“Jah. I know what you mean. Does Mark know you like Jacob?”
“I think he does and that’s why he invited me to dinner.”
“You and Mark were over before you even began,” Tulip said.
“Pretend over, and pretend began. Don’t forget that,” Rose pointed out.
“Mark must be upset about you liking his cousin.”
“Nee. Well, a little bit at first, but he invited me to dinner tomorrow night to see him. He knows I’m just a friend and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“How old is Jacob?”
“I don’t know anything about him except that he’s here to learn how to make buggies with his onkel. The rest doesn’t matter. I’ll find out all I can tomorrow night if Mamm and Dat let me go. I’ll go downstairs now and hope Mamm’s told him about it.”
Before Rose made a move, a gentle knock sounded on her bedroom door. “Rose, your vadder and I would like to speak with you now.”
Rose looked at Tulip for emotional and moral support. The next few minutes would determine if she was going to that dinner or not. “Okay. I’m coming,” she called back.
“I hope things go well,” Tulip whispered.
Rose whispered back, “Denke. Stay here and I’ll tell you about it when I come back. I’m either going to be very happy or upset.”
“I’ll wait. If Mamm’s sort of said you can go, you’ve got a good chance.”
Rose left Tulip and went downstairs to face what her parents had decided.
From the looks on both their faces, she felt she was in trouble.
Her mother began, as soon as Rose sat in front of them on the opposite couch, “I told your vadder that you and Mark are over and you’re not interested in him any longer.”
“That’s right.”
“So you were seeing him, and now you’re not?” her mother asked.
“Jah, that’s right.”
“And exactly how long were you and he—”
“Rose doesn’t have to tell us all the small details,” her father said.
“I was just asking because it seems odd. She never mentioned a thing about him until the other day, and as soon as I asked him to come to dinner, she’s not dating him anymore.”
“Anyway, he won’t be coming over for dinner tomorrow night because that would be awkward,” Rose said. “He said he hoped you both don’t mind and—”
“He can still come.” Her mother frowned. “You’re still friends, and I invited him.”
“Mamm, do you forget I mentioned that I’m going to Mark’s house for dinner because his cousin is visiting?”
“A man or a woman?” her father asked.
Before Rose could answer, her mother said, “It’s Jacob Schumacher?”
“Jah, I guess that’s his last name. His first name is Jacob and he’s staying at Mark’s haus. Do you know him, Dat?”
“I do.”
Her mother turned toward Rose’s father. “Well, what do you think of him?”
“I only met him today at the bishop’s haus. He seems a nice young man.”
Her mother wasn’t finished. “And what community does he come from?”
“He comes from Oakes County,” Rose’s father said.
“Why did Mark ask you to dinner, Rose?”
“Because I met Jacob at the markets today. Mark thought it would be a good idea if we had dinner at his place. I don’t know; maybe Jacob wants to meet people while he’s here.”
“Nee,” her mother spat out the word.
“Mamm, what’s the matter?”
“What you’re saying isn’t adding up. Something’s not right here.”
“Nancy, I can’t think of a reason Rose shouldn’t have dinner at Mark’s haus. We know the family well. What harm could it do?”
“I didn’t say it would do harm. I just don’t think we’re hearing the full story. That’s why I wanted to talk with you in front of your vadder, Rose, because you might be more inclined to tell him what’s really going on in your life.”
“You know how young people can be, Nancy.”
Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and Rose’s father whispered, “We don’t need to hear the whole story, Nancy.”
Rose remained stony-faced, as though she hadn’t heard his whispered words. She was grateful to her father for allowing her some space.
“Did you want to say anything else to Rose?” her father asked her mother.
Her mother shook her head. “Well, if you’re happy with her explanation, we’ll leave it at that.”
“Well, Dat?” Rose asked.
“I think everything’s been said. We trust you to make the right decision here, Rose, and not do anything behind our backs. The worst thing parents can face is their child getting into trouble or getting themselves into harm’s way.”
“Okay, but it’s just dinner, Dat, and it’s at the Schumachers’.”
“Your vadder is talking about the other thing where you’re not telling us the full story. You didn’t have a boyfriend, the next day you do, and then the next day it’s all over, and you’ve got your heart set on someone else. It doesn’t add up.”
Rose would’ve preferred if her mother hadn’t said all those things in front of her father. Especially the thing about having her heart set on another man. “I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m safe, and I’m not putting myself in harm’s way. Mark and I have ended things and we’re still friends. We handled things like adults.”
“That’s very good to hear,” her father said.
“Are you happy with what she’s just said, Hezekiah?”
He turned to his wife. “I am, are you?”
“Not totally, but we’ll leave it at that for now.”
Rose leaped to her feet. “Can I go now?”
“Jah, you can go,” her father said.
“And I can go to Mark’s for dinner tomorrow, jah?”
“Okay,” her mother said.
“Denke, Mamm, and Dat.” She gave them both a quick kiss on the cheek and then wasted no time hurrying up the stairs. When she was back in her room, she threw herself onto her bed, missing Tulip by inches.
“What happened?” Tulip asked as she got up off the bed to shut the door.
When she sat back on the bed, Rose sighed. “Weren’t you listening in?”
“I tried to, but I couldn’t hear everything.”
“Mamm doesn’t believe that Mark and I were in a relationship and now she thinks something is odd about me liking Jacob. She should be happy since she’s trying to get me married off.”
“Now both Mamm and Dat know you like Jacob?”
“I guess they do.”
“That seems strange.”
“I know, but I can’t do anything about it now.” Rose exhaled deeply.
“It’s just that they might say something to someone. Parents have a habit of doing things like that and embarrassing their kinner.”
Rose giggled. “That’s true, but I don’t think it matters. I think that Jacob likes me just as much as I like him. I’ve got that feeling. We have a deep connection.”
“I wish I had someone like that. Someone to love and admire.”
“You will. I had no one and now I’ve got Jacob.” Rose giggled. “I haven’t really got him yet, but I’ve got him to think about.”
“To daydream about,” said Tulip.
“Jah.”
Chapter 8
Rose woke early the next morning. She had to make herself look the best she could because she wouldn’t have time to change before going to Mark’s house later that night for dinner.
She pulled on her dressing gown to shield herself from the chilly morning air, and when she took up her hairbrush, she placed it in her lap. Each night she carefully braided her hair, so it wouldn’t tangle during the night while she slept. She untied her hair and it fell in waves well below her waist. Her hair had never been cut. After she’d brushed out her hair with one hundred long, smooth strokes, she re-braided it and pinne
d it flat against her head in order for it to fit under her white starched prayer kapp.
Rose turned her attention to her home-sewn dresses made with the treadle-machine. She had five dresses, each a different color. The pale yellow dress would give her skin a little more depth, she decided. She’d always felt good in yellow for some reason. She wondered which one Jacob would like. Maybe he’d prefer her in the green dress? Her eyes flickered over the grape-colored one, and then she decided to save that one to wear at the Sunday meeting. The dark green one was quickly discarded as that was a shade that many of the older ladies wore. She wanted to look young and vibrant, so she went back to her first choice of the yellow dress.
After she had pulled her dress on, she placed her apron over the top, expertly tying the strings behind her back. When she was fully dressed, she sat and looked out the window at the horizon. The sun was barely evident behind the distant hills, giving the sky around them a warm and happy glow.
The moon had set, its light all but faded, while one lone star twinkled brightly toward the west against the remaining backdrop of navy blue.
It was rare that Rose was awake so early and she reminded herself she should enjoy that hour more often. It was so beautiful to watch the night fade as it greeted the morning. It was a display of God’s beauty.
Her wonder was interrupted when she heard a gentle tap on her door. She knew it couldn’t have been her sisters awake so early because they never knocked. Instead, they’d just walk right in. It had to be her father.
She leaped off her bed and opened her door. “Morning, Dat,” she said when she saw his smiling face.
“I thought I heard you awake.”
“Jah, it’s going to be a busy day because I’m going from work to Mark’s haus.”
“I know. I remember.”
“It must be early if you haven’t left for work yet.”
“I’m just going down to eat. Your mudder has got my breakfast ready. I just wanted to tell you to be careful. I know your Mamm’s got it into her mind that you should marry someone and marry him fast. That’s just how she is. She thinks of something and then she wants it done immediately.” He chuckled quietly and had softness in his eyes the way he always did when he talked about his wife. “I’m not going against what she says. I’m just saying to be cautious.”
Rose tilted her head to the side. They kept telling her to be cautious as though she were a child. “About what?”
“The decisions you make now, while you’re young, can affect the rest of your life.” There was a silent moment between them. “Do you know what I mean?”
“Nee, not really.”
“Picture this, then: You get into a boat and you’re on a journey. You pull up anchor and set your sail in a certain direction, and the current pulls you in that same direction faster and faster. Pretty soon you’re a long way from where you started, and the problem is there’s just no way to get back. Meaning you can’t start over once you’ve set sail.”
It sounded quite a frightening story the way he told it. “Doesn’t the current go the other way?”
“In my story, the current is time, and it only goes in the one direction, and there’s no way to go back and start over. Once you set the direction of the sails, that’s it. Be careful which way you set them because you might fall asleep and when you wake, you’ll find that you want to be over there and you’re over here, with no way to get where you want to be.”
She stared at her father’s worried face and the deep lines in his forehead, knowing he didn’t know a thing at all about boats. She tried to interpret what he’d just said. “So be careful what direction I go in, and don’t fall asleep?”
“You’ve got it.” He put his hand gently on her shoulder and stared into her face. “Determine what direction you want to go and, if it turns out that that direction doesn’t suit, adjust the sails quickly before you go too far in that other direction.”
“The bad direction?”
He nodded. “But consider all directions carefully. The wrong direction might look like the right one when it isn’t.”
“Got it.”
He stepped back and smiled. “Your mudder will be wondering where I am.”
“Denke, Dat. I won’t be late home tonight.”
“Shall I come and collect you from the Schumachers’?”
“Nee, I’m sure Mark or his cousin will give me a ride home.” Rose couldn’t help the tiny smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. It would be wonderful and romantic if Jacob drove her home in the darkness under the starlit sky.
Her father walked away and Rose closed her door. She knew the translation of her father’s boat talk; it was he telling her to be careful whom she married. If she chose the wrong man, she had to change her mind before she married him, otherwise, it would be too late. There was no divorce in their Amish community, and she’d seen a few unhappy marriages. In those cases, the couples had chosen to live separately. It seemed a miserable existence and she’d listen to her father’s caution.
She gave a little chuckle thinking how funny her father was with his scenarios. Why couldn’t he just speak his mind and talk about men and marriage? Rose went to the window and sat back down. The sun had just peeped over the horizon, giving a glow of light to the distant hills.
She closed her eyes and prayed that Jacob would realize that she was the woman for him. Hopefully, he felt the same attraction as she.
When Rose walked into the farmers market, she saw Mark talking to someone at the entrance. She walked right on past without saying a word.
“Hey,” he called out to her.
She turned around to look at him.
He said goodbye to the person he’d been talking with and hurried to her. “Are we on, or are we off?”
“In our relationship? Or dinner tonight?”
“I meant our relationship.” They continued walking to their stalls
“We’re off,” Rose said bluntly.
He rubbed his chin. “Oh, that’s too bad.”
She frowned at him. Yesterday he was upset with her about it, saying it would be too hard to pretend they were a couple.
He continued, “You can still make it for dinner tonight, can’t you?”
“Jah, I can, if that’s still alright. Jacob will be there, won’t he?”
Mark nodded while they continued to walk inside the market. “Jacob will be there.”
“Okay.”
“You look nice today, Rosie. That color really suits you. It brings out the golden flecks in your eyes.”
She laughed. “I don’t have golden flecks in my eyes. My eyes are just green.”
“You do. You have tiny flakes of gold surrounding your pupils. And the rest of your eyes are as green as precious emeralds.”
She smiled because she recalled those same golden flecks in Jacob’s brown eyes, which would mean their children would quite possibly have the golden flecks too.
“What did your folks say about dinner, and me not coming? Are they okay with that? I hope they weren’t too sad that I’m not going to be there.”
“I told them we were no longer together, and that you had your cousin visiting, so you invited me over. Dat said that he met Jacob at the bishop’s haus yesterday.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that, but Jacob mentioned he was visiting a few people when he left here.”
“I think Mamm thinks I’m a bit odd now.”
“Her too?”
Rose giggled and slapped him on the shoulder. “Stop it.”
“Why does she think you’re odd? For ending things with me? If so, I totally understand that, and now I know for sure she’s a wise woman.”
“Nee. She thinks I’m odd because I told her we were a secret, and then suddenly I had to take it back and tell them we were no longer together. Not only that, I’m going to dinner at your haus.”
“That’s not odd; that happens all the time.”
“Not with me it doesn’t,” Rose said just as she reached her
stall.
“Well, don’t be too upset about us breaking up. We can still be friends.” He sniggered.
“That’s another thing my folks thought odd and strange—me going to your place for dinner after we’re no longer together. Well, Mamm did more so than Dat. I explained to them that we’re still friends and that your cousin would be there.”
He shook his head. “You do get yourself into some awkward situations, Rosie.”
“Nee, I don’t! This was the first awkward thing that’s happened, and don’t forget it was your suggestion in the first place.”
He chuckled. “And you’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
She shook her head. “Never!”
Rose kept busy by arranging the flowers. She loved working with them—she was happiest when flowers and their fragrance surrounded her. Despite her name being Rose, her favorite flowers were daisies. They were such happy flowers and filled her heart with joy, as she imagined their central section as smiling faces. Daisies also reminded her of when she was young when she’d sit in the fields on lazy summer days, making daisy chains with Tulip. The twins were babies back then. Her mother would spread out a large blanket, and Tulip and she would sit for hours after their mother had shown them how to make the flowers intersect one another to create the daisy chains.
For the remainder of the day, Rose purposefully tried not to think of Jacob and the wonderful life they’d have together. She didn’t want to let her mind run away with her until she knew for sure that Jacob felt the same. Instead of daydreaming about Jacob, she concentrated on work. Every now and again, she got nervous pangs in her stomach about seeing him again. Her entire future hinged on this dinner. She’d surely find out if Jacob truly liked her.
Chapter 9
The work day had been a struggle where Rose had to purposefully push her nerves aside and forget about the dinner she’d be going to that evening. Every time she thought about seeing Jacob again, she started to worry that he hadn’t felt the same attraction, or if he had, he might change his mind over dinner.
At the end of the day, Mr. Walker himself collected the flowers and the takings, instead of one of his older sons. Rose waited for Mark to finish up serving the last of his customers.
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