“Do you renounce your worldly ways, and commit to live a plain life, only for Jesus Christ?”
“I do,” Peter boomed.
Rebekah’s lips tilted upward. The loudness of Peter’s voice was remarkably un-Amish.
“Do you commit to the Amish Church, and should you marry, agree to bring your family up in the Anabaptist way?”
“I do,” Peter boomed again.
This time, Rebekah was almost positive she heard her mother snicker.
“Now Peter, do you renounce the evil one? And the ways of the English?”
“Yes, I wholeheartedly do renounce both.”
Simon picked up the bowl of water. “Peter, do you commit to serve in the Gasthof Village church ministry, should the need arise in the future?”
“I do! Humbly, Pa.”
Simon looked out the audience. “I ask my wife, Sarah, Rebekah, and anyone else who would like to do so, to come forward now and extend their hand over Peter’s head for the pouring of the water.”
Rebekah stood up. Carefully, she glanced from side to side, but Katie was nowhere to be seen. She should be here for this...
Thomas caught her hand. His eyes were question marks. Rebekah tugged him along with her. Together, they walked up to where Peter knelt, face in his hands, a picture of humility, and extended their hands next to Sarah Wagler’s.
“I baptize you, Peter Wagler, in the name of Jesus Christ, who defeated death and rose again so that all who love Him might have everlasting life.” He tipped the bowl and the water ran through Sarah, Rebekah, and Thomas’s fingers before cascading over Peter’s head.
Rebekah, all smiles, looked up. There in the tree line, out the far side of the barn, she saw her. Katie. Not so far away that she couldn’t see her tear streaked face.
Chapter Nineteen
December 3, 1889, Gasthof Village, Indiana Territory
Rebekah glanced across the room at Katie and Annie Knepp. “Thank you for helping me bundle celery. I had no idea we would need so much!”
Elnora strode down the stairs, baby Beanie on her hip. She sucked in a deep breath and held it. “Mm, I love the smell of fresh celery. Reminds me of when I married your father, Rebekah.”
The sun wasn’t even up yet, and Rebekah already had bundled a barn’s worth of celery with the help of Katie and Annie Knepp. There were slight differences between the sisters, but people who didn’t know them wouldn’t catch them. Annie, for example, had a chicken pox scar over her left eye and in the middle of her forehead. There was one in her eyebrow too, that used to be deep enough to poke a corn kernel in, but over the years it healed and the scar became less noticeable. Still, when Rebekah came at her with a corn kernel, Annie would shriek and run.
The smell of cream of celery soup hung thick in the house, and Rebekah’s cinnamon cakes—she’d baked ten of them since the night before—punctuated the scent of the Stoll household with a festive flair.
Thomas flounced through the kitchen with his stuffed cat displayed before him. All of his other brothers had accepted the fact that Rebekah would be marrying Joseph and moving away, but not Thomas. He still clung to her side like a woodpecker on a tree, while his other brothers were content to play with each other and leave their big sister alone.
“Thomas,” Rebekah called as he pranced by.
“Meow?”
“Would you like anything special for dinner at the wedding reception?”
Thomas began to purr and rub his face on her leg.
“Oh, I see. You’re a cat today.”
“Purr, purr.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Hisssss!”
“Well, little Thomas kitty, you see, I made my brother Thomas his favorite dessert. Cinnamon cake. Plus...”
“Mrow?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Purr purr.”
“I made him Amish casserole. With extra vegetable stock. That way, the stuffing in the casserole is nice and fluffy and moist. I know it’s his favorite...if only kitties liked Amish casseroles.”
Thomas sat quietly. “What do kitties eat?”
“Dead mice!” Katie offered.
“Rats,” Annie agreed.
“Milk and cream in a dish under the table,” Rebekah whispered. “Plus some dry or smoked fish.”
“I still say dead mice,” Katie said unapologetically.
