Rebecca was thrilled that Martha was home and followed her around like a puppy. Their daed was overjoyed, and even their mudder was seen smiling when she thought that no one was looking.
Martha, however, was overcome with guilt as she considered that she had abandoned her familye. She had rarely visited Esther, who had been ill with morning sickness, or Hannah and the twins during her rumspringa.
How could she have stayed away from her familye for so long? It made no sense in hindsight. When she had expressed those feelings to Moses, he had explained that this was what rumspringa was for, to explore the Englisch world, and in most cases, that did happen away from one’s familye. Well, Martha was home now and would be baptized. She had no intention of leaving the Amish ever again. The very thought made her shudder.
When Martha had first tried on Englisch clothes, she had thought that they had given her a sense of freedom, but now she was glad to be back in Amish clothes. They gave her a sense of security, of belonging, and what’s more, no one from now on would ever again look to her outward appearance, but rather, only to what was within.
Martha had fallen back into her routine easily. She felt safe at home, surrounded by the love and care of her familye and the community. It contrasted starkly with the isolation she had felt in the Englisch world. She from time to time worried about Sarah Beachy. There had been no word from her and Martha wondered what had become of her.
Martha had awoken early, even before her mudder, and had put on the kaffi to brew. She prepared a big breakfast of fried potatoes, with bacon and eggs, and was buttering the toast just as her daed, mudder, and Rebecca walked into the kitchen.
“You’re up early,” her mudder said, with clear approval in her voice, and Martha smiled.
“I’ll visit Hannah this morning,” she said, “if that’s okay with you, Mamm.”
Her mudder nodded. “Jah, Rebecca can do the laundry. Hannah will be pleased to see you.”
Rebecca pulled a face.
After Martha washed up, she walked to Hannah’s haus, which was on the far side of the Miller property. She waved to Hannah’s husband, Noah, as he drove his buggy to the Miller farm to start his day’s work as a furniture maker for Martha’s daed.
The air was pleasant and fresh, and not filled with car fumes or other disagreeable smells. There was no sound of noise or traffic, only of birds as they went about their own morning duties. The light breeze pushed some wispy clouds along the clear blue sky, and Martha sent up a silent prayer to Gott that, finally, she was back where she belonged.
Hannah met Martha at the door, her face beaming, with a boppli on each hip. “It’s great to see you again,” Martha cooed to each boppli.
Hannah said jokingly, “What about me?”
They both laughed. “You take Rose, and I’ll take Mason.”
When Martha hesitated, as both bopplin looked alike to her, Hannah bobbed the hip Rose was on in the direction of Martha. Martha took the boppli, who held out her little chubby arms to her.
“Oh she’s so cute,” Martha gushed.
“You’ll have a boppli soon, Martha.”
“Stop teasing me, Hannah.” Martha followed Hannah into the living room, where she sat Rose on the rug next to Mason. “Twins must be such hard work.”
Hannah smiled. “Jah, they are. There are lots and lots of diapers to wash, of course, but the two of them keep each other entertained to some degree. Anyway, would you please make us kaffi while I watch them?”
“Sure.” Martha stood up. “Don’t you want me to help with the laundry, though?”
“Katie, Noah’s mudder, is coming to do it for me today, but you could help me later in the week.”
“Of course I will. I’m so glad to be home.”
“Oh Martha, would you look out the window too, and make sure Annie and Sophie aren’t digging up the yard?”
“Sophie? Did you get another beagle?”
Hannah sighed. “I thought after I had the twins that Annie needed a friend, so Noah brought home a little terrier. Susie Lapp’s dog had puppies. Anyway, Annie and Sophie get on well, but Sophie’s been quite a bit of trouble. She’s always digging holes. Jessie Yoder wanted Sophie, but Mrs. Yoder said the dog would be too much trouble given that they already had Pirate.”
Jessie Yoder herself has been quite a bit of trouble, Martha thought, what with her trying to push Jacob and Esther apart a while back. She kept that opinion to herself, however, and went to fetch kaffi and check on the dogs.
Martha soon returned and handed Hannah a mug of kaffi, and reported that both dogs were behaving themselves.
“Now, Martha, tell me all about your rumspringa. You’re the first girl in the familye to go on rumspringa. Well, the only one likely to now, as I doubt Rebecca will.”
Martha pulled a face. “It was exciting at first, doing something different, but it was very isolating and quite scary really. It was fun to wear the different clothes at first, but I never really got used to them.”
“What’s television like?”
Martha shrugged. “That was exciting too at first, but a lot of it is all the same. Plus, it’s full of violence, so much so that I had to look away from the screen so many times. The Englisch are always in a hurry when you see them outside, but when you go into their homes, they are the opposite. They sit and watch television for hours at a time. It was strange, at least to me.”
Hannah nodded. “That’s what Katie said.”
Martha was puzzled. “Katie? You mean Katie Hostetler? Noah’s and Moses’ mudder?”
“Jah.”
“I didn’t know she went on rumspringa.”
Hannah giggled. “Jah, and she even drove a car.”
Martha joined in the laughter. “Just as well Mamm doesn’t know, but I think with you and Esther being married to Hostetler boys, Mamm is better about the Hostetler familye now.”
Hannah sipped her coffee and then propped up Mason, who was lurching precariously to one side to reach a little, wooden toy. “I don’t think it was just the accident, with Noah running into our buggy, that made Mamm a bit funny over the Hostetlers. She’s always seen them as too liberal.”
“True.” Martha nodded. “But Datt is from a more liberal familye too, and Mamm married him.”
Hannah chuckled again. “I didn’t say it made sense.”
“Oh Hannah, there’s a lot I have to tell you,” Martha said, abruptly changing the subject. Martha told Hannah all about her arrest, and all about securing a contract for hand made chocolates.
Hannah listened, totally engrossed by Martha’s words, murmuring in dismay, amazement, or delight from time to time, while Martha poured out the whole story. “And I didn’t want to tell anyone,” Martha concluded, “because I had to keep it from Mamm, as she would’ve made me come straight home, and I didn’t want to put the burden of having to keep a secret from Mamm on any of you.”
“I had no idea,” Hannah said. “Well, you sure did have an exciting rumspringa after all. That will be something to tell your kinskinner in years to come.”
Martha laughed, grateful that Hannah was not annoyed with her for keeping the whole secret of her arrest from her. “I don’t even have a boppli yet, so kinskinner are a long way off.”
Hannah just raised her eyebrows. “And when you do have kinner, how will you run your chocolate business?”
“I’ve thought about that,” Martha said truthfully. “It would be difficult, I’m sure, when they are young, but Mrs. Hostetler has her own successful quilt store.”
“Jah,” Hannah said, “but her sohns are grown up.”
Martha nodded. “I might have to employ a maidel and train her.”
“Gut idea, and I’ll help you.”
Martha beamed widely. “Denki, Hannah.” She laughed. “Look at us! We have me married and with kinner already.”
“It won’t be long,” Hannah said, with a knowing look on her face.