The Hope Jar Page 26

  Tears pooled in Michelle’s eyes when Stan pulled his van into the yard. It was time to go. Time to leave this place that had been her home for the nearly four months she had lived here. “Goodbye, Rascal. Bye, Sadie. Take care of each other, okay?” She gave both dogs one last pat.

  Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania

  “I’m glad we decided to stop for lunch before doing the rest of our errands.” Mary Ruth smiled at Willis from across the table at the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant. “The salad bar is so good here, and it’s just the pick-me-up I needed right now.”

  He nodded in agreement.

  “Too bad Sara didn’t want to come along. It would have been nice to have her with us today.”

  “Jah, but Sara still needs to take it easy, so maybe it’s best that she stayed home where she can rest.”

  “You’re right, as usual.” Mary Ruth smiled before taking a drink of iced tea. “I’m so glad she decided to stay through the holidays. Having her here to help us celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas will be wunderbaar. We’ll have to come up with something special to give her.”

  “Well, one thing’s for sure. She doesn’t need another hund. Maybe I should make Sara a cedar chest to put her cherished items in or use as a hope chest. I’ll have to work on it in the early mornings, or maybe after she’s gone to bed. Wouldn’t want the surprise ruined ahead of time.” Willis winked at Mary Ruth. “The way she and Ezekiel have been hanging around together so often, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if they didn’t end up getting married someday.”

  “Since Sara wasn’t raised in the simple life, it’s doubtful she’d want to become Amish.” Mary Ruth pursed her lips, as they finished their lunch. “If she and Ezekiel should develop deep feelings for each other, he’d likely go English. Which is what I suspect he wants anyway.” She lowered her gaze to the table for a few seconds, then lifted her head. “Just like our Rhoda, he’s not satisfied with the Plain way of living. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bought a motorized vehicle.”

  “Some young people can’t see what’s right before them.” Willis motioned for the waitress to bring their receipt. “Guess they don’t realize how much it hurts their family when they run off and do their own thing.”

  As they went up to the front desk to pay for their lunch, a young, blond-haired woman stood by the register, asking the cashier for directions.

  “How far is it from here to Strasburg?” Mary Ruth heard her inquire.

  “You’re only about fifteen minutes from there,” the cashier explained. “There’s a road right here past the restaurant—North Ronks Road. Stay on that until you hit Route 741, which will take you right into Strasburg.”

  “Thanks. That sounds easy enough.” The blond-haired woman smiled politely, then went into the restroom.

  “How was your meal?” the cashier asked when Willis stepped up to pay.

  “It was very good, thank you.” He handed her cash and waited for the change.

  After the young man counted back his change, Willis turned to Mary Ruth. “I’ll be right back. I need to put a tip on our table for the waitress.”

  “Okay.” Mary Ruth looked toward the restroom and saw the blond woman come out. She stopped to look at a rack of books for sale by the entrance door.

  Willis returned a few seconds later. “Have a nice day,” he told the cashier as he and Mary Ruth headed for the door. At the same time, the woman asking for directions went for the door handle too.

  “Here, I’ll get it for you.” She held the door open until Mary Ruth and Willis went out.

  “Why, thank you.” Mary Ruth smiled.

  “You’re welcome.” The blond walked swiftly through the parking lot.

  As Mary Ruth and Willis headed to the area where they’d secured their horse and buggy, Mary Ruth paused and glanced over her shoulder in time to see the young woman get into a small blue car.

  “Did you hear that young lady ask for directions to Strasburg?” she asked Willis.

  “Jah. It’s too bad we couldn’t ask her to follow us. But then if we had, she’d have to drive pretty slow.” Willis took Mary Ruth’s arm and helped her into the buggy before untying the reins. “The cashier gave good directions, so I’m sure she’ll find her way.”

  “Jah.” As Mary Ruth settled herself on the seat, she thought about the conversation she and Willis had during lunch. How would Ezekiel’s parents feel if he and Sara did end up getting married? Would they accept her into the family, despite her not being Amish? If Ezekiel did end up going English, would Belinda and Vernon blame Sara for it?

  Remembering once again the sinking feeling she’d had when their daughter left them a note, saying she was leaving home, caused Mary Ruth to tear up. Oh, I wish I could quit thinking about this. She wondered sometimes if the pain of it would ever completely go away. Well, at least their life was filled with happiness now that they’d met Rhoda’s daughter. This was where Mary Ruth needed to keep her focus.

  Strasburg

  Michelle was about to step off the porch when a light blue compact car pulled into the yard. Going past the van, the vehicle pulled up close to the house. An attractive young woman with long blond hair got out and stepped onto the porch. “Excuse me, but is this where Willis and Mary Ruth Lapp live?”

  All Michelle could do was nod her head. Her intuition told her this young lady was here for a purpose.

  The woman smiled. “I’m their granddaughter, Sara Murray. I’ve written them several letters, and their response was that I should come here to meet them in October. So, here I am. Are they home?”

  Heart pounding and barely able to speak, Michelle squeaked, “They’re out running errands, but the front door is open, so feel free to go inside and wait for them.” Without explaining who she was or where she was going, Michelle grabbed her things and headed for Stan’s rig.

  Yip! Yip! Rascal followed.

  Tears clouding her vision, Michelle shook her head and signaled for the pup to go back. “Sorry, buddy, but you can’t come with me. Go back on the porch with your mama.”

  The dog whimpered, and with his tail between his legs, he ambled slowly toward the house. Rascal stopped once and turned toward Michelle, but when she clapped her hands and shouted, “Go back!” he made a hasty retreat.

  Michelle opened the back door of the van, tossed her things inside, and took a seat. “Let’s go, Stan. There’s no time to waste.” She quickly buckled her seatbelt.

  Stan’s eyes narrowed slightly, as though confused, but then he backed the van out of the driveway. Just before he pulled onto the road, Michelle looked back toward the house and saw Sara crouched on the porch, petting Rascal. I hope she’s good to my puppy.

  Michelle gripped the end of her seatbelt, pulling it so tight she could barely breathe. She’s the one my pup belongs with, not me. She’s Mary Ruth and Willis’s rightful granddaughter.

  “So where are you headed?” Stan asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  “I don’t know. How far will a hundred dollars take me?”

  Chapter 37

  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

  Michelle could barely see through the film of tears in her eyes. Leaving Willis and Mary Ruth’s home had been harder than she imagined. It was the only place she had ever felt secure and as if she truly belonged. Most importantly, while living with the Lapps, Michelle had felt, for the first time in her twenty-four years, what it was like to be loved unconditionally.

  Thinking about her deceitfulness to the grandparents Michelle wished she had made her almost nauseated. How could she have treated those good people that way? But what would Mary Ruth and Willis have done had she told them who she was? Would they have accepted her or asked her to leave? Would they have understood Michelle’s situation and forgiven her once they knew the truth?

  She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the tears wouldn’t flow. And what do they think of me now that they’ve no doubt read my note? I bet they couldn’t wait to tell Ivan and his family. Lenore, who I’d begun t
o think of as a good friend, will probably think I’m a terrible person.

  With her eyes remaining closed, Michelle thought about how one evening, a few months ago, she and Lenore had gotten together to do some stamping and card making with the birthday gift Lenore had given her. Lenore had been so patient, teaching her how to emboss the cards she’d stamped by holding them carefully and not too close over one of the gas burners on Mary Ruth’s cooking stove. There would be no more fun times like that for Michelle—relaxing, while talking and learning something new with a special Amish friend. Only, Lenore believed I was Sara. My pretend cousin had no idea she was teaching a fraud how to make such lovely homemade cards.

  Michelle nearly choked on the sob rising in her throat. The thought of never seeing any of the things or people she’d left behind in Strasburg was almost too much to bear.

  “Are you sure this is where you want to be dropped off?” Stan asked when he pulled up to a rundown hotel.

  Her eyes snapped open, and she blotted the few escaping tears. “Yeah. The hotel sign says they rent rooms by the day, week, or month. So until I get a job, it’s probably about all I can afford right now. If this place doesn’t work out, I’ll have to look for something else.” Michelle leaned over the seat and handed him two fifty-dollar bills. “Thanks for the ride. I appreciate it.”

  He gave her back one of the bills. “I appreciate your generosity, but fifty dollars more than covers my gas to and from Harrisburg.”

  Michelle felt grateful for Stan’s kindness. Right now, she could use the extra money—even if it wasn’t rightfully hers.

  “You sure you’re feeling okay? It hasn’t been very long ago that you suffered a concussion.”

  “I’m fine now.” She opened the back door, grabbed her things, and hopped down. “Thanks again, Stan. Have a safe trip back.”

  He opened his mouth like he might say more, but merely nodded instead. “Take care, Sara. I hope to see you again sometime.”

  She didn’t bother to correct him or say that seeing him again was doubtful. He’d find out soon enough from the Lapps that she wasn’t their granddaughter. For that matter, most of the Amish community in Strasburg would likely know the truth before the week was out. It was one more reason she could never show her face there again.

  Michelle wasn’t sure why she’d chosen Harrisburg to start over. Maybe it was because the city was fairly large, so she shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job. She would stay here for a while, at least—until she decided it was time to move on.

  Michelle felt thankful Stan hadn’t asked her a bunch of questions on the ride up here from Strasburg. The only thing she’d told him was that she’d overstayed her welcome at the Lapps’ and needed a fresh start in another location.

  Fingers gripping her suitcase handle while she fought back tears, Michelle entered the dreary-looking hotel.

  Strasburg

  Sara opened the door hesitantly and stepped inside. It didn’t feel right to enter a house uninvited when no one was at home. She wished she could have asked a few more questions of the young woman who left here in such a hurry. For the first hour after arriving, Sara had remained on the porch with the whining dogs. When she couldn’t stand the noise any longer, she decided to go inside, as the auburn-haired woman had suggested.

  Standing in the living room, looking around, she had second thoughts about being here. It felt as if she were invading someone’s space. A very simple, plain space at that.

  Her grandparent’s house was neat as a pin, but there were no frilly curtains on the windows, just dark green window shades. A braided throw-rug lay on the nicely polished hardwood floor in front of the stone fireplace. She also noticed a Bible on the coffee table, and next to it was a stack of magazines.

  The room was devoid of knickknacks except for the small clock on the mantel with two candles on either side. Across the room stood a large grandfather clock, which had begun bonging when Sara came into the room.

  She looked for a switch to turn on the light, but found none on any of the walls. Then Sara spotted two lamps setting next to a couple of recliners. She was looking for a knob to turn one on when she heard gravel crunching outside. Someone must have pulled into the driveway.

  Sara hurried to open the door and was surprised to see an elderly couple dressed in plain clothes, getting out of a horse-drawn carriage. They were Amish.

  Well no wonder the house looks so plain, and there are no light switches on the walls. Sara’s stomach tightened as her body heat rose. Why didn’t Mama mention this in the letter she’d written and tucked in her Bible? Throughout her childhood, Sara had never heard anything about her mother being born into an Amish family. Whenever Sara asked about her heritage, Mama was always vague and changed the subject.

  Now Sara realized the jewelry she had made her grandma would not be appropriate to give. But the key ring for Grandpa could be used for house keys at least, since they didn’t have a vehicle to drive.

  Sara’s palms grew sweaty as she stood on the porch and waited for them to join her. The couple looked kind of familiar to Sara. Had she met them somewhere before?

  Sara smiled, even though her nerves were on edge. If the last letter she’d sent to the Lapps had gotten here, they should have known she was coming today. But if that was the case, why hadn’t they been at home waiting for her?

  “I wonder who the blond-haired woman is on our porch.” Mary Ruth stood beside Willis as he unhitched his horse. “Wait. Isn’t that the young woman we saw at the restaurant, asking for directions, and then she was kind enough to hold the door open for us?”

  He shrugged. “Kinda looks like her, doesn’t it? Maybe she’s a friend of Sara’s, or she could have come to the Strasburg area trying to sell something.”

  “True. Should I go talk to her or wait till you’ve put the horse and buggy away and we can go up to the house together?”

  “It’s up to you. I may be awhile when I take Bashful to the barn. She’s worked up a pretty good sweat, so I’ll need to rub her down.”

  “I’ll go then. If she is selling something, I’ll just politely tell her we’re not interested.”

  Willis nodded and led his horse away.

  As soon as Mary Ruth stepped onto the porch, the young woman stretched out her hand. “Didn’t I see you a short time ago, back at the Bird-in-Hand restaurant?”

  “Yes, we just had lunch there.” Mary Ruth smiled and shook her hand. “I overheard you asking the cashier for directions to Strasburg.”

  “Yes. Yes, that was me.” The woman looked at Mary Ruth with the oddest expression. “This might seem hard to believe, but I’m Sara Murray, and you must be my grandmother, Mary Ruth Lapp.”

  Blinking rapidly, Mary Ruth took a step back. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but our granddaughter is here at our home …” She pointed. “She’s inside our house.”

  The young woman tipped her head. “Are you talking about the woman with long auburn hair?”

  “Yes. Her name is Sara Murray, and—”

  “No, it’s not—unless there are two Sara Murrays. I’ve written to you several times about coming to visit, and you responded, saying I should wait until October. In fact I sent a letter a few days ago, letting you know I would be here today.” Her forehead wrinkled a bit. “But I’m guessing the letter hasn’t gotten to you yet.”

  “I don’t know. Our granddaughter usually goes out to get the mail.” More confused than ever, Mary Ruth leaned against the porch railing for support. Her mind raced, trying to process all this and frantically searching for answers that made sense. Surely there had been some mistake. This young woman on her porch could only be an imposter. “Where is Sara—the auburn-haired woman now? I need to ask her a few questions so we can get this all straightened out.” Mary Ruth couldn’t imagine why this person had showed up claiming to be Sara when their real granddaughter was inside, no doubt resting as she should be.

  “She’s gone. When I arrived here a few
hours ago, she was sitting on the porch with her suitcase, and there was a van parked in the driveway.” The woman paused and drew a quick breath. “As soon as I introduced myself, she said you were out running errands and that the front door was open, and I should go in.” She gestured toward the partially open door.

  “I set my luggage and purse in the living room, but I did not go in any other rooms because it didn’t feel right to be in your house when you weren’t home. I felt relieved when you got here and hoped you might be as eager to meet me as I was to meet you and my grandpa.”

  Unable to think or speak clearly after all that had just been explained, Mary Ruth stood staring at the woman in utter disbelief.

  “Was your daughter’s name Rhoda?”

  “Yes.”

  “My mother’s name was Rhoda, and I wrote a letter to let you know she had died.” She folded her arms. “I have no reason to lie about this. I’m telling the truth. That other woman, whoever she is, got in the van with her suitcase and left.”

  “What you’ve said makes no sense.” Mary Ruth shook her head. “My husband and I picked our granddaughter up at the bus station in Philadelphia four months ago, and she’s been living here with us ever since.”

  “Well, she’s not here now, and I’m sorry, but she’s not your granddaughter. Trust me, I am Rhoda’s daughter.”

  Gathering her wits, the best she could, Mary Ruth turned in the direction of the barn. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she hollered, “Willis! You’d better come to the house right away!”

  Moments later, Willis, holding his straw hat in one hand, showed up. “What’s all the shouting about? Didn’t I tell you I was gonna rub the horse down?” He glanced briefly at the young woman, then back at Mary Ruth. “Is there a problem?”

  She gave a decisive nod. “Jah, I believe there is, and I think we should all go inside and get to the bottom of this.”