“That’s the one, over there in the field. She’s a quick learner. We were able to put her on the team to help with the harvest this year.”
“Wow.” Emma nodded. “I’d like to have such a good student in my class,” she teased.
They showed her the little room above the woodshop where Leah had tried her hand at homeschooling Simon during the difficult times last winter.
“This is his arithmetic book,” Leah said. “He doesn’t like long division.”
Simon’s face puckered at the thought.
“But he learned his times tables. And this is his writing notebook.” Leah handed her a marble notebook. “Writing is his best subject, I think.”
“And reading,” Simon said. “I used to like it when you read to me.”
Emma leafed through the notebook, smiling at the progression of Simon’s handwriting from wobbly, oddly spaced letters to better formed words. “It’s good to see your hard work, Simon. And yours, too.” She held the open notebook to show Leah. “See how his handwriting is rough and hard to read here in the beginning? And then, after you worked with him, there was good improvement.”
Leah beamed when she showed her some examples from the back of the notebook.
“Have you ever thought of being a schoolteacher?” she asked. “You have a good start with your first pupil here.”
“It’s a dream of mine,” Leah said quietly.
“But, Leah, you already have a job at the tea shop,” Simon pointed out.
“The tea shop, I’m not so good at that,” Leah admitted. “But reading and writing, I could do that all day and night.”
“Then we have to get you back into the classroom,” Emma said. Why hadn’t she thought of this last spring, when Leah completed her schooling? “If you like, I can talk to the school board and see if you can be my teacher’s helper. If they’ll approve it, you can work with me at the schoolhouse. It would be an apprenticeship of sorts.”
“I would love that,” Leah said earnestly. “I’ve been wanting to do it for a long, long time.” She pressed her fingertips to her mouth. “Do you think the board would allow it? I would work ever so hard for you. I don’t mind making alphabet posters for the wall or grading papers.”
Emma smiled. “I know you’re a hard worker, and the board will keep that in mind when they make their decision. I’ll talk to them first thing tomorrow. Or … maybe today. I think some of the members are here for the wedding.”
“Denki!” Leah clapped her hands together and gave Emma a hug.
Emma smiled, patting her back. “Don’t thank me! You would be making my job much easier.”
“Hey, up there?” Ruthie called. “I need your help. Betsy wants us to bring out the other cookies.”
“We have to go!” Simon dashed for the stairs.
“Do you need my help?” Emma asked as she followed them down the narrow staircase.
“You’re a guest. You must go back to the wedding and celebrate,” Leah said merrily. “Make sure you get a taste of the Nothings. And the Ranger Cookies; I helped bake those.”
Now that the children had lifted her spirits, Emma felt ready to enjoy the festivities. Rain was falling harder now, and she walked briskly. Run between the raindrops, Mamm used to say.
She was on her way back to the main house when a hand reached from the darkness and pulled her out of the light of the porch lantern.
“What …?”
“I got you now.” Gabe gripped her hand and he was tugging her around the corner, to the open nook used to split wood.
“Gabe?” She gasped, even as her heart leaped in her chest. Ya, she was happy to see him—thrilled—but she couldn’t let him know that. She had to stay calm and in control. “I can’t be alone with you here or … or anywhere.”
“Emma, the truth is, you can’t be without me.” He released her hand, but she still felt the warmth of his touch on her palm. “And I don’t want to be without you. I’m sorry. I … I was doing what boys do. But that’s no excuse. I hurt you. I didn’t honor your vow. I won’t do that again.”
“You … you won’t?” Emma had to remind herself to breathe, but her chest felt so tight—a fist of emotion—and she couldn’t look away from Gabe’s lovely amber eyes. “What about the motorbikes?”
“I’m done with that. I liked the speed and power, but a motorcycle is nothing compared to what my own horse can do. I’m giving up the bikes.”
Emma took a grateful breath. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
“And you don’t have to worry about me getting you into trouble with the school council. I’ve been thinking on that, and an Amish schoolteacher deserves a good Amish beau. So I’m getting baptized next fall. I’ll start the training in the spring.”
She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Are you sure you’re ready, Gabe? This is a big decision, you know. Don’t be taking a vow on my account.”
“This is my choice.” He looked away, and when his eyes returned to hers, she saw a tenderness there that made her knees sink. “I’ve been thinking about my dat a lot … about what he would have wanted me to do.”
She bit her lower lip. “I know it’s hard for you, not having him here.”
“Sometimes I still expect to see him tinkering beside the barn or walking in the back fields.” He rubbed his knuckles over his jaw. “I knew he would have wanted me to step up and take on responsibilities. I fooled myself thinking that riding a bike made me a man. I was wrong. A real man finds peace in here.” He pressed a fist to his chest. “That’s what my dat would say.”
Emma nodded. “Your father was wise.”
“He was.” Gabe caught her gaze, his amber eyes flickering with gentleness. “So, I’m done with the bikes and the boom box. From now on, it’s just you and me, Emma. And a gray stallion named Mercury.” He reached for her, and Emma felt likely to melt under his touch.
“Gabe, I can’t do this here. Someone will see.…”
“Let them see. I’m going down the right path, and it’s time we let people know we’re courting. I don’t want to keep it a secret anymore.” He turned and cast his arm out toward the darkness. “Hello, out there! I’m courting Emma Lapp.”
She laughed and tugged him back into the shadows. “Gabe, quiet now! There’s a wedding going on. We’ll tell people soon enough, but right now we need to get out of the rain.”
“The rain will dry, but the love I feel for you will never run dry.”
Her heart leaped at the mention of love … and in such a sweet way.
Like a poem.
And suddenly she didn’t care who saw them together here. Let folks talk about Gabe and her. They were a couple now … officially courting.
Two young people in love.
“I’ve missed you.” Emma rose onto her toes and kissed him, so happy to be Gabe’s girl once again.
FIFTY
Near the end of the wedding, Lovina came up to the eck and leaned between Annie and Jonah.
“Your dat is all tuckered out.” She covered Annie’s hand with hers. “Do you mind if we go home now?”
“That’s fine.” Jonah stood up. “I’ll go get the carriage.”
While Annie went to check on her father, Jonah found Mary and told her that he was leaving to take Aaron home.
She nodded. “So, big brother, you seem to like the one I paired you off with.”
“Who?” he teased. “Oh, you mean Annie.”
“Ya, Annie. It looks like you two talked.”
“We’ve been doing a lot of that.”
Mary could no longer restrain her grin. “So the ice is broken?”
He nodded. “Broken and melted. We’re courting now.”
She pressed a palm to her mouth. “Two of the people I love so dearly, together. Maybe I should do some more matchmaking.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He didn’t want to admit that everything had really come together over the birth of Buttercup’s calf. For now, it was nice for Mary to think t
hat she’d had a hand in bringing Annie and him together; in a way, she had.
A quick look through the room revealed that Remy and Adam were standing near the other eck, talking with Remy’s father. He went over and clapped Adam on the back.
“Time for me to get Aaron back. It was a wonderful day.”
Adam’s smile caused little creases at the outer corners of his eyes—just like Dat’s. “It was a fine day.” He opened his arms and the two men embraced. “Denki for all your help … for everything.”
Jonah hugged his brother hard. For him, all the hectic chores of the past few days had been a true labor of love. At last, Mary was able to wed the man she had loved for years. And beyond all expectations, Adam’s girl, an Englisher, had changed her life to become Amish. Remy was a quick learner, and she had plenty of love for the younger children, who still needed a mamm.
“I think you found a very good wife,” Jonah said.
Adam leaned back and looked over at his bride. “She’s the only woman for me. I thank Gott every day for her.”
Remy glanced up as if she sensed that they were talking about her. “Jonah, did you meet my father, Herb?”
“We did meet,” Herb said. “Jonah’s the farming/mechanical expert of the operation, right? I think I’ve got this figured out.”
Jonah nodded. “Usually we all pitch in, but I would like to be called a mechanical expert. It sounds very important.” He turned to Remy. “I’m sorry I can’t stay to help clean up. I need to see Aaron home.”
“How kind of you to take care of Aaron.” Remy hugged Jonah, then stepped back to Adam’s side. “There’ll be plenty of time to clean up tomorrow.”
As Jonah turned away, an image of Mamm and Dat came to him, taking him by surprise. They would have been happy to see their oldest son and daughter marrying today. It was a very good day.
When Jonah pulled the carriage up in front of the path to the house, he could tell that something was wrong from the pinched expression on Annie’s face.
“What is it?” he asked.
She shook her head, nodding toward her father, who was making his way down the path on Lovina’s arm. Drops of water fell from the corner of the porch roof as Jonah stood beside Annie, waiting until her parents were out of hearing range.
“One of the Englisher guests just told me the bad news. The covered bridge collapsed. The river crested and came up over the platform. It will be unusable until it’s repaired.”
Jonah frowned. “Sad news. Was anyone hurt?”
“No, thank Gott. But no one can get across.”
“Mmm. From now on we’ll have to take the main road into Paradise. Some of the folks here will have to detour to get home tonight.”
She nodded. “And we’ll need to hire a car to get Dat to his doctor visits. That would just be too long in the carriage.”
He touched her arm. “We’ll figure it out. It’s bad news about the bridge, but eventually this rain will stop and the river will go down, and I’ll help rebuild the bridge myself if the highway folk will let me.”
She took a deep breath, nodding. “You’re right. It’s just sad to think of the old thing falling apart after all these years. If that bridge could talk, it would have so many stories to tell!”
He slid a hand over her shoulder and pulled her close. Annie could give a personality to a bridge or a voice to a newborn calf. It was one thing he loved about her. Down the path, Lovina and Aaron had just reached his carriage. “We’d better go help.”
“Ya. Just don’t tell Dat. I don’t want anything worrying him right now.”
He nodded. “You know me—the Quiet One.”
The carriage was quiet on the trip back to the Stoltzfus farm. Jonah suspected that Aaron was tired, and rightly so. The wedding ceremony was long, and the celebration afterward had been a boisterous, social event, chock-full of food, laughter, and song.
Looking back on the day, Jonah felt as if he’d grown taller and wiser through seeing his brother and sister off into married life. The next few years would bring many changes, with babies and baptisms and more weddings.
This time next year, Gott willing, he and Annie would take their vows. They had a whole year to be sure of their commitment, but he knew his heart was steady and true.
Annie had always been the girl for him. Now that he knew her better, it only confirmed his love.
They were about a mile from the Stoltzfus farm when Jonah heard rustling in the back of the carriage. Lovina and Aaron were speaking in hushed tones that held a whisper of anxiety.
“Jonah.” Lovina’s voice held alarm. “Don’t turn in at the farm. Just keep going into Paradise. We need to get Aaron to Dr. Trueherz’s clinic.”
“What?” Annie turned around. “What’s going on?”
“He’s not feeling well,” Lovina said. “It’s been going on awhile … through dinner.”
“At first I thought it was indigestion from the coleslaw,” Aaron admitted in a scratchy voice. “But this is no simple bellyache. My chest feels like a horse is trampling it.”
“Dat, why didn’t you say something to Dr. Trueherz?” Annie asked.
“He wasn’t at the reception, and I felt okay during the wedding.”
But Jonah’s mind was caught up thinking what to do next. Immediate medical attention. That was what the doctor had ordered at the first glimmer of pain or discomfort. Jonah frowned, wishing that Aaron and Lovina had said something earlier. Back at the wedding, there had been a few Englishers with cars who could have driven them to the hospital in Lancaster.
“A heart attack?” Annie’s whisper was laced with fear as she turned to Jonah. “What are we going to do?”
“Just keep going,” Lovina said. “The doctor will know how to help him.”
“Mamm, we can’t.” Annie’s cheeks flashed pink. “We can’t get to Paradise that way. The rain took out the covered bridge this morning.”
“Oh, what a terrible time for this to happen …,” Lovina agonized.
“We’ll have to take the main road.” Annie’s voice cracked as she tried to contain her panic.
“But that will take too long,” Lovina said as Aaron let out a moan of pain. “Even if we push the horse, it will be an hour at least. Your dat can’t take that.”
“What choice do we have?” Annie asked.
“Go to the phone shanty,” Lovina said. “We’ll call for an ambulance. Or better yet, an airlift. I’ve seen them take patients off in helicopters from fields around here.”
“I’ve seen that, too,” Jonah said, weighing in for the first time, “but in this storm, they won’t be able to get here. It’s not safe to fly.”
“Aaron, dear one, lean this way. I think your head is supposed to be higher than your heart,” Lovina said. “We’ve got to get you there.… Jonah, the phone shanty it is. I know it could take half an hour for an ambulance to get here, but what choice do we have?”
As Aaron sighed in the back, Jonah tried to picture the river in his mind. They had to get across.
“What about the pass?” he asked. It was a narrow part of the river where the riverbed was naturally higher than the rest of the river. In the summer, the water was so shallow at the pass that it cascaded down the sides, like a trickling waterfall. Needless to say, horses and vehicles sometimes used it as a crossing.
“But the river is so high,” Annie said. “Do you think it will be safe?”
“We can only go and give it a try … if it’s all right with you, Lovina.”
“Ya, go,” agreed Lovina. “It’s a good idea, and that’s what we’re in need of right now. That or a miracle.”
Jonah urged Jigsaw to a faster trot in that direction. The horse was fast, but still his pace was maddeningly slow in light of the crisis. As they passed a car for sale along the roadside, Jonah looked on with a sigh. It was Zed Miller’s old four-by-four Jeep, put up for sale by his father. He wished Zed were here now to drive them into town.
The pass was ten minutes away, b
ut as they approached, the sight of two carriages stopped at the riverbank made Jonah’s heart sink.
“It looks like they can’t get across.” Jonah felt the tense quiet of the carriage as he pulled close to one of the rigs parked on the road, handed Annie the reins, and jumped out.
Rain tapped the top of his hat as he slogged through the mud to the nearby carriage and looked in the open door to the driver. It was an Amish man he did not recognize, but the faces that peered back at him were full of concern.
“Have you tried the crossing?” Jonah asked.
“I haven’t, but Amos over there started in. It’s deeper than I’ve ever seen, and the current is strong. The horse lost its footing, and it was by the grace of Gott that Amos got the carriage backed up and out of there safe and sound.”
“It’s good that he’s safe,” Jonah said. “Will you head up to the main road?”
The man shook his head. “It’s too much for the horses. We’re going to wait here an hour or two. The river should draw back by then.”
The man was right, but Aaron did not have an hour or two to spare. Jonah rubbed his chin as he looked toward the pass, where water churned over the smooth rise in the river. “Have you seen any cars here?”
The man frowned. “I expect most of them are taking the main road. But I did see one four-wheeler drive through. Made it straight across without a problem.”
A four-wheeler.
Jonah flashed back to his youth, when he had learned to drive the Jeep with Zed Miller. How many times had they forded the river in it, right at this spot? He thanked the man for the information and hurried back to the carriage. “The horses can’t make it across here,” Jonah said as he turned the carriage and started back down the road. “But we can make it in a Jeep.”
“That would be helpful if we had a driver with a Jeep,” Annie said quietly.
“I think I know where we can get one.”
He looked over at Annie, not wanting to explain the worst part of his plan. He knew that this would be an action that would ban him from the community they both loved. He didn’t want to break the rule or disappoint her.
A Simple Autumn: A Seasons of Lancaster Novel Page 30