Two Brave Woman

The Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster Country, even in the year 1986, still lived the old “plain” lifestyle. They enjoyed a slower, peaceful pace, where the horse and buggy remained the primary form of transportation, and where windmills dotted the landscape, providing power harnessed from nature. Basically involved in agriculture with an array of cottage industries, they seemed to negate the modern philosophy of “the newer the better, the faster the richer!”.

The Amish are known for their avoidance of electricity and the use of lanterns. They don’t have TV or refrigerators either! They believe that large families are a blessing from God. The family holds authority over the individual throughout life, and the traditional Amish family provides much of the education for the child. The home and family become the school for “on the job” training.

Life was idyllic for most of the year, except when Don Martinez and his gang of nine hundred bikers chose to pay an unwelcome visit. Like a host of buzzing locusts, they would descend upon these gentle people, terrorizing them with their loot and sometimes even murder!

The local police were unable to help because of the closed lifestyle that the Amish led, refusing any unwanted contact with all outsiders, to avoid contamination by ‘worldliness’. So, these raids went on, for a period of twenty years!

The Amish community in Lancaster country had a one-room school house which helped educate children up to Grade Eight. This level of education, prepared them perfectly for life in the Amish Community. Boys would help their fathers on the farm and outside the house. Girls would work alongside their mothers in the home and garden. One teacher alone was needed to teach all the eight grades during the course of a day. Amish education emphasized the value of work, community service and obedience to elders and the church. This successfully helped Amish children become upstanding members of Amish society, while acquiring the skills to do business in the outside world.

This brings me to a remarkable lady named Emma Helmuth, a childless woman, about forty years old. She not only taught the Amish children but was also blest by God with an amazing gift of wisdom. Her keen perception of the truth made her strong and want to do the right thing always, even if it was difficult! The people in the Community loved and respected her because of the sound counsel she gave always gave them. She was very disturbed when Don Martinez and his gang of nine hundred Motorcycle Bikers had run down two little children who were playing in the street during a recent Biker Raid. So, she went to see Bishop Abram Yoder, the Community Leader, to help solve this pressing problem.                                         

Bishop Abram Yoder was a tall, well- built man of about fifty, and lived with his wife Ruth and their five children near the edge of the settlement. Ruth was Emma’s first cousin.

“Gude  Mariye, Cousin Emma. Come right in,” said Ruth as she gave her a warm hug and led the way to the parlour.

“Gude Mariye, Cousin Ruth,” replied Emma. “It’s good to see you after such a long time. How are you, Bishop Abram and the children?

“We are all well and happy in the Lord, dear Cousin,” said Ruth, smiling. “I trust all is well with you and Brother Helmuth too?”

“Oh yes, it is by God’s grace, dear Cousin,” replied Emma, smiling back.

They entered the parlour and Emma seated herself comfortably on a settee with pretty, hand-quilted cushions. Ruth, hurried off to get some cool Lemonade, when Bishop Abram walked in.

“Gude Mariye, Frau Emma”, he said shaking her hand, “How good to see you! Welcome!”  

Soon Ruth arrived with a jug of lemonade and two glasses on a tray which she put down quietly on the centre table and left.

“Now tell me the purpose of your visit Frau Emma. Something tells me it ‘s very important!” said Bishop Abram, after they had exchanged a few polite pleasantries.

“Yes indeed Bishop Abram,” said Emma gravely. It was simply shocking the way poor little Hepzibah and Ethan were run over last week while playing in the street. It’s time we did something about the biker menace, don’t you think?”

“That’s right, Frau Emma, but how?” asked Bishop Abram perplexed.

“You must gather all the able-odied men and boys of the community and first go up Turkey Hill, from where Don Martinez and his bikers are sure to see you. Then, you must go down to the banks of the Conestoga River, where they have set up camp and face them head on. God will surely give you the victory! You know deep in your heart that this is the right thing to do, don’t you?”

“Frau Emma,” said Bishop Abram sadly,” You know we have no weapons to compare with the machine guns, knives , brass knuckles, pipe barrels, grenades and  chains that the bikers carry. Our men have only farm implements and sticks. The bikers are a complete war machine. We would all be slaughtered!”

“You still need to take all our men and confront them, Bishop Abram. When God is on our side, we don’t need any fancy equipment…except faith in Him! The victory will surely be ours! Just go!”

Bishop Abram bowed his head in thoughtful silence. He was thinking about the twenty years of cruel oppression by these bikers. Would the men even want to follow him unarmed in this dangerous encounter to face these killers? The Amish did not believe in violence of any kind. They believed in the gentle teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. They did not own any firearms either. Being a man of extreme caution and responsibility, as the leader of the community, Bishop Abram was hesitant about putting the lives of the men in danger. Besides, Emma was more popular in the community. Maybe if she accompanied him and the men…

“I will go if you go with me Frau Emma,” said Bishop Abram, speaking up at last. “But, if you don’t go with me, I won’t go at all,” he said with an air of finality.

“Very well, Bishop Abram. I will surely go with you, nevertheless there will be no glory for you in this journey you are taking  because God will sell Don Martinez into the hand of a woman,” said Emma.

Bishop Abram spent three days convincing the men to follow him and Emma up Turkey Hill. They could see the Conestoga River that flowed through the centre of Lancaster Country, from there. Don Martinez and his nine hundred bikers had set up camp on the river bank. They were busy relaxing, getting high, taking drugs, partying, and had no idea at all that the Amish would actually confront them!

Then, Aaron Wagler, a friend of Don Martinez, dropped by and informed him that the Amish, under the Leadership of Bishop Abram Yoder, had gone up Turkey Hill and were about to descend to the bank of the Conestoga River where their camp was.

Don Martinez hurriedly gathered his nine hundred bikers with their weapons and stood in battle array on the bank of the Conestoga River.

“Ha! Those Amish will soon be dead meat,” thought Don Martinez.

“Welcome to the slaughterhouse, you Amish sheep!” he yelled as he revved up his motorbike and heard his gang of bikers follow suit. The awful sound they made was enough to awaken the dead!

Twenty years of oppressing the Amish had given him a cockiness that was hard to beat.

Emma said to Abram: “Don’t be afraid. Go down with the men. God is on our side and will give you the victory!”

There was something about her quiet voice and imperturbable confidence that made him obey her. Abram and the men went down Turkey Hill to the bank of the Conestoga River; and as they descended, it suddenly began to thunder! Lightning streaked across the sky, storm clouds broke and the rain came down in torrents! The Amish, unarmed and empty-handed, moved steadily down the slope to meet the bikers on the river bank. It was as if God had seen the courage and obedience of the Amish and sent help in the form of this torrential rain!

 The noise of the thunder and the revved-up nine hundred motorbikes was frightfully deafening! Still the Amish kept moving till they reached almost the end of Turkey Hill. 

Then a strange thing happened! In less than an hour, the Conestoga River flooded her banks, creating a muddy bog. Try as they might, the bikers made very little progress, as the wheels of their vehicles stuck in the mud. They bumped and jostled each other like kids in their bumper cars at an amusement park! Some of them, dizzy from the alcohol and drugs they had consumed, got knocked off their bikes into the slush. Their once powerful nine hundred bikes were now rendered completely useless! Then, some of them opened fire with their machine guns, killing all the other bikers. The Amish on Turkey Hill were safe!  

Don Martinez surveyed the scene with dismay! His gang either lay dead or were dying! Evil had come full circle at last! Don Martinez faced his day of reckoning as it always happens in such cases. A coward at heart, he decided to run for his life sensing correctly that God Himself was working against him. Dismounting his bike, he laid it on its side like the rest of his gang and began to run!

He ran towards Ephrata, where he knew his friends Aaron and Miriam Wagler lived. In his desperation, it did not strike him, that he would not find Aaron at home, because he was on a business tour in Lancaster. It was Aaron Wagler who had given Don Martinez, the tip-off about the approaching Amish. So he just kept running wildly in his biker’s gear in the pouring rain.

Ephrata is a thriving small town that takes pride in its heritage and its own unique character. Miriam Wagler worked as a quilt instructor in the little store- cum-workshop owned by her husband Aaron and his parents, Isaac and Rebecca Wagler. Her best friend, Sarah Roth worked there too. It was nearly closing time at the shop that day as both the girls took a little break over a cup of coffee.

Miriam Wagler was a soul in anguish with a secret struggle of her own. She loved the Amish people and was very loyal to them in her heart. Her heart ached for the Amish, because she felt that what the bikers were doing was very wrong. However, she never revealed her true feelings to her husband, Aaron, who owned a haberdashery store on the outskirts of the Amish settlement in Lancaster. Aaron had made a deal with Don Martinez who promised that no harm would come to him or his shop in the event of a biker raid. Miriam was unhappy that her husband had struck such a shady deal with evil instead of upholding the good, even if it meant loss sometimes!

“It’s high time someone did something about Don Martinez and his gang of bikers,” she said to Sarah as she poured them each a hot cup of coffee and sat down.

“Yes, they really should,” agreed Sarah, “But I heard he’s quite invincible with those nine hundred bikers of his…at least he thinks he is….!”

“Nonsense,” replied Miriam. “If I ever got my hands on him, I wouldn’t think twice about killing him. I really wouldn’t, and I’d have no remorse about it either!”

“It was terrible the way they ran over those two little kids playing on the street last week! What an awful thing to do to innocent children,” said Sarah, shaking her head sadly.

“Monsters!” said Miriam as she began to put things away. “That’s what they are, every single one of them!”

The girls closed the shop and began to walk home. Miriam was alone at home in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

She opened it to find herself face-to-face with Don Martinez!  He looked scuffed, wet and weary and was out of breath!

“May I come in?’ he said gasping heavily.

“Yes, of course, please step right in,” said Miriam politely. Miriam believed in hospitality…even to obnoxious folk. She felt a lot like the spider who’d invited the fly into her lair!

“I need a place to rest for a bit. Is it ok if I stay?” He asked.

“Well…. Aaron is away to Lancaster on business. He’ll be back only tomorrow morning,” she said, hoping he would realize that she was alone and that it would be inappropriate for him to stay.

“I know,” said Don Martinez, “I met him there five hours ago. But please, please do me a favour and don’t tell anyone, I’m here…please! My life depends on you!” He was begging now.

“Very well,” said Miriam letting him in the house. “You can use the spare bedroom. Let me take out a blanket and pillow for you.”

“Thank you so much! I’m so grateful to you! Could I have some water to drink, please? I’m very thirsty.” He was beginning to relax a little now.

“Sure,” said Miriam. “Just a moment!”

Recalling all the atrocities he had committed against the gentle Amish people, made Miriam’s stomach churn. The Amish of course, always forgave, because their religion demanded it. Now, it appeared he was a frightened fugitive running away from a battle he had apparently lost. It would be easy to deal with this son of Satan in his vulnerable state, she thought to herself.

“Now’s my chance!” she thought as she reached for the bottle of Phenabarbital that her mother-in-law always took to help her sleep better.

She emptied the entire contents of the bottle into a tall tumbler. Then, she poured some buttermilk over it and began to stir it with a spoon till all the pellets dissolved.

She took a deep breath and pursed her lips determinedly as she lifted the tray and walked toward the guestroom, where Don Martinez lay sprawled across the bed, exhausted.

“Here,” she said in a gentle, soothing voice. “Have this cool, sweet buttermilk. It will help you relax and get a good sleep. You look as if you’ve had a hard day.  Don’t be afraid. No one will ever know you are here, because I won’t tell. Now drink up and go to sleep,” she said, forcing herself to smile pleasantly, as she watched him thirstily gulp down his drink, and hold out the empty glass for a re-fill. With his thirst quenched, he removed his helmet and boots and sank almost immediately into a deep slumber. Miriam gently covered him with a light comforter, turned out the light, shut the door softy and walked with the tray towards the kitchen. She rinsed out the jug and tumbler and put the tray back on the rack. Aaron would be back the next morning and would take care of things then. She curled up on the couch in the living room, thinking about how the unsuspecting enemy had walked into his own death trap.

An hour later, the doorbell rang. She opened it to find Bishop Abram Yoder standing there. She recognized him at once, having seen his pictures several times in the media, whenever there was a biker attack on the peaceful Amish settlement.

“Guten Abend, Frau Wagler,” said Bishop Abram respectfully, doffing his hat. “We’re looking for a man named Don Martinez. Someone told us that he could be in your home, since you and your husband have friendly terms with him. Now, would that be true, by any chance, do you think?”

“Please come in, Sir,” said Miriam politely.  “I will show you the man you are looking for,” she said, as she led him to the guestroom. They stood at the door, listening to the loud death rattle coming from Don Martinez’s throat. They realized he would soon be dead.

“May God be praised for His mercy and faithfulness,” said Bishop Abram, raising both his hands in an act of worship. “Now at last, after twenty years, will the Amish have peace from this dreadful scourge!”

His voice cracked with emotion, as tears of relief, wonder and exhaustion rolled down his cheeks. Miriam too cried tears of joy, as the dam of pent-up emotion broke loose. She realized she’d done the right thing by helping rid the world of this cruel oppressor!

True to Emma Helmuth’s words, God did indeed sell the villainous Don Martinez into the hands of a woman!