Uncle Plats

by Aqua Allsopp

  Kenny nodded. “I think I see what you’re saying.”

  Abraham was quiet for a moment. Kenny glanced at him and then turned his eyes out so that he could look over the land as they passed. He wondered how far they would need to go to get to the Grabers.

  “Are you thinking of joining the community, Kenny?” Abraham asked. Kenny looked back at him. The older man was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He turned his blue eyes toward the young man and raised his eyebrows with curiosity.

  “I…I just wanted to visit Eve…talk with her and her family. They know me from the store.”

  “So you aren’t thinking of joining?”

  It was Kenny’s turn to pause. “I hadn’t really…given it much thought. Until recently. Things have been really stressful in my life. I long for the peace I see Eve and her family represent.”

  “I must warn you that our community is not a sanctuary to run to as a way to escape the problems in your life. Our culture and lifestyle mean everything to us. We welcome all to consider it if they so choose. But we are not here to counsel and rescue wayward people like an institution of some kind. We are also not a place for young lustful men to seek out women.”

  Kenny started shaking his head halfway through Abraham’s words. “No. I would not do that. It’s not about that at all.”

  “I hope I did not offend you.” Abraham turned to look ahead of them again. “I am simply letting you know that we are God’s children and our lifestyle is too hard for many people to maintain. They miss their…” he chuckled, “Facebook. And computers and cars and the rest of city life. We plow, plant, reap and sow. We bake and cook and clean. We raise children and animals. Our lifestyle is considered strict by many.”

  “No, no, sir, I am not visiting out of…lust. Not at all. And I’m not afraid of a little hard work.”

  “Then you are considering staying with us, joining us perhaps?”

  Kenny hesitated. “I…I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “You are drawn to us for other reasons?”

  “Yes. I do think so.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, really.”

  Abraham raised his eyebrows. “You are still young. You have time to decide what you want to do with your life. I have a good feeling about you, young man. I am glad I chanced by you today on the road.”

  “I feel the same way, Mr. Hochstetler.

  “You may call me by my given name of Abraham if you wish Kenny. I will visit the Grabers with you. Give them my high opinion of you so far.”

  “Thank you...Abraham.” Kenny felt a little ashamed at having to use the older man’s given name; at the same time, it made him feel good, as though he was already part of the family.

  *****

  Kenny was highly impressed with the Graber home. He hadn’t realized that three of the other girls and two of the boys that visited town with Eve were her siblings. He’d always been distracted by her…her presence…her inner and outer beauty.

  To the left of the three-story house were two silos, a large red barn and a long stable. He could see horses running through the green pasture. As they approached the front of the house, Abraham spoke in a low tone.

  “You know Eve. Have you met her mother, father and siblings?”

  “Not directly, no. Just in passing.”

  “Do you know their names?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t.”

  Abraham nodded. “I’m sure Eve will be delighted to see you and she will introduce you to them.” He pointed to where one of the young men who accompanied Eve to town was riding a horse, seemingly keeping an eye on the other horses with no rider. “That is Elijah or Eli. He is the oldest of the Graber children.”

  “I see him in town sometimes with Eve. He gives me strange looks.”

  “He and his brother, Jonah, are very protective of their sisters. You may notice either or both giving you the eye when you are speaking with Eve. I would keep that in mind when you go in to speak with them. Be prepared for many questions.”

  Kenny chuckled. “Okay.”

  Abraham stopped the buggy and pulled on the brake next to him once the horses halted. Kenny looked at him. “Are you coming in?”

  Abraham nodded. “Ya, I will visit with them for a time. I will take you back to your car when you are ready to go.”

  “I appreciate that.” Kenny got down and stood still for a moment, looking around.

  “Are you coming?”

  He turned to see Abraham was already on the porch, turned toward him with his hands on his hips.

  “Yes, of course.” As he went toward the porch, the front door opened and a very young girl poked her head out. Her little brown eyes were wide, staring at Kenny. She looked at Abraham, blinked several times and looked back at Kenny with fear.

  “Hallo, little Rose.” Abraham leaned toward the little girl and held out one hand. “Is your Datt or Maemm here?”

  “Ya, I think so. I’ll go get them.” With another long, curious look at Kenny, the screen door slammed shut as the little girl disappeared back in the house. The two of them waited patiently without saying a word until the door was pushed open once again and Eve’s father’s familiar face appeared.

  “Abe! How are you! What are you doing here? Is there a problem?” His look of delight at seeing Abraham made his questions seem pointless, as though he knew there was no problem, even with a strange young man standing on his porch.

  “I’m well, Andrew. You know Kenny? From the city?”

  “I have seen him in the store, ya.” Andrew held out one hand to Kenny, who shook it, admiring the older man’s strong grip. “How are you today, Kenny? There is no problem? You are not stranded or lost?”

  Kenny laughed. “No, sir. I just wanted to see if I could speak to Eve.”

  Andrew raised his eyebrows. “I will see if she is here. She is usually doing chores at this time of day or she may be preparing dinner with her mother and sisters. Please come in.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kenny followed the man through the door with Abraham on his heels.

  As soon as he stepped through the door, the scent of biscuits baking, ham cooking and other assorted delicious smells met his nose. He lifted his chin instinctively and breathed in. Suddenly he hoped he would be able to stay for dinner.

  “It looks like they are preparing dinner.”

  “I hope I haven’t come over at an inconvenient time.” Kenny said. He was feeling strange and couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. He was happy to be in the Graber home, happy to be around people who made him feel so comfortable. On the other hand, he felt strangely out of place and worried that he might have overstepped his boundaries.

  Andrew laughed. “It is never inconvenient when food is being prepared. I’m sure we can spare a plate for you if you would like to join us.”

  “I would be honored, if you’re sure that’s not too much trouble.”

  Andrew shook his head. “Not at all, Kenny. Let’s see how long it will be. We can drink some coffee while we wait. Do you drink coffee?”

  Kenny chuckled. “Probably too often. I’d like that, thanks.”

  Andrew went ahead of him, pushing the door open and looking in the kitchen. “A guest has arrived for dinner, ladies,” he said, opening the door the rest of the way so that he could pass through, with Kenny and Abraham behind him.

  Kenny spotted her right away and his heart nearly stopped. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. She didn’t need make up or anything extra to bring out her beauty. Her hair was long and looked soft. Her eyes sparkled with natural enthusiasm. He was pleased that he saw them light up when she caught sight of him. He smiled at her. She smiled back.

  “Hallo, Kenny!” she exclaimed, obviously surprised to the extreme. She had her hands in a batch of bread or biscuit dough and the front of her apron was doused with flour.

  “Hello.” He nodded at her. He gave the rest of the women in the room, Eve’s other and sisters, a
glance and a nod before settling his eyes on Eve again.

  “I’m wondering how long it will be before dinner is ready to be served,” Andrew said. “Abe, Kenny and I are thinking we will wait in the den with some coffee.”

  “You’ve worked extra hard today, Andrew,” Eve’s mother patted her tall husband on one arm and smiled up at him. “You go rest your feet. We will be about another 20 minutes. I’ll bring three cups of coffee to the study.”

  “That should be plenty of time to find out all about you, young man.” Andrew smiled at Kenny. Kenny couldn’t help wondering if Andrew meant “find out why you are here” instead.

  He lifted one hand to wave goodbye to Eve, who just kept smiling at him. He could see the looks her sisters were giving her as he turned to follow Andrew out of the kitchen.

  The house was quite large and there were animals everywhere he looked. A guinea pig in a cage, three small dogs running around, several cats and he suspected there were more than he had seen, hiding under the furniture and on the window sills. The study they went into had a bird cage larger than Kenny had ever seen before. At least one of them was exotic and spoke to him when he came in.

  “That’s a beautiful parrot.”

  “Thank you. He only says a few words but they are the right words.”

  “Oh?”

  Andrew nodded as he went to a big, comfortable-looking recliner and settled himself in it. Kenny noticed for the first time that the older man looked somewhat tired. “Ya, he says ‘hallo’, ‘gutbye’ and ‘Gott bless ye’.”

  “Those are very good phrases to know.”

  “Well, he hears them most often, so that’s probably why.”

  Andrew gestured to another cushioned chair and Kenny sat in it. Abraham settled himself on the other side of them, nearer to the window, on a long couch. He pulled a pipe from his breast pocket and used it to gesture to Andrew.

  “You have any herbs, Andrew?”

  “Ya, there in that table next to you, in the drawer there. Ya, that’s it. Help yourself.”

  “Danki.”

  “Velcuum.” Andrew leaned forward, looking directly at Kenny. “So, you have made friends with my daughter, Eve, have you?”

  “Yes, sir. We have talked every time she comes in the store when I am there.”

  “I am quite certain we have not been to the store in many months when you were not there.”

  “I hope you don’t object to her making a friend in town. I…I try not to be like the others, at least not anymore. I’ve had some problems in the past but I’m really trying to…overcome those problems.”

  “We are not here to judge others, Kenny.” Andrew smiled at his wife when she brought in a tray holding three coffee cups filled to the brim and steaming hot. “Danki.” He stood up, took the tray and kissed his wife on the cheek. She nodded and patted him on the arm. Then she turned and left, the eyes of the men on her retreating back. “In fact, we are all sinners and Gott must forgive each and every one of us all day long. We cannot be perfect, though we strive to and our hearts long to be.”

  “I am definitely not perfect.” Kenny resisted snorting. He’d had way too many girlfriends and broken way too many hearts to be perfect.

  “Ya, none of us are. Tell me something about yourself. Are you in school? Do you have plans for your future?”

  “I do have plans for the future but I don’t know if they will ever actually be achieved, you know. I mean, I had plans when I was going to college but that fell through.”

  “And why was that?”

  Kenny shrugged. “I took political science as my major and halfway through, I realized it definitely wasn’t what I wanted. When I left college, my mother supported my decision but my dad was mad about it. He really wanted me to continue in political science. That’s kind of what he does too. He’s got plans to run for governor or for the senate someday.”

  “Oh?”

  Kenny nodded. “Yeah but I’m not interested in going into politics. I learned enough about it to know it wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted to spend my life doing.”

  “So you have made up your mind for a different type of career?” Abraham asked from the window. He had cracked it open and bit and was blowing the sweetly scented smoke out of it.

  “I think I have, yes.”

  “What is it you are now interested in?” Andrew asked. Kenny looked at him, wondering if he would believe him.

  “Well, I am thinking of…farming. I…I don’t have any experience at it but I know it’s really hard. I’ve got a couple friends that live on farms and they’ve described it to me as being a sunrise to sundown kind of thing. But I don’t mind hard work. It reminds me that I’m alive.”

  “I suppose working at your department store isn’t the kind of thing that makes you feel alive.” Andrew recognized the same sparkle in Andrew’s eyes that he saw in Eve’s. It made him smile wide.

  “No sir. It doesn’t make me feel alive. In fact, I’d venture to say it makes me feel like I’ve got one foot in the grave.”

  “It can’t possibly be that bad.”

  Kenny laughed. “I like working there, don’t get me wrong. The people are really nice, especially Katherine, the store manager. I mean, she’s got a lot of responsibilities and she always finds time to say hello and have a smile for everyone. I think I really lucked out…I mean I was really blessed to get that job. Mostly because of the people. But it’s not what I want to do with my life, of course.”

  “Farming, eh?” Andrew shared a bemused look with Abraham.

  *****

  Kenny spent the rest of the evening at the Grabers. It wasn’t until late that night that he left. Abraham had offered to take him back to his car early in the evening and didn’t mind waiting until he came back from helping Eve and her siblings with their chores.

  After dinner, there were a few chores each person was assigned. Although he wanted to stay by Eve’s side and go wherever she went, it was obvious that’s not the way the Amish did it. He didn’t need to be told outright that he was to keep a slight distance from her. He was not a part of their community and, even if he had been, direct contact and intimacy was frowned upon. He knew that simply from being around them for brief periods over the last year.

  He could go in the chicken house with her to gather eggs at dusk because her two little brothers were in there at the same time. He followed her around, admiring the way she coaxed the hens, cooed at them and shushed their clucking. She was gentle in everything she did. It made his chest feel tight.

  She glanced back at him when he reached out and grasped one of the eggs softly nestled in the hay.

  “Be gentle with them, Kenny, and they will be gentle with you.”

  “The eggs will be gentle with me?”

  She giggled. “The hens. They won’t peck you or claw at you. If you scare them, it will be bad.”

  “I would never scare them, Eve. I don’t want my eyes clawed out!”

  They both laughed.

  “I hear you chose to come back from town and stay here in the community after your…rem…rum…”

  “Rumspringa.” Eve looked amused. “Ya, I did. I like it here so much more than in town. There are many wondrous things to see in town, for sure. But living here in this community affords me more peace than I felt while I was living in the city.”

  “I bet. It’s pretty much a hustle and bustle all the time out there. There’s a big difference between being there and being here. A huge difference.”

  “Ya.”

  His arm brushed against hers as he reached out to pull another egg from the hay. They looked at each other quickly. She blushed and turned her eyes away.

  “I apologize,” he murmured softly. She shook her head and gave him another smile.

  “If you had been raised here, do you think you would leave it for the city?” she asked, raising her eyebrows and moving to the next chicken box. He shook his head furiously.

  “No. I wouldn’t leave this place. I’d love t
o live in a place like this.”

  “Where do you live now?”

  He moved with her as she went from one box to another. Her little brothers followed behind her but they seemed more fascinated with making faces at the chickens and laughing hysterically at each other than actually accomplishing anything.

  “Well, I’ve lived in a few different places, actually. I lived with my parents until I was a teenager and then I moved into an apartment with my college friends.”

  “You went to college?” she sounded impressed. He was glad.

  “Yeah, I went for two years.”

  “Why did you stop?”

  “It really wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the atmosphere. Lots of people but no real friends. You never know who you can trust.”

  Eve blinked at him with an innocence that made his heart pound. “Ya, I noticed something like that when I spent my two months there.”

  “Did you only stay two months on purpose? I mean, did you leave early?” He softly placed an egg in the basket that was hanging around her arm. “I gotta say your chickens gave you a lot of eggs today.”

  Eve grinned. “Ya.” She leaned toward him, cupping one hand around her mouth so that she could stage whisper to him. “I did not gather them this morning. It is an added chore for me tonight.”

  Kenny chuckled. “Ooops, bad girl.”

  “I know. I’m terrible,” she giggled. “But to answer your question, ya, I could have stayed longer. I was supposed to be in the city for six months. After two, I was done with it all. I wanted to be home so much that I cried myself to sleep for a week before I sent a message to my mother that I wanted to come home.”

  “They didn’t have any objections to that, did they?” He ducked as they exited the chicken house. He hadn’t realized Eve was that much shorter than him. He liked it. He wanted to touch her hair or her shoulder or her arm as they walked back toward the house but he didn’t dare. He wanted to spend more time with them, not be banned for life because he had touched her inappropriately.

  “No, not at all. I think they really knew that would probably happen. I have always been a very…loyal girl, I guess, to the culture I live in. I love it here.”