by Amy Clipston
“Danki.” Marlene took in his tall, lean stature as she followed him through the store, silently marveling at how much he had changed since she’d last seen him. Though he had been slightly taller than her when they were teenagers, he seemed to have shot up during the past decade. His shoulders and back were wide and ended at a tapered waist. Any trace of the skinny teenage boy he’d once been was gone. And he was even more handsome than she’d remembered.
They stepped through a doorway and into a large room lined with shelves and boxes. She followed Rudy through the long room before stopping in another doorway that led to an office, where a middle-aged man sat at a desk peering at a ledger over reading glasses. The man’s dark brown hair and beard were laced with gray, but his long face and nose resembled Rudy’s.
“Dat.” Rudy tapped the doorframe and then leaned his forearm against it. “Do you remember Marlene Bawell?” He gestured between Marlene and his father. “Marlene, this is mei dat, Jeptha.”
Jeptha looked up at Marlene as a smile crept over his lips. “Of course I remember you, Marlene. How are you these days?”
“I’m fine, danki.” Marlene smiled. “And you?”
“I’m well, thank you. It’s been a long time. How’s your dat?” Jeptha set his glasses on the desk as he turned toward her.
“He’s doing gut.” She smiled at Jeptha.
“Are you here visiting family for the summer?” Jeptha asked.
Marlene shook her head. “Mei dat was laid off from the factory where he worked in Indiana. I’m hoping we’re back for gut now.”
Jeptha clicked his tongue and closed his ledger. “I’m sorry to hear that. What’s your dat going to do?”
She shifted her weight on her feet and kept her eyes focused on Jeptha, though she was keenly aware of Rudy’s curious stare. “Mei onkel gave mei dat a job working at his lawn ornament store.”
“Oh, that’s right. Your onkel is Leonard Esch,” Jeptha said, and Marlene nodded. “His store stays very busy, especially this time of year. I’m sure your dat will enjoy working there. I’m glad you stopped by. We’ll see you at church.”
“Marlene is interested in the job,” Rudy chimed in.
“Oh?” Jeptha divided a look between Rudy and Marlene.
“Ya, I am.” She stood a little taller. “I thought if I got a job I could help out mei dat.”
“It’s part-time,” Jeptha said.
“That’s fine with me,” she said.
Jeptha and Rudy shared a look.
“I’ve worked in retail before, and I’m a fast learner.” Marlene folded her hands as if saying a prayer. “I’m reliable, and I’ll work any hours you need me.” As long as Dat agrees . . .
“We’ll need help on the days that Neil can’t work,” Rudy said.
“Ya.” Jeptha rubbed his beard. “So Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for sure. Will that work with your schedule?”
Hope blossomed in Marlene’s chest as she felt a smile curving up her lips. “Ya. Definitely.”
“All right then,” Jeptha said. “Can you start tomorrow?”
“Of course!” She nodded with such emphasis that the ties from her prayer covering bounced off her shoulders.
“Great.” Rudy stood up straight as he turned toward his father once again. “I’ll take the Help Wanted sign out of the window.”
“Gut.” Jeptha shook Marlene’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Danki for the opportunity to work here,” she said.
Jeptha chuckled. “You might change your mind when you see how busy it gets on Saturdays. Tell your dat hello for me.”
“I will.” Marlene followed Rudy to the front of the store, grinning from ear to ear. “Danki for reintroducing me to your dat.”
“Gern gschehne.” He swiped the Help Wanted sign from the front window and then turned toward her. “I guess I will see you tomorrow morning. How about eight o’clock?”
Marlene agreed, then gave him a little wave before stepping out through the store’s front door.
As she walked toward the market, her pulse quickened. She couldn’t wait to get home to tell her father and sister that she’d found a job. Hopefully her paycheck would help her family get back on their feet. If so, could they start building a new life in Bird-in-Hand?
Later that evening, Marlene carried a platter of fried chicken to the table and set it in front of her father. The delicious aroma filled her senses, and her stomach gurgled in response. Anna, her younger sister, followed with a bowl of mashed potatoes. At twenty-three, Anna shared the same sunshine-colored hair and green eyes that Marlene had inherited from their mother.
Their cousin Betsy, also twenty-three, sidled up to Anna and set down a basket of homemade rolls before rubbing her hands together. “These rolls smell so gut!” Her light blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming in through the windows as she pushed back a lock of blond hair that had escaped her prayer covering.
“I think that’s everything.” Aenti Feenie surveyed the table and smiled at Onkel Leonard. “Let’s eat.”
Marlene took her spot across from her father and between her sister and cousin. After a silent prayer, the large kitchen filled with the sounds of scraping utensils as they filled their plates with supper.
Marlene gazed over at Dat, who scooped a mountain of mashed potatoes onto his plate. She took in the streaks of gray highlighting his light brown hair and beard, the crow’s-feet around his hazel eyes, and the wrinkles peppering his tanned face. He looked older and sadder lately. The thought sent a pang of melancholy through her.
“How was your day, Dat?” Anna’s question brought Marlene back to the present.
Dat gave a halfhearted shrug as he lifted his glass and took a drink of water.
“I got a job today.” The words burst from Marlene’s lips as she smiled.
Dat’s eyes widened as he set his glass on the table. “What?”
“I said I got a job.” Marlene suddenly felt aware of her family’s eyes focused on her. “I was in town earlier for groceries, and I saw a Help Wanted sign in the window at Lancaster Hardware and Supply. I went inside and applied for a job.”
“That’s Jeptha Swarey’s store,” Onkel Leonard chimed in.
“That’s right.” Marlene nodded at Dat. “He told me to tell you hello.”
Dat studied her, his hazel eyes narrowing. “We never discussed your getting a job. The plan was for me to work and keep saving money until a job opened up in Shipshewana. We’re only here until we can go back to Indiana.”
Marlene’s cheeks heated as embarrassment crept up her neck to her face. “I thought you would be froh that I want to help.”
“You should have asked for my permission first.” Dat pressed his lips together.
“I just wanted to help you.” Marlene’s voice was small, as if she were a little girl instead of a twenty-seven-year-old woman.
“It’s not your job to support our family. That’s my job.” Dat pointed to his chest.
“We’re a family,” Marlene insisted, her voice growing slightly louder despite the churning in the pit of her stomach. “We take care of each other.”
Dat picked up his spoon and waved it at her. “You had no right to go looking for a job without my permission.” Then he pointed toward the counter. “You have obligations here at the haus. You’re supposed to help Feenie, Betsy, and Anna with chores while Leonard and I work.”
Marlene turned toward her aunt sitting at the head of the table. “I was only going to work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, Aenti Feenie. I promise I’ll do my chores on the other days.”
Aenti Feenie’s smile seemed hesitant. “I think it’s your dat’s choice if you can accept a part-time job or not.”
Anna touched Marlene’s arm. “I’ll cover Marlene on the days she works. I can make sure all of her chores are done, Dat.”
Marlene felt her body relax, and she smiled at her younger sister. Praise God for you, Anna.
Dat pursed his lips, d
ividing a look between Marlene and Anna. Then he turned to Aenti Feenie. “What do you think, Feenie?”
Marlene held her breath as her aunt sat silently for a moment.
“If you support it, Elias, then we do too,” Aenti Feenie said. “Right, Leonard?” When Onkel Leonard nodded, she added, “I’m certain Betsy, Anna, and I can handle the chores.”
Marlene blew out a puff of air as Dat nodded. “Fine,” he muttered before looking down at his plate once again.
“So, Betsy.” Anna turned to her cousin. “These rolls are fantastic. You need to make them again.”
“Danki.” Betsy’s smile was as bright as Anna’s. “You can help me make them next time.”
Marlene felt some of the tension draining out of her as she took a bite of fried chicken. When she glanced over at Dat, he was still studying his plate. Was he angry with her? If only he’d look at her, then she could know for certain that she was forgiven. The thought lingered in the back of her mind, pestering her throughout the remainder of supper.
Later that evening, the bed shifted beside Marlene when Anna crawled into the double bed they shared. Rolling to her side, Marlene faced the wall and glimpsed a sliver of light between the green shade and the window casing.
“Are you awake?” Anna whispered.
“Ya.” Marlene pushed a lock of her thick, waist-length hair away from her face.
“Do you think we’re going to be okay here?”
“Of course.” Marlene nodded as if her sister could see her through the darkness that shrouded their small bedroom.
“It’s just so strange to be back here in this haus. The last time we were here . . .”
“I know.” Marlene reached over and touched her sister’s arm. “She was with us.”
Anna sighed, and a heaviness seemed to fill the air between them. “I miss home.”
“I do too.” Marlene’s lip trembled as visions of the little house they had rented in Shipshewana filled her mind. Her thoughts moved to her friends and her job at the market. And yet, though she would miss her friends in Indiana, she wanted to be back here in Bird-in-Hand. This is where she was born. This was where she’d last seen her mother. This was where the memories of her mother had been made and where they lived in her heart and mind. This was her home—where she, Anna, and Dat belonged. If only Dat could see that.
“I think it’s great that you got a job.”
Marlene shifted to face Anna in the dark. “You do?”
“Ya.”
“Danki for helping me convince Dat to let me keep it. I’m going to save all of the money I make and give it to him so we can find our own haus here in Bird-in-Hand to rent.”
“I appreciate that.”
Marlene thought she heard a trace of uncertainty in her younger sister’s voice. It was Marlene’s job to tell Anna that everything would be all right, even when she wasn’t certain that it would be.
“I promise we’ll be fine,” Marlene said. “I’ll make sure of it, okay?”
“If you say so.” Anna rolled onto her side facing away from Marlene. “Gut nacht.”
“Gut nacht.” Marlene turned back toward the wall and sighed. She waited for sleep to find her, but her mind spun even as she heard Anna’s breathing become steadier. Soon soft snores sounded from her side of the bed, and Marlene pressed her lips together. If only she could fall asleep as fast as her younger sister could.
A yawn escaped her, and she adjusted her head on her pillow. Her thoughts moved back to Indiana as she settled under the sheet. An image of Colin, her ex-boyfriend, filled her mind, and she stifled another yawn. She and Colin had dated for nearly four years, and he had proposed to her only a month ago.
Although she had enjoyed his company, she turned down his proposal. Regret filled her as she recalled the pained expression that had clouded his handsome face. But how could she marry him when she wasn’t certain how she felt about him? Her feelings at the time were a jumbled mess since Colin had proposed just after Dat lost his job.
But now confusion settled over her as she lay in the darkness of her aunt’s guest bedroom, her sister snoring softly beside her. Had she agreed to marry Colin, she would have been preparing to live with him on his father’s dairy farm. They might’ve spoken about starting a family soon after the wedding. Had she said yes to him, she could have enjoyed a more certain future.
And she would not have been here in Bird-in-Hand to help her dat and sister.
Guilt nearly suffocated her. How could she even consider enjoying an easier life while her sister and father struggled? She had to stop thinking about the past. Instead, she had to dig deep inside of herself to find the strength to move forward.
But how could she when she felt so confused and lost?
CHAPTER 2
Gude mariye, Rudy!”
Rudy looked up from the counter and smiled as Marlene walked toward him. “Gude mariye to you.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and then back at her. “You’re early. It’s only seven forty-five.”
She shrugged as she approached the counter. “I wanted to make sure I was on time.” Her lips turned up, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m ready to work.”
Was something bothering her? He dismissed the thought. It was none of his business. She was here to work, not be his friend.
“Great.” He clapped his hands together, then moved around to her side of the sales counter. “I’ll give you a tour, and then I have some items you can price and put out on the displays. But first I have to explain how the store is organized.” He motioned for her to follow him.
He led her down each aisle, pointing out how the items were arranged and drawing attention to their most popular sellers. She chewed her lower lip and nodded as he talked, appearing to concentrate on everything he said.
When they entered the last aisle of the store, he pointed toward a variety of ladders. “And this is where we keep the heavier equipment.”
“Got it.” She fingered her black apron and stared down the aisle. A wisp of her light blond hair escaped from under her prayer covering, and he squelched the urge to push it back from her cheek.
What are you thinking, Rudy? He and Marlene were barely acquaintances. He’d hardly even spoken to her when they were in school and youth group together, so what would give him the right to even consider touching her?
“Do you have a place where I can put my lunch?” Her question broke through his contemplation.
“Of course. I should have shown you the break room first.” Rudy had noticed the tote bag slung over her arm when she’d walked into the store, but it hadn’t occurred to him it might have contained her lunch. “Follow me.”
He steered her into the stockroom to show her where certain items were stored. Then he led her into the small break room that included a table with four chairs, a counter, a small refrigerator, and cabinets.
He gestured toward the refrigerator. “You can put your lunch in there.”
“Danki.” She opened her tote, pulled out a purple lunch bag, and set it on the top shelf of the refrigerator.
“The bottles of water on the bottom shelf are for employees,” he offered. “You can help yourself anytime.”
“Thank you.” When she looked up at him, he couldn’t help but notice that her emerald-colored dress brought out the beautiful green hue of her eyes, reminding him of a lush pasture in springtime. Had her eyes always been that bright?
He shook away the thought and headed toward the doorway. “I was thinking that you could get started marking boxes of nails. We had a shipment come in late yesterday.”
“Okay.” She followed him over to the crate.
“I’ll carry this out to the nail aisle for you,” Rudy continued. “Let me get the pricing tool, then I can show you how to price items.”
“I know how to use a pricer,” she insisted.
“All right.” He grabbed the tool and the price list, then got her started on the task.
Marlene was busy pricing
a box of nails when Dat walked out of his office.
“Gude mariye.” Dat shook her hand. “It’s gut to see you this morning.”
“It’s nice to see you too.” She smiled, but unconvincingly.
“I see Rudy is already putting you to work.” Dat pointed to the pricer and boxes of nails.
She lifted her chin. “Ya. I’m ready for the challenge.”
“Wunderbaar.” Dat pointed to his office. “I’m going to finish some paperwork, but afterward I’ll be out front to help with customers.”
“Thanks.” Rudy lifted a crate. “I’ll carry this to the nail aisle for you, Marlene.” He set the crate of nails in the aisle and then brought her a stool. He stood beside her as she continued pricing the boxes of nails and setting them on the shelves.
He took in her serious expression and determined eyes while she worked. Once again he wondered what was on her mind. If something troubled her, would she want to talk about it? He opened his mouth to ask her but then closed it again. It wasn’t his place to intrude.
Then again, what if she needed a friend? It had to be difficult to move back to Bird-in-Hand after ten years.
After pricing several more boxes, she looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “Did you need something?”
“No.” He shifted his weight on his feet and jammed his thumb toward the front of the store. “I’ll be up front, okay?”
She watched him for a moment. “You can trust me. I’ve priced items and put them in the display before. In fact, I’m kind of an expert.”
“Right.” He chuckled and held up his hands. “Call me if you need me.”
“I will.”
Rudy shook his head as he made his way to the front of the store. Marlene seemed to have a handle on things, but he couldn’t stop his curiosity from taunting him.
When the bell rang announcing the arrival of customers, he turned his attention to the Amish man entering the store.
“Gude mariye,” Rudy called. “Welcome to Lancaster Hardware and Supply.”
The morning flew by at lightning speed. After Marlene finished pricing and shelving the boxes of nails, she tried to help some customers find other items. She was tidying the display of birdhouses at the front of the store when she felt that someone was watching her.