An Amish Family Christmas: Heart of ChristmasA Plain Holiday Read online

  James Keim stood stiffly, hands at his sides. His gaze was locked with that of the bishop. Susannah found she was holding her breath.

  At last Keim nodded. “I agree. It was a misunderstanding.”

  Thank you, Lord. Susannah’s heart filled.

  The room began to hum with excited conversation. Mothers started uncovering the trays of cookies and cakes set out on a long table at the back of the room. And Susannah’s students rushed to her and enveloped her in their love.

  * * *

  It was nearly an hour until the schoolhouse emptied enough that Susannah could look for answers to the questions that bubbled through her mind. She found Mary Keim in the midst of taking down Christmas decorations.

  “That can wait until later.” She caught Mary’s arm before she could climb up on the step stool. “Tell me how this came about. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you standing up there leading the kinder.”

  Mary flushed. “I could hardly believe it myself. But it was important to the little ones, ain’t so?”

  “I’m sure it was.” She still felt a little overwhelmed at the love her scholars had showered on her. “But your father...” She let the question die out, not sure she wanted to know if Mary had openly defied her parents.

  “It was the bishop,” Mary said, a smile lurking in her eyes. “Bishop John came to the house and talked about how important the Christmas program was to the whole community. And when he asked me to help right in front of my daad, well, Daadi just couldn’t say no.”

  “I guess he couldn’t.” She had to suppress a chuckle at the thought of that conversation. Bishop John had been wily, it seemed. “So the bishop was the one who thought of all this?”

  Mary shrugged. “I guess. Anyway, he’s the one who spoke to us.” She hesitated, and then she went on in a rush. “I really wanted to do it. No matter what.”

  Touched, Susannah patted the girl’s arm. “When school starts again, will you be back as my helper?”

  Mary flushed again, with pleasure this time. “If you want me.”

  “That’s certain sure.” Her first impression of Mary Keim had certainly been mistaken. “You’re going to make a fine teacher, if that’s what you want.”

  “More than anything.” Again she hesitated. “Teacher Susannah, I hope you can forgive my father. I want to learn from you, not replace you.”

  “Of course I forgive him.” She gave the girl a quick hug. “And who knows? You might end up doing both.”

  Letting Mary get back to her work, Susannah cornered Bishop John before he could slip away with the last group of parents and children.

  “Denke, Bishop John. I don’t know how you thought of this, but I’m truly grateful for all the trouble you’ve gone to for me.” She blinked back a fresh set of tears at the thought.

  “Ach, Susannah, you owe me no thanks. It was important that you know how much we value you, no matter what you decide to do in the future.” His eyes crinkled with a smile. “Besides, the idea wasn’t mine. This was all Toby Unger’s doing. He’s the one you must thank.”

  “Toby?” Her voice shook a little on his name.

  Bishop John nodded. “He came to me with it all thought out. Seems he and that boy of his were determined to make things up to you.” He gave her a little push. “I think I saw him carrying things into the back room.”

  Warmth spread through her. No matter how much she regretted losing what might have been between her and Toby, at least she now understood that their friendship was solid and unbreakable, just as it always had been.

  Bishop John was right. She owed Toby her thanks, and she’d best do it now, before she lost her nerve.

  When she reached the back room, she found Zeke and William helping Toby store the program props on the wall shelves. All three looked around at the sound of her steps.

  “Toby, I... May I have a minute?”

  Zeke grinned and clapped William on the shoulder. “Let’s go grab some cookies. We deserve it after all this work, ain’t so?”

  William glanced from her to his father, and she thought she read hesitation in his face. Then he nodded, and the two boys headed back into the schoolroom.

  When they were alone together, Susannah found herself suddenly tongue-tied. “Toby, I...I... Thank you.”

  “Forget it.” He grinned, and for an instant he was a mischievous boy again. “It wasn’t just me. I talked to Bishop John, and then the two of us talked to Becky and your parents, and it just snowballed.”

  “But it started with you.” She took a step closer, her embarrassment slipping away. This was Toby, after all. She had always been able to say anything to him. “We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms, and I—”

  “Don’t, Susannah.” A spasm of pain crossed his face, wiping away his smile. “Every chance I get, I just end up making a mistake and hurting you.”

  “You didn’t hurt me by asking me to marry you.” She was as close as she dared get to him without risking him seeing how deeply he affected her. “I know that you were only trying to be helpful.”

  “Helpful.” He grimaced. “All I’ve done is make your life a shambles since I came back, but I never meant for that to happen.”

  “Toby, I...” She was trying to find the words that would reassure him when his hands shot out and grasped her arms. His warmth penetrated the fabric, heating her skin, and her mouth went dry.

  “Whatever else you might think, at least know that I meant it when I said our friendship was a solid foundation for marriage.” His grip tightened. “But that’s not all, and I didn’t even realize it until I thought I’d cost you everything.”

  He took a step closer, and her heart was beating up in her throat so hard that she couldn’t have spoken to save her life.

  “I know you, Susannah Miller. I know you better than I’ve ever known anyone else in my life. The more I see of you, the better I understand. You’re honest and good all the way through. No matter how I tried to kid myself, I know now that you have always held first place in my heart. I love you, Susannah. I always have, and I always will.”

  The rapid rush of words stopped, and he looked at her with his heart in his eyes. He lifted her hands, holding them close to his lips, so that she felt his warm breath on them when he spoke again.

  “What about it? Do you think you could possibly take a chance on me again?”

  Susannah was caught between laughter and tears. “Ach, Toby, you know me so well. Can you possibly doubt the answer to that question?”

  Relief seemed to wash over his face. She knew he really had been uncertain, and her heart leaped. She raised their clasped hands so that she could touch his lips with her fingertips.

  “I know we’re in the schoolhouse,” she said softly. “But I think this occasion merits a kiss, don’t you?”

  She could feel his smile as his lips claimed hers, and then she was lost in the warmth and tenderness and belonging that bound them one to the other. She slipped her arms around him, holding him close. This time, forever. The words seemed to form in her mind. Despite all the grief and pain, they’d found their way back where they belonged.

  A thought hit her, and she drew away an inch or two. “We mustn’t rush. The kinder... We have to think of them. We must give them time to get used to the idea.”

  Toby nodded. “We will, but I think they won’t find it hard.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Maybe, by the time you’re ready to quit teaching for a family of your own, you’ll have Mary trained to step into your place.”

  Blushing at the thought of the children they might have together, she nodded. If he was right about William and Anna, this really might have been her last Christmas program as teacher at the Pine Creek School.

  But whether it was or not, she knew for certain what her future Christmases would be like. She and T
oby would be celebrating together for the rest of their lives. As the children had said in their program, love was the best Christmas gift of all.

  * * * * *

  Dear Reader

  I’m so glad you decided to read this collection of Amish novellas. Christmas is such a special time of the year, and I loved having the opportunity to create a story that focused on the traditions that are so important to the Amish at Christmas.

  Each year, I struggle to balance a celebration of the wonderful gift of God that is Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, with all of the other aspects of celebration. While I enjoy the gifts, the lights, the Christmas trees, the holiday parties, the cards and messages from faraway friends, I find it too easy to let other things come between me and the recognition of the reason we are celebrating. Because the Amish bring a much simpler approach to the celebration of Christ’s birth, I suspect all of us can learn from them.

  I hope you enjoy my story and that it blesses you with simple truths. I would love to hear from you, and you can reach me at [email protected] or on Facebook at Marta Perry Books. If you write to me, I’ll be sure to respond with a signed bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes.

  Blessings,

  Questions for Discussion

  Which character struck you as being more in tune with the spirit of the Christmas season, Susannah or Toby?

  Do you think Susannah regarded her career as a teacher as second-best after her marriage plans fell through? Why or why not?

  Do you think Susannah and Toby’s marriage would have been successful if he’d stayed and married her despite his doubts? Why or why not?

  Which character in the story did you identify with most? Why?

  Have you ever felt as if you were under attack from all sides, as Susannah did? What did you do in that situation?

  Of all the Christmas traditions you keep each year, which are the most meaningful to you? Why?

  Is there anything you routinely do at Christmastime that you could eliminate to give yourself more time for the most important things? What is it?

  A Plain Holiday

  Patricia Davids

  It is with heartfelt love that I dedicate this story to my brothers, Greg, Bob, Mark and Gary. I’m sorry for the grief I gave you as your spoiled-brat sister. You guys made me tough. You taught me to throw a ball like a boy and not like a girl, and you allowed me to share many adventures. Thanks for that and for your lifelong love and support. Merry Christmas, from Sis.

  And suddenly there was with the angel a

  multitude of the heavenly host praising God,

  and saying, Glory to God in the highest,

  and on earth peace, good will toward men.

  —Luke 2:13–14

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Dear Reader

  Questions for Discussion

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  “This is the worst Christmas ever.”

  Sally Yoder bit the corner of her lip and glanced over her shoulder at her young charge. She shouldn’t have said that aloud. It made her sound ungrateful. She wasn’t. She was happy to have a good job as a nanny for the Higgins family. Most days.

  Eleven-year-old Kimi wasn’t paying attention so Sally stared out the window again. In her hand, she held the most recent letter from her mother. It had arrived last week. Sally kept it in her pocket and took it out whenever she was missing home. Like now.

  Traffic clogged the street below her employer’s Cincinnati apartment building. It was rush hour, although she saw scores of cars no matter what time of day she looked out. The view was cold and depressing. The holiday lights and Christmas decorations didn’t improve it much. Piles of dirty snow lay melting into gray slush along the sidewalks where pedestrians wove in and out of the mess as they hurried along.

  Sally’s upbringing among the serene Amish farms in Hope Springs, Ohio, had ill-prepared her for the noisy bustle of life in the city.

  This is my rumspringa, my time to experience the outside world and discover if I wish to remain Amish. I should be eager to see and do everything here in the Englisch world.

  But she wasn’t, and she knew why. It was hard to enjoy the adventure when her heart remained in Hope Springs. Rather, the broken bits of it remained behind, scattered at Ben Lapp’s feet. It was awful to love someone who didn’t love her back.

  She glanced at her letter again. It wasn’t possible to be more homesick than she was at this second. She reached for the ties of her Amish prayer kapp. She often twirled the ribbon around her fingers when she was deep in thought, but she realized her head was bare. She had been dressing English for three months now and it still felt odd. Would she ever put a kapp on again?

  “If I don’t get a new iPod, it will be the worst Christmas ever.” Kimi proved she had heard Sally’s comment, after all. Kimi was sprawled on her bed with her smartphone, that ever-present accessory, clutched in her hands. It giggled and shouted “Text message!” in a cartoon voice that Sally found increasingly irritating.

  It was the first day of winter vacation for Kimi’s private school. The girl had been complaining all morning about missing her friends and being bored.

  Kimi suddenly sat bolt upright. “Jen got blue diamond earrings from her stepdad? No way. That is so awesome. I should let Grams know I want a pair. She likes to buy me cool stuff.” Kimi flipped her long black hair out of her face and began typing furiously on her phone.

  “Christmas is not about expensive gifts.” Sally used her stern “nanny voice” to deliver the message.

  “Whatever.”

  Sally shook her head and returned to contemplating the dreary world outside. If Kimi were this materialistic at eleven, what would she be like as an adult? The answer was easy. She would be like her mother.

  Michele Higgins rarely had time for her children. Shopping and lunch with her friends took up most of her day. Sally was just the latest in a long string of nannies to raise the children. The family’s money came from the huge real estate business Michele’s workaholic husband managed. The contrast between this family and Sally’s simple Amish roots was glaring.

  “Christmas is about our Savior’s birth. It is a time to reflect on our salvation. A time to give thanks for the blessings God has bestowed on us. A time to visit family and friends who are dear to us.”

  “I don’t know how you people live without electricity. I’m so glad my grandmother left the Amish when she married Grandpa McIntyre. Ugh! How can Christmas be fun without shopping and holiday lights?”

  “The beauty of the season doesn’t come from lights and store displays. We enjoy going to see them in town, but God decorates the land in His own way this time of year. The snow lies like a pristine white blanket over the Amish farms and countryside. Sometimes, the snow glitters so brightly in the sun that it hurts my eyes, but it’s so beautiful that I can’t stop looking.”

  “Okay, it’s pretty, but what do you do for fun?”

  “Many things. At Christmastime, my mother’s kitchen is filled with the smell of wonderful baking things. The youngest kinder, my brothers and sisters, will start pestering Mamm to make her delicious peach cobbler with snow ice cream. Someone will host a cookie exchange and my married sisters will come over and help Mamm bake all day.”

  “Sounds like work.”

  “Nee, it’s not. The kitchen is full of laughter and happy chatter. We have such good times together.” And she was going to miss it all this
year.

  “What’s a cookie exchange?” Kimi asked, while at the same time answering a text, leaving Sally to wonder how she could do two things at once.

  “A cookie exchange is a kind of party. Each family that’s invited will bring a big container, sometimes even a bucket, filled with all kinds of cookies and baked goods. The hosting family has hot chocolate, coffee and cider for everyone. There’s sure to be singing and game playing and lots of cookie sampling. Then, when it’s time to go home, each family fills their bucket with everyone else’s delicious baked goods to enjoy all week long.”

  “Sounds boring. No wonder you left.” Kimi plopped on her stomach to read another text message.

  Sally’s spirits plunged. A Plain Christmas was the best kind of Christmas, but she might never be a part of one again. She was at a crossroads in her life. For a long time she had been wondering if she truly belonged among the simple, devout people. She didn’t possess a meek spirit, and she couldn’t pretend any longer that she did.

  She turned her mother’s letter over to read the back. With all the news her mother relayed, Sally found herself reading the same small tidbit again and again and wishing there was more. Some of the ink was blurred where her tears had fallen on the paper.

  We heard Ben Lapp has taken a job at the McIntyre horse farm and likes working there. His mother says he’ll be home for Christmas though.

  Ben would be home, but Sally wouldn’t. She was here to get over him, but it didn’t seem to be working.

  Kimi had caught Sally crying the day the letter arrived. In a moment of weakness, Sally had told her why. Kimi’s advice was to go out and buy something nice. At her age, Kimi couldn’t understand that material things didn’t mend hearts.

  The door to Kimi’s room burst open, startling Sally into dropping her letter. Ryder, Kimi’s younger brother, came charging in. “You’ll never guess what,” he shouted.