Chapter 17
Sarah had spent a restless night thinking about Benjamin. She had, in fact, spent many a restless night thinking about Benjamin, but this time it was different.
Benjamin had been acting like he was attracted to her, and he had asked her if she was pleased that he was staying. Yet he had still not asked her on a buggy ride, even after their time alone together at the mud sale, not to mention the little café earlier. Why? That was the question that had kept Sarah awake most of the night. Did Benjamin have another girl? If he was staying in the community, then it followed that any such girl would likely be in the community. And while it was common for courting couples to keep their courtships secret, Sarah was sure she would have heard whispers if indeed Benjamin was dating a girl from the community. This community was not too good with secrets, unlike her community.
Sarah had spent the morning helping at Hannah’s haus, and returned after lunch. She was unprepared for the shock that awaited her. There were three people sitting in the living room: Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller, and her vadder, Samuel Beachy.
Sarah gasped in dismay. Her vadder was clearly there to fetch her back. What would she do?
The tension in the room was palpable. Mr. Miller had an unusually stern look on his face, Mrs. Miller was wringing her hands, and Samuel Beachy looked cross. He at once stood up. “Sarah, I’ve been so worried about you. Why didn’t you let me know that you were all right?”
Sarah stood there, not knowing what to say. “Err, didn’t Benjamin tell you?” she said lamely.
“Nee. At first he did say you were all right and staying with the Millers, but he refused to say any more, and I haven’t had a letter from him in a very long time.” Samuel Beachy shook his head in annoyance.
Sarah’s heart leaped. So Benjamin hadn’t been reporting back to her father after all! Despite the situation, a wave of happiness washed over her.
Samuel Beachy walked over to Sarah. “Sarah, child, I was so worried. I know we parted on bad terms, but it’s time for you to come home now. The Millers have told me that you know everything now.”
“I’ll make us all a nice meadow tea,” Mrs. Miller said, and hurried to the kitchen.
“I’ll get some firewood,” Mr. Miller said, and, although it was spring and the weather was warm, he hurried outside.
Sarah jutted out her chin in defiance. “I’m not coming home.”
Samuel Beachy rubbed his baard. “I know you’re angry with me, but your mudder made me promise not to tell you. We argued about it many a time.”
“It’s not that, Datt. My home is here now. I like living here.”
Mr. Beachy sighed in exasperation. “You can’t refuse to come home.”
“I do refuse, Datt.” Sarah’s tone turned to pleading. “I’m not a child any more, and I won’t go back. My life is here now.”
Mr. Beachy turned bright red and his eyes bulged. “We will speak about this later today. Think this over until then, and I trust you will come to your senses. I’m going to walk to the B&B now, and I’ll be staying there. I also want to speak to Benjamin about how he let me down.”
“He let you down?” Sarah knew she shouldn’t continue the conversation when her daed was in this mood, but curiosity got the better of her.
“Jah,” he snapped. “I sent Benjamin to encourage you to return and to bring you back. I didn’t come to fetch you because I knew you would only run away again. The bishop of this community knows all this. When I sent Benjamin here, I gave him a letter to take to the bishop.”
Sarah shouldn’t have been surprised, as what her daed said was only to be expected, but she sat down and fought back the tears. She had made a nice home for herself here with the Millers, and was gut friends with the Miller schweschders. This was the first happy familye life she had ever known. Her upbringing had been lonely, with being the only child, and her mudder had been stern and undemonstrative.
Sarah looked around the living room in the haus she had grown to love. There was a wood fire against one wall, a wall which was white like the others throughout the haus. The only colors to be seen were brown and blue, the brown being the heavy wooden furniture. The old, comfortable armchairs were blue, and had various quilts and crocheted rugs thrown over them. Yet while to an outsider, the room may look plain and sparse, to Sarah it was filled with the love of familye.
Mrs. Miller returned with mugs of tea. “Denki, Rachel,” Samuel said, “but I had best be going to the B&B to settle in, and have a word with Benjamin Shetler.”
“I hope you will return soon,” Mrs. Miller said.
“Jah, I would like to return in a few hours to speak with Sarah again, if that would be all right.”
Mrs. Miller nodded. “That would be gut.”
As soon as Samuel left, Sarah walked over to sit at the kitchen table and Mrs. Miller joined her. “He’s gone to the B&B to speak to Benjamin.” Sarah was doing her best not to cry.
“Do not worry; it’s all gut,” Mrs. Miller said.
“But Datt wants me to go home with him.”
“Sarah, you’re a grown woman now. Your vadder can’t make you go home with him; he can simply try to pressure you to. The decision is entirely yours.”
“I’d like to stay here with you, that is, if you’ll allow me too?”
Mrs. Miller looked pleased. “Of course you may stay with us, as long as you like.”
Sarah was relieved. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As soon as her daed had shown up, Sarah had been harboring the fear that Mrs. Miller would ask her to leave. Sarah had worried that Mrs. Miller might think it was the right thing to do, for her to be with her vadder.
Luke 6:35.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Chapter 18
Benjamin had been outside, enjoying the spring air, when Jessie Yoder approached him. “I need to speak with you in private,” she said.
Benjamin was perplexed. “What is it?”
Jessie motioned him to move to the side of the building, behind a cluster of trees. “I think you should know about a new booking.” Her voice was low and hushed.
Benjamin was even more puzzled, but waited for Jessie to continue.
“Samuel Beachy has booked here for the week, and he arranged a cab to collect him from the bus station this morning,” she whispered.
Benjamin gasped. “Is he here yet?”
Jessie shrugged. “Not as far as I know. I figure he’d have gone straight to the Millers.”
Benjamin thought for a moment. “So you know all about Sarah?”
“Jah.” Jessie nodded. “I know she’s a Miller, and all that, and that you were sent here to fetch her back home. Fannie Graber, the bishop’s wife, told my mudder and told her she mustn’t tell anyone. My mudder told me and told me I mustn’t tell anyone. Nash told me too, but I already knew. Don’t tell Nash though; I don’t want him to know that I already knew ages before he told me.”
“Oh.” Benjamin was still perplexed, even more so at Jessie’s matter-of-fact tone and then again by the fact that she was trying to trick Nash, when the two of them always seemed to be as thick as thieves. “Well, denki for telling me. It was gut of you.”
Jessie narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you want some advice?”
Benjamin would have liked to say, No, not really, but instead said, “Okay.” He was far too polite to speak his mind, especially to such a puzzling and forbidding person as Jessie Yoder.
“Have you asked Sarah on a buggy ride yet?”
“Nee.” Benjamin didn’t see it was any of Jessie’s business, and what’s more, it was a question rather than the promised advice, but he did not know how to avoid answering her question.
“Why not?”
“Err, um, err, um.” The situation was growing even more uncomfortable. Benjamin had never been so embarrass
ed in his whole, entire life. What on earth could he say?
Jessie persisted. “You want to, don’t you?”
“Jah, of course.” At least that was one question he had no hesitation in answering.
“I said I’d give you my advice, and this is it; so you can take it or leave it. I don’t know what your problem is, but you should’ve asked her on a buggy ride by now. It’s obvious she really likes you; any fool can see that. So my advice is to ask her on a buggy ride next time you see her, especially with her vadder here to take her back.” With that, Jessie looked him up and down, and then left.
Benjamin stood there, watching her walk away. He felt like some sort of insect that had been examined and then nearly squashed.
* * *
Nash Grayson was peeking through the curtains at Jessie, and saw her walk over to Benjamin. He hurried down the stairs but the two had vanished. He crept around the side of the building until he saw them under the trees, their heads close together. Whatever was going on? Was this some kind of tryst? Surely they hadn’t been courting without him knowing.
Nash crept around some more but was unable to get closer. When Jessie turned to leave, he hurried back to his room to think things over. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. Nash peeked through his window again and this time saw an Amish man walking up the road carrying a suitcase. There was no one else in sight; Benjamin had disappeared too.
Nash sneaked down the stairs to hear who the Amish man was. Jessie was booking him in due to the fact that Nash’s parents, the Flickingers, were away for the afternoon, visiting. The man gave his name, and Nash lost interest. He was about to return to his room when he heard the man ask to speak to Benjamin Shetler.
Nash’s ears pricked up. Perhaps Benjamin had gambling debts too, and this man was here to collect. Benjamin was just too nice to be on the level; Nash was sure he was up to something. If Nash could get some dirt on Benjamin, then he would present it to Jessie, and she would see the type of man Benjamin truly was.
Nash crouched behind the corner as Jessie left, presumably in search of Benjamin. Nash peeped around the wall to see the man sinking into the upholstery of a comfortable, oak sleigh sofa. Make yourself at home, why don’t you, Nash thought.
It seemed like forever before Benjamin entered the B&B, but it was probably only three or so minutes. There was no sign of Jessie; Nash assumed she had gone to clean or to do laundry. At any rate, the man had said he wanted to speak to Benjamin, so Jessie would of course make herself scarce.
Nash had taken up a good position around the corner. He was not willing to peep, as Benjamin would likely be facing him, so he set himself to overhear the conversation. He fervently hoped that Benjamin was in some kind of trouble, and he was already looking forward to telling Jessie all about it.
To Nash’s disappointment, the two men appeared to greet each other amicably enough, although Nash managed to overhear the older man telling Benjamin that he should have reported back to him. What Nash heard was interesting, but provided him with no ammunition against Benjamin, much to his frustration.
Nash was dissatisfied. Is that all there is to it? he thought. The man just wanted Benjamin to report to him, no big deal. I was hoping Benjamin was some sort of criminal, so Jessie would turn her back on him.
Nevertheless, Nash strained his ears to hear more, and was delighted with what he heard. Jessie won’t want Benjamin after this, he gloated to himself.
“What are you doing?”
Nash spun around to see Jessie regarding him sternly, her hands on her hips.
He held his finger to his lips. “Shush! What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Listening into someone else’s conversation.”
Nash smirked at her. “That’s right. Well since you already knew, why did you ask?”
Jessie sighed. She took Nash by the arm and led him outside. “Haven’t you heard the old saying, “Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves’?”
Nash snorted rudely. “Ouch, that hurt. Anyway, they weren’t talking about me. The man turns out to be Sarah’s father, and Benjamin was telling him that he’s going to ask Sarah to marry him.” Nash carefully watched Jessie’s face for any sign of shock or disappointment.
“Wunderbaar!” she exclaimed.
Nash was taken aback. “You’re happy?”
“Of course; why wouldn’t I be?” Jessie scowled at Nash.
“I thought you liked Benjamin,” he blurted out. “I saw the two of you taking earlier.”
Jessie smirked at him. “We were talking about Sarah, not that it’s any of your concern.”
“Sarah?” Nash took a moment to process the information. “So you don’t like Benjamin?”
Jessie shook her head in frustration. “Of course I don’t like Benjamin Shetler. He’s not my type; I like…”
“Who?” Nash prompted. “Who? Who do you like?” When Jessie didn’t answer, he continued. “You like me, don’t you?” He held his breath, anxiously awaiting her answer.
“Jah.” Jessie stuck out her bottom lip. “I don’t know why.”
Nash was overjoyed, but tried not to show it. “Then will you go on that buggy ride with me?” He kept his tone even, and tried to look as if he didn’t care about the answer.
Jessie raised one eyebrow. “You don’t have a buggy.” Before Nash could continue, she added, “Jah, I will go on a buggy ride with you, but only if you agree to come back to the community and get baptized.”
Nash scratched his head and pretended to think it over. “You drive a hard bargain,” he said after a few moments. “But I will agree on one condition; that you give up smoking.”
Jessie rubbed her chin and covered her mouth with her hand. Finally she looked up at him. “You drive a hard bargain too. Okay, I agree to give up smoking; that’s only fair.”
Nash could barely contain his excitement. He knew that Jessie was the woman of his dreams. He considered himself blessed by Gott, and also blessed in that, as clever as Jessie was, he was able to outsmart her. He congratulated himself on tricking her into giving up smoking. Not only that, he had already decided to go back to the community and be baptized. Why, he’d even spoken to the bishop about it earlier that week. Best to let Jessie think he was doing it because she asked him to, he figured. He knew how to handle women.
* * *
Jessie walked away, elated, and she sent up a silent prayer of thanks to Gott. I know how to handle menner, she thought. Nash is a pushover. He didn’t even know I’d already given up smoking, but best to let him think I gave up because he asked me to.
Jessie was beside herself with happiness. Clearly Nash was the mann of her dreams; she had known that from the first moment she had laid eyes on him. Only he wasn’t as clever as he thought he was; he had easily given in when she asked him to go back to the Amish and be baptized. Jessie chuckled aloud, pleased with the thought that she would be able to outsmart her future husband.
Psalm 127:3-5.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Chapter 19
Sarah was at a loss. Whatever was she to do? Sure, her vadder had gone for the moment, but he was likely to come back at any time. She could not go home with him; she just couldn’t. Yet would he make a scene when she refused to go? Sarah did not like unpleasantness. She paced up and down until a frustrated Mrs. Miller told her to keep herself busy by preparing food.
It was only three hours before Samuel Beachy returned to the Miller haus, but even so, Sarah had already made a pile of Faasnachtkuche, potato-based donuts, as well as several whoopie pies and an apple cake. She had just taken a baking dish of John Cope’s Corn, nicely browned, from the oven. The backs of two kitchen chairs were covered with rolled dough
hanging in strips to dry before cutting for a large pot pie.
Sarah wrung her hands anxiously when Mrs. Miller let Sarah’s vadder, Samuel Beachy, into the haus and showed him to the living room and insisted he sit down. “I’ll fetch Abraham,” Mrs. Miller said.
Samuel Beachy held up his hand. “Nee, that won’t be necessary. Sarah, I’ve just come to say that, after a long talk with Benjamin, I’ve decided that I will not insist that you come home.”
Sarah could scarcely believe her ears. What did Benjamin have to do with it? Whatever did he say to convince her vadder to let her stay?
“But I hope you’ll come visit me often,” her vadder continued, and then turned to Mrs. Miller. “And if I may, Rachel, I’d like to stay at the Flickingers’ B&B for a week and visit with Sarah while I’m here.”
Mrs. Miller was clearly delighted. “That would be wunderbaar, Samuel. Denki for this. Yes, you are wilkum to visit us, not just this week, but Abraham and I would like you to visit us often in the future. Also, please visit with us for dinner tonight.”
“Denki.” Samuel smiled.
Sarah had rarely seen her vadder smile, and she realized only now that he must have been carrying a burden for many years, the burden of keeping, at his fraa’s instance, the secret of Sarah’s true vadder. She realized at that moment that it is not wise to judge people’s actions without a full understanding of their circumstances.
Samuel stood up from the chair where he had been so briefly sitting. “Sarah, can we go for a walk so we can talk?”
Sarah looked nervously at Mrs. Miller, who smiled encouragingly. “Sure, Datt,” she said.
The two walked outside the Miller haus. Samuel stopped at the gate. “Sarah, you’re at the age where you will be getting married soon, so I want to reconnect with you and repair our relationship.”
Sarah had no idea what to say, so simply said, “Jah, Datt, that would be gut.”
Finding the Way (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 5) Page 7