Quest of Hope(94)
By St. Michael’s Day, Richard was the father of a daughter. Heinrich rarely saw his old friend, for the man still spent his days either deep in Weyer’s woodlands or in a drunken stupor with his father. Richard had lost all hope, and what spark of life remained was shadowed by shame or buried in bitterness. Though always willing to yield a grunt and a wave to Heinrich, Richard was a man bent inward on himself.
It was a Sabbath afternoon in late October when Heinrich took his boys to walk again in Emma’s fading garden. The lads had spent many a summer’s day chasing butterflies and napping in the fragrance of her hollyhocks and lace. They loved the garden in any season, even when the herbs were picked and dry and the flowers brown and stiff. Young Wil and Karl especially loved Sabbath days, for these were when their father might join them, playing bladder-ball or sparring with maces made of weedy sticks; it was this gift of time they treasured most.
Heinrich sat with his Butterfly Frau and smiled as she hummed a familiar rhyme:
Oh, wondrous new creature break from your cocoon
And stretch your fresh wings upon these tender blooms.
Come flutter ‘tween flowers and sail o’er the trees,
Or light on m’flnger, and dance in the breeze.
Since change is your birthright, fly free and be bold
And fear not the tempest, the darkness, or cold.
Press on to new places, seek color and light,
Find smiles and laughter and joy on your flight.
For though you see dimly; your certainties few,
Your Maker stands steady and constant and true.
He guards you and guides you till travelin’s done,
His breath moves the breezes; His heart warms the sun.
“Ah, my dear Heinrich. The song was once for you and for Ingly. Now it is for you and your boys. I am sure Ingly is far beyond the sun, dancing in the Maker’s garden.” She wiped a tear and sighed. “And, as I said before, I shall soon be joining him.”
Heinrich protested. “Nay, good Frau Emma! It shan’t be so… I…”
“Ah, enough.” said Emma. “I am ready to go. I have no fear, though I admit to some pain. My belly’s oft tender and m’back aches all the night. I feel sweats in m’sleep and sometimes my hands quiver.”
Heinrich sat quietly and looked away. He took the woman by the hand and squeezed it lightly. The happy company then spent much of the day in Emma’s croft, all content to ignore the bells. Heinrich sighed. “I’ve been to Mass at prime. Pious insists we now come for all his three services but I’d rather be here.”
Emma chuckled. “You’re a naughty lad! And what are you teaching the boys?”
“Hmm. Methinks I’m teaching them where love is found.”
Emma brightened. A sparkle filled her eye as she watched the baker’s sons wrestling in the grass. Perhaps a little light is dawning after all! she thought.
A while later, the two were still sitting quietly when Heinrich thought he saw someone pass quickly between some trees by the stream. He looked carefully. “Frau Emma … methinks I’ve needs check on something by the water. I beg your leave. Please keep a sharp eye on the lads.”
Heinrich moved cautiously from tree to tree, grimacing as his thin-soled shoes crunched the brittle leaves beneath them. He peered into the lengthening shadows of the wood until he spotted the silhouette of a slight form hesitating behind a thin veil of brush. “You! Hold fast!”
The woman stood motionless, like a fawn scented by a wolf.
The baker stepped boldly from his cover and strode toward the timid shape. “Name yourself!” he bellowed. As he approached, the woman stepped sheepishly from her screen. She stood submissively, her arms hanging limply by her side and her face turned toward the ground. “K-Katharina?” stammered Heinrich.
The woman nodded and lifted her green eyes toward the man. “I am sorry, Heinrich. I had no wish to take you from your boys and—”
“Ach, ‘tis good to see you! I… I just thought there might be some mischief in the wood.” The man’s heart was soaring. A long silence followed before he spoke again. “And how are things with you?”
Katharina smiled shyly. “All is well.” Her eyes filled with pain and she looked toward the stream. “Might we walk, just for a while?”
Heinrich’s belly tingled and he wanted to shout. He shrugged, feeling strangely guilty. “Oh, of course, but just for a bit. I must get back to the boys and Emma and, well, I…”
“Just for a moment, then.” Katharina smiled sadly. The two walked slowly toward the Laubusbach. Katharina spoke first. “I don’t come to the bakery because Ludwig sends our tenant and makes me fetch the wood at each day’s prime.”