She still looked forward to a quiet supper with her family this evening and figured if it didn’t rain, as predicted, they might get out the barbecue and grill some burgers. She hoped her daughters hadn’t made any plans to fix an elaborate meal, because all she wanted was something simple. After supper and the dishes had been done, Belinda planned to sit in one of the recliners with her feet up and listen to the chatter of her grandchildren as they played with their toys.
The greenhouse door opened, and she shifted on her stool to see who’d come in. She was surprised to see Monroe enter the building, carrying a yellow gift bag.
“Happy birthday, Belinda.” He handed her the gift. “I hope you like what I got for you.”
Belinda wasn’t sure how to respond. His appearance with a gift had taken her by surprise. She’d never expected Monroe to remember that today was her birthday, even though he’d attended a few of her birthday gatherings when they were teenagers.
“Umm…well, danki, Monroe. It was thoughtful of you to remember me today,” she said earnestly.
“I think of you most every day, Belinda.” He leaned close to the counter. “Go ahead—open it.”
Belinda pulled the card from the bag first and read it silently. “To someone special, on her birthday. Your good friend, Monroe.”
She smiled and gave him a nod, then reached into the bag and took out a box of pretty stationary with yellow daisies and a matching kitchen towel. “These are lovely. Thank you, Monroe.”
“Glad you like ’em.” A relaxed smile crossed his face as he puffed out his chest a bit. “So are you doing anything special this evening to celebrate your birthday?”
“No, not really. It’ll be a nice quiet evening at home with my family.”
“I see.”
Belinda held her breath, wondering if Monroe would drop any hints about joining them for supper, but to her relief he said nothing in that regard.
“Well, that’s all I came here for—to give you the gift and wish you a happy birthday. So I guess I’ll be on my way.” Monroe started for the door.
“Thank you for coming,” Belinda called to his retreating form. When the door clicked shut behind him, she breathed a sigh of relief. With Monroe being so nice and giving her a gift, it was difficult not to give in and invite him to join them for supper. But she’d made the decision not to encourage him in any way, and she needed to stick with it.
“You’d better hurry and change your clothes,” Amy instructed her mother. “Our driver will be here soon to pick us all up.”
Mom crooked an eyebrow. “What driver? Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” Amy grinned. “Come on now, you need to get changed. Sylvia’s getting the kinner ready, and as far as I know, Henry’s dressed in clean clothes and ready to go too.”
“Is Jared coming with us?” Mom asked.
“Jah, he should be here any minute.” While Jared wasn’t a family member, he would be soon, and as far as Amy was concerned, he should be at all family functions.
It’s too bad Ezekiel and his family can’t join us tonight, she thought with regret. He’d sent a birthday card for Mom, which had been in yesterday’s mail, but there was no phone message from him today, which Amy thought was a bit strange. If my brother was too busy, I would think Michelle would have reminded him to call our mother on her special day.
Amy wondered if Mom’s birthday and the anniversary of Dad, Abe, and Toby’s death could have slipped her brother’s mind. If so, then he had too many other, less important things, to think about.
Amy turned to her mother and said one final time, “Please, Mom, hurry now and change into a different dress.”
“All right, I’m going.” Mom glanced around, as if looking for some answers before hurrying from the room.
East Earl, Pennsylvania
“I wish you’d tell me where we are going,” Mom said from the back seat of their driver Helen’s van. “And I don’t see why I have to wear a scarf over my eyes.”
Sylvia tapped her mother’s shoulder. “You’ll know soon enough.”
“We’re covering your eyes so you don’t guess where we’re going,” Amy added from the front seat.
“I bet she knows anyhow, even with the blindfold,” Henry chimed in. He sat beside Mom on the first seat in the back, with Sylvia and the children behind them.
“No, I don’t.” Mom shook her head. “But it’s taking us a while to get there, so I’m sure it’s not some restaurant close to home.”
“You are right, Belinda,” Helen interjected. “And we’re almost there.”
When they pulled into the parking lot in front of Shady Maple, Sylvia leaned forward and untied the scarf around her mother’s eyes. “We’re here—at your favorite place to eat.”
“Mine too—especially when I’m really hungerich,” Henry put in.
Mom looked around and giggled like a schoolgirl. “Oh my—it’s Shady Maple!”
Sylvia smiled. She hadn’t seen her mother this happy since the last time Ezekiel and his family came to visit.
After Helen parked the van, they all got out and headed for the restaurant. Although Sylvia’s mood wasn’t the best it could be, it was good to see Mom so happy. And she certainly deserved to be.
Strasburg
“We’re here!” Michelle exclaimed when their driver pulled into her mother-in-law’s home. “After a seven-hour drive, it’s nice that we can finally relax and stretch our legs.”
Ezekiel gave a nod. “Why don’t you take the kinner on up to the house, while I get our luggage out of the van and talk to our driver about the day and time we’ll need to return home? Tell Mom and the rest of the family that I’ll be in soon.”
Michelle got out, helped Angela Mary down, and took Vernon out of his car seat. Then she told her daughter to walk beside her as they made their way onto the front porch.
“Knock on the door, Angela Mary,” Michelle instructed.
The little girl did as she was told, but when no one answered, she turned and looked up at Michelle with a frown. “How come nobody’s lettin’ us in?”
“Maybe you didn’t knock loud enough. Try it again, a little harder this time.”
Angela clenched her small fist and pounded on the door.
Michelle bit back a chuckle. If someone inside didn’t hear that and answer the door, they must need a hearing aide.
Michelle was about to try the door, when Ezekiel stepped onto the porch with two of their suitcases. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Didn’t you knock?”
“Our daughter did—the second time really hard—but nobody answered.” She looked at her husband, then back at the door. “Do you think it’s possible that no one’s home?”
“Anything’s possible, but it’s doubtful. I can’t remember Mom ever being anywhere but home on her birthday.” Ezekiel rapped on the door. When there was no answer, he turned the knob, but the door didn’t open. “Oh boy—it’s locked. Now what are we gonna do?”
“Don’t you have a key?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right, I do.” Ezekiel fumbled in his pocket and withdrew a key. He put it in the lock, turned the key, and the door opened. “Anybody here?” he called.
There was no response, and the house was dark. His family had obviously gone somewhere.
“Let’s turn on one of the overhead gas lamps and look around to see if they left us a note,” Michelle suggested.
“There’d be no reason for them to have left a note, because they didn’t know we were coming, remember? Our being here for Mom’s birthday was supposed to be a surprise.”
“I guess we’re the ones who are surprised.” Michelle placed the baby in his carrier on the living room floor. “What are we going to do now, Ezekiel? We’re all hungry.”
“I suppose we could make some sandwiches. I’ll go to the kitchen and see what’s in the refrigerator while you take the kids’ outer garments off.” Ezekiel walked away before Michelle could respond. A few minutes later he was
back with a desktop calendar. “I know where they’ve gone. It’s written right here. Good thing I thought to open the roll-top desk and look around.” He grinned at Michelle. “I really wasn’t sure what to look for, but something told me to open the desk before checking for food in the refrigerator.”
“So where’d they go?” Michelle asked. “I’m anxious to know.”
“Shady Maple—Mom’s favorite place to eat.” He did an about-face. “I haven’t taken all our things from the van yet, which means we still have a driver. Get the kinner ready, Michelle. We’re goin’ to Shady Maple!”
East Earl
Belinda looked at her plate full of food and shook her head. This was more than she ate during an entire day, and she’d no doubt pay the price for it tonight when she tried to sleep. But it was ever so kind of her children to plan this surprise for her birthday, and she planned to enjoy every bite of the delicious food.
Belinda watched Amy and Jared from across the table. The love they felt for each other caused their eyes to glow and faces to smile whenever they looked at each other.
My dear Vernon used to look at me like that, Belinda mused. And I hung on his every word.
But those days were long past, and now she had to look to the future and be open to whatever plans God had for her. She felt sure, however, that they didn’t include remarriage, and most assuredly not to Monroe.
“Well, well…So this is where you’ve chosen to spend your evening, is it?”
Belinda’s head came up at the sound of a familiar voice. Her eyes widened as Ezekiel and Michelle stood beside their table, each holding one of their children. “What are you doing here, and how’d you know where we would be?”
“We decided a few weeks ago to come down from New York to surprise you on your birthday, but we’re the ones who got the big surprise when we arrived at your house and discovered you weren’t at home.” Ezekiel shook his finger at Amy and then Sylvia. “Why didn’t one of you tell me you had plans to bring our mamm here?”
“We didn’t tell you because we had no idea you were coming to see us.” Amy shook a finger right back at him. “You should have called and let us know about your plans.”
“And take the chance that Mom might find out? Never!”
“How’d ya know we were here?” The question came from Henry.
“When we discovered nobody was home, I used my key to open the door. Then, while Michelle and the kinner waited in the living room, I went to the kitchen to see if there was anything we could use for sandwiches. It was while I was there that I happened to look in the desk.” Ezekiel paused a few seconds before he continued. “The words, “Shady Maple,” were written on the calendar inside the desk, so I figured that must be where you’d all gone.”
Tears welled in Belinda’s eyes, nearly obstructing her vision. She left her seat and gave her New York family a hug, with extra kisses for the children. “If you and Michelle would like to go fill your plates and Angela Mary’s, we’ll keep an eye on the children here at the table. Then when you get back, we can finish our meal and catch up with each other’s lives.”
“Good idea.” Ezekiel situated Angela Mary on a chair, and placed little Vernon on Amy’s lap. “We’ll be back soon.”
Belinda closed her eyes. Thank You, Lord, for giving me such a loving family. Although her birthday was somewhat bittersweet, because she missed their departed loved ones and wished they could be here to celebrate with them, Belinda was aware of God’s many blessings.
Strasburg
After Virginia saw Earl off to work the following day, she sat on the front porch with a cup of coffee and her crossword puzzle book. It was a beautiful spring morning, with birds chirping from every tree in the yard, as well as those across the road. Her Amish neighbors across the street had a feeder hanging off a branch of a maple tree. It was nice entertainment to use her binoculars and watch the feeding frenzy going on. Sometimes the teenage boy in his straw hat would stand off gazing at the winged action. It seemed intriguing that Amy’s young brother was interested in birds. Virginia figured he’d be off running around with other teenagers.
Virginia could see herself bird-watching as a hobby. It would be fun to be able to identify the species of birds in the area. Maybe I’ll buy a bird identification book the next time I’m out shopping.
She blew on her hot coffee and tried to relax. Her leg had been hurting this morning, so she wouldn’t do too much today. Instead, Virginia would sit here awhile, but once the horse-and-buggy traffic started, she’d have to go back inside if she wanted any peace and quiet.
She noticed Belinda King’s teenage boy outside. She couldn’t tell for sure from this distance, but it looked like he held a pair of binoculars in his hands. When he tipped his head back, as though looking into one of the trees in the yard, a bearded man came out of the house and joined Henry on the lawn. No doubt, the King family had overnight guests. What other reason would they be coming out of the house so early in the morning?
A short time later, a little Amish girl came out of the house, and the bearded man picked her up, then pointed to the tree.
Virginia left her chair and stood at the porch railing, hoping for a better look. Maybe I should go inside and get my binoculars. I might be able to see what they’re looking at.
Virginia stepped inside, but by the time she came back out, Henry and the visitors were no longer in her line of vision. They’d either gone back to the house or moved somewhere else in the yard.
She thought of Stella and how she’d enjoyed sitting out here, soaking up the country air. One morning, they’d sat on the lounge chairs for over an hour, drinking coffee and chatting. Every now and then, her friend would jump up to watch an Amish carriage go up the road or turn onto the Kings’ driveway. Stella had commented, “Don’t you just love the quaintness of those Plain people and their old-fashioned mode of transportation?” Virginia would smile, not wanting to ruin Stella’s enthusiasm over the very thing that left unsightly messes and brought in more flies.
She snapped her fingers. “Guess I may as well go back inside. So much for spying on the neighbors. Maybe I’ll see more the next time.”
When a horse and buggy pulled into the yard, Sylvia looked up from her job of pulling weeds in the flowerbed by the house. She was surprised to see Dennis get out of the carriage.
“Guder mariye,” he called after he secured his horse to the rail.
“Good morning.” Sylvia rose to her feet and headed in his direction.
He met her halfway and offered a pleasant smile. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but I came by to ask a few questions I forgot when we met at your place and you gave me the key.”
Sylvia wondered why Dennis hadn’t called and left a message with his questions, but she supposed he preferred to ask in person. “What did you need to know?”
“There are some tools in the shed, and I wondered if you plan to take them, or would it be possible for me to buy them from you?”
Sylvia removed her gardening gloves and swiped one hand across her sweaty forehead. The tools had belonged to Toby, and she’d almost forgotten they were in the shed. “I’m not sure I want to sell them at this time, but you’re welcome to use any of the tools while you are renting my house.”
His chin tilted down as he broke eye contact with her for a few seconds, but then he smiled and said, “Okay, that’s fine. I just didn’t want to touch ’em till I’d spoken to you.”
“I appreciate your consideration.”
“I have another question.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I’m interested in getting a dog. Would you have a problem with that, if I kept it outside during the day and only brought it into the house in the evenings?”
Sylvia fingered her apron band as she mulled over his request. Her husband hadn’t been a dog person. He’d said having a dog would be one more thing to worry about when they were away from home.
“Would you be leaving it inside when you’re
not at home?”
Dennis shook his head. “He’d be an outside dog during the day, and I’ll even build him a pen to stay in when I’m away from the house.” He offered Sylvia a boyish grin. “I’ve been thinking it would be nice to have a companion around to keep me company—especially in the evenings. Besides, it never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes and ears to let me know when a visitor comes by.”
Sylvia smiled. How could she say no to his honest request? “Jah, it’s fine. I don’t see a problem with you getting a dog.”
“Danki.” He lifted his straw hat and pulled his fingers through the back of his thick hair. “Thought I’d take a ride Sunday afternoon to enjoy the nice weather and look for some unusual birds. Would you and your brother want to join me?”
A part of her wanted to instantly agree to his offer, but another part of Sylvia—the sensible one—remembered they had company.
“It would be fun to join you, and I’m sure Henry would enjoy it too, but my older brother and his family are here from New York right now. They came to help us celebrate my mamm’s birthday, which was yesterday.”
“Oh, I see. And I guess they’ll still be with you on Sunday?”
“Jah. In fact, my brother Ezekiel, who is a minister, will most likely preach one of the sermons.”
“So you’ll be expected to spend the day with your family?”
“Not expected,” she corrected. “We don’t get to see Ezekiel and his family very often, so I want to be with them.”
Dennis gave a nod. “I understand. Some families are very tightknit.”
Sylvia was on the verge of asking if he and his family were close, when Ezekiel came out of the barn with Henry.
“That’s my older brother.” She gestured to them, then invited Ezekiel and Henry to come over.
“Hey, Mr. Weaver, it’s good to see you.” Henry gave Dennis an eager grin when he and Ezekiel joined them.
Sylvia made the introductions, and while Dennis and Ezekiel shook hands, she told Henry why Dennis had dropped by.
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