Promise Lodge

by Charlotte Hubbard

  Ruby and Beulah looked at each other a little sheepishly. “Well, Delbert was glad to hear from us, and to know we’re safe,” Beulah began.

  “Until we got to the part about putting our money down on apartments,” Ruby continued as she spread a generous amount of shredded cheese on her potato loaves. “Boy howdy, did we catch an earful about that! He started out by informing us that as the man of the family, he wanted us to get ourselves back home where we belonged—”

  “And that’s all we needed to hear,” Beulah added with a sigh. “You know, I really hate to split away from him and Claire and the kids, but Ruby and I both feel called to stay at Promise Lodge, to live our own lives.”

  “Jah, Claire was none too happy about our decision, either,” Ruby remarked with a shake of her head. “She came right out and asked how she was supposed to run the household without us taking care of the eight kids—”

  “And I told her those kids needed their mamm and dat’s guidance more than they needed ours. God had His reasons for us not marrying nor having kids.” Beulah’s voice rose with the conviction of her words, even as it quivered a little. “I felt funny telling Delbert and Claire we weren’t going to live with them anymore—because that’s the way of it for Plain maidel ladies, to stay with whichever man in the family will look after them. I was glad I’d already paid ahead on the rent so I could stand firm about our decision.”

  “Jah, it’ll be a whole new life for us, being useful the way we want, instead of being at someone else’s beck and call,” Ruby insisted. “We’ll go back on Monday to pack up the rest of our clothes, and I’ll get my bees and hives ready to transport. It’ll all work out, Rosetta—because we said so!”

  Rosetta smiled. “It took courage and faith to insist on living your own lives,” she agreed. “But it’s not like you’re moving clear across the country. Your family can come visit you, or you can go there anytime you please.”

  “Jah, we’re only a few hours apart, as I pointed out to Delbert. And I reminded him that the road runs both directions, too,” Beulah added. “We’ll be tending our bees and making our cheese, so we won’t be going back to Versailles at the drop of a hat.”

  “Your brother probably wasn’t expecting you to say that,” Rosetta remarked.

  “Oh, Delbert heard quite a few surprising statements today,” Beulah agreed.

  “Jah, I smelled smoke coming out of the phone,” Ruby added with a chuckle. “But I feel happy. I believe Beulah and I will lead more productive—”

  “Fun lives,” her sister finished. “And we have you to thank for that, Rosetta. You’ve been our inspiration, more than you’ll ever know.”

  Rosetta’s eyes widened. Never had she anticipated such a touching remark, and from a woman she’d just met. “What a fine thing to say, Beulah. Denki for telling me that,” she murmured. She was about to elaborate upon the reasons she and her sisters had sold their farms to come to Promise when Queenie began barking frantically out in the front yard.

  Rosetta and the Hershberger girls hurried through the lobby and out onto the porch to see what the ruckus was about. Halfway between the road and the lodge, a Plain man and woman had stopped with their suitcases—and when the man charged at the Border Collie and spoke harshly to her, Rosetta jogged down the steps.

  “Say there! I’ll be happy to help you if you’ll not threaten our dog,” Rosetta called out.

  The man, who had a bushy graying beard and eyebrows, immediately scowled. “No, let’s tell it like it is,” he countered. “Your dog’s the one doing the threatening, and if it were mine, I’d keep it tied up.”

  “Queenie, sit!” Laura called out, while Rosetta snapped her fingers at the dog and pointed toward the ground.

  Queenie sat down, but she appeared ready to lunge if the man made any suspicious moves.

  Rosetta considered this carefully, for Queenie was generally very friendly and curious around strangers. She didn’t act aggressive unless she’d been provoked. “What can I do for you folks?” she asked, wondering whether they’d received a letter from these people. “Please believe that Queenie doesn’t ordinarily cause any trouble.”

  The man’s eyes narrowed, while the woman appeared wary of the Border Collie who sat gazing so intently at them. “I assume you’ve gotten my letter, so it should be no surprise that we’ve arrived. I’m Bishop Floyd Lehman, and this is Frances, my wife.”

  Ah, yes. The man whom God has already declared our bishop—in the gospel according to Floyd.

  Rosetta put on a polite smile, glad to see Amos coming from the barn. “I recall your letter, jah, but we weren’t expecting you until you sold your place. This is Preacher Amos Troyer,” she added as she gestured at him. “Amos, these are the Lehmans from Ohio, who wrote to us a while back. Bishop Floyd and Frances.”

  Rosetta detected a flicker of Amos’s eyebrows as he extended his hand. “So you’ve already found a buyer for your place and you’re moving to Missouri?” he asked as he smiled at Frances. “Sounds like your home was a choice piece of property, priced right.”

  Frances smiled stiffly. “Truth be told, we wanted to see Promise Lodge before we—”

  “Several folks in our overcrowded district thought somebody should check this place out before we committed to coming,” Floyd cut in. When he slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulders, she grimaced at the squeeze of his hand. “They put up some traveling money, and we’re here on their behalf. Can’t say your dog’s welcome has made a gut first impression, though. Better lock it up before it bites somebody.”

  Amos straightened his shoulders. “Queenie keeps the coyotes and other . . . intruders away,” he replied firmly. “Denki for your observation, but she’ll always have the run of Promise Lodge property. Without her, I doubt we’d still have any of our chickens.”

  Frances’s eyes widened. “You’ve got coyotes? Have you seen wolves and snakes, as well? It does seem rather wild and removed from civilization out here.”

  Rosetta smiled, suspecting the bishop’s wife didn’t often get a word in edgewise. “Once houses start going up, some of the wildlife will find other habitats, I’m thinking. My sisters and I love it here, but we do notice how quiet it is. Won’t you come in?” she added. “It’s nearly time for supper and you’ve had a long trip.”

  Amos glanced toward the road. “Where’s your driver? He’s welcome to come in, as well.”

  “We rode the bus from Ohio to Kirksville and got a cab from there,” Floyd replied. “We’ll call for another cab when we’ve seen what we need to see.”

  Maybe the Lehmans already wish they were back in that cab, considering the rocky start we’ve gotten off to, Rosetta thought as the four of them walked silently toward the lodge. She sensed the Lehmans were studying the cabins, along with the condition of the lodge, the barn, and the other outbuildings—as well they should, if they were here on behalf of members of their congregation.

  “We had a fine time fishing at Rainbow Lake last night,” Amos said as he pointed toward the water. “Beyond that, you’ll see where we’ll be selling off tracts of land—”

  “I suppose you folks have already claimed the property right here, where the garden plots are planted and there’s grass instead of trees and underbrush,” Floyd said in a tight voice.

  Again Amos’s eyebrows flickered, but he kept a smile on his face. “Jah, those are the plots where Mattie Schwartz and the Hershberger girls are raising produce to sell at the stand you saw out by the road. Christine Hershberger owns the property where her dairy herd grazes, including the barn. This lot with the cabins and lodge belongs to Rosetta. She’s converting the lodge into apartments for—”

  “And our first renters arrived yesterday!” Rosetta added. “You’ll soon meet them, because they’ve been cooking our supper.”

  Floyd dropped his suitcase to stare at her with a raised eyebrow. “You know quite well that Old Order members don’t operate inns or other businesses that allow outsiders to share our living space!�
� he admonished her. “That’s a sure path to temptation—a way for English men to lure away our women. And all those bedrooms! What are you thinking, woman?”

  Rosetta bit back a retort. Bishop Floyd was going to be a challenge. “Jah, I’m aware of our church’s rules about outsiders staying with us—so the apartments are only for Plain women,” she replied firmly. “Widows and maidels will live here permanently, rather than bachelors or families—or guests, as would come to an inn.”

  She gestured toward the row of cabins nestled in the shade of late afternoon. “We’ve been redding up these cottages for folks who buy property and need a place to stay until their new homes are built,” she pointed out. “Sounds better than having to live in a tent, wouldn’t you say?”

  Frances’s lips flickered with a smile, but Floyd wasn’t impressed.

  “Your apartment idea is totally unnatural!” he declared. “Our women are to be sheltered and provided for by the men in their families—”

  “Ah, but you see, my two sisters are widowed now and they have no dat or brothers to look after them,” Rosetta insisted, keeping her voice low but firm. “It was a hardship for them to maintain farms and outbuildings—as it was for me after our parents passed on. We saw this plan as a solution that would benefit other women, as well. We prayed over this long and hard. We feel God led us here to this beautiful land so we could provide homes for other folks, as well.”

  Floyd exhaled in disbelief, gawking at Amos. “You’re a preacher, jah?” he demanded. “Why are you allowing these sisters to be in charge of so much property and their own businesses? That’s just wrong.”

  Amos stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, considering his response. Rosetta noted how his jaw tightened, as though he were restraining words that wanted to stampede like agitated horses.

  “I’ve served my Lord as an ordained preacher for nearly twenty years,” he replied patiently. “Jesus taught us that he who would lead must be the servant of all, and that the meek would inherit the earth. These three sisters have taken on an enormous mission—starting a new colony with a spirit of peace and service. I’m honored that they’ve asked me to partner with them.”

  Rosetta held her breath, pleased to hear Preacher Amos state his convictions. Before their guest could protest further, Amos continued earnestly.

  “If our new idea—our untraditional plan—upsets you, Floyd, perhaps Promise Lodge isn’t the place you want to call home,” he said. “You’ve done nothing but criticize us since we met you a few moments ago. You’ve not even given us a chance to show you around—or to introduce Mattie and Christine—yet you’re certain we’re steeping ourselves in sin and treading the road to ruin.

  “When we received your letter, we agreed that God would provide us the right bishop for Promise Lodge,” Amos continued earnestly. “He might well guide more than one bishop here and then do the choosing for us, you know.”

  Floyd’s face had turned the color of raw hamburger. The whump of the screen door made him turn to see that the Hershberger girls, the two Kuhns, Mattie, Christine, and Deborah had come outside to meet them—and to witness Floyd’s flaring temper. Rosetta saw that Roman and Noah were coming from the barn, as well, their expressions alight with interest. Queenie sat down at Rosetta’s feet, as though protecting her from this disagreeable newcomer.

  “God Himself directed me to come here,” Floyd said in a strained voice. “He said I was to lead you as your bishop—”

  “Could be He’s leaving our options open,” Preacher Amos insisted as he crossed his arms. “Could be we’ll hold a drawing of the lot when other bishops get here—the same process that determined that you and I were to be leaders in our previous districts. The same process used in biblical times, beginning when Christ’s disciples replaced Judas with Matthias.”

  “Don’t get biblical with me,” Floyd retorted. “You’re the ones breaking the rules by allowing women to own this property and to decide—”

  “But Jesus gave women the same attention and respect He gave to men,” Mattie spoke up from the porch. “Our bishop in Coldstream didn’t follow the Lord’s teachings very closely—which was the main reason my sisters and I felt compelled to find a better place. A better life for our families.”

  “And while we’re stating our beliefs,” Christine put in, “you should know that Promise Lodge is a place of peace. We’ll not tolerate family violence, where a husband believes he can strike his wife or daughters to keep them in line with his way of thinking.”

  Frances Lehman sucked in her breath, which gave Rosetta the idea that Floyd was accustomed to controlling her, perhaps with a heavy hand. Deborah licked her lips nervously but she seemed pleased to have this stipulation spelled out.

  “Who are you to be telling me this?” Floyd challenged. “Why do I sense absolutely no respect or humility from anyone I’ve met here?”

  Rosetta’s eyes widened. It wasn’t the Plain way to speak so contentiously, nor did she and her sisters intentionally stir things up with men. As Mattie and Christine came down the porch steps, she sincerely hoped they could find a way to dispel the ill will that hung over all of them like a dark cloud.

  “I’m Mattie Schwartz and this is my sister, Christine Hershberger,” Mattie began, offering her hand to the bishop. “I’m truly sorry if we seem brash or even sacrilegious, Bishop. Forgiveness is the Plain way, and I forgive you for hollering at my son’s dog and for speaking so harshly—so judgmentally—to Rosetta and Amos. I suspect you’re tired after your long trip. I hope you’ll feel better after we eat the meal our new residents, Beulah and Ruby Kuhn, have cooked for us.”

  Floyd looked at Mattie’s extended hand as if she’d offered him a branch from a thorn tree. When his gaze shifted to study the women on the porch, Frances cleared her throat.

  “Denki for inviting us to supper on such short notice,” she said tentatively. “Whatever it is smells awfully gut, and we’ll be pleased to get better acquainted as we all break bread.”

  The tension eased a bit, and Rosetta was glad to see the Kuhn sisters nodding. Ruby turned to go inside. “If you’ll all get washed up now—”

  “We’ll have supper on the table in two shakes of Queenie’s tail,” Beulah finished.

  “We’ll set a couple more places,” Deborah said as she and the Hershberger girls followed the Kuhns back to the kitchen.

  “I’ve had my eye on that apricot cherry slab pie, and I’m ready to try it out!” Noah added with a grin. “Come on, Queenie. Let’s put some chow in your bowl so I can head in to my own supper.”

  Rosetta was relieved that Bishop Floyd entered the lodge without any further negative proclamations. She noted how Frances gazed around the lobby with an admiring eye and then hurried into the kitchen to help carry food out to the long table in the dining room. After everyone was seated and a silent prayer had been offered, they passed the platters of seasoned meat loaf, potato loaf, and a bowl of fresh salad from the garden.

  Rosetta saw Frances smiling at her occasionally from across the table as Amos was introducing the young adults to keep the conversation flowing. Rosetta returned her smiles, wondering if Frances would want to move here . . . wondering what sort of life she led in Sugarcreek, and what sort of marriage she had—not that it was any of her business.

  “If I recall correctly from your letter, Frances, you have a couple of daughters,” Rosetta said when there was a break in the conversation. “Will they be coming to Promise Lodge if you decide to make your new home here? Or are they married and staying in Ohio?”

  Frances’s face lit up at the mention of her girls. Her gaze fluttered in Roman and Noah’s direction. “Our Gloria is twenty-two and Mary Kate is eighteen,” she replied. “They’ve both dated a few fellows—”

  “As obedient daughters, they’ll come with us wherever we decide to relocate,” Floyd put in. He looked intently at Roman and Noah. “They’re looking for industrious husbands who can provide well for them. What trades are you boys engaged in?
”

  Noah looked up from his supper. “I’m a welder, and I’ve just gotten a job with the landscaper who lives up the hill,” he replied confidently. “I’m also serious about Deborah, so I won’t be dating your girls.”

  “I manage Aunt Christine’s dairy herd, as well as arranging the milk sales and the tankers that come pick it up,” Roman said before Floyd could comment. “We’ve received several letters from families with daughters, so I’ll have plenty of opportunities to find a wife after I help my mamm and my aunts get Promise Lodge off to a solid start.”

  Rosetta shared a smile with her sisters. Not so long ago Noah had expressed doubts about coming to Promise Lodge, but he and his brother sounded determined to make the new colony work out now—on their own terms. She was about to ask Frances more about Gloria and Mary Kate when the phone rang.

  “I’ll get that,” Amos said as he rose from the table. “I’m expecting a call from another one of our potential new families. Excuse me.”

  Floyd watched Amos go through the kitchen and pick up the wall phone’s receiver. “Why is your phone inside the house?” he asked sternly. “You know full well that we Amish believe it’s too tempting to chatter away the day—”

  “We’ve lived here less than a month, so we haven’t had the chance to get a phone company fellow to move the phone line for us,” Christine replied.

  “There’s also a phone upstairs, in the hallway,” Rosetta pointed out. “I thought that with several Plain renters sharing that one, it would be much like neighbors sharing a phone shanty.”

  “We want the new bishop of Promise Lodge to decide whether we should remove this phone,” Mattie joined in. “We have a Bender, three Schwartzes, three Hershbergers, and Amos using the one in the kitchen, so it’s not like any of us have the luxury of a private line.”

  “It also serves as the phone for our dairy,” Roman remarked. “And it won’t be long before the produce stand opens, so we’ll be getting calls about our eggs and vegetables.”