The Miting: An Old Order Amish Novel, page 7
“Okay. I’ll be there a little before 6:30. How will you let me know about what the bishop decides, Martha? Can you come by after you hear?”
“Ja. I’ll need to get the mail at the post office sometime tomorrow. If I know anything by the time I go, I’ll tell you.”
“And Martha, I really am sorry. I hope it all turns out for the good.”
“No matter. Abner has had it coming for a long time. Now, at least, he knows I’ll tell on him. Maybe that’ll be enough to keep him away from me and from my sisters.”
Leah glanced out the window and noticed people were leaving. “I’d better go find Maem and Daet. Looks like things are breaking up.”
She said a hasty good-bye to Martha and slipped back into the crowd.
As she approached her family, Daet turned. “Where have you been? We need to get home, Leah.” He looked around suspiciously, but as his gaze settled on Martha clearing the tables, his shoulders relaxed.
“I stretched my legs, Daet. Preaching goes on so long sometimes.” Though she had made a remark against the preachers, she grinned to hide her feelings about lying. To her surprise, Daet nodded in agreement.
“Ja. We picked a few long-winded ones this time, for sure,” he whispered.
On the way home, the family chatted and laughed. It was unusual for Daet to be so calm and happy after church—he usually had something to chew over that he’d heard from the other men.
She had a lot to think about as they drove home, so it took her by surprise when Daet turned around.
“You might want to make sure you get to the singin’ on time tonight. I heard Jacob Yoder say he will be there, and he might be looking for you.” He smiled at Maem, and she giggled like a girl.
All eyes focused on her. Ada grinned and gave her a friendly slap on the arm, while Benny hooted and kept it up until Maem admonished, “That’s enough now, Benjamin.”
Leah looked out the back flap, and all thoughts of her secret plans with Martha scattered like dust behind the buggy’s wheels. All she could think about was tonight. Would Jacob ask to take her home? Could this night be the start of a new life for her? A life that would be satisfying. A life of contentment with her Amish heritage. A life filled with love for Jacob—and his love for her. Could the questions and desires that burned in her be settled by the love of a good Amish man?
CHAPTER SIX
After a relaxing day of reading, playing games, and napping, Leah’s family had supper. It had been a typical church Sunday. Visits to family and friends usually happened on the off Sundays—the days when church services weren’t scheduled. Most of the time, church Sundays were quiet days.
Leah and Ada washed the suppah dishes, and as eight o’clock drew near, Leah went up to her room to get ready for the youth singing. She made sure her kapp and dress were wrinkle and spot free, and tucked in a few wayward strands of hair. Finally, it was time to head to the Masts’ place again. Daniel took her in his buggy, since he planned to meet Sara there.
A large crowd had already gathered when Leah and Daniel arrived. The church’s young people, age fifteen or sixteen and older, gathered in the barn and talked for a while before Anna Mast called them in to the kitchen. They sat across from one another, boys on one side, girls on the other, and sang through song after song. Jacob caught Leah’s eye from time to time, and she saw him whisper to his friend John. She wondered if he would send John over to ask if he could take her home.
Though she longed to have Jacob’s attention, she was nervous. What if he wanted what Martha did with boys? Leah was sure she wasn’t ready for any of that.
As the singing slowed and the popcorn and apples were passed, she watched John head her way.
He grinned as he came near. “Hey, you think you’d like Jacob Yoder to take you home tonight?”
She glanced around, wishing he had waited until they were outside. Right here, in spite of the mingling and loud chattering, she felt conspicuous. “Um … I guess that would be okay.”
John chuckled. “Just okay? Should I tell him that?”
Leah flushed. “No—I mean, yes, I’d like that.”
“Got it. He said to wait for him near the side door, and he’ll bring the buggy along.”
“Okay.”
Nervous energy held sway with Leah the rest of the evening. She didn’t know what Jacob’s family expected: Did they hold with bed courtship? She was pretty sure most of the church folks in her district did not like bed courtship. Would he expect her to sit on the couch with him and kiss? She had heard such stories from older girls, but now that it was her turn, she was petrified of doing too much or too little. It was just as shameful to back away from courting as it was to go too far.
Maem hadn’t been much help. She had never told Leah a thing about dating, courtship, marriage, or even about a woman’s monthly cycle. She’d learned it all from friends.
At least when it’s Ada’s turn, she can ask me questions.
Finally the party broke up, and Leah tried to sneak off to the dark corner of the side door. But as she hurried away, Martha called to her. “Don’t stay up too late, Leah. And make sure you keep a light going in the kitchen.” She snickered when Leah shook her head. The girls gathered around Martha, gawking as Jacob pulled the buggy alongside her. When they rode off, she heard laughter and squeals from their peers.
The dark lane swallowed them in shadows quickly, and Leah was relieved that part was over.
Jacob reached around her and pulled a sweet-smelling quilt over her lap. So he had prepared. She smiled into the darkness at his thoughtfulness.
“Are you warm enough?”
His voice, deep and friendly, filled her with happiness. “Yes—I’m plenty warm.”
They listened to the night sounds, punctuated by Bingo’s hooves. He was proud of his rig and his horse. He took care of his animal and was gentle—unlike some she knew who drove their horses too hard and fed them scanty meals. Daet said it didn’t make sense to treat horses that way: all that did was guarantee the need for a new horse sooner, rather than later. From what she’d seen, Jacob followed the same practice with Bingo.
“I hope you ignore Martha’s teasing. And I want you to know up front that my family doesn’t agree with bed courtship. ‘Course, we don’t go around spouting off about it, but none of my brothers or sisters did that. I plan to spend some time with you, get to know you, and leave. I know some people think being against bed courtship is too high church or proud, but my daet thinks it’s too much temptation for jungen.” He turned Leah’s way. “Besides, I have to get up too early to stay out until four in the morning like some of these fellas do, and I need my sleep.” He winked.
Leah breathed a sigh of relief and returned Jacob’s smile.
Once they pulled into Leah’s lane, the butterflies increased in her stomach. She noticed the lights were out in the house, except for a lone glow coming from the kitchen. Jacob let her off and then walked his horse to the hitching post. True to his word, he didn’t unhitch Bingo and lead him to the barn. Instead he gave the horse water and then walked with Leah to the kitchen.
After she poured mint tea for both of them, they sat at the table and talked. He shared his dreams of having his own farm one day, and she listened as carefully as she could.
Every now and then, her heart lurched at his future plans, wondering if he was truly considering her a part of them. But she also knew there was something holding her back.
She still wasn’t sure where her future lay—or even if she wanted to be Amish. But there was no denying the attraction she felt for Jacob. He was most definitely a different kind of Amish young man. Warm. Kind. Friendly. Not domineering or coarse. No bad language, and to her knowledge, no drinking or smoking.
As the clock chimed the midnight hour, Jacob scraped back his chair.
“I’d better get going. I’m glad you accepted the ride. See you next time, Leah.”
“Yes—thanks for asking me.”
She walked with him, and as he held the screen open for a minute, he seemed to consider something, but then grinned, put on his hat, and turned to leave. At the last minute, he leaned close and gave her cheek a quick kiss.
Out he flew into the barnyard, unhitched Bingo, and hopped into the buggy. Smiling, she waved him off, and closed the door. That wasn’t so bad. Made it through my first buggy date.
All day Tuesday, Leah waited for Martha to send word about what the bishop and the elders had decided to do with Abner. She did her chores, went to the shop, helped Daet put his accounts in order, and prepared lunch, but still had no word from Martha.
At lunch, Ada kept looking at her but not saying anything. Once the dishes were put in the sink, and Ada began helping Leah clean them up, Ada leaned close and whispered, “I want to go, too.”
Leah shushed Ada and frowned, ignoring the remark.
“Leah, I want to go with you tonight.”
She shook her head, pressing her lips together firmly.
“It’s not fair,” Ada whispered fiercely. “I’m old enough to decide what I want to do—next year, I’ll be out of school. I don’t see why you won’t let me come along tonight. It’s just a dumb old Bible study.”
Leah folded the damp towel neatly over the towel bar to dry and turned to face her sister. “Just how do you know I’m going? And why do you want to go if, as you say, it’s a dumb Bible study?”
“I don’t know—just want to is all. And you told me, remember? You told me the day and everything.” She shrugged. “I just figured you’d find a way.” She wrinkled her brows. “How are you getting there, anyway?”
Leah was annoyed. “Martha’s boyfriend has a truck.”
Her eyes widened.
“Now stop talking about it. Maem has already said I’m a bad influence for you. You can’t come with me because I’ll just get into the biggest trouble ever.”
Ada rolled her eyes and gave up begging, but Leah wasn’t so sure she’d really given in, and wondered what would happen when—or if—Martha came by with news. Would Ada try to figure out where they were going to meet?
Later that afternoon as Leah walked back from the mailbox, she spotted Martha on her bike. Her hair was covered with a work kerchief, but a few strands here and there pulled loose in the breeze and created a halo around her face with the sun behind her. Leah waved and smiled as her friend approached. When Martha didn’t smile back, she feared the worst.
Martha brought the bike to a stop at the edge of the road where the driveway met the pavement. She leaned on the handlebars. Small sweat beads lined her face, and she tented her hands over her brows to shade her eyes from the bright sun. “He’s going to be banned for six weeks, Leah. Then he’ll be allowed to come back to church. Six lousy weeks—that’s all they’re going to do to him. And he looked at me like the cat that swallowed the canary.” She was breathing hard, and tears rimmed her eyes.
“Not good, Martha. What do you think he’ll do once the ban is lifted?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure he thinks he got away with it. I hope he doesn’t start on my younger sisters. I just couldn’t handle that.”
She lifted her gaze to meet Leah’s. She sniffed and wiped her angry tears. “But I can’t do anything else, and at least the bishop knows now what to look for. The bad thing is they acted like I was lying. It took me several minutes to convince them.” She sighed, her gaze resting on the surrounding fields. “They don’t like me, Leah. I’m too rebellious—not Amish enough anymore.”
She shrugged, but her eyes revealed her pain.
A buzzing sound interrupted their talk, and Martha reached into her apron pocket to flip the cell phone open, fully confirming what the church leaders suspected of her.
“Hi, Abe. Yep, it’s over. I’m here at Leah’s. We’re talking about what the bishop decided. Uh-huh—he’s banned for six weeks from church. That’s all—yep. I plan to stay away as much as I can.” Martha glanced at Leah, then looked away. “She said she’d meet us at the general store in Raysburg, okay?” She turned back and whispered, “Six thirty?”
Leah hesitated, then nodded. The decision was made. She tried not to think about lying to Maem and Daet. The memory of Daet’s joke and Maem’s laughter from Sunday flashed through her mind, but she shoved the happy moment away. She’d never go through with it if she thought of things like that.
Martha flipped her phone shut and shoved it back in her apron pocket. “I gotta get going. Maem’s already hopping mad at me about Abner. She told me I had no business airing the family’s dirty laundry. She said all girls have to put up with a little bit of uncomfortable attention at one point in their lives—better it comes from a brother than a stranger. Can you believe it?” Martha’s face showed her disgust.
“How awful! Why would she say that?”
“I think she had it happen to her, too. She just doesn’t know any better, I guess.” Martha clutched the handlebars of the bike tighter. “It doesn’t make sense. How can people be Christians and do stuff like this? Y’know?”
“I don’t know.”
Martha got back on her bike. “I’d better get going. Anyway, I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
“Yeah. Six thirty. I’ll be there.”
She pushed off toward home but turned back once and waved. Leah waved to her and shuffled wearily back to the house. She was nervous and hoped anxiety didn’t show on her face. As she entered the kitchen, Ada hurried over and repeated, “I’m going with you, Leah.”
“Ada—”
“No, I mean it. I don’t want you to get into trouble by yourself. If it happens, then it happens.”
“It will be worse for me if you’re along.”
“I’ll tell Maem and Daet it was my idea.”
“For the last time, Ada, no! I mean it. Leave me alone, please. This isn’t easy, and I’m not doing this just to disobey like you seem to want to do.” She gave her sister an annoyed frown and walked away. Ada backed off, but Leah knew it wouldn’t be the last time Ada would try to go along.
After supper, Leah sat on the porch swing for a while with Maem. The chill in the air made her think of Daniel’s coming wedding, which led to the first lie of the evening.
“Maem, Sara might want me to come over and help her with some of the wedding things tonight. Is it all right?”
Maem stretched her tight muscles, nodding absently. “Sure. Just be careful coming home—it’s dark earlier now. Are you taking Sparky out?”
“Naw, it’s just a mile or two down the road. I’ll walk.”
“Be sure you stay well off the road. The drivers won’t be able to see you. Maybe you should walk in the ditch. It will be dry.”
“Okay, Maem.”
“What time do you think you’ll be back?”
“Oh, about nine, I guess. I don’t know for sure.”
Maem nodded, rising from the swing with a yawn. “I’m mighty tired, and I still need to nudge Benny to work on his school project and get ready for bed. Have a good time, Leah.”
“Thanks, Maem.”
After Maem went inside, Leah sat in the growing darkness thinking about what she was about to do. Her stomach rolled as she tried to justify her deception. She didn’t know if she could keep this up. Lying and sneaking around were not part of who she was. If she lied, though, and died tonight, she’d go straight to hell; that much she knew.
She shoved the swing back and forth, back and forth with the toe of her shoe. The squeak of the hinges and the accompanying clang of chain against chain set a steady rhythm. She stopped suddenly, ready to get on her way. Just as she stood up to go inside, Daniel came out on the porch.
“What’re you up to, Leah?”
She sat back on the swing, resumed swinging, and tried to sound nonchalant. “Oh, getting ready to take a walk.”
“In the dark? Hope you’re careful.” He dug into his bowl of ice cream.
To change the subject, she asked Daniel about his plans for the evening.
“I’m going to go visit Sara, and then we’re heading to her grandparents’. They asked us to come over so Sara can choose a quilt from the ones her grandma’s already finished.”
Leah stopped swinging, a solid lump of fear filling her stomach. If Maem found out Sara wouldn’t be home tonight, she would know Leah had lied. She couldn’t go in and give Maem a different story now. She’d have to hope her parents never found out about Sara.
“Well, have a good night, Leah,” Daniel said as he placed his empty bowl in her hands. “Mind taking this in for me? I’m late already.”
“Sure.”
“Danke, Sis.” Daniel jumped from the top porch step and disappeared toward the barn.
She sighed and stood up. As she carried Daniel’s bowl back into the house, her hands felt clammy at the notion of disobeying her parents.
The Ordnung stressed children should always obey their parents, not only while they were young, but for the rest of their lives—even when they were grown and married. To disobey them now would be a bad path for Leah to head down. But somehow, she couldn’t ignore the urge to discover what the Bible study was like.
She’d burst from curiosity until she knew what went on. Maybe after tonight, her mind would be settled and that would be the end of the deceptions. She hoped so anyway.
Her hands shook as she rinsed Daniel’s bowl. One thing was sure: she wasn’t cut out to be conniving.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The yellow glow from the windows of Raysburg General Store fell across the ground in geometric patterns as Leah approached. She burrowed her hands beneath her cape to keep out the crisp autumn air, her shivering no doubt also brought on by nerves at her first outright rebellion.
A group of boisterous youth hung around the front door to the shop, but none appeared to be Amish. She walked to the building and carefully pulled open the heavy wooden door. The jangle of the bells over the door startled her. She entered and made her way to the candy aisle, glancing around to see if Martha was waiting.
