by Ruth Price
“Nobody's struck your fancy? It's fine, you're young yet.”
“Well...” Isaac took a breath to steady himself. He desperately wanted someone to talk with about this, someone who he could trust not to go to his daed, who so clearly disapproved. “I haven't eyes for...but...my daed...can we keep this conversation in confidence?”
Amos smelled of sweat, and his face was red from the heat as he took a spot beside Isaac on the bench, the wood creaking under his weight. “Look at me boy,” Amos said.
Startled at the seriousness of the other man's tone, Isaac looked up. Amos's expression was absolutely serious as he said, “What's said in confidence between men is just that. You have my word.”
Relieved, Isaac nodded. He was still embarrassed, but just knowing he could speak to Amos without his daed finding out gave him the courage to speak. “I wanted to know a bit more about...Judith.”
“Esther's girl!” Amos's eyebrows went straight up. “Well, I must admit, I didn't see that one coming. She's usually not the favorite.”
“Why does everyone say that?” Isaac said, anger rising in him. “She's smart and beautiful and she's not afraid to do things even if they're not what everyone else is doing!”
“Oh, you do like her then.”
“Daed!” Fawn walked in, two cups of lemonade in hand, a third held between the curl of her elbow and her chest. She handed the first to Isaac, who drank greedily, the cool condensation on the outside of the glass a balm to his fingers. The three of them drank together in silence for a bit, the Fawn said. “I heard you two talking about Esther. Did anything else happen?”
“No,” Isaac said. “It was completely quiet, though Judith's mamm must have come in pretty late at night because I didn't see her until this morning.”
“Rachel's going to be so mad you spent the night with her instead of with their own family. Her daed's supposed to be hosting you the rest of the week.”
“Ja,” Isaac said. He'd rather have stayed with Judith's family, but at least he'd get to see her tomorrow for the class.
“Well, I'll warn you, Isaac. Rachel's got her sights on you, so be careful.”
“Be careful? Why?” It seemed an especially odd warning to come from Rachel's friend.
“Rachel gets what she wants, that's all,” Fawn explained. “I love her, but while she's got the will of a mule, she's also got the sense of one a lot of the time. She doesn't know what's good for her, that's for sure, and she doesn't see what's plainly in front of her face. Like you and Judith.”
“There's nothing between me and Judith!” Isaac said, heart pounding.
“But there could be. You're going to that class with her tomorrow, ja?”
“How did you know?”
“It's a small town.” Fawn shrugged. “Just watch your step. And don't you dare break Judith's heart. As God is my witness, you'll see no good for it.”
“I won't.” Isaac had no intention of breaking Judith's heart, and it spoke well for her that her friend defended her so vigorously. “I promise. And danki.”
Fawn nodded, taking a sip of her lemonade. “Well, to be honest, I should be more worried about her breaking yours. She loved learning, even before her daed died, and after...I think she's still looking for a way to save him, and she thinks the Englischers have some solution, though if you asked her, she wouldn't be able to say what.”
“I just want to get to know her better,” Isaac said. “She's interesting, that's all.” Possibly the most interesting woman he'd ever met, if he was being honest.
“Ja.” Fawn finished her lemonade and stood. “I'll come and get those glasses from the pair of you later. If you need anything else, you just give a shout inside. Mamm's working on her quilting mainly to stay out of the heat, and I'm tending to the chickens.”
Both men nodded. When she'd left, Amos said, “My Fawn's a quiet girl, but she always sees things true. She gets it from her mamm, I think. Now, let me show you how I've joined these two pieces together...”
They worked through the afternoon in honest sweat and labor. While Isaac paid attention to what Amos was teaching, he couldn't focus entirely. His thoughts were too wrapped up in Judith, his anticipation of the next morning, and worry that in spite of everything, the girl he fancied might already be too far out of reach.
Chapter 7
Judith had already been excited for the CPR class, and with Isaac accompanying her, it was all she could do to get any sleep at all on Monday night. She'd already exchanged shifts with another of the girls at the hospital, promising to work next Saturday night, which as it wasn't a church Sunday fit into Judith's schedule. This meant she was able to spend the night on the farm and then ride with Isaac in the morning. Judith was awake almost before the rooster crowed, and though her eyes were heavy, her heart was light as she took care of the morning milking and joined her mamm to begin making breakfast. She'd chosen to wear Englischer clothes for the class: straight cut trousers and a modestly cut, short sleeved blouse that she'd checked at every angle in the tiny bathroom mirror, knowing that she was committing the sin of vanity but unable to bring herself to stop.
The van Annie had hired stopped at Judith's home promptly at 8am. Annie and her oldest daughter were in the back, as well as Hannah, another married woman about Annie's age, and two of her kinner.
“Good Morning,” Judith said with a wave to the other ladies.
“Good morning, Judith,” Annie said. She was dressed plain, as were the rest of the women, and Judith felt odd and exposed in her Englischer clothing, though she knew that she had dressed appropriately for the training that she was going to receive today. It had barely begun to get hot, but the Englischer driver had the air-conditioning on high, and the inside of the van was a bit chilly.
“We'll be picking up Isaac next,” Annie explained. “And then heading into Lancaster proper.”
Judith nodded, relieved that Isaac hadn't changed his mind at this late hour. Judith had used Annie's phone the day before to call ahead to the center and see if they could accommodate an extra student, which was deemed acceptable, and she'd given the center Isaac's name and information as best as she understood it. Though it would be improper for Isaac to sit beside her, the back had two empty chairs, so they would be able to talk across the aisle. Judith had brought the pamphlets also that the center had given her, which would give Isaac a rough idea of what they'd be learning today so he'd be prepared. She could certainly talk to him about that, and ought to do so.
The drive to Rachel's family's home went by in the flash of a breath. After six months of riding with the other women, they knew Judith wasn't inclined towards idle chatter in the morning, so she let the conversation flow around her as she watched the fields blur past her window. When the car slowed, both Rachel and Isaac stood on the porch. Judith's stomach clenched as the pair walked towards the van. They were talking, Rachel throwing animated gestures, her creamy complexion alight with a beauteous smile. Isaac seemed captured by her words, nodding as he walked. He opened the van door and gestured for her to step in first.
Rachel greeted everyone in the van. Unlike Judith, Rachel was dressed Plain, her hair braided modestly beneath her kapp, the rich brown of her dress setting her blue eyes in perfect contrast. A curl had escaped her braids, and it hung artfully over her wide eyes. In that moment, Judith felt both shabby and immodest.
“Judith!” Rachel exclaimed. “Oh my, I hope our Plain attire is suitable for this class.” She breezed towards the back of the van as she spoke, her apron swaying as she walked. “Isaac wasn't sure if it would be okay if I watched, but I've been charged with keeping Isaac out of trouble and it seems that I can ask at least, if that's okay?”
Judith grit her teeth and forced a tight smile. Rage was a sin. Ordinarily, Judith would have been happy to see Rachel taking an interest in Englischer education. She'd always looked at Judith with vague disapproval of her interests, though Rachel didn't neglect attending Englischer parties with some of the other, wilder, Amish boys and girls
on their Rumspringa. “Of course we can ask,” Judith said. “I wish I'd known you were interested in coming earlier, or else I'd have asked yesterday on your behalf as I did for Isaac.”
Rachel sat down on the seat beside Judith, while Isaac took the empty seat on the other side of the aisle, thus placing Rachel and Isaac essentially side by side. “I sincerely apologize!” Rachel said, taking Judith's hands in her own. “I had no idea that this was happening until yesterday evening, when Isaac returned from his carpentry work.”
“It's fine,” Judith said.
Rachel pointed to the pamphlet in Judith's lap. “Is that about the class?”
“Ja.” Judith opened it up. Rachel spread it across her lap and beckoned Isaac to lean in. Judith went through the details of the pamphlet, stopping only when Rachel interrupted with exclamations and observations, some sensible and others a bit ridiculous. Isaac simply nodded, tapping at some of the pictures with his index finger as though entering them into an Englischer push button phone or computer, like Judith had used for some of her school papers. Rachel had a habit of giggling behind her hand that Judith had always found a bit grating. Now it made her fingers twitch with a desire to force silence. This trip, which she admitted she'd been looking forward to since Monday morning, now made her gut burn like the powerful acids were dissolving her stomach lining.
When Judith had finished going over the pamphlet, Isaac asked to look over it. Rachel handed the other boy the paper, their fingers lingering in the pass. Of course Rachel, vicarious and pretty with appropriate interests had captured Isaac's attention. Was it even such a bad thing? Judith had her own goals to pursue.
Once the pamphlet was put away, Rachel engaged Isaac and the other women in the car in a bubbling stream of inane chatter. Judith, who had never excelled at such things, sat quietly, sandwiched between Rachel and the window. Judith didn't dare look at Isaac, for fear of seeing the admiration in his eyes directed at Rachel. The van ride stretched in an infinity of agony. When they pulled up in front of the Community Center, Judith was the first to stand, her hip jogging Rachel's shoulder in her eagerness to just have it all be over.
Rachel shot Judith a glare from beneath her lashes and then stood. “Come along, Isaac.”
If Judith and Rachel were in competition, then Rachel was decidedly winning. Judith wasn't even sure how to reclaim a place in the contest, let alone if it was even a good idea to try.
“We'll be back to claim you at 4:30,” Annie said. “Right here, if that's okay.”
“Ja, and danki,” Judith said. The class would take two hours, and from there Judith had planned to join Isaac for a light lunch and then show him to the library before doing her afternoon classes. With Rachel along, that meant that the other girl would monopolize Isaac's attention, and then they'd be left to sort themselves out for the rest of the day. Worse, with Rachel dressed Plain, by having the two of them walking together alone in view of the entire town would send a clear signal that the two were courting. Had they taken their Kneeling Vows, this would have been a clear violation of the Ordnung, and it did pose some risk to their reputations, though if Isaac proposed, these technicalities would hardly matter. It had been a risk that Judith was also prepared to take, though she had less to fear dressed as an Englischer, and with her own odd reputation besides. Most people were half convinced Judith was going to leave, what with her spending weekdays and most nights outside of the community. She even stayed over at a rooming house run by a Mennonite family on Tuesdays-Saturdays, so that she wouldn't be too exhausted for her classes.
When Isaac had closed the van door again behind them, Judith gestured towards the community center. “The class starts at 9:45,” she explained. “We should go upstairs and get checked in, I suppose. And see if we can't get you added to the group.” Judith nodded at Rachel, hopeful that the annoyance wasn't obvious on her face.
Rachel giggled, her fingers shielding her lips. “I must admit, it seems a bit immodest to be so close to a stranger,” she said. “But I suppose if it's necessary at points.”
Judith led the way. She'd been to this community center twice, once to ask about how to sign up for her high school classes, and once for a talk on biology and genetics that had gone almost entirely over her head. The CPR class was in the same room as that previous talk, and Judith lead them to the stairs. Though it was three flights up, the old Englischer elevator with its jerky movements and occasional clunking sound when it passed from one floor to the next made Judith nervous. The place, like most Englischer buildings, was air-conditioned, and the cool air dried the sweat on Judith's skin. When they reached the third floor, Judith shoved the door open. They entered a hallway carpeted in an industrial yellow shade that reminded Judith of hotdog mustard. The walls were painted with murals of various chubby animals walking along a green, grassy hill.
Rachel pointed to one of the chipmunks and giggled again. “Isn't it sweet, Isaac?”
“Ja,” Isaac said. His lack of enthusiasm bolstered Judith's mood.
In front of the room where the class was going to be held sat a folding table with a woman behind it. She looked to be in her mid-forties, with stark black hair pulled back into a French braid that was then clipped into a bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a bright, flowered shirt a skirt that flowed down to her ankles, a pair of cream-colored sandals peeking out from the hem. In front of her sat a paper, in front of that a box of magic markers and nametag stickers. She smiled when she saw Judith. “You're Judith, right? Weren't you at the genetics lecture last month?”
Judith blinked, trying to place the woman, whose smile widened. She said, “No, I don't think we talked, but you were in the picture in the newsletter. It's rare we get someone under sixty for the daytime talks.” Her gaze rested on Rachel and Isaac. “But it makes sense. You're Amish right?”
“Ja,” Judith said. “These are my friends, Isaac and Rachel. I called about Isaac, but I hadn't realized Rachel wanted to come as well, if there's room, for the CPR class.”
“Oh, I think we can fit her in. We've already had one call and cancel, so there should be materials enough. Why don't we get you signed in and situated?”
“Thank you,” Judith said.
The woman checked Judith and Isaac's name off of the list, and then wrote in Rachel's first name, “What's your last name, dear?” she asked, and took that down as well.
Judith handed the other two markers and nametags, and then they each wrote out their names in large print. Rachel's handwriting was beautiful and showy, with large loops about the R and an elegant curl completing the L. Judith wrote in block text, taking care to make it neat and readable, if not pretty. Isaac followed suit, his handwriting bunched together in tight letters so that his name huddled in a sea of snow.
After the nametags were written and affixed to their shirts, they entered the room. Fifteen folding chairs were arranged in a semicircle around a beige mat, atop it a pale faced dummy laying on its back. The dummy wore a white button down shirt and tie. Its eyes were closed, and its lips parted slightly. For a moment, Judith's memory flashed to the paleness of her daed's flesh, that day in the field, and she could only stare, her heart pounding for no reason.
“Are you okay?” Isaac asked her.
Judith nodded, her mouth dry.
Three other people were already in the room, two men and a woman. They nodded at Judith, their gazes resting a bit longer on Rachel and Isaac in their Amish dress. Judith looked back at them as well, and her heart caught at what a good couple they made. Isaac's dark hair contrasted well with Rachel's bright, and even their clothing had coordination, her brown a close enough shade for his hair, her golden curls seeming all the brighter for the darkness of her dress. She smiled at the room and said with a confidence it seemed she'd always possessed. “I'm Rachel, and this is Isaac, and Judith.”
Not to be outdone, Judith stepped forward. “Yes, it's wonderful to be given the chance to take this class.”
One of the men, a heavy-set gen
tleman with hair graying at the temples asked, “Are you three in--is this a part of your schooling?”
Isaac said, “Judith invited us. She takes Englischer classes,” he glanced at Judith. “Is this a part of that?”
“I heard about it at my GED classes, but it's separate. I just want to learn. We Amish aren't always able to get to a phone quickly to call for help if there's an emergency, and I think if we learn things like CPR, it will help us be able to help each other. If I'd known this when my daed--” Judith couldn't speak for a moment, the emotion thick in her throat.
“Good idea,” the man said. “I'm recertifying myself. I work for the Fire Department. We usually have our own classes, but I had a bad stomach flu last week when the guy came, so I'm here instead. So you Amish don't have any issue with doctors then?”
“No,” Judith explained, not for the first time. “We respect medicine, though we aren't generally interested in things like cosmetic surgery.”
“I see.” The man nodded. “Well, it'll be good to have you kids here. Get some young blood into our proceedings. Why don't you sit with me?” He gestured to the circle of chairs. “The instructor just stepped out for a minute.”
Judith agreed. Soon thereafter, the instructor, a whipcord thin man with skin like tanned leather, came in, a square black bag hanging from a strap on his shoulder. He put the bag next to the dummy as others filtered in. When all of the chairs had been filled, he began to speak.
“Today we're here to learn the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and how to operate an AED. My name's Martin, and this here is Jake,” he said, pointing down to the dummy. “We're going to be your best friends through this process. Now, of course, we're not expecting Jake to come out of this one alive--” he paused, and there was a bit of laughter from the group. “But I know he'll sure appreciate your efforts, as will everyone else who benefits from what you learn today. Now, before we get started, let's go around and introduce ourselves, and briefly tell me what brought you out here today, beyond the obvious?”