Sarasota Dreams

by Mayne, Debby

  Mondays were always busy for Ruthie. After a hectic Saturday and taking Sunday off, she had quite a bit of bookkeeping to catch up on. She generally spent most of the day in the office, so to get her out among people Papa occasionally had her work in Pinecraft Souvenirs, the family store, waiting on customers. Ruthie struggled with her shyness, and she found it difficult to talk to strangers. Fortunately most Mondays were slow.

  Most of the customers were retired people—some were residents of Sarasota and others were on vacation. Ruthie didn’t mind the grandmotherly types who shopped for their grandchildren. She stayed behind the counter and let them browse.

  She’d barely finished lunch and had gone out to work in the store until the late-afternoon sales clerk arrived when a group of women from the church stopped by. She knew all of them except one—Charles’s mother, Mrs. Polk, whom she’d seen in church a few times but hadn’t spoken to yet.

  “May I help you?” Ruthie asked in her quiet voice. She kept her attention focused on Mrs. Penner.

  Mrs. Polk stepped toward her and smiled. “We just finished a Bible study, and they insisted we come here.” The woman glanced over her shoulder at the other women. She smiled and whispered, “Now I know why.”

  Ruthie’s lips twitched with nerves, but she managed a meager smile. “What are you looking for?”

  Mrs. Burkholder glanced around and finally settled her gaze on Ruthie. “I’d like to pick something out for my grandkids.”

  The women began to nod and mumble their agreement. “That’s an excellent idea, Melba,” Mrs. Penner said. “How about those little chocolate alligators? I bet they’d like some of those.”

  As the women walked around the store, Ruthie caught them staring at her and whispering when they thought she wasn’t looking. If Papa had been here, she would’ve run to the office and closed the door.

  Finally a couple of them brought some small items to the cash register. After she rang them up, she noticed that Mrs. Polk was the last one out the door. Before she left, she turned, smiled at Ruthie, thanked her for being so patient, and winked.

  Charles and his father went straight home after working on the Glick farm. Mom was waiting in the kitchen, so Pop said he’d tell her about his day before washing up. Charles took his time showering and dressing in fresh jeans and a T-shirt. When he came out to the kitchen, he heard his parents laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  Pop looked back and forth between Charles and Mom. “Your mother’s new friends are on a mission to make her a mother-in-law.”

  Charles sat down. “Oh yeah? Do I need to ask who the unlucky girl is?”

  “Stop it, Charles. We’re talking about that sweet little Ruthie,” Mom explained. “After we finished our Bible lesson this morning, they asked me to stay for lunch. Since I’d taken a vacation day from work, I thought that sounded like an excellent idea. One thing led to another, and next thing I knew, we were going shopping.”

  Charles knew it had been a long time since Mom had gone shopping, even though it used to be one of her favorite pastimes. “Did you buy anything?”

  “Of course not.” She cast her gaze downward.

  Pop laughed and gently nudged her. “Tell him what that shopping trip was really all about.”

  “We went to one of the little souvenir shops in Pinecraft,” Mom said with a slight grin.

  Charles raked his fingers through his hair. “What’s the big deal about going to a souvenir shop?” His mind raced to find a connection.

  “Tell him who you saw,” urged Pop.

  “Oh that’s right. Doesn’t Ruthie Kauffman’s family own a souvenir shop?”

  “Yes,” Mom said, “apparently so.”

  Chapter 2

  I heard you had some interesting visitors today,” Mother said as she and Ruthie sat down for tea.

  Ruthie looked down at the table, not wanting to look her mother in the eye. “Ya, some of the church ladies stopped by for souvenirs.”

  Mother laughed. “All this time living in Sarasota and suddenly they want souvenirs. Sarah Penner could have come up with something better than that.”

  “Business was slow today,” Ruthie said to change the subject. “But Saturday’s receipts were high.”

  “That’s good,” Mother said as she lifted her teacup to her lips. “What did you and the … church ladies talk about?”

  Ruthie shrugged. “Not much. They were looking for things for their grandkids.”

  “I heard Lori Polk was with them.”

  “Ya.” Ruthie set her cup in the saucer and leaned back, ready for the barrage of questions Mother would surely ask.

  “She seems like a nice woman.”

  When no questions followed, Ruthie looked directly at her mother. “Very nice.”

  “Good. I’m happy we’re attracting nice people to the fold. It would be difficult if someone with a bad disposition wanted to join our church.” Mother stood up, carried her teacup and saucer to the sink, and turned around to face Ruthie. “If you want to see Charles outside of church, your father and I have decided we are okay with it, as long as you let us know everything.”

  That was such an unexpected comment that Ruthie nearly dropped her teacup. “I never asked to see Charles.”

  Mother smiled. “Not yet, but I suspect you will soon.”

  “I—I don’t know what to say to him.”

  “Ruthie, I know how difficult it is for you to talk to people you don’t know well—particularly men—but you need to get over that.”

  “I tried once with Abe,” she reminded Mother. “And look how that turned out.”

  “Did it turn out bad?”

  “He wasn’t interested in me, remember?”

  Mother sat back down, leaned toward Ruthie, and took her hands. “That doesn’t make it bad. He was already interested in Mary at the time. You and Abe are friends now, right?”

  Ruthie nodded. Yes, they were friends, but she still felt awkward around him.

  “Don’t let one setback determine your future. Remember that the Lord is always with you.”

  “I know that.” Ruthie let go of Mother’s hands and wrapped them around her teacup. “Maybe I’ll talk to him next week at church.”

  Mother tightened her lips as she always did when she wasn’t sure whether or not to say what was on her mind. Ruthie braced herself for whatever might come next.

  “I hear he’s talking about taking you to the circus.”

  Ruthie’s jaw dropped. “The circus? Why?”

  Mother shrugged. “He told his father he might ask you to the circus. His father asked one of the men at the church if that would be acceptable.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps he thinks there might be something the Mennonite faith would object to.” Mother smiled. “I think it is very nice that he’d be so concerned. It shows his diligence and desire to do the right thing.”

  More than anything, it showed Ruthie another reason to be nervous around Charles Polk. She’d never been on a real date, and she’d never even had the desire to go to the circus, even though it was in Sarasota.

  “Your papa thinks it would be a good place to go with Charles since you can go during the day and there will be plenty of people around.”

  Ruthie thought about it and agreed that going to the circus would be a safe date option—that is, if she ever went on a date with Charles.

  Charles had classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so he got to sleep an extra hour on those days since he didn’t have to report to the farm. At first he needed that extra hour after long days of manual labor. But he was used to it now. Sometimes it was difficult to stay in bed after getting into the habit of waking so early.

  Mom had already gone to work, but she’d left a note on the counter letting him know his lunch was packed and in the refrigerator. He smiled as he grabbed it and dropped it into his backpack. When he first started packing his lunch, he missed the fast food he used to grab eve
ry day. Now he looked forward to a healthier meal—generally leftovers from dinner the night before.

  That wasn’t all that had changed in the Polk family. Until Pop lost his job, the family had three cars. It cost too much to maintain all of them, so they sold two of them and let Mom drive to work. Charles took the city bus to class. He and Pop got rides to the Glick farm with David, an acquaintance of Pop’s and the man who told them about Abe needing workers. Charles never would have considered being without his own wheels in the past, but now that he didn’t have them, he actually liked not having the burden. Cars were expensive to maintain, and it wasn’t always easy finding a parking place. As long as the buses ran in Sarasota, he could get to just about any place he wanted to go in town.

  Charles had a tough time concentrating on the professor’s lecture during economics class. His mind kept replaying his conversation with Ruthie Kauffman at church. He’d had a few dates in the past, but being the class clown had put him in the position of being more of a friend than a romantic interest in girls’ minds. Even on his dates, the girls had expected him to make them laugh. As much as he once thought he’d enjoy performing, he was tired of it.

  After lunch he had two more classes before heading back home. And since he’d agreed to work for Abe on Friday and Jeremiah on Saturday, he needed to get his studying out of the way.

  Charles had to walk a quarter of a mile home from the bus stop. Both of his parents were still at work, so he took advantage of having the house to himself. The aroma of the stew Mom had started in the Crock-Pot this morning teased his taste buds. He rummaged through the nearly bare pantry until he found a forgotten box of crackers shoved to the far corner. He pulled one cracker out, nibbled a corner, and then tossed the box into the trash when he realized it was stale.

  He put on a CD and cranked up the music before settling down at the kitchen table to study. It didn’t take long until the shrill music grated his nerves. Strange how that happened after being in the midst of the calmness in the Mennonite church.

  He’d barely closed his book when Mom called his cell phone. “I have to stop off at Publix on my way home. Need anything?”

  “We’re out of milk.”

  “It’s on my list. Anything else?”

  Charles wanted to tell her to bring home some junk food, and lots of it, but he knew how tight the budget was. “That’s all. Dinner smells good, Mom.”

  “I hope the stew tastes good. I bought some cheap meat on sale, and I’m hoping the slow cooker will at least tenderize it.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be just fine.” Charles knew how much their financial situation had devastated his parents, but at least they were still together. He knew other couples in their situation who’d split when times got tough.

  “Have you called Stan about getting circus tickets?”

  “Not yet,” Charles replied. “But I will soon.”

  “Don’t wait too long. After he runs out of promotional tickets, that’s it. Remember what happened last year?”

  “Yes, I had to buy my tickets.” That totally wasn’t an option this year with money being so tight.

  “I’m pulling into the Publix parking lot now. I won’t be too long.”

  After Charles clicked OFF, he thought about calling Stan Portfield, one of the clowns who’d worked with him at clown camp. The man had connections with Circus Sarasota and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey troupes, so he could score tickets for almost any show. But as Mom had mentioned, there wasn’t an unlimited supply.

  He stood and started pacing as he scrolled through his phone list and found Stan’s number then punched CALL. Stan answered with his standard, “Wanna hear something funny?”

  Charles and Stan chatted for a few minutes before Stan asked if he needed anything. “Do you have any Circus Sarasota tickets left for one of the shows at Ringling?”

  “Of course I do. How many do you need?”

  “Two.” Charles paused before adding, “Is there any chance of getting a weekend show?”

  “Yup, I have two weekend matinee tickets left. Meet me at our usual place tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

  “Um …” Charles hesitated before blurting, “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “I wanna give you these tickets, but you know how fast they go. I have lots of friends, and I can’t very well tell them I don’t have tickets when I do. First come, first serve, ya know.”

  “Yes, I know.” Charles’s shoulders sagged as he thought about his options. “Can we meet somewhere tonight?”

  “Nope. I promised the hospital I’d be there for a kids’ show. Wanna come? We can go out for pie and coffee afterward, like old times.”

  “Sorry, I can’t.”

  “In that case, you better figure out a way to meet me tomorrow, or I can pretty much guarantee they’ll be gone.”

  “Um … I’ll try to meet you tomorrow afternoon. What time?”

  “Are you out of class by two?”

  “All my classes are on Tuesday and Thursday, so I should be able to make it at two.”

  “Good. See you then.”

  Charles punched Off then leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He sat there staring at the blank screen on his phone wondering what to do next. He knew how important responsibility was to Abe, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get free tickets to the circus.

  The instant that thought flickered through his mind, he realized how ridiculous it was. The circus was fleeting while Abe’s impression of him would last. Without standing up, he scrolled his list again and punched Stan’s number. This time Stan didn’t pick up. He didn’t bother leaving a voice mail because he’d learned years ago that Stan never bothered checking messages. “If someone has something important to tell me, they’ll call back,” he’d said.

  Charles tried Stan’s number several times but to no avail. When his parents got home, they were so eager to talk about their days at work, they didn’t even notice his silence until after dinner. He and Pop were putting away the food when he got the nerve to ask the question that had been bugging him.

  “What do you think about me knocking off early tomorrow?” Charles asked.

  “Is it for something important?”

  “Not really.” Charles thought for a few seconds then changed his mind. “Actually, it sort of is.”

  “I’m sure Abe will understand, but remember he needs all the workers he can get, and you did commit to being there.”

  Charles explained his situation and how he really wanted to take Ruthie to the circus. Pop listened until he poured out all his thoughts.

  “You done?” Pop asked.

  “I’ve pretty much told you everything.”

  “Why do you have to go to the circus?”

  Charles thought the answer to that was obvious. “It’s all I know, Pop.”

  “C’mon, Charles. Give yourself more credit than that.”

  “I’m comfortable at the circus. I don’t want to look like a nerd.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd.”

  Such a Pop thing to say. “Maybe not, but I’d rather get to know a girl in a place where I’m comfortable.” He cleared his throat. “So do you think Abe will give me the afternoon off to get the tickets?”

  Pop let out a chuckle of disbelief. “Ya know, son, I thought you had more integrity than that. You don’t tell a man you’ll work for him then back out just because something better comes along.”

  “But everyone wants me to take Ruthie out on a date, and you and Mom both said—”

  “Sure, we thought it was a good idea for you to date a sweet Mennonite girl, but we didn’t intend for you to go back on your responsibilities. If you leave early tomorrow, not only will Abe think less of you, but I’ll be terribly disappointed in you.”

  “Stan said he has lots of people wanting those tickets, and it’s first come—”

  “So work to earn the money to buy your tickets. I don’t see the pr
oblem.”

  “You know how expensive the good tickets are, Pop. If I have to buy them, I can’t afford the decent sections.”

  Pop put the last bowl in the refrigerator, closed the door, and turned to face Charles. “Remember when we took you to your first circus?”

  Charles nodded. “Of course I do. How can I forget?”

  “Those were the cheapest tickets I could find. You were quite a bit younger then, so your mother didn’t have a job outside the house. We barely made ends meet on my salary, but we found inexpensive ways to have fun as a family.”

  “Those were cheap tickets?” Charles asked. He reflected on that day and didn’t remember sacrificing anything. “I thought they were the best in the house.”

  “Only because we made you think that. Now do the right thing and let Stan know you’ll have to pass, unless he can hold those tickets until you’re available.”

  Pop was right, but it sure didn’t make things easy. He’d have to keep trying to get in touch with Stan, and then he’d need to set aside the money he’d make over the next several weeks to be able to afford two tickets to the circus. Even the cheap ones put a dent in the budget.

  He finally got in touch with Stan the next morning as he rode to the Glick farm.

  “I already told you I can’t hold the tickets,” Stan reminded him.

  “Yes, I realize that. Thanks for offering them to me though.”

  “If you change your mind in the next few hours, call back.”

  Charles clicked the OFF button and turned to his dad.

  “You did the right thing, Son. It’s just a circus.”

  It was just a circus to Pop, but at least it was a place Charles felt comfortable and he’d have something to talk about. At the circus, he could point out some of the acts and explain some of the things the clowns were doing.

  Friday and Saturday were grueling. Summer had begun, and the Florida sun beat down on the field, casting blazing rays on the workers’ shoulders and necks. Charles didn’t mind though. Now he knew what it was like to feel manly and worthwhile.