“Maybe being in Lancaster County whet your friend’s appetite enough that she’ll come back for another visit.” Earl looked toward the buffet counter, where another long line of people had formed.
But who knows when that will happen? Stella may not be able to fit it into her schedule to come here anytime soon.
An idea popped into Virginia’s head, and she gave Earl’s arm a tap. “Hey!”
“Hey, what?”
She waited for him to face her. “If we should get an invitation to Jared and Amy’s wedding, and I share the news with Stella, I’m sure she’d want to come along.”
Her husband chuckled. “Woman, your mind is always at work, isn’t it? But you’re right, an invitation to an Amish wedding would probably prompt your best friend to come for another stay.”
Virginia nodded. Maybe I’ll need to be a bit friendlier to our neighbors. Oh bother, this is sure not what I’d like to do, but I desperately want Stella to come here again.
“I’m going back up for seconds.” Earl pushed away from the table. “Would you care to join me?”
“Guess I could eat another piece of that chicken, and maybe some more noodles with gravy.”
They left their used plates behind and headed for the counter for new dishes. Earl went ahead of her as he loaded up his plate again. The grin he wore reassured Virginia that they’d be back here another evening in the future.
She picked out some pickled beets to go along with the chicken and noodles. I’m glad the pants I’m wearing are stretchy and my tunic will hide my expanding belly.
Virginia peeked at Amy and Jared, before scooting over to join Earl in front of the desserts.
“If I’ve got any room after all this, I might get some of that chocolate cake with frosting.” He pointed to it.
“Same here.” Virginia followed Earl to their table.
A few minutes later, a large group of Amish came in and were seated at a long table near them. It looked like three generations of folks getting settled in their chairs. Earl chuckled and mentioned something about how big their bill would be.
Virginia tried to watch them without staring. I wonder if I’ll ever understand the Plain people. This wouldn’t even be an issue if we were still living in Chicago.
Saturday morning when Amy went out to get the mail, she saw Virginia standing at her own mailbox.
“Good morning.” Amy smiled.
“Morning.” Virginia’s response could barely be heard, and she avoided Amy’s glance.
“Did you and your husband enjoy your meal at Diener’s the other evening?”
“Yeah, it was good.” Virginia grabbed her mail and was about to cross the road, but she stopped suddenly and turned to face Amy. “I noticed you have a new sign out front.” She spoke louder and pointed in that direction. “What happened to your old one?”
“Apparently someone took it, so my sister made a new one.”
“Bet I know who stole it.” Virginia’s lips pressed into a thin, flat line.
Amy moved closer. “Who do you believe it was?”
Virginia fiddled with one of her dangly earrings. “I think it was that scruffy-looking old woman who walks by here nearly every day.” She looked directly at Amy. “I’ve seen her meandering up and down your driveway a few times too. She seems creepy to me, although I’ve never talked to her. Don’t even know the woman’s name or where she lives.”
“You must be referring to Maude. She doesn’t speak much, and we don’t know a lot about her, other than that she lives most of the year in an old shack up the road.”
“I see. Well, the other morning, around six o’clock, I saw her walking back and forth in front of your driveway. Her head was down, and she appeared to be looking for something. Then I noticed that it looked like she was holding an object behind her back.”
“Could you tell what it was?”
“Nope, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the guilty one who snatched your sign.” Virginia shook her head slowly. “You need to keep an eye on that woman if she comes around again. A person like her can’t be trusted. In fact, I’m gonna keep a watch out for her too. If she could lift your sign, then who knows what else might disappear from your place, or maybe ours next.”
Amy thought about the things Maude had done previously, like taking some produce from their garden. Then there was the time she snatched some cookies they had setting out on the counter in the greenhouse. Virginia might have a point. It’s possible that Maude may have taken the sign out front and possibly the watering can that went missing last year.
“Think I’d better get back to the house now and start a load of laundry.” Virginia’s comment broke into Amy’s disconcerting thoughts.
“Okay, I need to take care of this mail.” Amy tapped the envelopes against her other hand.
“See you around.” Virginia smiled, looked both ways, and limped to the other side of the road.
Clasping the mail in her hands, Amy headed back up the driveway and turned toward the greenhouse. If Maude did take our sign, what would she have wanted with it?
Belinda had put the Open sign on the door and was about to check all the plants to see if any needed water, when Amy came in.
“I just talked with our neighbor across the road, and she thinks Maude may have taken our sign.” Amy breathed heavily.
“The new one Sylvia made?”
“No. It was the old sign that went missing.”
“What makes Virginia think it was Maude? Did she see her take the sign?”
Amy shook her head. “No, but she saw her walking back and forth in front of our driveway that morning, and then Maude bent down like she was searching for something. Oh, and Virginia said it looked like the elderly woman had something behind her back.”
Belinda flapped her hand. “For goodness’ sake, Amy, that’s no proof that Maude took the sign. She could have dropped something that belonged to her.”
“I suppose, but you know how strange Maude acts at times. And don’t forget—we have caught her taking things before.”
“We certainly can’t accuse her unless we have some proof.”
“True, but—”
“Is that the mail you have in your hands?” Belinda decided it was time for a topic change.
“Jah.” Amy handed the letters to her.
“Danki. Now, would you mind checking the plants for water while I go through the mail?”
“I don’t mind, but where’s Henry? Shouldn’t he be checking the plants?”
“I assume he’s still in the barn, which is where he said he was going after we finished breakfast.”
“Should I go get him?”
“It’s not necessary. I’m sure he will come here when he’s done. In the meantime…”
“No problem, Mom. I’ll check on the plants.” Amy turned and headed down the first row, while Belinda took a seat behind the counter.
I’m glad Amy had a pleasant time with Jared last night. He’s a nice young man, and they get along so well—just like Vernon and I did.
Belinda sighed as she picked up a piece of mail. The first envelope she opened was a bill and there were two more after that. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. It seemed lately there were more bills than money coming in.
Belinda finished looking at the last piece of mail—an advertisement—when Monroe entered the greenhouse. I wonder what he wants this time.
“Morning, Belinda. I was on my way back from the doughnut shop and thought I’d drop some off for you.” He set a sweet-smelling box on the counter and grinned at her. “I got busy at work and couldn’t make it back here until today, but I wanted to come by and make sure no more vandalism has been done.”
“Everything’s fine. No more problems at all.” Belinda lifted the lid and inhaled the delightful aroma of maple bars and chocolate-glazed doughnuts. “Danki, Monroe. It was thoughtful of you to think of us with these treats. I’ll be sure to share the doughnuts with the rest of my family.”
His smile widened. “I’ll bring you more the next time I stop at the doughnut shop. Whenever I go there, I get the freshest baked pastries.”
She held up both hands. “Oh, there’s no need for that. If I ate treats like this too often, I’d surely get fat.”
“No way!” He shook his head. “You still have the trim figure of an eighteen-year-old girl.”
Belinda’s face warmed. No man but Vernon had ever talked to her in such a personal way. It made her feel peculiar. If she wasn’t careful, Monroe could end up worming his way in, making it harder to convince the determined man that she had no interest in a romantic relationship with him.
“Go on with you now.” She waved her hand. “I look nothing like I did when I was a teenager.”
“You look good to me.”
Belinda’s face grew hotter, and to her relief an English couple came in and asked if she would help them with something.
“Yes, I’ll be right with you.”
Before Belinda could step down from the stool, Monroe lowered his voice and said: “By the way… I went by that new greenhouse and checked it out the other day.
“You did?”
“Jah. It’s big, and they carry a lot of different things, but not personal like your business. I was not impressed with it at all.”
“Danki for sharing your thoughts. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
“Oh, sure. Guess I’d best be going anyway.” He leaned closer to Belinda. “Feel free to let me know if you have any more problems.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.” She slipped out from behind the counter and gave the customers her full attention as Monroe went out the door.
Sylvia mouthed the words to one of her favorite hymns, then began to hum the tune. The house was full of sunshine, and the kitchen smelled of fresh-brewed coffee. She felt light-hearted and could almost sense God’s presence. Maybe it’s because of the song that popped into my head, she thought. Or maybe I’m beginning to heal. Some of the scriptures Mom read during our family time of devotions have made sense to me, and my anger toward God and the man responsible for the accident that killed our loved ones seems to have dissipated some. Maybe in time I’ll feel whole again spiritually.
“Whatcha doin’, Mama?” Allen asked when he darted into the kitchen where Sylvia stood, mixing the batter to make sugar cookies.
“I was humming while getting ready to bake some kichlin. Would you like to help?”
Allen bobbed his head.
Sylvia pulled a stool over to the counter and helped him climb up. Then she showed him how to dip the bottom of a cup in a bowl of sugar and flatten each blob of dough she’d placed on the cookie sheet. Sylvia did it a couple more times, and then guided Allen’s hands through the process.
He caught on quickly, so Sylvia sat back and took a drink from her cup of coffee. The kitchen was so warm and cozy, as she relaxed, watching Allen at work.
Things went well at first, and her son seemed to be having a good time until his sister came into the room and started to fuss. Allen turned to look at her, and in so doing, his elbow hit the canister, sending it flying off the counter and landing on its side. Sugar went everywhere—including Rachel’s hair. The sobbing child dashed out of the room, leaving a trail of sugar as she shook her head.
Allen remained on the stool with his mouth gaping open, and Sylvia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She set the cookie sheet aside, helped Allen off the stool, and followed the trail of sugar in search of her daughter.
Sylvia found Rachel in the hallway, outside the bathroom door, no longer crying, as she sat with her legs crossed. Looking up at Sylvia, the child slid a finger across the top of her head and then stuck it in her mouth. “Zucker.”
“Yes, little one. You have sugar in your hair.” Sylvia couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling in her throat. She had a mess to clean, but it could have been worse, and it felt so good to laugh about something. She needed to look at the humorous side of things more and not be so serious all the time.
Sylvia picked Rachel up and carried her to the back porch. The first chore was getting the sugar out of her daughter’s hair, and then she would return to the kitchen to get the cookies baked. Hopefully they would turn out well and she could serve them when Dennis came over tomorrow to do more bird-watching and join them for supper.
When Dennis entered the house shortly after noon, he went to the bathroom and wet a washcloth. After wiping his sweaty forehead with it, and then scrubbing his hands with plenty of soap and water, he headed for the kitchen.
Once he’d fixed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Dennis poured himself a glass of milk and took a seat at the table. Since no one was here to see him, he didn’t bother to offer a prayer, even though he did have much to be thankful for.
Dennis had spent the better part of the morning working with his friend’s horse, and as soon as he finished eating lunch he had another person’s gelding to work with. He’d hung several flyers around the area, advertising his business, and had run an ad in the local newspaper. Dennis hoped he’d soon have more business than he could handle.
He picked up one of his sandwich halves and took a bite. Who knows, maybe I’ll eventually be able to hire someone to help around the barn—cleaning the stalls, along with feeding and watering the horses. A helper could also brush down the horses after their training sessions.
This morning, before Dennis had gone out to the barn, he’d called the bird-watcher’s hotline and was pleased to hear a few people talk about some sightings in this area. One person from Gap had seen several turkey vultures, as well as a Cooper’s hawk and a blue jay. Another person, from a different area, stated that they’d spotted a blue-winged teal and some black terns. Dennis planned to take Sylvia and her brother to that area tomorrow afternoon. With any luck, they would find some interesting birds too.
Dennis eyed his stack of reading material on the counter. I should look up those birds in one of my books. That way, if we do catch sight of any of the species talked about on the hotline, I’ll be more informed about what I’m hoping to see.
He was eager to see Henry and Sylvia again. He’d enjoyed their last birding adventure and been pleased to see Sylvia smile and hear her laugh a few times. She’d seemed more relaxed than she had previously, and Dennis looked forward to joining her family for a meal when they got back from birding. It would be nice to get better acquainted with Sylvia’s mother and sister. He was curious to see how well Sylvia got along with her family. The sit-down supper should help him see this.
Home-cooked meals weren’t the norm for Dennis these days. It was a nice treat for him to be invited to eat with the King family. He was sure there would be some kind of a dessert to follow the meal—something else to anticipate.
Dennis bit into his sandwich and drank some milk. His world seemed to be filled with more happiness as he’d gotten better acquainted with Henry and especially Sylvia. He didn’t understand why, but he was drawn to her—had been from the moment they’d met.
Maybe it’s because I saw the hurt in her eyes and heard it in her tone of voice. Dennis knew all the signs of emotional pain, because he’d felt them too, ever since his father died. Truth was, he wasn’t sure he would ever fully come to grips with Dad’s death, but keeping busy seemed to help some. And of course, his hobby of bird-watching was a pleasant distraction, so maybe it would be for Sylvia too.
Clymer
Michelle’s heart swelled with joy as she sat in church, listening to her husband preach from Psalm 127:3–5. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them….”
Michelle looked at her daughter sitting beside her, so well-behaved, and then at the little boy in her lap. What a blessing and a privilege it was to be these children’s mother.
Although far from perfect, Michelle did her best to be a good mother. Sh
e wanted her children to feel loved and safe—not hopeless and fearful, the way she’d felt as a child.
Michelle was thankful she’d married a good man who spent quality time with his children and gave them all the love and proper training they needed.
I wish my dad had been like Ezekiel. I’m sure I would have turned out differently if he’d been a loving Christian father. She reached into her tote and pulled out a couple of snack-sized bags for the children.
Michelle didn’t think of her parents as often as she used to when she and her brothers were first put in foster care, but sometimes, like now, a vision of her mother and father came to mind. She wondered if they’d ever gotten help for their problems, or if they sometimes thought about her, Ernie, and Jack. Had her folks ever come to realize what bad parents they’d been? Were they sorry for the abuse their children had suffered?
Looking back on it now, Michelle was glad that she and her brothers had been taken from their parents. They were better off without them.
Her thoughts went to Ernie and Jack and what a nice visit they’d all had the last time they had gotten together. Michelle looked forward to the next opportunity for either of her brothers to come for a visit.
Strasburg
“Dennis should be here anytime. Would you two like to join us today for some bird-watching?” Sylvia looked at Amy and Jared, who sat on the porch swing. They’d all recently returned from visiting a neighboring church district.
“It’s nice of you to ask,” Amy replied, “but Jared and I have other plans. We’ve been invited to my friend Lydia’s house to play some games and join a few other young people for a barbecue. We’ll be leaving soon.”
“So you won’t be here for supper?”
“No,” Jared spoke up. “Our get-together will probably last until late evening.”
“Sounds about right. Guess I’d better let Mom know so she doesn’t fix too much chicken.”
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