The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Terry chuckled. “Once, when I was climbing a ladder to get on a roof, I stopped halfway up and couldn’t remember what I was going up there for. So I told myself, ‘I’m gonna stand right here on this rung till I remember.’ ” Terry tapped his forehead a couple of times. “I never did figure it out, but after some thought, I couldn’t remember if I was going up or down that ladder.”

  Cheryl laughed. “You made that up, didn’t you?”

  He winked.

  “I think we’d better get back to bowling.” Blaine stepped up to the line, made his approach, and let the ball go. He knocked down eight pins, and the two left standing were side by side. “I should be able to get those easily,” he said, glancing back at Cheryl.

  “I bet you can.” She cheered Blaine on.

  In the meantime, Terry picked up his ball and stepped up to the line just as Blaine did. They both started their approach and released their balls at the same time.

  “That’s not good,” Star said, glancing at Cheryl and shaking her head. “One of them should have waited for the other to go first. I don’t think either of ’em knows anything about bowling courtesy.”

  Cheryl held her breath as she watched both men’s balls roll down the alley toward the pins. Terry’s ball, which had been released with a stronger hand, made it there first, knocking down nine pins. Blaine’s ball hit his last two pins, and he turned to face Cheryl with a grin.

  “Good job,” she said, picking up her ball and waiting until Terry finished his turn. He missed the one pin that had been left standing, but instead of getting upset about it, he winked at Cheryl and said, “That was just my practice shot. ’Course practice makes perfect, and nobody’s perfect, so really, why practice?”

  Cheryl couldn’t help but smile. Terry had such a humorous way about him. He was actually kind of a likable guy. Too bad he and Blaine seemed to be at odds with each other. They’d both been acting really testy tonight. “Guess it’s my turn to bowl,” she said.

  The first ball she rolled, knocked down four pins, but on her second try she got three more. After Star took her turn and got a spare, Jan bowled, knocking down all of the pins. Everyone cheered.

  Terry and Blaine both jumped up next, grabbed their balls, and lined up, neither of them waiting for the other to go first. Terry glanced briefly at Blaine, then let go of his ball. As it started rolling down the aisle, he shouted, “Come on, baby….Come on….Knock down those pins for me right now!”

  Meanwhile, the ball Blaine released glided down the alley, with him coaxing it along. “That’s it! That’s it! Just a little more to the left.”

  Terry’s ball hit eight pins this time, and Blaine knocked down seven.

  “It’s time for a spare,” Blaine said, looking back at Cheryl.

  Terry grabbed his ball and dashed up to the line. Blaine did the same. Once more, they released their balls at the same time.

  Thunk! Both men’s balls rolled into the gutter without hitting a single pin.

  “Rats!” Terry slapped the side of his jeans, and Blaine slunk his way back to his chair.

  Cheryl looked at Star and rolled her eyes.

  “Men,” Star whispered, leaning close to Cheryl. “They always have to show off, and if they don’t win, they think it’s the end of the world.”

  Cheryl nodded. To her, bowling, or any other sport, was about having fun. It was obvious that Terry and Blaine took the game more seriously, though.

  Star and Cheryl took their turns next, and then Jan. Cheryl watched in fascination as the big burly man bowled one strike, followed by another. Star cheered and so did Terry. But Blaine just sat with his arms folded.

  When Star took her next turn, she bowled a strike. Cheryl cheered for her, thinking, Maybe I should have had her show me a few things about bowling.

  Cheryl went to her purse and dug out a few dollars. “Blaine, would you mind getting me a chocolate milk shake? If they taste anything like the ones back in my hometown, then I can hardly wait to have one. Get yourself something, too,” she added, handing him the money. “It’s my treat.”

  “I should be treating you, not the other way around,” Blaine said.

  “Don’t worry about it. You paid for our bowling, so it’s the least I can do.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back soon with a couple of chocolate shakes.” Casting Terry a quick glance, Blaine hurried away.

  For the next two hours they continued to bowl, until Cheryl told Blaine she needed to go. “I plan to attend the early service at church tomorrow morning, so I need to go home and get to bed,” she explained.

  “Where’s your church and what time does it start?” Blaine asked.

  Thinking he might want to come, too, she smiled and said, “It starts at 8:45, and the church is here in Goshen. Gene Williams is the pastor, and his wife, Ruby Lee, took one of Emma’s quilting classes.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, if you need to get home, I’ll walk you to the car,” Blaine said, making no comment about the church or asking for directions.

  Disappointed, Cheryl smiled at Star. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Same here.” Star grinned. “Maybe the two of us can get together and bowl sometime,” she whispered. “Without the men.”

  Cheryl gave a nod. “Sounds like that could be fun.” She said good-bye to Jan and told Terry she would see him next Saturday at Emma’s. “Oh, and I’m glad you’ve quit smoking. Keep up the good work,” she quickly added.

  “I will,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Think it’ll be worth it.”

  As Cheryl and Blaine walked toward the door, she glanced over her shoulder and noticed Terry watching her. She couldn’t explain it, but something about him was appealing, which was strange, since she hadn’t felt that way when they’d first met. While Blaine was nice looking, polite, and seemed to be steady, Terry was funny and had a zest for life. He was different from any man she’d ever known.

  When Cheryl stepped into the chilly evening air, a shiver ran through her. Do I actually wish I’d gone bowling with Terry tonight instead of Blaine? No, that’s ridiculous; Terry and I are worlds apart.

  CHAPTER 20

  Shipshewana

  Selma pulled the covers aside and shivered as she crawled out of bed. It seemed so cold in her bedroom this morning. Could the temperature have dipped lower than usual during the night? Maybe her furnace had quit working.

  Wherever Selma could, she stepped on the throw rugs scattered across her bedroom floor, knowing the hardwood would probably be cold. It was the only room in her house, besides the kitchen and bathroom, that didn’t have carpeting.

  Selma padded across the room in her bare feet and bent down to put her hand in front of the floor vent. Now that’s odd. Even though the slats were open, no heat was rising through the vent. She slipped into her robe and slippers, then stepped into the hall. It seemed warm enough there, and in the living room as well. She checked both living-room vents and discovered warm air drifting up. It made no sense that the vent in the bedroom wasn’t directing heat into the room.

  Selma checked a couple more vents—one in the spare bedroom, and one in the dining room. Warm air wafted up from both of them. She felt relief knowing her furnace hadn’t given out.

  “Guess I’ll have to ask someone to crawl under the house and check the heat duct going up to my bedroom,” she said aloud. “Maybe it got clogged somehow.”

  Selma headed for the kitchen to put the teakettle on the stove, and when she stepped into the room, she halted, shocked at the sight before her. That mangy gray cat was sitting in her sink, licking at the slow drip coming from the faucet.

  “How in the world did you get in my house, and what are you doing in the sink?” Could she have left the door open last night during the short time she’d gone out to be sure her car was locked? But if the cat had gotten in then, why hadn’t she seen it before she’d gone to bed? Maybe the sneaky feline had hidden out somewhere in the house. Whatever the case, Scruffy had to go out!

 
Meow! The cat looked at Selma as if to say, “Please let me stay in the house.”

  “I’ll give you a bowl of water, but you have to go outside.” Selma picked up the cat, unconsciously petting his head.

  Prrr…Prrr… The cat burrowed his nose in Selma’s robe and began to knead with his paws.

  “Now, none of that, Scruffy,” Selma said with a click of her tongue. “You’re not going to soft-soap me this morning.” She held the cat away from her, while scrutinizing him. If you could talk, you’d probably tell me plenty, Selma thought, wondering where this cat must have come from.

  She opened the back door, set the cat on the porch, and quickly shut the door. When she returned to the kitchen, she took out a plastic bowl and filled it with lukewarm water. Then she took the bowl outside and placed it on the porch. Seeing that Scruffy was still there, Selma smiled, despite her agitation. If all the mats were combed out of the critter’s fur, he wouldn’t look half bad. In fact, he was kind of cute, even if he was nearly full grown.

  Now don’t go getting soft, Selma scolded herself. I am not keeping this cat. She opened the door and stepped quickly inside. She needed to eat breakfast and get ready for church, or she’d end up being late. She would deal with the faulty heat vent sometime this week, and she hoped giving the cat some water had not been a mistake. But she had a feeling it already was.

  Middlebury

  Anna yawned and forced herself to sit up straight, hoping to relieve her aching muscles. They were nearly halfway through Sunday worship, and she really needed a break. She’d wait until the reading of the Scriptures, though. Anna knew that would be when a few other people would slip out to use the restroom or walk around for a bit to get the kinks out of their stiff backs.

  Anna barely heard the song being sung, as her mind took her back to yesterday and the time she’d spent with Carmen. She’d enjoyed the afternoon so much, and the interest Carmen had taken in Anna made her feel like she was important. Carmen seemed to care what Anna thought about things and didn’t criticize, the way Mom often did. She’d enjoyed sharing information and answering questions Carmen had asked about their Amish traditions. Too bad Carmen didn’t live in the area. If she did, she and Anna would probably be friends.

  Of course, Anna mused, Carmen’s more educated than I am. She’s much prettier, too. I’ll bet she thinks I’m really plain. Nevertheless, no one had ever taken an interest in Anna like Carmen had. It made her feel kind of special.

  Anna looked down at her hands, clasped firmly over the skirt of her dark blue dress. Even though I am plain, I’d still like to be pretty. Was there such a thing as being pretty and plain at the same time? Anna’s grandmother had told Anna on more than one occasion that her auburn hair was pretty. But the freckles dotting Anna’s nose made her wish she had a clear, creamy complexion like she’d noticed Cheryl Halverson had.

  Anna glanced to her right, where her friend Mandy Zimmerman sat staring out the window of Deacon Lehman’s buggy shed, where church was being held today. Mandy looked bored and was probably ready for a break, too. She was a pretty young woman, with shiny blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a bubbly personality. She was also a bit rebellious, although her parents had given her the freedom to experience some worldly things. Mandy’s boyfriend, David, had a car, and sometimes took Mandy for rides. Anna, on the other hand, had no boyfriend. She didn’t care, though. None of the young men she knew had caught her interest. Besides, she was still young, and there was plenty of time for courting and flirting. Not that Anna wanted to flirt. She’d seen Mandy do it several times, though, with David and a couple of other young men.

  Anna’s thoughts turned to the piece of jewelry Carmen had bought for her yesterday while they’d been shopping. If Mom and Dad found out she had a fancy bracelet, she’d be in for a lecture, and maybe worse. They might say she couldn’t see Carmen anymore outside of the quilt class. Anna was glad she’d hidden the bracelet beneath her underclothes in one of her dresser drawers. Since she cleaned her own room and always gathered up the laundry, she was sure the bracelet wouldn’t be discovered.

  As the congregation stood for the reading of Scriptures, Anna slipped quietly out and headed for the house. Mandy did the same.

  Once in the house, Anna quickly realized there was a lineup in the hallway for the restroom, so she visited with Mandy as they stood in the living room, awaiting their turn.

  “I have something to tell you,” Anna whispered.

  “What is it?” Mandy asked, leaning closer to Anna.

  “I went to lunch in Goshen with Carmen Lopez yesterday, and afterward, we did some shopping.”

  “Carmen’s that young Hispanic woman you told me about, right?”

  Anna nodded. “Carmen’s really nice, and she actually listens when I talk. Not like Mom and Dad. They don’t listen or try to understand me at all.”

  “So what’d you buy when you went shopping?” Mandy asked.

  “I didn’t buy anything myself, but Carmen bought me a pretty bracelet.”

  “Why would she do that? She doesn’t even know you that well.”

  Anna sucked in her bottom lip as she mulled things over. “I guess after I shared some things with her about how Mom and Dad have been holding me back, she felt sorry about my situation and decided to give me something nice.”

  “What’d you do with the bracelet? I’m sure you didn’t go home and show your folks.”

  Anna shook her head. “I hid it in one of my dresser drawers.”

  “I hope your mamm doesn’t find it there.”

  “I’m sure she won’t because she never goes into my room.”

  Mandy smiled. “I’m anxious to see it. When can you show it to me?”

  “How about tomorrow? Maybe we can meet somewhere after I get off work in the afternoon.”

  “Sounds good,” Mandy said. “Let’s meet at the Dairy Queen. I’ve been craving one of those chocolate-and-vanilla-swirl ice-cream cones. Think you can be there by four o’clock?”

  Anna nodded, already looking forward to it.

  Goshen

  When Cheryl stepped into the church foyer, she spotted Ruby Lee, talking with an elderly woman. Cheryl didn’t want to interrupt, so she waited until they were done before she joined Ruby Lee. “Guess what?” she asked, giving Ruby Lee a hug. “I took your advice and went on a date last night.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Who’d you go out with?”

  “Blaine Vickers. He’s one of the men taking the quilt class with me.” She paused, wondering how much to share with Ruby Lee.

  “I sense there’s more,” Ruby Lee said, touching Cheryl’s arm.

  Cheryl nodded. “Blaine and I went bowling, and Terry Cooley, who also attends the quilt classes, showed up. He ended up bowling on the lane next to ours.”

  “Was he invited?”

  “No, but he was meeting his friend Jan Sweet and Jan’s daughter, Star. They came in after Terry had been there awhile.” What Cheryl didn’t tell Ruby Lee was that Terry had vied for her attention all evening and that she’d actually enjoyed it. She could hardly admit that to herself, because it didn’t seem right that she’d be attracted to someone like Terry.

  Ruby Lee smiled. “Sure wish I’d been there. I haven’t seen Jan or Star for some time. They kept things quite interesting during our quilting classes, but by the end of our six weeks, we all came to care for each other.”

  “Terry keeps our classes interesting, too.”

  “Did I hear my name mentioned?”

  Cheryl whirled around, surprised to see Terry, wearing black slacks, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket, standing behind her with a big grin.

  “Wh–what are you doing here, Terry?” she stammered. She couldn’t get over how different Terry looked today, dressed in nice clothes.

  “I overhead you telling Blaine last night that you were going to church this morning.”

  “I did tell him that, but I didn’t say the name of the church, or where it was located—just that i
t was in Goshen.”

  “But you did say it was the church Ruby Lee’s husband pastored, and since Ruby Lee and Jan took the same quilting class, I figured Jan would know where the church was, so I got the directions from him.”

  Before Cheryl could respond, Ruby Lee extended her hand to Terry and said, “We always welcome visitors when they come to our church. I’m Ruby Lee. It’s nice to meet you, Terry.”

  “Same here,” Terry said, as he shook hands with Ruby Lee. Then he turned back to Cheryl and said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to sit with you during church.”

  Stunned, Cheryl couldn’t seem to find her voice. All she could manage was a quick nod. Had Terry come here to be with her? If so, how did she feel about that?

  CHAPTER 21

  As Cheryl sat near the back of the church, she wondered what the people around her thought about the redheaded man with a ponytail, seated beside her on the pew. Even though Terry was dressed in nicer clothes today, he still looked a bit rugged. Of course, as she’d heard Pastor Gene say on more than one occasion, “A church is a hospital for sinners, not a home for the saints.”

  Cheryl thought about how Jesus had spent time with people like Zaccheus, whom many people hated because he was a tax collector. In God’s eyes, people were all the same. Stereotyping and bigotry was man’s choosing, not God’s, and if the people attending this church chose to judge someone because of the way they wore their hair, then shame on them!

  That goes for me, too, Cheryl thought. When I first met Terry, I judged him based on how he looked and because he smoked. I really didn’t give myself a chance to get to know him.

  One of the men in the church had just started to give the announcements when Terry leaned over to Cheryl and said, “Can I ask you something?”

  Cheryl put her finger to her lips. Apparently Terry hadn’t been to church that often. Either that or he didn’t know enough to be quiet.