The Bishop's Daughter (28 page)

Jimmy was tempted to tell Abraham the reason he’d come to Pennsylvania, but he held his tongue. Even though he was still angry with Jim for his dishonesty, a part of him felt some sense of loyalty to the man who’d raised him. And if there was a chance that Jim would go to jail if the truth were revealed, Jimmy wasn’t sure he wanted to be responsible for that. Besides, Abraham might not believe his story. In all likelihood, the irksome man would think Jimmy had made it up in order to get close to Leona.

Turning toward the truck and grasping the door handle, Jimmy mumbled, “You don’t have to worry. I’d never do anything to hurt Jacob or anyone in his family.”

For the first time in many days, Leona had felt a sense of excitement when she’d gotten out of bed. Today was the first day of school, and she looked forward to teaching her pupils again. Besides, it gave her a good excuse to be away from the house.

As she finished up the dishes, she glanced over at Mom, who sat at
the table helping Papa read a book.
He should be in school. But then, I guess that wouldn’t be good, since the kinner would probably make fun of a grown man coming to school for learning
.

She dried her hands, grabbed her black bonnet from the wall peg, and placed it over her smaller white covering. “I’m heading out now, Mom.”

“All right, Leona. Have a good day.”

“Jah, Ona. Have a good day,” Papa added.

Ona one day, Mary the next. Will Papa’s memory ever return?
Leona opened the back door and stepped onto the porch, gulping in a breath of air. She could feel the first hints of fall as crisp, clean air filled her lungs. It made her appreciate being outdoors. She felt so confined whenever she was in the house, especially if her daed was in the same room asking ridiculous questions or acting like a silly child.

Leona leaned against the porch railing and squeezed her eyes shut.
What’s wrong with me, Lord? Why can’t I accept everything that has happened to my family and me these past months and go on with the business of living?

As usual, there seemed to be no answers from the heavenly Father. It was as if God had stepped away—or maybe it was the other way around. Leona knew she was guilty of not spending much time in prayer, and she’d all but given up on reading the scriptures.

Pushing the despairing thoughts aside, Leona entered the barn to fetch a buggy horse. Filling her lungs with the sweet smell of hay, she bent over to pet Cinnamon, who’d been sleeping in a patch of straw. The dog responded with a flick of one ear and a lazy whimper.

“You be good today, you hear? No chasing chickens. And you’d better stay away from Papa’s silly goat!”

Jim moaned as he tripped over his shoe and kicked it across the room. He’d been out drinking the night before, and now, even after a couple of aspirin and two cups of coffee, his head felt like it was the size of a basketball.

“There’s no way I’m going to be able to work today,” he muttered as he stumbled back to bed. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
It was still early, so he could set the alarm, sleep a few hours, and call Ed right before he started work.
Or maybe I should call him now so he has enough time to set out everything he’ll need for the day
.

Jim reached for the phone and, in so doing, knocked over a picture of Jimmy that had been taken during his senior year of high school. He’d kept it near his bed ever since Jimmy left, but instead of offering comfort, it only reminded him of the mess he’d made of his life and Jimmy’s.

He bent over and retrieved the picture, thankful the glass wasn’t broken. “Oh, Jimmy, don’t hate me for what I did,” he blubbered. “I’d do most anything if I could make things right between us.”

He gulped in a deep breath and flopped onto his pillow. “Dear God, if you’re as real as Linda always said You were, then bring my son home to me.”

L
eona leaned wearily against the front of her desk as the students filed out of the schoolhouse. For the most part, this had been a good day. The majority of her scholars had been eager to learn, but she was exhausted.

“See you tomorrow, Teacher,” Norman Fisher’s son, John, said as he sauntered past her desk.

“Have a good evening,” she replied.

“Are ya coming over to our place for supper on Friday night with Grandma and Grandpa?” Arthur’s daughter Jolene questioned.

“I’m hoping to.” Leona smiled at her six-year-old niece. She was the one child who had been the most attentive today. Not like Millie Hoffmeir, who hadn’t shown a bit of interest in learning to read or write.

Maybe it’s because this was her first day of school
, Leona thought.
I’m sure once Millie gets used to being here, she’ll become more attentive
. She glanced at her niece, who was actually skipping out the door.
This was Jolene’s first day of school, too, and she showed a lot more interest in learning than Naomi’s daughter did
.

When the last child left the building, Leona headed over to the blackboard to erase the day’s assignments as she pondered the situation with Millie.
If things don’t go better by the end of the week, I’ll have a talk with Millie’s folks
.

A few minutes later, she heard the front door open and click shut. Thinking one of her pupils had forgotten something, she kept on cleaning.

“How’d the first day of school go?”

Leona whirled around at the sound of Abner Lapp’s deep voice. “Oh, it’s you. I thought maybe one of the kinner had come back.”

Abner removed his straw hat and grinned. “Just came by to pick up my bruder.” He scanned the room. “Looks like I got here too late, though.”

She nodded. “The scholars left several minutes ago. If Emanuel didn’t cut through the Zooks’ cornfield, you might catch him along the road on your way home.”

Abner shuffled his feet a couple of times, which brought him closer to where Leona stood. “Sure was plenty warm today, jah?”

“Hot and humid,” she agreed.

“How’s your daed doin’? Any of his memory comin’ back yet?”

“Not really. There are times when he says or does something that makes us believe he might remember some things from his adult life, but then he starts acting like a boy again.”

Abner twisted the brim of his hat. “Sure is a shame to see him like that.”

Leona’s only reply was a quick nod. She didn’t feel like discussing Papa’s condition right now. All she wanted to do was go home and relax on the front porch with a glass of iced tea and her best friend, Cinnamon.

“It seems odd to go to church and not hear our own bishop preachin’,” Abner continued. “He used to be such a fine man.”

Leona bristled. “He still is a fine man. He’s just lost in the past, that’s all.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to defend her daed—especially since she, too, had been having such miserable thoughts about him.

Abner took another step toward her. “I meant no disrespect. And I sure didn’t mean for you to get all riled.”

“I’m not riled.” As the words slipped off Leona’s tongue, she knew they weren’t true. She was riled. In fact, talking about Papa’s predicament made her feel edgy and depressed. As time went on and they continued to see little or no improvement, she became more convinced that her daed would never remember he was Bishop Jacob Weaver and not a little boy.

Abner touched Leona’s arm, and she jumped. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle ya. You just look so sad, and I was wonderin’ if there’s anything I can do to help.”

She shook her head. “There’s not much anyone can do except God,
and He seems to be looking the other way these days.”

Abner’s forehead wrinkled. “I can’t believe I’m hearin’ that kind of talk from the bishop’s daughter.”

Leona stared at the floor. She didn’t feel close enough to Abner to bare her soul, and she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. “I—uh—should be getting home,” she mumbled.

“Jah, me, too.” Abner plopped his hat back on his head and pivoted toward the door.

When she heard the door click shut, she released a sigh. Did everyone in the community think like Abner did—that she wasn’t a good bishop’s daughter because she couldn’t accept her daed’s accident and had lost faith in God?

“Well, they can think whatever they want,” she mumbled as tears pushed against her eyelids. “No one understands all that I’m going through right now.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me leaving the store a little early today?” Naomi asked Caleb as she set her black bonnet in place over her white kapp.

He shook his head. “I know you’re anxious to hear how the kinner did in school, and since Sarah and Susan are here to help, we’ll get along fine.”

She smiled, feeling grateful to be married to such a good man. “If I leave right now, I may be able to catch them before they get to your folks’ place.”

Caleb chuckled. “Knowing Josh and Nate, they’re probably halfway there by now.”

Naomi’s smile turned upside down. “They’d better not have left Millie to walk alone.”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t do that.” Caleb opened the back door and leaned down to kiss Naomi on the cheek. “See you at supper time.”

“I’ll make sure it’s ready on time.” Naomi hurried down the steps and out to the corral where they kept their horse and buggy. She was soon on her way. A short time later, she turned onto the road where the one-room schoolhouse was located. It was the same school she’d
attended when she was a girl.

So much has occurred in my life since then
, Naomi mused.
If I had known all that would happen once I became a woman, I might not have been in such a hurry to grow up
. She clucked to the horse to get him moving faster, determined not to dwell on the past. But then she thought about her daed and how he still acted cool toward her.
I’ve asked his forgiveness for hiding Zach’s quilt. What more can I do?

Naomi noticed several children walking along the shoulder of the road, but there was no sign of her three. She’d just reached the entrance to the school yard when she spotted Leona’s buggy pulling out, so she tugged on the reins and guided her horse to the side of the road.

“If you came to pick up your kinner, they’ve already headed for home,” Leona called as she drew near.

“I figured as much, but I thought I might catch ’em walking along the way.”