An Amish Schoolroom

by Amy Clipston

  He got up and walked to the counter, then poured himself a glass of iced tea from the pitcher he’d made that morning, and drained half of it. The timer went off on the oven, and he grabbed a potholder to pull out the golden cornbread. One thing he knew for sure was that since he’d been living alone, he had learned how to cook. Next week he planned to make cherry turnovers. He’d never made those before, but he was feeling adventurous.

  Does Priscilla like turnovers?

  Good grief, he had to stop thinking about her. Maybe he really did need to get a dog.

  Chapter 2

  On Friday evening, Priscilla was still thinking about Micah Wagler, much to her annoyance. She couldn’t afford to be distracted, especially for two whole days. She sat at the small table in her kitchen, the last bit of evening sunlight streaming through the window, a fan hooked up to a gas generator cooling off the inside. Due to the heat, she couldn’t bring herself to cook anything, not that she cooked that much anyway. Instead she slapped together a quick cheese and butter sandwich and munched on a few corn chips. Not the healthiest supper, but then again, she didn’t have to worry about her figure anymore.

  She had just finished the last corn chip on her plate when she heard a knock on her front door. When she answered it, she saw Leah Yoder, the former schoolteacher of Marigold school, standing there. She was holding a basket, and by the yummy smell emanating from it, Priscilla could tell she had brought food. “Hello,” she said, smiling at the younger woman as she opened the door and gestured for her to come inside.

  “Hi, Priscilla.” Leah walked into the living room. She turned around and held out the basket. “I brought a few goodies to welcome you to Marigold. And to thank you for taking on mei old job.”

  “That’s so thoughtful of you,” Priscilla said in English as she closed the door. Then she switched to Deitsch. “The food smells appeditlich.”

  “I just whipped up a few things,” she said. “It’s nix special.”

  But Priscilla could tell by Leah’s small smile that she was pleased by the compliment. “I’ll put this in the kitchen,” she said. Then she glanced at her tiny living room, filled with exactly one chair and a small love seat. Eventually she would fully furnish her small house, but right now the sparse furniture would have to do. “Make yourself at home. Would you like some kaffee? I can make a fresh pot. Or would you rather have iced tea?”

  “A glass of water would be nice, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “Nee trouble at all. I’ll be right back.”

  When Priscilla entered the kitchen, she set the basket on the counter and peered underneath the white tea towel covering the food. There was a tin foil–wrapped loaf, still warm, and from the smell of it she presumed it was meatloaf. There was also a container of whipped potatoes, a broccoli salad, and what looked like a peach cobbler for dessert. Her stomach growled. Clearly the cheese sandwich and corn chips hadn’t satisfied her. This also wasn’t “just a few goodies.” This was a bona fide feast.

  As she put the food away and then prepared the glass of water for Leah, she marveled at how easily she had fallen back into her hospitable Amish ways. She filled up two glasses with water and started to go back to the living room, then paused. Water wouldn’t be enough, and she scrambled for something else to bring her guest. When she saw the bag of corn chips on the table, she grabbed it, poured a few into a plastic bowl, and tucked the bowl in the crook of her arm. Then she picked up the glasses and left the kitchen.

  But when she got there, she realized there wasn’t a place to put the snack. She handed Leah her water, then held out the bowl. “Corn chip?” she said.

  “Nee. I’m still full from supper.”

  Priscilla looked around, finally deciding to balance the bowl on top of the fireplace mantel. Martha Stewart would be appalled, but Leah didn’t seem to mind.

  “I heard you took all the electric out of here yourself.” Leah took a sip of the water as she glanced around the room with wide-eyed interest. “I’m impressed. I could never do something like that.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you could. It wasn’t that hard.” Priscilla sat down on the chair across from her, pleased with how she had smoothly deflected Leah’s compliment.

  “I don’t have a handy bone in mei body.” She smiled, her light-blue eyes sparkling with mirth. “Gut thing I know how to cook, and Ben knows how to fix everything.”

  “I’m not much of a cook.” Priscilla looked down at the water in her glass.

  “You didn’t cook with yer mamm growing up?”

  “Oh, sure. And she’s a great cook. But her teaching didn’t stick with me much. There were other things I wanted to do besides cook.”

  “Like teach.”

  Priscilla smiled. “Ya. Like teach.” She hadn’t revealed much of her past to anyone in Marigold, although she hadn’t met all the residents yet. That would change when she attended church next week. She met Leah before at the board member meeting when she had interviewed for the teaching job. “I’m eager to meet mei students.”

  “You’ll get a chance for that.” Leah placed her hand over her stomach, and Priscilla wondered if she was expecting. Leah had resigned from her position at the end of the last school year, and Priscilla knew from her own school district in Shipshe that when a teacher resigned, it usually meant she was pregnant, or she was hoping she would be soon. But Priscilla wasn’t going to pry.

  “If you need any help, just let me know,” Leah said. “I’ve got notes on every student, and I can give them to you before the school year starts.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Priscilla smiled. She had liked Leah from the first time they met, and her opinion of this woman was growing higher by the minute. They chatted for a little while about the students and the schedules Leah had used with the younger and older grades. Priscilla was surprised when she checked the small clock she hung on the wall two days ago and saw that almost an hour had passed.

  “I should be heading home,” Leah said, getting up from the couch. “I told Ben I wouldn’t be gone too long. Will you be at the school tomorrow?”

  “Ya. I’ve never seen a school built from the ground up before.” The school she attended had been in their district for twenty years already. Then she stilled. She had completely forgotten that she needed to take something to share for the meal that would be served in the middle of the day. Her pantry had only the essentials, and not Amish pantry essentials either. In the English world, if she ever went to a potluck, she stopped by the local grocery store and picked up something premade. It wasn’t that simple in Marigold. The nearest store from her house was nearly a three-mile walk, and that meant shopping was an all-day event. She would be worn out by the time she got to the building site. What was she going to do? She glanced at the bowl of corn chips. I can’t bring those. Besides, there was only a quarter of the bag left.

  “Our town is growing, so we needed the new building,” Leah added. “The old school won’t be going to waste, though. A cabinetmaker moved into Marigold recently, and he’s going to open up his shop there.”

  “Sounds like a gut solution for everyone.”

  “Ya, it is. And don’t worry about bringing anything tomorrow,” Leah said, as if she had read Priscilla’s earlier thoughts. Then again, she might have, considering how mortified Priscilla felt about the situation. Surely her distress was written on her face. “We’ll have plenty of food. All the women have been cooking up a storm. It has to be difficult moving to a new house and trying to get settled alone—oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She smiled at Leah, who was obviously guileless. If there was one thing she’d learned from her time in Nashville, it was that she could judge a person’s character. And similar to how she had felt with Micah, she knew Leah was a good person. “I don’t mind being alone.”

  Leah’s heart-shaped face turned pink. “I’m glad I didn’t offend you.”

  “Not at all. And I promise I’ll bring something next time.”

  Af
ter Leah left, Priscilla picked up the bowl of corn chips, went back into the kitchen, and then turned on her gas oven, intending to warm up the meatloaf. As she waited for the oven to heat up, she got out a plate. When she touched the meatloaf, which was wrapped in several layers of thick aluminum foil, she realized it was still plenty warm. So were the potatoes, and she decided to turn off the oven. Then she filled her plate with meatloaf, potatoes, and a slice of fresh bread. She walked to the table and sat down, bowing her head for silent prayer. Slipping back into the habit of prayer after being away from it for so long hadn’t been difficult, and she’d turned back to praying a few months before returning to Shipshe. Now, not a day went by that she didn’t talk to the Lord, even outside of her prayers before meals. Then again, wasn’t that the main reason she had come back to her faith? To reconnect with God permanently? Yes, but there are other reasons too.

  After her prayer, she looked at the meatloaf and potatoes. Fat and carbs. Two no-no’s in her life for the last fifteen years. She grinned and dug in.

  * * *

  Micah arrived at the school building site early in the morning, ready to go to work. He didn’t have any customers yesterday, which had given him plenty of time to get a good start on Priscilla’s buggy. He had been particularly fastidious as he worked, making extra sure the frame was as perfect as it could be. Since he had the spare time, he could afford to be. At least that’s what he told himself. But for some reason deep inside, he wanted Priscilla to be pleased. And maybe a little impressed. He frowned. Watch that pride. Nothing good came from being prideful.

  He pulled into the makeshift driveway and parking lot next to the future school. After parking his buggy, he got out and tethered his horse to the hitching rail. Two Amish men in their district who were masons had already built a cinder block foundation a week ago, and a week later several other men had dug the two latrines. Today’s goal was to complete the schoolhouse, which could be done with plenty of the community’s help and cooperation. The fact that school was starting next week added to the urgency.

  Five other men were mingling around the site, even though it was barely sunrise. Soon more folks would show up, including the women, who would be bringing food for the midday meal. He smiled, already anticipating the delicious lunch.

  Would Priscilla be here?

  His smile faded. Why couldn’t he get her out of his mind?

  Ben Yoder, the husband of the former schoolteacher, strolled up to him. “Ready to build the outhouses?”

  Micah rolled his eyes. “Of course, you would give me that job.”

  “At least they’re empty.” Ben laughed, hitching his thumb into his black suspenders. “With you doing the job we’ll get it done in nee time.”

  Unlike Micah, Ben was whip thin and on the short side. Micah had never minded his large size, and in fact, he liked that he was called on to help out with hard and heavy tasks. Constructing the outhouse buildings was neither, but he was ready to get started. “Did they hire someone to replace Leah yet?”

  Ben nodded. “Ya, and Leah visited her last night. I can’t recall her name, though. You know how I am. It took me a year to remember Leah’s.”

  Micah knew he was kidding—somewhat. Ben was notorious for being unable to put names to faces. “Guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

  A short while later, as he expected, more than enough help had shown up, including a few teenagers. After working hard for the next several hours, around noon, everyone broke for lunch. Along the side of the parking lot, which was now almost covered in gravel, the women had set up several tables laden with a variety of foods. Nearby were a few other tables and chairs for the workers to sit at and eat, in addition to three large standing coolers of water on another table and four bottles of hand soap so everyone could wash up for lunch. Once his hands were clean, Micah sidled up to the first serving table and grabbed a sturdy paper plate and plastic silverware, his stomach grumbling. “I’m starving,” he said to Ben, who was standing right behind him.

  As he made his way down the line, the women served up the food. By the time Micah got to the desserts, his plate was piled high with macaroni ham casserole, crunchy potato balls, a few mini corn dogs, two soft pretzels, a large helping of broccoli and cauliflower salad, and a few lime pickles. He inspected the desserts, wondering which one to choose. That was a challenge since he could have picked them all. When he looked up, he saw that only two women were manning the table—Leah and . . . Priscilla.

  Micah looked at his overflowing plate. Everyone knew he liked healthy portions and they hadn’t been shy about giving them to him. Suddenly he was a little embarrassed. Maybe he should skip dessert. But he was already holding a smaller plate and he didn’t want to put it back. He didn’t want to keep Ben waiting for his dessert either.

  Leah held out a huge piece of chocolate-and-white cream cake. “Here you geh, Micah. I cut this extra-large piece of Ho Ho Cake just for you.”

  Oh, the Lord knew how he loved a good piece of Ho Ho Cake. But he didn’t want to look greedy in front of Priscilla. Ultimately, he had no choice because Leah plopped the piece on the right side of his dessert plate. “Uh, danki,” he mumbled, quickly bypassing the other desserts, which consisted of several platters of cookies and candy. Then he stopped when he saw a cake he didn’t recognize, wondering what it was. When he glanced up again, Priscilla was right in front of him.

  “Hi, Micah,” she said, gesturing to the cake. “Would you like a piece?”

  Fortunately, the cake, which was chocolate flavored with white frosting and cherry pie filling on top, had already been cut into smaller pieces. His appetite got the best of him and he nodded. “Sure. I’ve never had this before. What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Priscilla said, looking over the pieces. She selected the largest one and picked it up. “Leah, what’s this dessert called?”

  Leah was cutting another slice of Ho Ho Cake for Ben. “My True Love Cake.”

  For some strange reason, his cheeks heated. Then again, it was hot today and he had been working hard. But this was a different type of heat, one he hadn’t experienced before, and despite his excuses, he knew he was blushing because of Priscilla. She still held the piece of cake on the serving utensil, her expression impassive. Of course it was. She probably hadn’t given him a second thought since she left his shop. He was the one with the issue and he need to get a grip. “Set it right here,” he said, holding out his plate.

  Priscilla placed the piece on his plate. “I’ve been staring at this cake all morning. It looks appeditlich. I might have a piece myself later.”

  Micah couldn’t help but smile. There was nothing more attractive than a woman with an appreciation for quality desserts. He nodded his thanks, then left and sat down at an empty table. He had just picked up a mini corn dog when Ben plopped down in the chair across from him.

  “I’m surprised you’re not eating the True Love Cake first.” Ben picked up a slice of buttered bread and took a bite.

  Micah shot him a look. “Dessert is for after the meal.”

  “Not when it’s a special dessert.”

  Micah was confused. He peered at the cake, wondering if he was missing something. “It’s different, but I don’t see what’s special about it.”

  “Perhaps it’s not the cake so much as the person who served it to you.” Ben grinned and took another bite of bread.

  Great. Now Micah could feel his ears turning red. Was he being that obvious about his attraction to Priscilla that Ben had noticed? Worse yet, what if she noticed?

  “Hey,” Ben said, his expression turning serious. “I’m just teasing you, big guy. By the way, that’s the new schoolteacher. Wish I could remember her name.”

  “Priscilla,” he said, staring at his food.

  “That’s right. You two seemed to know each other.”

  Micah explained about Priscilla purchasing the buggy from him. When Ben returned to eating, Micah started to dig in too. But his mind was still on Priscilla
and whether she had noticed his interest in her. As he bit into the corn dog, he hoped she hadn’t.

  Chapter 3

  Priscilla finished off the last bite of her piece of True Love Cake and sat back, satisfied. After Micah left, she asked Leah who had made the cake. “Mei mamm was trying out a new recipe, and she decided to use all of us as guinea pigs,” she said. “I had a small bite earlier and I think it’s sehr gut.”

  Priscilla thought the cake, along with all the other food, was very good too. She had to be careful because she might not be able to fit into her clothes if she kept eating like this. But after so many years of being weight conscious, she was glad to have some freedom. Wearing such a modest dress helped to hide some flaws, and while she had resented her Amish clothing when she was younger, she now appreciated the simplicity of her wardrobe.

  Once everyone was finished eating and the men went back to work, she helped the other ladies clear the tables, clean up the dishes, and put up the chairs. By the time all the work was done, two hours had passed. A few of the women pitched in with helping to spread the gravel on the parking lot, while the mothers of the younger children were sitting around and visiting as their offspring played.

  During the day, Leah had pointed out Priscilla’s students. She thought she might introduce herself to them today but decided to wait until school started. She still needed to get her seating chart, lesson plans, and grade book in order, but she was looking forward to teaching. There was a time when she thought about being a teacher before she decided to leave the Amish. Now she was getting ready to do a job she had wanted to do in the past, but never thought she would. God works in strange ways. No, not so strange. More and more she was realizing she’d made the right decision to return to her faith.

  She picked up a spare shovel and joined the other women as they worked on the gravel parking lot, not only because she wanted to help but that way she could focus on something else besides Micah. When he smiled at her after she told him she thought the cake looked delicious, her heart had fluttered. There was no doubt she was attracted to him, and she couldn’t help but watch him as he ate his lunch with Ben, although she made sure she wasn’t being weird about it. He ate every crumb off his plate. Considering how much work he and the other men were doing, she wasn’t surprised.