by Leigh Bale
“That’s probably true. The Amish are brutally honest. At least they have that quality going for them.” Mom said the words with contempt, as though it was a failing rather than a virtue. That piqued Julia’s curiosity even more. Since Dallin had lied to her on several occasions, she was glad to hear that she could trust Martin.
“How do you seem to know so much about them?” Julia asked.
Mom shrugged and continued to gaze out the filthy windows, her eyes narrowed and filled with doubt. “I knew some Amish people once. They were some of the most cruel, judgmental people I ever met. I don’t want anything to do with them again.”
Julia flinched. Wow. That sounded a bit harsh.
“Surely that was an isolated case. There are good and bad people in all walks of life, right?”
Mom hesitated several moments. “I suppose so.”
“Besides, I’ve already hired Martin. I can’t fire him now without just cause,” Julia said.
Mom didn’t reply, which wasn’t odd. She was a quiet woman, keeping most of her thoughts to herself. Instead, Julia faced her mother and gave her a brief hug. “Don’t worry, Mom. It’s going to be fine.”
Mom nodded and showed a tremulous smile. After all, she was still mourning Dad. “Yes, of course, you’re right. I’m just being silly.”
“Ahem, excuse me.”
The two women whirled around and found Martin standing in the doorway, hat in hand.
“Oh, Martin. I want you to meet my mother, Sharon,” Julia said.
“Mrs. Rose.” He nodded courteously, his gaze never wavering.
Mom just looked at him with a sober expression. Julia didn’t understand. It wasn’t like her mother to be unkind or to disapprove of someone without knowing them first.
“Hank and I are gonna take a brief lunch break, if that’s all right,” Martin said.
“Yes, of course,” Julia said. “In fact, I was just coming to ask if you’d like a sandwich.”
“Ne, danke. We brought our own lunch.” Without waiting for her reply, he disappeared from view.
Mom stepped closer to the door. A blast of sunlight gleamed through a small patch of glass that wasn’t covered by grunge and Sharon lifted a hand to shade her eyes. She and Julia watched for a moment as Martin retrieved a red personal-size cooler from his buggy. Hank joined him as the two sat on the edge of the porch. Had Martin been so certain that Julia would hire him that he had packed a lunch? Or did he always come into town prepared?
“What’s troubling you, Mom?” Julia asked.
Maybe Mom feared Martin might try to steal from them the way Dallin had done. It hadn’t been much money but enough that it had made their lives more difficult. Mom had loved Dallin and Debbie, too. They’d become part of the family. Or so Julia had thought. They’d eloped just three weeks before Dad’s death. Because he’d been on so much pain medication, Dad didn’t know what Dallin had done. But the final blow was when he didn’t even attend her father’s funeral. Dallin and Debbie’s betrayal had devastated her and Mom.
“No, of course not. I have no doubt he’ll do a fine job. It’s just that...”
“What?” Julia urged.
Sharon waved a hand and showed a wide smile. Reaching out, she caressed Julia’s cheek. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just missing your father, that’s all. In the past, he always dealt with such things. But you’re doing a fine job. I’m sure it’ll be okay. And now, I’d better return to work. That back room isn’t going to clean itself out.”
“Mom, why don’t you go lie down for a while? I know your joints are hurting and I don’t want you to overdo it.”
“I’m fine, dear.” Sharon limped toward the hallway leading to the back of the building. Julia watched her go, worried about her despite her assurances.
When she looked back at Martin, Julia saw that he’d laid a clean cloth on the porch and pulled out several slices of homemade bread, ham, two golden pears and thick wedges of apple pie. After compiling the bread and meat into sandwiches, Hank eagerly picked one up and almost took a bite. Martin stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. Without a word, Martin removed his hat and bowed his head reverently. Hank did likewise. For the count of thirty, the two held still and Julia realized they must be praying.
She envied the close sibling relationship they shared. There was something so serene about their bent heads that she felt a rash of goose bumps cover her arms. Then Martin released a breath and they began to eat. While Martin chewed thoughtfully, Hank’s cheeks bulged with food and he glanced around with distraction.
At that moment, Martin looked up and saw her. Julia’s face flushed with embarrassed heat. How rude of her to stand here and watch them. Yet, she couldn’t move away. She felt transfixed with curiosity. Especially when Martin gave her a warm smile. With his back turned, Hank didn’t notice her. Taking his sandwich, he hopped up and ran to climb the elm tree. Some unknown force caused Julia to step outside to speak with Martin.
“Um, I hope you don’t think me impolite but can I ask what you were doing a few minutes ago?” she asked.
Martin tilted his head to the side and blinked in confusion. “You mean when I was working on the porch?”
She shook her head. “No, before you ate. You bowed your heads for a long time. Were you praying?”
He nodded and bit into his pear, chewed for a moment, then swallowed. “Ja, we always pray before a meal. To thank the Lord for His bounty and to ask a blessing on our food. Don’t you do the same?”
How interesting. How quaint, yet authentic.
“No, I’m afraid not. I wasn’t raised that way,” she answered truthfully.
But even as she spoke, she wondered why not. It seemed so appropriate to thank God for all that He had given her. Rather than being odd, it seemed right.
She stepped nearer. “What do you say in your prayers?”
“That depends.” He indicated that she should sit nearby on the porch and she did.
“On what?”
“Ach, sometimes we say the Lord’s prayer before a meal. If there is trouble brewing at home or a special blessing we need, I often mention that to Gott and ask for His help. Other times, we pray at church meetings as a congregation and as a familye. And still other times, we say personal prayers in private. Most of our prayers are silent but they all differ, depending on their purpose and what is in my heart.”
Yes, she could understand that. She’d oftentimes carried a prayer inside her heart but had never spoken one out loud. Because frankly, she didn’t know how to do so.
“Do you pray often?” she asked.
“Ja, many times each day. Why do you ask?”
With her father’s death, Mom’s illness, Dallin’s betrayal, financial problems and their recent move to Colorado, she’d needed to know God was nearby. To know that He was watching over them and she wasn’t alone. But her prayers were always in silence, spoken within.
She shrugged. “I was just curious. I wasn’t really raised with prayer in my daily life. But there are times when I speak to God in my heart.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “You believe in Gott then?”
“Yes, I do.” Giving voice to her belief deepened her conviction. That God lived and was conscious of His children now in modern times, just as He had been in ancient times. She’d never really gone to church, yet she had decided for herself that she believed in a loving creator who was conscious of her needs. But unfortunately, she knew very little about Him.
Martin flashed a gentle smile. “I often carry a prayer in my heart, as well. Gott is perfect and knows all things. He hears all prayers, even those we don’t speak out loud. Although He doesn’t always answer us on our timetable. When was the last time you prayed?”
She took a deep inhale and let it go. “Yesterday, but I prayed most the night my father died. I couldn’t understand why God had abandoned us
. But it’s odd. Instead of anger, I felt a warmth deep within my chest and an unexplainable knowledge that God was with us even during that dark time. And Mom became sick with lupus even before Dad was diagnosed with cancer. She helps with the soap making but she can’t do a lot. Still, I knew I’d find a way to take care of her. And then, a few months later, Carl Nelson called to say that my Grandpa Walt had passed away and left me this store. That’s when we moved here. So it seems the Lord heard and answered my prayers after all. I just wish my father hadn’t died.”
Now why had she told Martin all of that? She didn’t know him. Not really. Yet she had confided some deeply personal things to him. She stiffened her spine, hoping Martin didn’t make fun of her.
“I’m sorry you lost your vadder,” he said. “You and your mudder must have gone through a very difficult ordeal. But I’m so glad you recognize how the Lord has blessed you. I believe when we think all is lost, that is when Gott is testing us, to see if we will call on Him in faith or in anger. Yet, He doesn’t leave us comfortless. He is always with us if we seek Him out.”
Martin’s words touched her heart like nothing else could. For a moment, she felt as though God truly was close to her. That He wasn’t a remote, disinterested God, who was withdrawn and didn’t really care about her and Mom.
“Hank, don’t climb so far. Komm down now. It’s time for us to get back to work,” Martin called to his brother.
Turning her head, Julia saw that the boy was high in the elm, clinging to a heavy branch. The boy looked over at them, saw Julia and immediately scrambled down.
The enchanted moment was broken. Although she’d like nothing better, Julia realized she couldn’t sit here all day chatting with Martin. She had plenty of work to do. Honestly, she was stunned that Martin was so easy to talk to.
“Well, I’d better get inside and help Mom. Thank you for answering my questions.” She came to her feet, dusting off her blue jeans.
“Anytime,” he said.
Hank came running, a huge smile on his face. “Hallo, Julia. Did you see how high I climbed?”
“Miss Rose,” Martin corrected the boy with a stern lift of his eyebrows.
Hank ignored his brother, focusing on Julia. “I went higher than ever before. I could even see the top of your roof. You have a big hole up there where the shingles have blown away.”
Julia blinked, then glanced at Martin. “Oh, dear. A hole in the roof? And winter is coming on.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as I’ve completed the porch, I’ll take a look at it,” Martin said.
“But there are so many other chores needing to be done. I didn’t even think about the roof.” A feeling of helpless dread almost overwhelmed her.
“Never fear. The Lord will bless us and it’ll all get done.”
Martin sounded so confident. So sure of himself. So filled with conviction. She couldn’t help envying his faith. His words of reassurance brought her a bit of comfort, but what if he was wrong? What if they didn’t get the workroom set up in time?
She had been making single batches of soap up in the tiny kitchen of their apartment almost every evening but that would only satisfy the grand opening of their store on December 1. It would take her four weeks of making super batches of soap to satisfy her wholesale contract, and the soap required four to five weeks to cure after it was made. She must ship her orders by the end of January in order to meet her next contract deadline the first of February. So much was riding on her being able to make soap by the end of November. By the end of December, she had to have most of the soap made.
As she went inside, Julia hoped Martin was right.
* * *
The pressure was on. Martin knew Julia was worried. He could see it in her eyes. He’d heard the urgency in her voice and could feel the apprehension emanating from her like a living thing. If Hank was right and there was a big hole in the roof, it would need to be repaired before the autumn rains began, which was any day now. Depending on what needed to be done, it could suck up precious time he needed to build the shelves and countertops for her workroom.
It was Martin’s job to get it all done in time for her to open her shop. He felt the seriousness of the situation as though his own livelihood depended on it. His reputation was on the line. He’d been doing a lot of carpentry work for people in the community and wanted to increase his business as a side job for more income to build his barn and, one day, his new house. He also wanted to make Julia happy and ease her load in any way possible.
Working as fast as he could, he built the framework of the awning first. Standing on the rickety ladder, he affixed the lag bolts. Satisfied with his labors, he looked down at Hank, who had wandered over to peer through the store windows. No doubt he was looking for Julia.
“Hank!”
The boy jerked, looking guilty. Martin resisted the urge to smile.
“Hand me up those two-by-six boards,” he called.
Hank lifted a four-by-six board instead.
“Ne, that’s the wrong one. I need the two-by-six.” Martin forced himself to speak gently, although he felt impatient for his brother’s mistake. It was costing him precious time.
Hank laid a hand on the smaller boards and looked up at him with a questioning gaze.
“Ja, those are the right ones. That’s gut. Hand them up.”
Martin reached out a hand as Hank lifted the boards one by one so he could nail them into place. By the time he’d laid the furring strips over top of the frame, it was almost dinnertime. He’d accomplished a lot today but should soon start for home. Mamm would be expecting them. He would finish up tomorrow. The weather should hold for a couple more days so he could repair the roof. For now, it was time to leave.
“You’ve done a fine job today.”
He turned and saw Julia standing off to the side of the porch, looking up at him. Hank immediately raced over to stand beside her, gazing at her with adulation.
“I helped,” Hank said.
She blessed him with a smile so bright that Martin had to blink. “Of course you did.”
Hank beamed at her. “Do you like to sing?”
Martin stiffened, knowing what his brother was about to ask. “Not now, Hank.”
Hank threw a disgruntled glare at his older brother. “But I want to ask her—”
“It’s not the right time,” Martin said.
Julia hesitated, looking back and forth between the two. In a bit of confusion, she spoke to Martin as she inspected his work with a critical eye. “I didn’t expect you to get the porch finished today, but it looks almost complete.”
“Ja, it has come together well. I’ll put on the finishing touches and paint it first thing in the morning. I hope it is satisfactory,” he said.
“It’s more than satisfactory. It’s beautiful. If I didn’t know better, I would say it was never damaged. You’ve cleaned up every bit of mess, too. I can’t even tell you worked on it today.”
As her gaze scanned the porch and awning, he could see her searching for any imperfections. He climbed down and set the ladder aside for his use tomorrow.
“My daed taught me to tidy up after work,” he said.
She tilted her head. “Your dat?”
“Ja, my dad.”
“Oh, your father,” she said.
“Ja, my vadder.”
He’d swept up the sawdust and discarded nails and placed them in a large garbage can. Mamm told him that his fastidiousness was bothersome to some of the Amish girls, which was one reason they didn’t want to marry him. But instead of being irritated by his meticulous work, Julia seemed to approve. For some crazy reason, that delighted Martin like nothing else could.
She nodded with satisfaction. “I do like it very much. With a coat of paint, it’ll look perfect.”
While Julia watched, he packed his tools away in the toolbox. When he
was finished, he faced her again. “We’d better get going. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.” She waved and turned away, going back inside.
Martin climbed into the buggy with Hank and directed the horse toward the main road. He’d worked hard today, yet he didn’t feel tired. No, not at all. Instead, he felt rejuvenated and eager to do a good job for Julia Rose.
When he pulled into the graveled driveway at home, his father was just coming from the barn, carrying two buckets of frothy white milk. His mother, sisters and other brother had just finished feeding the chickens and pigs.
“Martin! Hank! You’re finally home.” His mother waved, a huge smile on her cheery face.
Emily, Susan and Timmy came running, surrounding him and Hank as they hopped up and down with excitement.
“Did you get the job?” thirteen-year-old Emily asked, her face alight with expectation.
“You must have got the job because you’ve been gone all day,” little eight-year-old Timmy reasoned.
Martin laughed as he swung seven-year-old Susan high into the air. The girl squealed with delight. Their greeting warmed his heart. How he loved them all. He thought about Julia having only her mother to come home to. It must be so lonely for her.
“Supper’s about ready. Komm inside and tell us about your day.” His father stepped up on the porch, his words silencing the children’s incessant questions. At the age of forty-nine, David was the patriarch of the home and still strong and muscular from working long hours of manual labor.
“I’ll just put the road horse in his stall and toss him some hay,” Martin said.
Linda, his mother, waved an impatient hand. As the matriarch of the familye, she was just as confident in her role as David was. “Ne, Timmy can do that. You and Hank komm inside now. I want to hear all about your day.”
“Ah, don’t say anything important while I’m gone,” Timmy called. But the boy obediently took hold of the horse’s halter and led him into the barn.
Once they were inside, they washed and sat down at the spacious table in the kitchen. Mamm had already laid out the plates and utensils. The room was warm and smelled of something good cooking on the stove. With six hungry children and a husband to feed, Linda always made plenty. Only Martin’s nineteen-year-old sister, Karen, was missing. She was newly married and lived back east with her husband.