Found You At Christmas

Sounds From Silence

Those voices heard daily, so often then not build our character, who or what we become. In an instance the baby, infant born into a world unannounced.
     Until our given name put down on a birth register for statistics tells us, a social security number identifying this soul is definitely a real human being. He/She has a name and gender.

   Amish has a midwife come in during the home delivery time. Mennonites do too, a family tradition amongst us started in the beginning. True to being plain, not fancy, no hospitals only in case of an emergency.
    To this day I treasure my way of life being a Mennonite an anonymous article writer for Mennonites of America.
     The day started sunshiny, cool morning only to dream about in these summer months. Alice came from the powder room with a towel wrapped around her head in white. Still in her black Terry cloth robe an matching slippers.   
    Her waist-length Auburn hair and bug-green eyes, a freckled skin, smooth. A tall women of twenty-six years old. Beautiful, and kind as she is smart beyond her years " Alice" " I am perking up some fresh ground kaffi ", Schwester would you care for a cup, I see your
Resting there on the couch, how's the book you reading?
     Clara," Yes I'd love some Schwester.  By the way, let's have our cake donuts, there here on the library table."
      Here she comes a hot pot of kaffi a trivet to set it down on, Sitting on the other sofa, Clara had small plates there already and forks, and pretty pink flowered napkins. Alice set out cups pouring kaffi into them.
    " Dankee," Clara told her all smiles from their dates the night before. " Last evening supper fun roller skating huh Alice."
     " Certainly was, I'm excited for next time, I enjoyed all the jukebox music and Hotdogs, colas, and cheese fries. Seeing Caleb my biggest fan ,ultimate."
    " You definitely make a cute couple , your ment for each other truly."
    " Dankee, Schwester , I dearly think the best of him . Peter is truly ment to be yours , I can see it in your eyes, I guess the way you at each other ," Alice told her.
     " He is the love of my life , we just announced our love for one another, it feels right ya know, in ones heart tells the truth always meeting Peter my life as I know of it happy ."
    " I feel good about you and Petter, a love story to be exciting and appreciated forever kind of love I believe," Alice said confidently.
       They both enjoyed eating buttermilk donuts, purchased at Amish supper market, their favorite place to shop for food. Living here together has been so much fun , besides being best friends Alice , one year apart myself oldest. I know since day one, you and I have been inseparable. Dank Gott for you dearest Alice.
     " let's face it Clara , I had been born to be by your side , love you Clara." They both laughed. Two young Mennonite women, enjoying being sisters born into the same family. Living in a pretty lil house on Dat and Mamas farmstead.
    Starting a Mennonite School on our property a few years ago and it's still growing. Where we live on our family farmstead , lots of other cousins live working for Fater. And in turn , life had become covered by those known and loved family members. Helping fill jobs , showing up , therefore not missing work days. 
     Caleb Esh , a bigger lad , strong and ready to
Deliver a Belgium  foal anytime soon , they way it looked , the Belgium her name Sunshine, lay on her side puffing , getting ready to deliver, placenta came out , he lay in back of her , pulling the baby out , ever so slowly, oh wow , another , twins.
     Peter taking pictures for the Office showing Caleb's work , it's so customers to come back for future deliveries. Quality care , right here.
Caleb , blonde tight curly hair , tan, bigger nose , big brown eyes, perfect teeth. Strong , kind as ever and Alice's boyfriend.
      Peter not as big as Caleb his older Braudaar, best friends, yet his best friends his deputy sheriffs work at the jail. Dark curly curly-haired Peter, big brown eyes, a nice, good
Man, honest, fair and true to his word.
      Folks have heard of Petter Esh, as a fine Deputy Sheriff, word gets around when you are one of the finest. His high-caliber antics provide a safe environment for his town folks.
Providing positive antics to send the message, that it's okay to be safe yet smart.
Today, Clara and Alice turn to work some hours with the Ghost Monitors. Excited to be doing so, and this time would wear name badges and Black T-shirts, a logo "Ghost Sightings."
After getting ready, wear the new T-shirts, and long ankle-length skirts, and black sneakers. They slipped on black backpacks and waited outside for the White van to pick up.
Theodore drove up outside and honked, James in the passenger seat waved to them, getting out to open the side door for them to get in the back, sitting next to Ashlyn and Margret already inside," Hallo, girlfriends," Both said as they slipped in beside them.
James got back in the passenger seat, and they drove away. Warm, pretty, sunshine, shade trees leaving shadows on the cement road driving on it to get to ole mill.
They had coolers packed with food on ice, colas, and picnic baskets of paper plates, plastic silverware, table clothes. Life is been good to us, everyone thinking while driving up the mountain that day. Our Lord knows what they are thinking sure enough that was it.
Telling us of ghosts, voices heard beyond the grave, is what they in this van have heard. And it's thrilling. Hearing sounds from silence, where silence in the Ole Mill, come voices from beyond the grave.
    Compassion is what Ahlyn has had since a child, such a heart of hers to be Holden to. Gott her the gift to show no skepticism to those whose lives have been filled in grief.
     Margret Dat told us her thoughts always on finding facts, before making a decision, never over think and forgetting your resources by doing so, things always work out.
       Theodore is always good at driving, vehicles with engines, to driving a team of horses. James on the other hand, is smart in last-minute decisions, and fixing oops on things to get them right.
     The Ghost mobile slowed into the Ole Mill. Around Us pretty countryside, much adored, squirrels came up to the van chatting at us, as if to say welcome back.
      All of us got down outa the van, and carried along a piece of equipment to use for identifying cell behavior, and ghosts, inside Ole Mill. Theodore unlocked the door to get us inside.
     Sun shiny, inside light streamed through, beams of light. Making patterns on the hardwood floor. Setting our coolers on the floor next to a nearby table.
Worn artifacts hung up still on the walls, a Belgium picture on a calendar. A large wooden Cross, an Amish postcard of lightning above a wagon, made into a big picture almost covering one entire wall. These things hung on the first floor.
Unpacking the equipment is easy to get to, on a long table in the kitchen. Audio recorder, video camera, the camera following to get a film to document the event today. So far so good.
Alice walked slowly, quietly, " Spirit our prayers are inside ourselves, and this place, keeping out any evil forces to hurt us ."
Clara followed up behind," Gut thoughts today, we are all glad to be here at Ole Mill," Whispered to the Spirit inside. Theodore and James did the same, except praying, then started filming talking to Spirits in low tones.
Ashlyn by this time upstairs, whispered to the spirit world, Margret same level, videotaping. All at once they heard it, loud giggling, and another voice echoed in. Shortly the rest of the team upstairs listening in at the same time.
" This is Victoria, May you find comfort being amongst us." " Dankee Victoria is it? Ashlyn said to her. " Yes, a long word being said. " If I gave you an age, what would you say yours is? James asked all enthused about this .
" Well over one hundred years Sir, though my spirit is thirty-four years, same as when I died."
" I'm sorry for your dismissed happened so young, ahh what was death caused from?
" Whopping cough, no cure, sad left-behind children, my husband."
" Sorry, prayers to you," They all said to her Spirit. Onward Christian soldiers, a tiny Bell rang, someone get it on audio," Ashlyn? James told her. Suddenly it rang throughout. And if not enough, a wall slid open bearing a staircase leading somewhere, Theodore didn't expect ." We shall wait to enter, I'm unsure about this. Instead of getting ourselves into a mind shaft and fall this must be investigated first."
They all agreed totally, aghast for some reason. Worried about doing the wrong thing and ending up being hurt over it?
Time for lunch, they can discuss it then. " First off if I may call this meeting to order while eating. Taping the minutes to a computer document later. " Speaking for myself," Theodore said," I believe today has been witnessed as a milestone for our investigation. First off she told us one her age, plus, Spirit age, her life story, part of anyway."
    " I'm going to shoot a camera down inside and take a video to see what it's like down underneath the mill, James said. Peter is coming from the Sheriff's department. He's at another call right at this time will swing by after since its non emergency ."
    Lunch , turkey, lettuce , tomato on a wheat hoagie bun, a bag of chips, a white napkin, plastic silverware , a small round pecan pie, and a jug of sweet tea.
   " Bow your heads in prayer," Alice said, as they started eating lunch. It tasted scrumptious. Not long after Sheriff Petter showed up. Theodore invited him to eat some lunch, he'd eaten already so passed up lunch.
    He pulled up a wooden chair and sat up to the table. " I have the story from Theodore if any of you want to add anything please do." " No, Thanx ."
   " I've brought a long-armed camera to put through downstairs. Then monitoring while we are all looking on, since your all finished staying sitting, this is the monitor I'm putting up in here. This monitor like a small television.
    Theodore walked over to the open wall sent his cameras, smoothly while not hitting any other walls down, down into the basement landing on the floor. " Good land on the floor .
" Let's go set back at the table go watch to see what's on the monitor down there.
    Alice set out fresh glasses of iced tea , they sat watching, waiting, " There some wooden canoes, a bit old as the hills. This looks like antique dishes see this shape, to the right, those. I'm getting a close up. Yes it is dishes , over across from them, rolled up rugs several of those there."
      " Here stairs going downstairs, I'm closing checking out , they look fine sturdy . Does everyone feel ok to go down them ?
      " Yes we are ready ." " Let's try it then." Sheriff Peter led them to the wall opening and carefully taking a step at a time." And they did so , stepping down , next , next step.