The Bishop's Daughter (9 page)

His friend leaned closer and squinted his blue eyes. “You’d better spill it then, ’cause I can’t stand the suspense.”

I
t was all Leona could do to help her mother fix supper that night. Not only was she exhausted from her long day at school, but her nose hurt something awful, as well. She removed her glasses and set them on the window ledge, then went to the refrigerator to get out the ingredients she would need for a tossed salad. It would go well with slices of cold ham, leftover baked beans, and potato salad. The day had turned out to be quite warm, so they’d decided not to heat up the kitchen any further by cooking a hot meal this evening.

“How’d the school picnic go?” Mom asked as she set the ham on the cupboard and began to slice it.

“It went fine. Everyone seemed to have a good time.”

“And you, daughter? How’d you get along today?”

“I did all right.” Leona placed the vegetables on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. If she were being completely honest, she would have to admit that things hadn’t gone nearly as well as she’d hoped they would. She’d suffered with a headache most of the day, even though she hadn’t been wearing her glasses. She didn’t want her mamm to know that, though. Mom would only have reminded Leona that she’d returned to school too soon, and then there would have been tension between them.

Things will go better next term, when the scholars go back to school in late August
, Leona thought.
Then again, though my nose will feel better by then, I’m not sure my broken heart will ever mend
.

Leona had just finished making the salad when Papa showed up. He looked tired, yet despite the slump of his shoulders and his slowmoving gait, he wore a smile on his suntanned face. “How’d your day go, Lydia?” he asked, setting his metal lunchbox on one end of the counter.

Mom held a piece of ham out to him. “It went well enough.”

“Danki,” Papa said, eagerly accepting it. He wandered over to the table and took a seat beside Leona. “How was your day? Were the kinner happy to see you at school?”

She nodded and placed the bowl of salad greens on the table.

“I see you’re not wearin’ your glasses. Is your naas hurtin’ again?”

“A little.” She shrugged. “Besides, I don’t need them for salad making.”

“Is there something bothering you? You seem awfully sullen this evening.”

A few uncomfortable seconds passed between them before Leona wiped her hands on the dish towel lying in her lap and said, “If you must know, I’m a little upset because you arranged for Abner to pick me up this morning without telling me about it.”

Papa’s bushy eyebrows drew together. “I had to leave for work early, and I thought I was doin’ you a favor by asking Abner. I ran into him yesterday on my way home from work, so he seemed like the likely one to ask.”

“You weren’t trying to play matchmaker, were you, Jacob?” Mom chimed in from across the room.

Leona clasped her hands tightly around the towel as she looked at her daed. “Is that what you were doin’, Papa?”

He gave his earlobe a quick tug. “Well, I—”

“Papa, Abner seems nice enough, but I’m not looking for another man, because I won’t be thinking of marriage ever again.”

“Oh, Leona, you don’t mean that,” her mamm said. “You’re still hurting from losing Ezra, and it’s too soon for you to think of anyone else courting you, that’s all.”

“I enjoy teaching school, and that’s enough for me,” Leona said. “I don’t need love or marriage.”

Papa grunted. “That’s just plain
lecherich
. Teaching’s a fine vocation, but you should concentrate on finding a suitable husband so you can begin a life of your own as a
fraa
and
mudder
.”

So now her father thought she was being ridiculous? Tears welled up in Leona’s eyes, and she blinked to keep them from spilling over. She had wanted to be a wife and mother when she’d thought she was going to marry Ezra. But those plans had dissolved the day Ezra died, and she
couldn’t even think of loving another man or risk losing him.

“Our daughter will find someone when her heart has had time to heal,” Mom said, touching Papa’s arm.

He pushed his chair aside and stood. “I’m sure she will, but closing her mind off to love and marriage isn’t a good thing.”

Leona gritted her teeth. Her folks were talking about her as if she wasn’t even in the room. And Papa seemed determined that she forget about Ezra and find someone else to marry.
Well, at least Mom stood up for me this time
, she thought.
Guess that’s something to be grateful for. I just hope Papa has no more plans of trying to get Abner and me together
.

Jimmy was glad his dad was out on the deck soaking in the hot tub. It gave him a chance to be alone. After supper, he’d decided to come into the living room so he could look through a couple of old photo albums.

He settled himself on the couch and reached under the coffee table to grab an album off the shelf. It was full of pictures that had been taken of him from the time he was one-year-old up until his first day of school. Jimmy grinned when he spotted a picture of himself holding one end of the garden hose. Water squirted out of the hose, just missing his face, and a puddle of mud lay beneath his feet. His light blue overalls were wet clear up to the waist, but he wore a smile, nonetheless.

The next picture that caught Jimmy’s eye was one of him bent over a branch on their Christmas tree, trying to blow out the twinkle lights. There were several pictures that had been taken on his second birthday, with blue balloons and matching crepe paper decorating the dining room. Jimmy sat in his high chair staring wide-eyed at a clown cake and clapping his chubby hands.

He turned the page, and his gaze came to rest on a picture of himself sitting in the middle of his parents’ bed, on top of Mom’s colorful Amish quilt. A pang of regret surged through him, and he snapped the album shut.
I miss her so much, and I wish she’d been able to tell me about my adoption in person so we could have discussed the details face-to-face. Well, at least I was able to talk about my feelings to Allen this afternoon
.

Jimmy leaned against the back of the couch and closed his eyes as
he reflected on the information he’d shared with his best friend while they were at the park today. . . .

“I’m not who you think I am,” Jimmy said in a near whisper
.

“What are you talking about? You’re Jimmy Scott, a great photographer and the truest friend I’ve ever had.” Allen squeezed Jimmy’s shoulder
.

“I’m not Jim and Linda Scott’s son. I was born to someone else.”

Allen’s forehead wrinkled. “Oh, you mean you were adopted?”

Jimmy nodded
.

“Well, that’s no big deal. Lots of kids are adopted.”

“I know, but I’ve only known the truth for a few days.”

“You mean your dad just told you? Is that why you spent the night at our place?”

“Yeah, and I found out about the adoption only because of a letter Mom wrote me before she died.” Jimmy paused and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the strain he felt between his eyes. “The letter came in a birthday card from my grandparents. I guess Mom asked her mother to see that I got the letter on my twenty-first birthday.”

Allen’s mouth hung slightly open. “That must have been a real shock, learning it that way.”

Jimmy nodded. “I guess Dad was supposed to tell me, but he conveniently never got around to it.”

“Do you think he kept it from you on purpose?”

“Maybe.”

“Could be that he was worried you might not understand, or maybe he thought you’d think he and Linda didn’t love you as much as your real parents might have.”

“Mom loved me, I’m sure of that, and I guess, in Dad’s own way, he loves me, too.”

Allen nodded. “I don’t think he always knows how to express himself, but I’ve never doubted his love for you.” He gave Jimmy’s shoulder another squeeze. “What now? Are you going to try and find out who your real parents are?”

“I want to, and Dad’s promised to call the lawyer who set up the adoption for them and see what information he can get.”

“Isn’t there some kind of client confidentiality that would keep a lawyer from divulging that information?”

Jimmy shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s the best place I can think of to start looking.”

“I’ll be praying that you find the answers you’re seeking,” Allen said in a sincere tone
.

Jimmy clenched his hands so tightly that his fingers dug into his palms. “While you’re at it, you’d better pray that my dad won’t renege on this promise.”

The irritating buzz of a lawn mower as it zipped across the yard next door brought Jimmy’s thoughts back to the present. He opened his eyes and looked around. This had been his home for as long as he could remember. He’d watched television in this living room, played games, put puzzles together, listened as Mom read him Bible stories, and wrestled around on the floor with his dad. In all of his wildest dreams, he’d never imagined that they weren’t his real parents.

Jimmy swallowed around the lump clogging his throat.
Mom was worried about me being old enough to deal with the truth about my adoption; yet here I am twenty-one years old, and I’m still not dealing with it well
.

Jimmy exhaled and closed his eyes, knowing he needed to pray.
Dear Lord, even after all these years, I still miss Mom so much. She was the only mother I’ve ever known, and I’ll always love her. If only she were here now to tell me what to do. What should I do, Lord? What should I do?