by Faye Sonja
* * *
“Ahhh! Hello lovely lady!” the familiar voice called to her across the diner as she worked the late evening shift two months later. It was usually busy, but the rains today slowed traffic and she was grateful for it; they had had a busy day and her feet ached.
“Hello Simon!” she greeted the man with a kiss to the cheek. He had been coming in quite often. He had fallen in love with her pastries, but as he embraced her she had a feeling something else was on his mind.
“How are we today?” he asked her with a keen look as if to gauge the truth in her response to come.
“A bit tired but okay,” she said.
“Must get tiring working the tables all day,” he said taking a seat. She didn’t want to insult the work she had and so she smiled instead. “How about you have a seat with me?”
She looked at him a bit surprised. “I can’t. You know Sierra. She would have my head for lazing about on the job.”
“Let me worry about her,” he said with a wink and waved at Sierra.
“Simon!” she said embracing the man. “What can I do for you today?”
“Well, I would like the company of the weary Minna for a few minutes. I was wondering if you would oblige me.”
Sierra looked at them in shock before nodding her head. “Don’t keep her too long though.”
Minna was worried about why he would want such an audience but she played along with it anyway. “How can I help you?”
He smiled. “No, the question is, are you going to allow me to help you?”
“I beg your pardon?”
He laughed. “Relax my dear. I want to offer you a job. One that pays more than this one and requires less manual labor and more delegation. And I also want to get you a husband.”
Shock at his last words was the first to register across her face, and when he placed the newspaper in front of her with an ad placed by one Jake summers it piqued her interest. “I am listening.”
“I own a massive ranch in the south and I am looking for someone who can manage it for me while I am away. As you can see I do quite a bit of traveling.”
“I know nothing of that sort of thing,” she said unsure about how she felt about the offer.
“You are Amish, aren’t you?” he asked and she nodded waiting for some mythical stereotype to be levied at her. “Well, my ranch is of the old fashion sort. I recently hired a young Amish man to see to the more physical part of the job and to help maintain the books while I am away. What I want now is a young woman in the house to ensure what he cannot do is taken care of. I have seen you work here and how you manage the others with efficiency. You will oversee to the more homely side of things for me. Ensuring the men are well fed and clothed as most of them live on the ranch. Ensure my home is taken care of and oversee all of the staff. You will be given your own living quarters and I understand you have a strong desire to study, which can be arranged as there is a college close by. On your own time of course. I will pay you well.”
She listened to the offer and thought it must be a dream. “Why me?”
“That is simple,” he said. “Your deposition is quite pleasant and free of judgement. Of all the years I have passed through this place you have been the most pleasant and welcoming and I would like to see you in a better position.”
“Can I think about it?” she asked him.
“Of course!” he replied slipping a piece of paper towards her. “Write and let me know when you have made a decision. I will head there tomorrow, but I will have passage arranged for you should you take me up on my offer. And to the part about a husband.”
“I am not interested,” she said.
“Well, this offer is a package deal and this young man is just the dream you speak of finding all the time,” Simon said and she could see the truth to his words flashing in his eyes. “He is a man who has suffered great loss and is lonely. I think you both would make each other very happy.”
She smiled. “Does he know you are making this appeal on his behalf?”
“He does not, because he is as stubborn as you are, but I can promise that you will not regret it. If you decide to, send a telegram to him in the morning so he will say aye or nay. If he does not agree to your proposal to be his wife then you can just come to work for me, but I see no harm in have both.”
Truth was she was really considering it. For the last two months she had felt a longing for a companion, someone to spend the early evenings with talking of life. This was an opportunity to have that and she knew Simon meant her well.
“Okay,” she said and he smiled with joy.
She went back to work, her head full of all the possibilities the move would offer. Later that night when they got back to the house she read the ad about it.
I have very little by way of money to offer you.
I have a strong mind, a willing heart and a desire to be more than just what I am.
I am willing to build a life with someone who has visions of their future and though I am scarred, I have learned it adds character.
If you are interested in a life on a ranch with me in Texas, send me a letter or a telegram.
She read the ad twice and thought how poetic it was. Deciding she would send the telegram she went to speak to Sierra about the work offer. She wouldn’t just leave the woman like that.
“Go, my love,” Sierra said with a tearful smile. “I will miss you, but I have known Simon for a very long time and I know he is one of the most honest men ever. Should you find the job not to your liking, you can always come back here.”
She embraced Sierra in joy and agreed to work out the remaining three weeks of the month before she left. But for those three weeks all she could think about was what her new life would be like. And the night before she left she could barely keep her eyes closed.
* * *
4
Chapter FOUR
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“ I will get her back here … I am going
after her and I will bring her back. ”
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A response by telegram saying Jake was not ready for a wife just yet had been sent to her, and it broke her just a bit. Her first rejection was a profound one, but she would take it in stride. Maybe after he met her he would think differently and if he did not she was not about to lose sleep over it. She accepted the work offer from Simon and the train ride was two days and nineteen hours. When she finally got off the train she was happy to finally have her feet back on solid ground.
“Good evening,” the young train attendant smiled at her politely as she collected her bag and stepped away.
“Pleasant evening to you too,” she smiled back and struggled with her small suitcase off the platform to where a man stood holding a piece of cardboard with her name displayed across it.
She stepped up to him. “Hello, I am Minna Swartz,” she said. No matter how hard he tried he could not have hidden the look of utter surprise that crossed his face.
“Nice to meet you Ma’am,” he said tipping his hat.
He was a tall man, and looking at his britches she could see they had to be custom made. He smelled nice as well; his was a scent of lavender and eucalyptus, a blend she loved. Or that could be nostalgia hitting home again for those scents did indeed remind her of home. Either way he smelled nice.
“I am Sam,” he said looking back at her. He spoke with a lisp and a slur that was almost childish, but the way he carried himself said he thought himself to be a man of much importance.
“And do you work on Simon’s estate?” she asked eager to get to know the people she would be working closely with, but he was not that interested. Sam nodded at her and that was it, he had nothing else to say and she had a feeling she should not dare ask him.
They made their way to a rather fancy looking buggy that was open, no doubt to avoid suffocating in the humidity. It was hot here. Far hotter than
she had been expecting it to be, but rumor on the train was that it would get a lot hotter as the summer progressed. She smiled at the buggy; it was very Amish and she knew Simon must have wanted her to travel to her new home in something familiar.
Sam helped her up and as she settled into the plush seats he climbed up to the driver’s bench hauling her single suitcase with him. For a moment she felt like a queen, she felt she was someone of unique importance and indeed she was. But she wanted as much information about where she was going before she actually got there and so she climbed up front with him.
"Oh, no ma'am!" He exclaimed in surprise. "You sit back there."
He pulled the coach over, but she sat unmoving beside him with defiance stamped across her face and he realized there was no way he was going get her to move. He shook his head and snapped his reins, the horses jolted forward and they started the journey to what was to become her new home.
"How was Ohio? I hear it is wonderful up there, why did you leave?" He asked after a long and somewhat awkward silence.
She smiled. "It rains a lot."
"That's why you look like you haven't been in the sun for a long time."
Chuckling she looked at him. "Yes, not many chances to get much sun, but it is more out of having very little time after working all day and some nights.”
“Well there will be plenty of opportunity here for that,” he said with a laugh.
“How about you?"
"Me what?" He asked looking at her for the first time since they hopped up on the buggy.
"You from about these parts? You lack the strong southern drawl."
"I am not originally from here, but then again I don't think I am originally from anywhere. I go where the work calls.”
“Don’t we all,” she added and he smiled at her as he snapped the reins and brought the horses to a trot. The wind combed through her hair as they went along and she felt like she was going home. Simon had said his ranch was old fashioned and she was hoping that meant she could get the feeling of home even though she wasn’t going back there. When he turned them down a long driveway a half an hour later, she instantly felt the place could be home.
* * *
Jake was not too excited about the woman who was to be working with him, though Simon had told him she was of Amish background. He was worried she might be someone who didn’t actually approve of the more modern way of life... He had been on the ranch for three months and was well adjusted into his role as overseer, and he was enjoying every minute of it.
It was hot most days, but he loved the fact that he had the big lake to the back of the property and acres of land to disappear on should he decide that he needed some time away. The town was close enough that he could take an evening stroll.
“Looking out for our new arrival?” Simon came up beside him where he stood on the porch looking out.
“Yes sir,” he said keeping his eyes on the road and hoping the new arrival was at least pleasant.
“You will like her,” Simon said with a mischievous smile as the buggy they were waiting on came up the road. He could make out John and a woman in a lovely blue dress sitting right up front with him! He did not know what he should make of that but Simon smiled and told him he should consider that a good sign.
“I told her I was not interested in a wife just yet,” he pointed out to the excited man.
“Then why did you post that ad looking for one?” Simon asked him in a whisper. He did not have time to answer that, but if he could he would have said it was out of pure insanity.
Simon rushed down the stairs to meet the transport, but Jake was not so quick to follow.
“Minna!” the man cried in front of him as he helped the woman down from her perch. Not wanting to seem ill-mannered he quickly made his way down as well. But as the buggy came to halt his footsteps slowed as he looked at the immaculately slender and refined figure being helped down. The elegant curve of her neck was nothing if not entrancing and her face wore a pleasant smile.
“Simon!” she delighted in the sight of him. The man lifted her from her feet in a hug. “Thank you for sending the buggy. It was a welcomed and refreshing blast from my past.”
“Actually,” the older man said turning to Jake. “That idea was all Mr. Summers’. He thought you might have enjoyed the ride after so long on the train.”
She stepped up to him. “I am Minna Swartz and it is an honor to meet you, and thanks for the consideration.” She shook his hand and curtsied as she did so.
“I am Jake Summers,” he said stepping up to her and hesitantly extending his arm. “I look forward to getting to working with you, miss.”
“Please, call me Minna,” she said with a smile he returned as he extended his arms and led her up the stairs and to the foyer of the huge ranch house he now called home.
“Nice!” Simon said exuberantly. “Now that you are all here I can be off.”
“What?” Minna asked looking at him in shock. “But I just got here.”
“Yes, dear,” he said waving to the young man on the stairs to take his bags down to the buggy that was waiting on him. “I waited for you, but I must head out this minute if I am to make my train. Money making waits on no man. Jake will show you about the place in the morning and you can get on with hiring who needs to be hired and seeing to all I had told you will be your responsibility. Keep the place up for me while I am away.”
Jake looked at the man in shock but did not say anything that might seem as if he had a problem with the arrangement. He instead turned back to the woman he thought was gorgeous. He only hoped she was good company.
The late evening light slipping through the thin curtains danced across her face and Jake watched as her mouth opened uncontrollably into an O as she gazed at the magnificent interior, made even more regal by the dim flickering of the candles about.
“This is quite a lovely place,” she commented, taking in the pieces of art that hung about.”
“Yes, definitely not what I was used to and it can be overwhelming, but you get used to it after a while,” he said.
A girl younger than them came out of the kitchen area. “Hi I am Esha,” she said meekly.
“Esha will show you to your room,” Jake said stepping up beside her and drawing her attention back to the present. “I assume you will want to freshen up after such a long ride. When you are done we will eat and speak about matters that need discussing.”
He hoped she didn’t take that as him dismissing her presence, because he really wasn’t.
“She is quite a catch. I can’t believe she is the one you said no to,” Esha said moments later coming back down the stairs. She had a twinkle in her eyes similar to that of his boss, and for the three months he had been there she had been trying to get him to go out with every woman they passed on their market trips.
“So you think she is a good catch?” he asked.
“I think she is a woman of substance, who will bring something different to this ranch. She is very kind too.”
“Esha,” he bemoaned. “I am not looking for a wife. I barely have my life together as it is.”
The young girl laughed. “That is the thing. We often are not looking for the best things when they happen to us. They just pop up. Don’t you think?”
Esha didn’t wait for him to respond as Minna made her way to the table. He stood as she sat and Esha served her a small bowl of soup and some salad.
“You like the house?” he asked her, not sure where to start the conversation.
“What I have seen of it is absolutely awesome, and I see what you mean about overwhelming.”
“Give it time,” he laughed. She nodded and dug into the food she was served. He waited for her to eat before speaking again.
“Why did you leave your home town?” the question he asked surprised even him. He had intended to ask something completely different.
“I wanted more out of life and I was not going to get it there,” she said not seeming bothered by it. �
��And you?”
“Well, both my parents died and I headed out west for a while. After that I just could not seem to get comfortable again.”
“Haunting memories?” she asked and he saw nothing but understanding written across her face. He was instantly drawn in to it. They spoke about life for a bit longer and he found her quite the company he could enjoy. It was almost two hours later before they broke for the night.
“If you would excuse me, I am a bit tired and would like to get some rest,” she looked at him as if waiting for his permission to leave the table. He smiled at how it was true that you could leave the Amish community, but some ways of doing things never really left you at all.
“Yes of course,” he said standing as she got up to leave. He watched her leave and a part of him enjoyed the fact that she was to be his company while he worked. There was just something about her that was pulling him in, and for once it was a pull he did not fight for even a moment. With a smile he went to bed, looking forward to what tomorrow would offer him.
Life over the next few days was bitter-sweet for Minna. She was given a tour of the immense ranch around them, and introduced to the staff and the work they did. She made a list of all the things she needed to get and the people she needed to hire to make work flow easier.
“I trust your judgement Minna,” he would say at the end of every conversation and she soon learned that meant she should go ahead and do what she thought best.
"I love it here,” she said to Esha on her fourth day of explanations and pointers.