“An admirable view,” Isaiah murmured.
“From an admirable woman,” Joseph added. “You never knew her, did you?”
“No. I’m sorry I didn’t. You lived in the Southern districts of Lancaster County back then.”
Joseph smiled. “But what did Samson say? ‘Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.’”
“That’s quite a description of Southern Lancaster County!”
“We can laugh at ourselves, or at least I can,” Joseph told him. “And we do have our strange ways. It looks as if some of them have rubbed off on Esther and you. I mean, here you are at my place looking for a rose.”
“That’s just some of the sweetness that comes out of the strong,” Isaiah teased. “But don’t tell anyone, okay? They might never listen to my preaching again.”
“Agreed,” Joseph said, grinning from ear to ear. “But back to business. These are the three best splices I made last year. There’s the deeper red one from a Red Rose Ultra and a Dark Night. That one is pretty. And this yellow version is from a Sunshine Rose and a Pink…” he paused to bend low to check the small card below the plant. “A Pink Desert Glow. But the one I like best is of course the white version here, a cross of my very own Silvia’s Rose and a Yellow Pristine. Isn’t that a beauty?”
Isaiah bent low to look. “It is lovely—both the smell and the color. All flowers do have a distinct scent, just as you told Diana—even though I usually can’t tell. This morning I believe I almost can.”
Joseph laughed. “Diana has been tattling on me, I see.”
“Yah, she has.”
“How are you two getting along?”
“Better, I think. I’ve been trying.”
“That’s goot.” Joseph nodded. “I thought so from Diana’s chatter. You will make a very decent daett for her, Isaiah.”
“Thank you.” He took another quick sniff. “These are all very lovely, Joseph. I can’t thank you enough for the offer to help, but how would we do this? Do I—”
“Roses won’t be blooming that well in November,” Joseph interrupted. “But there are ways around that if we’re dedicated and keep the bloom cycles in control.”
“But I would still have a rose you created in the first place. I’d have to tell Esther that.”
Joseph paused. “So you want to create a rose on your own? That’s a lot of work, and it wouldn’t be done in time. You would need to either wait until after the wedding to present your rose or postpone the wedding. I doubt if postponing is an option, though Esther would probably understand if you told her that a rose was coming.”
“Maybe,” Isaiah muttered. “Esther might like that—and the rose would be mine, right? You would teach me how?”
“You’d go to all that trouble? You’d need to spend a lot of time here in the greenhouse, and Esther lives just up the road.”
Isaiah grinned. “How can I forget? She’ll probably catch me this morning.”
Joseph laughed.
“So what should I do?” Isaiah asked. “I want to make something special for Esther’s wedding present.”
The smile grew on Joseph’s face. “There are other things that can be done with roses, all of which could be ready by your wedding date. I could give the roses to you at cost, and we’d be on our way. That is, if you’re willing to follow a few instructions.”
“Like what?” Isaiah eyed Joseph. “You’ve gotten me in deep enough water already.”
Joseph stepped closer and whispered his idea to Isaiah.
Isaiah gasped. “That? What would I want with that?”
“You said it was for Esther.”
“But our people—”
“And then there’s…” Joseph bent closer again and whispered a second idea.
Isaiah jerked his head upright. “You’re going to get me into all kinds of trouble! I have never heard of such things.”
“Either would make a very romantic wedding gift, and they’re not that hard to do. I can get you the instructions the next time I’m in Fort Plain. I’ll stop in at the library. And I doubt if Esther will get you in trouble by telling anyone about her wedding gift.” Joseph gave Isaiah a wicked grin. “That’s what I’m thinking. And she’ll thank you a lot.”
“This is indecent!” Isaiah declared. “What is the world coming to?”
“Southern Lancaster County,” Joseph teased. “Out of the strong comes forth the sweet.”
“Be quiet a minute and let me think.” Isaiah stroked his beard and concentrated.
“You can take some roses home with you right now and begin their proper care until I get you the instructions you need,” Joseph suggested.
After a little more thought, Isaiah agreed. “All right. Let’s do it! Which roses do I take?”
Five minutes later they had sneaked a dozen rose pots into the back of Isaiah’s buggy. After furtive glances up and down the road, Isaiah raced out of the lane to head home at a steady trot.
TWENTY-FOUR
Joseph watched with a smile on his face as Isaiah’s buggy disappeared down Fords Bush Road. Silvia would be thrilled if she were alive. Isaiah’s venture down romantic paths might open more of his people to the ways of the heart that lay beyond duty, faith, and commitment to the community. But most would be uncomfortable if they knew the full extent of his devotion to Silvia. The real test would come this year if Silvia’s Rose won an award in California.
Joseph glanced toward the heavens. “Maybe You’re sending me an ally in Minister Isaiah and Esther Stoltzfus. If that’s the case, thank You. I appreciate it.”
Joseph shifted his gaze across the road as Dorrine’s front door burst open. Arlene came across the yard at a fast walk. Apparently she had noticed Isaiah’s early morning visit and was curious—too curious.
“What’s going on with Isaiah?” she asked as soon as she came within earshot.
Joseph tried a little charm to distract her. “And a goot morning to you. You’re out bright and early.”
Without answering, Arlene asked, “So why was he here? And why did you load those roses into the back of his buggy? When he left, I saw you talking to the sky. I hope you were asking for the Lord’s forgiveness. What have you talked Isaiah into with your roses?”
“That’s really none of your business,” Joseph chided gently. “Maybe you should take a deep breath. Isaiah is a minister, and I am a man who owns a greenhouse. I can load a dozen roses into the minister’s buggy without your becoming so curious.”
Arlene struggled to calm herself. “I suppose you will be my husband soon, so perhaps I should listen to you. But Amish ministers don’t go off with roses in their buggies. You must be in some kind of trouble, which affects me now that—”
“When did you become my promised one?” Joseph asked. “I don’t remember—”
“Oh, I am,” Arlene assured him. “We should really be talking about our wedding date instead of roses in the back of Isaiah’s buggy. Don’t you see how distracting all this is from what’s really important in life? That’s why your ways trouble me, Joseph. They did from when the Lord first placed the desire in my heart to wed you.”
Joseph didn’t back down. “Arlene, please tell me about the exact moment when, as you claim, you became my promised one.”
“I’ve been making supper for you, and you gave me those sweet hugs awhile back, which was so dear of you, and I knew then what it meant—that you were asking me to wed you, and of course I agreed.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know what that meant to me, Joseph. You will never know, even if we live together for fifty years before the Lord calls one of us home.”
“I’m sure it will be that long,” he muttered. “The Lord wouldn’t want to break our marital bliss.”
“Oh, Joseph! That is so wunderbah of you to say! And you see now why I am so worried about the strange things you do…” She choked up a little. “You…you are so sweet on one hand and sometimes so strange on the other. Maybe that’s just the way it has to be,
and I have to live with it. Isn’t that what a frau has to accept in her husband, that everything won’t be perfect?”
“I suppose so,” he allowed. “I hope you won’t suffer unduly due to my…imperfections.”
She attempted a smile. “I’m not sure what you mean, but your heart sounds kind, so I hope so too. Have you thought of a wedding date?”
“No, I haven’t thought of a date. I’m sure you’ll have to search for me in the greenhouse on the morning of my wedding.”
“Oh, but I can live with that.” Arlene threw her arms around his neck. “At least you’ll be in the greenhouse and not in the bann.”
Joseph extracted himself from her embrace. “It’s the middle of the morning, Arlene, and in front of my greenhouse. What if someone sees us?”
“They will know that we’re to wed,” she chirped. “I want the whole world to know!”
“And what did you mean about me being in the bann?”
She sobered. “I will pray that doesn’t happen, Joseph. I will pray real hard, and get on my knees every evening before I fall asleep and beg the Lord not to let your strange ways get you excommunicated before we can say our wedding vows. How awful would that be?”
“Simply dreadful.”
“Yah, you in the bann. I don’t know if I could go on living.”
“Arlene, really!” He gripped her arms in both of his hands. “Come inside.” Letting go, he motioned with his hand. “People will think we’re having an argument out here.”
“But we are. You won’t set our wedding date.”
He ushered her in and closed the greenhouse door. “Let’s get this straight first. A hug is not an engagement. Surely you know that.”
She hung her head for a moment. “But…it could be.”
“But it isn’t,” he said firmly. “You need to tell me when things like that go through your head.” He lifted her chin with his finger. “Listen to me. I’m serious. Things have to be done normally, or at least we should try.”
She stared, and then he shrugged and laughed. “On second thought, I think we had better abandon that angle of the conversation.”
“I just want a wedding date, Joseph.” Tears began to trickle down her face. “I can set it if you can’t.”
“Okay, when will it be?”
Her face lit up. “Oh, Joseph. I can’t believe this! We can wed this year. I was afraid you would make us wait until the next wedding season, and my heart would simply die in the meantime.”
“Okay, so when?” He took her hands in his and waited.
“I don’t know. I’d have to see a calendar, but maybe the last of October. Or would that be too soon?”
“You are marrying a strange man. Why not a strange date?”
“I still need a calendar.”
He led her around the corner and motioned with his beard. “There you go.”
She almost tore the pages off to arrive at October. Her finger stabbed the numbers. “This one! The last Thursday of October. We can have the wedding at Dorrine’s place and begin to plan the meal menu right away.”
“Will your parents pay for the wedding?”
She whirled about. “That’s normal, right?”
“Yah!” He shrugged. “Though I’ve never met—”
“I’ll have to tell them,” she suddenly whispered.
“Will they approve of me?”
Her gaze traveled up and down his form and settled on his leg. “I guess they have no choice.”
“Maybe I should meet them before we make this official.”
She shook her head. “Dorrine approves of you, and Mamm and Daett will too.” She gave a little nod of her head as if to drive home the point.
“You’re not convincing me. We should settle this before we go too far.”
“But they can’t keep me from marrying you!” Her lips were set.
“Parents can do lots of things. You should write them and ask for permission. Believe me, you don’t want to find out a month from now that they won’t agree to our marriage.”
“Dorrine will put in a goot word for you, and I will tell them it’s already planned.”
“Be sure to tell them that I am from Southern Lancaster County and that I have this…” he flung his leg outward.
Her eyes grew large. “But I won’t tell them about the roses.”
He laughed. “By all means, Arlene, do not tell them about the roses. Heaven forbid they know I grow roses because I once loved a woman with my whole heart.”
“You also grow other things. I will tell them that. That’s all they need to know.” She gave him a huge smile. “And now I’ll go and write the letter. Dorrine will help me, and it will be okay. Mamm and Daett won’t forbid me from marrying you.”
“That’s very comforting.”
“Yah, it is,” she agreed.
“Well, you had better go now. Take all the time you want. Make sure it’s done right.”
“I will,” she said before dashing off.
Joseph turned to approach the bench of roses on the far wall, their white-and-orange blossoms bright in the early morning sun. He had not given Isaiah any of these, and Isaiah had not asked for them. They had seemed to understand each other on that point.
He bent his head as the tears trickled into his beard, and he spoke to the roses as though they were Silvia. “I thought I missed you before, but I never knew how much I missed you until now. But someday we will see each other again. You, who taught me what love was, help me to love her just as you loved someone who could give you little in return.”
Joseph shuffled away and then turned to look back at the long row of roses. “Arlene can be sweet in her own way, and she does adore me. Maybe I carry the smell of your sweet presence, Silvia?”
Tears came again, and he wiped them away. “Enough of this, and I’m talking to myself. Stop it, Joseph. Be normal.”
He grunted and headed toward the other end of the greenhouse to work on his tomato plants.
TWENTY-FIVE
The following week Esther knocked on Dorrine’s front door with Diana’s hand in hers and waited. She heard quick steps coming across the hardwood floor, and then Dorrine threw open the door and greeted them with a cheerful, “Goot morning. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Goot morning to you. I had a few spare moments and thought we’d walk down to say hello. Maybe we can even come in and help with something.”
Dorrine sighed. “With three young boys and a busy husband, I’d never turn down an offer of help. And Arlene…” Dorrine lowered her voice. “Well, I’d best not say. But do come in, and make yourself comfortable.”
“Arlene?” Esther asked as she stepped inside.
“Mamm, can I go out and play?” Diana said.
“The boys are in the barn doing late morning chores,” Dorrine offered. “You want to watch them?”
Diana appeared skeptical.
“If you can shoot a bow and arrow, you can learn the boys’ chores,” Esther told her with a smile.
Diana’s face lit up. “Do they have bows and arrows?”
“I doubt that, but I’m sure they have other interesting things.”
Dorrine appeared puzzled. “Bows and arrows? The hunting season is still awhile off.”
“It’s Isaiah’s thing with Diana,” Esther said. “Don’t ask me why, but I’m not complaining. Those two can use all the bonding they can get.”
“Isaiah brought wildflowers, and we looked up all the names in the encyclopedia,” Diana chirped.
“Hush,” Esther chided. “You weren’t supposed to say that.”
“What’s wrong with wildflowers?” Diana peered up at her mamm.
“Nothing, dear. Forget I said that. Run along. Jason will entertain you in the barn, I’m sure.”
“Jason certainly will.” Dorrine held the door open. After the little girl had raced out the door and across the front yard, Dorrine turned back to Esther. “Isaiah’s bringing you flowers?”
Esther covere
d her face with both hands.
Dorrine giggled. “Now you have me curious.”
“Diana wasn’t supposed to say anything, and he only brought them once.”
“Tell me the whole story.”
“Okay.” Esther took a deep breath. “Now that the beans are spilled, I may as well confess. Isaiah brought me a bouquet of wildflowers when he came for supper.”
“A bouquet? Minister Isaiah?”
“Yah, I know, but—”
“Oh, I wish John would bring me flowers once in a while. You’ll get no complaints from me. Maybe now that our minister is courting with flower bouquets, it will start a trend in the community.”
“Dorrine, please don’t say anything to anyone. For my sake, if nothing else.”
“Okay, if you say so,” she promised, her face still glowing. “But what exciting news this is, and with Arlene’s troubles, I’d—” Dorrine stopped. “I really shouldn’t be saying things to you about Arlene.”
“I spilled my secret. What’s happening with Arlene?”
Dorrine shook her head. “I’d tell you if it was about me, but Arlene…” Dorrine paused at the kitchen sink to peer out the window. “Here she comes.”
Esther busied herself by bringing the dirty dishes on the table to the counter as they waited. The front door slammed, and she turned to greet Arlene with a smile.
“Goot morning,” Arlene muttered, but her face was grim.
“Did you tell Joseph?” Dorrine asked from the kitchen sink.
Arlene burst into tears and collapsed on a kitchen chair. “Joseph knows something is wrong, but I couldn’t tell him the news. It’s just too awful! What is to become of me? I cannot believe this wunderbah open door is slammed shut in my face!”
“What’s going on?” Esther asked, glancing between the two of them.
“Oh, plenty’s going on,” Arlene wailed. “After all this time, when I have waited and worked and prayed, and with our wedding date set, and with Joseph agreeing, now…” Arlene’s wail rose even higher.
Dorrine stepped closer to take Arlene in her arms.
“What has happened?” Esther tried again.
Arlene lifted her head to wave in the direction of the living room. “You might as well hear from the beginning. Get the two letters on the desk.”
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