Chapter 19
Kendra’s legs trembled as she approached her father getting out of his car. Did she dare hope he had come to apologize and ask her to return home, or could there be something else on his mind?
“Hi, Dad. I … I’m surprised to see you here.”
His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “Don’t know why. You should have expected me.”
“Wh–what do you mean?” Her hands moved jerkily.
He took a step closer, nostrils flaring. “Don’t play games. You know precisely what I mean. You disrespected me and turned a blind eye to what I asked you not to do.”
“What was that?”
“You talked to Shelly about your pregnancy and blamed your mom and me for throwing you out.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Don’t get smart.” A vein on the side of his head twitched. “To make things worse, Shelly blabbed the whole thing to Chris. Now they’re both upset.”
And I’m not? “Are they upset with me for getting pregnant or upset with you for kicking me out?” Kendra kept her chin high and her voice even, refusing to let her defenselessness show. She’d always knuckled under when dealing with her dad. But no matter how much energy it took, today Kendra would not let him intimidate her.
His voice rose a notch. “Watch your attitude, Kendra.”
She shifted her weight. He’s avoiding my question.
“I came here to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” Kendra’s anger increased. It took every ounce of resistance to keep from shouting at him.
“Your sisters are impressionable, and they’ve always looked up to you.” He loosened his collar. “I’ve forbidden them to contact you again, and I warned them that if they do, they’ll also be kicked out of the house.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding! It’s not right to punish Shelly and Chris because you’re angry at me.” She’d never dreamed her dad could be so cruel or unreasonable. What had come over him to be treating his family like this?
“I’m not punishing them. I am protecting my youngest daughters. If you care anything about your sisters, then do as I say, and stay away from them.” His thick brows squished together. “Do you hear me? No more interaction, including phone calls, text messages, e-mail, or social media communication.”
Before Kendra’s response spewed from her lips, he got back in his car and drove away. She’d wanted to tell him to leave. This was her home, although temporary. Dad had no right to come here and berate her. How could my own father, who I used to look up to, treat me like this?
Shoulders sagging and eyes watering, she shuffled toward the mobile home. So much for the verse from Proverbs 17:22 Heidi gave us. If Dad has anything to say about it, my heart will never be merry. Thank goodness Dorie isn’t home yet, because I need to be alone right now so I can cave in and have a good cry.
Kendra had never deemed herself a weak person emotionally, but since she’d become pregnant, her emotions were all over the place.
She entered the mobile home and sank to the couch, letting her head fall forward into her hands. It was bad enough the future of her unborn baby grew more uncertain each day, but having no communication with or support from her family made it ten times worse.
“What I allowed to happen with Max was wrong, but must I pay for my sins the rest of my life?” Trembling, Kendra looked upward.
No response. Not that she expected any. Her throat constricted. God’s abandoned me, just like Mom and Dad.
The front door opened, and Dorie stepped in. She stood next to the couch, looking down at Kendra through squinted eyes. “From the looks of your gloomy expression, I’m guessing you didn’t get the dishwashing job.”
“No, I got it, all right. I start work tomorrow.”
“Then why the sad face?”
“My dad paid me a visit. He was waiting outside when I got home from the job interview.”
“Uh–oh. What’d he say?”
“Chewed me out for talking to Shelly and confirming that Dad kicked me out. I guess the truth hurt.” Kendra wiped the moisture from beneath her eyes. “He told me under no uncertain terms that I am to have nothing to do with my sisters.”
Dorie sat on the couch beside Kendra. “You’re not a child. He can’t tell you what to do. Besides, you’re not living under his roof anymore.”
“No, but he can make life difficult for Shelly and Chris. If I try to contact my sisters, he vowed to kick them out, too.”
“How terrible.” Dorie gave Kendra a hug. “I’m sorry you have to go through all this turmoil, and your sisters, too. Your dad’s being so unreasonable. Someday he’ll regret how he’s treated his family.”
“I hope he does, but Dad’s so stubborn I doubt he cares about anyone but himself. And he calls himself a Christian?” She sniffed. “If I do get to keep my baby, none of my family will get the privilege of knowing him.”
“Or her.” Dorie bumped Kendra’s arm. “It could be a girl, you know.”
Kendra forced a smile. “Thanks for letting me vent. I needed to get some stuff off my chest.”
“No problem. That’s what friends are for.”
Berlin
“Thanks for the ride,” Ron told Lyle’s driver as they left the post office in Berlin, where he’d picked up his government check. “If you’ll swing by the bank in Walnut Creek before we head back to the Troyers’, I’ll cash my check and get you paid.”
Eric nodded. “I’m curious. How long have you known the Troyers?”
“Met ’em early April.”
“And you’ve been staying with them ever since?”
Ron rubbed the back of his neck. What’s with this guy and his inquisitions? “I’m not stayin’ with them. They’ve allowed me to park my rig on their property till I could get it running good again.”
“And have you?”
“Not yet. Had to order a part, and it hasn’t come in.” He held up his check. “Until I got this, I had no money to pay for the part.” Quickly changing the subject, Ron pointed to a line of cars up ahead. “Looks like traffic’s stopped for some reason. Hope we won’t be late getting to the bank.”
Eric craned his head. “From what I can see, there’s road work up ahead. Don’t think it’ll take long to get through it, though. I see a flagman letting one lane go.”
They waited alongside a huge field. Ron noticed the acreage had already been cultivated and how healthy looking the turned soil seemed to be. An Amish man with three plow horses skillfully maneuvered his team down the next row, along with what looked to be some sort of seeder attached. One big tree, almost completely leafed out, stood stoically in the open field.
“It’s amazing what the Amish accomplish in our modern-day world, isn’t it?” Eric looked in the same direction as Ron.
“I guess so.” Ron shrugged. To him, plowing with horses seemed like too much labor. He also wondered why a tree as big as this one would be left in the middle of the field to work around. It’d be easier to cut the thing down, wouldn’t it? He’d no sooner thought it than he noticed the Amish man stop and wave at someone coming from the back of the field, where the barn and farmhouse stood. It was a woman, and as she approached the big sprawling tree, he saw that she carried a picnic basket.
Ron didn’t want to watch anymore, but he couldn’t turn away. While this lady, who he assumed was the man’s wife, smoothed a dark-colored tablecloth over the ground and took things out of the basket, the farmer steered his team of well-behaved horses around the back of the tree.
For a split second, Ron experienced a tinge of regret, observing a simple act between the Amish couple. If only Fran and I …
He leaned back and tried to relax, but sitting in this traffic got on his nerves. When will we ever get going?
Walnut Creek
It hadn’t taken Eli long to get home after he’d run errands in Berlin. Work awaited him in the shop, but he no longer felt ambitious.
“Think I’ll
take a minute to relax before I delve into work.” Eli talked as if someone was there with him. He’d done it often since Mavis passed away.
After making himself a cup of coffee and taking a whoopie pie from the container, he went outside to do a little porch sitting. Blowing on the cup of steaming brew, he stared out toward his pond. Mavis had wanted a pond so badly, and they’d been fortunate to come across this farm to buy. Eli felt his body relax as he bit into the sweet treat. Except for the rippling from a mallard duck swimming peacefully over the surface, the rest of the pond held a coating of film from pollen settling on the top.
Eli rubbed his hand over the armrest of his chair, observing the pollen there, too. Guess I should have wiped this off before I sat down. An image of Mavis bustling around to wipe off the porch furniture came to mind. Another pleasant memory to reflect upon.
After taking off his boots and wearing only his socks, Eli tucked his feet under Lady, slumbering in front of him. As a frog croaked and several others joined in, a grunt escaped the dog’s lips. Then Lady stretched her legs out to the side and made lapping noises as she settled in.
“You like the peace and quiet, too, don’t ya, girl?” Eli rubbed his foot over her fur. This was the kind of quietness he immersed himself in every chance he got. Almost every occasion brought memories of things he and Mavis had enjoyed. When spring arrived, once the chores were done, the porch always drew their attention. Many evenings they’d watched deer grazing on tender sprouts coming up in the meadow adjoining their back property.
Among the daisies, which recently started blooming, spotty clusters of mustard weed glowed yellow near the pond. Colorful butterflies, and even a few dragonflies, made their way through the warm spring air. One dragonfly was not so lucky when it ventured out over the pond. A fish jumped out at the exact moment, grabbing the tasty meal. As the fish splashed down under the water, the duck spread its wings and took flight. Quick as a flash, Lady jumped up, barking on the porch’s edge while watching the duck fly away in protest.
As the mallard flew over the house, still quacking, Eli smiled and took the last swig of coffee. Reluctantly, he pushed himself out of the chair. “Guess I better get something done instead of sittin’ here watching time go by.” Looking back toward the woodshed, Eli noticed a black-and-white critter heading to a stack of wood he’d piled near the shed the other day. “Oh, great. Hope that skunk doesn’t decide to take up residence here. Sure don’t need that.”
Sugarcreek
“Anyone want a banana whoopie pie?” Loretta asked when Conner and Abby woke up from their naps.
They both nodded with eager expressions. “Did ya bake ’em while we were sleepin’?” Abby questioned.
“No, a man I met at the cooking class brought them by a while ago. His mother made the whoopie pies, and he wanted to share some with us.”
“Is he a nice man?” Abby clambered into a chair.
Scrambling into his booster seat, Conner echoed, “Nice man?”
“Yes, he is.” Loretta appreciated Eli’s quiet, pleasant demeanor from the first time she’d met him. He’d seemed shy at first, but after visiting with him a few times, he’d become more relaxed and talkative. With the exception of Ron, everyone attending Heidi’s classes seemed nice. Something about Ron bothered Loretta, though.
Heidi and her husband are kinder than me. Loretta took a seat between her children. Since Rick died, maybe I’ve become too paranoid, but I’d never let a stranger stay on my property a full day, much less the three months it will take to complete Heidi’s cooking classes.
“Mama, are ya gonna give us the cookies?”
Loretta blinked. “Of course, Conner. I’ll also pour you a glass of milk.”
A few minutes later, Loretta sat at the table with her children, eating the delicious whoopie pies. She looked forward to seeing Eli again. Someday soon, maybe the children would get to meet him.
Chapter 20
Walnut Creek
Eli leaned against the porch post, breathing in the morning’s damp air. Fog was lifting, while shafts of sunlight patterned streaks through the misty break of day. Spiderwebs in various parts of his yard hung heavy with the morning dew. The temperature climbed as the sky’s milky haze parted and a beautiful blue spread out in its place. “Looks as if a nice day is rolling in.” Eli leaned down to pat his dog’s head then stretched and leaned back, getting the kinks out of his sore muscles. His knee felt better this morning, but his back hurt some, due to bending over to work on a coffin he’d started making yesterday.
Glancing toward the woodpile stacked close to the house, he put his work gloves on and yawned. It would have been a good morning to stay in bed a bit longer, but Eli never cared much for sleeping in. For as long as he remembered, even as a young boy, he liked morning. “A body misses a lot if they stay in bed too long,” his dad always said. Mavis had been an early riser, too. One more of the things she and Eli had in common.
Eli looked toward the sky again. Better get this woodpile relocated before I head to the Troyers’.
Turning his attention downward as he walked toward the firewood, Eli spotted more ruts in the grass. “I’m getting sick and tired of that irritating bisskatz makin’ holes all over my yard. Probably diggin’ for grubs.” Eli stomped the divots back down, making them level with the lawn. Lady followed him, head down, sniffing the ground.
Eli had waited up last night, and the night before, too, but never saw any sign of the skunk. He’d also set out a cage to trap the critter but ended up catching the neighbor’s cat instead. “Guess the animal’s only doing what skunks know how to do.” Eli tried to make light of the situation, even though his yard had begun to look like swiss cheese.
I’ll worry about finding the little schtinker later on. Eli filled the wheelbarrow and hauled the wood over to the shed, while Lady returned to the porch and flopped down. Despite the clumps in his yard, Eli’s mood was cheery. Every day since the last cooking class he’d read Proverbs 17:22, reminding him of the importance of having a merry heart. Not even the skunk put a damper on his mood this morning. He looked forward to going to Heidi’s again and wondered what plans she had for their class today. Eli was also eager to talk with Loretta and hear how she and her children enjoyed the whoopie pies he’d given her. Think I’ll walk to the Troyers’ house again. Maybe Loretta will drive by and, like the last time, offer me a ride. He smiled. Whistling through his lips, a merry tune followed.
Walking back for another stack of wood, Eli glanced toward his pond. The mallard duck was there again, only this time a female swam with him. Slowly they zigzagged through the water then went to the far end where a cluster of cattails grew. It wouldn’t be the first time a pair of wild ducks nested on the pond’s bank. Eli looked forward to seeing little ducklings that could hatch most any day.
After several more trips to get the firewood stacked, Eli figured one more load would finish the job. When he’d moved the last heap, Eli had noticed a hint of skunk odor on the bark of the wood. Now as he put each piece into the wheelbarrow, the sickening smell became stronger. “Bet this is where the skunk’s been hiding.”
He picked up the next log, and an all-too-familiar black-and-white critter sat looking at him. Jumping backward, Eli jerked his arms around. The skunk turned and lifted its tail. It all happened so fast. Waving his hand in front of his nose, he watched in defeat as the rascal darted out of the yard toward the fields behind his place. “Go ahead and run! That’s where you belong, you smelly ole critter!”
Eli’s dog slept on, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Eli shook his head. Good thing, too. Lady would have gotten sprayed if she’d gone after the skunk.
Luckily, the full brunt of the spray missed Eli. Only a little spritzed on his arm. Remembering how his mother used tomato juice on the family dog when it got sprayed by a skunk, Eli headed back to the house.
He’d bought a few tomatoes at the store in Berlin the other day, so he cut one in half and rubbed it on hi
s arm. Too bad he’d rolled up his sleeves earlier while he was stacking the wood. Otherwise, his shirt might have gotten sprayed instead of his skin. Next, he gave his arm a good scrubbing with soap and water. Then, leaning close to his arm, he took a whiff. His sinuses were clogged due to spring allergies, but as far as he could tell, no smell lingered.
Eli glanced at the kitchen clock and grimaced. “Don’t know where the morning went.” Hurrying to his room for a clean shirt, he heard Lady barking outside. “Sure hope that ole skunk didn’t return, but if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late for the cooking class.”
Sugarcreek
The phone rang as Loretta gathered up her things and waited for the babysitter to arrive. She was tempted not to answer, since the last call she’d received was a person trying to sell her something she absolutely didn’t need. However, when Loretta glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Sandy, she answered right away.
“Sorry to be calling at the last minute, but I woke up with a sore throat and don’t want to expose your kids. I’d hoped I might feel better after sucking on some throat lozenges and gargling with salt water, but it seems to be getting worse. In fact, as soon as I hang up the phone, I’m heading back to bed.”
“Oh, okay. I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well, but thanks for letting me know.”
When Loretta hung up, she glanced at her watch, debating what to do. It was too late to find someone else, which meant she’d either have to miss the cooking class or take the children with her.
Loretta drummed her fingers on the edge of the counter. I wonder if Heidi would mind. She could call and ask, but it wasn’t likely Heidi would check messages in the phone shack before Loretta left home.
Guess I’ll chance it and take the kids with me. Loretta cupped her hands around her mouth. “Conner! Abby! Grab a book to read. You’re coming to the cooking class with me.”
Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Page 14