The Amish Nanny

by Mindy Starns Clark

  I walked over to her, realizing as I got closer that instead of texting, now she was talking—or rather listening, the phone pressed tightly to her ear, her lips pursed shut.

  “Ella, you need to get off the phone,” I whispered.

  She looked at me, eyes wide, and shook her head no. Glancing toward the orchard, I saw that Lexie and James were still posing for the photographer. Though Lexie wasn’t the type to embarrass easily, I didn’t want her guests, especially the older ones, to think that Ella or Zed were typical American teens, obsessed with a cell phone at the expense of the people around them.

  Ella whispered something into the receiver, turning slightly so that her back was to me. Stepping around in front of her, I softly repeated my request.

  “I can’t,” she said, covering the phone with her hand. “This is important. It’s about Alice. Alice Beiler.”

  My eyes widened. Alice was Will and Ezra Gundy’s grandmother, one of my own grandmother’s dearest friends and a woman I absolutely adored. Though Alice and Mammi were about the same age, Alice was in far better health than Mammi was. When Will’s wife died, Alice was one of the women who had taken over most of the daily care of his children so Will could keep working.

  Fearing that Alice had now fallen ill or perhaps become hurt, I took Ella’s arm and led her around to the side of the house, where we could deal with this call more privately. Except for a few marriages between distant cousins, Ella and I weren’t related to Alice or her family in any way, but we certainly considered the Beilers and Gundys to be treasured friends, and Alice in particular. Had Will and I married, they all would have become my in-laws. Even though that was never going to happen for me, I was aware that they could still become Ella’s in-laws someday if she married Ezra.

  “What’s wrong with Alice?” I pressed, and when Ella didn’t reply, I spoke more loudly, “Is she sick? Did she break a hip or something?”

  Ella put her hand to the phone. “No, it’s nothing like that. You’re not going to believe it, Ada. Alice is going to Europe!”

  TWO

  While the thought of Alice, an older Amish woman, going to Europe was, indeed, big news, it was nothing compared to the dreadful possibilities my mind had been dredging up. I exhaled slowly, relief flooding my veins.

  “Europe?”

  “Yeah. She and Will are talking about it right now. It has something to do with a legal matter.”

  A legal matter? In Europe? “Says who, Ella? Who are you talking to?”

  “Ezra. It’s not gossip, I promise. He heard it with his own two ears.”

  In that case I’d be interested to learn all about it. But later. Right now, Ella’s communication with the people back home was bringing a distraction to Lexie’s big day. But before I could speak, Ella continued.

  “At first Will and Christy were planning to go with her. He even applied for their passports. But now he’s decided he can’t leave the twins for that long, so he and Christy aren’t going after all.”

  Ignoring the flutter in my stomach from the mere mention of Will’s name, I said, “Poor Christy. She must be so disappointed.”

  “I doubt it. You know how she is these days. She doesn’t seem to care much about anything.”

  “Ella!”

  “Well, it’s true. The kid is pretty messed up.”

  Will’s daughter Christy had been just ten years old when her mother died. The fact that the girl was still having trouble grappling with that death less than a year later was not our business to discuss.

  “Hang up, Ella. This doesn’t include us.”

  “No, wait. It does,” she said, grabbing my arm before I could walk away. “Guess who else is going to Europe with Alice?”

  I hesitated, waiting for her to answer her own question.

  “Either your mother or mine,” she said, almost triumphantly.

  I blinked, shaking my head. “What?”

  “Ezra heard Alice say she has to bring along either Klara or Marta.”

  Klara and Marta were sisters, Klara being my mother and Marta being Ella’s mother. Regardless of whatever legal matter was involved here and what on earth it had to do with going to Europe, there was no way on earth either of our mothers would be willing to go somewhere so far away. Marta was a midwife with a thriving practice and tons of patients who could go into labor at any time. She’d sooner die than abandon them, even for a short while. As for my mother…well, I’d be less surprised to hear a cow speaking back to me in Pennsylvania Dutch than I would to find out Klara Rupp was planning a trip to Europe.

  “Oh no!” Ella hissed suddenly into the phone. Looking at me, she whispered, “Ezra almost got busted.”

  Busted? At that moment I realized the full scope of what was going on.

  “Ella, is Ezra eavesdropping on a private conversation between Will and Alice? Is that how he knows all of this?”

  She nodded, and then after a moment of listening she told me, “It’s okay. They didn’t spot him.”

  I closed my eyes and spoke, trying not to raise my voice.

  “Hang up right now or I will take your phone away for the remainder of the trip.”

  Opening my eyes, I held out my hand, palm up, waiting, and told her she had exactly ten seconds or it was bye-bye BlackBerry.

  “I’ll have to call you later,” Ella whispered into the phone. Then she disconnected it, thrust it into her pocket, and snipped, “It’s not a BlackBerry. It’s a Vio4G. If you weren’t Amish you would know the difference.” She spun around on her heel and marched away, heading toward the clusters of guests on the lawn.

  I stood there for a long moment. I loved my cousin dearly, but she still had a lot of growing up to do. Silently, I said a quick prayer for patience, and then I began walking toward the others. I reached them just as James was clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention and asking us to join him in prayer. Before bowing my head, I glanced at Ella, who was standing with one of the bridesmaids and pointedly ignoring me.

  Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath, willing my mind to turn toward God as James began to pray aloud. He thanked the Lord for his beautiful bride, Lexie; their friends and family; and their future as husband and wife. His “amen” was followed by a hearty echo all around—except by me. Not that I didn’t affirm his prayer. I just wasn’t used to people praying out loud and didn’t know we were supposed to do that at the end.

  Then James directed all of us toward the buffet. I followed Zed, not surprised to see Ella moving in far behind us, her face deliberately turned away. It was just as well. I didn’t feel like dealing with her any more right now anyway.

  Across from us was a little girl who had gotten in line without her family. She looked to be about six or seven and was wearing a pink dress trimmed in lace, her hair pulled neatly into twin braids. When she had trouble getting the potato salad off the serving spoon and onto her plate, I leaned forward to help her.

  “Thanks!” she said, looking up at me and flashing a semi-toothless smile.

  “You’re welcome,” I replied. After a moment, I added, “And thank you for thanking me. You have excellent manners.”

  Reaching for a warm roll, she was quiet for a moment and then spoke. “Well, thank you for thanking me for thanking you.”

  She and Zed and I all laughed. What a cutie-pie.

  Zed and I ended up sitting by Mrs. Glick, at her invitation. While we ate I marveled at how everyone was able to enjoy the meal together, explaining that at our weddings back home, the diners had to eat in shifts because there were so many guests. We also didn’t serve our food “cafeteria style” like this. Instead, guests sat at the tables and aunts and uncles of the bride would bring food to them, with single girls often helping during the first meal.

  “Fascinating,” Mrs. Glick said before biting into a fluffy roll slick with butter.

  I didn’t add that if Leah married Will, she would probably ask me to serve at their wedding. If she did, I would never accept, afraid my emotions m
ight get the better of me.

  Once the conversation turned from Amish wedding practices to Lancaster County in general, Mrs. Glick mentioned that she had always wanted to visit there, so I encouraged her to do just that, inviting her to stay at our home if she did.

  She reached over and took my hand. “Ada, I might just take you up on that.” Her pale blue eyes grew misty. “It’s such a blessing that you have been able to share this day with our Lexie. I’m so thankful she has you and her cousins.” Her fingers were bony. Suddenly I missed Mammi and wished she could be here for Lexie too.

  “Speaking of Lexie’s cousins…” Mrs. Glick said brightly, looking up over my shoulder.

  I turned to see Ella standing behind me, her earlier anger gone, her eyes now aglow with some new excitement. Oh, the ups and downs of a sixteen-year-old girl! Our earlier conflict apparently forgotten, she motioned for me to come with her. I excused myself, stood, and followed as she led the way inside the house and into the kitchen. Once there, she simply handed me her phone and directed me to read a series of text messages, every one of them from Ezra.

  The first one read: Sorry I got you in trouble. I’ll keep you updated via text. Right now they’re talking about Frannie, that it’s a shame she’s not healthy enough to make the trip herself. They mean your grandmother, right?

  I glanced at my young cousin, appalled that she and her boyfriend were still at this. “Ella, I thought I made it clear I don’t approve of Ezra’s eavesdropping. This is none of his business. Nor ours.” I handed her the phone and moved toward the door, reaching for the knob.

  “Just keep reading, Ada. Please. They talked about you.”

  I hesitated, the door half open. Then, against my better judgment, I accepted the phone from her and read through the next several messages. Sure enough, Ezra had written: Will said it should probably be Ada. Unlike Marta, she has no job to worry about, and unlike Klara, she doesn’t have a husband to take care of. Alice agrees, says that out of everyone, Ada’s probably the only one who is free enough to go.

  My eyes filled with hot tears, the lines on the screen growing blurry. I didn’t need to see Will’s words to feel them driving the knife into my heart: She doesn’t have a husband to take care of. Is that really how he thought of me? As an unattached, unloved girl free to take off on a trip at the drop of a hat? At least he was wrong about the job. Obviously he hadn’t yet heard that I was soon to be a teacher in his very own district and that, in fact, I would have his daughter Christy as one of my scholars.

  “Keep going,” Ella prodded, oblivious to my misery.

  Shaking my head, I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. She reached out and took the phone from my hand, skimming the words on the screen and launching into a recap of the remaining messages. I was only half listening, but the one thing that came through loud and clear was that whatever this trip to Europe was regarding, it involved both the Beiler family, specifically Alice, and the Lantz family, specifically Frannie, and some legal matter that would require the presence of both women, in person, to straighten out. If either one was unable to go, a family member could serve in their place. That was why our various names had come up. Obviously Mammi was in no shape to go anywhere, much less to another country, so she would need a relative to represent her.

  “That’s about it,” Ella said, still looking at the screen. “The twins came in, so Alice and Will agreed to finish their conversation later.”

  I was trying to think of a reply when Ella surprised me by apologizing for her earlier behavior.

  “I really am sorry, Ada, especially that crack about you being Amish. I don’t even know where that came from.”

  Ella’s lack of maturity was the least of my problems. I had already forgiven her, of course, but right now my mind was on more important matters. Clearing my throat, I looked at my young cousin and said, “Actually, Ella, I would like you to send one more text. For me.”

  “Sure,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with new interest.

  “Tell Ezra that contrary to what his brother believes, I am not, in fact, without a job. I’ll be starting as the teacher at Willowcrest in just a few weeks.” That the confirmation packet still hadn’t shown up by the time we left for Oregon was beside the point. I had stopped at Levi Stoltz’s the day before our trip started, and he had assured me, again, that the job was mine.

  I doubted Ezra would pass along that message to Will, but he’d likely find out soon enough on his own. I may not have a husband to take care of, but soon I would have an entire classroom full of children who would be looking to me for their educations. Once school started, I wouldn’t be free or unencumbered anymore, not at all, regardless of my marital status.

  Ella’s thumbs were tapping away at the tiny keyboard as I went back outside and headed across the lawn. When I walked past the table where the little girl with the braids was sitting, she smiled and gave me an enthusiastic wave. As I waved back, I could feel my tension ebbing. Will hadn’t intended for his words to be cruel, just factual—to the extent of his knowledge, at least. Besides, what right did I have to be hurt by a comment made in private and never intended for me to hear in the first place? My pain now was a direct result of my own actions, not his.

  I reached my seat just as Zed returned from the buffet with what looked like a second helping of almost everything. For some reason, the sight of his eager, innocent face grinning proudly at his overloaded plate made me smile.

  “Take all you want, but eat all you take,” I told him, echoing one of our grandmother’s more frequently used proverbs. Across from us, Mrs. Glick chuckled.

  Sliding into my seat and reaching for my fork, I dug into the delicious meal once again, thinking about Will and Alice as I ate. I’d never met anyone who had been to Europe, at least not anyone from the Amish community, so just knowing they were considering it astonished me. Beyond that, the fact that they had discussed having me go along as well was so mind-boggling I couldn’t even begin to comprehend it. Regardless of whether my teaching job prevented me from going or not, I still wanted to know more. Unlike Ella and Ezra, however, I would wait until someone was ready to tell me about it to my face.

  “Zed, I can’t imagine where you’re putting all of that food,” Mrs. Glick said, gesturing toward his plate, which was already almost half empty.

  “My mom says there’s a two-hundred-pound construction worker living in my stomach,” he replied between bites, causing us both to laugh.

  Soon, we were back into our conversation, with Mrs. Glick peppering me with questions about Amish wedding traditions. She asked how we managed to handle such a massive onslaught of guests, and I explained that the mother of the bride would usually make up a list of all the help the family would need, and then she would recruit friends and relatives to work through that list by butchering the chickens, cooking, setting up, ushering, serving, cleaning, attending the horses, and more.

  “My, my,” Mrs. Glick said. “This is all so fascinating. And I have to say, Ada, you certainly have a knack for relaying information.”

  “It’s her inner teacher,” Zed managed to say, just before he took another bite.

  I turned toward him. “My what?”

  “Inner,” he began with his mouth full, but then he thought better of it and swallowed before continuing. “Teacher. Inner teacher. It’s like you can’t turn her off sometimes.”

  I wasn’t quite sure that Zed meant it as a compliment, but Mrs. Glick seemed to think that was the case. “That’s exactly right!” she said, placing her frail hand on my forearm, directing my attention back to her. “So tell me, Teacher, how does it work to have all of that cooking going on when the wedding ceremony itself takes place in the same house? It sounds awfully busy.”

  “Sometimes a kitchen housed in a trailer is rented and delivered to the home of the parents of the bride a week before the wedding,” I explained. “It’s equipped with stoves and refrigerators that run on propane, and stocked with all the needed pots and pans.
Other times an extra kitchen is set up in an outbuilding of the home or in the basement.”

  “Sounds like a good system,” she replied, smiling, “as long as you have enough friends and relatives to pull it off.”

  “True,” I replied.

  Taking a bite of salad, I looked around at all of the guests here, my gaze finally landing on James’s mother, Mrs. Nolan, who was sitting not too far away. As far as I knew, out of all the people at this event, she was the only blood relative in attendance other than Ella, Zed, and me. I found that astonishing. Our weddings back home were filled one end to the other with siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more. Thinking of that, I felt doubly glad the three of us had been able to be here for Lexie.

  I was about to ask Mrs. Glick if Lexie’s parents had any siblings still living when I felt a warm hand on my arm. Turning to my left, I realized Ella was kneeling at my side, the expression on her face one of concern—and pity.

  “I have to tell you something,” she said softly.

  Glancing toward the others around me, I asked her if it could wait until later.

  “I don’t think so,” she replied, shaking her head slowly from side to side. “Probably the sooner you know, the better. Don’t you think?”

  That all depended on what she had to say. I squinted and pursed my lips, not sure how to respond.

  “I’m so sorry, Lexie,” she persisted. “I sent the message to Ezra, like you said. About the teaching job.”

  “And?”

  Ella took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “And he texted me back. He said…well, here. I’ll let you read his response.”

  “Please, just tell me what he said.”

  “Okay.” She swallowed hard, meeting my eyes. “He said you didn’t get the teaching job at Willowcrest. It’s not yours after all. The school hired somebody else.”