Truth be told, the house was ever so quiet with Anna out, Sadie thought as she worked. Tomorrow morning I’ll visit poor Eva. Maybe Anna will come along. She recalled that, because as a newcomer Anna was considered a part-time employee, she was not on call Fridays and Saturdays. Of course, on Sundays the information center was closed for the Lord’s Day, so Anna would be busy with tours only four days a week. I could show her how to make my little cheer-up cards, if she’s interested, she thought.

Sadie brought the water to a boil for the cake batter, then melted the butter and contemplated Anna’s parents’ willingness to let her move here to live with Old Order Amish folk, cousins or not. It made Sadie wonder if they knew about Rachel’s mother’s experiences here decades ago.

Mamm always said Eliza Hertzler was sorely tested that summer, thought Sadie, guessing that Eliza hadn’t told her granddaughter much, if anything, about those months.

O Lord, may Anna’s time here be pleasant, surrounded by Thy love.

Chapter 12

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1948

Eliza Hertzler was busy cutting and bundling what Great-aunt Joanna had happily declared “a bumper crop of asparagus.” Her aunt was sitting over on the large back porch sipping cold meadow tea this morning as Eliza placed the bundles of asparagus in the faded red wagon that worked fine despite recent years of little use.

After five long days in Strasburg working in the house or garden, Eliza was itching to see more of the area. Today she was responsible for pulling the asparagus-filled wagon up the road to the farmhouse of Joanna’s cousin Nellie. “She’ll make good use of it,” Aunt Joanna had declared at breakfast.

Looking back at the wagonful, Eliza pulled a face at the thought of canning all of that produce. She’d never cared a whit for asparagus, despite its supposedly being a healthy vegetable and “good for what ails ya,” according to Mamma. Healthiness certainly didn’t stop Eliza from turning up her nose at the green vegetable.

As if somethin’ ails me, she thought, picking up her pace on this mild and sunny day. She gazed ahead down the road, glad the pavement wasn’t too hot just yet, barefoot as she was. “The only thing ailin’ me is that I’m stuck here,” she murmured, feeling sorry for herself as she yearned yet again for home and wondered what Ephraim was doing this fine day.