Free A Hope for Hannah by Jerry S. Eicher

greeting each in turn. When she reached Betty, she felt the urge to whisper news of their troubles but decided not to. It might be considered disrespectful to talk too long even with a relative since other women were in line behind her.
    Betty seemed to sense Hannah’s thoughts and squeezed her hand before she let go. There would be time to talk after church during Sunday lunch. Hannah was surprised when the line of women began to move almost immediately toward the living room. She hadn’t realized they’d arrived that late. Young couples without children had no reason to be late for church.
    She caught sight of the clock on the wall—it revealed the time to be five till nine. Somewhere she and Jake must have misjudged the time. As the line moved forward, she took her place near the end, almost the last one before the young unmarried girls started.
    Only Sylvia Stoll was behind her. She had married Ben Stoll a month after Hannah married Jake. She had met Ben during her summer stays with Betty, when she thought of him as the scarred logger. His obvious interest in Hannah hadn’t gone anywhere. A few months later, Ben had found Sylvia in Iowa, and they were married. It looked to Hannah as if they were a well-matched couple, both were a rugged type and well-suited for this country. Not like Jake and me, she thought with a shiver. Maybe we’re out of place in this wild country. She stilled her thoughts as she sat down, shifting her weight on the hard bench.
    Beside her Sylvia sat without any motion. Hannah wondered if Sylvia also had a secret pregnancy, but she, of course, couldn’t ask such a thing. That she and Jake had a baby coming was joy enough.
    The song leader announced his selection in a loud baritone, his voice reaching throughout the house. It was strange how the babies upstairs didn’t wake up from the pronouncement, or perhaps they just quickly got used to it. Her child too would get used to it, their life, and also their ways. She smiled but only inwardly. This was, after all, church.
    Hannah wasn’t surprised when Jake led out in the next song. He was such a good singer that he got his turn on a regular basis.
    She listened to his voice with admiration—such depth of emotion as he sang. He held the notes to their proper length and swung them up and down as expertly as she had ever heard anyone do. This was her man and half the source of the life growing within her. Thrilled at the thought, she hoped Sylvia couldn’t read the joy on her face.
    Here in church, surrounded by these people, she had forgotten the storm clouds that gathered at home. Even now as she remembered the thoughts, they didn’t sting quite as much. Jake, if he could sing like that, would find some way to keep things going. If not, then maybe he would decide they should move back East. It was an option they both understood, Hannah was sure.
    Yet, the thought of a move brought a pang of regret, more so than it had at home. But she must face reality. She was sure even Betty would agree.
    The two ministers, led by Bishop Nisley, came down the stairs soon after Jake finished and found their places on the bench up front. There was nothing unusual about the sermons and nothing to indicate anything out of the ordinary.
    After testimonies, Bishop Nisley got to his feet, his eyes intense, and said, “Will the members please stay. The rest are dismissed.” There was nothing unusual in that either because this was pre-communion church. The surprise was yet to come.
    All the nonmembers filed out, mostly children and some young people, followed by several women who would prepare lunch. For the next hour, Bishop proceeded to go through the written and unwritten rules of the Ordnung briefs . Some of the session was just lecture, some of it a reminder of broken rules, and some of it a question of whether new rules should be added.
    Bishop said there was a question raised over how long newly purchased homes could keep their electric power. A reasonable