An Amish Homecoming

by Rosalind Lauer

  Up in the girls’ bedroom, the room was still but for the soft whisper of breathing. Serena collapsed on her bunk and buried her face in her hands. The sudden movement of the bed alerted her. When she looked up, Megan had hopped down from the top bunk.

  “What happened?” she whispered.

  “Scout’s not there. The substitute driver said Scout won’t be here all this week, at least.”

  Megan sat beside her on the bottom bunk. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Serena pushed off her shoes and wriggled out of her jeans. “What can I do if I can’t reach him?” With her sweatshirt still on, she turned away, stretched out and pulled the quilt over her. “I’m going to hibernate in here for the next twenty years. Maybe then Scout will talk to me.”

  A moment later, Serena felt the bed wiggle as Megan squeezed under the quilt and snuggled in behind her. “If you’re hibernating, I’m coming along.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Miriam had learned of Saturday night’s shenanigans from a few sources, but she had yet to hear about it from Serena. All day Sunday Miriam had kept her distance, giving Serena room to think. On Monday when the girls were home from school and Mammi was visiting for the day, Miriam decided to draw the girls into a cookie baking session.

  “This is a very old recipe for refrigerator cookies,” Miriam explained as Grace, Lizzie, Serena, and Essie tied aprons on. Megan was upstairs buried in her studies, which Miriam appreciated. Sarah Rose sat at the table with her grandmother, stacking and unstacking plastic measuring cups in the way of children making a game out of mundane things. “We can actually make the batter and then put it in the freezer until just before the auction, when we’ll bake them fresh and sell them in the tent.”

  “Can’t we bake some now?” Lizzie asked. “Just a couple? Please, please, please?”

  “We’ll see. Hands washed?” When everyone nodded, Miriam pointed her recipe card at Lizzie. “We need a cup of chopped dates. Since they’re so sticky you need to take your time cutting them. Serena will help you with that. Grace, we need a cup of coarsely chopped walnuts. Essie, you can cream the vegetable shortening, butter, and sugars together in a large bowl. And I’ll measure out the rest.”

  “I love seeing everyone bake together,” Mammi said as everyone set to work. From her spot at the table, she helped cut down the dates with a small knife.

  “Many hands make quick work,” Essie said as she broke down a stick of butter with a long wooden spoon. “Collette says this is one of the things she misses about not being in her own house. Linda doesn’t truly welcome her in the kitchen.”

  “That’s understandable,” Mammi said. “They say there can only be one real Amish cook in a kitchen.” She looked at Miriam. “And we know who the boss is.”

  Everyone chuckled as Miriam grinned. “If I had a rolling pin handy, I could wave it,” she teased. “It was good to see Collette back at church for the first time yesterday. She seemed overjoyed to be back among friends. So smart of Harlan to build that portable ramp for her so she could ride in the horse trailer.” Knowing his mother was suffering a bit of cabin fever from lack of mobility, Harlan had employed his carpentry skill to build a portable ramp that allowed Collette’s wheelchair to roll up into a trailer. Alvie had been happy to loan the Yoders a horse trailer that could be towed behind a buggy. Of course, the horse trailer made for a bumpy ride, but it gave Collette a chance to travel short distances without engaging an expensive wheelchair van.

  “Harlan was happy to do it, but Linda had bad things to say about that, too.” Essie kept her eyes down on the bowl as she spoke. “She thinks Collette should have kept herself at home until she could climb into a buggy. Linda says it’s not the proper way to travel. And the Ordnung says the sick can stay home from church. Those are the rules. She’s very big on the rules.”

  “As believers, we must follow the Ordnung,” Mammi said. “But I look to the bishop to explain how we should live. Of course, we look to the Bible for heavenly matters. If judgment must be passed here, it’s up to our church leaders.”

  And not the likes of Linda Hostetler, Miriam thought. Of course, Mammi wouldn’t say that, as it was close to sounding like gossip, which her mother-in-law always sought to avoid. But it was a shame how living with Linda had put Collette under constant criticism. “It was most generous of the Hostetlers to take Collette in when she needed help,” Miriam said. “I only wish there was a one-level home she could go to where she could be the head of her own kitchen. I know Harlan was looking at other rentals for her, but there was nothing in her price range.”

  “It’s also been hard on Suzie,” Essie said as she whipped the contents of the bowl. “She misses her mem, but it’s hard for her to get over to see her every day.”

  “The answer is simple,” Mammi said, looking up from the amber dates. “The Yoders should move into the Dawdi House out back. It’s one level. Very compact. And there are enough bedrooms for Suzie and Harlan to join her.”

  Miriam looked from her mother-in-law to Essie, who had stopped stirring, her face alight with wonder. “It would be a perfect place for the Yoders,” Miriam said. “But it’s your place, Esther. We thought you might return there someday.”

  Esther waved her hand, dismissing the notion. “I’m happy where I am now. Truth be told, there are so many memories of my Mervin at the Dawdi House. It makes me sad to be there without him. But the house shouldn’t sit empty. Offer it to the Yoders. It would do my heart good to help them through their time of need.”

  “So the Yoders would be our neighbors?” Lizzie asked.

  “I like Suzie,” said Sarah Rose.

  Essie’s eyes were bright, her mouth open in a wide O of disbelief. Miriam hadn’t seen her oldest daughter this happy in quite some time.

  “That’s a very generous offer, Esther,” Miriam said. “We should let Collette know.”

  “I’m going to check out the Dawdi House now.” Essie pushed the bowl aside and untied her apron. “It will need a cleaning, but I can do that.”

  “Can I go, too?” Grace asked. “The walnuts are chopped, and I’ve never been inside this Dawdi place.”

  “I want to see it.” Lizzie pulled her apron over her head. “I’ll help clean.”

  “Me too!” Sarah Rose slid off her chair.

  “Good grief, our bakers are all running away,” Mammi said.

  “I’ll stay,” Serena said quietly as the others left the room. “I want to see how the dough comes together.”

  Miriam smiled. “It’s simple from here.” She had Serena break four eggs into the shortening and sugar mixture, watching patiently as bits of shell went in.

  “Are you trying to add extra crunch to the recipe?” Mammi teased.

  “That would be gross,” Serena admitted.

  “It’s not a problem,” Miriam said, showing Serena how to extract the shell chips with the edge of a spoon. “Now you stir in the eggs and vanilla.” She talked Serena through the recipe, adding the flour and spice, the dates and nuts, and then shaping the cookie dough into two-inch logs wrapped in wax paper. “Now that we have our cookie dough in logs, it’s ready to slice when we take it out of the freezer.”

  “That’s an awesome recipe.” Serena smiled. “Are we doing another batch?”

  “I thought of doing a second one, substituting toasted almonds and candied cherries for the walnuts and dates. Should we do it before we clean the bowl?”

  “Sure.” Serena started measuring out the shortening. “And I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you about what happened Saturday night.”

  “I would like to hear your story,” Miriam said gently. Serena was eighteen years old, beyond accounting to her on many fronts. But that didn’t change Miriam’s love and sense of responsibility for her niece.

  “I’m sorry if you were disturbed when I didn’t come home.” Serena poked at the butter and shortening with a spoon. “I know Scout came here, knocking on the door.”
/>   “I did hear a bit of commotion,” Miriam said.

  “Gott gives mothers an extra set of ears,” Mammi added.

  “But I stayed in bed. I knew that someone would wake me if I was needed.”

  “So . . .” Serena hesitated. “The truth is, Scout and I got in an argument, and it was worse than I ever expected.” Her voice wobbled as she added, “He broke up with me.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Miriam kept her eyes on the cherries she was dicing, trying to let Serena unravel her story in her own time.

  “I was mad at him, really upset and angry. I wouldn’t let him give me a ride home, and I ran into some kids from high school at the burger place. I drank some whiskey, and ended up going off in a car with Johnny and his friends. He’s this guy I met at school. I guess I figured that he’d give me a ride home, but he turned out to be really rotten. So I stormed out of his car and ended up walking alone. And then these nice Amish kids gave me a ride, and I got help from the police, and those guys came to pick me up.”

  “Are you all right?” Miriam asked.

  She nodded. “No one hurt me, except for Scout breaking up with me, but that’s to be expected. I just . . . I miss him so much, and he won’t even let me talk to him.” She railed at the contents of the bowl until Miriam stopped her.

  “That’s some strong stirring there. I think we’re ready to add the eggs and vanilla.”

  “So Mammi,” Serena said. “Do you have any Amish tricks for winning back a guy you love?”

  Esther’s eyes opened wide, as if the question thrilled her. “Whenever you need help, the best trick in the book is prayer to God Almighty.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been trying that.”

  “Don’t give up,” said Miriam. “And what’s this about Scout? Can’t you talk to him when he picks up the milk?”

  “He’s off the route.” Serena frowned. “He hates me that much.”

  “Or he loves you that much,” Mammi said. “It’s possible that he can’t bear to see you, or else his resolve will crack.”

  “Maybe you should pay him a visit,” Miriam said. “A surprise. I could take you to his house tomorrow after school when I go into town.”

  “I can call his mom, Bonnie, and pretend we’re coming by to pick up furniture,” Serena said.

  Miriam nodded. “At least, he should talk to you.”

  “Thanks.” Serena sighed. “I know you’re probably disappointed with me, but trust me, I’m more disappointed with myself. I was just so mad, and in this wild split second, it felt like everything was just going to slip back to where I was back in Philadelphia, hanging out and drinking and partying and just trying to kill the pain. So I started drinking, and now I feel so guilty about it. And so embarrassed. Staying out all night doesn’t bring me pleasure anymore. I’ve changed since I got here.”

  “You have,” Miriam agreed. “When you first pulled up here with your father, I thought we might end up dealing with some runaway teens.” She smiled. “You proved me wrong, and flourished beyond my expectations.”

  ‘That’s so sweet of you to notice.” Serena came around the butcher-block counter and gave her a hug. “So many good things have happened here. I just . . . I’m so disappointed about Scout. My heart is breaking.”

  “Oh, dear girl.” Miriam patted her shoulder. “It’s always hard for me to see my children suffer. Same goes for you and your sisters. You’ve been here only a few weeks, barely months, and I know your pain as if you were my own.”

  Serena let out her breath in a huge sigh. “That makes me feel a little better, though I don’t know why.” She stepped back from Miriam and looked down at the large mixing bowl. “We’d better finish this batch off before I start crying in the cookies!”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  After a night spent cleaning and scrubbing the Dawdi House from floor to ceiling, Essie should have been exhausted. Instead, she felt exhilarated. Humming a song, she didn’t care about the gray skies overhead or the weariness that tugged at her. Her grandmother had given her a solution to a gnawing problem, and her heart was full of gratitude and joy as she turned Comet onto the narrow street by the park and pulled up in front of the Hostetler home.

  Collette sat alone on the porch, bundled in a shawl and reading from a paperback novel. She seemed surprised to see the rig towed by Essie’s buggy.

  Equally surprised, Linda popped out the door, hands on her hips, seemingly annoyed by the intrusion. “What are you doing towing that horse trailer, Essie?”

  “Are we going for a ride?” Collette asked, pushing up from the chair handles to hold on to her walker.

  “I’ve come to take you home.”

  “To Ohio?” Linda asked. “It’s too far to travel in a horse trailer and buggy. You’ll never make it.”

  Of course, Essie knew that. She would be glad to be free of Linda’s gloom and doom for a bit. “We’re not going that far,” Essie said. “Mem and Mammi and I have made a place for you and Harlan and Suzie in our Dawdi House. That is, if you want it.”

  Collette gasped. “That sounds wonderful good!” She stepped the walker closer to Essie and added under her breath, “God bless you.”

  The three women went inside, and Essie helped Collette gather her things. Linda watched over them with her arms crossed, as if Collette’s departure was an annoyance to her. Essie had to accept the fact that she might never understand Linda Hostetler. It was a relief when Linda left the room.

  “So here’s my plan. If you really want to go to Ohio, Harlan and I will figure out a way to get you there, as soon as you finish your physical therapy sessions. For now, I’m taking you to the Dawdi House at my parents’ farm. It’s been empty for a few years, since Mammi moved in with my Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Greta. The house is one story, so you should be able to manage getting around on your own. And our family will leave you alone as much or as little as you like.”

  “Such a blessing that would be.” Collette pressed her fingertips to her lips. “And it’s big enough for Suzie to join me?”

  “It’s three small bedrooms. Large enough for Suzie and Harlan to move in.” Essie fixed her gaze on Collette. “And me, after Harlan and I get married.”

  Collette’s dark eyes glimmered as she pressed her fingertips to Essie’s cheek. “Soon to be my daughter-in-law. Dear Essie, I always knew you were the one for my son.”

  Essie covered Collette’s hand with hers, sinking onto the bed with relief at the long journey it had been to arrive at this point.

  “I’m so happy for you and Harlan. Have you told your parents?”

  “They know.” Funny how Mem had seemed to know all along. When Essie had started selling jam, Miriam had commented that it would be a perfect business to run out of her home after she was married with children. Her mem had always known what was in Essie’s heart.

  Collette cocked her head to one side. “Is it still a secret, or can we talk about it freely? I’ve expected this wonderful development, but kept it quiet, of course. Joyous though it is, it’s not my news to reveal.”

  Was that why Collette had never brought up the subject? All this time Essie had worried that Collette had kept silent on it because she didn’t really approve of Harlan’s marrying her. All those worries for naught! It was another example of how Essie would have been wise to put her trust in Gott for things to go right.

  “You can tell folks about it. The bans are being published, and we’re getting invitations printed.”

  “May Gott bless your marriage and join your hearts together for a lifetime of love.”

  Essie did most of the packing, while Collette gave instructions. “Over on the hook”—Collette nodded—“that black shawl is mine. The kapp, too.”

  “Don’t forget your books,” Linda said, returning with a paper sack of paperbacks, which she dumped at Essie’s feet.

  “Should I leave some for you?” Collette offered. “Pick some out.”

  “You can take them all.” Linda turned away, muttering under
her breath, “I’m not in the mood to read, and I’m sick of looking at them.”

  “All right then,” Collette said, keeping an even tone. Essie just kept packing, thinking what a relief it would be to have Collette out of here.

  In no time, Essie had loaded Collette’s belongings into the buggy. She opened the doors to the trailer and moved the wooden platform in place. She checked to make sure it was stable, and then went behind Collette’s wheelchair.

  “Here we go,” Essie said, feeling a light flutter of joy in her heart.

  “Good-bye, Linda,” Collette called as Essie pushed her up the slight incline into the trailer. “Thanks for the hospitality!”

  * * *

  In the weeks that followed, Essie split her time between planning the wedding and coordinating the Yoder Medical Fund Auction. While Collette was still on a sure path to recovery, and Suzie had healed but for the scarred area on her cheek, which had gotten infected, the move to the Dawdi House had brought the family joy in their reunification. The little house, with its compact kitchen and single-story living space, had proved to be quite easy for Collette to navigate on her own.

  “With every sunrise,” Collette had said recently, “I thank Gott for a new day in a new home with my family.” With Suzie’s assistance, Collette was able to cook for her family, and already they’d sent two batches of fresh-baked cookies over to share with the Lapps. On wash day, Miriam and Essie were happy to include the Yoders’ laundry, though Collette assured them it would not be for long.

  When it came to the wedding planning, Essie was pleased to have Collette close by. With more than a hundred invitations to send out, Essie’s burden was eased when Collette offered to address envelopes in her exquisite penmanship. Essie had cherished the evenings when she and Harlan and Collette had sat round the small table in the Dawdi House. Essie and Harlan stuffed and stamped envelopes, while Collette copied addresses onto them.

  “This brings me back to memories of planning my wedding to Jed,” Collette said. The new color in her cheeks made her seem ten years younger. “We were so in love, our heads in the clouds. It must have driven my mem crazy, but she got me through. A callus formed on my finger, a lump beside my fingernail, from all the writing I had to do. But that was so long ago.” She looked to the ceiling, counting. “Your father and I were young. I was just eighteen. What did I know about life?” She shook her head.