Free Whispers of a New Dawn by Murray Pura

smiled. “Certainly not to Hawaii. Pennsylvania is beautiful enough for us. You’ll never be a lonely bride, my dear Rebecca.”
    “No one is talking about rushing off anywhere.” Lyyndaya squeezed Becky’s hand. “These people in Hawaii are good friends, that’s all. We went through life and death with them. They deserve our prayers if nothing else.”
    “Okay. I know.” Becky swiped at both eyes. “It’s just that so much is going on. So many big changes.”
    “Yes. It’s true. So we should pray a bit more.” Grandfather Kurtz had his large black German Bible open by his teacup. “We are told that if we fix our minds on the Lord Jesus Christ—I think of nailing a board securely in place or having the bit firmly and safely in the horse’s mouth—he will keep us in perfect peace, nicht wahr ? So let us do that now.”
    He began to pray in High German. Becky bowed her head and was annoyed with herself when tears fell into her lap and onto her folded hands.
    It’s a time for happiness. Stop it, Becky Whetstone. You wanted to fall in love and now you have. You wanted to marry the man you fell in love with and now you are .
    She understood certain phrases Grandpa Kurtz used. She recognized when Moses came into the prayer and also Nate. And her. Just as at other times when she had sat quietly and listened to prayers inlanguages she did not know, Becky felt calmness and strength work its way through her. When amen was pronounced she lifted her head— I love you , she mouthed at Lyyndaya. Lyyndaya responded with the lip movements for I love you too .
    Aunt Ruth got to her feet, went to the stove, and returned with the large coffeepot. “Who will have another?”
    Jude held out his mug. “Might as well. The bishop and pastors are late.”
    Ruth poured. “It’s just as well. God’s timing is better than ours. We had much to talk about.”
    “And we’re still not finished.” Grandmother chuckled. “But when are we ever finished in this family? And when is God ever finished with us?”
    “Amen.” Ruth went back to get the teapot for Grandfather Kurtz and placed it by his elbow. “There, Papa. You can drink all you like.”
    “If I drink all I like I will be in the washroom the whole time the bishop is here.”
    Each of them heard the whinnying as their horses in the paddock by the stables called out to horses arriving in the farmyard. Ruth glanced out the window and then returned to putting oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies on a plate. “They have all come in one buggy.”
    Grandfather Kurtz sipped his tea. “They have been meeting at Bishop Zook’s before coming here.” He winced. “A man could start a fire with this tea.”
    Ruth wiped her hands on a towel. “I thought you liked it hot.”
    “Hot, sure, but I don’t drink tea with the devil.” He got up. “I will get the door.”
    The bishop and pastors came in, put their straw hats on hooks, and were welcomed to the table, where they each took a seat. Coffee was poured, the teapot passed around, and the plate of cookies placed in the center of the table. Greetings were warm, but Becky felt the men brought a weight into the room as well as good cheer. Bishop Zook spied a newspaper her father had left by the sink.
    “I have not looked at the news in days,” he said. “But I like to pray about the world.”
    “The Germans are surrounding Kiev. I think the Russian resistancein the Ukraine is about finished. In the north they are moving on Leningrad and Moscow.”
    The bishop shook his head. “How soon will they be at Leningrad?”
    “What is it now? Almost the end of August? A week. Ten days. Moscow in another month.”
    “ Ach. Es ist schwer —it is grievous.” The bishop was going to lift his cup of coffee then placed it down again. “Twenty years ago there was another war with Germany.”
    “But America is not in this one.”
    “I pray it may remain that way.” He stared at Jude.
    “I am not going in again, Bishop Zook. Even if