Chapter Twenty-Eight
Priscilla read over her checklist the night before the fair. The milk coupons had been printed, and the printing company had dropped them off at Hope’s farm yesterday. The church youth group planned to sell pork barbeque, chicken corn soup, and homemade desserts to raise funds for a baby in the hospital.
When Alyssa stopped by the special needs school on Monday to drop off copies of the Sunday paper, she’d told Priscilla she had lined up a newspaper crew to cover the event. According to Alyssa, any event with animals and children always made a big splash in the newspaper. Gabe and Hope should have plenty of publicity. The photographer had been given strict orders to only photograph the Amish from behind. Alyssa also said the TV news intended to mention the fair several times as they covered the ongoing story about Defarge and Moreau’s arrest.
Another huge blessing. The newspaper story had prompted an investigation, and a search warrant turned up enough evidence to put Henry, Fleurette, and several of their employees in jail. Priscilla thanked God that Gabe no longer had anything to fear. Their plotting couldn’t destroy his business.
Priscilla should have been in bed long ago, but excitement kept her from sleeping. Even more than anticipation about tomorrow, anxiety kept her up. She’d see Gabe for the first time since last week’s revelation.
She’d kept up with the news about him and his business. Mamm had told her how busy the store had been on Saturday, and after the Sunday feature, Priscilla imagined the crowds had increased.
Mamm had encouraged her to help Gabe out, but Priscilla claimed she had too much to do with lesson plans and event-planning. She and Ada had been preparing their scholars for the upcoming field trip. They’d learned about camels and role-played many of the expected activities they’d encounter. All the children had many questions. Some used letter boards and other assistive devices to ask theirs.
Priscilla checked the final item off her list—transportation and chaperones for the students. Most of the parents planned to go, so they’d show up after lunch.
As soon as she collapsed into bed, she drifted off into a dreamland where Gabe took her hand and—
Sarah shook her awake. “Are you sick? You’ve never overslept like this.”
Overslept? Priscilla hopped out of bed. “How late is it?”
“You only have half an hour to get to school. I did your chores for you this morning.”
“I’ll do yours tomorrow,” Priscilla promised as she rushed through her morning routine. She’d intended to take her time and look her best. She slipped on her pink dress and pinned on her half apron. Some of the five pins might be crooked, but she’d deal with that later.
She’d promised Ada she’d arrive early to prepare name tags with the school information on them. Hopefully, they had enough parents to keep an eye on everyone, but she and Ada wanted to take extra safety precautions. This field trip would be the first for their scholars.
As she rushed downstairs, Priscilla regretted only having time to whisk her hair into a bob and pin on her kapp. She’d wanted to look special for Gabe’s big day. Perhaps God wanted her to concentrate on other things besides vanity.
After a hasty breakfast, she and Asher headed for the door. “Asher and I won’t be home for dinner tonight,” Priscilla reminded Mamm.
“What?” Her mother’s voice reached a semi-screech.
“Our school is going to Hope’s farm too. Can the rest of us stay at the fair with Priscilla and Asher?” Zeke asked.
Mamm looked from one to the other in dismay. “But—but Gabriel’s coming for dinner tonight.”
Priscilla froze. He is? Does he plan to skip the fair? Maybe he changed his mind because I didn’t help him plan a speech. He did say crowds make him nervous.
“He can’t,” Zeke said before he banged out the door. “It’s his fair. His and Hope’s.”
Mamm stared after him. “On Saturday, he agreed to come.”
And Mamm had kept that secret all week? She must have planned to surprise Priscilla. Instead, the surprise was on Mamm.
“I hope Gabe forgot about the fair when he accepted your invitation,” Priscilla said.
Mamm seemed so disappointed Priscilla suggested, “Why don’t you and Daed come? The church youth are selling food.”
“What about Gabe’s dinner invitation?”
“Unless I’m mistaken, he’ll be at the fair tonight. Maybe we can reschedule for another time.” As much as she’d like to see Gabe, Priscilla hoped he wouldn’t accept another invitation. “I need to go or we’ll be late.”
Realizing she didn’t have much time, Zeke had hitched up the horse before taking off on his scooter to school. She thanked God for her siblings today. She loved how they pitched in to help. Priscilla arrived at the schoolhouse five minutes before the scholars.
“Relax,” Ada soothed when Priscilla rushed inside. “The scholars may be wild today, so we need to be calming influences.”
Priscilla worried she’d be the most restless of all.
“I finished all but two name tags.” Ada pointed to the shelf in the cloakroom where she’d lined them up. “If you can print two more, we’ll be set. I’ll go out to welcome the scholars.”
Steadying her hand, Priscilla printed as neatly as she could, but she couldn’t control the tossing and turning of her stomach. She took a deep breath and said a series of prayers for the students, the field trip, the fair, the church youth group, Hope, and Gabe.
“Gabe!” Priscilla gasped out his name. She’d forgotten to put his speech on her checklist. She’d spent so much time this week trying not to think about him, she’d pushed the most important part of the event to the back of her mind.
If she’d gone into the store this week, they could have planned it. Did he still want her to speak for him after what happened?
* * *
Gabe woke on Thursday morning with a ball of dread in his stomach. He’d stayed up late last night to prepare his speech. He’d look at it one more time after milking and again right before he left. He tried to memorize it because he wanted it to seem natural. Or as natural as it could be when the speaker was petrified.
The whole time he milked the camels and cows, he recited the parts he remembered, working to keep his voice steady. If he could give the speech to animals, he’d do fine. But people were a different matter.
Saul couldn’t take off work at midday, so Gabe hung a sign in the window directing customers to Hope’s farm. His brother did agree to do the milking that evening while Gabe stayed at the fair. And gave his speech.
He read through it one last time before he left for Hope’s farm. He’d arrive almost an hour early, but he wanted to look around and get acclimated before the crowds arrived.
Hope greeted him. “Can you pull your buggy around back? We set up extra hitching posts for today. People can also tie their horses along the split-rail fence back there.” She introduced him to Logan, her trainer, and then said, “Logan’s handling most of the setup today.”
Logan beckoned to Gabe when he returned. “We set up a stage here. Not sure how big the crowd will be, but we erected a temporary stage over here. Come on over and try out the mic.”
Stage? Mic? He’d been expecting a casual talk. The weight in his stomach grew to boulder size.
Logan motioned for Gabe to mount the wooden platform. Now he had one more concern. What if, in his nervousness, he tripped going up or got his feet caught in the dangling cords?
“Don’t worry. I’ll get those wires taped down.”
“You have electricity?” Gabe asked.
“I wish.” Logan’s reply held a sarcastic bite. “No, I brought in battery-powered equipment. Why don’t you step up there, and we can check out the sound?”
With growing dread, Gabe mounted the platform. He’d prepared himself for an informal speech. Making it a big deal like this added to his stress. How large did they expect the crowds to be?
* * *
Some of the scholars buzzed with excitement. Others grew more and more agitated as the day wore on. Ada and Priscilla relied on Martha’s expertise in calming several meltdowns.
After lunch, they began preparing for the trip. Everyone put on fluorescent vests, and Priscilla helped Ada pin tags with the school name to each child’s back. They hoped that might be less distracting to some scholars than a piece of paper flapping on the front of their coats. They just had to keep the children from pulling at one another’s name tags.
When the first buggy pulled into the parking lot, Ada opened the door, and they ushered the children outside.
Ada turned to Priscilla. “Why don’t you go on ahead?” she suggested. “Martha can help me here. That way someone will be at the farm to greet the children and get everything organized.”
Hope had suggested Priscilla’s scholars come early, so they’d have time to get adjusted before the crowds formed. Hope, Micah, and Gabe planned to do a brief introductory session just for Priscilla’s students.
Priscilla and Asher took off before the first buggy. They passed Betty pulling into the parking lot. Her frown probably meant she disapproved of Priscilla leaving school early. No matter what Priscilla did, she managed to get on Betty’s wrong side.
It would only get worse when Priscilla spent time around Gabe. Especially if he needed her help with the speech. She braced herself for another lecture.
When Priscilla pulled in, Gabe was the first person she spied. Her heart drew her eyes in his direction. And the pitter-pattering of her pulse warned her she’d better steer clear of him. Otherwise, she’d give away her secret.
Before anyone arrived, though, she could stare at him. She tied Butterscotch next to Gabe’s horse, then stood beside her buggy to get a better view. Asher climbed out and headed toward the barn. He had horse therapy with Hope every week, so he knew his way around. Priscilla let him go. Hope would be in the barn, where she spent most of her time.
Until her friend emerged, Priscilla took advantage of being the only one here to indulge in watching Gabe. He stood on a makeshift platform. They had a stage? That must have been Logan’s idea. Poor Gabe. He’d be nervous enough without being elevated above the crowd. Logan even had a microphone.
“Testing one-two-three.” His voice blasted into the fields around them. “Sounds good. Now you try.”
Gabe cleared his throat, startling them all when it broadcast with a loud boom. He stared at the microphone in dismay. “Guess I can’t make any sounds up here.” Those words also echoed. Gabe held the mic at arm’s length.
“Just stand there.” Logan pointed to a spot near the microphone stand and waited until Gabe moved into place. “Okay, now try the first few lines of your speech, and I’ll make sure everything’s adjusted correctly.”
Gabe pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. So, he had written his own talk. Would he also deliver it?
Priscilla held her breath as he brought the microphone to his mouth and started speaking. His first few words came out shaky, but then he fixed his gaze on a horse in the paddock and relaxed a little. His sentences reverberated around her, wrapping her in warmth. She closed her eyes and imagined being in his embrace.
“Priscilla?”
She jumped and opened her eyes.
Hope studied her. “Are you all right? Not too stressed about having all the children here?”
As much as Priscilla loved her friend, she wished Hope hadn’t disturbed her. “I was listening to Gabe’s speech.”
“Sorry,” Hope said. “At least you’ll get to hear it later.”
Jah, she would, but she wanted to enjoy it now with nobody around to detect how he affected her. Well, nobody but Hope.
And the questions in Hope’s eyes made Priscilla eager to change the subject. Maybe later she could find a private place where she could watch Gabe without prying eyes noticing. Right now, she was here as an assistant teacher, and the children should be her first priority.
“Ada’s staying at the schoolhouse until everyone leaves. I came ahead to supervise the others as they arrive.”
Hope nodded toward the driveway. “Looks like two of them are here already. I’ll tell them where to park. Micah will be coming soon to handle that so Logan and I can work with the children one by one.” Hope’s features softened when she mentioned Micah’s name. Her love for her fiancé oozed into every word and expression.
Until today, Priscilla had never experienced that depth of emotion, that longing to be with someone every minute of the day, to spend the rest of their days together. She blinked back tears. Micah returned Hope’s love, but Priscilla’s yearning was hopeless.
A gentle touch on her arm brought her back to the farm.
“Do you want me to take the first two children in to work with the horses? Logan will be in as soon as he gets the camel farmer set up.” Hope smiled at her. “I’m so glad you came up with this idea.”
“Me too.” Priscilla kept a surreptitious eye on Gabe as she greeted the two students and their parents. “Hope and Logan will take you to the barn. Asher is already there.” She turned to Hope. “Is it all right if he stays there?”
“Of course. He’s no trouble. I left him cleaning a saddle. He loves to do that, and he does a wonderful job.”
After Hope led the first two children away, Priscilla had a few minutes to watch Gabe. Logan hopped off the stage and entered the barn. Gabe set the microphone back in its stand. Then he stepped down and walked to the paddock. Leaning his arms on the split-rail fence, he stared out at the horse he’d concentrated on earlier. He seemed to be mumbling. Rehearsing his speech, perhaps?
Pride filled Priscilla. Gabe planned to talk despite his fear of public speaking. She admired his bravery. Deep down inside, though, her hopes died. He’d moved on and no longer needed her help.
* * *
Gabe concentrated on the horse he’d spoken to earlier. He’d singled out an animal to focus on while he spoke. Doing that with his camels during milking had eased his nerves, so he ran through the whole presentation one more time using the horse.
But he had another purpose for standing with his back to the parking area. From the minute Priscilla drove in, she’d distracted him. Though he acted as if he hadn’t seen her, wherever he went, he remained acutely aware of her.
He missed spending time with her, talking to her, laughing with her, planning for the future—his business future, that is. Though he longed to have the right to consider a different kind of future.
He blocked off that fantasy. He had other obligations and responsibilities that had a claim on his time and life. This talk could help him pay bills and secure that future.
Despite his plan to avoid Priscilla, he couldn’t help turning as the buggies drove in. Her beautiful smile as she greeted each child started an ache deep in his chest. If only things had been different . . .
After the sour-faced woman from Priscilla’s school dropped off her son, she marched toward him. Gabe’s first instinct was to avoid her, but she appeared intent on talking to him.
“You don’t know me,” she said when she reached him, “but I owe you an apology.”
He did know her, though. Betty somebody. The bishop’s wife. He also was well aware of her disposition. But he kept silent and waited.
“I’m Betty Troyer. My son goes to Priscilla’s school.”
He held out a hand. “I’m Gabriel Kauffman.”
“I know.” With only two words, she managed to make him feel foolish. “My daughter, Martha, and my husband insisted we try camel’s milk for our son. He’s autistic.”
Gabe had seen her son’s meltdown.
“It didn’t help Lukas much. Not the way Priscilla claims it calmed Asher.”
“Every child is different, so results may vary. Studies are still ongoing about its benefits, so they can’t say for certain it helps everyone.” It might also depend where Lukas was on the spectrum.
“He hasn’t had a meltdown yet today, so maybe it’s doing a little something.”
Priscilla strolled toward the barn with Asher and another child. Gabe tried to focus on Betty and their conversation, but his gaze followed Priscilla into the barn.
Betty glanced behind her to check out what had caught his attention. Her lips pursed. “You know she recently got jilted. It’s better not to jump into another relationship right away.”
She was warning him off Priscilla. Did she discourage all suitors, or only him?
“I’m not in a position to begin a relationship.” Not that it was any of Betty’s business, but he hoped it might keep her from bothering Priscilla.
“Gut.” She stalked off, leaving Gabe melancholy.
He shook off his gloom. Betty’s comments shouldn’t bother him, because he’d told the truth. He couldn’t consider a relationship with Priscilla. Not now, nor anytime in the future.