Amish Circle Letters (21 page)

On Saturday morning, Katie sat at the kitchen table, helping her mamm make cookies. With church to be held the following day at a neighbor’s farm, Anna had been selected to bring some desserts. Katie had offered to help with the cookies, an easy enough job and one that she particularly enjoyed since it meant she was able to eat little pieces of the dough when her mamm wasn’t looking. While Katie plopped the sugar cookie dough onto the baking sheets, her mamm was making shoofly pies. Ella had stopped over to help and was bustling with good news.

“John David thinks he found a farm,” she gushed, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks pink with excitement. “And it’s just down the road!”

Anna gasped at the good news. It was hard to find farms in the area and many young couples had to move far away or accept jobs outside of farming if they wanted to stay in Lancaster County. “You don’t say!”

“Um hum!” Ella nodded, happily working the dough into a pie pan while Anna prepared the pie filling. “He just took a day off to be down there yesterday. It’s at the end of the lane and quite a fine farm. The older couple won’t be moving until March…moving into the
grossdaadihaus
with their younger children in New Pequea. But they just can’t handle the farm alone anymore.”

Katie listened as Ella described the farmhouse and it’s twenty acres. While small by most farm standards, Ella said she didn’t mind. It was the perfect size to get started and would allow John David to keep helping his daed, Isaac, and Steve with their own farm work.

As the talk shifted to a spring garden and crops, Katie’s mind wandered. She thought about Melvin and wondered if she would see him later that day. Her
onkel
, Steve, had volunteered to drive her over to the Miller’s farm to take care of her pony that afternoon. But everyone suspected that the invitation had a hidden purpose: he wanted to sneak in a visit with Mimi after helping with the haying.

The door to the
grossdaadihaus
opened and Miriam walked inside. She was carrying a box, which she set on the table. “Katie,” she said to her granddaughter. “Ask Steve if he’ll drop this off for Rachel. I promised her some of my chow-chow. It’s Elijah’s favorite.”

Ella laughed. “Not the same chow-chow recipe that you gave to me this summer?

Miriam turned to look at her future daughter-in-law, a questioning look in her expression as she pondered Ella’s question. Then, as if in a moment of clarity, she nodded and smiled. “Ach, ja! I reckon it is!”

With a twinkle in her eyes, Ella gestured toward a box on the table. “I bought some myself to give to the family! John David loves it so and I wanted to thank you for sharing the recipe with me!”

With a friendly clucking of her tongue, Miriam shook her head. “Well, don’t that beat all!”

Wiping her hands on a towel, Anna hurried over to the box and pulled out one of Ella’s jars of canned beans. The pretty colors of green beans, kidney beans, corn, and lima beans looked fresh and packed just perfect in the glass jar. She handed it to Miriam and teased, “Let’s send that along and see how it compares!”

“Oh Anna!” Ella laughed and the other ladies joined in. “I’m more than certain I could never do as good a job as Miriam.”

Tucking the Ella’s jar into the box, Miriam sighed. “I’m sure they will both appreciate the gesture. Especially Elijah.” Her eyes looked tired and there were dark circles under her eyes. She tried to smile at Katie as she said, “I want you to give Rachel this letter.” Miriam tucked a small white envelope into the box. “Can you remember that?”

Katie nodded.

Ella looked up. “How is Elijah doing, Miriam? Has he made a decision yet?”

“
Nee
,” Miriam said. “Rachel is still praying that he changes his mind.” She paused. “We all are, I reckon.”

“What’s wrong with Elijah?” Katie asked.

Anna glanced at her daughter. Clearly Anna didn’t want to discuss Elijah’s health situation in front of her daughter. The last thing she wanted was to scare her, to have Katie wonder about the possibility that their own daed could fall ill. There was no reason to cause the children alarm. “Could you run out to see when the hay cutting will be over? Steve should get going soon if you’re to have time with that pony before he brings you back home. And the others will have to start the late afternoon milking soon anyway. And check that the other
kinner
are not bothering your daed.”

“But…?”

Anna put her hands on her hips and gave her daughter a stern look. “Now, Katie!”

For a moment, Katie stared at her mamm, wanting to ask more about Elijah. The way her mamm was chasing her outside clearly meant that something was happening. She didn’t know why her mamm was sending her out of the house, but knowing that she had to be respectful, Katie obeyed and left the kitchen. After all, if she got in trouble with her mamm, there might be no visit to the Miller’s Farm to see Butterscotch.

The church service was held at the Miller farm that Sunday. Even though the farm was old, the house had a typical room separated from the kitchen with a folding door. On church Sunday, the door would be folded back and between that room and the kitchen, the congregation would gather to worship.

No one ever complained about the close quarters. It was a time to join together, to sing praises to the Lord, and to cleanse the mind and soul for the upcoming week. That was how Mary Ruth looked at it. She often found herself reflecting on her own words and actions, finding fault with herself and praying for forgiveness and strength.

As usual, Mary Ruth sat with the other young, unmarried women and listened to the words of the hymn being sung by the congregation.

If we would be like Christ,
We must at all times
Love one another on earth,
Yes, not only with the tongue,
But with true deeds,
As John writes.
Those who only love with words,
Behold where love dwells.
[3]

She stopped singing as the rest of the people continued with the next verse. In her head, Mary Ruth repeated the hymn. God wanted His people to not just speak the Word but to live the Word. Wasn’t that something Menno had promised to her? That he wanted to show her with actions, not words, how much he appreciated what she had done? How she had saved him?

Love one another on earth.
Her heart pounded as if the words had been sung just for her. God had a plan for His people and sometimes it wasn’t the plan that the people expected. God didn’t want people to love sparingly but completely.
At all times.
Who was she to question His plan for her?

Stunned with the realization, Mary Ruth looked around the room. On the opposite side, the men were seated on benches facing the center of the room. Her eyes scanned their faces until they fell on Menno. He was staring at the bishop, unaware that he was being observed from the other side of the room.

Melvin was seated next to Menno and the three little girls sat on the other side. At one point, Menno looked down at his
dochder
, Suzanna, and gave her an encouraging smile. He seemed to point to something in his hand and Mary Ruth realized that he was pointing to the location of the verse in the Ausbund. The young girl must have lost her way in the song and was trying to find the word in the line. There was a kindness in his gesture, one that caught her off guard.
Actions, not just words
, she repeated the lesson from the hymn.

As the little girl returned her attention to the chunky book that Menno was holding, Menno took the opportunity to glance up and his eyes scanned the room. At that moment, he caught sight of Mary Ruth watching him. He kept singing but tilted his head slightly, both surprised and curious at her attention.

Quickly, she looked away, her cheeks flooding with color.

After the service, Mary Ruth set about helping the women prepare the serving platters of food. The men quickly transformed the hard wooden benches into tables and the children ran outside, enjoying the beautiful September day. With the sun shining and the air crisp, it was the perfect day for playing tag and swinging on the swings in the Miller’s backyard.

Melvin wandered into the barn to visit with Butterscotch. Just the day before, Katie had insisted that he’d come with her to groom and ride the pony. They had taken turns, laughing as Butterscotch ran through the pasture when they climbed on the pony’s back, their fingers holding her mane and their legs dangling by her side.

Leaning his head against the side of the stall door, Melvin watched the pony grazing on some hay. There would be no grooming on Sunday, lest he get an earful from the bishop. Truth be told, he would never dare to consider doing anything to the pony if Katie wasn’t around, too. After all, he reasoned, it was
her
pony.

Still, he enjoyed being near Butterscotch. He could hear Katie’s voice, giving him instructions and telling him the proper way to handle the pony. She was very good at taking charge and he liked that about her. He didn’t have to think, to wonder, just follow her instructions. If only she lived close by, he thought, not for the first time. Quite often, he found himself waiting all week for her visits, anticipating the funny stories she would tell him or the adventures they would go on, taking turns riding Butterscotch and trotting through the fields.

“What are you doing in here, Melvin?”

He was surprised to see Mary Ruth walk through the door. In her black dress with freshly starched white apron and bib, she looked more stern than usual. He had grown used to her smile when he ran in from the barn or came home from school. He enjoyed his talks with Mary Ruth almost as much as he enjoyed listening to Katie.

“Thinking,” he responded.

She leaned against the stall door. “About?”

He sighed and glanced at her. There was a grave hesitation in his voice. Rather than answer her question, he had one of his own. “Can I tell you something?”

The serious tone of his voice struck her. Whatever could be wearing so heavily on his mind? “Of course, Melvin,” she said.

“Do you think it’s possible to meet someone and know that they are the one for you at my age?” He looked away, trying not to look directly into her eyes. “I mean…well…I know love comes with time and all but I sure do get on well with Katie.”

Mary Ruth sighed. “Oh Melvin,” she said gently. “You have so much time ahead of you.”

“But it happens, right?” He plucked at a loose piece of wood on the stall door. He stared at the pony and his eyes glazed over. “We sure do have fun on Saturdays when she can come out here to take care of Butterscotch. She is awful smart about horses, Mary Ruth. And I can talk to her.” He looked at Mary Ruth. “Really talk to her. She understands how I feel about my mamm passing and all. She knows me in a way that others sure don’t. I’d say that she’s as
gut
a friend to me as any of the boys at school.”

“Friends are special, indeed,” Mary Ruth said gently.

He frowned, apparently not feeling as if Mary Ruth truly understood him. Taking a deep breath, he stared at her, his eyes strong and bright. “I mean, if we grow up as friends and all, that would be a right
gut
way, I think. But does it ever happen that friends at our age actually become more than friends at a later age?”

She didn’t know how to respond. She had thought she would know when she met her soul mate, the one that God had chosen for her. At one point in time, she had envisioned long buggy rides and picnics by the river. She had envisioned little notes slipped into her hand at church Sunday or small pebbles tossed at her bedroom window late at night on a Friday.

It had never happened for her. Not yet, anyway.

On the other hand, it had happened that way for Rachel. Elijah had been her soul mate. He had taken her home from singings, driving the horse and buggy the long way in order to spend more time with Rachel. He had tossed small pebbles at her windows at night to visit with her when the rest of the family was sleeping. They had taken the kneeling vow together and announced their engagement shortly thereafter. After so many wonderful years together, now they were faced with the very strong reality that forever would only be a few more months.

So yes, Mary Ruth thought, it can happen. But just because it does, it doesn’t mean its going to work out in the way envisioned.

“I’ve heard of such things, ja,” she admitted slowly, not wanting to upset or discourage Melvin. “But it doesn’t always happen the way we have it planned in our minds.” Placing a hand on his shoulder, she smiled gently. “Time will tell if friendship can grow into love. But it’s a right
gut
start to be friends, Melvin.”

Content with that, he nodded.

“Now, come into the barn. I have some food set aside for you. The women are almost ready to clean the dishes and I don’t want you to go hungry now,” she said tenderly.

Side by side, they walked back to the large room in the house where the fellowship meal was being served. To her surprise, she saw a figure standing on the porch by the door. It was Menno and he stood by himself. He was watching the two of them as they walked closer. With his eyes upon her, never once flickering, Mary Ruth felt her heart begin to race and she wished, oh how she wished, that he wasn’t there. The confusion and distress came rushing back to her after she had tried so hard to push them out of her mind.

“Son,” Menno said as they approached the porch step. “You need some food, ja?”

Melvin nodded. “Mary Ruth saved me a plate.”

“Go on in and eat then,” he replied. “One of the women will help you find it.”

Mary Ruth moved to follow Melvin, but as they walked by, Menno reached out and touched Mary Ruth’s shoulder. She felt something in her blood and that too familiar flutter in her chest returned. Despite not wanting to, Mary Ruth paused and Menno looked her in the eye. She felt something slip into her hand and she frowned, looking down to see what it was. A folded piece of white paper. He looked flustered and nervous and started to walk away. But Mary Ruth didn’t move. Instead, she opened the paper and read the words on it.