Turning his back on the farm and surveying the land around it, Joel saw nothing much had changed. He walked over to an area still familiar to him. Except for the weeds encompassing the spot, the seat he had made by arranging two rocks remained in place since the day he’d put them there. This rock-seat, situated in front of a large oak up on the knoll, had always been a happy place—Joel’s private spot.
He watched as several dragonflies hovered over the grasses and colorful butterflies flitted from one plant to another, trying to find the last of the late-summer blooms. Joel took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. If only life could be as simple.
About to lower himself to the old familiar seat, Joel’s head jerked at the sound of a horse and buggy. Turning, he saw it approach and then stop. A few seconds later, his sister Doris got out. “Elsie said you were coming, but I didn’t believe her.” She moved closer to Joel. “Dad’s gonna be surprised you’re here.” She gave him an awkward hug; Joel felt the strain between them.
“Why would he be surprised?” He glanced down the hill at their father’s place. “When I called Elsie, I asked her to let Dad know I was coming.”
“Guess she figured it was best not to say anything.” Doris looked toward the open buggy, where her husband, Brian, sat holding the reins; then she turned her gaze back to Joel. “Elsie invited all of us to Dad’s for supper this evening. She thought he would enjoy having his whole family together again.” She folded her arms. “It’s been awhile, you know.”
“I’ve been busy with my business.”
She glared at him. “Nobody should be too busy for family, Joel. But then you’ve never gotten that or you wouldn’t have left us in the first place. Not to mention how bad you hurt your aldi.”
Joel held up his hand, defiance welling in his soul as he looked at her. “Let’s not even go there, okay? The past is in the past, and there’s no going back. I’m sure Anna Detweiler has moved on with her life by now.”
“She’s still teaching school and keeps busy with other things, but Anna has remained single and hasn’t had a serious boyfriend since you broke up with her.”
Joel grimaced. The reminder of what he’d done to Anna made his stomach tighten. He still wondered if he and Anna might be married by now if she had been willing to leave with him. But then I would never have met Kristi, he thought. Anna and I had some problems, and I’m sure Kristi’s the perfect girl for me.
Joel’s thoughts came to a halt when Doris touched his arm. “Are you ready to head down the hill to Dad’s now? I see two buggies near his barn, so I’m sure the others are there already.”
Joel gave a nod. What else could he do? He was here and needed to ask Dad for money. He wished his sisters hadn’t come, though. It would be harder to speak to Dad with the others around.
Glancing at the farm once again, Joel felt like an outsider. Even with all the good memories flooding back, he didn’t feel as comfortable as he should be with family.
Akron
When Kristi wheeled Mildred Parker, one of her patients, into the social room at the nursing home where she worked, her attention was drawn to an elderly man sitting in an easy chair near the window. It wasn’t his flowing white hair and long Santa Claus beard that caught her attention, however—it was the beautiful music coming from the harmonica he held between his lips.
Joel had a harmonica similar to the man’s, but Kristi hadn’t heard him play it for several weeks. He’d seemed so preoccupied lately. Whenever she talked to him, he didn’t appear to be really listening. What Joel needed was to relax more and have some fun for a change. Having work on his mind all the time wasn’t a good thing for Joel—or for their relationship.
I’ll bet a trip to Amish country would help Joel relax. It sure did for me, Kristi mused. I wish he was willing to go there with me. When I catch Joel in the right mood, I’ll ask again.
Smiling, Kristi parked Mildred’s wheelchair near the man with the flowing beard and took a seat beside her patient to listen to the melodic sounds of “Amazing Grace.” Several of the patients, as well as family members who had come to visit, joined in by singing the familiar hymn. The man playing the harmonica seemed not to notice, as he closed his eyes and lifted his gaze toward the ceiling. Perhaps it was his way of worshipping God. Hearing his song had certainly warmed Kristi’s heart and put her in a worshipful frame of mind. It made her look forward to this coming Sunday, when she and Joel could attend church. It might be fun to plan a bicycle ride later in the afternoon. They could either take a picnic lunch along or stop at one of the local restaurants for a bite to eat. It would be fun to be together. Maybe she could talk Joel into bringing his harmonica.
As Kristi let the music envelope her thoughts, her gaze drifted to the window. When she’d first started working at the nursing home, she’d been told this room wasn’t always so popular. Now it was a favorite with patients and visitors alike, in part because the view from the window had changed from plain old grass to a landscaped nature garden. Flowering shrubs and unusual rocks surrounded a fish pond. At the far end, facing the window, a small waterfall cascaded into the tranquil pool. Pink-and-white water lilies floated on top, with several koi fish peacefully swimming through the clear water. Their orange-and-white bodies created a sharp contrast to the brown river pebbles on the floor of the pond.
The social room, with the large picture window, was a nice place for the residents to relax and feel comfortable. It was peaceful, and the employees at the nursing home often visited the room during their breaks.
Kristi glanced at her watch. She needed to check on another patient before her shift ended for the day, so reluctantly, she turned from the window. Then, leaning over to tell Mildred she would be back for her soon, Kristi quietly left the room.
Charm
Joel parked his truck near the barn and got out. Looking around, it didn’t take him long to realize that, with the exception of a few more old wagon wheels and several antique milk cans scattered around, the place hadn’t changed much. Dad was a junk collector and always had been. But then, Joel had to admit, he had a few of his own things he couldn’t part with. If he had the chance, he’d have a collection of classic cars—not sitting around the yard, of course. Some, he’d fix up and sell for a profit, but others he would keep for the pure pleasure of having them.
“Hey, Joel, it’s good to see you. How have ya been?” Arlene’s husband, Larry, asked as he headed for the barn with his horse.
“Okay, I guess.” As Joel entered the barn behind his blond-haired brother-in-law, he winced at the putrid odor of horse urine and scowled at the cobwebs hanging from the rafters.
Larry stopped and looked back at him. “I’d say this barn could use a good cleaning.”
“I agree. When I was a boy, Dad used to keep it much cleaner. Of course,” Joel added, “I usually helped him with that. When was the last time Dad cleaned the barn anyway?”
Larry shrugged. “Brian, John, and I have offered to do it for him many times, but he always refuses our help.”
Joel frowned. “Figures. He’s as stubborn as ever.”
The place was thick with flies. He swatted at a few as he watched Larry lead his horse into one of the empty stalls. When Joel’s mother was alive, Dad always made sure either he or Joel kept the barn and other outbuildings clean and fresh, with plenty of fly strips hanging from the rafters to keep the pesky bugs at bay. Mom had even kept a lid on some of Dad’s eccentricities, but no one was there to do that anymore.
Joel shook his head. Dad shouldn’t be living alone. I sure don’t have the time or patience to take care of him, though. Besides, he wouldn’t want to live in my fancy world. You’d think he’d move in with one of my sisters or, at the very least, hire someone to help out around here. With the oil fracking being done on Dad’s property, it’s not like he can’t afford it. I’ll bet he has more money than he knows what to do with.
“So where’s my dad?” Joel asked, leaning on the door of the horse’s
stall.
Larry shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m guessin’ he must be in the house. I’ll bet he’ll be glad to see you.”
Joel opened his mouth, but as he was about to speak, he inhaled a fly and swallowed the filthy insect before it even registered what had happened. He coughed and sputtered, trying to get it back up, but it seemed to be lodged in his throat.
Dashing out of the barn, Joel flung his truck door open, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a big swig. “Life on the farm,” he muttered. “Guess all the memories weren’t so good.”
“Uncle Joel!” Joel’s nephew Scott bounded up to him with a huge smile on his freckled face. “Are ya movin’ in with Grandpa, or did ya come to ask him for somethin’?”
Joel’s face heated. Apparently there’d been some talk among family members about him only coming around when he wanted something. I don’t care if they do talk behind my back. Drawing in a quick breath, Joel collected himself to face his family. Then he gave Scott’s shoulder a squeeze and pointed to the house. “I’m sure whatever my sisters have made for the meal will be good.” He stepped onto the porch and took another deep breath. “Shall we go inside and see what’s for supper?”
CHAPTER 9
When Joel entered the house with Scott at his side, he expected to see his father sitting in the living room in his favorite chair. What he saw instead was his sister Arlene sitting in Mom’s rocking chair, holding a baby. Except for a few gray hairs mingled with strands of brown sticking out from under her white head covering, she looked the same as the last time he’d seen her.
Arlene looked up and smiled. “It’s nice you came, Joel. Elsie and Doris are in the kitchen, and the menfolk and most of the kinner are in the basement looking at something Dad recently bought.”
He gave a brief nod. Then giving the living room a quick scan, he noticed it hadn’t changed at all. Every stick of furniture remained in its place. The braided throw rug Mom had made many years ago was missing, though. It had probably worn all the way through from Dad wheeling about the house in his favorite chair. The marks on the wooden floor told the story.
Glancing toward the kitchen, Joel heard his other two sisters speaking their traditional German-Dutch language. Even though he didn’t use it anymore, Joel understood it all perfectly.
“I’d like you to meet your newest nephew, Samuel. He’s four months old.” When Joel looked back at Arlene, she motioned to the infant.
Joel looked at Scott, still standing beside him with a cheesy grin, then back at the baby, realizing the brothers were eight years apart. “I—I wasn’t aware you’d had another child.”
“If you came around once in a while, you’d realize what’s going on in our family.”
Joel jerked his head at the sound of his father’s voice. Dad stood in the doorway between the living room and kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I—I came to see you,” Joel stammered, feeling like a kid again as his dad scrutinized him. “Figured Elsie would tell you I was coming.”
“No, she didn’t.” When Dad pulled his fingers through his beard, Joel noticed it was much shorter than it had been before. He wondered what happened, but before he could ask, Arlene spoke up.
“We wanted your coming to be a surprise.”
Dad tapped his foot, never taking his eyes off Joel. “It’s a surprise, alright. Wasn’t sure we’d ever see your wayward bruder again.”
Joel clenched his fists. He didn’t like the way his dad was staring right at him while talking to Arlene like he wasn’t even in the room.
Joel’s brothers-in-law, John, Larry, and Brian, entered the room, along with Joel’s nephews, Doug, Glen, and Blaine. They each took turns shaking Joel’s hand. Their cordial welcome made Joel feel a little more relaxed. He was glad Scott had left to use the bathroom and hadn’t heard Dad’s caustic remarks.
A few seconds later, Doris and Elsie came in from the kitchen, along with Joel’s nieces, Martha, Lillian, Mary, and Hope.
“Well, Joel is here now, Dad, so I think we should all eat and enjoy our time together.” Arlene stood, and when Doris held her arms out, she handed the baby to her. Joel couldn’t help but notice the look of longing on his youngest sister’s face. No doubt she wanted a baby of her own.
Soon after, when Scott joined them in the dining room, the hot food was brought out and placed on the table. The aromas caused Joel’s mouth to water. Elsie, her brown eyes appearing darker than usual, immediately stepped over to Joel and gave him a hug. “I’m glad we could all gather this way to catch up, like a real family.”
When Joel stepped away from her embrace, he nodded.
“The food is ready.” Elsie looked at Dad.
“Humph!” He shuffled across the room and took a seat at the head of the table.
Everyone gathered and found seats as well. Joel was relieved he hadn’t been asked to sit at a separate table, the way he had when he’d first left the Amish faith and returned home for a meal. But Dad was as cool and unfriendly as ever. Scott, however, was all smiles when he took a seat to the left of Joel.
All heads bowed for silent prayer, which felt strange to Joel, since Kristi always prayed out loud. Joel didn’t pray much anymore. He only went along with it for Kristi’s sake. If he didn’t go to church with her and appear to be interested in spiritual things, she’d probably break up with him. He would do whatever it took to hold on to Kristi and make sure she’d never leave him. They had a good relationship, and he wasn’t about to let her go. Meeting Kristi was the best thing that had ever happened to Joel. If she heard I was sitting here right now with my Amish family, she wouldn’t believe it for a minute, he mused.
Eustace sat across the table from Joel, longing for his son to sit at his table like the guest of honor tonight. Instead tension filled the room, like it always did when Joel came around.
Brian, Doris’s husband, who sat on Joel’s other side, leaned closer and asked, “How’s the construction business going?”
Joel shifted in his chair; then clearing his throat, he drank some water. “Uh… well, my business has been doing fairly well. I have several jobs lined up right now.” His cheeks reddened a bit. “How about you, Brian? How’s the carpentry business?”
“Doin’ good. I like my job.” Brian bobbed his brown head. “My corn’s growing well this year, too. Looks to be a great crop. It should yield us quite a bit this fall. Doris and I are hoping to save up enough money to take a trip together sometime next year.” He leaned back in his chair and grinned at his wife. “We’d like to go to Florida—maybe in January or February—when the weather gets cold here.”
Joel nodded briefly. He seemed preoccupied and a bit edgy. I wonder if he’s hiding something, Eustace thought. I can sense it in his tone and the way he avoids making eye contact with everyone.
A muscle on the side of Eustace’s neck quivered. Having Joel here was like a two-edged knife. While it was good to have the whole family together, it grieved Eustace to see his son sitting here in English clothes, barely saying a word to anyone unless he was asked a question. Others in their community had children who’d left the faith, but none acted as haughty and distant as Eustace’s son. What had happened to make Joel become so dissatisfied? Had Eustace done something to turn his son away? If Effie were still alive, would she be able to talk their son into moving back home and joining the Amish church again? Maybe not. Effie wasn’t able to make Joel see reason before she died. Eustace gripped the edge of the table. It had nearly broken poor Effie’s heart when their youngest child left to go English.
I need to quit thinking about this, because, short of a miracle, my son will never return to our faith, Eustace told himself. Joel only comes around when he wants something, and I’m sure it’s no different this time. But I’m not going to let his being here spoil my supper.
“Please pass me the mashed grummbiere.” Eustace reached out, looking at Elsie.
She smiled and handed him the
bowl. “I fixed them the way Mama used to. Plenty of milk to make the potatoes creamy, and of course, salt and pepper.”
Eustace plopped some on his plate, squeezed a bit of ketchup out of the bottle, and took a bite. “Not quite as favorable as your mamm’s, but not so bad, either.” He glanced at Joel. “What do ya think of this fine meal set before you? Bet ya don’t get food this exquisite anywhere in the English world.”
Joel smiled, but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Everything tastes great.” He reached for a piece of chicken. “My sisters are the best cooks in all of Holmes County.”
“Danki,” Arlene and Elsie replied in unison, but Doris remained quiet. She hadn’t said more than a few words since they sat down at the table.
It shouldn’t be like this. Eustace slid his feet back and forth under the table. There should be good feelings among everyone here at my table. He wondered if Doris might still be angry at Joel for breaking up with her best friend, Anna, when he made the decision to go English and move to Akron in pursuit of worldly pleasures. Anna had been devastated by Joel’s rejection, and like a good friend, Doris had been there to help her get through it.
Eustace felt bad about what Joel had put Anna through, but the main reason he wasn’t happy to see Joel this evening had nothing to do with Joel’s ex-girlfriend. Simply put, Eustace was almost sure Joel’s only reason for coming here was to ask for money, like he had the last time he’d visited. Well, if that turned out to be the case, he’d be sorely disappointed.
As Doris ate her meal, she kept watching Joel. He hadn’t contributed much to the conversation. The only time he ever smiled was when young Scott said something to him. Why did he bother to come here this evening if he wasn’t going to blend into the family and have a good time? Had her brother shown up with an ulterior motive?
Thinking back to her childhood, Doris remembered how close she and Joel had once been. Back then she’d gotten along better with him than either Elsie or Arlene. Of course, she was closer to Joel’s age, and they’d had a few things in common. Not anymore, though. There was nothing about Joel that reminded Doris of the closeness they’d once had. Going English had changed him, and in her opinion, not for the better.
The English Son Page 6