The Peacemaker, page 7
Norman had just carried a box of meat and cheese out to an English customer’s vehicle when he saw Salina guide her horse and buggy into the parking lot. A few seconds later, Susan hopped down from the buggy and made a dash for the store without even looking his way.
After saying goodbye to the customer and closing the trunk of her car, Norman approached Salina’s carriage. “How did things go with my sister?” he asked. “Did you have a chance to speak with her about Ben?”
Salina gave a slow nod. “I did, but it didn’t go over well.”
“So you couldn’t convince Susan that Ben’s not the right fellow for her?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” She released a heavy sigh. “I didn’t want to upset her, so I held back from saying too much. To be honest, I’d prefer to keep in the good graces of your entire family.”
“I want that too, and I probably shouldn’t have asked you to take my sister out to lunch so you could try to persuade her not to become involved with Ben.” Norman shrugged. “I’m really worried about Susan, and I thought it was worth a shot. I know I would not have gotten anywhere if I had spoken to her.”
Salina laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. “I understand your concern for your sister, but she’s old enough to make her own decisions. Maybe once Ben shows his true colors, Susan’s eyes will be opened the way mine were.”
Norman kicked at a sizable pebble with the tip of his shoe. It skidded along the pavement and onto the roadway. As he considered the situation, he realized that Salina had spoken with strong conviction.
“I guess you’re right, Salina,” Norman responded.
Struggling with a desire to kiss her, Norman told Salina he appreciated her efforts, said goodbye, and sprinted across the parking lot to the store. He had a feeling the rest of the day was going to be a long one, and now that Dad was back in the store, Norman wouldn’t bother trying to get Susan to do much of anything this afternoon. Their father would most certainly see to that.
Bird-in-Hand
Ephraim entered the stall where his grandmother kept her horse, Beulah, and picked up a curry comb. After last night’s rain, the mare had been let out of the barn this morning and rolled in the wet dirt. Now he was stuck with the job of getting all that caked-on mud off the horse while she ate contently from the oats Ephraim had provided.
I wonder how things are going back home. Ephraim pulled the comb through the horse’s tangled mane. Clumps of mud plunged from the strands and onto Ephraim’s boots, so he shook each foot and continued brushing. I sure miss my own horse. He paused long enough to scratch an itch behind his right ear. But if I brought Ebony down here, Grandma would think I’m planning to stay indefinitely, and she’d never decide to move to Allensville.
Ephraim’s jaw ached from gritting his teeth. Why can’t I get a break? First I was being blamed when Rosa disappeared, and now I’m stuck living in Lancaster County, where I hardly know anyone and haven’t made a single friend since I’ve been here.
Ephraim patted the horse’s flanks. “What do you say, Beulah? Will you be my friend?”
The horse kept gorging on the oats, giving only a fleeting wag of her tail in answer. Ephraim couldn’t help smiling at the sight. And why not? he thought. There really isn’t much else to smile about.
Having finished the horse’s grooming, he put the brush and comb away and secured Beulah’s stall. Stopping in the main part of the barn, Ephraim spotted Grandma’s cat curled up on a bale of straw. It wasn’t like Blue to wander out to the barn. In fact, he rarely left Grandma’s side.
“What are you doing out here, boy?” He bent down and scooped up the cat. “I bet Grandma’s missing you, so let’s go into the house.”
Blue let out a loud meow!
“Well, that’s too bad. You’re coming with me.”
Ephraim left the barn, thankful that the cat hadn’t tried to scratch him, and hurried toward the house. He found Grandma on the porch, with both hands cupped around her mouth.
“Blue boy! Where are you, Blue?”
“He’s right here, Grandma,” Ephraim said when he stepped onto the porch. He hoisted the cat up for his grandmother to see. “I found him in the barn.”
“Well, for goodness’ sake.” Grandma reached out, took the cat, and stroked his head. “What were you doing in the barn, Blue? I’ve been calling and calling for you.”
Blue began to purr while nuzzling Grandma’s neck.
Ephraim resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the spoiled feline. Blue was not a pet, according to his grandmother. Rather, she treated him like a child. As far as Ephraim was concerned, all cats belonged outside or in the barn.
“Let’s go into the house now,” Grandma said. “We can have a little snack before it’s time for supper.”
“Why don’t we venture out to eat this evening?” Ephraim suggested after they’d entered her home. “We can go to one of your favorite restaurants, and you won’t have to do any cooking.”
“That’s a nice idea,” she remarked, her cheeks showing more of her wrinkles when she grinned. “I’ll go to my room now to change and freshen up while you get the horse and buggy ready to go.”
“Okay, I’ll do that right away, and then I’ll come back and put on a clean shirt. While I’m gone, you can decide where you’d like to eat.”
“I’ll put on my thinking kapp.” Grandma set Blue on the floor and brushed at the cat hair he’d left clinging to her dress. “Oh dear. Guess I shouldn’t have done that, should I?” Emitting a chuckle, she bent down and scooped up the cat hair. A portion of it dispersed like little feathers. “Oh, when you go outside, would you mind checking the mailbox? I got busy with other things today and forgot about bringing in the mail.”
“No problem, Grandma.” He turned and went back outside.
As Ephraim headed down the driveway and neared the mailbox, a small, rambunctious black-and-tan terrier came out of nowhere and began yapping and pawing at his pants leg.
“Where did you come from, little fellow?” Ephraim crouched down to see if there was any kind of identification on the dog’s collar. He’d never seen the terrier before, and he figured it must have wandered far from its home. No ID. Just a plain brown collar.
“Now what?” Ephraim couldn’t ignore the dog, hoping it would find its way home. The fluffy little thing might run out into the road and get hit by a car or even a horse and buggy. He sure didn’t want to take it into Grandma’s house, where Blue was, either. The terrier might not like cats, or vice versa. Maybe I should start by going door-to-door to the homes along this road.
With that decided, Ephraim turned to the right and headed in that direction. The first house, which was their closest neighbor, had a German shepherd inside the fencing. When the huge dog noticed him, it sprinted to the fence, bounding in excitement. Ephraim was sure the terrier didn’t belong there. Not unless the Lapp family had recently gotten a new dog. Holding the squirming dog, who stuck out its wet, slurpy tongue, Ephraim trudged on until the next home came into view. He was almost to the gate when a young Amish woman, with wisps of blond hair sticking out from under her head covering, came rushing toward him.
“Oh, thank the Lord—you found my hund.” She reached for the dog, and Ephraim willingly handed it over. “Where have you been, Simon?”
The dog slurped the woman’s nose with a tongue that resembled a stick of bubble gum.
“My grandmother lives two houses that way.” Ephraim pointed in that direction. “I was going out to get the mail, and this little guy showed up.”
“How did you know where to bring him?”
“I didn’t. Just decided to walk down the road and check at some of the houses.”
“I’m so glad you did.” She stroked the dog’s curly ears. “I’d be so sad if anything happened to Simon. He’s a lot older than he looks.”
“He’s some kind of a terrier, right?”
“Jah. He’s part poodle and part Yorkshire. Some would refer to him as a Yorki-poo.”
Ephraim choked back a chuckle. Instead, he extended his hand and said, “I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Ephraim Peight, and I’m currently staying with my widowed grandma.”
She held on to the dog with one hand and shook his hand with the other. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Anna Yoder, and I’m here with my mother and two sisters, visiting my aunt Mary today. We live in Strasburg.”
“Oh. Not too far from here then.”
“No, but we don’t get over this way as often as we’d like, so we’re staying for the rest of the week and will return home Sunday evening.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Do you have any plans for Friday evening?” Anna asked.
With a shrug, Ephraim turned his hands palm-up. “Not really.”
“Do you like to play volleyball, Ephraim?”
“Yeah. I mean, what Amish man doesn’t?” Once the words were out, Ephraim wished he could take them back and rephrase them. So instead, he corrected, “Women too. I know lots of Amish women and girls who enjoy the sport.”
A wide smile spread across her porcelain features. “That we do. The reason I mentioned volleyball is because several of the young people I know will be playing Friday evening near my cousin’s house in Paradise. I thought maybe, if you’re not busy, you’d like to join us.”
“Sounds like fun.” Ephraim shifted from one leg to the other, feeling kind of nervous all of a sudden. “What’s the address of the place?”
“Well, I could give it to you, but I have a better idea. My sisters and I will be hiring a driver to take us there. Why don’t you join us? We’ll leave here at six o’clock.”
With no hesitation, Ephraim agreed. Maybe it was about time he started socializing with some young people here in Lancaster County.
And who knows, Ephraim thought after he said goodbye to Anna and began the walk back to his grandmother’s, I may end up having a good time and could even begin to feel like I might belong here in this part of Pennsylvania.
Belleville
When Ada returned home from work, she found her mother in the living room, reading her Bible. Ada was a bit taken aback by the sight, since Mama was usually in the kitchen beginning supper preparations by now.
Not wanting to interrupt, Ada slipped quietly into the room and took a seat on the sofa. A few minutes passed before Mama raised her head and smiled, but the expression did not reach her eyes. “Sorry, Daughter. I was absorbed in some verses on what to do when you feel afraid, and I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Afraid?” Ada tilted her head and met her mother’s intense gaze. “What’s wrong, Mama? Why are you afraid? Did something happen today?”
Mama’s elbows pressed into her sides, and she blinked several times. “I’m afraid so.”
Ada’s heartbeat picked up speed. “What happened? Was someone in the family hurt?”
“No. There was another barn burning here in the valley sometime during the night. Your daed learned about it when he had coffee earlier today with some of his friends.”
“Oh, that’s baremlich!”
“You are right, Ada. It is a terrible thing for someone to lose their scheier and everything in it.”
“Do you know whose barn it was?” Ada clutched the back of a nearby chair. “I hope no one was harmed.”
Mama shook her head. “I don’t know them personally. I just heard it was one of the White Toppers. Fortunately nobody suffered any injuries, but as you may imagine, some valuables and cattle were lost in the fire. And who’s to say that if these barn burnings keep up, one of these times someone could be gravely harmed or killed?”
Ada shuddered, remembering how Salina had lost her horse in the fire that destroyed their family stable. Although Salina’s family was unharmed physically, they were left in a state of devastation and terror. And because Salina’s family had been targeted, as well as the White Toppers, a conservative group who used unbleached fabric on their buggies, the actions seemed to be targeting Amish in general, not one specific congregation. Who on earth is doing this, and what do they stand to gain by carrying out such horrible crimes and instilling dread into the hearts of our communities? If nothing is done, another building could likely be set ablaze, and I’d hate to think whose barn might be targeted next.
CHAPTER 8
Belleville
I NSTEAD OF ATTENDING THE YOUNG people’s gathering that Friday evening, Ada had made plans to have some guests over for games. She favored spending moments together in a more secluded setting where everyone could concentrate on the activity at hand instead of outside distractions.
Gathered around the dining-room table were Salina, Norman and his sister Tena, as well as Clara and her current boyfriend, Joshua. She’d only recently begun dating the young man, but based on Clara’s previous relationships, this one was unlikely to last. When it came to dating, Ada’s sister was finicky. Her longest relationship had lasted a mere three months.
“I’m surprised Susan is not here with the rest of you,” Ada commented.
“She’s staying at a friend’s house tonight.” Norman quirked an eyebrow. “It’s probably a good thing. Susan gets pretty competitive.”
“And you don’t, Norman?” Tena questioned, dealing out the Uno cards for each person.
Clara leaned over the dining-room table and glanced at Ada. “I know of one other very competitive person.”
Right away, Ada understood who her sister was alluding to. She curled her lips, weighing her next words with care. “Like most people, Rosa liked to win. But she was actually very encouraging when someone else won a game.”
“Remember when we played together a few years back?” Clara asked. “We were both down to one card, but Rosa played a draw four, Ephraim reversed it, and she struck you with a draw four, ultimately winning the game.”
At the mention of Ephraim, Ada’s mind went straight to wondering how his life was going in Bird-in-Hand at the moment. Ada hadn’t heard from him since the phone call he made to let her know he’d arrived at his grandmother’s home. She didn’t really have a reason to contact him again, although she had considered doing so anyhow. Ada tried to shake away those musings, considering that he was probably not thinking about her at all. All Ephraim wanted were updates about Rosa.
He only sees me as the friend of the girl he truly loves. I have to accept that and move past my feelings, but it’s never easy. That must be how he feels about Rosa even now, because moving on from someone who makes you question whether they’ll ever come home is far worse than anything I’m feeling about Ephraim.
Ada sighed and redirected her attention to her sister. “Jah, we had no chance against Rosa in any competitive situation.”
Clara nodded. “I do miss playing cards with her.”
“It’s great that we’re all here together this evening.” Salina smiled as she spoke. “Even a simple game of cards can create loads of unforgettable memories that we can cherish.”
Ada agreed wholeheartedly with Salina’s words. Although Rosa was not present, at least there would be continued reminders of her that would reverberate in Ada’s fond memories. Yes it was bittersweet, and uncertainty lingered, but the good times they’d shared in the past had filled her to overflowing.
The following Uno game progressed without incident, but when Tena put more than one card on the pile, things became a little tense. That was the only issue Ada observed, and everything went fine afterward.
An hour had flown by, and Tena had won the last game and the two games before that, and Ada saw a scowl on Norman’s face.
“There’s no way you’ve won three times in a row,” he declared.
The pupils in Tena’s hazel irises shrank. “What are you talking about, Norman?”
“You’ve shuffled the deck before, and we caught you placing down more than one card in the last game. Why are you attempting to cheat?”
“That was an accident.”
“An accident? Come on, Tena. This time, we ought to have someone else shuffle the deck and pay more attention to Tena when it’s her turn.”
“I’m telling the truth. I wasn’t trying to cheat. Like Susan, you’re just being a sore loser.”
“Guys, it’s just Uno. Can we not argue over playing cards?” Joshua interjected.
“If I was a betting man, I’d make a wager that my sister cheated.” Norman patted his shirt pocket. “My friend John finally paid me the money he’d borrowed a few months ago, so I’ve got one hundred dollars to place a bet, if I had a mind to.”
“Don’t be lecherich.” Tena glared at her brother.
“I’m not being ridiculous. Just wanted a fair game.” Norman stared at his sister. “And I don’t think it’s fair that you’ve won the last three times.”
This isn’t good. Ada bounced her leg from beneath the table. If this continues, things are going to escalate and leave everyone here with a sour taste in their mouths.
“Alright, I can see why you’re both upset over this.” Ada’s gaze flitted to both Norman and Tena. “So let’s just move on and give Norman the deck to shuffle the cards.”
Tena folded her arms. “Good, then Norman can be accused of cheating if he wins.”
The sibling bickering continued. Ada’s attempt to defuse the tension seemed to be for naught. If her parents weren’t out right now having supper, they sure would be in the room wondering what the commotion was all about. Then it clicked, and Ada figured that part of the problem was it was suppertime and they hadn’t eaten any food yet.
Ada rose from her seat and announced, “Maybe it’s time for us all to take a breather for a little while. I’ve prepared some refreshments with Clara for everyone, so after we eat, we can play another round. Does that sound good?”
Tena and Norman exchanged a brief glance but didn’t utter a single word.
Joshua raised his arm up as if he were a student in a classroom. “I could go for some snacks.”
