Read Online A Shining Light by Judith Miller - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t respond to Brother Dirk’s final comment. Instead, I glanced around the shop. The host of items being created there was truly astonishing. Patterns of every size and shape hung on the walls, and the heavy workbenches were covered with tools and partially completed projects. While I was impressed by the obvious talent of the tinsmith, the machinery and tools could prove dangerous to a child. Still, despite my earlier accusations, Brother Dirk appeared reliable, and it was true that my son had little to occupy his time while I worked in the Küche.
    â€œYou can remain until you hear the bell ring for supper. Then you must hurry back to the Küche.”
    He nodded, and I thought how odd it was that our lives had become controlled by bells. The day we arrived, both Lukas and I had learned that when the bell clanged, it was time for something to happen—time to get up, time to eat meals, time to go to work, time to attend prayer services, or time to go to bed. The bells helped keep everyone in the village on schedule.
    I tousled his sandy-brown hair. “If you don’t return when youhear the bell, there will be no more visits to Brother Dirk’s shop. Do you understand?”
    Lukas bobbed his head, but it was Brother Dirk who said, “I will see that he returns on time. Both Werner and I eat our meals at the Goetz Küche, so we will go to supper together.”
    Lukas clapped his hands and I turned toward the door. Whether out of fear or disbelief, Werner, the young apprentice, had been silent since I’d entered the shop. As I prepared to depart, he stepped forward. “Would you please tell me about the city where you lived? I think I would like to live in a big city some day.”
    I glanced at Brother Dirk, assuming he would not want me to remain and keep the boy from his duties, but the tinsmith gave a slight nod. “I will tell you a little, but I must return to the Küche in a few minutes, or Sister Erma will begin to worry about my whereabouts.”
    Using my poor German, I explained that my husband and I had moved to Baltimore, where Fred first worked on the docks and later became a sailor on one of the large vessels.
    â€œThe work is hard and the pay is meager, but that is true of most any work, especially for the unskilled. My husband was a farmer before we moved to the East Coast. Those skills didn’t help him make a living in a city that relies upon the fishing and shipping industry.”
    Werner’s smile faded. “What other work is in that city of Baltimore? I do not think I want to work with the fishing or on a ship. Maybe I need to go to another city. I want a job that will pay gut money.”
    While I couldn’t be sure, I feared Werner might not be the brightest young man in Amana. I looked at Brother Dirk for confirmation, but he’d gone back to work.
    â€œNo matter the place you live, without a skill, you won’t earn ahigh wage.” I glanced at Lukas, who was tracing his fingers along the edge of a large kitchen ladle. “The three of us lived in one small room on the third floor of a dilapidated building where we could barely afford to exist. The area near the docks was unsafe, and there was no police protection for us. It was a terribly frightening place to live. Not like this peaceful village. It is hard for me to explain all of the problems you will likely encounter if you leave without a proper plan for your future.”
    Werner’s lips drooped as I related my experience, but I didn’t want to give him a false impression of what he would discover in the outside world. “I would not want to return there unless I could afford to live in a much safer part of the city.”
    â€œAnd then you would go back?” Werner’s lips lifted a bit.
    â€œI don’t know, Werner. I’m not keen on large cities. But if it is your plan to leave, you best have enough money saved to support yourself for at