Orphaned…But Never Abandoned by God

Posted on Dec 08, 2016 Topic : Fiction

Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Life suddenly gets complicated when a series of tragic events unfold, leaving her in charge of the household. In this dramatic scene from Sarah's Orphans, her mother makes a startling announcement that will change Sarah's life forever.

***

Sarah cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Glancing up, she noticed that her mother had gone back into her bedroom and changed clothes. As Sarah watched in amazement, she carried the single suitcase they owned out of her bedroom and set it next to the front door.

“Mamm, what’s going on?”

But instead of answering, her mother, Deborah, continued to stare out the front window. Sarah’s stomach began to quiver. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing deeply.

Opening her eyes, she saw that her mother had donned her coat.

“Where are you going?”

Deborah turned to look at her then, actually look at her for the first time in what seemed like months. Glancing back at the road, as if she was afraid she might miss something important, she walked quickly across the room and sat down next to Sarah.

“I’m leaving.”

“What?”

“The letter—it was from my cousin.”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes, and she’s offered to let me come and stay awhile.”

“What cousin?”

“My cousin in Florida.”

“But what about us?”

“You don’t need me.”

A shadow crossed Deborah’s face, and Sarah was certain that she was about to shut down again. She’d uttered more words in the last five minutes than she had in the previous month.

“We do need you. How can you say that? You’re our mother. You’re—”

“Stop! Just… stop.”

“Mamm—”

Sarah realized in that moment of complete honesty that her mother had been wearing a mask since her father’s death. Perhaps since long before that. Gone was the blank stare. Instead, what she saw now was confusion and anger and, under that, determination.

“You are going to have to handle this. I cannot be here… cannot be here one more minute. Do you understand?”

Her eyes searched Sarah’s. There was no tenderness in her expression—only desperation.

Before Sarah could respond, before she could even process what had just happened, her mother was out the door, down the steps, and climbing into the waiting van.

She had to do something. She had to stop her. She had to at least try.

Sarah grabbed her coat and purse. Hurrying across the yard, she prayed that the tractor would start. She skidded to a stop when she entered the barn.

Her brother, Andy, had been working on the tractor because it kept stalling. What had he said last night?

Still waiting on a part.

Apparently he’d taken the engine apart to find out what was wrong. The pieces were placed carefully across his workbench, and the tractor… well, the tractor wasn’t going anywhere.

She’d walk.

Maybe someone would pick her up and offer her a ride to town. She hurried down the lane, not even bothering to skirt the puddles of melting snow. The water splashed up and stained the hem of her dress, and her toes began to grow cold. Still she hurried on, her mother’s words churning round and round in her mind.

To my cousin’s, in Florida.

You don’t need me.

You are going to have to handle this.

Was that what she’d been doing all these months? Planning her escape? What kind of mother left her fatherless children? What kind of person could do that?

She didn’t realize she was crying until Andy stopped the buggy, jumped out, and ran up to her. He shook her by the shoulders, asked her something, and took off his coat to drape over her own thin one.

Slowly her presence of mind returned.

When it did, she looked up at her brother, wondering how she could cushion this latest turn of events. Finally, she settled for the truth and simply said, “She’s gone.”

***

Discover God's plan for turning Sarah's tragedy into triumph...