Lifted Up by Angels (15 page)

“H
i, honey. How are you doing?”

“Mom? Where are you?” Leah hugged the phone receiver to her ear.

“Hawaii,” her mother said.

“You sound like you’re next door.”

Her mother took a breath. “Neil and I are spending more time here before we head back to the mainland. It’s been a fabulous trip. Did you get my postcards?”

Leah glanced at the colorful pictures lining her refrigerator door. “Sure did. It sounds like you’ve been having a good time.”

“Oh, have we ever! I’m sorry you missed it, Leah. How’s your summer been?”

“I’m having a great time too.”

“Really? I was hoping you weren’t having regrets about not coming along.”

“No regrets,” Leah told her.

“That’s good.” Her mother sounded relieved. “Well, Neil’s taken a hundred pictures and made a ton of tapes with the camcorder. I can’t wait for you to see them.”

“When will you be home?”

“In two weeks. Summer’s almost over, you know. School will be starting soon.”

Leah’s heart lurched. Her gaze flew quickly to the calendar on her kitchen wall, and she saw that August was well under way. She’d been so caught up in her everyday life, she’d forgotten how close it was to the start of the new school year. And to going home. Somehow, it had seemed as if her life in Nappanee would go on forever. “I guess you’re right.”

“When do you see Dr. Thomas again?”

“Not until fall, I think. I have an appointment card around here somewhere.”

“How have you been feeling?”

“I feel fine.” Leah hated being reminded that her health wasn’t perfect. There were days now when she never even thought about it. And then there were days when she thought about it a lot. The soreness in her knee came and went. When
it came, she took pain relievers and tried not to bend too much.

“We’ve got back-to-school shopping to do,” her mother said. “Why don’t I come and help you pack up your things on the twenty-third?”

“Um—I guess that’s all right. I have to tell Mrs. Stoltz exactly when I’ll be leaving.”

“What would you think about driving into Chicago to shop after you come home? I’ve heard the bargains there are fantastic.”

“Sure, Mom. That’ll be fine.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll call you when we get back to our place,” her mother added cheerfully. “See you soon. And Neil says hi.”

After hanging up, Leah stood holding the receiver and listening to the dial tone. Her wonderful summer was almost over, her time with Ethan almost gone. She finally hung up the phone and leaned her forehead against the wall. She couldn’t imagine her days without him. “Oh, Ethan,” she sighed. “What are we going to do?”

Mrs. Stoltz needed some fresh produce, so Leah drove out to the Amish stand. She looked
for Rebekah among the Amish kids working, but she couldn’t find her. A girl’s voice said, “If you’re looking for Rebekah, she left early today.”

Leah turned to face Martha Dewberry. Martha was dressed in a short summer Amish dress of pale green and was holding a basket of beets. Leah said, “Oh … well, thanks.”

“Could I help you?”

“I—um—just need some vegetables for the inn.”

“I’ll show you what is freshest today. I know how Mrs. Stoltz likes high quality.”

Leah reminded herself that in such a small town, everybody knew everybody else. It was no surprise that Martha could pick just the right things for Mrs. Stoltz. Still, Leah disliked tagging along behind Martha while Martha chose items from the stacks of vegetables and fruits.

“There,” Martha finally said, handing Leah two sacks full of food. “This should be enough.”

Leah paid at the cashier and carried the sacks to her car. Martha opened the car door for her. “I guess you’ll be going home soon,” she said. “You’re still in school, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m leaving soon. Yes, I still have another year before I graduate.”

Martha smiled, reminding Leah of a contented cat. “Then your summer here has been successful?”

“I’ve had a good time, if that’s what you mean.” Tension crept up Leah’s neck. “I like it here and I’ve made some good friends.”

“Will you come back?”

Leah squared her chin. “I might. If I’m invited.”

“It is not easy being Amish for you English. One summer is not a true test of being one of us, you know.”

Is that what Martha thinks? That I’m trying to be one of them?
“I guess it’s never good to try and be something you’re not,” Leah said. “But I think it’s okay to sample different things in life. Isn’t that what you Amish do when you take a fling?”

Martha’s cheeks colored, and Leah knew that her barb had hit home. “You are right. Experimentation is not a bad thing,” Martha said. “Making the
wrong
choice is the bad thing.”

Tired of dancing around the subject, Leah blurted out, “Is that what you think Ethan’s done? Made a bad choice by being with me all summer?”

Martha shrugged. “It is not for me to say.
Ethan is a grown man. But the summer is almost over. And you will be leaving because you are English and have another life away from here. But I will remain, because this is my place. And Ethan will be here too, because this is his place. I offer you no bad feelings, Leah. It is the way things are.”

Leah turned away. Anger bubbled inside her. But she could not dispute anything that Martha had said. She had heard that patience was a virtue, and in this case, it was. Martha had patiently waited on the sidelines all summer, knowing full well that autumn would come, and with it, Leah’s departure.

Partly because Martha had made her angry, partly because she just wanted to see her friends, Leah drove up to the farmhouse. She struggled to calm herself. She didn’t want any of them to know she was upset. There was nothing anyone could do. As Martha had said, “It is the way things are.”

Leah parked her car, opened the door and felt a wet, stinging smack against her leg. Startled, she looked down to see water soaking the leg of her jeans. She looked up to see Simeon gaping at her from the corner of the house, a
water balloon poised in one hand. “Leah,” he called. “I’m sorry. I was trying to hit Rebekah.”

Rebekah darted from behind Leah and the old wagon wheel by the flowers, a water balloon balanced in each hand. Her sleeves were rolled up, she was barefoot, and the front of her pale yellow dress was soaked. “Oh, Leah. Are you all right?” the little girl asked, wide-eyed.

“I’m fine. I was planning on taking a shower later anyway, and now you’ve saved me the trouble. What’s going on?”

“We’re having a water fight,” Rebekah said with a toothy grin.

“Does your mother know?”

“Oh yes. It is fun.”

Leah took one of the balloons from Rebekah and juggled it lightly in one hand. “Fun, you say?” Without warning, she spun, heaved the balloon and hit Simeon squarely in the chest. She grabbed Rebekah and yelled, “Run!”

The two of them dashed like rabbits toward the barn, Rebekah shrieking and Leah laughing. Simeon followed in hot pursuit. At the barn, Leah rounded the corner and crouched. “Where’re more balloons?” she asked breathlessly.

Giggling, Rebekah handed her the one she still carried. “This is all I have.”

“You don’t have more? Uh-oh. I think we’re in big trouble.”

“Follow me,” Rebekah said. “We’ll hide.”

They crawled on all fours inside the barn. At the far end, Leah saw Ethan, busy heaving forkfuls of hay into stalls. He didn’t see them. “Shhh,” Leah said. “He might tell Simeon where we are.” They scurried into an empty stall and peeked through the slats.

Simeon raced into the barn, his water balloon held high. He skidded to a stop. “Where are they?”

“Who?” Ethan asked, looking up.

“Leah and Rebekah. They’re in here.”

“I do not think so.”

“Help me look.”

Leah watched as Simeon and Ethan made their way slowly toward them. Rebekah’s eyes danced and she clapped her hand over her mouth. Leah clutched the balloon and held her breath. Just as the two brothers passed their hiding place, she sprang to her feet and tossed the balloon. But Simeon, seeing it coming, dropped and rolled out of harm’s way. The balloon landed with a splat on the side of Ethan’s face.

“Oops,” Leah said as Ethan whipped around. “Sorry about that.” She offered an innocent smile and a shrug.

Simeon held his fire, and Rebekah looked up expectantly at Ethan. Ethan looked so comical standing in front of her dripping wet that Leah started laughing.

“Do you think this is funny?” Ethan asked with mischief in his eyes.

“Hysterical,” Leah managed between laughs.

“I have one balloon left,” Simeon said, offering his prize to his brother.

“One balloon is not enough.” Lightning fast, Ethan caught Leah’s arms.

She squealed as he heaved her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “Put me down!”

“I will,” Ethan said, striding purposefully out of the barn.

“Hold your breath!” Rebekah yelled. “You’re in for a dunking!”

From her upside-down vantage point, all Leah saw was the ground. Then Ethan stopped, and the view of the ground gave way to one of the animal-watering trough. “Don’t you dare, Ethan Longacre!” she wailed. But to no avail. Leah screeched as Ethan plopped her into the water. She came up sputtering and splashing.
She grabbed at Ethan’s shirtfront as Rebekah shoved him from behind. He lost his balance and fell smack on top of Leah. They both yelped and floundered, sending water every which way.

Rebekah and Simeon came over to see and also landed in the wooden trough. All four of them sloshed around like floppy fish. Struggling to get out, Leah slipped and went down in the mud. Ethan came over the side next and slid beside her, stomach first. Leah burst out laughing again. Ethan flipped a wad of mud at her. She retaliated, and soon they were tossing handfuls of mud at each other.

By the time Leah finally wiggled away, she was coated with gooey mud and Martha’s words were all but forgotten. “I should murder you.”

“We Amish are nonviolent, remember?”

Leah was laughing and shaking mud off her hands and arms. “I’m a mess. Mrs. Stoltz will never send me out to buy vegetables again.”

“You’re a pretty mess,” Ethan said, dipping into the water and wiping her cheek.

Rebekah leaped out of the trough. “Come, Leah. Let’s go clean up. We’ll use the pump by the house.”

Ethan helped Leah to her feet. “Should I?”
she asked. “I don’t want to get you all in trouble with your parents.”

“Charity and Mama have gone into town, and Papa is working with Opa in a field far away from the house. Come and clean up,” Ethan urged her.

At the house, Rebekah told Elizabeth and Oma about the water fight, while Leah finished washing up at the kitchen sink what she hadn’t cleaned off at the outside pump.

“Do you want to change into clean clothes?” Oma asked Leah.

“This is fine. Really,” she added when the older woman looked skeptical. Leah didn’t want to be a bother. “I can stop by my apartment on my way back to the inn. I’ve been away too long as it is. Mrs. Stoltz is expecting me to bring fresh vegetables in time for supper. Thanks anyway.”

“As you wish,” Oma said. Her face was thin, worn by years of hard work. Her eyes were the palest blue. She looked at Leah with kindness. “My grandchildren like you very much, Leah. And I have always found them to be very good judges of character.”

Surprised by Oma’s words, Leah offered a shy smile. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“You are welcome, Leah,” Oma answered.

With sunlight streaming through the kitchen window and bathing her face in gentle light, Oma didn’t seem stern or formidable to Leah. In some ways, she looked like Leah’s grandmother, caring and compassionate. Leah felt a lump of longing in her throat. “I have to go,” she said.

Leah hurried outside and down the porch steps. Rebekah and Ethan were waiting for her by her car.

Rebekah took Leah’s hand. “You’re fun, Leah.”

“You’re fun too.”

“I love you,” Rebekah added, hugging Leah.

Leah’s eyes filled with moisture. “I love you back,” she told the child.

In another two weeks, Leah’s mother would be coming, and Leah would be leaving Nappanee, possibly for good. With time closing in on her, she decided that she wanted to see Charity and Rebekah more often. The following Friday after work, she screwed up her courage and drove back out to the farm—this time, to stay
for a long visit. She didn’t care how much Mr. Longacre scowled at her. She wasn’t going to be intimidated.

Leah drove down the road talking to herself and building up her courage. In the distance, flashes of blue light caught her eye. She squinted. In the shimmering heat from the asphalt, a mass of cars and people took shape. Red lights flickered among the blue. The activity seemed to be close to the produce stand. Leah’s heart leaped into her throat. She pushed down on the accelerator. The car sped forward. Leah saw police cars everywhere. And ambulances. And emergency medical technicians in uniforms. Something had happened. Something terrible.