Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal Read Online Free PDF Page B

something wrong to show up either mentally or physically in her little brother. For Dat's sake and Abe's, too, Hannah sincerely hoped Abe would be healthy his whole life long.
    "Are ya sayin' Dat would be opposed to having a hex doctor assist the midwife?"
    Aunt Lizzie raised her eyebrows. "Why in heaven's name would you want to do such a thing, Hannah? Your mamma never did. She wanted nothing to do with the powwow doctors."
    Sometimes Hannah just wished to goodness she could simply share her opinion without Aunt Lizzie raising a stink,
    43e     especiiilly when Ida Mae and Katie Ann were napping not so fill* from the kitchen. Knowing Lizzie as she did, Hannah wouldn't put it past her aunt to speak her mind and then some. Truth was, this minute she didn't feel strong enough to iif(j;uc her side of things and regretted bringing up the subject. Sure, Lizzie had her view, but so did Hannah. And now that she was Gid's wife, shouldn't she take into account his feelings? After all, the growing babe within her belonged to her iind Gid, not to Lizzie.
    "I'd rather be safe than sorry, is all," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.
    Aunt Lizzie placed a soft hand on hers. "Well, now, Hannah, what's to worry? You had no trouble birthing Ida and Katie."
    Hannah nodded. " Tis quite true."
    "Why do ya feel the need to invite a spirit of evil into this house?"
    Hannah gasped. What's Lizzie saying? Does she actually believe the Amish doctor is of the devil?
    She'd heard such whispered things from one of Mamma's Mast cousins eitlfer Rebekah or Katie years ago when Dat and Mamma were still on friendly terms with Cousins Peter and Fannie, but never before from Aunt Lizzie.
    "I don't think you understand," Hannah began quietly at first, but she felt the ire rise in her as she went on. "I want to have a safe delivery. . . and I want to live to see this new one grow up same as Ida and Katie. Why should you want to stand in my way?"
    "And why would ya put your trust in someone other than the Lord God? Powwowing is nothing short of white witchcraft. Your mamma said the same." Aunt Lizzie pursed her
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    lips, then stared down at the cup of tea before her, fiddling with the handle.
    Hannah shook her head in disagreement but said no more. Something within her wanted to say, We'll decide for ourselves. But there was another urging deep inside her, prompting her to think long and hard about this, even suggest that Gid discuss it with Dat himself.
    "Death haunts me, Aunt Lizzie," she surprised herself in saying.
    Lizzie reached over to pat her hand again. " 'Cause of your mamma?"
    "Maybe so ... and Mary Ruth's first beau, Elias. One just never knows. .. ."
    Lizzie fell silent as she stroked Hannah's hand.
    Hannah felt the need to fill the stillness, though. "Seems nobody knows for sure and for certain what's waitin' for us on the other side."
    Lizzie frowned. "Over Jordan?"
    Hannah nodded. "I wish this wasn't so troubling." She continued on, sharing that she'd struggled privately since childhood with the issue of death. "Some days I wish we could simply live forever, the way Adam and Eve were created to."
    "Without aging?" Here Aunt Lizzie broke into a winning smile. "Just think, Dawdi John's beard might be dragging on the ground if that's the way the dear Lord intended things to be for us now. . . since Adam fell from grace."
    "Guess it was fallin' from grace that turned ev'rything topsy-turvy, ain't? If only Adam and Eve had obeyed God in the first place, things sure would be lots easier."
    "Obedience, jah." Aunt Lizzie leaned forward. "Let me tell ya what I think." , ;- ' , .;
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    For I lie next half hour or so, Hannah listened as her aunt mhttrcil things she'd never heard from an Amishwoman before, except lor the one time she'd accidentally stumbled onto Muiiinin saying late-night prayers. Now she was fairly sure tltitl what Lizzie believed about the