The Mockingbird's Song

by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L. Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray

  Dennis jiggled the reins. “When I was a boy, I helped my daed raise some German shepherd pups, and it was a lot of work, which I don’t have time for right now. If I could locate a fully grown German shepherd locally, that would be great.”

  “Maybe you oughta put an ad in The Budget or check at the animal shelter in Lancaster,” Henry suggested.

  “Jah, that might work.”

  Seconds ticked by before Dennis looked Sylvia’s way again. Why so quiet? She’d been talkative the last time I saw her. What could she be thinking about? I hope I didn’t say anything to offend her.

  The silence between them felt awkward and seemed to be growing the farther they rode. Why am I so tongue-tied right now? I deal with people all the time and always have something to say.

  Struggling to find a good topic, Dennis was about to ask Sylvia about one of the items he’d seen in her mother’s greenhouse, when Henry tapped him on the shoulder and piped up with a question of his own.

  “Have you seen any mockingbirds since you moved to Strasburg?”

  “No, I can’t say as I have. I am acquainted with the species though, because I saw some where I used to live in Dauphin County.”

  “Sylvia saw one the other day—or at least she thinks it was a mockingbird.”

  “Is that right?” Dennis glanced in her direction. “What’d it look like, Sylvia?”

  She turned her head to look at him, then looked back at the road ahead when a car whizzed by. “The bird was in one of the trees in our yard, and I saw it while looking out a window in the house. It was hard to tell for sure, but it appeared to have a gray body and head.”

  Good. She’s talking now. “Was the tail mostly black with white outer feathers?” he questioned.

  “I think so, but I can’t be sure.”

  “A male mockingbird has a silvery gray head and back, with light gray chest and belly. It also has white wing patches, and a mostly black tail with white outer tail feathers. Oh, and its bill is black,” he added.

  “You seem to know a lot about birds,” Sylvia said.

  “That’s because I’ve been studying them for several years. Of course, that doesn’t make me an expert by any means.”

  “Well, you know more than we do,” Henry interjected. “I bet if we get together and go birding with you from time to time, we’ll learn a lot more.”

  “You’re right, Henry, but it’ll be the birds that’ll teach us, not me.”

  Sylvia couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so much. Certainly not since Toby had died. Standing among trees and shrubs, listening to the call of various birds as she peered at them through the binoculars she’d brought along had transported Sylvia to a different world.

  The rising whistle of bob-white…bob-white, caught her attention, and she pointed in the direction of the mostly brown stocky bird with a short gray tail. Upon closer examination through the field glasses, Sylvia realized the bobwhite had a prominent white eye stripe and white chin. She saw clearly that its sides and belly were reddish brown with black lines and dots.

  She turned to look at Dennis and mouthed, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  He grinned at her and gave a nod.

  Henry was all-smiles as he watched the bird searching for insects on the ground.

  “If I’d had any idea bird-watching would be so much fun, I would have taken up the hobby sooner,” Sylvia whispered to Dennis.

  “I agree with you. It’s not only an educational hobby, but relaxing and entertaining too.” Dennis moved closer to Sylvia. “Can we do this again next Sunday?”

  “I’d like that. I’ll need to check with my mamm first, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine with Henry and me going birding with you again. By next Sunday, Ezekiel and his family will be gone, so maybe before or after we go bird-watching, you’d like to share a meal with us.”

  “That’d be great.” There was no hesitation in Dennis’s response.

  Sylvia looked forward to next week and spending more time with this nice man who knew so much about birds. She hoped either Mom or Amy would be willing to watch Rachel and Allen so she wouldn’t have to cancel her plans.

  A lump formed in Belinda’s throat as she stood on the porch Monday morning, waving goodbye as Ezekiel and his family gathered their things to put into the driver’s van. Even though she’d done this more than once, it never got easier. She craved to have the whole family together, and all this did was fuel the flames. Wonderful as it was to have them visit, it always took her a few days to readjust when they left. However, having her children and grandchildren together in one place made the sting of not having Vernon, Abe, and Toby with them seem a little less severe.

  It’s in my son’s best interest to live where he does, Belinda reminded herself. Each time Ezekiel and his family returned to Clymer, the need to keep Sylvia and the children nearby held her more tightly in its grip. Belinda wasn’t certain, but it might be because she felt insecure without a man in her life. She had grown used to Vernon being there by her side and making the heavy decisions around the house. It made things simpler to trust his judgment, sit back, and relax. There were times when they would disagree on some topics, but the waters usually calmed quickly.

  Why can’t things be easier for me now? I work hard and try to be considerate of others. Belinda rolled her shoulders a couple of times. If only my husband could give me his sound opinion on things. He allowed more time in figuring out how to work through everyone’s problems. I want answers now. She leaned against the railing, her fingers drumming the wooden surface.

  “Are you all right, Mom?” Amy slipped her arm around Belinda’s waist. No doubt she sensed her mother’s anxiety.

  Belinda stopped tapping. “I’m fine, or at least I will be once we go to the greenhouse and get busy.”

  “Jah. The quicker we get to work, the sooner our minds will be on other things.” Amy looked at Henry, along with Sylvia and the children, who had come out to tell Ezekiel and his family goodbye.

  Soon they were waving to each other as the van started down the driveway. They all stood watching the vehicle head away from the house and onto the road.

  “We’ll miss them.” Belinda’s voice wavered.

  Sylvia patted her arm. “Maybe someday we can all go to Clymer to visit them, Mom. Perhaps we could do it on a long weekend.”

  “I’d like that ’cause I’ve never been to the state of New York,” Henry spoke up.

  “That would be a fun trip,” Amy agreed.

  “I’d consider the plan, but it would have to be when the greenhouse is closed during the winter months. Of course, we’d need to ask someone to pick up our mail, take care of the animals, and check the house.” Belinda looked at Amy. “We’ll need to put the idea of the trip on hold until after your wedding, so if we go to Clymer, it’ll have to be sometime after the first of the year.”

  Amy nodded. “I hope Jared and I will be able to join you.”

  Belinda patted her daughter’s arm. “I hope so too.”

  They all remained on the porch for a while, looking out into the yard. The birds seemed to be enjoying the freshly filled containers Henry had taken care of earlier that morning.

  Sylvia leaned against the railing by Amy and Belinda. Allen and Rachel came up to their mother, watching a barn cat give herself a bath near the porch. Things seemed somber for a time, as Belinda soaked up the quiet with her family. She looked toward the greenhouse before turning to face her children. “It’s getting close to opening time, and even though our spirits are low, we need to get to work.”

  “You’re right, Mom.” Amy nudged Henry’s arm. “Oh and you’d better get some honey. We’re low on what we have available in the greenhouse to sell.”

  He sneered at her. “Don’t be tellin’ me what to do. You ain’t my boss, you know.”

  Belinda stepped between them and spoke before Amy could respond to her brother. “Your sister is right—we do need more jars of honey. Would you please take care of tha
t for me, Son?”

  “Jah, okay.” Henry stepped off the porch and headed for the outside entrance of their cellar, where they kept the raw honey from their bees in glass jars, along with other home-canned goods.

  Belinda turned to Sylvia. “Amy and I will be heading to work now. We’ll either take turns coming up to the house for lunch, or if we’re too busy, one of us may run up and get sandwiches to take out to the greenhouse, which we’ll eat whenever we can.”

  “Okay, Mom, but before you go, I need to ask you a question.”

  Belinda looked over at Amy. “Would you mind opening up this morning while I talk to Sylvia? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Sure, Mom. No problem.” Amy stepped down from the porch and hurried off in the direction of the greenhouse.

  Belinda turned toward Sylvia again. “What did you want to say?”

  “Umm…just a minute, please.” Sylvia opened the door and ushered her children into the house. Belinda heard her instruct them to play quietly in the living room. Then she returned. “Could we take a seat while I talk to you about something?”

  “Of course.”

  After they were seated, Belinda cleared her throat. “What’s on your mind, Daughter?”

  “Dennis asked Henry and me to go bird-watching with him again this Sunday, and I wondered if you’d be willing to watch the kinner while we’re gone.”

  “Certainly. I always enjoy spending time with my grandchildren.” Belinda wasn’t thrilled about Sylvia spending time with this stranger they knew so little about, but she couldn’t say no to her request. It was good to see that her eldest daughter had found something to get her out of the house. This new hobby was something she and Henry had in common. For the past year, Sylvia had rarely smiled or gotten excited about anything. A fascination with birds and a desire to learn more about them had given her something to look forward to.

  “There’s one more thing.” Sylvia placed her hand on Belinda’s arm. “Would it be okay if Dennis joined us for supper Sunday evening, after we get back from birding? I probably shouldn’t have, without asking first, but I sort of invited him to join us for the meal.”

  Belinda’s muscles tightened, and she had to consciously force them to relax. Had Sylvia become interested in Dennis Weaver, or he in her? If she saw him regularly, might they end up courting? Although a year had passed since Toby’s death, Belinda couldn’t accept the idea of her daughter being courted—especially by a near stranger. I’d like to say what’s on my mind right now, but I don’t want to undo the progress she’s starting to make.

  Belinda had to give Sylvia an answer, and she didn’t want to create a problem, so she forced herself to smile and say, “Jah, that would be fine.”

  Sylvia smiled and gave her a hug. “Danki, Mom. I’ll give Dennis a call on his cell phone and let him know about Sunday.”

  “Cell phone?” Belinda clutched her apron. “Why does he have one of those? There’s still a phone shed on your property, right?”

  “There is, but the phone’s been disconnected since the kinner and I moved out.”

  “He could have it reconnected and get a new number.”

  Sylvia nodded. “And he probably will, but he needs the cell phone for business purposes.”

  “Puh!” Belinda flapped her hand. “We’ve run a business here for several years, and never needed a cell phone. As I recall, the church district you used to belong to didn’t allow their members to own a cell phone.”

  “Maybe they’ve changed the rule.”

  “Or maybe the church leaders aren’t aware that Dennis has one.” I’d hate to think so, but this young man we barely know could be a bad influence on my son and daughter.

  The sound and sight of a horse and buggy coming up the driveway put an end to their conversation. “I need to go.” Belinda stood. “I’ll see you at lunchtime.”

  Sylvia entered the house and was greeted with the shrill scream of her daughter. With her heart beating a staccato, she raced to the living room to see what had happened. Rachel sat in the middle of the room, tears coursing down her flushed cheeks, as her brother galloped a plastic horse in circles on the floor. Rachel’s tiny baby doll had been draped over the horse’s back. No wonder the poor thing was so upset.

  Sylvia knelt on the floor, rescued the doll, and handed it to Rachel, who immediately stopped crying. Allen, however, pouted. “The horse has no rider,” he said in Pennsylvania Dutch.

  “He probably likes not having the dolly on his back.” Sylvia reached for her son’s hand. “Why don’t you come with me to the kitchen? We’ll bake some peanut butter kichlin.”

  Allen’s eyes widened, and he didn’t have to be asked twice. He took off on a full run, and Sylvia found him sitting at the kitchen table when she entered the room. Her son loved cookies and would often ask to taste some of the batter. Truth was, Sylvia liked to test the cookie dough too.

  She got out all the ingredients and let Allen help stir the batter. Then she showed him how to drop spoons of dough onto the greased cookie sheet. While the tasty treats baked, Allen colored a picture Sylvia had drawn of a bird. It was supposed to look like the mockingbird she’d seen in the yard, but her son colored it brown instead of gray.

  Sylvia smiled. It doesn’t matter what color Allen chose for the bird. At least it’s keeping him occupied while his sister plays quietly with her doll by herself.

  Sylvia remembered how, when she was a child, she and her siblings had sometimes quarreled over certain toys. Their mother, in all her wisdom, always came to the rescue by giving each of the children something different to do. Sometimes it turned out to be an unpleasant chore, while other times Mom gave them something fun to do, like helping bake a cake, pie, or cookies.

  Back then, Sylvia had no choice but to do whatever her mother said, and now she was a grown woman, with two children of her own to care for.

  Sylvia sucked in her bottom lip. I don’t understand why Mom still thinks it’s her job to tell me what to do. She opened the oven door and removed a batch of cookies, placing them on the cooling rack. Since Mom said it was okay, I need to let Dennis know that he’ll be welcome to join us for Sunday supper.

  The first hour after opening the greenhouse they’d been busy, but now things had slacked off. Amy was about to go to the storage room to look for a few items they needed to replenish, when Mom called her up to the front counter.

  “What is it, Mom? Did you need me to get something from the storage room?” Amy questioned.

  Mom shook her head. “No, I wanted to tell you about the conversation I had with your sister before joining you here after the greenhouse opened.”

  “Is everything all right with Sylvia?”

  “She’s not sick or anything, but I am feeling a bit bekimmere about her.”

  “I don’t understand. Sylvia seems to be doing a little better lately emotionally, so in what way are you concerned?”

  “She and Henry have plans to go birding again this Sunday with that man, Dennis Weaver.”

  Amy smiled. “I’m not at all surprised. My brother and sister both seem to have found a hobby they really enjoy.”

  Mom put both hands against her hips. “It’s not their new hobby I’m worried about. It’s the man they’re going bird-watching with. Why, did you know that Dennis owns a cell phone?”

  “No, I did not, but I don’t see why his having a cell phone would cause you to worry about Sylvia.”

  “I think he might be worldly and maybe even deceitful, since it’s doubtful that he got permission from the leaders in his church district to have any kind of phone other than one that would be in a phone shed.”

  Amy was on the verge of telling her mother that whatever Dennis did had nothing to do with Sylvia, when Maude, the lady who lived in a nearby shack, came in.

  Mom left her stool and went to speak with the unkempt woman. Before Maude left, she would probably be carrying a bag of groceries and whatever else Mom decided to share with her.

  Amy
pursed her lips. Doesn’t my mother even care that this elderly, eccentric lady has stolen from us?

  Since there was no one else in the building at the moment and Mom was busy talking to Maude, Amy hurried off to the storage room. When she stepped out several minutes later, she heard Maude criticizing the way Mom ran the greenhouse, saying that her prices were too high and the plants and flowers for sale needed to be rearranged.

  Amy’s finger curled into the palms of her hands. Who does that woman think she is, talking to my mother that way? Amy felt sorry for the elderly woman, but it was not good for business to have her here complaining about high prices and saying negative things about the greenhouse. If anyone else had come into the building while Amy was in the storage room, they might have heard Maude’s grumblings and decided to take their business elsewhere.

  Amy drew in a breath and blew it out with such force, the ties on her head covering swished across her face. And that would certainly not be good. We need all the business we can get right now.

  “Things are sure slow this afternoon,” Amy commented as she and her mother sat behind the counter, eating ham-and-cheese sandwiches. “If we’d known things would taper off like this, we could have taken turns eating lunch in the house.”

  Mom took a drink from her bottle of water. “I don’t understand it. Usually in the spring we’re so busy we can barely keep up.” Her neck bent forward as she released a heavy sigh. “Maybe the things Maude said to me earlier today are true. We might be losing customers to the other greenhouse.”

  “As many kind things as you’ve done for Maude, she had no right to upset you.” Amy’s elbows pressed against her sides. “We can’t afford to lose any business, Mom. Maybe we need to advertise more.”

  “Running an ad in the newspaper means more money out of pocket,” Mom replied. “Word of mouth has always been our best form of advertising, but if people aren’t happy with our prices or the items we sell, they’ll tell others not to shop here.”