Seasons of Sugarcreek 03. Autumn's Promise

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “Lilly, this is nice, getting a change to sit here like this,” Mr. Graber said, claiming her attention once again.

  “Tell us what you’ve been up to—besides driving Caleb around Cleveland,” Mr. Graber said.

  Though she knew she could just talk about work and her mother’s own pregnancy, Lilly decided to trust them with something more personal. There was something about this pair that had always inspired a real trust. Back when she’d been pregnant, she’d found it easier to tell them about her hopes of keeping the baby than her parents.

  “Well, I’ve been spending time with Robert Miller,” she said haltingly.

  “I knew that,” Mrs. Graber murmured. “I also know that he’s right fond of you.”

  “I, um, know he is. Actually, I’m fond of him, too.” Suddenly, her words couldn’t be stopped. “Actually I’ve fallen in love with Robert Miller.”

  Mrs. Graber looked at her husband. “Well, what do you know!”

  Frank’s expression turned gentle. “And how did you fall in lieb, Lilly?”

  “In love? I’m not really sure.” She tried to remember when she’d begun to view Robert’s actions in a different way. Was it months ago when he used to sit at the same table at the restaurant just to speak with her? Had it been when he’d bought her a kitten?

  Or was it something much smaller, such as when he’d simply stop what he was doing whenever she showed up at his workshop…making her feel that she was very important to him? “All I know is that from, practically, the first real conversation we had, something clicked between us.”

  “Love is like that, yes?” Frank swiped a wayward chocolate trickle from the side of his mouth. “Sometimes it just sneaks up on ya.”

  Elsa clucked and handed him another two napkins. “Have you told your parents your feelings, Lilly?”

  “Not in so many words. For some reason, I always feel more comfortable telling you two how I really feel.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Graber exchanged glances. “We’re not your parents, yes? It’s always easier to tell other people difficult things.”

  “I agree.” She thought for a moment, considering just why she hadn’t shared all her feelings with her mom. “The truth is, I’ve been afraid to hear what they thought.” Because that admission bothered her, she raised her chin.

  “But it doesn’t really matter what they think, anyway. This is between me and Robert.”

  “Yes. Everyone grows up sooner or later, don’t they?” Elsa carefully wiped the corner of her lip with a napkin.

  “Well, I for one, can see how you and Robert Miller found each other. You two are a good match, I think.”

  Though most of the kids were busy with their ice cream, Anson approached just in time to hear the end of their conversation. “Are you and Robert going to get married? Are ya going to become one of us?”

  She loved how he said that. One of us. That was how she felt. Like she was just a few months away from fitting in again. “I hope so. But I’m not sure how to start.”

  Anson worried his bottom lip. “I’ve never met anyone who wanted to be one of us. Only people who want to leave.”

  His mother glared. “Anson. You watch your tongue.”

  “Why? It’s true.”

  “Still, this is not your conversation. Hush, now.”

  Anson glared but sat silent as Mr. Graber carefully finished off the rest of his cone. “The way I see it, Lilly, I think you already have started.”

  She looked at the obvious. At her jeans and sweat-shirt. Together, they looked as far from living Plain as anything could be. “Do you really think so?”

  Fine lines appeared around the corners of his eyes. “It’s not the clothes that matter, child. Not really.” Pressing a hand to his chest, he murmured, “It’s what’s in our hearts that matters, jah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Say jah, not yes!” Anson chirped.

  “Anson…” Mrs. Graber warned.

  “Jah,” Lilly said, surprising herself with the word. All she’d really wanted to do was make peace. But hearing the Pennsylvania-Dutch word come from her mouth jarred her senses.

  Frank blinked, then slowly smiled. “Well, now. Perhaps you will be one of us before we know it. After all, you have what is most important, don’tcha think?”

  “What is that?”

  “You have a sincere want.”

  His words had been spoken as a statement. Not a question. But she answered all the same.

  Erasing any lingering doubts that had played at the edges of her mind. “I sincerely love Robert very much.”

  But instead of bringing more smiles of satisfaction, Lilly noticed Elsa frowning at her husband. “What did I say wrong?” Lilly asked.

  Anson scooted out of his chair to talk with Judith. With a bit more privacy, Elsa murmured, “Lilly, you must be sure about what I’m about to ask. This sincere want of yours…are you certain it is not just for Robert Miller?”

  She was confused. “I’m not confused about Robert. I have fallen in love with him.”

  “We understand that,” Frank murmured. “He is a fine man, and would make any woman a wonderful-gut husband. But…he needs an Amish wife.”

  “Can that be you, Lilly?” Elsa asked. “Do you truly desire our way of life? Being Amish isn’t something you can do with a light heart.”

  All of a sudden, Lilly felt as if she was back in high school, with great dreams and hopes and no idea about how she was going to achieve them. Had that been what she’d been doing with Robert? Fantasizing about a simple, idealistic life…without truly thinking about the difficult day-to-day changes she would have to deal with. “I guess I didn’t think about that, not really,” she said slowly. “Perhaps I should.”

  Frank spoke up. “I think you should pray on it, Lilly. Prayerfully consider all you are reaching for…and all you would be giving up.”

  “Giving up?”

  “For example, we’ve certainly appreciated all the times you’ve been our driver. But if you were Amish, you would have to give up your car, which means some of your independence. You’d have to get used to waiting to go to the city for your needs, or planning to be gone for most of a day if you go by buggy.”

  “You’d have to depend on others…and you’re a terribly independent woman, Lilly.”

  Surprised, Lilly realized Elsa’s words were true. “I guess I have become independent.”

  Elsa nodded sagely. “This…this jumping into love with Robert isn’t a bad thing, Lilly. It shows you’ve got a wondrous heart.”

  Slumping against her seat, Lilly felt more confused than ever. It was amazing how her impressions had changed just during one candid conversation.

  How could that be? If she was as in love with Robert as she thought she was, would she really have let her mind change so quickly?

  And their talk about independence was especially true. She liked relying on herself, and she needed to be able to do that. She was a woman of her times. She was used to cell phones and laptops and her car. Just as importantly, she was used to using those tools as a means to get her places quickly. To provide for herself.

  Now, could she give it all away?

  She just wasn’t sure.

  Just as she was about to try to redirect the conversation, her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was a local number, she picked it up. And then felt as frozen as the custard in her cup had once been. “Caleb? Caleb, where are you?”

  Across from her, Elsa and Frank’s postures stilled. She felt just as alarmed when she heard his next words. “I’m in trouble.”

  Trading glances with Caleb’s parents, she slowly said, “What’s wrong?”

  “Everything…Lilly, I need your help.” He paused, then continued, his words coming out in a rush. “I’m at the police station.”

  “The police station? What in the world have you been doing? We looked for you at the hospital. Your parents are sitting right here—”

  “Lilly, stop! Stop and listen. I can only use this phone
for a few minutes more. Can you come to the police station now?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good. Now, the first thing you need to do is—” This time she was the interrupting one. “Caleb, hold on a sec. I’m actually sitting here with your parents. Now, start from the beginning. What happened?”

  “Too much.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, he sounded so dejected. “I know it’s hard, but we need to be prepared. What have you been doing? You know, we wondered why you never showed up at the hospital.”

  “I got in some trouble with some English kids.”

  “Eric and his friends?” That didn’t make sense. Had they come all the way in town from Strongsville?

  “Oh, no. These are just local kids I’ve hung around with.”

  “And?”

  “And, I’ve been feeling so confused that, when they asked me to go to Callie’s house to drink beer, I accepted.”

  Lilly closed her eyes in frustration. “So you went to Callie’s house to drink beer…” she prodded.

  Elsa gasped. Frank’s face became thunderous. “But then we got bored, so we started driving around.” He choked on a sob. “Later, Blake ran the Jeep into a tree, and the police came. When they found alcohol on our breath, they brought us all here.” After a moment, he added, “It’s been horrible.”

  Lilly knew there would be time to get more information when they saw him. “Is anyone hurt?”

  “No. Well, Blake’s kind of bruised from the air bag going off, but other than that he’s okay. I’m just really ready to get out of here.” The phone jiggled for a moment, then he got back on the line. “I have to get off the phone now. Lilly, will you come get me? Soon?”

  “Of course. We’ll be right there, Caleb.”

  She heard his heartfelt sigh of relief through the phone. “Thanks. Hey, and Lilly?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m so glad you had your cell phone. I’ve been freaking out. If you hadn’t answered, I don’t know what I would have done.”

  Because his words were so true…because at the moment she felt like thanking the Lord for providing her with the means to talk to Caleb, Lilly couldn’t help but agree. Feeling hollow, she nodded, though she knew, of course, that he couldn’t see her. “Don’t worry. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  When she disconnected, she reached out and curved her left hand over Elsa’s clasped ones. “Caleb was out drinking with some English kids.”

  “And he’s at the police station?” Frank asked.

  “Yes. The boy who was driving lost control of his car and hit a tree. When the police arrived, they found three drunk boys, so they took them there to settle down.”

  “Is this a normal chain of events?”

  “I don’t know. If the boy who got in the accident was drinking, he would be in big trouble.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what will happen to the other kids in the car.”

  “I, for one, am plenty scared,” Elsa said. “Frank, I just don’t know what we’re going to do with that boy of ours. More and more, I think we’re losing touch with him.”

  Frank opened his mouth, then looking Lilly’s way, shut it just as quickly. “I’ll gather the kinner,” he mumbled as he turned away.

  “Lilly, we’d be verra grateful if you could take us to the police station as soon as possible. Do you know where to go?”

  “I’m not sure, but I can find out,” she murmured. “I promise, I’ll get us there as soon as I can.”

  As she followed the Grabers out to her car, she called information and got the address and directions to the courthouse. By the time everyone was buckled in, she was able to look at Caleb’s parents with more than a bit of assurance. “I know where to go,” she said with a weak smile.

  “Thank the good Lord for you,” Elsa said, her voice thick with gratitude. “I just don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  As Lilly exited the parking lot and made her way to the highway, she silently gave praise to their Maker. He’d just given her a sign.

  It was going to be up to her to follow his wishes and plans, even if her heart was going to break one more time.

  Chapter 24

  Blake’s and Jeremy’s parents arrived before Caleb had even gotten off the phone with Lilly. When the officer came to the cell and removed them, the boys left without so much as a backward glance in Caleb’s direction.

  When the iron door slammed shut again, enclosing him in the bare, cold room, Caleb wondered if he’d ever felt so low.

  He had truly made a huge mistake.

  He hadn’t known the boys very well, and what little he did know of them, he hadn’t liked that much. What was worse was that they seemed to instinctively know that and used his feelings to their benefit.

  Their seemingly good-natured teasing about his clothes and long hair had been expected. But then, when they gave him a beer…and then a shot of whiskey…and then another shot…and then expected him to give them money for it all, Caleb knew he was in a very bad situation, indeed.

  He’d given them ten dollars in one-dollar bills he’d earned in tips working at the store last Saturday. His parents didn’t like him accepting tip money for carrying groceries and such to Englischers’ cars, but Caleb hadn’t thought there’d been any great harm in taking the money.

  Most of the people’s wallets had been full of paper money and Caleb believed they wouldn’t feel the loss much. While he, on the other hand, appreciated having some spending money of his own.

  Of course, now it was all gone.

  The door leading into the main part of the police station opened again and the same man who had escorted Blake and Jeremy approached.

  Caleb stood up.

  To his surprise, the man almost smiled. “Hey. Are you okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “I heard you threw up.”

  Oh, he had. Right in the back of Blake’s car when they’d crashed. Blake had sworn at him, but Caleb had been too green around the gills to care. “I’m better now.”

  The officer—his name was Ferguson—shook his head. “Drinking and joyriding isn’t a good way to spend your extra time, son.”

  “I know that.”

  “Now.”

  Caleb nodded, thoroughly miserable. “Yes. Now.”

  “Blake Reamy, he’s been here before. He’s got a wild streak about a mile wide. You two friends now?”

  Caleb wasn’t sure where the conversation was going, but he was so afraid of sitting in the room all alone, he didn’t care. Anything was better than being alone with just his regrets. “No.”

  “Want to tell me what happened?”

  “I made a mistake.”

  “Uh-hum?”

  Because the officer sounded so sympathetic, Caleb spoke a little more. “See, I’ve been wondering what to do with my life. I’ve thought that maybe I should become English. Leave my family. Leave Sugarcreek.”

  “I know some Amish kids do that.”

  “A friend took me to Cleveland to meet some of her English friends. They were real nice. But they’re far away. I started thinking maybe I could get along with some English kids here.”

  “Ah.”

  “That’s not the whole truth. Part of me just wanted to rebel a little.”

  “You did that. Do you have a taste for it?”

  “Not at all.” Because Officer Ferguson didn’t look like he’d mind, Caleb took his seat again back on the hard plastic mattress on the cot. “Now I just want to go home.”

  The man looked at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know if this helps, but I will tell you that you’re sure not the first person to ever try walking on the wild side and regretting it. We’ve all done it.”

  “Even you?”

  “Even me.” He grinned, showing perfect white teeth.

  “Now, that doesn’t mean what I did was right, because it wasn’t. I learned that I like being where it’s comfortable. And being around people who know and love me.”

  A hard rap on the door
behind them made the officer turn. “Yes?”

  A lady with short red hair poked her head down the hall. “The boy’s parents are here. A Mr. and Mrs. Graber.”

  “Good. I think Caleb’s ready to see them. Give them the paperwork, Janice. We’ll be right out.” Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out his keys. “Ready to get out of here?”

  “Yeah. How mad do you think my folks are going to be?”

  “On a scale of one to ten? I’d say an eleven or twelve. Parents don’t like fishing their kids out of jail, Caleb.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Officer Ferguson placed a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “I have a feeling you’re going to be okay, though. You seem like a nice kid, and the nice ones always come from nice parents.”

  Officer Ferguson was tall. Caleb tilted his head up to meet his gaze. “This sounds weird, but thanks for coming back here and talking to me.”

  He winked. “This sounds weird, but I’m kind of glad you came in today. We don’t get too many kids like you.”

  “Amish?”

  “Good kids. You’re going to be just fine, Caleb Graber. But—and I mean this in the best way—I hope I never see you again.”

  Feeling like each foot weighed a hundred pounds, Caleb slowly followed Officer Ferguson down the dim hallway. He braced himself for a torrent of tears from his mother and a litany of retorts from his father when the officer opened the door and directed Caleb to step out into the bright lobby.

  He couldn’t remember ever feeling more embarrassed than when he forced himself to face his family. His head pounded when, one by one, each of his four siblings, his parents, and Lilly turned and looked at him, each one more agitated than the last.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. Knowing how insignificant his apology sounded.

  After a long moment, his father stepped forward. “Oh, Caleb,” he murmured, then hugged him close. Right there in front of everyone.

  Caleb closed his eyes and gave thanks. Gave thanks for everything. Even the bad stuff.

  Chapter 25

  Robert’s mind was spinning. There was so much to plan. He needed to see if Lilly wanted to live with an Amish family, and perhaps if Mary would be able to help teach her Pennsylvania Dutch.