A Cousin's Promise (22 page)

As the wind whipped furiously against his body, Jake lay huddled in a ditch. He’d been heading to the Lambrights’ to see if they needed help with their chores, when he’d heard a deafening roar that reminded him of a jet plane. Then he’d seen it—a huge funnel cloud heading his way. He’d pulled the buggy over, unhitched the horse, and then hurried to take cover in the ditch along the shoulder of the road.

With his arms over his head, Jake lay unmoving, praying for all he was worth.

When the storm finally subsided, he lifted his head and rose to his feet. The first thing he saw was pieces of his mangled buggy that had been scattered around like matchsticks.

Jake’s horse was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, he’d run somewhere safe and had escaped the wrath of the storm.

As Jake started walking along the edge of the road toward the Lambrights’, his legs shook so badly he thought he could hear his knees knocking. He didn’t know what might lie ahead, but he knew he had to keep going.

The tornado had whipped through with lightning speed, and what Jake saw along the road told him it had left a trail of destruction. Telephone poles had been knocked over; the roofs on several houses were missing; many barns had been knocked flat; trees had been uprooted; and animals milled about in the fields, making pitiful noises.

Shivers rippled along Jake’s spine as sirens wailed in the distance. With a sense of urgency, he picked up his speed.

By the time he reached the Lambrights’ place, he was exhausted. The shock of what he saw there caused him to drop to his knees; everything seemed surreal. Crist and Ada’s home had been leveled by the tornado, and so had their barn. A few sheep, including the ewe with three legs, milled about the place, apparently unharmed.

Jake looked around frantically. Nothing but rubble lay where the house had once been. Where were the Lambrights? Had they gotten out alive—maybe run to a neighbor’s before the storm hit? Or were their dead bodies hidden under the pile of debris?

He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, “Is anyone here? Can anybody hear me?”

No response. Nothing but the moaning of the wind mingled with the animals’ pathetic cries.

Jake’s palms grew sweaty as he walked from one section of the farm to the other, searching for bodies. When he spotted a man’s boot sticking out from under a pile of bricks, he halted.
Oh dear Lord, could it be Wayne or Crist?

With his heart pounding and his mouth so dry he could barely swallow, Jake bent down and gave the boot a little tug. He heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that it wasn’t attached to anyone’s foot.

He kicked at the ruins as he continued walking along, praying with each step he took that the Lambrights weren’t here.

“Help!”

Jake tipped his head and listened. It sounded like someone calling for help. He looked all around but didn’t see anyone or anything that looked like it might have trapped a victim.

“Help!”

There it was again.

Jake spotted a huge tree branch pushed up against the door of an old root cellar. Could one of the Lambrights be in there?

He moved toward the door and listened.

“Help! If anyone’s out there, we’re trapped down here!”

With his heart beating so hard it seemed to be echoing in his ears, Jake grabbed the end of the branch and pulled.

It didn’t move an inch.

“Dear Lord in Heaven,” he prayed out loud, “I need the strength of Samson right now!”

He gritted his teeth and yanked even harder. This time, he was able to pull the branch far enough away from the door that he could see that the handle was missing.

He stuck his fingers under the seam of the door and pried it open. A beam of light greeted him, and he saw two figures huddled together inside the cellar, one holding a flashlight, the other with eyes full of fear. Wayne and Loraine!

They scrambled out, clinging to each other as though they were each afraid to let go.

“Jake, what are you doing here? How’d you know we were in the cellar?” Wayne asked, clasping Jake’s shoulder with one hand, while he held onto Loraine’s hand with the other.

“I was on my way over here to see if you needed help with your chores, and the tornado struck,” Jake said. “I jumped out of my buggy and took cover in a ditch. When the funnel cloud passed, and the wind had settled down, I came over here on foot.” He drew in a quick gulp of air. “When I got here and saw the devastation, I was afraid you and your family might be dead. I searched through the rubble and found nothing. When I heard your cries for help, I discovered a tree branch had blocked the cellar door. I asked God to give me the strength of Samson so I could move it, and He did. Are you two all right?” Jake asked breathlessly.

“We are now,” Wayne said.

“We didn’t know how long we might be trapped down there, and I was getting more frightened by the minute,” Loraine added tearfully.

Jake was relieved to have found Wayne and Loraine, but there were still two more people on this farm who were not accounted for. “Where are your folks? I looked everywhere for them, but found nothing,” he said to Wayne.

“Mom fell down the basement steps trying to get some peaches, so Dad called 911, and the ambulance came and took her to the hospital to be checked over. Hopefully, they weren’t in the path of the tornado.” A look of shock and disbelief spread over Wayne’s face as he gazed at the ruins of his folks’ farm. “Ach! I’m so thankful they weren’t in the house when this hit!”

Jake’s mouth went dry. It didn’t take a genius to see the look of love on Wayne’s face as he gazed into Loraine’s eyes. And it was more than obvious that Loraine felt the same way about Wayne. At that moment, Jake made a decision—one that would change the course of his life.

Loraine let go of Wayne’s hand and moved toward Jake. “Wayne saved my life when he helped me get into the cellar, and now you’ve saved our lives by getting us out of the cellar.” She blinked several times, and more tears gathered in her eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you, Jake.”

He held up his hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to say something first.”

She nodded. “Go ahead.”

“I’ve ... uh ... changed my mind about staying in Indiana. I’ve come to realize that my place is back on the horse ranch in Montana.” He looked over at Wayne and forced a smile, even though his heart was breaking. “It’s obvious that you and Loraine love each other very much. I think the two of you are meant to be together.”

Wayne’s cheeks turned crimson. “You really mean that?”

Jake swallowed hard. “Jah, I really do.” There was no way he could tell Loraine the truth—that he’d come over to the Lambrights’ hoping she’d be here, that he’d planned to ask her out again, that he loved her and hoped someday they could be married.

“Danki, Jake,” Loraine murmured. Tears flowed freely down her face, and as much as it hurt, Jake knew he’d made the right decision.

“The tornado turned my buggy into matchsticks, and my horse took off, but I’ve gotta get home and find out how my folks fared the wrath of the tornado,” Jake said, feeling an immediate need to go.

“I need to check on my family, too.” Loraine looked up at Wayne. “There are so many in our community who might have been affected by this awful storm, but we have no way to get there except on foot.”

“One of us could ride that.” Wayne pointed to a bicycle lying in the middle of the yard.

Jake dashed over to the bike and picked it up. “It seems to be in pretty good shape,” he called to Loraine and Wayne. He climbed on the bike and rode it back to where they stood. “How about if I ride this and you two wait here? I’ll come back as soon as I know something.”

“I guess we don’t have much choice,” Wayne said. He motioned to Loraine. “She’s got a cut on her leg, and she probably wouldn’t be able to walk very far. For that matter, neither could I.”

“I’ll be back as quick as I can.” Jake started pedaling the bike down the driveway, but he’d only made it halfway when a van pulled in. It was Marge Nelson and her husband, Brian.

Marge rolled her window down and stuck out her head. “Is everyone all right here? Was anyone hurt?”

“Wayne and Loraine were the only ones here when the tornado struck. Loraine’s got a cut on her leg, but I don’t think it’s serious.” Jake turned and motioned to the farm. “As you can see, there’s not much left of the Lambrights’ place.”

Brian nodded grimly, a pained expression on his face. “Our place is fine, but we saw destruction all up and down the road as we headed this way.”

“I’m going home now to check on my folks and some of the others,” Jake said, “but Wayne and Loraine are stuck here until I get back with some news.”

“We’d be happy to give all of you a ride,” Brian said. “You can put the bike in the back of my van if you like.”

“It’s not mine, so I’ll just leave it here.” Jake dropped the bike to the ground and climbed into the back of the Nelsons’ van. Then Brian headed up the driveway to where Loraine and Wayne stood huddled together.

“I can’t believe all this devastation!” Loraine exclaimed as they traveled down the road in the Nelsons’ van. “So many people left without their homes. So many will have to rebuild.”

Wayne squeezed her hand as they passed farms, homes, and places of business that had been affected in some way by the wrath of the tornado.

Brian steered the van around a large tree branch lying in the road and pulled into the driveway were Jake’s family lived. “Looks like your house and barn are still standing,” he said as he came to a stop.

Jake pointed out the window. “There’s Mom, Dad, and the rest of my family. Thank God, none of them seem to be hurt.” He looked over at Loraine, who sat between him and Wayne. “If you need me to come with you to your folks’ place, I’ll just check on my family and be right back.”

Loraine shook her head. “You go ahead, Jake. I’m sure your family needs you right now.”

“Okay. Let us know how everyone fared, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Jake whipped the door open and hopped out. “Thanks for the ride, Brian!” he called.

When they continued their drive toward Loraine’s house, her heart began to pound as she thought about what they might find. The newfound joy she and Wayne had found when they’d expressed their love in the root cellar could be over if she found that anyone in her family was dead.

“Look, there’s a buggy that’s smashed up pretty bad!” Wayne shouted as they continued down the road. “I wonder if it belongs to someone we know.”

“You’d better stop and see if there’s anyone inside,” Marge told her husband.

Brian pulled the van over behind the buggy and hopped out.

Wayne looked over at Loraine. “Sit tight while I check things out with Brian.”

Loraine nodded as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m so afraid of what we’re going to find at my place. What if—”

“Try to think positive.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and stepped out of the van.

“There was no one inside the buggy,” Brian said when he and Wayne returned a few minutes later. “I’m guessing whoever was in the buggy probably got out and ran for cover as soon as they saw that funnel cloud coming.”

Wayne nodded. “That’s what Jake did. He jumped into a ditch, covered his head, and waited out the storm.” He looked out the window and scanned the area. There wasn’t a soul in sight. “Whoever was in the buggy probably headed for home on foot as soon as they knew it was safe.”

“I think you’re probably right about that,” Brian said as he pulled back onto the road.

They’d only gone a short ways when Loraine spotted three Amish people walking along the side of the road—an elderly woman, a younger woman, and a young man.

“Isn’t that Sara Bontrager?” Loraine asked, looking at Wayne.

He nodded. “And that’s Fern and Freeman walking with her.”

“We’d better stop and see if they need any help,” Brian said over his shoulder.

Loraine knew they were doing the right thing by stopping, but she was anxious to get to her house and wished they could keep on going. What if something had happened to Mom and Dad? She’d had a disagreement with Mom this afternoon. She needed to make things right—needed to explain about her and Wayne getting back together.

When Brian pulled over, Marge rolled down her window again. “Do you folks need some help?” she asked.

Sara nodded but seemed unable to find her voice.

“We were heading home from Shipshewana when the tornado struck, and we had to take cover in a ditch by the side of the road,” Freeman said. “Our buggy’s wrecked, and our horse is missing, so we were on our way home on foot.”

“We’ve got room for three more,” Brian said. “So if you’d like to get in, we’ll give you a lift.”

“We’d be grateful for the ride.” Fern motioned to her grandmother. “It’s a long walk to Grandma’s house, and she’s already tired and pretty well shaken up by the unexpected storm.”

Brian hopped out of the van and went around to open the back door. Fern and Freeman climbed into the seat at the very back of the van, and Sara sat on the seat beside Loraine and Wayne.

“How are things at your place?” Fern asked, tapping Wayne’s shoulder.

“Not so good.” He slowly shook his head. “The house and barn are gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sara clutched Wayne’s arm. “Where are your folks? Are they okay?”

“I hope so,” Wayne replied. “Pop took Mom to the hospital in Goshen after she fell down the basement stairs, so unless the tornado hit there, they should be okay.”

Sara looked over at Loraine. “How about your folks?”

“I ... I don’t know. We’re on our way there now to see.” Loraine’s voice cracked on the last word.

Just then, they came across another buggy going in the opposite direction, a horse being led behind it.

“That’s Ella and her daed!” Wayne shouted. “We’d better stop and check on them, too.”

Loraine was tempted to argue, since Uncle Rueben’s buggy looked perfectly fine; but he or Ella might have information to give them about Loraine’s folks, so she didn’t give a word of argument when Brian pulled alongside the buggy and signaled it to stop. “Are you folks okay?” he asked. “Did the tornado do much damage to your place?”

Uncle Rueben shook his head. “We’re all fine. Nothing at our place was even touched.” He and Ella stepped down from the buggy and came over to the van.

“We were heading to the Lambrights’ to check on them and found this horse running along the side of the road,” Uncle Rueben said. “Do any of you recognize it?”

“I think that’s Jake’s horse,” Loraine said, looking out the window.

“I believe you’re right.” Wayne opened the door of the van and quickly told Ella and her father what had happened at their place and ended by saying, “We dropped Jake off at his house and were relieved to see that everything there looked all right.”

“Have you heard anything about my folks?” Loraine called to Ella.

Ella shook her head. “We were going to go there after we stopped by the Lambrights’ place.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Uncle Rueben said, looking at Loraine, “Ella can ride with you over to Loraine’s house, while I take Jake’s horse over to him. Then when I’m done, I’ll swing over to check on things at your place and pick Ella up.”

Wayne opened the door, and Ella climbed in beside Loraine. “What a horrible day this has turned out to be,” she said with a catch in her voice. “On the way here, we saw so many houses and barns that had been leveled. It will take a lot of rebuilding to get things back to the way they used to be.”

“The community will work together,” Wayne said.

“That’s right,” Freeman agreed from the backseat. “That’s how it was for us in Ohio when several places were flooded out last year. Everyone pulled together.”

“I’m sure a lot of the English men in our area will help with the rebuilding, too,” Marge put in.

Brian nodded. “And I’ll be one of them.”

Ella nudged Loraine’s arm. “How come you’re holding Wayne’s hand?” she whispered.

Loraine explained about being trapped in the cellar with Wayne, and said that even though they were scared, it had given them the time they needed to talk things through. “Wayne and I realize now that we’ve never stopped loving each other,” she said.

“I’m so happy for you.” Ella squeezed Loraine’s hand. “I always did think you and Wayne belonged together.”

“We both know that with God’s help, we can work things out.” Loraine’s eyes misted. “I just hope that—”

“Hey, that’s my daed’s driver, Stan Burnet.” Wayne leaned over the seat and tapped Brian’s shoulder. “Would you stop and see if that’s my folks he has with him?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Loraine gripped the edge of her seat. She was anxious to see if Ada and Crist were okay, but every stop they made meant it was that much longer before she knew how her folks were doing. All she could do was to wait, hope for the best, and pray.

Brian honked his horn and motioned for Stan to pull over. Once both vehicles had stopped, Wayne climbed out and hurried to the other car.

Loraine watched as the backseat window rolled down and Crist stuck his head out.

“Looks like it is Wayne’s folks,” Marge said. “From what I can tell, they seem to be okay.”

Loraine breathed a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later, Wayne climbed back into the van. “Dad said they were at the hospital when they heard about the tornado, but it didn’t strike in Goshen at all.”

“What about your mamm?” Loraine asked. “Is she doing okay?”

Wayne nodded and smiled. “I guess she suffered a mild concussion, and that cut on her head required a few stitches.” He glanced down at Loraine’s leg. “Looks like the bleeding has stopped on your leg. Does it hurt much?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.” Her forehead wrinkled. “I am worried about Mom and Dad, though. Could we go there now?”

“Jah, sure.” Wayne reached for her hand again. “I told my folks where we’re headed and what to expect when they get to our place. Dad said he wants to see things for himself, and then they’ll be over to your folks’ right after that.”

“We’d better get going then.” Brian pulled onto the road again, and Loraine tried to relax.

When they finally pulled into her folks’ driveway, her mouth went dry. Several big trees were down, the roof of the barn was gone, and the house was damaged extensively.

As soon as the van stopped, she jerked open the door and stepped out. She scanned the yard, and seeing no one, dashed across the grass, and was about to step onto what was left of the porch, when she heard Dad call, “Loraine! We’re over here!”

She whirled around and was relieved to see Mom and Dad come around the side of the house. She rushed forward and grabbed them both in a hug.

“Are you all right?” they asked at the same time.

Loraine nodded. “How about you?”

“We’re fine,” Dad said. “When the tornado hit, we took cover in the basement.”

Loraine quickly told them what had happened to her and Wayne, and how he’d saved her life by getting her into the root cellar.

“I’m so relieved.” Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been feeling so bad about the disagreement we had earlier and have been praying that I’d get the chance to say how sorry I am for upsetting you like that.”

Loraine clung to her mother, as tears splashed onto her cheeks. “I’m sorry for my part in all of it, too.”

Wayne stepped up to them then, and Dad clasped Wayne’s shoulder. “Danki for saving our daughter’s life.”

Wayne’s face turned red. “No thanks is needed, Amos. I would have done anything to save the life of my future wife.”

Loraine held her breath as she waited for her mother’s response.

The minutes ticked by as Mom stood staring at Loraine in disbelief. Then she looked over at Wayne and said, “It does my heart good to see my daughter looking so happy, and I want you to know that I’d be real pleased to have someone as devoted as you for my son-in-law.”

Wayne’s smile stretched wide. “Danki. And I’ll be real pleased to become part of your family.”

As Loraine stood in the yard, holding Wayne’s hand, she thought about Psalm 37:4, the verse that had been attached to the loaf of friendship bread Ella had given her several months ago—the same verse she’d read the other night. She realized now that God had truly given her the desire of her heart, and she determined that she would remember to pray for Jake in the days ahead.

Loraine inhaled deeply, feeling peace enter her like the fragrance of fresh roses. She wasn’t sure exactly when she and Wayne would be married or where they would live, but she knew she’d be keeping the promise she’d made to Wayne last spring. For the moment, that was all she needed to know.