“I’ll bet that required some hand stitching, too.”
She nodded. “Tiny snaps had to be sewn on the clothes.”
“Nothing like the big ones we use here.” He motioned to the riveting machine. “That’s where we punch shiny rivets into our leather straps.”
Allison followed as Aaron moved to the front of the store. “What were you working on when the girls and I first came in?”
“I was getting ready to cut some leather, but the thing’s so long and heavy, I may need to wait until Paul’s here and can help me with it.”
Allison’s eyes lit up like copper pennies. “I’d be happy to help.”
“You wouldn’t mind holding one end while I do the cutting?”
“Not at all.”
Aaron handed one end of the leather to Allison, and she held it while he made the necessary cuts. They’d just finished when the shop door flew open, and Sarah rushed into the room. “The gees have all escaped! Bessie and I need your help gettin’ them back in their pens!”
Aaron grimaced. How was he supposed to get any work done if he had to waste time chasing after a bunch of goats?
Allison smiled and said, “I’m sure Aaron has a lot of work to do here in the harness shop, but I’d be happy to help you round up the goats.”
“That’s okay. I can take the time to get those gees back where they belong.” Aaron didn’t want Allison to think he was willing to let the girls round up the goats on their own.
Allison placed her end of the leather onto the nearest workbench, and they headed out the door.
Out in the yard, they were greeted by a scene of total chaos. Six goats frolicked on the grass, four goats raced up and down the driveway, and two more kicked up their heels on the porch. Aaron could only imagine how much damage those goats would do if they didn’t get back in their pen quickly. The two on the porch needed to be corralled first, as one of the goats had jumped onto a chair and was nibbling away at the petunias dangling from a pot that hung from the porch ceiling.
“Bessie, why don’t you and Sarah try to catch the goats in the yard, while I capture the ones on the porch?” Aaron called to his sister.
“Jah, okay!” Bessie hollered in response.
He glanced over at Allison. “If you’d like to join in, you can take your pick of whatever goat you want to chase.”
With no hesitation, Allison headed for the porch. Aaron was right on her heels. By the time they reached their destination, both goats were standing on chairs, and Mom’s pot of flowers was half eaten.
“Stupid gees! You’re nothing but trouble,” Aaron fumed. He lunged for one goat at the same time Allison did. The goat slipped between them and darted off the porch. Smack!—their heads came together.
“Ouch!” Allison pulled back like she’d been stung by a hornet.
“Yow!” Aaron did the same.
“Are you okay?” Allison asked, rubbing her forehead.
He fingered the pulsating spot on his head and nodded. “I think I’ll live. How about you?”
“I’ve got a little bump, but the skin’s not broken.”
Aaron fought the urge to touch the swollen red spot on Allison’s forehead. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled. “Guess I should have told you which goat I was going for.”
“It’s okay; no permanent damage has been done.”
Pulling his gaze away from Allison, Aaron turned to see Sarah, Bessie, and eight frolicking goats leaping around the yard like a bunch of frogs. The goats that had been on the porch now joined the six in the yard, and the four that had been in the driveway were still slipping and sliding in the gravel.
“I guess I’d better see if my brothers can help out,” he said.
Allison nodded. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Chapter 11
I am glad you were free to go on a picnic with me this evening,” Katie said to Allison as they rode in Katie’s buggy toward one of the ponds off Highway C. “This will give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
“Sorry we couldn’t have left earlier, but Aunt Mary needed my help getting some things ready for tomorrow evening’s barbecue.”
“That’s okay. I had plenty of chores to do at my place today, too.” Katie flicked the reins, and the horse broke into a trot. “I’m glad I got an invitation to your aunt and uncle’s barbecue.” She smiled. “You mentioned that the Hiltys were invited, so I’m hoping Joseph will be there.”
“You’ve heard about little Emma’s surgery, haven’t you?”
Katie nodded. “It’s a shame about her appendix.”
“Sarah and I stopped by the harness shop yesterday to invite the family to the barbecue. That’s when I heard about it. Aaron said maybe he or one of his brothers might bring Bessie over.”
“If only one brother can come, I hope it will be Joseph,” Katie said wistfully.
Allison chuckled. “I think you’ve got a one-track mind, and it leads to only one place.”
“Where’s that?”
“Joseph Zook.”
Katie’s face heated up. She cared for Joseph a lot, but she didn’t feel she knew Allison well enough to discuss her deepest feelings. “Sure is a pretty evening,” she said as they pulled onto the dirt road that led to the pond.
“Jah, it’s real nice.” Allison grinned. “Would you like to hear about my embarrassing experience while Sarah and I were at the Zooks’ place?”
“Jah, sure. What happened?”
“The goats got out, and Aaron and I bumped heads trying to capture the same goat.”
“Were either of you hurt?”
“We each got a bump, but it was nothing serious.”
“Did you manage to get the goats okay?”
“Finally. . .after Aaron called his brothers to help.”
“Joseph, too?”
“Jah. Joseph, Zachary, and Davey.”
“It can be a real chore to get goats back in their pen,” Katie said. “I can see why you’d need extra help.”
“The breeze blowing against my face sure feels good,” Allison said, changing the subject. “It’s been so hot and muggy all week, and it makes it hard not to become cranky.”
“Don’t you have hot, humid weather in Lancaster County?”
“We do, but I’ve never gotten used to it.” Allison drew in a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “On the really hot days of summer, I find myself envying the English with their airconditioning.”
“You’d never leave the Amish faith so you could have electricity, would you?”
“No, of course not,” Allison said with a shake of her head.
“We’re here!” Katie halted the horse. “Would you mind getting the picnic basket from the backseat while I tether Sandy to a tree?”
“Sure.” Allison climbed down from the buggy and reached under the seat. She grasped the wicker basket with one hand and the quilt lying beside it with the other hand. As soon as Katie had the horse secured, they headed for the pond.
When they took seats on the quilt, they bowed for silent prayer. Then Katie opened the picnic basket and removed fried chicken, deviled eggs, dill pickles, and potato salad. She had also brought a thermos of iced tea, and for dessert, a pan of brownies with thick chocolate frosting.
“Everything looks so good,” Allison said. “But there’s so much food!”
Katie smiled. “Just eat what you can.”
Allison reached for a piece of chicken and practically devoured it. “Umm. . .this is so good. I wish I could cook as well as you do.”
Katie tipped her head and stared at Allison. “All the women I know can cook really well.”
“Not me. Aunt Catherine has never allowed me to do much in the kitchen except dishes and mopping the floors. Whenever I would try to cook anything, she would scrutinize everything so much, I would get nervous and end up ruining it.”
“How come she was so critical?”
Allison shrugged. “My aunt likes to be in charge.
She’s often said she can’t be bothered with the messes I make in her kitchen.”
“How does she expect you to learn the necessary things in order to run a house of your own someday?”
“I don’t know, but Aunt Mary apparently doesn’t think that way. She’s been more than willing to teach me how to cook and sew.” Allison wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know if I’ll ever learn, though. You should have tasted the awful coleslaw I made the other night. I put in too much vinegar, and I’m sure from the things Walter said that he thought I was trying to make them all sick.”
“I doubt anyone in your aunt’s family would think such a thing.” Katie reached for a deviled egg and was about to take a bite, when she heard voices nearby. She turned and spotted two young Amish men with fishing poles heading toward the pond. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Aaron and his brother, Joseph.
She jumped up and ran over to them. “Allison and I are having a picnic supper. There’s still plenty of food left if you’d like to join us.”
Aaron glanced over at Allison, then back to Katie. “Thanks anyway, but we’ve already had our supper,” he said before Joseph could respond. “Fact is, my bruder and I just came here to do a little fishing, so don’t let us bother you.”
“It won’t be a bother,” Katie insisted.
“See, Aaron, they don’t mind us joining them. Besides, I think I could eat a little something,” Joseph put in.
Aaron thumped his younger brother on the back. “You must have a hollow leg.”
Joseph shrugged, leaned his fishing pole against a tree, and joined Katie on the quilt.
Allison waited anxiously to see what Aaron would do and was pleased when he followed Katie and Joseph.
“Did you bring your fishing pole along?” Aaron asked Allison as he took a seat on the edge of the quilt near her.
She shook her head. “Katie and I just came to eat and visit.”
“Then we showed up and ruined your picnic.” Joseph winked at Katie, and she swatted him playfully on the arm.
A stab of jealousy pierced Allison’s heart. Katie and Joseph obviously cared for each other, and Allison longed to have someone look at her the way Joseph looked at Katie, with love and respect.
“How’s your little sister doing?” Katie asked Aaron. “Is she still in the hospital?”
He nodded. “She’s doing well and will probably be home soon.”
“I’m glad she’s going to be okay,” Allison spoke up.
“Me, too.”
“Will either one of you be at the barbecue Allison’s aunt and uncle are having tomorrow evening?” Katie asked.
“I thought I might go,” they said at the same time.
Joseph grinned at Katie. “You’ll be there, too, I hope.”
She nodded. “Definitely.”
“Glad to hear it,” Joseph said as he helped himself to some potato salad and chicken.
Katie extended the container of chicken to Aaron. “How about you? Wouldn’t you like to try a piece?”
He shook his head. “I’m still full from supper.”
“Who’s watching things at home while you and Joseph are here?” Allison asked.
“Paul came home from Springfield and left Mom to stay with Emma,” Aaron replied. “Since I’ve been taking care of things in Paul’s absence, he said Joseph and I could go fishing for a few hours this evening.”
“That was nice of him,” Katie said.
They continued to visit while Joseph ate. When the food was put away, the men invited the women to join them at the pond.
Aaron squatted beside Allison and extended his pole. “Would you like to fish awhile?”
She smiled and eagerly reached for it but pulled her hand back in time. “I’d better just watch.”
“How come? You fished the other day and even baited your own hook.”
“That’s true, but if my aunt Catherine had seen me do that, she wouldn’t have approved.”
“Why not?”
“She thinks fishing isn’t very ladylike.”
“That’s lecherich. My mamm likes to fish, and she’s a lady. Of course, she doesn’t go fishing as often as she used to now that my grandma and grandpa need her help so much more.”
“Don’t you have other family to help with their care?” Allison asked.
“My brothers and I try to help out as much as we can, just like we’ve been doing while Emma’s in the hospital.” Aaron wedged his pole between his knees, leaned back on his elbows, and lifted his face toward the sky. “Ever wonder what heaven is like?”
“Sometimes.” Allison thought about heaven a lot, wondering whether she would ever get there. Even though she’d attended church since she was a baby, she’d never felt as if she knew God in a personal way. For that matter, Allison didn’t think God knew her, either. She envied people like Aunt Mary, who read her Bible every day and seemed to walk closely with the Lord. She often wondered how her mother had felt about spiritual things when she was alive.
“I know there’s supposed to be streets of gold in heaven,” Aaron said, “but I’m hoping there will be fishing holes, too.”
Allison smiled and was about to reply, when Aaron leaned forward and hollered, “Hey! I’ve got a bite!”
She watched with envy as he gripped his pole and started playing the fish. “I think it’s a big one!” he hollered.
“Don’t fall in the water like my cousin Dan did.”
“I won’t; don’t worry.” Aaron moved closer to the edge of the pond, reeling in his catch a little at a time. Soon a nice-sized bass lay at his feet, and he knelt beside it with a satisfied smile.
Allison knew it would sound silly, but she almost offered to remove the hook. She caught herself before the words popped out. She glanced over at Katie, who sat beside Joseph with a contented smile. Katie didn’t seem the least bit interested in fishing, but she could cook, and if that’s what a man wanted in a wife, then Allison would need to learn to do the same.
Aaron extended the pole toward Allison. “Now it’s your turn.”
“What?”
“I know you like to fish, so quit trying to fool me and fish.”
Allison drew in a deep breath, savoring the musty aroma of the pond and the fishy smell of the bass he’d landed. Oh, how she longed to grip that fishing pole and throw the line into the water. It would feel so satisfying to snag a big old bass or tasty catfish. “I’ll just watch,” she mumbled.
“Okay, suit yourself.” Aaron cast out his line once more, and they sat in silence.
Allison could hardly contain herself when Aaron reeled in another bass, followed by a couple of plump catfish. Her fingers itched to grab hold of the fishing pole and cast her line into the water.
“Hey, Joseph,” Aaron called to his brother, “I’ll bet you can’t top the size of my last fish!”
“I’m not tryin’ to,” Joseph shot back. “I’ve got three nice catfish, and I’m not a bit worried about their size.”
Aaron chuckled. “All my brother worries about is trying to make an impression on Katie Esh.” His face sobered. “Speaking of the Esh family. . .Katie’s cousin James isn’t coming to your barbecue tomorrow night, is he?”
“I don’t know who all my aunt and uncle have invited.”
“It would be just my luck if James was there.” Aaron bit off the end of a fingernail and spit it onto the ground.
Allison wrinkled her nose. “Do you have to do that? I think it’s ekelhaft.”
Aaron examined his hands and frowned. “You’re right. It is a disgusting habit, but I do it whenever I’m nervous or upset.”
“Would you be upset if James came to the barbecue?”
“Guess I would, but it’s not my decision who comes.”
Allison wasn’t sure what Aaron had against James, but she didn’t think it was her place to ask.
Chapter 12
Allison didn’t know why, but thinking about the barbecue that would begin in less than an hour made her feel jittery a
s a june bug. Could it be because she was excited about seeing Aaron again? Or maybe she was worried over who else might be in attendance.
If James shows up, how should I act around him? Allison asked herself as she sliced tomatoes. I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I’m really not interested in having him court me. She grunted. “Guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.”
“What was that?”
Allison whirled around. She’d thought she was alone in the kitchen. Aunt Mary had gone outside to see if Uncle Ben had the barbecue lit. Sarah and Dan were supposed to be setting the picnic tables. Walter was outside somewhere, too. She’d certainly never expected Harvey to come into the kitchen. But here he was, looking at her like she’d taken leave of her senses.
“I. . .uh. . .was talking to myself,” she mumbled, quickly turning back to cutting the tomatoes.
He chuckled. “No need to look so flustered. We all talk to ourselves sometimes.”
Allison smiled. She still couldn’t get over how easygoing this family seemed to be. If Aunt Catherine had caught Allison talking to herself, she would have made an issue of it.
“I came in to get the hamburger buns,” Harvey said, moving toward the ample-sized bread box.
“Have any of the guests arrived yet?” Allison asked.
“Not that I know of, but I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”
“And you don’t know who all is coming?”
“Nope. Just heard that Mom and Dad had invited the Hiltys, Eshes, Swartzes, and Hertzlers.”
“Which Eshes?”
Harvey shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“So you don’t know whether James was invited?”
“Nope.”
Allison went to the refrigerator and removed a jar of pickles. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
Harvey stared at her in a strange way. “You’re not interested in James, I hope.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, I know he brought you home the night of the last young people’s gathering, and Clara said she saw James in Seymour one day and that he’d mentioned that he might ask you out.”
Allison shook her head. “He hasn’t.”
Allison's Journey Page 9