Second Chances Read Online Free Page A

even after all of those medical bills required not one but
two rounds of aid from the g ’ may !” She turned her head, her sharp eyes staring at
Lydia with a look of disdain. “Certainly we are better off than that!”
    The challenge was set. Anne could only hold her breath and wait to hear what came
next. When she glanced at her father, she saw the glimmer of hope that shone from
his eyes and her heart ached for her father. But he was oblivious to his middle
daughter’s thoughts. Instead, for the second time that evening, William pointed at
Elizabeth as if her comment might solve his problems. “ Ja , that’s the truth!” A glow
of eagerness returned to his face. “No one can doubt that we have done much better
than that Henry Hostetler!”
    Lydia shook her head. “I’ve gone over your numbers, William. You have simply spent
far more than you have earned . . . or saved. The maintenance on this property plus
the taxes on the land are only part of the problem. You also spent almost ten thousand
dollars on that new buggy last spring.”
    “And the horse,” Anna whispered.
    Lydia nodded at the reminder and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “And the horse.
A Dutch Harness horse? That was a very expensive horse, William.”
    At this comment, regarding the horse, Mary chimed in. “And you already have that
Standardbred!” She laughed—a short little burst of air—and looked at Lydia as if
expecting her to join her. “And then you purchased that fancy harness from Benny
Zook. Custom made, if I do recall what you told people after worship service.”
    “Fancy harness?” He bristled at the words spoken by Mary. “I see nothing wrong with
purchasing a good quality harness for a horse that is sound and capable.”
    “Sound and capable, yes. But that horse was as green as they come, William,” Lydia
reminded him, with just enough gentleness in her voice so that he did not become
more irritated. “Need I remind you that you had to pay John and Martin Wagler to
break it?”
    “I’d be happy to talk to Cris about buying your new buggy,” Mary cheerfully offered,
as a way of moving the conversation along, ignoring the glare that Elizabeth sent
in her direction. She smiled as if this alone would solve her father’s money problem.
“Our own buggy is so old anyway. I’m sure Cris would agree, although your buggy is used now, so it wouldn’t fetch the same price, I reckon.”
    This suggestion did not sit well with William. “I just purchased that buggy! It has
the new battery that recharges! I shall not part with it!”
    Mary pursed her lips and looked away.
    “Perhaps I should just sell a few acres.”
    “I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that,” Lydia said, a gentleness to her voice that
did little to lighten the news. “Even selling those unused acres that you never farm
wouldn’t help, William. And, frankly, it would make the property less valuable in
the long run.”
    It wasn’t a big property, just ten acres. Many years ago, it had been much larger,
but as customary among Amish families, parcels were divided and given to sons throughout
the generations. Anna loved to walk through the tall grasses in the back acres, sometimes
finding a broken piece of metal from an older plow or harvester in her path, especially
after a sweet spring rain. She knew that her grandfather, Grossdawdi Eicher, had
lived on the property, helping his own daed farm those acres a couple of generations
ago. When he married and acquired the small farmette, he chose not to farm the land
but worked in minerals, instead. He bought them in bulk from suppliers around the
country and sold them mostly to communities of Amish in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
Indiana. After all, dairy cows and horses needed minerals to stay healthy.
    With only two children who survived into adulthood, Grossdawdi Eicher didn’t have
to worry about decisions regarding inheritance. His son, David, eight years older
than William, had married and moved to the