by Leslie Gould
I nodded. “That was my plan.”
Mamm exhaled.
I couldn’t imagine how much she missed Dat. I know in the past they’d talk things through and then Dat would usually make a decision. But he always valued her opinion. Now it was up to her to decide.
Bob closed the folder and said to my mother, “I don’t want you to make any decisions until after we know how your health is.”
Mamm nodded, a faraway look in her eyes.
Bob said he needed to get going, to help Nan with the grandchildren.
Mamm thanked him and then said, “Make sure and ask Pete and Cate. The Youngie need to make their plans.”
“Will do,” Bob said. “I’ll tell Cate to give Molly a call.”
That night, after the house was quiet, I took my lamp into one of our extra bedrooms. The double bed looked small, barely big enough for one person, let alone two. A scratch ran down the side of the bureau. And the curtains had yellowed. I stepped closer to the bed. But the quilt, a shadow pattern made a couple of years ago by Mamm, brightened the room, and the kerosene lamp on the table beside the bed was a bona fide antique that once belonged to my Dat’s grandparents.
I tried to imagine an Englischer staying in the room. I couldn’t—not quite. I could imagine Englischers staying in Hannah’s house though. It was so much nicer than ours. And I hadn’t thought before what an attraction horses would be—not surprising since they weren’t to me—until talking with Kristine.
A flicker of jealousy of Hannah and all she had tempted me, but I shook my head at it. I wouldn’t give in to that. I hadn’t before—not during our entire friendship. I wasn’t going to start now.
I’d figure out what needed to be done, what worked for my family, and do it. That was the only option I had.
After breakfast the next morning, as I walked toward the greenhouse with Love at my side, a buggy came tearing up our lane. I stopped, shading my eyes against the rising sun, unable to see who the driver was.
“Hallo,” I called out.
“Guder Mariye!” It was Cate, shading her eyes from the rising sun. I should have guessed. She was known for her wild driving. And it was just like her to come over to see me instead of calling. She pulled her horse to stop by our hitching post.
“Do you have a minute?” She hopped down from the buggy, smoothing out her dress as she did.
“Jah.”
“I’ll walk with you, wherever you’re going.” Her blue eyes matched the bright morning sky.
I gestured toward the greenhouse, and she matched my stride along the side of the barn, the sun nearly blinding us as it bounced off the white paint. “Dat told me about your camping plans. Pete and I would love to go,” she said.
“Denki.” I hesitated to say any more.
“You don’t sound very excited,” she said.
“No, I am,” I said. “Especially that you two are coming along.”
“What’s the matter, then?”
A robin hopped along the grass in front of us and then swooped upward, a worm in her mouth. We reached the greenhouse and I pushed the door open, motioning for Cate to go in first. It would be easier to talk inside, just in case Mamm came looking for me.
“Mamm’s forcing us to go,” I said, “because she wants Beatrice and me to be gone when she has her scan.”
“Oh,” Cate said, her voice grave. “But it will be good for the two of you to get away—especially Beatrice. She must be beside herself with worry. You’ve had double trouble with your Dat passing and now the concerns for your Mamm.”
“Jah.”
“Then let’s aim to make this an adventure. For Beatrice. And for you.” She smiled kindly.
I could see her reasoning. “And for Hannah too.” I took my phone out of my pocket as I spoke, checking to see if Hannah had left me a message, responding to my call the day before. She hadn’t. I’d expected to hear back from her about the camping trip by now.
“What’s up with Hannah?” Cate asked.
“You know how she’s been interested in Mervin all this time?”
“Jah. It seems like it’s been forever.”
I nodded. “Almost two years.”
“Are they planning a wedding yet?”
“No,” I said, dropping my voice to a whisper. “He’s decided he’s interested in me.”
“You?” Cate stepped back in surprise and then said quickly, “I can see how he would be, honestly. It’s just that he and Hannah seemed like a sure match.”
“We all thought so. But then Mervin changed his mind, focusing on me instead once he started working here. And my Mamm thought it was a good idea, so we could combine the farms and save ours.”
“Oh dear,” Cate said, her face full of concern. “Any chance you have feelings for Mervin?”
I shook my head adamantly. “Not at all. In fact . . .” I hesitated again.
She stepped toward me, resting her hand on my arm. “I promise anything you tell me will be confidential.”
“Have you met Leon? He’s helping out at the Lapps’ stables, training horses.”
“No, but I’ve heard about him. From Nell. She stopped by with Addie yesterday.”
“And she didn’t say anything about me?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Now that you mention it . . .”
“Cate.” I frowned. “Please be honest with me.”
“She did say she saw the two of you under the willow tree.”
I crossed my arms. So the rumor mill had begun.
“She also said he’s awfully handsome. Tall. Dark. Muscular.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“And Addie said he’s a hard worker and a strong leader, that Owen’s very pleased with him.”
“What if we invite him along too?” Cate stepped to the other side of the bench, facing me.
“Owen already talked with him about coming along and bringing the horses.”
“What’s the problem, then?” Cate asked.
“Mamm doesn’t know Leon’s coming—in fact, she said we should keep the group to only our childhood friends.”
“Oh goodness,” Cate said.
“Her reason for wanting us to go camping is for Mervin and me to spend time together. . . .”
“With Hannah along?” Cate grimaced.
“Jah. But Mamm doesn’t see how awkward that would be. I’d prefer Mervin not come along at all, and I asked Hannah not to talk with him about it—which I feel horrible about because that means Martin can’t come either.” I just couldn’t bear the thought of Mervin following me around and Hannah lashing out at me again.
“Oh, Molly,” Cate said. “I’m so thankful to be married. What a mess.”
Neither of us said anything for a moment, and then Cate put her hands together, as if she were praying. “Things will work out,” she said. “You’ll see. I’ll talk to Pete and see if he has any ideas.”
“Denki,” I said. “And I’ll organize the food and all of that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.” I’d also figure out a schedule for cooking and cleanup. “Let me know if you have any ideas of who else should come,” I said to Cate. “Just a couple more people.”
A voice behind me bellowed, “I have an idea.”
I spun around to find Mervin standing by the barn, Love at his side, twenty feet from us, his sunglasses on his face so I couldn’t see his eyes. He marched toward us but the dog stayed put. “Hannah came over last night. She told me all about the camping trip. She felt bad about you excluding me—and invited me. Martin too.”
I stepped backward, bumping into Cate. I hadn’t exactly said I wanted to exclude Mervin on the message I’d left. But she’d guessed it. Why hadn’t she called me back so I could explain?
Cate glanced at me and I shrugged.
“It was all a misunderstanding,” Cate said to Mervin. “We want you to come along. Martin too. I think we’ll ask Ben also.”
I groaned. “He and Beatrice don’t ge
t along.” He was Betsy’s youngest brother-in-law. He’d gone to our school, and he and Beatrice had bickered all through their years together.
Cate clucked her tongue. “Everyone will just have to work at getting along.”
“I’m sure we will,” Mervin said. “If Molly doesn’t try to tear us all apart.” He took off toward the greenhouse.
“Oh dear,” Cate said, sounding as if she might laugh.
I groaned again.
She let go of my arm. “This will actually work to your advantage,” she said.
“How’s that?”
“You just need to figure out a way to get Mervin to fall back in love with Hannah. Then your Mamm won’t keep trying to marry you off to him. Jah,” she said, the tips of her fingers pressed together, “you should thank Hannah for inviting Mervin. By the time we come back from our trip, that part of your worries will be over.”
Her optimism was catching.
“We’ll have fun. You’ll see.” She smiled broadly. “Do you have a place in mind?”
“Jah, a lake in the Poconos. We used to camp there when I was little.” My throat tightened at the memory.
After we said good-bye, Cate hopped back in her buggy and took off, racing down the driveway.
I headed to the flower field. I wanted Mervin to stay my friend. I just wasn’t sure how to make that happen—except to get him to fall back in love with Hannah.
Cate was right. That’s what needed to happen.
Mamm kept Mervin potting herbs all morning, so I didn’t see him until after our noon meal, when he climbed the fence from his farm to ours.
“Can you finish potting the geraniums?” I called out to him.
“Jah,” he said, giving me a pathetic look, stopping at the edge of the flowers. “Your Mamm spoke with me about the landscaping business, about reviving it. She said Bob had some ideas.” Mervin took his sunglasses off and twirled them around. “I think it’s a great idea. And I want to be involved. I’d be happy to ask my Dat for a field on our property to plant more shrubs and trees.”
“Oh dear,” I said. “That seems like an unwarranted commitment.”
“Not if . . .”
I started walking away from him.
Mervin followed me. “I know you don’t see it right now, but, Molly . . .”
I walked faster.
His volume increased. “Leon’s just a temporary problem. He’ll return to Montana soon. You’ll see what a good match you and I make—for our families and for us.”
I began to speed walk. Mervin jogged after me and reached for my arm.
I pulled away and began to run.
“Molly!” he called out.
“We have a lot of work to do,” I yelled.
“Come help me in the greenhouse.”
I shook my head. “I’m going to go look at our camping supplies and see what we need.” I ran the rest of the way to the house.
Dat had stored the gear down in the basement, tucked away past the wringer washing machine that was at least as old as Ivan. I’d been fighting with the beast my entire life. I washed my hands in the utility sink where the machine drained and then opened the storage room door.
I remembered when Dat had put all the equipment away for good. It had been a sad day for him. Sure, we still went on hikes where he and Mamm identified wild flowers and birds, but I knew he missed camping. We all did.
I opened the first box. On top was Dat’s bird book. Then his native plants book. Like most people in our community, he was a nature lover. “God’s creation is the greatest cathedral there is,” he’d often said.
I dug deeper into the box. There was a first-aid kit and outdated bug repellent, and some old dish towels that we could have been using as rags.
I put the box to the side and grabbed two sleeping bags from the top of the stack. I’d need to air them out. Next was our tent. It would probably be a good idea to air it out too. As I pulled it from the pile, my cell vibrated in my pocket.
I eased the tent bag to the floor and checked my phone. Hannah’s number. I headed outside, answering the call halfway up the stairs.
“Hallo,” I said, keeping my voice sweet, just in case it was Leon calling, even though I was sure it wasn’t.
“Molly.” It was Hannah. “Before you talk to Mervin today, I wanted you to know—”
“I already talked to Mervin.”
“Oh. He told you he’s coming camping with us?”
“Jah.”
“I couldn’t bear to have him left out.”
I tried to keep my voice even. “Even after the way he’s treated you? You shouldn’t go running after him like that.”
“Jah, I know,” she said. “But I still wanted to include him.”
“I was just surprised you told him what I’d said.” I noted the hint of a whine in my voice.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because it’s not in your best interest.”
“I was looking out for Mervin’s best interest.”
I threw my hand in the air, even though she couldn’t see me. “You think he’ll like you more if you tell on me?”
“But Mervin would have been upset.”
Obviously she cared more about how Mervin felt than she cared about how I did. I guess I couldn’t blame her for that. I sighed. “Cate is going to ask Ben along too.”
“Cate’s going?” Her voice held a hint of relief now.
“And Pete,” I answered.
“That will be good.”
“Just don’t blame me if Mervin gets weird, like at the singing . . .”
Now she sounded hurt. “I won’t.”
I wasn’t about to tell her what Cate had said about our getting Mervin to fall back in love with Hannah.
“No hard feelings?” she asked.
I sighed. “We’ve been friends too long to ruin it over Mervin Mosier going on a camping trip or not.”
“Denki, Molly,” Hannah said. “We’ll have fun. You’ll see. And you’ll have three days with Leon.” She giggled.
With Mervin trailing us.
“I need to go,” I said. “I have a lot of work to do.”
After ending the call, I slipped my phone back into my apron pocket and headed back toward the basement staircase, but Mamm called out to me from the slate pathway alongside the backyard. She wore a sweater and leather gloves.
I veered toward her.
“Mervin tells me he’s going camping after all,” she said.
“That’s right.” The less I said the better.
“Gut,” Mamm said. “I told you everything would work out. Now come in the house and have a cup of tea.”
I shook my head. “I have a million things to do.” I clomped back down the basement stairs.
Chapter
10
That evening I sat on the porch as the clippity-clop of a horse’s hooves echoed along the road. Mamm had already gone to bed, and Beatrice was upstairs. I didn’t think it best for Leon to come up to the house though, so I hurried toward the driveway, passing Love, who’d been asleep by the side of the house. She raised her head. “Stay,” I said.
She kept her head up but obeyed.
I hadn’t seen Leon in well over twenty-four hours.
Mamm’s voice called to me out her open window, “Molly!”
I froze. “I’m just going for a walk.”
She stood at the open window, wearing a white nightgown, her gray hair hanging down. “Don’t be long,” she finally said.
I felt as if the wind had just been knocked out of me as I continued on down the driveway toward Leon, who walked up it, leading Lightning. I put out my hand, gesturing for him to stop. He did.
When I reached him, he asked, “What’s going on?”
“Mamm’s awake. She’s not happy with me.”
“Did you tell her I’m going camping with your group?”
I winced. “Not yet. But I will . . .”
A sadness passed over his eyes. “I’m sorry,” h
e said, taking my hand.
“It’s not your fault,” I answered.
“Molly!”
Leon jumped. Lightning snorted. I covered my face with my hand.
“I can see her in the window,” Leon whispered.
I glanced over my shoulder. I wasn’t sure she could see us, but she’d lit her lamp and now she appeared as a bright apparition.
“You’d better go,” Leon said, releasing me.
“Jah.”
“I won’t come by in the next few days—I don’t want to keep upsetting your Mamm.”
Part of me wanted him to defy Mamm and stay. But mostly I appreciated his consideration. “All right.”
“We’ll have time when we’re camping,” he said. “Hopefully we can sort all of this out then.”
I nodded. He swung back up on Lightning, turning her sharply, and headed back down to the highway. As he disappeared I tilted my head toward the sky. The first star shone brightly. Then another and another. I turned then, back toward the house.
Mamm’s light was out and her window closed.
When I reached my bedroom, I saw Beatrice had moved back to her own. I tiptoed down the hall. Her light was out too. I opened the door. By the moonlight through her window, I could see she was asleep, clutching her writing book.
Overcome with loneliness, I headed back to my room, missing Leon.
That night I dreamt about Dat again. We were camping in the Poconos, hiking along the trail. Beatrice and I were little, and she rode on his shoulders while I ran on ahead.
Friday I worked long and hard, avoiding Mervin, doing my best not to think about Leon, and doing all I could to please Mamm. It paid off. The day passed by peaceably, and that evening Mamm, Beatrice, and I all sat out on the porch, enjoying the cool breeze and watching the starlings feeding on bugs until dusk began to fall and they swooped above our heads toward the barn. There were things I should have been doing to get ready for the market, but I decided sitting with Mamm would ease her worries. I knew I needed to tell her about Leon going camping, but I also knew I didn’t want to upset her. I decided to wait until Sunday after church. That would be soon enough.
Early Saturday morning I walked along the herb garden with Love trailing behind, finalizing my plan for the market. The vendors would start arriving soon to set up. I needed something catchy to draw attention to our flowers and herbs. Something tourists and locals would both like. Something to draw them in and make the sale.