In Charity’s back yard, Jeremiah jumped down from the buggy before Matthew could stop and tie the horse. He ran into the back door.
“Mamm! Mamm!”
She came running. “What? What is it, Jeremiah?” By then Matthew was in the kitchen, also.
Jeremiah ran and grabbed her around the waist and buried his head in her apron. He started to sob.
Charity looked helplessly at Matthew who explained. “I guess it was a shock for him. He expected to see the veterinarian carry a baby in.”
Charity was angry. “I told all of you that he was not ready. Now see what you have done.”
“No, sister dear. See what you have done. He is going on eight and most farm children by the age of five have seen animals mating and births. You have hovered over him too much.”
Jeremiah turned his tear-drenched face up to his mother. “Mamm, I am so sorry.”
“What are you sorry about my little man?”
“I am sorry you did all that so you could have me. I did not know you carried me in your stomach. Is that why tante Deborah got so big? Was Jenna Louise in her stomach?”
“Yes, all babies are in the mother’s stomach until God decides when it is time for them to be born.”
“So that is what being born means.” He turned quickly. “Oom Matthew, would you like to play a game of checkers with me?”
Relieved, Matthew agreed to play one game and then he had to go do his evening chores. Charity was relieved that he was not asking more about babies being born. She dreaded the time when he would ask how the baby got in the mother’s stomach.
In January the snow had left the ground, but it was still very cold. Joshua and Jacob decided that this was a good time to build the extra rooms on the store. They measured and found there was space enough for three average rooms and one bigger one. The bigger one would be for Jacob to build furniture and show it. In the space left, Charity asked for an indoor bathroom. She was tired of running to the restaurant down the street, and she did have customers who might like to use a restroom. She was not going to ask the Bishop’s permission.
Joshua had casually mentioned, after church, that they would be building. on Monday and for none of them expect to hear from him or Jacob for several days.
Monday morning they got up at their usual five o’ clock and did their chores. Jacob left his three in charge. Lawrence would help some. Matthew had too much work of his own, and Deborah needed him with a new baby.
By the time Charity opened the store at eight, Jacob, Joshua and Lawrence were there with the huge stack of pressure-treated lumber. They were prepared to set the sides and prop up boards so the concrete could be poured as soon as they mixed it.
Much to their surprise Sheriff Micah Fleming pulled up in a van and let eight Amish men, with tool belts on, out of the van. He explained that they had not wanted to park horses and buggies on Main Street all day, so he had brought them to help with the building.
Their attention turned to a big truck with a rolling vat behind it. David Bolling had brought a vat full of mixed cement to help out. His construction business could wait a day or two because he wanted to help Charity, also.
The men were relieved and thankful to get the cement because it saved them from mixing for half a day in wheelbarrows with hoes and shovels.
They quickly set up the frames for the various rooms under the direction of Jacob. By noon they were ready to pour the cement and then it had to set a couple of days before the building could be completed.
By now Charity was becoming excited thinking her store was going to be nice like the one in Shipshewana. It would not be as large as the Yoder store, but it would be all the Bishop would give her permission to have.
Charity, and the ladies working with her, were willing to put up with the noises of hammering and banging as the men worked. A few additional men had come in to help, English included.
David Bolling insisted on donating the window glass and helping all he could. Dr. Alicea had come by, as often as possible, to make sure his services were not needed. Pete Mulanaugh brought tasty snacks for everyone each day from his restaurant. Jim & Anita Bledsoe came by and offered to help Charity carry and arrange supplies. They were warmly welcomed; the Amish remembered that Jim was hurt and hospitalized coming to their aid in the fight when the boys from town jumped on the Amish boys. Anita had made an excellent witness for them in the court hearing. (Read in Amish Dilemma) They were sincerely thanked and told the Amish men would carry the loads for Charity.
With so much good help and the weather cooperating, cold but clear, the work was completed in a week. Jacob brought in a few pieces of furniture that he had been working on at home.
Charity walked through the entire store and drew a breath of pride and gratitude. She didn’t forget to thank God for these blessings and to ask His forgiveness for taking pride in her store. Everyone assured her that it was all right considering all she had been through and what was now done.
The porch had been extended across the entire front of the building. The windows facing the porch had been built out in window boxes. The first room, entering the store, was the old part and still had a lot of the same supplies in it. To the left was an open area where the finished furniture would be displayed. All Amish men, who built furniture, were welcome to build and display their work and then to pay Charity a small commission.
Behind the display area was a big room for making the furniture. Beside this was the bathroom Charity had wanted. To the right, of the old store, was the old storage room with a cot in it for resting. Here were stored lanterns, kerosene, leather goods and anything needed on the farm.
To the left of the storage room was the work room for the women who would quilt and sew. Two quilting frames hung from the ceiling and the two peddle sewing machines were in this room. Going past the quilting room was the sewing needs such as threads, yarns, crochet thread, needles of all shapes and sizes, scissors, small individual quilting frames and anything connected with sewing, knitting and crocheting including bolts of cloth, lace and anything that one could want.
To the left through this room was a beautiful room with a hand-made bed with lovely hand-made quilts and pillows and a feather mattress. There was a hand-made dining table with eight chairs. This was covered with a beautiful hand-embroidered cloth with a lovely setting of dishes, goblets and tableware. There were flat windows in each of the back rooms.
On the front porch were four hand-made rockers. Two on each side. On the left a round hand-made table set between the two rockers. The same size table set between the two rockers on the opposite side. These were brought in each night and placed out again each morning. People were encouraged to purchase pastries or snacks and a cold soda, or a hot drink, and set on the front porch eating, talking and gently rocking.
Charity threw her arms around her daddy. This was not an action that an Amish woman took, but Charity not only loved her daddy, but was very grateful for his caring and help. She then turned and hugged Joshua, her father-in-law, whom she loved dearly. She thanked all the men who had worked to make this possible. She was very grateful and thankful to God for His blessings and giving these men the skill to do the work and want to help her.
Rosemary suggested that Charity might want to have an open house afternoon and invite everyone in to see the improvements. It would be good for business and they could make snacks to serve. Jacob suggested that she talk to the Bishop about it and get his approval. He could see nothing wrong with it, but one never knew how the Bishop and the church would look at it.
Drawing of Charity’s Store
The following Sunday the church service was held in the home of Bishop Yoder. Charity went early for the purpose of talking to him about a special time to invite the public in to see her new store. The Bishop discussed it with the pastors and the deacon. They approved, so he asked the deacon to give the information to the congregation and ask for their opinions.
Charity waited impatiently for the meeting. She was saying a silent prayer the entire time that she waited and knew Rosemary and the others, who worked for her, were doing the same. Finally the deacon stood up and told of Charity’s request and asked for opinions.
Everyone loved Charity and the family. They knew how hard the young widow had worked and she had not done anything disgraceful to the Amish beliefs. She was respected and admired. They seemed to all agree that it would be good for her business and bring the name of Amish furniture makers to the public in addition to the sewing and quilting.
Charity was humbled at the comments and thanked everyone sincerely. She told the ladies that she would teach them how to use the peddle sewing machines and let them work in her store. She would pay everyone who worked and if any of the women had quilts, or sewing of any kind, that they wanted to sell, she would allow them to sell it in her store for a small fee.
One of the teenagers in rumspringa jumped up, which was unheard of in Amish meetings. “Would you let us put up a sign that we can be hired? We need to make some money for ourselves, and I know a boy who needs to work to help his widowed mother.
Charity’s heart was touched and without waiting for the church’s approval declared that she would do whatever she could to help. The Bishop quickly got order and turned the meeting over to the song leader and then the pastors.
Charity had hired three additional Amish girls and two English to work in her store. She brought everyone together and discussed what day would be most suitable for them for an opening and what they could serve.
They decided to have it all day on a Saturday, although they did not usually work on a Saturday. The Saturday coming up was a day before the Sunday with no church service. This would be more reasonable to the Amish community.
They agreed to serve Amish Nut Brittle, slices of Friendship Bread with butter and jam, Amish Apple Dumplings, Amish Christmas Cookies and Amish Whoopie Pies. (The recipe for Whoopie Pies, and Friendship Bread can be found in Amish Dilemma. The others are in this book at the back.)
Most of the women did not care to be paid for quilting and sewing. They were pleased to be out with friends and doing something different. They were all proud, even though they could not admit it, of their tiny stitches and neat sewing. The rumor has gone around that there is always a defect in a quilt or garment because it would be worldly to be perfect. I personally do not understand how this could be true. Everything is too well made.
The women loved learning to make blouses, skirts, dresses and slacks for the English. The work was so different, but satisfying. Some even made gloves, matching purses and hats.
All of the work progressed better than had been expected. Several women came in just to visit and quilt. They also brought items to be sold, especially baby clothes, candies, candles and other decorating items. A few of the women had learned to make the fancy candles with the carvings on them. A few brought their knitting to display and sell.
On Friday, even though in the past they had closed early, a half dozen women were kept busy all day making the items that would be offered to be eaten. They laughed and shared stories about themselves learning to cook and care for a new husband.
When Joshua came in with Jeremiah, Charity suddenly realized she had been too busy all week to do more than the basic essentials with her precious son. She ran to hug him which embarrassed him in front of the others. He proudly showed her the book in which he had completed third grade Math and received an A on the assignments. He was reminded by several of the women to not be proud. He privately thought he could not help it.
Joshua had come to take Charity home. He was concerned about the late hour and the threatening storm. On the way home thunder suddenly rolled in sonic blasts frightening the big draft horse. The big, old trees swayed in the vicious wind as blinding lightening ripped across the sky.
Charity was pleased and thankful to find that Matthew, Maeve and Joseph had fed all the animals, gathered the eggs and had done her chores. Maeve was still in the kitchen and had a kettle of hot chocolate ready to break the chill for her family members and Joshua.
Joshua hurriedly drank a cup of hot chocolate and went to take his horse home just as rain and sleet mixed began to fall. He predicted that they would have snow over the weekend. Charity was concerned about her open house the next day.
That night wind whistled around the house adding a ghostly wail to the thunder and lightning. The sleet, crashing against her bedroom window like marbles being thrown against it, was oddly rhythmic. She was lying awake when Jeremiah ran into her room and jumped into bed with her.
“Mamm, there is just too much noise. I can’t sleep and thought you might need some comfort.”
“Danki, my darling zoon. It is so thoughtful of you to think of your old mamm, and want to comfort me. I think I can sleep now.” She gathered his flannel-clad body in a sweet hug and both went to sleep.