A Simple Autumn: A Seasons of Lancaster Novel

by Rosalind Lauer

  “I’m glad you’re happy, but I don’t want to think of you so far from home.”

  “When you have a car, Philly isn’t so far. And I’ll always visit. At least, as long as the bishop allows it.”

  Jonah nodded. Whatever Sadie decided, he would always love his younger sister. In his heart, she would always be welcome.

  “And I’ve got news.” She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t say anything, but Mike asked me to marry him.”

  She looked so pleased, her eyes shining bright, that Jonah couldn’t help but grin. “And I take it you said yes,” he teased.

  “Of course I did. I can’t imagine living without him. We’re going to wait a year or so until he finishes school. And that’ll give me a chance to get further along with my school and music lessons. I’m making the most of the gift that Gott gave me, and it feels right for me.”

  “Good.” That would make three of his siblings married. He hoped to make it four once wedding time came around next fall. “Mike’s a lucky fella.”

  Sadie stopped rocking. “And what about you? Why do you look so different to me?”

  “Because you’ve been away too long?” he asked. “Or maybe because I have a secret of my own.” He hadn’t planned on telling her about Annie, but then he didn’t know when he would see her again.

  She gasped. “What’s your secret? Now you have to tell me for sure.”

  Jonah got up to tend the fire. It was a little awkward talking to a sister about these things. “I’m hoping to get married next year, too.”

  “Praise be to Gott! You’ve found someone.”

  He nodded. “Annie Stoltzfus.”

  Sadie clapped her hands together. “I always thought you had your eye on Annie. Does Mary know? She’ll be so glad to have her best friend in the family.”

  “Mary and Gabe know. No one else … unless they’re all guessing, the way you did.” He looked up from the fire. “Am I that easy to read?”

  “To your sisters? Ya. But don’t you worry. I’ll keep your secret as long as you want.”

  “Maybe it won’t be so long. Mary has me paired off with Annie for the wedding.”

  “So people will start to notice tomorrow.” Sadie grinned. “I’m so very happy for you. Where do you think you and Annie will live?”

  He laughed. “Well, first we’ve got to get married, of course, and I haven’t asked her yet. But I reckon we would live with Annie’s parents. I’ve been helping out with the sheep and the harvest ever since Aaron had that heart attack. There’s plenty of work to be done there.” He hadn’t really thought about it, but he would be very comfortable living on Stoltzfus land and continuing to run the farm. He and Aaron had developed a good rapport. He felt needed there.

  “Mike was right,” Sadie said. “So many changes going on here.”

  “Ya, but good changes.” He gave the fire one last jab as he thought of the months ahead. This time next year, Gott willing, he would be getting married himself. “ ‘To everything there is a season,’ ” he said, thinking aloud.

  “ ‘And a time for every purpose under heaven,’ ” Sadie answered.

  “I used to worry that I’d grow old alone,” he confessed. “Old man Jonah, too old to go to the singings anymore.”

  “See how you worried for nothing? Gott has a plan for us. Just as He brings every new season, He’s brought a season of love for us.”

  Jonah would always think of autumn as Gott’s season of love.

  FORTY-EIGHT

  Rain beat against the windshield of the King carriage the morning of the wedding, as Jonah drove Annie and her parents there. The ceremony would be in the Beilers’ barn, then everyone would move down the road to the Kings’ place, as no single farm could accommodate both events for five hundred people.

  “Another gray day,” Annie said brightly. She didn’t mind the bad weather one bit when Jonah was beside her. “Good thing we’ll all be snug inside at the wedding.”

  “Only you can make a rainy day sound cozy,” Jonah said, one brow lifting in a wry expression.

  “How you doing back there, Dat?” Annie asked.

  “I’m good, Annie girl. Grateful to Gott that I can go along today.” Dat was allowed to attend the festivities as long as he took it easy, stayed off his feet for most of the time. Although the doctor had warned Aaron to get medical attention at the slightest twinge of pain, the slow improvement Annie had seen in the past weeks had reassured everyone in the family.

  Still, driving was out of the question, so Jonah had offered to take care of that, and Lovina had agreed that the family would be better off in two carriages so that Aaron could rest in quiet if he needed to. Annie was glad her dat could attend, and ever so grateful to Jonah for driving them. Since they were both attendants and Jonah’s family was hosting the reception, Annie knew that he had many extra chores to see to—including clearing out all the furniture downstairs so that dining tables could be set up in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room.

  Humming, Annie looked past the droplets of rain wiggling down the window to the river that ran parallel to this section of the road. “Look at that,” she said. “I’ve never seen the river so swollen.”

  “Good thing we don’t have to go across the covered bridge,” Mamm said from the back. “People have been talking about it at the tea shop. They say the water level is almost up to the bottom of the bridge.”

  “It’s no surprise, with all the rain we’ve been having,” Dat said.

  “I was crossing the bridge last week on the way back from Paradise, and I saw some inspectors from the county checking it over.” Jonah’s voice was soothing, but Annie noted the undercurrent of concern. “They said they were worried about the stability of the structure when the river crests.”

  “I pray it doesn’t get damaged,” Mamm said. “It’s such an old bridge.”

  Jonah nodded. “But all this rain, it’s got to go somewhere. Our pond at home has grown so high that it’s taken over the marshes. Have you ever seen such a rainy season, Aaron?”

  “Not that I can remember. But it’s not just the rain. Remember how the wind took part of our roof at the end of the summer?”

  “That crazy storm!” Annie smiled; that was the storm that had brought Jonah to their house to lend a hand on repairs. “I thought I was going to take off like a kite in the sky!”

  Her parents chuckled behind her. “And no wonder,” Lovina said. “You’re such a wisp of a girl.”

  “Wisp or not, no wind should be strong enough to send a girl flying through the air,” Annie insisted.

  “Let’s hope not,” Jonah said. He lowered his voice, adding, “I had a hard enough time catching you on the ground.”

  Annie giggled.

  “What was that?” Dat called from the back.

  “Jonah’s just trying to make me laugh again,” Annie answered.

  “He does a good job of that,” Aaron said.

  “Ya, he does.” Annie turned to Jonah, thinking how blessed she was to have found a man who loved to make her laugh. Mamm always said that laughter was the closest distance between two people. Now, at last, she understood what Mamm meant.

  It was customary for the bridal couple and their attendants to be seated a full two hours before the ceremony because everyone wanted to come by and shake hands with the wedding party before sitting down.

  So many faces, Annie thought, as Amish folks filed past. Tall and short, blond and dark.

  As friends and neighbors walked by, emotion swelled in her chest. These were the faces of her life, past, present, and, thank the Heavenly Father, future. So many different people, but like a fine cloth, they were woven together into a tight community, bonded by love. What a blessing it was to live here.

  When the ceremony started, Annie listened with a new ear to the words of the vows. The service suddenly seemed so personal, partly because her best friend, Mary, was the bride.

  “Do you also promise your wedded wife, before the Lord and His church, tha
t you will nevermore depart from her, but will care for her and cherish her?” the bishop asked Five. “If bodily sickness comes to her, or in any circumstance which a Christian husband is responsible to care for, until the dear Gott will again separate you from each other?”

  “I do promise,” Five said solemnly.

  Annie let her gaze wander to Jonah, and wouldn’t you know it, he was looking at her! Was he thinking the same thing?

  She closed her eyes and resolved herself to think only of the two blessed couples now. This was their wedding day, and she was here to attend to them.

  Those other sweet hopes and dreams … there would be time for that later.

  When they arrived at the King house for the reception, all the carriages had to file around a white stretch limousine parked in the lane.

  “What’s that fancy car?” Aaron asked.

  “That’s Herb McCallister’s car—Remy’s father,” Jonah explained. “She wasn’t sure that he would come, but I’m glad he did. I think it means a lot to her.”

  “Of course it does. A girl wants her dat at her wedding,” Annie said. She thought of her own dat and said a little prayer of thanks that the doctors had been able to help him. Gott willing, his medicine would keep him going until he was ready for the triple bypass surgery he needed.

  As their carriage rolled up to the barn, they were greeted by a group of young men who had been assigned to park the carriages and tend the horses.

  Jonah jumped out quickly and helped Dat from the carriage. “I’m good to walk in with my wife by my side,” Aaron said. He looked toward the door of the house, as if measuring the steps. “Lovina hasn’t let me down in thirty-two years. I trust she’ll get me to a chair inside.”

  Annie and Jonah watched as Dat made slow but steady progress toward the front door, where Nate King stood, ready to receive and seat guests. Mary and Adam’s uncle was performing the duties usually handled by the father of the bride. Nate would turn away folks who were not in the first seating, and he would assign each guest a table, usually based on kinship. Guests waiting for a later seating would socialize in the barn, where benches had been set up.

  “We’d better get inside, too,” Jonah said. As attendants, they would be expected to sit with the bridal party through all of the seatings, which suited Annie just fine. They wouldn’t miss one minute of the celebration.

  Inside the living room, tables were set up in a U shape, with the two corners, the Ecks, specially decorated for the two bridal couples. Those parts of the big long line of tables were laden with bowls of sweets, candies, fruits, and handcrafted cakes made by friends.

  “So many cakes!” Annie said.

  “So many mouths to feed.” Jonah cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at her. “But yours is my favorite. It looks like a white cloud.”

  She was pleased that he had been paying attention when she’d dropped off the pineapple sheet cake last night. She had covered it with vanilla icing and piped puffs of frosting in the shape of a heart in the center.

  “Denki. The ecks look beautiful,” Annie said. “And you’re a lucky man. You get to sit with me since we’re both in the bridal party.”

  “I’m guessing Mary had something to do with pairing us off?” Jonah said wryly. “Because I thought I’d be sitting beside Adam.”

  “It’s the bride’s choice. Well, at least one of the brides. And you don’t want to argue with a bride on her wedding day.”

  “Mmm. Never argue with a bride.” Jonah tipped his head toward the side, studying her. “You look happy.”

  “I am.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then looked up at him with a heart full of love. “Jonah, when we were sitting there, before the ceremony, and all those folks came by to shake hands, I felt such an outpouring of love.” She hugged herself. “It gives me goose bumps just talking about it. We’re so blessed to live here in Halfway, to be part of this community.”

  There was a golden light in his eyes as he thought about that. “It’s true. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

  “I just wanted to share that. So many times we’re praying about our worries and fears. It’s good to have a prayer of thanks bubble inside you that way.”

  He nodded.

  “Kumm, you two,” Mary called. “Time to sit.”

  Annie took her seat next to Mary, facing the room, and Jonah sat opposite her.

  When everyone was seated, the bishop called for the silent prayer. “If the tables are full, let us pray.”

  Heads bowed throughout the house, and in the sweet silence Annie thanked Gott for the many blessings He had showered upon everyone here. For Dat’s mending heart. For the blessed union of her four good friends.

  And for Jonah.

  She was so grateful to have found Jonah King, who was right under her nose all along. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me eyes to see.

  FORTY-NINE

  I should have stayed home,” Emma whispered as she and Elsie stayed close to each other in the Kings’ barn. “It hurts me to look at him. What am I going to do when it’s time for us to go inside and eat?” Emma would have loved to stay home from the wedding just to avoid seeing Gabe, but she couldn’t deny her young scholars, Ruthie and Simon, the support they deserved. So here she was, trying not to look his way, trying to deny the vibrations that quivered through her whenever he was near.

  “If you see him coming toward you, look down at the floor,” Elsie suggested softly. “Chances are, they’ll put us at a table out in the kitchen, anyway. We’re not close kin.”

  “It gives me that nervous butterfly feeling,” Emma said. “Butterflies that won’t fly away.”

  Elsie closed her hand around her sister’s wrist and looked up at her. “You stand up in front of dozens of children nearly every day. You keep them quiet and orderly and teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic. You can do this, Emma. Do it for your scholars. Didn’t you say Ruthie and Simon so wanted you to be here?”

  Emma pressed the palm of one hand to her flat belly. “They did, and I’m happy to please them. It’s just that—”

  “I know. Gabe is a thorn in your side right now. That’s why you have to think about the good things that could come of you being here: Ruthie and Simon. You’re a helper, Emma. Go help your students.”

  Emma took a deep breath, trying to ease the tight feeling in her chest. “You’re right. But I don’t want to leave you alone.” She knew that Elsie felt uncomfortable in social environments beyond the shop.

  “I see Fanny over there talking to Nancy Briggs. I’ll go join them.” Elsie put a hand on the small of Emma’s back and pushed. “Now go. Do a good deed. It’ll take your mind off your worries.”

  “How did you get so wise? Most of the time you have more common sense than me, and I’m two years older.”

  Elsie smiled, her widely spaced teeth showing. “Gott blessed me with wisdom. Now go find them.”

  As Elsie moved off, Emma glanced around the barn in search of the children, but most of the guests in here were young people of courting age. She stepped outside the wide barn doors, a little relieved to be away from the crowd of young people. Ever since she and Gabe had parted, Emma had found it difficult to be at singings or where she had to face young people. Her heart filled with envy at the sight of other couples, and hearing other girls talk of their beaus reminded her of the one she had lost.

  The sight of three children running out the back door of the mud porch caught her attention, and she recognized Simon and Ruthie, along with one of their older sisters.

  “Simon!” She quickened her step, dodging two waiters who were carrying trays of food from the wedding wagon.

  Simon turned to look back, then stopped running. “Teacher Emma.” He grinned from ear to ear. “You came!”

  “How could I miss such a wonderful celebration?” As Emma drew closer she recognized the taller sister as one of the twins who had finished eighth grade last year. Leah—a wonderful good student.

  “Ruthie … and
Leah, we miss you in class this year. Have you read any good books lately?” Emma asked Leah.

  “She’s been too busy cooking and cleaning for the wedding,” Ruthie answered for her.

  “But I always find time to read,” Leah said.

  Ruthie trotted over and took Emma’s hand. “Come with us! Nate and Betsy gave us a job to do. They need more Nothings for the next round of guests. Did you try them yet?”

  “I haven’t been inside yet, but I’m sure they’re delicious.” Nothings were fried cookies that were traditional fare at weddings. So large they covered a dinner plate, the cookies were usually left in a stack on each table so that guests could break off a piece when they wanted.

  “Betsy said there’s a big bin in the cold storage cellar,” Simon said, a sense of purpose in his stride. They were all moving quickly, as the drizzling rain was starting to come down harder now.

  “I know where they are,” Ruthie said. “I helped store the other cookies in there.” She looked up at Emma. “Did you know that we have four kinds of cookies to choose from?”

  “I’ll have to remember to save my appetite.” Emma felt her nervousness drain as she accompanied them to the cellar. Spending time with the Kings was always a delight. Gabe was blessed to have a loving family, and such a large one, at that.

  Down in the cellar, Ruthie was quick to find the proper bin of cookies. “I can carry this myself,” Ruthie said. “It’s light. Why don’t you two show Teacher Emma the study room you set up above the workshop? The one you used when Simon couldn’t go to school last year.”

  Leah perked up. “Do you want to see it?”

  “Just show me the way.” In truth, Emma didn’t mind missing out on some of the festivities if it meant she could avoid Gabe.

  “And if the rain lets up you can visit with my horse, Shadow,” Simon said. “You’ve met her before. Do you remember?”

  “Of course. She’s the one you spent the summer training, ya?” Emma recalled that Simon had written his essay about her.