The Stranger

by Linda Maran

  “I wish I’d known you were coming. I’d have prepared a meal more fitting for a guest.” Aunt Elizabeth turned to Cindy and passed some pickles.

  “This is fine by me. I love burgers and franks. Thanks.”

  “Do you like cheese on your burgers?” John asked with dead seriousness.

  “She does not.” Kristen quipped.

  John shrugged, got up, went to the ice chest, and returned with a package of sliced cheese.

  “He puts cheese on nearly everything,” Kristen told Cindy, “except maybe for pie and ice cream.”

  “Nee, apple pie tastes gut with sliced cheddar cheese. You ought to try it some time.” He glanced her way as he helped himself to several slices of the orange stuff and placed them on top of his two burgers.

  “I’m sure it does, but I’ll pass.”

  “Ach, you don’t know what you’re missing. Just like it was with putting cheese on the church peanut butter. You thought I was narrish, but you really liked it once you tried it.”

  “You’re still narrish, whatever that means,” Kristen told him.

  Anna giggled while John smirked.

  Cindy smiled, looking first to Kristen and then to John.

  Did it show that Kristen cared for him the way she tried to be gruff with him? Was there something John was revealing that she couldn’t see but that the others could?

  Mary seemed to always smile, so it was hard to tell if she was just being herself or smiling at a specific comment.

  Daniel placed all of his attention on his meal, practically oblivious to anything but the food.

  Only little Anna paid them enough mind to squeak with laughter at their antics.

  Although, Kristen had the distinct impression that none of it passed over the head of Uncle Jonas, and he seemed none too amused.

  Aunt Elizabeth on the other hand, lowered her head now and then and smiled to herself.

  “Lucky for you, Kristen, that it’s more the season for peach and berry pies than apple,” Aunt Elizabeth commented as she stood to clear some of the empty platters from the table.

  “John will probably want cheese on those too,” Kristen said, nudging Cindy with a chuckle.

  John gave her another of his smirks, then looked over at his father and quickly went into a mode of seriousness. He ate the rest of his meal in silence.

  15

  Kristen placed a sheet on top of the cot for Cindy and gave her one to use as a cover. The summer heat still kept the nights too warm for a quilt.

  “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and John? I mean, besides that he’s been there for you?”

  “Nothing is going on. Why?”

  “Are you kidding me? The way the two of you tease each other at the table, it’s hard to miss.”

  “Do you think my aunt and uncle believe something is going on?”

  “I don’t know. I’m asking you. Is there?”

  “No, of course not. John wouldn’t start anything up with me if he wanted to. I’m not officially Amish, even if I now dress and live like I am. Things are done a certain way here.”

  “So, if you officially become Amish, then would you and he become a couple?”

  “It crossed my mind, but I’d rather not go there just now. I’ve had enough disappointments, and I’m not setting myself up for another one. Besides, he’s nearly four years older than me.”

  “So what? My dad is nine years older than my mom. The guy is obviously nuts about you.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “It’s that obvious.”

  Kristen pulled down her sheet and crawled into bed. How much longer could this back and forth bantering, teasing, and even flirting, go on? Something had to give. Where were she and John headed? Maybe nowhere at all. She preferred not to focus on that possibility.

  “Kris?”

  “Yes?”

  “Is there really no indoor bathroom here? When I asked to use one this afternoon, your aunt Miriam walked me to an outhouse in the back of the house.”

  “There really isn’t any other one. But I’ve made my own version of a chamber pot under the bed, if you care to use it. And I keep a plastic jug of water up here for a quick freshen up.”

  “No, I will not use a chamber pot, thank you very much. I think I’d rather go to the outhouse. See you in a while.”

  “Cindy, take the flashlight on the bureau with you. There’s no light in there.”

  “Wonderful. This has been one interesting day, I’ll say.” Cindy took the flashlight and stomped out of the room.

  Kristen nearly laughed herself to sleep.

  ~*~

  When John entered the kitchen, he patted his little sister on the head. Anna looked up from scooping coffee out of the canister. He stood there until she gave him the wide-eyed smile he looked forward to each morgen.

  “Anna, how about you go up now and wake Cindy for breakfast. Then after we eat, you can make a few sandwiches for her to take along for the ride,” Mamm told her as she began to fry up the bacon.

  Anna scooted past John, off and running up the stairs and back a few minutes later to begin her kaffee-making task.

  Not long after, Cindy came down, her hair pulled back the way she’d worn it the nacht before for dinner.

  John admired her effort to be respectful of their ways.

  “It smells wonderful in here,” Cindy said as she took her seat at the table.

  “You’ll have a gut breakfast to hold you for your drive back home,” Elizabeth told her as she placed the cooked bacon on a platter of scrambled eggs.

  “I usually just have coffee, so this will definitely hold me. Right, Kris?”

  “That’s true. Back home we never had big breakfasts. Now I rely on them to get me through the morning. Then again, I didn’t keep as busy as I do here.” She placed a plate of sliced grain bread on the table.

  “What kinds of things do you do here?”

  “Well, I weed the garden, clean, help with meals, and soon, I’ll be helping out at the store when it opens.” Kristen headed for the ice chest.

  “I mean, what do you do for fun?”

  Kristen put a pitcher of milk on the table and looked at her friend.

  The room went silent.

  “Let’s see…on church Sundays we go to Preaching and afterward eat and visit with the other families in the district. And on off-Sundays, we go on outings and picnics, like the one we went on yesterday. Besides, I like doing all the things I do around here. I get to see the end results. I do things for someone else. And then I’m a part of something. At least it feels that way.” With a reddened face, she turned and headed back to the ice chest. When she returned with the butter, she sat down and avoided looking at anyone.

  John knew how she longed to belong. Somewhere. To someone.

  “You’re a part of this familye now, niece,” Mamm affirmed.

  “Jah, and it’s nice to know you are happy, here, Kristen,” Daed said, a wide smile brimming above his long beard.

  As Mamm sat down, Daniel and Mary rushed in and took their seats. Then they all bowed their heads in prayer.

  John’s insides relaxed. Everything was going to work out just fine. Kristen was one of the Waglers, for sure and for certain. Denki, Lord.

  ~*~

  “Why has Kristen not returned yet?” John inquired as he stepped back into kitchen after dinner had been over by at least two hours.

  “I’m thinking it takes a long time to drive to New Jersey and back, what with traffic and all,” Mamm offered.

  “If she is not here in another hour or so, I will try to contact Angela on her cell phone at the phone shanty. With those notes we’ve been getting, we can’t be too careful. The bishop advised to keep a close eye on her whereabouts. Why did we let her accompany Cindy?” Daed shook his head as he got up and paced the kitchen.

  “Vell, she’s not here where the notes are coming. The note writer wants her back where she…came from.” John’s stomach lurched. What if
the person writing the notes was someone she knew in New Jersey? Someone who wanted harm to come to her. Like that Alex fellow. She could be right in the lap of danger.

  Mamm fussed with her kapp strings. “Kristen isn’t alone, and Angela is very responsible. Let’s give them a little more time. We’ll have cherry pie while we wait, jah?” She stood and got down plates while Daed opened the ice chest for the pie.

  “Denki, Mamm. We won’t get to sleep ’til Kristen is home, so might as vell.”

  “Glad Anna is already asleep. Wouldn’t want her upset.” Mamm nodded in agreement with Daed. John had no desire for pie but took a piece to appease Mamm so as not to appear overly worried.

  Daniel walked in and glanced at the table. “Isn’t it a little late for pie? Something going on?”

  “Kristen isn’t home yet from accompanying Cindy with Angela to New Jersey,” Mamm told him.

  “That was over twelve hours ago.”

  “Denki for reminding us, Daniel.” John frowned at his younger brudder as he forced another bite of pie down.

  ~*~

  When Angela dropped Kristen back at the house, it was ten o’clock. The kerosene lamp shone through the kitchen window, and Kristen knew someone was waiting up for her.

  Had she not taken a swim in the ocean they might have gotten back somewhat earlier, but still not in time for the evening meal. Just the same, she couldn’t resist her beloved ocean and would now have to face the worried look that most likely hung heavy on Aunt Elizabeth’s face.

  First thing Kristen had to do before she entered the house was wash out the sand from her hair with the water pump at the back of the house. She had to look a sight the way she’d put her wet sandy hair back into a bun without brush or comb, hoping the kapp would hide the tangled mess. She was gritty and tired as opposed to the invigoration she’d enjoyed hours ago on the beach.

  After rinsing off the sand, she brushed out her hair and put it back in a bun…wet…topped by her kapp.

  “You could have come in the haus right off. Enough time has gone by already. You had us worried half out of our wits. Mamm and Daed are beside themselves what with those anonymous notes about you these days.”

  Kristen spun around at John’s reprimand.

  “It’s not like I could have called to say I was running late. I’ll go in now to explain. I just wanted to appear presentable.”

  John looked her over. “You look fine.” His face took on a light flush before he walked ahead of her toward the kitchen entrance.

  “John.”

  He stopped and turned around.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Jah, I know. Just don’t stay away so long again ’til we settle this note business, jah? We were close to calling the sheriff. And you know how rare that is around here.”

  Kristen walked behind John with her head lowered. She should have come straight back after they arrived at Bradley Beach. She entered the quiet kitchen to find Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Jonas, and Daniel looking straight at her.

  ~*~

  John held the door open for Kristen.

  “Do you know that we’re running past our bedtime waiting for you to come home and worrying something awful might have happened?” Daed was none too pleased with Kristen, although the look of relief upon seeing her safe was evident.

  “I’m sorry, Uncle Jonas. It was still early when we got there, and Cindy offered to go home and return with a bathing suit so I could take a swim. I changed in Angela’s van.”

  “Angela was paid to bring you and Cindy there and to return with you right after.” The frown on Daed’s face deepened.

  “Yes, I know. She kept waving at me from the shore to come out of the water. I guess I got carried away. She wasn’t happy with me at all and would have called the shanty, but her phone battery was low. Then when we got stuck in traffic due to an accident on The Garden State Parkway, she was really stressed. I promised her that I’d take the blame.”

  “Vell, we are glad that you are all right. But for the time being it’d be best if you don’t take any more rides in Angela’s car unless it’s to a doctor or for some other important reason. Let’s all head to bed now. Dawn will be here quick enough.”

  John went to get milk from the ice chest to go with the pie still sitting on his plate so he could linger after his parents and Daniel went off to bed. Mary and Anna were sleeping for hours already, and he was glad they were spared the tension.

  “Maybe some warm milk will make you feel better?” John said after everyone else left the room.

  “I doubt it. I have another black check against me.”

  “Kristen, no one is angry with you. We were worried something happened. I was nearly out of my mind when I realized you were in the same place as that Alex fellow.” The words came quicker than he realized.

  “Out of your mind?”

  “Jah. Does it make you happy to know I was so worried?”

  “No. But it makes me happy that you care.”

  John wanted to tell her exactly how much he cared, but it would do neither of them much gut if he went against Daed’s wishes. He poured himself a glass of milk. “So, you had yourself a swim then?”

  “Yes, it was wonderful.” Kristen paused a moment, looking as if she were about to cry.

  “Are you all right?”

  A tear fell onto her cheek and John was tempted to wipe it away with his finger.

  “Going back to the beach was not a good idea, John. It brought back a lot of memories.”

  “Were they bad memories?”

  “No, they were good ones but remembering made me realize how much I miss those times. Being carefree with my friends. Having my mom. The walks she and I would sometimes take on the beach on Sundays, very early, just as the sun was coming up. I didn’t get to see her much, so those were special times.”

  “It’s nice to have gut memories, Kristen. They make the sad ones easier to bear. I’m hoping that you’ll make some gut memories here, too.”

  A dull ache filled John’s gut when Kristen revealed how much she missed her past. He poured some milk in a sauce pan to heat it. Maybe the warm milk would calm her. But it wouldn’t change the fact that she might end up going back to her beach town when she turned of age and things got settled. Maybe find a job there and rent a room ’til she got on her feet. Get back with Derick.

  Best not to think on it. He’d gotten used to having her around. Too much so. He couldn’t imagine a meal without her now. Or a morgen not seeing her help Mamm and Mary in the kitchen. Nothing increased his pace in from the fields more than the anticipation of Kristen’s soft brown eyes greeting him to breakfast. He wanted to see her every day. For the rest of his life.

  “Maybe if you went swimming around here sometime, it would help with making some new gut memories.” While John waited for Kristen to roll his idea around in her mind, he poured the warmed milk into a mug and placed it before her.

  She wrapped her hands around it. “Thanks.”

  He hoped his gesture counted for something.

  “Swimming would be nice. Is it far?” She took a sip of the milk. Her face had a rosy hue from the sun. She looked…beautiful.

  “Nee, there are a couple small lakes not too far that you can swim in when the weather is warm. And there are stream beds to cool down in. Mary or Anna will show you.”

  “Would you come with me if I go?” John didn’t expect her to want him to join her. He was elated and frustrated at the same time.

  “I’d like very much to go with you, Kristen. But Old Order Amish men and women do not swim together.”

  “Oh yeah. I remember Mary saying something about that. So, you and I, or your mom and dad, or Daniel and either of your sisters can’t swim together?”

  “That’s how it is, jah.” Why did he ever mention the swimming? It wasn’t something that would give him the opportunity to spend time with her as he’d hoped.

  “Ach! I meant to ask if you’d want to help at the store in the morgen when we
open.” He needed to change the subject and this suggestion seemed a legitimate reason to be with Kristen. Perfectly acceptable.

  “What would I do?”

  “Tend to the customers. I’ll show you how to work the register. It’s not like the modern ones in the Englisch stores. You’ll have to figure out the change.”

  Kristen smiled.

  John’s heart swelled.

  “Since math is my strong point. I think I can figure out the change without a problem.”

  “You’ll come help then?”

  Kristen nodded.

  “Anna will learn how to make change by the candy counter. We have a small money box there so the customers don’t need to pay for the candy at the register if that’s all they’ll be buying.”

  “She’ll love it, I’m sure. She told me that she and Daniel practiced.” Kristen and John both chuckled simultaneously.

  He looked into her smiling eyes. They glowed when she looked happy.

  “We have some plans then, jah? You’ll be plenty busy around here for the making of some gut times to think back on.”

  “I didn’t mean to sound as if I don’t have any nice times here. It’s just that some days I can hardly believe Mom is gone, and I have nothing of hers to hold.” Kristen looked directly into his eyes and sighed. “You’re a rock for me, John.”

  His heart sped up like a weather vane in the wind. Happy to hear her words while hesitant to encourage her any more than he’d already had, given his promise to Daed. “Gott is your rock, Kristen. Not me. Lean on Him with all your heart, soul, and mind. There’s a reason for everything He allows. We have to trust in that, hard as it is at times.”

  A frown claimed her face and she seemed to contemplate what he had said.

  “If God is my rock, then maybe you’re supposed to be my road to the rock. Because something tells me that one day you’ll be the bishop or a minister with the way you speak. You have a way of making sense out of things. At least for me.” Her smile returned.

  He swallowed, but there was no pie in his mouth.

  16

  The following day, Kristen did her breakfast chores as usual. No one mentioned the events of the previous day, and she made it her business to get to the sink first to wash the dishes. Not only did she want to prove her worthiness, but the task made her feel that this was really her home now. But was it? Is this where she wanted to live? As a Plain person? Why had her mom not been able to? She wanted to know the facts. Maybe later she could ask Aunt Elizabeth. She hoped she was receptive to her questions after the worry she’d caused her aunt the night before.