October song Read Free

in his lip, he was sore pained by it all. The shun hurts us all, no getting round that.”
    So her father had been torn in two, just as Mamma was, along with other members
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    of the Lapp family. The whole church district, really, according to Ella Mae.
    “Nothing can ease my pain,” Katie confessed.
    The Wise Woman nodded, her eyes bright with tears. “You must be takin’ it to the Lord, Katie. He’s our great burden bearer.”
    Ella Mae was right. Trusting the heavenly Father for His will and way was best. More than ever, Katie was grateful for her relative’s listening ear and compassionate heart. And she told Ella Mae so before slippin’ out of theDawdi Hausand into the night.
    Katiedidtake her burden to the Lord. But it was downright difficult, ‘specially following the get-together with their friends. The subject of Eli Katie’s middle brother-and his soon-to-be wedding to a cousin of Mary, now the bishop’s wife, came up midway through the evening.
    “Eli’s getting married … ?When?“she spluttered.
    “Three weeks from Saturday” came the reply.
    Why hasn’t Mamma told me?she wondered, but she knew why. Truth was,
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    shunned folk weren’t invited to weddings. Didn’t matter if they were kin or not. No wedding invitation would be coming her way.
    The old rush of sadness at the estrangement from family and close friends threatened to swallow Katie up.
    Clan must’ve sensed something. “We’ll buy a nice wedding gift,” he said, reaching for her hand.
    “Jah,” she whispered. “We will.”
    Out in their pumpkin patch the next day, Katie, along with her nearest neighbor, picked the nicest plump pumpkins. In spite of the warmth of the sun’s rays, she felt the slightest nip in the air. It held the promise of a cold snap, perhaps, yet she was hopeful for a few more pleasant and sunny days ahead before frost-onthe-pumpkin time.
    Remembering autumn days gone by, days that included her older brothers, Elam, Eli, and Benjamin Dat and Mamma, too Katie thought fondly of them, the whole family making butter by hand in the evening. The boys liked to make such a contest of it. A game, really. They actually timed their turns at the churn, giving each other only ten minutes,
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    no more, laughing and poking fun all the while. Katie was scarcely old enough to steady the churn, so was given only a few minutes, if that.
    “Ach, now, be fair,” Mamma chided from her lawn chair, watching from afar.
    If churning butter happened to be on a day when chores were caught up, Dat might linger near, squatting in the grass near Mamma, serious as ever, though seemingly enjoying the quietude of the evening. A man of few words, hehadcome to his only daughter’s defense on one par ticular occasion. Her memory could not forget it.
    Benjamin, during his allotted ten-minute stretch, had up and abandoned the butter churn for a quick cold drink at the well pump across the yard. Aware of his ab sence, Katie jumped to the task, taking her brother’s turn and pushing the handle down.., and up… then down again with all her might, though having an awful hard time of it.
    Returning, Benjamin frowned, clearly put out. “Who said you could take my turn?”
    Not to be denied her chance, she pressed on. No strength left to speak, Katie pushed deliberately with her little hands and arms,
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    leaning into the motion as best she could. “Katie!” hollered Ben, red-faced.
    In an instant Dat was at her side, though she was so intent on the chore that she hadn’t seen him get up from his spot on the lawn and hurry over. “Benjamin, you’velostyour turn,” Dat said flatly. “Katie and I will churn your ten minutes.” And they did, and ‘twas the end of the contest. ‘Least forthatnight.
    Smiling now, Katie found the memory amusing. Yet, the more her brain worked on it, the more she cherished the fact that Dat had taken her side against his son, his flesh-and-blood son, at that.
    Dat loved me then,she thought, brushing a clump