Who the Bishop Knows by Vannetta Chapman

Author:Vannetta Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736966528
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Thirty-Five

Henry wasn’t aware of the setting sun or the little dog who lay at his feet, eyeing him occasionally. He didn’t realize he’d skipped dinner. He wasn’t conscious of the fact that the evening was cooling or that the solar light on the outside of his workshop had come on.

Then Lexi jumped to her feet, and a shadow passed over the sheet of paper he was drawing on.

He glanced up to find Seth Hoschstetler standing in the doorway of his workshop, his head cocked to the side and a look of concern on his face.

“Seth. I didn’t hear you walk up.”

“Ya. That much is obvious.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Only that we were worried about you.”

“Worried?”

“Roseann and I. Because you didn’t show up for dinner.”

Henry leaned his head back and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I forgot. Totally forgot. I’m so sorry. I’ve been preoccupied…”

The words slid away as he realized Seth was looking around in amazement, looking at the pieces of paper that littered his desk. He stepped closer and peered down at a drawing that showed the mass of people exiting the rodeo in a panic, minutes after the shooting.

“You drew these?”

“Yes.”

Henry didn’t defend himself.

He’d told both Seth and Roseann about his ability to draw before they’d moved to Monte Vista. He’d explained how he could render in elaborate detail anything he’d seen, how the way his memory worked had changed so many years ago when he was a lad and had been hit by a baseball.

He’d told them all of it before they’d joined the community.

He told all potential members.

While the Monte Vista community of Plain folk had all accepted his strange talent, Henry was aware many in other communities wouldn’t—people who shared the opinion of Jeremiah’s dad, though few would go so far as to call what he did sorcery. Still, Henry allowed for each person to be convicted by God’s Spirit in their own way, and he didn’t hold it against anyone who was uncomfortable with his ability.

Seth was aware of what Henry could do, but knowing something and witnessing it were two different things.

“Have a look,” he said, gesturing to the haphazard pile of drawings.

“You drew all of these from memory?”

“I did.”

Seth picked up one sheet after another—each depicting a different scene from the rodeo. He carefully studied each one and then set it neatly in a pile. Henry hadn’t realized until that moment how long he’d been at it. He was suddenly aware that his hand ached, the muscles in his shoulders felt tight, and he was terribly hungry.

“How long did this take you? How many days have you been working on these?”

“Not days. Hours. I started late this morning.”

Seth squared up the sheets and looked his bishop straight in the eye. “It’s amazing, Henry. It’s a wunderbaar thing you can do. A real gift from Gotte.”

A wave of relief crashed over Henry. He didn’t need man’s approval, didn’t actively seek it, but it helped when those in his congregation embraced him fully despite his unusual ability.

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