After lunch was over, the men went back outside. Lily stood at the window and watched as they helped Papa load tools from the barns. They loaded bales of hay and straw. The last belongings that went into the truck were their three buggies. Each one was rolled up the ramp into the back of the trailer. Then Papa closed the doors. Tomorrow morning, they would leave for their new home.
As friends and neighbors said goodbye to Papa and Mama, they said they hoped God would bless them in their new home. Papa thanked them. Lily noticed Mama’s eyes glisten. It made Lily feel a little better to know that Mama was sad about the move too. When Lily said goodbye to Mandy Mast, she was surprised to see a few tears trickle down Mandy’s cheeks.
As buggies rolled out of the driveway, Lily saw Harold and Helen Young’s big car drive toward the house. Harold Young got out of the car and shuffled around a little bit. “We came to say goodbye before you leave. Sorta hate to see you folks go. You were good neighbors.” Reaching into his overalls pocket, he pulled out several lollipops and handed them to Papa. “Thought your kids might like these,” he said in his gruff way.
Why now? Why were people like Harold Young and Mandy Mast so nice now that Lily was moving? It was a mystery.
Helen Young gave Mama a hug. She turned to Lily and Joseph. “I’ll really miss my little milk delivery people. If you ever come back to visit, be sure to stop in. I keep my cookie jar full and it would be nice to enjoy some together again.”
After they waved goodbye to the Youngs, Papa and Uncle Elmer caught the chickens and put them into several big crates. They set them in the back of Uncle Elmer’s buggy. Papa tied Jim to the back of the buggy. He helped Mama up. Then he helped everyone else in. It was crowded in the buggy with Uncle Elmer’s entire family and Mama, Lily, Joseph, and Dannie. Papa would lead Jenny over to Uncle Elmer’s. A man was coming to pick up Papa’s livestock with a cattle trailer. Jim and Jenny and the crates of chickens would get to ride in it all the way to Pennsylvania. Lily was glad the animals would be together. They wouldn’t be lonely.
As Uncle Elmer slapped his horse’s reins, the buggy started down the driveway. Lily peered out the back window. Papa stood there with Jenny, holding her rope. He wasn’t watching them drive away. He was too busy looking at the house and barn. Lily knew he was saying his own goodbye to Singing Tree Farm. And he was not whistling.
Aunt Mary had made a big pot of chili soup for supper. By the time Papa arrived, everyone was ready to eat. Supper was strangely quiet. No one had anything to say. They were feeling too sad to talk.
After everyone had finished, Lily started to help clear the table, but Aunt Mary stopped her. “You don’t have to help with the dishes tonight,” Aunt Mary said. “You will have to get up early tomorrow morning to travel to your new home. I’m sure you want to be ready for such an exciting day. You can sleep with Hannah tonight.”
Lily was happy to not have to do dishes, and even happier to hear she was able to sleep in Hannah’s room. Together, the girls ran up the stairs to get ready for bed. They talked for a little while and then Lily got into bed. It felt different from her own. Too soft. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable.
After a while, Hannah sat up. “Can’t you sleep?”
“No,” Lily said.
“Here, you can sleep with my bunny tonight.” Hannah handed Lily a lumpy stuffed bunny.
Lily held it. But the bunny didn’t feel right or smell right. She was used to sleeping with Sally, but poor Sally was packed into a box and was somewhere in that big dark trailer. Lily would never get to sleep tonight. Never.
Someone was shaking her shoulder. Lily opened her eyes. Mama was bending over the bed.
“It’s time to go, Lily,” she whispered. “Try to be quiet so you don’t wake Hannah.”
Lily slipped out of bed and grabbed her dress. Mama buttoned the back. Then they tiptoed down the stairs. Joseph and Dannie were already sitting on the sofa in the living room. They looked groggy, as if they just wanted to go back to sleep.
Uncle Elmer came into the house. “Jim and Jenny are loaded. The driver is here with the station wagon. Everything is ready to go.”
Papa had left earlier to meet with the truck driver. Mama said goodbye to Uncle Elmer and Aunt Mary. There was nothing left to do. It was time to go. The longest day was under way, whether Lily was ready or not.
Mama got into the backseat of the station wagon. The cattle trailer was hitched behind it. Lily and Joseph sat next to Mama. Dannie sat in her lap. The driver started the station wagon and drove down the lane. They were on their way. Lily would no longer be Lily of Singing Tree Farm. She wondered what name they might call the new farm.
It was sad to say goodbye to her home—the only home she had ever known. She had been born there, and so had Joseph and Dannie. Jim and Jenny and Chubby had become part of their family there. But Papa said home wasn’t a place. Home, he said, could be carried in your heart.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Amish
Who are the Amish? The Amish are a Christian church that traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth-century Europe. They give special emphasis to values such as simplicity, community, separation from the world, and pacifism (which they call nonresistance). They are often referred to as the Plain People because they dress in very distinctive dark clothing (women wear bonnets and men wear horseshoe beards), they use a horse and buggy rather than a car, and their homes aren’t connected to the public utility grid for electricity.
Where do they live? How many Amish are there? The Amish migrated from Europe to North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, no Amish remain in Europe. They live in twenty-eight states and in Canada. Their population totals approximately 261,150—over half are under the age of eighteen. A typical Amish family has five children.
What language do the Amish speak? The Amish speak a dialect of German known as Pennsylvania Dutch. English, typically learned in school, is their second language. Amish people often refer to non-Amish as “English,” because they speak the English language.
Do the Amish attend school? Amish children end their formal schooling at the end of eighth grade. Most Amish children attend one- or two-room private Amish schools. An Amish teacher teaches all eight grades. Amish schools play an important role in passing on values, developing friendships, limiting exposure to the outside world, and preserving Amish culture.
How could Lily not have known that her mother was having a baby? The Amish have a very modest culture. In almost all Amish communities, pregnancy is a carefully guarded secret. It is never talked about in front of children. Any preparations for the baby would take place after children are in bed. Even cribs are not set up until after the baby arrives.
Would you like to learn more about Lily? Go to her website, www.adventuresoflilylapp.com, and find out more about her family and her friends. You can play games, download coloring pages from Lily’s books, and send Lily an email.
Acknowledgments
From Mary Ann Kinsinger
I would like to thank everyone who had a part in my getting to write this book.
To my parents and brothers for all the happy memories you helped provide.
To my husband and children for all the patience and support you showed and for never complaining of the simple meals I served while my focus was on meeting my word goals.
To the readers of my blog, A Joyful Chaos. Your encouragement to write a book meant so much to me. Together, we are seeing this dream come true.
To my coauthor, Suzanne, I really enjoyed working with you and will always be grateful for everything you did.
A warm thank-you to all the wonderful people at Revell Books.
And finally, a thank-you to God, who makes all things possible.
From Suzanne Woods Fisher
It is with a grateful heart that I acknowledge . . .
My special coauthor and friend, Mary Ann. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, for working so diligen
tly, for being such a pleasure to work with. It’s been a joy to get to know you and work with you.
Everyone at Revell. You’re simply the best. It’s an honor to be a Revell author and see what loving care you give your books. The attention you gave this cover is a fine example of how much you care about each book!
My readers, whose emails make my day. Thank you for giving up hours of your life to read my books, blog, FB updates, and tweets.
My family, especially my two daughters (and first draft readers!) for being such enthusiastic cheerleaders for the Lily series.
Finally, a huge thank-you to our great and faithful God, for giving me the chance to write.
Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days, and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.
Suzanne Woods Fisher’s grandfather was one of eleven children, raised Old Order German Baptist, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne has many, many, many wonderful Plain relatives. She has written bestselling fiction and nonfiction books about the Amish and couldn’t be happier to share Mary Ann’s stories with children. When Suzanne isn’t writing, she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She lives in California with her husband and children and Tess, her big white dog.
Books by Suzanne Woods Fisher
* * *
Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World
Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life
Amish Values for Your Family: What We Can Learn from the Simple Life
LANCASTER COUNTY SECRETS
The Choice
The Waiting
The Search
SEASONS OF STONEY RIDGE
The Keeper
The Haven
The Lesson
A Lancaster County Christmas
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Life with Lily Page 21