“Okay, thanks.” Tea would be better than coffee. Kendra found even the smell of the dark brew to be objectionable. “Oh, I’m supposed to bring an apron with me to the class. Do you have one I can borrow?”
“Sure thing.” Dorie opened a drawer and pulled out a lime-green apron. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” It wasn’t Kendra’s favorite color, but at least the apron would cover her baggy shirt and jeans and hopefully keep them clean.
“Do you have any plans while I’m gone today?” Kendra asked.
“Thought I’d tidy up around here and maybe repot my African violet.” Dorie pointed to the flower sitting by the kitchen window.
While Dorie got out the thermos and brewed more tea, Kendra returned to the table. She reflected on how she and Dorie had been friends since high school. If I’d only listened to her when she voiced concerns about Max, I wouldn’t be in this predicament right now.
Walnut Creek
Ron was about to pour himself a second cup of coffee when a knock sounded on his side door. He’d been somewhat prepared for it, since Lyle usually came out to talk to him each morning and often brought something to eat.
Lyle smiled when Ron opened the door. “If you haven’t eaten already, I brought a bowl of cereal for your breakfast.”
“That’s mighty nice of you.” Ron took the bowl gratefully. The other day he’d walked to the market nearby and spent his last few dollars. Now, only a little food remained in his dinky refrigerator, so any food offered by the Troyers was appreciated.
“I’ll be leaving for an auction soon,” Lyle announced. “You’re welcome to come along if you like.”
Hesitating a moment, Ron shook his head. “I have no reason to go to an auction, but I’ll chop some wood while you’re gone if ya like.”
“It would be helpful. Heidi and I are having friends over for a bonfire next week, so the wood will be put to good use.” Lyle started to walk away but turned back to face Ron. “I was wondering how much longer till you’re able to work on your rig.”
Ron glanced up at the house then back at Lyle. “You want me to leave? Is that what you’re sayin’?”
“No, it’s not. I only asked because when you first came here you told us it would only be a few days.” Squinting, Lyle shuffled his feet. “How much money do you need to buy the parts to fix your motor home?”
Ron shrugged. “Can’t say for sure. My retirement check should arrive by the end of the month. Maybe then I can hire one of your drivers to take me to get the check as well as the parts I need.”
“So you want to stay till then?”
“Yeah. If it’s okay with you. Don’t want to put you out or be an inconvenience to anyone, though.”
“No, it’s fine.” Lyle gave a quick nod.
“Thanks for your understanding.” Ron quickly shut the door before Lyle had a chance to change his mind. He’d made the right decision choosing this Amish house to stop at. From what Ron could tell so far, the Troyers were easy marks.
Chapter 5
Dover
Charlene glanced in the hall mirror one last time, to be sure her hair looked okay. She had debated about wearing it down, but since she’d be taking cooking classes, it might be best to wear her hair in a ponytail so it didn’t get in the way. Her stomach tightened, thinking about the classes she’d agreed to take. What if the recipes she gives us are too difficult for me? What if I’m not teachable? I could end up making a fool of myself. Well, at least Len’s mother won’t be there to see me mess up.
Charlene cringed, reflecting on the time she’d been invited by Len’s parents to join them for Thanksgiving. When his mother, Annette, asked Charlene to bring a pumpkin pie, she’d considered buying a store-bought one. However, wanting to impress her future mother-in-law, Charlene made the pie from scratch. Big mistake. She’d ended up using too much evaporated milk and, to make matters worse, hadn’t cooked the pie long enough, for the inside was runny. Fortunately, Len’s mother had made an apple pie to serve. But things really fell apart when Annette asked Charlene to whip the whipping cream. Charlene was horrified when she started up the mixer and liquid splattered out of the bowl, some ending up on Annette’s lovely blue dress. Was it any wonder the woman had never warmed up to her? No doubt she hoped her son would choose someone who was capable in the kitchen. Charlene wanted Len to be proud of her cooking abilities and hoped by taking the classes there might be a chance to prove herself to Len, as well as his mother.
“What do you think, Olive?” Charlene looked at her cat sitting on the couch, head bobbing as he silently watched her. She’d given the name to the feline because of the cat’s pretty, olive-green eyes that were a sharp contrast to his fluffy gray fur. “Am I crazy for going to these cooking classes?”
Olive meowed and curled into a ball, oblivious to her owner’s nervousness.
“Guess not.” Charlene shrugged her shoulders then picked up her purse. She was about to head out the door when she remembered she’d left her cell phone on the kitchen table. Besides having the phone for emergency purposes, she planned to GPS her way to Heidi Troyer’s home. She’d been to Walnut Creek a few times and knew the back roads could be tricky. Charlene had never been good with directions, so without the GPS she’d probably end up driving around for hours and be late for the class or miss it altogether.
Charlene got in her car, set the GPS, and headed down the road toward Holmes County. After passing through Sugarcreek, it suddenly dawned on her that the apron she was supposed to bring remained on the back of a chair in her kitchen. How did I miss seeing the apron when I went back to get my cell phone?
Glancing at the clock on her car dash, Charlene figured she would have enough time to stop at Walnut Creek Cheese and pick up an apron from the kitchen supplies section.
A short time later, Charlene entered the store and found a pretty lavender apron—her favorite color. She paid for it and hurried back to her car. As long as she didn’t get lost, arriving on time shouldn’t be a problem.
Walnut Creek
Eli left his house and headed for the barn to get his bike. Since the Troyers lived nearby, it was kind of pointless to hitch his horse to the buggy. Riding the bike would be quicker, and the fresh air and exercise would do him some good, even though it wasn’t his favorite mode of transportation.
“What was I thinking, agreeing to do this?” Eli muttered. “Lyle must have caught me in a weak moment when I agreed to take his wife’s cooking classes. I’ll probably bumble my way through every lesson and end up looking like a fool.”
He thought about the stale toast he’d had for breakfast and was reminded, once again, how badly he needed to learn how to cook. Hopefully a few other men would be in the class, or maybe Lyle would be there to offer moral support. The thought of taking a cooking class with a bunch of females made Eli’s stomach tighten. Most women he knew were good cooks, so he wasn’t sure why any Amish women in their community would need to take Heidi’s class. One thing was for sure—he was not wearing an apron, even if it had been requested, although if he had a mind to, he could have taken one Mavis used to wear.
“Whelp, I may as well get this over with.” Eli slapped his straw hat on his head, pushed his bike out of the barn, and climbed on. Sure hope Heidi lets us eat whatever we cook today. I could use a decent meal for a change.
Loretta squinted at the address on the mailbox in front of a white, two-story home to be sure she had arrived at the right address. She felt relief seeing the house numbers were the same as the one on the form she’d filled out to sign up for the classes.
She pulled her car into the driveway in time to see an Amish man with brown hair and a matching beard get off his bike. Since he had a beard, it meant he was married, so she assumed he was Heidi’s husband.
When Loretta got out of the vehicle, the man glanced her way and gave a quick nod; then he stepped onto the front porch and knocked on the door.
That’s odd. Loretta stood beside her car, watching.
If he was Heidi’s husband, surely he wouldn’t knock on his own door—unless it was locked, and he’d forgotten the key.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and the man went inside.
She glanced around the property. Although modest, the house, barn, and other outbuildings were neatly kept, and the yard looked well maintained. Noticing the fenced-in fields behind the place, she assumed the land also belonged to the Troyers. But an RV was parked near a freshly tilled garden. I wonder why an Amish person would have a vehicle like that.
Loretta looked quickly away when she saw a man peek out the motor home’s side window. Guess it’s none of my business. She turned and hurried toward the house. Remembering her apron and notebook were still in the car, she spun around to get them.
Except for the motor home, Loretta didn’t see any other vehicles in the yard. She figured the others were either late, or perhaps she was the only one who’d signed up for the class. If that was the case, she’d receive more individualized attention and could learn to cook Amish-style meals quicker than if other students were there, asking questions.
Loretta grabbed her apron, and as she closed the car door, another vehicle pulled in. A few seconds later, a young woman, wearing her long hair up in a ponytail, got out of her car, holding her purse in one hand and a lavender apron in the other. She offered Loretta a pink-cheeked grin. “Are you here for Heidi Troyer’s cooking class?”
“Yes, I am.” Loretta smiled in return.
“Same here.”
They stepped onto the porch together, and Loretta knocked on the door. When it opened, an Amish woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties, greeted them with a welcoming smile. “I’m Heidi Troyer; welcome to my class.”
Loretta could hardly take her eyes off this beautiful young woman. Her shiny dark hair peeking out the front of her white, cone-shaped covering and her sparkling blue eyes set against a creamy complexion made her appear almost angelic. If not for her plain Amish clothes, she could have been a runway model. With her own medium brown hair and average-looking brown eyes, Loretta felt plain by comparison.
“Come in and take a seat.” Heidi motioned to the living room, where the Amish man who had entered the house before them sat in the rocking chair. He gave a nod then looked down at his black boots. Loretta expected Heidi to introduce him, but instead, she moved over to the window and peered out. “Our last student hasn’t arrived yet, but when she gets here, I’ll ask everyone to introduce themselves, and then we’ll move into the kitchen to begin our first lesson.”
Loretta took a seat on the couch, and the young woman with the ponytail sat on the opposite end. It felt awkward sitting here without proper introductions.
Glancing at Heidi, who continued to look out the front window, Loretta guessed their teacher felt as anxious as she did right now.
Picking a piece of lint off her dark blue maxi-dress, Loretta discreetly dropped it into her purse. She wasn’t about to let it fall on the floor of this spotless room. While the living room had no decorative items or pictures on the walls, a few candles sat on the end tables. Two sets of mounted deer antlers hung on either side of the fireplace. A man’s straw hat hung on one, so Loretta figured since the antlers were being put to good use, they would be allowed in the Amish home. A beautiful antique oil lamp sat on the mantel, and an oval braided throw rug lay on the floor under the coffee table in front of the couch.
The coziness of this room was so inviting, Loretta wished she could duplicate it in her own home. She’d never been one to display a lot of fancy doodads and didn’t even own a TV. To some her decor might seem meager and plain, but it met her and the children’s needs.
I’m too practical to spend money on things if they don’t serve a specific purpose other than for decoration, she mused. Sometimes I wish my parents had joined the Amish church, because I’d probably have fit right in.
“She’s here!”
Heidi’s excited tone startled Loretta, and she nearly jumped off the couch. Apparently, only three women had signed up for the class, which meant, with so few here, they’d be able to move through the lesson quickly and hopefully learn a lot. Loretta could hardly wait to begin.
Curious as to what was going on outside, Ron peered out the side window of his motor home. According to the flyer he’d seen on the bulletin board in Berlin, this was the day Heidi’s cooking class was supposed to begin. No more cars had arrived at the Troyers’, so everyone who signed up was probably here.
Ron needed to get the garden hose in order to refill the motor home’s fresh-water tank but had waited until he was sure no one else was in the yard. The last thing he wanted was to be pulled into a conversation with anyone right now—especially a bunch of strangers.
Ron stepped outside and headed for the outdoor spigot on the side of the house. It was a bit chilly for April, but he felt the sun’s warmth on his face when he looked up.
As he walked by the vehicles parked in the driveway, Ron noticed two of them were smaller cars, and the other was a minivan. They all appeared to be older models. Near the vehicles, a bicycle leaned against a big tree. Ron remembered seeing an Amish man ride in on it.
He turned on the spigot and pulled the hose toward his RV. While the tank filled, a red-tailed hawk caught his attention. Gripping the nozzle, Ron watched the majestic bird sailing round and round in the expanse of the open blue skies. For a fleeting moment, he wished he were as free as the hawk as it caught a draft and went farther out of sight.
Ron’s thoughts returned to the people who’d arrived, wondering why they’d chosen to take a cooking class. “Must be nice to have a purpose in life,” he muttered under his breath.
He turned and watched the road. For a Saturday, hardly any traffic went by. Of course, on a back country road such as this, there weren’t many cars—mostly horse and buggies.
It was nice having his motor home parked closer to the Troyers’ house. Lyle had suggested it the other day, saying it would be easier for Ron to get fresh water from the garden hose. The view of the fields by the back of the barn was okay, but since his holding tank was now empty, there was no point staying parked near the outhouse. Here, closer to the house, was better. It gave Ron the advantage of seeing what was going on around the place, as well as the comings and goings at the house. It would also give him a chance to see if the Troyers followed a routine, so he’d know when they were gone.
“Oh, great!” Ron jumped back. He hadn’t been paying attention, and water gushed out of the full tank, soaking his pant leg. Quickly, he turned off the hose and screwed the lid back on the water tank. Dragging the hose, he walked toward the house. Once there, he turned off the spigot and reopened the hose’s spout. This way all the water would drain out as he rolled the garden hose back on the reel.
“Guess I need to change my trousers.” Ron swept his hand over the wet spot. Wonder if Heidi would mind if I hung my pants on her clothesline to dry? Then again, maybe I’d better not. I’ll drape ’em over the passenger seat and they can air-dry that way. Tapping his foot, he grunted. “What I really need is a cup of hot coffee.”
Ron stepped into his motor home, grabbed the teakettle, and went to the sink to fill it. In his haste, he turned on the faucet full force. It sputtered loudly, and before he could react, water squirted out, spraying his face and the front of his shirt. “Super! I forgot the air needs to be forced out of the line before the water flows smoothly.” Ron set the teakettle on the counter and turned the water pressure down until he heard the pump switch off.
“Now I need to change my shirt.” Ron’s knuckles whitened as he clenched his fingers. “I can tell this is gonna be a great day.” What he wouldn’t give for a real cup of fresh-brewed coffee right now. But all he had was some of the instant kind. Maybe after I change my shirt and trousers I’ll see if Heidi has some java to spare.
Chapter 6
Loretta felt sorry for the Amish man sitting in the room with her and the other young lady. As he fiddled with his susp
enders and stared at the floor, it became obvious the poor fellow felt out of place.
So as not to stare at the man or make him feel worse, she glanced quickly out the window. What looks even more out of place is the beat-up motor home in the yard. I wonder who owns it and why it’s parked here.
From where she sat, Loretta had a good view of the yard. She’d watched intently as an older man came out of the motor home and stood near her minivan. She’d been curious when he came closer to the house. In fact, it appeared as if he had walked underneath the window near where she sat. A few minutes later, he pulled a hose toward the RV. While filling the tank, he looked first at the sky then toward the road. The man moved his mouth, too, like he was talking to himself.
Loretta had to stifle a giggle when she saw water spurt out of the tank. The man didn’t look too happy when he came toward the window again. She looked away so he wouldn’t see her watching him then glanced toward the RV again as he went inside and shut the door.
Turning her attention back to those in the room, Loretta tried to think of something to say. She wanted to ask their names and why they’d signed up for the class but didn’t want to appear nosy. Leaning back in her chair, she remained quiet.
Eli felt as out of place as a donkey showing up for church. It reminded him of the day he’d found Mavis hosting a quilting bee at their home. Fifteen women sat around a quilting frame in her sewing room, chattering like a bunch of noisy magpies. He’d tried to be polite and even managed a quick “hello” but then hurried from the room before anyone engaged him in conversation.
Eli had no trouble talking with a group of men, but when he had to talk to more than one woman at a time, he became tongue-tied. It was worse with women he’d never met before, like today. If not for his need to learn how to cook, Eli would have rushed out the door and pedaled home as fast as his legs could go.
Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Page 4