Katie's Forever Promise (40 page)

Katie hesitated. “I just thought I'd stop by for a minute.
Mamm
said you were doing some better last week. I'm sorry for what happened.”

Ruth waved her hand toward the rocker. “Sit down, Katie. You don't have to feel sorry for me or explain yourself. I'm the one who should do that.”

Katie obeyed, taking the offered seat.

Ruth paused to pat her injured hip with one hand. “This is nothing but
Da Hah
's judgment. Something I needed to bring me to my senses, Katie. If you hadn't come over to visit, I would have stopped by the schoolhouse to apologize the first chance after I get on my feet.”

“But you mustn't speak this way,” Katie protested. “We can't know how
Da Hah
judges.”

Ruth shook her head. “On this one I'm right, Katie, so don't say I'm not. Albert has told me I'd better come over and apologize before
Da Hah
strikes me with something worse. That's what
Albert said once he found out what all was going on. I can only say how ashamed I am of myself, Katie. It is only
Da Hah
's mercy that I didn't kill myself on that ice spot. Thankfully, one of the children was still there to call for help. As overweight as I am, it took three ambulance workers to get me onto the gurney.”

“Everyone has their faults,” Katie offered.

Ruth ignored her. “I've never been so embarrassed in my life—at least that I can remember. Between that and the pain, I begged
Da Hah
's forgiveness right then and there. I saw clearly what this was. The smiting hand of
Da Hah
. I told Enos Kuntz the same thing that very afternoon. That he had best get things made right with you before he was also smitten down.
Yah
, I said that, even though I knew seeing his son Norman on his knees in front of church had already put gray hairs on the man's head. Yet all the time my turn was coming, and I was too blind to see it.”

“I still don't think you're seeing this correctly,” Katie interrupted.

Ruth paid her no attention. “I'm also sorry, Katie, for my part in running down you and your
mamm
's reputation. I let jealousy enter my heart all those years ago when your
mamm
won Jesse's hand instead of me. That was very wicked of me, and it wouldn't have worked anyway. I can tell that now. Jesse Mast and me?
Ach
! Albert's so much better suited for me. But I was too blinded by my own wishes, I suppose. I hope you can forgive me as your
mamm
forgave me last week.”

“
Yah
, of course,” Katie whispered. No wonder
Mamm
had told her to stop by if this was how her conversation had gone with Ruth. Yet
Mamm
hadn't breathed a word, no doubt wanting her to hear the words fresh from Ruth's mouth.

“I asked your
mamm
please not to tell you what I'd told her,” Ruth confirmed Katie's thoughts. “And from the look on your face, she didn't.”

“
Mamm
only suggested that I stop by. That's all.”

“You are
wunderbah
people. I'm sorry it took this to open my eyes—that and Albert's words. You should have heard what he had to say, the poor man, when I told him the whole story after my fall on the ice. He had no idea what his
frau
was capable of. Albert is so innocent in some ways, but he sure has a pure soul.” Ruth paused to wipe away a tear before continuing. “And poor Mabel. I'll have to visit her when I can ride in the buggy again. Here I led her into such sins over the years. Turning her against your
mamm
, and probably helping her along with her marriage to Norman. How poor Mabel has had to suffer because of what I've done.”

“But it's going better now, isn't it?” Katie asked.

Ruth smiled. “
Yah
, from what I've heard.” Ruth sobered again. “But no woman should have to go through that. Mabel told me what happened, and I couldn't believe Norman was capable of such things. Then when Mabel showed me the bruises I got angry, blaming Norman for all of it. All the time not seeing my own part in pushing them together. Thankfully Mabel asked for and received help even before
Da Hah
passed His judgment on me.”

“I don't think you should be so hard on yourself.” Katie stood up. “Are you coming along okay with your injury? May I get you anything right now?”

Ruth sighed. “I'll be well enough to get out of the house in a couple of weeks or so, the doctor claims. And I can't wait. It's awful being cooped up in the house and having other people tend to me all the time. Thankfully poor Albert has been kept in decent food. People have brought in so much or he would have starved by now.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Katie asked again. “I can't stay long, but I could help with some housework perhaps or maybe dinner.”

“You'll do no such thing.” Ruth waved toward the couch again.
“Sit down and tell me about school. And about Ben of course. I hear things are going well between the two of you.”

“
Yah
!” A smile crept over Katie's face as she settled onto the couch again. “I get to see Ben every Sunday now. And he's back home with his
mamm
and
daett
, for which everyone is very thankful.”

“So Ben's made peace with the faith?”

Ruth as usual knew more than she should know about people, but her apology had been sincere so Katie overlooked it. Besides, Ruth would always be interested in other people's lives. It was part of who she was. She meant no harm. “
Da Hah
has been faithful in that area. I thought way back when, that I could perhaps help Ben by taking the trip to Europe and bringing home interesting stories about our faith's fathers. But what Ben really needed was to meet
Da Hah
for himself. Which he did in the strangest of situations—through the times he served in the
Englisha
jail.”

Ruth nodded. “
Yah
, each of us are reached in our own way.
Da Hah
knows I needed a
gut
bounce on my backside to knock some sense into me. So I don't belittle anyone's way back to the right path. Tell me, how's school going?”

“As
gut
as can be expected, I suppose. I've never been through the winter blues before, this still being my first year. But with a hint of spring in the air, the children are hard to keep inside. The playground is still a little muddy, so they make do the best they can with board games.”

“How well I know.” Ruth groaned, moving her hips to a more comfortable position. “They'll be outside before you know it though, and everything will be back to normal. All things come to an end, as they say.”

“May I get you another pillow?” Katie asked, as Ruth groaned again.

“Maybe that would help.” Ruth adjusted herself. “You can get mine in the bedroom—the one on the left.”

Katie hurried in and returned with the pillow. Ruth lifted herself up high enough to slide the pillow in, flopping back down again. A wry expression crept across her face. “At least I've lost some weight through this accident—weight that I plan to keep off. Over Albert's objections, I must say. The man says he likes me just the way I am.”

Katie smiled, thinking she should be leaving soon.

Ruth seemed not to notice, chattering on. “So will young Ben be joining the baptismal class this spring? It's coming up in April, isn't it?”

“
Yah
, he's planning on it,” Katie said.

“And soon wedding bells will be ringing, if I don't miss my guess.” With that, Ruth laughed with glee.

Now Katie was sure she was turning red, which made Ruth laugh harder, knowing she had hit home on that one. The truth was that Ben hadn't officially asked her to be his
frau
, but surely he would soon. Maybe after he began the baptismal class. Ben probably thought he should make his decision plain before he asked her for such a serious commitment. The truth was, she would have said
yah
if he had asked her weeks ago.

Ruth still wasn't through chuckling. “Well, it's
gut
to see the two of you coming along so well. Bishop Miller had nothing but nice things to say when he stopped by last week with Laura. Seems like Ben was on his mind, which isn't surprising with how much trouble Ben caused the community. It must have been a relief to get that one off the bishop's mind.”

“I'm sure it was,” Katie agreed, getting to her feet. “Well, I really have to be going, Ruth. And I hope you get completely well—and very soon. I'll be looking for you at church services then.”

“It can't come too soon, believe me.”

“Goodbye for now,” Katie said, as she made her way to the door.

How strange things were turning out, Katie thought. The ground underfoot was becoming more solid each day. Even Mahlon Bontrager had gotten the message now that Ben was coming to church and taking her home in the evenings. Mahlon had asked Millie Schrock—who was twenty-nine or so—home on Sunday evening for the first time. And from the reports the schoolchildren had whispered between themselves later that week, Millie had been spotted at the sewing still blushing.

At her age, Millie might have wondered if she'd remain an old maid. Having the attentions of a decent man like Mahlon would make a woman blush. It was all for the best, really. Katie had done the right thing sticking it out with Ben. Katie climbed into the buggy and turned Sparky toward home.

Chapter Forty-One

It was a Sunday night in early April. Katie met Ben at the front door with a smile. As they stood at the door, the soft light from the kerosene lamp inside played on Ben's face.
Mamm
and the rest of the family were already in bed. Katie reached over to take Ben's hand. “What's it going to be tonight?” she asked. “Strawberry pie or cherry? With ice cream, of course.”

“Why not both?” Ben said with a gleam in his eyes.

Katie faked a glare. “I do declare! That's all you come here for on Sunday nights…to eat.”

“
Yah
.” Ben walked inside and plopped down on the couch. “Why else would I be here?”

Because of me,
Katie almost said, but she rushed into the kitchen before Ben saw her blushing face. Why did she still get red-faced around him after all this time? Perhaps because tonight had been so special driving home. The spring weather was bringing everything alive, so they'd driven home with the buggy doors open. The peepers had been croaking in the pond along the road, and the
crickets shrieking in the trees. Ben had been in a playful mood, and she'd enjoyed his chatter to the fullest, snuggling up against his shoulder with the buggy blanket at their feet.
Yah
, tonight was extra special. Things were finally going well, and enough time had passed that it seemed things might stay that way.

Katie paused in the kitchen to slide two pieces of pie—strawberry and cherry—onto a plate. She then scooped the ice cream on top and returned to the living room.

Ben took the plate eagerly and began eating. “Where's yours?” he finally asked.

“I don't really want any tonight,” she said.

“That means more for me!” Ben said with a laugh.

Katie smiled and then turned serious. “Ben, do you ever think back to what it used to be like not so long ago for us? About the experiences we've had? And what may lie ahead?”

He sobered as he paused between bites. “Sometimes. But tonight I'm thinking about you, Katie.”

“Oh, Ben!”

“I do that more than I should sometimes.” He lowered his head. “Katie…”

She waited as he seemed to search for what to say. Would tonight be the night? Was he going to ask her to be his
frau
? She tried to keep breathing. She mustn't jump to conclusions. Still, it seemed like maybe it could happen. After all, Ben was taking life far more seriously now. He'd been attending the baptismal class for several Sundays already. But tonight…could it really happen?

His fork trembled and his voice was low. “Katie, I've been wanting to ask you…about something…important.”

She met his gaze. “
Yah
, Ben?”

He looked away. “I know I'm unworthy of you, Katie. But I want to…to marry you if…if you'll consent, of course. Would you be my
frau
come the wedding season this fall?”

The words gushed out as quickly as her tears of joy. “Ben, of course! I accept. I'd be glad to marry you this fall.”

A smile crept across his face. He moved closer, the pie plate still in one hand, and reached up to touch her face.

She took the plate from his hand and set it on the floor. Then she wrapped both hands around his neck and kissed him.

“You really will be my
frau
?” Ben asked, long moments later.

“Of course, you silly.” She kissed him again.

Ben turned serious. “I want to thank you for standing by me like you did. I never told you, but I thought my heart would burst with joy when I caught sight of your face that day in the courtroom.”