by Sarah Price
True, the majority of the people were kindhearted and good to the Amish. But it only took one or two who harbored malice in their hearts and souls to ruin the lives of many.
It was a fact that the Amish could scarcely go anywhere during the tourist season. There were crowds of people in the stores and along the back roads, their cars moving slowly in order to roll down the window and take photographs of any horse and buggy they encountered. Walking was a hazard, too. Cars would stop and blatantly take the Amish pedestrians’ photos with no regard for the wishes of the subjects to not have their photographs taken.
Amanda had often wondered what was so boring in the lives of the Englische that they found the plain and simple ways of her family and neighbors so interesting. She finally guessed that the Englischers didn’t lead such exciting lives after all. They just wanted to live vicariously through others.
If anyone had ever mentioned to her that she would be thankful to be seated in an airplane, she would have laughed and told them they were ferhoodled out of their mind! In fact, she never would have imagined herself sitting in an airplane. It just wasn’t something that was done.
Oh, she knew of a few young people who flew during their rumschpringe; there were even a couple that went overseas, much to their parents’ chagrin and disapproval. Such behavior was, however, to be overlooked during those years, before taking the kneeling vow and settling down to raise a family. But Amanda had never even considered that she might be one of the few who embarked on airline travel.
However, after the mob scene at the airport, she didn’t care. True to his word, Alejandro had never left her side. The crowd was thick and loud, pushing and shoving, doing anything they could to attract Viper’s attention, to touch him, to get a photograph with him. With Amanda by his side, it was even worse. He couldn’t protect himself and her at the same time. He had chosen her.
The guards had helped keep the crowd away, and slowly, they moved toward the security check. Thankfully, they were whisked into a private security room, where, to Amanda’s dismay, there were issues because she didn’t have any photo identification. It had been an extra twenty minutes gaining special permission based on religious grounds to bypass the security check to be escorted by the guards to their own personal gate that led to the private plane.
“How do you put up with that?” she exclaimed as she sank into the leather seats.
He laughed at her. “You’d be surprised, Princesa. That is what motivated me to keep climbing the charts.”
She didn’t understand what he meant but didn’t feel like asking for an explanation. Despite it only being late morning, she was exhausted. Her brain was overwhelmed, and every nerve in her body felt as though it were on fire. She barely gave a second thought to the fact that she was sitting inside an airplane.
Until the time came to take off.
Alejandro instructed her to put on her safety belt and told her about the process. Still, when the moment came in which she felt the engine accelerate and the plane began to race down the tarmac, she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched at his hand.
“It’s going to be fine,” he reassured her in a low voice. “I do this all the time, Princesa. Nothing to be worried about at all.”
Within minutes, the plane had not only lifted off the ground but was leveling off, high above in the sky and heading away from the sun. She finally released her death grip on his hand and, hesitantly, peered out the window. Her insides jumped as she looked down upon the earth.
“Alejandro!” she gasped. Small puffs of white clouds cast shadows over the patchwork of farmland beneath the plane. She could see roads with tiny little cars traveling on them. She could see houses and trees. And when she looked toward the horizon, she thought she just might have seen a sliver of heaven. “It’s . . . it’s magnificent!”
“God has made a beautiful world for us to live in,” he replied, placing his hand on her shoulder and leaning over to peer out the window. “And he made man smart enough to engineer the aircraft so that we can appreciate it.”
“Look, Amanda!”
She turned from where she was walking to see what her younger brother was staring at that made him call her back. He had kneeled down and was examining something in the tall grass. She could tell by the serious look on his face that he had found something wonderful and wouldn’t move until she hurried over there to see it.
“What is it, Aaron?” she asked patiently as she approached him.
He looked up and smiled, then pointed back toward the ground. “Have you ever seen anything so amazing?”
Kneeling beside him, she had looked to where he pointed. There was a simple rock. It wasn’t especially beautiful nor of any particular shape. Just a rock. Grayish in color and about the size of her fist. But there was a crack in the rock, a deep opening, and from inside that crack grew a plant.
It wasn’t just any plant. It was a Johnny-jump-up that had found a way to grow from within a rock. Its green leaves, almost heart-shaped in nature, clung to the rock, and from its center emerged one single flower. It almost looked like a small butterfly with the outer wings deep purple in nature, the middle wings lavender, and the tail a pale yellow.
It was amazing, indeed.
“God sure has made a beautiful world, ain’t so, Amanda?” Aaron had said, careful not to disturb the flower in its quest for life.
Indeed.
The beauty of God’s touch could, indeed, be found everywhere, whether at thirty thousand feet above the ground or within a simple little rock, half buried in a small mound of dirt, Amanda pondered. She had never really thought about that before. Her world had been limited to Lititz in Lancaster County. While she appreciated the beauty of God’s work that surrounded her, she had no idea how that beauty extended beyond the boundaries of the Amish and in what form.
She slept during the flight, and for that, she was grateful. Emotionally and spiritually, she was exhausted. Someone gave her a pillow and blanket, so she snuggled against the back of the seat and let herself drift away to a place that was familiar and comforting: her dreams. She dreamt of the farm and of springtime. She dreamt of milking cows and helping with hay baling. She even dreamt of Church Sunday and the singing, so full of splendor for God.
But then, her dream changed.
She was walking through a field of growing corn, the baby stalks of green brushing against her bare legs. She could hear the wind whispering through the crop as it waved like a sea before her. Behind her, she heard someone call her name. When she turned to look, it was her mother and daed, waving to her from the porch. They were calling her home. In the distance, she heard a horse and buggy rattling up the road.
“Amanda,” someone called.
She turned to look in the direction of the new voice. It was deep and masculine with a hint of an accent. The sun was setting over the hill, casting an orange glow so that all she could see was a shadow . . . a shadow of a man standing at the crest, the corn brushing against his legs and waist. He wore different clothes, not Amish clothes, that was for certain. His hands were behind his back and his legs spread in a forceful, commanding stance.
“Amanda, it’s time,” he called out and reached a hand for her.
She glanced back at her parents and, in doing so, the wind blew her prayer kapp from her head. It floated through the sky, and for the longest moment, she watched it. Should she go grab it, something that would surely take her farther from the man, or should she forget about it and run in his direction?
“Amanda?”
She looked back at the man, and the sun dipped low enough over the horizon so that she could see it was Alejandro. He kept his hand outstretched, patiently waiting.
With just the smallest hesitation, she turned and walked up the hill toward him, ignoring the calls from her parents at the bottom of the incline. With a smile on her face, she picked up her pace and began to run towa
rd Alejandro. He stretched out both of his arms and laughed, watching her as she ran.
And then she was snuggled against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He leaned down and kissed her cheeks, in a chaste and innocent manner yet speaking volumes of what he felt.
“Amanda?”
Her eyes fluttered open. She was leaning against his shoulder, and he was caressing her back, his arm draped around her shoulder. Startled and embarrassed, she sat up. “Where’s the corn?” she mumbled, still waking up from her dream and trying to piece together reality.
“Corn?” He chuckled. “You were dreaming, Princesa.”
The memory of the dream flooded through her, and she moved away from him. “I’m so sorry.”
“You are beautiful when you dream,” he whispered.
“Viper,” someone said from behind them.
It was Carlos.
“Landing in ten minutes, and the car is waiting. Plus, Mike has you scheduled for an interview on Entertainment Tonight at three o’clock and with Sue Jarrell at four thirty. Tomorrow’s rehearsal is at eleven a.m. and the pre-show VIP gathering is at six in the evening.”
Alejandro nodded, but Amanda’s head was spinning.
“You have meetings this afternoon?” She glanced out the window, surprised to see that the sun was still shining brightly in the sky. “But it’s so late.”
“Time change. There’s a three-hour difference between Philadelphia and Los Angeles, Princesa. We’ll leave directly from the airport for the interviews,” he explained. He leaned forward, his forehead almost touching hers. “I want you to go with me.”
“To an interview?” she gasped. She wasn’t exactly sure what that was. Why would anyone want to interview him? Why should he want her to go, too? “Whatever for?”
His mouth lifted in a half-smile. “I want them to meet you and for you to see. You wanted to experience my world, sí? I’m not holding anything back.” He paused before he added, “Your decision must be informed.”
She frowned at his words.
He tilted his head and reached for her hand, which he lifted and then brushed his lips against while staring at her. “Plus, I want you with me. You are most . . .” He paused, searching for the right word with his lips lingering just inches above her hand. “Refreshing.”
Then, without another word, he settled back into the seat, his sunglasses covering his eyes and masking his expression as the plane began its descent. The plane rattled and shook, the pressure dropping in the cabin. He seemed oblivious to the descent but not to her fears. Through it all, he held her hand.
Chapter Six
The noise was tremendous. She stood in the wings of the stage, peering out at the crowd that had filed into the Staples Center. In her simple black skirt and white silk blouse, she could have been anyone. Most people didn’t notice her as they bustled by, occasionally bumping her arm. She would apologize, but no one paid any attention to her.
The stage was full of equipment and speakers, lights and props. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was looking at for she had never seen anything like it in her life.
“Amanda,” a voice said in her ear. “Alejandro wants you back in the waiting room to meet some people.”
She turned around and stared at the woman by her side. With a headset on and a clipboard in her hand, she looked official, so Amanda nodded and followed her behind the stage and through a passage that went under the seats. As she walked, several people began screaming, and she heard her name being called out.
Startled, Amanda looked up and saw a crowd of young girls hanging over the railing and waving at her. They were jumping up and down, calling out her name. Several of them held up their cell phones and took photos of her, still screaming out her name. They were smiling and laughing, happy to see her and take her picture. Not certain how to respond, Amanda finally waved back but continued walking, following the woman with the clipboard.
“There she is!” Alejandro said as he greeted her with a friendly kiss on the cheek. He left his arm draped around her shoulders as he turned for her to be introduced to the three people in his waiting room. “Amanda, this is Janice Lobell, a reporter for LatinRapper.com. She wanted to meet you.”
Amanda frowned and looked at him. “Latin what?”
He laughed. “LatinRapper.com. It’s a website that shares information about Latino artists.” He leaned over. “I’ll show you later, sí?”
The tall, olive-skinned woman was dressed in a tight-fitting red dress and wore sparkling high heels. Her hair hung down her shoulders in long, swooping waves. Amanda couldn’t help but stare at her. With heavy makeup and full lips, she was truly beautiful. “It’s nice to meet you, Amanda,” she said, her voice heavy with accent, and extended her hand. “How do you like Los Angeles?”
Amanda moved closer to Alejandro. “It’s very nice,” she said. “But busy. I’ve never seen so many cars.”
Both Janice and the two men behind her laughed. Alejandro smiled, his arm still around Amanda’s shoulders. “It’s been a long two days, that’s for sure.”
“Oh ja,” Amanda admitted. “Why, we flew halfway around the world! And then all those interviews!” She turned to Alejandro, a concerned look on her face. “I’m surprised you can keep going!”
Janice glanced at Alejandro and said something in Spanish. He nodded and lowered his eyes, smiling. Amanda wondered what had transpired between them and longed to understand this mysterious language that permitted secret dialogue.
For the next five minutes, Alejandro and Janice talked, switching between English and Spanish. From what Amanda could understand, Janice asked questions about his songs and the leg of the tour that he had just finished.
“And then we head to San Francisco for a concert at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, then over to Las Vegas for a concert at the MGM Grand Casino before heading back to Miami.”
“Las Vegas?” Janice raised an eyebrow and glanced at Amanda. “That should be interesting for Amanda. Quite a far cry from Pennsylvania, no?”
Amanda glanced at Alejandro. “What is this Las Vegas?”
Janice answered for him. “A lot of crazy things happen in Vegas.”
With a short laugh, Alejandro gave Amanda a gentle squeeze and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll see how crazy Amanda gets.” Another laugh. “After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!” The small group of people laughed with him, but Amanda didn’t understand any of that conversation.
She had felt that way about many things during the day, just as she had felt that way about many things in her life.
It was the fall foot-washing ceremony. Amanda was not permitted to attend. She had stayed back at the farm with Aaron, entertaining him since neither one of them had taken their baptism yet. Only baptized members could attend the foot-washing ceremony, which was followed by communion.
“Why, Amanda?” Aaron had asked as they played with the latest batch of kittens that lounged in the sun. “Why must we stay home?”
She didn’t have any answer for him. “It’s just the way. Until we take the kneeling vow, we aren’t permitted to attend.”
Aaron had poked a thin stick at one of the kittens. It rolled onto its back and reached for the stick with its tiny white paws. “Are you going to take the kneeling vow?”
She shrugged. “I reckon one day.”
“Anna did.”
Last spring, Anna had become a baptized member of the church. Amanda had watched with a mixture of awe and surprise. Anna was very young to take the baptismal vow. Most young women and men waited until they were courting someone and ready to settle down, since baptized members could only court other baptized members. Usually couples became members just before they announced their wedding during the next season. But that wasn’t always the case.
“She did, ja,” Amanda confirmed.
It had be
en a gorgeous Sunday. The air had been crisp, and the leaves of the trees were at their autumn peak. Red, orange, yellow. The windows of the room over the barn were open and a cool breeze brushed across Amanda’s face. She was happy that she was able to sit by the window because the room was packed full of people and, despite the weather being cool, the closed confines of the room were warm.
She had watched her sister kneel before the bishop, her hands covering her face as he spoke to her in High German, asking her the baptismal questions. She looked so young, too young to be committing her life to the Ordnung. Amanda’s eyes drifted from the four youth who were taking their baptism, and she stared outside, watching the trees in the breeze. For a moment, she wished she were outside, watching the clouds from the side of a stream.
“Why haven’t you taken yours yet?”
Amanda didn’t have an answer to that either. She just knew that she wasn’t ready and wouldn’t be for a while. She couldn’t understand why she wanted to wait. But like a lot of things she didn’t understand, she knew better than to question it.
“Amanda,” Alejandro said as he led her away from the people. “I have Mario and TJ ready to take you to the front so that you can watch the concert.” He grabbed a bottle of water from a man walking by and thanked him in Spanish. Turning back to Amanda, he forced a smile, but she could tell that he was somewhere else. “I need to get ready now, so it’s best that you go with them.”
She bit her lower lip and stared at him. There was something different about him. He had changed since they had landed in Los Angeles the previous day. She had noticed it immediately. The way he moved, the way he spoke to others. He used more Spanish words and touched people a lot. His posture was very calculated and sophisticated, always standing in a way that, if someone wanted to take a photo, he was prepared.
Yet, he was still himself. Generous and kind. At the concert hall, he was always asking if everybody was having a good time or if they needed anything. He always took a moment to speak to anyone who happened to be in the waiting room or asked for his attention. And, without doubt, the most amazing thing to Amanda was the way his mere presence took over the room when he entered. Just by simply being there, he commanded attention. People would stop and stare, always smiling.