Again, she heard the whistle.
Was it Ezra? Had something happened? Was he all right?
She looked back at the house to make sure neither Lisa nor her father could see her. There was no movement at any of the front windows. She hurried down the drive out to the road. Ahead of her, she saw a shadowed figure and knew instantly it was Ezra.
“What are you doing?” she cried.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her among the trees.
“Sadie,” he said. “After yesterday, after seeing you, I had to come.”
She felt his warm hands on her skin and it felt so familiar, so comfortable, that she wanted to melt right into him. But then she got ahold of herself and pulled her hand from his grasp.
“What are you doing?” she repeated.
“I had to see you—”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why? Why are you here?”
He reached for her again, “Shh. Please don’t talk so loud!”
Anger at his bossiness swept through her, and she stomped her foot, causing her bruised toe to scream with pain. “I’ll talk as loudly as I want!” she snapped. Then she realized the wisdom of his words and continued in a quieter tone. “Why are you here?”
“I miss you.” His words dripped with regret. She heard it and for a split second, her heart surged with longing.
But only for a split second.
“You should have thought about that before you rejected me.”
“But I didn’t reject you.”
She stared into his shadowed eyes. “What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
He dropped his hands, and his shoulders drooped. “It was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”
Her throat tightened, and she swallowed with difficulty.
“It wasn’t me,” he said.
She stepped back. “Of course, it was you!”
“Nee. It was Dat. And Mamm. They wanted me to marry Bethanee. They didn’t realize you and I were so serious. Until too late.” He forged ahead, as if the words couldn’t come out quickly enough. “When they found out, they told me I was to marry Bethanee. That Dat had it all planned out. You know my dat and Bethanee’s dat run the smitty.”
“What’s that have to do with us?”
“They want me to take over.”
Sadie shook her head as if trying to clear fog from her mind. “Still, what’s that have to do with us?”
“Bethanee’s dat has no sons.”
“I know that.”
“If I’m his son-in-law, then the business will stay in his family, too.”
Sadie stood staring at her former love as if transfixed. “You mean to tell me that you left me because of the smitty business?”
He grabbed her arm. “Nee. Nee! Because of Dat and Mamm!”
Her legs went weak, and she leaned against a tree. “Am I understanding this?”
“Sadie, I’m sorry. Truly. I’m going to break it off with Bethanee. I should never have agreed.”
She glared at him. “And what will you do then? If you can’t work in the blacksmith?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll learn to farm.”
“On whose land?”
“I don’t know!” Now it was his voice that grew loud. “I’ll figure it out!”
“And Bethanee?”
“I said I’d break it off.” He took both of her shoulders in his trembling hands. “It was a mistake. I’m sorry.”
The air around her grew deathly still and any fog that was in her mind vanished, leaving her thoughts starkly clear.
“So, you now plan to break another girl’s heart just as you broke mine.”
“But I still love you, Sadie. I can fix this!”
She looked at him through the flickering shadows as if she had never seen him before. What kind of person played with other people like that? What kind of person could flip from one fiancé to another so quickly?
What kind of person would give up the one they loved so readily?
The question scorched her soul.
She knew the mandate of obedience in her community and in her faith. She knew it well. Obeying one’s parents was normal. Expected. But Ezra had done nothing to fight for her. He’d done nothing to try to persuade his parents to change their minds. He’d simply folded. Without an explanation to her. Without words of any kind.
He’d left her on her own. To suffer and cry on her own.
And there he stood in front of her, claiming he still loved her. Sadie shook her head. It was her turn now. Her turn to reject him. And she took no pleasure in it.
“It’s over,” she said, her voice low and quiet.
“Please, Sadie, I can fix this,” he pleaded. “Don’t you still love me?”
She hesitated. “Jah. I do still love you—”
“Gut. Then you’ll let me fix it. I’ll speak with my parents tomorrow.” He breathed deeply.
“And Bethanee?” she asked, a bitter taste filling her mouth.
“Bethanee?” he asked. “Jah. Jah. I can talk to her, too.”
She listened to him go on and something in her began to shrivel. She watched him fumble and stutter as he worked to reassure her that all would be well.
But all would not be well, and she knew it. Not with him. Not ever with him.
“Nee,” she said. “It can’t be fixed.”
He froze. “What? What do you mean?”
“I mean you need to marry Bethanee. We’re over.”
He threw out his hands. “Haven’t you listened to a thing I’ve said? I’m going to fix this. First thing tomorrow!”
“I’ve listened.” She straightened her back, standing to her full height. “And I’ve heard you. You’re right. I do still love you. But I don’t like you very much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can’t do it, Ezra. We can’t do it. You can’t break Bethanee’s heart like you broke mine. It wouldn’t be right.” She moved past him, pausing for a second to squeeze his arm. “I wish you all the best with Bethanee.”
“Sadie!” he cried. “I want you! I want to marry you! I love you!”
She closed her ears to his cries and set out down the drive. He whistled again, but she kept her face forward, tears now streaming down her cheeks. Her heart quailed against her ribs, and she worked to keep her pace steady. When she reached the porch, she collapsed into the swing.
The tears came more quickly, and she held her head in her hands. She began rocking faster and faster. She wiped at her tears and stared out across the yard.
He had probably left by now. The whistles had gone silent. The only sounds she heard were the crickets, still calling out into the hollow night. Calling their mates. Calling out their love.
A fragile smile touched the corners of her mouth. Her mind went to Joshua and his question about her broken heart. She had answered that she had guessed it was broken. Guessed. In the beginning, it had been more than broken. It had been crushed.
But perhaps it wasn’t broken anymore. She sat up straighter and felt the cool air rush around her as she continued to swing, back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. A huge weight slipped off her shoulders, and her breath came easier.
It was over.
Now she knew why Ezra had dropped her in such a rush. Her questions had been answered. But more than that, she’d received answers to questions she didn’t even know she’d had. And it was right. It was good.
Now she could be at peace. Ezra was a closed chapter.
She gazed around the yard. The fireflies had disappeared. She wasn’t surprised. The season was late and the cold was getting too brisk for them to stick around.
In so many ways, life was moving into a new season. She was about to have a new stepmother. And new stepsisters. And eventually, new half-siblings.
Maybe, just maybe, her father would mellow. It was a huge maybe, but stranger things had happened.
God was in control. More than once, she had doubted Him over the past wee
ks. But right then, at that moment, it was beautifully clear. God had been caring for her when Ezra broke up with her.
And perhaps, just perhaps, God had been caring for her by placing Joshua in her life.
Her heart quickened and her smile deepened. Only time would tell.
Jah. Only time would tell.
The End
Thank you for reading A Loving Stranger! Are you wondering what to read next? Why not read Amish Days: The Amish Blogger? Here’s a sample for you:
Marian Yoder stood on the thick bedroom carpet of her new friend Amy Owens. She peered over Amy’s shoulder, mesmerized by what she saw on the screen.
“You mean you’re having a conversation through the computer?” she asked, in awe.
“Sure. We do it all the time. It’s the messaging part of Facebook.” Amy pointed to the small box in the corner of the screen. She looked at Marian and grinned. “D’you wanna do it?”
“Could I?” Marian sank onto the chair beside Amy.
“No, don’t sit there. Trade seats with me.” Amy got up from her desk and let Marian sit in front of the computer. “I’m talking with my friend Morgan in Chicago.”
Marian held her fingers over the keyboard. “What do I do?”
“Just type hello or something. Whatever you want.”
Marian slowly tapped out the letters h-e-l-l-o. “Now what?”
“Press enter.”
Marian did as she was told and watched her message slip from one portion of the box to another. “Did I do it?” She stared at the screen. “Wait! Did I make a mistake?”
Amy laughed. “No, you didn’t make a mistake.”
A melodic bling sounded from the computer. “See,” Amy said. “You got a message back.”
Hello. Who am I talking to?
Marian giggled. “Do I write back now?”
“If you want to.”
She wanted to. Never had Marian seen such a marvel. She’d heard about Facebook once when she was standing in line at Parker’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Hollybrook. Two young teen girls in front of her had jabbered excitedly about how they’d seen some famous band member on Facebook. Marian had thought it was a book full of profiles, perhaps of well-known singers and movie people.
She’d been wrong.
Very, very wrong. This was so much better than any book she’d ever seen or read.
“You sure you aren’t gonna get in trouble?” Amy asked, getting up from her chair and flouncing on her bed with its rich, fluffy purple spread.
“Nee. It’s my running around time.”
“Your running around time?”
“Jah. Rumspringa.” Marian forced her gaze from the screen and looked at Amy. She loved the way Amy’s blond hair fell over her shoulders in gentle curls. Her own blond hair was pulled tightly back in a bun and covered with a kapp.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of that. Never knew anyone Amish, though, and to be honest, I don’t really get what it means.”
“It’s a time when we’re given more freedom. You know, before being baptized into the church. That way our decision isn’t only because of family and tradition—it’s personal because we want to obey and follow God. It’s a commitment.”
Marian turned to focus back on the screen. She typed out another short message. “This is wonderful gut! I love it.”
“And you can search for any information in the world! Find out anything. You just type the subject into the search engine, and voila! Tons of info at your fingertips.” Amy smoothed her hand over her bedspread. “I also have a blog. You’d probably love that, too.”
Her curiosity triggered, Marian gazed at Amy. “Teach me,” she said. “Teach me all of it.”
****
By the time Marian returned home that evening, she had her own blog. Amy had helped her set it up on a free site. Marian had learned how to log in and where to put her user name and password. To make sure Marian could do it on her own, Amy had watched her log in and out five times before she was satisfied.
Marian’s mind raced with the interesting things she could write about. There was even a place for comments on her blog, so Marian could chat with people just like she’d done on Amy’s Facebook page. She rested her back against the smooth staircase railing dreaming of her first post.
Mamm interrupted her reverie. “Ach, Marian, see to your sister, would you?” Mamm hurried through the front room toward the kitchen. “Where were you so long? I needed you an hour ago.”
“Sorry, Mamm. I’ll go get Izzie.” Marian took the stairs two at a time to the baby’s room. Little Isabel was hollering and kicking her bare feet, twisting the thin crib quilt around her chubby legs.
“Izzie, what’s the matter?” Marian asked, scooping up her red-faced sister. Isabel immediately quieted, snuggling into Marian’s shoulder. “Why, Izzie, your face is all wet and your nose is running. You’re getting me all soppy.”
But Marian didn’t mind. She adored her little sister and was happy to tend to her. She changed Izzie’s diaper and carried her through the upstairs hallway, passing two empty bedrooms—bedrooms her parents had hoped and prayed to fill with a parcel of children. But, to their never-ending sadness, the rooms stood vacant, she and Isabel being their only offspring.
Not exactly a full house, let alone a parcel of children.
Marian held Isabel extra close as they went downstairs. She loved the smell of a freshly changed baby. She switched Izzie to her hip and went into the kitchen. Mamm was removing a batch of steaming biscuits from the cook stove.
“Smells gut,” Marian said. She fetched the butter with her free hand and carried it out to the table.
She looked around to see Mamm leaning against the doorframe staring at her. “Where were you today?”
“I went to visit Amy.”
“That Englisch girl?”
“Jah, Mamm, that Englisch girl.” Marian felt a flash of irritation at both Mamm’s tone and her question. After all, compared to other girls in rumspringa, her activities were mild. She didn’t even stay out late—she was always home by supper time.
“I don’t like you cavorting with the Englisch,” Mamm said.
“I’m hardly cavorting. She’s my friend, and she’s nice. You’d know that if you’d let me invite her over.”
“Invite who over?” Dat asked, coming through the front room, bringing the smell of the corn fields with him.
“Hello, Dat,” Marian murmured.
“The Englisch girl. I don’t like it, Zebadiah. I don’t like it one bit.”
Dat rubbed his hands together, a gesture he always made when he didn’t have anything to say. Mamm gave him an exasperated look, heaved a loud sigh, and turned back to the kitchen.
“How are my girls?” Dat asked, seemingly ignoring Mamm’s annoyance.
Isabel held out her arms, and Dat took her from Marian.
“Spoke with Thomas Groft this afternoon,” Dat said.
Marian’s eyebrows rose.
Her father looked at her over the top of Izzie’s fuzzy brown hair. “He came by to talk about the work frolic this Saturday.”
“Oh?” Marian kept her voice calm.
“Jah.” Dat hoisted Isabel to his other side. “Think his real reason for coming by was to get a glimpse of you.”
Marian’s cheeks grew hot. “Nee, I hardly think so, Dat.”
But she did think so. Thomas had recently offered to give her a ride home one Sunday evening after the youth singing. That meant one thing—he was interested in her. But she had already promised to walk home with Lizzie Bontrager, who was finally old enough to attend the youth singings, so she could hardly agree to Thomas’s invitation.
But would she have gone with Thomas if she hadn’t promised Lizzie? He was nice and though he wasn’t much taller than Marian, his slim frame gave the appearance of height. And his deep blue eyes had a touch of whimsy in them, as if he was always in a good mood. More than once, she’d purposefully stood near him just to hear him talk and laugh.
Yes. Yes, she would have gone with him.
“Thomas Groft is a fine young man,” Dat said, and then he gave a small shrug like it didn’t have much significance.
But Marian knew her father well. That shrug meant he would be right pleased if she allowed Thomas to court her; in fact, he’s be even more pleased to welcome Thomas into the family as a son-in-law.
“Supper is ready,” Mamm called.
Marian went to the table. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier, Mamm. I’ll do all the clean-up.”
Mamm smoothed a few stray strands of hair back under her kapp. Her stern face softened for a moment. “That’d be welcome,” she said. But as soon as the words were uttered, her face stiffened back into its normal tight expression.
“Supper looks fine,” Dat said, reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes. “Lydia, after eating, would you like to walk the fields a bit? It’s awful pretty out and the corn has taken off. Marian can watch the baby.”
Mamm frowned. “I’ve no time to be gallivanting the fields, Zeb. I have to tend to Izzie and red up the kitchen for the breakfast meal.”
“I can do that for you,” Marian offered.
Mamm pressed her napkin to her lap. “Nee, I don’t have the time,” she insisted.
Marian saw a flash of disappointment on Dat’s face, but just as quickly it was gone.
“All right, Lydia, you tend to your chores, then.”
For the rest of the meal, Dat was unusually quiet.
****
The Hollybrook Public Library had always been a place of enchantment for Marian. When she was young, her mother would take her and allow her to check out books—books which had been pre-approved by her mother, of course. But no matter, Marian was always delighted to be reading any book. She used to stand in front of the crammed shelves in wonder that one place could house so many amazing adventures.
When Marian learned the library had computers available for public use, she was beyond eager. The next morning, she hitched up the pony cart and went into town. She knew her new Englisch friend would be there, as Amy volunteered to shelve books most mornings during the summer. So Amy could explain to her all the library’s computer rules. And once Amy told her all she needed to know, Marian would be able to do it on her own. The thought of getting online any time she pleased was more than Marian could comprehend.
Amish Days: A Loving Stranger: An Amish Romance Short Story (Hollybrook Amish Romance) Page 4