The Mockingbird's Song

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

  “So here’s the living room.” Amy made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “It’s nowhere near as big as our living room at home, but it should be adequate for Jared and me, don’t you think?”

  “Jah, I would say so.” Belinda moved over to stand beside the fireplace. “You’ll enjoy this during the winter months, I imagine.”

  Amy bobbed her head. “Oh, yes. I can picture a nice fire burning, and its heat warming up this area. Now let’s go down the hall, and I’ll show you the bedrooms. These rooms aren’t large, but they’ll certainly serve our needs.”

  “Sounds good.” Belinda followed her daughter out of the room.

  By the time Amy showed her mother the rest of the house, Jared and Herschel had come inside. She found them sitting in the living room. Herschel kept his gaze toward the floor, and Jared looked at Amy with a wrinkled forehead as he bounced one leg over the other.

  “Jared and I are going into the kitchen now to prepare supper.” Amy looked at Mom. “You and Herschel can make yourselves comfortable and visit while we get the meal prepared.”

  Herschel nodded, but he didn’t look up or even glance at Mom. Amy’s mother, however, folded her arms and shook her head. “Jared, why don’t you sit here and relax? I can help Amy with the meal.”

  “No way.” Jared stood with his feet firmly planted. “Amy and I invited you and Herschel for supper, and we’re going to do the cooking.” As though the matter was settled, he marched out of the room. Amy hurried behind him.

  It was quiet in the living room, with neither Herschel nor Mom saying anything. Amy listened from the kitchen, near the doorway, and it wasn’t long before she heard her mother try to get the ball rolling.

  “I’ve been by this place many times, Herschel, and never imagined that one day my youngest daughter might be living here. The house seems to be in good shape, and the layout is nice.”

  “Jah.”

  “I like the built-in shelves on either side of the fireplace. That’s an extra feature you don’t see in many newer homes.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Amy grimaced and moved away from the door. “I hope we didn’t make a mistake by leaving those two alone,” she whispered to Jared. “So far, things don’t seem to be going so well. Mom is doing most of the talking and Herschel’s only said a few words.”

  Jared kissed Amy’s cheek. “Just give it some time. I’m sure Herschel will open up and say more. He’s kind of shy, you know.”

  Amy was hopeful as she moved over to the refrigerator to take out the chicken, while Jared heated the frying pan on the stove. Maybe once everyone began eating the meal, they would all relax and have a good time.

  “This is a good meal.” Dennis cut into another piece of succulent roast beef. “Danki for taking the time to fix it, Mom.”

  She looked across the table at him. “And why wouldn’t I want to feed my sons a nice meal?”

  “You’re my guests,” Dennis replied. “I should be the one serving you.”

  Gerald rolled his eyes. “Since when did you learn how to cook?”

  “I admit, I don’t know my way around the kitchen very well, but we could have gone out to eat supper. There are some pretty good restaurants here in Lancaster County.”

  “I’m sure there are, but I enjoy cooking, so there’s no reason for us to go out. Besides, you don’t often get many leftovers when you eat at a restaurant.” His mother sprinkled some pepper on her food. “How about the nice meatloaf sandwiches with the toasted rolls you like? I could make those for supper tomorrow.”

  Gerald nodded with a mouthful of potatoes Mom had mixed with sour cream.

  “I’d like that.” Dennis forked the piece of meatloaf into his mouth, and as he chewed, he mulled over the idea of whether he should say anything about Sylvia or not. He wanted to tell his mother about the feelings he’d begun to develop for Sylvia but wasn’t sure of her reaction.

  “So what have you been up to other than horse training since you moved to Strasburg?” Gerald asked.

  Dennis placed his fork on the plate and wiped his lips with his napkin. “I’m still doing some birding when I have the time.”

  “Good to hear.” Mom smiled. “Everyone needs an outlet that doesn’t involve work.”

  Dennis fiddled with his knife handle a few seconds and took a drink of water. “The young widow who rented me this home is also a bird-watcher and so is her youngest brother.”

  “That’s nice.” Mom dished some scalloped potatoes onto her plate and took a bite.

  “We’ve gone birding together and shared some meals at her mamm’s place.”

  “Sounds like they’re a hospitable family,” Gerald commented.

  “They are, and Sylvia has the cutest kinner. Rachel’s kind of shy, but I think Allen’s taken a liking to me.” Dennis paused for a breath. “Oh, and I recently asked Sylvia if I could court her.”

  Mom’s brows shot up. “You’re courting a widowed woman with children?”

  “Correct.”

  “Congratulations for taking such a big step!” Gerald reached over and gave Dennis’s shoulder a squeeze. “By this time next year you could be a married man. That’d be great news.”

  Dennis shrugged. “You never know, but I don’t plan to rush it. Sylvia’s been through a lot, losing her husband, father, and oldest brother all in one accident.”

  “Wow! Just goes to show we’re not the only family dealing with a loss.” Gerald’s face sobered.

  Mom looked around the cozy kitchen, where Sylvia’s touches could be seen. “So this is the place she and her husband lived before his death?”

  “Jah, but she and the kinner have been living with her mamm.”

  “I’m surprised she didn’t sell it.”

  “I believe the thought occurred to her, Mom, but she decided to rent the place out instead.”

  “Is there any chance that we could meet her before we head back home before the end of the week?” Mom asked.

  “Umm…I don’t know…maybe. I’m not sure what her schedule is like.” Dennis wasn’t sure that his mother meeting Sylvia was such a good idea, but when Mom pressured him on it, he agreed to see if Sylvia would be free tomorrow evening. “I’ll make the call when we’re done with supper.”

  Well, at least my family is interested in meeting the woman I’m courting. That’s a step in the right direction and a positive sign.

  “I hope she’s free,” Gerald interjected, “because I’d like to meet the young lady who could end up being my sister-in-law.”

  Dennis lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s been no talk of marriage yet.” He reached up and rubbed the back of his much-too-warm neck. I hope if Mom and Gerald do get to meet Sylvia that neither of them says anything to embarrass me. They can both be pretty blunt at times.

  “Has anyone checked for phone messages today?” Sylvia asked as she sat in the living room with her mother and sister after they returned from having supper at Herschel’s rental. The children were in bed, and so was Henry.

  “I went to the phone shack this morning before the greenhouse opened,” Amy said. “There was a message from Toby’s folks, checking to see how things are going, and there was also one from Sara. She apologized for not telling us that she’d sold her business. Sara said her only excuse was how busy she’s been taking care of the baby and trying to keep up with church-related functions. She also thought Misty would notify all of her customers.”

  Mom frowned. “I can understand her busyness, but I wish we hadn’t heard the news second-hand. It would have nice if she’d been the one to tell us.”

  “Were there any other messages besides the one from Sara?” Sylvia asked, quickly changing the subject. She’d been hoping she might hear something from Dennis today. The last time she’d seen him, he’d said something about wanting to get together with her this week.

  Amy nodded. “They were all related to greenhouse business.”

  “Oh, I see.” Sylvia cou
ldn’t hide her disappointment.

  Sylvia saw a gleam in her sister’s eyes as she turned in her chair to look at her. “Why don’t you go out right now and see if there are any new messages? He may have called since I checked earlier today.”

  “He?” Mom tipped her head. “Are you referring to Dennis?”

  “Jah. That is who you were hoping to hear from. Right, Sister?” Amy gave Sylvia’s arm a gentle poke.

  Sylvia’s face heated. “Jah. Think I’ll go check for messages.”

  Amy smiled, but Mom pressed her lips tightly together as she pushed her feet against the floor to get the rocking chair moving.

  Sylvia stood. “I’m going to grab a flashlight and head out to the shed now.” She ambled out of the room. Mom still seems to have concerns about me and Dennis as a couple.

  Belinda fanned her face with her hand. “Does it feel hotter than normal in here to you?” She looked over at Amy, who appeared to be quite comfortable on the couch.

  “Maybe a little. Should I open another window? If a breeze has come up, it would surely help cool this room.”

  “Jah, that might help.” Belinda took the corner of her apron and blotted the perspiration from her forehead. I wish my daughter hadn’t agreed to let Dennis court her so soon. For all we know he could have a girlfriend up in Dauphin County.

  Amy got up and went to open the second window.

  “If you ask me, your sister is too eager to see Dennis. She needs to keep her focus on the children. Don’t you agree?”

  “She’s not neglecting them, Mom, if that’s what you mean.” Amy returned to her seat. “Sylvia’s a good mother, but she deserves to have some happiness that doesn’t involve the kinner.”

  “I thought she enjoyed her new hobby of bird-watching.”

  “She does, but she likes—maybe even loves—Dennis, and Sylvia has the right to develop a relationship with him.”

  Belinda’s hands went limp in her lap. “If she knew him better, I might agree, but things are happening too fast for me.”

  “Dennis knows what Sylvia has been through, so I’m sure he will take it slow.”

  Or maybe he’ll lose interest in her and move on to someone else.

  Rather than dwell on this topic, Belinda let her mind focus on the nice evening she’d had with Amy, Jared, and Herschel. Things had been a bit awkward between her and Herschel at first, but Belinda had managed to think of several things to talk about, and he’d seemed to relax some too. After supper, Jared had gotten out a game of Rook and they played that while eating chocolate cake for dessert. Belinda hadn’t admitted it to herself until now, but she had not enjoyed herself so much in a long while.

  Perhaps I need to get out and socialize more, she told herself. Maybe in the next week or two, I’ll get together with one of my friends.

  Dennis was relieved when his phone rang and he recognized the Kings’ phone number on his screen. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Dennis, it’s Sylvia.”

  “It’s good to hear from you.”

  “Same here.”

  “I assume you got my message.” Dennis moved over to his bedroom window to breathe the fresh air blowing in.

  “Yes, I did, and I would be pleased to meet your mother and brother.”

  “Would it be okay if we came by tomorrow evening after supper?”

  “That will be fine.” Sylvia was tempted to invite them to join her family for a meal, but figured that might not go over too well with Mom. It stressed her out when they had last-minute guests, the way it had when Monroe used to come by close to suppertime.

  “Would seven-thirty work for you?”

  “That should be fine. I’ll fix something special to serve for dessert.”

  “Don’t go to any trouble on our account.”

  “It won’t be any trouble,” she said.

  “Okay then. We’ll see you tomorrow evening. Bye, Sylvia.”

  “Goodbye, Dennis.”

  Dennis couldn’t help but smile. She wants to see me tomorrow and meet some of my family. I see that as a good sign. Sure hope Mom and Gerald like Sylvia and her family. For that matter, I hope Sylvia likes my family too.

  He set his device on the counter and frowned. I’m a bit worried though. Can’t help but wonder how Mrs. King will respond to Mom and Gerald, since she tends to be so cold toward me.

  Last night Virginia had bumped her previously injured knee on the coffee table, and this morning, her leg hurt so bad that she needed to use her cane. She’d pulled a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and iced her knee while lying on the sofa. Virginia had whined to Earl about how much it hurt, but the cold soon made the soreness diminish. As long as the bag cooled her knee, Virginia felt pretty good. After a while, though, the pain returned. But she wouldn’t let it keep her from making another trip to the greenhouse today to put on a friendly front.

  Think I’ll get some jars of honey this time, Virginia told herself as she cautiously crossed the road. One never knew when a horse and buggy or some motorized vehicle might approach.

  On the other side, she made her way slowly and painfully up the driveway. Of course she had to dodge some horse droppings. Why can’t someone take a shovel and clean up these gross landmines? I feel like I’m wasting time here, limping around all these useless piles of yucky debris.

  It was a relief when she finally made it to the front door of the greenhouse. Stepping inside, she spotted Belinda seated behind the front counter, thumbing through some paperwork.

  “Good morning, Mrs. King.” Virginia spoke in what she hoped was a cheerful tone.

  Belinda looked up and smiled. “It’s nice to see you, Virginia. And please call me, Belinda.”

  “Okay, sure.” Virginia leaned against the counter. “How are things going with your business?”

  “Fairly well, all things considered. We manage to keep busy.”

  “I bet.”

  “Did you make a trip over here for something specific?” Belinda asked.

  Virginia bobbed her head. “Came to get some more of that tasty honey—if you have any, that is.”

  “Yes, we have a few jars left. They’re right over there.” Belinda pointed to the shelves across the room. “Would you like me to get you a jar?”

  “Actually, I’d hoped for two. My husband and I both enjoyed the honey you gave us previously, and it went real quick.”

  “I’m glad you liked it, and we can certainly spare two jars for you.”

  “Do you have a sturdy bag for me to carry them in? I am using a cane today and can only carry with one hand.”

  Belinda’s brows furrowed. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Did you suffer an injury recently?”

  “Well, sort of. I bumped my knee on our coffee table, and it aggravated an old wound I had from long ago.”

  “I can see if my son Henry is free to carry your purchase over to your home for you.”

  Virginia flapped her hand. “Naw, that’s okay. I can manage.” She turned and made her way over to the shelf where the jars of honey stood. Once she’d chosen two glass containers, she realized she couldn’t carry them both in one hand and manage her cane in the other.

  Belinda must have realized her predicament, because she stepped out from behind the counter and came right over. “Here, let me carry them for you.”

  Back at the counter, where Belinda had set the jars, Virginia pulled a twenty dollar bill from her jeans pocket. “I believe the sign above the bigger jars of honey stated that they are ten dollars per jar.”

  “That’s correct.” Belinda took the money and put it inside the cash register drawer.

  While she wrapped the jars with bubble wrap and placed them in a brown paper sack with handles, Virginia contemplated what her next move should be.

  She cleared her throat and plunged ahead. “Say, I heard that Amy and Jared will be getting married this fall.”

  Belinda gave a nod. “Yes, that is correct. The wedding will take place the first Thursday of October.”

  “Ho
w nice.” Virginia managed a fake smile. “I’ve never been to an Amish wedding. I imagine they are quite different from an English one.”

  “Yes, our weddings are similar to one of our regular church services, with the addition of sermons being preached specifically for the benefit of the bride and groom. And of course, there’s a time for the wedding couple to say their vows as they answer certain questions presented to them by the bishop.”

  “Sounds interesting.” Virginia was on the verge of telling Belinda that Jared had mentioned they might get an invitation, when a tour bus pulled into the parking lot, and several enthusiastic-looking people rushed into the building.

  “Things are going to get kind of hectic right now,” Belinda said, “but we’ll talk some other time.”

  “Umm…yeah, okay.” Virginia picked up the sack and headed out the door. I’ll come back some other time, she told herself. Maybe I’ll ask when the wedding invitations will be sent out. At least then I would have some idea when to watch for ours to come.

  Sylvia stood with one arm holding the other at the elbow as she looked at the clock. She and the family had eaten supper, and the dishes were done. Now all she had to do was wait for Dennis and his family to arrive. It was hard not to be nervous. Sylvia had never been comfortable around strangers—even more so since Toby died. But oddly enough, she hadn’t been nervous around Dennis, not even the day they’d first met.

  I hope his mother and brother approve of me. Continuing to stare at the clock, she tapped her foot. And I hope I like them. If they’re anything like Dennis, then things should be fine. We’ll sit around and get to know each other while we eat the dessert I prepared for this evening.

  “Sister, are you fretting?” Amy bumped Sylvia’s arm, causing her to jump. “Oh, sorry if I frightened you. Thought you knew I was still here in the kitchen.”

  Sylvia turned to face Amy. “A part of me is eager to meet some of Dennis’s family, but another part is a nervous wreck. If they don’t like me, Dennis might decide to pull away.”

  Amy slipped an arm around Sylvia’s waist. “I’m sure they’ll like you, and even if for some reason they don’t, Dennis will not pull away.”