The idea of going to Sarasota with Mandy was exciting, but one thing bothered Anna. How was she going to tell her folks? They’d never give their blessing, because they thought her place was at home where they could tell her what to do and keep a close watch on her. Anna could already imagine the clash, trying to convince her folks that she should go to Sarasota, while listening to them give all the reasons she shouldn’t.
Maybe I should just go and not tell them, Anna thought as she stared at the blank wall across her room. I could head out during the night, and leave them a note on the kitchen table. Anna knew that would be a cowardly thing to do, but wouldn’t it be better than listening to Mom and Dad list all the reasons it would be wrong for her to go? She could already sense this would become one more wedge pushing her and her parents apart. I don’t need to decide anything right now, she reminded herself. December is still two months away.
Anna went to get her purse, which she’d placed on her dresser when she’d arrived home that afternoon. Reaching inside to get the bracelet Carmen had given her, she was surprised when she couldn’t find it. She dug around for a bit, but there was no sign of the bracelet.
Going over to the bed, Anna dumped the contents of her purse onto the quilt, but after sorting through everything, she realized the piece of jewelry wasn’t there.
Anna’s heart started to pound. What had happened to it? Could one of her siblings have sneaked into her room while she was helping Mom do the dishes and gone through her purse?
She sank to the bed with a moan. What should I do? I can’t accuse anyone when I don’t know who did it. And what if I say something and no one admits to taking the bracelet? If Mom and Dad get wind of this, I’ll be in trouble for sure.
Anna pondered the situation. Maybe the best thing to do was snoop around in her siblings’ rooms when they weren’t there and see if she could locate the missing jewelry. If she didn’t find it by the end of the week, she’d have to come right out and ask.
Shipshewana
As Emma followed Lamar down the hall toward their bedroom, she noticed that he was limping and walking slower than usual. Today he’d worked on one of the hickory rockers he made to sell at a local gift store. Perhaps he’d overdone it.
“Are you feeling okay this evening?” Emma asked after they’d entered their room. “I noticed you were limping and wondered if you might be in pain.”
Deep wrinkles formed across Lamar’s forehead as he turned to face her. “I’m stiff and my joints ache,” he admitted, leaning against the dresser for support.
“Did you work too long on the rocker today?”
“Maybe, but I think it’s my arthritis flaring up. These cold days we’ve been having don’t help with the stiffness.” Lamar rubbed his fingers. “My hands don’t work well when my arthritis acts up.”
Emma lowered herself to the bed as reality set in. “You wanted to go to Florida because you knew you’d feel better where it’s warm, right?”
He nodded slowly as he released the suspenders from his trousers.
“Then why didn’t you explain that to me? If I’d only known—”
“You would have agreed to go, even though you wanted to teach another six-week quilting class,” he interrupted.
“Jah, that’s right. I would have changed my mind had I known the reason.”
“Which is why I didn’t tell you.” He sat beside Emma on the bed. “I knew you were looking forward to teaching another class, and I wouldn’t have felt right asking you to give it up on my account.”
“Oh Lamar,” Emma said, tears welling in her eyes, “you’re my husband, and I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Emma.” Lamar placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“I appreciate you allowing me to teach another class, and I really do feel that the students who’ve come to my class have been sent for a reason. But your health and your needs come first, so…”
Lamar put his finger to her lips. “It’s all right, Emma. We have just three more weeks of teaching your students, and maybe after that, if you’re willing, we can head to Florida.”
She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m more than willing, and if you like, we can spend the entire winter there, where it’s nice and warm.”
He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m surely blessed to have a fraa like you.”
Goshen
Cheryl took a seat at her kitchen table and booted up her laptop. While she ate a snack of apples and cheese, she planned to answer any e-mails that had come in over the weekend.
She was about to go online when her cell phone rang. She saw in the caller ID that it was Blaine.
“Hello, Blaine,” she said, holding the phone up to her ear.
“Hi, Cheryl. How are you this evening?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Doing okay.” After a pause, Blaine cleared his throat a few times. “The reason I’m calling is I was wondering if you have any plans for Saturday.”
“Just Emma’s quilt class,” Cheryl replied.
“I meant Saturday afternoon, when the class is over.”
“I have no plans at the moment.” Secretly, Cheryl had been hoping Terry might ask her out. As scared as she’d been on the back of his motorcycle, she actually wanted to go for another ride. Now that she knew what to expect, she hoped she could relax and enjoy it more the second time around.
“I’d like to take you out for lunch,” Blaine said. “To someplace nice, out of town.”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity. Where did you plan to go?”
“Winona Lake. Have you ever been there?”
“No, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful,” Cheryl responded. “And I understand there’s a lot to do there.”
“Should I go ahead and make reservations?”
“Yes, it sounds nice. I’ll look forward to going.”
“Great. And I forgot tell you that the restaurant we’re going to overlooks the lake. See you Saturday morning at Emma’s then.”
Cheryl smiled when she hung up the phone. This would be a pleasant change over her boring plans to clean the apartment. She wasn’t sure yet what type of relationship Blaine was seeking from her. Did he simply want to be friends, or was he hoping for something more serious? Deep down, she hoped he saw her only as a friend. When she was with Blaine, even though she’d never had any siblings, it felt more like hanging out with a brother rather than being on a date. In any event, eating lunch at a restaurant with a view of the lake would give her a chance to get to know Blaine better. Maybe she would discover that she liked him more than she realized.
CHAPTER 25
Elkhart
Thank you for inviting me to join you for supper,” Carmen told Paul’s sister, Maria, when she entered her kitchen Wednesday evening.
Maria smiled. “We’re happy to have you, and we’re so glad you could join us.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Carmen asked, looking around the homey room, and feeling a twinge of envy. She’d never realized how much she longed for a house of her own until she’d come to Indiana. Thanks to her job, Carmen was on the road so much she sometimes felt like she didn’t have a place to call home.
“You can finish the green salad I started, while I take the enchiladas out of the oven,” Maria replied.
“Sure, no problem.” Carmen placed a tomato on the cutting board and cut it into small pieces.
“How are you enjoying your quilting class?” Maria questioned.
“It’s interesting. I’ve learned a lot about quilts, and the wall hanging I’m making is turning out better than I expected,” Carmen replied. “At first I was a little nervous about quilting, but now I’m really liking it.”
“Paul liked the class when he took it, too.” Maria set the dish of enchiladas on the table. “It’s been good for him and Sophia having you here. Paul said Sophia lights up when you’re in the room.”
Carmen felt the heat of a bl
ush. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with them, too.”
“Have you ever considered moving to Elkhart so you could be closer to your niece?” Maria questioned.
“My job’s in Los Angeles,” Carmen replied.
“I know, but maybe you could get a job as a reporter with one of the newspapers in our area.”
“The idea of moving here does have some appeal,” Carmen admitted, “but I’m not sure I could find another job I like as well as the one I have now. Besides, I enjoy the warmth of the California sun, and it’s only October here, and already I had to buy a warmer coat.”
“I know what you mean,” Maria said, going to the refrigerator to get the salad dressing. “Of course, some people go south for the winter, but for those of us who have jobs, that’s not an option.”
“Is supper about ready?” Maria’s husband, Hosea, asked, poking his head into the kitchen. “The girls are getting hungry, and Paul and I are having a hard time keeping them under control.”
Maria gestured to the table. “We’re just about ready, so bring in the crew.”
As Carmen helped to get the rest of the things set on the table, she couldn’t help wondering what she’d be doing if she were in Los Angeles right now. At first, having her own apartment had been exciting—especially after getting a job at the newspaper. But now, she’d begun to question whether she really wanted to go back to California. Sure, the warm weather was great, but everything that had once been so appealing was slowly losing its zest.
As Paul watched Carmen from across the table, a lump formed in his throat. She reminded him of Lorinda—same dark hair and eyes, and a nose that turned up slightly on the end. It was almost painful to look at her. Even though Carmen was a few years younger than Lorinda, she seemed mature and possessed an air of confidence. She had a special way with Sophia, too, and Paul knew his daughter would miss her aunt Carmen when she returned to California in a few weeks.
I’ll miss Carmen, too, Paul admitted to himself. If only we had more time to spend with her.
“Are the enchiladas okay?” Maria asked, bumping Paul’s arm. “You haven’t eaten much on your plate.”
“Uh, yes, they’re fine.” Paul stabbed a piece with his fork.
“Just fine?” Hosea asked, raising his eyebrows. “Usually you can’t get enough of my esposa’s enchiladas.”
Paul smiled at Maria. “They’re very good. Guess I’m just a slow eater tonight.”
“Paul’s right,” Carmen agreed. “This meal is delicious.”
“The girls must think so, too.” Maria motioned to Sophia and her two girls sitting near Carmen, eagerly eating their enchiladas.
As the meal continued, the adults talked about the chilly weather that had hit northeastern Indiana, and then the conversation moved to how things were going at the school where Paul taught. After that, Maria asked Carmen what it was like to be a newspaper reporter.
“It’s interesting,” Carmen said. “There’s always something different to report.”
“I imagine there’s a lot more happening in Los Angeles than here,” Paul said.
“There can be,” Carmen responded, “but I’m often asked to travel to other places to cover news stories. My favorite ones to write about are human-interest stories, where I get to meet different people.”
Paul listened with interest as Carmen explained more about her job. He could see that she was passionate about her work, and it made him doubt that she would ever give up her life in Los Angeles.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m so full I couldn’t eat another bite,” Hosea said, pushing away from the table. “Paul, would you like to join me in the living room to watch the evening news?”
Paul shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. “You go ahead. Think I’ll help Maria with the dishes. It’ll be like old times when we were kids.”
“I’d be happy to help Maria,” Carmen was quick to say.
“That’s okay,” Paul said. “Why don’t you spend some time with Sophia and the girls? Maria and I used to make a good team when we did the dishes together.” He stood and started clearing away the dishes. Truth was, he’d hoped for a little one-on-one time with his sister this evening.
When Carmen, Hosea, and the girls left the kitchen, Maria filled the sink with warm water and added some liquid detergent. “You know,” she said, smiling at Paul, “some people might think it’s strange that a busy woman like me doesn’t own a dishwasher, but I actually enjoy washing the dishes by hand.”
Paul chuckled and reached for a clean towel, in readiness to dry. “I guess you take after our mother. I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard Mom say over the years, ‘I’ll never own a dishwasher; they’re just not for me.’ ”
“Like mother, like daughter,” Maria said with a laugh. She glanced over at Paul as she placed some clean dishes in the drainer. “I sense you have something you’d like to talk about.”
He nodded slowly. “You know me so well.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Carmen.” Paul lowered his voice. “Ever since she came here, she’s been on my mind.”
“I’m not surprised,” Maria said, handing him another dish to dry. “She looks a lot like Lorinda.”
“You’re right, but it’s more than that. I really enjoy being with her, and…” Paul’s voice trailed off as he swiped the dish towel over the clean plate.
“Are you falling for her? Is that what you’re saying?”
Paul shrugged his shoulders. “I–I’m not sure. I just know that being with Carmen makes me feel happier than I’ve been in a long time. Do you think it could be just because I miss Lorinda so much? Or could I actually be falling in love again?”
“Only you know that,” Maria said in a big-sister tone of voice. “But if you’d like my opinion, I think you should spend as much time with Carmen as you can—maybe take her out a few times, just the two of you. If there is something brewing between you, you’ll know soon enough.”
“If Carmen and I go out by ourselves, would you be willing to watch Sophia?” he asked.
“Of course. The girls love spending time with their cousin.”
Paul knew he didn’t have much time since Carmen would be leaving in a few weeks. “All right then,” he said. “I’m going to ask her out.”
Goshen
Think I’ll call Mom and see how Grandma’s doing, Cheryl thought, glancing at the clock on her kitchen wall. It was almost ten, which meant it would be seven in Portland, so maybe she could catch her folks at home.
Cheryl reached for the phone and punched in her folks’ number. Her father answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Dad. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Cheryl. How about you?”
“Doing good and keeping busy as usual.” Cheryl switched the phone to her other ear. “Is Mom there?”
“No, she’s at her garden club meeting. Should I ask her to call when she gets home?”
“No, that’s okay. I’m just calling to see how Grandma’s doing, and I’m sure you can tell me that.”
“She’s about the same. Doesn’t say much when we go to the nursing home to see her, and she seems to be getting weaker.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. As soon as Emma finishes Grandma’s quilt and I’m done with the quilt classes, I’ll be coming there to see Grandma. Maybe seeing that her quilt has been repaired will perk her up.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Cheryl. I’m not even sure she’ll know who you are.”
“Why wouldn’t she? Grandma knew me when I went to see her before I moved here.”
“Some days she’s fine, but other times she doesn’t seem to know your mother. That’s one reason we don’t go as often to see her.”
“I think Grandma needs people around here—people she knows and loves.” Cheryl fought the urge to go see Grandma right away, but she wanted to wait until she could take the quilt for her birthday. She felt sure it would make a difference.
&nbs
p; “If there’s nothing else, I’d better hang up,” Dad said. “There’s a game show coming on TV that I want to watch.”
“Okay, Dad. Have a nice evening.” I can’t believe Mom doesn’t visit Grandma very often. How can she be so selfish and unfeeling?
When Cheryl hung up, she decided to check her e-mails before going to bed. She found one from April, with an invitation to her and Lance’s wedding the first week of December. To add insult to injury, April had asked Cheryl to be one of her bridesmaids.
Cheryl grimaced. The nerve of some people. If they think I’m about to go to their wedding, after what they did to me…What I should do is e-mail them back and give them a piece of my mind!
“Be angry and sin not.” The verse of scripture Ruby Lee had quoted to Cheryl a few weeks ago, came to mind. Okay, I won’t give them a piece of mind. But I’m not going to the wedding. It would be too painful. I’ll send them an RSVP that I won’t be attending.
Middlebury
Anna slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall toward her sister Susan’s bedroom. She should be asleep by now, and this was the perfect chance for Anna to search for her bracelet. She’d already looked in Arie’s and Becky’s rooms while they were helping Mom do the supper dishes. She would have checked Susan’s room during that time, too, but Susan had been in there playing.
Holding a flashlight in one hand, Anna quietly opened the door. She shined the beam of light toward the bed, and when she saw that her sister was sleeping, she padded across the floor to Susan’s dresser. The first drawer squeaked when she opened it, and she held her breath, hoping she hadn’t awakened Susan. Hearing nothing, she pulled it the rest of the way out and rummaged through Susan’s clothes. No bracelet there.
Anna continued to pull out drawers and look through each one, but there was no sign of her bracelet. Let me think—where else could I look?
The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt Page 17