Andrew

by Jennifer Beckstrand

  “Cool? Where did you get a word like cool?”

  “Willie Glick’s best friend is Englisch.”

  Andrew drew his frown deeper into his face. “It wasn’t cool, Alfie. You could have suffocated or gotten burned.”

  Alfie glanced around him. “Where’s Mary?” He gave Benji the stink eye. “Benji, you were supposed to bring Mary.”

  “I was going to, but you got stuck,” Benji whined, “and she doesn’t know how to run.”

  Andrew furrowed his brow. Where was Mary? Had he hurt her when he pulled so quickly? For sure and certain she couldn’t move very fast, but she should have been here by now.

  Alfie coughed and slumped his shoulders. “You were supposed to bring Mary.”

  As if she knew she was needed, Mary finally appeared with three water bottles cradled in her arms. Her eyebrows nearly took flight when she caught sight of Alfie. “Are you okay?”

  Alfie regained his enthusiasm as quickly as he’d lost it. He sprinted to Mary and hugged her as well as he could with her big stomach and armful of water. She didn’t seem to care that Alfie’s color could rub off on her. “Andrew saved me,” he said, moaning like a sad cow. Alfie was a gute actor, but not gute enough to fool Andrew. What did he want from Mary?

  Mary puckered her lips into a sympathetic frown. “You poor thing. I’m froh Andrew was close.”

  “Andrew was wonderful brave,” Alfie said, whimpering and carrying on. He took a deep breath and a fit of coughing overtook him. That wasn’t pretend. Maybe they should take him to the doctor. He’d breathed in a lot of smoke. His lungs were probably as orange as his shirt.

  “Are you okay, Alfie?” Benji said.

  “I’m okay, but if it weren’t for Andrew, I’d be dead.”

  Andrew raised an eyebrow. He had opened the door and stamped out a fire, but Alfie hadn’t seemed grateful until Mary arrived.

  Mary took a step back, looked Alfie up and down, and giggled. Handing him a water bottle, she said, “Have you ever read Willy Wonka?”

  Alfie glanced at Andrew as if he might get in trouble for his reading material. “About the chocolate?”

  “Jah,” Mary said. “You look like an Oompa Loompa.” She threw Andrew a bottle and gave one to Benji. “I thought you might need these.”

  Andrew’s throat felt as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He could only imagine what Alfie’s felt like. That kid was going to turn Mamm’s hair gray, and if Andrew didn’t break out in some sort of post-terror rash, he’d be surprised.

  Alfie took a swig of water. “If Jerry had let Andrew go up in that ladder thing, Andrew would have saved me from the tree too.”

  “Alfie,” Benji said, pointing to Alfie’s shirt, a look of deep concern on his face. “Mamm’s gonna know.”

  Alfie looked down and jumped as if he’d scared himself. “Jiminy critters.” He showed all his teeth and ran his fingers through his hair as if he was trying to pull it out. “Jiminy critters, Benji. What are we going to do?”

  “I told you not to use the orange. It doesn’t look like real fire.”

  “But orange is cool.”

  “Alfie,” Andrew said in his sternest, most threatening voice, “why did you light a smoke bomb?”

  Alfie paced in a circle like a caged animal. He was in big trouble this time, and he knew it. “I didn’t light it.”

  “Who did?”

  He was barely paying heed to Andrew. “You pull a string, and it just goes off. I’m not allowed to play with matches.”

  Andrew must be going crazy because the thought that Alfie would obey the no-matches rule actually made him feel better. But not better enough to forget his question. He didn’t raise his voice often, but he wasn’t going to get answers from Alfie any other way. “Alfie, tell me why you had a smoke bomb in the shed. Tell me right now, or I’ll get Mamm.”

  Alfie stopped pacing and stared at Andrew as if he’d just threatened certain death. His bottom lip quivered. “Don’t tell Mamm. Please don’t tell her.”

  “She’s going to find out.”

  Mary took out a tissue and wiped some of the orange from Alfie’s face. “We could sneak you to the stream and dunk you in. I bet the water would wash most of that away.”

  Alfie brightened immediately. “Jah, that will work.”

  “Nae, you don’t, young man,” Andrew said, in the voice Mamm used when she meant business. He didn’t want to hurt Mary’s feelings. She was especially tenderhearted when it came to Benji and Alfie, but Mamm needed to know about this. She was the only one who could put a stop to Benji and Alfie’s shenanigans. “You’re not getting away with lighting a smoke bomb.”

  “I didn’t light it.”

  Andrew gritted his teeth. “Pulling a string or whatever it was. You’re not getting away with it.”

  Mary cupped Alfie’s filthy chin in her hand. “Alfie, why don’t you tell us what happened and maybe we can talk about it.”

  Andrew nearly tossed his head back in disgust, but Mary was looking at him as if he had just put out a roaring fire with his bare hands. He wanted to impress Mary even more than he wanted to tell Mamm about the smoke bomb. He could at least let Alfie explain. Alfie would never be able to justify a smoke bomb, but Andrew should at least let him try. Mary had the impression that Andrew was a gute bruder. Would it hurt to let her keep on thinking that? “Okay, Alfie. Explain why you pulled the string on the smoke bomb.”

  “I didn’t mean to get locked in.”

  “Alfie.”

  Alfie took a deep breath. “It’s a secret.”

  “Alfie would never tell a lie,” Benji said.

  Andrew gave Benji a piercing look. “Why don’t you tell me what happened, Benji?”

  As if preventing the words from escaping, Benji covered his mouth. “I ca fell eedo.”

  Andrew gently pulled Benji’s hand from his lips. “I didn’t understand you.”

  Benji fingered the binoculars still around his neck. “I can’t tell either. Nobody knows but me and Alfie and Dawdi.”

  “Dawdi? Dawdi can’t even talk.”

  “That’s why we told him our secret,” Benji said.

  Andrew took another look at those binoculars. They were definitely Dawdi’s—Dawdi’s hunting binoculars. Where had the boys found them? And why would Dawdi want them to light a smoke bomb in Zimmermans’ shed?

  Alfie stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Mamm has been acting strange.”

  Benji nodded hard enough to wrench his neck. “She brought us hot chocolate and told us she loved us.”

  “We don’t know, but maybe she’s going crazy. If you tell her about the smoke bomb, she might fall over the edge of the cliff.”

  Andrew knew manipulation when he saw it. Mamm was fine, even with Mammi Martha bringing home some new gadget almost every day. But Mamm did have her hands full, trying to take care of Dawdi and Mammi and the peanut butter business and two mischievous boys. Maybe Andrew could keep another secret for Mamm’s sake. And for his bruderen. Mamm would give them what for if she knew what they had done. His brothers needed mercy just like everybody else.

  Ach, Mary was getting to him. When had he ever before given ten minutes’ consideration to mercy?

  “Okay, boys,” Andrew said halfheartedly. “I won’t tell Mamm.”

  Benji and Alfie grinned like two cats in the cream.

  “But I will tell her everything if you get in trouble again.”

  “We didn’t mean to get in trouble,” Benji said. “It was an accident.”

  Andrew remained firm. “I don’t care. No fire, no smoke bombs, no trees, and no cats. And no of anything else. Do you understand?”

  Benji pressed his lips together. Alfie nodded. “No getting in trouble.” He looked at Mary. “Do you have any soap I can use in the river?”

  “I can get some dish soap from the haystack supper.”

  Andrew didn’t know how well the orange smoke dust was going to wash off. After all their efforts, Mamm might still find out.r />
  “Is everything okay?” Jerry Zimmerman sauntered around the corner of the barn in Plain clothes. He obviously wasn’t on duty today. Did that moan of displeasure come from one of his bruderen? Andrew couldn’t be completely sure it hadn’t come from him.

  “I thought I smelled smoke,” Jerry said, flashing that white smile Mary seemed to like. Jerry eyed Alfie, took a surprised step backward, and shot a questioning glance at Mary.

  Mary smiled back. “We had a little problem, but it’s all taken care of.”

  Alfie didn’t realize that he was a walking announcement that something had gone horribly wrong. He strolled right up to Jerry and shook his hand like a friendly neighbor. “We’re having a private talk with Mary and Andrew. Thanks, but we don’t need your help.”

  “Andrew put out the fire,” Benji said. “He’s like a real fireman. Strong too.”

  Jerry eyed Benji. “Were you boys playing with matches?”

  “Nae,” Benji said. “You just have to pull a string.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Jerry fished in his pocket and gave each boy a sucker.

  Did he always keep a stash of candy on him to win over little boys? He was like the Englisch Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny all rolled into one. Andrew didn’t like it, bribing children to get them to like you. Mary probably thought it was sweet.

  “Never, ever play with matches,” Jerry said. “You could burn down somebody’s shed. Or even their house.”

  Benji nodded. “We know. It’s a rule.”

  Jerry stared dumbly at Mary for too long. Mary stared back as if they were sharing a secret message with their eyes. Andrew ground his teeth together until they squeaked.

  “Vell, since there is no fire, I better finish my supper.” Jerry turned back. “Mary, maybe I’ll see you when supper is over.”

  Mary nodded. “I’ll be washing dishes.”

  “Okay.”

  “Why did he have to come over here?” Alfie said, when Jerry disappeared around the corner. “He ruined it.”

  Maybe Jerry had ruined it, and maybe Andrew would be washing dishes with Mary until there were no more dishes to wash. Let Jerry try to ruin the fun then.

  Chapter Nine

  “In here, Mary,” Alfie said, pointing to the long room attached to the side of his house. A gas generator screeched and hummed outside the window. In many Amish businesses, the generator and other sources of power were banished to the outdoors so it wasn’t so noisy inside.

  Mary gave Alfie a weak smile as he opened the door for her. She could tell by the way her heart tripped all over itself that this was not a gute idea. It was not fair to Andrew, no matter how she felt about him. She liked Andrew Petersheim, liked him a lot, but she also liked her freedom. She couldn’t have both. If she let herself care too much for Andrew, the choice would tear her in half. She’d rather stay in one piece, thank you very much.

  Alfie and Benji wanted to show her how they made peanut butter. She could take the tour, but she didn’t have to stick around and get caught up in Andrew’s eyes or that captivating smile of his. He’d fixed her broken toe, but she didn’t owe him anything, even if she was beginning to fear he had more power over her than she was willing to admit.

  She refused to fall in love, even with Andrew Petersheim. Indifference would make her choice so much easier, but that sinking feeling in her chest wouldn’t leave her, even when she tried her best to ignore it. Unfortunately for her, she was way past indifference when it came to Andrew. A peanut butter tour was a very bad idea.

  Benji held the door as Alfie marched ahead of her into the long, ample room that housed their peanut butter business.

  “Close that door,” Rebecca yelled from the other end of the room. “You’re letting in the flies.”

  Benji shuffled quickly into the room and shut the door behind him.

  Alfie held out his hand like the woman on TV did when she was modeling a prize. “Here you go.”

  The peanut butter factory, as Benji had called it, was a long room attached to the east side of the Peter-sheims’ house. Three long tables covered in bright white paper were set end-to-end running down the center of the room. Austin stood closest to her, pouring peanut butter from a large pitcher into the three dozen or so jars sitting on the table. Abraham stood at the middle table grinding peanuts with a food processor—powered by the generator outside. Andrew and his mater were at the far end of the room measuring and pouring oil into another, larger food processor. There were four industrial-size sinks against the far wall as well as stacks of empty boxes that used to contain peanuts. They all wore hairnets, which were a necessary part of food preparation, but they didn’t look attractive on anyone. Vell, anyone but Andrew. He managed to look good no matter what he wore.

  Andrew glanced up, tore the hairnet off his head, and bloomed into a smile that could have made a chicken lose all her feathers. Mary swooned with pleasure and irritation. Why did she have to like that smile so much? It wasn’t like her to let herself get so attached in such a short time. How could she have been so careless?

  Rebecca wore her hairnet over a green bandanna and the top of her head looked like a clump of broccoli. “Mary, how nice to see you. I didn’t get five minutes to talk to you at the haystack supper.”

  Ach, vell, Mary hadn’t talked to many people at the haystack supper, seeing as she had been occupied with Andrew and Benji and Alfie. First they had put out the smoke bomb, then they had taken twenty minutes to try to get the orange film out of Alfie’s shirt. It hadn’t worked all that well, but the shirt was so filthy to begin with, Rebecca probably hadn’t noticed that it was tinged a dull shade of orange. Today, Alfie’s shirt looked almost clean. He must be wearing Benji’s shirt. Either that or he’d soaked his own shirt in a pot of bleach.

  “Alfie and Benji wanted to show me where you make peanut butter. I hope you don’t mind that I’m here.”

  “Not at all,” Rebecca said. “We give tours every Tuesday.”

  “How wunderbarr. Do you have a lot of people every week?”

  Rebecca scrunched her lips to one side of her face. “So far no one has actually shown up for a tour, but they told me if we put it on the Bienenstock city website, we might get some takers. Five dollars a person. But not for you. You are free.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Rebecca nodded. “Friends never have to pay, and after all the things you’ve done for my family, I’m in your debt. Benji, wash your hands and don’t touch anything.”

  Mary didn’t exactly know what she’d done for Rebecca’s family, unless she counted washing Alfie while he was still in his shirt or bandaging Alfie’s arms, but Rebecca didn’t know about either of those things.

  “Hallo, Mary,” Austin said, standing up straighter like a new father showing off his baby. “What do you think of our peanut butter factory?”

  “It smells wonderful gute.”

  Rebecca’s smile got bigger. “Andrew and I were just starting another batch.” Her gaze flicked in Andrew’s direction. “But maybe, Andrew, you’d like to take a break and give Mary the tour.”

  Andrew slapped the measuring spoons on the table. “For sure and certain.”

  “We wanted to give Mary the tour,” Benji whined. He managed to look dejected while slathering soap all over his hands.

  Rebecca pointed at Benji. “Do you have a food handler’s permit, young man?”

  “Nae.”

  “Then you’re not certified to give a tour.”

  Andrew was as happy to see Mary as she was to see him. Heaven help her, what was she going to do about the mess she’d tangled them both into? “There’s not much to see,” he said. “But I can show you.”

  Rebecca grunted. “Not much to see? You can be sure this is the biggest organic, natural peanut butter operation in northeastern Wisconsin. How can you say there’s not much to see?”

  Andrew gave Mary a private smile. His mamm was very proud of their peanut butter factory. He took Mary’s elbow and nudged her
forward to the end of the room. “We buy the peanuts already shelled and roasted.”

  “It’s a thousand times easier that way,” Rebecca said, measuring oil into the food processor. “We grind them in here with some oil and salt.”

  Andrew grinned playfully at his mamm. “Are you giving the tour or am I?”

  Rebecca smirked. “I was afraid you’d leave that part out. Benji, don’t touch anything.”

  “But I washed my hands.”

  “Do you have a food handler’s permit?”

  “Nae,” Benji said.

  “Then I don’t care how clean your hands are.”

  Andrew pointed Mary in Abraham’s direction. Abraham smiled at her but didn’t seem inclined to interrupt Andrew’s tour. “We’re making crunchy peanut butter today,” Andrew said, “so Abraham roughly grinds a few peanuts that we stir in the peanut butter after it’s done. Then Austin pours it into bottles and puts a paper seal over the lid. That’s it.”

  “That’s it?” Rebecca said. “You didn’t tell her that we sell a hundred jars a month at Glick’s Family Market, and another hundred at that Amish store in Shawano. After harvest, we’re going to expand to Appleton. Benaiah will lease out more of our land for someone else to farm so the boys will have more time for peanut butter. Alfie, don’t sniffle around the jars.”

  Mary watched Andrew out of the corner of her eye. He was smiling, but it was easy to see that the thought of peanut butter didn’t thrill him the way it did Austin. Even reserved Abraham seemed more excited about the prospect of more peanut butter than Andrew. Andrew wanted to work with wood. Would he ever tell his mamm?

  “Our kitchen is approved by the board of health, and the inspector told me it is the cleanest he’s ever seen.” Rebecca poured a bag of peanuts into the food processor. “Andrew, why don’t you take Mary out and show her where we’re going to add on.”

  That got Andrew excited. “Do you want to see, Mary?”

  Mary smiled. “Of course.”

  Alfie took Mary’s hand. “I’ll show you my birds’ nests. Mamm won’t let me keep them in the house.”