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her nerves to have to listen to their senseless chatter.
    When everyone had finished eating, the men excused themselves, saying they were headed out to the fields and would be back in time for lunch.
    “Jah,” Mom said as she pushed away from the table. “We’ll be sure to have the noon meal ready on time.”
    “Do you want me to help with the dishes now, or should I take Grandma a tray with some breakfast first?” Rebekah asked her mother.
    “You can go ahead and do up the tray while Nadine and I start the dishes.”
    Nadine looked over at Rebekah and scowled, but she grabbed a clean dish towel without a word of protest.
    As soon as Rebekah had placed a plate of scrambled eggs with a biscuit and two strips of bacon on a tray, along with a cup of tea, she set it in her lap and wheeled out of the kitchen, being careful not to bump into anything along the way.
    When she reached Grandma’s door, she knocked softly. Hearing no response, she rapped a little louder. “Grandma, it’s Rebekah. Can I come in?”
    Still no reply.
    Rebekah opened the door a crack and peered inside. She spotted Grandma lying in her bed with her long gray hair fanned out across her pillow. It was one of the few times Rebekah had seen her grandmother with her hair down. Of course, Grandma was usually up and dressed way before anyone else in the family, so her hair had always been done up in a bun with her kapp set in place by the time Rebekah came to the kitchen each morning.
    “Grandma, are you awake?” Rebekah called softly. “We had scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits for breakfast this morning, and I have a tray for you.” She pushed the door open more fully and wheeled into the room. Grandma Stoltzfus’s eyes were shut, and her Bible lay open across her chest. She looked awfully still. A strange feeling crept over Rebekah. Why hadn’t Grandma answered her call? Maybe she was sicker than she had let on. Maybe she was too weak to respond.
    Rebekah wheeled closer to Grandma’s bed, being careful not to jostle the tray. “Grandma, can you hear me?”
    Grandma remained silent and unmoving.
    Rebekah looked down at the open Bible and noticed a passage of scripture from Proverbs that had been underlined: “Trust in the Lo r d with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
    One of Grandma’s wrinkled hands lay across the open page, so apparently she’d been reading her Bible sometime during the night or early this morning. Rebekah reached out to touch the dear woman’s hand. Cold! It was ice cold!
    “Grandma, wake up! Please open your eyes and look at me.”
    There was no response from Grandma Stoltzfus. None at all. Her body seemed lifeless like a sack of corn. She had obviously gone to her reward in heaven and wouldn’t have to do another chore or suffer any of life’s pains ever again.
    Rebekah sat still for several seconds as she let the reality of the situation fully sink in. Then, with an anguished cry, she let her head fall forward and sobbed for all she was worth.
    Mom stepped into the room a few seconds later. “Rebekah? What is it, daughter? I thought I heard you weeping in here.”
    Rebekah jerked her head up and gulped on a hiccup. “Sh–she’s gone, Mom. I’m sure that Grandma is dead.”
    “What?
Ach,
that just can’t be! I spoke to her but a few hours ago.” Mom rushed over to the bed and picked up Grandma’s hand, feeling for a pulse. Glancing at Rebekah, she slowly shook her head. Then she placed her hand in front of Grandma’s mouth, and held it that way for several seconds. “Oh, Rebekah, I believe you’re right. Grandma’s gone home to heaven.”

CHAPTER 3
    “Good-bye, Rebekah. I’m leaving you now.” Grandma held her hand out to Rebekah, but when Rebekah reached for it, Grandma shook her head, turned, and walked away.
    “I need you, Grandma. Please don’t leave me all alone.” Rebekah tried to run after Grandma,