while staring at the hat.

“Henry, would you like piece of millionaire pie?” Arlene asked.

He looked over at her and blinked. “I’ve never heard of millionaire pie. Did one of you make up the name on account of your daed?”

Elsie shook her head. “No, it really is the name of the pie.” She placed it on the table while Doris got out four plates and forks. She was thankful Henry had stopped by today. Having him here made her feel somehow closer to Dad.

“So what do you hear from your bruder these days?” Henry asked.

A thin line of wrinkles formed above Doris’s brows. “We haven’t seen Joel since Dad’s funeral.”

Henry pushed a strand of gray hair aside and scratched behind his ear. “That’s too bad. You’d think he’d want to spend time with his sisters.”

Elsie clutched the folds in her dress. She wasn’t about to tell Henry what she thought of her selfish brother, but she couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t heard from Joel in several days.
Has he been too busy to call me, or has my brother decided to be patient and wait for me to let him know once we find the will?

I
t was the last Saturday of October, and for the first time since her breakup with Joel, Kristi felt a sense of excitement. Moments ago, she and Mom had left the quilt shop where they’d taken their first quilting lesson. Since her Saturdays were free now and she needed something fun to do, learning how to quilt seemed like a good idea. It was also an opportunity for her and Mom to spend time together, doing something they both enjoyed. Kristi had certainly enjoyed today’s lesson, although most of the morning had been spent learning the basics of quilting and cutting the pieces of material they would use to make their quilts. Kristi had chosen two shades of purple for the queen-size quilt she planned to put on her bed.

Another reason she liked the class was because their Amish instructor was kind and patient. Kristi’s desire to know more about the Amish way of life could be somewhat fulfilled by spending time with Mattie Troyer. It was a shame she’d have no connection with Joel’s sisters now that she and Joel had no plans to be married.

“You’re awfully quiet over there.” Mom removed one hand from the steering wheel and tapped Kristi’s arm. “It was beginning to feel like I was alone in the car.”

Kristi’s lips parted slightly. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been deep in thought.”

“Mind if I ask what you were thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing exciting—just reflecting on our first quilting class. I enjoyed it so much and appreciated how patient our teacher was with all my questions.”

“Yes, she was very kind and helpful. I had fun, too, and look forward to our class next week.”

“Same here.” Kristi pulled down the visor to check her hair.

“Are you sure you don’t mind taking a side trip to Charm so I can get more of that good cheese I bought for your dad the last time we were here?”

“I don’t mind at all. I’ll probably buy some cheese, too.” Looking in the visor mirror, Kristi pulled her hairband off and brushed every strand back in place before securing it in a ponytail.

As they drew closer to Charm, she spotted the road she and Joel took to his dad’s place. She was on the verge of asking Mom to turn there so she could see it but changed her mind. One of Joel’s sisters, or even Joel, might be there, and it could be awkward. It was best to say nothing and keep going. If she even pointed out the road and said it led to Eustace Byler’s home, Mom might say she was better off without Joel. Kristi didn’t need the reminder; she still felt she had done the right thing. She would continue to pray for Joel, as Audrey had suggested, but it wouldn’t be for them to get back together. She’d ask God to help Joel see the importance of developing a close relationship with his sisters and their families and, most of all, to know God personally.

“Say, I have an idea.” Mom broke into Kristi’s thoughts a second time. “When we leave the cheese store in Charm, why don’t we head up to Walnut Creek and eat lunch at Der Dutchman? I really enjoyed our meal the last time we went there.”

“That’s fine with me.” Kristi leaned back in her seat. Being in Amish country made her feel nostalgic.
If only things had worked for me and Joel.

Walnut Creek, Ohio

Doris was glad her shift would end at two o’clock. She’d arrived at the restaurant early today to serve the breakfast crowd, but a lot more people had come in for lunch. In addition to a few waves of nausea she’d experienced during her shift, her feet hurt from being on them so long. Fortunately, she only had another hour to go; then she’d head for home and take a nap.

Maybe Brian was right when he said I should quit my job. But with a baby coming, we need the extra money, so I’ll try to keep working as long as I can.

Glancing toward her section of tables, Doris noticed the hostess seating two women. One she recognized immediately—Joel’s girlfriend. She moved over to their table. “It’s nice to see you again, Kristi.”

Blinking rapidly, Kristi offered Doris a brief smile. “Oh, hi. I’d forgotten you worked here.” She motioned to the auburn-haired woman sitting across from her. “This is my mother, Jo Ann. Mom, I’d like you to meet Joel’s sister Doris.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Doris lifted the pencil and order pad from her apron pocket.

“Actually, this isn’t our first meeting.” JoAnn glanced briefly out the window, then back at Doris. “My daughter and I ate lunch here a few months ago. You were our waitress then, as well. But that was before Kristi had been formally introduced to you the day of your father’s funeral.” She paused and moistened her lips. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Doris fought for control. Nearly every time someone offered their condolences, she teared up. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“How’s your family?” Kristi asked. “Are you and your sisters getting along okay?”

“Under the circumstances, we’re doing the best we can.” She paused. “How’s Joel? None of us have seen him since the funeral.”

Kristi’s cheeks flushed as she spun the bracelet around her wrist. “Umm…Joel and I aren’t together anymore.”

Doris drew in a quick breath, nearly dropping her order pad. “I—I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”