The Missing Will Read online

  Paul’s lips pressed together as he shook his head. “I won’t play go-between for you. It would be best if you leave Kristi alone and move on with your life so she can do the same.”

  Scowling, Joel felt an uncomfortable tightness in his chest as he turned away. “Thanks for nothing.” He stomped off the porch, gritting his teeth as he made his way back to his vehicle. There has to be something I can do to get Kristi back. I need to figure out how to make her see she can’t live without me.

  CHAPTER 4

  Berlin, Ohio

  Doris turned toward the kitchen window, smiling when she saw it was no longer raining. Some puddles remained in the yard, rippling occasionally from the slight wind blowing leaves about. Guess I’ll go to the phone shack to check for messages.

  She glanced at the clock on the far wall. It was six-thirty. Brian would be in from doing his chores soon. There would barely be time for him to eat breakfast before leaving for work, so he wouldn’t have a chance to check messages.

  Slipping into a heavy sweater, Doris stepped outside, pausing to breathe the chilly air into her lungs. Things always felt so nice after a heavy rain. They’d had three full days of it, and the ground was saturated.

  Doris dodged the puddles scattered on the ground as she made her way out to the phone shack. When she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw the light on the answering machine blinking.

  Her hands felt like they were clasping icicles when she lowered herself onto the metal chair. Doris flicked the button and listened. The first message was from Elsie, reminding her that she and Arlene planned to be at Dad’s place this morning and hoped if Doris wasn’t working and felt up to it that she could join them.

  I hope I can go. Doris touched her stomach. She’d been faced with some nausea again this morning but had gotten it under control after drinking a cup of ginger tea.

  She turned her attention to the next phone message and listened intently, realizing it was her doctor’s nurse. “We have the results of your blood tests, Doris. I’m calling to let you know the pregnancy test was positive.”

  Doris sat in stunned silence with her hand pressed to her chest. “Oh, my.”

  “Congratulations, Mrs. Schrock. We already have your next appointment scheduled, so please call back to let us know if you’re able to come in on that date. We look forward to hearing from you.”

  This news was almost too good to be true. It was the miracle she and Brian had been praying for.

  Without bothering to listen to any of the other messages, Doris left the phone shack and hurried back to the house.

  She found Brian in the kitchen, standing in front of the sink with a glass of water. “Are you all right, Doris? Your cheeks are red as a rose, and you’re panting for breath.”

  “It’s cold outside, and I’ve been to the phone shack.” She rushed to his side and clasped his arm. “Oh, Brian, I have the best news.”

  “What is it? Did one of your sisters find your daed’s will?”

  “No, this is much better news than anything concerning his will. There was a message for me from Dr. Wilson’s nurse.”

  “What’d she say? Is it a lingering kind of flu you’ve been dealing with?”

  “Jah. I have the baby flu.”

  Brian blinked a couple of times. “Huh?”

  “I said, ‘I have the baby flu.’” Doris could hardly contain the laughter bubbling up in her throat.

  He tipped his head. “What?”

  Tears trickled down her cheeks as she placed both hands on her stomach. “She said my blood tests came back and I am im e familye weg.”

  Brian’s eyes widened. “You…you’re in a family way?”

  “That’s correct.” Doris rubbed her stomach and smiled. “I can hardly believe it, Brian. God has answered our prayers.”

  He set the glass on the counter and pulled her into his arms. “This is the best news. Better than anything I could have imagined.”

  She leaned her head against his chest as more tears fell. The only thing dampening her joy was the knowledge that her parents would not get to meet their grandchild. But at least Brian’s folks were still alive, although Doris wished they lived closer. Geauga County, where her aunt Verna and uncle Lester also lived, was over two hours away.

  “I can’t wait to share our good news with my sisters,” Doris said after she’d dried her eyes. “I’ll tell them this morning when I go to Charm to help sort through more of Dad’s things.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Brian gazed into Doris’s eyes. “You haven’t been feeling well, and now that you’re expecting a boppli, I don’t want you doing too much. In fact, I think you ought to quit your job.”

  “The nausea is better when I drink ginger tea.” She gave his arm a reassuring pat. “I’ll be careful not to do too much. As far as my job goes…We could use the extra money, so I’d like to keep working awhile longer—at least till I start to show.”

  “Okay, but if it gets to be too much, you’ll need to quit working sooner than that.”

  “Agreed.”

  Charm

  “Do you think Doris is coming? If so, she ought to be here by now.” Arlene looked briefly at the clock above Dad’s refrigerator. “It’s nine o’clock.”

  “I called and left her a message last night.” Elsie shrugged. “But if she’s not feeling well or had to work, she may not be able to come.”

  Arlene sighed deeply. “Our poor schweschder has not been feeling up to par for too many days.”

  “She was supposed to see the doctor last week, but I haven’t talked to her since. I’m anxious to find out how the appointment went.” Elsie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Guess we should get busy while we’re waiting to see if Doris shows up. What room do you want to start in today?”

  Arlene tapped her toe against the worn linoleum floor. “I’m not sure. Do you have a preference?”

  “Not really. I worked in the attic when I was here last week, but we still have a lot more boxes up there to go through.”

  “I can only imagine. It seems boxes are in nearly every room of this house, not to mention the barn and buggy shed. Sure will be glad once we get through all of it.”

  “Too bad Uncle Lester and Aunt Verna went home last Saturday. We could still use some extra help.”

  Arlene glanced at baby Samuel, lying in his playpen. “If my little guy wakes up and starts fussing, I won’t be much help for a while, either.”

  “We could ask some of the women in our church district to help, but Dad’s things are personal, and only we know what we want to keep or throw out.”

  “True.” Arlene moved toward the stove. “The water’s hot now. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  “That’d be nice. I’ll get out the cups and put our teabags in.” Elsie placed the cups on the table.

  Arlene waited for her sister to add the tea bags before she poured the hot water. Opening the refrigerator to get some cream, her gaze came to rest on the pie Elsie had brought. Her mouth watered, thinking how good it would taste. It was tempting to sample a piece now, but it would be better to wait until later to cut the pie.

  “How are things working out with your son staying here since Aunt Verna and Uncle Lester left?” Arlene asked Elsie.

  “From what Glen said when I got here this morning, everything’s been fine. He’s been getting up early to take care of the horses and does some other chores after he gets home from work.”

  “I bet it’s kind of lonely for him being here all alone.”

  “If it is, he hasn’t complained. He’s probably glad to be by himself, after spending a good piece of the day at work with his daed and the other fellows John has working for him.” Elsie laughed. “I think Blaine misses his big brother, though he’d never admit it.”

  “That’s often how it is with siblings. Sometimes Doug and Scott don’t always get along, but when Doug’s old enough to move out of the house, I’m sure Scott will miss him.”

  “You’re prob
ably right.”

  They’d just started drinking their tea when Arlene heard the whinny of a horse from outside. “I’ll bet that’s Doris.”

  “Oh, good. It must mean she’s feeling better.” Elsie jumped up. “Think I’ll go help her unhitch the horse and get it put in the corral.”

  Arlene smiled. “I’ll make sure to have a cup of tea ready for Doris when you come in.”

  “I’m sure she’ll appreciate it on this brisk fall morning.” Elsie wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and slipped out the back door.

  While Arlene waited for her sisters to come in, she fixed another cup of tea. Glancing at the wall peg near the back door, she noticed her father’s old hat. He had duct-taped part of the brim, like he’d done with his worn-out boots.

  Sniffing, she reached for a tissue to dry her eyes and wipe her nose. The old hat was reminiscent of Dad, but she doubted anyone would want it. And they sure couldn’t take it to the thrift store. Nobody would buy a hat in that condition, even if the price was reasonable.

  As Arlene continued to gaze at the hat, a memory from her childhood came to mind. When Joel was five years old, he’d found Dad’s straw hat somewhere in the barn. He had emerged from the building wearing the hat, which was much too big for him and nearly covered his eyes. Then he’d sauntered over to the swing, where Arlene was pushing Doris, and announced, “Someday, when I’m big like Daadi, I’m gonna be rich. Then I can buy whatever I want.”

  Arlene shuddered, gripping the back of Dad’s chair. Little did she realize back then that her brother’s quest for money would continue into his adult life. All Joel seemed to care about was finding the will so he could get his share of the money.

  We all could use money, Arlene thought. But I’d rather have Dad here than any fortune he may have left us. Nothing on earth is more important than my family.

  The back door opened, and Doris and Elsie stepped in, putting an end to Arlene’s musings. “I’m glad you could make it.” She gave Doris a hug. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I was a little nauseous when I first woke up, but a cup of ginger tea took care of it.” Doris lifted the plastic sack she held. “I brought more teabags with me, in case I feel sick to my stomach again.”

  “I heard you went to the doctor’s last week. Did you find out what was wrong with you?” Arlene questioned.

  “They took blood tests, and I got the results this morning.” Doris’s face broke into a wide smile. “I’m im e familye weg.”

  “Ach, my!” Elsie, who stood closest to Doris, gave her a hug. “That’s such good news.”

  “Congratulations!” Arlene rushed forward and wrapped her arms around both of her sisters. She quoted Psalm 107:1: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

  For the next half hour, the sisters sat at the table, drinking tea and rejoicing over Doris’s good news.

  “As nice as this is, I think we ought to get busy and do some sorting now.” Doris pushed away from the table.

  “You’re right,” Elsie agreed. “Should we all work in the same room, or would you rather each take a separate room?”

  “It might be better if we work separately,” Arlene replied. “If we work together, we’ll be apt to visit and get less sorting done.”

  “Maybe I’ll continue working in the attic.” Elsie smiled at Doris. “Would you mind going through some boxes in your old room, and Arlene can sort boxes in the room she used to sleep in? That way, we’ll all be upstairs, and if any of us needs something, we’ll be able to hear each other.”

  Doris nodded, and Arlene did the same. “If you start feeling sick to your stomach or get tired and want to lie down, please don’t hesitate to do so.” Arlene touched Doris’s arm. “There’s no way we can get all the sorting done today, so we shouldn’t push ourselves too hard.”

  “I’ll rest if I need to.”

  “Did either of you find Dad’s will?” Elsie asked when the sisters stopped working to fix lunch.

  “The only thing I found were a lot of old copies of The Budget, plus way too many catalogs.” Doris groaned. “I don’t understand why Dad thought he had to keep all those.”

  “I don’t either,” Arlene agreed. “All I can say is Mama was lenient on Dad’s behalf. Each time one of us moved out, she’d let him put his things in the empty rooms. Using our old bedrooms to store boxes only gave him more places to keep all that junk.”

  “To Dad, it wasn’t junk. He must have had a purpose for all his collections.” Elsie picked up the box of pens she’d found in the attic.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t throw out any of the magazines or catalogs until we’ve had a chance to look through every page.” Arlene took out a loaf of bread to make sandwiches.

  “Why would we want to do that?” Doris questioned.

  “It may seem strange, but Dad could have stuck his will inside one of the magazines or even at the bottom of one of the boxes.”

  Doris went to the refrigerator to get the mustard, mayonnaise, meat, and cheese. “If we take time to thumb through every magazine, catalog, and newspaper, I’ll be helping here sorting till my boppli’s born—maybe longer.”

  Elsie was about to comment when she heard a familiar rumble. She went to the window and watched as a tractor entered the yard. “Henry Raber is here, and it looks like he brought his hund.”

  Arlene gestured to the food Doris placed on the counter. “There’s plenty to make several sandwiches. We should invite him to stay for lunch.”

  “I’ll bet he came over because he misses Dad so much,” Doris interjected. “Poor Henry has no family living in the area. I’m sure he gets lonely.”

  “He and Dad were best friends, even though Henry was New Order and Dad was Old Order. Their friendship was special.” Elsie opened the back door just as Henry, holding Peaches under one arm and a book in his other hand, stepped onto the porch.

  “I won’t trouble you.” Henry handed Elsie the book. “I borrowed this from your daed some time ago and thought I’d better return it. I heard your son Glen was staying here and hoped I might find him at home.”

  “Glen’s at work,” Elsie explained. “I’m here today with Doris and Arlene. We’ve been going through some of Dad’s things.” She glanced at the book—a fiction novel set in the Old West. “Why don’t you keep this, Henry? I’m sure Dad would want you to have it.”

  Henry nodded slowly, his eyes misting as Elsie handed the book to him. “I have many good memories about Eustace. It’s hard to believe he’s gone.”

  “It is for us as well.” She opened the door wider. “We’re about to have lunch. Why don’t you come in and join us?”

  “Oh, I don’t want to put you out.” Henry turned his head in the dog’s direction. “Besides, I have Peaches with me, and if I put her back in the cage, she’ll whine and carry on like a squalling baby.”

  “It’s okay, bring her in. She can lie on the throw rug near the door.” Elsie felt sure the dog would stay there because she’d witnessed how well-behaved Peaches was before.

  After Henry came inside and washed his hands, he told Peaches to lie on the rug. Everyone gathered around the table, and once their silent prayer was said, Elsie circled the table and passed around the platter of sandwiches. As they ate, their conversation covered several topics, including the weather.

  “Can’t say I’m lookin’ forward to snow, but I’m sure it’ll be comin’.” Henry’s bushy eyebrows drew together. “I’m thinkin’ about spending the winter in Florida, like so many other Amish and Mennonite folks my age do.”

  “Maybe you should.” Doris handed Henry the bag of chips she’d brought along to share. “I bet Peaches would love romping on the beach.”

  “Jah.” He looked over at Peaches. “I was hoping Eustace would want to go there with me, but I guess going with my hund would be better than not goin’ at all.” He motioned to Dad’s old hat on the wall peg. “I’ll never forget the day I came to visit your daed and he was
wearing that old hat held together with duct tape. Seeing it hangin’ there now makes me feel as though he might come through the door any time. Course,” he quickly added, “I know it’s not gonna happen.”

  In a spontaneous decision, Elsie rose from her chair and took the hat down. “How would you like to have this, Henry?” She held it out to him.

  “Ach, no, I can’t take that. You already gave me the book. Besides…” He lowered his gaze. “It’s your daed’s special hat.”

  “It’s okay, Henry. I want you to have it. We have plenty of other things here to remember him by.” She smiled. “Besides, none of us have a reason to wear a straw hat. As long as you’re wearing it, it’ll be put to good use.”

  His eyes filled with tears as he took the hat from her. “Danki. Think I’ll hang it in my kitchen. Then every time I look at it, I’ll think of your daed.”

  Seeing how choked up Henry had become, Elsie moved over to the refrigerator and took out the pie she’d brought for dessert. “Who wants a piece of millionaire pie?” she asked.

  Doris and Arlene held up their hands, but Henry continued to sit, while staring at the hat.

  “Henry, would you like piece of millionaire pie?” Arlene asked.

  He looked over at her and blinked. “I’ve never heard of millionaire pie. Did one of you make up the name on account of your daed?”

  Elsie shook her head. “No, it really is the name of the pie.” She placed it on the table while Doris got out four plates and forks. She was thankful Henry had stopped by today. Having him here made her feel somehow closer to Dad.

  “So what do you hear from your bruder these days?” Henry asked.

  A thin line of wrinkles formed above Doris’s brows. “We haven’t seen Joel since Dad’s funeral.”

  Henry pushed a strand of gray hair aside and scratched behind his ear. “That’s too bad. You’d think he’d want to spend time with his sisters.”

  Elsie clutched the folds in her dress. She wasn’t about to tell Henry what she thought of her selfish brother, but she couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t heard from Joel in several days. Has he been too busy to call me, or has my brother decided to be patient and wait for me to let him know once we find the will?