Read Online Like a Bee to Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer Beckstrand
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chosen Dan Kanagy over him, and he wanted to make Lily miserable because of it.
Some of the people in the community were siding with Paul even though the Honeybee sisters had done nothing wrong. A few members of the district thought Aunt Bitsy was odd, too odd to belong in the community. She tinted her hair pastel colors and prayed right out loud. Some of the neighbors wouldnât have been too sad to be rid of her. Rose didnât know why people were so concerned about it. If members got shunned for being odd, there would be no one left in church to preach the sermons.
Mammi and Dawdi seemed to think that Aunt Bitsy and her nieces would be shunned any day now. Rose was concerned about the possibility of being shunned, but someone had tried to burn down their honey house last week, and Leonard Nimoy and her sharp claws were in danger of being banished from the house, and Josiah Yoder wanted to make Rose his project. She had bigger worries than Paul Glick. Lily had immediately gotten engaged to Dan after sheâd broken it off with Paul, and Paulâs heart was surely in pieces. Rose could forgive him for taking out his heartbreak on the Christners.
She strolled up the short sidewalk to Suvieâs house and looked to the west. The sun was more than two hours from setting. Sheâd easily be home before dark.
Suvie Nelson was Josiahâs sister and the only immediate family he had left. She and her husband, Andrew, lived a short walk from Josiahâs house on the same farm that Josiah and Andrew worked together. Rose looked down the road. Her heart tumbled about in her chest like a pebble in the river. Josiahâs house was close, but there wasnât any chance sheâd run into him today. She was delivering honey to his sister. Surely sheâd be safe.
A child was crying inside the house. Make that two children. Suvie must be having a hard day. The door opened, amplifying the sound tenfold, and Roseâs lungs collapsed when Josiah, not Suvie, stood at the threshold.
Despite the fact that Josiah had a screaming baby in his arms and a screaming toddler at his feet, he smiled as if heâd just seen his first sunrise. âRose,â he said, so softly that Rose wasnât exactly sure sheâd heard it over the screaming.
Suvieâs two-year-old, Aaron, was clinging to Josiahâs trouser leg much the way Leonard Nimoy had done two days ago. Aaron was screaming and crying at a pitch that might have summoned all the dogs in the neighborhood. His face was wet with tears, and his curly hair was matted to his head with sweat.
Baby Arie in Josiahâs arms was also screaming. She would occasionally find her fingers and suck on them for a few brief seconds and then wail again. Josiah bounced her up and down, but the bouncing only seemed to make things worse. It would have made Rose motion sick.
âIs everything okay?â Rose asked, and it was probably the stupidest question Josiah had ever heard.
Josiah bounced and bounced, and his smile bounced with him. âIâm babysitting. Suvie said there was an emergency, and she and Andrew ran out of here like the house was on fire. I canât get the baby to take a bottle, and Aaron has a stinky diaper. But weâre doing okay.â He smiled wider, which, considering the situation, was quite an accomplishment. âItâs just so nice to see you. How are the cats?â
Rose peeked around Josiah and into the house. A strand of toilet paper stretched from under a closed door across the living room and around Josiahâs ankle. A puddle of water seeped from under the closed door and looked to be spreading by the minute. In the kitchen, a pot was boiling over on the stove, and something was definitely burning. Three-year-old Alvin sat quietly on the sofa in the front room with his hands clasped in his lap as if Josiah and the babies were his entertainment for the evening.
âHello, Alvin,â Rose said.
Alvin grinned
Some of the people in the community were siding with Paul even though the Honeybee sisters had done nothing wrong. A few members of the district thought Aunt Bitsy was odd, too odd to belong in the community. She tinted her hair pastel colors and prayed right out loud. Some of the neighbors wouldnât have been too sad to be rid of her. Rose didnât know why people were so concerned about it. If members got shunned for being odd, there would be no one left in church to preach the sermons.
Mammi and Dawdi seemed to think that Aunt Bitsy and her nieces would be shunned any day now. Rose was concerned about the possibility of being shunned, but someone had tried to burn down their honey house last week, and Leonard Nimoy and her sharp claws were in danger of being banished from the house, and Josiah Yoder wanted to make Rose his project. She had bigger worries than Paul Glick. Lily had immediately gotten engaged to Dan after sheâd broken it off with Paul, and Paulâs heart was surely in pieces. Rose could forgive him for taking out his heartbreak on the Christners.
She strolled up the short sidewalk to Suvieâs house and looked to the west. The sun was more than two hours from setting. Sheâd easily be home before dark.
Suvie Nelson was Josiahâs sister and the only immediate family he had left. She and her husband, Andrew, lived a short walk from Josiahâs house on the same farm that Josiah and Andrew worked together. Rose looked down the road. Her heart tumbled about in her chest like a pebble in the river. Josiahâs house was close, but there wasnât any chance sheâd run into him today. She was delivering honey to his sister. Surely sheâd be safe.
A child was crying inside the house. Make that two children. Suvie must be having a hard day. The door opened, amplifying the sound tenfold, and Roseâs lungs collapsed when Josiah, not Suvie, stood at the threshold.
Despite the fact that Josiah had a screaming baby in his arms and a screaming toddler at his feet, he smiled as if heâd just seen his first sunrise. âRose,â he said, so softly that Rose wasnât exactly sure sheâd heard it over the screaming.
Suvieâs two-year-old, Aaron, was clinging to Josiahâs trouser leg much the way Leonard Nimoy had done two days ago. Aaron was screaming and crying at a pitch that might have summoned all the dogs in the neighborhood. His face was wet with tears, and his curly hair was matted to his head with sweat.
Baby Arie in Josiahâs arms was also screaming. She would occasionally find her fingers and suck on them for a few brief seconds and then wail again. Josiah bounced her up and down, but the bouncing only seemed to make things worse. It would have made Rose motion sick.
âIs everything okay?â Rose asked, and it was probably the stupidest question Josiah had ever heard.
Josiah bounced and bounced, and his smile bounced with him. âIâm babysitting. Suvie said there was an emergency, and she and Andrew ran out of here like the house was on fire. I canât get the baby to take a bottle, and Aaron has a stinky diaper. But weâre doing okay.â He smiled wider, which, considering the situation, was quite an accomplishment. âItâs just so nice to see you. How are the cats?â
Rose peeked around Josiah and into the house. A strand of toilet paper stretched from under a closed door across the living room and around Josiahâs ankle. A puddle of water seeped from under the closed door and looked to be spreading by the minute. In the kitchen, a pot was boiling over on the stove, and something was definitely burning. Three-year-old Alvin sat quietly on the sofa in the front room with his hands clasped in his lap as if Josiah and the babies were his entertainment for the evening.
âHello, Alvin,â Rose said.
Alvin grinned
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