The Farmers' Market Mishap

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean;

  Well, neither do I. She folded her arms, staring out the van window into the darkened sky. So where does that leave us? Certainly not with a future together.

  Elma felt the warmth of his skin as he took hold of her hand. She felt certain he cared for her. But was it enough to leave Grabill and move to Topeka? Ben hadn’t said anything about marriage, so it would be improper to bring the topic up. But what was the point in continuing to see him when neither of them were willing or able to relocate?

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Should I tell him when he walks me to my door that I don’t think we should see each other anymore? I should never have agreed to spend the afternoon and evening with Ben. I let my feelings for him get in the way of good sense, and now saying good-bye will be that much harder.

  Elma’s skin tingled as Ben stroked her hand tenderly with his thumb. I can’t tell him tonight. I’ll wait a few days, or even a week, and then write Ben a letter, explaining why I can’t see him anymore. Surely he’ll understand and won’t call or come around. It’s best for both of us if we don’t carry this relationship any further.

  CHAPTER 27

  The next Friday evening, after Ben finished working for the day, it was all he could do to put his horse away. Bending over to shoe for a good many hours had caused his back to spasm. “I should go see the local chiropractor,” he mumbled. “My back’s in bad shape.” As much as he enjoyed his line of work, Ben figured he might have to give it up someday. But for now, it helped pay the bills, along with what they got from farming, as well as the sale of Mom’s garden produce and flowers.

  Gritting his teeth, Ben limped toward the house. All he wanted to do was eat a little something, take a long hot bath, and stretch out on his bed. He didn’t have much appetite for food and hoped Mom hadn’t cooked a big meal.

  Tomorrow, if his back felt better and his driver was available, Ben planned to head up to Topeka to see Elma. Last night he’d called and left a message, saying he hoped to come by on Saturday, and if she was free, he wanted to take her out for supper.

  Sure wish Topeka was closer. Ben reached around to rub the sorest spot on his back. At least I could go with my horse and buggy instead of spending the money to hire Dave or one of our other drivers.

  When Ben reached the back porch, he paused to reflect on the conversation he’d had with Elma last Saturday when they’d been driving around Grabill. She’d made it clear that she had no intention of relocating, and since he didn’t plan to move, either, there was no point in continuing to pursue her—unless he could convince Elma to change her mind about moving. And that could only happen if he kept seeing her.

  Ben grasped the door handle and stepped inside. He sat on the bench inside the utility room and removed his boots, being careful not to strain his back further.

  Still wearing his stockings, Ben made his way to the kitchen.

  “Hey, Ben. Supper will be ready soon. Oh, and there’s a letter for you from Elma.” Mom turned from where she stood at the stove and pointed to the kitchen table. “It came in today’s mail.”

  Eager to see what Elma had written, Ben took a seat and tore the envelope open.

  Bending his neck forward, he pressed his hands to his temples as he silently read her message:

  Dear Ben:

  There’s no easy way to say this, but I’ve come to the conclusion that we should stop seeing each other. Your place is in Grabill with your mother, and mine is here in Topeka, with my twin sister and her family.

  You are a kindhearted man, who deserves to be happy, and I wish you all the best in the days to come.

  Fondly,

  Elma

  “Is everything okay?” Mom asked. “You look umgerennt.”

  At a loss for words, Ben turned away, covering his mouth.

  Mom placed a lid on the kettle she’d been stirring and moved over to the table. “Did Elma say something upsetting?” She put both hands on Ben’s shoulders.

  He swallowed hard. “She doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

  “Really? How come?”

  “Elma wants to stay in Topeka, and my place is here, so she’s right—there’s no point in continuing to see each other, since we have no future together.”

  Mom massaged his tense shoulders. “Maybe it’s for the best, son. A long-distance relationship is difficult, and since neither of you is free to move…”

  Ben pushed his chair away from the table. “My back hurts, Mom. I’m gonna take a bath and go to bed.”

  “What about supper?”

  “Sorry, but I’m not hungerich. Maybe I can have some of what you made for lunch or supper tomorrow, since I won’t be going to Topeka like I’d planned.” Holding his back, he bent slightly forward and shuffled out of the room. He needed to be alone to rest and sort things out.

  Topeka

  “Are you hungry, boy?” Elma placed a bowl of dog food on the floor next to Freckles’ water dish. She’d finished eating supper herself and still needed to do the dishes, but she wanted to get Freckles and Tiger fed first.

  Elma still thought it was surprising how Freckles had acted last week after Ben and Dave dropped her off. When she’d taken the dog outside and sat on the porch steps to wait, instead of Freckles going into the yard, he didn’t leave her side. He sniffed her from head to toe. At first, she thought it was normal, with the scent from Dorothy’s puppy lingering on her clothes. But it wasn’t only that—it was how Freckles kept whining that seemed so odd and caused Elma to wonder why it took the dog a while to settle down.

  She shook her head. If only animals could talk.

  While Freckles ate, Elma poured Tiger his food, placing it in the opposite corner of the room. If she didn’t keep her pets’ dishes separated, they would often try to horn in on each other’s food.

  Once that chore was done, Elma went to the sink and filled it with warm, soapy water. As she sloshed the sponge over each dirty dish, her thoughts went to Ben. I wonder if he received my letter yet? If so, what was his reaction? Her nose and throat burned with unshed tears. I hope he understands and doesn’t try to contact me. If I see him again, it’ll only make things harder.

  A few minutes later, Tiger left his dish and came over to sit beside Elma, swishing his fluffy tail against her leg. Meow! Meow!

  Elma looked down. “Did you come here to offer me comfort, or are you needing some attention?”

  The cat looked up at her and purred.

  Elma smiled, despite her melancholy mood. “I’ll take that as a yes to both.”

  “Did you notice how sullen your sister seemed when she was here for supper last night?” Mom commented as she sat beside Thelma on the living-room couch, each of them holding a baby.

  Thelma shook her head. “To tell you the truth, I was so busy with the bopplin, I hadn’t noticed. Did she say anything was bothering her?”

  Mom shook her head. “No. She just wasn’t her usual perky self.”

  “Maybe she was mied. Since I’m not able to help at the store anymore, Elma’s been working longer hours, which would make anyone tired.” Thelma placed Miriam tummy-down across her lap and patted the infant’s back. Sometimes that position worked best to get her to burp. “What my sister needs to do is hire another helper. Lizzie’s a nice person, but she can’t do many things and tends to talk too much when she should be working.” Once Miriam burped, Thelma cradled the baby in her arms. “I’m not saying Elma should let Lizzie go—just hire an additional person.”

  Mom slowly nodded. “I’d hoped to help out in the store while I was here, but my first priority is to help you with the twins.” She patted little Charlie on the back and smiled when he let out a healthy burp.

  Tears welled in Thelma’s eyes. “Having you here has meant a lot to me. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “It’s been my pleasure. I only wish I could stay longer.”

  Thelma swallowed hard, determined not to give in to her tears. “Dad needs you back home, and when you leave next week, we’ll manage on our own,
just as you did after Elma and I were born.”

  Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “That was a little different. I had four sisters plus my mamm to help me back then. All you have is Elma, and because of the store, she can’t be over here all the time.”

  “Which is why I am going to ask some of the women in our church district to help out. Several have volunteered already, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Mom reached over and touched Thelma’s arm. “Your daed and I will be back for Christmas. Maybe we can stay till New Year’s, too.”

  “That’d be nice. It’ll give Elma and me something to look forward to. Hopefully Joseph’s parents can be here, too, although they will probably spend part of the holidays with other family members.” Thelma sighed. “It’s important for family to be together as often as they can.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Grabill

  Throughout the holidays Ben moped around, spending much of his free time in his bedroom. He’d gone in for a few chiropractic treatments because of his back. They seemed to help, and he experienced less discomfort while he worked.

  As Ben stood in front of his bedroom closet, he thought about his job and wondered what other kind of work he could do. He enjoyed meeting people and keeping informed on things. He also needed a job that would pay a decent wage. Here it was, the first of January already, and a whole new year lay ahead—a year in which he had nothing to look forward to.

  It was hard to think about going through the rest of his life without Elma. Even though he’d known her a short time, his heart told him he’d never feel for any other woman what he did for her. But if she wouldn’t leave Topeka, being together was out of the question, for Ben couldn’t leave his mother in the lurch. In addition to needing to support herself, she’d be lonely living in this big old house alone.

  Maybe Mom had been right when she’d said it was better this way. Elma had an obligation to her family, same as him. Truth was, Ben wished he’d never met her at the farmers’ market. If he hadn’t been looking at the produce on her table and had a little mishap, he wouldn’t feel like there was a hole in his heart right now.

  Ben stopped pacing to look out his window. He stared at the swirling snow which was quickly covering the ground. It was the first snowfall they’d had this winter, but the beautiful trees in their yard, wearing blankets of white, did nothing to lift his spirits. Back when Ben was a boy, he loved playing in the snow. Even as a young man, it was fun to romp in the white stuff with his dog.

  Ben didn’t know how he’d made it through the holidays. All he could think about was the fun he and Elma were missing out on, enjoying the snow together. First Hunter, and now Elma—both of them gone from his life.

  “Hunter,” Ben murmured, pressing his forehead against the cold window glass. “I hope you found a new master who’s been taking good care of you.”

  While Partner had filled a void in Ben’s life, he’d never felt as close to the pup as he had to Hunter. As far as Ben was concerned, the puppy was more Mom’s dog than his. But that was okay. She needed the pup’s companionship whenever Ben was away.

  Compelled to seek God’s will for his life, Ben took a seat on the end of his bed, reflecting on Proverbs 16:9, a verse he’d committed to memory some time ago: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

  He bowed his head. Heavenly Father, please guide and direct my life in the year ahead, and if Your will is for me to get married, send the right woman into my life who’ll be happy living in Grabill, or help me to be content as a bachelor. Amen.

  Topeka

  As Elma sat watching her parents hold Miriam and Charles, a deep sadness welled in her soul. In addition to feeling bad because Mom was going home tomorrow, she struggled with envy yet again because she had no children. Mom’s nonstop talk about how much the babies had grown and how she was going to miss them when she went home only added to Elma’s resentment.

  Her parents had experienced the joy of raising twins, and now Thelma and Joseph had been given the same opportunity. Elma didn’t even have a husband, much less the prospect of becoming a parent.

  She glanced across the room to where Delbert and Joseph sat playing checkers. Elma wondered if Delbert had been invited to join them for a meal and to spend the evening playing games because he was lonely, or if Thelma had planned it to try and get her and Delbert back together. Elma was pretty sure it was the latter, since this wasn’t the first time Delbert had been invited to her sister’s house when she was there for a meal. Somehow it always worked out so that Elma was seated next to or directly across the table from him.

  Delbert’s blond hair seemed a bit thinner these days, and Elma noticed he had a patch of eczema on the back of his neck. Probably from eating too many sugar-laden sweets and unhealthy snacks. He needs a wife to cook him some decent meals.

  “King me! That’s it—I won!” Delbert clapped his hands, causing everyone in the room to jump except Elma. Delbert was a sharp cookie when it came to most games, and it didn’t surprise her in the least that he’d beaten Joseph at checkers. Delbert always got excited when he won, too.

  She glanced at the babies and was surprised they’d both slept through the noise.

  “Hey, Elma, why don’t ya come over here and see if you can beat me at checkers? As I recall, you’re pretty good at this game.”

  Unable to say no to the challenge, Elma rose from her comfortable chair and took Joseph’s seat at the dining-room table. Joseph winked at Elma before settling himself in the love seat beside Thelma.

  And who might you be cheering for? she almost asked out loud.

  Delbert insisted Elma begin the game, and as things got started, a desire to win crept in. She’d always liked a good challenge, and playing against Delbert was definitely that. Elma had to think fast while calculating each move in order to stay up with him.

  When his next turn came, Delbert took some time then slid his game piece.

  Elma studied the board, wondering why he’d moved it there. She made her next move and took another one of his checkers. “Your turn, Delbert.”

  He squinted, looking at her suspiciously. “Again? How are you doing that?”

  She smiled, feeling a bit smug. “I know how to play this game, and you seem to be losing your edge.”

  “I’m doing fine. I only slipped up a little,” Delbert mumbled.

  Halfway through the game, Thelma and Joseph left the room to make popcorn.

  Despite the challenge of trying to outsmart Delbert, for the first time all day, Elma was enjoying herself. The icing on the cake, so to speak, was that for the first time in many weeks, Ben Wagler was not at the center of her thoughts.

  Thelma smiled at Joseph as he got out the popcorn maker and placed it on the stove. She felt grateful to have a husband who enjoyed being with her and was willing to help. She chuckled to herself. Of course, his enjoyment of popcorn might have something to do with his eagerness to make it.

  She handed him the container of coconut oil—a Christmas gift from Elma. Her sister might have thought she was being subtle, but Thelma knew the reason for this particular gift was to make sure she was cooking with a healthy oil. As always, Thelma’s twin was looking out for her welfare.

  While Joseph took care of the popcorn, Thelma brewed a pot of coffee and sliced some pumpkin bread Mom had made yesterday. What a joy it had been to have her mother with them from Christmas to New Year’s. Thelma looked forward to spring, when she and Joseph hoped to take their little ones on their first trip to see their grandparents in Sullivan, Illinois. It would also be nice to introduce Miriam and Charles to all the aunts, uncles, and cousins she and Elma had grown up with.

  After all the doting and holding our twins will get, they’ll be spoiled by the time we come home, she mused.

  When the corn was done popping and Thelma had a tray filled with pumpkin bread ready, she took cups and small plates down from the cupboard.

  “If you want to carry the popcorn and bread to
the dining-room table, I’ll bring the coffeepot, plates, and silverware,” Joseph offered. “Oh, and some napkins, too.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do that in a minute, but first I’d like to ask you something.”

  He turned to face her. “What is it, my dear fraa?”

  Thelma smiled at his endearing words. “It’s about Delbert.”

  “You think he’s taken all of Elma’s checker pieces by now?”

  “Probably, but that’s not what I was going to ask.” She moved closer to him and spoke in a low tone. “Do you think Delbert might still be interested in my sister?”

  His eyes widened. “Now what would make you ask such a question?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but it does seem like he and Elma are getting along better these days. Remember how she laughed at all his jokes when he stopped by on Christmas Eve?”

  “Jah, but then we all were laughing.” Joseph placed both hands on Thelma’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t make too much of it if I were you.”

  “Oh, I’m not. I just think…”

  Joseph bent his head and kissed the end of her nose. “If Dell and Elma are meant to be together, it’ll happen without any help from either of us. Now let’s get back there and watch those two play the rest of the game. I’m sure if one of ’em had won, we’d have heard a bit of commotion by now.”

  Thelma snickered. “You’re right about that.” She picked up the bowl of popcorn and tray full of pumpkin bread and entered the dining room in time to hear Elma shout, “King me, Delbert! End of game!”