Joel pulled his truck off to the side of the road and got out. As he leaned against the door and closed his eyes, familiar sounds came to his ears. The dog days of summer had definitely arrived, and it was anything but silent in late August. Instead of hearing the birds’ constant melodies, he picked up the sound of certain bugs singing their own tunes. Crickets chirped, cicadas buzzed, and locust sounds were at their peak. Trrrrrr… c-c-c-c…
Memories from Joel’s childhood flooded his mind as he stood on the hill above his father’s house and looked down. He remembered many afternoons on this very rise, lying on his back, watching the clouds while enjoying the noises surrounding him.
A small grin reached Joel’s lips as he wondered how, after all these years, a chorus of bugs could remind him of school days starting soon.
Joel could see the old swing hanging from the big maple tree, still looking as it had when he was a boy. He and Doris, being the youngest siblings and closest in age, had taken turns pushing each other on the swing a good many times. They’d run through the barn, chasing the cats, and climbed into the hayloft to daydream and talk about the future. Little had Joel known that he’d someday have his own business, let alone become part of the English world. It surprised him how content he was living a different way of life than his family assumed he would. At least Joel thought he was content. If he were completely honest, part of him still missed some aspects of being Amish, but he’d been English for seven years now. For the most part, it felt right. He was not about to give up the dream he was living, nor break up with Kristi. The Amish way had many good aspects, but it wasn’t for Joel anymore.
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?”