Susanna's Christmas Wish by Jerry S. Eicher

Author:Jerry S. Eicher [Eicher, Jerry S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736951524
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Susanna woke with a start. She leaped to her feet from where she’d been sleeping on the couch. The afghan went flying across the floor. Her head pounded as she paused. She clearly heard footsteps outside the front door. Was Herman returning from wherever he’d been? Holding her breath, Susanna took a step forward as the latch rattled and the door was pushed open.

Herman appeared in the shadowy darkness, his hat and shoulders snow covered. He stopped with his hand on the knob as his eyes searched the room.

With a cry she rushed forward. He opened his arms to her long before she got to him.

“Oh Herman!” Susanna gasped. “Where have you been? I looked all over for you. And you’re covered with snow!”

“Yah. It’s snowing outside.”

“You’ve come home again!” Her voice ended in a sob.

“I had to think,” he offered. “I was walking in the woods.”

Susanna slid his coat off his shoulders and rubbed his cold hands between hers. “Come…sit on the couch. What time is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s got to be after midnight.” Susanna wrapped her arms around him again.

“I’m sorry I left for a while…” his voice trailed off.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Susanna pulled on his arm. He didn’t resist as he sat on the couch with her. She found the afghan lying on the floor and wrapped it around his shoulders, watching as Herman shivered.

“You didn’t have to leave,” she whispered. “Now you’re going to catch a cold.”

He shivered again as she nestled against him.

“Are you hungry? I had supper ready, but it’s cold by now.” She felt him shake his head.

“But you have to be hungry. I’ll warm up something for you.”

He didn’t protest, so she slipped away to light the kerosene lamp in the kitchen. Maybe as badly as he was shivering, she ought to fix him something hot to drink first and go from there.

Putting water on to boil, she turned the burner up. While it heated, she brought out the cocoa and marshmallows, setting two cups on the counter. She would drink with him, and they could talk after Herman warmed up. He must have been thinking awful thoughts to have wandered around in the woods all this time. Glancing up at the clock, she groaned. It was already past two o’clock. Herman had been out for hours. But he had come home! That was the important thing.

“Come on, come on!” she whispered to the kettle. “Hurry up!”

A watched pot never boils, she reminded herself. She might as well check on Herman while she waited. Taking the lamp with her, Susanna went back into the living room. Herman was still seated where she had left him, shivering violently now. His face was pale in the flickering light of the kerosene lamp. “Herman, you’re cold.” She sat down beside him. “Why did you stay out so long with only that thin Sunday coat on?”

He didn’t say anything and he didn’t look at her.

“Oh Herman. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything by how I acted when you came in from the barn.

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