The Narrow Path

by Gail Sattler

  Miranda stood. "Then that concludes our lesson for the week. I'll call you when supper is ready."

  Brian rubbed his hands together. "What is for supper today?"

  "It's a surprise. Keep out of the kitchen. Both of you." As if either of them would ever go into the kitchen to help.

  Sure enough, Ted followed Brian into the living room without so much as a backward glance.

  Miranda hurried to the oven and slid in the tray of fries that were waiting, now defrosted, on the counter.

  She hadn't done so much cooking in the past year as she had done in the past month. But she was learning a lot from Lois, who was an excellent teacher, and an even better cook.Then, once a week, she cooked supper for Ted and Brian after Ted's piano lesson.

  From the living room, she heard the two men laugh.Miranda sighed as she started peeling the carrots.

  Ted never laughed like that over anything she said. She was hard-pressed to get an occasional smile out of him. Although, with Brian always present when they had supper together, they always had an enjoyable time. Brian was a good buffer.

  She sighed again.

  Brian. Best friend, chaperone, mechanic, and owner of the only gas station in this section of the town. He also repaired farm machinery, which was the majority of his business.Every Thursday Brian closed his business early and taped a note to the door that he was at Ted's for supper if someone had an emergency. Of course, no one ever did. Even if an emergency happened, they would wait until suppertime was over before calling.

  In Seattle, Brian never could have stayed in business. Either he would have failed for lack of customers or someone would have noticed the note and broken in and stolen everything of value, knowing exactly how long he would be gone.

  Here, everyone understood. Brian was the official chaperone for Ted's Thursday evening piano lessons, which had become a popular topic of conversation. Every Friday morning, Pastor Jake would phone to ask how it went. But that was only the start of the cast-in-stone schedule she had somehow fallen into.

  Monday—the day for her accounting work and online meeting with her office in Seattle.

  Tuesday afternoon—sewing day, which rotated between various homes.

  Wednesday—quilting at Betty's in the afternoon, Bible study meeting in the evening.

  Thursday—remote piano lessons at Ted's house, Seattle being two hours behind Minnesota's time zone. After the lessons, she prepared supper. On Thursdays, Ted and Brian arrived together. Brian spent his time on Ted's computer while Ted had his piano lesson, then she finished the preparations, and they ate together.

  Friday evening she now taught lessons to some of the children and a couple of the young ladies. Of course, Friday night Brian wasn't required to be the official chaperone. The mothers always stayed for the duration of the lesson, and the next student arrived before the prior lesson ended.

  So on Friday night, date night, Miranda was teaching piano lessons. The highlight of her week. Not that she exactly had an exciting social life at home, but when the guys at the office found out after she got back, she wouldn't hear the end of this one for years.

  "Supper's ready!" she called over her shoulder.

  The men arrived just as she set the third plate on the table.

  Brian inhaled deeply. "Ah. I smell chicken. Is it Hingle potpie today?"

  Brian sat, but Ted remained standing as he pulled the chair out for her to be seated. "It does not look like it. It does not look like anything I have seen before."

  "It's Shake 'N Bake chicken with crispy coated fries, carrot sticks, and dip."

  Ted sat, but didn't fold his hands in preparation to pray."What kind of chicken?"

  "Shake 'N Bake. I have this all the time at home. I got Susan to order it at the store for me. Let's eat before it gets cold."

  All three of them bowed their heads while Ted unenthusiastically gave thanks to God for the food and their time together.

  Instead of eating them, Ted poked at his fries with his fork. "I buy French fries when I travel, but they do not look like this."

  Miranda popped one into her mouth. "That's because these are oven-baked, not deep-fat fried. These are good for you.No trans fats. I bought this for you too." She pushed a bottle of ketchup toward him. "I've never known anyone who didn't have ketchup in the fridge." Next, she pushed the bowl of vegetable dip toward the two men. "I made this at Lois's house and brought it here. You dip the carrots in it. Like this."She leaned forward and dipped her carrot in it, then took a purposely loud, crunchy bite. "Remember, no double dipping."She popped the rest of the carrot stick in her mouth and smiled.

  Ted poked at his coated chicken as if testing it, but Brian cut a piece and ate it without hesitation. He chewed slowly, closing his eyes while he savored the spicy flavor, then swallowed."Zehr gut! This is very good. Did Susan order this just for you, or did she put the rest of the case in the store? I would like to tell my mama about this."

  "It's there for anyone to buy." Since word traveled fast here, she had no doubt that Susan would be ordering a second case from the wholesaler within days.

  Finally, Ted must have worked up the courage, because he cut a piece of chicken and began to eat. At his first bite, one eyebrow arched. "Ja, zehr gut. I hope you are going to cook this again."

  Brian smothered his fries with the ketchup and then shoveled so many into his mouth that he could only nod in agreement.

  "I imagine you don't have this kind of food often. I thought I'd start cooking more of the things I make at home, for something different. What I really wanted was bok choy, but Susan couldn't order just a couple; she would have had to order a full box, and I couldn't use that much."

  "What is bok choy?" Ted asked.

  "It's a Chinese vegetable. It's stir fried with other vegetables, and then you add soy sauce and noodles."

  "I think this chicken is very good. I have never eaten anything like this before."

  With the Shake 'N Bake being such a hit, her mind raced at other things she could feed them. "I was thinking, have you ever tried any ethnic foods besides Mennonite? I'm pretty good at—"

  The ringing phone cut off her words.

  "Excuse me." Ted rose to answer the phone. He greeted the caller briefly, then turned back toward the table. "Brian, it is for you."

  While Brian asked questions about what sounded like a blown wheel bearing, Miranda watched Ted eat. It was a good thing she had made extra because it looked like he was going to ask for seconds, maybe even thirds.

  He put the last morsel of chicken in his mouth and was spearing a few fries when Miranda looked over her shoulder at Brian. He was listening and nodding, looking as if he wanted to get back to his supper but was unable to interrupt the caller.

  Miranda folded her hands on the table and sat straight in her chair. "Before Brian comes back, I need to tell you something.I was talking to Pastor Jake today. I've been here just over a month and I'm getting to know everyone, so we both feel it's a good time for me to start working on the Christmas musical. He suggested that I collaborate with you on the general theme and presentation."

  Ted stopped mid-chew, and he swallowed laboriously. "So early? It is only March."

  "It's time to start a rough draft of the storyline. I'm not saying we should do auditions this soon, but I've been paying attention to people as they sing. I think I know who the best potentials are for the lead parts, and what their vocal range is. I can't leave this too long. I have to have the whole thing written, composed, and in progress by June. We'll have auditions in April, and by the middle of May the people who get the main parts will have to start working on them. Remember, it's going to take more work and more time because no one here has ever done anything like this before. So I have to start now because this only gives me three months to write it with these people in mind. It's not a lot of time, when you think about it.Everything is going to move pretty fast from here on."

  Ted set his fork down. "I am not sure about having auditions, but you
are right, of course. It is time to start."

  Brian hung up the phone and returned to the table. He began gobbling his food so fast that Miranda worried he might choke.

  "I am sorry; I must go. Frank and Myrtle are in Bemidji, and their car is making a loud sound. I think it is the wheel bearing, so it is not safe to drive. They are afraid to go to a mechanic they do not know, far away from home. They fear that they will be cheated, so I must help them. Forgive me for being rude, but I will not waste this good supper." He shoveled the last of his fries in his mouth, then stared at Ted's plate. "Are you not going to eat those, my friend?" He poised his fork above the last three fries that Ted hadn't eaten yet.

  Ted looked down at his plate, set his fork down, and pulled his napkin from his lap. "No. I am no longer hungry."

  Brian stabbed the fries and had them in his mouth before Miranda could offer him more from the tray beside the oven.He hadn't finished chewing, and he was already standing. "I am so sorry," he mumbled between chews. "Would you like me to take you home now? I will be driving past Len's home on the way to the highway."

  "I can't. Everything is such a mess."

  Ted stood. "Do not worry. This is my house. I will clean up. Phone me when you get back to Leonard's house, and we will talk."

  9

  Pastor = divine intervention.

  Or at least the pastor was as close to divine intervention as she was likely to get during her time on earth.

  Miranda pushed the paper with her outline across the table toward Pastor Jake. "I say this is the only way we can reach the people in the community and surrounding area who aren't Mennonites."

  Spreading his fingers— which emphasized the size of his hand, something Miranda had never noticed before, even during piano lessons—Ted planted his palm on top of the paper preventing the pastor from picking it up.

  "I say this is wrong. This is not the way our people are.Presenting them like this would be a lie."

  She tried to tug the paper out from beneath his hand but only succeeded in ripping the corner. "I thought the purpose of all this was to evangelize."

  Pastor Jake turned to Ted. "She has a point."

  Ted's eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered to a gravelly rumble. "Everyone will be so uncomfortable that they will not be able to evangelize."

  Pastor Jake turned to Miranda. "He has a point."

  Miranda jabbed at the paper between Ted's fingers."Evangelizing is never easy. Even Billy Graham struggled in the beginning of his ministry. We all need to step out in faith."

  Pastor Jake shrugged his shoulders and turned to Ted. "She has a point."

  Ted pressed down on the paper, moving it toward himself."We are not having one person at the front, preaching.Everyone will have scripted lines and song. If they are nervous and make a mistake, then everyone else will make mistakes and get lost. People who come will not listen. They will go home remembering the mistakes, not the message."

  Pastor Jake sighed and turned to Miranda. "He has a point."

  Miranda turned to Ted. "This is a church production, not Hollywood. Of course there will be mistakes. That's one more thing that will make the whole thing memorable. Mistakes aren't important, only the effort. God will still be glorified."

  Pastor Jake ran his fingers through his hair and turned to Ted. "She has a point."

  Ted picked up the paper and waved it in the air. "God is better glorified through truth, not pretending to be something one is not."

  Pastor Jake pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, then turned to Miranda. "He has a point."

  Miranda gritted her teeth and counted to five. She couldn't make it all the way to ten. "What do you think acting is? Do you know how many people were reached by Touched by an Angel? Do you think Valerie Bertinelli is a real angel?"

  Ted quirked one eyebrow "Who?"

  Pastor Jake lowered his forehead to the table. "Have you two agreed on anything?" he muttered into the wooden surface.

  "Yes," Ted snapped.

  "No," Miranda ground out between clenched teeth.

  Ted turned to Miranda. "We agreed that Sarah Janzen should do the leading female role."

  She turned back and glared at him. "And I said that's true, but she's too shy to pull it off. So we have to pick someone else."

  Ted turned back to Pastor Jake, who had not raised his head from the tabletop. "No. Technically, we have not agreed on anything."

  The silence hung in the air. Miranda could hear the old building creak, and it wasn't even windy.

  Pastor Jake pushed himself upright, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. "So this is the first thing you have agreed on, then."

  She couldn't tell if he was making a joke or a sarcastic observation.

  Pastor stood. "Tomorrow evening is the board meeting," he said, then left the room.

  "I guess this means we have a deadline," she mumbled.

  "That is something we can agree on. Len and Lois have invited me for supper. We will both work better with a full stomach."

  "After much discussion, Ted and I have a proposal ready.We feel this will best meet our own needs, as well as fulfill our mission to reach out to the surrounding community. The important thing is that this isn't just for the choir and worship team. This is something that is going to involve every single person in the congregation, the young and, uh, the wise but young at heart. I printed a copy for everyone to read."

  Ted smiled to himself as everyone else read the summary of the proposal. First, he'd noted Miranda's use of the word "our" in her introduction. That she now included herself as being a part of the church gave her a personal connection to everything that happened, good and bad. It made her more likely to want to make everything work because the benefit was not just for everyone else but herself as well.

  He had also glanced around the group, especially at the "wise but young at heart" board members. Beneath the fire and bluster, she truly did have a kind heart.

  Although she still possessed a rebel spirit, she now wore a long skirt to church like all the ladies. However, even though the dresses that she had sewn with Lois guiding her were moderately conservative, they were decorated with red overstitching and large red buttons. Which, of course, matched her red earrings. Two weeks ago, realizing that winter was far from over, she went online to eBay, which she called her gateway to the outside world, and bought a pair of red boots, which she wore daily.

  The shuffle of papers indicated everyone had finished reading.Now it was Ted's turn to speak.

  He stood and nodded at Miranda.

  "As you all know, we have had many changes in our church over the past few years. While we value our traditions, we also have realized that the world is changing, not all of it good." He paused to let his words to sink in, and waited for everyone to nod in agreement. "This also means that we are changing too. Three years ago we added the piano to our worship for our Sunday services, and a year ago we added my guitar. At Miranda's church, which is in Seattle, the worship at her church is done with a piano, two guitars, a bass guitar, and drums." This time he didn't pause as long, because not everyone, including himself, approved of setting up the worship team like a rock band. "The addition of instruments has been a good change for us because it adds beauty to our worship, and this pleases God." This time, everyone nodded."We are going to make another change, this one for the sake of outreach. Because many of our guests will not know our traditions, and others who know some of them will not participate in them, many will feel unwelcome, regardless of our words of greeting. Most important, as Miranda has told me, they are very likely to leave. Even if they stay for our production, they will not come back."

  All eyes focused on him. He knew that everyone here, with the exception of himself, Miranda, William, and Pastor Jake, had never known another way.

  "On Sunday, the ushers will seat everyone as they enter the church. Married couples will sit together, and families will stay together—husband, wife, and ch
ildren will all sit together."

  Elsie pushed herself to her feet, something she had never done in all the time he had been on the church board. "It is one thing for a husband and wife to sit together in God's house, but what about all the others? Where will they sit?"

  "Widows and widowers may still choose to sit on the right or left. We will reserve the back five rows for that purpose."

  Elsie planted her hands on the table and leaned forward."What about unmarried people who do not have family?"

  Ted's insides churned. There were not many in their church who lived alone. In fact, besides those separated by death, he was the only one who was unmarried who lived in his own house. All his friends were living with their parents, where they would continue to live until they got married.

  His mind raced. He couldn't see himself sitting with the widowers. All of them were more than double his age, and every conversation started with questions about why he was not yet married.

  He turned and focused on Miranda. As soon as she felt his eyes on her, she turned all her attention on him, maintaining full eye contact as he spoke.

  "It is my place to join Len and Lois." He could see when what he meant sank in, because her face paled. But he said it anyway. "And Miranda."

  10

  Ted had almost made it out of his office to check on a problem in the upholstery department when his phone rang.

  Hopefully it was Karen, telling him that she had managed to find the correct upholstery material after all and that he wouldn't have to stop doing the quarterly budget projections and drive into Minneapolis to buy a replacement bolt of fabric.

  But the number on the call display was an outside line—a number he didn't recognize. It had also come in on his direct line, not through the switchboard.

  "Good morning, this is Ted Wiebe," he said, doing his best to take the frustration out of his voice.

  "Ted? We have a problem."

  "Miranda? Is that you?"

  His mind raced. Their initial attempt to mix the men and ladies during the worship service had not gone well. After that, a few of the board members had taken him aside to express their dissatisfaction at the proposal for the play. Then, some from the congregation complained that Miranda was causing unrest among the women, as well as with some of the young men. The only enthusiastic response he had received about Miranda was from Agnes's husband, Mark, about the sudden increase in business at the fabric store.