Valley of Hope: The Amish of Lancaster Read online

  Valley of Hope

  Books by Sarah Price

  The Amish of Lancaster Series

  #1 Fields of Corn

  #2 Hills of Wheat

  #3 Pastures of Faith

  #4 Valley of Hope

  The Amish of Lititz Series

  Plain Fame (October 2012)

  The Adventures of a Family Dog Series

  #1 A Small Dog Named Peek-a-boo

  #2 Peek-a-boo Runs Away

  #3 Peek-a-boo’s New Friends

  #4 Peek-a-boo and Daisy Doodle

  Other Books

  Gypsy in Black

  Find Sarah Price on Facebook and Goodreads!

  Learn about upcoming books, sequels, series, and contests!

  Valley of Hope:

  The Amish of Lancaster Series

  By

  Sarah Price

  Published by Price Publishing, LLC.

  Morristown, New Jersey

  2012

  The Pennsylvania Dutch used in this manuscript is taken from the Pennsylvania Dutch Revised Dictionary (1991) by C. Richard Beam, Brookshire Publications, Inc. in Lancaster, PA.

  Copyright © 2012 by Price Publishing, LLC.

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Contact the author at on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fansofsarahprice or

  visit her Web Blog at http://sarahpriceauthor.wordpress.com.

  Price Publishing, LLC.

  Morristown, NJ

  http://www.pricepublishing.org

  Chapter One

  Rather than walk down the gravel lane to his parents’ house, Samuel decided to cut through the valley between the front and back pastures. It was faster and easier, despite the fact that his boots would be muddy from the recent spring rain. It had rained a lot this spring and the fields were muddy because of it. However, the air was crisp, cooler than usual and the grass was green. It was a perfect day for a good long walk and he knew that would do him some good.

  After a long day of work at his brother’s carpentry shop, Samuel liked to be by himself. It gave him time to think and to just be alone. Jonas Junior wasn’t one for wasting time when there was work to be done. There wasn’t much time for idleness during work hours. Projects seemed to keep stacking up. And Samuel was tired of listening to his older brother telling him what to do.

  Being the youngest of ten children, Samuel had enough of being bossed around by everyone else. For as long as he could remember, everyone seemed to tell him what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. If it wasn’t his father or mother, it was one of his older brothers. It didn’t help matters that he worked for Jonas Junior at the carpentry shop: Just more order taking. And Samuel Lapp was tired of taking orders from everyone else in the family. He was tired of following the authority of brothers, father, and ministers.

  For as long as he could remember, he had been the one that was always left behind on Communion Day or sent away whenever there was an adult conversation. For years, he had stood in their shadows, watching them take the kneeling vow, settle down, and start families. He seemed to be the tail end of a long line of people who had been there, done that. No one seemed to recognize his own individuality and need for standing on his own two feet, especially now that he was almost twenty-one.

  Yes, Samuel thought, it sure is nice to walk home alone and not have to listen to his brother: No one to tell him what to do, what to think, or even where to walk. Besides, it gave him time to reflect and think; a time to be by himself; a time when he didn’t have to listen to others telling him what to do or how to behave.

  In the middle of the field, he paused for a moment. He could hear the engine of a fast car on the lane that ran parallel to his father’s farm. Samuel shielded his eyes with his hands and stared in the direction of the sound. As the noise grew louder, Samuel squinted in anticipation. A red Ford Mustang raced along the road. It slowed down at the STOP sign before turning left onto Hess Road and disappearing over the hill.

  Samuel frowned and shook his head as he continued on his way through the small valley. A car, he thought. If only he could drive a car…just once. He wanted to feel the wind on his face as he drove sixty miles per hour down a highway. He’d drive with his arm hanging out the window and the radio turned as loud as it could play. The speed of a car, especially a Mustang, couldn’t even be compared to the old fashion horse and buggy that he was forced to drive through the streets of Leola, Pennsylvania, that was for sure and certain.

  A small flock of Canadian geese flew overhead, squawking in harmony as they passed. Samuel paused for just a moment to watch them, admiring the perfect V formation of their flock. When the one leading them began to tire, it would fall back and let another take the lead. They flew by unspoken rules and supported each other…no questions asked.

  Just like the Amish, Samuel thought with another frown on his face.

  He was approaching his parents’ house. Just two years back, his parents had moved from the main house into the grossdaadihaus that was connected to it. It was a smaller house with three small bedrooms upstairs and one larger bedroom downstairs. Samuel and his older brother, David, had moved with his mamm and daed into the grossdaadihaus so that Junior and his family could move into the main house. They had six children now and needed the extra space.

  Samuel didn’t mind the move. In fact, it was quieter in the grossdaadihaus since the little children didn’t come visit as much. With more space to live and easier access to the front yard, the children seemed more content on their own side of the house. Their mamm, Lillian, had her hands full taking care of the house and the children, too. And, with David helping brother Daniel in the fields during the day and courting Susie Miller on the weekends, it was plenty quiet on the farm and that suited Samuel just fine.

  When he rounded the bend of the valley and began to climb up the back hill, Samuel noticed his mamm standing in the driveway talking to brother Daniel’s wife, Rachel. She had just had their second baby, another little girl, and was enjoying the fresh air. Samuel took a deep breath and exhaled. He hoped he didn’t have to coo over that new baby for too long.

  “Samuel!”

  He looked up at his mother and frowned. Her tone was less than friendly. “What is it, Mamm?”

  “You know the pastures are muddy! You couldn’t walk down the lane like the others? You’ll track mud all through my kitchen! And I just cleaned the floors today!”

  Samuel rolled his eyes. “I’ll take my boots off, Mamm.” He glanced at Rachel and the baby in her arms. But, rather than say anything, he merely nodded his head and hurried up the steps into the grossdaadihaus.

  Before he disappeared into the kitchen, he noticed that Rachel frowned, lifting one eyebrow in displeasure at his lack of a hospitable greeting. Inwardly, Samuel groaned, knowing that he’d hear about that later from his brother, Daniel. But he couldn’t help it. In the four years since she had arrived on their farm, they just hadn’t seen eye-to-eye on much of anything. When it came to Rachel, Samuel knew that avoiding any and all interaction was the best policy, even if it meant getting the what-for from his brother later on.

  Inside the kitchen, his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light. With the sun starting to set, the natural light in the room was fading rapidly. He paused in the doorway, leaning against the wall to kick off his boots before padding across the clean linoleum floor to light the kerosene lantern hanging over the kitchen table. Within seconds, a bright light l
it up the room and Samuel sank into a chair by the table to glance through The Budget, the weekly newspaper for current news and happenings in the Amish community.

  “You could try to be a little more pleasant, Samuel,” Katie said as she walked into the room. Her voice was strained and even. He could tell she was fighting to maintain her patience. “You didn’t even say hello to Rachel or look at the baby.”

  He rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively, ignoring his mother and kept his attention on the newspaper. Without even looking, he could sense the frown on his mother’s face. Again. It seemed to be permanently engraved there, at least whenever Samuel was around. He had grown used to ignoring it, letting her displeasure bounce off of him as though he was surrounded by a shield. It was just easier that way.

  “You’ll understand one day, Samuel. Mark my words,” Katie sighed.

  “Ja, one day when I’m an old man and finally ready to settle down, mayhaps!” he retorted.

  Katie laughed, shaking her head as she turned toward the kitchen counter. “Oh, it’ll happen, son. Sooner than you think. Just you wait and see.”

  This time, Samuel ignored her and, to his relief, his mother didn’t pursue the conversation further. The silence that fell upon the kitchen was just fine with him as it allowed him time to read the paper in peace, without more interruptions that required him to answer questions or engage in conversation. After working all day with Jonas Junior, his eldest brother, Samuel was ready to unwind before supper and evening chores. And silence was top on his to-do list.

  “Onkel!”

  Samuel rolled his eyes. Forget about the news, he told himself as he set down the paper and shoved it across the table. Clearly, the silence was broken for good and, without doubt, he’d have no peace for the rest of the evening. Forcing a smile onto his face to mask his irritation, Samuel turned in the direction of the noise. “Linda! Jacob! I suppose I should be surprised to see you here but, then again, seems you’re always here!”

  His nephew, Jacob, ran across the kitchen floor and flung himself at Samuel’s legs. Despite being eight, he was very small for his age. It was a concern of the family and Samuel knew that his brother, Junior, was thinking about taking him to a fancy medical facility in Philadelphia. But, Jacob didn’t seem to notice that he was small in stature. He made up for it through a large personality. “We just finished supper and wanted to see if you needed help milking the cows!”

  Samuel tousled the little boy’s brown curly hair, so typical of the Lapp boys. “Tell you what, Jacob. You can milk all the cows for me!”

  “Really?” the little boy said, his eyes wide and hopeful.

  His older sister leaned against the table, frowning at her brother. “No, silly. He’s just teasing you!” At twelve, Linda was growing into a pretty young girl. Unlike Jacob, she was tall for her age and willowy with pretty brown eyes and dark, shiny hair. She wasn’t wearing her prayer kapp but her hair was pulled back, neat and tight in a traditional Amish bun at the back of her neck. “Ain’t so, Onkel?”

  Samuel sighed. There was no fooling around with Linda in the room. She was much more serious and direct than the other kinners. “Ja, it’s true.” He reached down and tweaked Jacob’s nose. “But you can help me, that’s for sure and certain. You know how much I love milking those cows!”

  Both Jacob and Linda giggled. It was a known fact that Samuel Lapp detested farm work. He didn’t like getting up at four in the morning to milk the cows or mucking out the stalls or chasing cows through muddy paddocks. He much preferred working with his hands, building the storage sheds and garden houses that Junior’s company sold throughout America.

  Katie dried her hands on a towel as she walked over to her two grandchildren. There was a concerned look on her face as she stood before them. “Your mamm had an early supper tonight, ja?”

  Linda nodded. “She’s feeling poorly.”

  Katie glanced down at Jacob. Clearly, she wanted to ask more questions but didn’t want to upset the young boy. With Lillian expecting her seventh baby toward the end of summer, she had been especially sluggish and weary for the past month. Yet, Katie was still concerned. “Where’s your sister?”

  “Lena’s helping mamm with the dishes,” Linda replied.

  It wasn’t unusual for Lena to be lingering in the kitchen. Of all the kinners, Lena was the one who enjoyed spending time with her mamm and avoided the outdoor farm work. She was only a year younger than Jacob but quite different, quiet and serious with searching eyes that seemed to observe everything with curiosity but nary a word to say about it.

  That left Linda to watch the little ones since Lena was glued to Lillian’s side. “You tell your mamm that I’ll be over after we’ve had our own supper to help her with the little ones, Linda,” Katie said.

  “Yes ma’am,” Linda replied solemnly. Everyone knew that if something needed to get done, asking Linda was a sure way to insure that it was done properly.

  “Now, I think if you look in my cookie jar, you’ll find some fresh sugar cookies,” Katie said lightly. “One each. And take one for Lena, Abram, and little Anna, too.”

  Both children ran over to the counter, Jacob watching expectantly as his older sister carefully removed the lid from the jar and pulled out their booty. She made certain to give him the larger of the cookies, a simple act that made Katie smile.

  “Danke, Mammi Katie!” Linda smiled at her grandmother. “Es gut!”

  Jacob scowled at his sister. “Of course it’s gut! Mammi Katie makes the best cookies in all of Leola!”

  Samuel laughed and shook his head.

  Katie frowned at Jacob. “No better than any other mamm with hungry children, Jacob,” she said modestly. Compliments were for the vain, after all. But it was clear that, secretly, she was pleased with her grandson. “Now, Linda, mayhaps you should run along to help your mamm. If she’s feeling poorly, you should take care of the little ones until I come over. Get Lena to help, too,” Katie said. She glanced around the kitchen. “Need to prepare the supper meal here then I’ll come over to see what needs fixing at your house, ja?”

  Linda nodded, taking her charge seriously, and quickly disappeared through the door that connected the two houses. Jacob, however, stayed behind. For a moment, he stood in the middle of the room, looking at Katie then at the door where his sister had left. With a shrug of his shoulders, he returned to the table and leaned against Samuel’s leg while eating his cookie.

  “How many sheds did you build today, Samuel?” he asked.

  “More than you can count!” Samuel grumbled, still trying to read the newspaper.

  Jacob’s eyes grew large, a cookie crumb falling from the corner of his mouth. “Really? That’s a lot!”

  “And tomorrow the big truck will come to haul them away to New York State!” Samuel added, leaning down so that he was closer to Jacob. “That truck must be awful powerful to be able to take those sheds so far, don’t you think, Jacob?”

  “Why, I bet our horse couldn’t pull even one!” Jacob exclaimed, his eyes shining.

  “That’s right,” Samuel said, brushing some cookie crumbs off of his leg. “Imagine how many horses it would take to move four sheds!”

  “Oh!” the little boy replied in pure wonder at his uncle’s words.

  The kitchen door opened and Samuel’s older brother, David, walked inside, pausing only to take off his dirty boots. He set his straw hat on a peg in the wall and greeted his mother with a smile. When he saw Jacob at the table, pushing against Samuel’s leg, David laughed.

  “Ach, Jacob! You are a permanent fixture in this house, ja?”

  Samuel frowned. “Wouldn’t I know it!”

  Jacob was immune to their banter. “How many horses would it take to pull the sheds, Onkel?”

  David glanced at his brother. “Come again?”

  Samuel shrugged.

  Jacob rolled onto his back, leaning over Samuel’s knees. He stared up at the ceiling. “Samuel said it would take a lot of hors
es to move one shed! How many would it take to move four?”

  David laughed and tweaked Jacob’s nose before pulling out a chair and sitting at the table next to his brother. “Oh my!” he said. “I’d think at least 100.”

  “100!” Jacob said, his eyes wide and bright.

  Samuel nodded. “Ja, 100!”

  David laughed with his brother. “That’s right! A whole field or two of horses!”

  “Or three!” Samuel added.

  “Wow!” Jacob drew in a deep breath. “That sure is a lot of horses!”

  David winked at his nephew and lowered his voice. “The same number of horses that it would take to drag your onkel Samuel to the youth gathering tonight!”