Katie's Journey to Love by Jerry S. Eicher Read Free Book Online

sit there in time, but tonight she was taking time to bond with Joel.
    Mamm was changing so fast it was breathtaking, Katie thought. All those dark years while she was growing up Mamm had often been moody and troubled. But now a look of happiness had begun to find a home on her face. The change made Mamm look much younger. Even her step, since she’d said yah to Jesse’s marriage request had grown ever lighter. And now Mamm had stood up to Mabel out in the barn tonight. This was a new thing for her entirely. In the weeks before the wedding, Mamm used to shrivel up under the sharp words Mabel had spoken.
    Leroy and Willis sat on chairs across the room near the old stove. Mabel had ensconced herself on a chair close to the living room doorway. There had been an empty place on both couches—one between Katie and Carolyn and the other beside Joel. Mabel though, had taken one look and retreated to the kitchen for another chair. She now sat there as if she planned a quick dash back to the kitchen when her daett finished reading. No doubt she wanted to stay in charge even with Mamm in the house.
    Mamm stroked Joel’s hair, and he smiled up at her. She smiled back, turning her head to listen as Jesse read.
    â€œThou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.”
    Katie also listened to the familiar story in Genesis of how Abraham sent his servant back to the old country to find a wife for his son Isaac. There the servant had put out a test before the Lord, asking that a suitable young girl would arrive and offerwater not just for him but for his camels also. That was quite a task, and not one for the faint of heart, Katie thought. Especially since the water had to be drawn by hand from a deep well. Katie realized she might not have passed the test as Rebecca had. She would have offered water to the man, but to give it to the camels too? That was another matter. But then Katie wasn’t Rebecca either. And she wasn’t going to be asked to wed Abraham’s son, a mighty prince of Israel. Ben Stoll would be a gut enough husband for her.
    Katie stole a quick glance at Mabel. If Mabel knew what she was thinking, there would be no end of scorn from her. But the girl was watching the kitchen doorway, as if she expected her daett to finish at any moment. And sure enough, Jesse closed the Bible.
    â€œWe can finish the story tomorrow night,” he said. “I know everyone is tired after our first day together as a family. I want us all to get a good night’s sleep. We have lots of work to do tomorrow.”
    â€œ Yah ,” Mamm agreed, rising. “And there are still the dishes to be done.”
    â€œThey can wait,” Jesse said. “It’s important that we talk and pray with each other a little before we’re totally exhausted from the day.”
    â€œOh…” Mamm sat on the couch again.
    Mabel’s smile was smug again, and Katie looked away. She had to find more love in her heart for this girl. It wasn’t right the way she was feeling. Nee , it wasn’t right regardless how Mabel was acting.
    â€œI hope all of you are treating Emma like the wunderbah woman she is,” Jesse said.
    Mamm flushed, and streaks of red ran up her neck. She looked at the floor.
    Jesse smiled, seeming to enjoy her reaction. “Not too many women would be willing to leave their comfortable life with their only daughter and take on a family of five children, along with a grumpy husband.”
    â€œThat’s not true!” Mamm said with a chuckle.
    Jesse continued. “I see Joel has taken right to Emma like I knew he would. Emma is already more of a blessing to our home than I had dared hope she would be. Da Hah has truly given us a great gift. Just as He led the servant of Abraham to find Rebecca for Isaac, so Da Hah has given us Emma.”
    Mamm ’s face was bright-red now, but Jesse was no longer looking at her. Mabel had her gaze