“I did something especially horrible to you while we were in New York City.”
Icy bits of fear shinnied down her backbone. “You did?”
Katie studied the ground and kicked at a toadstool. “If I hadn’t gone there, you wouldn’t have had to endure the worst apple pie in New York City.”
Rebekah puffed out a laugh with such force her covering strings flew forward and whipped back, hitting her in the nose. “It was terrible, wasn’t it?”
“I know you know what the ingredient was that left the crust bitter. I told Nellie Bly so.”
Rebekah beamed. To have been spoken of highly, by Katie, made her heart fill with a new warmth that hadn’t been there before. “I did name the ingredient, though I had to think on it for a while, and I believe it just got knocked in by accident.”
“Was it orange peel?”
“It burned too much to be orange peel,” Rebekah started. “Good guess though, it certainly had the bitterness of orange peel.”
Katie nodded.
“But I believe it was watercress.”
Katie flung her arms. “Yes, of course it was watercress!”
The girls shared a laugh, a comfortable one. A familial, loving one.
“Come with me, Katie.” Rebekah tried to keep the begging note from entering her voice. But above all else, she simply didn’t want to let this warm feeling with Katie go.
“I wish I could, Rebekah.” The smile faded from Katie’s face. “But not today. Just not this service.”
***
True to his word, Thomas Stoll, and his cat, saved Rebekah a seat in the Wagler’s barn. Peter’s absence, of course, was noted by everyone in attendance. They’d been there, watching and singing as he was instructed in the ways of the Amish for the past year. They’d seen his growth, and even grown with him. They grew to love him, and he them and their ways. So they thought. The mark of pain was evident on everyone’s face in the Wagler’s barn and it embarrassed Rebekah considerably.
With Joseph across the aisle from her in the men’s section, she felt naked. Exposed. With no one to hide behind and nowhere to bury her face to hide from the world. She must have looked scared because Thomas slid his cat into her lap. He didn’t speak, that would have not been fitting behavior for a Stoll child, and they all knew better. He didn’t have to. The simple silent gesture spoke volumes.
Then, the hymn they were singing from the Ausbund came to a natural end. Now would be when Peter was called up to join the Church. And the faith. And the community. And the Wagler’s, as their son. Just as Simon Wagler, Joseph’s foster father, pushed himself to his feet, someone coughed behind Rebekah. She turned and squinted into the sun.
“Peter!”
She couldn’t help herself. Her brother was there! The collective breath the church had been holding exhaled and for an instant, everything felt all right.
Slowly, he walked up the aisle and extended his hand to Simon Wagler. “Today is a special day, Pa, and I am sorry I am late.”
As her eyes began to focus in the dark barn from looking into the light, Rebekah noticed that Peter was filthy.
“May I speak to the church?”
Simon stood beside his son, but didn’t let go of his hand. The older man’s eyes misted and his lower lip trembled as he held onto Peter’s hand. The sight was almost too much for Rebekah.
“Good Amish people, I mean no disrespect in my appearance or my tardiness. Due to circumstances that were beyond my control, my wagon overstayed its welcome at the livery stable in Montgomery during my recent...travel.” He didn’t look at Joseph and he didn’t look at her.
Peter, what in the world are you doing?
“So, in order to make things right, I had to stay on at the livery and work off my debt. I didn’t want to ask for money or help. I needed to work it off on my own, and work things out in my mind.” He brushed his nose with his free hand while Simon held fast to the other. “You people,” he started, “you people are everything good in this world. My recent travels were eye-opening, and I came home, ashamed of my English-born blood. But as some of you may know, Rebekah and I accidentally found another relative and her son. A boy who is mute, and as loving and kind as the day is long.”
Everyone stared at him in the silent barn.
“It was when we were boarding the train back here, back home, that I knew. I knew this was my life, with or without a spouse. So, I ran off to collect Patty and Noah, our English blood kin, and used the money that was supposed to be for any additional expenditures at the livery, to buy them tickets here. Well, not here, but to Montgomery, where we got her a job with the doc who took care of Mr. Stoll.” Finally, he looked at Rebekah. His eyes were filled with moisture and his dirt-streaked face, sincere. “I couldn’t wait to bring what little blood relations I have here. Home, where life makes sense and things are as they should be.” He glanced at Simon. “I came straight from work, Pa. My debt is paid and now I’m ready. Ready to join the Church, if you’ll have me.”
Simon pulled Peter into an embrace. Thomas reached over and patted Rebekah’s hand. “I knew he’d come,” he whispered.
“How’d you know,” she whispered back.
“Because I’ve known Uncle Peter practically my whole life.”
Rebekah shook her head and bit back a smile.
“Of course we’ll have you.” Simon’s normally meek voice boomed. “Right, Church?”
“Amen!”
When their embrace was over, Simon led Peter to a bowl of water at the front of the pews set up in the barn. “Mama?” He extended his hand to Mrs. Wagler, who held her back, but hobbled up to join her husband and her soon-to-be son.
“Kneel down, Peter,” Simon instructed.
Peter did as he was told.
“Now, bow your head. Hide your face in your hands to show that you are humble in this church house and answer my questions truthfully.”
“Yes sir, Pa.” Peter’s voice softened as he bowed his head.
