Let ’em stare.” Grandfather Zook adjusted the braces on his arms.
Becky shook her head tightly. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
Timothy put a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Let’s not stand around and give them something to gawk at. The furniture is in the next pavilion.”
We wove through the crowd. I tried to ignore the whispers in both English and Pennsylvania Dutch as we passed booths selling sweet corn, fresh bread, purses, tennis shoes, and antique buttons.
The second pavilion was identical to the first—a cement slap with thick white-washed posts holding up an asphalt roof. Where the first pavilion was a hodgepodge of wares, the second pavilion had a theme: furniture. It was easy to tell the Amish from the English furniture. Nearly everything in the Amish section was made of light-colored wood varnished to a high sheen. The scent of vinegar polish hung heavy in the pavilion. The English furniture was secondhand and contained everything from an old beauty shop hair dryer chair to an Art Deco glass end table.
Grandfather Zook stopped and looked around. “Where should we start?”
Timothy and Becky watched me for direction.
I rubbed my lips together, glancing about. “We could use a couch.”
Within twenty minutes we had reclined on half a dozen different sofas. As I stood up from a particularly ugly orange leather couch, I noticed the color of Grandfather Zook’s face had paled to white-gray.
“Maybe we should head home,” I said. “Now that I know the flea market is here, I can come back another time and shop for furniture.”
Grandfather Zook shook his head. “Don’t worry about me.” He coughed. “I could use a cup of water.”
“I’ll find you one,” Becky volunteered and ran back toward the restaurant.
Grandfather Zook stood on his crutches. Timothy stood close by, ready to catch his grandfather if necessary. Grandfather Zook coughed again and cleared his throat. “I told you I’m fine.” He started down the line of furniture again and pulled up short, pointing to a blue plush sofa jammed between a television cabinet and a bookshelf. “What about that one?”
I squeezed behind the television cabinet and sat on the couch. “I like it.” I flipped over the price tag pinned to the arm. “Eighty bucks! I like it even more now.”
Grandfather Zook snorted. “That’s too much.”
A large man with a gray beard and mustache approached us. “May I help you?” The mustache gave him away as English. Well, that and his Beatles T-shirt.
“I’d like to buy this couch,” I said.
Grandfather Zook tapped his right crutch on the cement. “Eighty dollars is high. What else will you throw in with it?”
The man ran a finger along his mustache and sized up Grandfather Zook. Then he turned toward me. “Is there anything else you’d like?”
“I could use some tables for the living room.” I spied a dark wood set that included two end tables and a coffee table. “I like these.”
“We’ll take all four pieces for eighty dollars.” Grandfather Zook’s eyes sparkled, his complexion no longer gray.
The salesman’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll give you all four pieces for one thirty.”
Grandfather Zook tugged on his beard. “Ninety.”
“No way,” the man said.
Grandfather Zook waved me over. “Come on, Chloe, we will go somewhere else.”
Reluctantly, I stood.
“Fine,” the man grumbled. “One hundred dollars.”
Grandfather Zook grinned. “Sold!”
The man reached into his pocket for his receipt tablet, his mouth twisted as if annoyed.
I couldn’t wait to tell Tanisha about my finds. She was the real bargain hunter between us. If she and Grandfather Zook ever joined forces, they would be dangerous.
Becky approached us carrying a paper cup of water, and Grandfather Zook took notice of her. “I’ll let you finish up here, and go wait with Becky.” He pointed at a blue velvet sofa two booths away. “I’ll be waiting over there.”
Timothy and I agreed.
Timothy smiled after his grandfather, then moved his gaze to me. “I’ve never seen anyone so excited about furniture before.”
I blushed. “Are you sure everything will fit in your truck?”
“No problem. I’ve hauled twice that before.”
Ten minutes later, Timothy and I found Grandfather Zook on the velvet sofa. Becky was no where to be seen. However, Grandfather Zook was not alone. Deacon Sutter stood in front of him with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The deacon stood up straight, as if a yard stick ran the length of his spine. His black plain jacket was spotless and without wrinkles, and his hat sat atop the center of his head.
The deacon glared at us. “Joseph, you have all your grandchildren with you today. I’m surprised by this.”
“Ya, even my grandkinner.” Grandfather Zook winked at me. “Here are two of them now.”
I smiled back. Grandfather Zook considered me one of his grandchildren.
The deacon nodded at Timothy, then turned his dark stare to me. “You were at the accident. Who are you?”
I bit my tongue to hold back a smart remark. “I’m Chloe Humphrey.”
“Humphrey is not an Amish name.”
“I’m not Amish.” As if I could be mistaken for Amish considering I wore jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals.
Deacon Sutter scowled at Grandfather Zook. “I thought you said she was one of your grandkinner. From Pennsylvania? Maybe a Beachy? They are loose like you are.”
My brow wrinkled. What’s a Beachy?
“My grandfather was making a joke,” Timothy said.
The deacon’s jaw twitched, and his eyes narrowed further as he scrutinized me. “You’re the owner of the car.”
“I am.”
He turned his back to me. “Joseph, Preacher Hooley and I visited your son-in-law and daughter this morning.”
Grandfather Zook struggled to his feet. Timothy helped his grandfather up. “Why?”
“For the sake of the rest of the family, it would be best if you distanced yourself from Rebecca and the Englischer. It is not good for the younger children to be around them.”
Grandfather Zook didn’t answer right away. Instead he took his time slipping his crutches onto his thin arms with Timothy by his side. “What did my daughter and son-in-law say?”
“They will follow the advice of the church.” He smirked. “They always do.”
“You may be able to intimidate my son-in-law, but you can’t do that to me.” He stamped a crutch on the cement ground.
“You shouldn’t be talking to my grandfather alone, Deacon,” Timothy said. “You don’t have a witness to this conversation.” With Grandfather Zook’s weight supported on the crutches, Timothy let go of his grandfather’s arm.
“You’re not Amish anymore, Timothy. I don’t see why you have a right to comment on our ways. You made your choice. In your case it was the right decision for the district.”
Timothy recoiled as if the deacon had just slapped him across the mouth. “At least I can choose what rules to follow.”
Deacon Sutter bared his teeth. “You may have decided to leave our district, but the rest of your family has not. You should think of how your behavior and your sister Rebecca’s will affect them.”
I stepped around the deacon and stood on the other side of Grandfather Zook. Deacon Sutter’s stormy expression sent a shiver down my spine. He glared back at me before stomping away.
“Grossdaddi,” Timothy began. “You shouldn’t speak to the deacon that way.”
Grandfather Zook snorted. “And what were you doing?”
Timothy frowned. “The deacon is right. It is different for me.” He didn’t sound happy about that.
“Deacon Sutter has no use for our family. Timothy, you know that better than anyone.”
I watched Timothy’s face, his mouth twisted in sadness.
“Why does the deacon feel that way?” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
I was beginning to realize the Amish world was much more complicated and less tranquil than I ever thought. If the deacon disliked the Troyers, would he cut the brake line of my car to hurt Becky, their daughter? Maybe Curt and Brock aren’t my only enemies in Knox County.
Grandfather Zook shook his head. “Let’s not talk about that man.”
“Where’s Becky?” I asked.
“When the deacon showed up, I told her to go find her brother and sisters. They are going to meet us at the restaurant for a piece of pie. We’d better get going. You don’t want Ellie to come after me, do you?”
Timothy and I followed Grandfather Zook through the maze of furniture. Before we reached the first pavilion, Becky walked up to us. Ruth hugged her around the waist, her thin shoulders bobbing up and down. Thomas held Naomi close. All four children looked stricken.
Grandfather Zook increased his pace. “What happened? Is someone hurt?”
Ruth mumbled something into her sister’s dress.
Becky tucked a stray blonde hair under her sister’s bonnet. “Anna’s father won’t let her see Ruth.” Tears pooled in her blue eyes. “It’s because of me.”