Read Online Reckless Heart (Kauffman Amish Bakery 5.5) by Amy Clipston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amy Clipston
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quickly. “So you and Ruthie will be gone for a few weeks?”
“That’s right,”
Dat
said. “That means you’ll need to runthe household and also work. I’ll help as much as I can, but I’m going to take on more flooring jobs to try to help with the bills.”
Lydia felt her shoulders droop as if the weight of this turn of events were physically causing her to hunch.
This is all happening too fast
. She studied her mother’s sad face. “I’m going to miss you.”
Mamm
sniffed again. “I’ll miss you, Titus, and Irma, but this is how it’s going to be for a while. I thought you could come and visit us on Saturdays. I’m not certain if Ruthie is allowed to have visitors, but we’ll figure that out as we go along.”
Dat
squeezed
Mamm’s
hand. “We’ll get through this with God’s help.”
“I know,
mei liewe
,”
Mamm
whispered. “I keep telling myself that.”
Lydia watched her parents and wondered when life was going to be normal again. How long would this dark cloud of Ruthie’s illness stay in the house? It was almost too much to bear.
Mamm
met Lydia’s gaze again. “I think your
mammi
is going to travel with me and stay for a while. Your
aenti
Kathryn is going to take over running the bakery. I know she’s capable. She definitely is
gut
at giving orders.” For a mere moment, Lydia was comforted by her mother’s brief smile.
“I wish I could go with you,” Lydia said, her voice thick. “Maybe I could help with Ruthie.”
“I need you here,”
Mamm
said while dabbing more tears. “Irma and Titus need you, and we also need you to keep working.”
“You told us you were strong, so I am simply going to tell you. Things are bad for us financially,”
Dat
said, his expression pained. “I need to ask you to contribute your entirepaychecks to the household fund for a while. Unfortunately it may be for a long while.”
This is worse than I ever imagined!
Lydia took a deep breath in an effort to calm her frayed nerves. “I understand.”
“And, again, I’m going to pick up as many extra shifts as I can,” he said. “It still won’t be enough, however. The cost of these treatments is overwhelming. There’s no way we can possibly pay it all off, and making payments is going to be a burden.”
Mamm
cleared her throat. “We’re going to speak to the bishop about the medical bills, but most likely we’ll have to apply for state support because the cost is so high.”
My parents need to ask for assistance? There isn’t enough money to pay the medical bills and the household bills? How can this be happening?
“I’ll do all I can,” Lydia said, her voice still thick. “I’ll work as much as possible. I can ask for more hours at the bakery.” She felt as if the walls were closing in around her.
Mamm
shook her head. “No, I can’t have you away for more hours. I need you to keep up with the chores at the house. I’m sorry that it’s going to be a lot of pressure on you, but you’re the oldest. We need to just get through these treatments and then see where God leads us with the illness.”
“I know,” Lydia whispered, folding her arms across her chest. She wondered if she was as strong as her parents believed her to be. Could she handle both working and running the household?
“
Ach
,”
Dat
said as he stood. “We better get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
Mamm
wrapped her arms around Lydia as she headed toward the stairs. “We’ll get through this, Lydia. God will see to it.”
“When are you going to tell Irma and Titus?” Lydia asked as they stood on the bottom step.
“Tomorrow morning at breakfast.”
Dat
snuffed out the propane lamp and switched on a battery-powered lantern before stepping over to join them at the stairs. “We only found out this evening when we received the message from the doctor.”
Dread flooded through Lydia. “This is all happening so fast. I don’t know if I’m ready for it all.”
“We’ll all get through this
“That’s right,”
Dat
said. “That means you’ll need to runthe household and also work. I’ll help as much as I can, but I’m going to take on more flooring jobs to try to help with the bills.”
Lydia felt her shoulders droop as if the weight of this turn of events were physically causing her to hunch.
This is all happening too fast
. She studied her mother’s sad face. “I’m going to miss you.”
Mamm
sniffed again. “I’ll miss you, Titus, and Irma, but this is how it’s going to be for a while. I thought you could come and visit us on Saturdays. I’m not certain if Ruthie is allowed to have visitors, but we’ll figure that out as we go along.”
Dat
squeezed
Mamm’s
hand. “We’ll get through this with God’s help.”
“I know,
mei liewe
,”
Mamm
whispered. “I keep telling myself that.”
Lydia watched her parents and wondered when life was going to be normal again. How long would this dark cloud of Ruthie’s illness stay in the house? It was almost too much to bear.
Mamm
met Lydia’s gaze again. “I think your
mammi
is going to travel with me and stay for a while. Your
aenti
Kathryn is going to take over running the bakery. I know she’s capable. She definitely is
gut
at giving orders.” For a mere moment, Lydia was comforted by her mother’s brief smile.
“I wish I could go with you,” Lydia said, her voice thick. “Maybe I could help with Ruthie.”
“I need you here,”
Mamm
said while dabbing more tears. “Irma and Titus need you, and we also need you to keep working.”
“You told us you were strong, so I am simply going to tell you. Things are bad for us financially,”
Dat
said, his expression pained. “I need to ask you to contribute your entirepaychecks to the household fund for a while. Unfortunately it may be for a long while.”
This is worse than I ever imagined!
Lydia took a deep breath in an effort to calm her frayed nerves. “I understand.”
“And, again, I’m going to pick up as many extra shifts as I can,” he said. “It still won’t be enough, however. The cost of these treatments is overwhelming. There’s no way we can possibly pay it all off, and making payments is going to be a burden.”
Mamm
cleared her throat. “We’re going to speak to the bishop about the medical bills, but most likely we’ll have to apply for state support because the cost is so high.”
My parents need to ask for assistance? There isn’t enough money to pay the medical bills and the household bills? How can this be happening?
“I’ll do all I can,” Lydia said, her voice still thick. “I’ll work as much as possible. I can ask for more hours at the bakery.” She felt as if the walls were closing in around her.
Mamm
shook her head. “No, I can’t have you away for more hours. I need you to keep up with the chores at the house. I’m sorry that it’s going to be a lot of pressure on you, but you’re the oldest. We need to just get through these treatments and then see where God leads us with the illness.”
“I know,” Lydia whispered, folding her arms across her chest. She wondered if she was as strong as her parents believed her to be. Could she handle both working and running the household?
“
Ach
,”
Dat
said as he stood. “We better get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
Mamm
wrapped her arms around Lydia as she headed toward the stairs. “We’ll get through this, Lydia. God will see to it.”
“When are you going to tell Irma and Titus?” Lydia asked as they stood on the bottom step.
“Tomorrow morning at breakfast.”
Dat
snuffed out the propane lamp and switched on a battery-powered lantern before stepping over to join them at the stairs. “We only found out this evening when we received the message from the doctor.”
Dread flooded through Lydia. “This is all happening so fast. I don’t know if I’m ready for it all.”
“We’ll all get through this
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