A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters) (16 page)

Aunt Donna received a call from Carrie thanking her for the groceries. She’d been on cloud nine talking with a famous senator’s wife. His aunt had to know he would take pictures. She knew it was his job and only source of income. After all, his aunt was the one telling him to visit because the Robinsons would be vacationing next door.

He knew what had to be done… contacting the news media about his pictures. And soon.

* * *

After she entered her bedroom, Rachel’s breathing slowed to a normal rate. She’d enjoyed talking with Nick about their mothers, but his comments about wanting to get to know her better and staying in touch alarmed her. She should stick close to Violet tomorrow, so Nick would have to spend time with both of them.

While she removed her nightgown from a drawer, Violet knocked once and asked, “Is it okay I come in?”

She turned toward the door and said, “
Ya
, please do.”

Violet’s brown eyes stared directly at her. “Well, I was right, wasn’t I?”

“About what?”

“That Nick would probably become interested in you.” Violet sat on the edge of the bed. “I heard you two went for a walk on the beach. I was hoping he’d ask me. I knew he’d fall for you. I saw the way he looked at you while we played volleyball.”

“I was in the pool when he decided to go on a walk. He asked me because you were busy with your dad about your summer job. And Nick said he’d already seen the movie your
mamm
and
bruder
chose to watch. It was a short walk and we talked about losing our mothers.”

“Did he talk about me?”

She shook her head. “We mainly talked about our sadness at our mothers dying suddenly. They were both only in their forties.” Reassuring Violet was important because she didn’t want jealously over Nick to come between them. “Don’t worry. There’s tomorrow and Saturday. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to spend time with Nick.”

Violet frowned. “I wish I played golf. The guys are going golfing tomorrow morning.”

“It’s
gut
that Nick’s also working for your dad this summer. You’ll get to spend time with him. He’ll see you in a new light and not just as Adam’s little sister.”

“I hope so. I just love how his eyes crinkle at the corners. And his smile does crazy things to my insides.” Her voice dropped. “I just wish Nick looked at me the way he did at you today.”

She understood but didn’t know what to tell Violet immediately. After sitting on the bed beside Violet, she squeezed her shoulder. “I hope he does too. I think when you least expect it, he’ll ask you out. You’re pretty, sweet, and a lot of fun. He’d have to be crazy not to notice you.”

Violet grinned at her. “I might have a chance this summer when you and Adam aren’t around.”

“Do you think it’d be too weird for me to wear my own clothing tomorrow?” She fingered her nightgown, anxious to get out of her English clothes.

“Why do you want to do that?”

I don’t want to tell Violet that Nick complimented my hair. It’d hurt Violet’s feelings to know that he noticed my hair. If I wear a kapp and maybe a bonnet, too, Nick won’t see my hair again. The English clothes are too revealing to wear around Nick, but the hair bothers me a lot. Only a husband someday should see my uncovered hair.
She was taught this early that women shouldn’t be the cause of distraction and shouldn’t cut their hair. The Bible said that women should be discreet and modest when it comes to presenting themselves in public.

Glancing at Violet’s jean capris and form-fitting top with her glorious hair cut to chin length, Rachel wondered briefly if life would be easier to be English.
Did Aunt Carrie have doubts before meeting Scott Robinson about joining the church?
Maybe her
mamm
had been wrong in saying her sister would’ve joined the church if she hadn’t met Scott Robinson. He might have given her the courage to leave their Amish faith, but the thought could’ve already been in Aunt Carrie’s head.

She shrugged. “What if you suddenly wore Plain clothing instead of your usual clothing? Wouldn’t it seem strange to you? I thought I’d feel freer not wearing my dress, apron, and kapp… but I haven’t. And I wanted to blend in with everyone else here by wearing non-Amish clothing.”

“It’d be weird for me to dress Amish. I doubt I could handle the straight pins even.” Then Violet gave her a disappointed look. “But you haven’t worn all the clothes we bought.”

“Maybe when the guys leave, I’ll wear them.” She sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you what else bothers me about not wearing my own clothing. I feel uncomfortable around the guys.”
How can I explain without hurting Violet’s feelings?
“It’s just the way I was raised from a tiny girl. Remember when you were little and visited, you asked me why I dressed like Laura Ingalls from your book,
Little House on the Prairie
. My
mamm
heard your question and explained to you that Amish reject fads and fashion by wearing Plain clothing. It’s also eliminates jealousy because everyone wears identical clothing so it promotes unity among Amish people. And wearing simple clothing makes it easier and shows our modesty as women.”

Violet expression became thoughtful. “I miss Aunt Irene. She made me feel so special. Some adults talk down to children but she never did. I loved spending time with her and your family. One of the best weeks I had was when Mom and I stayed at your house when Adam, Peter and our dads went camping. I didn’t miss not having television or electricity. It was an adventure and fun.”

“It was great having just us girls together. The twins hadn’t been born yet.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Remember how our mothers worked on a quilt together while we played. I wish
Mamm
was here with us now.”

Violet put her arm around her shoulders. “Those two sisters were close. My mom called to talk to your mom once a month.”

She sniffed, then said, “I didn’t know that.”

“Your mom went to the neighbor’s house to use their phone.”

“
Mamm
said it was a blessing to have a sister. I’m glad they stayed close in spite of everything.”

“I always wanted a sister. You and Judith seem close.”

She nodded. “Judith and Katie want all of us to join the church together. I need to decide soon so I can start instructions. Judith and Katie have already talked with the bishop about joining in the fall.”

“It’s a big decision. I asked Mom once if she had joined the church before meeting Dad if she thought Aunt Irene would have shunned her.” Violet frowned. “I don’t get the whole shunning thing.”

What would Mamm had done if circumstances had been different?
She couldn’t imagine her mother not having contact with her only sister. “What did Aunt Carrie say?”

“Mom said it was a good thing she met Dad first, but she thought Aunt Irene would’ve still somehow been part of our lives.” Violet paused for a second. “But maybe she wouldn’t have married Dad if she’d already been a church member. I’ve noticed how sad Mom is when she returns home after visiting all of you in Fields Corner. Deep down, I think she misses some aspects of the Plain life. It must be hard to be raised in a certain way of life that is totally from what you switch to as an adult.”

Rachel nodded. “I’m sure it must be, but I’m glad you’re my cousin. I can’t imagine you not being part of my life.” She stood. “If we’re getting up early to see the sunrise, we better get to bed.”

“I’m definitely getting up. It’ll be great to enjoy the beach when it’s almost deserted.”

“
Ya
. I hope Mr. Sullivan sleeps in.”

“I don’t think Dad has had a chance to speak to him. If Sullivan’s on the beach, I’ll tell him that Dad wants to speak with him about something important. I still can’t believe a photographer has to be here during our time on the beach.”

She was glad that he had only taken pictures of her wearing Plain clothing.

After Violet left the room, she started getting ready for bed. After she was dressed in her nightgown, she went into the adjoining bathroom and thought how nice it was to have this privacy. They only had one bathroom in their house, but appreciated they had indoor plumbing. Not all Amish had this convenience and used outside bathrooms.

While brushing her teeth, she recalled Violet’s question about why she wanted to wear her Plain clothing tomorrow. She could’ve said much more, and how dressing alike in simple clothing helped to avoid envy and jealousy which the Amish wanted to avoid. These emotions might break down a community and also cause sin. “Thou shalt not covet,” was a commandment they tried to follow on a daily basis.

She’d noticed in the outside world, modesty wasn’t always an issue among both men and women. Unfortunately, it seemed like some non-Amish individuals revealed as much as possible sometimes.
But I couldn’t say that to Violet. It sounds judgmental and that’s a sin too.

Replacing her toothbrush in the traveling case, she thought how her
mamm
called Aunt Carrie every month. Then she thought how Nick’s mother was only forty-six when she died. If her mother had been killed in an automobile accident, would it have been easier to accept? Would she have been able to move on with her life by now? Her bitterness might have been focused on the driver instead of her
daed
. Deep in her heart, she’d forgiven the young driver who killed her grandparents. It’d been a hard thing to do, but she’d been raised to forgive others for their mistakes, even when they were careless enough to kill someone. Following Jesus meant doing what He said in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers.”

She knew God forgave her for past and present sins, so extending forgiveness to her
daed
was something she needed to work on.
Obviously God doesn’t want me to have a hardened heart against Daed for being too cheap to install a phone and for not being sensitive to her mamm’s failing health. And Nick needs to forgive the driver who took his mother’s life.

One thing she needed to remember was her
mamm
was in heaven.
I need to accept that it was apparently her time to die.

After she kneeled by her bed, Rachel prayed, “Loving Lord, You gave the gift of forgiving others to your son Jesus, even when he was hurt and betrayed. Help me to be able to forgive others, especially my
daed
. I don’t want to feel this bitterness toward him any longer. It’s been a burden that I’ve placed on myself. I’ve been wrong to blame my father. Please open my heart to be loving and forgiving.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Would you stop laughing?” Rachel tried to give Violet a stern look.

Between giggles, Violet said, “I’m sorry. I never expected to see you wearing your Plain clothes with flip flops.”

“It’d be sillier for me to wear my black shoes and socks while walking on the sandy beach.”

“That’s true.”

“I could go barefoot. I go barefoot a lot at home. Wearing my Amish clothing feels right to me.” She eyed Violet’s clothes, noticing the pink blouse with dark jean capris. “I like what you have on. You look pretty in pink.”

“Pretty enough to get Nick’s attention?”

“Definitely.” Rachel stopped walking to gaze at the sunrise. “It’s peaceful and beautiful this morning.”

A young couple, holding hands, walked toward them. Violet nudged her side. “I wonder if they want to take your picture.”

“I hope not, but since I’m not a baptized member of the church, it won’t be as bad to have my picture taken. I didn’t tell Mr. Sullivan that, because I didn’t want to encourage him in taking our pictures because it would be wrong for me to pose for any picture. But he took the pictures of the ocean which I happened to be in, and he didn’t ask me to pose so that was good.”

“I didn’t know your picture can be taken since you’re not baptized. I want a picture of you.” Violet grinned. “Or I’ll have Mom snap a candid one of us together but we won’t pose.”

She shrugged. “In our district pictures of children are allowed if the whole face doesn’t show. So it seems that there’s a more lenient view of photography in some instances, but definitely not if you’re baptized. ”

When the couple was only a couple of feet away, they smiled and said, “Hello.”

The woman’s auburn hair was short and curly. She wore turquoise earrings that matched her blouse. She asked Violet, “Would you mind taking a picture? We’re on our honeymoon and want to get a picture of us on the beach together.”

“Congratulations on your wedding. I’ll be happy to take your picture.”

The woman handed a small digital camera to Violet. “Thank you. We appreciate it.”

Violet snapped several pictures before giving the camera back to the new wife. “Look at what I took and if you want me to take more, I will.”

After glancing at the pictures, the wife, said, “They’re perfect.”

While her husband looked at the pictures, the wife asked Rachel, “Are you Amish? The reason I ask is because my cousin is Amish. She lives in Ohio. Well, actually my mother was raised Amish but she’s not now.”

Rachel nodded. “I’m Amish. I’m from southern Ohio. Where does your cousin live?”

“Mary lives in Fields Corner. She just started working at a bakery and loves it.”

The husband grinned. “Mary likes her job because she’s interested in the guy next to the bakery. He has a furniture store, and we bought a headboard from him.”

“It’s gorgeous. I’m glad we went to Weaver’s Furniture store while we visited Mary. We’re thinking of buying more furniture from him.”

She swallowed hard; surprised that Violet for once was quiet. “It’s a small world. I’m from Fields Corner and I’m assuming your cousin is Mary Zook. I worked in Weaver’s Bakery until my
mamm
passed on. And…” her voice trailed off because she wasn’t sure whether to tell Mary’s relatives that Samuel was her boyfriend.

“Rachel, here is my cousin and she’s been dating Samuel Weaver for two years.” Violet narrowed her eyes at the couple. “In fact, he’s asked her to marry him.”