by Jeff High
I pulled into my driveway, trying to piece together everything Luther had told me. In time, I cut the engine and headed inside. On the porch steps I pulled out the check he’d given me, noting that it was for five hundred dollars.
It was a small victory, especially considering the mean-spirited sign on his front door. At least I had fared better than the Girl Scouts.
CHAPTER 25
Levi Beiler
The hot days of July came and went.
Daily life returned to its routine if mildly mundane tempo. The shared misery of the sweltering heat made for a ready topic of conversation, and most chose not to suffer in silence. Once or twice a week it would rain, providing a brief relief, but it was often followed by humidity tantamount to a steam room.
Gardens exploded, including mine. If it was left untended for more than two days, I had zucchini the size of a Wiffle ball bat. The surplus was so absurd that neighbors began to lock their doors and hide when they saw me coming with a loaded paper bag. I would walk out my front door in the morning, only to find a large sack of cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes left by the vegetable fairy, some poor soul whose ingrained mind-set of waste-not-want-not had reduced him to such covert acts.
Beatrice McClanahan no longer trolled the streets on her lawn mower, having been given a kind but firm ultimatum by Warren Thurman. I decided to visit her one afternoon. It was a convenient excuse to find a new victim in my ever-widening search for recipients of the garden overflow. She seemed delighted to see me and grateful for the bag of veggies, but I couldn’t help notice that some of the light had gone out of her eyes. She was lonely, and the heat kept her confined, unable to walk any great distance. I made a mental note to check in on her more often.
After a brief exam, Karen Davidson determined that Rhett did, in fact, have a small tumor behind his left eye. Her advice was to watch it for a while but that it might require surgery. She also confirmed that Maggie was expecting. Perhaps it was my imagination, but Rhett seemed to have a little more strut in his step after hearing the news. Louise Fox had graciously invited Rhett to spend his days in the fenced backyard so that the newlyweds could discuss favorite names and what color to paint the nursery. The two would frolic with each other for the first ten minutes and then settle down to a morning of lounging under the shade of the tall trees. The lucky dogs.
Meanwhile, Karen’s practice limped along poorly. She had grown a modest cat and dog business, and a few of the horse owners in the valley who had engaged her services had been amazed by her talent and skill. But word of mouth was slow to take hold, and the large beef and dairy operations were not calling. It was tough going, and there seemed little I could do to help her.
The community charity yard sale had netted more than eight thousand dollars, which was being donated to the statue fund. So despite all the unrest and frustration that day had held for me, it had also produced a sizable donation to a worthy cause.
A company in Nashville that specialized in bronze work was awarded the contract for the memorial statue. The final quote turned out to be slightly over a hundred and eight thousand dollars. We had raised nearly two-thirds of that. Fortunately, the company agreed to begin the project with only half down and the balance due just prior to delivery.
John had recruited a group of volunteers, including Connie, to begin the arduous process of digging through the county, state, and national archives to come up with a list of veterans from the valley who had died in combat. The fund-raiser dance down at the lake had been scheduled for the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, with the intention of catching some cooler weather. We were all in great hopes that this event would go far to closing the gap on the needed funds.
As instructed, Levi Beiler returned to the clinic to have his stitches removed. He had driven his wagon to town alone, giving me an opportunity to talk to him individually. At first he had little to say, but he opened up when I asked him about his time in Nashville.
“It was quite an interesting city.”
“How did you get around?”
“Buses and taxis. Sometimes I would catch a ride with strangers.” He grunted an amused laugh. “Mostly women.”
“So, what did you think of it all?”
His words were cautious. “What you are asking requires me to be critical of your way of life, Dr. Bradford. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
I almost laughed. “I’m quite certain, Levi, that I could be much more critical about it than you would ever be.”
He nodded his understanding. The succinctness of his answer convinced me that this was a question to which he had devoted considerable thought. “The city gives you a certain oblivion, an ability to re-create yourself. Perhaps for some that is a good thing. But for most of the people living there, life was so competitive. It makes them want things, things to replace their existing things that are perfectly fine. They want it all. There, the answer to ‘How much is enough’ was always ‘Just a little bit more.’ At home with my people, with the Mennonites, we just wanted to know what the temperature was going to be that day.”
I smiled.
He continued. “Don’t misunderstand, Dr. Bradford. It wasn’t all bad. There were some enjoyable amusements. And a lot of the beer was really good.”
This assertion left me curious. “Hold it, Levi. You’re only twenty. How did you get beer?”
His face eased into a wry smile. “Fraternities.”
I had to laugh. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, Levi would look right at home on Twenty-fourth and Kensington, the intersection of Vanderbilt’s Greek world.
“So I take it you found your way into a few parties?”
“More than a few, I’m afraid, Dr. Bradford.”
“How did you pull that off?”
“By telling the truth. That I was Mennonite.”
“And they bought that?”
He seemed surprised by my skepticism. “Sure. They had a thousand questions, and they always wanted to talk about theology.”
“Interesting. How did that go?”
“It was sad, really. For me, speaking of God is an eloquent, rewarding thing. For them, he was little more than a short and ugly monosyllable. They treated religion as if it were constantly in need of mending. You see, Dr. Bradford, for the Mennonites, there are truth and untruth, belief and unbelief. We are at ease with extremes and inhabit them by choice. We sin and have our failings, as all men do. But we see our world in black and white, not the halftones and gray shades that the larger world accommodates.”
I thought about Levi’s words for a moment and couldn’t help but be impressed with the succinctness of his insights, with the clarity with which he so easily articulated the tenets of his faith. Admittedly, his sense of conviction was enviable.
“Well, Levi, that’s rather impressively said. Did you win over any converts?”
He laughed lightly. “That was hardly my intention. I did meet a lot of rather interesting people, though.” He paused, reflecting for a moment before speaking with a subdued smile. “Some of them were rather pretty.”
“Hmm, I’m guessing you met a few coeds at the parties.”
Levi looked confused.
“‘Coeds’ refers to girls.”
His wry smile returned. “Yes, quite a few. Some of them saw me as a challenge. I’m quite certain a few of them wanted to take me to bed, like I was some kind of prize. One or two were almost winners. But ultimately, I could not let it happen. All I could see was the face of Rebecca.”
Again, I nodded. “Well, that’s certainly understandable. Rebecca seems quite fond of you.”
His face glowed at the mention of her name. “Yes. I came back because of my faith. But my heart never left her. We have been in love for a long time. Mr. Yoder has consented for us to be wed.”
“Congratulations! I have kind of a dumb quest
ion. For some reason I assumed that Mennonite marriages are arranged. I’m guessing that’s not true?”
“It’s a common misunderstanding, Dr. Bradford. But no, we date and fall in love like all people do. Courtship is more structured, and we are required to marry within the faith.”
“So, a Mennonite would never marry an outsider?”
“Only if that person joined the faith.”
“And that’s allowed?”
“There are no rules prohibiting it, but it would be quite difficult.”
“I see. Well, congratulations again. I’m happy for you.”
“Yes. We are quite excited. We will be married in October.”
“Levi, with both of you being so young, where will you live?”
He spoke with polite reserve. “Dr. Bradford, we are a frugal people, but that does not mean we are poor. Both of our families have set aside money and land for us to begin our life together. We will do the same for our children. For a brief time, we will live with my parents, but I am buying some land from the Yoders. It is on Mercy Creek Road. Next spring I will build a house there.”
“Where on Mercy Creek Road?”
“It’s a small farm surrounded by large hills. There used to be a house there, but it burned years ago. I will probably build on the old foundation.”
“I know the place. I passed it a while back when I went out to examine Jacob’s father. So the Yoders own that property?”
“Yes. Eli’s father bought it when Eli and his sister, Ellie, were children. It was supposed to be a home for Ellie when she got married. But she died young of sickness, and the place has been left all these years. Now Rebecca and I are to have it.”
I was fascinated. It had never occurred to me to ask Jacob who owned the property. Now I understood why the ruins had remained untouched for decades. Perhaps because of the unexplained singing in the wind I had heard there, the place held a peculiar enchantment for me.
I congratulated Levi once more, and soon after, he departed.
I was happy for him and his lovely bride to be. But what he’d told me also held up a light to a simple reality.
It was time to move forward with my own plans.
FROM THE JOURNAL OF CHRISTINE CHAMBERS, JUNE 10, 2000
Dear Mr. Wonderful:
I haven’t written to you in a while, but I thought of you today. So I am writing this letter. I don’t know who you are or where you live, so I can’t mail it to you. But I’d like to think that when I dream about you, magically you can hear what I am saying and know what I am thinking.
I’ve been out on a couple of car dates. The boys were sweet, but they weren’t you, Mr. Wonderful. I don’t why I know this. I just do.
I spent a couple of hours over on Bracken’s Knoll late this afternoon. I got a new CD player for my fifteenth birthday, so I took it with me and listened to songs. My favorite is “Breathe.” It made me think of you and that day I heard your voice floating in the air.
Or did I just dream that?
Will we have a song, Mr. Wonderful? What will it be? Will you sing it to me?
I wonder where you are right now. Are you dating? What kind of girls are they? Are they pretty? I hope you’ll think I’m pretty.
That’s stupid, isn’t it? You would never be Mr. Wonderful if you didn’t think I was pretty. But I’m smart too, and athletic. I make good grades and play basketball.
I think I’m pretty. And it’s nice when boys notice and say so and ask me out. But I don’t think they care that I’m smart and a good athlete. You won’t be that way, will you, Mr. Wonderful? You’ll love everything about me, won’t you?
I do hope we have a song. And it will be playing when we meet, or when we first kiss, or when you first tell me you love me. That’s the way it should be. Our song should be playing when something important happens.
But you already know this because you can read my thoughts; you know what I’m thinking.
I hope we meet soon.
I love you, Mr. Wonderful.
CAC
P.S. I hope you can sing.
CHAPTER 26
Our Song
The first of August signaled Christine’s return to work as a schoolteacher. Our evenings together on the farmhouse’s broad porch became less frequent, and when they did occur, they included stacks of papers to grade and the preparation of lesson plans. When I wasn’t reading a medical journal or a book, I was doing my best to distract her, using small acts of affection that were not as greatly appreciated as they might have been.
One Thursday evening in mid-August, I was lying on the wicker sofa absorbed in a mystery novel while Christine sat nearby grading a pile of tests. She looked up from her papers and asked, “Luke, do you think I’m smart?”
“You’re dating me, aren’t you?”
“That hardly qualifies.”
I continued reading. “I love you too.”
“Oh come on, Bradford. Answer the question.”
I stayed hidden behind my book. “I think you are very smart. Why even ask such a question?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” She returned to grading her papers.
But a minute later, she spoke again. “Luke.”
“Hmm.”
“We’re a couple, right?”
I was at a critical, consuming point in the novel and left a long pause before my idle response. “Sure.”
“I need you to look at my eyes when we talk.” It was her schoolteacher voice.
I rested my book on my chest and peered over the top. “Okay, brown eyes, I’m missing something here. Why all the questions?”
“No big reason. The girls in my classroom were asking me about it today.”
Returning to my book, I responded lethargically. “Well, I hope you didn’t tell them we were going steady, because if that gets out, I’ll never hear the end of it down at the Co-op.”
“Gee, hate that. Looks like you’re just going to have to man up.”
I knew that tone only too well. There was something deeper, a cloaked desire in the question that my clownish answer had not accommodated. I sat up, put my book aside, and spoke with all the earnest affection I could muster. “What other kinds of questions were they asking, Christine?”
She remained focused on her schoolwork for a moment longer, requiring me to pay penance for my detached behavior of the last few minutes. But I could see her eyes soften with the change in my tone and posture.
“Oh, you know, the kind of things that twelve – and thirteen-year-olds are curious about. How did we meet? Where do we go on dates? What’s our song?”
“Do we have a song?”
“No, don’t think we do.”
“Well, I think we should have a song. I’m pretty sure it’s required for couple status.”
“Well, what’s your suggestion?”
“Absolutely no idea. I flunked the ‘pick your song’ class. You’re going to have to do the heavy lifting here.”
“It should be something from a special moment we shared.”
“Define ‘special moment’?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe something to do with our first date, first kiss, first something.”
I thought about this for a second and realized I was completely clueless. “Okay. It’s official. This is definitely a girl thing.”
“Oh come on, Bradford. Try to be the romantic for a whole five minutes.”
“Ooooo-kaaaaay. Jeez.” I exhaled and rubbed my chin. “How about the first time I told you I loved you?”
“Nah, not good. We were at the dairy barn, and you had just finished helping with milking. You smelled like a cow.”
“Well, dang, I thought it was pretty romantic.”
Christine noted my wounded tone. “Oh come on now. Yes, it was sweet and wonderful and everythi
ng, but it wasn’t exactly song worthy.”
I twisted my lips into a tight pucker. “Well, then, what about the moment I fell in love with you?”
Christine’s face softened. “When was that?”
I breathed a small sigh of embarrassment. “You’re probably not going to believe me. But looking back, it was the night of our first date when we went out to Moon Lake and built the fire. I mean, I can’t say that even at the time I understood it or was even willing to admit it to myself. But I felt the same way about you after that night that I feel right now. So, Miss Chambers, I guess you stole my heart from the very beginning.”
An adoring tenderness welled in her eyes. “Luke Bradford, I take it back. You are the romantic.” She lowered her chin and regarded me with glowing affection. “Seriously? That first night at Moon Lake?”
“Yeah, that first night. You remember; we talked for hours. I never told you this, but I had looked you up on the Internet. You were valedictorian of your class, a five-star basketball recruit, everybody said you could sing like a bird, and yeah, you were also quite gorgeous. So sure, I was a little intimidated.”
“You’re telling me you were intimidated?”
“Well, sure, a little. Look, for months I only knew you from a distance. And then there we were—the lake, the fire, the stars, and I had you all to myself. I thought I would spend the whole evening just staring at you, trying to memorize you. But the more we talked, the more I was fascinated. You were smart, strong, funny, and yet, you were also sweet and vulnerable. I guess I fell in love with all of that.”
In a fluid motion Christine left her chair and came to sit beside me, bending her legs across my lap and draping her arms around my neck.
“So, Mr. Luke Romantic-After-All Bradford, what do you think our song should be?”
Nothing was coming to mind. When an idea finally did hit, I spoke before thinking. “Well, since we built that fire, how about ‘The Campfire Song’ by SpongeBob SquarePants?”