The Missing Will Read online

  “Compared to Lester, I am lazy. He got up early to take care of the horses. Then, as soon as we had our breakfast, he went back out to the barn to do a few more chores.” She opened her mouth and yawned loudly. “I slept longer than usual and don’t have much getup-and-go this morning.”

  “You’ve probably been working too hard, which is why I’m here to help out.”

  Aunt Verna tipped her head. “What was it you said?”

  Elsie repeated herself.

  “Oh, jah, I’ve been keeping busy.”

  Elsie stared at the vacant chair positioned at the other end of the table. Tears sprang to her eyes. Oh, how she missed seeing her father in his chair with wheels. It may have seemed quirky to some, but there had always been something fascinating about watching him roll about the room in his special chair. Sometimes he’d even roll into the living room or down the hall to his bedroom. It wasn’t that Dad couldn’t walk. He simply enjoyed the ride as he pushed himself along with his feet, sometimes singing, whistling, or even playing his harmonica. To Elsie, seeing him do this was a treat.

  What a unique character our daed was, she mused. We never knew what he might say or do. Growing up with Dad’s spontaneity and peculiar habits had kept life interesting, even after Elsie had become an adult.

  “Will your sisters be coming to sort through your daed’s things today, too?” Aunt Verna’s question invaded Elsie’s thoughts.

  “Uh, no. Doris has a doctor’s appointment this morning, and if she feels well enough, she’ll work at the restaurant this afternoon.” Elsie made sure to speak louder this time.

  Aunt Verna’s silver-gray brows drew together. “I’m sorry to hear she’s still not feeling well. It’s good she’s finally going to see the doctor.”

  “I agree.”

  “What about Arlene? Will she be joining us soon?”

  “Not today. Baby Samuel is teething and kind of fussy, so Arlene decided to stay home.”

  “It’s okay. We won’t get as much done without their help, but I’m sure the three of us will manage. Although I’m not sure how much Lester will help here in the house. He said during breakfast that there’s still plenty of work in the barn to be done.”

  “We will do the best we can.” Elsie left her seat, filled the sink with warm water and detergent, and started washing the dishes.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Aunt Verna got up and put her empty cup in the sink. “These are mine and Lester’s breakfast dishes, so I’ll take care of them. There are plenty of other things you can do, and you surely didn’t come all the way from Millersburg to wash our dirty gscjaar.”

  Elsie knew better than to argue with her aunt. She’d tried it before and hadn’t gotten anywhere. Besides, she really did need to get started sorting through more of Dad’s things and looking for his will.

  “All right then, if you insist.” She handed the sponge to her aunt. “Guess I’ll head upstairs to the attic and go through some of the items there.”

  “Good idea. Oh, and don’t forget to keep a lookout for your daed’s old boots. I still want them, you know.”

  Elsie nodded, even though she was sure Dad wouldn’t have put his boots up there. More than likely he’d tossed them out. Elsie didn’t understand Aunt Verna’s interest in having Dad’s tattered old boots, but if they did turn up, she could certainly have them.

  As she made her way upstairs, Elsie thought about how many times she’d climbed these steps when she was a girl. Sometimes, she and her siblings would slide down the stairs on their stomachs, giggling all the way.

  Her stomach fluttered at the memory, and she brought her fingers to her lips as a chuckle escaped. Mama and Dad always told us to stop, otherwise our tummies would get a floor burn, but it was so much fun, we didn’t mind. Oh, to be young and carefree again.

  She paused at the door to her old room and peeked inside. Her bed and dresser were no longer there, since her parents had given them to her when she and John got married. Now the bedroom was filled with boxes that hadn’t been gone through yet. Elsie thought she would wait on those until one or both of her sisters were here to help. Until it was time to go downstairs and fix lunch, she would concentrate on rummaging through the stuff in the attic.

  Turning the knob on the attic door, she decided to leave it open while she worked, so the room could be aired out. Her gaze came to rest on an old wooden chair under a box. It seemed inviting to sit on while she worked, so she moved the container to the floor and brushed off the chair with a rag she’d brought up with her.

  Looking intently around the room for spider webs and seeing none close by, Elsie took a seat and gave the rag a few vigorous shakes to chase off the dust. The chair was kind of wiggly and squeaky. She hoped it wouldn’t fall apart while she sat on it. But it was easier on her back than squatting beside every box. Elsie snickered, remembering how this old chair used to be downstairs in the kitchen. It didn’t match the others at the table, so when Mama said it wasn’t worth keeping, Dad hauled it up to the attic, unwilling to throw it out.

  Elsie couldn’t believe how much her parents had accumulated over the years. Sometimes sorting things out was like stepping back in time. So many memories… Some happy… Some sad.

  “Look what I found!” Elsie announced when she stepped into Joel’s old bedroom, where Aunt Verna was on her knees in front of an old trunk.

  “What was that?” Still focused on the open trunk, Aunt Verna tipped her head.

  Elsie spoke a little louder. “Look what I found.”

  Turning to look at her, Aunt Verna let out a whoop. “Ach! You found your daed’s old duct-taped boots!” She rose to her feet. “Were they in the aeddick?”

  “Jah, they were behind a stack of boxes up there.” Elsie rubbed the duct tape with her thumb as she set the boots on the floor beside her aunt. “Now when you and Uncle Lester go home, you can take these along.”

  Aunt Verna grinned. “They’ll make such nice planters. I’ll probably wait till spring to plant something in them, though. Since fall is here and the temperatures are dipping, there would be no point in putting any kind of blumme in these old boots now.”

  Elsie smiled. “It’ll give you something to look forward to in the spring.”

  “So true. We all need something positive to think about.”

  “We surely do.” Elsie gave her stomach a thump. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungerich. Should we go downstairs and see if Uncle Lester is ready to eat?”

  Aunt Verna nodded and picked up the boots. “You know what, though? I have a feeling he’s still outside. If he ever came in, I didn’t hear him.”

  Elsie wasn’t sure how to respond. With Aunt Verna’s loss of hearing, it was more than possible that Uncle Lester had come into the house without his wife being aware of his presence. And with Elsie having been up on the third floor for the last few hours, she wouldn’t have heard her uncle come inside, either.

  “Let’s go down and see where he is.” She placed her hand in the crook of Aunt Verna’s arm, and they left the room.

  There was no sign of Uncle Lester downstairs, so Elsie headed to the kitchen to start lunch while Aunt Verna went outside to look for him.

  She had finished preparing the sandwiches and was about to step outside to call her aunt and uncle, when the back door flew open and Aunt Verna rushed in. “They’re gone!” she shouted, frantically waving both hands in the air. “Your daed’s mare and her colt are missing!”

  CHAPTER 3

  Seeing the look of panic on her aunt’s face, Elsie slipped her shoes on, flung the door open, and dashed into the yard.

  Uncle Lester stood near the pasture gate, slowly shaking his head. “I thought I closed it when I let ’em into the field this morning, but I either forgot, or it must have blown open.” Squinting, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I was in the barn, movin’ some bales of hay around, and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. That’s when I discovered the gate was open and the mare and her colt
were gone.”

  “What about my daed’s other horses? Did any of them escape?”

  “Nope. Just the mare and her foal.” He gestured to the pasture. “Can ya see the other horses way out there, grazing?”

  Elsie moved closer to the fence. Sure enough, the other horses were where Uncle Lester pointed. She curled her shoulders forward. “Should we walk up the road a ways and see if we can find them, or would it be better to use a buggy?”

  “It’ll take some time to get a horse and buggy ready, so I’m inclined to walk.” He reached under his straw hat and scratched the side of his gray head. “On the other hand, my old arthritic knees won’t let me do much walkin’ without pain these days. Besides, I have no idea how long the two horses have been missing or how far they’ve gone from here.”

  “Why don’t you call one of your drivers, Elsie?” Aunt Verna suggested when she joined them by the fence. “If you can get someone to pick Lester up, they can drive up and down the roads looking for those horses.”

  Elsie tapped her finger against her chin. “That might be a good idea, but it could take a while for me to find someone who’s free to come. For now, at least, I think I’ll walk down the road a ways and see if I can spot either of the horses.” She gestured to her aunt and uncle. “Why don’t you two go into the house? I’ve made some sandwiches. You can eat lunch while I look for the mare and her baby.”

  Wrinkling her brows, Aunt Verna looked at Uncle Lester. “What’d she say?”

  “Said we should go inside and eat lunch while she looks for the geil,” he shouted.

  Aunt Verna shook her head forcibly. “That wouldn’t be fair; we should all look for the horses.”

  Elsie didn’t want to hurt her aunt’s feelings, but truthfully, she could move much faster if she went looking on her own. She was about to comment, when she spotted Dad’s neighbor, Abe Mast, coming up the driveway, leading the mare and her colt.

  “I found these critters down by my place,” Abe announced. “As soon as I saw ’em, I realized they belonged here.”

  Elsie breathed a sigh of relief. At least one problem had been solved today. “Danki for bringing them back to us.”

  “That’s right,” Uncle Lester agreed. “I was worried they might get hit by a car.”

  “What did you say to that man?” Aunt Verna nudged her husband’s arm.

  “Said I was worried the horses might get hit by a car!”

  “There’s no need to shout at me, Lester. I’m not deaf.” She straightened her head covering and ambled into the house.

  Elsie watched as he followed Aunt Verna, closing the door behind him. Those two sure kept life interesting.

  Abe cleared his throat. “I miss your daed, Elsie. There was no one like him. Eustace was not only a good neighbor, but a friend to me as well.” He walked up to her with the two horses and passed over their lead ropes.

  “Jah. You probably never knew what my daed might say or do sometimes.” Holding the ropes, she stood close to the colt and stroked its mane.

  “Eustace wasn’t afraid to state his opinion on things. He wasn’t shy about his faith in the Lord, either.” Tears shone in Abe’s dark eyes. “Your daed gave me encouragement when I was having doubts about my own beliefs. He saw me through some of the worst of times. Eustace knew the Bible and could quote scriptures so well. He told me to read the Word daily—that it would help get my head thinking straight.” A big grin shot across Abe’s face. “Need any help getting the horses into the barn?”

  “Thanks anyway, but I think I can manage. I’ll put them in the corral and bring back your spare tack.” Without waiting for Abe’s response, Elsie headed for the gate, horses in tow. When she returned with Abe’s lead ropes, she asked, “Say, would you like to stay for lunch?”

  “It’s a nice offer, but I already ate. Besides, I’ve got work to do at my place.”

  Elsie smiled. “Thanks again, Abe. Have a nice rest of your day.”

  After Abe headed for home, Elsie turned toward the house. She was glad the horses were safely home and happy to hear Abe’s story about her dad. Hopefully, the rest of the day would be uneventful.

  Akron

  “I can’t believe you’re working another double shift,” Dorine said when she passed Kristi in the hall. “I’m dead on my feet and more than ready to go home. Figured you would be, too.”

  Kristi glanced at her watch. It was four o’clock. Normally she’d be getting off work about now. “Working keeps me from thinking too much,” she responded. “Besides, I need the extra money right now.”

  Dorine’s gaze flicked upward. “I know what you mean about money. Seems like there’s never enough to go around.” She gave Kristi’s arm a tap. “Just don’t spend too much of your time here. Besides burning yourself out, it can get pretty depressing at the nursing home, with so many sick and aging people in our care.”

  “That doesn’t bother me,” Kristi replied. “But you’re right. If I work too many back-to-back shifts, I will burn out.”

  “Take the time to do something fun.” Dorine moved toward the door. “See you tomorrow, Kristi.”

  After Kristi waved at her and started down the hall, she decided to check on Audrey. She hadn’t seen her in the social room today or even in the patients’ lunchroom.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Kristi asked when she entered the elderly woman’s room and found her sitting in the same chair she had been in that morning.

  Audrey turned to look at her and smiled. “I’m fine, but thank you for asking.”

  “I was worried about you.” She moved to stand beside Audrey’s chair. “Didn’t you eat lunch today?”

  “Oh, I ate. Just asked to have my lunch tray brought to my room.”

  Kristi wondered why Audrey stayed in her room to eat and didn’t resist the urge to ask.

  “It’s not that I didn’t want to be with other people,” Audrey explained. “I wanted to spend the day in solitude, praying and meditating on God’s Word.” She lifted the Bible from her lap and nodded at the flowers Kristi had given her. “I’ve also been enjoying those beauties only God could create.”

  “Everyone needs to take more time in God’s presence and appreciate all the things He’s created.” Kristi exhaled softly. “Now let me give those roses more water before I forget.”

  The wrinkles above Audrey’s eyes rose as she tipped her head. “So you’re a Christian?”

  Kristi nodded, adding more water to the vase. “I’ll admit, though, sometimes I get caught up in the busyness of life and neglect my devotions and time of prayer.” She dropped her gaze as her throat constricted. “I’ve been going through a rough time in my life lately, and I haven’t sought answers from God.” She placed the floral arrangement back on the table beside Audrey’s bed.

  “Thank you for taking care of my flowers.”

  “You’re most welcome.”

  Audrey clasped her hands under her chin, in a prayer-like gesture. “If you feel inclined to share your need, I’d be happy to pray for you.”

  Taking a seat on the edge of Audrey’s bed, Kristi shared some of her situation with Joel, without giving all the details. Her throat felt tight and began to ache as she continued to speak. “As much as Joel wants me to take him back, I’m convinced it’s not the right thing to do.”

  Audrey’s lips pressed tightly together. “It sounds like your ex-fiancé needs the Lord. Have you been praying for him?”

  “Praying for him?” Heat tinged Kristi’s face. “Guess I’ve been too consumed with my anger and disappointment.” She sniffed deeply, attempting to thwart oncoming tears. “I will pray for him, but it’s time to move on. Looking back on it all now, I realize we weren’t meant to be together.”

  Joel tried calling Kristi as soon as he finished work that evening. Once again, she didn’t answer. “Big surprise,” he muttered, directing his truck onto the highway. Think I’ll drop by her house and see if I can catch her there. I’d like to know if she got the flowers I sent.
r />   The last few days had been hard for Joel, with Kristi not returning his calls, and no word from Elsie about Dad’s will. On top of that, he still hadn’t landed a job big enough to cover all of his debts.

  Disappointed when he pulled up to Kristi’s house and saw that her car wasn’t there, Joel glanced at his watch. It was five o’clock. She should’ve been home from work by now. He scraped his fingers through his hair, noticing how greasy the roots felt. Maybe she went to the store. Or she could have gone to the gym to work out.

  Inhaling deeply, Joel made a decision. He’d drop by Kristi’s parents’ house and see if he could enlist her dad’s help. Paul Palmer had always seemed like a reasonable fellow. Whenever he and Kristi got together with her folks in the past, Joel felt as though he and Paul had made a connection. If he could talk to him without JoAnn intervening, he might have a chance.

  He turned his truck in the direction of the Palmers’ home. When he arrived and saw a dark blue SUV parked in the driveway, he knew at least one of Kristi’s parents was there. Hopefully, it was Paul.

  Pressing his finger on the doorbell, it only took a few seconds before Paul answered the door.

  “Oh, it’s you.” The man’s cool response caused Joel to take a step back. “If you’re looking for Kristi, she’s not here.”

  “No, I…uh…was hoping I could talk to you.”

  Paul’s blue eyes narrowed as he peered at Joel over the top of his reading glasses. “About what?”

  “About me and Kristi.” Joel moistened his lips with his tongue. “She won’t respond to any of my calls, and—”

  Paul held up his hand, leaning against the door frame. “Can you blame her, Joel? You’ve shattered her trust, and she’s deeply hurt.”

  Joel blinked a couple of times to refocus his vision. His eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep. “I realize that, but I need another chance to prove myself.” He shifted from one foot to another. “Would you speak to her on my behalf? Tell her how sorry I am and that I’d like to start over?”