by Beth Shriver
“He probably just needs some rest,” Gideon suggested, and she agreed.
As they rolled into the driveway, Elsie’s seat slipped to her right, setting her off balance. Gideon dropped the reins and grabbed her around the waist. She steadied herself and turned to Gideon, his face inches in front of her. “I’m so sorry, Elsie.” He quickly pulled his arms away and reached for the leather reins. “I’ll see if Will can help me fix it. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Elsie smoothed her dress and moved closer to Gideon. It hadn’t given her enough of a scare to alarm her, but it did Gideon. She glanced over at the warped wood and leather drooping to the side. “But the seat isn’t fine.”
Gideon shook his head. “Crazy mule got riled up and started kicking up a storm right before I left. Hit the end of that seat a couple times, and that’s all it took. Busted the wood base and ripped up the leather.”
Elsie grinned, thinking of the sight. “Daed never took to having a mule for that very reason. They’re stubborn animals.”
Gideon glanced over at her. “I know a lot of people who are just as obstinate.”
Elsie drew back. “Are you referring to me?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know if it’s so much stubbornness as not willing to let things go.”
“Jah, but how do you let unjust actions go by?” She kept her eyes forward, not really wanting an answer. “Especially when the injustice affects other people.”
“We have the choice to take the poison along with them . . . or not.” He clucked at the horse to go around to the back of the barn and hitched him up. All the while Elsie pondered what he’d said. It wasn’t fair of him to say such poignant words and leave her hanging in thought.
Will and Ruby’s white clapboard home was newly built and painted by the men in the community. Elsie had only been inside a couple of times. She admired the healthy lavender and calendula flowers that grew in the garden with a small picket fence surrounding them.
Will opened the door before they had a chance to knock. Most of the time they would walk into a person’s home and call out their greeting, but Ruby didn’t seem comfortable enough for them to do that. Elsie was glad to see her brother before they had to make a choice.
“Gideon, gut to see you, my friend.” He shook Gideon’s hand with vigor and then enveloped Elsie in a huge hug. “It’s about time you came to see me,” he whispered in her ear with a slight seriousness in his tone, unusual for him.
His desire to have them come confused Elsie. Ruby hadn’t invited them, not that they expected an invitation. Elsie had thought it best to wait until Ruby was settled in. “I didn’t know when we should come.”
“Any time is gut.” He stepped back. “Come into our home. Ruby has been working hard on the meal.”
Gideon waited for Elsie to walk in and followed her with Will a step behind them. Their home was of good size, but then Will always did everything big. He was a competitive one. Unlike most Amish he prided himself on stacking the most hay or bringing in a big crop. Mamm said it was that same pride that would make him falter, telling him, “No one should think their accomplishments are better than another.” Will’s answer was, “No two people can be the same. God made us all different, jah?”
As Elsie went through the family room and into the stark kitchen that hadn’t a bit of color, knickknacks, or even calendar on the wall, It made her appreciate all the more her mamm’s rack of spices and wooden hooks to hang hats and coats or handmade quilts. That’s what made their house a home. Elsie took a quick glance around the kitchen floor and noticed the void of a rug. Thinking of all the hours she stood and prepared food with the comfort of a rug to warm her on cold days, Elsie couldn’t imagine going without these simple yet much appreciated comforts.
When Elsie entered the kitchen, she saw Ruby’s tiny, slim shape at the sink with drooping shoulders. Her dark hair was pulled to the side of her head with wooden combs that Will must have made for her. She stared at Elsie then Gideon without expression. “Hallo, Elsie, Gideon.”
“Thank you for having us for dinner, Ruby.” Gideon moved forward for what he would normally do, which was hug or shake hands, but Ruby didn’t respond. The tension in the room began to heighten, so Elsie spoke to break the silence.
“Umm, how can I help?” Elsie moved forward to see where she could jump in to prepare the meal.
Ruby scanned the room as if flustered. “If you’d set the table, I’d appreciate it.” She ran water over the green beans that should have been boiling by now, then reached for a potato and started to peel. Elsie noticed a roast in the oven, but it had no seasonings, carrots, or celery to add flavor. It would take some time to get everything prepared; this should have all been in the works by now and almost ready to serve.
Elsie didn’t say a word about it; she just took the silverware on the counter and set the table. When she looked up at Ruby, she seemed so engulfed in her work Elsie didn’t want to bother her, so she found some carrots and cut them up. When she’d finished, she walked over to the oven. “Would you like me to put this in with the roast?”
“Jah, please.” Ruby continued to peel the potatoes, now a large number of them.
“We like lots of potatoes at our house too.” Elsie hoped Ruby would get the hint and move onto something else. Ruby finished with the potato she held and wiped her hands on her apron, then went over to the beans that should have been in a pot, boiling after she cleaned them. Once those were in the works, Ruby glanced around the room and uncovered some freshly baked bread.
“Those look and smell wonderful.” The light brown crust and heavenly aroma gave Elsie the opportunity to praise her baking skills.
Ruby beamed. “Jah, I can always count on the bread.”
Elsie smiled, ready to encourage her with the rest of the meal when Will came barging in. His presence was as big as he was. “Smells gut in here.” Only his eyes moved as he looked from the meat to the beans to the bread.
“Almost ready.” Ruby covered the bread and checked on the meat, which would take some time to cook. She poked and prodded until Will stepped out.
Elsie didn’t quite know what to do or say. Did Ruby have a bad day? Did she always cook this way? And who was she to correct the newlywed?
“Ruby, tell me how I can help.” She meant this in a much broader sense than just cooking. Ruby always seemed out of sorts when she was with her family; maybe she was in general. Elsie didn’t know her well enough to figure things out. She didn’t know her own sister-in-law. Although no one said it aloud, her family had to feel that same unfamiliarity each time Ruby was around. She tried to think of times Ruby was with others in the community and if she acted distant to them as well. She couldn’t remember. As with any group of people, some were more talk-ative and social than others. But if she didn’t take notice, that must mean Ruby was more reserved or Elsie had been brooding over Jake and didn’t spot it.
Ruby put a palm to her forehead then pointed to the beans. “If you can finish with those, I think I’ve got the rest.”
“I don’t mind helping.” Elsie walked over to the boiling pot.
“It takes me awhile longer is all.” The lift in Ruby’s voice let Elsie know to work and not to talk. So that’s what they did, and after one more visit from Will the meal was served.
Once Ruby and Elsie brought out the food, they sat together and silently prayed. “Amen,” Will said, and they began to pass the food. There was more talk than eating, but it was good to be together. Elsie missed Will’s stories, making the biggest tale out of the smallest experience. Ruby seemed to lighten once the meal was over and the dishes were cleaned and put away.
They settled in at the table once again to eat the apple pie Ruby made. After the meal they’d just finished, Elsie hesitated when she took her first bite. The sweetness of apples melted on her tongue with a hint of brown sugar, and the perfectly light crust blended with the rest. Elsie glanced over at Gideon, who had the same sense of wonder about him. Wil
l finished his second piece and asked for a third. Ruby floated on a cloud as she served everyone another piece of the scrumptious pie.
Gideon and Will sat together in the family room while Elsie and Ruby washed the remaining dishes together with a completely different manner. “Ruby, that pie was so gut. I have to watch you make one.”
Ruby shrugged, “You seem surprised.” She looked up at Elsie as she handed her a plate to dry.
Not wanting to tell a lie, Elsie spoke the truth. “Jah, I suppose I am.”
Ruby sighed. “Being one of eight girls and me being the youngest, my daed needed some of us to help do his work, and so I didn’t learn to cook very well. That chore was always done by my older sisters.”
“But your pie—?” Elsie tried to ask.
Ruby held up a hand and smiled. “I did learn to bake.”
“My, jah, you did. You should take some of your pies to the bazaar next month. That truly was the best I’ve had.”
Ruby’s eyes held hers for a long moment. “Maybe I will.”
“Okay then. Will you both be coming to Sunday dinner?”
Elsie’s family were disappointed that she and Will didn’t come every Sunday to eat with them. Will came alone during the week every now and then, but Ruby didn’t so often.
Ruby’s posture straightened, and she averted her eyes. “It’s a lot for just the two of us to take care of this place, but we’ll try.”
Elsie didn’t understand this woman her brother married. But she wouldn’t give up trying.
Chapter Twelve
GIDEON WASN’T SURE how the evening would transpire, but overall it had been an enjoyable meal and time with the newlyweds. As Elsie waved to them, he wondered how things went with Ruby, but he didn’t want to bring up the touchy subject. He’d hoped the two had become better acquainted. Ruby hadn’t said more than a few words to him the entire evening. Ruby’s unease created tension; at least it seemed that way to him.
“Thanks for going with me, Gideon.” Elsie gave him an appreciative smile. “You’re gut at making people feel comfortable, even Ruby.”
He looked over at her in surprise. “She hardly said a word to me.”
“It was still more than most. This was the first time she ever really talked to me.”
“Did everything go all right in the kitchen?” He’d been starving by the time the food came out and had wondered what the reason was.
“Ruby was one of eight sisters and didn’t have any brothers, so she didn’t learn to cook. She helped her dad with the chores instead.”
Gideon cleared his throat, still guarded against making any comments that might not come out right. Amish women, especially his mamm, were proud of their cooking, even though pride was frowned upon. “Ach? That explains things a bit better.”
She turned to him. “You thought the meal was fine then?”
“Not as gut as some, but then I come from a home of all boys who will eat whatever’s set before them, so I’m not one to ask.” He thought he dodged that question quite well until he noticed Elsie was still staring at him.
“Your brother Will is a character with all his storytelling and always joking around.” Gideon chuckled, thinking of one of his humorous tales. “Has he told you the one about the frog and the scorpion?”
“Only a hundred times.” She shook her head and smiled.
Gideon was waiting for the right moment to tell Elsie he needed to decide if he should leave with Minister Miller. Because there was another going with the minister now, he felt he had more of a choice, but could he honestly tell himself he would be staying for the right reasons? His own community would need extra care while their minister was gone, but he needed to know he was making the decision with his head and not his heart. With Zeke delivering the sermon now, he might be needed here as there were some who didn’t appreciate his ways. It would all be decided by a roll of the dice, their custom following the soldiers casting lots at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.
“Elsie, I need to know you’ll understand if I leave with the minister.” He sighed and gained the courage to look at her. One gesture or word could change his mind if it came from her, so he prayed for discernment.
“I hoped you would stay.” Her brows tightened in confusion and concern. Maybe he shouldn’t rely on her giving him a subjective answer. He and Rachel were the only ones she seemed to confide in.
“I need you to support me in making the right decision.”
Elsie nodded. “I will support you.”
He couldn’t read her tone, but he felt it was forced and not from the heart, which didn’t help him with the decision. But he didn’t feel comfortable leaving with those young men around.
The cicadas started their song as the light began to fade, and Elsie hummed a hymn with her mesmerizing voice. Gideon let Betsy the horse lead the way and relaxed to the rhythm of the plodding hooves. As he took in the night air, a faint noise brought him to attention, a noise like a purr or a rumble. Gideon glanced over at Elsie to see if she could hear it, but she seemed preoccupied with her humming.
The cicadas grew louder, another chorus drowning out the first. Gideon turned to his left at a large tree that seemed to be full of them. The noise got louder as Gideon looked behind him. A car skidded and came to a stop. Betsy whinnied then shot off into a full gallop. Gideon pulled hard on the reins, but the horse raced forward in fear. Elsie’s sudden scream burst through the air, and then a loud crack! He whipped his head over to see her holding onto the sides of the buggy door. A splintered chunk of the broken bench fell off and flew onto the gravel road.
Gideon glanced over to see Elsie pulling herself back up into the middle of the bench right next to him. Betsy was more spooked than ever. If he couldn’t stop her, he’d turn her. He leaned to the right and pulled on the reins. He hated to see the whites of the horse’s eyes as he veered her toward the danger she was trying to escape. But one look at Elsie showed her fear of those men.
“Elsie!” He yelled until she turned her head. “Hold on to me.”
He gave Betsy the reins and let the fright in her flow until they got up to the car. Elsie let out a long breath. “What happened?”
“The bench busted.” Gideon was instantly upset with himself for not fixing it before she rode with him again.
He didn’t remember jumping out of the buggy. Only when he was standing in front of the men did time slow down enough for him to gain his senses. Gideon wanted to be the barrier between them and Elsie even though he felt vulnerable out of his buggy. “What do you want with us?” His eyes locked on the one who seemed to be the leader, but the young man took his time answering. Then he turned back to Elsie to make sure she didn’t get out of the buggy.
The young men chuckled, and one pointed at Elsie. “There seems to be a lot of accidents happening around here lately, Elsie.”
She blanched at the sound of this man calling her by name. Gideon’s courage tripled at the thought of Elsie being taunted by these men. “There are better ways to settle any problems you have with us.”
The man closest to them put up his hands, mocking a surrendering gesture. “Do you really think we’ll stand by and let you take all the farming land?” He cocked his head to the side with a slight grin.
“There’s plenty of land for all if we only take what we need.” Gideon’s lip twitched with both anger and fear, realizing it would be difficult to reason with them.
“Not with all these newcomers moving down here.” The tall dark-haired man, who seemed to be in charge, took a long hard look at him.
“Is that the only reason you don’t want us here?”
“Don’t need another. Ya’ll know how important land is. That’s why you moved here; not enough to hold all of ya up north.” His voice grew louder as he spoke, his patience beginning to wane.
“Maybe we could come together and discuss this to get a better understanding—” The man held up his hand in Gideon’s face.
Gideon heard Elsie gasp behin
d him.
He motioned for Gideon to come closer, taunting him. Gideon leaned forward, just out of the man’s reach. He could smell the tobacco on his hot breath. “You should heed my warning.”
The conversation was going nowhere, and his first concern was Elsie. He needed to lower his pride and take Elsie and go. One of the other men, a younger blond man, began to mock him, but Gideon didn’t listen to the words.
As he walked past them to his side of the buggy, he glanced into the vehicle and saw a youth in the backseat staring at him. He sat still as ice and kept his eyes on Gideon. He didn’t know why they’d bring someone so young with them while they did their dirty work, but it appalled him to think they brought him along. He didn’t respond, just lifted himself into the buggy and grabbed the reins.
When he sat down on the bench seat, he pulled Elsie close to him and tapped Betsy with the reins. Neither of them spoke for a long while. Thoughts of hatred ran through Gideon’s mind. He shamed himself for them. Never knowing this kind of anger scared him enough to stop.
“Pray with me, Gideon.” Elsie’s eyes closed, and her hand clasped his arm.
He froze, his focus straight ahead and asked forgiveness for his wrath. No matter who was at fault, he would not let them bring him to that level again. These thoughts were as bad as words and actions. “Are you hurt?”
She opened her eyes and turned to him. “The bench scratched my leg, but I’m all right.” She studied his face.
“I can’t tell you how angry I am that this happened to you.” He rubbed his jaw, wishing he could come back to his natural calm ways.
“The bench broke; it’s not your fault.” She turned away and let go of his arm.
Gideon furrowed his brow. “I heard a sound that spooked the horse. That’s what caused you to fall. Granted, the bench needed repair, but other circumstances made it all happen.”
“You don’t know that for sure. And all I heard was the car.” The rims of Elsie’s eyes were red and watery.