Mother For His Children, A

Mother For His Children, A by Jan Drexler Page A

Book: Mother For His Children, A by Jan Drexler Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jan Drexler
I know him. That’s my brother, Reuben. He’s nearly eighteen, and taking baptism instruction with Bishop. He’ll treat Waneta well, don’t worry.”
    â€œI thought Reuben had a special girl already,” Annie said.
    â€œHe did. He was taking Sarah Yoder home from Singings last summer, but this fall she decided she’d rather ride with a new boy from the Shipshewana district who has been coming.”
    â€œ Ach, poor Reuben.” Annie leaned over and jiggled the baby’s foot.
    â€œHe was fine with the way it turned out. They had been friends since they were little, but he told me the spark just wasn’t there.”
    Annie grinned at Ellie. “You mean the spark he sees when Bram looks at you.”
    Ellie blushed like a new bride, and Ruthy remembered that Ellie and Bram had only been married a couple of months before. “The way Waneta’s looking at Reuben, I’d say he found it with her.”
    â€œHow about you, Ruthy? Did you ever look at a boy like that?”
    â€œAch, ja,” Ruthy said with a smile on her face, but it was hard to get the words past the lump in her throat. “Hasn’t everyone?”
    â€œWe’ll just need to get busy and find a husband for you here in Eden Township,” Ellie said.
    â€œ Ach, Ellie,” said Annie, “the only single men are Roman Nafziger and Levi Zook, unless you count Bishop Yoder.”
    Ruthy saw the elderly bishop’s shaking hands in her mind. Annie had to be joking.
    â€œAnd you can hardly count Roman Nafziger, either,” Ellie said. “He’s older than Dat. ”
    â€œThen that leaves Levi.” Annie nodded and leaned toward Ellie with a conspiratorial whisper. “We have our work cut out for us, there.”
    â€œWhy?” Ruthy asked. “Levi seems like a nice enough man.”
    â€œHe’s nice enough, but...”
    â€œBut nice,” Ellie said, finishing Annie’s sentence. She gave Annie a glance that looked like a warning. “He’s a nice man who needs a wife. Who knows? Ruthy may be just what he needs.”
    â€œJa,” Annie said. She regarded Ruthy thoughtfully, as if seeing her for the first time. “ Ja, she may be just what Levi needs.”
    â€œNow don’t start getting any ideas. I’m not going to get married.”
    â€œYou’re too young to settle for being a maidle, ” Ellie said.
    â€œI just don’t plan to get married.” Ruthy bit her lip. God had made that clear when Elam picked Laurette over her.
    She was relieved when Ellie’s and Annie’s husbands chose that moment to gather their families for the trip home. She wasn’t ready to explain her reasons yet, and wasn’t sure if she ever would be.
    * * *
    Ruthy shivered as the family got out of the buggy when they reached the farm later that afternoon. The wind had turned to the northwest and it had a bite. She hurried into the house with the children and Levi, while the older boys took the horse and buggy to the barn. Once in the shelter of the back porch she was part of the friendly jostling as the children removed their coats and boots.
    â€œ Dat, can we make popcorn?” James asked.
    â€œPopcorn sounds wonderful-gut! ” said Nancy.
    Ruthy waited until she saw Levi Zook’s nod, and then said, “I’ll make the popcorn, James, if you’ll go into the Dawdi Haus and start a fire in the stove for me.”
    Sam took her hand as they went into the kitchen together. “Don’t go to the Dawdi Haus yet. Stay with us. Dat always reads to us on Sunday afternoon, and you can sit with me.”
    Ruthy glanced at Levi. He had avoided meeting her eye during the trip home from the Stoltzfuses’, and hadn’t joined in any conversations. She didn’t want to intrude on the family’s routine if he was uncomfortable with it.
    Sam saw her glance and turned to Levi. “Please, Dat, Ruthy can stay with

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