Whoopie Pie Bakers: Volume Five: Special Friends (Amish)

by Sicily Yoder

  There could have been four leaving the church, thought Esther, as she recalled her earlier attempt to flock to New York City. Would she have returned home, with or without Emma, or would the glitz and convenience of the bustling city streets lure her in?

  It was something to think about as Gracie turned a sharp curve and kept her shoes against the slick road. “Gut Girl, Gracie!” A fresh smile touched Esther’s chapped lips. Gracie was back in business as a family travel horse.

  “Whoa!” Hank Eby’s loud voice bellowed up from his buggy opposite Esther. His horse, Pebbles, appeared to have slipped. “Whoa!” Pebbles finally caved to the thick words that escaped from deep within his throat.

  Esther was quiet, not wanting to distract Pebbles from trotting along the road. Hank seemed to understand her soundless nod. He nodded back and smiled, his blue eyes glistening.

  Hank had other plans. “Whoa!” Pebbles halted a few steps past Gracie. Both horses leisurely exchanged gazes and shook their heads, snow flickering off their beautiful coats. “Good, Pebbles!” Hank shook his head. “She got spooked by a deer!”

  Esther giggled. “Gracie did that when she was younger.”

  “What makes you bring Gracie out when she’s not a driving horse?”

  “I wanted her to get a break from the farm,” Esther explained before reaching up and wiping snowflakes away from her forehead.

  “You look a snow angel.” Hank said amusedly, and Esther blushed.

  “Danki, Hank. That was awful nice of you to say such a kind thing.” Esther gave a nod towards the road. “I guess I better be getting Gracie home before Daed misses her.”

  “You know she’s dying, don’t you?” Hank asked dryly, offending Esther.

  How could he say such a mean thing? Maybe she heard him wrong. “Dying?”

  “That’s why your daed stopped using her for traveling; she’s had cancer for quite some time.”

  “I wonder why he didn’t tell me.” Esther said in disbelief. “She’s my horse.”

  “Maybe the stress with Emma and all,” Hank announced in a convincing tone as the wind blew bounced his black hat above his head. He reached up, pushed it firmly down, and added, “I think he didn’t want to see his beautiful dochder cry anymore, and I can agree with that, for you’re too pretty to cry.”

  “Oh, Hank, I am exalted, for sure!” Esther smiled. “I wish every man thought that about me.”

  “Jacob Smith–jah?” Hank stared at her for an answer. “Well?”

  “Never mind. It was nice to see you.” Esther nodded a cordial goodbye, but he didn’t break his gaze. She wasn’t going to tell everyone about her attraction to Jacob. It was none of their business.

  “I heard you’re after Jacob, the one who left. Why would a gut girl like you be attracted to Satan?” Hank’s brow narrowed, his eyes deepening. “Makes me wonder what’s really in your heart. Have a gut day!”

  Esther wouldn’t dare let him leave without responding to his accusations! “Gott is in my heart, Hank, and I am not in love with an outsider.” A lump entered her throat, and she found it hard to swallow it. Jacob was alluring, sweet.

  Moreover, dangerous. How could she have let her guard down? The bishop could place her in The Bann if she continued chasing after him. It wasn’t worth it. Praise Gott that no one had seen Jacob holding her in his pick-up truck.

  Not true. Hank had found out. “He told me he held you and Gina.” His eyes burned through her chest as he stared at her. He had the same look as the bishop when he was preaching fire and brimstone on Sunday mornings. Hank was a very strict man of Gott.

  Esther wished she were as close as he was to the Lord. “I need to stop chasing after non-Christians and stay solid in my faith, don’t I?”

  “What’s taken you away, my sweet lady, was it Emma’s disappearance?” Hank asked. “She belongs to the Lord; any Christian woman would know this, so why don’t you?”

  “I can’t answer that, Hank,” Esther said in a hesitant tone. “I’m not ready to try to figure it out either.” Her heart hurt. Whose wouldn’t when they realized something deep within was hindering their spiritual growth?

  Probably anger. It was hard losing her bruders to the outside world and even harder seeing Emma kidnapped.

  “You go and ignore the hardness in your heart, and you’ll leave Gott, too. Believe me, the scriptures speak of it, and so does our bishop.” Hank clicked and flicked the reins. “Sit down and talk to the bishop. It will help.” He gave a final greeting and added, “I’ll let you get home out of the cold.”

  “I want to talk with you!” Esther blurted, wishing she could take her words back. Although she wouldn’t tell Hank, his wisdom and caring tone was exactly like daed’s behavior. What a powerful man of Gott!

  He grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t be shy anymore once I finally took the chance to speak to you.”

  “Speak to me? You speak to me after church services, and you’ve done this every other Sunday for how many years?” Esther retorted, and his grin carved upward, his eyes sparkling behind the flurries of silver snow.

  “Never mind, Esther. I just lost my thoughts and was reminiscing about how you are always the shyest single girl at church.” He laughed and uttered, “And you’ll never marry, for sure.”

  “Why do you say that, Hank?” Esther snapped her brow narrowing. He seemed to imply that she would be a spinster because she wasn’t moving closer to him, leisurely chatting to get to know him more. Why, there were several single menner her age! How rude of him to think she would be left alone.

  Like she was now. On the farm. Without Emma. Emma’s body was back but her heart wasn’t. Esther had dedicated her energy to finding her schwester who didn’t want to be found.

  She needed to be truthful and upped her tone as Hank was driving off. “I have been consumed with bringing Emma home, and now, she doesn’t want to be home. How could I search for a husband other than Jacob?” Esther covered her mouth with her cold hands. Did she just say what she said? Jacob was a potential husband. How did that happen?

  She hadn’t spent much time with Jacob, although he was very close to her bruders. Had she been so desperate to gain a man’s affection that she would slip into any man’s life who would accept her? On the other hand, did she harbor deep feelings for Jacob? It was confusing, and she didn’t have time to sort her feelings out in a snowstorm.

  Hank laughed and looked amused by her frown and narrow gaze. “I guess you know how standoffish you are at church now that I’ve told you.”

  “Only with you menner. I am close to my church schwesters.”

  “When was the last time you saw Brenda Mae–jah?” Hank quizzed. “You used to help her all the time—”

  “Before my schwester was kidnapped, very true, Hank.” Esther refused to let him blame her for her failing relationship with Brenda Mae, an unmarried woman, for after Emma’s abduction, Esther didn’t have any extra energy for friends.

  And Gott, but she hadn’t realized that until now, and it was sad to see such a handsome man pointing out her weaknesses. Did he have any weaknesses? She’d have to study him hard during the next few weeks to see.

  Within seconds, he was gone down the road. What a man to point out her horrible life. She was a sinner. She was an absent friend. She was alone.

  “Giddyap!” Esther flicked the reins, and Gracie seemed a bit sluggish. The bad morning had affected the horse too. What was Hank thinking to carry on a conversation about marriage when Gracie was sick?

  On the other hand, Esther had known better than to take Gracie out without asking Daed; therefore, she felt partly responsible for Gracie’s sluggish behavior.

  Gott, please heal Gracie and bring Emma back home. And bring Jacob back too, so I can get to know him better.” Esther loosened her grip on the reins and watched the tender drops of white flurries fall against the sloping pines and dipping hollows that lined the road. Would Gott answer her prayer?

  ~CHAPTER TWENTY~

  Jacob co
uldn’t get his mind off Esther as he drove his neighbor’s horse and buggy down Main Street of Lancaster. He felt bad for hurting her feelings. It never felt gut to be rejected, especially by one who you would like to have as a special friend.

  Maybe he should grab a butterscotch pie from Yoder’s Place Restaurant. It would be a gut gesture, maybe cheer her up, maybe not. As soon as he took Gina out to Chalet in the Valley as promised tonight, he’d look like a player, and he didn’t want that at all.

  The traffic was thick for December, probably eager Christmas shoppers. The car in front of him halted to let pedestrians cross over two doors down from Yoder’s Place. Esther would really enjoy a butterscotch pie, thought Jacob, as he gazed into the window of the busy restaurant.

  What if Esther didn’t accept the pie? thought Jacob as he scanned the parking lot in front of the popular eatery and seen an empty spot. He’d be left with a heaping sugary treat, and he could stand to lose a few pounds.

  As the car in front of him etched upward, Jacob signaled right and pulled in front of Yoder’s Place. I’ll try it, he thought, it can’t hurt! I should get Gina one to be fair; in case Esther tells someone, I bought her a pie.

  He led Murphy, the chestnut-brown horse, into a parking lot behind an Iowa-licensed minivan and felt his hands sweat. Although he pretended to be gut with attracting single women, he always had a fear.

  Of rejection.

  Two things could happen: Esther would accept the pie and be mused or would harbor a grudge and give him a taste of the rejection he’d shown her earlier. He deserved it, but he didn’t want it.

  Rejection was painful.

  That was one reason it would be hard picking a fraa. No matter whom he chose one of the women would be hurt. To hurt a godly woman or an ungodly one was the question he pondered as he strode past happy tourists down the sidewalk of Main Street.

  Would Gott look down on him if he abandoned Esther? He had to consider how his parents had raised: to want an Amish fraa, not one who longed to be Englisch.

  Sure, Mamm and Daed had taking a liking to Gina, but they didn’t know about her plans to leave the Amish.

  And take their beloved son with them.

  The Bible warned of wolves in sheep clothing. Gina was a wolf with her true, worldly desires masked by a black bonnet, white prayer kapp, and the traditional Amish cape dress.

  I will get one pie for Esther and leave the wolf alone, Jacob thought, as he opened the door of Yoder’s Place and made his way to the host area. Merle Yoder and Mark Miller; Earl’s Mark, were chitchatting over a large plate of scrapple, baked oatmeal, and mile-high biscuits.

  Jacob caught Mark’s eye and exchanged a warm smile and nod. “Gut Mariye!” Jacob’s greeting made Merle turn in the booth to view him and wave. “Scrapple gut this ‘morn?”

  Merle licked his lips and exclaimed, “Finger-licking gut, come on over and have a seat!”

  “I’m picking up a pie for Esther, so I’m on the go,” Jacob announced, wishing he could take the words back when several heads turned his way. It would only take an hour before Gina found out about he jilted her.

  Dating was hard, he thought as he walked up to the counter and eyed the large assortment of fresh-baked pies. Wunderbar hints of pumpkin spice, rich chocolate, and delicious Shoofly pie flowed throughout the area and teased his stomach. He would take one of each, then be on his way.

  Jacob, is Esther getting all of those pies, or will Gina get one?” Mark Miller probed, and Jacob felt a gush of heat rush to his face. What could he say to defend himself?

  Jacob decided to be truthful. “They are all for Esther and her Mamm.” They were; he knew that Esther couldn’t possibly eat eight pies.

  “Miller Bakery has some mighty gut pies! I hope Esther likes them!” The cashier said as he carried the boxed pies away from the register. It would be rude to bring another baker’s pies into Miller Bakery, so Jacob decided to wait until the bakery closed to deliver the pies.

  Jacob carefully placed the pies in the buggy, unhitched Murphy, and flicked the reins, clicked at Murphy as she pressed her hooves down against the cold ground to enter Main Street traffic. “Giddyap!” Murphy held her head high as she trotted. What a confident horse!

  Confidence that he’d ever be married didn’t exist as Jacob reached up and repositioned his round brim hat. I am an outsider to my own community, and I have been for a while, he thought, as he came to a stop light. “Whoa!”

  Jacob found it odd that he judged Gina for wanting to be an outsider when he was already standing outside looking in.

  Yearning to get back in.

  Oh, how things change so quickly, he thought, as he remembered the day Mamm had announced she had jumped the fence.

  “Go upstairs and take those clothes off and dress into these,” Mamm said as she handed each child a cotton tee shirt and pair of blue jeans.” Mamm’s face looked of pure anger, the lines in her face taunt, her usual smile absent.

  “I don’t want to wear Englisch clothes, are you kidding me, Mamm?” Jacob had asked as he tried to examine Mamm’s odd behavior.

  “Do as I say! We aren’t Amish anymore!” Mamm snapped, and Jacob and his sibling had grimaced, both answering simultaneously, “You are in The Bann?”

  “No, I choose to leave! Now go put the clothes on so we won’t look like them anymore!” Mamm had snapped, and they had slowly turned and made their way to their rooms. Minutes later, they returned, and with tears in her mad eyes, she examined them and said, “The gossipers should be happy now! We are on the outside!”

  They had been on the outside ever since, and it felt lonely, running on one’s own desires, living for the flesh.

  Gina wanted on that side of the fence, like Mamm. Jacob wondered if a little prayer would change Gina’s heart. It hadn’t changed Mamm’s desire to leave, for she seemed to enjoy an outside life with little gossip.

  Now that he had announced to the whole restaurant that he had bought pies for a woman who was already a master baker, the community would start to gossip about his intentions to try to lure Esther away from her faith.

  Jacob hoped that Esther wouldn’t get upset because of rumors and leave. She seemed very grounded in her faith.

  Gott, You know my true heart. Jacob still felt uneasy after the prayer. He didn’t want the bishop to place Esther in The Bann on hearsay. It would be best to stay away and not deliver the pies.

  Even if he didn’t gain her hand in marriage, she would remain strong in her faith. If gossip erupted, it could drive her away, and he cared about her enough to protect her from harm.

  Again. Like he had done in shielding her from moving to New York City. He knew best for her, although it would hurt her for the moment. He found it odd that he cared enough about her to allow her to endure pain so that she could remain a believer.

  It hadn’t been like that for Gina. Why? He’d accepted Gina’s itinerary of leaving the Amish and hooking up in the city. Why hadn’t he cared about Gina’s soul?

  He couldn’t answer that, although he wanted to, for he was going off emotions, some bottled up deep within his chest.

  Would Gina really leave her faith, and would he go with her? Only time would tell.

  THE END of Volume Five.

  Table of Contents

  ~DEDICATION~

  ~AMISH WORDS~