Tom didn’t mind the chill now that the sky was clear and the breeze had let up some. He was anxious to see Leona when she first arrived, so he waited near his horse, presuming her father would drop her off, as usual.
When he spotted Pete Speicher drive in, Tom hurried over to meet them, offering his hand to help Leona down and greeting her father. Pete dipped his head in return, then headed back out. “How are ya, Leona?” asked Tom.
“A bit cold.” She smiled at him. “How are you?”
“I was hopin’ we might talk before the Singing begins.”
Leona nodded, pulling her black coat closer around her. “All right.”
She fell into step with him as they made their way around the barn to stand on the west side, where the late-afternoon sun had warmed the wood siding. “Miriam mentioned you stopped by to talk to my father,” he said, letting Leona stand closest to the barn.
“Hope I wasn’t a nuisance.”
He shook his head, assuring her it was fine. “I’m just sorry Dat wasn’t home. But I daresay there’s nothin’ wrong with goin’ to visit Gloria, considering what you hope to accomplish. I’ll be praying ’bout that, for certain.” He paused. “I trust ya not to disappear into the Ozark Mountains, of course. It’s Gloria’s father I’m worried about.”
“Despite the rumors, Joe always treated me fine.”
Tom reached to hold her hand.
“I’ll make some calls tomorrow and let you know more,” she told him.
One of the parent sponsors called to alert the stragglers to come inside and take their seats on the long benches.
“We’d better go in,” Leona said, turning to go.
“In a second.” He wanted to say something more. “I’m hopin’ you’ll be traveling with other Amish . . . maybe with one of the van drivers. Have ya thought of going that way?”
“Jah, that’d be my first choice.”
“The Lord will be with you, Leona.” Though he meant the words, Tom said them as much for his own sake.
She gripped his hand. “Oh, Tom, I know you’ll remember to pray for me.”
He was impressed by her fervor. Tom looked at her, taken by her beauty—her gleaming dark blond hair, her sweet smile. He stepped closer and bent near, intending to kiss her cheek.
“I hope ya won’t worry ’bout me,” she said softly, her breath warm on his face.
There was a rustling in the grass, and then the sponsor loudly clapped his hands, startling them apart and shooing them around the barn and inside.
Tom felt mortified, but he refused to let it ruin the rest of the evening. He sang heartily, joining in with the other young men on one side of the long row of tables. He’d taken a place next to Orchard John, who had made a rare appearance.
Leona had found a spot next to his sister Anna, whom Tom suspected was either engaged or close to it. The two young women exchanged quick smiles, Leona’s cheeks still red with embarrassment. Tom looked away, knowing he was the cause, getting caught alone by the barn as they had.
Not such a good send-off to Arkansas.
CHAPTER
15
Early Monday morning, Leona helped Mamma pin the washing to the cellar clotheslines Dat had strung up for rainy days such as this. While she worked, she made a mental list of the various items she wanted to pack once the clothes were dry and folded. If I can make arrangements soon. Gloria’s relief at her offer to visit was fixed in her memory, and Leona felt that time was of the essence.
Later, Leona headed to the phone shanty, where first she called the Amtrak listing and then, after discovering how unaffordable it would be to go all that way by train, called the bus station. She jotted down the information in her notepad, disappointed at how costly both modes of travel would be.
Discouraged yet determined, she placed a call to her favorite van driver, Ted Bell, in case he knew of anyone else headed in that direction who might be willing to share the cost.
“As a matter of fact, two older couples are leaving for Hot Springs, Arkansas, this Wednesday morning. I’m sure they’ll be glad to divide the cost with yet another passenger.” Ted assured her there would be plenty of room for her to ride along. “We’ll stop for the night along the way and get an early start Thursday morning. Eighteen hours is too long a drive to safely make in one day.”
“Sounds fine.”
Ted told her the amount, which was more reasonable than either the bus or the train.
“That’s better than I’d hoped.” She said for him to count on her going, recalling Gloria’s offer to help with the cost.
“All right, then. Be ready by nine o’clock Wednesday morning.”
“My friend will likely be able to pick me up in Hot Springs,” she said, hoping so.
He agreed.
They hung up, Leona delighted to see how quickly the details were falling into place.
———
The moment she got off the phone with Ted, Leona called Gloria back with her good news. “It might be inconvenient for you,” she said, explaining that the driver was going to Hot Springs, then somewhere south of there to pick up some other passengers. “I have no idea how far your town is from there.”
“Don’t fret; I’ll pick you up.” Gloria sounded gleeful. “This is just wonderful.”
Leona explained that she could only stay till early Sunday. “Will that suit ya?”
“Sure, but I’ll have to work some on Saturday. Maybe you can hang out at the diner where I waitress for a while that afternoon and meet some of my friends.”
Leona took it all in. “This is such short notice, I understand if ya can’t get off work the whole time.” Then she added, “I can scarcely wait to see ya, Gloria.”
“It does seem like forever, doesn’t it?”
Leona felt like she might start tearing up. “I’ll see ya real soon.”
The silence that ensued felt so long that Leona thought the line had gone dead. It wouldn’t have been the first time such a thing had happened out there in the middle of the neighbor’s field.
Just when Leona was going to hang up, Gloria spoke again. “Keep my number handy, and let me know if your plans change, okay?”
“I’ll call from the driver’s cell phone when we’re three hours or so away from Hot Springs, jah?”
Gloria laughed into the phone. “It’s been a long time since I heard anyone in my family say ‘jah’ or anything else in Deitsch.”
This struck Leona as really surprising. “We can speak Deitsch together my entire visit, if you’d like.”
“I’m sorry to say my father’s forbidden any of us to speak Pennsylvania Dutch around him.”
After they said good-bye, Leona walked slowly back to the house, pondering what Gloria had said. Truly, it sounded as though the Gingeriches had left behind every jot and tittle of the Plain life, and considering the forthcoming trip, Leona felt anxious. Is it a mistake, going away from the People . . . deep into the outside world?
Gloria was dragging her feet about helping Mom clean the house that evening, wishing her mother would put away their collection of springtime decor. Even one papier-maché rabbit seemed inappropriate with Leona coming to visit. Amish folk didn’t have frivolous knickknacks, let alone an Easter egg tree or fake baby chicks. Dust catchers, Gloria thought, annoyed by her mother’s interest in buying such pointless things.
“This could be jarring to Leona, you know,” she told her mother as she dusted the seasonal collection along the bay windowsill.
“Well,” Mom reminded her, “she’s not your typical sheltered Amish girl, remember. She was working at her sister-in-law’s tourist shop when we moved away.”
Gloria knew little about Leona’s life now. But she knew one thing: She should not have lost track of her friend, and more and more, Gloria placed the blame on her parents. “You once said the best way to get over the pain of leaving Leona was to put the past behind me,” she said.
“Right . . . and I told you to keep it there, too. Do you r
emember that?” Mom’s tone was annoying.
“Honestly, that wasn’t the best advice. Not for me.”
“Now, honey . . .” Mom reached for her shoulder, but Gloria pushed her mother’s hand away. “I really hope you and Dad aren’t going to make things uncomfortable while Leona’s here,” she said and left the room. Let her mother finish fussing with all the decor.
Despite her mother’s obsession with trinkets, Gloria was relieved that her parents had ultimately seemed tolerant of, if not okay with, Leona’s visit. Her father had objected the most, asking what Gloria was thinking inviting her without first getting their consent. But even he had relented once Gloria made her case. What problem could a solitary visitor like Leona possibly pose? “After all, she’s always been a friend to us,” Gloria had argued. “And I’m twenty-one now—old enough to take care of myself.”
Gloria sauntered down the hall to dust and vacuum her room, staring at the wall-to-wall carpet, trying to see it—and everything else in the house—through Leona’s eyes. No hardwood floors here, she thought, wondering if her parents would blare the TV each night after supper, when they watched their favorite sitcoms instead of having family worship like they used to. And of course Adam’s beloved NBA was in the midst of play-offs. No, she would steer clear of the living room if the TV was on. Leona’s in for a shock if she’s still devout. Recalling how curious they both had been about television, back when Gloria herself was Amish in Colerain, Gloria wouldn’t think of tempting her.
She finished cleaning her room from top to bottom and then wandered to the kitchen, where her father was sitting at the table in the far corner, balancing his checkbook. Adam was at the kitchen island talking to Mom while she wiped down the microwave. Respecting her brother’s privacy, Gloria walked past them and headed toward the downstairs rec room, where the boys’ air hockey and Ping-Pong tables were located, and where her father had built in bookshelves on the other end of the room.
Mom called to her. “Come join us, Gloria.”
She turned back and pulled out a stool at the end of the island. “What’s up?”
“Your brother’s landed an apartment.” Mom smiled at Adam. “A big step.”
“He’s moving out?”
“Splitting the rent with one of his mechanic friends,” Mom said, still doing all the talking.
“Is your new place far from here?” asked Gloria.
Adam shrugged. “Too far to walk, if that’s what you mean.” He chuckled. “Close enough to the diner that I won’t starve.”
“Well, I hope your roommate knows how to cook.”
“His sister says he can reheat leftovers.” Adam reached for an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and chomped into it. “But you and Mom can come over anytime.” Here, Adam grinned. “Any extra crumbs will be welcome.”
“Absolutely.” Mom dried her hands on a towel. “Certain dishes are actually tastier reheated.”
“It’s a good thing Leona’s visiting this week, because I’m moving a week from Wednesday,” Adam said.
“I’ll be glad to help you pack,” Gloria volunteered. “Be sure to take a few of the knickknacks from the living room, okay?”
Mom’s gasp meant she didn’t appreciate that suggestion, and Adam grimaced, then joked that he wouldn’t be caught dead with anything from Mom’s shelves.
“What’ll you do with his empty room?” Gloria asked Mom as she helped herself to an apple of her own.
“Oh, I’ve got plans.” Mom’s eyes sparkled. “A craft room, maybe . . . or we might move the reading room upstairs.”
Adam groaned and pleaded with her not to spoil his former room with floral fabric or her poetry books.
Mom laughed, looking more relaxed than she had in a long time.
“What’s this ’bout a craft room?” Their father got up and wandered over. “Hey, I live here, too, don’t I? I have in mind a computer room—a real home office. It’d be mighty nice to do my paperwork at home on weekends instead of the welding shop.”
Then, looking Gloria’s way, he asked, “How long’s Leona here for?”
“Just three nights. She heads back early Sunday morning.”
He pushed one hand into his jeans pocket. “I guess we can hold things together that long.” He clapped Adam’s right shoulder with his free hand. “What do ya say, son?”
“We wouldn’t want to scare her now that we’re fancy folk,” Adam said.
Mom looked worried. “Leona always was a very sweet girl.”
“And still is,” Gloria piped up.
“Good thing she won’t be here over a Sunday,” Dad murmured as he headed toward the living room.
“I’d be happy to take her to my church,” Gloria said softly.
“Hope you’ve told her we ain’t—aren’t—Amish anymore,” Adam said.
“I let her know, yes.”
Mom blew a stray hair from her eyes. “Well, glad we got that all settled.”
Nothing’s settled, Gloria thought.
CHAPTER
16
While at work Tuesday afternoon, Leona shared the specifics of her travel news with Maggie.
Maggie nodded with interest. “Will ya spend the night somewhere, then? It’s a long trip, ain’t so?”
“Jah . . . not sure where, though. Ted said it was too far to go without stopping for rest,” Leona said, glad she could talk to Maggie about this.
“At least you’ll gain an hour goin’ west.”
Leona hadn’t thought of that. “Des gut.”
Maggie glanced around the shop, where only a pair of customers lingered. She lowered her voice. “It wonders me . . . the whole family up and leavin’ the faith.”
“’Tis troubling.” Leona recalled Gloria’s remark about not being permitted to speak Deitsch in the house. She couldn’t imagine it, not as friendly and fun loving as Joe had always seemed.
“Have ya told anyone outside the family ’bout your plans?”
“Just Tom.”
“I s’pose he’s mentioned something to his father,” Maggie said, frowning a bit.
“I’m sure he has by now. At least I have Tom’s and Dat’s approval.”
“Well, don’t forget . . . you have mine and Mahlon’s, too. You can depend on our prayers.”
Leona thanked her, accepting the gentle squeeze of Maggie’s hand.
Upon returning from the shop, Leona slipped away to her bedroom and dropped to her knees, praying that Gloria might be reconciled to God and the People. “O Lord, please guide me in all I say and do. Make me a tool for Thy mercy.”
Then, after supper, once she’d redded things up for her mother, Leona slipped out of the house and hurried across several fields to talk to Tom before her Arkansas trip in the morning.
She found him in the stable, freshening the straw in the horse stalls. “Just came to catch you up on my plans. I leave at nine a.m. tomorrow.”
Tom took off his work gloves and reached to hold her hand. “So glad ya came. I was just thinkin’ of walking over to see you.”
“Well, I don’t want to keep ya from your work. Just wanted to say good-bye,” she said softly, glad it was just the two of them out there with the milk cows lowing as they settled in for the night. “I’ve never gone so far away.”
“I’ll be thinking ’bout ya, Leona . . . and sending up prayers, too.”
“Denki,” she whispered, thankful again for his caring nature. “Will ya keep Gloria and her family in prayer, too?”
“I will now,” he said, a smile creeping onto his face.
“Well, I s’pose I should get home and try to close my suitcase.”
He chuckled and offered to walk with her, but it was still light enough that she insisted she was fine on her own.
“Good-bye, Leona.” He gave her a brief hug. “Have a safe trip, and I’ll look forward to seein’ ya when you’re back.”
She smiled. “Jah, won’t be long.”
The sky was a metallic gray the next morning as
Leona rode west in the van. The two middle-aged couples talked softly in Deitsch in front of her while she did a bit of crocheting to pass the time. Mostly, though, she enjoyed watching the landscape change from rural areas to busy cities, each place new to her.
When she felt tired after stopping for hamburgers, Leona leaned her head back, giving in to the sway of the van, which made her sleepy. In her haze, she recalled a blizzard that hit Colerain when she was twelve years old. Farmers were socked in for several days, and for a full week, there had been no school or Preaching services in many districts around the county. Leona’s and Gloria’s fathers had taken their driving horses down to the general store to get flashlight batteries, toilet paper, and ground coffee. And Leona had managed to get over to Gloria’s by wearing Mahlon’s old snowshoes he’d once gotten for Christmas. She, Gloria, and Jeannie had baked dozens of sugar cookies that day, which Jeannie let them decorate at their whim using all sorts of colors and designs. Gloria and her mother carried on about Leona’s three-cookie blue-and-red snowman as though it were a work of art.
When Leona awakened, the van was vacant and Ted Bell was standing outside filling the tank with gas. She stretched and yawned, wondering where they were as she got out to use the restroom and buy a small bag of salted peanuts. A few customers did double takes, gawking at her and the other Amish folk, as well. We certainly aren’t in Lancaster County! Leona thought, relieved that she was traveling by van rather than on her own.
That afternoon, Gloria drove her mother to the grocery store, where they stocked up on sodas, chips and dip, and other snack items, including ingredients to make Chex mix for the guys watching basketball on TV. At the store, her mother spotted a round loaf of sourdough bread and snatched it up to put it in the cart.
“We used to bake our own bread,” Gloria commented.
Her mother stopped walking, turned, and stared at her. “Do you know that was my least favorite thing about being Plain?” She swept her long bangs over her brow. “That and hitching up the horse and buggy. You probably never realized how much I disliked that job, either, especially when I did it alone.”
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