She nodded. “What are you curious about, David?”
“I’m curious about you.”
Priscilla’s face felt like it was on fire. “Wh–why would you be curious about me?”
He touched her arm. “I want to know everything about you.”
“We’re not here to talk about me,” she admonished. “We’re heading to see the bishop, to talk about you and your desire to join the Amish church.”
“Oh, that’s right; I almost forgot.” David’s eyes twinkled as he grinned at Priscilla. “Seriously, though, I do need to know as much in advance as I can before I speak to your bishop again.”
“Okay then, here are a couple of tips.” Priscilla held up one finger. “Before deciding to join the Amish church, you need to learn as much as possible about our religion, history, and lifestyle.”
“Great! Please fill me in.”
“Well, I can’t begin to tell you everything in one day, but to begin with, you might be interested in knowing that the Amish communities of today are descendants of Swiss Anabaptists. They came to America in the early 1700s, and the largest Amish community is in Holmes County, Ohio.”
“Are there Amish in every state?” David asked.
Priscilla shook her head. “Some states, like Washington and Oregon, had an Amish settlement for a while, but unfortunately, they didn’t last long.”
“That’s a bummer. I wonder how come they didn’t make it.”
“I’m not sure, but it’s not easy for new communities to start out—especially in areas where there aren’t other Amish. Even so, it’s my understanding that there are Amish living in twenty-eight states and also some in Canada.” Priscilla smiled. “There’s even a small community in Sarasota, Florida, where some Amish and Mennonites vacation or spend their winters.”
David’s eyes widened. “Wow! Guess the Amish must enjoy going to the beach as much as I do.” He stretched his arms out in front of him then locked his fingers and placed his hands behind his head. “I can see there’s a lot for me to learn. Think I’ll go online and search for more information about the Amish way of life.”
“You could do that all right, but some of it might not be accurate,” Priscilla said. “Really, the best way to learn is for you to become part of the Amish community.”
“Guess that makes sense. Think I’ll do that as soon as I get back to Gram and Gramp’s house.”
Priscilla didn’t say much, but she wondered why David preferred to learn about the Amish through the Internet, when he had the real thing right here in front of him.
As they continued down the road, Priscilla enjoyed her time with David. He was easygoing and fun to be with and seemed to like their ride as much as she did.
It was the end of January, and still quite cold, although today she could feel the sun’s warmth. Snow still lay in the shadowy areas, but it had melted in places where the sun hit regularly. Only a few more months of winter remained, but on days like today, Priscilla was anxious for spring.
“What are you thinking about right now?” David asked, breaking into Priscilla’s musings.
“Oh, just enjoying the moment. After all the snow we’ve had, it’s nice to see it melting in spots.”
“Sort of makes ya hanker for spring, huh?”
She smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
David leaned back, putting his hands behind his head again. “Before I forget, I saw Elam the other day.”
“Did he drop by your grandparents’ house to see how you’re doing?”
“No, I saw him at Adam Beachy’s hardware store. He was there getting some things his father needed.”
“Did he tell you he’s working a second job?”
“Jah.” David winked at Priscilla. “See, I can say that word pretty good, too.”
“Yes, you can.” Priscilla never could tell whether David’s winks were flirtatious or just his way of showing his humor. Whatever it was, she always felt embarrassed when he winked at her.
“Since Elam’s working two jobs, I’ll bet you don’t get to see him much anymore.”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
David looked at her curiously. “Are you okay with it?”
She shrugged. “If Elam’s thinks he needs more money, there’s not much I can do about it. I do miss seeing him, though.”
“Maybe he’s saving up enough money to buy you a house.”
“I doubt it. Elam hasn’t even asked me to marry him yet.”
“You think he will?” David prompted.
“I don’t know. I’m beginning to think maybe not.”
“He’s a dummkopp. If I had a girlfriend as sweet and pretty as you, I’d have proposed to her by now. If I were Elam, I’d be worried someone might come along and snatch his girlfriend from him.”
Priscilla’s face heated. She wasn’t used to such compliments. Even though she and Elam had been courting quite awhile, he’d never told her she was pretty—at least not so directly.
“Here we are.” Priscilla guided her horse and buggy up the lane leading to the Kauffmans’ house. “Would you like me to go in with you, or would you rather speak to the bishop alone?”
David took Priscilla’s hand, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I’d be more comfortable if you came with me.”
“I’d be happy to.” Priscilla hoped things would work out for David to become Amish. It would mean he’d stay in Arthur and they could spend more time together. Of course, if she and Elam ever got married, she’d have to stop seeing David by herself. It wouldn’t look right for a married woman to hang around an unmarried man—especially one as good-looking as David.
CHAPTER 25
When Adam took a seat on a backless wooden bench inside Jonah Miller’s buggy shop Sunday morning, he felt grateful. Not only had he reestablished a relationship with his mother and begun building one with Jared, but they’d learned this week Leah was definitely pregnant. The baby would be born in late August or early September.
They hadn’t told anyone yet—not even the girls. Leah wanted to wait until she was a little further along in her pregnancy. Adam had agreed but was bursting at the seams, eager to share their exciting news. Because of the bitterness he’d harbored for so many years toward his mother, Adam had determined never to marry and have children. His life had changed when he’d agreed to raise his nieces and married Leah. Since he was raising three girls, he’d had a little practice at being a father, so having a child of his own should come naturally.
Shifting his thoughts, Adam remembered his mother would be coming by next week to meet the girls. Sure hope the visit goes well. He repositioned himself on the unyielding bench. It had taken awhile, but Adam had finally come to realize accusations and blame did nothing to change what had happened. Blaming his mother for everything that had gone wrong in his own life had made Adam bitter and caused him to pull away from others.
At one time, he’d thought shutting himself off from others would keep him from getting hurt again. But that was running from his past and brought Adam no peace. Every day, he thanked God for bringing Leah and the girls into his life. The love he felt for them and his recommitment to God had softened Adam’s heart. When Jared’s accident happened, Adam had finally let go of the past and truly forgiven his mother.
He smiled as the congregation sang another song from their hymnal, the Ausbund. I wonder what my mother will say when she learns Leah is expecting a baby—another grandson or granddaughter for her.
David glanced at Elam, sitting beside him on a wooden bench with no back. Unlike himself, Elam had joined the others in song, but then Elam was familiar with this type of worship and understood everything that was going on. It was frustrating not to be able to read the strange words on the page of the Amish hymnal. And every song they sang seemed to be longer than the one before. David hoped after a time he would feel more a part of things, but right now he felt like a bird with no tree to land in.
As the service progressed and the fi
rst message was preached, David’s eyelids grew heavy. The preacher spoke in German, which of course, David didn’t understand, either. He wished now he’d taken German instead of Spanish in school. But then, how was he to know he was going to need the language of the Amish someday?
To complicate things, the Amish spoke another dialect when they conversed with each other. They referred to it as “German Dutch” or “Pennsylvania Dutch.” The higher form of German was only used during their church services, weddings, and funerals.
David hadn’t attended a wedding or funeral yet, but Priscilla had tried to explain what they were like. He’d determined they weren’t too different from Sunday services, except weddings included a bit more, with the formal vows and messages about marriage. From what Priscilla had said, funerals were different, too, because the casket with the body of the deceased was present. During a funeral service, the message would be geared toward the topic of death, whereas a sermon during a regular preaching service could be based on any passage from the Bible. While David found the Amish way of life quite fascinating, it still seemed a bit foreign to him. There were times, like today, when he wondered if he really should take the necessary classes to join the Amish church. Other days, when he was with Priscilla, David felt confident he could handle almost anything—including a horse and buggy—with ease.
He reached around to rub a tender spot on his back, wondering how much longer until the service ended. It was hard to get comfortable on the rigid bench with no back support. But he did his best to deal with it. In addition to the discomfort in David’s back, the leg he had broken started to throb. Even though the break had healed and his cast was off, sitting in the second row gave him little room to stretch out his leg. Hoping no one would notice, David wiggled his ankle around, to get the circulation moving. It helped some, but it wasn’t enough. He was anxious for the service to end so he could go outside where he could walk around and stretch his legs.
When another minister stood to deliver a second message, David closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep. He was awakened by a sharp jab to the ribs, and grimaced when he saw Elam glaring at him.
Elam couldn’t believe David had dozed off here in church. If this guy can’t even stay awake during one of our preaching services, how’s he ever gonna join the Amish church and become one of us?
Glancing around the room, Elam noticed Ray Mast, a widower in his nineties, was sleeping, too. Ray had been a farmer for as long as Elam remembered. In fact, Ray still helped his sons farm their land, so it was a little more understandable why he might be snoozing. Sure hope if I reach Ray’s ripe old age, I’ll be as active as him.
Elam glanced back at David. Maybe I should have let him keep sleeping. He might have started snoring and embarrassed himself. I wonder what Priscilla would have thought.
Elam stole a peek at the women’s side of the room and caught Priscilla looking his way. Had she seen what happened with David just now? Did she, too, think David wasn’t cut out to be Amish? I liked him better when he was just our English friend who came to visit his grandparents once in a while. Having him here, hanging around Priscilla so much, is irritating. Sure hope he doesn’t have any idea about taking my girlfriend from me. I won’t stand for that!
Elam was eager to spend time after church with Priscilla today. He hoped David wouldn’t expect to be included in their afternoon plans.
Cora had finished clearing the table from the meal she and Jared had shared after church, when she heard a car pull in. It must be Evan.
Jared had gone to his room to rest, so Cora wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to answer the door. When she opened it, Evan greeted her with a smile—one of those phony-looking ones she’d seen him use whenever he wanted something.
“Come in.” She gestured to the living room, her guard already up. “Make yourself comfortable while I fix some coffee.”
“Don’t bother. I drank plenty on my way here, so I’ve had more than enough caffeine today.”
“Would you like something else to drink?”
“Maybe some water with lots of ice.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Cora went to the kitchen. She hoped Jared would remain in his room, at least until Evan had told her what he’d come here to talk about.
When Cora entered the living room, she found Evan standing with his back to the fireplace, surveying the room. “This place is sure small,” he muttered. “A far cry from our home in Chicago.”
“It’s sufficient for our needs at the present time. Actually, I find it to be rather cozy.” She shifted her weight. “And speaking of the home we used to share, I finally have a buyer for it.”
“Is that so? Mind telling me how much you’ll be getting for it?”
Cora bristled. Why did he need to know that? Part of the divorce agreement was that she would get the house, free and clear. It was none of Evan’s business how much it sold for, and she wasn’t about to give him those figures. “I’ll just say I got enough money to buy another place when I find it and still have some left over to put in Jared’s college fund.”
Evan took a seat on the couch. “Speaking of our son, I want Jared to come live with me and Emily.”
Every muscle in Cora’s body tightened. “What brought that request on all of a sudden?”
“You obviously can’t control what our son does, or he wouldn’t have been off joyriding with a troubled kid like Chad. Those boys should not have even been out on New Year’s Eve!”
Cora bit her lip to keep from shouting at him. “For your information, Evan, I did not know Jared would end up riding in Chad’s car. I thought he was spending the night with his friend, Scott, who is a nice kid. That’s what Jared told me he was doing, and I took his word on it.”
“Maybe you should hold a tighter rein on the boy and check things out before you let him go running off with any of his friends.” Evan paused, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Emily and I have talked it over. We want Jared to come live with us.”
Cora’s mouth dropped open, but before she could say a word, Jared burst into the room.
“I won’t go back to Chicago, Dad! I belong here with Mom and my brother, Adam. Mom’s right, too. I lied when I said I was gonna be with Scott, ’cause I knew she’d never let me go anywhere with Chad.”
Cora whirled around, surprised not only because Jared had overhead their conversation but also because he really didn’t want to move back to Chicago. There was a day when all Jared talked about was going back so he could be closer to his dad. It did her heart good to hear her son admit he’d lied to her, too. It took a lot for a person to acknowledge when they’d done something wrong and not try to justify their actions. She couldn’t feel any prouder of her son.
“Your brother?” Evan scoffed, pointing a finger at Jared. “You mean you’d rather hang around an Amish man who’s twice your age and whom you barely know, than live with your father?”
Jared nodded. “At least Adam came to visit regularly when I was in the hospital. How come you only came to see me once, Dad?”
Before Evan could respond, Jared continued with his tirade. “You think I’ve forgotten all about Thanksgiving, when you had no time for me? No, instead of spendin’ time with your son, you wanted to be with your friends and couldn’t have cared less if I was there or not.” He paused long enough to take a deep breath. “I couldn’t stay in Chicago another day. That’s why I asked you to bring me back to Arthur earlier than planned.”
Evan’s face colored. “I’ve been busy with my practice, or I’d have been back to see you sooner. And whether you know it or not, I did call the hospital several times to find out how you were doing.” His eyes narrowed. “As far as Thanksgiving goes, you acted in a selfish and immature manner that day. I only took you home because you insisted, and I didn’t want you to make a scene in front of my friends.”
Cora was tempted to say how a visit from Jared’s dad during his hospital stay would have meant a lot more than a phone call he k
new nothing about, but she held her tongue. There was no point putting Evan on the defensive even more. Besides, Jared was starting to figure things out for himself.
Jared moved closer to Cora but kept his focus on Evan. “If you make me move back to Chicago, I’ll run away like Chad did. He was so desperate to get away from his stepdad that he chose to sleep in one of our neighbor’s barns after Mom said he couldn’t stay here.”
Cora gulped. So that’s where the boy had been hiding out between Christmas and New Year’s. She couldn’t help wondering whether he might be alive today if she’d allowed Chad to stay with them. I can’t carry the blame for this, she told herself. Jared’s friend should have gone home, like I told him to.
“I’d never be happy livin’ with you and Emily, Dad,” Jared continued. “I’d come right back here to be with Mom. She needs me, Dad, and I need her.”
Evan grabbed his glass of water and took a drink. “Okay, okay, Jared. I won’t force you to leave here, but I want you to think more about my offer. If you change your mind, give me a call, and I’ll come get you. And don’t forget, you’re welcome to visit any time you want.”
“Yeah, all right, Dad.” Jared flopped into a chair and put his feet on the footstool.
Cora breathed a sigh of relief. She had no objections to Jared visiting his father, but she didn’t know what she would have done if Jared had wanted to move back to Chicago. It seemed in only a matter of weeks her son had grown up. If anything good had come from his accident, it was the relationship she’d established with both of her sons. She looked forward to meeting her granddaughters next week, too, and if all went well, she would schedule a meeting between Jared and the girls.
CHAPTER 26
Before noon on Friday, Priscilla went by horse and buggy to pick up Elaine. They’d been invited to have lunch at Leah’s house. It had been awhile since the three of them had gotten together, so Priscilla looked forward to the occasion.
“Seems we may see more snow before the day is out,” Elaine commented after she climbed into Priscilla’s buggy.
The Restoration Page 16