Sarah paused. “Electrolytes?”
“Yeah, those.”
“I’ll look into it. But I need you to do me a favor.”
With a long look, pity filled Abigail’s brown eyes, and she asked, “What’s up?”
Ah, yes. Abigail used that sad-puppy-eyed gaze whenever Sarah had problems, whether it was when Noah Williams hadn’t known that she existed during their sophomore year of high school or when her mom had gotten sick. Abigail had been too sheltered to understand the former, but she understood family problems and dying all too well.
And she was kind.
Sarah said, “Nobody can know I’m home. Please, you can’t tellanyonethat I’m back.Absolutely no one.I need to drop off social media for a while, like Gordon Storr and Rich Weiss dropped off.”
“Oh.”Abigail’s already round eyes turned even more circular with her eyebrows raised. “I mean, we Amish aren’t on social media.”
“Of course not.” They totally were. Abigail was, at any rate. They all had cell phones because they usedbatteries,notelectricity,and thus weren’t cause for shunning.
Abigail asked, “But are youokay?”
“I saw some stuff while I was in the hospital,” Sarah told her. “It made me a little paranoid.”
Abigail leaned toward Sarah, her hands knotted together on her white apron. “Government things?”
“Some people were there whothoughtI saw something bad, but they’re wrong.”
“Oh,” Abigail said. “Like that movieWitness.I saw that over at Ester Glick’s house when I was fifteen. They’reMennonite,you know. Do you want to move in here? We’ll just tell people you’re my sister. The community will go along with it if my father vouches for you, and he will, I’m sure. Everybody liked your mother.”
“I’ll be okay, but you just can’t mention that I’m home toanyone, especially online.”
Abigail nodded solemnly. “We don’t want a repeat of the Easter Dinner Incident of 2021.”
“Exactly,and seeing as how your house is on the road to my place, if you see someone suspicious like outsiders driving up that road, would you give me a call? They might be driving black SUVs, but they might have rented any car from the airport.”
“Of course. Outsiders stick out like sore thumbs around here. Heck, we can track the people from Iowa City who want to buy fresh eggs like we were bird dogs.”
“And could you put out the word that some weirdos might be asking about me? Just release it onto the whisper network that some out-of-towners might be driving around and peering into people’s houses or cars, or they might be asking questions. If anybody sees anything suspicious, could they callyou,and then you let me know? But don’t tell them I’m home. Just tell them to keep an eye out for weirdos.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And call me on the phone, like a real call with your mouth, not texting, okay?”
Abigail pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and waggled it at Sarah. “Sure.”
“Thanks, Abbi. You’re the only one I can trust right now.”
Abigail smiled at the news that she would be the information conduit for this operation. “Of course, and I’ll have Amos load up HowNow and Charlie in the trailer for you.” She turned and yelled into the house.“Amos!Get Muffintop and bring her down!”
From up the stairs, a teen boy’s voice yelled,“No!”
“Amos!”
Sarah suppressed a chuckle. That kid was fifteen going on twenty-three. He was a handful.
Surely, Sarah could trust Abigail not to tell anyone that she was back.
She hoped she was right.
8
