A Perfect Square

Chapter 30




SAMUEL LOOKED OUT over the clouds that were building on the horizon. Tomorrow’s storm would be a big one. Wish that it could wash the earth clean. That it could wash his soul clean.

Such wishes were the dreams of children though.

And Samuel had left all such childish things behind.

As he watched Katie’s sisters play in the last of the sun’s light, he wondered if the ache in his heart would ever ease. She wasn’t coming back. He’d managed to convince her parents that she was on her rumspringa. But to what good? He couldn’t bring back their daughter.

How many mistakes had he made since the day they’d left?

And why couldn’t some things be redone …

Samuel walked from the bathroom into the bedroom, but Katie wasn’t there. The smell of breakfast came from the kitchen, which surprised him. Where had she found dishes, or food, for that matter? For the last three days, they’d mostly been living off of dry goods and the leftovers that Reuben had been smuggling to them.

Samuel didn’t like living like this, on the sly, but tomorrow he’d report for work. Then they could find a proper place to live, and after that they could formally join the community. If they went home now, what would change? Life would continue as it had before, with no hope of their lot improving. They would be trapped under Timothy’s strong hand.

No. Better to hide now, for a few more days. He couldn’t risk them being seen by someone who had done business with Timothy, someone who might send word back home. Timothy was persuasive. Samuel had watched him change Katie’s mind before. What if it happened again? What if it happened now, when they were almost free of the old house and Timothy’s old ways? What if he lost her? Samuel wanted to have Katie settled in a new area before her dat learned of their marriage. Otherwise he might convince her to come home.

Now where was that smell coming from? Either he was dreaming or there was kaffi and bacon in the kitchen.

Samuel walked down the hall, his boots clomping against the wood boards of the floor. When he stepped into the room, one of the prettiest sights he’d ever seen met his eyes.

His wife, Katie, standing on a kitchen chair, reaching up onto a top shelf. She wore the green dress that she’d sewn for her winter wardrobe and a freshly pressed white kapp. She had brought two new dresses — the blue she’d married in, and the green she wore this morning. Both looked lovely, and he marveled again at what a beautiful bride she was.

Instead of helping her, he crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, and watched.

She stood on tiptoe and pulled something from the top shelf.

“What did you find there, Katie bug?”

“Samuel, gudemariye.” Katie smiled over her shoulder, looking as fresh as the first snowfall of the year.

“Gudemariye to you. Have you been discovering bacon in the cabinets?”

“No, silly. The cabinets are gorgeous though, just like you said.” She ran her hand down the front panel.

Jealousy sparked as she complimented the woodwork, which was ridiculous. He’d show her that he could do work just as good.

“I need to be going, if you’re done messing around on that chair.” The words came out sharper than he intended.

“Oh, all right. I was looking for plates, and I saw something winking down at me from the top shelf.”

“We don’t have time for that — “ His exasperation grew. He’d thought breakfast was ready. They had much to do today. Tomorrow he’d be gone at work. Today was their last full day together.

“Look, it’s a key on a string, not plates. Now why do you think someone would store a key on a top shelf?”

She was so like a child sometimes. She pivoted in the chair and held it out like a prize.

“Older folks never do lock the doors. I suppose whoever lived here before kept it up there and forgot about it. Put it back and come down. “

“I should give it to Reuben. He probably doesn’t know it’s here.” She settled the string around her neck, looking down to see how long the string was.

“Katie! I said put it back.” His voice rising, Samuel stepped forward, and that was when three things happened at once.

The first thing is that the bacon on the stove began to burn.

Then Reuben drove by the window in his horse and buggy. Samuel would wonder later if it had startled her. But he would never learn.

Because the third thing was that Katie took one step backward.

Even though there was no chair for her to step on.