“Martha, why does your vadder have to say what food to get? Isn’t that your mudder’s job? Or even Amy’s?”
“Sometimes Mamm’s a little vague. Dat helps out too.”
Gabbie’s mother would never be like that. “Is there something wrong with her?”
Martha shook her head. “Nee, she’s just tired and has a lot on her mind with the new boppli.”
“He’s hardly new.”
Martha shrugged and remained silent.
“Seems like there’s something amiss. I mean, she couldn’t be just plain lazy, could she?” Gabbie studied Martha’s shocked face waiting for her to explain.
After a while spent controlling her irritation at Gabbie's insult to Mamm, Martha said, “She’s not lazy. She wasn’t always this way; ever since this pregnancy started, it seems, she’s often tired and sometimes she can’t even get out of bed.”
“And what about Amy?”
“What about her?”
“She’s hardly said anything to me and we were such good friends when she lived at my haus.”
“You and I are better friends. We’re pen pals. She probably doesn’t want to be around us. She’s never spent time with me and my friends and she likes her own company.”
“Hmph. Likes her own room, more like it.”
* * *
Martha didn’t want to say anything to Gabbie about Amy’s broken heart. Gabbie had arrived with no news of Andrew, and that had upset Amy even further.
On the way into town, the area where they had been speaking to Michael came into view. Gabbie craned her neck, and Martha glanced over. Michael had gone.
Martha felt bad over the harsh words she’d had with Gabbie and for interrupting her talk with Michael. “After we collect those things for my daed we can go to a café if you’d like.”
“Jah, I’d like that denke.”
Careful to keep the conversation on something neutral, Martha said, “Do you miss your family?”
“Not really. I haven’t been away long enough. I like being away. Amy invited me a long time ago and it took that long for my folks to let me come here.”
* * *
After they got the things her father wanted, Martha took Gabbie to her older sister’s favorite coffee shop.
Dan, the manager, approached them once they’d taken a seat. “You’re Amy’s little sister, aren’t you?” he asked Martha.
“Yes, that’s right. I’ve been in here a couple of times.”
“Double shot latte on skim?” Dan asked.
Martha’s jaw dropped. “How could you possibly remember that?”
“It’s my job.” He turned to Gabbie. “And what will you have?”
“You tell me since you look like you’re a 'people and their coffee expert.' What do I look like I’d have?” Gabbie had leaned forward and was clearly flirting with Dan.
Dan laughed. Whether it was out of shock, or he thought Gabbie was funny, Martha couldn’t tell.
“Espresso?” Dan asked.
Gabbie giggled. “Way wrong. A chocolate milkshake, please. I don’t even drink coffee.”
Dan nodded and walked away chuckling.
“He’s nice, for an Englischer.” Gabbie stared after him.
Martha giggled. “Jah, he is.” When Martha looked up, she saw a familiar woman walk through the door. Martha grabbed Gabbie’s arm. “Look, Gabbie. It’s Anna, Michael’s cousin.”
Gabbie turned around to look while Martha rose a little in her seat and waved to her. Anna smiled and walked over to them.
“Sit with us, Anna. Are you alone or are you meeting someone here?” Martha said.
“Denke. Nee, I’m here alone. I’ve just been to get some fabric from the store to make some dresses for my wedding.”
“Did you meet Gabbie at the gathering?” Martha asked.
“Jah, we met. Hello again, Gabbie.”
Gabbie nodded and smiled. “You’re getting married soon?”
“Jah, I’m getting married in six months. Everyone tells me I’ve plenty of time, but I want to make sure everything’s right.”
“And is Michael staying with you?” Gabbie asked.
Anna nodded. “Jah, he is.”
Gabbie looked at Martha.
“Do you want to see my material?” Anna said, already undoing her package.
“Ach, jah,” Martha said.
Anna pulled the dark blue material from the corner of the package.
“It’s beautiful.” Gabbie ran her fingertips along it. “It has a slight sheen, and, oh, it's so soft. Who are you marrying?”
“I’m marrying Marvin Zook. We grew up together.”
“That’s nice,” Gabbie said, still looking at the fabric.
“Do you have a special someone back home, Gabbie?” Anna asked.
Gabbie’s lips pouted slightly. “Nee, I don’t.”
“Are you looking for one?” Anna asked.
“Jah, I’d like to be married. Of course, I would.”
Anna put her hand to her mouth and giggled. “I mean, is that why you’re here staying with Martha’s family; because you’re looking for a husband?”
“My family wanted a break from me.” Gabbie giggled.
“How did your vadder break his leg?” Martha asked Anna, purely to change the subject.
“He doesn’t know; that’s the funny thing. He slipped in the rain and it hurt a bit, but it wasn’t until days later that he found it hard to walk.”
Dan brought their drinks to them and took Anna’s drink order. “Are you girls having anything to eat today?”
“I’ll have a lemon meringue pie,” Martha said.
“Me too, Dan, with ice-cream,” Gabbie added.
“Make that three, and I’ll have ice-cream with mine too.” Anna giggled.
Dan said, “Which flavor ice cream? We also have a lemon sherbet that goes very well with our lemon pie. Might you prefer that to ice cream?”
Gabbie and Anna agreed to try it, and Martha decided to add it to her order as well.
When Dan left their table, Gabbie leaned across to Anna. “Would you like some help with the sewing? I’m a very gut seamstress.”
Anna’s eyes sparkled. “Really? I’d like that, denke. That’ll save me time. I’ve so many things to do and my mudder doesn’t have a lot of time since she’s looking after Dat.”
Martha knew Gabbie offered to help just so she could be in the house where Michael was staying. If she got close to Anna, that would give her more access to Michael. “We had your cousin, Michael, over to dinner last night,” Martha said, quite forgetting she wanted to keep their conversation off him.
“Jah, I wondered where he was. I’ve been so busy helping Mamm with Dat, and planning for the wedding that I didn’t think to ask where he was. He works very hard; I barely see him.”
A waitress brought their lemon meringue pies to the table.
“Does he have a girl at home?” Gabbie asked as each took her first bite of pie and sherbet.
“Nee, I don’t think he does. Wow. This tastes really good.” Anna looked up at Gabbie and then across to Martha as they both nodded agreement. “Do one of you girls like him?”
“I do,” Gabbie said before Martha had a chance to nod, much less speak.
Martha would never admit to liking a man, fearing he might not like her back. That would be too embarrassing.
“I’ll help you,” Anna said.
Martha was upset she’d missed her chance.
“I’m going on a buggy ride with him tomorrow afternoon,” Gabbie said.
Anna laughed. “Ach, you don’t need my help then.”
Gabbie’s lips turned down. “I do; Martha’s coming too.”
Martha scrunched up her nose and said to Anna, “It’s not that kind of buggy ride. I’m showing him around, and Gabbie around, at the same time, since they’re both new. I would’ve taken my buggy, but Michael wanted to take his own. Well, I suppose it’s one of your vadder’s buggies he’ll be using.”
“Nee. I mean, he seems nice, but …”
Gabbie interrupted. “Now, Anna, tell me how you're planning to make your dress.”
Anna forgot her question to Martha, and in full detail described how her wedding dress and the dresses of her attendants would look. She went on to tell them that she’d already sewn Marvin’s wedding suit.
Martha’s mind was elsewhere; there were not many ways one could sew a wedding dress when one was Amish. Before Martha knew what was happening, Anna arranged a time that Gabbie should go to her place to sew. She daren’t offer to go as well or Gabbie would be upset with her. For just a moment, she let herself enjoy that idea.
The girls arrived home to find Michael had visited to cancel their Friday afternoon together.
Just as Martha’s parents were out of earshot, Gabbie said, “He wants to be alone with me and that’s why he canceled. He wants our first buggy ride together to be special.”
Martha was lost for words.
Gabbie continued, “You could see how he was speaking nicely to me before you came along, Martha.”
Martha recalled that she had seen a smile on Michael’s face. Maybe Gabbie was right. Martha wanted a man to love her for herself, and if Michael liked Gabbie there was nothing she could do about it.
Gabbie stuck out her chin. “Nothing to say?”
Martha shook her head and headed up the stairs to her bedroom to finish writing a letter to her other pen pal who was also her cousin.
Chapter 19
Later that same night, after dinner, Gabbie and Martha sat with Martha’s father in the living room.
“You two might want to offer to help at the sewing room on Saturday. They need more workers,” he said.
“I told Anna I’d help her sew her dresses on Saturday,” Gabbie said.
Mr. Yoder rubbed the side of his forehead. “You can’t be in two places.”
“I’ll go, Dat,” Martha said.
“Okay, and take Rose and Mary with you. They can sew as gut as anyone and they're old enough to be doing more volunteering.”
“Jah, I will.”
“What’s the sewing room?” Gabbie asked.
“It’s a place where the ladies go to make quilts and sew things for charity. We also collect unwanted clothing and package it. There are people who still need help from the big tornado we had some time back,” Martha explained.
Mr. Yoder said, “Things are made and auctioned and the money goes to help those who need it.”
“Sounds like a good cause,” Gabbie spoke vaguely as though her mind was elsewhere.
When Saturday came, Martha took Gabbie to Anna’s house before she and her two sisters headed to the building they called the ‘sewing room.’
Just as she was tying up her horse, Amy’s friend, Olive, walked out of the sewing room and called out to her.
Martha looked up. “Jah?”
“Can you collect some clothes from Mrs. Hershberger’s haus?” Mrs. Hershberger was one of the ladies in the community who collected unwanted clothing.
“Jah, of course, I can.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” asked Rose, looking back at Martha.
“Nee, denke, I’d like time by myself. You go inside.” Martha set off to Mrs. Hershberger’s haus, glad to have some time away from chattering women. Gabbie staying in her home wasn’t as much fun as she thought it might’ve been. The two had gotten along well in their letters, but now a rift was developing.
After Martha had collected the clothes from Mrs. Hershberger, she turned the buggy onto the road and then saw Michael’s buggy coming toward her. Martha gave a quick wave when he came closer.
He signaled her to stop, and then he pulled his horse to a halt beside her. “Hello, Martha. What are you doing out here?”
“I’m collecting some clothes for the sewing house. They collect clothes and sew things for charity.”
“Jah, I’ve heard of it. You’re by yourself, I see.”
Martha nodded. “I’ve taken Rose and Mary to the sewing house, and Gabbie’s helping Anna with the sewing for her wedding.”
“I’m sorry I had to cancel our ride the other day. Perhaps you and I could re-schedule for next Saturday?”
“That would be perfect.”
“We didn’t have much time to speak over dinner the other night. I hear there’s volleyball on Monday night, will you be going?”
“Ach, I forgot it was on. Jah, I’ll most likely go.”
“Do you like volleyball?”
“I do, but I’m not good at it,” Martha said.
Michael laughed. “I’d ask you if we could do something together now, but I’ve too many errands to run and I’ve got to make it back to the haus at three.”
Martha nodded. “And I’ve got to get back to the sewing room. Some of the ladies are waiting to package the clothes I’ve got in the back.”
“I’ll see you on Monday at the volleyball?”
“Jah.”
Michael clicked his horse onward in the direction of the Hershberger’s haus, and Martha headed back to the sewing room. Martha wondered why Michael hadn’t suggested doing something the next day. The next day was Sunday, and since it was the second Sunday no gathering was held. It would’ve been a perfect day for going for a drive or even having a picnic.
* * *
After Martha and her sisters had finished a long day at the sewing room, they went home by way of the Glicks’ house to fetch Gabbie.
When Martha’s buggy stopped outside the front door, Anna came out.
“Hello, Martha. Are you looking for Gabbie?”
“Jah, I told her I’d fetch her when we finished sewing today.”
“She left some time ago. Michael drove her home.”
Martha frowned. “I told her I’d call for her.”
“I’m sure there must have been a misunderstanding,” Anna said.
“You’re right.” Martha smiled at Anna, while inside she was seething. It was one thing if Michael preferred Gabbie and it was another thing entirely that Gabbie had plotted to have time with him.
“I guess she forgot you were coming for her,” Anna added.
“Jah, that must be it. Did you get a lot of sewing done?” Martha asked.
“We did. Do you want to come in and have a look?”
Martha looked at her sisters and neither looked as though she would object. “Sure, we’d love to.” Martha tied up her horse and she and her two sisters went into the haus.
“It’s nice to see you girls,” Anna’s mother said.
“Hello, Mrs. Glick. We’ve come to have a quick look at the dresses,” Martha said.
Mrs. Glick asked, “Can you stay long enough for iced tea and cookies?”
Martha’s sisters stared at her with wide eyes. They’d had little to eat all day.
“We’d love to, denke, Mrs. Glick,” Rose said before Martha could respond.
Anna led the way to show them her dresses. “I’ve got the dresses in here; you girls sit down on the couch and I’ll show you.”
The three girls sat on the couch and Martha looked around the room. It had been a while since she’d been to their house. Anna opened a large drawer and unfolded a loose brown paper package. She pulled out a dress, held it at the shoulders and let it unfold.
“It’s lovely,” Rose said.
“It certainly is,” Martha agreed.
“When it’s finished, it’ll be lovely, but it’s just tacked together at the moment.” Anna handed Martha the dress, turned and got something else out of the drawers. “Today I made the prayer kapp.” Anna held a sheer white organza prayer kapp in her hands.
“That’s pretty. You’re a gut seamstress,” Martha said.
“Denke.”
“Into the kitchen girls,” Mrs. Glick called out.
While Anna packed the dress and kapp away, the Yoder girls walke
d into the kitchen.
“How’s Mr. Glick?” Martha took a sip of iced tea.
“He finds it hard not to do anything, but the doctor said he mustn’t do anything or he could make things worse,” Mrs. Glick said.
“It’s great that Michael could come and help you,” Martha said.
“He’s been a blessing. I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he does.”
As Martha was leaving the haus, Mrs. Glick pulled her aside. “Martha, I should have you and Gabbie over for dinner one night.”
“That would be lovely. Let me know when,” Martha said.
Chapter 20
Martha giggled, as she watched Gabbie get out of the buggy and run through the green grass. “Wait for me,” Martha called after her. When it was just the two of them, they had fun. They were the first to arrive at the field where the volleyball tournament was to be held.
Gabbie spun in a circle with her arms outstretched and then fell onto the ground.
Martha sat next to her. “I’m glad to get out of the house.” She ran her hands over the freshly mown grass, while a smattering of rain fell on them in tiny droplets.
“Will the game continue if it rains, or will it be canceled?” Gabbie asked.
Martha looked up at the gray sky. “I don’t think it’ll rain too much. We don’t often get rain in the evening this time of year.”
* * *
That night, both girls were disappointed because Michael didn’t go to the volleyball. Anna had told them he had been invited somewhere for dinner and felt he couldn’t get out of it. She then invited the two girls for dinner the next night. Halfway through the night, Gabbie begged Martha to go home.
* * *
Martha came downstairs as soon as she heard someone in the kitchen. It was her mother. “I didn’t expect to see you awake so early.”
Mrs. Yoder yawned and then rubbed her eyes. “I’ve come to fix a cup of herb tea. I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m going back to bed after I drink this, before the younger girls wake.”
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