by Sarah Price
After the second set of songs, Priscilla excused herself to visit the restroom. With more people having arrived, the room had grown warmer and she wanted to put some cool water on the back of her neck. The evening’s excitement provided something new and different for Priscilla. Besides the faster, new hymns that were sung, some of the young men told funny jokes and stories between the songs. There was a lot of laughter among the young people. Priscilla was enjoying herself so much that she wished it didn’t have to end. After all, it would be two more weeks until the next singing.
“Priscilla Smucker,”a voice said as she walked out of the restroom. Turning at the sounds, she was surprised to see Stephen Esh standing there. He was leaning against the wall, tucked behind a pillar so that prying eyes couldn’t see him. She wondered if he was waiting to use the restroom or simply waiting for her. With his thick shock of curly brown hair and big blue eyes, it was always hard to miss Stephen Esh, even if he wasn’t so tall.“I was looking for you,”he added.
Looking for her? Priscilla frowned. Why on earth would Stephen Esh be looking for her?“Whatever for?”she asked, immediately hating the way that sounded and wishing she could gobble the words right back up.
He laughed and moved closer to her. With a quick glance over his shoulder to make certain no one was listening, he leaned down. His face was so close that she could smell the fresh scent of lavender on his skin. It was a fresh smell and she caught her breath when he lowered his voice and said,“I know tonight is your first singing, Priscilla.”
She wondered why he would care about tonight being her first singing. She had rarely ever talked to him. He was older and, even in school, he ran with the boys that were the age of her older brother, David.“Yes it is,”she finally said, trying to still her beating heart.
He straightened his back and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he seemed very serious.“I was hoping I could take you home tonight.”
Priscilla felt her heart flip-flop. She knew that singings presented the best opportunity for young men to get to know the young women. Typically, courtship started with a buggy ride home after the singings. Then there might be more buggy rides home after volleyball games or picnics. Eventually, if the rides continued and compatibility was apparent, the young man might even ask to pick her up to take her to these social events.
But, tonight, on her very first night attending a signing, Stephen Esh asked her to ride home in his buggy!
From what she had heard, Stephen Esh was not one to ask girls to ride home, at least not just one. He might take two girls home, but he always seemed to avoid being linked romantically with anyone. That had seemed to get the attention of more than one young woman who had hoped to be the first to capture his interest and affection.
Priscilla, however, had been so excited to go to her first singing that she had never given much thought to being asked home. Usually the younger women would walk home or ride home with their brothers. She certainly had never thought that Stephen Esh would single her out.
“Oh,”she said softly, too surprised to think straight.
“Is that a yes or a no?”he whispered, his breath warm on her cheek.
“I…I…”She didn’t know how to respond. No one had prepared her for this type of situation. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his eyes.“That would be right gut, Stephen. I think I should like that very much.”
“Wunderbaar!”He smiled.“Don’t you forget that you promised me and let another man ask you home,”he said, his eyes twinkling. He touched her arm gently, a friendly and reassuring gesture, before he quickly moved away, most likely rejoining his friends before they began to ask questions about his disappearance.
Stunned, Priscilla stood there for a moment, trying to recapture what had just happened. A first buggy ride was a big moment. She hadn’t expected that tonight. Indeed, she was too focused on the experience. She knew that, one day, someone would ask her home. But on her first singing? And to be asked by Stephen Esh of all people!
Most women didn’t talk about their courtships. But Priscilla did know that the buggy rides were important. It was a time to get to know each other privately. Once a young girl turned sixteen, she was free to court young men. While it didn’t happen too often, some girls even married at eighteen. But it always started with a buggy ride. If he asked her again, after tonight, that would mean he was interested in courting her.
He was so well thought of in the community! At twenty-one, he was older than some of the other young men at the singing. He had already bought a small farm down the road from his daed’s farm. While he still lived at home with his parents, he worked that farm harder than anyone else. He’d help his daed with his own chores before hurrying down the road to plow his fields and plant his crops. The entire church district was impressed with his hard work and willingness to help others.
She sat back onto the bench next to Anna and reached for her friend’s hand. Giving it a squeeze, she whispered into Anna’s ear,“You’re never going to believe what just happened…”
Chapter Four
The following morning, Priscilla woke up early, with a warm and tingly feeling inside her. She shut her eyes and tried to remember every detail of that wonderful buggy ride home. He had waited for her by the staircase and motioned to her when no one was looking. Riding home from the singings was a private matter, not one for the public to talk about, especially at the early stages of courtship. This saved both parties from any possible embarrassment should the courtship not progress further. For that, Priscilla was thankful.
She had followed him down the stairs and outside to where his buggy was waiting. He had opened the door for her and helped her inside, his hand gently holding her arm, even though she didn’t really need his assistance. When he was inside the buggy and had slid the buggy’s door so that it was closed, he turned and smiled at her.“Comfortable?”he had asked.
She was surprised. He had seemed to be nervous when, in reality, it was her stomach that was filled with butterflies. She couldn’t imagine what he had to be nervous about, after all. Wasn’t it Stephen who had asked her to ride home with him? “Ja,”she replied. Satisfied with her answer, he had released the brake and urged his horse forward and down the lane.
For a few minutes, neither one of them exchanged words. Priscilla had clutched her hands on her lap, wringing them nervously. She didn’t know whether she was supposed to ask him questions or if he was supposed to be the one to initiate conversation. She had finally decided to let him take charge. After all, he was five years older than her and would think her far too forward if she spoke first.
Once the horse was trotting down the road, further from the singing, he seemed to relax. He slowed the horse down and, when it came time to take a right at the fork in the road, she noticed that Stephen turned left. She was about to correct him but she stopped herself. Stephen certainly knew where she lived and must have his own reasons for taking the longer route.
“You enjoyed your first singing?”he had asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Oh yes,”she gushed, happy for his question. The silence had been too awkward. Having something to talk about was much better.“It was wunderbaar gut.”
He nodded his head.“Ja, nice to have some social time with friends, ain’t so?”
“It was so very nice,”she admitted.
“You turned sixteen when?”he asked.
“Back in May but we didn’t have singings then,”she responded, wondering why he was curious about her birth month.
“You sure have a pretty singing voice,”he said. She was thankful that it was dark in the buggy for, otherwise, he would have seen her blush.
With the ice broken, they had talked for the next hour as Stephen guided his horse down some back roads. Priscilla forgot that they were on the way to her daed’s farm. Instead, she became absorbed in his stories about working his own farm, helping his daed, and some of the funny stories about his siblings. As the oldest son of ten, Stephen had
a different perspective on family than Priscilla did. After all, she was the youngest of eight children.
When he had finally stopped the buggy in her daed’s driveway, he waited a few seconds before sliding open the buggy door. Holding the reins in his hands, he seemed to be contemplating something. Priscilla wasn’t certain what she was supposed to do so she waited. Clearly, Stephen had done this before and, knowing that she hadn’t, he would know how the buggy ride was supposed to end.
“There’s a volleyball game next Saturday evening,”he had finally said.“I know that Jonas usually attends and I reckon you’ll be going with him, ja?”
Priscilla had raised her eyebrows, wondering why he was asking her such a question.“I hadn’t heard about it. I suppose if he goes and asks me, I would go along. Where is it taking place?”
“At the Yoders,”he had said.“Ja, vell…”he hesitated. There was a catch in his voice and he cleared his throat.“Mayhaps you’d let me bring you home again, afterwards?”
For the second time that evening, she had caught her breath. Could it be possible, she had wondered, that Stephen Esh was, indeed, interested in her? They had known each other for all of their lives but, because he was older, she hadn’t ever spent time with him. She knew that he was friendly with her older brother David since they were just one year apart in age. But Stephen Esh had always seemed to be so much more mature and focused on his farming. At church services, there were many eyes of Amish young women that wandered in his direction, especially when the sermons were too long and uninteresting.
Now, Stephen Esh was asking her to ride home with him after the volleyball game?“Oh,”she started breathlessly.“That would be just fine, Stephen.”
He seemed to smile, she sensed, but she wasn’t certain for it was dark in the buggy. But she could tell that he was more relaxed.“Gut!”he had said, his voice definitely sounding more enthusiastic.“I will see you then.”With that, he had slid open the door, jumped down to the driveway and reached inside to take her hand and help her out.
Now, the morning after, Priscilla couldn’t help but smile to herself. Stephen Esh was, indeed, interested in getting to know her better. If she had thought he had just been nice to ask her home so that she would have a lovely memory of her first singing, she now knew for a fact that she might very well be on the way to her first courtship. First courtship, she thought with a smile. Would it possibly also be her last?
Without any question, Priscilla knew that a match with Samuel Esh would be a good one. He’d be a wunderbaarprovider and, after having helped his parents with his nine brothers and sisters, he’d be an even better daed. Any girl would be lucky to have captured his attention. Priscilla just couldn’t figure out why she was one of them.
Downstairs, her mamm was already busy at the stove, cooking breakfast for the men who were outside milking the cows and tending to the horses and mules. The kitchen smelled of percolating coffee and cooked scrapple. Mamm looked over her shoulder and smiled as Priscilla entered the room from the stairwell.
“My, my,”her mammteased. Her arms were covered in flour and she was busy kneading a loaf of bread. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were bread making days in the Smucker house.“Good…afternoon!”
Priscilla pretended to frown at her mamm.“It’s only six!”
“Ja, but I’ve been up since five!”Her mammraised a delicate eyebrow.“Must have been home awfully late from that singing to sleep in an extra hour on a Monday! Let’s not forget that today is wash day after all.”But Priscilla could tell that her mamm was not really upset with her. No, indeed, her mammwas her best friend. However, even though they were very close, Mamm knew better than to probe about who had actually brought her home the evening before, despite making it clear that she was aware it wasn’t her brother.
By seven o’clock, the bread was rising on the counter and the table was set. Steaming bowls of scrambled eggs, homemade granola, fresh bread, and scrapple were waiting for the men. Once everyone had sat down at the table and bowed their heads for the before-meal prayer, the plates were passed and conversation started to flow.
“Have a surprise for you, Priscilla,”Jonas said, looking up from his food.
“Me?”she asked, her voice squeaking.
“Ja! I was talking last night with Polly Yoder. She’s coordinating the charity event at the Mennonite church in July. I told her that you’d be entering some of your tomatoes. They’ll be part of the donation auction to raise money for the needy.”
The rest of the room fell silent. No one spoke as all eyes turned to Priscilla. Even her daed sat motionless, his eyebrows raised in surprise and his fork stopped midway between his plate and mouth. It was unlike Jonas to pay such particular interest in something that was traditionally not of interest to men. Donating goods to a charity auction was something that their mamm would have arranged, not her brother.
“Jonas!”Priscilla gasped.“Why on earth…?”
Her mammbit her lip and turned her eyes toward her son.“I would like to think that you would have discussed it with your sister first.”
Jonas rolled his eyes.“Oh Mamm, you know how modest she is. She’d never have entered such an event!”
David laughed.
Priscilla was still stunned and could barely speak.
Mamm turned her attention back to Priscilla.“What do you think about that, daughter? I’m sure Polly Yoder would understand if you told her that Jonas spoke up for you without permission.”
Jonas was quick to jump back into the discussion.“Nee,”he said.“You best not do that.”
“Why ever not?”Priscilla asked. Her curiosity was definitely piqued at her brother’s insistence that she participate in this charity drive. It worried her that the Amish youth in her district might think that she, too, was proud. Priscilla didn’t like being in the spotlight and certainly didn’t want people thinking poorly of her character.
Again, David laughed.“Bet I know why.”
Jonas glared at him. It was suddenly quite obvious that there was more to the matter than Jonas having a kind heart and wanting to help the needy. With a sigh, he finally admitted,“It’s that Susie Byler.”
This time, it was their daedwho laughed. His eyes crinkled and he set his fork down on his plate. Wiping at his mouth with a napkin, he shook his head, still smiling.“Not that Jacob’s daughter again.”
With a frown on his face, Jonas seemed disgusted.“I couldn’t help myself. She is too proud and was reminding everyone last night how she had the biggest tomatoes and her bushel had bought in the most donations last year. She says that she has a secret way to plant and garden and that no one else knows it.”
Mamm took a deep breath.“I’m not liking what I’m hearing about this child. She sure does seem too proud.”
“Well,”Jonas continued.“I couldn’t stop myself. When I heard the bragging, I mentioned to Polly that Priscilla would be donating her own tomatoes to the charity. You should have seen that Susie’s face. When the attention turned from her to Priscilla, she turned as red as…”
“A tomato?”David finished the sentence for him.
Everyone laughed at the joke, everyone except Priscilla and Mamm.
“Oh boys,”Mamm said, trying to remain somber.“We should pray for that girl instead of instigate her. Challenging her in a competition is not very kind, is it now?”Jonas and David lowered their heads. But Priscilla could tell from their expressions that they weren’t the least bit sorry.
Mamm turned her attention to her daughter.“Priscilla,”her mammcontinued gently.“It’s up to you if you wish to donate the tomatoes. But I encourage you to do it for the right reasons. Any money brought in will assist the Mennonites with their work of helping those that are less fortunate. That,”she said, looking sternly at her two sons.“Is a good reason to enter the contest, not to have bragging rights over how much money is raised or to show up a prideful young woman.”
A silence fell over the table and Priscilla chewed on her lower lip.
The thought of listening to Susie Byler for the next few weeks and for months afterward did not interest Priscilla at all. She also knew that if Susie found out that Stephen Esh showed an interest in her, that would raise more problems with Susie who had been so adamant that Priscilla would not be riding in a buggy with him. She wanted to avoid any further upset with Susie, that was for sure and certain.
However, her mammhad a good point. Any money raised from her donation would help the less fortunate. If her tomatoes could help raise money, that was a very good cause. Not donating them to avoid listening to Susie was just as bad as being prideful. Besides, she thought, Jonas volunteered me. No one can claim that I’m the proud one in the charity drive.
“I’ll do it,”she said, ignoring the look of victory on Jonas’s face.“But only because it may help those in need.”
Chapter Five
For the next few days, Priscilla seemed to forget about the charity day. After all, it was still weeks away. She did her chores in the house, helped her daed and brothers with cutting hay, and even helped with baling it. Then, in the late afternoons, when her brothers were milking the cows, she would tend to her garden.
This was her favorite time of day. The late afternoon breeze was cool, the birds were singing and she could hear the cows in the dairy barn. All thoughts of the charity drive and Susie Byler were far from her mind. But one thing was never far from it: Stephen Esh. She counted down the days until Saturday evening.
Since this weekend was an off-Sunday, there would not be a singing. The Amish youth only held singings in the evenings after church service. On those weekends when there was no singing, many of the youth gathered for volleyball games at a farm in the district. Sometimes other district youth joined. But Priscilla didn’t care about that since she already knew that she’d be riding home with Stephen Esh. She didn’t have to think about anything else except those long minutes, alone in the buggy, talking with Stephen.