Chapter 25 #2
You continue to be in my prayers. I hope you are able to take as good care of yourself as you do others. This verse from Philippians has encouraged me through the years, and I hope it will encourage you too: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Someone Who Cares
She appreciated the verse—but not the letter. In fact it was getting downright creepy. Why would an older woman in the district not sign her name? Unless it was someone close to Miriam. Was Elaine sending the letters?
Still, Joanna repeated the verse silently a few times, committing it to memory. All things. Including overcoming her hurt pride.
There was no reason to keep the letter. She crumpled it in one hand and the envelope in the other and tossed them both into the garbage as Adam came through the door.
Was his face red from jogging from Ike and Becky’s house? Or for another reason? Perhaps because he’d stood her up the day before. In a raspy voice he said, “Guder Mariye.”
Joanna didn’t reply.
“We’re off to the Pequea Creek house,” he said.
Joanna folded her hands together. “Is Becky coming in today?”
“Nee. She said for us to take Caleb. Nick will drive Jacob and Tim to the Garden Lane house and return for the three of us. She already gave him instructions.”
“How is she? How is Ike?”
“Gut. Tired, but both seem better.”
He asked, “Any coffee?”
Joanna stared at the pot for a moment and then turned her attention back to Adam. “Feel free to make it if you want.” She took a step away from him. “I’m going to pack our supplies.”
Adam took a step toward her. “Joanna—”
She could walk away—or tell him what was bothering her. She lowered her voice. “You said you’d stop by and check on me yesterday.”
“Jah, I did.”
Chagrined, she asked, “You did?”
“Your Dat said you were taking a nap.”
Her face grew warm. Why hadn’t Dat told her? “I was reading,” she said. “Persuasion.”
He smiled a little. “I should have come back, but to be honest your Dat is a little intimidating.”
“He didn’t tell me you came by.”
Adam shrugged. “I’m not surprised, not if he wants you to move to Maine.”
Was Adam implying Dat thought he wanted to court her?
Joanna’s face grew warm, most likely matching the shade of Adam’s. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“Don’t be,” he said.
She reached for the clipboard. “We have a lot to accomplish today. We’d better start gathering our supplies.”
As she packed—sledgehammers, pry bars, hammers, gloves, masks, goggles, buckets, drop cloths—Tim, Caleb, and Jacob arrived.
None of them approached her. Soon, Tim and Jacob left with Nick.
Caleb and Adam busied themselves taking down ladders and carting them and the crates of supplies out to the loading area.
“What about a dumpster?” Adam asked.
“I ordered one last week,” Joanna answered. “If it’s not there when we arrive, it will be delivered by later this morning.” Joanna had a clipboard in her hands with the steps they needed to follow. “We’ll need to turn off the gas and water to the kitchen. That hasn’t been done yet.”
A horn honked. Nick had arrived.
“You and Caleb need to make sandwiches for lunch. The cooler is by the crates.”
“Oh.” Adam glanced back toward the mini kitchen. “Did you make one for yourself?”
“I’m not hungry.”
He gave her another smile and then said, “We’ll take care of the crates. Meet you at the van.”
Once they reached the property, unloaded their tools and supplies, and set up their work area, Joanna put on a mask and goggles and spent the next few hours slinging a sledgehammer in the pantry while Caleb and Adam pried the cupboards from the kitchen walls.
Together they carted the debris out beside the carriage house.
When it came time to eat, Caleb and Adam took the cooler out to the veranda.
Without telling them where she was going, Joanna walked along the path adjacent to the driveway toward the road.
As she neared the creek, the temperature dropped a few degrees, enough to feel the difference.
When she reached the creek she took a tentative step onto the footbridge.
And then another. She quickly skipped across.
The boards were soft and loose. She’d add the repair to the list. She picked a few of the wild roses that grew along the fence line and then looked up and down the creek.
Just past the property line was the covered bridge.
She kept going. The temperature dropped even more as she walked across the planks under the open beam ceiling.
She stopped halfway across and leaned over the railing.
The water swirled below. A duck paddled toward the shore.
Adam called out her name. She turned as he stepped out into the road.
He smiled and waved. “There you are.” He held up her water bottle and a brown bag. “I made a sandwich for you.”
She started to say she wasn’t hungry, but her stomach growled. All that hard work had given her an appetite. “Denki.”
“Stay put,” he said.
She stepped back to the railing, and he met her there.
She took half of the sandwich out of its plastic bag and took a bite.
Then another. Without speaking, they watched the duck together and then spotted its nest by the side of the creek.
Five fuzzy ducklings poked out of the reeds as the mother duck approached.
“Aww,” Adam said. “They were waiting for her.” He turned toward her. “I need to talk with you about something.”
Joanna took the water bottle from Adam’s hand. “The footbridge by the driveway needs to be repaired.”
“All right.” He glanced toward the property. “I’ll fix it. That will be fun. So—”
“I’ll show you.” Joanna marched back across the bridge ahead of Adam. As they reached the driveway, a truck carrying the dumpster rumbled toward the carriage house. She pointed to the footbridge. “Take a look. I’ll go tell them where to put the dumpster.”
At the end of the day, after Joanna cleaned up the kitchen counter, she left the warehouse.
Jacob had just finished hitching his horse to his buggy.
Perhaps swinging a sledgehammer half the day had made her feel more powerful.
Something had. She grabbed her scooter from the side of the building and decided to approach him.
He saw her coming and stepped to the side of the buggy.
“Were you going to tell me?” she asked, rather loudly.
“It doesn’t concern you,” he said curtly.
“It does.” Anger bubbled up in her, but she managed to keep her voice calm. “Did you know, all along, I wasn’t the right one for you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t be like this.”
Her voice rose in volume. “Like what?”
“Hurt.”
She laughed wryly. “What else should I be?”
Without answering, he climbed into his buggy.
She turned away and began scootering toward the highway. Someone—Jacob—said rather loudly, “Mind your own business.” Was he talking to her again? She turned but couldn’t tell who he was addressing.
A few minutes later, she heard someone coming after her on foot. Her heart raced faster. Was it Jacob coming to apologize?
She didn’t turn her head. Then she heard the buggy. She held her head high and kept moving. As he passed by her, Jacob called out, “It’s Adam to the rescue.”
She slowed the scooter and turned her head. Adam was behind her a few yards. She quickly shifted her focus ahead.
“Joanna.” Adam was right behind her now, out of breath. “What do you need?”
“Nothing.”
“I want to help.”
“Then leave me alone.” She wasn’t going to go from trusting Jacob and being betrayed by him to trusting someone else. Not so soon. Not even Adam. She wouldn’t be hurt again.