Anna wished she could have a computer at home, but of course that was against their church’s rules. And it wasn’t bad enough that the church had rules. Mom and Dad had their own set of regulations, which was why Anna felt like a little girl so much of the time. If only they’d give her the chance to explore the English world, she might not feel so frustrated.
“Anna, what are you doing?”
Anna jumped and tried to downsize the website she’d been on. In the process, the mouse flew right off the desk, as Dad’s booming voice echoed in her ear.
“Ach, Dad, you scared me! I—I didn’t hear you come in. I thought you were in the other room.”
“I was, but I’m here now, and I don’t like what I see!” His finger shook as he pointed at the computer. “I was afraid when I bought that thing that it’d be a temptation for you. Guess I was right because I see that you’re looking at fancy English shoes.” His forehead creased as he looked at her sternly. “What’s it gonna take before you become trustworthy, Anna? You hang around with Mandy even though we don’t approve, you’ve made excuses for not going to church, and now this? I can’t believe you, Anna.”
Anna dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry, Dad. I just wanted to see—”
“I know what you wanted to see. You have worldly ways on your mind, and this is not a good thing. I think it’d be best if you let me manage the orders and e-mails from customers from now on. You can work in the back on windows.”
“But Dad…”
“No buts, Anna. I will not have you, or any of my other kinner, using the computer to look at fancy things!” Dad pointed to the other room. “Now go in there and ask your uncle Sam what you can do to help.”
Tears welled in Anna’s eyes. If she couldn’t use the computer anymore, she’d be miserable. It was the only thing she had to look forward to at work every day. She needed to find another job. It was the only way she would be free from so many rules.
Anna squeezed her fingers tightly together. If Mom and Dad would stop treating me like a child and let me make my own choices, I might not be so interested in fancy things.
CHAPTER 14
Shipshewana
On Wednesday, shortly before noon, Selma decided to rake the leaves that had fallen from the trees in her front yard. She’d had a late breakfast and wasn’t ready to eat lunch, so this seemed like a good time to tackle the job.
When John was still alive, he’d always kept the yard cleaned up, while Selma concentrated on her flower and vegetable gardens. Now the burden of everything fell on her shoulders. It was a lot of work, but she enjoyed being outside, which at least made the time go by quickly.
Selma went to the shed and got out the rake. Then, pushing her floppy-brimmed hat off her forehead a bit, she went right to work. She’d been raking for about thirty minutes when she spotted her neighbor, Frances Porter, who lived across the street, and noticed that she was also raking leaves. Frances was in her forties and worked from home, decorating cakes. Her husband, Earl, was a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, so he was on the road a lot, leaving many of the chores to Frances and their twelve-year-old daughter, Gretchen. Frances didn’t complain, though, at least not to Selma. Of course, most of the neighbors said very little to Selma, unless she spoke to them first.
After Selma had worked her way to the edge of the lawn with her rake, she hollered across the street, “I hope you’ve insulated your roses against the cold weather we’ll soon be having. Some of those leaves in your yard would work well for that.”
Frances waved but gave no response. Was she avoiding Selma, or just too busy to talk?
“Humph!” Selma grumbled. “Wouldn’t you think she’d have the decency to say she appreciated my suggestion?”
Selma turned aside and continued raking the rest of the leaves. When she was done, she put the rake back in the shed and headed for the house to fix lunch. She’d worked up a hearty appetite, and the thought of that ham sandwich she planned to make sounded pretty good about now.
She’d just started up the porch steps when she spotted that same mangy-looking gray cat she’d chased away the other day, sitting on her porch near the door.
Selma stomped her feet and clapped her hands. “Go on now! Shoo! Shoo!”
The cat tipped its head to one side and let out a loud, Meow!
“Don’t think you can soft-soap me into feeding you,” Selma said, shaking her finger at the cat. “I give out free lunches to no one—least of all to a flea-bitten feline like you!”
Selma reached for the broom she kept near the door, but before she could pick it up, the cat took off like it had been shot out of a cannon.
“Good riddance,” Selma muttered as she hurried into the house. “I hope I’ve scared you enough that you’ll never come back here again!”
Mishawaka
Blaine was just getting ready to take his lunch break, when he caught sight of his ex-girlfriend Sue heading his way. Oh great, he thought. I wonder what she wants.
Sue stepped up to Blaine and touched his arm. “Hi. How are you?”
“Do you really care, or are you just being polite?” he muttered, hoping none of the employees had heard him. The last thing he needed was for word to get out that he’d been rude to a customer. Stuart might be his friend outside of work, but here in the store, all employees were treated equally—and that meant being courteous to every customer.
“Of course I care. We’re still friends, right?” she asked, looking up at him with an innocent smile.
“Yeah, sure. Now what can I help you with?” Blaine asked, trying to ignore his rapid heartbeat. Looking at Sue’s soft brown eyes and curly auburn hair made him miss what they’d once had together. And it hadn’t helped when she’d touched him, either.
“I came to buy a present for my grandfather,” Sue replied. “His birthday is next week.”
Blaine made a sweeping gesture. “As I’m sure you can see, there are lots of things to choose from here in the store, so why don’t you browse around for a while?”
“I was hoping you’d have some suggestions, since you and Grandpa both like to fish.”
Blaine’s stomach knotted. He’d been convinced that Sue was the right woman for him, and now…Well, he just needed to get over her and move on with his life, because there was no point in moping about their breakup and letting it consume him.
“What exactly did you want to get your grandfather?” Blaine questioned.
“I don’t know. That’s why I asked for your help.”
“How about a hunting vest, a hat, or a new fishing pole?” he suggested.
“Maybe. Let’s look at those things, and then I’ll decide.”
“I really don’t have time to show you everything,” Blaine said, struggling to remain patient. Didn’t Sue realize how hard it was for him to be with her? Didn’t she care how badly she’d broken his heart by not agreeing to marry him?
She sighed. “Well then, if you’ll point me in the right direction, I’ll go look for myself.”
Blaine showed Sue the sections of the store where she could find the items and then said good-bye and hurried off in the direction of the break room.
When he stepped inside, he saw Stuart sitting at one of the tables with a cup of coffee and a doughnut. It didn’t take Stuart long to spot Blaine and wave him over.
“How’s it going?” Stuart asked when Blaine took a seat beside him. “You look a little harried right now.”
“I’m a lot more than harried; I’m upset.” Blaine took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his sweaty brow.
“How come?”
Blaine explained about Sue coming into the store and asking his help in choosing a gift for her grandfather. “Wouldn’t you think after our breakup that she’d find somewhere else to shop?” he grumbled.
Stuart frowned. “You want to send our customers elsewhere?”
“Just Sue. I wish she’d find a job in some other part of the country so I’d never have
to see her again. It’s too painful, not to mention a reminder that I must have done something wrong because our relationship failed.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, well, something sure went haywire, or she wouldn’t have broken up with me.”
“Want to know what I think?” Stuart asked, placing his hand on Blaine’s shoulder.
“What’s that?”
“You ought to start dating again. It would help get your mind off Sue, and you’d probably smile more often, too.”
“I might consider that if there was someone I wanted to ask out.”
“What about the pretty little blond you mentioned who’s taking Emma’s quilt class with you?” Stuart asked. “Didn’t you say she was single?”
Blaine nodded. “I’m not sure she’d be interested in going out with me. Besides, I don’t know her that well, and we may not have anything in common.”
Stuart thumped Blaine’s shoulder a couple of times. “There’s only one way to find out—ask her out.”
“Where would we go?”
“Use your imagination. Take her out to dinner, to the movies, or go bowling. She’s bound to like one of those things. And who knows—maybe she’s the type who likes to go fishing, the way you and Sue used to do.” Stuart took a drink of his coffee. “If you hit it off, she could end up becoming Mrs. Blaine Vickers, and then you can stop worrying about your brothers having families and not you.”
Blaine reached for a cup of coffee, savoring the aroma as he lifted it to his lips. “I’ll give it some thought.”
Middlebury
Carmen had just entered Das Dutchman restaurant Wednesday afternoon when she spotted Anna near the door. She smiled and touched Anna’s arm. “I’m glad you could meet me here today.”
“Me, too.”
After their hostess seated them at a table along one wall, Anna leaned close to Carmen and whispered, “I’m in big trouble with my dad right now, so I wasn’t sure I could meet you at all.”
Carmen’s ears perked up. “How come you’re in trouble?”
Anna proceeded to tell how she’d been caught surfing the Internet and was made to work on windows instead of greeting customers and taking care of orders in the office. “I’m gonna look for a new job,” she added.
“What kind of work would you like to do?” Carmen asked.
Anna shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve worked in the window shop ever since I graduated from eighth grade, so I don’t really know how to do much else.”
Carmen’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t go to high school?”
Anna shook her head. “Amish children only get an eighth-grade education.”
Carmen wasn’t sure how she missed this basic fact, so she decided to question Anna about rumschpringe, asking what it was like to run around with her friends and experience the English world.
“My folks don’t approve of most of my friends—especially Mandy Zimmerman—but I still see her whenever I can.” Anna sighed. “I can’t help but wonder what it’d be like to wear an English dress or a pair of blue jeans, like some of my friends do when they’re not at home.”
“I saw a little dress shop near the hotel on this property,” Carmen said. “Would you like to go there when we’re done eating lunch?”
“I wish I could,” Anna said wistfully, “but Dad will expect me to be back from lunch by one, so there’s no time to look at clothes.”
“Maybe we could go on Saturday when we’re finished with the quilting class. Would you be free to do some shopping then?” Carmen asked.
“I–I’m not sure. Maybe, if my dad doesn’t take me to Emma’s again. Sometimes I feel like running away and never coming back. My parents control my whole life.”
Carmen could see by Anna’s anxious expression that she wasn’t happy. Could her parents be holding such a tight rein on her that she was on the verge of rebellion? Carmen looked forward to visiting with Anna again and getting additional information for the story she planned to write. Maybe there was more to this rumschpringe thing than most people knew about. If so, she planned to find out as much as she possibly could.
Goshen
As Jan directed his truck into town, Terry reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
“I see you’re still smoking,” Jan said, looking at Terry with disgust. “I figured you wouldn’t be able to hack it.”
Terry lit the cigarette and blew the smoke out the open window. “Hey, man, get off my case! I’m doing the best I can with this.”
“I don’t call blowing smoke out the window doing your best. If you ask me, the only way to quit is to go cold turkey.”
“I tried that already. It didn’t work. I got shaky, and I couldn’t think straight. I just need to taper off.”
“Why don’t ya try taking only one drag of smoke each time you reach for a cigarette, and then put it out? Maybe that one drag would satisfy you till the next one.”
“Guess I could try that, but I don’t know. This is harder than I thought.”
“It’s gonna take you a lot longer to quit if you try to do it with that attitude.” Jan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum. “Here, chew one of these. If you don’t quit smoking, your teeth and fingertips will turn yellow.”
Terry grunted. “Like gum’s gonna take away my craving. It’ll probably end up giving me cavities.”
“It’s sugarless, and it might help you quit smoking. That’s what got me over the hump when I used to smoke.”
Terry’s eyes widened. “When was that? I’ve never known you to smoke.”
“Started when I was sixteen, but I quit before Star was born. I didn’t want my little girl breathing any secondhand smoke. That all happened way before I met you.”
“But you said Star was less than a year old when her mom ran off with her. I’m surprised you didn’t start smoking again after that.”
“I was tempted to—many times. But I figured it was a nasty habit, and I hoped Bunny would come to her senses and return to me, so I never went back to smoking.”
Terry knew that Bunny was the nickname Jan had given Nancy, his ex-girlfriend. “Guess you’ve got more willpower than I do,” Terry said. “But I’m gonna lick this thing, just wait and see.” He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and handed the package back to Jan.
“What are you gonna do if you’re still smoking by Saturday?” Jan asked as he turned his truck into the parking lot of the Wal-Mart store in Goshen.
Terry shrugged. “I don’t know. Guess I’ll chew plenty of breath mints and wear some cologne so I don’t smell like smoke.” He glanced out the window. “Why are we stopping here?”
“Star’s working today, and I want to stop and say hello. You wanna go in with me?”
“Naw. I’ll wait for you here. Tell Star I said hi, though.”
“Will do.” Jan turned off the ignition and hopped out of the truck. “I’ll be back soon.”
Terry leaned his head back and sat with his eyes closed, thinking about Cheryl and fighting the urge to smoke. Feeling more edgy by the minute, he finally opened his eyes and lit up, making sure to keep his window rolled down so the smoke would blow out. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to quit smoking. Maybe he was stupid thinking he could get Cheryl to go out with him. It might be best just to forget the whole thing; then he wouldn’t have to take any more quilting lessons. But if he did that, he’d be admitting defeat, and he’d never been a quitter.
“Nope,” he muttered, snuffing out the cigarette. “I’m gonna snag a date with Cheryl, and I’ll do whatever I need to do in order to make it happen.”
CHAPTER 15
I appreciate your taking the time to see me on such short notice,” Cheryl said when she entered Ruby Lee and Gene’s house Friday evening.
Ruby Lee gave Cheryl a hug. “We had no other plans this evening, and we’re always happy to have a visit from any of our parishioners.”
“You have a lovely home,” Cheryl said, glancing a
round the cozy but spacious living room. “These hardwood floors are beautiful, and it would be hard to draw me away from those cozy-looking window seats. I don’t think I’d get much done, wanting to watch outside all the time.”
“We’ve lived here almost two years, but it still feels new to us.” Ruby Lee laughed. “Maybe that’s because we lived in a church-owned parsonage for so many years and waited a long time to have a home of our own. About the only thing I’ve never really gotten used to is the dog next door. He seems to bark at anything that moves—especially the scampering squirrels.”
Cheryl sighed. “Where I grew up, outside of Portland, Oregon, my parents had a big backyard, and we were always watching some sort of animal or bird that ventured onto our property. We had squirrels and birds at the feeders my dad built, and occasionally we’d see some deer come out of the woods adjoining our place. They liked to nibble on the shrubbery and grass in the yard.”
“That sounds nice, Cheryl,” Ruby Lee said as they both went to the window. “Time stands still when I stop to watch the birds at our feeders. The activity there is ongoing.” She smiled at Cheryl. “Are there a lot of different birds in Oregon?”
“Oh yes. We have several species, much like you have here. Grandma used to make her own suet, and we’d hang it out during the winter months. The downy woodpeckers and northern flickers loved it.” Cheryl pointed to Ruby Lee’s backyard. “We have goldfinches, too, like those on your thistle feeders. Some of the birds that came into our yard stayed all year. Other birds came only at certain times of the year. Also, there’s a place called the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, which is about ten minutes from our home. When I was a girl, Grandma and I used to walk the trails there, and we often saw great blue herons and egrets in the small lake and wetlands there. Sometimes we’d even catch a glimpse of a bald eagle flying overhead.” Cheryl laughed. “I guess you can tell I could go on and on about the subject of birds and other wildlife.”
The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt Page 10