A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters) (18 page)

Chapter Sixteen

On Saturday afternoon, Rachel sat on a chair in her bedroom to read Samuel’s letter in private. After ripping open the envelope, she removed the sheet of notebook paper and read:

Dear Rachel,

I enjoyed talking to you this evening. I’m glad you, Aunt Carrie, and Violet arrived safely and are now in Florida. It’s hard for me to believe you’re so far away. I picture you running free and happy on the beach, feeling the ocean water on your feet, and your lovely green eyes filled with excitement. I’m glad you’re having this opportunity to see and experience the joys of seeing the ocean for the first time.

While you’re away I’ll stay busy filling my furniture orders. Business has been good so I probably won’t start building the house this spring. It can wait. If we should get married in the fall or winter (but I can wait until you’re ready), we can live with your family for several months. It might be easier on your brothers. I know they are close to you. You’re a wonderful sister to them.

This time apart has me realize even more how deeply I love you. I talked to Peter this evening, and he told me how I have plenty of time to get married. He also said I should enjoy being single. I need to learn to be patient. All good things are worth waiting for, and I can wait for as long as it takes for you to decide to marry me. If you choose not to marry me, it’ll be difficult, but I’ll have to trust God. Of course, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to marry me someday. I’m kidding!

How is your rumschpringe going? Have you watched any movies or experienced anything that you won’t be able to do once you join the church? This is a special time to share with your Aunt Carrie and Violet. I hope you enjoy your visit. Tell both of them I said Hi.

Well, I can’t think of anything else to write except to say I love you, Rachel. The past two years have been wonderful for me because you and I have had many fun and memorable times together. Dating you has opened my eyes to how important it is to choose the right woman to be your helpmate. God blessed me when he brought us together. I hope our relationship continues to grow stronger in love and in faith.

Love,

Samuel

Samuel’s letter warmed her heart. It was sweet of him to take time to write her a letter soon after they’d talked the first night she was here in Florida. She hadn’t written him a letter yet, but she did write a message to him on a postcard. Samuel wrote many great things but she especially appreciated his thoughtfulness in suggesting they live with her family in the beginning of their marriage. Samuel making her brothers a priority touched a chord in her heart. Her brothers could be ornery but she loved them. It would also benefit Judith if she and Samuel lived for several months with the family. She knew that many times in an Amish marriage it was traditional for the couple to live at the home of the bride’s parents until they were able to set up their own home the following spring. But originally Samuel had planned on their house being built in time for them to start their married life.

Samuel’s such a considerate man. He’s willing to making adjustments just to make me happy.

Although she loved being near the ocean, she already missed Samuel and her family. She loved the time spent with each little brother when she tucked them in at night. Her
mamm
used to tuck them in their beds, so she tried to fill this void for them.

Aunt Carrie stood in the doorway and said, “Rachel, Nick wants to say good-bye to you. His dad needs the plane so he’s leaving soon.”

Rachel slid her letter back into the envelope. “That’s a surprise. He didn’t get a chance to enjoy the beach very long. What’s Adam going to do?”

“He’s going to book a flight back to school.” Aunt Carrie smiled. “How’s Samuel?”

“He’s busy as always but he took time to write me.” She felt her cheeks getting warm. “Samuel said he’ll wait for me.”

“He’s a smart man.”

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you that I can’t continue to blame
Daed
for
Mamm’s
death. I’ve been praying and realize I need to forgive
Daed
for not getting a phone. I’m sure
Daed
would’ve taken
Mamm
to the doctor if he’d known she had heart disease. Being away from home and having this free time without the daily routine of demands has given me time to look deeper inside myself and to pray. I’ve been too hard on
Daed
. I’m so glad you gave me this vacation,
Aenti
.”

Aunt Carried hugged her. “That’s
gut
. Your
mamm
would be proud of you. Maybe you should give your
daed
a call today. We can call Peter and leave a message if he’s not in the barn. I’m sure he won’t mind getting your
daed
so you two can talk.”

She liked Aunt Carrie’s suggestion. “
Danki
. It’ll be a relief to tell
Daed
my feelings.

* * *

“Judith, have you seen Noah and Matthew since lunch?” David Hershberger worried whenever too much time lapsed without seeing his twin sons. They were not like their older brother, Peter, and trouble seemed to find them. An active imagination might be useful at times in solving hard problems, but unfortunately their thinking processes could result in disaster.

He knew Judith had started sewing pants for the boys after lunch. They’d stood for her while she took their measurements. She’d mentioned new pants were needed for them because of their recent growth spurt. Maybe they had asked her permission to do something.

Judith stopped moving her feet on the sewing machine’s treadle, and turned to look at him. “They said their chores were done and they were going to shoot basketballs.”

Years ago, he’d put a basketball hoop on the side of the barn for Peter, and his youngest sons had recently acquired an interest in basketball. “I just came from the barn and they weren’t there.”

Judith glanced at the clock. “I lost track of time and you’re right, it’s been a few hours since I’ve seen them.”

“Let’s both search and make sure they aren’t hiding somewhere here. If we don’t find them, I’ll call Peter. I didn’t see their scooters in the barn so they might have hopped on them and went somewhere. But if they did that, why wouldn’t they tell us?” He had a feeling Matthew and Noah were up to something and that’s why they left without asking permission. But hopefully, they were not far.

Both rushed off to search inside the house and outside. While yelling their names, David was worried when he didn’t hear any replies.
I’ve been too lax with my sons.
With Irene’s sudden death and knowing that Rachel blamed him, it’d been a sad household. He hadn’t done his duty as a father and kept better track of the boys. He’d depended on Rachel taking Irene’s role as a mother and left the nurturing many times to her. Also Judith had stepped in doing a lot of the discipline when Matthew and Noah needed it. He shouldn’t be surprised now that they hadn’t taken the time to talk to him about their afternoon plans. But why hadn’t they said anything to Judith?

He met Judith on the front porch. “Since their scooters are gone, they might have gone to Peter’s. Let’s go check the phone shanty and see if there’s any message from Peter.”

“That’s a
wunderbaar
idea.” Judith looked relieved. “I bet they went to see Peter. They did mention they wished there were cookies to eat. Maybe they went to see if Ella had cookies.”

Within minutes, they were inside the small wooden building. He looked at the answering machine and said, “There aren’t any messages. I’ll call Peter and hope he’s in the barn.”

After a few rings, he heard Peter’s voice. “Hi, Peter. Judith and I have looked all over and can’t find Matthew and Noah. Are they there? Their scooters are missing.”

“No, they haven’t been here. Do you think they might have gone to see Samuel at the furniture store? I remember they mentioned they wanted him to help them build birdhouses.”

“I suppose they might have ridden their scooters to his store.” Realizing he didn’t have a phone book or even a writing pad and pen to write Samuel’s phone number down, he said to Peter, “Give Samuel a call. I hope they are there.”

While he waited to hear back from Peter, he wondered again why Matthew and Noah left without saying anything to him or Judith. They knew better.
They aren’t bad boys. Are they doing something that they couldn’t ask permission for?

* * *

Samuel glanced at the clock and saw it was three o’clock. He stretched his arms, deciding it was time to quit working and go home.

Before he locked up, his phone rang. He saw on the caller ID that it was Peter. Oh no, he hoped nothing was wrong. Peter seldom called him. What if Rachel had gotten injured while swimming in the ocean? What if she had been attacked by a shark? He picked up the receiver and said right away to Peter, “Is Rachel okay?”

“Did something happen to Rachel? We hadn’t heard anything.”

“We seldom talk on the phone so thought you might be calling to tell me that Rachel got injured.” He exhaled a deep breath. “I’m glad it’s not about Rachel. What’s up then?”

“We have two missing boys. My
daed
and Judith are worried. Have you seen Matthew and Noah, by any chance?”

He ran fingers through his hair. “No, I haven’t seen them today. The last time I saw them was on Thursday. They stopped in after school and wanted to know if I missed Rachel. They thought I should go to Florida to see her. Then the boys asked if they could go with me to see Rachel and the dolphins. They were pretty insistent about going and said your
daed
wouldn’t miss them.”

“That’s interesting they want to go to Florida right now. What did you tell them?”

“I told them this was Rachel’s time to relax and that I wasn’t going to Florida. They were unhappy with my answer, and said to be sure to tell them if I changed my mind about traveling to Florida. I haven’t seen them since.”

“I wouldn’t think they’d try to go to Florida on their own. They couldn’t be that desperate to see Rachel and dolphins.” Peter paused for a moment. “They did once get a Greyhound bus schedule because they wanted to go to a circus in Cincinnati.
Daed
and
Mamm
decided to take the whole family to the circus. I wonder if they got it into their heads to take a bus to Florida.”

There wasn’t a bus station in Fields Corner so Matthew and Noah would have to get a ride to one of the bigger towns to catch a bus to Florida. “But they’d have to get a ride to the bus station. I hope some stranger didn’t give them a ride. I’ll check around here in town and see if anyone has seen them. I’ll call you back soon.”

Samuel prayed silently that the boys were safe while he went next door to the bakery. Katie was putting a tray of sugar cookies in the display case by the register.

“Katie, have you seen Matthew and Noah? Peter just called and said the boys are missing.”

She looked at him, after sliding the glass door shut. “I haven’t seen them today, but they were here yesterday afternoon. They asked me if I had heard from Rachel and if she missed them. I told them I talked to Rachel but it was just about Tim. I reassured them that I was sure Rachel missed them.”

“Did they mention to you how they wanted to go to Florida right now to see Rachel and to see dolphins?”

“They said something about wanting to go to Florida.” She smiled. “They said you weren’t a good boyfriend, and they couldn’t talk you into taking them to see Rachel.”

Mary Zook, carrying a pot of coffee, stopped by Samuel. “I saw Bishop Amos talking to them about fifteen minutes ago out front.”

* * *

When Peter called him back to tell him the boys were recently seen in Fields Corner, relief flooded his body, but David’s heart started beating fast again when he saw Amos’ buggy with the boys drive past the shanty. “I have to go, Peter. Bishop Amos just brought the boys home. I’m glad they’re home, but I can just imagine what he’s going to tell me again.”

“Sorry,
Daed
. I know you don’t want to court the bishop’s sister. I hope he doesn’t pester you too much about her again.”

Judith left the shanty first with David quickly following her to the house. Although he was happy to see that Matthew and Noah were okay, why did they go to Fields Corner in the first place?

“Thank you, for bringing the boys home,” he said to Amos while his wayward sons took their scooters out of the buggy. For once, they were quiet.

“They were trying to figure out how to get to Florida to see their sister.” Amos looked down at the boys standing outside the buggy. “I told them to talk to you the next time before they decide to run away.”

“Matthew and Noah, go in the house. I’ll be in soon.”
I might as well get this conversation out of the way. I’m sure he wants to tell me that they need a mother.

“David, this is serious. They’re too dependent on Rachel. What if someone had given them a ride to the bus station?” Amos raised his eyebrows. “Anything could’ve happen to these two little boys trying to travel all the way to Florida to see a sister who just left a few days ago. I don’t blame you and Judith, but I think an extra adult around might help.”

“It’s my fault for not realizing earlier that they were gone. It won’t happen again.

Thanks again for bringing them home.”
Should I remind Amos what we did once as boys?

“I have a few more places to stop this afternoon. But please think about getting married again. Those boys need a mother. Bye, David.” Amos slapped the reins.

Upon entering the house, he saw the twins and Judith sitting on chairs in the living room.

He gave each boy a hug before sitting down. “Okay, boys, you scared me and Judith. When we couldn’t find you, we were worried and called Peter. He called Samuel to see if he’d seen you in town. Why would you think you could just leave your home and take off for Florida?”