by Sarah Price
However, Naomi’s mamm took the moment to smile at Priscilla.“Our younger children have the nicest things to say about what a great teacher you are,”she said.“Mayhaps you might consider doing it next year, ja?”
“Oh no,”Priscilla responded, alarmed at the unnecessary praise. She certainly didn’t want people thinking she was proud.“I’m just helping the Teacher until her leg has healed.”Besides, she thought, mayhaps I’ll be married by then and married women certainly did not teach in the school. There would be too much work to do at their own farm, both inside the house and outside helping Stephen.
During the service, Priscilla sat next to Sarah, Polly, and a young woman named Sylvia. Polly had introduced Sylvia as a cousin from Holmes County, Ohio, who was visiting with her family for a few weeks. Priscilla took one look at Sylvia with her big blue eyes and curly blond hair that poked out from under her prayer kapp and knew that she liked her immediately.
“I heard you are a teacher,”Sylvia said to her after the service was over. Her face glowed and her blue eyes sparkled.“That’s so impressive! The districts where I’m from only ask the women who have demonstrated the best values and learning. You must be very smart!”
Priscilla shook her hand to ward off more praise. It made her uncomfortable when people said such nice things to her. After all, she was no different than any other woman in the church district. Anyone else would have stepped in in order to help out the school.“It’s not like that,”she started.“I’m only standing in while the regular Teacher gets well. She was injured in a horse and buggy accident, you see.”
Polly frowned.“Oh Priscilla, you are far too modest! Everyone is talking about some of the new lessons that you have done with the children and how they are all so eager to come to school! I think it’s right gut and I’m not afraid to tell you!”
“Polly!”Priscilla whispered, her eyes darting around the room, hoping that no one had overheard.
“Well it’s true!”Sarah said, joining the conversation.“And I bet it just burns up that nasty Susie Byler, all this attention you’re getting.”Sarah leaned over and lowered her voice as she explained to Sylvia,“Susie Byler is fierce jealous of Priscilla and made up all sorts of lies about her, spreading them everywhere. She was even reprimanded by the bishop!”
“Oh my,”Sylvia gasped.“I’ve never heard of such a thing in my own community!”Her eyes looked around the room, trying to find the woman at the center of their conversation. When she spotted the blond young woman, Sylvia narrowed her eyes, squinting in the dim light of the room.“Why would she do something like that?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,”Priscilla replied softly. She didn’t want to think about the past. It had been a hard summer and an even harder winter. She had thought it was all behind her. Shaking her head, Priscilla sighed and smiled at Sylvia.“There are much more pleasant things to talk about than Susie Byler anyway, ja?”
It was later that evening, however, that Susie Byler’s name came up again in conversation. To Priscilla’s surprise, it was Stephen Esh who brought up the subject.
He had picked her up from her daed’s farm to take her to the youth singing. She could tell right away that he was tense and that something was bothering him. He wasn’t looking at her nor was he talking. She could also see that the muscles in his jaw were twitching.
At first, she didn’t ask as she felt that it would be prying. But when he missed the turn, she took a deep breath and asked,“What’s bothering you, Stephen? I don’t mean to intrude but I can see you are right upset about something.”
He glanced at her.“I’m sorry, Priscilla,”he said.“I really wanted to avoid sharing this with you but I am upset and I just can’t hide it.”
His tone alarmed her. She had never seen Stephen upset in such a manner. Normally, he was so even-tempered and good-natured.“What is it, Stephen?”
He sighed and shook his head.“I heard something after church service today that really bothered me.”
“Oh?”
“Now, I know it’s not true but one of the Miller girls was talking with that Susie Byler. They were talking behind me and I think they were talking just loud enough on purpose so that I could overhear them.”
At the mention of Susie Byler, Priscilla caught her breath. It had been quiet since the previous winter. Priscilla had thought Susie had learned her lesson after the bishop had reprimanded her and that she wasn’t going to bother anyone anymore. Unfortunately, from the look on Stephen’s face, Priscilla could tell that this was not going to end well.“What were they saying, if I might ask?”
“Ja vell,”he started, stumbling over his words.“Seems like that Susie is telling people you are a fake and a liar.”
That caught Priscilla off-guard and she had to catch her breath. A fake and a liar? Where on earth did Susie keep getting these crazy ideas? She almost wanted to laugh but her heart was racing and she felt angry, instead.“I am having a hard time of believing this!”
Stephen held his hand up, as if the gesture would help calm Priscilla.“I know, I know. Of all people to accuse of such falsehoods!”
“A fake and a liar!”Priscilla didn’t know how to respond. How dare that woman accuse Priscilla of the very things that so perfectly described herself?“She’s crazy!”Priscilla said sharply.“Plain crazy! Whatever is she raving about now? Another quilt pattern?”
Stephen frowned.“It’s about the teaching.”
Once again, Priscilla was speechless. What did Susie Byler know about her with teaching? The mean-spirited and unchristian behavior of that woman and her insufferable rudeness were truly starting to tax her nerves.“The teaching! Whatever is she possibly accusing me of this time? My teaching doesn’t impact her in the least!”
“You won’t like this any more than I do,”Stephen said slowly.“It seems that she is telling people that you are not a real teacher. In fact, she said that you marked her cousin’s papers low on purpose because you hate her so much. Claims you sent a letter to the bishop asking that her cousin be dismissed from school.”
“That’s ridiculous!”Priscilla gasped. The accusation was outrageous, indeed. What was most alarming, however, was that Priscilla knew from her past experiences that certain people tended to believe Susie and her horrid lies.“I have done nothing of the sort! In fact, I’m working hard to help Morgan!”Fake and a liar. The words rang in her head. Words that were heavy and ugly.“I simply cannot believe it.”
“There’s more.”
“I can hardly imagine what else there could be!”
He cleared his throat as he slowed down the buggy. When it was finally stopped on the side of the road, he turned to face her.“I heard her say that she’s going to expose you,”Stephen warned.“She was very big on that word. Expose you.Repeated it several times.”He looked at Priscilla, staring at her with a concerned expression on his face.“You be careful with that girl. We both know what she is capable of doing.”
For a moment, Priscilla sat there and seethed. Everything had been going so well in her life, lately. Why did Susie have to start her theatrics and her rantings all over again? Taking a few deep breaths and counting to ten twice, she finally deeply exhaled and looked at Stephen.“I’m just going to ignore her once more. There will come a point in time when she will just tell one too many lies.”
“God doesn’t like liars,”Stephen mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.
“No one likes liars,”she added. She sat back in the seat and stared outside the window.
Stephen clicked his tongue and the horse started to walk down the road again. They rode in silence, each deep in thought. Priscilla tried to clear her mind, not wanting to think about Susie and her lies. Instead, she watched the passing farms.
Each farm seemed so peaceful and quaint. For a moment, she imagined herself living in one of those farms, surrounded by her own family and experiencing the same peaceful happiness that the people dwelling in them were certainly enjoying. Yet, she no longer held tha
t same peace within herself. Instead, she felt angry and resentful. That’s the Devil talking to you, she heard a voice say within her head.
“Stephen,”she whispered.“I don’t feel much like going to the singing tonight.”
“I think that’s the best place for us to go,”he said firmly.“If you don’t go, people will think she’s telling the truth.”
Priscilla knew that he was right. Still, she neither felt like being social nor speculating what other people might be thinking about her. And she certainly didn’t want to see Susie!“I’m not thinking nice things about her,”she admitted softly.“Perhaps I need to pray a little.”
He nodded his head, understanding exactly what she meant. He waited until they passed a large field and brought the buggy to a stop. Quietly, he helped her down and stood back as she climbed up the slight incline, walking away from him. She felt the fading sun at her back. She walked carefully, not wanting to step on any of the newly-planted crops. But she also knew that she needed a few moments alone.
Dear Lord, please help me understand how to be a godly woman when my heart feels heavy and angry, she prayed quietly after kneeling down. Please help me show Susie Byler what it means to be a true Christian by extending a hand of forgiveness to her the way Jesus forgave Judas. Please help me do what I can to help her from whatever is bothering her so much, showing her love in the same way that Jesus forgave the sinners. Guide me so that I can continue to walk in your light and embrace your teachings. Amen.
Getting up from her knees, she lifted her face toward the sun and, with her eyes shut, she whispered the Lord’s Prayer. A bird flew overhead and she felt a cool breeze. She also felt the calming presence of strength and love surrounding her. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
I can do this, she thought.
With a new sense of confidence, Priscilla hurried back to the waiting buggy and smiled at Stephen.“Danke,”she said.“I feel ever so much better now.”
“Gut.”He held her hand as she started to get into the buggy. Yet, he stood in a way so that she couldn’t actually squeeze past him.“Priscilla,”he said, his voice low and his arm rubbing against hers as he held her hand tightly.“Don’t you think it’s time we talked to the bishop about baptism?”
“Oh,”she whispered, caught off guard for the second time in less than an hour.“Are you saying…?”
“I want us to marry in December, yes.”
Priscilla bit her lower lip, staring up into his face. It was the moment she had been waiting for, the moment that she had dreamed about ever since she had known that she loved him. Now, here he stood before her, the early spring crops casting a green glow on the field behind them and the birds chirping as they chased each other through the air. Spring. A season of growth, renewal and change.
“That’s only seven months away,”she whispered.
“I’d marry you tomorrow if I could,”he said, smiling gently at her, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand.
She blushed. What had she done to deserve this wonderful man who cared so much for her? He was strong in faith, even tempered and kind. No one could argue that he was a hard-working man and gave plenty back to the community, sometimes before taking care of himself. Even more important, he was a godly man.
“Stephen,”she said, lifting her eyes to meet his.“I will marry you in December.”
When he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers, she was startled. He had never been so bold before and she wasn’t certain how to react. Kissing was best saved for marriage, she had always been told. Still, she couldn’t help but think it was a wonderful feeling to have her fiancé, her future husband, kiss her on that beautiful spring evening, just moments after she had promised to be Stephen’s Priscilla forever.
“December,”he whispered as he pulled back, still staring into her eyes.
“December,”she whispered back, her cheeks flushed red and her heart pounding from the joy he had just instilled into her.
When they arrived at the singing, Priscilla felt out of sorts. So much had happened in that short buggy ride. She had learned that Susie Byler was back at bullying again. Yet, Stephen Esh once again had proven that Priscilla had nothing to worry about when it came to Susie. Not only did he not question Priscilla’s integrity, he had even asked her to marry him. Such a proposal was not taken lightly among the Amish. Marriage was a forever partnership and with Stephen Esh, Priscilla felt she had committed herself to the best partner in the world.
And then there had been the kiss.
“My word, Priscilla,”someone said from behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, Priscilla smiled as she recognized Sylvia, Sarah, and Polly walking toward her.“I hadn’t seen you there!”she said.
“You look rather out of sorts,”Sarah said, a sympathetic look in her eyes. She lowered her voice and reached out to gently touch Priscilla’s arm.“I reckon you heard the latest news about that dreadful Susie Byler,”she said, shaking her head.
Priscilla tried to laugh it off. She wasn’t going to let Susie’s lies bother her, not today and not any day. With a wave of her hand, Priscilla dismissed the gossip.“I don’t know what she’s trying to get at,”she said.“But I’m not wasting one precious moment of life on her silliness. It’s her problem and she can deal with it.”
Polly raised an eyebrow.“Oh, it’s her problem all right. A problem in the head.”
The other three women laughed and the subject was quickly changed to something more pleasant and worthy of discussion.
Chapter Five
Back home, Priscilla didn’t tell her parents about her decision. After all, it was her decision to make and only she could do so. Joining the church was a life commitment. A firm commitment to follow the ways of the Amish and give up any worldliness. For Priscilla, it wasn’t something that needed much reflection. She had always shunned worldliness and certainly never considered leaving the Amish community.
But she recognized that her parents were watching her, knowing smiles on their faces. Priscilla suspected that it was because how quiet she was after supper, sitting on the sofa with her crocheting material but getting nothing done as she was thinking long and hard about what it meant to join the church.
Several hundred years earlier, in Europe, their ancestors had given up their lives to follow the Anabaptist beliefs. Others lost their homes and families, all in the name of that commitment to the church. Later, when they began to emigrate from Europe, seeking shelter in the New World, they had struggled to survive. But their faith had helped them. Now, the Amish communities were doubling in size every twenty years. And it was all in the name of renouncing the world in order to honor God.
When she worked in the garden after coming home from the schoolhouse, she often paused, her hands covered in dirt, and stared into the fields. The corn had been planted and was beginning to grow, a gentle blanket of green replacing the brown rows of plowed earth. She loved to watch the birds as they hopped between the rows of corn sprouts, dipping their beaks into the ground in hopes of finding a worm or grub.
This life is the way of the Lord, she thought. It pleased her that she would be joining the church and following in the footsteps of her ancestors. There was no other life for her but here, in Ephrata, with her church, her family, and her Stephen. It was plain and it was simple but it was all that she wanted.
It was two weeks later when Priscilla found the courage to approach the bishop after the church service. She had spent these two weeks in reflection and prayer. She had spoken to her parents for guidance and advice. When she knew that she was comfortable with the decision, one that she could not revoke, she had decided to speak with the bishop and request his approval for attending the baptismal instructional that would take place over the summer.
Service had ended and the dinner meal was almost over. The men were beginning to put away the make-shift tables which were really just the service benches cleverly designed into perfectly matching halves th
at once abutted to each other were transformed into perfectly sturdy trestle tables. The noise of the benches being pulled out of the boards that converted them into these tables, loud as it was, did not cover this of the women conversing jovially while washing the plates and glasses in the kitchen and sorting out the serving sets that some of them had brought along to supplement what was provided by the hosting family for after-service fellowship. Yet, it was a happy noise that spoke of strong fellowship after a morning of faithful worship to God.
“Bishop Zook,”Priscilla asked as she approached the older man where he was standing, just outside of the door to the gathering room.“Mayhaps you have a moment?”she asked with her eyes downcast.
He gestured to the men he had been speaking to and they all nodded in the understanding that he needed to speak privately with Priscilla. The bishop and Priscilla took a few steps away from the people gathered outside and preparing to harness their horses to the buggies in order to return home. For most of the families, the afternoon would be spent playing games like Scrabble or Round the World before evening chores. Sunday afternoon was a day for being together and sharing. Later in the evening, the young unmarried people would attend the youth singing. That was a time for some socialization and relaxation among their peers.
But for now, Priscilla was only thinking about talking to the bishop about one thing: her baptismal instruction.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you,”she said shyly.“I wanted to speak to you about a matter of great importance to me.”
The bishop took a deep breath and pursed his lips, leveling his gaze at her. For a moment, he seemed to be appraising her before he spoke. She wondered what he was thinking as his tired, old eyes surveyed her. Then, with a tilt of his head, he said,“I’ve heard that things are going right gut at the school. I hope nothing is wrong there.”