Marie E. Bast - The Amish Baker

“Why can’t Mary go instead of me?”

“She is busy with the housework, cooking, laundry and making things to sell.”

“I don’t want to go.”

Caleb looked at the bu a moment, trying to figure out what would make Jacob happy. Most kinner would enjoy a trip to town. “You will go and help. Not another word about it.”

A few minutes later, he glanced at his sohn . Jacob held his back straight as a stick, staring straight ahead. What could he possibly do for the bu to take the stiffness and hurt out of his heart?

Caleb gave up on conversation and instead rubbernecked at his neighbors’ fields the whole three miles to Kalona. Jah , his fields looked as gut as these.

Their errands didn’t take long, as Snowball trotted them around town. Caleb hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, so a roll and cup of coffee would sure be gut right about now. He stopped the buggy one shop down from the bakery.

“Where are we going now?” Jacob looked from one side of the street to the other.

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” Caleb walked beside Jacob and ushered him to the Amish Sweet Delights bakery, opened the door and motioned for Jacob to enter. As his sohn passed, Caleb detected a trace of a smile.

Caleb leaned down by Jacob’s ear and whispered, “You can order anything in the case. Ask for a glass of milk, too. We’ll sit a minute and refresh ourselves.”

Two customers stood in front of them. The man at the counter was an Englischer , clean-shaven and wearing brown trousers and a matching shirt—the same kind of clothing that Caleb had seen on deliverymen. His stomach tightened as he overheard the man tell Sarah how nice she looked today.

She didn’t appear to hear him. “Who’s next?”

The woman in front of Caleb took her turn at the counter. The bakery door behind Caleb opened, and two young Amish buwe , Noah and Matthew, entered and stood in line behind them. The buwe tapped Jacob on the shoulders, letting him know they were back there. They talked and laughed, trying to coax Jacob into a conversation.

The woman in front paid, picked up her sack and left.

“We’re next, Jacob.” Caleb stepped forward as the buwe joked and teased Jacob about a girl in school. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Jacob, it is our turn to order.”

“ Nein , I don’t like her.” Jacob spouted the words at his friend and gave Matthew a shove. Jacob whirled back around, stepped on a broken cookie or something on the floor and lunged forward. His arms flung out as he slid across the counter, hitting the walnut bears and sending them sailing through the air. They banged on a table, bounced off and smashed against the wall.

Jacob’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back away from the counter. Caleb caught him and steadied Jacob until he regained his balance.

Everyone at the tables stopped talking and stared at the commotion. The men at the table where the broken bears lay shoved their chairs away from the pieces.

Stunned, Caleb wasn’t sure what to do. He looked from the bears to Sarah. She shrieked and ran to retrieve the fragments. Tears clouded her eyes, threatening to spill over as she hugged the pieces to her chest and walked back to the counter.

Caleb placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Jacob, you have broken them.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Sarah laid the pieces behind the counter, straightened and looked at Jacob. “I know you didn’t. They shouldn’t have sat there. It’s my fault.”

Caleb removed his wide-brimmed straw hat from his head. “Sarah, I can take the pieces and make you a new set. They won’t match exactly, but it’ll be close and most won’t tell the difference.”

She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. It wouldn’t be quite the same. These were the last things my husband made me before he passed away.” Her voice caught in her throat.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder at every pair of eyes in the bakery boring a hole through his back. His cheeks burned, and he sucked in a deep breath. “Jacob must pay for the damage he caused.”

“ Nein , Caleb, it’s not necessary.” She placed an index finger at the corner of her eye and blotted a tear that had escaped.

“Jacob will be here early Saturday morning to help you in the shop. He can clean the tables, the chairs and the floor, and help fetch supplies. Whatever you need him to do, for as long as you need him, until he pays off the debt. He must make amends.”

* * *

Sarah looked at Jacob, a small-framed bu , maybe six or seven years old, with a tuft of blond hair poking out from under his hat. “Do you want to help me?” she asked, softening her voice.

He nodded. His sulking brown eyes resembled those of a scolded puppy and tugged at the edges of her heart.

“ Gut. I’d appreciate that.” She let a smile pluck at the corners of her mouth.

“We’ll take three cinnamon rolls to go, please.” Caleb plopped his hat on his head. “Again, we are very sorry.” The red flush in his cheeks deepened, but Sarah pretended not to notice.

Sarah handed the order to him over the counter. Caleb’s hand glided over hers as he grasped the sack, sending an unexpected rush through her. The warmth jabbed at her heart as though a tiny arrow had pierced it. She jerked back in response. She hadn’t felt the touch of a man’s hand in a long time.

The sensation had startled her. Or maybe it was her reaction that had startled her.

She’d enjoy getting to know Jacob and most assuredly his papa, too.

The scent of lilacs and freshly cut grass saturated the morning breeze. Caleb inhaled a deep whiff and watched as Jacob climbed into the buggy and sat next to him. Jacob’s face looked like that of a shunned man. “Jacob, doing a little work to repay a debt can’t be as bad as all that.”

Jacob shrugged.

Caleb shook the reins. “Giddyap, Snowball.” The horse trotted down the drive, past the vegetable garden and out the gate between the white picket fences surrounding the barnyard. Snowball turned right toward Kalona without any coaxing.

“Please be helpful to Sarah.” Caleb flashed his warning face at Jacob.

He nodded. “I will. How long do I have to stay and help her?”

Jacob looked deep in thought, worrying his bottom lip. Caleb regretted his prior words. He knew the bu wanted to make amends.

At times Jacob seemed to have a rebellious nature, but Caleb had to trust his sohn . “We’ll see how much work she has for you to do. Maybe a couple of hours. You can let me know if you get tired.”

“Okay.”

“But you understand why you must help her, jah ?”

Jacob put a hand up to shade the sun from his eyes. “I’m working to pay for the cost of the bears I broke.”

“Not just that, but the pain and suffering you have caused her. They were the last gift her ehemann had given her before he died. Now they’re broken. Your helping is just a respectful way of saying you’re sorry.”

“I’m really sorry I did that.”

“I know you are.”

They rode in silence but Caleb sensed something different about Jacob. His voice wasn’t as cold and distant as it was when they had driven to Kalona last week. He had an obligation now to a very nice woman, and it appeared he accepted the responsibility.

* * *

Glancing at the chaos in the bakery’s kitchen—containers covering the table, sugar spilled on the counter and pans strewn about—Sarah felt daunted by the mess before her. She brushed the flour from her hands as she checked the time... Running late. Why had she given Hannah the day off? The special order, along with her regular baking, swamped her with work.