The Timepiece

by Beverly Lewis

  If not for Mom’s urging all those months ago, I would never have come here, she acknowledged, still wondering if she wouldn’t have been better off not knowing the truth.

  Sylvia took a clean bath towel and washcloth into the spare room and placed them on the blanket chest at the foot of the double bed. She glanced around the room, making sure everything was in order, even though Adeline had already taken over the place somewhat—her overnight case lay open on the floor near the windows, and a light bathrobe was flung haphazardly across the bed.

  Checking the small closet for extra hangers, Sylvia saw only two and hurried upstairs to her own room to find another hanger in her closet. Spotting her best blue dress and white organdy apron—her church clothes—she thought of her fiancé, Titus Kauffman. She had worn that very dress and apron the last time she’d seen him, at the baptismal instruction class before Preaching service nearly a week ago. And even though they hadn’t spoken in a while, having agreed to take some time apart, she wondered every day how he was doing.

  Downstairs again, once she had touched up the spare room sufficiently, Sylvia went to the kitchen to see how much homemade ice cream was left in the freezer. In so doing, she recalled Titus’s favorite flavor, chocolate almond, and remembered how they had ordered the exact same kind at Lapp Valley Farm the last time they were there. She caught herself smiling at the memory.

  How soon will he want to talk things over? she wondered, missing him.

  ———

  Adeline gathered with Earnest and Rhoda and their children in what they referred to as “the front room,” an insufferably warm space without air conditioning or even a fan. Adeline sat near an open window in a straight-backed wooden chair with a needlepoint seat. The occasional breeze blew even more hot, humid air into the room, and perspiring profusely, she wished she’d had the nerve to change into shorts and a tank top. But everyone else in the room was so covered up. The hems of Rhoda’s and Sylvia’s dresses fell nearly to their ankles when they stood, and each wore a full black apron, as well. They must be roasting!

  She observed the boys—precise images of their father, except for Earnest’s untrimmed beard. There was something fascinating about their uniformity, and Adeline realized that she never wanted to blend in with a group any more than she wanted to go along with the crowd. No, she, like her mom before her, wanted to make her individual mark on the world and be unique, not look or dress like everyone else.

  One of the younger boys had carried a black leather Bible into the room and placed it gently, even reverently, on Earnest’s lap, in the glow of the nearby gas lamp.

  Adeline had been raised with minimal religious instruction: Christmas Eve candlelight services, an occasional Easter Sunday at church, but little else. Until the months prior to her stepdad’s death, when he’d sometimes asked her mother to read to him from the Bible, neither of her parents had ever even mentioned it. Adeline had no other recollection of “the Lord God,” as Earnest described Him now when introducing the passage he was about to read.

  Her stomach clenched, she was so ill at ease. She eyed her presumed half siblings as if all of this were a surreal dream.

  I’ll be on my way first thing tomorrow, she thought as she wiped her moist forehead with her hand, and everything will be normal again. She tried to envision what her fiancé would say about this backwoodsy setting.

  Adeline smiled thinly. Yes, that’s exactly how Brendon would describe it!

  ———

  Sylvia sat in a cane-backed chair near her mother, eyes trained on her brothers so as not to gawk at Adeline. Ernie’s and Adam’s hair was damp with sweat as they sat near the black heat stove, which would not be in use for another three months. Her two youngest brothers, Calvin and Tommy, perched themselves on the wide windowsill near Ernie and Adam, all of them feigning disinterest and casting only furtive glances toward Adeline.

  Shadows from the setting sun skimmed across the far wall, and Sylvia couldn’t help noticing how strained and uncomfortable Adeline appeared. She crossed her long legs at the knees, then a few moments later, quickly recrossed them at the ankles, her white jeans looking utterly out of place there in the large room, where the People gathered for worship once a year.

  Sylvia glanced at Dat and hoped he wouldn’t pass the Good Book around to each of them, as he sometimes did to make sure they were all paying attention. Surely not tonight, she thought, relieved when he looked at Mamma and smiled thoughtfully before turning to chapter fifteen in the Gospel of John. “‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,’” he began to read, “‘the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’”

  Her father continued, and Sylvia’s gaze drifted back to Adeline, who stared at Dat skeptically, her frown still evident, although now there was an inquisitive look in her striking blue eyes. She seemed to be studying him, and Sylvia wished she knew what the young woman was thinking.

  She probably can’t wait to return home. . . .

  CHAPTER

  two

  Earnest felt out of breath as he read from God’s Word. The annoying sensation so unsettled him that he paused for a moment. I have two daughters, he thought, turning the page. One I might never have met. . . .

  Looking at Adeline now, he could clearly see Rosalind’s features, but Adeline bore an even stronger resemblance to his younger sister, Charlie. For a moment, he felt like a teenager, living at home with her again. Nearly everything about Adeline reminded him of the little sister he’d missed every day since her premature passing decades ago.

  Like Charlie, Adeline was also thoroughly modern as she sat there fidgeting as he read. Perhaps she was too warm in her jeans, her shoulder-length hair like a curtain around her neck.

  Has she had any kind of religious upbringing? he wondered later as they knelt for silent prayer at their seats. He happened to catch Adeline’s confused look as she got down on her knees along with the rest of the family.

  When Earnest bowed for the prayer, he asked God for an extra measure of wisdom during Adeline’s short visit. He struggled to be as openhearted as Rhoda had been in inviting the young woman to remain as an overnight guest.

  Almighty God, he prayed, bless my wife for her great kindness, portraying Thy constant grace and goodness to our family.

  Following the Miller family gathering, Adeline politely excused herself and headed into the room where she was to sleep. She looked about at the meagerly furnished space, where a tall oak chest of drawers and double bed with its plain-looking headboard and footboard filled up most of the room. A lone chair sat near two open windows. Someone had brought a bath towel and washcloth and placed them on the chest at the foot of the bed. She was aware of the dark green shades, rolled high, as she moved closer to the windows and looked out at the Millers’ barn and windmill, quaint and picturesque in the falling dusk.

  Sighing, Adeline shook her head. Mom never would have believed this, she thought, a lump in her throat.

  She turned to sit on the bed and immediately noted the firmness of the mattress. At least it wasn’t a rope bed like she had once read about in a historical novel.

  The words from the Bible reading rolled around in her head: “For without me ye can do nothing.” And although she tried to brush it off, the phrase continued its echo.

  It seemed pretty pointless to someone who had been raised to believe that she could accomplish whatever she chose to do in life, if she worked hard enough. She could be as successful as her well-to-do grandfather Ellison and her mother and stepfather, William Pelham, too. They’d all achieved their goals without any help from God.

  Getting up, Adeline went to her overnight bag and removed her sleep shorts and cami, wondering how long she might have to wait her turn for the only bathroom in the house. Is there a particular order for a family of seven? The idea of sharing with that many on a daily basis was incomprehensible. How do Rhoda and Sylvia survive? She smiled at that. It had to help that neither wor
e even a dash of makeup.

  Poking her head out the bedroom door, she noticed Sylvia coming down the stairs wearing a long white cotton robe, a pale yellow nightgown draped over her arm. “Pss-t,” she called, motioning to Sylvia. “Should I take a number for my turn—”

  “Nee, you’re next after Mamma,” Sylvia said immediately. “As soon as she’s out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Sylvia gave her a quick smile. “Positive.”

  “But weren’t you—”

  “Honestly, I’m in no hurry.” Sylvia stood there, tilting her head as though trying to look into the spare room. “Are ya comfortable enough?”

  Nodding, Adeline assured her she had everything she needed for the night.

  “Well, just ask if you’re missin’ anything.” Sylvia paused as though she had more to say. Then she frowned. “This must be quite a day for ya,” she observed softly. “Finding out your father’s Amish an’ all.”

  Adeline was surprised the other young woman was thinking that way. “Your family has been so generous to me, considering everything.”

  “Well, I hope ya sleep soundly. I’m sure it was a long drive here.” With that, Sylvia hurried toward the kitchen and out of sight around the corner, where Adeline could hear her knocking on the bathroom door, saying something muffled to her mother.

  She didn’t have to do that, Adeline thought, realizing that Sylvia had given up her spot next. All the same, Adeline yearned for the comforts of her former home with her parents. Even Adeline’s current apartment near Georgia Tech was luxurious compared to this old place.

  Glancing at her watch, Adeline felt antsy but would never let on to Sylvia. My Amish half sister, she thought, dumbfounded again. This afternoon, when she’d pulled in past the Millers’ vegetable stand and parked her red Camaro convertible in their drive, she’d certainly had no idea what she would find.

  Though she was still eager to return to her life in Georgia, she knew it was unlikely she would ever return here.

  They’re all so nice, she thought. So welcoming.

  It was very strange. She hadn’t even made her exit, and a part of her already felt a tinge of regret, as if missing out on a family she’d never known she had.

  But they’re so . . . unusual, she reminded herself.

  No matter, she thought. It’s not like they’re falling over themselves to get to know me, either.

  She moved away from the doorway, not wanting to be seen looking out and checking for Rhoda to head to the stairs. While she waited, Adeline realized she had forgotten to bring along her phone charger.

  Sighing, she noticed the Double Wedding Ring bed quilt, with its familiar-looking pattern and attractive blend of rich brown, cherry red, and bright purple juxtaposed with sunlight yellow, sapphire, then gray. Mom had one like this. Perfectly symmetrical, she mused and turned the quilt over to peer at the back, where a stitched pattern of hearts came into focus.

  “Gorgeous,” she murmured, recalling the quilt her mother said she had received as a wedding gift, made by a relative Adeline did not know. She wished she had been more attentive when Mom first showed it to her, years ago. Adeline had come across the quilt again recently while sorting through her mother’s things with her younger brother, fourteen-year-old Liam, who’d naturally shown zero interest in the heirloom quilt.

  Who has time to do such painstaking work? she wondered as she reexamined the beautiful quilt before her. Turning it over, she smoothed the quilt against the mattress, then stepped back to look at it on the neatly made bed. Tears sprang to her eyes—a familiar sight was the last thing Adeline had expected to find here.

  ———

  When the knock came at the bedroom door, Adeline slipped into her lightweight robe and opened the door.

  Rhoda Miller stood there in a long bathrobe, her hair wrapped in a towel. “The washroom’s all yours,” the woman said, then turned to leave.

  “Wait,” Adeline said quickly. “May I ask you something?”

  Rhoda faced her again. “Of course. What is it, dear?”

  Dear? thought Adeline, surprised. She pointed. “This bed quilt is lovely. Did you make it?”

  “Oh jah. Sylvia and I did several years ago, with help from my mother and her sisters.”

  Adeline caught herself shaking her head as she admired it. “It’s—”

  “Somethin’ wrong?” Rhoda asked.

  “It’s a work of art. I mean . . . you’re gifted artists.”

  Rhoda frowned. “It would be prideful to think of ourselves thataway.” She paused and pulled her robe tighter around her waist. “Our quilts are made with loving hands and intended to be used in a practical manner. With strong stitchin’ that lasts a long, long time.”

  Adeline considered that. “What would it take to learn to stitch like this? To make a quilt, I mean.”

  “Well, plenty-a practice.” Rhoda explained that tiny stitches didn’t just happen on the first try. Or the second or third. “It’s like anything, really,” she said. “Practice makes perfect.”

  Adeline remained quiet, wondering if learning this art really was as simple as that.

  “Would ya like to learn?” Rhoda’s smile spread across her pretty face.

  Adeline was amazed at the offer. Surely such a process would take days, if not weeks. And I’m leaving tomorrow, she reminded herself. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t have time.”

  “How long can ya stay?”

  Adeline paused, feeling conflicted again. Does she mean it?

  “Really, I don’t want to impose.”

  Rhoda looked as if she could barely contain her laugh. “Oh my. But ya just got here.”

  Adeline thought ahead to the reality of her situation and surprised herself by thinking out loud, “Well, I do have some time before classes start.”

  The woman’s golden brown eyes lit up. “Gut. I was hopin’ ya might wanna stay awhile.”

  She hoped? Adeline had not a clue what to say. Not when she had basically burst into her biological father’s life. She felt nervous suddenly, as if she had gotten in over her head.

  Rhoda seemed to read her expression. “Just think it over, jah?” She smiled, then excused herself to go upstairs.

  Gathering up her toiletry bag, Adeline walked toward the kitchen, where a gas lamp high over the table hissed and hummed. She shook her head at her impulsive questions and Rhoda’s swift invitation, then realized this might be an opportunity to get to know Earnest better.

  And Rhoda and Sylvia, as well.

  CHAPTER

  three

  Next morning at breakfast, Sylvia was flabbergasted to hear Mamma saying something to Adeline about maybe squeezing in some time later to practice making stitches on fabric scraps. Her interest piqued, Sylvia wondered how this had come about. I thought Adeline was leaving today. . . .

  Dat walked into the sunny kitchen, his hair mashed down from his straw hat. He went to stand behind his chair at the head of the table and pushed his hands into his gray trouser pockets. Typically, he would be heading out to Saturday market, but she assumed he’d stayed home to visit with Adeline.

  Silently, Sylvia observed him while she set Mamma’s pretty new plates carefully on the table, a recent gift from Dat to mark their engagement twenty years ago. Adeline, too, seemed interested in helping, and she asked Mamma just now about putting napkins at each place setting.

  “Oh, we don’t use cloth napkins, if that’s what ya mean,” Mamma told her politely. “Not even at big celebrations like weddings.”

  Adeline’s eyelids fluttered. “Oh,” she said, apparently surprised.

  “Sometimes, if we have finger food, like fried chicken, we use paper towels,” Mamma added.

  Dat motioned for Adeline to take the seat at the foot of the table, where the guest of honor always sat. “We do plenty of things different around here,” he told her, smiling as he pulled out his chair. “I’m sure you’re discovering that, jah?”

  Dat’s going out of his way to make
her feel at ease, thought Sylvia, untying her work apron and placing it on the counter. She walked around Dat’s chair to sit at her usual spot, to the right of Mamma. And once Ernie and the boys hurried inside from washing up at the well pump, they quietly settled themselves at the table, too. Dat bowed his head to ask the silent blessing, everyone following his lead.

  After the prayer, Dat asked Adeline, “Would you mind telling us something about your life? I remember your grandparents used to live on the beach.”

  Adeline’s head bobbed. “Yes, and they still do. Actually, the ocean is my go-to place to wind down after exams or whenever I can get to Hilton Head,” she said. “My brother, Liam, lives there full-time now.”

  “Does he swim in the ocean?” young Tommy asked.

  “Sure,” Adeline replied, appearing a bit baffled. “And Liam and I enjoy paddleboarding, snorkeling, and sailing together when I visit.”

  Tommy shook his head in apparent awe. “I wanna see the ocean someday.”

  Dat chuckled under his breath. “We’ll have to think about that, son.”

  “What else do ya like to do?” Tommy asked her, reaching for his glass of milk.

  Sylvia wondered what had gotten into her littlest brother. He was falling all over himself!

  “I like to play tennis, especially doubles with Liam and his friends, or with my fiancé and another couple,” Adeline replied. “But most of the year I’m in Georgia at college, pursuing the same course of study as Mom planned, though she never finished her degree.”

  Sylvia thought it was interesting the way Adeline looked at Dat all the while she was supposedly answering Tommy’s question.

  “Is that right?” Dat asked suddenly. “You’re going for a degree in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech?”

  “Graduating with honors next May, if I can keep up my GPA.”

  Dat shook his head. “What do you know. I suppose your mom mentioned that I went there, too.”

  Adeline nodded, and Ernie asked, “What’s a GPA?”

  Sylvia paid attention as Dat explained what a grade point average was; she’d never heard of such a thing in the one-room schoolhouse she had attended for eight grades.