Read Online Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Beth Wiseman
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sorry.”
At breakfast the next morning, no one said much. Mary Ellen served scrapple and some dippy eggs, along with some flapjacks, because they were Linda’s favorite. They decided the night before that Abe would talk to Matt and Luke when they went to market later in the morning while Linda was spending some time with Josephine.
Mary Ellen recalled her conversation with Linda late last night. When she’d heard her daughter crying, she went to her room, and they’d spent the next two hours talking. She prayed that she had convinced Linda that everything was truly going to be all right, and how very much she loved her. That nothing had to change.
Mary Ellen glanced at the clock. Straight up ten o’clock. Abe and the boys had left nearly two hours ago, and Linda had busied herself cleaning the upstairs. Mary Ellen hadn’t seen her or heard any movement from upstairs in about an hour. She finished running a damp mop across the wood floor in the den and headed toward the stairs. When she got to Linda’s room, she knocked.
“Come in.”
Mary Ellen slowly pushed the door open, and Linda was sitting on her bed in her newest dress, a purple one the color of a ripe plum, the one Mary Ellen had made for her just last week. Her black apron was a newer one, bold in color and not faded by multiple trips through the wringer. Linda was twisting one of the ties on her kapp , but not one brown hair was out of place, each strand tucked neatly beneath the prayer covering. Her black leather shoes shone as if Linda had run a wet cloth across the top, and her ankle-high black socks were neatly folded to the rim of her shoes.
When Mary Ellen sat down on the bed beside Linda, her daughter stopped twisting the tie of her kapp , folded her hands in her lap, and took a deep breath. Mary Ellen patted her leg. “She will be here any minute. It’s ten o’clock.” She paused and waited for Linda to say something, but Linda merely bit her bottom lip and stared at the floor. “You can change your mind,” she said softly, wondering if the hopefulness in her comment had shown through.
Linda shook her head but didn’t look up. “No. I’m going.”
Mary Ellen had prayed last night, and again this morning, for the Lord to lift the worry from her heavy heart. But that was only the beginning of a long list of prayers that weren’t normally included during her devotions. At Abe’s insistence, she’d prayed for Josephine, although she wasn’t sure what to pray for. If things went well between Josephine and Linda, would she lose her daughter? She tried to banish the selfish thoughts, since apparently Linda hadn’t changed her mind about the visit. Mary Ellen couldn’t stop thinking about what Linda and Josephine might do together, what places they might visit, conversations they might have.
“ Mamm ?” Linda twisted her neck and looked into Mary Ellen’s eyes.
“ Ya ?”
“What do you think she wants?” Linda paused and chewed on her lip again for a moment. “I mean, will she want to be my mother? Because I already have a mother.”
Mary Ellen felt better than she’d felt since Josephine came calling. She smiled at Linda, reached for her hand, and squeezed. “I’m glad to hear that.” She thought for a moment. “I reckon she wants to know you. That’s all. Maybe have a place in your life.”
“What kind of place?” Linda’s confused expression, paired with her questioning eyes and fidgety feet, took Mary Ellen back to a time when Linda was five-years-old and being reprimanded for picking all the strawberries in the garden before they were ripe and giving them to their dog Buddy.
Tires churning up loose gravel on the driveway diverted both their attention, and Linda suddenly turned pale. Mary Ellen knew that she must be strong for her daughter.
“Linda, you go and have a gut time.” Mary Ellen cupped Linda’s cheek and smiled. “You are very pretty, like her.”
“I’m nervous, Mamm .”
“I know. Me
At breakfast the next morning, no one said much. Mary Ellen served scrapple and some dippy eggs, along with some flapjacks, because they were Linda’s favorite. They decided the night before that Abe would talk to Matt and Luke when they went to market later in the morning while Linda was spending some time with Josephine.
Mary Ellen recalled her conversation with Linda late last night. When she’d heard her daughter crying, she went to her room, and they’d spent the next two hours talking. She prayed that she had convinced Linda that everything was truly going to be all right, and how very much she loved her. That nothing had to change.
Mary Ellen glanced at the clock. Straight up ten o’clock. Abe and the boys had left nearly two hours ago, and Linda had busied herself cleaning the upstairs. Mary Ellen hadn’t seen her or heard any movement from upstairs in about an hour. She finished running a damp mop across the wood floor in the den and headed toward the stairs. When she got to Linda’s room, she knocked.
“Come in.”
Mary Ellen slowly pushed the door open, and Linda was sitting on her bed in her newest dress, a purple one the color of a ripe plum, the one Mary Ellen had made for her just last week. Her black apron was a newer one, bold in color and not faded by multiple trips through the wringer. Linda was twisting one of the ties on her kapp , but not one brown hair was out of place, each strand tucked neatly beneath the prayer covering. Her black leather shoes shone as if Linda had run a wet cloth across the top, and her ankle-high black socks were neatly folded to the rim of her shoes.
When Mary Ellen sat down on the bed beside Linda, her daughter stopped twisting the tie of her kapp , folded her hands in her lap, and took a deep breath. Mary Ellen patted her leg. “She will be here any minute. It’s ten o’clock.” She paused and waited for Linda to say something, but Linda merely bit her bottom lip and stared at the floor. “You can change your mind,” she said softly, wondering if the hopefulness in her comment had shown through.
Linda shook her head but didn’t look up. “No. I’m going.”
Mary Ellen had prayed last night, and again this morning, for the Lord to lift the worry from her heavy heart. But that was only the beginning of a long list of prayers that weren’t normally included during her devotions. At Abe’s insistence, she’d prayed for Josephine, although she wasn’t sure what to pray for. If things went well between Josephine and Linda, would she lose her daughter? She tried to banish the selfish thoughts, since apparently Linda hadn’t changed her mind about the visit. Mary Ellen couldn’t stop thinking about what Linda and Josephine might do together, what places they might visit, conversations they might have.
“ Mamm ?” Linda twisted her neck and looked into Mary Ellen’s eyes.
“ Ya ?”
“What do you think she wants?” Linda paused and chewed on her lip again for a moment. “I mean, will she want to be my mother? Because I already have a mother.”
Mary Ellen felt better than she’d felt since Josephine came calling. She smiled at Linda, reached for her hand, and squeezed. “I’m glad to hear that.” She thought for a moment. “I reckon she wants to know you. That’s all. Maybe have a place in your life.”
“What kind of place?” Linda’s confused expression, paired with her questioning eyes and fidgety feet, took Mary Ellen back to a time when Linda was five-years-old and being reprimanded for picking all the strawberries in the garden before they were ripe and giving them to their dog Buddy.
Tires churning up loose gravel on the driveway diverted both their attention, and Linda suddenly turned pale. Mary Ellen knew that she must be strong for her daughter.
“Linda, you go and have a gut time.” Mary Ellen cupped Linda’s cheek and smiled. “You are very pretty, like her.”
“I’m nervous, Mamm .”
“I know. Me
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