Anna's Healing (18 page)

She tried to keep her reports factual, to wring out the emotion before she sat down to write the latest piece. She tried to be professional.

October 10

Barn Building

By Chloe Roberts

Mayes County Chronicle

CODY'S CREEK—A barn raising will take place in Cody's Creek this weekend. Preliminary work has already begun on the Millers' barn, which was destroyed during the recent tornado. The barn will be rebuilt in the traditional Amish way with families from the area helping in order to complete the work in a single day.

Across the county, several structures were rendered unusable due to the late September storm. The majority of those buildings have already been repaired. According to Cody's Creek city manager, Lex Carlson, “Not only did the Amish repair their own damaged buildings, they also helped other folks. We had a few families who had received insurance compensation but were unable to procure the services of builders in the area.” The surge of new construction in Tulsa combined with damage from the tornadoes resulted in long waiting lists for local builders.

Skip Newsome found himself in that exact situation. “The insurance money does me no good if I can't use it to have my barn repaired. I needed that work done before winter sets in. Levi Troyer found out the trouble we were having and had a work crew out the second week.” The Newsomes went on to donate the insurance money they had received to a local fund set up for Anna Schwartz. “We felt like it was the least we could do. They helped us in our need, and we wanted to return the favor.”

Anna Schwartz suffered a spinal cord injury and paralysis in the September 26 storm. She remains in a rehabilitation center in Tulsa. Donations can be directed to Cody Creek Bank, c/o the Anna Schwartz Fund.

October 21

Benefit Auction

By Chloe Roberts

Mayes County Chronicle

CODY'S CREEK—A benefit auction will be held in Cody's Creek this Friday and Saturday. Proceeds will benefit those Amish families affected by September's tornadoes. Levi Troyer, bishop for one of the local Amish communities, explained that half a dozen families suffered partial or total crop loss from the storm system.

Structural damage was limited to barns and outhouses. Those have all been repaired or rebuilt. Moneys received from the auction will compensate farmers for the loss of their crops. A portion will also go to Anna Schwartz, who was severely injured in the tornado (Cody Creek Bank, c/o the Anna Schwartz Fund).

This weekend's benefit will take place at the Kings' farm next to the old fire station in Cody's Creek on the north side of town. Items available will include Amish-made furniture and quilts, as well as fresh baked goods and canned items. Animals and farming equipment will also be auctioned.

November 4

Anna's Homecoming

By Chloe Roberts

Mayes County Chronicle

CODY'S CREEK—Anna Schwartz returned to Cody's Creek this week. Anna is a young Amish woman who was thrown from a wagon during the September 26 tornadoes. Now a paraplegic, Anna spent the last five weeks in a rehab center in Tulsa.

Bishop Troyer declined to be interviewed at length, but he said, “Anna is a strong girl. We appreciate your prayers as she continues on the difficult road before her.”

Amish and
Englisch
families in the Cody's Creek and Tulsa area have raised nearly $150,000 to offset medical bills from the accident. Expenses for the Schwartzes include a remodel that was necessary to accommodate a wheelchair at her uncle's house.

Mr. Schwartz said, “The community pitched in and helped us to widen doors and install a ramp as well as a handicap-accessible bathroom. We're very grateful to those who came out to the work frolic and pitched in a hand. Also the folks who attended the auction and purchased items, that helped tremendously.” The benefit auction was a huge success with folks parking up to a mile away in order to attend.

Anna's rehabilitation will continue as an outpatient. Although Mr. Schwartz was unwilling to discuss their financial situation, neighbors shared—off the record—that Anna's medical bills had surpassed $425,000. In addition, Mr. Schwartz's corn crop was a total loss. Donations for the family can be made to the Cody Creek bank, c/o the Anna Schwartz fund.

March 6

Spring Sale

By Chloe Roberts

Mayes County Chronicle

CODY'S CREEK—The town of Cody's Creek is holding a spring sale on the town square this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Anna Schwartz fund. Anna was injured during the September storm and is now a paraplegic. She's twice suffered bouts of pneumonia and the family's medical bills have continued to mount. “Anna's strong. We're grateful to everyone for
the cards, contributions, and prayers,” said Erin Schwartz, Anna's aunt. Anna is originally from Indiana. She had moved to Oklahoma in order to spend a year with her aunt and uncle when the tornadoes hit.

Nearly six months have passed since the fateful September day when an F-3 tornado swept down and destroyed local crops and buildings, injuring several local residents, though none as seriously as Anna Schwartz, who suffered a spinal cord injury. Driving through Cody's Creek, there is little sign of the destruction wrought that Friday afternoon, but locals say it's a day they will never forget.

“I saw that black funnel cloud barreling out of the west, and I thought my time on this earth was over.” Janice Tripp has lived in Cody's Creek her entire life. “Eighty-nine years,” she informed me with a smile and a chuckle. “I suppose the Lord wasn't ready to take me in that storm. I might be old, but I'm still pretty tough.”

Mrs. Tripp was one of several residents featured in the
Tulsa Daily
after the storm. Instead of heading for her cellar after spotting the tornado, she ran to her barn and released the prize horses her husband raises.

“Scott was in town at the feed store. I knew those horses were better off out of the barn than in it. Horses have a strong instinct for survival, and they headed to the south pasture as soon as I opened their stalls.” Mrs. Tripp barely escaped before the storm barreled through their barn, leveling it. “A bruise on my forehead. That's all I got.”

Local Amish farmers helped the Tripps rebuild the barn. Saturday's spring sale will include bedding plants, bird-houses, outdoor benches and swings, quilts, and fresh baked goods. Local businesses—both Amish and
Englisch
—will also be donating items for purchase in a silent auction. All proceeds will be deposited in the Cody Creek bank, c/o the Anna Schwartz fund.

CHAPTER 27

Early June

A
nna awoke to a summer breeze floating through the window and the sound of her
mammi
's murmured prayers. Her grandmother literally washed her in the Psalms before each day began, though often she would change the pronouns to make the reading more personal.

We trust in Your unfailing love; our hearts rejoice in Your salvation.

Keep Anna safe, my God, for in You we take refuge.

Show us Your ways, Lord, teach us Your paths.

The words of Scripture, spoken in her grandmother's German accent, calmed and soothed her. They provided a foundation Anna sorely needed as she adjusted to her new life.

Sleeping wasn't too difficult. By the end of the day she was often more tired then a newborn babe.

Waking, now that was a different matter.

Some mornings she would wake slowly, the prayers of her grandmother pulling her from her sleep. Other mornings, she woke with her heart racing, her pulse loud and rapid in her ears, echoing like the sound of thunder. Occasionally she woke rested and ready to bound from the bed, temporarily forgetting that she could no longer bound anywhere.

Her eyes would open, she'd take in the view outside her window and glance around her room, and then her eyes would fall on the
wheelchair and the real nightmare she was enduring would come crashing back around her. She almost preferred waking from the terrifying dreams. Forgetting her disability, while sweet, was too painful. She understood that she needed to accept her situation, needed to move on with her life—whatever that meant. But something in her mind, or heart, was holding her back. She'd stare down at her toes under the old quilt and she would try to move them. Nothing. She couldn't even feel the weight of the covers on her legs. It was as if everything simply stopped below her waist.

Though the doctors had explained it to her, she couldn't understand, couldn't quite accept what had happened. Her legs appeared normal when covered by the quilt. They looked as if they would support her.

Once she threw the covers back, the ugly truth was revealed. In spite of the therapy and exercises, her legs had lost much of their muscle tone. They looked almost like
Mammi
's minus the wrinkles. Though, of course, her grandmother could still move around just fine.

On the difficult mornings, Anna would lie in her bed, unwilling to move. Better to pretend to be asleep and try to understand what had happened, why it had happened, and what purpose God could have. Why her? Why anyone? Even after her meetings with Bishop Levi, the answers eluded her. Sinking into despair, she would close her eyes and hope to fall back asleep.

But
Mammi
always knew, and she was not one to tolerate self-pity. “
Gotte
has blessed us with another day, Anna.”

She loved her grandmother dearly. She did. But often her optimism exhausted Anna before she rose in the morning.

Mammi
shuffled over, pulling the chair closer beside Anna's bed. “Samuel will be inside soon to help you to the bathroom.”

Anna nodded but didn't say anything. Some days she didn't trust herself to speak. The terrible questions she had might begin tumbling out, and once released, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to stop them.

“I've been praying for you, Anna.”
Mammi
clasped her hand. “
Gotte
has a plan for you. I am sure.”

Instead of answering, Anna looked away.

“Mornings are difficult.
Ya
. I imagine they are.”
Mammi
's voice
softened as she picked up the jar of lotion from the night stand. Anna's mother had sent it from Indiana. Someone in their community made it, claiming it would prevent bedsores and help restore muscle tone. Anna doubted an ointment could do all of that, but it seemed to please her grandmother to smooth the lemon-scented balm over her arms and legs.

“
Gotte
is mighty, Anna. Never doubt that. Oh, no. Our Lord, He does great things—things we cannot understand.”
Mammi
pushed up on her glasses.

When Anna looked at her grandmother, she saw such complete faith and trust that she had to turn away. Her grandmother's life had not been easy. Though she hadn't suffered an injury like Anna's, she had endured the death of one child and her husband. Her own legs hurt her, and she walked slightly stooped due to osteoporosis. None of that dimmed her outlook.

“Today will be special. You'll see, child. Better even than yesterday.”

Yesterday had consisted of shelling spring peas on the front porch. Anna had been happy to have something to do besides mending, but she failed to see how a plain old Wednesday in June could be special.

Then she remembered, and a sense of dread and anticipation flooded through her. “Maybe I shouldn't go.”

“Nonsense. Chloe has called the phone shack three times in the last week. She even ordered the handicap van.”

Great. That made for a special day. She'd get to ride in a white van with a strange driver who would glance at her with pity before pointedly looking away.

“I feel a little rattle in my chest. Maybe I should stay in and—”

“You were snoring like an old Amish man when I came into your room. I think your chest is good. Those herbs I gave you worked.”

Hmm. Best not to fake an illness with
Mammi
. The woman's herbal remedies might work, but swallowing the bitter teas was often more painful than the ailment. Not to mention that faking was a form of lying. She had enough sins without adding another to the count before her day had even officially begun.

Samuel's boots clomping down the hall pulled Anna from her morose thoughts.

“Morning, Anna.”

Anna had noticed a marked change in her
onkel
's attitude toward her over the last several months. Was it because he felt a sense of guilt for what had happened? That was a ridiculous thought. He had nothing to feel guilty about. More likely it was because he'd joined their community of believers again—in spirit as well as body. Whatever had caused him to hold himself apart for so many years had dissolved over the last six months. It was difficult to remain distant when folks brought meals for your table, feed for your animals, and seed for your field. Not to mention the monetary donations from the benefits, auctions, and even strangers.