A Wedding for Julia

by Vannetta Chapman

  His own parents had been every bit as encouraging. Although they couldn’t make the trip from Indiana to Wisconsin, they had made him promise he would bring his new bride to visit soon. Already he had in his pocket a letter from them, a sealed letter, addressed to Julia Zook.

  As the wedding ceremony continued, he and Julia sat in front of the rows of benches. They sat facing each other.

  Caleb tried not to stare at the woman who would soon be his bride, but it wasn’t easy.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face, sweat trickling down the back of his new white shirt though the morning was a pleasant fifty-eight degrees. He knew the temperature because he’d checked it on Aaron’s outdoor thermometer. He’d wanted to ensure that everything was going to be perfect, as if he could do anything about the temperature.

  The day had turned out perfect. October sunshine splashed across Julia’s garden.

  The yard was in pristine condition, thanks to the work Seth had done. The boy had been a real blessing; only he wasn’t a boy. Caleb realized with a start that he would soon be married as well.

  Aaron, David, and Gabe had helped with the porch, the downstairs rooms, and the portions of the barn that couldn’t wait. There were still things he would like to do before the café opened, but his friends had stepped in and made this morning possible.

  Everyone stood and now Caleb and Julia were mere inches apart. Together they joined in one last song. Standing so close, he was able to make out her alto notes, even mingled in with so many voices. It was the first time he had heard her sing. Normally during church they sat on opposite sides of the room and her voice always blended with others. This morning he found himself listening to each word, and he knew he would always be able to pick out her voice now even when they were separated by a room full of people.

  They sat again as a deacon came forward to give the second sermon. The first sermon had covered examples of godly marriages through the Old and New Testaments. This time the sermon focused on the love Christ has for the church and how marriage reflects that love. Caleb glanced again at Julia and caught her studying him.

  He wiped his hands on his pants, hoping the sweat from his palms wouldn’t stain them. He was aware that some thought the Amish weddings, which lasted nearly as long as their church services, were overly long.

  Kendrick, one of the men Caleb worked with at the grocery, had teased him about it just last week. “Our weddings last twenty minutes tops. Unless you’re a Catholic, and then they can get somewhat lengthy.”

  Twenty minutes!

  Caleb couldn’t imagine. He only knew he was grateful for this time—moments to calm his rapidly beating heart, collect his thoughts, and pray he could be the man Julia needed him to be.

  Before it seemed possible, Bishop Atlee was signaling them that it was time to come forward. It was time to exchange their vows.

  He heard a stirring among their friends as he and Julia stepped toward the bishop. Glancing back, he caught sight of a few grinning faces. It was a blur, though. He was trying not to trip as they walked the few steps to join Atlee. He was also distracted by Julia. She was so beautiful. The morning sunshine fell through the trees and landed on her in a circle of light.

  A lump caught in Caleb’s throat, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to respond to Atlee’s questions. Then Julia reached for his hand and smiled.

  “Do you, Caleb Zook, and you, Julia Beechy vow to remain together until death?”

  “We do.”

  “And will you both be loyal and care for each other during adversity?”

  “We will.”

  “During affliction?”

  “Yes.”

  “During sickness?”

  Caleb was suddenly aware of the breeze on his face, the light smell of jasmine soap on Julia’s skin, and her hand shaking ever so softly in his.

  “We will.”

  Atlee reached forward, covering their hands with his own. “All of those assembled here, as your freinden and family in Christ, and I, as your bishop, wish you the blessing and mercy of God.”

  Caleb heard a roaring in his ears, and over that clapping from the people who had come to watch this sacred moment. Julia had tears in her eyes, but she was also smiling. He realized how important that was to him, to see her happy. Sometime in the last month, it had become his dream to see her content.

  “Go forth in the Lord’s name.” Atlee turned them to face their guests. “You are now man and wife.”

  Caleb didn’t think he would be able to eat a thing. As he sat beside Julia at the corner table—the eck, he thought he would only be able to glance at her and wonder how he had come to be so blessed.

  Then someone handed him a plate of chicken with bread filling. He helped himself to a healthy portion and passed it to his right. Next came one vegetable dish after another, including creamed celery. How could he say no to any of them? Soon food was heaped so high on his plate he had to pass dishes without taking any because there was nowhere left to add servings.

  He leaned toward Julia before taking his first bite. “Tell me you didn’t stay up late cooking all of this.”

  “Nein. Lydia and Miriam arranged all the cooking—”

  “We had to put a lock on the kitchen to keep her out,” Miriam declared, as she passed them carrying three more plates of food.

  Julia blushed as she denied that. “Not true.”

  Caleb paused midbite and sneaked another look at his new bride, trying to gauge her reaction.

  “I will admit it was hard to stay out of the baking and preparations, but there was no need for a lock. I was busy preparing things in other parts of the house.” She blushed prettily. “I will be ready to cook again once the café opens. I’ve missed it.”

  “We’re fortunate Amish women enjoy cooking.” David was seated down the table a few places and across from Caleb. Single men—including Seth, sat on the same side, to his right.

  All very traditional. He almost laughed.

  The west side of Pebble Creek considered themselves to be liberal, but when it came to weddings things were done the same as they always had been. No doubt they would be shocked to see some of the Amish weddings in Indiana, where the brides actually put flowers on the tables instead of leafy celery stalks in jars. In recent years, the weddings of younger couples occasionally even took place in rented facilities rather than in the house of the bride’s family.

  None of that mattered to Caleb. Those were minor details. He wanted to enjoy this day that was the beginning of their life together and then dive into the work waiting to be done. He wanted to make Julia happy and erase the fears that sometimes worried her expression.

  Aaron pointed his fork at Caleb. “David’s right. Amish women cook well. But you, my freind, have married a woman who is going to cook all day, most every day. Blessed among men, that’s what I would call you.”

  “I won’t be arguing.”

  “We can share in the fruits of Julia’s labor as soon as we start on the bridge, which I think should be next week. I spoke with Tim, and he has some ideas on the design…” Aaron held up his hands when they all put down their silverware and stared at him. “What?”

  “You’re talking business at a wedding, dear. Eat more, talk less.” Lydia stopped at their table with a pitcher of water and refilled his glass.

  “Julia was talking of work.”

  “She said she loved cooking.” Miriam strolled by with two more plates. “Completely different.”

  Caleb continued studying his friends while everyone at his table resumed eating. Julia was answering something Clara had asked—the young girl who was to marry Seth was sitting to her left. All of the young unmarried girls were.

  He didn’t mind the talk of work. He liked the idea of their two properties being connected by a bridge. Not only would it save time driving and walking around by the main road, it would entice customers staying at the cabins to visit the café.

  Glancing toward Pebble Creek, Caleb felt the familiar tug.
He was at peace when he was near the water, and families who came to the cabins came there looking for rest and tranquility. Last week, he and Aaron had gone into town to make sure they didn’t need a building permit. Because together they owned both sides of the creek and because they were technically outside the village of Cashton proper, no permit was required.

  The work could begin next week.

  His life would be different now, but surely he would still find the occasional hour to fish along the creek’s banks.

  He turned to Seth and asked how his wedding plans were coming along.

  Within two shifts, everyone had been fed. Their guest list had grown, but it was still small by Amish wedding standards. There were certainly less than two hundred in attendance, though Caleb was happy to see everyone looked as if they planned on staying the entire day.

  Already the young people were spreading out across the yard for games of volleyball. The women were passing buckets down the tables—one for silverware, another that plates were scraped into, and a final for stacking the dishes. Some of the mothers and older sisters had placed blankets on the ground under the shade of the trees—babies were going down for naps.

  The wedding cake had been set up on a table near the garden, but on the side near the house where it was situated in the shade and protected from the breeze. They would share it after everyone had taken a break from the large meal.

  Caleb reached over and intertwined his fingers with Julia’s. “Let’s go take a walk.”

  “Walk?”

  “Sure. I see our cake has been set out on the table.”

  “Ya. Ella did a wunderbaar job. I peeked at it in the kitchen.”

  “You peeked but didn’t taste?”

  “Caleb! Of course I didn’t—” She stopped and shook her head as a smile spread across his face. “I never knew you were such a teaser.”

  “Ya. My family always said so.” They had made it to the cake table. Ella’s baking was delicious. Caleb knew that from the items she sent for customers to purchase at the cabins. He thought he knew what she was capable of making, but he wasn’t prepared for the large, two-layer cake in front of him. It looked more like something he’d seen in the Englisch magazines the cashiers at the grocer sometimes flipped through when they weren’t busy.

  “Do you like it?” Julia asked.

  “Hmm…” Caleb glanced left and right. “I’m not sure. Let’s see.”

  He reached forward as if he were going to run a finger through the frosting, and then he pulled back when Julia gasped in shock.

  “You did that on purpose.”

  “Guilty.”

  Because no one was near them, he kissed her lightly on the lips. It wasn’t their first kiss, but it was their first as man and wife. Julia froze, as if she didn’t know how to respond, but then she reached up and cupped her hand around the right side of his face.

  “Danki, Caleb.”

  “For marrying you?”

  “Nein. For everything.” She turned away, suddenly interested in the gift table, which was overflowing with many things they would be able to use—both homemade and store bought. All were practical items—a coffeepot for the stove, a set of sheets, a buggy blanket. He realized their friends had thought of everything and probably shared what they would bring, as it didn’t seem any item had been duplicated.

  “Oh, my.” Julia trailed a hand along the table. “I hadn’t expected all the—”

  “Gifts?”

  “Ya.”

  “People are kind here in Pebble Creek, same as in Monroe.” Caleb glanced out across the lawn and saw the couple he’d been meaning to talk to.

  “Let’s go visit with our neighbors.”

  “Our neighbors?”

  “Timothy and Jeanette.”

  “Oh. Sure, but I should check on my mamm.”

  “She’s sitting with Miriam’s mother. You can relax for today, Julia. I believe others will make sure she’s taken care of.”

  Julia nodded. “You’re right. It’s just that I’ve grown used to watching after her all the time.”

  “Like a mamm with a boppli.”

  Julia’s cheeks pinked instantly.

  Was she thinking about the same thing he was? His thoughts had turned several times to the evening ahead, something he didn’t want her to worry about, but he didn’t think it was proper to broach the topic. So instead he squeezed her hand and said, “Tim’s youngest is waiting in line for one of the balloon animals.”

  “I don’t know them well,” Julia confessed.

  “You sold your land to them.”

  “Ya, but I haven’t had much time to visit since then.”

  “Timothy is the one who is a little shorter than I am and nearly bald.”

  Julia gave him a don’t-be-a-wise-guy look.

  “The redhead is his fraa, Jeanette.” He ducked out of the way in time to miss her playful slap.

  “And how do you know so much about our neighbors?”

  “Aaron has been helping Tim. He wants to learn our ways, and the mamm and kinner come into the grocery once a week.” He delivered this last piece of information as they reached the Englisch family.

  The youngest girl had received a pink balloon and was holding it up to her mother. “It’s a giraffe, just like I asked for. Did you watch him? Did you see how he did that?”

  “I did. It was amazing.” Jeanette had bent down to straighten her little girl’s dress, and that was when she noticed Caleb and Julia.

  Everyone introduced themselves, and Timothy insisted they call him Tim. “Feels less formal.”

  A look passed between Tim and Jeanette, something that made her smile before she added, “I’m not sure you met our children when we bought the place. Our youngest is Zoey.”

  “Hello, Zoey.” Julia squatted down so she could be on eye level with the girl. She wore her hair in two long braids on each side of her head, with purple ribbons woven into the brown tresses. “I love your hair.”

  “Mom always does it this way when she has time. I like the ribbons.”

  “I do too.”

  “She’s six and wants to put ribbons on my workhorses.” Tim Elliott rubbed his hand back and forth over his head and smiled at his daughter.

  “They like it, Dad.”

  Jeanette snagged another little girl who had walked up with a yellow balloon turtle. “And this is Victoria. She turned ten last summer.”

  Victoria had red hair like her mother, which she wore in a single ponytail pulled to the back. She looked from her balloon to Julia and finally blurted out, “That was a long wedding!”

  “Victoria—” Tim stepped closer to the young girl, leaned forward, and whispered something in her ear.

  “Sorry. I love the games, though. I remember going to a wedding before, but I don’t remember games.”

  “Wess said I couldn’t play.” Zoey’s bottom lip came out in a pout. “He said I was too little.”

  Julia glanced at Caleb. “Wess is—”

  “Our third child,” Jeanette explained. “He’s seventeen, and I’m not sure where he went.”

  “Probably to join the volleyball game next to the front porch.” Caleb turned the little girl and pointed her in the opposite direction, toward the far side of the garden. “Younger ones are playing that way if you want to join them.”

  The two girls looked to their parents for permission and then took off running, animal balloons clutched in their hands.

  “Thank you so much for inviting us to your wedding.” Jeanette stepped closer to her husband. “I know we haven’t been very good neighbors this last year.”

  “Nein. I should have been over to visit. My mamm has been ill, and my dat—”

  “Yes, I know. I’m so sorry.”

  Tim put his arm around his wife. “We will get to know each other better now.”

  “That would be gut,” Julia said.

  “Aaron has told me about your attempt to farm using our methods.” Caleb pulled Julia out of the path
of two small children chasing a ball past where they stood. “How are you adjusting to Plain ways?”

  “This year has gone better. I was an engineer in my old life. It’s taken some time for me to learn how to do things the simple way, but I like it.”

  “You were an engineer?” Caleb remembered Lydia’s admonition about talking business, but he couldn’t stop himself from broaching the subject. “Aaron mentioned you might have some ideas to help us in building a bridge across the creek.”

  He managed to keep the conversation brief. They had other guests to speak with, but it seemed to him that perhaps having this Englisch neighbor next door was a blessing.

  “Nice couple,” Julia murmured as they walked away. Miriam had called out to her, so they were walking back toward the house. She was needed to match up the single guests, anyone over sixteen, to sit together for the evening meal.

  Caleb wanted to make sure everything was ready for the young people to have their singing in the barn, which was scheduled to take place later in the afternoon.

  As they moved in separate directions, it occurred to him that the day could not have gone more smoothly.

  Chapter 16

  When Julia woke the next day, Caleb was already dressing. By the time she puzzled through several different emotions—joy, longing, excitement, worry, and embarrassment—he was bending over her and kissing her cheek.

  “Off to the barn. Back in an hour.” His fingers caressing her face and lingering in her hair drove out all her worries. Perhaps yesterday and last night had gone as well as she thought it had.

  Oh, how she wished Miriam or Lydia lived next door so she could run over and have a word with them. It was rare that Julia ever wished for any of the Englisch conveniences, but at that moment she would have gladly picked up a telephone to call one of her friends.

  Instead she slipped from the bed, took her turn in the bathroom before Ada needed it, and returned to her room to dress quickly. She intended to go downstairs straight away, but her eyes fell on the letter from Indiana, the one Caleb had handed her as soon as they had walked into their room together the evening before.