Marrying Jonah

by Amy Lillard

  “You want to come inside and get something to drink? Look at the house?”

  His dat glanced at the door, then back to Jonah. “Not tonight. Maybe when we come to put up the barn, jah?” He clapped Jonah on the back, then climbed on his tractor and drove away with a small wave.

  The whole thing happened so fast, Jonah was still staring at the cloud of dust behind the tractor when Sarah opened the back door.

  “Jonah? What are you doing out there?”

  “Seeing Dat off ” didn’t sound quite right since his father was long gone. “Thinking” would only bring about more questions. “I’m coming.” He reached behind the seat on his tractor and pulled out the surprise that he had picked up for Sarah in town.

  The wonderful smell of fried chicken wafted around him as he entered through the kitchen. The room was warm, brightly lit and welcoming. And walking inside felt like coming home.

  “Supper’s almost ready,” she said, turning back to the stove and stirring a pot filled with something steaming and tasty smelling.

  Suddenly he was overcome with the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her silly. Was it the inviting smells of the kitchen mixed with his rumbling stomach? Or was it the becoming pink flush that had stolen into her cheeks? Or maybe it was all the talk about love. Whatever it was, he squelched it and moved into the living room to hang his coat and hat by the front door.

  “What’s in the sack?” Sarah set the platter of chicken on the hot pad in the center of the table.

  “A present for you.” He held it up but made no move to give it to her.

  She stopped, a hint of a smile toying with the corners of her mouth. “You bought me a present?”

  He nodded.

  “Are you saving it for Christmas?” Her blue eyes held a sparkle of excitement. Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn’t have been able to keep the gift from her after seeing her joyous expression.

  “No.” He sat the sack on the table and stood back. “I didn’t have time to wrap it.”

  The happiness on her face said she didn’t care about wrapping. She opened the sack and gasped as she pulled out the fall centerpiece. “Oh, Jonah,” she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  He wasn’t sure about that, but he thought it was nice. Big sunflowers and chocolate-brown candles mixed with strands of ivy and other flowers in burgundy and dark orange.

  “I saw it in the window at the florist’s.” He shrugged, not really knowing what to say. It was something his mother would have liked, and he thought Sarah might too. It was their first Thanksgiving in this house and it deserved something special. Or maybe he should just tell her that he saw it and wanted her to have it.

  “I’m only sad that it’s real and will eventually die.” She sat the piece on the end of the table since their supper was taking up most of the room.

  “How about next week I take you in to the craft store and you can pick up what you need to make a silk one that will last forever.”

  She smiled. “I would like that very much. Danki, Jonah.”

  It seemed that he should say more, but the moment just hung suspended between them.

  She moved first, motioning toward the kitchen with one flighty flick of her hand. “I’ll just go get the rest of supper.”

  Her words set his feet in motion. “I’ll wash up.”

  * * *

  Sarah maintained that warm feeling all through supper, their Bible reading, and clear into when she slipped beneath the covers.

  Friday morning dawned cold and bright. If Jonah and his father and brothers were going to build the barn, they better get on it. She knew they had plans to work on it after Thanksgiving Day, but Sarah had heard talk that it was going to be a snowy winter.

  Oklahomans never knew what the winter would bring. Sometimes it wouldn’t snow at all, barely frost, which would make the bugs unbearable come the spring. Other times they’d have a blizzard, a literal blizzard. They’d had ice storms that knocked out the English power lines and total snowfall that could be measured in feet rather than inches. Apparently this was to be one of those white years.

  Sarah threw another log on the fire and moved back to the kitchen to clean up the breakfast mess. Tomorrow was Saturday, and Gertie was hosting a sisters’ day to can chicken thighs for the winter. Canning meat was a lot different than making pickles or putting up jelly, and Sarah would have loved the chance to go and observe, but she hadn’t been invited. She told herself it was because it was a sisters’ day, but she knew that Hannah, Jonah’s sister, had been invited. She wasn’t Gertie’s sister, but she was playing a part in the day.

  Sarah sighed and wiped her hands on a dish towel. She had to have faith that one day Gertie would accept her as Jonah’s wife. Maybe when the baby came. She ran a hand over her unchanged belly. Soon. Soon she would start to show. The baby would start to move. They would be able to hear the heartbeat. Maybe then it would feel real to her. Right now she almost felt like a fraud, like she had been going through the motions without the truth behind her. She was sure Gertie felt the same way. The woman never said as much, but she didn’t have to. Sarah could tell every time she was around Jonah’s mother. But Jonah was about to give his parents their first grandchild. Hopefully then Gertie’s heart would thaw when she saw Jonah’s child for the first time.

  Until then, she would just have to not worry so much about Gertie and her opinions. Jonah seemed to think she was pretty special, and that meant everything in the world.

  * * *

  Saturday night Sarah took extra care with her appearance. She had made herself a dress out of the dark blue material that she had used for Jonah’s replacement shirt. The color reflected in her eyes and made them look twice as big as they normally did.

  Other than church, this would be their first outing as a married couple, and she wanted everything to be perfect. She smoothed another dab of baby lotion over the small rolls of hair at each side of her face and picked up her prayer kapp. She was as ready as she’d ever be. She pinned her kapp in place, critically studying her reflection. She wasn’t tall and thin and blond like Lorie, but she was not ugly to look at. Her teeth were strong and white, her skin clear. So her hair was a little unruly at times; all in all, she wasn’t an unattractive person.

  She ran her hands down her dress and apron, then grabbed her coat. It was time to go. Now or never. They were headed on a date.

  Jonah nearly took her breath away when she caught sight of him. His beard was growing in nicely. It had a rusty tint to it that she liked. How much longer before it would be a full-fledged beard? Not long. And her husband would have the mark of a married man.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked. He had put on the shirt she had made him. She might not be able to cook on a wood-burning stove or do laundry in a wringer washer, but she could sew. Every little stitch near perfect. She shouldn’t be proud, but with all the shortcomings she had suffered lately, she would take whatever confidence she could get.

  “Jah.”

  He handed her a scarf and her bonnet. “It’s supposed to get down near freezing tonight by the time we head back.”

  “Danki.” Had he always been this thoughtful?

  A car horn sounded outside and she jerked her gaze to his. He gave her a secret smile, then opened the front door for her to precede him outside.

  In their grass-and-dirt driveway sat an English car, the lights on and the engine running.

  “Is that a driver?”

  For a moment she thought he was about to grin, but he managed to contain the motion. “Since we moved out here it’s really far over to Will and Hannah’s. I don’t want us to get cold.”

  It was the sweetest thing, she thought as she made her way toward the car. He locked the door and they got inside with the driver.

  “All this for card night?” It was almost too good to be true. Or maybe he was too good to be true. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to enjoy it. With a slow progression, things were changing between them, and she was
grateful.

  He shrugged. “It’s important. Even if it is just card night.”

  In the dark interior of the car, Sarah smiled. They just might make it after all.

  * * *

  Will and Hannah’s house sat on the opposite side of the district. A few more feet and they would’ve been completely out of Bishop Ebersol’s district, but as it was, they all still went to the same church.

  The house was warm and inviting and built more like an Amish house usually was, with an upstairs and no previous wiring for electricity. But that wasn’t to say that Jonah wasn’t enjoying the house he and Sarah shared. It was just different was all.

  “Sarah, help me get these to the table,” Hannah requested.

  Sarah took off her coat and hung it in the front closet and followed Hannah to the kitchen. Jonah stared after her. As strange as it seemed, there was so little he knew about his wife. And he had known her most of his life. How was that possible?

  “I brought sausage balls,” Sarah said, handing the foil-covered platter to Hannah. “My mother’s recipe.”

  Had he ever eaten those at any other meetings? He couldn’t remember. He watched her disappear with a swish of her skirts, wondering when they would be to the point where they finished each other’s sentences and knew everything there was to know. Would they ever get to that point?

  “Gut to see you out tonight, Jonah.” Andrew Fitch clapped him on the back, his bright smile shaking Jonah out of his deep thoughts.

  “We wouldn’t miss it. Anything to get out and see how my sister’s living.”

  Andrew looked around him with admiring eyes. “It’s a nice house.” And it was. Somewhere between fancy and plain. The walls were warm yellow and white, and wood trim seemed to grace each room, adding to the warmth. He should do that for Sarah. Add some wood trim, maybe paint the walls a deeper color. Overall he liked the feel of walking into sunshine even though he was indoors and it was dead of winter. He was sure his mother would classify the whole setup as “fancy Amish,” though he saw no problems with that. Having a nice place to live didn’t damage someone’s faith.

  “I think the bishop helped.”

  Cephas Ebersol was a dairy farmer by trade, but a closet carpenter. He loved woodworking almost as much as Abe Fitch. Jonah had heard his parents talk about all the help Cephas had given Will and Hannah in the construction of the house. That was just the kind of man he was. Maybe he should ask for a little assistance of his own. Though he was sure Cephas had more on his plate right now, what with Mary just marrying Aaron. Jonah’s brother had said as much, but Jonah knew that Aaron was looking for a house for his new bride. When the papers were signed, Jonah was sure that all of Cephas’s time would be spent improving Mary’s house, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

  A deep gong sounded throughout the rooms.

  “Is that it?” one of the girls squealed, her voice carrying in from the kitchen.

  “Yes.” He recognized the gush of a word as belonging to his sister.

  The girls rushed through the foyer where the men were standing and into the dining room. Jonah followed, hoping to get a look at whatever had caught their attention.

  He peered into the sunshine yellow room to find the women all clustered around the huge grandfather clock nestled in one corner. He couldn’t see much of it since the girls were all gathered around, but he caught a glimpse of the top and the golden clock face. It was beautiful.

  “I have it set to play ‘Amazing Grace’ at the top of each hour. It chimes at the quarter hour and gongs at the half hour. And when it’s closer to Christmas I can make it play ‘What Child Is This.’” His sister was beaming with joy.

  The other women oohed and aahed over the beauty of the clock and its size, and he thought he even heard a few whispers about the cost.

  Was it really that special?

  “I got Caroline a grandfather clock when we got married,” Andrew said, draining the last of his punch. “But it was nothing compared to that one.”

  Jonah shook his head. He had seen the love that flowed between them. “I bet she loves it just as much.”

  Andrew smiled. “I think you’re right.”

  But Jonah hadn’t gotten Sarah a grandfather clock when they had married. He’d been too wrapped up in hating the fact that he was getting married to worry overly much about the etiquette of marriage. He hadn’t bought her anything.

  Just a house.

  That was something. Wasn’t it?

  But Will had bought Hannah a house and a clock. Andrew had done the same. Emily and Elam had moved in with his parents to help take care of his father, but that didn’t mean Emily didn’t add a huge grandfather clock to her list of earthly possessions. He looked around at this circle of friends. Was he the only one who had forgotten such a time-honored tradition? Was it even that important?

  He looked back to where the girls stood, all still gazing at the clock as if it had been made of solid gold.

  Evidently it was.

  * * *

  Sarah could feel the gazes fall on her when no one thought she was looking. Men and women alike, everyone in their group seemed to turn their attention on her at some time during the evening.

  After they had checked out Hannah’s new clock, the group had gathered in the family room. Four card tables had been set up for their tournament.

  “The rules are simple,” Will said. “The winner from table one will play the winner of table two. Same thing with three and four. Then those winners will play each other for the championship.”

  “What do we win?” someone called. Sarah wasn’t sure who.

  Will smiled. “Bragging rights.” He glanced around the room once again. “Any questions?”

  “When do we eat?” She wasn’t sure but she thought Obie asked. It made sense. He was always hungry.

  “When you lose,” Andrew returned.

  Everyone laughed and started for their chairs.

  Will and Hannah along with Emily and Elam sat at the first table. Clara Rose and Obie sat down with Ezra and Sadie while Caroline and Andrew and Mark and Ruthie sat at the next one. Sarah and Jonah gathered around table four with Titus and Abbie.

  Jonah had the first shuffle, and she took the time to study her husband. Why did he seem so different tonight? His hair looked the same as it always did. Maybe a bit longer than normal. His beard was starting to grow in nicely, now rivaling that of the other men at the tournament.

  His blue shirt was the one she had made him after ruining his favorite one in the wringer washer. Nothing was out of place. Nothing out of the ordinary. So why . . . ?

  He dealt the cards and everyone placed their bids.

  “Sarah?”

  She started. “Sorry. What?”

  “It’s your turn,” Jonah said, a perplexed look on his face.

  “Right.” But her concentration was shot and they lost the first hand.

  “Are you okay?” Jonah captured her gaze.

  She nodded. What was wrong with her? It was as if she couldn’t focus at all.

  “Pregnancy brain.” Caroline leaned close so only she could hear.

  After two children, she would know. “It’s like your brain can’t handle thinking about the baby and something else at the same time.”

  “So it chooses the . . . baby?” It was the first time she had talked about the pregnancy with anyone since their church confession.

  “Exactly.” Caroline nodded.

  Great. That was exactly what she didn’t need. Something else to distract her for the next seven or so months.

  Titus clapped Jonah on the shoulder sympathetically. “Good luck, my friend,” he said, and Sarah wondered if they had been eavesdropping on her conversation.

  “How is the camel business?” Elam asked, effectively changing the subject. “Are they ready to milk yet?”

  “Don’t make fun,” Titus warned. “Camel’s milk is the wave of the future.”

  Thankfully the conversation switched to the merits of ca
mel’s milk over cow’s milk as the two very different dairy farmers touted their own product.

  Sarah just smiled to herself, thankful to be let off the hook. Now to dig in and concentrate on the game at hand.

  * * *

  Despite all her efforts at trying to concentrate, she and Jonah lost to Titus and Abbie, who in turn had to play Caroline and Andrew. The second table hosted Emily and Elam versus Ezra and Sadie.

  “Come on,” Hannah said, motioning the women into the kitchen. “I have a project.”

  Ruthie eyed her skeptically. “This doesn’t involve painting, does it?”

  Hannah laughed. “You’ll have to trust me enough to come see.”

  Ruthie, Sarah, and Clara Rose all followed Hannah into her newly remodeled kitchen.

  “You have such a lovely home,” Sarah said, looking around at the pristine floors and Formica countertops. Hannah’s kitchen was a great deal larger than Sarah’s, though she thought it might appear that way since there was no kitchen table to break things up. Sarah sort of liked having the table right there. Did everyone say the kitchen was the heart of the house?

  “I hear your house is coming along.” Hannah shot her a sly look as she pulled a huge bag of cheese from the fridge. She set it on the island worktop, then went back for more.

  “We moved in so quick it seems like it’s taking forever,” Sarah said. And it did. She wanted Jonah’s home to be perfect. Now. She wanted him to come home every day from working with his father and know that the house she had built for the two of them would rival anything anyone else in the district might have.

  Of course she would have to say a quick prayer about that tonight. She shouldn’t be overly proud of her house. There was a reason why pride was considered a sin.

  But Jonah had bought them a fixer-upper. It might not be as large as Hannah and Will’s place, but there was a little land where they could add on, a place for them to build a barn and the detached garage where they could store their tractor and buggy. All in all, she was happy with her home. Happy with Jonah.

  She stopped and pressed a hand to her belly. She was happy with Jonah. She inhaled sharply.