Mom sighed. “A shame to waste that much food. Especially when frying it takes so much time.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. It was a lot of work.” Reasoning with men was tricky business, especially stubborn Mennonite men. Lil had always fantasized about taking five minutes at Brother Troyer’s pulpit. She would politely ask the congregation if they thought taking away worldly goods such as fashionable clothing and flashy cars really made people less prideful? It had never worked for her. And from her observations, it hadn’t stifled the male egos coming and going in their household either.
On Sunday Lil did not take over Brother Troyer’s pulpit. The sermon was about sowing and reaping, and she wasn’t about to argue with that. Afterward in the foyer and sprinkled throughout the churchyard, she was relieved to see family members mingling as if yesterday’s argument had never happened. The only family member missing was Mom. She still hadn’t returned to church. But Lil knew her mom was struggling with the issue.
As far as Lil knew, nobody had told her mom about the elders’ recommendation. But Sunday morning was the only time she didn’t get out of bed, and the guilt of it was becoming too much for Mom to bear. Each Sunday, Lil expected her mom to join them and was sorely disappointed when she didn’t muster up the courage. Lil knew that her first time would be hard but that her mom had friends who would surround her with love.
Standing under the shade of a huge elm, Lil took in the clusters of dark-suited men and modestly dressed women in starched white coverings. Inside the plainness were hardworking saints and sinners of varying personalities—some gentle and some spirited. But one thing they all had in common was that they cared about each other. That’s what made the thought of leaving her church family so hard for Lil. These godly people loved her in spite of herself. Maybe that assurance, that broader sense of a caring family was the reason she hadn’t been afraid to push the boundaries. Even her brothers meant well.
“Lil.”
Megan squeezed under the shade beside Lil and the other parishioners who sought to escape the heat. She whispered, “I got the job!”
Lil squealed and did the garbanzo shimmy.
Megan giggled. “People are staring.”
“Well my heart’s dancing,” Lil exclaimed. “So when are we moving into the doddy house?”
Megan snapped opened her purse. “I have a calendar. Just a moment.” They both peered into the small datebook. Megan’s slender finger slid over the numbers. “This is the second Sunday of August. Katy and Jake are moving out the last Saturday in August. We could take our stuff over on Sunday, if you don’t think that’s working on Sunday. Do you?”
“I only have clothes to move so I don’t have a problem with it.”
“I can get my dad to take my stuff over on Saturday. My mom’s donating some more furniture. I’m sure Katy won’t mind.”
“This is going to be the longest two weeks of my life,” Lil moaned.
“I suppose learning my new job will make the time fly for me.” Megan’s enthusiasm over her new job was undeniable.
Smiling dreamily, Lil replied, “And I’ve got a date with Fletch tonight.”
“Oh, Lil.” Megan clasped her by both arms. “I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Well at least somebody sees it my way.”
“Your family doesn’t?”
“Dad and my brothers are all warning me away. Dad ordered me to date a Conservative man. Stephen claims he’ll pay Fletch a visit. Matt even warned me to be careful.”
“Oh no.”
“But things are looking up for us. They must be.”
“You’re going to love this place,” Fletch said, juggling two fishing poles in one arm and carrying a small tackle box in the other. “Amos Miller owns this land.”
Lil carried her grandma’s hand-me-down quilt, the same one they’d taken to their picnic. “I thought his farm was just down the road.”
“He told me I could come use his fishing hole any time I wanted. He even let me borrow his poles. And being the cheapskate that I am, I thought it might make a fun thing for us to do together.”
“You’re not a cheapskate.” Lil stepped over a log that lay across the narrow footpath. “After I got my first job, I made a list in my journal of all the things I wanted to buy. Kind of selfish, wasn’t it?”
“Only natural. I didn’t know you kept a journal.”
“A recipe journal. I’d like to publish a recipe book someday.”
“So this journal’s kind of a wish list?”
“Maybe it is.” She glanced over at him.
“I hope you’ve written my name in it.”
“Yes. Right under: Need a man who’ll turn my world upside down.”
“What a sweet thing to say.”
“And that was next to: Need a man who’ll misconstrue everything I say.”
“The important part is that you need a man. And I’m a man.”
Lil gave him a slow, intentional once-over, taking in the way he towered over her and how the river’s breeze pleasantly tousled his hair. His eyes danced with mischief and charm. His shoulders were broad and his waist trim. And then there were those long slim legs and, of course, red tennis shoes. “Yes. I noticed that.”
In the animal kingdom, the male species was the most striking. In humans, women were lovely. But in their case, she thought Fletch outshined her. Even if her light did shine in his heart. She just couldn’t figure out why he was attracted to a plain Conservative girl and even more specifically to her. She hoped to find out today.
“Be careful what you say, or I might have to kiss you.”
Lil made the gesture of buttoning her lips and turned her gaze back to the path.
Tucking the tackle box under his arm, he reached for her hand. “Let me help you down the embankment.”
“Fletch. I think I can manage. I am a farm girl.” But she found she really couldn’t. The moment the boast was out of her lips, one foot slid ahead of the other. Her arms flew out awkwardly. The quilt fell to the ground. Thankfully, she caught her balance without falling and making a complete spectacle of herself.
Fletch chuckled.
She swept up the quilt, gave it a little shake, and straightened her shoulders, keeping her gaze forward and not giving him the satisfaction of a backward glance.
When she reached the bottom, she looked out over the Little Darby. Behind her, she heard him settling his tackle then felt his hands settle atop her shoulders. They slid down her arms, and he whispered in her right ear, “I noticed you, too. The day you backed into Britt’s car. I thought you were the prettiest little thing I’d ever seen.”
Before she could respond, he drew away. He took the quilt, making them a pallet to sit upon, and easily prepared both their poles.
“Where’d you learn to do that?” she asked.
“My dad taught me.”
Lil had gleaned from their earlier conversations that he had a chip on his shoulder when it came to his dad. “That’s nice.”
“It was,” he admitted.
They cast their lines in the water and enjoyed their natural surroundings. She noticed the way the water swirled around some rocks farther down the river, but the stream’s current grew calm where they were fishing. “This is better than any place you could have taken me.”
“I’m glad you like it. Glad Amos Miller called us to take care of his sick cow.”
She ventured, “Yes, he’s a nice man. Today in church I looked around me. The people in the congregation are like family to me. It was hard to think about leaving them.”
“Do you really want me to give up my sneakers?” he teased. “Are the restrictions of your church important to you? Or can you be a Christian without them?”
“That’s a good question. I’ve discussed these things with Matt and Jake, too. He left the church for a while. His conscience wouldn’t bother him if he went to a more progressive Mennonite church, but it would Katy’s, so he chose to stay Conservative. Like me, his friends wer
e in the church. But he says that the restrictions are just there to make it easier for us not to sin. Take television, for example. I believe the television, itself, is not sinful. It’s just a chunk of metal.”
“Metal?” he questioned.
“Fine. I don’t know what televisions are made of, but you know what I mean. It’s what you choose to watch that dulls your conscience against sinful behavior. So if you don’t have a television, you don’t have to deal with those temptations.”
“But if the church forbids the television, and you have one, then it’s sinful?”
“Going against the ordinances set by the elders is an attitude of rebellion. If you are a member of the church, that kind of rebellion is sinful.”
After that, they spent another hour discussing their personal beliefs. Finally Fletch asked, “Could you go to my church if you dressed the same, wore your covering, and I agreed not to bring anything into our home that you found offensive? Could you do that with a clear conscience?”
So he was thinking about marriage, too, and not just joking about it. “Yes. I think as long as my heart was at peace with God and my husband.”
“Lil,” he whispered, gratefully.
She raised a palm, quickly clarifying, “But I don’t know if I want to leave my church. I don’t believe it’s the only way to heaven. But it’s still hard to change.”
His voice saddened. “I think I understand.”
“Could you be happy to go to my church and abide by all the restrictions? Like Jake does?” she asked, hopefully.
“I’ve tried to imagine that. But it feels hypocritical because I don’t feel the need to follow those particular rules.”
“You don’t even know what they all are,” she argued.
“You’re right.”
Her shoulders sagged. “My family had a huge argument the day I met you at the shelter. It was about you.”
He picked up a pebble and threw it off to his right. It thudded into a thick patch of weeds. “I’m afraid to ask about it.”
“Everyone but my mom and Matt warned me away from you. Stephen even threatened to pay you a visit. Dad told me I had to date a Conservative man.”
“And what did you do?”
“I told them that I would date whomever I wanted. But it hurt to see my family arguing. And they accused Matt of leading me astray.”
“Away from the church?”
“Yes. So I need to think carefully about it. Leaving the Conservative Church will cause more family trouble.”
“And your family has had their share of trouble. I understand that. I will just have to wait and see what you and God decide. But I have to warn you, I’m very persuasive—”
“And persistent. Which is why you just caught a fish. Fletch! Reel it in!”
CHAPTER 24
Lil carried an armload of skirts into the doddy house, passing Jake and Fletch, who were carrying a blue sofa in the other direction. Katy had insisted that the girls move in on Saturday, and they’d make it one big “moving-in/moving-out” party. If the boxes hadn’t been clearly marked JAKE’S or DODDY HOUSE with large black markers, it might have been chaos. While the others moved boxes and furniture in and out, Katy furiously cleaned every vacant inch of refurbished wood flooring and the empty cabinetry.
“You’re working harder than any of us,” Lil fretted, placing a hand on Katy’s wilted sleeve.
“I’m thinking it may never get cleaned again.” Katy gave a teasing grin.
“You’re probably right. But you can clean whenever you come to visit.”
“Oh no. That’s called abusing your friends.”
“No, it isn’t. You love cleaning.”
Katy swiped her arm across her damp brow. “Not the cleaning part, Lil, just the results. But go”—she waved—“I’m fine here.”
“Okay, then I’ll invite you for supper soon.”
“I’m happy that you’ll have your own kitchen again. Happy for both of us.”
“I know. Me, too.”
Lil hung her skirts next to some clothes she had left in the closet when she moved back to the farm. It looked as though Jake had just shoved them aside. Megan would fill Katy’s part of the closet.
On her way to the car for another load, she met Fletch. By the silly expression he’d sported most of the day, he was as happy as Lil about the move, especially since he’d lost his welcome at the Landis farm.
“I think your little dollhouse needs a kitten to keep you company. That is, when I’m not here.”
“I don’t think a barn cat would feel at home in a doddy house,” she retorted.
“I think Slinky would think he was in heaven. I know I would.”
Given the kitten was named, she thought it must be from the farm shelter. “He sounds sneaky.”
“No, he just does this stretching thing then curls up like a slinky toy. You won’t be sorry. You’ll love the little guy and his antics.”
Falling into her Dutchy accent, she protested, “Oh, but I won’t love it, because I didn’t say yes.”
They had reached the car, and Fletch put his arm on the roof, blocking her from her belongings. “It’s only temporary until we get married. Then I’ll take over Slinky’s care. I’d take him now, but he’s still so tiny, and I don’t trust Buddy around him.”
Lil widened her eyes. “Is this your way of warning me …?” She faltered. It seemed silly to keep joking about marriage when they weren’t that far along in their relationship. “Warning me that you come along with a whole entourage of animals?”
“Is that so bad? You explicitly warned me that you’re a farm girl. Of course that was right before you fell down the river bank like a city girl.”
She tapped his chest, emphasizing each word. “I did not fall down.” Her hand dropped. “Anyway, I don’t really want to be a farm girl. You’re not planning to live on a farm, are you?”
“Not really. But I love pets.”
“Won’t you be tired of taking care of them all day?”
“Do you get tired of cooking? If you do, do you quit eating?”
She frowned, unable to follow the correlation.
“What do you hate about the farm?”
Lil stared, not really seeing Ivan Miller’s house but only the country road that stretched off in the distance like her thoughts. What did she hate? “I hate the rooster that wakes me up so early.”
“Surely a good cook could think of a way to solve that problem.”
Without the rooster, there wouldn’t be any cute chicks. But she wasn’t telling him that. “I hate the chores.”
“Who doesn’t?”
Actually, she liked her mom’s cheery kitchen and the picturesque window that looked out over the farm. She thought about the past couple of months. As much as she complained to herself and others, she had enjoyed rattling her Grandma Landis’s pots and pans and ironing the heirloom tablecloths. She loved rubbing her finger over the golden rim of her mom’s Autumn Leaf dishes when she set the table.
“I hate the smell of hogs, but not the scent of lilacs or the grass after rain.”
“You hate the hogs?”
“No.” Her eyes widened in the realization that she didn’t hate the farm as much as she just wanted her own place. “Fine. I don’t hate the farm. But I’m ready for something different.”
“Me, too.”
She smiled seductively. “You have a way of twisting everything I say to suit your intentions, don’t you?”
“I confess when it comes to you my brain is only wired one way.”
“Mu-shy!” Jake called, shaking his head.
“Busted.”
“Now if you will kindly move to the side.”
“All right. You don’t have to commit to Slinky just yet. I’ll bring him along next time for you to meet.”
“Oh no you don’t. That’s not fair.”
“Exactly.” He opened the car door and pulled out a box of cookbooks. “You don’t have to commit to me yet either. But
I’m hoping if Slinky and I remain on our best behavior we’ll wear down your resistance.” He grunted. “What do you have in here? Bricks?”
He headed back toward the house, and Lil paused to watch him. He was definitely wearing down her resistance. She wondered if her mom had ever felt that way about her dad.
Later after everyone was gone except Megan and Lil, they were in the kitchen, unpacking some dishes that Mrs. Weaver had donated.
“I don’t mean to dampen your spirits, but I have to ask if your dad ever gave us his blessing,” Megan said.
Lil threw a wad of crumpled newspaper into an empty box. “He told me that if Mom slipped back into depression it was all my fault. That he expected me to get this nonsense out of my head quickly and get back home where I belonged. He said I wasn’t behaving like a Conservative woman with my worldly ideas of living on my own and wanting to be my own boss.”
“Yikes.”
Lil rested her hand on the counter. “My family’s divided over Fletch, too.”
“One day, you’ll make the perfect couple. The best things don’t always come easily.”
Although they didn’t talk about it after that, the next time Lil went to her sister’s home to help out, Michelle had plenty to say on the matter. Her sister joked that Lil should be glad they were not Amish, because if they were, the family would have shunned her by now. Their father was angry because Lil was supposed to be under his authority until she married. Michelle had heard him call Lil a rebellious child who didn’t care about her family. Michelle claimed their mom had responded to his comment by slapping the mashed potatoes on his plate and muttering something about choking. Hank and Stephen were scheming revenge on Fletch, even threatening to pay the shelter a night visit to free the animals. At that, little Flannel and Cottonball popped into Lil’s mind, and she felt ill. She wondered if she should warn Fletch.
Thankfully, Michelle had ended their conversation on a positive note. Her cast had been removed, and she no longer required Lil’s help. The way Michelle rushed Lil out the door, she had to wonder if she wasn’t being shunned, after all.
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