A cold wind howled through the alleyway, blowing in a few leaves from the old maple trees that lined the now-vacant streets. As a passel of colorful foliage tumbled past Joe, the rustling awakened him from his contented slumber. Morning sun had just begun to illuminate the darkened sky as the last few stars faded into the dawn. He supposed, had he been home, the roosters would have begun singing in chorus. Another cluster of leaves rumbling on the pavement found their way to the corner reminding him of spring chicks huddled together to keep warm. How many times had he begged Mamm and Dat to sleep with the hatchlings in the barn?
And how many times had he gathered leaves with Dat and his brieder, only to scatter them when jumping into the pile? An enormous mountain that sometimes stood taller than Joseph. His lips turned up momentarily at the memory of Dat jumping into the leaves. He hadn’t done it often, but on occasion Dat would surprise the boys by joining their play. One time he’d even hidden himself in the leaves and jumped out to scare the boys. Unfortunately, it wasn’t only the boys he had startled but also the kitten in Joe’s arms. He still had scars from its claw marks; even so, he didn’t harbor animosity toward the creature.
Joe glanced over at Harvey next to him, lying between their wooden crates and the brick wall. His gray whiskers rubbed against his nose with each intake of breath. Joe guessed his friend slept well, other than an occasional cough. The crates served as a crude barrier against the wind but left much to be desired by way of warmth. He would need to find more blankets for them before the snow set in. It wouldn’t do for Harvey to get sick. Although Harv had been out on the streets a lot longer than he had, he still worried about his old friend.
They’d met nearly two years ago when Joseph stumbled into the small town. It had been a lengthy walk from Philly, but thankfully he’d gotten a ride with a trucker part of the way. The man had said he was traveling all the way to California and for a second Joe contemplated going with him. What would it be like all the way over on the other side of the country? He’d only been to two of the fifty United States – Ohio and Pennsylvania. Yet California seemed too far away. What if he couldn’t find a ride back? Twenty-seven hundred miles was a long way to walk.
Joe had in mind to visit some friends in Pennsylvania. He’d met them at different times during his rumspringa and it turned out they were both from the same town and knew each other. What a small world. Now, with his current circumstances the way they were, Joe was too ashamed to see his old friends. He wasn’t exactly the picture of a successful Amishman. As a matter of fact, his friends were probably already married with several kinner by now. Not only was he in the Bann, he was destitute. Even if his friends wanted to, the Ordnung forbid them to extend the right hand of fellowship to a shunned man.
Amish life would never be considered an easy life. A content life for some, jah, but never an easy one. Joseph had been content with the Amish life until he got to know Mary. That’s when his nearly-Utopian world was turned upside down. Appearances could be deceiving. But Joe wouldn’t think about that right now. It was just too painful.
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Linda’s blue two-door sedan rolled to a stop in front of Threads of Beauty. She debated leaving the warm comfort of her vehicle to step out into the bitter cold. Reaching for her scarf and hat, she realized someone stood outside the shop. It appeared to be one of the few homeless men that sometimes wandered the streets. She regretted the thought of asking him to leave, but accommodating vagabonds just wasn’t good for business. And their business hadn’t been doing all that great.
As Linda approached the door, she noticed the man gazing into the shop, his face nearly touching the glass. Why would a man be fascinated with a quilt shop? She was about to send him on his way when she noticed him blowing into his hands and rubbing them together. How could she turn the man away? What if he’s an angel in disguise like the Bible talks about? The thought sent an added chill up her arms.
“Good morning, Ma’am. This is a nice shop you got here,” the man said.
“Thank you,” she said, turning the key in the deadbolt. Linda hesitated a moment. “I usually start a pot of coffee in the mornings. I could bring you cup when it’s ready.”
The man’s face lit up as though she’d just given him a bag of gold. “That would be wonderful.”
The thought of leaving the man out in the cold pricked her conscience, but would it be safe to invite him inside? IF IT WERE ME, WOULD YOU INVITE HIM IN? The voice almost seemed audible. Linda blew out a breath. Okay, Lord, but I’m trusting You to keep me safe.
“You can see the quilts better if you step inside,” Linda suggested.
“Oh.” The man was clearly surprised. “All right. I – I won’t touch anything.”
Linda disappeared into the back room to quickly set the coffee to percolate. A couple of moments later, she returned to find the man gazing upon the quilt Anna’s grandmother had made. “That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
The man turned to face her, his eyes wide. “It looks so much like the one my gross – uh, my grandmother used to have on her bed. Did you make it?”
Linda released a short chuckle. “Oh no, not me. Anna, the Amish girl I have working for me – her grandmother made it.”
He fingered the price tag, but didn’t dare touch the quilt. “Why is this not priced higher?”
It was a simple question, but Linda was intrigued that this homeless man would know the worth of a handmade Amish quilt. “We don’t have too many tourists coming through this area. They tend to pass us up for the more popular towns like Intercourse and Lancaster. Or they’ll wait for a mud sale or farmers’ market.”
“That’s too bad. I’d say you could probably get twice this much.” The man scratched his scraggly beard. “Well, I better go now. My friend Harv will be wondering where I went. Thanks for the coffee.”
“Would you like a refill before you go?”
“All right. Thank you.”
Linda soon returned with two cups. “Here’s one for your friend too.”
The appreciation in the man’s face said more than “thank you.” Linda watched as he slipped out the door and back into the frigid air outside. He’d been the first homeless person she’d ever met, but she knew he’d made a lasting impression. Perhaps it was an angel in disguise.
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Joe sipped his coffee as he made his way back to the alley he and Harvey shared. So that’s where Anna works! He should’ve guessed.
Her employer seemed really nice. She reminded him a little of his Aunt Martha, who’d owned her own bakery in Ohio. Oftentimes, he and his brothers would walk to town; or if Mamm would let them, they’d drive the pony cart. Aentie Martha would always greet them with a smile and a cookie of their choice. Of course, Joseph always chose a whoopie pie. The chocolate ones with peanut butter filling had always been his favorite. She hadn’t always made them. In fact, Joe was the one who’d given her the idea. They quickly became bestsellers when she made her offerings available to customers. Now she couldn’t seem to make enough.
Looking back, Joe would have to say it was his aunt who made a profound impact on his life. It was her words of encouragement that provoked Joseph to eventually go to junior college. Of course, she had no idea he’d gone to college. And he was certain if she knew where her words had taken him, she wouldn’t have uttered them. But he was glad she did. Otherwise, he would’ve been even more lost than he had been after being put in the Bann.
Going to school had given him a sense of purpose and a drive to become something more than a farmer. Not that there was anything wrong with farming. In fact, he loved it. But unfortunately it was the only thing he knew how to do. And you can’t farm without land. So when Joe became a shunned man, he realized he needed to learn a new trade.
He had been faithful in his studies, but left college to work at a full-time job when he was offered a position by a colleague. His friend’s father had been very wealthy and owned several successful businesses. Joe enjoyed the job immensely and worked hard to do his utmost. His employer valued his work ethic and quickly promoted him to a top position within the company. Before he knew it, he was working as one of the most successful executives in the corporation. He was given an expensive company car to drive, his clothes were the best money could buy, and he dined at the most prestigious restaurants.
Until one day his world came crashing down and he lost everything.
Again.
Joe’s self-esteem still hadn’t recovered. He supposed that was the real reason he was still on the streets.