The Way Home by Ruth Hartzler

Author:Ruth Hartzler [Hartzler, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781925689969
Publisher: Amish Romance Books

Chapter 14

The large gas heaters the community had brought for the Singing only served to keep the chill off the air, and did nothing to provide any actual warmth unless someone was standing right next to one of them.

Hannah had always enjoyed the Singings before the accident, but tonight was different. Tonight, Noah was there. Of course, he was always at the Singings, but this was the first Singing Hannah had attended after the accident. She fervently wished that Noah was not there.

Why couldn’t he have stayed home just this once? she thought. I just want a little piece of joy in my heart. Joy was impossible for her now that Noah was there. Her conflicted feelings rose to the surface every time she saw him. Resentment and love cannot exist in the one heart, she remembered the bishop saying.

Hannah was concerned. Singings were where boys and girls found someone to date. She had attended Singings since the age of sixteen, like all others in her community. She dreaded seeing Noah with his new girlfriend. No doubt he would drive Susanna home in his buggy.

After the first hour of Singing, Hannah’s back was aching. She shifted her weight and wriggled, trying to get feeling back into her legs. A water cup was passed around. It was welcome as Hannah’s throat was dry from so much singing. She had grown unaccustomed to it, and wondered if she would lose her voice the following day.

After the first hour of singing slowly, the songs changed to somewhat faster hymns. Hannah would never have known the songs were sung in what was considered by Englischers to be an awfully slow manner, if an English visitor to the community the previous year hadn’t told her.

Several times during the Singing, Hannah felt eyes on her and looked down the row to see David Yoder grinning at her. Each time she smiled politely but briefly and at once looked away. She was glad Mary was with her. Mary had proven she would take no nonsense from David.

After two hours of singing, Hannah had worked up quite a thirst. She looked around for Mary, but she was talking in an animated fashion to a young woman. Hannah walked over to the table that held the food and drink. She looked at the array of cookies and desserts. There were donuts, pies, and cakes. She opted for a glass of water and some coffee. She drank the water in one go and poured herself coffee from the pitcher.

“Can I get anything for you, Hannah?”

Hannah swung around to see Noah’s smiling face. What a silly thing to say, she thought unkindly. I’m standing right in front of the food and I could surely get anything I wanted for myself. I don’t need him to get me anything. “I’m fine,” she said before she swung around, away from him.

“It was a gut Singing, wasn’t it?”

Hannah remained with her back to him for a moment, irritated that he would have the nerve even to speak to her.

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