The Amish Orphans

By Vanessa Carlson

After a harsh childhood where she was abandoned by her Amish mother, Hannah decides to return to her birth mother's hometown to make amends with her past. Once there, she is hired by a brooding, widowed farmer to care for his young daughter...with an unlikely romance ensuing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trellis Publishing
• Release date: Jul 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201867669

Book preview

THE AMISH ORPHANS

––––––––

VANESSA CARLSON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE AMISH ORPHANS

A BROKEN AMISH HEART

AN AMISH FRIENDSHIP

SUSAN’S RUMSPRINGA

THEIR AMISH LOVE

MY AMISH ROOTS

Chapter 1

It was Hannah’s last day at the orphanage for tomorrow, she would turn eighteen. From that point forward, she would need to learn how to fend for herself – to keep herself fed and warm.

Her life hadn’t been an easy one. She had been left on the footsteps of the orphanage by her Amish mother. There was no record of her father. Had he been Amish too or had he been an outsider? Was that why Hannah’s mother had given her up?

These were the sort of questions that haunted the girl. She wanted to know the truth because maybe if she did, it would ease the pain that she felt – the pain of being unwanted for eighteen years.

Do you know where you’re going to go yet? asked Phebe.

The girls weren’t quite friends, but they had spent enough time under the same roof to tolerate one another.

No... whispered Hannah.

Well, you had better start thinking because as soon as morning rolls around, they’re kicking you out of this joint and I’ll be forced to board up with a new roommate. What a pain. She scowled and threw her uneaten orange into the air.

Hannah turned over and pretended to go to sleep. She did not want to have this conversation with Phebe. She was a little less than moral – always sneaking out in the dead of night to hang around the darker parts of town. More often than not, she would return smelling of cigarettes and moonshine. Hannah had tried to talk some sense into the girl at first but there was no getting through to her. Phebe just didn’t get the point of acting prim and proper if society did nothing but look down upon them like gunk on the bottom of a shoe.

But one of these days, Phebe was going to get herself into some serious trouble. And by then, it would be too late for Hannah to help. Maybe one day she’d find a way to make up for it but today was not that day. Today, she needed to focus on her own problems. Like, what was she to do for a job? Where would she sleep? Who would she turn to?

It was with these thoughts that she fell asleep, tossing and turning all night long.

***

She was gone before the sun had fully risen. Phebe wasn’t in her bed. She wondered if she would ever see that girl again.

With nothing but a tattered rucksack hanging on her shoulders, Hannah wandered through the town. She entered every shop she could find, asking for a job but no one was looking to hire an inexperienced orphan. And so, as the morning stretched into the afternoon, Hannah truly began to worry. It terrified her to think that she might be sleeping on the streets that night...

Perhaps I can return to the Amish community... Will I be punished for the sins of my mother? Shunned in the same manner? But Hannah had no idea where to find this Amish community. She hadn’t been raised in the faith. There was no way that they would accept her as one of their own.

On the verge of tears, she stopped, needing a moment to breathe. The air around her seemed thicker and there was a distinct odor hanging about, making her nostrils flare. She wrinkled her nose with disgust as she slowly turned around. Before her was a printing shop. Beyond the windows, employees bustled about, smudged with ink. They looked like madmen. It didn’t look like the kind of place where she wanted to work but at this point, she was rather desperate. She had her hand on the door but before she could open it, something caught her attention: a bulletin board.

Upon it lay hundreds of requests – little slips of paper piled one atop of the other. Hannah browsed through them, taking down the ones that interested her. There was one, in particular, that seemed like a perfect fit.

A nearby farmer was looking for a caretaker to tend to his young daughter, in the absence of her mother. Hannah had always been fond of the little ones. At the orphanage, they had always flocked her way. Besides, this was an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a little girl – to provide guidance and love – a luxury that Hannah had never experienced herself.

Determined to make things work, she took the trek down to the farm. It was much farther than she thought it would be. The hours slipped away. She was still following the side of the road when night descended over the land. Hannah quickened her pace then. She was outside of the city limits and that meant that wild animals and bandits alike could be hiding behind the shadows that followed her.

Perhaps she had made a mistake coming all this way by herself. But what other choice could she have made?

Hoot! Hoot!

Hannah nearly jumped right out of her skin. Her heart was pounding insider her chest, threatening to keel over in a nervous collapse.

This was a mistake, she thought to herself. A horrible, horrible mistake.

But it was much too late for her to turn around.

So, she tightened her grip on the straps to her rucksack and kept going. To her relief, she soon spotted the lights of an upcoming building. It had to be the farmhouse – it just had to be.

Breathless, she knocked on the door. Her fear had never been greater. She did not know this man. She did not know whether he was one she could trust or some deranged criminal. And yet, she was putting all her fate into the stranger, praying that he would give her a job.

An older man appeared in the doorway with a brooding expression etched onto his face. His eyes were dark and clouded like he had seen things he wished he could forget. Who the deuce are you?

Chapter 2

Hannah stood there, stunned. Frankly, the older gentleman scared her with the meanness in his eyes. Certainly, this was not the kind of man that Hannah wanted as an employer. I’m sorry but I’m afraid that I’ve made a mistake... Please, excuse me. She turned on her heels, about to run down the front steps but before she could do so, the farmer grabbed hold of her wrist and reeled her back.

What’s this? He snatched the slip of paper from her hand. Hannah had forgotten all about in her desperate attempt to get away from the man that now restrained her. Have you come to answer the ad I placed in the paper? His voice was deep, almost like a grizzly’s growl. It made Hannah nervous. She could no longer think straight. She stammered something but that something was incomprehensible to the farmer. Speak up, girl, he demanded. I do not like having my time wasted in this fashion. If you are here to answer the ad then, speak up.

Hannah gulped.

Her mind was full of mud and she couldn’t think of the words she needed.

All of a sudden, there came the sound of tiny footsteps. A second later, a small girl peeked her head out the door. She cocked it to the side for she had never seen Hannah before, and they weren’t in the habit of entertaining many visitors. Who’s this, papa? asked the girl, a curious glint in her hazel eyes. She’s awfully pretty!

Hannah blushed. Thank you, dear. The child’s presence put her at ease, and she was able to breathe properly again. You must be Dahlia.

Her eyes widened. How do you know my name?

I read in the paper that your papa wants some help taking care of you... Hannah stopped the second she saw the little girl start to frown.

Because mama died and memaw, too, she was looking down at her feet, her unruly hair falling forward to cover her face. But Hannah did not have to see her eyes to know that she was crying. It was obvious by the pitch of her voice.

Hannah bent down on one knee and gently placed a finger underneath the girl’s chin. Gently, she lifted her head so they could look at one another. I can tell that you loved both your mother and your grandmother very much.

She nodded as she wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve.

Tell, me, Dahlia, when you pick a rose from a rose garden, how do you know which one to choose.

The girl seemed perplexed by the question. Her brows furrowed together as she tried to make sense of it.

Did you come here to mock my daughter? His eyes were narrowed into tiny slits. He did not trust the strange woman but, at the same time, there was something about – a sort of sadness that hung about her that reminded him of his own sorrows and how he wasn’t the only person dealing with the wretchedness called ‘life.’

You pick the most beautiful one, said the little girl.

That’s right. Hannah smiled. And so does God choose his angels. He picks the prettiest ones to join him in Heaven.

Her eyes widened even further, just about to pop right out of her head. Is that true?

It is, Hannah confirmed with a nod. So, do not be saddened by their passing. Instead, rejoice in knowing that they’ve gone up to Heaven and that they’re waiting for you there.

Dahlia bobbed her head with understanding. When you go up to Heaven, will you meet them, too?

I’d like that very much. She ruffled the little girl’s hair, causing her to giggle.

May I have a word? The farmer ushered his daughter back inside the house and closed the door.  You have some nerve coming here so late in the evening. My daughter will not be able to sleep with all that talk of angels and Heaven.

But she seemed happier in knowing that her mother is safe and sound in the hands of God.

The man scoffed.

Are you not a believer?

I believe that I did not deserve to have my taken from me.

Nor did I deserve to become an orphan but such things we cannot control. We must only accept them as a part of God’s greater plan.

The farmer held out his hand to stop her from saying anything else. I do not need a lecture on faith. What I need is a caretaker for my daughter. She seems rather fond of you and since I haven’t had any luck finding someone else, I am willing to offer you the job. You will receive a small allowance and room and board – more than enough for you to live comfortably. And perhaps, if you do well, I will consider raising that allowance. Does that sound agreeable to you?

Hannah was quick to nod. I would like to start working right away, if that agreeable to you, sir. She found herself speaking more formally than she normally