The Amish Baker. Marie E. Bast

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СКАЧАТЬ grabbed his fence-mending tools, carted them back to the barn and hung each one on a hook. Then he pulled off his gloves, straightened them out and laid them flat on the bench. When he walked past the milking floor, he saw that Mary had already led the Holsteins to the stanchions and had started applying the iodine mixture to the cows’ udders. Jacob sat off to the side, watching and learning. Caleb smiled. In a couple of years, the bu could take over that chore.

      It’d be nice to have his sohn work alongside him. Someday, Jacob would own the farm, unless Caleb remarried and had another sohn. Then the youngest bu would inherit the farm, according to Amish custom, and he’d give his older bu, Jacob, money to start his own business. Mary would find some young bu to marry, and he’d have his own farm or business to take care of Mary and their family.

      Caleb followed Mary and wiped the cow’s udders with an alcohol wipe. When he was finished with the disinfecting, he attached the vacuum line and started the milking process.

      Glancing at Jacob sitting quietly and wearing a sorrowful face, Caleb racked his brain for a way to help the bu deal with grieving and his feelings of emptiness and loneliness. Sometimes he wished Jacob were more like Mary.

      At thirteen, she was strong willed and self-sufficient. From an early age, Mary did for herself. Her independent way seemed to help her deal with her mother’s death and grieving the loss.

      Jah, for sure and for certain, Gott had blessed Mary with a tenacious personality and a thriving business making jellies, candies and crafts the Englisch liked.

      Nein. Jacob wasn’t as tough as Mary. He was the sensitive one.

      Caleb had a surprise for Jacob tomorrow. One that just might ease his pain for at least a little while.

      * * *

      Caleb settled on the seat and watched his sohn mosey toward the buggy. Jacob climbed in and plopped down beside his daed. Caleb shook the reins. “Giddyap, Snowball.”

      “Why do we have to go to Kalona, Daed?” His lips set in a pout.

      “We are going to drop off some of Mary’s pillow covers, pot holders and boppli blankets at a consignment shop.”

      “Why can’t Mary go instead of me?”

      “She is busy with the housework, cooking, laundry and making things to sell.”

      “I don’t want to go.”

      Caleb looked at the bu a moment, trying to figure out what would make Jacob happy. Most kinner would enjoy a trip to town. “You will go and help. Not another word about it.”

      A few minutes later, he glanced at his sohn. Jacob held his back straight as a stick, staring straight ahead. What could he possibly do for the bu to take the stiffness and hurt out of his heart?

      Caleb gave up on conversation and instead rubbernecked at his neighbors’ fields the whole three miles to Kalona. Jah, his fields looked as gut as these.

      Their errands didn’t take long, as Snowball trotted them around town. Caleb hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, so a roll and cup of coffee would sure be gut right about now. He stopped the buggy one shop down from the bakery.

      “Where are we going now?” Jacob looked from one side of the street to the other.

      “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” Caleb walked beside Jacob and ushered him to the Amish Sweet Delights bakery, opened the door and motioned for Jacob to enter. As his sohn passed, Caleb detected a trace of a smile.

      Caleb leaned down by Jacob’s ear and whispered, “You can order anything in the case. Ask for a glass of milk, too. We’ll sit a minute and refresh ourselves.”

      Two customers stood in front of them. The man at the counter was an Englischer, clean-shaven and wearing brown trousers and a matching shirt—the same kind of clothing that Caleb had seen on deliverymen. His stomach tightened as he overheard the man tell Sarah how nice she looked today.

      She didn’t appear to hear him. “Who’s next?”

      The woman in front of Caleb took her turn at the counter. The bakery door behind Caleb opened, and two young Amish buwe, Noah and Matthew, entered and stood in line behind them. The buwe tapped Jacob on the shoulders, letting him know they were back there. They talked and laughed, trying to coax Jacob into a conversation.

      The woman in front paid, picked up her sack and left.

      “We’re next, Jacob.” Caleb stepped forward as the buwe joked and teased Jacob about a girl in school. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Jacob, it is our turn to order.”

      “Nein, I don’t like her.” Jacob spouted the words at his friend and gave Matthew a shove. Jacob whirled back around, stepped on a broken cookie or something on the floor and lunged forward. His arms flung out as he slid across the counter, hitting the walnut bears and sending them sailing through the air. They banged on a table, bounced off and smashed against the wall.

      Jacob’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back away from the counter. Caleb caught him and steadied Jacob until he regained his balance.

      Everyone at the tables stopped talking and stared at the commotion. The men at the table where the broken bears lay shoved their chairs away from the pieces.

      Stunned, Caleb wasn’t sure what to do. He looked from the bears to Sarah. She shrieked and ran to retrieve the fragments. Tears clouded her eyes, threatening to spill over as she hugged the pieces to her chest and walked back to the counter.

      Caleb placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Jacob, you have broken them.”

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

      Sarah laid the pieces behind the counter, straightened and looked at Jacob. “I know you didn’t. They shouldn’t have sat there. It’s my fault.”

      Caleb removed his wide-brimmed straw hat from his head. “Sarah, I can take the pieces and make you a new set. They won’t match exactly, but it’ll be close and most won’t tell the difference.”

      She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. It wouldn’t be quite the same. These were the last things my husband made me before he passed away.” Her voice caught in her throat.

      Caleb glanced over his shoulder at every pair of eyes in the bakery boring a hole through his back. His cheeks burned, and he sucked in a deep breath. “Jacob must pay for the damage he caused.”

      “Nein, Caleb, it’s not necessary.” She placed an index finger at the corner of her eye and blotted a tear that had escaped.

      “Jacob will be here early Saturday morning to help you in the shop. He can clean the tables, the chairs and the floor, and help fetch supplies. Whatever you need him to do, for as long as you need him, until he pays off the debt. He must make amends.”

      * * *

      Sarah looked at Jacob, a small-framed bu, maybe six or seven years old, with a tuft of blond hair poking out from under his СКАЧАТЬ