The Ebb Tide

by Beverly Lewis

  Essie shook her head and tittered. “The spare room’s just collectin’ dust presently. I’ll need to get it cleaned up for ya. I’ll start on that later today, since you’re moving in right quick.”

  Sallie considered that. “I wonder if Mamm will think I’m in too big a hurry to leave if I move out before they do.”

  “Well, what with ten offspring, your mother’s surely familiar with change.”

  Sallie wasn’t entirely convinced, considering her mother’s persistent concerns about her.

  “’Course, since you’re the last of her Kinner . . .”

  “Though plenty grown up,” Sallie declared.

  Essie chuckled as she moved on to the next plant, and the next, inspecting the vines. “With determination to prove it!”

  Is it that obvious? Sallie wondered, realizing how much she would miss talking to Essie this summer. And dear Frannie, too.

  The information from Monique Logan was all written down for Sallie when she arrived Tuesday evening for work. Monique would be driving to Lancaster County with Autumn and baby Connor to pick up Sallie, and Monique wanted to meet Sallie’s mother, as well. Due to his busy schedule, Len would wait to connect with them in Cape May.

  Excited, Sallie reconfirmed with Lyman Sullivan that he really was okay with her taking the time off, expressing her thanks. Lyman assured her that he was, then encouraged her to place the call to Monique on his dime during Sallie’s break, for which she was grateful.

  Upon arriving home, Sallie was surprised not to find Mamm in the kitchen waiting up for her, as she sometimes did. Sallie made her way quickly to her room, where she sat at her small corner desk, too wound up to sleep. She absently spun the globe, supposing she ought to write to Perry. Didn’t she owe him at least a note? She certainly didn’t want to bump into him again without first letting him know she would be working out of state this summer. And while she was at it, didn’t he deserve to hear she was pushing off baptism until next year?

  Surely this changes everything, she thought.

  She began to remove the bobby pins that secured her hair bun and let her thick locks roll down over her shoulders. Then, brushing her hair, she considered how best to be forthcoming yet kind to the thoughtful young man who’d taken an interest in her.

  Putting the brush down, Sallie opened the desk drawer where she kept her nicest stationery. She chose the set with her name inscribed and centered at the top, and began to write.

  Dear Perry,

  It was nice spending time with your sisters and you last Sunday evening. The ice cream was refreshing on such a warm night!

  As promised, I’ve given thought to your suggestion we date, but I don’t see how it can work out, not right now. You see, I’ve decided to work as a nanny in New Jersey for a family I know from the restaurant, and I’ll be gone most of the summer. This also means I won’t be around to begin instruction for joining church, as I’d hoped. My baptism is still a good year off, and it wouldn’t be fair to expect you to wait around for me.

  I hope you understand, Perry.

  Sincerely,

  Sallie Riehl

  That done, she set the letter aside and prepared for bed. Then, reaching for her library book on the history of Cape May, Sallie read till her eyes felt heavy beneath the circle of golden light cast by the lantern.

  When she outened the light and slipped under the bedsheet, she said her rote prayers, then added one for Perry, asking God to lessen his disappointment when he read her letter.

  Thy will be done, dear Lord. Amen.

  Before breakfast the next morning, Sallie told her mother and Frannie what she and Cousin Essie had decided about her upcoming move. “Dat suggested I do it before I go, since Allen and Kate plan to use my room for one of the boys. And that way, no one else has to do my packing,” she said, careful to observe her mother’s response. “Is that all right, Mamm?”

  “I daresay we all should start sorting through our things,” Mamm said with a sigh as she unwrapped yesterday’s leftover sticky buns. “Pare down some, too.”

  Frannie caught Sallie’s eye and gave her an encouraging nod. “I’ll help ya, if you’d like.”

  “I really don’t have much,” Sallie said, counting out four plates for the table.

  “Well, I know I’ve saved things I’ll never use again,” Frannie admitted while she gave the pancake batter a final stir. “Sentimental things and gifts people have given me that I’m reluctant to get rid of.”

  “And your Dat and I have saved clothing, hoping we’ll lose weight and return to that size again,” Mamm said, patting her stomach and smiling.

  “I s’pose once we start looking, we’ll find plenty of things we don’t need,” Sallie observed.

  “All those books you’ve squirreled away, for example,” Mamm said.

  “They’re like old friends to me,” Sallie replied softly.

  Frannie pressed her lips together, as if trying not to grin.

  “Friends are people, dear.” Mamm gave her a sideways glance, then poured the batter from Frannie into the hot cast-iron skillet.

  Frannie looked Sallie’s way but said nothing as she went around the table pouring orange juice into all the small glasses.

  It didn’t take long for Perry to reply to Sallie’s letter. His short note in Saturday’s mail essentially stated that he had no plans to date anyone else while she was gone, and he looked forward to revisiting the subject when she returned. I’m sure the weeks will pass quickly, busy as I’ll be with assisting Daed and working a few auctions.

  Sallie folded the letter, pleasantly surprised by his answer and glad he understood that now wasn’t the time for them to commit.

  She began to list things to take to Cape May, knowing she might not have much free time there during the week, although she would have Saturdays and Sundays for herself. Not like here, where chores are ongoing, she thought, wondering if she’d be spoiled by the time she returned.

  Besides her new devotional book, she would take plenty of stationery to correspond with her circle-letter friends in upstate New York, and Mamm and Essie, too. But especially with Frannie. Oh, how she would miss her dear sister! The thought of being so far removed made her stomach knot.

  12

  Sallie, along with Mamm, Cousin Essie, and Frannie, rose extra early on Wednesday, June fourth, to eat a quick breakfast before hitching up for Uncle Rudy’s farm, where he was hosting his annual “pick your own strawberries” gathering for his Paradise relatives.

  Never having forgotten her first-ever time to help pick, Sallie cut and harvested only the ripest berries from the stem, passing up those with white shoulders.

  Sallie settled in with her several empty quart boxes to lift the leaves of the plants in search of the bright red berries, glad the air was still cool and fresh.

  Dawdi Riehl will enjoy some, she thought, reminding herself to be sure they stopped by for another short visit, although they’d want to get home soon to get all the beautiful fruit refrigerated.

  Mamm and Essie worked one row behind Sallie and Frannie, chatting as they liked to do . . . close as sisters.

  Frannie had little to say this early. As a night person, she liked to stay up later than Sallie, sewing and doing her embroidery, alone in her comfortable room. Mamm and Sallie, however, were early birds, which made Sallie’s waitress work challenging at times.

  “You tired?” Sallie asked, wanting to make small talk.

  “Just thinkin’, is all.”

  “Des gut, jah?”

  Frannie was quiet for a while longer, then said, “I hope we can keep in touch while you’re gone.”

  “I’ll write to you often, all right?”

  This brought a smile to Frannie’s oval face. “I’ll be curious to know how you like bein’ away from home.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll tell ya all about it.”

  “I’ve never been to the ocean, either,” Frannie said, sounding almost blue.

  “Maybe you and Jesse can
go sometime together . . . as husband and wife.”

  “Hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Next summer, after you’re married and living in your own place, maybe.”

  Frannie nodded. “We’ll be staying with Jesse’s parents till at least April.”

  Sallie wasn’t surprised, as this was rather common for newlyweds and a good way to help them get on their feet financially.

  “I’m sure it’ll be a real adventure for ya at the shore.” Frannie stopped picking for a moment and looked at her. “And I’m right happy for ya.”

  This pleased Sallie. “Denki, sister.”

  When they had picked enough berries to put up for jam, plus some to freeze for pies and whatnot, they made their way back to the buggy and loaded up.

  Dawdi grinned from his back porch as they stopped by. “Hullo!” he called, waving his hand high in the air. “Looks like you got a nice pickin’.”

  Mamm greeted him first, making her way up the few steps, then Cousin Essie, Frannie, and Sallie followed behind, Sallie carrying a container of berries for him to enjoy.

  “Would ya like to go inside?” Dawdi asked, getting ready to stand up.

  “Can’t stay more than a few minutes or so,” Mamm told him, saying the rest of the strawberries shouldn’t get warm.

  “Well, there ain’t many chairs.” Dawdi pointed to the two for Mamm and Essie. “You young’uns’ll just have to perch yourselves on the banister, like Sallie always does when she comes.”

  Sallie smiled at that. “Look what I’ve got for you, Dawdi.” She showed him the glistening red beauties.

  “Ach now, don’t they look yummy!” He reached for one and popped it into his mouth. “Nice and sweet, just the way I like ’em.”

  “I’ll put the rest in your fridge, all right?”

  He nodded. “Go ahead. You know where ’tis.”

  Sallie carried the box of berries inside, noticing that the blue and yellow crocheted afghan Mammi had made some years ago was out, draped over one of the kitchen chairs.

  Sallie put the strawberries away and went over to look more closely at the pretty afghan, one Mamm had helped to finish when Mammi Riehl was too weak to do so. She fingered the blocks of yarn almost reverently as she remembered how patient and gentle her grandmother had always been.

  She helped Mamm teach us girls how to crochet and sew.

  Unexpectedly, Sallie recalled having stayed with Dawdi and Mammi once for a week when her parents had gone to Richfield Springs, New York, to visit Dat’s second cousins there. Laura and Frannie had been “farmed out” to Mamm’s parents in Ronks, but Dat’s parents had specifically requested for Sallie to stay with them.

  It was during that long-ago November visit that six-year-old Sallie learned to make slipknot stitches. She would always remember Mammi carefully placing her own ivory crochet hook in Sallie’s small fingers, Mammi’s lips pressed resolutely as she helped to guide the brown yarn into the first chain stitches of a potholder.

  The memory was still vivid . . . and ever so precious. The simplest things are the dearest, Sallie thought, hearing laughter out on the porch.

  Dawdi was telling stories, of course. Not wanting to miss anything, since she’d be missing quite a lot this summer, Sallie hurried back to join them.

  For the next several days, Sallie organized her clothing and personal items for the move to Cousin Essie’s, setting aside a few things to discard.

  The spare room was sparkling clean by the time Sallie began transporting things to her new residence, using a wagon her nieces and nephews liked to play in when visiting. Dat kindly transferred Sallie’s furniture in the spring wagon, including her headboard and mattress, the dresser, her writing desk and chair, and a wooden clothes tree she’d helped her father make when she was a young teen. Naturally her bookcase and globe went, too.

  Sallie hired a driver to take her to the library to drop off her excess books, thankful that painful chore was over quickly. Having a smaller room might well be a good thing.

  Cozy though it was, Essie’s home was as welcoming as any, especially the screened-in back porch, or sleeping porch, as Essie called it. Sallie loved how the mature trees sheltered the covered area, which included a bell-style canopy with a built-in frame that Essie had made to hang over the single bed. The bed was accentuated with a crazy quilt in red, purple, and white, as well as throw pillows in matching solid colors. A red-cushioned white wicker rocking chair was almost as inviting as the comfy bed. Essie had sanded down the wood porch floor and painted it a dusty gray blue, making it like no other porch Sallie had ever seen.

  “Consider this your new reading room till the cold weather creeps up,” Essie said a few days before Sallie was to leave with the Logan family. “What do ya think?”

  They were sitting at the small kitchen table near the sunlit window, finishing a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Essie was wearing her old brown choring dress and black apron, her hair up in a tidy knot at the back of her head with a black bandanna over it. The cat trio was snoozing in the corner over near the pantry.

  “I do most of my reading before bedtime,” Sallie said. “It helps me put aside the cares of the day.”

  “Just take a flashlight out there.” Essie grinned, her teeth showing.

  They talked about how quickly Sallie’s move had come together, as well as the latest news about Aaron, whose tests were complete. The surgeon’s office was waiting to schedule surgery until Aaron had recovered from his lingering cold, however. Sallie wished it were happening while she was still at home so she could visit him in the hospital, but she knew it was far more important that he be strong enough for the procedure.

  Essie’s face grew thoughtful as she stirred a trickle of cream into her coffee. “Do you see yourself adding more hours to your waitressing when you get back?” she asked.

  “That’s up to my boss. But eventually, once I’m baptized, my waitressing days will end.”

  Essie didn’t say “as well they should,” but the lack of a response seemed to indicate she was thinking exactly that.

  After a time, Sallie volunteered the fact that, once she returned, Perry wanted to talk further about their dating. “I told him I didn’t expect him to wait around for me, but he seems fine with it.”

  “Sounds to me like a young man who knows his mind,” Essie said with a smile, wiping her hand on the white paper napkin in her lap. “No regrets on your part?”

  “Frannie thinks it’s a gut thing. After all, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “Your sister’s very wise.” Essie left it right there, and Sallie was truly glad.

  13

  On the selected Saturday morning, Monique Logan arrived at nine-thirty in her silver SUV to pick up Sallie. Mamm and Frannie went out with her to meet Monique and Autumn and little Connor, who was sound asleep in a baby carrier nestled in the middle of the back seat.

  Mamm and Monique visited cordially for a bit after Sallie made introductions, and Frannie helped Sallie load her things into the vehicle.

  “What a cute little boy!” Frannie exclaimed, making a fuss over Connor.

  “Jah, he looks real healthy,” Mamm said. “And I see you’ve got yourself a gut helper here, too,” she added with a nod at Autumn.

  Autumn smiled shyly, looking cute herself in a blue and white sundress. She glanced at Sallie. “Would you like to sit in back with me? We can talk better.”

  Monique shook her head. “Miss Sallie will be more comfortable up front in the passenger seat, honey.”

  At the disappointment in Autumn’s eyes, Sallie thanked Monique but quickly offered to join the children in the back. “I’m really not used to riding in front anyway—if that’s all right.”

  Monique agreed, then handed a piece of paper to Sallie’s mother that listed contact phone numbers. “If for any reason you need to get in touch, Mrs. Riehl.” She thanked Mamm for allowing Sallie to do this, then waved and went around to the driver’s side to ge
t in.

  Frannie smiled sadly as she opened her arms to Sallie for a hug. Sallie could scarcely let go, already missing her. Two months suddenly seemed like a very long time.

  When Sallie was settled in the back seat with Connor and Autumn, she snapped her seat belt into place and waved at Mamm and Frannie, watching out the window till they were out of sight.

  “Will you miss your family?” Autumn asked softly, looking at her with big, pensive eyes.

  Sallie reached across Connor’s car seat and squeezed Autumn’s hand. “Very much. It’s the first I’ve gone away from home.”

  “Ever?”

  Sallie nodded, unable to keep back a smile. “Ever.”

  Autumn was still for a moment, running her fingers through her thick ponytail, secured by a hair tie. “I’ve been checking off the days on my calendar,” she said at last. “I really wanted today to get here.”

  Sallie said she, too, had been looking forward to the trip.

  “Did you bring your swimsuit?” Autumn asked.

  “Darling,” her mother said, glancing in the rearview mirror, “if you’re going to ask Sallie so many questions—”

  “’Tis all right, really,” Sallie broke in. “And yes, I just so happened to pack my bathing suit,” she told her young charge, wondering if Autumn had ever seen one with a short skirt.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather sit up here, Sallie?” asked Monique, laughing.

  “I’m fine, but thanks.” Sallie winked at Autumn, wanting to reassure her that she really did want to sit back there with her. Dear girl.

  “Frannie looks a lot like you,” Autumn said.

  Sallie told her that her oldest sister, Laura, also resembled her. “The three of us all look quite a bit alike.”

  “Do you have any brothers?”

  “Actually, I do. Seven, in fact.”

  Autumn gasped. “That many?”

  “Be polite, Autumn.” Monique sounded a little frustrated.