Eleanor had put the last of the clean breakfast dishes in the cupboard when she heard a horse and buggy come into the yard. Peering out the kitchen window, she watched as the woman driver guided the horse and open buggy to the hitching rail near the barn. Eleanor did not recognize the horse pulling their rig, which threw her off for a moment. From the back, she couldn’t tell who the two women were in the buggy, but when one got down and went to secure the horse, she recognized her dear friend immediately. Excited to see Doretta, Eleanor hurried out the back door and into the yard. She’d just reached the buggy when Doretta’s mother, Amanda, stepped down.
“It’s so nice to see you, Eleanor.” The small-boned, slender woman stepped forward and gave Eleanor a hug. “We came by to check on your mamm and say hello to you.”
Doretta had finished securing the horse and turned to face Eleanor with her arms outstretched. “I’m happy to see you as well.”
“Same here. I didn’t know who had pulled into the yard at first.” Eleanor hugged her friend.
“You didn’t?” Doretta tilted her head, and then she waved her question away. “Oh, that’s because we have a new horse.” She gave Eleanor another hug. “How have you been, and how’s your mudder doing?”
Eleanor bit back a chuckle. Leave it to Doretta to ask two questions at the same time.
“I’m fine, and my mother is doing as well as can be expected. This is only her second day home from the hospital, and her incision is still pretty sore. She doesn’t have much of an appetite yet, either.”
“That’s predictable,” Amanda stated. “And certain foods may not agree with her. That’s how it was when my sister, Sylvia, had her gallbladder removed last year.” Amanda gave a slow shake of her head. “Poor thing. She still can’t eat certain foods without suffering the consequences.”
Eleanor hoped that would not be her mother’s case. “Let’s go inside.” She gestured to her parents’ sprawling, two-story house. “I’m sure my mamm will be pleased to see you both.”
Amanda reached into the back of the black open buggy and withdrew a small cardboard box. “I brought your mamm starts from two of my prettiest pink African violets.”
Eleanor smiled. “I’m sure she will appreciate them.”
A gust of wind came up, and Doretta shivered. “Wow! It’s sure turned chilly today.”
“Let’s go inside before the wind gets any stronger. We can visit better in there and enjoy sitting in a warm house with a cup of tea or some hot apple cider.” Eleanor started walking toward the house, and her friend matched her stride, with Doretta’s mother just a few steps behind.
“Tell me all about your new home in Pennsylvania,” Doretta said after they’d visited with their mothers in the living room for a while and then excused themselves to go to the kitchen to talk privately. “Is Paradise a lot different than here?”
“Jah. There are a lot of hills in Pennsylvania, and we certainly have more traffic to deal with in Lancaster County than you do here in Grabill.”
Doretta pushed a wisp of her reddish-brown hair back in place under her white, cone-shaped head covering. “I’ve never been to Pennsylvania, but I’ve heard it’s a beautiful state.” She smiled. “I’m looking forward to visiting you there, hopefully sometime next year.”
Eleanor reached across the span between them at the table and clasped her friend’s hand. “Summertime, like we talked about before, would work well, since you won’t be teaching school then.”
Doretta nodded. “I hope we can make it happen.”
“Same here.” Eleanor thought about that time in the future. I wonder by then if I’ll be expecting Vic’s and my first child. She took a sip from her mug filled with hot apple cider. If so, it might seem a little strange, since Doretta and I would no longer be in the same stage of life. Of course, with me being married now, and her not yet engaged, our lives are already a bit different. I’m sure my being with child would not affect my close relationship with Doretta in any way, however.
“How are things going between you and your husband?” Doretta’s question broke into Eleanor’s thoughts. “Have you had your first disagreement yet?”
“Vic and I are two different people, so we don’t see eye to eye on everything, but nothing big has come between us, and I hope it never does.”
Doretta smiled. “You’re easygoing, so I’m sure if any problems should arise, you’ll be able to work them out with your husband.”
“I hope so.” Eleanor fiddled with the ties on her heart-shaped head covering. “I’m surprised you haven’t commented on my prayer kapp. It’s quite different than the one I used to wear when I lived here.”
Doretta reached up and touched the front of her own stiff white covering. “There is quite a contrast between the two. Mine hides the back of my hair and bun, but I can see your bun through the back of your kapp.”
“It is sheer in comparison, but it’s also lighter weight, which is kind of nice.”
Doretta picked up her mug and took a drink of cider. “I see the skirt of your dress does not have pleats like the ones we women wear here in Grabill.”
“That’s true. After moving to Lancaster County, I felt like I should dress the way other Amish women there do.”
“I understand. Have you made some new friends from your church district or community?” Doretta asked, taking their conversation in a different direction.
Eleanor shook her head. “Not really—just a few acquaintances. Most of the women my age are married with children, so I don’t have much in common with them. Maybe after Vic and I have our first child, I’ll fit in more and can relate to the women who are mothers.”
Doretta opened her mouth as if to say something, but Eleanor spoke first. “How are things going with you and William? Has he asked you to marry him yet?”
Her friend’s cheeks colored. “I think he was about to when he brought me home from the singing last Sunday night, but Isaac showed up and interrupted our conversation.” Doretta’s forehead wrinkled. “My dear brother wouldn’t stop talking to William, so I finally said good night and went in the house.”
“That’s a shame. I bet you weren’t too happy with Isaac for sticking around and monopolizing the conversation.”
“No, I wasn’t, but it was partly William’s fault because he kept talking to him.”
“Maybe he was only being polite and didn’t want to hurt your brother’s feelings.”
“I suppose. I just hope William gets up the nerve to try again when we’re not likely to have any interruptions.”
Eleanor hoped Doretta would have more opportunities to spend time with William and that a permanent relationship would eventually develop between them. Maybe by the time she comes to Pennsylvania to visit me, she and William will be engaged.
“I’ve been praying for you ever since I heard about your gallbladder attack and the surgery that followed.” Amanda’s tone revealed her obvious concern. “Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked when Lydia winced as she repositioned herself on the couch while trying to find a comfortable position.
“I appreciate your prayers.” Lydia adjusted the light blanket that covered her from the waist down. “And to answer your question: my pain isn’t too bad. I just have to sit or lie a certain way so that I don’t put pressure on my incision.” She placed a thin pillow behind her back.
“I’m sure it will take a while for you to heal.” Amanda leaned forward in her chair. “Is there anything we can do to help out while Doretta and I are here?”
“Not really. Eleanor’s been taking good care of things.” Lydia sighed. “I’ll certainly miss her when she returns to Pennsylvania. It was difficult for me to accept the idea of her moving to another state and adapting the Amish ways in Lancaster County.”
In fact, it was difficult for me to accept the man Eleanor chose to marry. Lydia was careful not to voice that thought. If her daughter had come back to the living room and overheard her saying such a thing, it would not go over well. Besides, Lydia had never said anything negative about her son-in-law to anyone in their church district and wasn’t about to now. The last thing she needed was for any gossip to get started, which in the long run would make Lydia look bad for saying unpleasant things about her daughter’s husband. Although Vic had done nothing specific to cause Lydia to distrust him since he and Eleanor had gotten married, she had voiced her concern to Eleanor when she and Vic had begun dating. Eleanor had shrugged it off, saying that Vic was a really nice guy, and to her knowledge, he hadn’t done anything that other young men his age hadn’t done. Lydia and her husband had heard through the grapevine that Vic had done a few things they disapproved of before joining the church. Even though, as far as she knew, he hadn’t smoked cigarettes or drunk alcohol since he and Eleanor had gotten married, Lydia couldn’t get past the nagging feeling that Vic still had a wild side and couldn’t be trusted. She hoped her son-in-law would be a good husband and not break her daughter’s tender heart someday.
Lydia shook her concerns aside when Amanda posed another question. “Are the Amish in the area where Eleanor and Vic live much different than we are here?”
“Not in the respect of how they worship, but the women’s dresses, aprons, and head coverings are different from ours. Also, their carriages are gray and closed, which look much different than our black open buggies.”
“Some in our area are getting closed buggies now.”
“You’re right. I’ve seen some, but most, like the carriages my family use, are still open.”
“The closed ones would be much nicer for cold winter weather.”
Lydia bobbed her head. “I certainly can’t argue with that.”
Amanda glanced toward the kitchen door. “Should we join our daughters in the kitchen for hot tea and some of that banana bread I brought along?”
Although Lydia felt no hunger, she nodded. “I need to get up and move around anyway. The doctor said I should do some walking, and even a few steps to the kitchen is better for me than sitting or lying on the couch all day.”
Paradise
Vic entered the house via the back door and pulled off his work boots. It was lonesome without his wife there to talk to. He looked around the empty kitchen where she’d normally be busy putting something together for them to eat. Vic wished he could call Eleanor just to hear her sweet voice, but he’d have to leave a message and schedule a day and time for them to talk, like he’d done a few days ago.
After placing his boots in the utility room, he went to the bathroom and washed up. Looking at himself in the mirror, it wasn’t hard to see the lines of strain on his face. Between missing his dear wife, working harder than normal, and putting up with Tom’s irritating ways, Vic had a hard time finding anything to smile or laugh about.
It was difficult to be enthused about fixing something for supper, but he’d worked hard all day on the new house his boss had contracted to build, and Vic was as hungry as a bear. He had never liked cooking that much and wondered if he should go out to a restaurant for supper or drop by to see his folks. Most likely when Mom heard that Eleanor was gone, she would invite him to stay for supper.
Although it was difficult to say the words out loud or even think them, Vic did not relish the idea of his mother knowing that he was on his own, without a wife to cook his meals this week. Mom was, and always had been, the kind of mother who worried about her children and often tried to do too much for them. While she would surely understand Eleanor’s need to go home to care for her mother, she would no doubt fret about whether Vic was getting enough to eat and also comment about how important it was for him to eat the proper foods.
Vic left the bathroom and started down the hallway toward the kitchen. He was almost there when he heard his dog’s familiar bark, followed by a scratching sound on the back door.
“Okay, little buddy, I’m coming.” Vic opened the back door, and when Checkers raced in, he ran straight for the kitchen. Vic had a rough time saying no to his pet’s puppy-looking eyes staring up at him, as though asking for permission to stay.
Vic squeezed out a small laugh. “Are you hungry, or do you just want to be in here with me while I fix supper?”
The dog’s response was a few wags of his tail.
Vic was not in the mood to turn on the stove, so he got out a loaf of bread in preparation for making a tuna sandwich.
“I sure had a busy day, Checkers. You probably would’ve enjoyed wandering around the construction site with me while I worked in various places.” He looked down at his furry buddy and back at the bread. “I don’t see why you can’t have one slice of this. Here you go, boy.” He tossed the bread, and Checkers caught it in his mouth.
Vic stepped over to the refrigerator and returned with mayonnaise and pickles. He then grabbed the can opener from one of the drawers and proceeded to work on the tin container.
The dog’s nose twitched when Vic opened the can of tuna.
“You in the mood for some fish?” Vic put some dry dog food in Checkers’ dish and poured the oil from the tuna on top. “Maybe a little fish oil will make your coat shine. It has omega-3 in it, which is also good for the brain. That way you can remember where you’ve buried all your bones.”
Checkers dived right into the tuna delight.
“You like that, don’t you boy?”
The dog kept eating, and Vic went back to the refrigerator for some lettuce. This was not going to be a great meal, and it would certainly be nowhere near as good as anything Eleanor had fixed since they’d gotten married, but at least it would fill the hole in his empty stomach.
Vic woke up the following morning feeling as though his head was surrounded by a dense fog. He’d gone to bed later than usual last night and had fallen into a deep sleep. To make matters worse, he had forgotten to set his alarm. Sure hope my ride doesn’t show up before I’m ready to head out the door. Tom won’t be happy if I make us both late for work.
Vic was on the verge of rolling onto his right side when he felt a slurpy tongue brush his cheek. His nose wrinkled at the smelly odor of dog fur, not to mention the wet spot Checkers had left on his face. “What are you doing on my bed?” He pushed the mutt aside and then pointed to the floor. “Get down, Checkers! What was I thinking, letting you stay in the house last night and allowing you to sleep on the floor in here?”
The dog jumped down and slunk out of the room with his tail between his legs.
From the looks of the dog hair on the sheets, Vic figured his faithful companion might have slept in his bed the whole night.
“Not good,” he mumbled as his feet touched the floor. “Now I’ll have sheets to wash when I get home from work this evening, not to mention putting a new set of sheets on the bed.” Vic made a mental note to be sure to put Checkers in his dog pen tonight. The last thing he needed was for Eleanor to return home and find out that his smelly hund had been sleeping in the house, not to mention their bed.