Patricia Davids - The Shepherd's Bride

A short, bald man came out the door and locked it behind him. Carl took Lizzie’s suitcase from the back of the cart and approached him. “This lady needs a ticket.”

“Sorry, we’re closed.” The man didn’t even look up. He started to walk off, but Carl blocked his way.

“She needs a ticket to Indiana.”

The stationmaster took a step back. “You’re too late. The westbound bus left five minutes ago. The next one is on Tuesday.”

“Four days? How can that be?”

The little man raised his hands. “Look around. We’re not exactly a transportation hub. Hope Springs is just down the road from Next-to-Nowhere. The bus going west departs at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.” He stepped around Carl and walked away.

She wasn’t going back today. She still had a chance to find a job. Lizzie looked skyward and breathed a quick prayer. “Danki, my Lord.”

She wanted to shout for joy, but the grim look on Carl’s face kept her silent. He scowled at her. “Joe isn’t going to like this.”

Chapter Three

“What is she doing back here? I told you to make sure she got on the bus!” Joe looked ready to spit nails.

Carl jumped down from the back of the cart and took Lizzie’s suitcase and her box from behind the seat. He knew Joe would be upset. He wasn’t looking forward to this conversation.

“She missed the bus. The next one going her way is on Tuesday. I couldn’t very well leave her standing on the street corner, could I?”

“I don’t see why not,” Joe grumbled.

Lizzie got down for the cart and came up the steps to stand by her grandfather on the porch. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you, Daadi, but I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t have enough money to pay for a room at the inn until Tuesday and get a ticket home. I won’t be any trouble.”

“Too late for that,” Carl muttered. She had already cost him half a day’s work.

“What am I supposed to do with you now?” Joe demanded.

“I can sleep in the barn if you don’t have room for me in the house.”

She actually looked demure with her hands clasped before her and her eyes downcast. Carl wasn’t fooled. She was tickled pink that she had missed the bus. He half wondered if she had insisted on making those job-hunting stops for just that reason. He had no proof of that, but he wasn’t sure he would put it past her.

Joe sighed heavily. “I guess you can stay in your mother’s old bedroom upstairs, but don’t expect there to be clean sheets on the bed."

Lizzie smiled sweetly. “Danki. I’m not afraid of a little dust. If you really want me to leave, you could hire a driver to take me home.”

Scowling, Joe snapped, “I’m not paying a hired driver to take you back. It would cost a fortune. You will leave on Tuesday. Since you’re here, you might as well cook supper. You can cook, can’t you?”

“Of course.”

He gestured toward the door. “Come on, Carl. Those shearing pens won’t set themselves up.”

She shot Carl a sharp look and then leaned toward Joe. “Daadi, may I speak to you in private?”

Here it comes. She’s going to pressure Joe to get rid of me.

Carl didn’t want to leave. He enjoyed working with the sheep and with Joe. In this place, he had found a small measure of peace that didn’t seem to exist anywhere else in the world. Would Lizzie make trouble for the old man if he allowed Carl to stay on?

Joe waved aside her request. “We’ll speak after supper. My work can’t wait any longer. Carl, did you pick up the mail, at least?”

He shook his head. “I forgot to mention it when we passed your mailbox.”

Joe glared at Lizzie. “That’s what comes of having a distraction around. I’ll go myself.”

“I’ll go get your mail.” Lizzie started to climb back onto the cart, but Joe stopped her.

“The pony has done enough work today. It won’t hurt you to walk to the end of the lane, will it?”

She flushed and stepped away from the cart. “Nee, of course not. Shall I unhitch him and put him away?”

“Put him in the corral to the right of the barn and make sure you rub him down good.”

“I will.”

As she led the pony away, sympathy for her stirred in Carl. Joe wasn’t usually so unkind. “I can take care of the horse, Joe.”

“If she’s going to stay, she’s going to earn her keep while she’s here. I don’t know why she had to come in the first place.” Joe stalked away with a deep frown on his face.

Carl followed him. The two men crossed to the largest shed and went inside. Numerous metal panels were stacked against the far wall. They were used to make pens of various sizes to hold the sheep both prior to shearing and afterward.

They had the first three pens assembled before Joe spoke again. “You think I’m being too hard on her, don’t you?”

“It’s your business and none of mine.”

“What did she have to say on your trip into town and back?”

“Not much. She’s concerned that her sister is being made to marry against her will by their uncle Morris. It’s not the way things are done around here.”

“Nee, but it doesn’t surprise me much. I never cared for Morris. I couldn’t believe it when my daughter wanted to marry into that family. I tried to talk her out of it. I’ve never met a more shiftless lot. The men never worked harder than they had to, but they made sure the women did. In my eyes, they didn’t treat their women with the respect they deserved.”

“What do you mean?”

“They spoke harshly to them. They kept them away from other women. I saw fear in the eyes of Morris’s wife more than once when he got upset with her.”

“Do you believe there was physical abuse?”

“I thought so, but none of them would admit it. Such things weren’t talked about back then. I went so far as to share my misgivings with the bishop. The family didn’t take kindly to my interference.”

“I imagine not.”

“My daughter assured me her husband was a kind man, but I saw the signs. I saw the changes in her over the years. My son-in-law and I had some heated words about it. Then one day, the whole family up and moved away. I never saw them again. My daughter never even wrote to let me know where they had gone. Years later, I got one letter. It was from Morris telling me my Abigail and her husband were dead. He said a truck struck their buggy. Her husband died instantly, but Abigail lingered for another day.”

Joe’s voice tapered off as he struggled with his emotions. Carl had never seen him so upset. After giving the old man a few minutes to compose himself, Carl said, “I’ve never heard of the Amish having arranged marriages.”

“They don’t, but if you dig deep enough in any barrel, you’ll find a few bad apples, even among the Amish. Morris was a bad apple. I don’t know why my girl couldn’t see that, but I was told she lived long enough after the accident to name Morris as guardian of her children. I’m not surprised he thinks he can pick their husbands.”

“So, you aren’t going to help Lizzie?”

Joe shook his head slowly. “I loved my daughter, Carl. I never got over her leaving the way she did, but she was a good mother. I have to ask myself what would she want me to do. Honestly, I think my daughter would want me to stay out of it. Life is not easy for any of us. I don’t want Lizzie to think she can come running to me whenever it seems too hard for her.”

“Do you really think that’s what she’s doing?” Carl asked gently.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

Carl didn’t agree, but then it wasn’t his place to agree or disagree with Joe. It was his place to take care of the sheep.

“What else did she say?” Joe asked. He tried to sound indifferent, but Carl wasn’t fooled.