The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

Author:Beverly Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Fiction;Amish—Fiction;Christian fiction;Love stories;FIC053000;FIC042000;FIC026000
ISBN: 9781493414239
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2018-02-23T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

20

Lena worked with Mimi the following Friday until that afternoon, when she read with Rebekah Petersheim, noticing even more progress. She could tell that Rebekah was becoming more confident in reading aloud each week and wished someone had taken the time to help her long before now. The woman had known and understood far more than she’d given herself credit for, and she’d been working hard to practice in between lessons.

As Rebekah was preparing to leave, she hesitated at the door and, turning back, said, “Ach, Lena . . . last week I told ya some things, and I might’ve given ya the wrong impression.”

Lena didn’t want the woman to feel like she had to share more than she was willing. “It’s all right, really.”

Yet Rebekah seemed determined to forge ahead. “There are some rumors swirling. . . .”

At Lena’s nod, Rebekah continued. “I shouldn’t care what people think of me, ’specially if they don’t know the truth. But I do care what you think, Lena Rose.”

Lena smiled. “Remember, no one knows the troubled path other folk must walk.”

Rebekah blew out a breath. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“And I truly care about what happened to you.”

Rebekah’s eyes glinted with tears. “Then you’re one of the few, if I dare say it.” She seemed to steel herself, as though gathering pluck to say more. “Here’s what most folk ain’t willing to hear. You see, at the time I came to be with Cora Ruth and her family—nearly a year ago now—my husband had just been put under a severe Bann for his drinking habit. The ministers wanted him to quit. Well, he didn’t quit—he drank all the more. And eventually, the bishop put his foot down, and the brethren put a probationary shunning on Michael.”

Lena sighed. “I had no idea.”

“Things were awful tense between us, since I was expected to shun him, too. You can only imagine.” Rebekah shook her head. “S’pose I felt somewhat guilty, too, because I was nearly the last one to realize he’d been tinkering with our grape juice, makin’ his own wine!” She wrinkled her brow into a hard frown. “Finally, one of the preachers thought it would be best if I left home for a time, in hopes of getting Michael to understand the foolishness of his ways. I had my doubts, though, whether that might just push him further over the edge, but I obeyed and came here to be with Cora Ruth and her family.

“Truth be told, I shouldn’t have stayed as long as I did, considering Michael’s awful state, but once the twins were born, Cora Ruth needed me. I kept thinkin’ I should get myself home, but before I could, the worst possible thing happened. My husband died suddenly.” Rebekah wiped her eyes.

Lena sighed, bearing the pain of it. “I’m so sorry, Rebekah. I didn’t know you were carrying such a burden.” Lena reached to embrace her and wished she could do something to ease the poor woman’s pain and the guilt Rebekah was enduring, as if she were responsible for her husband’s untimely passing.

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