Amish Circle Letters (23 page)

“Oh, he has that all figured out,” Rachel snapped, her voice sarcastic and harsh. “He told me that I should marry Menno Yoder! That God had planned Martha’s death to coincide with his so that our families could join together!”

“I don’t believe you!” Leah gasped. She could hardly imagine her own husband saying such a thing to her. To accept death was one thing but to tell her to marry another man, and one of
his
choosing? “He’s not right in the head, Rachel. He doesn’t mean it.” Still, Leah mulled Rachel’s words. It wasn’t unusual for two families to join together in order to share the workload of raising
kinner
and crops. “He said Menno Yoder?”

Rachel shook her head. “I told him that he’s being ridiculous to even think such things.”

There was a brief pause in their conversation and Leah looked off to the distance. Everything was slowly turning brown as autumn was in full swing. Soon, the leaves would fall from the trees and the farmers would spread manure in the fields to prepare them for the next spring planting. Who would do Rachel’s if Elijah died?

“Mayhaps you might consider such a match,” Leah suggested slowly. “After a time, of course”

“Leah!” Rachel spun around and stared at her sister. Her eyes were narrow and fierce, filled with anger and disbelief. “My husband is not dead! My husband might still change his mind! And even if he doesn’t, I’m not thinking of such things. Get that thought out of your mind.” She lowered her head into her hands. “I’m sorry that I told you, Leah, if that’s what you be thinking!”

Once again, Rachel stormed away, this time leaving Leah standing alone and staring after her, wishing that, for once, she had kept her thoughts to herself instead of letting her mouth ramble the first thing that came to her mind.

Mary Ruth had just finished drying the dishes and stacked them neatly in piles based on their design so that the women who brought them could better find their own sets in order to take them home. As she was hanging the dishtowel to dry on the edge of the sink, she felt a tugging at her skirt and turned around to see Suzanna standing there. My
dochder
, she said to herself and the words felt much more natural than she could imagine.

“Ja, sweet Suzanna?
Wie gehts
?”

“Daed told me to come find you,” she said, a silly smile on her face as if she had just been told a grand secret. Leaning forward, Suzanna whispered, “Said you were going home in the buggy with us!”

Suppressing her own smile, Mary Ruth felt the color rise to her cheeks. Did the
kinner
suspect something? “
Ach vell
,” she said with great flourish. “Won’t that be a lovely treat? Otherwise, I’d have to walk, wouldn’t I?”

Suzanna giggled and teased Mary Ruth. “It’s a nice day for walking.”

The sparkling glow in Suzanna’s eyes warmed Mary Ruth’s heart. It had been slow in coming, she thought, but the children were finally appearing to be happy again. Leaning down, Mary Ruth gently touched the little girl’s arm and whispered, “But it’s an even better day for a buggy ride, especially if I am with you!”

After gathering her few things, Mary Ruth quietly escaped the kitchen and followed Suzanna down the stairs and outside to where Menno was standing next to the buggy. She hesitated, just for a brief moment, when she saw him waiting for her. His expression was soft and kind, not impatient or annoyed that he had to wait for her. She felt that same thrilling sensation when their eyes met.

He dipped his head and reached for her hand, helping her climb up into the buggy. Suzanna jumped in and sat at Mary Ruth’s feet, leaning her small head against Mary Ruth’s knee. Smiling at the gesture, a gesture that bespoke much of the child’s comfort with her, Mary Ruth laid her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Ready?” Menno said as he sat down on the seat next to Mary Ruth. He cast a quick glance in her direction but didn’t make eye contact. With a click-click of his tongue and a slap of the reins on the horse’s back, Menno drove the buggy onto the road and headed toward home.

For the first mile, no one spoke. Mary Ruth could hear the two smaller girls giggling in the back of the buggy and Melvin attempting his best to keep them quiet. Mary Ruth smiled, trying to listen to what they were saying but all she could discern was something about their daed.

“Sure is a nice autumn day,” Mary Ruth finally said, breaking the silence.

Menno nodded. “Sure is.”

Mary Ruth glanced out the open door of the buggy. There was a cool breeze blowing in as the horse trotted down the road. “Might be a nice day for a picnic, don’t say?” she heard herself ask. No one responded. She turned to look at Menno. “Don’t you think?”

She thought she saw his eyes flicker at her but he continued to stare ahead. “I reckon so,” he said solemnly.

A frown crossed her face as she realized that Menno was not taking the bait. So, instead of playing any more word games, she turned to look at Melvin and his two sisters in the back of the buggy. “What do you say, Melvin? Girls? Mayhaps I could make a batch of nice chocolate chip cookies and lemonade for a fun little rest by the stream?”

A cheer erupted from the back of the buggy and Suzanna clapped her hands. Melvin grinned at her, his smile big and telling that he knew something wonderful was happening and he liked what he suspected it was. Mary Ruth tried to hide her own smile and turned back around, looking out the window. It was going to be a wonderful day, she thought. And when she felt Menno’s leg lightly brush against hers, her heart fluttered but she did not recoil, as she knew that she was where she belonged…where God wanted her to be.

The Fisher family was gathered under the large oak tree near the house. There were two large tables set up with place settings for over twenty-six people. Lizzie, Sylvia, and James had brought their families over to spend an autumn afternoon visiting with Miriam and Elias before the weather would turn cold and make long distance travel a bit more difficult.

The only ones missing were Rachel, Leah, and Mary Ruth. Anna and Lovina were in the kitchen, preparing an early evening supper for the family while Miriam and Sylvia were carrying the bowls of chow-chow, pickled cabbage and pitchers of ice water outside to the tables. 

The men were outside, sitting on folding chairs near the front porch under the shade of the house while the
kinner
ran back and forth, throwing a ball for the dog to catch. John David and Steve were playing with the
kinner
, chasing some of the younger ones while Abraham, Isaac, Elias and James were discussing the latest news that they had heard from church service that morning.

“Heard that weddings will be announced next week,” James said. He glanced over his shoulder at his two younger brothers. “I heard a whisper that John David and Ella will be announced.”

Elias laughed. “Not a whisper you hearing, son. A right known fact, I reckon.”

“Ja?”

Isaac leaned forward and winked at his brother as he teasingly said, “You need to listen closer, James. That whisper grew mighty loud a few months ago. She was even included in the circle letter that Mamm sent out. Didn’t Lovina tell you?”

James raised an eyebrow. “Nee, she didn’t.” He frowned, a dark shadow crossing over his face. His silence spoke of something deeper than Lovina not sharing such news with him. Isaac noticed it at once.

“What troubles you,
Bruder
?”

James shrugged and looked away. His blue eyes sought the horizon, watching the sun as it began its slow descent over the backfields. Soon the fields would be plowed and manure spread over them, an annual preparation for the following year’s spring planting. “Heard Eleanor Haile’s been around, ain’t so?” he finally said.

Both Isaac and Elias looked at each other, a silent communication passing between them.

“That she has, ja,” Isaac admitted. “Little Katie is taking care of one of Eleanor’s ponies at the Miller farm by Rachel and Leah’s. We reckon that we’ll bring the pony here for the winter, seeing that it will be too dark in the winter after school to take her there to tend to it.”

A simple nod of James’s head said it all. His eyes seemed to mist over as he reflected on something. Neither Isaac nor Elias had to guess very hard as to what it was he thought. It may have been years ago but the entire family remembered that James had been sweet on Eleanor Haile, prior to his taking the kneeling vow.

“Lovina seems a bit disturbed by that,” James finally admitted.

“These women…” Abraham scoffed. “What crazy notions they get!”

Isaac frowned. “That was a long time ago,” he said. “During your
rumschpringe
.”

“I know that.” James turned his face away from the setting sun and looked at his brother. “Seems to think I won’t honor my marriage vow, especially since we haven’t been able to…” He let his words drift, his sentence unfinished and hanging in the air.

Elias sighed. He certainly didn’t like seeing his son in turmoil. Still, he didn’t quite know what to say. The problem with James and Lovina had been apparent for a while, a stress from the lack of children in their marriage. “Seems some women need to have children to feel fulfilled, James. You should speak to her about adopting or doing that foster care that Jonas and Irma Miller from Paradise have done.”

He waved his hand at his father. “That don’t bother me none,” James said. “It’s the fact that she thinks such a thought. It doesn’t speak well of her trust in my character.” He paused and took a deep breath. “But I’ve said more than I should, I reckon. It’s a private matter.”

For a moment, none of the men spoke. No one knew what to say. Issues within the marriage remained strictly between the husband and wife. It was their way of life. If James had mentioned problems, it was surely because they were heavy and troublesome on his shoulders.

Steve walked over and joined the other men. He was out of breath but smiling. “Those
kinner
are more work than the cows,” he laughed. “Easier to work in the fields!”

James looked away again.

“Think I might take a buggy ride after supper,” he said casually.

Thankful for the change of subject, Isaac raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Buggy ride, ja?”

Abraham caught the teasing tone in Isaac’s voice. “You don’t say,” he said, tugging at his graying beard. “Heard you got yourself a new buggy. Word has it that you aren’t always alone in that there buggy, either!”

“You know what they say about that Amish grapevine,” Steve tossed back. “Sometimes it grows sour grapes.” But he laughed anyway.

The kitchen door opened and the women came out with the rest of the prepared food. Without being called, the men got up and walked to the table. The kinner noticed and hurried over, taking their place at the smaller of the two tables. When everyone was seated, they bowed their heads and said a silent blessing over their food.

Within minutes, plates were being passed, water glasses were being filled, and conversation started to flow. Miriam smiled as she looked at her family gathered around the tables. It wasn’t often that so many of them came together for fellowship. Even on the holidays, trying to find a day for a Christmas dinner was hard to schedule. Inevitably, someone was always missing.

“Sure wish the other girls could have been here,” Anna said.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Miriam laughed.

Lizzie looked up. “Any word on when Mary Ruth will be returning? That Menno Yoder shouldn’t be needing her much longer.”

Miriam sighed. “Ja, it’s about that time. She needs to get back here before the weather turns. Leah sure doesn’t need her help anymore, I’m sure.” Her mind drifted. If anyone needed help, it was Rachel. She often wondered if Mary Ruth shouldn’t just spend the winter there, helping Rachel during Elijah’s illness. Yet, Miriam also knew that it wasn’t fair to Mary Ruth who needed to get on with her own life. “Mayhaps I’ll write a letter to Mary Ruth and have Steve drop it off. It’s time.”

Steve looked up at the mention of his name. “You need me to drop something off for Mary Ruth? I can head over there after supper,” he volunteered a bit too eagerly. Isaac and Abraham chuckled while Anna smiled to herself.

“That Mimi Hostetler lives over that way too, ain’t so?” Isaac teased.

Steve ignored him.

Anna laughed at the puzzled look on Lizzie and Lovina’s faces. It was apparent that they had not heard about Steve courting anyone.

“Mayhaps I could ride along?”

The small voice that interrupted the conversation surprised everyone. It was Katie, sitting at the other table. She had overheard that Steve was going to ride over to Leah’s to drop off a letter. Now, she stared at her mamm with wide eyes, eyes full of hope that her mamm would permit her this treat.

With a quick glance at Isaac who merely shrugged his shoulders, Anna nodded. “If Steve doesn’t mind the company, that would be right nice, Katie. You could stop in to see Butterscotch but no grooming or riding today.”

Katie’s face lit up. “Oh
danke
, Mamm!”

For Katie and Steve, supper couldn’t end fast enough.

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Steve said, a frown on his face. “Where is she?”

Leah was holding the baby, Jacob, while her older daughters, Edna and Emma, put away the washed dishes from supper. “I mean she’s not here! She didn’t come home after church service,” Leah responded sharply. “Mayhaps she’s over at Rachel’s.”

Clutching the letter in his hand, he hurried back to his buggy in order to drive across the road to Rachel’s farm. The longer this took, the less time to spend with Mimi, he told himself. Plus, he had to take Katie over to the Miller’s farm and pick her up again later. He hadn’t counted on Katie wanting to go with him. Still, the look of joy on her face softened his heart. Clearly, Katie wanted to see her pony as much as Steve wanted to see Mimi.

Rachel was walking down the stairs when Steve entered the house. He glanced around, noticing that the
kinner
were not in the house. Elijah was seated in his chair, a blanket pulled up to his chin. His face was pale and gaunt. For a moment, Steve couldn’t help but stare. He hadn’t seen Elijah since that church service at Leah’s. In that short period of time, his health had truly deteriorated.