[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “It’s similar, but we think it’s even better,” Mom interjected. “The pie has molasses in it, but the addition of lemon juice tones down the molasses a bit.”

  Titus smiled. “If it’s half as good as regular shoofly pie, then I’m anxious to try it.”

  After everyone had finished eating, Suzanne brought out the pie. “Here you go.” She placed the pie, decorated with twenty-three lit candles, on the table in front of Titus.

  He blinked a couple of times and looked up at her with a curious expression. “What are the candles for?”

  “Happy birthday,” she said with a grin.

  “How’d you know today was my birthday?”

  “Your mamm left a message on our voice mail for you this morning. She said she’d tried to call your phone but got a busy signal, so figuring we’d give you the message, she called here to wish you a happy birthday.”

  “I’ll bet I left the door to the phone shanty open by accident last night. One of the cats probably got in and knocked the receiver off the hook,” Titus said.

  Suzanne pointed to the pie. “You’d better blow out your candles before they melt all over the pie.”

  Titus leaned forward and blew the candles out in one big breath. Then Suzanne cut a generous slice and handed the plate to him.

  He quickly forked a piece into his mouth. “Umm … This is really good. I’ll have to get the recipe from you and pass it on to my mamm.”

  Suzanne sighed with relief. Titus had enjoyed everything she’d fixed for supper this evening, and she was glad they’d been able to help him celebrate his birthday. It had to be hard to be away from family on any special occasion.

  After everyone finished their pie and the final prayer had been said, the children went to their rooms, while Grandpa and Nelson retired to the living room for a game of checkers.

  “If you’re not in a hurry to go home, why don’t you stick around awhile and play the winner?” Grandpa said to Titus.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll help Suzanne do the dishes, and then I’d better head for home.”

  “You like to do the dishes?” Nelson looked at Titus like he’d taken leave of his senses.

  “Didn’t say I liked to do ‘em,” Titus replied. “Just said I’d help. Figured it’s the least I can do to say thanks to Suzanne for the good meal and for making my birthday special.”

  Nelson shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  “If you two are going to do the dishes, then I guess I’ll find a book and read for a while,” Verna said.

  After everyone else left the room, Suzanne filled the sink with warm water and added some liquid detergent, while Titus finished bringing the dirty dishes over to the sink. “Would you mind washing while I dry?” she asked Titus. “I cut my finger today, and since I’m wearing a bandage, I don’t want it to fall off in the dishwater.”

  “No problem; I don’t mind washing.”

  Suzanne took out a clean dishcloth and waited for him to wash a few of the dishes and put them into the drainer before she started drying.

  “So how’d you cut your finger?” he asked as he sloshed the dishrag over one of the plates.

  Suzanne’s face heated with embarrassment. How would Titus react if she told him how she’d cut it? Would he think, the way Nelson did, that a woman’s place was in the kitchen, not in the shop working with wood?

  Instead of answering Titus’s question, Suzanne quickly changed the subject, telling him about the young people’s gathering that would be held at the Beilers’ home on Sunday evening.

  “There will be hot dogs and marshmallows to roast around the bonfire,” she said. “And plenty of hot apple cider.”

  He smacked his lips. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Do you think you might go?”

  “Probably. How about you?”

  “I’d like to, but Mom doesn’t like me to take the horse and buggy out by myself after dark.”

  “Won’t Nelson be going?”

  “I’m sure he will, but he’ll be taking his aldi, and I don’t want to intrude.” Suzanne stacked the clean plates and set them in the cupboard.

  “I’d be happy to give you a ride there and back,” Titus said.

  She smiled and nodded. “I’ll look forward to going.”

  CHAPTER 39

  I’m going outside to enjoy this beautiful autumn weather while I wait for Titus to pick me up,” Suzanne told her mother on Sunday evening.

  Mom smiled. “It’s nice that he’s taking you to the young people’s gathering. He’s obviously interested in you.”

  Suzanne shook her head. “I think he was just being nice when he offered to take me. Titus and Nelson have become good friends, and he probably figured Nelson needed the chance to be alone with Lucy.”

  “I don’t know about that. I saw the way Titus looked at you when he was here for supper the other night. I really do think he has courtship on his mind.”

  “I know he’s not seeing Esther anymore,” Suzanne said, “but Titus and I have had our differences since he moved here, so I’m not sure he’ll ever see me as someone he’d want to court.”

  “Things weren’t always good between me and your daed before we started courting, but once he realized I was a woman, and not the little girl he’d gone to school with, he changed his mind real quick.”

  “This is just one ride. I doubt it means anything more to Titus,” Suzanne said as she went out the door.

  When Suzanne stepped onto the porch, a gentle breeze caressed her face. The cooler weather they’d been having felt good. She glanced into the yard and spotted a chipmunk poking its head in and out of a pile of brush, while two of her cats chased each other across the lawn.

  She directed her gaze to the field where they grew their colorful mums. As much as she enjoyed tending the flowers, it was nothing compared to working with wood.

  She thought about the table she’d hidden in the woodshop storage closet and wondered what she should do when it was finished. Should she keep it, sell it, or give it away? The table might make a nice Christmas present for Mom.

  Suzanne’s thoughts halted when she heard the clip-clop of horse’s hooves. Titus was here. It was time to go.

  Titus didn’t know why, but he felt nervous with Suzanne sitting on the buggy seat beside him. He’d spent time with her before, but never like this on what felt like a date. As Titus guided his horse and buggy down the road, he wondered if he’d made a mistake offering Suzanne a ride tonight. Would she, and probably some others, think they were courting? Did he want to court her? If tonight went well, should he ask her out again?

  “I’ve been wondering about something,” he said, looking over at her.

  “What’s that?”

  “I noticed that you were wearing a bandage the other night, and when I asked about it, you changed the subject.”

  “Oh, that.” She turned her head away from him. “I … uh … cut my finger on a piece of glass.”

  “In the woodshop?”

  “Jah. I knocked over a jar of nails, and it fell on the floor and broke.”

  “Did you touch something with your bloody finger after that?”

  “I touched a lot of things. Why do you ask?”

  “I found a small table in the storage closet, with a bloodstain on one of the legs. Figured whoever had cut themselves must have touched the table leg.”

  Suzanne sat several seconds, without saying a word. She looked over at him and said, “I’m the one who made the table.”

  He blinked a couple of times. “Are you serious?”

  She gave a nod. “I’ve made some other things, too.”

  “Like what?”

  “Birdhouses and feeders. The table was the first piece of furniture I’ve made.”

  “Why was it in the storage closet under a tarp?”

  “I didn’t want Nelson to see it.”

  “How come?”

  “He thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen.” She sighed. “He doesn’
t realize how much I enjoy working with wood.”

  His brows furrowed. “It is unusual. I mean, I’ve never known a woman carpenter before. At least not any Amish women.”

  “Guess I’m an exception to the rule.”

  Titus wasn’t sure what to think of this. Suzanne was a mystery to him. One day she couldn’t cook at all, and the next day she’d made a real tasty meal. One day she was sanding cabinet doors in the woodshop, and the next day she’d made a table—and not a bad-looking one at that.

  Suzanne may look similar to Phoebe, he thought, but she’s nothing like her at all. She’s got spunk, but she doesn’t show off. She’s already joined the church, so she’s settled and not likely to leave the faith. Maybe I should pursue a relationship with her. I’d better think this over some more.

  They drove the rest of the way in silence. The only sounds were the creak-creak of the buggy wheels and the steady clippety-clop of Lightning’s hooves against the pavement. Titus figured the silence was better, because at the moment, he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  When they arrived at the Beilers’, Suzanne went to speak with Esther, while Titus put his horse in the corral.

  “I was surprised when I saw Titus’s horse and buggy come in, and then you stepped down,” Esther said to Suzanne. “I’ll bet you’re happy that he asked you to come with him tonight.”

  “Shh. Don’t make an issue of it,” Suzanne whispered. “I think he was only being nice when he offered to take me to and from the singing.”

  Esther leaned close to Suzanne’s ear. “Has he had a chance to taste anything you’ve cooked since I’ve been giving you lessons?”

  “He ate supper with us the other night and said he liked my chicken and dumplings, as well as the lemon shoofly pie I made in honor of his birthday.”

  “I didn’t know it was his birthday.”

  “Until I listened to a voice mail message for him from his mamm, I didn’t know it either.”

  “Well, if he enjoyed the meal you prepared, then I think there may be some hope for the two of you.”

  “I’d like to think so, but I’m not getting my hopes up.” Suzanne motioned to the barn, where several young people were heading. “Looks like the singing’s about to begin. Guess we’d better head in there, too.”

  Suzanne and Esther followed the others into the barn, and soon everyone found seats. They sang for over an hour, as their voices lifted in harmony and echoed off the barn walls. Then everyone moved outside to the bonfire Esther’s father had started. Suzanne enjoyed the warmth of the fire, and even the smoky smell didn’t bother her. She’d always loved sitting around a fire, especially on a chilly fall evening such as this. She gazed up at the three-quarter moon above, wishing Titus would join her at the bonfire, but he took a seat beside Ethan Zook instead and didn’t even look Suzanne’s way.

  I’m sure by telling Titus I like to work with wood I probably ruined any chances I might have with him, she thought. He probably thinks, like Nelson, that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.

  “Are you going to have a hot dog?” Esther asked.

  Suzanne shook her head. “I’m not hungry right now.”

  “At least have some hot cider then. My daed made it, and it’s really good.”

  “Okay.” Suzanne was on her way to the refreshment table when a gust of wind came up, and several dust devils whirled in the distance. As the wind increased, it grew so strong that it blew the paper plates and cups right off the table.

  “Grab the tablecloth, or everything will go!” someone hollered.

  Just then, another gust came up, this one a little stronger than the last, carrying debris from the yard that was quickly caught up in the air. Most of the young people started running for the barn, and someone quickly put the bonfire out so that sparks wouldn’t fly. The corral gate flew open, and suddenly all the horses were out, running all around the yard.

  Titus and some of the other young men chased after the horses.

  “You’d better watch out,” Ethan shouted as he raced past Titus. “I think the cover on the Beilers’ manure pit just blew off.”

  Titus stepped back, and—splat—he stepped right into the pit.

  CHAPTER 40

  When Titus woke up the next morning, he was relieved he could no longer smell the putrid odor of manure on his body. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen into the Beilers’ manure pit while trying to chase down the runaway horses. The pit was only a few feet deep, but when he’d stepped into it, he’d lost his footing and ended up flat on his back.

  The stench had been horrible, and he’d held his breath, unable to bear the despicable odor, while Esther’s dad hosed him off with water so cold it made his teeth chatter. That hadn’t helped much, other than to get most of the manure off his clothes, and he’d taken a lot of ribbing from some of the fellows. Even Suzanne had giggled when she’d seen him standing there, sopping wet. It was kind of funny, now that he thought about it, but at the time, he’d been pretty miffed.

  While some of the young men had continued to round up the horses, Titus had gone into the Beilers’ house and taken a warm shower. Then Esther’s mother had given him a shirt and some trousers that had belonged to Esther’s older brother, Dan, who was married and no longer lived at home. Even after the shower, Titus had been able to smell the sickening manure aroma. It reminded him of the time when he and Timothy were boys and had fallen into a pile of manure when they’d been fooling around. They’d gotten in big trouble with Mom for it, too.

  Not wishing to subject Suzanne to sitting beside his smelly body, Titus had asked Ethan Zook to take her home. Then Titus had headed to his place and taken another long shower with plenty of soap and shampoo. It sure wasn’t the way he’d intended the evening to go. He’d hoped that on the way home he might talk to Suzanne more about woodworking and see if she’d like him to put in a good word with Nelson about it.

  Guess I’d better not say anything to him until I’ve spoken to Suzanne, he decided as he left his bedroom and headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast. She might not want me to say anything to Nelson about the table she’d made.

  Paradise, Pennsylvania

  Samuel had just entered the kitchen when Elsie, who was stirring a kettle of oatmeal, motioned for him to come over. “I’ve something to tell you,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “I was going to tell you this last night, but you came home from work late and fell asleep before I had a chance to say anything.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I went to see the doctor yesterday. What I’ve suspected is true. I’m going to have another boppli, and it’ll be born next spring.”

  Samuel slipped his arm around Elsie’s waist and pulled her to his side. “That’s real good news. Have you told anyone else yet?”

  She shook her head. “I wanted to tell you first, and then our kinner and both sides of our family.”

  He smiled. “Think I’ll stop by my folks’ on the way to work this morning and give them the good news.”

  Elsie sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m hoping we have another boy this time. Then Jared will have someone to play with who’s closer to his age.”

  “That would be nice, but I’ll be happy whether God chooses to give us a boy or a girl. The main thing is that the baby’s born healthy.”

  “I agree.” Elsie removed the kettle from the stove. “The oatmeal’s ready now, so if you’ll call the kinner to the table, we can eat and give them our news.”

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  As Suzanne helped Mom with breakfast, she thought about how things had gone last night. Not only had the unexpected wind put a stop to their young people’s gathering, but Titus hadn’t even brought her home. Of course, he’d used the excuse that he smelled bad when he’d told her that he’d arranged for Ethan to give her a ride, but she wondered if the real reason had something to do with her telling him about the table she’d made.

  He’ll probably blab to Nelson or Grandpa
about what I’ve been doing, she thought as she placed a plate of buttermilk pancakes on the table. Maybe I ought to tell them myself and get it over with. But if I do that, they might not let me go out to the shop anymore. Suzanne got the pot of coffee from the stove. Or maybe Titus was upset because I laughed when he fell in the manure pit. But then, some of the others laughed, too.

  “Everything’s ready now,” Mom said, placing a platter of bacon on the table. “Would you please call everyone in for breakfast?” she asked Suzanne.