Danika's Journey (Amish Girls Series--Book 2)

by J. E. B. Spredemann

  “Jah, okay. Let's just go to one more house and then we'll go,” Jonathan said.

  The boys walked up to a dark house with only a single black light bulb emanating scant light. Scary howling sounds seemed to come from the windows and two jack-o-lanterns burned with a candle inside. The boys looked at each other wide-eyed, slowly inching their way to the door.

  “You knock,” Matt worriedly told Joshua.

  Joshua looked at him, then at the abundance of spider webs and the skeleton hanging from the overhang and shook his head. “No, you.”

  Jonathan stepped forward and bravely knocked on the darkened door. As the door slowly creaked open, the three boys said, “Trick a tree.”

  An ugly green-faced witch with a large wart on her nose greeted the boys, sending out a loud cackling shrill. The boys slowly began inching backwards, then took off in a full sprint when the witch followed them out the door and reached for them with her long black fingernails. “Come back here! I eat little Amish boys for breakfast.” They heard the frightening woman say.

  When they arrived at their pony cart out of breath, they quickly unhitched Prancer and took off in a flurry.

  “Whew, that was close!” Matthew said when they were safely on the road toward home.

  “Jah, I almost had an accident,” Joshua admitted.

  “Me, too,” Jonathan and Matthew said simultaneously.

  “Do you really think she was gonna eat us for breakfast?” Matt asked wide-eyed.

  Joshua shook his head. “I don't know. But I sure wasn't gonna stick around to find out!”

  “Ach, look at all this candy!” Jonathan exclaimed.

  “I wonder why all the kids say 'trick a tree'? How do you play a trick on a tree?” Matt wondered.

  “I don't know. Maybe Jonathan can ask Danika about it,” Josh suggested.

  “Jah, I think I will,” Jonathan agreed. “But I heard Mamm say one time that fruit is God's candy. And fruit grows on trees.”

  “Do you trick the tree when you take the fruit off it?” Matthew wondered.

  “I don't know. Who can know about all the strange Englischers' customs?” Josh asked. “We just gotta ask Danika cuz she's Englisch. She'll know all about why they say 'trick a tree'. It don't make no sense to me.”

  <><><>

  Monday afternoon a large mountain of candy sat atop the school picnic table. Danika noticed Jonathan's huge smile and immediately she knew where the boys had gone Friday night. She didn't know how they did it, but she knew for a fact Bishop Hostettler would not have given his son permission to go trick-or-treating. She joined the boys at the table.

  “Well, Danika, what do ya think of all our candy?” Jonathan asked proudly.

  “I can't believe you guys actually went. It looks like they give out more candy here than in my neighborhood in California!”

  “Jah, and we already ate a bunch!” Matthew declared.

  Danika gasped. “You had your parents go through it first, right?”

  “No way! If my folks knew I got a bunch of free candy from Englischers I wouldn't be able to sit here on this bench,” Jonathan said. “Why would I tell them?”

  “The witches,” Danika simply said.

  The boys all looked at each other wide-eyed and gulped. “What about the witches?” Joshua asked, remembering the one that wanted to eat them for breakfast.

  “There are some really bad people that put razor blades and pieces of glass and stuff in Halloween candy. My dad always went through my candy to make sure it was safe to eat,” she said.

  The boys held their hands to their throats, horrific thoughts of razor blades cutting their insides filling their minds. “Ach, for real?” Jonathan asked.

  “Yeah, but you guys aren't dead or anything, so it looks like nobody put any in yours. But I'd be careful if were you,” she warned.

  All three boys solemnly nodded their heads.

  “Hey, may I have a Snickers bar?” Danika asked.

  “Sure,” Jonathan said.

  “See, I told ya girls like chocolate,” Matt said.

  “Danika, why are we supposed to say ‘trick a tree’?” Jonathan asked.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You know, trick a tree,” Joshua explained. “How do you trick a tree, and what does it have to do with asking Englischers for candy?”

  Danika couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter, doubling over until her stomach ached. Every time she looked up at the boys’ clueless expressions, she burst into laughter again. She couldn’t get the images of three Amish boys going door to door saying ‘trick a tree’ out of her mind. When she finally calmed enough to explain to the boys that it was ‘trick or treat’ the other children had been saying, she also explained what she knew of the origins of the custom. Needless to say, she was sure that the boys had experienced their first and last ever celebration of Halloween.

  <><><>

  Chapter 8 – The Conflict

  “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” Proverbs 27:4

  Eli had walked Danika home nearly every day since she started school two months ago. She couldn't imagine life without him; he was her best friend. Danika knew somebody else was pining for Eli Yoder as well. Sadie Lapp. Anyone could see how she constantly flirted with him and she was beginning to get on Danika’s nerves. Since the first day of school, Sadie had turned up her nose at Danika. So she thought it odd when Sadie Lapp approached her during lunch.

  “Hey, Danika, I bet Eli's daed wouldn't be too happy if he knew how much time he was spending with an Englischer,” Sadie threatened.

  “Mind your own business, Sadie.”

  “Sarah Yoder and my mamm are gut friends. I'm sure that if I just dropped a little hint about Eli seeing Philip King's niece...”

  “Sadie, I'm warning you for the last time. Keep your mouth shut and mind your own business.” Danika could feel her temper rising, so she walked away.

  Sadie didn't miss a beat and followed right behind Danika, taunting her. “Stay away from Eli,” she threatened again.

  Danika was unsure how it happened, but somehow her fist managed to find its way to Sadie's face. “I said mind your own business!”

  “She's trying to kill me!” Sadie cried as loud as she could. When Grace heard the commotion, she came running to the scene with the other scholars behind her. Sadie was still sitting on the ground, conjuring up as much sympathy as she could get. Danika rolled her eyes.

  “Danika, I'm going to have to ask you to go home. You're expelled for three days,” the teacher stated in an even voice.

  Danika tried to explain. “But she –”

  “Violence is never acceptable. It is not our way. Go home now, please,” Grace reiterated.

  Danika heaved a deep sigh. As she grabbed her stuff from her desk and headed toward home, she glanced back at Eli who wore a clearly disappointed expression. He waved to her silently and she waved back. She peered down at the note in her hand, written by the teacher. Great! Now what am I gonna do? How am I going to explain this to Naomi and Philip? They'll be disappointed in me...again. What will happen if Eli's dad finds out about us? Sadie will surely tell now. She tried not to think about the trials that would certainly come her way.

  <><><>

  “Why are you home so early?” Naomi asked when she saw Danika coming through the door just after one o'clock.

  With her head down, she handed Naomi the note in her hand. “This will explain it all.”

  Naomi's eyes widened in horror. “You hit one of the other kinner? How could you do that?”

  “She made me upset and she wouldn't leave me alone. I told her to mind her own business,” Danika stated.

  “Now you've been expelled for three days. Word will get out all over Paradise. You've given yourself and this family a bad name. I wish you would think a little further before you do something like this,” Naomi reprimanded. “Take this note next door and show your uncle.”

  “Sorry,
Naomi.” But Danika wondered if she really was.

  Danika took a deep breath while walking the short distance. I wish I had just ignored that snippy Sadie Lapp. Now I'm the one in trouble. When am I ever going to learn to control my temper? She opened the door of the herb shop and waited for Philip to finish up with his customer. When the coast was clear, she made her way toward her uncle and handed him the note. She didn't offer any explanation.

  “I'm disappointed in you, Danika,” his words cut to her heart.

  Tears immediately sprang to her eyes, “I'm sorry Uncle Philip. I didn't mean to give us a bad name.”

  “Why did you do it?” he asked.

  “I couldn't help it. That snippy Sadie Lapp wouldn't mind her own business. She kept threatening me about –” she stopped cold. Oh no, I've said too much again, she chided herself.

  “Threatening you about what?” Philip wanted to know.

  “About telling Eli's dad about me.”

  “Are you referring to Eli Yoder? Jacob Yoder’s son?” Philip looked concerned now. “I don't understand.”

  “It's kinda complicated.”

  “I'm listening.” Philip stood with his arms folded over his chest and feet firmly planted.

  The words flowed freely from her lips, “Eli and I are...uh...good friends. Sadie likes Eli and doesn't want me to talk to him. She threatened to go tell Eli's dad about it because his dad doesn't like you. He'll probably tell Eli that we can't be friends anymore. I told her to mind her own business, but she wouldn't. She kept following me around with her big, fat, gossiping mouth and that's when I turned around and punched her.”

  Philip attempted to hide an amused grin, keeping an even countenance. “So, what are you going to do about it now?”

  “Pray?” she asked, hoping to get some advice.

  “Well, I think that would be a good start. What are you going to do to prevent this from happening again?” her uncle inquired.

  “Stay as far away from Sadie Lapp as I can!”

  Philip ceased his interrogation and allowed Danika to help out in the herb shop for the rest of the day. He figured poor Naomi could only handle so much.

  <><><>

  When Danika returned to school, Sadie gave her a smart look, trying to egg her on. Danika ignored her and went straight to her desk and sat down. The scholars took their seats and Teacher Grace made a request, “Sadie, I want you to switch desks with Joanna.” To that, Sadie turned and gave Danika a dirty look. Admiring the shiner she'd given Sadie, Danika just smiled back. Good, she won't be able to see anymore when we pass notes.

  Sure enough, Dani found a note that had been slipped into her desk. It was in Eli's handwriting. It read:

  Dear Danika,

  My dat found out about us and he won't allow me to see you anymore. He thinks you are trouble, but I know better. I'm afraid we'll have to send letters to each other from now on. Please know that this is not my doing, nor is it your fault. He threatened to send me to a different school if I don't keep my distance and I'm afraid that if he did that, we'd never be able to see each other. You know how I feel about you.

  Yours, Eli

  Danika couldn't help it as the tears fell from her eyes. Eli looked back, his countenance defeated. It was evident he was deeply sorry. Well, at least they could still see each other in school; that was something to be happy about. She should have known that snippy Sadie would try to ruin it for them. The more she thought about it, the gladder she was about giving Sadie a black eye. If anybody ever deserved it, she did, she decided.

  The walk home from school seemed to take forever. It just wasn't the same without Eli by her side. They had a lot of great talks on their many walks home. They discussed God and the Bible, and he helped her understand things that she never knew before. He had eased her through the grief caused by the loss of her family. He helped her to understand the Amish culture better and gave her perspective on where Philip and Naomi were coming from. Could it be, as Eli had said, that God brought him into her life right when she needed him most? Maybe God did love her and care for her.

  As she came to the tall pine tree – the tree where she and Eli had first met – their tree, she stopped and sat down for a minute. She bowed her head and prayed, “Dear God, If you're there and you can hear me, I'd like to ask you for something. Will you please restore the broken relationship between Uncle Philip and Eli's dad? I know it's a burden that Uncle Philip has had to carry, and now that burden is on mine and Eli's shoulders too. It seems that nobody wins when there's bitterness involved. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

  She had thought about what she'd prayed, and she realized that she was still holding on to bitterness too. She was still mad at God for taking her parents. She still hadn't trusted in God's will for her life. Eli had said that God always knows what's best, that He sees the end from the beginning when we can't see two feet in front of us. Danika determined to speak with Philip and Naomi tonight after dinner.

  <><><>

  “Okay, I'm ready.” Danika smiled at Philip and Naomi who had no idea what she was talking about.

  “Ready to play checkers?” Philip asked in puzzlement.

  “No, I'm ready to be born again.” She shared.

  “Oh Danika, that's wonderful-gut!” Naomi came to give Danika a hug and they both felt a swift little kick coming from the inside of Naomi's belly. “I guess the little one wants to come out soon.” They both laughed.

  “Not just yet,” Philip cautioned. “Danika, do you really want to be saved?” He wanted to be sure she was serious. He explained how their forefathers had been persecuted for their faith, and that it was not something to be taken lightly.

  “Jah, for sure and for certain,” she declared. “I'm ready.”

  Philip and Naomi proceeded to show her the various verses on salvation and the penalty for sin. After they had read the scriptures, Danika had become even more convinced of her decision. She bowed her head and prayed aloud that God would forgive her, save her, and help her to live righteously for Him. She was so happy. She decided to sit down and write her friend Cindy about her new found faith.

  She went upstairs and turned her laptop on. She wrote:

  Hey Cindy,

  It's been awhile since we last spoke, hope everything is going well. So much has happened to me, I don't even know where to begin. I met a really great guy. His name is Eli and he has quickly become my best friend here. School is pretty cool, but there's this girl there that hates my guts. We got into a fight and I hit her and got expelled from school for a few days! I told you a lot has happened.

  My Aunt Naomi will be having a baby in about a month and I can't wait! I found out that my Uncle Philip is an herb doctor. Not any of that voo-doo stuff, but natural herbal medicine that actually works. I've decided to forgo college and follow in his footsteps. Don't freak out, this suits me better. I get to start my internship as soon as I finish up with school this year, I’m so excited! The Amish don't to high school, but you'd never know it. Sometimes, I think they are years beyond some of the English folk.

  Now for the most important thing: I got saved! That means that if I died right at this very moment that I would go to Heaven. Jesus forgave my sins and now I am clean. Oh Cindy, I can't describe to you how good it feels! All I had to do was trust in Jesus, and you can too. Let me know if you'd like to know more, okay?

  Oh, and I got your email about coming to visit. Philip and Naomi said that would be fine, so I'll expect you in two months. This will be the last letter I email you because my battery is almost dead. Please snail mail me soon!

  Love, Dani.

  She pressed SEND then shut down her laptop and went to bed.

  <><><>

  Chapter 9 – Friends

  “A friend loveth at all times...” Proverbs 17:17a

  Danika opened the latest note from Eli and was thrilled by his written words:

  Please meet me at our special place this Saturday at 2:00. I really want to see you for my birthday. Say you'll com
e...Eli.

  Her heart skipped a beat. Finally, they would get to spend time alone together! But what if Eli's dad found out? She wouldn't worry about that right now; she wasn't going to let anything steal her happiness. She quickly nodded her reply to him as school was letting out, with a huge smile, of course.

  Joanna and Chloe met up with her after school. “Would ya like to go ridin' with us after chores today?” Chloe asked eagerly.

  It sounded like a lot of fun. “Jah, but I'll have to ask Naomi first.” She didn't want to get herself into trouble again.

  “All right then,” Joanna declared, “we'll meet you at your house in about an hour or two.”

  “Sounds gut.”

  Danika hurried home to finish up all of her chores, enthused about the time she'd spend with her friends. Naomi had given her the okay, so she was all set. Philip showed her which horse to ride, so she wouldn't have a hard time.

  She was already outside when the girls came riding up on their horses. Philip had helped her saddle the horse, she'd practiced mounting it, and had even rode around a little bit. When Philip was sure she had enough confidence, he conceded to let her go as well.

  “It's her first time riding; go easy on her, girls,” Philip cautioned.

  The girls rode up one of the dirt lanes at a leisurely pace since this was Danika's first time out with them.

  “Are you still spending time with Eli?” Chloe asked curiously, wondering what had become of the ordeal with Sadie.

  “His father has forbidden him to see me,” Danika answered in a dejected tone, feeling a little guilty that she was planning to meet him secretly.

  “Ach, that's too bad,” Joanna tried to comfort her. “But maybe it's for the best.”

  “What do you mean?” Danika didn't understand her logic.

  “Well, Mamm said it's not good to spend too much time alone with boys.” Joanna continued, “She said that when you spend lots of time with them, you start longing for them in other ways.”

  “Huh?” Danika still didn't get it.

  “She's talking about lip kissin',” Chloe blurted out. “Has Eli tried to kiss you?”