A Place Called Eden

by R. H. Hull

  “No…no you go,” Rebecca replied hesitantly, “I don’t want to hear what I am sure father is going to say.” Rebecca’s mother, attempting to re-assure her, touched Rebecca softly on her shoulder, gave her a kiss on her forehead and left her room to walk down the stairs to the living room and then into the kitchen.

  The Swenson’s, Milo and Ruth were waiting in the kitchen with Abraham. Jacob had not yet joined them, but was still outside of the house.

  As Elizabeth Yoder entered the kitchen, she reached her hand out to greet them. Caroline Swenson walked to her with her arms out stretched, smiling warmly, and said, “It is so good to see you again, Elizabeth. We see each other at our meetings, but we haven’t really had the opportunity to just get together and talk. Milo and I have spoken to Abraham about our families getting together at our house next Saturday in the evening for dinner. I don’t think that he has had an opportunity to tell you what we talked about. But we hope that you, Abraham, Rebecca and Tom will join us!”

  Ruth continued as she motioned toward her husband, “Here, Elizabeth, I want you to meet my husband Milo.”

  As they both walked toward him. Elizabeth again reached out her hand in greeting, and Milo took it, saying, “I have looked forward to meeting you. I have known your husband for some time now, but never had the pleasure of meeting you.”

  Just then, Jacob knocked on the kitchen door and entered the gathering of the parents. “Sorry I am late. You left me in the car! I wasn’t sure when I was to come inside. What’s up?”

  Elizabeth Yoder walked over to Jacob in greeting with her hands out stretched. “It is so good to finally meet you in person, Jacob,” as she took Jacob’s hand in hers. “Rebecca has told us a great deal about you, and I, personally, have been anxious to meet you!”

  “Oh…” Jacob looked from his parents to the Yoder’s and back, wondering about the purpose of this meeting at the Yoder house. He had thought that the obvious reason would be that he was going to be told that he and Rebecca were not to see each other again! “Why did we have to come all the way over here to be told that?” he wondered to himself. “Was Mr. Yoder planning to humiliate Rebecca and him in front of their families?” He was wishing that Rebecca was there with him! Where was she?

  “Come and sit down,” Elizabeth Yoder gestured toward their kitchen table. “I have some hot coffee, and I also some ginger cookies that I baked only yesterday. It’s not much, but it is a nice snack for late afternoon.”

  “It sounds good to me!” Milo Swenson said smiling. They all sat down around the table. Caroline noticed how clean and pleasant the kitchen looked. It was rather plain, but a good, clean and functional farm kitchen. The windows next to the kitchen table looked out over Elizabeth’s flower garden, and on to the green fields of their farm that appeared to be well groomed. Their kitchen seemed to be a happy place for a family to gather.

  The conversation around the table was pleasant—two farm couples getting to know each other better over coffee and crispy ginger cookies.

  Jacob sat uneasily at the table observing Rebecca’s parents. He was becoming more and more confused. If they are going to tell Rebecca and him that they were not to see each other again, why haven’t they said it by now? Instead, they were having a pleasant conversation, apparently enjoying themselves. Then, Jacob asked himself, “Why was I told to come over here in the first place? And, where is Rebecca? Is she locked away somewhere?”

  Jacob sat quietly at the table, waiting for the conversation to turn to him and to Rebecca. He didn’t partake of the refreshments. He didn’t feel like eating cookies, and coffee didn’t sound appetizing at the moment.

  “Where’s Rebecca,” he asked himself again. He was tempted to ask if she was at home. However, he was afraid to ask the question since in all probability they were going to tell him to never see her again anyway! Maybe her parents told her to stay away from the meeting.

  The Swensons and the Yoders talked at length about farming and the trials and joys of their lives, finding that despite the differences in some of their history and beliefs, they actually had a great deal in common. They discovered that their interests were similar, and Caroline reminded Elizabeth that their next meeting of their Farm Women’s Organization was to be held at their house. Their project at the moment was quilting comforters for those who could not afford warm bedding during the winter months. But, most of all, at the moment, the two families were experiencing a continuing discovery that their interests, their lifestyle, and their religions were more similar than different, something that Abraham Yoder had not realized before, nor had he expected.

  Finally, Rebecca’s father rose from the table and in his booming voice asked where Rebecca was. “Why is she not here with us?” he asked his wife Elizabeth.

  She pulled Abraham aside, and said in a whisper, “She was afraid of what she and Jacob would be told. She was afraid that the purpose of our gathering was to inform her once again, and finally, that she was not to see Jacob again.”

  “Where is she?” Abraham demanded.

  “In her room,” her mother replied.

  “Then call her down to us! I have something to say that cannot wait!”

  Rebecca’s mother went to the base of the stairway that led to Rebecca’s room and called to her to come down to the kitchen. “You are to come down to the kitchen quickly, Rebecca. Your father has something to say to all of us.”

  Rebecca, after a short pause, slowly opened the door to her bedroom and appeared hesitantly at the top of the stairway. She then began walking slowly down the stairs. One look at her face evidenced that she had been crying. As she entered the kitchen and saw Jacob standing there alongside of his parents, her heart was pounding so loudly that she was sure that the others could hear it! What did her father intend to say that he wanted everyone to hear? Was he going to embarrass her and Jacob in front of everyone by announcing loudly that he was not allowing them to see each other anymore?

  Rebecca’s father signaled for her to come and stand beside him. Her head down, avoiding eye contact with him and with Jacob, she hesitantly obeyed. As she walked toward him, her eyes focused downward, he held out a great arm and put it around her shoulder, a gesture he had never engaged in before that moment.

  He then signaled to Jacob to come and stand next to him on his other side. He, too, walked hesitantly over to Rebecca’s father. Jacob glanced sideways at Rebecca, and then looked down at the kitchen’s linoleum covered floor, wondering what was going to happen next!

  As Jacob walked slowly toward Rebecca’s father, Abraham Yoder held out his other great arm toward him, his muscular arms now enveloping Rebecca under one arm, and Jacob under the other. The three were now standing before Rebecca’s mother, their son Tom who had just entered the kitchen to join the gathering, and Caroline and Milo Swenson.

  Abraham Yoder began, his thunderous voice filling the kitchen, “I have something to say for all to hear. And, here it is.” He squeezed Rebecca and Jacob a little tighter, bringing them even closer to him, each under a massive arm—one on the right and one on the left.

  He then began. “I have brought all of you here with me to say this,” as he began with his mighty bass voice. "I went to the Swenson farm this afternoon, as you all know. My purpose in going there was to advise the Swenson’s that Rebecca was not to see their son Jacob again for various reasons including our religious and cultural differences.

  “When I went to their farm, I found what I was not expecting. I found a beautiful and well-kept farm. I found a beautiful home. I found kindness, a husband and wife who welcomed me with love—as a neighbor, rather than a stranger. I found open arms in a warm kitchen and the sharing of their bounty in the form of sweet cherry pie and hot coffee offered by Caroline Swenson. I have experienced a wife, husband and son who appear to be founded on a deep love of family, a commitment to each other, and a love for their neighbors—not just those of their same culture or religious faith, not just those who are of their heritage and
background, but those who are their neighbors, no matter who they are.”

  He continued, “I must say,” as he looked at Milo, Caroline and Jacob, “that my eyes were opened this afternoon to a world unlike the life I have lived. In fact, I believe that I have found a life as I would like to live it—not that I would leave my life and my beliefs or our heritage, but perhaps I will be able to live it by seeing what I believe in a new way, or perhaps in a renewed light.”

  Still standing with each of his great arms around Rebecca and Jacob who were now glancing at each other, confused but perhaps with a bit of renewed hope, Abraham Yoder continued as he looked from his daughter Rebecca to Jacob Swenson with a seldom seen gentle smile on his leathered face. He looked then at Milo and Caroline Swenson. “I have said a great deal here this afternoon, but it boils down to this. My daughter Rebecca has apparently been somewhat smitten by your son Jacob, and from what I have been able to observe, he feels the same. This has apparently been going on for nearly two years now, some of which have been observed, and some not easily as a result of certain subversive tactics used by Rebecca and her friend Sarah,” to which he smiled knowingly and squeezed Rebecca’s shoulder just a little more.

  Abraham Yoder continued, "When Rebecca asked her mother and me more than a year ago if she could go with Jacob to a school event, I told her that she would not be allowed to be seen with Jacob at all for two primary reasons—one being that he is not of our Mennonite heritage, and secondly that he is what we have traditionally considered ‘of the world,’ and not of our accepted culture of a simpler life.

  “After my experiences today, however,” Abraham continued, “those reasons do not seem as important as they once did. What I want to say here is that Elizabeth my wife and I have silently agreed that, if Rebecca and Jacob still remain committed to being together, that is without fear of being seen together, we will grant them our blessing.”

  Elizabeth looked into Abraham’s eyes, smiled broadly, and quietly nodded her consent. “And, if Jacob’s parents agree with us, then so be it! After nearly two years of trying to be together, they deserve it!” He once again squeezed Rebecca and Jacob’s shoulders, and where his massive arms had been, he turned and gently kissed Rebecca on her cheek, something he had never done before.

  Rebecca once again had tears streaming down her blushing cheeks, but this time in joy rather than in sadness. And, as she turned, she took Jacob’s hand while looking into his own smiling tear-filled eyes.

  The End