The week following Naomi and Joel’s
wedding was another busy week with the men not only doing their regular lumber
orders, but also setting aside enough lumber to build Isaac and Hannah’s
cabin. Their cabin raising was to be the
following Saturday. Wednesday brought a
visit from Esther’s mother and sisters, Hannah and Rebekah. Sarah visited with her daughter for a while
and then excused herself to go and visit Clara while she was to discuss a few
minor details about the wedding. Though
they had already planned and executed two weddings, each one needed a little
something different to set it apart from the rest and make it special. She told Hannah and Rebekah to mind their
manners and she’d be back shortly to get them as they needed to get home because
they had plenty of work to do before Saturday’s cabin raising.
As usual
Rebekah was her usual shy quiet self, preferring instead to sit back and listen
to the others and let them take the lead.
She was a loving, gentle girl and didn’t care if she wasn’t the center
of attention. Hannah on the other hand
was the drama queen of the family, so after their mother had gone to see Clara
leaving the three girls alone, she nearly set Esther’s teeth on edge. “Oh Esther, how awful you must feel! Is married life as miserable as you had
feared it would be? It most certainly
must be. After all you were FORCED to
marry Seth Randolph! Is he as
overbearing a husband as he has always seemed?
As ALL the Randolph men are? We
must, ABSOLUTELY MUST find a way to stop any more weddings before they
happen. I know for you and Naomi it’s
too late, you’re already married, but the rest of us shouldn’t have to suffer
like you two are. Of course we’ll always
be here for you and Naomi anytime you need us.
We love you! You’re my sister and
she’s my cousin! You do know you can
count on me anytime don’t you?” And
Hannah went on and on and on not seeming to notice that Esther was doing all
she could do to not smack her insensitive sister.
“Do you
have ANY ideas what we could do to prevent the cabin raising and my wedding
from happening? I’m next you know. It’s awful!
Just awful I tell you! I’m losing
my appetite and I’m having an awful time sleeping,” all the time munching on
the cookies Esther had set out on the table as refreshment for her guests. She didn’t appear to notice that all the
while she was talking about losing her appetite and not being able to eat a thing
that she was making a pig of herself with the cookies. “Pleaaaassssseeeee tell me you have some ideas! You know I’m just not as good at coming up
with ideas like you are Essie. You are a
mastermind! What can I do to stop this. It quite simply must not happen or I’ll
die. I’ll just die!”
Esther
wanted to shake her sister. She
absolutely was the most dramatic person she had ever met. She wondered at why that had not bothered her
as much when she was living at home as it seemed to now. Probably because of the way she was talking
about her husband. Seth and the other
Randolphs were good men and they didn’t deserve to have her sitting her talking
about them in this manner. At the same
time Esther did not want to deal with her sister’s temper tantrum if she didn’t
help her think of something that would help her. Maybe if she thought of something that she
knew Hannah had no chance of pulling off then she could come up with an idea
that would not get her in trouble and Hannah would be happy as well. “Give me a few minutes to think Hannah.”
“Oh thank
you Essie. I knew I could count on
you. You are the best. I miss you so much at home. You have no idea what it is like without you
there. It just isn’t the same. We need you there. Only Abigail has any of the talent that you
have for coming up with good ideas and now that we don’t have Missy to carry
notes between us I never can seem to ask her anything without someone hearing,
so you are my only hope.”
“Hannah, I
love you, but if you don’t stop talking for a few minutes and give me a chance
to think I won’t be able to come up with anything either.” Esther knew her tone had a bite of impatience
to it but she couldn’t help it. Hannah
was about to drive her crazy.
“I’m sorry
Esther.” Hannah said coldly responding to Esther’s tone in shock. She had never known Esther to be impatient
with her before. Rebekah was surprised
as well but didn’t say anything. She
wondered if perhaps things were not as bad for Esther as Hannah thought. She couldn’t bring herself to ask though,
definitely not in front of Hannah.
Aprilwww.cddtakeninhandstories.com - for the rest of the story
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