Harvest of Hearts

by Laura Hilton

  There seemed to be a kindly glint in his eyes, but Matthew wasn’t sure. He nodded.

  “We checked references of all the buwe who signed up for the swap. Contacted your family, too. Heard nothing but gut things about you.” He picked up his glass and swirled the pale yellow liquid around before taking a sip.

  Nancy picked up something and walked out of the room.

  “Jah.” Matthew had expected his parents would have been contacted. He straightened his posture. “If this is about driving that car, I know I was wrong, and I’m willing to kneel and confess.”

  “Were you trying to impress a pretty girl that day, Matthew?” One of the other preachers leaned forward.

  Matthew considered the question, then shook his head. “Nein. Her driving, it scared me. I am much more cautious, and I wanted to get back alive, if I had any control over it. I’ve refused to get into a vehicle with her behind the wheel ever since. That is my only excuse.”

  The bishop chuckled and shook his head. “She did run into Amos Kropf’s buggy, and it was parked in the drive-through lane. Though he tells me that she’s been trying to make restitution by working as his maud for no charge. He considered it a fair trade, but he’s keeping track of her hours so he’ll know when she’s made it up.”

  Jah. Matthew knew this. But he still didn’t like it.

  The bishop took a sip of lemonade and then studied Matthew again. “I’ve heard tales about her driving. She drives too fast, going airborne over some of the bumps in the road. She’ll ruin her car at that rate. I can understand your fear. Don’t think I’d care to ride with her, either.”

  Matthew didn’t answer. Bishop Sol acted a lot friendlier than he’d expected him to. More human, more caring. But if this meeting wasn’t about his punishment for driving a car, he couldn’t imagine what other thing concerned them enough to call him here today.

  “How is she at handling a horse?” Philip Miller asked, his mouth full of pretzel.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t let her try. But she did borrow Levi’s once with no mishaps.”

  “She used to race buggies with the buwe when she was younger.” The bishop shook his head again, as if trying to imagine a girl doing such a thing. “She is ser gut with a horse. Unfortunately, she used to ride bareback, too.”

  Some bishops didn’t like buggy horses being ridden. Matthew lifted his glass to take a sip, but he noticed that the condensation had left a wet ring on the table. He quickly rubbed it off with his sleeve, hoping it wouldn’t leave a mark on the wood.

  “We were just going to address the issue of your driving.” The bishop studied him a long moment. “Not her. We understand buwe and pretty maidels. We were young once, too. A long time ago.” He chuckled. “But there was some touching when you went fishing the other day. I’ve prayed long and hard about these public displays of affection. Knowing my granddaughter likes you, I’ll admit I did some gentle nudging, asked her to invite you to dinner. She did, said you’d accepted. But she also says you aren’t interested. That you are courting Shanna. So, I felt I needed to step in.”

  Dinner? That must have been what he’d unknowingly agreed to that day at the pond. Matthew opened his mouth to decline politely, but the bishop held up his hand, silencing him.

  “As your bishop, I must remind you that you’re playing with fire. A friend of the world is an enemy of God.”

  So, that was the real point of this meeting. Shanna. Matthew settled back in his seat, hoping to appear relaxed, nonconfrontational.

  “She’s joined the Englisch, Matthew,” Bishop Sol went on. “She jumped the fence. You know girls who experience modern conveniences rarely return. You are too smart, too grounded, to get involved with someone like Shanna Stoltzfus. There are too many nice Amish girls around here who would welkum your attention.”

  Some of the other preachers nodded, and Matthew recalled Shanna’s concerns about the bishop and his rules. Had she been right to worry? Any bishop who meddled this much in an individual courtship had to be a control freak. Or, was he involved only because he wanted to play matchmaker for his granddaughter?

  The bishop picked up a pretzel and waved it at Matthew. “But you need to choose God and let Him guide your relationship, let Him choose your potential frau. You shouldn’t allow your head or your heart to be swayed by the Stoltzfus girl, though I admit she’s lovely.”

  “Very,” one of the preachers acknowledged. “Yet, ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.’”

  Matthew recognized the verse from Proverbs. He nodded, an automatic response to fill in the heavy silence in the room. Then, he took a deep breath and turned his attention to Bishop Sol again.

  “She left because of you.” Ach, he hadn’t intended to blurt that out. Not in that way, at least. A little more tact was in order.

  The gray-haired man raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

  “She said that you told her she had a gift…the gift of healing. That her presence of mind in the midst of a crisis was a rare thing that ought to be developed. She wanted to get professional training so that she could kum back and serve the community.” He stumbled over the words in his rush to get them out before the bishop could interrupt him. “But education is forbidden by the Ordnung, and she didn’t know how else to go about getting the schooling she needed. She studied obstetrics. It’s the branch of medicine that deals with childbirth and the treatment of women before and after labor. That’s what she said. She intends to return.”

  Thoughtful expressions appeared on the men’s faces. One had a furrowed brow.

  The bishop nodded slowly. “I did say that Shanna had a gift. And she has always been smart. Top of her class all the way through school. I’d thought the Englisch midwife would train her. I even approached her about it, the day Shanna left. She’d always been the type who would want the education. And the Englisch midwife was rather noncommittal about training her. But why didn’t she say anything?”

  “Levi told her it was all pride.” Matthew took another drink.

  The bishop closed his eyes briefly. “Jah. But I think the other preachers would agree that if she wanted to do this for the gut of the community, we would have supported her, we would have found someone to teach her. As I said, I tried to find training for her before she ran off.”

  Matthew’s eyes widened. If only Shanna had known this bit of information.

  “We need her here,” the bishop went on. “Too many times, our women give birth without proper assistance because the midwife doesn’t make it in time.”

  The other preachers nodded. “My Nellie had to do it alone; I wasn’t home,” one said. “A local midwife would be beneficial.”

  Matthew glanced at the man who spoke. His beard was short, indicating he’d been married only a brief time. A year, perhaps. He had reddish hair that curled around his ears.

  Matthew sucked in a deep breath. “She has a half year of school left. But she’s willing to kum home now, if she’s allowed.” She hadn’t exactly said that. She’d said she wasn’t ready to return, but that was only because her schooling wasn’t complete, he was certain. “And I want to marry her, kum December, after she’s through, except for graduating.”

  The bishop’s eyes widened. “Promises have been made?”

  Sort of. He hadn’t officially proposed. But he had talked about them marrying. Multiple times. He looked down. “We have an understanding.”

  “You have given us much to consider and pray about, Matthew Yoder, before we can make a decision.” The bishop leaned back. “You will kneel and confess on church Sunday for your driving transgression.”

  Matthew nodded. That he could do.

  “God go with you.”

  “And you. Danki for listening to me.” He stood, hoping that his shaking knees would support him. His stomach still churned. Their decision would be regarding Shanna. Would they tell him whether he was permitted to continue courting her, or whether she was permi
tted to continue her education? He couldn’t see the latter happening. And Shanna would never yield to a demand to quit school.

  Nancy Miller hurried back into the room, carrying a plate. “Here,” she said, holding it out to him. “Take this to the Stoltzfus family. I’m sure they’ll enjoy some pretzels.” She smiled encouragingly and patted his hand. Then, she turned and picked up his plate, which held his untouched snack. “And take this one with you. You can eat it on the way.”

  “Danki,” Matthew said again, though he still wasn’t hungry. He started for the door.

  “Matthew,” the bishop said. “We will contact you within the week.”

  ***

  Shanna had decided to go to Amos Kropf’s house after her morning shift at McDonald’s to fill the time Matthew spent meeting with Bishop Sol and the preachers. She washed the last of the week’s dishes, dipping them in the rinse water that filled the other sink basin, then setting them in a drain pan to dry. Next, she used the dishrag to wipe down the counters and tabletop, then wrung out the cloth and hung it over the sink to dry. As she picked up another towel to dry the dishes, she heard footfalls behind her. She glanced over her shoulder.

  Amos took off his hat and turned it in his hands. “You’re doing a gut job here, Shanna. Haven’t seen this haus so clean since before….” He clamped his mouth shut and hugged his hat to his chest.

  Since his wife died. Tears welled in Shanna’s eyes, but she couldn’t think of an appropriate way to comfort him. She turned back to the sink to give him some privacy.

  He cleared his throat. “Well. I think you’ve worked enough time to pay back what it cost to repair the buggy. If you want to continue working for me, I’d be obliged, and I’d pay you the going rate.”

  She wanted to make sure the debt had been paid in full. Her eyes still burned with tears, but she set the towel down and spun around. “I know I caused a greater inconvenience than simply breaking your wheel. You had to rely on others for rides, and—”

  “Just the one, from McDonald’s back home that day. And Matthew Yoder paid for that, though I told him he didn’t need to. He said you’d reimburse him.”

  Jah, she fully intended to. But he still hadn’t told her what it had cost. Would Amos tell her? She didn’t know how to ask. Probably best to just say it. “How much was that, anyway? Matthew wouldn’t say.”

  Amos eyed her. Then, with a grimace, he tugged his hat back on his head. “Not my place, then.” He strode out the door, then stuck his head back inside. “Will you want a ride home when you finish?”

  “Nein, danki. I can walk.”

  “Have you considered returning home for gut? Maybe marrying?” Amos cocked his head and took a step back inside. “Seems you’d make a gut frau. Gut with the kinner.”

  Shanna’s eyes widened. What was he saying? Men didn’t talk about marriage, unless…. Her brother had said that Amos needed a frau.

  “Ach, nein. I’m thinking…I don’t know. I’m going to school. Not likely to be coming home soon. Can’t be thinking about marriage.” Except to Matthew. “I’m not getting married,” she added, firmly.

  He grunted. “We’ll see.” He frowned, studying her. “You’re seeing someone. Promised, maybe. Ain’t so?” Then, he disappeared again.

  Shanna finished drying the dishes and then checked the pantry. It was full. Whomever he’d said did his shopping must have been here recently. The shelves were overflowing with baskets of apples, boxes of cereal, canned goods, and even bags of junk food—potato chips and the snack cakes that have a shelf life of forever.

  She turned and checked the refrigerator, then took out a package of chicken legs and thighs. She would start some chicken baking in the oven with a few potatoes, but then she’d need to head home, especially with Becky coming over with that chocolate cream pie. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

  An hour later, Shanna had the chicken and potatoes in the oven and a pot of sliced carrots simmering on the back of the stove. She told Amos about the food so it wouldn’t burn, then took off.

  When she arrived at home, an Englischer’s pickup truck waited in the driveway. Shanna didn’t recognize the vehicle. She hurried over to the barn, hoping not to run into anyone. Except maybe Matthew. She glanced around, hoping to catch a glance of him. Was he still meeting with the bishop? Not seeing him, she quickened her pace. She wanted to get cleaned up before Becky arrived.

  As Shanna slipped into the barn, she noticed that the door on the other side of the big buggy room stood open. Daed’s special room. A light shone down the steps into the area, leaving a block of brightness. It appeared too bright to be from a lantern. Daed has electric on that side of the barn? She hurried over that direction, hoping to catch a glimpse up the forbidden stairs, but the sound of men’s voices stopped her. She turned and hurried back to her apartment. What’s going on up there?

  ***

  When Matthew returned from the Millers’ house, Levi sent him out to the back field to spread manure among the growing stalks of corn. Not a pleasant job, but the manure made for good fertilizer. After a little while, his stomach rumbled. He wished he’d actually eaten the pretzel, but he hadn’t been hungry. He paused to wipe some sweat off his forehead. It seemed unseasonably warm for June, with temperatures in the nineties, according to some of the preachers he’d overheard earlier.

  Definitely hotter than Pennsylvania would be at this time of year. For a few moments, a wave of homesickness washed through him. He’d sure enjoy a cold glass of Mamm’s lemonade about now, sitting around the table with Daed and his brothers, seeing Mamm and his sisters bustle around the kitchen, keeping them supplied with refills of the freshly squeezed lemonade or delivering bowls of newly churned ice cream. That was a rare treat, though, and they usually ate the entire batch in one day.

  He was supposed to call home tonight. It’d be nice to talk to everyone. He’d forgotten about that when he’d asked Shanna to go for a walk with him. But maybe she wouldn’t mind if he talked with his family for a little while. She might even say hi, since she’d be marrying into the family. Hopefully. Though she might be uncomfortable talking on the phone to strangers.

  Matthew wiped his forehead again, then pulled his watch out of his pocket to check the time. Dinner might be ready soon. He should head back and get washed up.

  He started walking toward the barn to take care of his equipment and the horse.

  “Matthew!”

  He looked up and saw Shanna running across the field toward him.

  She slowed to a stop when she reached him. “I earned back what I owed Amos Kropf. He told me he’d been keeping track of my hours.”

  “Gut. So, you won’t be working for him anymore?”

  Her brow furrowed. “Well, he didn’t fire me. He said that I’d be paid for any additional hours I worked. I figure this is gut. Besides, I owe you for his transportation after the accident, remember? How much was that, again?”

  Matthew glanced at his filthy hands and resisted the urge to run a finger down her cheek. She was clean; he could smell a flowery scent. His touches wouldn’t be appreciated at this point.

  “Ach, Shanna. I thought I told you not to worry about that. I don’t want your money.”

  “But you’re buying a farm. And you’ll need a horse and buggy of your own. You’re not so independently wealthy that you can afford to throw away, what, twenty dollars?”

  “I didn’t throw it away, Shanna. Let it go. Besides, your daed already reimbursed me. He said that he was responsible, since you are his daughter. So, if you pay anyone, it’ll have to be your daed.”

  “Maybe I could pay you back, and you could give the money to him?” She wrinkled her nose.

  Matthew smiled. “Ask him yourself. He’s not a scary ogre.”

  She sighed. “Maybe you’re right. He’s different from the daed I ran away from. I think you’ve been gut for him.”

  His grin widened. “I think having you home is gut for him. But, since you brought it up, I need
to call home tonight. Would you want to say hello to my parents?”

  She backed up, her eyes wide. “Your parents? Whatever for?”

  Ach, he wished he could draw her near. Punctuate his every word with a kiss. If only he weren’t so filthy. He took a deep breath. “Because you’re my future frau. They’ll want to get to know you.”

  She laughed. “You haven’t proposed. I haven’t accepted.”

  Matthew shook his head. “You agreed to be my steady girl. You know the direction we’re going.”

  She sobered. “Jah, I know. But maybe your family would be better off not talking to me right now. I haven’t joined the church yet, nor do I plan to this year.”

  He opened his mouth, then shut it, figuring it best to keep his discussion with Bishop Sol and the preachers quiet until they’d reached a decision.