Chapter 12

12

I wonder why Peter and Sam weren’t there today.”

Mary Elizabeth glanced over at Rose Anna. “I expect they had to work.”

“But it was a special day.”

“For the women. For Peter and Sam it was more a job.”

Rose Anna shrugged. “I still thought they’d be there.”

“Maybe they will be for opening day.” Mary Elizabeth hesitated, then plunged ahead. “About the other day—”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Rose Anna burst out.

“You do?” She kept her tone mild and stared straight ahead at the road.

“Ya. Now I’m going to get a lecture about whatever you think you saw when you walked in on Peter and me in the storeroom.”

“What do I think I saw?”

“We weren’t kissing.”

“That’s gut.”

“We weren’t touching either.”

“Allrecht.”

“I do know how to behave.” Rose Anna folded her arms across her chest. “And you’re not my mudder.”

“Nee, I’m not. I’m your schweschder, and I’m just concerned about you.”

“Are you going to say something to Mamm?”

Mary Elizabeth took a deep breath and then shook her head.

“It’s all John’s fault.”

A car passed the buggy. Mary Elizabeth concentrated on it until it was safely past and ahead of them on the road. “It is?”

“I could be so happy if John would just cooperate with God’s will.”

“Oh?”

“If he’d just realize he’s the man God set aside for me, I wouldn’t have even looked at Peter.”

What could she say to that? Their street was coming up soon. She only had a few minutes. “If John doesn’t believe he is, if he doesn’t want to be with you, then you can’t do anything.”

“You think I don’t know that? Why do you think I decided to start seeing someone else?” She glanced out her window at the passing scenery.

“As long as you’re not just seeing Peter as a substitute for John.”

Rose Anna turned in her seat to look at her. “I’m not. I’ve always liked Peter.”

Mary Elizabeth hoped she was telling the truth. Rose Anna had certainly flirted with him the last few times they’d been together. She hoped her schweschder wasn’t using him as salve for her ego. Rose Anna’s ego had taken a beating when John told her he didn’t want to be with her.

Mary Elizabeth saw a buggy parked in front of their house when she pulled into the driveway of their house.

“Who is it?” Rose Anna asked, craning her head to see.

Mary Elizabeth’s heart sank when she saw Ben sitting on the front porch with their dat. “Ben.”

“Did you know he was going to be here?” Rose Anna asked as they got out of the buggy at the barn and began unhitching their horse.

“Nee.”

“You don’t look happy.”

“I wasn’t expecting him. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Why don’t you go on in? I’ll finish here.”

“You’re schur?”

“Ya.”

Mary Elizabeth smoothed the skirt of her dress and went in the back door. “Hi, Mamm. How long has Ben been here?”

“About half an hour,” she said, turning from the refrigerator with a bowl of butter. “He looked so disappointed you weren’t home yet that your dat invited him to supper.”

“That was kind of you.” She set her purse down on the counter.

Her mudder took a bowl of butter from the refrigerator and set it on the table. She studied her face. “Is there a problem? Should he not have invited him?”

Mary Elizabeth realized she was too easy to read since both her schweschder and her mudder had guessed how she felt about Ben’s unexpected visit.

“Nee, I’m just tired.”

“Did you have fun going to the new store with the women from the shelter?”

“I did. I’ll have to tell you about it later.”

“Go let the men know supper’s ready.”

She walked to the front of the house, opened the door, and summoned a smile. “Daed, Mamm says supper’s ready. Gut-n-owed, Ben.”

He stood and walked toward her. “Gut-n-owed. Hope you don’t mind my stopping by.”

“Of course not.” Now that he was giving her his charming grin and looking happy to see her, she realized she was glad he’d stopped by.

“Your dat was kind enough to invite me to supper,” he said as he stepped into the house. He took a deep appreciative sniff as they approached the kitchen. “Something smells wonderful.”

“Just a simple baked chicken,” Linda said, setting a platter on the table. “It’s cooling down a bit, but it’s still too hot to cook much.”

She turned to Rose Anna who’d come in from unhitching the buggy. “Would you go tell Grossdaadi supper’s ready? And don’t let him say he’s not hungry. He needs to eat.”

Rose Anna returned with Grossdaadi. He said hello to everyone, took a seat, and ate. Not much but he ate. It just seemed to her that he was a pale shadow of himself, still going through the motions.

Well, no one expected him to get over the loss of his fraa. There wasn’t any “getting over” someone anyway. She knew that from watching others and from what she’d gone through with Sam.

Bowls of potato salad, corn on the cob, and cole slaw went around the table. Mary Elizabeth had enjoyed cookies at the shop so she wasn’t that hungry, but Ben’s appetite more than made up for hers.

Once again, Ben and her dat talked so much about farming that the women found themselves having their own conversation. Grossdaadi didn’t contribute much to the conversation, but he was eating, Mary Elizabeth noted with satisfaction. Several times her mudder quietly urged him to have a second helping of his favorite—the potato salad.

And several times, she noticed Grossdaadi watching Ben, but he didn’t engage him in conversation.

“Baked chicken’s my second favorite way to eat chicken,” Ben told her when they walked outside to sit on the porch after dessert.

“Oh?”

“Fried’s best.”

Maybe he didn’t mean it as a criticism of her mudder’s cooking. But she didn’t figure you should eat supper at someone’s table and act like what you were eating was somehow second.

“Men don’t realize how hot it is standing over a stove in the summer,” she told him, trying to keep her voice level. “It’s a lot easier on the cook on a hot day to put the chicken in the oven and walk away while it bakes.”

He stopped rocking and took a long look at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”

She shrugged.

“So I guess I better not ask when we can go for a picnic and have some of your wunderbaar fried chicken,” he teased.

“Nee,” she said shortly.

Then she felt bad. “I’m sorry, I’m just really tired. It was a long day. Long week. Harvesting the kitchen gardens here and at Lavina’s, my quilting work, and the new shop opening.”

“You didn’t have to help at the shop,” he said. “Was Sam there?”

She stood. “I need to help Rose Anna with the dishes.”

To her relief, he left. She returned to the kitchen. Her grossdaadi still sat at the table, finishing a piece of pie.

He looked up. “Whatever happened to Sam? I miss playing checkers with him.”

She sat down. “He moved away from the community, into town, Grossdaadi. You remember I told you.”

“Oh, ya, ya.” He sipped his coffee. “Well, if you ever see him, tell him I miss playing checkers with him.”

“I will.” She glanced over at Rose Anna standing at the sink. Their gazes met and Rose Anna nodded. Getting up, Mary Elizabeth fetched the checkerboard. “I’ll play a game with you.”

He grinned and pushed his empty pie plate aside.

* * *

Sam didn’t know what he liked better—depositing another check for the second job or going with Peter to do an estimate for another renovation.

Both meant money in the bank, money he was saving for a place of his own. Oh, it would probably be one he shared with John until one of them got married. But it would be for a home, not a dingy little apartment they didn’t own and where the rent might go up every six months.

He just didn’t know yet where that place would be . . . he’d left the Amish community when he and his dat couldn’t get along, but he hadn’t embraced the Englisch community like John and used the time for rumschpringe. Instead he’d lived the same kind of life as he had when he’d lived at home—working long hours, staying home most evenings.

And he’d found himself increasingly being pulled back to the Amish community by friends like Peter and work for other Amish like Leah.

“I have something to show you after we look over this place,” Peter said as Sam drove them to the location.

“What?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I hate surprises,” Sam reminded him as he pulled into the driveway of the house Peter pointed out.

“Tough.”

“So where are the owners?”

“Be patient. We’re a little early.” He relaxed against the seat. “So I wonder how it went at Leah’s shop yesterday. With the preview for the women from the shelter.”

“Haven’t heard. Are we still going to stop in for a few minutes today? It’s the official opening day?”

“Schur. Wouldn’t miss it.”

Sam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and considered the house. It looked . . . sad like it needed someone to help fix it up. The porch sagged, paint was peeling, and from what he could see of the roof, there was definitely a new one in its future.

“What time is it?”

“Five minutes later than the last time you asked. What’s your hurry? You got a hot date or something?”

He snorted.

A car pulled up, and a young Englisch couple climbed out.

“I’m Randy Smith and this is my wife, Becky. And this is our new house we’re hoping we won’t come to refer to as the ‘money pit,’ ” he said, sticking out his hand to Sam, then Peter.

Becky smacked him on his arm. “Don’t you dare call the house that.” She gave them a big smile. “I love this house. It just needs some love.” Turning, she climbed the stairs to the porch.

Randy rubbed fingers together in a gesture to indicate spending money and quickly turned it into a wave when Becky jerked her head around. “We’re coming, honey,” he called.

The four of them went into the house, a two-story that looked almost as bad inside as it did out. The husband walked around pointing out things that needed to be addressed and both Peter and Sam made notes. The wife drifted around and asked if a window seat could be added here and a French door out to the garden there.

Sam figured this was what people meant when they said someone had stars in her eyes. She was in love with the place, and her husband regarded her indulgently but clearly had his mind set on the dollars they would have to spend.

After they’d gone through the house, the man turned to Sam. “You’ve been quiet. What do you think?”

“House has good bones.”

He laughed and slapped Sam on the back. “A man of few words. I like it.” He turned to Peter. “Can we do this without breaking the bank?” he asked him, looking worried.

“We’ll give you an estimate in a couple days, see what you think,” Peter told him. “You could take it in stages, fix the most urgent things you need to do to have a safe, comfortable place to live and work on the cosmetic things as you go.”

“That would be great,” he said. “We’re staying with her parents while you do the work so if we could do the most important first . . .” Becky nodded and wandered off into the kitchen.

“I want to make Becky happy,” he told them quietly. “You know, ‘happy wife, happy life’ like my dad used to say. But it’s taking a lot of money to buy the place.”

“Property’s expensive in this county,” Sam agreed.

“Tell me about it. Honey, time to go!” he called to his wife.

She came into the room, a drift of cobwebs on her hair, dust on her hands. He brushed his hand over her head without remarking on the cobwebs, and they walked outside.

Sam and Peter followed them out. The men shook hands. Becky reached into her purse and found a tissue for hers before she responded.

“Glad we called you,” Randy said. “We’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

“Don’t forget my window seat and those doors out to the back yard,” she reminded Sam and Peter.

“We won’t,” Peter assured her.

Just as they drove off Sam saw a buggy coming down the road. When it drew closer, he thought he recognized the driver as she pulled over onto the grass in front of the house.

“This is a surprise,” Mary Elizabeth called out.

Sam walked over to her. “Gut-n-owed. Going home?”

She nodded. “I was at the shelter for a couple of hours.”

Peter joined them. “How did it go yesterday?”

“Oh, I wish you both could have been there,” she said, visibly moved. “The women couldn’t believe it, and the kinner were so excited. It was such a joy to see them.”

“That’s gut,” Sam said.

“We’re stopping by for an hour or two now that we’re finished here,” Peter told her. He turned to Sam. “I’m going to get in the truck and make a call on my cell. Take your time.”

“I’m glad I saw you here,” she said. “Grossdaadi asked about you. Said he missed playing checkers with you.”

He grinned. “Really? I always liked him. How is he doing?”

“Maybe you could stop by and see for yourself? Play a game or two after supper?”

“Just tell me when.”

“Is tomorrow too soon for you?”

“As it happens I’m free.”

“Gut. Then we’ll see you at the usual time.”

“I’ll be there. And Mary Elizabeth? Thanks for asking me.”

“You’re wilkumm. And don’t let Grossdaadi cheat.”

His eyes widened. “Cheat?”

She laughed at his dry tone. “You know he does. Gut-n-owed, Sam.”

“Good night, Mary Elizabeth.”

He watched her check for traffic and then pull back onto the road before he walked to his truck and climbed inside. Peter sat jotting notes on his clipboard as he spoke on his cell.

Sam started the truck and drove Peter home. Tonight he would be eating some scraped-together meal with his brother John, but he could look forward to a delicious meal with Mary Elizabeth and her family tomorrow.

The day had been long, one that sent you home with muscles that ached a little from hard work at the day job. Then he and Peter had met with a couple who’d probably give them their next job if he was any judge of character. And then he’d run into Mary Elizabeth and had her smile at him and invited him to supper and a friendly game or two of checkers with an old man who remembered him.

It had been a gut day.

And Peter made it even better when he had him stop at a small farm.

“The Fisher place,” he said. “Did you hear Elias died?”

“I did.”

“His fraa moved to Ohio to be near her dochder. Sam, the farm is up for sale. The bishop is helping arrange things for her. He gave me the key so we could look at it. So you could look at it, Sam.”

Feeling a little dazed, Sam shut off the engine, got out of the truck, and followed him up the walk to the front door.

* * *

“I schur wish cold weather would get here,” Mary Elizabeth said as they sewed on their quilts in the sewing room. “Even sewing holiday quilts isn’t helping me feel cooler.”

She got up and walked over to the window. “I know I complain about the cold, but right now I’d take a blizzard.”

“You want to go for ice cream?” Rose Anna asked, looking up with a distracted air. She’d been trying to piece a new quilt pattern for hours. “Go get Grossdaadi. He’s always ready for ice cream.”

“Nee, no ice cream now,” their mudder said with a chuckle. She glanced at the clock on the wall and set down a quilt she’d been sewing. “It’s time for lunch.”

“I’ll help,” Mary Elizabeth said. She was nearly done with her quilt.

They went down to the kitchen. Linda made sandwiches and Mary Elizabeth cut up peaches, strawberries, and melon for a fruit salad. Who wanted something hot on such a warm day?

That reminded her that Sam was coming to supper.

“What shall I make for supper?” she asked her mudder.

Linda looked up from the sandwich makings and smiled. “Whatever you like.”

Mary Elizabeth went to the refrigerator and examined the contents. “I’d love just a big salad, but I don’t suppose the men would be content with that,” she mused.

She remembered Ben’s comment about fried chicken and frowned. There was chicken and hamburger in the freezer behind big packages of vegetables and fruit they’d chosen to freeze rather than can. Hmm.

“What do you think of using the hamburger for haystacks with a big pan of baked beans and corn on the cob on the side? I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough corn on the cob this time of year.”

“Sounds good. We have plenty of ripe tomatoes and some lettuce for the haystacks.”

Mary Elizabeth set the ground beef out to thaw, got out a couple of cans of pork and beans and a package of bacon. She stirred some brown sugar and mustard into the beans and poured them into a baking dish. Then she topped them with several slices of bacon. She’d have to heat the oven, but they were going back upstairs to sew after lunch. Blackberry cobbler could bake toward the end of the time for the beans. Done.

Her mudder set the table, then called upstairs for Rose Anna. She turned to Mary Elizabeth. “Why don’t you get Grossdaadi while I pour some iced tea?”

She nodded and walked over to knock on the door to the dawdi haus. When he didn’t answer, she opened the door and ventured inside cautiously. He was known for napping during the day, but she heard him talking. Was it possible a friend had stopped by to see him? The dawdi haus had a separate entrance. She found him sitting in the recliner he loved in the small living room, sound asleep, his wire-rimmed glasses half-on, half-off his nose. He was talking in his sleep and gesturing with his hands as if he was eating.

“Miriam, you make the best pot roast in Lancaster County,” he was saying, as he appeared to be eating. “I hope there’s pie for dessert. I love your pie. Doesn’t matter what kind. Any kind of pie my fraa makes is the best.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. In his dreams he was sharing a meal with the woman he’d been married to for so long. She turned and went to get her mudder.

“Mamm, come see.”

Linda paled. “Oh no, don’t tell me something’s wrong with him.”

“Nee, nee, he’s fine. Look.” She watched as her mudder stepped into the room and saw Grossdaadi talking in his sleep. They both listened for a few minutes. He was still “eating” and complimenting his fraa in his dreams.

“Let’s not wake him,” her mudder said, taking her hand and leading her from the room. They tiptoed out, and Linda shut the door. “Let him sleep a while. It’s his chance to be with Miriam.”

Mary Elizabeth pulled two paper napkins from a holder on the table and handed her one. She wiped her own eyes. “He misses her so.”

Rose Anna walked into the room and frowned. “What’s the matter?” Her gaze went to the door to the dawdi haus. “Is Grossdaadi allrecht?”

Linda nodded. “He’s fine.” She told her what they’d just witnessed, and Rose Anna’s expression turned sad. “Maybe we can take a ride later and get him some ice cream.”

“Sam’s coming for supper. Grossdaadi mentioned him and said he missed playing checkers with him. Sam said he’d love to come and play a game or two with him.”

“He liked Sam.” She glanced at the table. “I’ll go get Daed.”

They were halfway through lunch when the door to the dawdi haus opened and Abe shuffled out.

“Grossdaadi, we didn’t want to wake you,” Mary Elizabeth said.

“I was just resting my eyes,” he told her as he took a seat at the table.

Linda chuckled. “You were sound asleep.”

“Just resting my eyes.” He bent his head to say a blessing for the meal then took a sandwich and placed it on his plate. His expression brightened when Rose Anna handed him a small bowl of the fruit salad.

“Grossdaadi, Sam’s coming to supper tonight,” Mary Elizabeth said. “He said he’d love to play checkers with you.”

“Gut, Gut.”

“I told him not to let you cheat.”

He pretended to look offended. “I never cheat.”

“You always cheat,” her dat said with a grin.

“Only because you do,” he retorted. His eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

“Just for that I’ll play a game with you before I go back to work.”

“You’re on!”

But Grossdaadi seemed in no hurry. He chewed his sandwich slowly, and her dat was rolling his eyes as Abe then savored each bite of fruit salad with a pleasure that seemed exaggerated. Finally Jacob got up, fetched the checkerboard, and put it on the table.

The women cleared the table, leaving the two men having a mock argument over the board, and returned to the sewing room to work.

“Wonder who’ll win?” Rose Anna said as she went back to piecing her new quilt pattern.

“Grossdaadi will,” Mary Elizabeth told her as she studied the pattern. “He always does.”

Rose Anna grinned. “Only because he cheats better than Daed.”

Mary Elizabeth laughed. “Well, Sam knows about Grossdaadi.”