Read Online Susanna's Christmas Wish by Jerry S. Eicher - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry S. Eicher
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headed for the front door.
“We’re going a little early. They’ll think something’s wrong if I…”
“ Yah , I understand,” Mary said, opening the front door for her. “It’s better this way. I’ll say your goodbyes for you.”
Without looking back, Susanna hurried across the lawn. The men were still standing around the barn door, a few of them helping Herman hitch Bruce to the buggy. She climbed into the buggy and sat down. Moments later Herman threw her the lines, hollered goodbye to the men, and got in. They were off.
Susanna tried not to move as they pulled out on the main highway, and the steady beat of Bruce’s hooves on the pavement settled around her. Was Herman upset or not? She didn’t dare glance at his face to check, and he obviously wasn’t going to say anything.
“It was a gut day,” she finally ventured. It seemed a safe enough thing to say.
“ Yah ,” he said, adding nothing more.
His voice sounded okay, so Susanna stole a quick glance. Nee , there was something wrong. She could tell by the set of his jaw. Maybe he hadn’t liked the wrestling of John and his brother after all.
“Did the men wrestling bother you?” she asked. “Their horsing around?”
“Not really,” he said.
Herman sounded like he meant it. Then what is bothering him? His talk with Matthew? That must be it. Should she admit she’d seen them together?
As they rode in silence, Susanna’s mind raced with questions. If she said nothing, would Herman ever mention what the talk with Matthew had been about? Would that be gut? Did she even wish to know?
As Bishop Jacob’s place came into view, Herman solved the problem. “Matthew had some things to say to me today.”
“Oh?” Susanna tried to keep the tremble out of her voice.
“Sounds like you and he had some gut times together.”
“But Herman…” She turned toward him. “You know I dated him for a long time. Of course we were sweet on each other and enjoyed some good times. Why would Matthew tell you this though?”
Herman shrugged, not looking at her.
“Herman, please. I love you. You know that, don’t you? Matthew has no right to come into our lives like this. Why was he talking with you anyway?” she asked again.
“He says he’s trying to find peace. Matthew sort of rambled on and on about the past. I don’t know. I guess he thought I should hear about it.”
“But Herman, this isn’t right. I have forgotten about those times.”
“He said he has a ring of flowers you made for him one summer down by the pond. Keeps it pressed in a book to this day. Matthew hopes Da Hah will let him love again like you and he loved each other.”
“Oh, Herman, this is so wrong!” Susanna grabbed his arm. “Why would Matthew be telling you this?” she repeated.
“So you do remember the flowers?”
“You must not believe everything Matthew says, Herman. Please.”
“So there was no ring of flowers?”
There was no use holding back the information, she decided. The quicker she said something, the better. “ Yah , Herman, there was. But it means nothing now. I made them for a special occasion so many years ago. And Matthew kept them—I can’t help that.”
“Kept them perhaps as a memory of the special occasion?”
“I’m sure, Herman, but it has nothing to do with today…with us.”
“I know,” he said, pulling into their driveway.
Nine
H erman pushed open the barn door, pausing for a moment to glance back at Susanna’s retreating form. She was almost at the house, walking with her head bowed. Was he being too hard on her? But how? He had every reason for discomfort and for questioning. She had once loved the man. And why was Matthew spilling such intimate secrets into his ear? Yet he had to be honest. Matthew’s words had seemed more like musings than anything else. Perhaps they really were just the memories of a troubled man seeking peace with his past.
That Susanna had dated Matthew for several years, he knew. That they
“We’re going a little early. They’ll think something’s wrong if I…”
“ Yah , I understand,” Mary said, opening the front door for her. “It’s better this way. I’ll say your goodbyes for you.”
Without looking back, Susanna hurried across the lawn. The men were still standing around the barn door, a few of them helping Herman hitch Bruce to the buggy. She climbed into the buggy and sat down. Moments later Herman threw her the lines, hollered goodbye to the men, and got in. They were off.
Susanna tried not to move as they pulled out on the main highway, and the steady beat of Bruce’s hooves on the pavement settled around her. Was Herman upset or not? She didn’t dare glance at his face to check, and he obviously wasn’t going to say anything.
“It was a gut day,” she finally ventured. It seemed a safe enough thing to say.
“ Yah ,” he said, adding nothing more.
His voice sounded okay, so Susanna stole a quick glance. Nee , there was something wrong. She could tell by the set of his jaw. Maybe he hadn’t liked the wrestling of John and his brother after all.
“Did the men wrestling bother you?” she asked. “Their horsing around?”
“Not really,” he said.
Herman sounded like he meant it. Then what is bothering him? His talk with Matthew? That must be it. Should she admit she’d seen them together?
As they rode in silence, Susanna’s mind raced with questions. If she said nothing, would Herman ever mention what the talk with Matthew had been about? Would that be gut? Did she even wish to know?
As Bishop Jacob’s place came into view, Herman solved the problem. “Matthew had some things to say to me today.”
“Oh?” Susanna tried to keep the tremble out of her voice.
“Sounds like you and he had some gut times together.”
“But Herman…” She turned toward him. “You know I dated him for a long time. Of course we were sweet on each other and enjoyed some good times. Why would Matthew tell you this though?”
Herman shrugged, not looking at her.
“Herman, please. I love you. You know that, don’t you? Matthew has no right to come into our lives like this. Why was he talking with you anyway?” she asked again.
“He says he’s trying to find peace. Matthew sort of rambled on and on about the past. I don’t know. I guess he thought I should hear about it.”
“But Herman, this isn’t right. I have forgotten about those times.”
“He said he has a ring of flowers you made for him one summer down by the pond. Keeps it pressed in a book to this day. Matthew hopes Da Hah will let him love again like you and he loved each other.”
“Oh, Herman, this is so wrong!” Susanna grabbed his arm. “Why would Matthew be telling you this?” she repeated.
“So you do remember the flowers?”
“You must not believe everything Matthew says, Herman. Please.”
“So there was no ring of flowers?”
There was no use holding back the information, she decided. The quicker she said something, the better. “ Yah , Herman, there was. But it means nothing now. I made them for a special occasion so many years ago. And Matthew kept them—I can’t help that.”
“Kept them perhaps as a memory of the special occasion?”
“I’m sure, Herman, but it has nothing to do with today…with us.”
“I know,” he said, pulling into their driveway.
Nine
H erman pushed open the barn door, pausing for a moment to glance back at Susanna’s retreating form. She was almost at the house, walking with her head bowed. Was he being too hard on her? But how? He had every reason for discomfort and for questioning. She had once loved the man. And why was Matthew spilling such intimate secrets into his ear? Yet he had to be honest. Matthew’s words had seemed more like musings than anything else. Perhaps they really were just the memories of a troubled man seeking peace with his past.
That Susanna had dated Matthew for several years, he knew. That they
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