“What time do you plan to visit the Troyers?” her father asked.
“I was thinking about eleven?”
“Okay. I’ll make some cookies for you to take,” said her mother.
“Sounds gut. Denke, Mamm.”
Her father drained the last of his coffee, and then kissed Willow and her mother goodbye.
When her mother placed a plate of pancakes in front of Willow, she sat down next to her. “I know you don’t think Samuel is right for you now, but love grows. Love is not so much a feeling, but an appreciation. Love is giving to the other person and thinking of them more than you do yourself. You only truly know what love is when you are married, so no more outbursts. You’ll thank us when you’re married.”
Willow stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She’d heard it all before. “I understand that, Mamm, but what I don’t understand is that Violet got to pick Nathan, so—”
“Nathan just happened, and at the time I thought she’d be much better suited to someone like Benjamin.”
“So you were wrong?”
“Nee. She could’ve been just as happy with Benjamin.”
Her mother had an answer for everything. “Violet’s wedding isn’t far away,” Willow said.
“What does that have to do with anything?” her mother asked.
“It’s just that maybe you should concentrate on that before you start looking for a husband for me. Don’t you want me around or something?”
Nerida narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “Now you’re just being unreasonably rude. Nancy is helping with the wedding and she’s had six of her kinner married. One by one they married, and now they’re all happy and their families are growing.”
“Don’t you and Dat want me to be in the haus with you when Violet’s not here anymore?”
“Of course we do. But we want what’s best for you and your future. We’re not even thinking about ourselves. You should know that.”
Willow remained silent and continued to eat her pancakes, not wanting to anger her mother further by telling her that she felt otherwise.
“I’m visiting Nancy today, so I’ll take you to the Troyers’ and collect you on my return.”
Willow stared at her mother, unsure of what to say. That idea meant she’d be stuck at the Troyers’ for ages. “Okay …” she eventually said, knowing that no matter how she tried to come up with some alternative, it wouldn’t be acceptable to Mamm.
“That means you better hurry up with those cookies or they’ll still be hot when we get there.”
“I thought you said you were making the cookies for me.”
“I can’t do everything! I’ve got washing to do this morning.”
“Jah, Mamm.”
* * *
While her mother did the washing outside, Willow made the cookies. Violet woke up just as she was in the middle of cutting them.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making cookies. And I'm going to take them to the Troyers.”
Violet laughed. "You're what?"
"I apologized to Mamm and Dat for last night, and they said I should apologize to the Troyers. Or maybe it was my idea, I can't remember. Either way, I do owe them an apology, and I'm taking cookies to them.”
"That's nice of you. Leave some for me."
"There’ll be plenty. Mamm is taking me there on her way to visit Aunt Nancy.”
Violet pinched off some cookie dough and popped it in her mouth. "You could be there for ages."
"That's what I'm afraid of. Are you going with Mamm?"
"I could.”
"You're not working today?"
"Nee, not today. I'm seeing Nathan later tonight."
"You could go with us then, and hurry Mamm up if she’s taking too long."
"Okay.” Violet moved to the end of the kitchen and placed the teakettle on the stove to heat. Then she asked, “How do you know Samuel will be home?"
"That's just it. I'm hoping he won't be. That's why I told Mamm I want to go at eleven. He should be at work."
"Not if he comes home for lunch."
"Oh, Violet, don't even say that! It never crossed my mind."
"I don't know why you didn't think of that. A lot of men come home for the midday meal."
"I'll have to hope that he doesn't. Because I've seen enough of him, especially after last night.”
"He's really not so bad, but I can see how you’re upset with everything."
"Good! I'm glad you can see how horrible it is. I would've thought Mamm and Dat had enough to do, what with your wedding and everything. We’ll probably get a lot of visitors staying here at the haus and that means Mamm will put us to work when she goes into her usual pre-visitor cleaning frenzy."
"She will, but not until about a week before."
Violet stayed in the kitchen while Willow cut out, baked, and then decorated the cookies.
"You're not making them taste too good, are you?" Violet asked.
"I don't think it would make a difference. Everyone would pretend they tasted good anyway, and bad cookies won't get me out of their stupid ideas about marrying me off. Mrs. Troyer will probably just try to take me under her wing and teach me how to make cookies properly.”
"Yeah, and that will make Mamm annoyed and then the two of them will have a falling out.”
“Hmmm, that's not a bad idea,” Willow said with a sly smile, which made Violet giggle.
Chapter 3
“Knock on the door and we’ll wait here to see if she’s home,” Willow’s mother said.
Willow picked up her plate of cookies, climbed down from the buggy, and walked to the Troyers’ front door. She glanced back at her mother and Violet who were waiting in the buggy.
Mrs. Troyer opened the front door before she reached it.
“Willow, how lovely to see you again so soon.”
“Hello, Mrs. Troyer. I hope you don’t mind if I stay awhile, while my mother is visiting her sister.”
Mrs. Troyer waved to the others in the buggy. “I’d love you to stay. Come in.”
Willow looked back at her mother’s smiling face as she turned the buggy around. When Willow stepped inside the house, she could hear the buggy horse clip-clopping back down the drive. “I’ve come to say I’m sorry for the way I behaved last night.” She held the plate up. “I’ve brought you cookies.”
“Cookies? Lovely! Come through to the kitchen and I’ll make us kaffe to go with them.”
She’d completely ignored Willow’s apology, and Willow wondered if she hadn’t heard. Did that mean she’d have to say it again?
Willow sat down at the table while Mrs. Troyer put the teakettle on the gas stove. “I don’t get many visitors,” she said when she turned around. “I suppose I would if I had more kinner.” She sat opposite Willow. “More kinner would mean more people coming and going.”
Willow nodded.
“We wanted more, but it wasn’t Gott’s will that we have more than one. That's made us very grateful for Samuel.”
“Mamm only had the two of us. Aunt Nancy had six, as you know.”
“Twins are in your family. They must be, because of Tulip and Daisy.”
“Jah, except my twin cousins are Lily and Daisy.”
“My mistake—that’s right, Lily and Daisy. So you could easily have twins, Willow.”
Jah, someday when I’m older and married, Willow felt like saying, but she was there to apologize, not to speak her mind further. “I haven’t given that a great deal of thought.” Since they seemed to be getting along okay, Willow thought she’d ask some questions. “Can I ask you why you and Mr. Troyer think I’d be a good match for Samuel?”
“Samuel’s shy and he’s not married, and we’re just trying to give him a helping hand. He likes you.”
“Does he?”
“You look surprised.”
“I am. He … well, I mean … he doesn’t seem to. It’s just that he’s a lot older than me. Don’t you think som
eone older would be more suited for him?”
“Nee. Is that why you came here today, Willow?”
“I came to apologize for my rudeness at the evening meal last night.”
“And you’re not interested in my son?”
When Willow looked into Mrs. Troyer’s blue eyes, she didn’t have the heart to tell her she wasn’t interested in Samuel.
“I can't really say; I don’t know him very well.”
“Ah, we’ll have to do something about that.”
When the water boiled, Mrs. Troyer jumped up to pour it. Running through Willow’s mind was the thought that if she found someone for Samuel, someone older and more suited, then the pressure would be off her. “Mrs. Troyer, has Samuel ever been interested in a girl—has he dated before?”
Sitting back down with a teapot on the table, she shook her head and said, “Only you.”
“Me?”
“Jah, I told you that.”
“He’s only been interested in me?”
Mrs. Troyer nodded.
Willow’s stomach churned. How could parents be so disconnected from their children? “Samuel hardly knows me.” Besides, the people who know me think I’m a bit of a brat and a busybody, she felt like saying. What could Samuel see in her? She was no beauty, and she didn’t have a brilliant mind. Not that men seemed to look for brilliant women. She was plain old Willow. When she grew older she was sure she’d develop some remarkable qualities, but now she felt she was like a flower before it bloomed—she was just a bud. No one found a plain green bud adorable.
“Between us women, Samuel talks about you quite a lot. Oh dear! I said I'd make kaffe, but I made hot tea instead.”
Willow gave a little giggle as she took the cover off the cookies. “Hot tea’s fine.” As Mrs. Troyer poured the tea, Willow asked, “What kind of things does he say about me?”
“He likes the way you’re so friendly with everyone. At each Sunday meeting you get around and talk to nearly everyone. He says that shows you’re kind and caring.”
Willow bit into a cookie. Her parents thought she was a gossipy talebearer for doing just that. They didn’t think she was talking to everyone because she had redeeming qualities. Maybe Samuel saw things in her that other people didn't see? Now Willow’s insides were glowing instead of churning. She’d have to think about Samuel a little harder, rather than discard him because of their parents' doings.
“What upset you so much last night, Willow?”
“I don’t like being pushed into things, and I think I’m too young to get married. I hadn’t even thought about it seriously yet.”
“Never?”
“Jah, that's true. I have thought about it, in general I mean, but I haven’t told myself it’s time to get married or anything like that. I don’t even have a job and I have hardly done anything in my life.”
“You don’t need to have a job.”
“I know that, but I think I’d like to have a job and get to meet people and that kind of thing while I’m still young.”
“What’s to stop you from getting a job?”
“Nothing.” When Mrs. Troyer continued to stare at her, Willow admitted, “I guess I’m a little nervous.” She meant lazy and I haven't bothered to do anything about it, but she couldn’t tell Mrs. Troyer that.
“My bruder is looking for a girl to do some office work for him in his lumberyard. Do you think you could do that?”
“What would I have to do?”
“I don’t know. He just said office work. His last girl left and he hasn’t been able to find anyone reliable.”
“Is that Mr. Hostetler, Liam’s vadder?”
“Jah. David Hostetler is my bruder.”
Liam was the boy she’d had a crush on back in schul.
“They’re coming to dinner tonight and I’ll put in a good word for you.”
Willow’s mouth fell open. “Would you do that—really?”
“Jah.” Mrs. Troyer sipped her tea.
“Denke. That’s nice of you.”
“And then you go see him tomorrow. I’ll tell him you’ll be there then to talk with him. And you can both see if the job will be a good fit for you.”
“That’s exciting.” Now Willow was happy that she’d come to see Mrs. Troyer. “I’m so glad I came to see you today.”
* * *
When they were nearly at Nancy’s house, Violet said, “Will you stop the buggy, please? I’ll walk from here. I need some exercise.”
“Why?”
“I’m feeling fat.”
“Don’t be silly. Is this because of the wedding and knowing you’ll soon be married?”
“I guess so. I want to be trim.”
“You look fine.”
“Please, Mamm?”
Nerida rolled her eyes and moved the buggy off the road to let her climb out.
“Denke. I’ll see you soon, Mamm.”
Nerida started the horse moving again, heading to her sister’s house.
Once she arrived, she opened Nancy’s door and walked right in. “Nancy? Where are you?"
"I'm here, in the kitchen baking."
Nerida breezed into the kitchen, said hello to her sister, and promptly filled up the teakettle. "Cup of tea?" she asked Nancy, quite used to making her sister's home her own.
"Jah, please. Just give me whatever you're going to have."
While Nerida waited for the kettle to boil, she sat down at the kitchen table, watching her sister.
"How did last night go?" Nancy asked.
Nerida told her sister what she’d been planning for Willow. “And things couldn't have gone any worse. Willow jumped up and ran out of the room. I was so embarrassed. I don't think I’ve ever been more embarrassed. I didn't know what to do, and poor Samuel! He seemed to take it well. He just sat there looking as if women ran away from him every day of the week."
Nancy giggled. "Perhaps they do."
"You're the one who started this, you know, by suggesting John and I think about him for Willow."
"And I still do think that he's the best man for her by far, but I can't say I like the way you two have gone about things."
Nerida’s face soured. "And I suppose you could've done better?"
"Judging by what happened last night, I couldn't have done much worse." Nancy pushed the dough to one side, washed her hands, and then sat down at the table with her sister.
"Does this mean I've ruined things?" Nerida asked.
"I can't tell you that, but what I can say is that you have to pull back and stop now that she's on to you. She’ll just fight against it. You have to act as if you don't care whether she marries him, or anybody else."
Nerida shook her head. "She won't believe that."
"It doesn't matter if she believes it or not, that's what you have to do. If you'd taken my advice in the first place, you wouldn't have kept inviting them over for dinner. And did John say what you told me he was going to say? That you four parents were going to discuss their wedding?"
Nerida nodded.
"Well there you go. How thoughtless of him." Nancy threw her hands up in the air. "And is that when she ran out?"
“A few less-than-pleasant words were said before that."
"The only way to fix it is to do what I said. After all, I got all my—"
"Jah, I know. You got all six of your kinner happily married off. And it was all due to you."
Nancy sensed a little tension in the air. "I'm sorry, that was a bit prideful. I'm only trying to help.”
A knock sounded on the door.
"That would be Violet. She had me stop the buggy so she could walk a little. She thinks she’s fat."
“Come in," Nancy called out.
Violet walked into the kitchen and greeted her aunt.
Nancy asked, “What did you want to walk part of the way for? Are you trying to lose weight for your wedding or something?"
"It doesn't hurt to get a bit of exercise," Violet said, glancing at her mother.
"Mamm, you're saying that as if I'm very big. I'm not that big but I just want to lose a little bit of weight so I can feel more comfortable."
Nerida rolled her eyes.
"What were you talking about?"
Nancy said, "Your mudder was just telling me about how Willow was upset at dinner last night."
"Jah, she feels she's far too young to marry, and she hardly knows Samuel at all, so I don't blame her for getting upset."
“You two are always sticking together," Nerida said.
"Only because that's what I really think. I'm not saying that just to stick up for her. It's a big decision to marry someone. And she wants to make that decision on her own, not have it made for her. Can’t she do that?"
"Your vadder and I are just a little worried about it, that's all."
Violet said, "Just let her grow up and do things in her own time. That's my advice. She'll be okay."
Nerida looked at Violet and then at her sister. "I suppose you’re both right. John and I put too much pressure on her last night. We’ll have to do what you suggested, Nancy."
"And what's that?" Violet asked.
“Nancy said we shouldn't do anything at all."
"And I quite agree with that," Violet said. “And, in that regard, perhaps we should go and rescue Willow now? She’s already been there long enough to make her apology.”
“You’re right.” Nerida stood. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 4
Just as Mrs. Troyer and Willow finished their tea, they heard a buggy coming toward the house.
“That was fast,” Willow said, standing up. "Aunt Nancy must have been away from home."
Mrs. Troyer stood up, too, and looked out the window. “It’s Samuel, home for the midday meal. He’s a bit early.”
“Oh, I thought it was Mamm coming back to fetch me.”
"I didn't notice the time slipping by. Will you be a dear and go out and tell him lunch will be another twenty minutes or so?"
Amish Willow Page 2