Patricia Davids - The Amish Midwife

She grabbed a sweater from the hook beside the door and walked out into the chilly morning. The smell of autumn was in the air as the wind blew fallen leaves helter-skelter down the lane in front of her. The good Lord had blessed her with a bountiful crop and kept the heavy frost at bay. Only He knew how much longer the good weather would last.

Her pumpkins were larger than usual this year and thick under the still-green leaves in the field, but a hard frost would put an end to all of them. She said a quick prayer for continued favorable weather and walked quickly toward the small open-fronted shack she had built at the edge of her property.

If her land had fronted a busy highway, she would have seen more business, but the village of Honeysuckle was small and off the main state roads, so traffic was generally light. Her idea to post a sign out by the highway was paying off, though. She’d had twice as many customers this fall as last. Only Joseph had complained about the increase in cars on the road.

A horse and gray buggy sat parked beside her stand when she reached it. Anne immediately recognized the animal and looked for the owner. Dinah Plank was inside the shack inspecting some of Anne’s white pumpkins displayed in a wooden crate. Anne called to her, “Morning, Dinah.”

“Wee gayt’s,” Dinah answered with a wave. “A good day to you, too. I thought you would be in town at the farmers’ market, selling your produce there.”

“I took a load of vegetable and pumpkins in yesterday and Harvey Zook’s boy is selling them for me. I thought it might be better to be open at both places today.”

“ Goot thinking.”

“Can I help you find something?” Anne smiled at her friend. Barely five feet tall, the cheerful plump widow was an energetic gray-haired woman. Dinah lived in Honeysuckle above the Beachy Craft Shop, where she worked for Anne’s friend Ellen Beachy. Soon to be Ellen Shetler. The wedding was planned for the first Thursday in November.

Dinah picked up a creamy white pumpkin and thumped it. “I wanted to make a few pies for Ellen’s wedding. There’s nothing like the taste of a warm pumpkin pie fresh out of the oven piled high with whipped cream. I get hungry just thinking about it.”

“I agree. You will want some of my heirloom cooking pumpkins for that. They make the best pies.” Anne gestured toward a smaller crate inside her stand.

“What about these white pumpkins?”

“I’ve tried them and they are okay, but I don’t think they have as much flavor.”

“I’ll be sure and tell my friends as much. Naomi wanted to try some whites.”

Naomi Beiler, the widow of their church’s former bishop, was the unofficial leader of the local widows’ group. The group planned benefit suppers and the like for people in need within their Amish community. They had recently held a haystack supper to raise funds for Mary and David Blauch after their son was born prematurely. The baby had had to be hospitalized for several months and the couple faced a huge medical bill. The Amish didn’t carry health insurance but depended on the rest of the community to aid them in times of need. If their local church wasn’t able to cover the cost, a plea would go out to neighboring churches to help. The way everyone looked out for each other was one of the most comforting things about living in an Amish community.

Anne thought about Joseph and Leah. Joseph didn’t feel he needed outside help, but Anne knew he did. “Will you be seeing Naomi this morning?”

On most Saturdays, Dinah went early to the farmers’ market in town, where she met friends from her widows’ club for breakfast. “I think so. Why?” Dinah cocked her head to the side.

“I have a small project I’d like help with. Joseph Lapp’s sister recently paid him a visit and left her infant daughter with him.”

“What?” Dinah’s eyes widened behind her glasses and her mouth dropped open. “He’s a bachelor.”

“Exactly. He has nothing for the child. No crib, no bottles, only a few things he borrowed from me.”

“What is his sister thinking? How long is he going to have the child?”

“I wish I knew. She may not be back.”

“How sad. Fannie has been out in the Englisch world a long time. It must be three years now. You never met her, did you?”

Anne shook her head. “She left before I moved here. Joseph has lived alone for as long as I’ve known him.”

“I’m sure he isn’t an easy neighbor to get along with. He’s not a friendly fellow.”

“We’d get along better if he kept his fences fixed. He came over three weeks ago to tell me my produce stand was bringing too many cars down the road.”

“I can see why that would bother him. His parents and the girl he planned to marry were all killed when a truck struck their buggy right at the end of his lane. Joseph and Fannie were thrown clear with barely a scratch. It was very sad.”

Anne’s heart contracted in sympathy. “I didn’t know.”

“It was Gottes will.”

All things were the will of God, but knowing that didn’t dull the pain of losing a loved one. Anne tried to imagine Joseph as a brokenhearted young man. “Was she a local girl?”

“Her family lives near Bird-in-Hand. She was the eldest daughter. I’ll speak to Naomi, but all we need to do is talk to a few of the mothers at church tomorrow and ask for donations of baby items. I know my daughters-in-law have clothing they can spare. How old is the child?”

“About four months.”

“I can pick up some formula for her in town today and bring it by this evening.”

“That won’t be necessary. It appears that Leah has a milk allergy. We are giving her goat’s milk.”

Dinah chuckled. “Joseph should have plenty of that. How many goats does he have these days?”

“I have never tried to count. All I do is shoo them out of my garden.”

“Looking at all these pumpkins, I’d say you’ve done a good job of keeping them away. I’ll take six of your best cooking ones, and I’ll share your concerns about Joseph’s niece with my friends. I’m sure we can come up with the things he needs. Who is watching the child while he is out working with his goats and in the fields?”

“No one. He wanted to hire me as a nanny, but I said no.”

“Why? I would think taking care of a baby would be your cup of tea.”

Anne turned and began rearranging the gourds she had on display. “Of course I like babies, but...I don’t know. I’m busy with the stand. Besides, I could get called out for a delivery at any time. It would be hard to have a baby underfoot.”

“I see.” Dinah didn’t sound convinced. Anne glanced her way. The sharp-eyed little woman didn’t look convinced, either.

Sighing heavily, Anne folded her arms and admitted the truth. “I’m afraid I would become too attached to her. She is an adorable bubbel . I may never have children of my own and caring for someone else’s child every day would be a reminder of that.”

“Sounds as if you are already attached to her.”

“ Nay , I’m simply worried Joseph won’t be able to take care of her.”

“Then you should find someone to be the kindt heedah . You must know of several girls who would do well at that.”

“I can’t think of anyone offhand. Who could get along with Joseph? He is an odd fellow.”

Dinah chuckled. “I’ll check around and give him a few names tomorrow after the prayer service.”

“That is a fine idea. I’ll tell Joseph.” It was a good solution. Leah needed someone to look after her and Joseph could easily find someone. It didn’t have to be her. Then she could stop worrying about them both.

After a busy day at her produce stand, Anne made her way home. The western sky was ablaze with purple, pink and gold-tinged clouds fanned out along the horizon. The air had a decided nip in it as the day cooled. She hoped it wouldn’t freeze tonight.