Read DC03 - Though Mountains Fall for Free Online

Gott who led her to Domingo in the first place, and he to her? Was this not Gott’s will? Was it only selfish desire? She knew in her heart that desire played a part in her choice. She was young and unmarried—how could it not? And if Gott led her to this place, where was He now? Why did she feel so utterly alone, so deeply wounded by thesilence of her family? These questions, and others, poured from the deepest recesses of her soul as she fought with herself, even now, resisting what lay ahead of her.
    It was not too late to turn back. She had said no vows; she was still Miriam Bender . But if she turned back now what would it do to Domingo? To hurt him like that would crush her even more than the disdain of her kin. And what of her future, knowing as she did that this was her one chance for happiness? Even if she abandoned Domingo at this point she knew his shadow would remain forever, and she would never love another. No man would ever measure up to Domingo, and she would remain alone for the rest of her days, an old maid schoolteacher.
    No matter what promises she’d made on the day of her baptism, did her family or her church really have the right to demand such a price? How could she have known then—on the day of her baptism, as a seventeen-year-old who had lived all her life in Salt Creek Township—that she would one day be forced to move to Mexico, or that such a man as Domingo Zapara even existed in the whole earth? Only Gott knew such things.
    And where was Gott now?
    She wandered along the face of the ridge, oblivious to her surroundings, and she was more than halfway to Emma’s house before it dawned on her that this was where she’d been heading the whole time. Emma would know. She was the second wisest person Miriam knew, and in this case Emma had a distinct advantage, even over her father.
    She was a woman.
    Levi was on his planter way down by the main road. Focused on his work, he didn’t see Miriam. She heard the sound of a baby screaming in pain and hurried down to the kitchen garden where she found Emma squatting on the ground with Clara, picking at the toddler’s fingers. Clara wailed louder when she saw Miriam.
    She knelt down to help, scooping up the child and holding her still for Emma.
    “What happened?”
    Emma glanced up. “I edged the garden with prickly pear cactus to keep the pests out, but it got poor Clara instead. She didn’t know not to grab it.”
    Three-year-old Mose stood back, glowering from under his hat while infant Will lay nearby in a wooden wheelbarrow, sleeping soundly through the whole ordeal.
    “Best way to learn, I guess,” Emma said as she plucked the last of the spines from her baby’s fingers, then hugged her close until the wailing turned to snuffles. Five minutes later the child was playing in the dirt with her brother and Emma was heading toward the house for a fresh diaper.
    Miriam stayed with the children, watching them torment an ant lion. Staring at nothing she tumbled back into her tangled, bleak thoughts. She didn’t hear Emma return.
    “Where are you?” Emma asked over her shoulder.
    Startled, Miriam glanced at her, then looked away again, shaking her head.
    “What’s wrong, Mir? You can’t hide it, you know. I saw it on you when you first came up. It’s in your shoulders, your eyes—”
    “I’m going to be married,” Miriam moaned, fighting back tears.
    Emma took her by the shoulders and spun her around, but Miriam refused to meet her eyes. Emma’s head tilted, confused at first. An announcement of marriage wasn’t usually cause for grief. Then her eyes widened and the diaper flew up to cover her open mouth.
    “Oh, Mir, I’m so sorry,” she said, drawing Miriam into a tight hug. “It’s Domingo, isn’t it?”
    Miriam nodded against her sister’s shoulder.
    “Poor child,” Emma said. “Oh, what you must be going through.”
    Emma held her for a minute, saying nothing, just holding her tight. Finally she backed away and dabbed at