Chapter 1.
Florence looked on in horror as the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over Levi’s face. Dark gray clouds with fluffy white edges swept across the sky. They hovered, forming a canopy of gloom.
Wilma’s faint sobs were interspersed with the yips from a barking dog within the house.
A hush of silence fell over the dozen or so onlookers as the paramedics either side of Levi slid a sheet underneath him. Once they had it in place they coordinated their movements and lifted him onto a stretcher.
With a sudden gust of wind, a door inside the house slammed shut. Everyone jumped at the sound.
Levi was breathing smoothly now, thanks to the oxygen mask, but was he going to die?
No one had told them anything.
When they wheeled Levi to the ambulance, Carter hurried to talk to the paramedics. He wouldn’t have wanted to ask them difficult questions in front of Wilma.
After giving Wilma sympathetic looks, the strangers headed down the driveway on foot.
It all seemed like a dream.
Florence hugged her baby to herself. Iris was growing heavy since she’d just carried her from the cottage to the fenceline, through the Baker Apple Orchard, and all the way to the front of her old home.
Minutes ago, when Florence had arrived, a woman was reviving Levi. Florence assumed she was a customer of the shop. The paramedics had commended her on what she’d done.
Wilma sobbed as she watched her second husband slipping away from life’s grip.
Was her stepmother about to lose a second husband?
Florence said a silent prayer for Levi. He was too young to die and her stepmother was too young to be a second-time widow.
Wilma would fall apart.
The apple orchard wasn’t even a consideration at this moment as Florence’s gaze traveled to Bliss.
She had Hope on one side of her and Favor on the other, stroking her arms and speaking words of encouragement, as she helplessly looked after her father.
Caroline, the girls’ Englisher visitor, stood behind them, shocked and concerned.
Florence took a couple of steps back and Carter returned. “Want me to take her?”
“Please. She’s heavy.”
He took Iris and she snuggled into his shoulder, and didn’t wake.
Then Wilma spoke. “Hope, hitch the buggy and drive over to Joy and tell her what happened. I don't want her to worry, but she needs to know. Then before that can you tell Ada to come watch the girls? I’ll go to the hospital.”
Carter overheard. “I can do that Wilma. If you give me the address, I can drive there and tell Joy. Then I can tell Ada what happened. It’ll be much quicker.”
“Jah, would you?”
“Of course.”
One of the paramedics asked Wilma, “Would you like to travel with us in the ambulance?”
Wilma looked at Bliss. “You go with him. I’ll go to the hospital some other way.”
“Okay.” Bliss’s bottom lip trembled and she’d gone white.
“I can drive you,” Carter offered Wilma.
“I can take you. It’s on my way.”
Wilma looked at the woman who’d made the kind offer. She was the one who had performed CPR. “That would be wonderful if you don’t mind.”
The woman held out her hand. “I don't mind at all. I’m Barbara.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done for my husband, Barbara. I’m Wilma.”
“You’re welcome. All in a day’s work.” The woman smiled kindly. “The car’s down on the road.”
“Hope, let everybody know what's happened, and tell the bishop so he can arrange everyone to pray.”
“I will.”
“I hope he's okay, Wilma,” Florence said.
“Me too.”
Florence stepped forward and hugged Wilma before her stepmother walked away with Barbara. Barbara looped her arm through Wilma’s.
Florence wiped a tear from her eye. Wilma looked so small and so fragile as she clung onto Barbara as though she would fall at any moment.
There were only a few of them left when the ambulance drove away.
“I can't believe this just happened,” said Favor.
Cherish agreed, “Me either.”
“I better call Ada. Mamm wants her to come here.”
Carter looked at Florence. “I’ll bring Ada here.”
“There’s no hurry,” Cherish assured him.
“We’ll drive her back here and we’ll tell Joy.”
“And Christina,” Florence added.
Cherish rubbed her head as confusion set in. “What are you going to do, now?”
Florence told her. “Carter and I are going to tell Ada what happened. You heard Mamm, she wants her to come here and look after you girls.”
“I can't see why. We’re all adults—as good as grown up. We’re not little children.”
“Perhaps Mamm will feel better if she knows Ada’s here. It’ll give her some peace of mind.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“No one’s. We're just trying to help out.”
When Carter and Florence left, Cherish stepped in front of Caroline and Favor as they were walking to the house. “Things are going to be in a mess around here for a while, Caroline.”
Caroline looked up at her. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“It might be a good time for you to leave.”
“Cherish, that's not very nice,” said Favor.
“She can come back when everything’s back to normal. I don't see that it's rude. I mean, who knows what could happen with Levi?”
“Nothing will happen.”
“Yeah well we never thought anything would happen with our Dat either.”
“Don't be a Negative Nelly, Cherish.” Caroline abruptly turned away, causing her long hair to brush across Cherish’s face.
Cherish was annoyed with Caroline, but couldn't help admiring how she had flicked her hair like that just now. If only she could do that, but she couldn't with her hair restricted by the prayer kapp.
Favor and Caroline stepped past her and walked into the house. When she turned around she saw Hope just standing there. “Are you okay, Hope?”
“I guess. This is so awful.”
“I know.”
“Please try to get along with Caroline. It’s dreadful when there’s arguing all the time.”
“I just want to know why she’s still here. She lied about her house burning down. We all know it. Probably even Mamm knows it.”
“It’s not your concern, Cherish. Stop worrying about what other people are doing and take a look at yourself.” Hope stomped past her.
“Rude!” Cherish brushed off Hope’s remark. She was just upset; she didn’t mean it. Looking around, Cherish didn’t know what to do with herself. Then she decided to go back to the shop. Everybody, including the customers had run out of the shop when they heard her scream. She was the one who’d found Levi on the ground.
Why hadn’t he just stayed inside on the couch where he’d been resting? Where had he been going?
She’d gone to get more change from the house. Nearly everyone had paid them with fifties today. Levi, his face looking gray, had been sprawled out on the ground between the house and the barn, and he couldn’t speak.
Once the crowd had gathered, one woman pushed them all aside saying she was a nurse.
Cherish thanked Gott that someone with medical knowledge had been right there buying apples. What were the chances of that?
As Cherish dragged her feet down the driveway, she had a dreadful thought. What if some dreadful, dishonest person had stolen the takings, in the midst of all the confusion?
