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Katie looked around for Freida when she walked into the crowded barn. She did not see her freind, but she did see a lot of young people she had never met before at the singing tonight.
She had a moment to think how glad she was that she had made a double batch of cookies to bring tonight since there was quite a crowd around her. Thanks at least in part to the generous space in the Yoder's barn, for sure and for certain.
After dropping off her cookies on one of the tables piled high with snacks and deserts, she wandered over to where one of the Yoder buwes stood stirring an enormous pitcher of lemonade.
“Hullo Katie Chupp. How are you this fine evening?” Levi Yoder stood beside his bruder, handing out plastic cups of lemonade.
“I am wunderbaar gut Levi... and you?”
“I'm great. Excited to be here.”
She turned to his younger bruder then. “And young Samuel—how are you this evening?”
There was an excitement in his eyes that she recognized from her own initial singings. She had plagued her own bruder with questions for months before their parents had finally decided she was old enough to go and see for herself.
“I am gut, Katie.” He leaned closer when she stepped toward him to make room for others who stepped up behind them for lemonade. “This is mei first singing.”
His wide eyes had told her that, but she returned his whisper, as if the two of them shared some delicious secret.
“Exciting, isn't it?”
“Jah, it most certainly is that.”
As more young people crowded around the table, Katie moved away. “Have fun tonight, young Samuel.”
“I'll see you later then, Katie?”
“Jah, I will be around.” And with that, she stepped away from the table, taking the first sip of her lemonade.
It took no more than that sip for her to know that Mary Zook had made it. Her lemonade had been well-known as the best in the district for as long as Katie could remember.
Katie made her way around the edges of the barn, watching for Freida, nodding her head across the crowded room to a few other freinden—and smiling as she caught small snatches of conversations.
Quite a few of the young people were talking about the ruckus that happened this afternoon at Mr. O'Neal's cafe. Several people stopped her as she went by them to ask if she knew more about the situation, to which she replied honestly that she knew even less than the others.
Anna Miller was one of the freinden who stopped Katie to ask about it. When she discovered Katie did not know about the latest news, she pulled Katie aside.
“Katie, kumme outside with me for a moment?”
Katie followed, smiling to herself. That was one of the things she liked most about Anna. Even though she lived just on the edge of town—and caught sight of the goings on that no one else knew about, she was not a gossip.
Anna waited until they had moved through the side door of the barn before she turned to face Katie.
“Katie, I am worried over this thing at the cafe that everyone is talking about. I do not know how, but I believe Mr. O'Neal's nephew must be involved somehow, and perhaps—,” she looked over both shoulders quickly before leaning closer to Katie, “... he has done something illegal.”
Katie covered her mouth to smother the gasp that escaped her lips.
“Something... illegal?” Katie breathed the words, shocked at the very idea.
“Jah, that is what has me worried.” Anna answered, obviously concerned.
Katie watched as she twisted a paper napkin between her hands, pulling it tighter with each motion.
“What makes you think so?” Katie tried to tell herself there was no evidence of such a thing... merely what Mrs. Mueller had been telling people in town.
“There were police at the cafe when I left to kumme to the singing.”
That got Katie's attention. Police most certainly could mean something illegal had taken place.
“What makes you think Mr. O'Neal's nephew is involved?”
“That part I heard from Mrs. Mueller. She stopped by to talk to Mamm this afternoon. We were in the front hallway cleaning when Mrs. Mueller knocked at the door.” Her fingers gripped the napkin even tighter and Katie watched as several tiny bits fell off the tattered paper.
“I did not mean to listen, but you know how she talks so loudly when she is excited about something. It is difficult not to hear her.”
Katie nodded. “Jah, you are right about that.”
“What can we possibly do to help Mr. O'Neal? He is such a nice man—and his cafe is just wunderbaar. We eat there several times a week, you know.”
Katie nodded again. “I eat there often, too. His food is wunderbaar gut.” Most everyone in town did the same... and for the very same reason. “I think all we can do is pray and leave the rest up to Gott, Anna.”
“Jah, I know you are right, Katie. That is why I wanted to talk to you about this.”
“And perhaps we should keep this to ourselves.” Katie kept her voice low.
“Jah, for sure and for certain. Everyone else seems to have plenty of gossip to spread already.”
At that, Katie giggled. “Jah, sure enough.”
Laughing, the two girls linked arms and made their way back to the barn.
Barely had Katie walked in the door when Freida appeared out of nowhere, pulling Katie away from Anna. Katie began to object, but Anna appeared relieved to remove herself from the goings on so Katie followed Freida willingly.
“Katie, where have you been?”
Katie started to answer, but Freida rushed on.
“I have been looking for you all over. I am sorry to be so late, but David took forever with his chores this afternoon. I thought he would never be ready to go.”
Again, Katie started to speak, but Freida interrupted. “How long have you been here? Did you bring the cookies?
“Jah, I—” She began, but did not get to finish her answer.
“Gut. I am starving. Let's go get some.” And then Freida was pulling Katie over to the refreshment tables.