An Amish Schoolroom

by Amy Clipston

  Laurel took a piece of cornbread and then passed the platter to Glen. “I was grading papers. Glen scared me when he walked into the school. I wasn’t sure who was walking in.”

  “You need to be careful.” Roy clucked his tongue. “You should lock the door when you’re there late. We don’t have much crime around here, but you never know.”

  Glen retrieved a piece of bread, then cut it open and smothered it in butter. “That’s true.”

  “Why would you stay late to grade papers on a Friday night?” Bethlyn asked.

  “I wanted to get a head start on next week. It makes it easier if I stay organized.” Laurel talked on about her schoolwork as she filled a bowl with chili and added shredded cheese. Then she handed the serving bowl to Glen.

  While Glen fixed the chili to his liking, his mind wandered, and he imagined what it would feel like to have Laurel at all of his family’s suppers and how it would feel to date her and call her his girlfriend. Excitement tore through his veins at the idea.

  “The scholars are really doing well. I’m so grateful to be their teacher,” Laurel continued. “And Lea and Levi are such gut students. They are so bright, and they even help the other kinner in their grade.” She smiled over at the twins, who beamed in response.

  In that moment, Glen imagined Laurel as his niece and nephew’s aunt. His heart turned over in his chest at the idea of marrying her.

  But he was getting ahead of himself. First, he had to find out if she would even consider dating him. No sense in thinking about lifelong commitments just yet.

  Those thoughts lingered in the back of his mind throughout supper and while Laurel fielded questions from his family about how she liked Colorado.

  When supper was over, Mamm served a lemon cake for dessert, and Laurel participated while the family discussed the fall and the colder weather that had descended upon Rio Grande County.

  Later when Glen walked Laurel home, he stood on the porch with her.

  Then she smiled up at him. “I had a really nice evening. Danki for coming to the school and convincing me to come home.”

  “I’m glad you listened to me.” Before he could catch himself, he stepped forward and cupped his hand to her cheek. The urge to kiss her overwhelmed him, but when her eyes widened, he shook himself from the moment and took a step back. “I’m sorry. I . . . Would you ever consider staying in Colorado?”

  The skin between her eyes wrinkled, and she held her hand to her cheek. “I . . . I don’t know. Why?”

  “Just curious.” He cleared his throat. “Well then, gut nacht.”

  Glen jogged down the porch steps, shivering as he made his way back into the house, where his mother and sister sat in the kitchen together looking through cookbooks.

  Mamm looked up at him, and her eyes narrowed. “What are your intentions with Laurel?”

  “My intentions?” He gave a bark of laughter. “What do you mean by that?”

  Bethlyn rolled her eyes. “It seems like the two of you like each other. Are you planning to date her?”

  “That depends.” He walked over to the sink, filled a glass with water, and took a long drink.

  “Depends on what, Glen?” He could hear the impatience in his mother’s voice.

  “It depends upon if she likes me, if she wants to date me, and if she plans to stay here. I can’t date her if she doesn’t want to date me, you know.” He set the glass in the sink. “Why are you concerned about it?”

  Mamm’s brow puckered. “I’ve already shared my concerns with you. You’re setting yourself up to get hurt. It’s obvious how much she misses her family. She talks about them all the time. She calls them a few times every week, plus writes them nearly daily. I see her putting the letters in the mailbox on her way to the schoolhouse. She’s homesick and not planning on staying here.”

  “Mamm is right.” Bethlyn nodded. “Her heart is in Pennsylvania, not here.”

  Then fear overtook Mamm’s face. “Would you consider moving to Pennsylvania with her?”

  “Did I ever give you such an idea?” Frustration burned through Glen. “Besides, it’s my decision who I want to date, not yours.”

  “Watch your tone,” Dat warned from the doorway, his expression stern. “Your mamm is right, Glen. You need to slow down. Laurel hasn’t been here two months yet. How could she possibly know if she wants to settle here for gut? And you have her dat to consider. Would he give her permission to date when her parents aren’t here to chaperone?”

  Glen looked toward the doorway for his grandmother. She would support him. He could see in her eyes how much she liked Laurel.

  “This is a temporary stop for Laurel,” Mamm said. “She just wanted to see the world before going home and settling down with a man in Pennsylvania. Tell me you wouldn’t consider going to Pennsylvania with her.” He could hear a tremble in her voice.

  “I’m going to shower.” Glen’s voice sounded rough around the edges. He headed upstairs, his irritation clinging to him like a second skin.

  His family was worried for no reason. Laurel could decide she wanted to date Glen and stay in Colorado. And the only way he’d find out was to ask her.

  He just had to pray for the right words to convince her that he was worth the chance.

  * * *

  “Laurel!” Mamm’s voice sang through the phone. “I was hoping you’d call tonight. I received your letter today. Did you get mine too?”

  After Glen had returned home, Laurel had found the key Moses had given her to the shop, along with a flashlight, and hurried back out through the cold to call her family. She sat on the desk chair in the office and wound the phone cord around her finger as she listened to her mother’s voice sound through the phone.

  “I did get your letter. Danki. How’s everyone?” Her voice sounded thin and reedy.

  “We’re wunderbaar! Ervin has news,” Mamm announced.

  “Oh?”

  “He and Rachel Ann got engaged!” Mamm exclaimed. “They announced it yesterday. They’re getting married in December. We’re so excited.”

  Laurel gasped as happiness filtered through her. “Oh wow. That’s fantastic.”

  “I know, but I wish you were here to help plan. It won’t be the same without you.”

  Laurel’s chest squeezed. “I want to hear about everything.”

  “Ya, we have so much to do before the wedding.”

  “What else have I missed?” Laurel asked.

  As her mother talked on about her siblings, Laurel’s thoughts wandered to when she had stood on the porch with Glen. Her heart had nearly beat out of her chest when he had caressed her cheek, and she was almost certain he was going to kiss her. And she wanted him to!

  “Laurel?” Mamm asked. “Are you still there?”

  “Ya, I am. I’m so sorry.”

  “I should let you go. It’s getting late here.”

  “Ya, it was so gut to hear your voice, Mamm. Please give everyone my love.”

  “I will. Ich liebe dich.”

  “I love you too. Gut nacht.” As Laurel hung up the phone and headed back out into the cold, she once again considered her feelings for Glen. The idea of staying in Colorado and exploring a relationship with him filled her with pleasure and anticipation—but the accompanying notion of leaving her family behind had her feeling gutted.

  Laurel climbed her porch steps and looked up at the stars sparkling in the sky above her. “Lead me, Lord,” she whispered. “Show me where I belong.”

  Then she walked into the house and got ready for bed.

  Chapter 7

  On Sunday night two weeks later, Laurel sat beside Glen in his buggy, a handmade quilt wrapped around her shoulders. He gave her a sideways glance, and the lantern at his feet cast a golden glow on her beautiful face. “Did you have fun today?” he asked.

  “I always have fun at the youth gatherings,” she said. Then she pulled the quilt tighter around her and shivered.

  “I think there’s another quilt in the back of
the buggy if you want to grab it.”

  “I’m okay. I can’t believe how cold it is for the second week in October. It was nice during the day, and then once the sun set, the temperature dropped like a rock. It’s not this cold at night back home.”

  Back home. Oh, how he longed for her to consider Colorado her home, but he had to give her time.

  “Ya, it gets colder sooner here. Just wait until it snows. It’s not unusual to have our first snow in mid- to late October.”

  Laurel’s smile was bright. “I love snow. That will be so fun!”

  “You might get tired of it by April though. We have a long winter here.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  He grinned. “You seemed to have bonded with Faith. I saw you two talking during supper.”

  “Ya, she was telling me about how well it’s been going with Jerome. She’s been really froh since they started dating.”

  Glen nodded. For the past two weeks, he’d debated telling Laurel how he felt about her, and today he’d felt something inside of him break apart. He was ready to be honest with her and tell her that he cared for her. He just hoped she’d be receptive to the idea of dating him. If not, then he would certainly be left with a broken heart. And he hated the idea of an awkward friendship if she didn’t care about him the way he cared for her.

  “You looked like you had fun today too,” she said. “I saw you and Jerome teasing each other during volleyball.”

  They continued to talk about their friends during the remainder of the ride home. When they reached the barn, Laurel walked in with him and stood by while he took care of his horse and the buggy.

  “Would you like to sit on the porch for a few minutes?” she offered as he walked her toward her house.

  His heart lifted. “I would. Danki.”

  “I’ll grab a couple of quilts for us.” She walked into the house and a few minutes later returned wearing a heavier coat and carrying two quilts. “Here you go.”

  “Danki.” He sat down on a rocker and placed the quilt on his lap.

  She wrapped the other quilt around herself and then sat down beside him. “It’s beautiful out here.”

  He breathed in the scent of a wood-burning fireplace in the distance as the sound of traffic on a nearby road filled the air. “Wait until you see how schee it is when the snow falls.”

  “I’m excited to see.”

  “Have you spoken to your family this week?”

  She angled her body toward him. “Ya, I have. Mei bruder’s wedding plans are already in the works. Rachel Ann is going to have her schweschder as her attendant, and they are going to wear rose-colored dresses. Ervin is going to have his best freind, Tim, as his attendant. Rachel Ann and her mamm are talking about the menu and table decorations.”

  “Sounds like everything is falling into place.” Glen studied her expression, waiting to see if she would show her disappointment over not being involved in the planning, but she continued to smile.

  “Rachel Ann is so sweet. I know that she and mei bruder will be so froh.”

  At that moment, Glen couldn’t stop himself from telling her how he felt. He reached over and took her hand in his.

  “Laurel, I need to tell you something I’ve wanted to tell you for some time.”

  She nodded, her eyes widening.

  “I care for you deeply, and I want to get to know you better. You’ve only been here two months, but I feel as if I’ve known you for longer—much longer. You’ve become important to me, and I’d like to date you—if you would consider me.” He held his breath and studied her eyes as she swallowed.

  “I care for you too,” she said, her voice soft.

  He released the breath he’d been holding. “You do?”

  “I do, but we have to ask mei dat.”

  Happiness soared through him. “I can do that, Laurel.”

  She bit her lip. “But I have to be honest with you. I’m not sure about staying in Colorado. The idea of not seeing my family is devastating, so I need to take it slow.”

  “I understand and respect that.”

  She relaxed her shoulders, and a smile crept back over her face. “Let’s call mei dat tomorrow after I get home from school.”

  His pulse took on wings as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I can’t wait.”

  * * *

  Rena sidled up to Laurel during recess the next afternoon. “You seem like your head is in the clouds today. What’s going on?”

  Laurel leaned back against the fence and glanced around to where the children played. The blue October sky above her was dotted with white, puffy clouds while a horse and buggy moved past the school on the road.

  Her heartbeat ticked up as she turned toward Rena’s curious expression and debated how much to tell her. While she trusted Rena, she wasn’t certain how her friend would react to the news.

  “Last night Glen told me he cares for me.” Laurel was careful to keep her voice low so that the children wouldn’t hear her personal business.

  Rena clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s wunderbaar!”

  “Shh,” Laurel warned her. “Glen wants to date me, and we’re going to call mei dat later when I get home from school. I’m not sure what he’ll say. After all, I’m not supposed to stay here permanently, and my parents aren’t here to chaperone us.”

  “But Glen’s parents can chaperone you, can’t they?”

  “That’s true.”

  Hope had warmed Laurel’s chest since the moment of Glen’s confession. She looked over to where Lea and Levi played on the slide, and she imagined what it would feel like to be their aunt. She felt anxiety mix with her excitement.

  While her feelings for Glen grew each day, she couldn’t deny how much she adored her family and would miss them if she were to stay in Colorado forever.

  “Are you sure you want to stay here?” Rena said, as if sensing Laurel’s anguish.

  Laurel sighed. “That’s the problem. I care for Glen, but my heart is still in Pennsylvania with my family. I don’t know if I can give up my family for him.”

  “You won’t have to give them up. You might not see them as often, but they’ll still be a part of your life. You can call them and maybe see them once a year.”

  “Not seeing my baby schweschder grow up would be terribly painful.” The thought twisted her insides.

  Rena touched her arm. “Have you prayed about it?”

  “I’ve been praying.”

  “Keep praying. God will lead you.”

  Laurel nodded, hoping the Lord would show her the answer soon.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Glen walked into the workshop and found his father and Roy standing in Roy’s work area while discussing the china cabinet that Roy had been sanding earlier. Glen had spent all morning thinking about what he would say to Laurel’s father, and he was ready to share his news with his family.

  He took a deep breath and then walked over to his father and brother-in-law. “I have something to tell you both.”

  Dat turned and gave him a curious look. “What is it?”

  Roy sank down onto a nearby stool.

  “I’m going to call Laurel’s dat this afternoon and talk to him,” Glen said, his body thrumming with nerves. “I’m going to ask his permission to date her.”

  Roy looked surprised. “You are?”

  Dat’s expression was solemn. “Aren’t you setting yourself up to get hurt?”

  Glen’s excitement morphed into irritation. “I care about her, Dat.”

  “But I warned you that you were moving too fast.”

  “Moving too fast? I’ve known her for two months now. We’re close freinden, and we care about each other. Why wouldn’t I want to date her?”

  “You should find someone in our community.” Dat pointed to the floor. “This business, this place, is your future.”

  Glen felt his face contort with an angry scowl. “Laurel could fall in love with me and decide to stay. Then I’d have her in my
future along with this business.” He looked over at Roy, hoping for some support. “What do you think?”

  Roy held his hands up. “I’m neutral.”

  “Surely you have an opinion. Just tell me the truth.”

  Roy sighed, and Glen felt his hope dwindle.

  “I think you should be careful. She’s not a member of our community, and she does talk about her family a lot. Your dat could be right.”

  Glen shook his head. “I thought I could count on the two of you to support me. I care about Laurel, and that’s what matters. But if neither of you can see that, just forget I said anything.”

  A flare of disappointment and frustration surged through Glen as he stalked over to his stall and picked up his sanding block. He refused to allow his family to squash his hope for a relationship with Laurel. In his heart, he believed God had led him and Laurel together, and he would not give up on her.

  “Lord, give me strength and guide my heart,” he whispered, lowering his head and resuming the day’s work.

  * * *

  Laurel walked toward her house and found Glen standing on her porch early that evening. When he smiled, her knees wobbled.

  “Hey, Laurel. I’ve been excited to see you all day.”

  “I know what you mean.” She pointed toward her front door. “Just let me put down my things, and we can call mei dat. Is the office empty at the shop?”

  “Ya, mei dat and Roy left about thirty minutes ago.”

  “Gut.” She stepped into her house and set her lunch bag on the kitchen counter while he put her tote bag on the floor by the sofa.

  Then she walked over to the door. “I’m ready.”

  He held his hand out to her, and she threaded her fingers with his. Her skin burned, and her pulse tripled as she looked up at him.

  “Let’s go call your dat.”

  They walked into the shop together, and she allowed him to steer her into the office. She sat down on the office chair, and he pulled a stool over beside her. Then she dialed the number to her phone shanty and held her breath as the phone rang.

  “Hello?” Dat’s voice sounded through the phone.

  “Dat. Wie geht’s?”

  “Laurel! I’m so froh to hear your voice.”