The Healing (24 page)

I need to call Mom and Dad right now, Esther decided
.

“Are you sure you have time to help me with this today?” Samuel asked Allen as they started painting the inside of a two-story home in Fairview.

“I have some extra time this morning, so it’s not a problem. Besides, the Carsons want the job done by the end of the week, and since Frank, the other fellow who does painting for me, is tied up with another job right now, I figured I’d help you here today.” Allen dipped his brush into the can of off-white paint. “Painting’s not my specialty, but I think I know enough about it to do a fairly decent job.”

“I’m sure you do. Would you rather paint the stairwell or the dining room?” Samuel asked.

Allen shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me, but since you’re a better and faster painter, maybe you should tackle the dining room.”

“Okay.”

As Samuel and Allen worked, they visited about the warm spring weather they’d been having.

“It was just starting to turn warm when I took my kids to the pond for a picnic a few weeks ago,” Samuel said.

“I never did ask you about that. Was it fun?”

“It was a good day, and Bonnie was there, too. After we ate, she tried her hand at fishing.”

“Oh, really?” Allen took a step back, and the next thing Titus knew, the poor fellow was bouncing down the stairs on his backside. He hit the bottom with a sickening
thunk!

Samuel dropped his paintbrush and rushed forward. “Allen, are you all right?”

“Oh, my aching back! I don’t think I can move,” Allen groaned.

Samuel grabbed Allen’s cell phone from his shirt pocket and dialed 911.

S
orry I’m so late,” Samuel said to Esther when he arrived home from work that afternoon. “Allen fell down the stairs while we were painting that house in Fairview, and now he’s in the hospital.”

Esther’s eyes widened. “Oh my! Was he seriously hurt?”

“He’s not critical, but his back is sure sore and spasmed up.”

Esther frowned. “That’s awful. Is he going to be all right?”

“I think so, but it’ll take some time. They gave him something for the pain and swelling, and I think they may put him in traction for a while.”

“That’s too bad.” Esther slowly shook her head. “Allen won’t be able to work for a while I guess.”

“No, he sure won’t. I’ll have to finish the paint job we were working on by myself, which means I might be late getting home for the rest of this week. Will that affect your job at Bonnie’s Bed-and-Breakfast?”

“I don’t think so. As long as I go over there sometime every evening to help Bonnie get things ready for her guests the next morning, it doesn’t matter what time I get there.” She shrugged. “Besides, I only have to go when she has guests.”

“Well, good.” Samuel removed his straw hat and set it on the small table by the sofa. “It’s sure quiet in here. Where are the kinner?”

“They’re out in the barn, playing with the katze.”

“Guess I’ll wander out there and say hello.” He moved toward the door. “You’re free to go now, Esther.”

She hesitated a minute, then nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Samuel.”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Esther said when she arrived at Bonnie’s that evening. “Samuel got home later than usual because Allen got hurt today.”

Bonnie’s forehead wrinkled in a worried frown. “What happened to Allen?”

Esther explained what Samuel had told her. “I can’t imagine how much pain Allen must be in,” she said.

Bonnie grimaced. “A back injury can be painful all right. Does Samuel know how long Allen will be in the hospital?”

“I guess it all depends on how long it takes for his back to heal.”

“From what I’ve observed, Allen probably won’t make a good patient.”

“What makes you think that?” Esther asked.

“He seems to be a workaholic, and workaholics don’t like to be laid up very long.” Bonnie pointed to herself. “I tend to be like that, too.”

Esther smiled. Bonnie was a hard worker, but she’d never thought of her as a workaholic.

“I have two couples arriving later this evening,” Bonnie said. “So are you ready to help me whip up a tasty breakfast casserole I can serve them tomorrow morning?”

“I’m ready if you are.”

They headed for the kitchen, and as they prepared the vegetables and meat that would go into the casserole, Esther mentioned that she’d spoken to her folks about renting their home to Samuel, and they’d agreed. “That is, if you’re still willing to let me stay in your guest house,” she quickly added.

“That would be fine with me.” Bonnie smiled. “And if you stayed there, you’d be close to the house here, which would make it easier for you to help me prepare breakfast for my guests and get the rooms serviced.”

“Would it be possible to remove the wiring in the guest house so I could live in it without breaking any of our church rules?”

“I don’t think that would be a problem at all. I can speak to Allen’s electrician about it. The guest house is pretty small, but with some elbow grease I think we could make it quite livable.”

“That’d be great,” Esther said. “I’ll talk to Samuel soon about the possibility of him renting my folk’s house.”

A knock sounded on the door just then.

“That must be one of my guests.” Bonnie hurried into the living room to answer the door. She returned a few minutes later with Suzanne at her side.

“You’re not one of the B&B guests,” Esther said when Suzanne set a paper sack on the table.

Suzanne chuckled. “No, I’m sure not. I came over to give you this.” She reached into the paper sack and handed Esther a wrapped present.
“Hallich gebottsdaag
.“

Esther smiled. “I didn’t think you remembered that today was my birthday.”

“Of course I remembered. I could never forget my best friend’s birthday.” Suzanne gave Esther a hug.

Esther unwrapped the present and was surprised when she discovered a leather journal inside the box.

“I know you have one already,” Suzanne said, “but you write in it so much, I figured you’d probably be needing a new one soon.”

Esther smiled. “You’re right about that.”

“There’s also a Walmart gift certificate in there.”

Esther reached into the box again and pulled the certificate out. It was for twenty-five dollars. “Danki, Suzanne. I’m sure I can put this to good use.”

Bonnie stepped forward then. “Happy birthday, Esther. If I’d known today was your birthday I’d have baked you a cake or taken you out somewhere special to eat.”

“It’s okay,” Esther said. “I don’t need a cake or supper out. I’m just happy to be here with good friends like the both of you.”

A
ny word on Allen?” Esther asked the following morning when she entered Titus’s house and found Samuel in the living room putting on his work boots.

He shook his head. “But Titus and I have a driver coming to pick us up soon so we can go to the hospital to see Allen.”

“You’re going this morning?”

“Jah. Figured we’d go before we started work for the day, because with the job I’m on I’ll probably be working late, and then Titus can watch the kinner this evening while you’re at the B&B, helping Bonnie.”

Titus entered the living room just then. “With all the practice I’m getting watching my nieces and nephews, I ought to be pretty good at bein’ a daed by the time Suzanne and I have kinner.”

Esther nodded and smiled. Then she looked at Samuel and said, “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I’ve been thinking about moving out of my house and staying in the guest house on Bonnie’s property.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“For one thing, there’s just one of me roaming around in that big old house, and I think the place would be better for someone with a family. I thought maybe you and the kinner would like to live there. I’ve already spoken to my folks about it, and they’re fine with the idea. The rent they would charge wouldn’t be too much either.”

Samuel scratched the side of his head. “Well, I don’t know….”

“It sounds like a good idea to me,” Titus chimed in. “I think it’d be better for you and the kinner than staying here with me where there’s not nearly as much room.”

Samuel’s forehead wrinkled. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Titus?”

“’Course not, but wouldn’t you like to have a place of your own?”

“It wouldn’t be mine,” Samuel said with a shake of his head. “I’d only be renting the house, remember?” He looked over at Esther and frowned. “Did you come up with this idea for my benefit or yours?”

“Wh–what do you mean?” she stammered.

“Figured maybe you needed the rent money. Am I not paying you enough to watch the kinner?”

She shook her head. “That’s not it. I just thought …”

“And why would you want to stay in that little guest house when you can have a big house all to yourself?”

“I’ve only been sleeping at home. Quite often I eat supper with Bonnie, and then I go home, only to sleep, feed my horse, and do a few chores. If you and the kinner were living in my folks’ house, I could come over there to watch them and make sure the house is clean, and I can even see that your laundry is done.”

“That’s a lot more work than you’re doin’ right now,” Samuel said. “You’re gonna wear yourself out if you’re not careful.”

Esther looked at Titus, hoping he’d speak on her behalf. To her relief he did.

“I really do think it’s a good idea, Samuel, and I don’t think Esther will have any more work than she does now. Maybe less, since she won’t have to come over here every day and keep this place clean, too.”

A horn honked, and Samuel went to the window. “Our driver’s here. We’d better go.”

“Will you at least give the idea of renting Esther’s folks’ house some thought?” Titus asked.

Samuel nodded and hurried out the door.

“It’ll work out; you’ll see,” Titus said to Esther before he followed Samuel outside.

Esther hoped she hadn’t made a mistake suggesting that Samuel rent the house. He was obviously not too thrilled about the idea.

She turned toward the kitchen to start breakfast for the children and was surprised to see Leon already sitting at the table with a bowl of cold cereal.

“How long have you been up?” Esther asked.

“Got up when Daadi did.” He shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “We sleep in the same room, and once he starts movin’ around, I wake up.”

“I’ll bet you’d like to have a room of your own, wouldn’t you?” she asked.

He bobbed his head. “Used to have one when we lived in Pennsylvania.”

Maybe I should have mentioned to Samuel that my house has five bedrooms, she thought. That might have given him more incentive to move there
.

“I’m hungerich,” Penny said when she and Jared bounced into the kitchen a few minutes later. “What’s for breakfast?”

Esther motioned to Leon. “Your bruder’s having cold cereal. Would you like that, too, or should I fix you an egg?”

“I want
pannekuche
!” Penny announced.

Esther smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. In fact, I didn’t have much for breakfast this morning, so I might have a couple of pancakes, too.”

Marla entered the room just then, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

“Would you like to help me make some pannekuche?” Esther asked.

Marla grinned and rubbed her stomach. “I sure would! Our mamm used to make pannekuche, and they were real good.”

I wonder what it would be like if I were these children’s mother, Esther thought as she went to the cupboard to get out the flour and other dry ingredients. I wonder how it would be if I were Samuel’s wife
.

“Did ya hear what I said?” Marla tugged on Esther’s apron, pushing her foolish thoughts aside. Marrying Samuel and becoming these children’s mother were nothing but silly dreams.