Chapter 29: the wedding

Read previous chapters

It was a beautiful May morning for the wedding of Kaybri Lynn and Noah Stoltzfus at the Stoltzfus Farm. The joyous event was attended by hundreds. Cars were parked for a mile in every direction. Young boys and girls were assigned to tend the hundred or so horses and buggies that assembled on a newly harvested field near the barn. Spare bedrooms in Amish homes were hard to find as friends and relatives drove their buggies for days to reach the Stoltzfus Farm.

    Unlike many weddings where people were seated according to their relation to the bride or groom, at this wedding, folks sat wherever they wished, mostly on quilts or blankets, since there weren’t enough chairs in the community to accommodate everyone.

    Frank, in a suit he hadn’t taken out of the closet since his own wedding, walked Kaybri, who was wearing a simple but elegant white dress and daisies in her hair, down the aisle. Kaybri had never in her life seen herself as pretty, but today she felt beautiful. 

    Both Judge Thompson and Jakob Diener officiated. Since neither Noah nor Kaybri was Amish, the event had a relaxed feeling akin to a barn raising or a community dinner rather than a formal wedding with religious overtones. 

    When it was time for their vows, Judge Thompson asked if Esther Chalk would take Noah Stoltzfus’s hand in marriage and vice versa.

    “Are you sure you want to use that name?” Noah quietly asked but not quietly enough.

    A good Old Testament name,” someone muttered loud enough for Kaybri to hear.

    Kaybri smiled. “I’m ready to put my past in the past. Besides which, my last name won’t be Chalk in a few seconds.”

      When the couple kissed, applause broke out, and Noah blushed the brightest red Kaybri had ever seen. Noah had earlier explained that such kisses at the altar were not traditional for the Amish.

    As soon as the ceremony concluded, the children bolted to the barn to play with the puppies. No business was conducted that day, but it was hard for both Amish and non-Amish parents to say ‘no’ to children who came running back from the barn with a puppy in their arms.

    Kaybri heard some of the Amish guests question the mechanical equipment in Thomas’s barn. Thomas directed those farmers to the elders, who explained that it was no longer God’s will or the community’s will that dogs be cultivated in a brutal manner. When a few of those farmers protested, they were made aware that the local elders had already had discussions with the elders in their regions and that excommunication was a real possibility if those farmers persisted in breeding dogs inhumanely. If one of the farmers continued to protest, that farmer was directed to Teri McGee, whose now-rarely-used malevolent smile put the fear of death in that farmer’s heart. Diener would rescue those farmers from Teri’s clutches. He would then show that farmer how the children were playing with the dogs. “You can have this or you can have nothing. Do you want to see your twenty-two grandchildren doing this or avoiding your farm? Ask Stoltzfus. He’ll tell you that this is better.” 

    There was no dancing, out of respect for Amish ways, but plenty of volleyball. Kaybri, having ditched the dress to don shorts and a T-shirt, wore herself out jumping around and smashing spikes across the net. She was new to the game, which was so popular among the Amish, but had picked it up like a natural.

    The late-afternoon dinner consisted of traditional dishes, most of them cooked by local women, both Amish and non-Amish. Kaybri was too excited to pig out in the way she would normally have wanted to but tasted a little bit of everything. Through it all, she and Noah couldn’t stop looking over at each other and smiling even when they were on opposite sides of the yard. 

    Later that night, she and Noah drove to their new home. They had rented a small house on a half-acre that they planned to live in for a few years until they could afford to buy something of their own. Kaybri was already imagining the future and was sure they’d need a house with several bedrooms. She and Noah had talked about having one or two children of their own and eventually fostering as many others as they could handle. 

    The term of the rental had begun on the first of the month, but out of a sense of propriety they had waited until this night—when they were officially married—to stay there together. They walked up the front steps giggling. Suddenly, Noah grabbed Kaybri, and she fell forward into his arms. “My bride,” he said, as he scooped her up and carried her through the front door and up the stairs to the second floor. 

*          *          *          * 

    A few months after the wedding, Kaybri and Teri drove to the Stoltzfus Farm in Teri’s Prius. Kaybri had arranged this meeting between her new father-in-law and his former nemesis in the hope they could make peace. They had been civil to each other at the wedding, and Teri had indicated some softening of her feelings toward Thomas.

    Meanwhile, Kaybri and Teri had grown quite close. Both women had always related better to dogs than to people, and in that they found they had a special bond. Through their numerous conversations, Kaybri had convinced Teri it was pointless to try to find all of the puppy mills in Pennsylvania and shut them down. The goal should be to make them disappear on their own. Their talks helped Teri decide to change the mission of Helping Every Dog. Its goals would be twofold: to educate the public about the evils of puppy mills so dog-buyers would avoid them and to raise funds to cover the medical expenses for abused dogs. Teri was changing HED’s direction while also setting up the new nonprofit Canine Kisses. 

    Thomas emerged from the house and greeted them in the driveway as they got out of the car. “How is my lovely daughter-in-law?” He hugged Kaybri, then turned to Teri. “Welcome, Teri. It’s good to see you. I was happy to see you enjoying yourself at that wedding.”

    Teri opened up the trunk of the car to reveal twenty-two large bags of dog food. “I come bearing gifts. All of this is for your dogs.”

     “Thank you,” Thomas said earnestly. “Where did this windfall come from?” 

    “I confiscated it from a pet store in Allentown that was selling puppy mill dogs.”  

    “Let me get my family to unload it.” 

    “How are your puppies?” Teri asked. 

    “Come see for yourself. We have several different breeds giving birth.” 

    Even though it was an extremely hot day, the barn was comfortably air conditioned. Puppies were nursing on padded beds or being bathed by two of Thomas’s grandchildren. Kaybri ran over to her favorite mother dog, whom she had named Marshmallow II, and gave her a big smooch, careful not to disturb the pups. 

    Teri took off her heavy coat and asked Thomas if she could help. 

    “Join in wherever you like. Latex gloves are on the table. Please avoid the dogs at the far end of the barn.” He gestured to the right.

    Teri looked in the direction he was indicating. “Where did those kennels come from?” she asked, sounding concerned. 

    Kaybri jumped in to explain. “We’ve been receiving too many damaged dogs from other farmers. We’re keeping some of the overload here since we have the room. It’s a temporary situation. I know it’s not what we told you we would be doing with this space, but we didn’t have a choice. Things are changing faster than anyone expected.” 

    “I think you made the right decision.” As Teri inspected the damaged animals, Kaybri could see the pain of it on her face. “How many more dogs do you think will be brought to the clinic?” 

    “It’s hard to say. There could be thousands over the next two years,” Kaybri admitted reluctantly.

Thomas jumped in. “Amos Epps is meeting with the local farmers to try and get a count so Noah and Esther can plan. I’m sorry you had to see this. I knew my situation was bad. I was hoping there wouldn’t be this many dogs coming from other breeding operations. Naive thinking on my part.” 

    “Let’s deal with the situation one dog at a time,” Teri said calmly, much to Kaybri’s relief. “Eventually the numbers will dwindle, and we will all be able to put this behind us.” 

    “That’s very understanding of you,” Thomas said. 

    “Thank you. HED bought two vans and equipped them with lifesaving equipment. Esther has hired veterinary assistants who visit farms weekly to pick up dogs from the farmers. I appreciate what Amos has been doing, but he must be overwhelmed by the numbers of dogs.” 

    “I do have good news to share,” Thomas said. “I met with the Amish council. They have collected one hundred thousand dollars from the Amish community to help pay for the care of the damaged animals. There will be more coming.” 

    “That’s good because HED is matching every dollar the farmers donate.” 

    “Remarkable,” Thomas said. 

    “It’s amazing how much money is available when you’re not suing farmers, pet stores, and veterinarians,” Teri said with a smile. 

    For the next three hours, Teri helped bathe the puppies and orient them so they could nurse from their mothers. The highlight of the day was the birth of a litter of cocker spaniels, accomplished with the help of several of the Stoltzfus grandchildren. Under Thomas’s supervision, the children safely delivered nine pups. 

    Kaybri was crying when the last and smallest pup was safely out. When she looked over at Teri, she saw that her eyes were glistening with tears as well. Kaybri picked up the pup, wrapped it in a clean blanket, and placed it in Teri’s arms.

    “I could never have imagined,” Teri said softly as she gazed at the tiny creature. 

    Thomas cleared his throat. “That makes two of us.” 

    “Are all of these pups spoken for?” Teri asked.

    “All but one,” Thomas replied. “Before we allow a dog to become pregnant, we take orders at the store. We don’t want our supply of dogs to exceed the demand. We can’t tell how many pups will be in a litter. For a cocker spaniel, we guess about eight. We missed by one on this lot. 

    “Are you selling this one?” 

    “Do you have someone in mind?” 

    “I do. I had a cocker spaniel for a brief time.” She hesitated, seeming a little misty-eyed. “Please call me when this one is ready for a forever home.” 

    Kaybri knew that Teri had owned a lot of dogs throughout her life, and most of them had been largely mutts. Then it hit her that one of the dogs HED had taken from the clinic and placed in Teri’s care for a night before it died had been a cocker spaniel.

    “I will,” Thomas said, obviously pleased. “And now I think we should get this one back to its mother.” He gently took the newborn from Teri’s arms. 

    Thomas paused for a moment before he broached the next topic. “I want to talk to you both about a sensitive issue.” He took a deep breath. “What Kaybri…I mean Esther. I keep forgetting that she is using her birth name again. Well, anyway, Esther and Noah can attest to is that not every dog can be rehabilitated. It’s a terrible shame. If a dog is abused for too long, it can’t be socialized and can’t be safely put in a home. These dogs are a danger to children and to other pets. What are we to do with these dogs? I know it’s an ethical question that your organization and others are wrestling with. We’re wrestling with it as well. Elizabeth is keeping abreast of the literature on the subject. We’d like to hear what both of you think and whether you have any suggestions.” 

    “It would be my pleasure to sit down and talk about that whenever your schedule allows,” Teri said. 

    “Why don’t we go to the house now? Elizabeth, I believe, is just pulling a lamb pot pie from the oven.” 

    Kaybri could see there was another subject on Teri’s mind as they walked quietly to the house. When they were seated in the dining room, Teri turned to Thomas and Elizabeth and asked, “Do you mind if we talk about your granddaughter’s burns? There are many fine plastic surgeons in the region who can undo the damage.” 

    Teri had never mentioned this to Kaybri before, but clearly it must have been on her mind for a long time.

    Thomas nodded and said, “We certainly have a lot to talk about. Forgiveness all around.” 

    Elizabeth got up to pull the piping hot pie out of the oven and placed it on the table in front of everyone. “We’ll need to let this cool off a bit. While we’re waiting, I want to hear about the progress on Canine Kisses. Where do we stand?”

    “Oh, it’s all on track…”

    Kaybri texted Noah to tell him she was there, and he arrived an hour later for the remains of the pot pie. He and Kaybri helped put some of the nieces and nephews to bed, and then the five of them talked long into the night.