An Amish Christmas Carol by Sarah Price

Author:Sarah Price
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Price Publishing, LLC.
Published: 2012-12-17T05:00:00+00:00

Elsie blinked her eyes. The memory faded and she looked up at Jacob. For that moment, that briefest of seconds, she saw him as he was then, a young man with a good future ahead of him. She saw him as the one man that had interested her enough to dream until she hesitated too long to take that cup of lemonade then offered to help her bruder’s family. It dawned on her that her entire life was the same story. Self-sacrifice that led to missed opportunity.

“I…I don’t know what to say to that, Jacob,” she whispered. Inside her chest, her heart ached. She forced other memories away. It was too painful to see it all at once.

“You are a right gut woman,” Jacob said. “I knew that you had gone to help your bruder and I didn’t wait.” He paused, glancing at her before he quickly added, “I’m not complaining, Elsie. I’ve had a wunderbaar life.”

She frowned. “Then why are you telling me this?”

He took a deep breath and stared at her. “Because I know the sacrifices you have made. I wanted you to know that you helped many people…in fact, you changed lives. Selflessness can do that and it often isn’t repaid.” He paused and averted his eyes. “I wish I could repay you for what you did for me. For the life I have with Mary.”

A light flashed outside the door and Elsie looked up. A shadow passed before the window and the glasses rattled again as someone tapped on it. Another visitor?

The interruption ended the conversation. Bishop Beiler stood up and collected his hat. He stood back while Elsie hurried to the door and opened it.

“I saw your light on and a buggy in the driveway,” a cheerful voice said. “Hope I’m not disturbing you, Elsie, but I wanted to bring you a platter for supper! And some company to pass away some time presently!”

Elsie stepped back and a tall, willowy woman stepped into the kitchen. She had a navy knit handkerchief tied over her head and a thick but dirty black coat covering her maroon color dress.

“Why Bishop!” the woman said, flashing a bright and sunny smile that lit up the room better than the kerosene lantern. “I didn’t know you were here!”

“Rachel Ann,” the bishop said with a stiff nod of his head. Gone was the casual Jacob Beiler with flashing green eyes. Instead, the stern bishop, the leader of the community, had returned and stood in her kitchen. It was as if the knock on the door had transformed him. “I was just getting ready to leave.”

After saying a quick good-bye and wishing the ladies both a Merry Christmas, Jacob Beiler slide his black hat back onto his head and, with one last nod at Elsie, slipped out the door and hurried to his buggy.

Elsie shut the kitchen door but stood there, for just a moment, listening to Rachel Ann hurry about the kitchen. Instead of joining her, Elsie watched as the bishop backed his horse and buggy away from the post in her driveway.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.