Chapter 16
Five years prior…
Samuel had seen Christian and Hannah go outside the barn, but he didn’t think anything of it. Now, though, the singing had begun. They should’ve been back in by now. He was about to get up and go search for them, when he noticed Hannah entering the barn alone. He watched as she whispered into her sister’s ear. Deborah nodded and squeezed her hand. With a distraught countenance, Hannah walked out of the barn. Samuel knew he had to find out what was going on.
A quarter mile up the road, he spotted her walking toward home. Samuel jogged to catch up with her and soon he strode by her side. “Hannah, is everything okay?”
She sobbed and brushed away a tear. “Nee, Samuel.”
“If you’d like to talk, I’m here to listen,” Samuel offered. “Does it have something to do with Christian? Did you two have an argument?”
Hannah quietly nodded her head. “Samuel, Christian…he’s been seeing an Englisch girl,” she cried.
Oh no. How did she find out?
“I saw them together at the restaurant last night,” she explained, answering his unspoken question.
Samuel felt like he could wring Christian’s neck right about now. He always feared she’d get hurt by Christian’s thoughtlessness, but only now did he realize the tremendous pain it caused her. He needed to find a way to lift her spirits and cheer her up. “What are you going to do?” he wondered aloud.
“I don’t know. He said he still wants to marry me, but I can’t trust him anymore.”
Samuel thought for a moment, pondering what might bring a smile to her beautiful face. He needed to get her mind off of Christian. “Hey, our mouse catcher had kittens a few weeks ago. Would you like to see them?”
A small smile cracked at the corner of her mouth and Samuel knew he’d found a solution, albeit temporary. “Jah, denki, Samuel.”
Samuel entered the dark barn first and quickly found the lantern that hung by the door. Night had fallen outside, resulting in pitch blackness inside the barn’s interior. He swiped a match and a flame emanated from the wick inside the glass dome. He’d done this so many times; he could probably do it with his eyes closed.
“The litter is up in the haymow,” he explained as he stepped onto the first rung of the wooden ladder and slowly began climbing.
Hannah nodded her consent and followed him up. The haymow had always been one of her favorite places to play as a child. She and her siblings would often play hide and seek behind the large stacks of hay. She wondered if Samuel had had similar experiences.
“Did ya ever play hide and seek up here?” Hannah asked as she glanced around the spacious upper level of the barn. Lack of sufficient light prevented her from seeing more than just a few feet around them.
“Ach, jah. ’Twas a lot of fun.” Samuel smiled, and then pulled a small flashlight from his pocket. “Wait here. I will bring the mouse catchers.” He left the lantern near Hannah.
Hannah sat down on a bale of hay and breathed in deeply. She’d always loved the smell of sweet alfalfa. She pulled a piece of straw from the bale she sat on and placed it between her teeth, contently chewing it.
Samuel reappeared with two small kittens. One was pure white and the other was striped gray, a tabby. He held them out to her and she took the white one from his hand. She placed it into her lap and began to pet its soft fur. The kitten gently licked her fingers with its rough sandpaper-like tongue.
“Ach, this one is so cute!” she gushed.
Samuel pulled out a hay straw as well and began chewing on it. “My bruder and I used to light the end of these and pretend we were smoking. I don’t know why we did it. We would cough so bad, it was terrible.” He laughed, recalling the memory. “Until one day Peter accidentally dropped his and almost caught the barn on fire.”
Hannah attempted to cover a laugh with her hand. “Ach, no. Really?”
“Jah. Dat found out and gave us a whipping for it.” He grimaced, still remembering the pain on his back side. “Don’t tell your sister, though. Peter won’t like me telling his business.”
“I won’t.” Hannah smiled, recalling a memory of her own. “My schweschdern and I used to make hay dolls.” She quickly pulled out a small handful of long straw from the bale. Samuel watched with interest as her skillful fingers bent the straw, twisting and turning it in her hands, then fastening it into what, indeed, looked like a doll. “See?” She smiled, holding up her creation.
“Jah, pretty creative. I always wondered what the maedel were doing when they were supposed to be working,” he teased.
Hannah feigned offense and covered a giggle. She playfully threw the hay doll at him.
Ach, Samuel loved seeing the joy on her face once again. If only he could remove her pain forever. Samuel stroked the kitten in his lap. “Did ya know that cats can fall from really high places and not get hurt?” he asked.
“Jah, I think I read about that somewhere. Probably back when we were in school.”
“Well, Peter and I tested the theory and found it to be true. We used to drop them from the haymow.” Samuel chuckled. “Until one time we didn’t realize that Dat was walking below and one landed on him. Peter and I didn’t fare too well that time either. It just so happened that Dat looked up right after we’d launched the kitten and it scratched his face up real gut. He sure wasn’t very happy about that.”
Hannah laughed. “I can imagine. It sounds like you and Peter were an apronful of mischief.”
“Jah, we were for sure. Much more than the others,” Samuel said, his eyes sparkling. “Mamm says we still are sometimes.”
Hannah reached over and squeezed Samuel’s hand. “Denki, Samuel. I really needed a friend tonight.”
Samuel sobered. “You know, Hannah, Christian is a gut man.” He released her hand.
Hannah rose from the bale. “Please, Samuel, don’t. I don’t want to talk about Christian. He…” Her voice broke into a sob. She swallowed to stop herself from breaking down again.
Samuel went to her and gently touched her arm. “Ach, I’m sorry, Hannah.” Samuel silently chided himself. He should’ve known better than to mention Christian’s name.
Samuel is such a thoughtful, caring man. “I wish I’d fallen in love with you instead. You’re so kind, Samuel.” She held his gaze, his hazel eyes glistened in the lantern light.
Samuel stepped forward and gently stroked her cheek. “I…I care for you, Hannah.” He swallowed hard. “I always have.”
“Jah, we’ve always been gut friends,” she said, denying her growing attraction to Samuel.
“Nee. What I mean is…” his voice trailed off as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Samuel expected resistance, but instead Hannah deepened the kiss and stepped into his embrace. Several intense moments passed.
All Hannah wanted to do was forget about Christian and all the pain he’d caused. Samuel, she admitted to herself, was everything she’d been searching for. How is it that she’d never known…till now?
“Ach, Hannah, you’re…so…beautiful,” he commented while softly stroking her unbound hair that now tumbled down her back.
Samuel reached over and dimmed the light. “Ich liebe dich, Hannah.”
“I love you, too, Samuel,” Hannah breathed out, realizing it for the first time.
All the pain, heartache, and disappointment Hannah had felt earlier was forgotten in Samuel’s strong, loving arms. This would be a night she’d never forget. Fully knowing what their actions were leading to, neither one protested. But little did either of them realize that this one event, a single secret transgression, would permanently alter the course of many lives forever.
Several hours later, Hannah awakened. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she’d felt a gentle nudge on her arm. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit barn where the lantern’s glow permeated. Other than the quilt that covered her body, the only other things nearby were her clothes and prayer kapp. She hastily dressed and searched the haymow for Samuel, but
apparently he’d gone.
Hannah decided to leave as well. It would not do to be found alone up in Samuel’s vatter’s haymow. If anyone ever found out…So many questions filled Hannah’s mind and she wondered what the two of them would do now. And how would they tell Christian that they were in love? Certainly, this changed everything.