Rebecca Kertz - Jedidiah's Bride

“Pete! Arlin! You bring Jed and the others in for supper!” Pete’s wife, Mary, called out to them in the yard. She stood inside the screen door and redirected her attention to Ned Troyer as he climbed onto the bench wagon and took up the leathers. “Ned, come inside to eat.” She stepped out into the yard and approached.

“I appreciate the offer, Mary,” Ned said, “but Sally is waiting for me at home.” He leaned over the side of the wagon and lowered his voice. “She’s made some gut strawberry jam.” He grinned. “I convinced her to make tarts for tomorrow.”

Mary smiled. “Tell her we look forward to tasting her tarts. The berries are extra sweet this year. I haven’t made jam yet—we’ve been too busy eating the fresh berries.”

“Ja,” Ned said. “Strawberry shortcake...fresh strawberries and cream. A gut year for Delaware strawberries!” He clicked his tongue and steered the horse toward the road. “See ya tomorrow.”

“Ja,” Pete said. He turned toward his cousins as Ned headed home. “Jed, there will be a singing here tomorrow night. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Jed nodded. He enjoyed singings. Back home in Happiness, Pennsylvania, he’d been the one to lead the first hymn. He liked gathering with friends, spending time with the young people in his community and those nearby. He was now older than many who attended. His brother Noah married last year. He was twenty-two and should be wed himself by now, but he hadn’t found the right woman. He’d thought for a time that she might be Annie Zook, but there seemed to be something missing between them. Annie would make a wonderful wife, but she wouldn’t be his. When they discussed their relationship, he and Annie had reached the conclusion that they would be better friends than sweethearts. There were other girls who watched him as if interested, but Jed didn’t have strong feelings for any of them. He wanted to find a love like his brother Noah had. He longed to find a woman who fully captured his heart and loved him completely in return.

Someone is out there waiting for me. He knew it. He hoped he’d find her sooner than later. He wasn’t getting any younger. He was the eldest son of Katie and Samuel Lapp, and he wondered if he’d ever find love...a love like Noah and Rachel’s...a love like his dat and mam’s. He wasn’t going to settle for anyone just to wed, even though he knew that many who married eventually came to love his or her spouse. It wouldn’t be fair to marry any woman unless he truly loved her.

* * *

Sunday morning, Sarah sat in the back of the family buggy, a pie and a cake cradled on her lap. “You all right, Mam?” she asked as she leaned toward the front seat.

Her mother turned to smile at her. “Ja, I’m fine, Sarah. Stop your worrying.”

Her dat glanced back briefly to meet Sarah’s gaze before turning his attention toward the road. Sarah knew Dat was as concerned as she. It had been too long that her mother felt poorly. Mam was pale and constantly tired. She prayed that God would make her well soon.

“It’s a lovely day for church services,” Sarah said to fill the silence.

“Ja,” her mother agreed. “It’s nice to get out and about. I look forward to visiting with our friends after church.”

Sarah felt the same way. She was glad Mam was feeling well enough today to visit. She never missed a Sunday church service, but Dat usually took her home immediately afterward.

The only sound for a time was the clip-clop of their mare Jennie’s hooves on the paved road as they headed toward the Millers’ farm, the location for this Sunday’s church services. Sarah’s young twin brothers were surprisingly silent beside her. She glanced over and realized why. Just that quickly the boys had fallen asleep. Each child looked nice in his white shirt, black vest and black pants. They had managed to keep their clothes clean this morning and their usual wild mop of red hair beneath their black Sunday-best hat neatly combed. She smiled; they were miniature versions of their father. They were gut boys and they did listen and obey her, but still, she didn’t always know what to expect from them.

There was a shift in the direction of the vehicle as Daniel Mast steered the horse onto the dirt lane that led to the Miller farm. Suddenly, Mam turned toward Sarah. “I don’t want you to fuss over me,” she said, holding her daughter’s glance before shifting to send the same message silently to her husband.

“You will tell us if you’re tired?” her father asked softly.

“Ja,” she said. “I will come to you or send someone to find you.”

“Fair enough, then,” Sarah’s dat replied as he pulled the horse into the Millers’ barnyard and parked the vehicle within the row of family buggies on the left side of the dirt drive.

* * *

Dressed in his black Sunday best, Jedidiah stood on the Millers’ front porch and watched as buggies rolled down the dirt lane to the farmhouse and parked in the barnyard.

“Do you know anyone?” Jed asked his uncle, who stood beside him.

“A few,” Arlin said. He ran a hand over his bearded chin. “I recognize the Samuel Yoders. That’s Samuel getting out of that buggy near the barn. He has five sons and a baby on the way. He lives on the neighboring farm.”

“Is that his oldest son?” Jedidiah asked, studying a lad of about twelve years old.

Arlin rubbed his beard as he followed the direction of Jed’s gaze. “Ja, that’s young Abe.”

Jedidiah instantly thought of his mother and wondered how she’d coped when he’d been that young age with four brothers not long behind him. It couldn’t have been easy for Katie Lapp, but his mam had taken joy in raising her sons. It had never occurred to him how much work Mam had endured as a mother to five sons. And since then, she’d given birth to two more sons and a daughter.

Another vehicle pulled into the yard. Jedidiah watched casually as the driver stopped the buggy and climbed down from the carriage. The bearded older man went around to the other side to help someone out of the vehicle, while a young woman climbed from the backseat on the driver’s side, a dish in each hand.

He felt his heart give a lurch, then pound rapidly as he noted the shock of red-gold hair peeking out from beneath her black bonnet. Sarah Mast, he thought. The young mother stood with her hands full near the buggy while her sons Thomas and Timothy scurried out after her. He saw her bend to speak briefly with the twins, watched as the boys nodded before racing toward a group of youngsters who stood waiting outside the barn for church services. He saw the driver—Sarah’s husband? Nay, her dat, he suspected—had helped someone out of the carriage. Sarah’s mother?

Jed frowned. Where is Sarah’s husband?

He watched Sarah pause to wait for the other woman to catch up before they headed toward the Miller farmhouse together. The older woman carried a basket. Jedidiah didn’t know what possessed him to move in her direction, but within seconds, he was reaching out to relieve the frail older woman of her burden. “Let me,” he said with a smile. The basket wasn’t heavy.

Sarah’s mother looked up at him and responded in kind. “’Tis nice of you,” the woman gasped, out of breath.

Jed turned toward her daughter. “Sarah,” he greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Jedidiah.” Sarah looked surprised to see him. Her voice was soft and slightly breathless. “I thought you would have gone home by now.”

“Nay. We leave tomorrow.” He could sense Sarah’s mam’s curiosity. He nodded at the woman respectfully.

Sarah made introductions. “Mam, this is Jedidiah—” She paused a second. “Jed—”

“Lapp,” he supplied, amused.

“Ja.” Sarah nodded and Jed saw her blush as she looked away. “We met at the Sale. He’s from Lancaster. Jed was the man I told you about—the one who grabbed the twins before they got hit by a car.” She turned to Jed. “Jed, this is Ruth Mast, my mam.”