Maryann's Hope by Molly Jebber

Author:Molly Jebber [Jebber, Molly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2020-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Saturday, Maryann, Andrew, and her family greeted friends who had brought food and expressed their condolences. She listened to the swirl of conversations around her, with Betsy balanced on her right hip, while Mamm, dressed in her blue dress and kapp, lay lifeless in the pine box on a long table. Maryann had been relieved and grateful to Liza and Hannah for preparing the body. She was too grief-stricken to do it. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and greeted the mourners, but she was going through the motions.

Sunday, she attended the regular church service and stared at Bishop Fisher while he gave his message. She found comfort in the verses the bishop shared about God’s love and how He didn’t forsake us. She had faith God would get her and her family through this difficult time. Friends came and went to visit them after church and until later that evening.

The days were a blur. Numb, she didn’t feel like herself. She loved Andrew for standing next to her. He conversed with their visitors and helped with Betsy. She had to tell him about the letter she’d written to cancel their wedding. The letter would be waiting for him at the post office in Millersburg when he returned there. She enjoyed him and let herself depend on his strength, understanding, encouragement, and love. Her family needed her, but how could she let him go? She wished she could recapture the letter, rip it in two, and throw it away. What would she do now? She couldn’t leave Daed alone.

* * *

Monday, she couldn’t imagine what this would’ve been like without him. He stood next to her.

“I’ll get you some warm cocoa. Ellie has it warming on the stove. You haven’t had anything all morning.” Andrew gave her a loving gaze.

“Danki.” She watched him walk away from her. None of this seemed real. She expected to inhale the aroma of Mamm’s delicious cinnamon rolls from the kitchen and find her bringing in a plate of them to serve to their guests. The woman in the coffin seemed like a stranger. Maryann couldn’t breathe. She had to have a minute to herself. She rushed to her room and stared out the window at the sea of buggies and wagons parked on the far right side of their property.

Liza and Hannah came alongside her. “Maryann, are you all right?”

Betsy outstretched her arms to Hannah.

Hannah took Betsy.

Betsy whined and rested her head on Hannah’s shoulder.

Maryann walked into Liza’s arms and found solace as her friend held her. Liza’s arms felt warm and comforting. Just what she needed. She wept.

Hannah used her free hand and rubbed Maryann’s back. “Get it all out. We’re here for you. Anything you need.”

Liza handed Maryann a clean handkerchief from under her sleeve. “I brought two. Keep it.”

Hannah shifted Betsy to her other hip. “Ellie, Magdelena, Rachael, and my mamm are serving the mourners. Joel is with your daed. There’s no rush for you to tend to guests.

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.