[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey (20 page)

As Allen headed down the driveway toward the road, Titus tapped him on the shoulder. “Remember when you said I could invite someone to join us?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I invited Esther Beiler, so we’ll need to stop by her folks’ store to pick her up, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure, no problem. I know where their store is, and it’s on our way to the monument.”

Titus relaxed against the seat and listened to Allen and Connie’s conversation. Actually, it was more Connie doing the talking. Titus wondered if there was anything serious going on between them.

When they arrived at the Beilers’ store, Titus hopped out of the truck and went inside. He found Esther behind the counter, waiting on a customer.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said, smiling at Titus. “My mamm’s in the storage room right now, but when she comes back, she’ll take my place at the counter, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“That’s fine.” Titus stood off to one side and waited as Esther rang up the English woman’s purchases.

Soon, Esther’s mother came out of the storage room. “Your daed’s going to stock some shelves for a while,” she said to Esther. “So I’m ready to take over for you here.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at Titus. “It was nice of you to invite Esther to go with you today. I hope you’ll both have a good time.”

Titus nodded. “Allen’s been to the Jefferson Davis Monument before, and he said it’s pretty interesting.”

A horn honked from outside, and Titus glanced out the window. “I think Allen’s anxious to go,” he said to Esther.

“I’m ready.” Esther said good-bye to her mother and followed Titus out the door.

Paradise, Pennsylvania

A knock sounded on the back door, and Timothy went to see who it was. He was surprised to find Samuel and his wife, Elsie, on the porch.

“What’d you knock for? Why didn’t you just come in like you normally do?” he asked.

“We didn’t know if Hannah would be up to company,” Samuel said. “So we didn’t want to barge right in.”

Timothy stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him. “I’m really worried about Hannah. She still won’t say much to me, and she doesn’t want to go anywhere or do anything but sit and hold Mindy.” He slowly shook his head. “I’m beginning to wonder if she’ll ever be the same.”

“Would you like me to talk to her?” Elsie asked. “I had a miscarriage once, so I know how sad she must feel about losing the boppli.”

Samuel nodded. “That’s right, but God gave us four more kinner after that.” He smiled at Elsie. “We’re hoping for even more, if it be His will.”

When they went inside, they found Hannah sitting in the living room on the sofa, staring at a book she hadn’t even opened. The men stood off to one side, while Elsie took a seat beside Hannah. “I know you’re sad about losing the boppli,” she said, “because I lost one a few years ago, too. But you need to realize that Timothy and Mindy are still here, and they both need you.” She touched Hannah’s arm. “God knows what He’s doing, and if your boppli had lived, he or she might have had some kind of physical problem.”

“I … I suppose you could be right.” Hannah nearly choked on the words.

“The boppli’s in heaven now, and that should offer you some comfort,” Elsie continued. “Remember, too, that the hardships we experience and the trials we face here on earth will teach us to trust more in God. For the weaker we feel, the harder we’ll lean on Him.”

Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes. “I … I know you’re right, Elsie, but it’s hard not to think about the boppli I lost.”

Elsie shook her head. “I understand that, and I’m not at all suggesting you forget about the baby. I just think you need to begin focusing on the family you still have, because they really do need you, Hannah.”

“I … I suppose so.”

Timothy moved over to stand behind Hannah and placed his hands on her shoulders. “We all want to see you getting back to normal.”

“I want to get on with life, too.” Hannah looked at Elsie and sniffed. “Danki, for coming by and for what you said. I know it’s what I needed to hear.”

“You’re welcome.” Elsie took Hannah’s hand. “Remember now, I’m here for you, so if you need to talk about this some more, please let me know.”

Fairview, Kentucky

Titus tipped his head back and whistled. “Wow, that building’s even taller than I thought!”

“It’s 351 feet high, to be exact. The site marks Jefferson Davis’s birthplace, and it rests on a foundation of solid Kentucky limestone,” Allen said as they left his truck and approached the monument. “Another interesting fact is that Jefferson Davis was born here on June 3, 1808, and just eight months later, not more than one hundred miles away, Abraham Lincoln was born.” He grinned at Connie. “I’ve become quite interested in history since I moved here.”

“Can we go inside?” she asked. “I’ll bet there’s an awesome view from the top.”

“You’re right. There is.” Allen pointed across the way. “There’s the visitor’s center, where we can buy tickets to take the elevator to the top of the monument.”

“That sounds like fun.” Titus’s enthusiasm mounted. Just thinking about going inside the monument had him excited. “Don’t think I’ve ever been in a building so high.”

Esther’s brows furrowed, and she nibbled nervously on her lip. “I … uh … think I’d rather wait for you down here.”

“And miss all the fun?” Titus could hardly believe she wouldn’t want to go up with them. “You’ve got to go up there and have a look around.”

she shook her head. “I … I can’t.”

“Why not?’

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Titus said, hoping to offer her some encouragement. “You can hang on to my arm if you’re scared.”

Her face paled, and she continued to shake her head. “I’m not going up there, Titus. I’ll sit on a bench down here or wait for you in the gift shop.”

Titus hesitated a minute, wondering if he should stay with her, but he didn’t see why he should miss out on the fun because she was afraid of heights. “Okay, whatever,” he finally mumbled. What was the point in Esther agreeing to come along if she didn’t want to go up in the monument?

“You look umgerennt,” Esther said. “Are you upset because I don’t want to go up?”

“No, it’s okay. Wouldn’t want you to go if you’re scared.” Titus felt like a heel. He didn’t want to hurt Esther’s feelings or try to force her to do something she was afraid of, but at the same time, he was disappointed.

“Let’s head over to the gift shop and see about getting our tickets,” Allen said. “We can also look around and see what they might have for sale.”

When they entered the gift shop, Allen paid for his and Connie’s tickets, and Titus paid for his. Then he turned to Esther and said, “Would you like me to buy something for you to eat or drink while we’re up in the monument?”

She glanced at the small chest freezer across the room. “Maybe an ice-cream bar.”

“Sure, go ahead and pick out the kind you like.”

When they left the gift shop, Esther took a seat on one of the park benches, and the rest of them followed their guide into the elevator that would take them up the monument. Once at the top, Titus looked down. He was amazed. He could see for miles around—rooftops of houses and barns, treetops, and the highway spread out below. What had looked so big on the ground looked very small.

“This is great!” Titus exclaimed. “Makes me wonder how small we must look in God’s eyes when He looks down from heaven.”

“Probably like little specks.” Allen laughed. “But God knows each of us by name—even the number of hairs on our head.”

Connie frowned. “You two aren’t going to ruin the day by talking about a bunch of religious stuff, I hope.”

“Talking about God shouldn’t ruin anyone’s day,” Allen said. “I started going to Sunday school when I was a boy, and by the time I became a teenager, I’d given my heart to the Lord.”

Connie rolled her eyes, as she pulled her fingers through the ends of her curly hair. “Please keep your religious views to yourself, because I’m really not interested.”

Allen opened his mouth, like he might say more, but he closed it and pulled a camera from his shirt pocket instead. “Think I’ll take a couple of pictures while we’re up here. It isn’t every day we get to see a sight such as this.” He smiled at Titus. “Maybe if I send a few pictures of the area to Zach, he’ll decide to pack up his family and move here, too.”

Titus shook his head. “I doubt that. Zach seems content to stay in Pennsylvania with the rest of our family. Hopefully, he and the others will come here for a visit sometime, but I don’t think any of them will ever leave Lancaster County.”

Suzanne had spent the morning helping Mom clean house, and by noon she was more than ready for a break.

“Should we make some sandwiches for lunch and eat them outside on the picnic table?” Mom asked.

Suzanne smiled. “That’s a good idea. I always enjoy eating outside.”

“Would you like to make the sandwiches while I prepare some lemonade?” Mom asked.

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“Can I help, too?” Effie asked as she skipped into the kitchen. “I think it’s fun to squeeze lemons.”

Mom smiled and patted Effie’s head. “You can squeeze the lemons while I add water and sugar.”

While Suzanne started working on the ham and cheese sandwiches, she thought about Titus and the remark he’d made about whether she’d put vinegar on the sandwiches. She knew he’d only been teasing, but it had hurt nonetheless. Still, she couldn’t make herself spend time in the kitchen, trying to perfect her skills, when she’d rather be outside doing something else. Besides, with Mom being such a good cook, anything Suzanne ever made would pale by comparison. And since she didn’t have a boyfriend and had no hope of marriage, what was the point in learning to cook?

When Suzanne finished the sandwiches, she placed them on a platter and set it on the table. “Is Grandpa in his room?” she asked Mom. “Should I tell him that lunch is ready and we’ll be eating in the yard today?”

“I saw him go outside a little bit ago,” Mom said. “He said something about a wasp’s nest in the barn that needed to be knocked down.”