Chapter 32
To Lilly’s great surprise, over the ensuing two weeks, the community arose as one gentle, palpable force to bring help and solace and hope to her family. She was greatly humbled by the outpouring of visitors, food, and compassion. It wasn’t that she did not expect the best from her people, but issues of mental health seemed seldom discussed or even heard of. She hadn’t thought anyone would understand.
Bishop Loftus, for all of his age and distinct ideas, was of a particularly progressive frame of mind when it came to mental health. He made sure that Lilly could feel good about not having to visit the hospital each day by making a schedule of other women to go in her stead. And he contacted a mental health organization in Lancaster, established by and created for those Old Order Amish who struggled with depression and other mental health issues. A representative would come to the area and provide counseling at the hospital for her mother and then find similar lay support in the community.
In all of this, Lilly gave thanks. Especially for Jacob’s stalwart presence and openness to talk and be supportive about her mother. His responsiveness revealed a depth and reservoir of grace that she’d only seen before in her father.
Jacob smiled when she’d confided this one evening after dinner. “You have the heart of grace, my fraa, which is why you can see good things in me.”
Lilly had felt her cheeks glow with pleasure and kissed his handsome cheek.
It was just before Old Christmas, or the observance of the Epiphany, when the community began to circulate word that a new family was moving into the small, vacant Stahley farmhouse less than a mile north of the schoolhouse. Grace Beiler, a widow, and her seven-year-old son, Abel, were coming from Ohio to Pine Creek to live. Mrs. Beiler’s husband had drowned in an ice fishing accident that winter.
Grace Beiler was a first cousin of the King family, and everyone in the community strove to prepare the house to make her feel welcome. Early one Friday before school was to resume, Lilly finished some chores that she had at the schoolhouse, then drove the buggy over to help with the cleaning of the place while the menfolk saw to the roof and other repairs.
When she entered the small kitchen, it was already a hive of activity. The women were having a vrolijk, a time of working and socializing together, and they welcomed Lilly with warmth into their midst.
Mrs. Stolis was painting the white drywall of the kitchen a soft peach color. She handed Lilly an extra brush. “How’s your mamm these days, child?”
Lilly was aware of the interested but kind ears listening for her reply so she gave a noncommittal shrug. “Better. Danki. She should return home in a week or so.”
Mrs. Stolis smiled and nodded as Lilly focused on her brushstrokes and trying not to get paint on her apron.
The sound of someone jostling through the front door of the house came through to the kitchen, and Lilly heard Seth Wyse’s voice. She wondered where Jacob was in all the busyness and was surprised by her desire to drop the paintbrush and go have a look for him.
Seth stood in the kitchen archway with a thin piece of wood in his hands.
“Ladies. Peach paint and all as pretty as peaches, I see.” His grin swept the room, and Lilly focused back on her painting. Despite the peace that now reigned in the relationship between her husband and his brother, she thought it wise to remember that she had not been immune to Seth’s empathetic charm and she never wanted to make that mistake again.
“I need to set up a quilting frame, ladies.”
“Going to take up quilting, Seth?” Mrs. Stolis asked while the others laughed.
“Nee, not just yet, but Mrs. King sent me over. It seems the Widow Beiler makes her living quilting, so we’ve got to have a gut frame ready for her.”
“You’ll have trouble fitting it in the front room,” one of the women remarked.
“Well, we’ll give it a try. Jacob’s bringing in the other pieces now.”
Mrs. Stolis laughed and tapped Lilly’s arm. “Do you wonder where Jacob is at every moment, Lilly? That’s what it is to be newly married. I only wonder where James is when he’s late for supper.”
All the women laughed, and Seth cleared his throat.
“Ladies, I’ll be leaving before this conversation gets any more questionable on the value of men and where they are in your lives.”
Mrs. Stolis turned to Lilly when he’d gone and whispered, “I’ve heard it said that he’s a tortured soul … longing for true love …” She waited expectantly and Lilly struggled not to laugh.
“Ach, so it’s true, I’m afraid, and all his cheerfulness is but a ruse …” She let the idea dangle as the women gave a collective soft sigh, and Lilly knew Jacob would have been proud of her.
Come here,” Jacob whispered in an urgent voice.
“What do you want? I’m busy,” Seth said.
“Just get in here.”
Jacob had finished fitting the quilt frame into the front room of the house and now stood outside the small barn, motioning to his brother before anyone might notice.
Seth finally ambled over and Jacob grabbed his arm, hauling him inside the dim interior and sliding the door shut. The men had just finished refitting the barn’s structure and were doing a general cleanup. Jacob turned up a lantern and took a deep breath of the sweet smell of baled hay.
“All right, what’s the big secret? I’m supposed to be helping Father with the upstairs windowsills.”
Jacob reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the primer that Lilly had given him as a wedding gift. He held it out to his brother.
“What’s this? Hey, these sketches are great—and a bit suggestive!” Seth turned the small booklet to better see the pictures, and Jacob smacked his arm.
“Lilly made it for me for our wedding.”
Seth smiled. “No wonder you wanted to strangle me on Christmas Eve. If I’d have known that this is what you two were sharing …”
“We’re not sharing any—I mean, she’s supposed to start giving me reading lessons soon.”
“They never had books like this when I was in school.”
“Hey, I’m serious. I really want to try. But I don’t want her to think that I’m completely dumm.”
“Only a little then?”
Jacob sighed and snatched the book back. “Never mind. Go on and help Father.”
“All right, all right. I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”
“I just thought that if you could teach me some of the words first, that I could memorize them, and then when she tutors me, well, I wouldn’t look like a fool.”
Seth was quiet for a long moment. “You never look like a fool, Jacob.” His voice was serious.
“Right—that’s why I write like a boppli, and can’t read, and steal horses, and let girls marry me without any consideration for how they really feel.”
“I mean it. I look up to you.”
Jacob lifted his eyes to meet his bruder’s. “Thank you, Seth.”
“All right, then let’s give this a whirl. You’ll surprise that smart wife of yours and maybe get a few kisses in the process.”
Jacob cuffed him on the shoulder. “You’re a gut little bruder.”
“And don’t you forget it.”