Read Online A Wedding Quilt for Ella by Jerry S. Eicher - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry S. Eicher
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have to worry.”
It was gut for her mamm to say it, but the guilt and pain didn’t go away. Slowly Ella got up. Eyes from all over the room turned to look at her as she went outside to get her night bag.
When Ella returned, Aden’s mom met her at the front door and whispered, “Up the stairs. The spare bedroom is in the back.”
Ella made her way slowly back through the benches, maneuvering around the gathered women and then upstairs. Likely she wouldn’t spend the night up here, after all. Surely some visiting family would need the space, and she could just as easily sleep downstairs on the couch. Aden’s body would be closer to her that way.
By eleven o’clock only the family—including Aden’s older married siblings and their families—was left in the house, and the benches were moved back against the wall. Aden’s daett gathered the family around for a Scripture reading before some of them would leave.
With a solemn air, he read from the last part of the first chapter of Job. “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the L ORD gave, and the L ORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the L ORD .’ In all this, Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly.”
In the silence that followed, Albert closed his Bible and wept with the great cries of a father who deeply loved his son.
Some of the married children left soon afterward. Others of them were led upstairs to spend the night. Ella gave up her room, insisting she would prefer the couch in the living room.
“You can sleep here. We might be up and down all night,” Lydian said.
“That is perfectly all right,” Ella said. “It really is. I want to be close to him.”
Lydian nodded, wiping her eyes.
When the last person disappeared, Ella lay on the couch in the dress she had come in. Tomorrow morning she would change into her black dress for the funeral. Tired from grief, she soon dozed off.
With a start she awoke. The house was silent, and the moon had risen, hanging in the living room window in a small inverted slice. Slowly she sat up.
The time had come to see Aden again. With the desire to be close to him strong, Ella stood up on her unsteady legs. During the walk to the bedroom, fear clawed at her, but she pushed it aside. Lydian had left a kerosene lamp burning in the bedroom, its light turned low. This time there was no one to stop her when she saw his white face, his best shirt collar tight around his neck. Ella touched him, her hands on his. She kissed his cheek and wept softly until there were no tears left to cry.
“I’ll be tellin’ you goodbye now, here alone,” she whispered. “Tomorrow there will be others. I loved you so much, Aden. I know that God must have you, whatever His reasons are, and so I find I can’t hate Him. It would be as if I hated you.”
She paused, her hands still holding his. “Goodbye, Aden. You were my dearest. I always loved you with all of my heart. Sleep your years in peace until I can join you again.”
She turned and walked slowly back to the couch, drying her tears with her wet handkerchief. Then she lay quietly, watching the moon in the window until she fell asleep again.
Nine
D aniel awoke with the moonbeams from the east window on his face. What had awakened him? The moonbeams or the ache in his heart for his brother Aden? The events of last night and the day prior came back with great clarity. This all was such a shame and such a great loss, especially for Ella and Aden.
He hadn’t cried much yet—only a few tears last night when Daett read the Scripture about Job. The words were very touching, especially the ones about still blessing the Lord whether He gave or took away. That seemed hard. How could one bless the Lord when a gut man like Aden had died so suddenly? Did the Holy Book always get things right? The preachers
It was gut for her mamm to say it, but the guilt and pain didn’t go away. Slowly Ella got up. Eyes from all over the room turned to look at her as she went outside to get her night bag.
When Ella returned, Aden’s mom met her at the front door and whispered, “Up the stairs. The spare bedroom is in the back.”
Ella made her way slowly back through the benches, maneuvering around the gathered women and then upstairs. Likely she wouldn’t spend the night up here, after all. Surely some visiting family would need the space, and she could just as easily sleep downstairs on the couch. Aden’s body would be closer to her that way.
By eleven o’clock only the family—including Aden’s older married siblings and their families—was left in the house, and the benches were moved back against the wall. Aden’s daett gathered the family around for a Scripture reading before some of them would leave.
With a solemn air, he read from the last part of the first chapter of Job. “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the L ORD gave, and the L ORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the L ORD .’ In all this, Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly.”
In the silence that followed, Albert closed his Bible and wept with the great cries of a father who deeply loved his son.
Some of the married children left soon afterward. Others of them were led upstairs to spend the night. Ella gave up her room, insisting she would prefer the couch in the living room.
“You can sleep here. We might be up and down all night,” Lydian said.
“That is perfectly all right,” Ella said. “It really is. I want to be close to him.”
Lydian nodded, wiping her eyes.
When the last person disappeared, Ella lay on the couch in the dress she had come in. Tomorrow morning she would change into her black dress for the funeral. Tired from grief, she soon dozed off.
With a start she awoke. The house was silent, and the moon had risen, hanging in the living room window in a small inverted slice. Slowly she sat up.
The time had come to see Aden again. With the desire to be close to him strong, Ella stood up on her unsteady legs. During the walk to the bedroom, fear clawed at her, but she pushed it aside. Lydian had left a kerosene lamp burning in the bedroom, its light turned low. This time there was no one to stop her when she saw his white face, his best shirt collar tight around his neck. Ella touched him, her hands on his. She kissed his cheek and wept softly until there were no tears left to cry.
“I’ll be tellin’ you goodbye now, here alone,” she whispered. “Tomorrow there will be others. I loved you so much, Aden. I know that God must have you, whatever His reasons are, and so I find I can’t hate Him. It would be as if I hated you.”
She paused, her hands still holding his. “Goodbye, Aden. You were my dearest. I always loved you with all of my heart. Sleep your years in peace until I can join you again.”
She turned and walked slowly back to the couch, drying her tears with her wet handkerchief. Then she lay quietly, watching the moon in the window until she fell asleep again.
Nine
D aniel awoke with the moonbeams from the east window on his face. What had awakened him? The moonbeams or the ache in his heart for his brother Aden? The events of last night and the day prior came back with great clarity. This all was such a shame and such a great loss, especially for Ella and Aden.
He hadn’t cried much yet—only a few tears last night when Daett read the Scripture about Job. The words were very touching, especially the ones about still blessing the Lord whether He gave or took away. That seemed hard. How could one bless the Lord when a gut man like Aden had died so suddenly? Did the Holy Book always get things right? The preachers
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