Patricia Davids - A Hope Springs Christmas

Down the center of the shop were two rows of various machines. Although their Amish religion forbade the use of electricity, in their church district it was possible to use propane-powered engines to operate machinery. While some of the equipment was new, much of it was older than the hills.

Sarah walked to the ancient metal bender and grasped the handle. The bender used heavy-duty iron gears and wheels to press bands of steel into symmetrical rings. The steel ring was then welded together to form the outside rim of a wagon wheel.

How many rims had she cranked out when she worked beside Jonas and Levi? Two hundred? Three hundred? She could still do it, but it would take a while to build up her muscles. Carrying bolts of fabric wasn’t nearly as physical.

Turning around, she noticed the back of the shop held various pieces of wood waiting to be assembled into buggy tops and doors. In the far corner of the building, an area had been partitioned off and enclosed to make a room for cutting and sewing upholstery. The old sewing machine was operated with a foot pedal. She knew it well.

Although almost all the buggies they made were black, as required by their church, a person could order anything from red velvet to black leather for the buggy’s interior and seats. Jonas’s courting buggy had dark blue velvet upholstery. When he sold it two years after their wedding she cried like a baby.

She smiled at the memory, but she wasn’t here to relive the past. She went looking for Levi. Would he have something to say about her usurping his authority in dealing with customers? She found him working on the undercarriage of a buggy at the very back of the building. Or rather, she found his feet.

The sole of his left shoe was worn through. He had used a piece of cardboard inside to keep his socks dry. Did his socks have holes in them, too? She imagined they did for the hems of his pant legs were worn and frayed. Grace was wrong. Levi didn’t need a wife. He desperately needed a wife.

Someone with housewifely skills to mend and darn for him and to make sure he was properly clothed. Someone to insist he get new shoes for the winter instead of making do with cardboard insoles. She’d paid no attention to the business books after Jonas died, preferring to leave all that in Levi’s hands. Was the business doing poorly? Or was Levi frugal to the extreme?

Clearly, it was time she got her head back into the business. “Levi, may I speak with you?”

A grunt was her answer. Was it a yes grunt or a no grunt? Only his feet moved as he struggled with some hidden problem. She decided to be optimistic. “I’d like to take a look at the ledgers.”

His feet stilled. “Why?”

She crouched down trying to see his face. “I realize that I’ve left the running of the business to you alone for far too long. We are partners in this, are we not?”

He wiggled backward out from under the carriage and sat up to glare at her. “I don’t cheat you.”

She pressed a hand to her chest. “Goodness, I never thought you did. I simply want to begin doing my share again. Jonas and I used to do the books together. I know what I’m looking at.”

“Jonas is gone. I do the books now.” He lay down and started to inch back under the buggy.

Sarah was sorely tempted to kick the sole of his miserable excuse for a shoe, but she didn’t. More flies were caught with honey than with vinegar. “I don’t mean to step on your toes, Levi, but I am the owner of this shop, and I have a right to see the books. I’m sure you understand my position.”

“Help yourself,” came his muffled reply.

“Fine.” She left him to his work and headed for the small enclosed place that was used as an office. A wooden stool sat in front of a cluttered desk. Off to one side, a stack of ledgers and catalogs were piled together. She started by searching through them, but soon realized they weren’t what she needed.

She went back to his feet. “Where are the current ledgers, Levi?”

“Ask Grace.”

She blew out a huff of frustration. “I can’t very well ask Grace. She’s on her way to Pennsylvania.”

He came out from under the frame and rose to his feet. “Ja, she is. I wonder why my sister chose to go running off during our busiest season with inventory to do and four carriages to finish. No, wait. I know why she left. You told her to go.”

It was the longest speech he’d ever spoken to her. Sarah curbed her ire at his tone. “Grace didn’t tell you why she went to visit her grandmother?”

“All she said was that it was your idea.”

“Oh.” No wonder he seemed upset. Where should she start?

He folded his arms and stared at his shoes. “Is Grace in...trouble?” he asked, his voice low and worried.

“Trouble? You mean... Oh! No, no, it’s nothing like that. I hope she would confide in me if that were the case. No, she and Henry have gotten serious so quickly that I thought a short cooling-off time would give her a chance to decide if she really wanted to marry him or not.”

“Marry? Grace?”

Levi looked astonished by the idea. It was almost comical. Sarah struggled to hold back a smile. “That’s what young people do when they’ve been courting.”

“She’s too young to marry.” He turned to his tool chest and grabbed a second wrench.

“She’s the same age I was when Jonas and I married. I was twenty and he was twenty-seven.”

“That was different.” Levi didn’t look at her.

“How?”

“It just was. Grace Ann is a child.” He returned to his position under the buggy.

“Nee, Levi, your shveshtah is a grown woman. You must be prepared for her to marry and start a family of her own.”

A second grunt was her reply.

If Levi hadn’t considered where his sister’s courtship was leading, then Sarah really had her work cut out for her. Not only did she need to find a woman who could put up with his stoic ways, she needed to help him see that Grace was an adult. This could certainly make the coming winter months more interesting.

Sarah stared at Levi’s worn-out footwear. First things first, who did she know that might be ready for a husband?

Several women came to mind. There was the current schoolteacher, Leah Belier, a sweet-tempered woman in her late twenties. But having had the twins in school until two years ago, would she be willing to take them on a permanent basis? It would take a brave woman to do that.

It was too bad Susan Lapp had married Daniel Hershberger last month. While it was an excellent match for both of them, Susan would have been perfect for Levi. Big-boned and strong with a no-nonsense attitude, Susan was a woman who could keep Levi and the twins in line with one hand tied behind her back. Yes, it was too bad she was already taken.

There was Joann Yoder, but she was a year older than Levi. Sarah couldn’t see them together. Joann was nearly as shy as he was.

Mary Beth Zook was also a possibility. Sarah wondered how the bishop and his wife would feel about two of their children marrying into the Beachy family. Perhaps Mary Beth wasn’t the best choice, but Sarah didn’t rule her out.

Another woman who came to mind was Fannie Nissley, the niece of David and Martha Nissley. She had come to Hope Springs to help the family when Martha had been injured by an overturned wagon a few years before. Martha was fully recovered, but Fannie stayed on because she liked the area.

Sarah guessed her age to be twenty-five or -six. As far as she knew, Fannie wasn’t seeing anyone. This coming Sunday after the prayer service would be a good time to find out for sure. Aunt Emma would know if any of the single women in the area had already made a commitment.

Sarah suddenly thought of Sally Yoder. Sally currently worked for Elam Sutter in his basket-weaving business. Sally was only in her early twenties, but she might be ready to settle down. She had a good head on her shoulders and could help Levi manage the business.