“I am already doing that.” Lillian struggled not to let her disappointment come through in her voice.
“I have received a few complaints of discipline problems,” the bishop said, casting an apologetic glance toward Lillian.
She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she fastened her gaze to the floor. She could hardly stand here and tell everyone in attendance that the school board president’s son was the problem. Most of them knew it anyway. Abe liked to pick on the younger children, and he liked to do it when Lillian wasn’t watching. She needed eyes in the back of her head, or another teacher to take over the upper grades. Apparently, that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
Joshua Bowman raised his hand. “I know someone who would make an excellent teacher. I would like to put Timothy Bowman’s name up for consideration.”
* * *
“You did what?” Timothy stared at Joshua in stunned shock. The men were gathered in the Bowmans’ living room on Saturday evening. The women had gone to a quilting bee, leaving the men on their own. The smell of popcorn still lingered in the air, as the two brothers faced each other over the chest board.
Joshua moved his knight. “You heard me. I submitted your name as a potential teacher. The school board is coming by tomorrow evening to interview you.”
Timothy sat back in his chair. “Why would you do that? I don’t know the first thing about being a teacher.”
Noah was slumped on the sofa with a magazine open on his lap. “There isn’t much to it. You go to the schoolhouse every day, you give the kinder their assignments and then you grade those assignments. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
Timothy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “That’s what you think. I know for a fact that Lillian spends hours grading papers, assessing each child’s learning potential and finding ways to help all of them reach that potential, to say nothing of the paperwork she has to keep up on.”
Joshua stretched his palms out. “See, you already know a lot about being a teacher. Besides, I think you’ll be good at it. And you’ll get to see Lillian every day without having to make up excuses to go to school.”
“I don’t make up excuses. I simply think of things that other people don’t.”
“Look at it this way,” Samuel said, “Monday through Friday, you’ll have a chance to work beside Lillian. Imagine how grateful she will be that you’re taking over some of her enormous workload. If you don’t like the job, you don’t have to do it next year.”
“I can’t be spared from the workshop until summer.” Timothy looked to his father to support him.
Isaac stroked his beard with one hand. A sure sign he was carefully considering his words. “Actually, we will be able to spare you. I’ve had a letter from my brother Marvin. He wants his two oldest sons to apprentice with us.”
Noah perked up. “Mark and Paul are coming to work here? Sweet!”
“I am considering it,” Isaac said. “Your mother is in favor of it. With Joshua, Samuel and soon Luke out of the house, she’s feeling down. She thinks having more young men in the house will cheer her up.”
“Putting Mark, Paul and Noah together under one roof is a recipe for disaster.” Samuel gave his little brother a hard stare.”
“We got into a tiny spot of trouble once, but that was kid stuff.” Noah dismissed his brother’s worry with a wave of his hand.
“Joyriding and racing in a stolen buggy is hardly a tiny spot of trouble, and it happened last summer. If that buggy had belonged to anyone but Fannie Erb’s father, you would have been in a big spot of trouble.”
Noah held up both hands. “You are right. It was a foolish thing to do, but I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
“Let us pray that Mark and Paul have, too,” their father said.
Timothy paid scant attention to the rest of the conversation going on around him. The idea of working beside Lillian every day was both a good reason to take the job and the best reason to turn it down. The more time he spent with her, the harder it would be to maintain the guise of a friend when he wanted to be so much more. He looked at Joshua. “What does Lillian think of the idea?”
“She didn’t say anything one way or the other. It’s your move.”
“But did she look pleased?”
“Surprised would be a better description.”
That wasn’t exactly encouraging. “What did the board say about letting Brandon Merrick teach a few classes?”
“Silas wouldn’t hear of it. He doesn’t want the children exposed to an outsider on a regular basis. A lot of the parents feel the same. Especially since these fires. Most people think they are the work of Englisch teenage mischief-makers. I hope they are right. I don’t like thinking one of our own would do such a thing.”
Timothy rose and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Joshua asked.
“To see Lillian. I’m not going to consider the teaching position unless she is completely in favor of it. The last thing I want to do is make her job harder.”
Timothy left the house and walked down to the barn. He selected a young mare named Snickers, led her out of her stall and harnessed her to an open cart. A short time later, he crossed the river through the covered bridge and urged the mare to a fast trot up the road.
He passed the school without stopping. At the edge of the woods that marked the start of the ridge, he slowed the horse and allowed her to climb the winding road at her own pace. The thick woods were ablaze with fall colors. Crimson, gold and brown leaves that had already fallen made a lush and colorful carpet along the edge of the road. He was grateful that Davey Mast had stopped the blaze before it destroyed the beauty of the woodlands.
At the top of the rise, he noticed a black car parked a little way back from the road. A natural clearing on the top of the ridge was a spot favored by English and Amish teenagers alike. The view of the farmland below presented a pretty picture. When the trees were leafed out in the spring, it also provided a secluded spot for young couples looking to be alone.
Timothy didn’t recognize the car, but the man beside it was Davey Mast. He appeared to be arguing with Jeremiah Keim. Jeremiah’s horse and buggy stood on the far side of the car. Timothy caught only a few heated words the men exchanged before his horse took him over the rise and out of earshot. Whatever was going on, it was none of his business.
He forgot about the men when his mare reached the flat ground and picked up speed on her own. She was still fresh and happy to stretch her legs and he enjoyed the fast pace. He let her have her head until he reached Lillian’s father’s farm. Slowing the mare, he turned in the drive. Lillian was sitting on the front porch with Amanda on her lap. They held a children’s book between them.
He pulled the horse to stop. “Gutenowed.”
“Good evening, Timothy. What brings you here?” Lillian asked. “Would you like to come in?”
“It’s too pretty an evening to spend inside. I’d rather go for an outing. Amanda, would you like to come for a ride with me?”
Amanda laughed as she pressed both hands to her mouth. Lillian whispered loudly enough for him to hear. “Timothy is asking you out on a date. Will you go?”
Amanda considered it and then looked up at Lillian. “If you come, too.”
“I would be delighted to go for a drive with you. Fetch our shawls. The air will turn cool when the sun goes down.”
Scrambling off her sister’s lap, Amanda disappeared into the house briefly and came running back out with the shawls in her arms. Lillian fastened one around her sister’s neck and then swung the other one over her own shoulders. Timothy got out of the cart to help them climb in. He started to pick up Amanda, but the child shook her head. “Nee, I can do it.”
She went up the porch steps and grabbed a stepladder. She returned to Timothy’s
side, set the ladder in place and happily climbed up to the cart seat. “See, I can do it.”
“Your little sister is getting an independent streak like her big sister.” He spoke in English, knowing Amanda hadn’t yet learned the language.
Lillian smiled. “Brandon gave her the stepladder. She drags it all over the house and farm. It’s very lightweight and it has wheels. With it, she can reach the pump handle to fill a pail with water and even gather the eggs by herself. She is having a ball.”
“Brandon is a special fellow.”
“He and his sister both. I didn’t know outsiders could be so kind.”
As they spoke, a buggy came up the lane and stopped beside them. Jeremiah nodded to Timothy. “Good day.”
“Timothy invited me on a date,” Amanda declared happily.
Jeremiah gave Lillian a knowing smile. “Did he, now? I’m on my way to Merle Yoder’s place to give him a bid on some concrete work. I heard his dog had puppies a few weeks ago, and I thought you might want to come along to see them.”
Amanda’s eyes lit up. “Ja, I want to see the puppies.” She held out her arms for Timothy to help her down. He transferred her to Jeremiah’s buggy.
“You two have a nice outing.” Jeremiah grinned and winked at Timothy.
“Did you get the bid on the Troyers’ new farrowing house?” Lillian asked.
Timothy had heard their neighbors to the north were expanding their hog production. Jeremiah’s grin vanished. “They gave it to an Englisch crew from Berlin. I thought the Troyers were our friends, but money speaks loudly even to the Amish,” he said bitterly. He turned his horse and drove away.
Lillian started to get out, but Timothy stopped her. “It’s still a nice evening for a ride. My heart was set on taking Amanda, but I reckon you will do in a pinch. Will you come with me?”
He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
Chapter Fifteen
As Timothy had hoped, Lillian grinned at his teasing tone. Her chin came up. “As my boo-friend has not come by, I expect an outing with you is better than sitting home alone. And it is a pretty evening.”
Timothy let out the breath he was holding and eagerly climbed up beside her. Time alone with her was exactly what he wanted. He slapped the reins to get the horse moving. When they reached the highway, he stopped. “Which way should we go?”
She pointed toward the ridge. “To the top.”
“To the top it is.” He headed the horse back the way he had come.
“Well?” Lillian asked after a few minutes.
“Well what?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
“Don’t keep me in suspense a moment longer. Are you going to take the teaching job?”
“That depends.” He kept his gaze straight ahead.
“On what?”
He turned to look her full in the face. “On you.”
She looked away. “I think you would make a fine teacher.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. Do you want me to take the job? Will working with me make you uncomfortable?”
She gave him a bright smile. Perhaps too bright. “Why would I object to working with my best friend? I can teach the first four grades and you can teach the upper grades. My workload will be cut in half. If you behave yourself and don’t flirt with strange women, we’ll get along fine.”
“I wasn’t flirting and that’s beside the point. Are you sure you are okay with the idea?”
“I am. When do you start?”
“I haven’t been hired yet. The school board is coming to interview me tomorrow.”
“They will take you. They’re desperate.”
“Now, just a minute. Desperation will have nothing to do with my being hired. They will examine my many fine qualities and beg me to accept.”
She chuckled. “Your lack of demut might be your undoing.”
“I am humble.”
“That is not the word I would use to describe you.”
“I have my faults like everyone else, but I’m teachable. Seriously, Lillian, are you okay with this?”
“Of course I am. So please stop asking unless you want a different answer. I do thank you for seeking my opinion. It didn’t count for much with our school board when I put forth my proposal.”
“I’m sorry they turned down the idea of having Brandon give a few lectures. I’m certainly interested in what he has to say. I think I could learn a lot from the man.”
She twisted in her seat to face him. “Timothy, that’s it. That’s the perfect answer. You will learn all you can from Brandon while you are working for him and then pass that information on to your students. The board can’t object if you are in charge of the project. Brandon doesn’t have to speak to our students. You can.”
“Our students. I like the sound of that. I never considered teaching as a vocation. I always thought of it as a woman’s job.”
“There aren’t many men teachers in our Amish schools, but their numbers are growing. I’ve met several of them at our annual teachers’ meetings. Parents and school boards have seen the benefits of having a teacher who remains for years instead of having young women who only teach a year or two before they quit to get married.”
“I’m not sure I want to do it for years. I couldn’t believe Joshua submitted my name in the first place. He should have asked me first.”
“Perhaps the Lord prompted your brother to suggest you. The Lord moves in mysterious ways.
“His wonders to behold,” he added softly, thinking she was a wondrous person, a true gift to her students and to her friends. He was glad to be counted among those.
As the horse climbed the hill again, she began listing the things the school board might ask about and gave him an impromptu interview.
Finally, she said, “I think you will do.”
“What supplies will I need if they do want me?” He wasn’t sure he would get the job, but he wanted to be ready if the board said yes.
She listed things he’d already thought about like pens, markers and paper clips. A teacher was responsible for bringing his or her own supplies. At the top of the hill, Timothy turned into the now-empty clearing and stopped the buggy. The land spread out below was a colorful patchwork of fields and woodlands laid out like a giant crazy quilt.
Lillian sighed. “I love this spot.”
“So do I. I saw Jeremiah up here with Davey Mast when I came by earlier.”
A frown cut a deep crease between her brows. “Are you sure?”
“Ja. Why?”
“Because Jeremiah told me Davey had moved to Philadelphia.”
“Maybe he’s back to visit some of his family and friends. Or maybe he didn’t like the city and has come back for good.”
“It would be wonderful if he has returned to our faith.”
“I don’t think that is the case. The car I saw him with was new and he was dressed fancy, not plain.” Should he tell her they had been arguing? He decided against it. He wasn’t certain of what he had heard and seen.
“I pray for Davey because I know Jeremiah misses his friendship.”
“Will Jeremiah move back to Wisconsin with your parents?”
“I don’t know. He thinks Daed will let him take over the construction business here and run the farm.”
“But Amanda will go with them. What will you do without her?” He knew how close she was to her sister.
“Cry a lot.”
He laid his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. “I know it won’t be the same, but you can visit her over the summer or she can stay with you when school is out.”
* * *
Lillian drew comfort from his touch and laced her fingers with his. “You are always there for me, Timothy. You know what I’m thi
nking or feeling better than anyone. Better than my own family.”
“Don’t give me too much credit.”
“I don’t think I give you enough credit.” She looked into his hazel eyes and saw understanding and compassion, the things she loved most about him.
There was no denying it. She was in love with him. Head over heels in love in spite of her best efforts to remain simply a friend. She wanted his touch, his kisses, she wanted to be held in his arms and be cherished by him.
His grip on her hand tightened. “You are a special person, Lillian. My life would be incomplete without you in it.”
Lillian closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look into the chasm his words had opened between them. His life would be incomplete with her. He deserved a loving wife who could give him children of his own. She wouldn’t take that dream from him. She cared for him too much.
Pulling her hand from his, she brushed back a stray lock of hair at her temple. “Then it’s a good thing we are going to be teaching together. Imagine the fun we will have. I know you are going to love the job as much as I do and you’ll see why I won’t ever give it up. It’s getting chilly, isn’t it? I think we should head back.”
“Is something wrong,” he asked.
Lillian kept her gaze straight ahead. She didn’t want to see disappointment in his eyes. It was bad enough that she heard it in his voice.
She had her emotions under control, but it wouldn’t take much to send her defenses crashing around her ears. “Nothing’s wrong. I have enjoyed the evening, but I have work to do at home. It was nice of you to think of me and I’m very glad we will be teaching together. I promise to do everything in my power to help you.”
It was a promise she intended to keep.
His Amish Teacher Page 13