Miriam's Quilt (17 page)

Once Priscilla had a needle threaded, she planted herself next to Naomi and began chatting merrily. She didn’t seem troubled by Naomi’s sour disposition. Perhaps she knew that Naomi was the only person there who would let her talk without one word of interruption.

Laura threaded her needle for the third time and came close to Miriam. “Denki, Miriam,” she said, her smile as wide as the sky. “This is better than my best imagination.”

Everyone treated Laura as a dear friend or favorite niece. Miriam breathed easier for Laura’s sake, but she watched Deborah Troyer and her daughters make a wide path around Susie and sit as far from her as they could. Miriam felt a momentary prick of pain for Susie, but since everyone else acted so graciously, she thought herself ungrateful to focus on the few unkind ones. A few months ago, she would have behaved precisely the same way. Today, she took pity on those who stumbled on their own pride.

With most of her fears put to rest, Miriam found a spot next to Mamm, picked up a needle, and began to stitch. She worked a needle almost as quickly as Naomi. Before long, Miriam had completed a straight row of tiny stitches. She sat back and heard six or seven conversations going on at once. She always fancied that was why it was called a quilting bee, because talk around the quilt sounded like a buzzing beehive.

Rebecca and Deborah Troyer’s oldest daughter, Millie, talked of Rebecca’s husband, Levi. “I didn’t think he could get more handsome,” Rebecca said, “but the beard suits him.”

“My dat saw Levi’s mamm with Isaac Yutzy, driving down the road in a courting buggy.”

Kate perked up her ears at the mention of Isaac Yutzy. “He works for Nathaniel. A very nice man, but a bit old for Levi’s mamm. He’s going on seventy.”

Rebecca kept her eyes on her stitches. “I don’t give my opinion to his mamm. She might find older men attractive.”

A few of the women giggled.

“No one can speak for anyone else in matters of the heart,” said Edna.

Mary Shetler and Mamm leaned their heads together and carried on a hushed conversation. Miriam sat close enough to hear every word if she paid close attention.

“And did you know there is an Englisch boy hanging about with them?” she heard Mary say.

Miriam should have known they were fretting over their sons who had decided to befriend one another. It was not a relationship that either mother celebrated.

Mamm pressed her lips into a thin line. “Jah, Miriam said as much.”

“I am all aflutter to know what to do about it. I’ve got all
de youngie
at home who don’t give a moment’s peace, and Reuben badgering me that the house ain’t clean enough, and me feeling so tired. I can’t pay Jonas no attention nor get him to finish his chores. Reuben yells at him until he’s blue in the face, but it don’t do no good.”

Mamm turned her eyes to Miriam, put an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into the conversation since she was eavesdropping anyway. “Miriam makes Yost goodies, and we try to give him lots of hugs. But sometimes it is like hugging a porcupine.”

“Jonas says I am a bad mother, and his fater upholds him. Reuben tells me I cry too much at silly things.”

“Of course you are a gute mother. The little ones adore you. Surely Reuben can see that.”

“Nae, he is right. I am sorely lacking. I shouldn’t have come today, for all the work at home. My floor ain’t been mopped for three weeks, and the tomatoes are rotting on the vine. The thought of having to can tomatoes and peaches and corn makes me want to lie down and never get back up. Reuben says we will starve come wintertime because of me, because I won’t put up the tomatoes. And Jonas won’t heed a word I say. He thinks I am wicked.”

“Why would he think a thing like that?” Mamm said.

Miriam squirmed in her chair and buried her doubts. She had no reason to suspect Seth of any wrongdoing with another man’s wife. How dare Yost plant the seed?

When Mary didn’t answer, Mamm squeezed Miriam’s shoulder at the same time she patted Mary’s hand. “Do you have a canner?”

“As Reuben says, it sits idle in my cellar.”

“And bottles?”

“Jah, plenty of bottles.”

Mamm raised her eyebrows expectantly at Miriam and gave her a slight nod. “Okay, Miriam and I will come tomorrow after she gets home from work and help you can the tomatoes. Does that work for you, Miriam?”

“Jah. I would like to help.”

“I have two canners,” Mamm said. “That will be enough to keep us hopping.”

Mamm didn’t spend a lot of time talking about how people could solve their problems. She found something to do about it, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work, usually at the sacrifice of a great deal of time. Canning Mary’s tomatoes would not stop Reuben’s complaining or inspire Jonas to straighten up, but it would relieve some of Mary’s immediate burden.

“I am powerless to do anything about your marriage or your wayward son, but let me come to your house and make spaghetti sauce and ketchup”
—that was the kind of thing Mamm did. And when all was said and done, it did make things better in some unexplainable way.

“Oh,” Mary said, trying to hide both her eagerness and her embarrassment, “I could not ask you to do that.”

“It will be fun. I will make sure Yost comes with us, and you tell Jonas too. Perhaps if we have them in the same room, we can scold them until they beg for mercy.”

Mary managed a half smile. “Or until they decide to abandon us altogether.”

The quilting progressed in earnest. Soon they were ready to roll the first side, and then the next. Miriam finished another row and stuck her head under the quilt. She loved to see the tiny points of light through the fabric that outlined the patterns on the top. The thread bonded the batting and fabric together, leaving the spaces in between the stitches puffy and raised—truly a three-dimensional work of art.

At this rate, the quilt would be done by dinnertime. They all could eat a good meal and still have time to make it home for afternoon chores.

Miriam threaded another needle. The last time she’d made a quilt for charity, Ephraim came over to the house and played volleyball with her brothers while she quilted. He came running into the house every ten minutes to check on her progress, teasing her that she was not fast enough and prodding her to hurry up so she could join them in volleyball.

Miriam ran her finger over the stitches and caught her breath. That was the first time she’d thought of Ephraim without being overcome with grief. Perhaps because it was a happy memory.

Volleyball in the backyard.

Miriam nearly laughed out loud when she thought of Seth playing volleyball at the Wengerds’ gathering. Her brothers would get a big laugh out of Seth’s skills. And he would laugh right along with them.

Her heart swelled. For the first time in a long time, she pictured happy days ahead.

* * * * *

Miriam carefully matched her corners and used about twice the pins she usually did to secure the last two panels together. She positioned the fabric under the presser foot and slowly moved her toes and heels up and down, up and down, in a methodical rhythm. The needle bobbed under the edge of her quilt squares and up again, sewing an orderly row of tiny stitches. At the end of the fabric, she doubled back to tack the thread in place, carefully cut the leftover threads, and pulled out all her pins. It was finished.

She unfurled the quilt top like a flag and let it float to her bed. The deep blues and emerald greens made her imagine that she was standing at the edge of a crystal lake, looking at leaves so radiantly green they almost hurt her eyes. To Miriam, green was a healing color. Hopefully Seth would feel the healing power of her gift.

Next week she would put it on the frame and quilt it. For now, she let it rest on her bed. She would think of Seth every time she walked into the room.

That was an uncommonly pleasant thought.

Carrying a bucket in each hand, Seth came out of the stable as Miriam rode Daisy up the lane. His buckets must have been heavy. Miriam could see the veins and muscles of his forearms bulging with the strain. He wasn’t as bulky as Ephraim at the shoulders, but his entire body, even the way he moved, testified of Seth’s strength. He stood four or five inches taller than Ephraim and, therefore, towered over most everybody. Where Ephraim was of a thick, solid build, Seth stretched lanky and
lang
and probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on his entire body.

Seth caught sight of her and burst into a grin. He put down his buckets and came to her. In earlier days, if she hadn’t been concentrating on avoiding him, she would have recognized how handsome he was with his thick, dark eyebrows and hair so black it glistened in the sunlight. When he smiled, he revealed a hint of a dimple that Miriam found delightful.

“You are late today,” he said as he took the reins. “I don’t think it is safe to ride home in the dark.”

Miriam led Daisy to the small trough next to the stable and then tied her to the post. “I will not stay long. But I really wanted to see the foals. It’s been more than two weeks.”

Seth gave her a slight smile, put his hands into his pockets, and looked to the pasture. “I started to believe you had forgotten us.”

“Forgotten? This is the only place I feel like myself.” She patted Daisy’s neck. “Besides work at the quilt shop, I have been quilting and canning and canning and quilting.” She held out her hands. “My fingers are permanently brownish-red.”

Seth took her hands in his and studied her palms. His warm, calloused skin felt comfortably pleasant, like a favorite pair of garden gloves. “I hear you did spaghetti sauce and tomato juice.”

“Two days straight. And then we put up corn and peaches. Clingstones, mind you. I’ve a good mind to chop down that tree myself.”

“They have a gute flavor.”

“Clingstones are stubborn, but I am not complaining. There is nothing better than a shelf full of bright peaches ready for winter. And while we slice and wash, we can talk the ears right off a man’s head.”

She didn’t mind that he still had hold of her hands, but they couldn’t stand like that forever. She fell silent and slowly pulled from his grasp.

With a sheepish twist of his lips, he cleared his throat and lowered his eyes. “Laura couldn’t be happier about her quilt. It’s packed at the top of her suitcase.”

“You wouldn’t believe how quickly we finished it. I feared—” Miriam’s face grew warm. She’d almost said the wrong thing.

“You were afraid no one would come to help?”

When Miriam didn’t answer, Seth nodded vigorously. “Me too. The Lambrights aren’t the most favored family in the district.”

“I didn’t mean that at all.”

“Don’t worry. I’m past getting my feelings hurt.”

“They could have just as easily stayed away because of Susie.”

He searched her face. “Your family is simply going through a rough patch.” Then he cast his eyes downward. “The Lambrights are hopeless.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Miriam said, but she wasn’t quite sure how to contradict him. She regretted every superior thought she’d ever harbored about anybody.

“Joshua and Jacob are mucking out the stable,” Seth said. “Will you say hello to them before you go? I think Joshua wants you for his girlfriend.”

Miriam laughed. “I’m flattered. Joshua is a very handsome ten-year-old. Does he care that he would have to stand on a milking stool to put his arm around me?”

Seth’s gaze riveted Miriam’s attention. “I’ve missed your laugh. I didn’t even want to go to work this week for fear you’d come while I was away and I’d miss you.”

She knew she was blushing as she stifled a smile and went into the stable. She was grateful that the stable was significantly dimmer than the outside, since her face must surely be glowing bright red. Why did her heart skip a beat and the heat rise to her cheeks when he looked at her like that? She couldn’t make sense of it.

“Miriam!” Both of Seth’s brothers charged and practically bowled her over where she stood.

“Did you see the new stallion?” Joshua asked. “Seth bought him two days ago. He is pure black with a tiny white patch no bigger than my thumb on his front leg. And he runs so fast you almost can’t see him. We feed him the special feed that Seth got.”

“He won a race,” said Jacob, vying for Miriam’s attention.

“I was going to say that,” Joshua insisted.

Miriam lifted her eyebrows and nodded in amazement. Joshua never ran out of words.

“Maybe she’d like to see the horse instead of talk about him,” Seth said, interrupting Joshua’s discourse about the condition of the stallion’s teeth.

“I’d love to.” She took the boys’ hands and let them lead her out of the stable.

They walked to the pasture on the north end of Seth’s property where a majestic horse trotted around the perimeter of the fence. His black coat gleamed in the sun, and powerful muscles rippled underneath.

Miriam put her hand over her mouth. “Oh my. He is the most beautiful horse I have ever seen.”

Seth didn’t disguise his pride. “An investment, for sure, but Lord willing, he will be worth a hundred times his price.”

The stallion stopped prancing and looked in their direction, as if he knew they were talking about him. Always prepared, Seth pulled an apple out of his pocket and sliced it into three pieces with his pocket-knife. He handed one to each of his brothers and Miriam.

“Horses like apples the best in the world.” Joshua stretched his hand between two fence slats. “Jacob, don’t curl your fingers like that, or the horse will bite them off.”

Jacob pinched his face in irritation. “I know as much as you do.”

“Well, you were curling your fingers around the apple. It didn’t seem like you knew anything. Horses are very gentle and wouldn’t hurt a fly, but you have to know how to behave around them or they could step on you. They don’t want to hurt you, but they are so big and don’t know any better.”

Seth put a finger to his lips. “Hush now, Joshua. More likely, he will come if we stay still.”

Joshua and Jacob, with their hands still sticking through the fence, became like statues. Seth winked at Miriam, and she flashed a delighted smile back at him as she caught sight of that dimple.

They watched as the stallion twitched his ears and regarded them with feigned disinterest. He nodded his head twice and took a cautious step toward them. Slowly at first and then with a faster gait, he came to the fence and sniffed both apple slices before gobbling them up. The boys giggled as the horse licked their hands.

“Now you, Miriam,” Jacob said.

Miriam stretched out her hand to the stallion, making sure that Joshua saw her perfectly horizontal fingers. When the horse took her offering, she rubbed his nose and cooed. “That’s a good baby,” she said, closing her eyes and nuzzling the horse with her cheek. “Good boy.” The stallion’s coarse hair tickled her skin, and Miriam felt his warm breath on the back of her hand.

She stood savoring the sensations before opening her eyes. Jacob and Joshua leaned with their backs against the fence, staring at Seth. Seth stood with his hand pressed against the slat, studying Miriam with those gray eyes as deep as a wintertime lake.

She wished he wouldn’t look at her like that. How could a girl keep her head on straight?

The color drained from Seth’s face. He looked away, cleared his throat, and promptly knocked Joshua’s hat off.

“Hey!” Joshua protested.

Seth picked up the hat and tapped it back on Joshua’s head. “Just checking to see if you have any bald spots.”

“We was about to feed the horses,” Joshua said. “Do you want to help, Miriam? Then we are going to brush them and bed them down for the night.”

Seth patted Joshua’s shoulder. “Miriam can’t stay long. I don’t want her riding home in the dark.”

“Seth Lambright. I would have words with you.”

Startled, Miriam turned to see Reuben Shetler standing behind Seth with his hands on his hips and the shadow of a scowl on his face. Miriam tried to calm her racing heart. None of them had even heard his approach.

Seth pressed his lips into a hard line and furrowed his brow. He and Reuben stood staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity, but it could only have been a few seconds. Jacob sidled close to Miriam and put his hand in hers. She wrapped her fingers protectively around his hand.

Seth pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers before glancing at his brothers and softening his expression. He nodded and managed a friendly smile at Reuben, which, considering Reuben’s hostile demeanor, was a miracle in itself. “Good to see you again, Reuben.”

Seth moved forward, and Reuben, untrusting and unsure, took a quick step back. For a moment Miriam thought Seth would try a hug. Instead, he placed both hands on Reuben’s shoulders and gave him a firm pat. “Will you come with me while I run the water into the far pasture?”

Miriam felt the sudden urge to clear her throat, as if her collar were too tight and she couldn’t quite catch her breath. Yost’s accusations, the ones that had seemed so outrageous last week, came back to her.

“Don
’
t tell me you
’
ve never seen Seth and Mary Shetler together.
Jonas
’s
dat won
’
t stand for it no more.”

Seth put a brotherly arm around Reuben, who acted as if he were being embraced by a snake. Looking back at Miriam, Seth silently communicated with her as he walked away.

“Keep an eye out for the boys. They don
’
t need this.”

Miriam nodded with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Seth walked to the edge of the small pasture, where the foals played with their mother. He propped his boot on the bottom fence rail and folded his arms. Reuben started in on him. Miriam couldn’t hear what he said, but she could hear his voice, loud and angry, and watch as he pointed an accusing finger at Seth and displayed an unattractive scowl.

Jacob, with eyes full of fear, slid his arms around Miriam and held on tightly. “Cum,” Miriam said, pretending not to hear the tirade going on a hundred yards away, “Show me how you feed the horses.”

Neither boy moved.

“He looks very mad,” Joshua said, not turning his eyes from the spot where Seth stood calmly and humbly while Reuben yelled at him.

“Do you think he will hurt Seth?” Jacob asked in a muffled voice, his face hidden beneath the folds of Miriam’s apron.

With shaking hands, Miriam pulled Jacob away from her and looked him in the eyes. “Reuben is cross about something, but he would never hurt Seth.”

“Jonas Shetler came yesterday with Yost Bontrager and an Englischer,” Joshua said, as if he had forgotten that Yost was Miriam’s brother.

Jacob released his hold on Miriam and turned to his brother. “Don’t tell that. Seth said no telling, like water under a bridge.”

Joshua lifted his chin stubbornly. “I can tell Miriam.”

Jacob sighed and reattached himself to Miriam’s waist. “Seth said don’t tell.”

Joshua ignored his brother. “Jonas screamed at him and told Seth to keep away from his mamm. Then he slapped the bucket out of Seth’s hand and pushed him against the wall.”

Miriam felt as if someone had sucked all the air out of the pasture. The emptiness in her lungs almost choked her. “Yost…and…Jonas— they pushed him?”

“Only Jonas pushed. Jacob cried, and they left in a hurry.”

“You cried too,” Jacob protested.

At that moment, Miriam felt so ashamed of her brother, she thought she might fall to her knees and weep. How could she ever in a million years make things better?

The yelling at the other end of the pasture buzzed in Miriam’s head like a wasp. She resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears. The boys must not know how upset she was.

Jesus said he who is angry with his brother without a cause is in
danger of the judgment.
What could justify such rage?

Miriam knew what Yost’s answer would be. But even with doubt clinging to her like a cocklebur, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Seth was such a man. Such wickedness was not in his nature.

The yelling subsided briefly. Miriam risked a look in Seth’s direction. He spoke now with his eyes fixed on Reuben’s face. She didn’t hear what he said, but his calm tone should have pacified even the most determined enemy. Yet as soon as Seth paused, Reuben attacked again, unmoved by whatever Seth had said.

The alarm written on the brothers’ faces mirrored Miriam’s own turmoil, but it also spurred her into action. Taking each of their hands, she said, “Walk with me to the stable.”

Such a journey would take them closer to Seth and Reuben, but it couldn’t be helped. The stable would provide a sound barrier and a haven where Joshua and Jacob would not have to witness what transpired between Seth and Reuben. As they passed close to the two men, Reuben watched them suspiciously and lowered his voice.

Miriam pulled the boys through the squeaky door. All three stood in the cool dampness of the stable and caught their breath.

“I think we should pray,” Miriam said.

Breathing heavily, Joshua nodded.

All three knelt on the ground to pray silently. When Miriam got to her knees, she realized how many things she had to pray for. She asked that Reuben’s heart be softened, that Seth could forgive Yost, that she could forgive Yost, and that all would be right in the world again, Lord willing.

She heard the door squeak and sensed the space brighten as the orange afternoon sun flooded the stable. She opened her eyes to see Seth silhouetted in the doorway, studying her quietly.

The boys leaped up and raced to their brother. He squeezed them tightly then patted each of their heads. “Denki for taking good care of Miriam.”

Seth held out his hand and pulled Miriam to her feet. Pain saturated his face, and his eyes were bits of moonlight in the dead of winter. “I wish you had not been here. You should not have been forced to see that.”

She shook her head. “I am not upset.” She spoke in a whisper, afraid her voice would give her away if she talked any louder.