Chapter Eighteen
It had only been about two weeks since Hannah left the community, and his heart was already bursting.
Perhaps he should have been clearer about his intentions before she left.
He had sat down to write her a letter five or ten times – he’d lost count by now – but could never quite get the words together to put his feelings down on paper.
He wondered if it was because he didn’t know if she was going through the same issues.
But then something happened that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He received a letter from her. It was light. Probably only a couple of sheets of paper, but the handwriting on the envelope was undeniably hers.
He immediately opened it and found that she had typed it out. It looked like she had been able to fit a lot more information on the page this way than by writing it down. He thought that was pretty smart of her to do.
Dear Elias,
I’ve sat down to write this letter five times over the past week while juggling my schoolwork, and the words do not come easily.
I’m not surprised. I’ve never been a wordsmith.
However, I had a conversation with Patricia shortly after returning home that has been on my mind ever since.
Elias, I love you. As soon as I have my visa all situated, I plan to come to the community and properly convert.
But I must warn you that I don’t know how long that will take.
If you’re willing to wait beside me while I do this, know that I may have to return to London a time or two to finish this properly.
There will be a time difference, and I don’t think you’d be able to write to me as easily.
But if you’re willing to wait beside me, here’s what I have found out about how to get the visa I’d like to have without having to marry to become a citizen.
She then got into legalities that Elias hardly understood.
He kind of skimmed over that part because all that mattered to him was that she had admitted that she loved him.
He hadn’t been able to find a way to put that confession on paper, but that was all he needed.
If she was sure, she would probably be elated to hear that he would be more than willing to wait.
However, before he talked to the bishop, he wanted to know she would be all right with that.
And he wanted to know what that meant for her schooling.
It sounded like schooling was important to her, and that she had originally wanted to get that done before she did anything about converting to the Amish faith.
Since she would have more knowledge about animals and how to care for them than anyone else, he didn’t think it would matter where she wanted to work; she’d get the job.
“She loves me…”
He said this a couple of times to make it feel real. The words felt quite right on his tongue, and he was ready to see where this would take him.
He sat down and wrote out a reply to her as quickly as he could.
Dear Hannah,
I’m glad that you found the courage to write me because I’ve been trying to write a letter to you as well.
For the same reason, I love you, Hannah Kauffman, and I cannot imagine my life without you.
If it’s all right with you, I’d like to talk to the bishop so that he knows what you’re doing and what you’re interested in.
It may be possible to help speed up your conversion process a little bit by starting to live what tenets of our faith you can in the dorms. I’m not sure.
But the visa thing… that sounds important. If you need me, I’ll help, but I honestly have no idea what any of it means. You might be better off enlisting someone who understands what you need help with.
In any case, I’m glad that you were able to write to me and tell me all of this. It was great to hear from you. Write to me soon. Please. I already miss you.
Yours,
Elias Petersheim
He quickly addressed an envelope to her and added a stamp. It was just a couple of pages because he had large handwriting, but he was sure that it would all be all right. Besides, Hannah was a smart woman. What he couldn’t help her with, she would be able to find help for. He trusted that much.
After he’d mailed the letter, he immediately went to John to talk to him because he was sure that Hannah would have informed him that she was interested in returning at some point and wanted to know if the offer to stay in the room still stood.
When John heard the story from Elias, he was both elated and surprised.
“She has written to me, but only to let me know that she got home safely,” he revealed.
“To know that she’s interested is great.
But if she writes to me to ask, of course, my home is open to her.
I would never impede someone interested in our way of life from having a place to study with us.
Especially when the only other place they might have is the boarding haus two miles away, and that’s already such a long walk.
I don’t know that she would be willing to do that every day just to see people. ”
Elias laughed a little. He wasn’t sure, either, but none of the Englischers who stayed there while they were stranded ever made the trek unless they were incredibly bored.