Silvia's Rose

by Jerry S. Eicher

  His decision last night not to walk over uninvited and make a plea for his cause had been correct. His effort would not have worked and would only have appeared suspicious. He managed a grin. He could have taken along a pot of roses to add fuel to the fire.

  Joseph pulled back on the reins for the descent to the valley floor. At the bottom of the hill, he navigated through the maze of traffic lights off of Highway 5 and into the main part of town. He would have preferred making the trip into Fort Plain for a doctor’s visit, but aside from an optometrist, the doctors in the area had their offices at the hospital in Little Falls.

  The streets ran uphill toward the hospital, and Joseph slowed Ali to a walk. They arrived at Burwell Street to park the buggy, and Joseph tied Ali to a light pole. He left the blanket over Ben’s shoulders as he helped him into the doctor’s office. They made quite a sight. The nurse hurried out to check on them, but they waited another twenty minutes before Dr. Redding appeared. Joseph hadn’t expected a female doctor, but what did it matter? Englisha women were as well trained as Englisha men.

  “Good afternoon,” Dr. Redding said in greeting. “Is this your son?”

  “Yah, this is Ben.” Joseph nodded. “He got caught in a downpour on Tuesday and continued working for a while. I didn’t catch the situation until lunchtime.”

  “I see,” she said. She continued her examination in silence, other than some short instructions for Ben to breathe deeply.

  Eventually she turned to Joseph. “I think your son has a mild form of pneumonia—‘walking pneumonia’ in layman’s terms. But I would like to take an X-ray to be certain.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Joseph told her. “I trust your judgment, and I suspected it myself.”

  “Tell me again exactly how your son acquired this condition.” Dr. Redding focused on Joseph, who ran through the story again.

  “Did you know your son is also quite run-down, Mr. Zook? Children normally survive summer rain showers without any problem. Is he eating properly?”

  Joseph hung his head. “Perhaps not. The boy has no mamm, and we make do the best I can. We did have a…” He stopped. “My personal troubles are of no interest to you, I’m sure.”

  “If they concern the health of your son, they are,” she said. “You will have to take some measures to improve your son’s eating habits, Mr. Zook. Can you afford a housekeeper, perhaps, or a cook? How do the Amish handle such things?”

  “I grow vegetables. There are plenty of those around.”

  She wrote something down on her tablet. “Vegetables are not enough, Mr. Zook. A growing boy needs protein.”

  “I will see that something is done.”

  She didn’t appear convinced. “I will leave a prescription for antibiotics at the front desk, but I need to see Ben again in a week—whether he is getting better or not. Do you understand, Mr. Zook? See that the boy gets some decent food and a steady diet of it. We may need another checkup the week after that, even if he shows signs of improvement.”

  “I will see that things are made right.” Joseph winced as she left the room.

  “What does that mean, Daett?”

  “We have to get some better food in you, and regular-like.”

  “I’m eating all I need now. I’m not complaining.”

  Joseph sighed. “Maybe you should, son. You don’t know what the care from a proper mamm is, and that’s my fault.”

  “I was very thankful for the suppers Arlene made. Maybe she could be talked into coming back again.”

  “It’s the rest of the meals that are a problem, but come on.” Joseph put his arm around Ben and led him out into the hall. He paid the bill at the desk and collected the prescription. Back at the buggy, he helped Ben inside and drove over to the drugstore. Ben held the reins while Joseph went inside to make the purchase.

  Ben had the blanket wrapped tightly around him when Joseph returned. The boy was coughing sharply at regular intervals.

  “You’re not doing too well, are you,” Joseph stated. “And you need food.”

  “I’m fine, Daett,” Ben assured him.

  “No, you’re not. I’m taking you down to the Subway on South Williams. And I’ll stop at the grocery store and get some ready-made foods. What we have in the house from Arlene’s shopping needs to be cooked.”

  Ben didn’t object, and they drove to the Subway first. Joseph hopped down to tie Ali again and then helped Ben down. They left the blanket in the buggy.

  “Get whatever you want,” Joseph whispered in the boy’s ear.

  “What kind of bread?” the smiling woman behind the counter asked. Ben answered and then watched as the sandwich was piled ever higher. Joseph made sure that Ben got a bag of chips and a bottle of orange juice. He passed on the chips himself and chose apple juice instead. They carried their food to the buggy, and Ben chowed down on his sandwich with a grin on his face. Joseph drove them to the Price Chopper on East Main, and Ben stayed with Ali while Joseph went inside and stocked up on lunch meats, bread, canned soup, and other easy-to-prepare items. He didn’t expect Arlene back anytime soon, if ever, so they would have to manage somehow with his limited cooking abilities. Joseph paid for his purchases and carried the half dozen bags to the buggy and piled them into the back.

  Joseph climbed in and drove out of town. They said little on the drive home, but Joseph muttered, “How are we going to get more food down you, Ben?”

  “I’m fine, Daett. Really.”

  Joseph glanced toward the Kings’ place when he turned down Fords Bush Road. There was no sign of Arlene’s parents on the front porch, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t returned with Daniel. He would have to take the chance.

  Ben was sick, and Joseph needed help. He now knew he had to win Arlene back—which meant facing her parents. He should have paid them a visit sooner for Arlene’s sake, but he hadn’t. Perhaps this was the Lord’s way to move on his heart. If they were home, he’d brave the conversation with them at once. If they were not, he could speak with Dorrine about Ben now and face Arlene’s parents later.

  “Whoa there,” Joseph called to Ali. He pulled into the Kings’ driveway. Ali objected with a shake of his head because they hadn’t ever turned into the familiar driveway across the road. Joseph kept him in place with the reins taut until they came to a halt at the hitching post.

  “Can you hold the reins for a bit?” Joseph asked. “Or would you rather I tie up and you run across the road?”

  “I’ll wait,” Ben said, nestling under his blanket.

  Joseph climbed down from the buggy and muttered, “Somehow I have to make this work, for both our sakes.”

  He shuffled up to the front door and knocked. Dorrine opened the door with a surprised look on her face. “What are you doing here, Joseph?”

  “I need to speak with Arlene’s parents and with you.”

  “You don’t need to speak with me. I can’t do anything for your situation with Arlene, and her parents are breathing fire right now. You’d best let someone else speak on your behalf.”

  “I’m sorry about this. About everything.”

  “There’s truly no need to apologize to me. For what it’s worth, John and I spoke up on your behalf, and Daniel is stopping in at both Willis’s and Isaiah’s places to chat. Maybe that will help.”

  Joseph forced a smile. “I’ll hope for the best, then, but in the meantime I have an immediate problem. I just brought Ben back from the doctor’s office. He has walking pneumonia, and—”

  “Oh, no! And at a time like this!”

  “Yah, when it rains it pours. Literally and figuratively.”

  Arlene appeared for a moment in the kitchen door behind them, and she gave a strangled cry before she raced upstairs.

  Dorrine glanced toward her retreating figure and winced. “If it helps, Joseph, we’re praying hard that this whole mess can be straightened out, but only the Lord knows how. Things are quite up in the air, as you can imagine. And Ben needs a mamm more than ever.”
r />   “Yah.”

  “This is such a shame! Things were going so well. Arlene had nothing but goot things to say about your treatment of her these past weeks, and your marriage proposal was so gracious. For so long we have waited and prayed that things could work out, and now… poof!” Dorrine threw her hands in the air. “Why this had to happen, I have no idea. But you’re not the only one who mourns, Joseph. It seems so unnecessary, and with Ben…” Dorrine paused. “Shall we take him in for a few days? Would that help?”

  “You’re very kind.” Joseph studied the porch floor for a second. “I don’t think that would be wise with Arlene’s parents here, but now that she no longer comes over to the greenhouse, I’m shorthanded to say the least. Could Jason perhaps help at least a few days of the week?”

  “Maybe the problem with Arlene’s parents will straighten out this weekend,” Dorrine said, brightening considerably.

  “The way they were looking across the road this morning…”

  Dorrine’s face fell. “I guess you are right, now that you put it that way. But…oh, this is awful.”

  “It is. What about Jason helping?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to speak with John and Arlene too. This will break her heart. She will think she’s being permanently replaced.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” Joseph studied the porch floor again. “I’m ashamed to admit this, and it sure won’t help my case with Arlene’s parents, but the doctor said I’m not feeding Ben right. We have another appointment in a week, and the week after that. I have to get Ben’s health in better shape. The boy won’t complain, and I have no idea how things are done in the kitchen. Could you and Esther perhaps give me some pointers or some easy recipes?”

  Dorrine let out a breath. “Yah, I will see that something is done. But we must keep this from Arlene’s parents, and maybe from Arlene herself, lest she let it slip. They will give you black marks and say that this is your only reason for wishing to wed their daughter.”

  “Right now that wouldn’t be far from the truth,” Joseph said with an embarrassed look. “But I know that’s not right, and I should have tried to make peace with Arlene’s parents sooner.”

  “Don’t even breathe such a thing, Joseph! You did nothing wrong, and you were going to make the trip to Lancaster County last week. Look, I’ll come over myself tonight to check on Ben and bring a dish. Now you’d better go before Arlene’s parents come back.”

  “I really do appreciate this, Dorrine.” Joseph moved back a step. “But how can you come over with Arlene’s parents in the house?”

  “I’ll think of a way,” she promised, shooing him off the front porch.

  THIRTY-ONE

  On Friday afternoon Esther set her lips in a straight line as she hurried down Fords Bush Road with Diana ensconced in a small wagon behind her, wrapped up in quilts. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Clearly something must be done.

  “Where are we going?” Diana asked again.

  “Down to Dorrine’s and then over to the greenhouse. The outing will do you goot.”

  Diana smiled weakly and settled in with her white cast resting on the quilts.

  “Is it too bouncy? Are you in any pain?” Esther asked.

  Diana shook her head. “I want to see Joseph’s greenhouse.”

  “But you can’t play or run around,” Esther warned. “You have to be careful.”

  The little girl didn’t answer. Her gaze had shifted to the roadside and the distant horizon, and a touch of color filled her cheeks. This short outing was the right choice, if for no other reason than to get Diana out of the house.

  Dorrine had been up to Esther’s that morning with the sad tale of Ben’s illness and Joseph’s predicament. Esther had been wrong to ever oppose Joseph’s plans to marry Arlene. Clearly the man had been on the right track. She should have done more to help him. Hadn’t she always taken pride in her practicality?

  If only she had kept Isaiah apprised of the situation and been more sympathetic. She could about imagine how the sessions between Isaiah and Arlene’s parents had turned out. Once Peter learned about Silvia’s Rose and the competition, he would conclude that his fears had been justified. He would be certain that something underhanded had been going on, though Joseph had simply been influenced by his past love for Silvia. The whole situation was unusual but not wrong. That’s what Peter and Edna needed to see.

  She would march in this morning and spill her side of the story to them. Honesty was the only choice at this point, even if it added further fuel to the fire. She would even have to admit that she had kept information from Isaiah because she herself had entertained doubts about Joseph and Arlene.

  On top of everything, the produce market was tomorrow, and Joseph no longer had Arlene’s help. Ben was sick in the house and needed care. Dorrine had told Esther that Jason had gone over this morning to help, but he was a poor substitute for either Arlene or herself. Esther pulled the wagon into the Kings’ driveway just as the door burst open.

  Dorrine rushed out and exclaimed, “What are you doing here, Esther?”

  “Just give me a chance. I know it’s a risk, but I must speak with Arlene’s parents.”

  “Are you sure? We’re all on pins and needles around here already.” Dorrine lowered her voice as Edna appeared in the doorway behind them.

  “Goot morning, Edna,” Esther sang out. “I’m Esther Stoltzfus. I hope you remember me from Lancaster County.”

  Edna came closer. “And goot morning to you, Esther. Yah, I was hoping to see you sometime before Sunday. We spoke with Minister Isaiah yesterday.” Edna’s appraising gaze traveled up and down Esther’s length. “Your Isaiah seems like a decent man, which is what my memory of him was when he lived in Lancaster County. The same is true for you and your family, of course.”

  “Yah, Isaiah is the man of my dreams,” Esther said shyly, her face flaming. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t even speak sanely.

  Edna studied Esther for a moment. “I guess we all have our dreams, but they must be in line with the Lord’s will. That’s what we’ve told Arlene. I suppose you know all about her troubles with Joseph. From her letters, you seem to be the one person who has her finger in all of this.” Edna’s gaze traveled up and down Esther’s length again.

  “I…I try to help out where I can,” Esther managed, her face still flushed.

  “I see,” Edna said. “You do plan to wed Isaiah soon, I hope.”

  “This fall’s wedding season, yah,” Esther croaked.

  This was none of Edna’s business, but she had to answer the questions.

  Esther tried to collect herself. She must proceed, but a change of plans was in order. “Would you and Peter like to come to my place for supper tonight?”

  Dorrine stared, open mouthed.

  “Come for supper?” Edna peered at Esther. “To your place?”

  “Yah, Isaiah will be there too. It’s our normal date night, but you would be very welcome, and we could all become better acquainted.”

  “You say this is a date night? Whoever heard of such a thing?” Edna said. “But then you do have awfully strange ways around here.”

  In the silence that followed, Peter walked out on the porch to say, “Goot morning.”

  “Esther has asked us for supper tonight,” Edna told him. “Isaiah will be there.”

  “I see.” Peter hesitated for a moment. “I suppose it would be a chance to ask a few more questions after our conversation with him yesterday. Are the Kings coming too?”

  “We wouldn’t think of it,” Dorrine interjected. “Esther’s invitation was to you and Edna alone.”

  “Then why not?” Peter turned to Edna with a smile. “It seems as if we might get more of our questions answered. Around here our daughter only babbles about things that make no sense.”

  “Supper’s at six,” Esther told them. “And now I should be going. I was hoping to check in on my garden and maybe help Joseph a bit with the produce harvesti
ng for tomorrow’s market.”

  “With a child in that condition?” Edna’s eyes were fixed on Diana. “Wasn’t she in the hospital last week? This young generation, I do declare. They leap out of the sickbed before the drapes can be drawn. Now in our time, we—”

  Peter patted his frau’s arm. “Esther’s daughter appears to be enjoying the outing. It’s best to get kinner out of the house, and I’m sure Esther has perfectly goot sense on the matter. She was married to Minister Stoltzfus, you know.”

  “I’ll be going then,” Esther said, turning to leave.

  A minute later she and Diana had crossed the street and were at the greenhouse driveway when Joseph came to the door.

  “Goot morning, Esther.” His words were for her, but his eyes looked across the road toward the Kings’ front porch. He seemed worried.

  “Are they still there watching?” Esther asked.

  “Yah.” A slight grin slipped onto Joseph’s face. “You’re not scared of them, are you?”

  “They sure are causing a lot of trouble. But let’s not discuss it out here.”

  “No argument there.” Joseph chuckled as he opened the door wide for Esther and her wagon.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t have done that, Joseph. They’ll think—”

  “Think what?” he asked, and then he finished his own question. “That you shouldn’t be such goot friends with me? Esther, you can’t let people like that dictate your life.”

  “Those are brave words, considering the mess you’re in.”

  He tried to smile. “Yah, I know. I have many faults, but I won’t stoop to groveling in hopes that Peter and Edna will approve of me. I will not disgrace Silvia’s memory. I’m thinking that’s what they want.”

  “Did you speak with them about the rose contest?”