Sarasota Dreams

by Mayne, Debby

  Chapter 1

  All Charles Polk had ever thought he wanted in life was to be a clown—a real clown with ridiculous makeup, baggy britches, oversize shoes, and an audience at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Then he’d started helping out on the Glick farm and realized he had a different calling.

  “Ready, Charles?” Pop asked.

  Charles stepped out into the hall of the house that had gone from being his parents’ dream to their burden. “Ready.”

  All the way to the small Mennonite church in Pinecraft, the Polk family chattered about insignificant things to calm their unspoken fears. Even though he’d been there several times, his insides still churned with nerves.

  Since most of the Mennonite families walked to church or rode their adult-sized tricycles they called bikes or three-wheelers, the Polk car was the only one in the parking lot. Charles knew his family was an enigma to the members of the church, but he prayed they’d eventually accept him without questions. Pop had assured him they would, but that was hard to imagine.

  Charles walked into the church sanctuary with his parents, but Mom veered off toward where the women sat as he and Pop found a place among the men. There were so many things he needed to learn about the new life he wanted, but as the people who had come to talk to his family said, they had plenty of time.

  Ruthie looked over toward the younger of the two new men in church and caught herself daydreaming about his past. She found it difficult to believe some of what she’d heard, but he did have an air of mystery.

  Mother cut a glance at her and narrowed her eyes. Ruthie’s cheeks flamed as she turned back to the pastor, who was right in the middle of his sermon.

  An hour later, as she joined the other women getting ready for the monthly potluck, she overheard some of the talk about the Polk family. Ruthie’s curiosity overcame her good sense, so she edged closer to the women doing all the talking.

  “I heard the boy was taking some classes to become a clown. Isn’t that the silliest thing?” Sharon Bowles shook her head. “What kind of work is that for a man?”

  “Perhaps that was a childish dream,” Mrs. Penner said. “You know how children can be.”

  “None of our children ever dream of being clowns.”

  Shelley Burkholder Yoder scooted past with a casserole dish. “That’s because they’re already a bunch of clowns.”

  “Shelley!” Mrs. Burkholder shook her head and pretended to scowl as a smile played on her lips. “That is no way to talk about the fine young people in our community, especially since you’re going to have one of your own soon.”

  Shelley glanced down at her growing abdomen. “Oh, I’m sure this child will fit right in with the rest of the clowns with a father like Jeremiah.”

  Mrs. Yoder chuckled. “My son might be a clown, but he’s a smart one.” She handed Ruthie a basket filled with biscuits and rolls. “Be a dear, Ruthie. Take these outside and put them on the end of the bread table.”

  Ruthie did as she was told, although she wished she could have remained in the church kitchen to hear what else the women had to say about the Polk family. As she walked past clusters of men, she sensed that all eyes were on the basket of bread she carried. Mennonite men sure did have big appetites. They never let more than a few seconds pass after the women gave them the go-ahead to pounce on the buffet line once the food was in place.

  She glanced up in time to see Abe walking toward her. Her face burned, and her hands started shaking as they had since the time she acted out of character and boldly flirted with him before she realized he was in love with Mary. Although he wasn’t interested in her in the least, he was still nice, so there was no reason for her to be so embarrassed whenever he came near.

  “Hi, Ruthie,” Abe said. “Looks like no one will go away hungry.”

  “Ya. There is always plenty of food.”

  “It’s always nice to show off our hospitality to newcomers.”

  Ruthie took a chance and met his gaze. “Ya.” She knew his smile was meant to put her at ease, but she still felt like a bundle of nerves.

  He nodded toward the Polk family. “Perhaps you can find some time to speak to Charles. He’s a very interesting young man. Did you know he used to dream of being a clown?”

  She looked down and tried to stifle a giggle. “So I’ve heard.”

  “I’m glad he came to his senses,” Abe said. “Charles is a very hard worker just like his father.”

  Ruthie glanced toward the women who were hauling more food out to the picnic tables. “I’ll try to speak to him, but now I need to help take out the food.”

  Abe took a step back. “Then I need to get out of your way. There are too many hungry men out here, and I don’t want to be the cause of their starvation.”

  As Ruthie scooted past Abe and made her way back to the kitchen, she thought about Abe’s warmth, kindness, and good humor. Those qualities were what had attracted her to him; she wondered if anyone else could even come close. She wished her older sister Amalie were here to advise her. Amalie and her husband had gone back to Tennessee to run his family’s farm.

  Mrs. Penner, Mary, and Shelley quickly gave her jobs to do, one right after the other, so she didn’t have much time to think about her former attraction to Abe. But she did notice how many times the other women had her running past Charles Polk. Each time she looked at him, he had a different expression—all pleasant and very animated. He was attractive in an unconventional way, with reddish-brown hair that hung a little too long in front, deep blue eyes that were impossible to look away from, and a ruddy complexion from being outdoors in the sun.

  “She’s quiet but sweet,” Jeremiah whispered.

  Charles pulled back. “Who?”

  Jeremiah pointed toward the shy girl who stood slightly apart from the women. “Ruthie. I’ve known her since she started school several years behind me, and she’s always been a tad shy.”

  There was never any doubt the people in the church loved to matchmake. As soon as the Polk family expressed an interest in exploring the Mennonite faith, he could tell that was one of the first things he’d have to face if they ever got serious about joining.

  “Have you had a chance to talk to her yet?”

  Charles shrugged. “Just a few words. Not much.”

  Jeremiah laughed. “I’m beginning to think you’re just as shy as she is.”

  “You know me better than that.”

  “Yeah, I know you from working on the farm, but this is different.” Jeremiah’s eyes twinkled as he leaned over and exaggerated a whisper. “This is about a girl, and they can be quite scary.”

  “No kidding.” Charles glanced over toward the women again. Ruthie stood out with her chestnut-brown hair that was darker than most of the women’s. Earlier he’d noticed her stunning blue-green eyes that were framed by long eyelashes. “She’s pretty. I wonder why she’s so shy.”

  “I get the whole looks thing, but do yourself a favor and don’t make a big deal of her being pretty.”

  Charles cringed. He’d gotten so many things wrong that he thought he’d never fully understand how to act, even though it had seemed simple at first. “Is that not allowed in the Mennonite church?”

  “Not that it’s not allowed so much,” Jeremiah said slowly, “more that it’s not the place to put emphasis in your relationships.” He chuckled. “I’ve always thought Shelley was the prettiest girl in town, and when I told her, she let me know there was much more to her than that.”

  “Thanks for the lesson.” Charles appreciated Jeremiah’s friendship. Between Jeremiah and Abe, he felt he had a chance of grasping the basic social aspects of being a Mennonite.

  “Try to find some way to talk to her today.” Jeremiah narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “That is, if you’re interested.”

  “I’m not sure yet.” Although a handful of folks from the church wanted to matchmake, Charles had seen just as many skeptics. If any of them suspected he was even slightly intereste
d in one of their girls, he was afraid they’d erect some sort of barrier to prevent him from getting to know her. He’d been reserved about expressing his opinions of Ruthie with Jeremiah, but he couldn’t ignore the spark of attraction he felt whenever their gazes met.

  After the women had all the serving tables loaded with food, Charles found his place with Pop. He lowered his head before the pastor said the blessing. As he raised his head and opened his eyes, he caught Ruthie staring at him, and his heart gave an unexpected leap.

  “Go talk to her, Son.” Pop nudged him in the ribs.

  “I’m not so sure this is a good time. Why don’t we eat first?”

  Pop opened his mouth, probably to argue, but he didn’t have a chance before one of the older men approached and started talking. As the men exchanged words about farming, Charles mentally lectured himself about courage. He’d always been a little nervous about talking to people, which was one of the reasons being a clown had appealed to him.

  Mom and Pop had taken him to a circus when he was in elementary school. He’d enjoyed watching the high-wire performers and the animals, but the acts that had intrigued him the most were the clowns. From a distance they seemed friendly, happy, and approachable, but when he got close, he realized that the makeup made them look that way, even when they frowned. And they didn’t have to talk. Clowns were mesmerizing to all—from those who loved them to people who were afraid of them.

  When his parents realized his obsession, they enrolled him in a clown camp sponsored by Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey, where he learned some of the basics of making people laugh. He had fun, but something still seemed to be missing. After he graduated from high school, he enrolled at the Sarasota-Manatee campus of the University of South Florida and volunteered as a clown at the children’s hospital. At first it was fun, but after a year’s worth of performances, it started getting old. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life, so he hadn’t gotten past the general education classes in college. Then Pop asked if he was interested in working part-time at the Glick farm. By the end of the first week of repairing the barn, even after the rafter fell on him, he knew he’d found work that suited him. He’d never felt such a sense of satisfaction as what he experienced after working with his hands.

  Ruthie couldn’t stop stealing glances at Charles. At first he was engaged in conversation with some of the men, but as his father continued socializing, Charles had become withdrawn. He appeared to be deep in thought. She wondered what was on his mind.

  “Go see if you can get him something,” Shelley whispered. “Both of you are obviously shy, and someone has to make the first move.”

  “No one has to make a move at all.”

  “True.” Shelley rested her hand on Ruthie’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take the approach of being friendly and showing your appreciation for his interest in being a Mennonite?”

  “I could do that,” Ruthie said. “But I still feel awkward.”

  “I’m sure he won’t notice if you don’t tell him. He’ll just think you’re a friendly girl who wants to welcome him.”

  Ruthie looked Shelley in the eye and nodded. “I’ll go speak to him and ask if he’s had enough dessert.”

  Shelley turned Ruthie around and gave her a gentle shove. “Then you best do it now before someone else does.”

  Ruthie took a deep breath and slowly headed toward Charles, her mind focused on putting one foot in front of the other rather than the fear that welled in her stomach. When she came within a couple of feet of him, she made eye contact and swallowed hard. “Would you like more dessert? There’s plenty more over there.”

  A sense of numbness flooded her when he didn’t immediately respond. Then a wide grin spread across his lips and he nodded. “I would love more dessert. Will you join me?”

  The next half hour went by so quickly it was more of a blur than a detailed memory. After she and Charles sat down with plates of pie, he asked questions and attentively listened to her answers. If she had any doubt about her attraction to Charles, it quickly dissolved. The last call for desserts went out, snagging their attention away from each other.

  “I had fun, Ruthie,” Charles said softly. “W–would you be interested in getting together sometime soon?”

  “Ya, I would like that.”

  He stood up and looked down at her. “I’d like to make a date, but I’m not sure yet when I’ll be available.”

  “I’ll be in church next Sunday.”

  Charles smiled. “So will I. I’ll talk to Abe and Pop then get back with you.” He walked backward a couple of steps. “Good-bye, Ruthie. Have a nice week.” Then he turned and hurried toward the parking lot.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Shelley asked from behind Ruthie.

  “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

  Shelley tilted her head back and laughed. “Trust me when I say there will be more difficult things to come.” She put her arm around Ruthie and led her to the church. “So tell me all about it. Did he ask if he could see you again?”

  Ruthie explained that he needed to check with Abe and his father before committing to a time. “I hope Mother doesn’t mind.”

  “Why would she mind?” Shelley said. “Your parents are two of the kindest, most open people I know. They were both in favor of his family joining the church.”

  “Ya, I know, but when it comes to me and the people I associate with, they can be quite different.”

  “Trust me, I know how that is.” Shelley glanced over her shoulder and spotted her mother staring at her. “Fortunately Jeremiah managed to win over both of my parents, but it wasn’t easy for him or me.”

  Ruthie remembered hearing all about what Shelley and Jeremiah had gone through. “I don’t even know Charles well enough to think that much into our … friendship. But he is very nice.”

  “Yes,” Shelley agreed, nodding. “He’s very nice, and he seems sincere about learning the Bible.”

  Ruthie helped clean the tables and church kitchen. After the remaining men put everything away, she walked the three blocks to the house where she lived with her parents. Mother and Papa had gone on a walk, so she had the house to herself. It was nice to have time to think.

  “Ruthie Kauffman seems like such a sweet girl,” Pop said as he maneuvered the car out of the church parking lot. “Have you thought about asking her out on a date?”

  “I’d like to, Pop, but where do Mennonite people go on dates?”

  His parents exchanged an amused look before his mother spoke. “Definitely not to a bar or dance club.”

  That was obvious. “Do you think she’d like to go to a circus?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Pop said. “It seems harmless enough.”

  Mom’s eyebrows were furrowed as she studied his face. “You’re not still harboring the notion of being a clown, are you, Charles?”

  “No, I’ve been over that for a while, but I still like them.” He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. “I just hope she’s not afraid of clowns.”

  Pop stopped at the red light and winked at him in the rearview mirror. “If she is, you’ll be there to protect her, just like I did when your mother and I had our first date.”

  Mom playfully swatted at Pop. “You took me to a scary movie just so I’d grab you.”

  Pop pretended to be hurt. “If we go through with becoming Mennonite, you can’t keep beating me up.”

  Mom looked over her shoulder at Charles. “Now he’s afraid of me. Go figure.”

  Charles was glad his parents’ relationship didn’t suffer after Pop lost his job of twenty years. The plummeting economy had caused his company to downsize, and he was part of a massive layoff. At first Pop had deluded himself into thinking he’d be in high demand, and it would only be a matter of time before some other company found out he was available and begged him to work for them. But that didn’t happen. Pop and Charles both had to take odd jobs just to pay the bills, and there were times when the Po
lk family worried the power would be shut off. Mom worked, but her income didn’t come close to covering the family’s bills.

  After they got home and settled in the house, Mom went to her room to change and Pop mentioned some of the work they’d be doing on the Glick farm during the next several weeks. “I never realized how much work went into citrus farming. After we swap out some of the citrus trees, we have to work on the irrigation system to make sure it’s adequate for grapefruit.”

  “Do you think Abe will be able to give me more hours?” Charles asked. “I only have Tuesday and Thursday classes this semester, so I can work an extra day.”

  “I’ll talk to him.” Pop thought for a moment then amended his offer. “Why don’t you ask him if he can give you more hours? If not, maybe Jeremiah can. He’s talking about planting some summer crops. I suspect he would be happy to have another pair of hands.”

  Mom joined them. “One of you needs to cook dinner on Wednesday. I’m going over to Esther Kauffman’s house for church instruction.”

  Charles gave Pop a curious look before turning back to Mom. “That’s Ruthie’s mom, right?”

  She grinned. “Yes. Why?”

  He shrugged a few seconds too late. “Just asking.”

  Pop laughed. “You’ll be able to come home with some inside information on the girl. Maybe you can put in some good words for Charles.”

  “Jonathan,” Mom said as she leveled Pop with one of her firm looks, “our son is perfectly capable of handling his own romance. He doesn’t need help from a couple of meddling parents.”

  “After seeing some of the meddling among other people in the church, I think it might be good for Charles to have someone looking after his interests.”

  “I’m standing right here, Pop. You don’t have to talk about me in the third person.”

  Pop lifted his eyebrows with a look of amusement. “Then stop acting as though you don’t have a vested interest in your love life. Take action, Son.”

  Charles opened his mouth to defend himself then thought better of it. Pop had enough on his mind already, between being behind on the mortgage payments and trying to make a decision about joining the Mennonite church.