Chapter 29 #2
Mom peered down at Fawn, then back at Emma and said, “You brought a dog with you?”
“Jah,” Emma replied as she knelt to scratch her pet’s chin. “Her name is Fawn, and I wrote you about her.”
“I suppose you did, but I didn’t realize you’d be bringing her home.”
“Grandpa gave the dog to me, and I like her a lot, so …”
“It’s okay.” Mom sighed, slipping her arm around Emma’s waist. “I’ve never been one to allow a hund in the house, but I guess we can come up with some place for the dog to sleep.”
Emma didn’t like the sound of that, but she decided it was best to keep quiet about her mother’s comment. Maybe once Mom saw what a good dog Fawn was, she’d change her mind about allowing Emma’s pet to come into the house.
During supper, many questions were asked of Emma. It pained her to tell her parents and sister why she’d come home early. Yet it had to be done, and she’d managed to get the words out without falling apart.
“Oh, Emma, dear, I am so sorry.” Mom spoke in a gentle tone as she patted Emma’s arm. “I can’t imagine how heartbroken you must be.”
Emma heaved a weighted sigh and slouched in her chair. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up sobbing and wouldn’t be able to say another word.
Rachel clasped Emma’s hand under the table and squeezed it gently. “I’m sorry too, Sister. I know from the things you’ve said that you loved Ivan so much.”
Again, Emma couldn’t find the words to respond. She blinked rapidly, trying to prevent the tears blurring her vision from spilling over.
Dad, with flaring nostrils, spoke up. “That young fellow oughta be horsewhipped, leading you on all that time.” He looked at Rachel for a few seconds. “He’s no better than David, except that Rachel’s ex-boyfriend didn’t father a child out of wedlock.”
Emma’s mother gave a slow shake of her head.
“No, Philip, you shouldn’t talk that way.
Ivan did not intentionally hurt Emma, and he’s only doing what’s right by the mother of his child.
Young people, and even those who are older, can be prone to making mistakes.
It’s what we do about the error of our ways that’s important. ”
“I guess you’re right,” he acknowledged, “but I can’t feel good about the way both of our girls have been hurt by the young men who had once proclaimed their love for them.”
“I don’t feel good about it either,” Mom stated. “However, it’s not my place to judge others. The Lord deals with each of us individually, and the Bible tells us that we must forgive those who trespass against us.”
Emma sat in silence as she reflected on her mother’s words.
Although she had not admitted it to herself until now, part of her had been angry at Ivan for having been with the girl he’d met at his friend’s party and creating a baby when they were not married.
She’d also been struggling with bitterness because Ivan’s actions from the past had made it so that he could no longer court Emma and would soon be getting married to some other woman.
Emma reminded herself that even though she was devastated by the situation at hand, Ivan was the one bearing the consequences of his mistake.
Emma could, if she wanted, always start over with someone new, but that was no longer an option for Ivan.
She remembered Matthew 6:14–15, which read: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Holding onto bitterness would only prevent Emma from undergoing the healing she needed to carry on.
In order to do as the Bible said, she would have to find it in her heart to forgive Ivan.
Arthur
“Supper is really good, Mrs. Yoder,” Maggie said, reaching for another piece of fried chicken. “You obviously know your way around the kitchen.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but I can’t take all the credit, because my three daughters helped with the meal,” Ivan’s mother responded. “Oh, and Maggie, please call me Ida Mae. After all, it won’t be too many months, and I’ll be your mother-in-law.”
Before Maggie could respond, Ivan’s dad chimed in. “There’s no need to refer to me as Mr. Yoder, either. My first name is Eldon.”
“Okay.” Maggie glanced Ivan’s way and smiled. Then, with a drumstick in hand, she gestured to Ivan’s sisters, sitting across the table. “Which of you is Jane, and who is Norma? I’m not very good with remembering names.”
“I’m Jane.” Ivan’s oldest sister pointed to Norma. “This is Norma, and our younger sister is Bertha.”
“All right then,” Maggie said. “Jane, Norma, and Bertha. Think I’ve got it.”
“The sisters aren’t my only siblings,” Ivan interjected. “I also have three married brothers. Their names are Amos, Peter, and Delbert.”
Maggie’s dark eyebrows lifted. “Wow! You have a big family. Seven kids in all, huh?”
“That’s right,” Ivan’s mother said, “but we lost one at birth, and if she’d lived, we would have been blessed with eight kinner.”
“How many children are in your family, Maggie?” Jane questioned.
“I have two older sisters, but none of them ever got kicked out of the house.” Maggie’s cheeks colored. “Then again, they didn’t do anything to disgrace my parents. Guess I’m the black sheep in the family, so I got what they thought I deserved.”
Ivan heard the bitterness in Maggie’s tone.
She’d obviously not had the best relationship with her parents, and he felt sorry for her.
Even though Ivan had no love for this young woman who sat beside him at the supper table, he did feel compassion and would try to be as kind to Maggie as possible.
Right now, and possibly for the rest of his life, that might be all he was capable of feeling for the mother of his child, who lay sleeping in the guest room down the hall.