An Amish Family Reunion (11 page)

“That was our bus,” cried Phoebe. “And there’s our tour group.” She leaned over Eli toward his window. “Look! There’s Ava, Rebekah, and Mary. They’re just going in now. We’re not too late.”

“All’s well that ends well,” said the cabbie. His grin revealed a gold front tooth. “That will be eight dollars, folks.”

Eli extracted a ten-dollar bill from his wallet, which he passed to the front. “Thanks a lot.” Opening the door, he slid out and reached for her hand.

Phoebe jumped out and whispered, “You forgot to wait for your change.”

Eli winked at her. “People are expected to tip, Phoeb. Two dollars was a fair amount.”

She wanted to ask how he’d learned all this during one bus ride from Ohio, but Mrs. S. gave her no chance. She bustled up with clipboard and red pen in hand.

“There you two are! What happened?” She perused them over her reading glasses to check for bloodshed or broken bones.

“We missed the bus by a hair. We spent too much time at our…attraction.” Eli smiled sweetly, showing his straight teeth.

“If it had been anybody but you two, I would think you were up to no good. But not Eli Riehl or Phoebe Miller.” The woman actually started laughing at the absurd notion. “Head upstairs to change clothes. We’re meeting here in thirty minutes to walk to dinner. If you’re late again, you’ll be eating sugar and creamer packets in your room.” She waltzed away to speak to the tour operator.

“While reading magazines,” muttered Eli, once she was out of earshot.

At the row of elevators, Phoebe asked timidly, “What floor are you on? I’m on twelve.” They stepped in as the door opened.

“Fourteen—one above yours, facing the street.” He pushed both buttons.

“Two above,” she corrected. “And our room faces the river.”

“For some bizarre reason, there is no thirteenth floor, so just one. But you were sure lucky to get a room with a view.”

Once again he’d noticed something she’d been oblivious of.
And artists are supposed to be highly observant
. A bell signaled their arrival at floor twelve. “See you downstairs in the lobby,” she said nervously. They’d had the entire elevator to themselves, yet Eli stood close enough to her to count freckles.

He held the door open with his shoulder as she exited. “I hope I can see that view some time before we check out on Sunday.”

Phoebe didn’t look back or acknowledge she’d heard his bold comment. But the thought of blond, handsome Eli Riehl appreciating the river from her window made her feel faint. Why was he affecting her so?

Her new storytelling friend turned out to be psychic as well as observant. Down in the lobby, Mrs. Stoltzfus announced loudly enough for everyone on the block to hear: “Stay together. We’re walking to Roman Garden’s Pizza Shop. You’ll be at tables for six. The pizza buffet is included in your package—all you can eat—but
not
the chicken wings or salads or other stuff.” She glared around at suspected big eaters. “You’re on your own for those, so don’t try anything funny.”

Phoebe ate with her roommates and two of Mary’s hometown friends. She tried not to keep glancing over at Eli’s table but failed miserably.

Mary noted Phoebe’s distraction. “Did you two go to Goat Island? To that cave attraction?”

Phoebe swallowed her mouthful of mushroom and pepperoni. “
Jah
, we went to Goat, but not to the Cave of the Winds.” She quickly took another bite of pizza to discourage further conversation.

“Why do they call it Goat Island?” asked Mary.

“Don’t know.” Phoebe gulped some soda.

“Is it really a giant cave with a strong breeze flowing through it?”

“Don’t know.” Phoebe chewed her crust industriously.

“Did you figure out how to get to the Bridal Veil Falls we saw on the map?” Mary was still nibbling her first slice.

“No, we never saw anything like that.” Phoebe slurped her soft drink until she drained the glass. “Oops. I’d better get a refill.” She tried to scoot her chair back, but Mary grabbed her arm.

“Wait,” she demanded. For someone smaller than Phoebe, the girl had quite a grip. She peered at Eli’s table and then at Phoebe. “What exactly did you two
do
over there?”

“We saw Horseshoe Falls and then walked up to Three Sisters Islands, a mile upriver. We sat on a rock watching the rapids…and talked.” Her attempt to sound casual wasn’t working.

“Just the two of you?” Awe gave each word special emphasis.

“
Jah
—just him, me, and about two thousand other tourists. Need more Pepsi?” Not waiting for an answer, Phoebe picked up both glasses and headed to the drink dispenser. Midway across the restaurant, she cast another glance in Eli’s direction. At that precise moment, he turned in his chair and met her eye. He smiled as though he knew he’d been their topic of conversation.

Once again, he had managed to accomplish the impossible.

After breakfast the following day, the bus dropped them at the state park archway for another day of sightseeing. They were on their own, more or less. Of course, Mrs. Stoltzfus blocked the doorway with a short set of rules before they were allowed to disembark. “You must stay on park grounds or somewhere along the trolley route. You must stay with at least one other person from our group—no going off on your own. You are not to engage strangers in conversation other than to return a polite greeting.” Her eyes shifted around the bus at the suspected friendly sorts. “You’re on your own for lunch, but don’t eat strange food if you have a temperamental stomach. And everyone is to meet right here, under this arch at six o’clock, for the bus ride to the hotel for dinner. No exceptions.” This time she didn’t gaze around at suspected dawdlers—she stared first at Phoebe and then at Eli.

“How can we know what time it is if we don’t have a watch and aren’t supposed to talk to
Englischer
s?” asked a large boy in the back.

“You may inquire about the time and information of that nature.” Mrs. Stoltzfus leaned to one side to focus on the tall boy. “Would you like to ask any more sassy questions, Jack Yoder, and chance sitting in your room with a magazine?”

There was a smattering of laughter, but not another peep from Jack.

“I’ll take your silence as a no.” She then stepped down to street level and allowed the group to exit. Everyone started talking, laughing, and planning their day.

A strange pang of guilt struck Phoebe.
What would my dad think about eight hours of complete freedom?
But it wasn’t as though she’d lied to him, she told herself. She had no idea it would be like this.

“Let’s go, Phoebe and Mary,” announced Rebekah. “Ava and I are heading to the 3-D Adventure Theater. How does that sound?”

“Great!” Phoebe answered, choosing not to ask what the three
D
’s stood for. She’d asked enough stupid questions yesterday with Eli.

Most of the Amish youths also chose the visitor center with its gift shops, giant movie screen, and endless assortment of junk food for their first destination. While waiting for the next movie showing, Phoebe saw Eli’s tall blond head among the young men. Today none of them wore hats and almost all wore their Plain shirts outside their pants and suspenders. Eli stood talking and laughing with great animation while in line for the Adventure Theater.

Why do men always look like they are having more fun than women?
Phoebe decided to forget about Eli for the rest of the day and have a great time with her girlfriends. After all, wasn’t this her
rumschpringe
? “What are you planning to buy for souvenirs, Rebekah?” she asked. That topic lasted the entire twenty-five-minute wait for their turn to see the movie.

Mary listened to her extensive list with amazement. When Rebekah concluded and moved off to talk to others, Mary whispered to Phoebe, “Either she’s in for a rude awakening at the checkout, or she’s the richest Amish girl I’ve ever met.”

“Probably more likely the first, but it costs nothing to dream big.”

Suddenly, the theater doors swung inward. Phoebe felt her heart skip a beat as the crowd surged inside. All of the Plain girls sat together in two rows. She had no idea where the boys had gone, and she didn’t care because the lights immediately began to dim and the story of Niagara began. On the largest movie screen she’d ever seen, the story of an unfortunate Indian princess unfolded. The girl had been ordered to marry someone as old as her granddad while she was already in love with someone else. So she devised other plans for her future. Next they learned the saga of early French explorers who discovered the falls while crossing the continent. Besides the enormous picture, the sound seemed to come from all directions, making the experience too intense for Phoebe’s stomach at times.

“You’ll want to pay careful attention to this next segment, Miss Miller,” said a voice over her shoulder.

Phoebe jerked her head around. Despite the fact the speaker’s face was hidden with an upraised map, she would recognize that voice anywhere—Eli Riehl was sitting directly behind her.

Honoring her earlier decision, she faced the screen and ignored the person tugging on a lock of hair that had escaped her
kapp
. Soon she did, indeed, identify the story developing before her in 3-D. It was the story of the schoolteacher who had ridden over the falls in a barrel in an attempt at fame and fortune.

“This is the exact story your friend told us,” whispered Mary. “How did he know it before we got here?”

Mary’s verbal question duplicated Phoebe’s own internal one. She shrugged. “I don’t know, but if I get another chance to chat with him, he has some explaining to do.” However, that particular conversation would be postponed until the ride back to Ohio. For the rest of the day, the girls and half of the boys remained together in a large group. They walked the botanical gardens; browsed gift shops; toured the Nature Center and Aquarium, where they fed fish to seals; and then rode the trolley back to Goat Island for a visit to the Cave of the Winds. They had saved this attraction for last because, as on the boat ride, everyone got wet.

Eli talked mainly to his friends, while Phoebe talked to hers. But when the trolley passed the pathway to Three Sisters Islands, she experienced another odd pang—not of guilt, but of melancholy sorrow. What was wrong with her? She’d never been so affected by anyone, but knew she’d better get over it. Once they were back in Winesburg she would never see him again. During dinner that night at a delicious Chinese buffet, Phoebe made every effort to avoid Eli and his hypnotic dark eyes.

The group ate breakfast in the hotel dining room the next morning. Afterward, their chaperones announced they had exactly thirty minutes to pack up and get down to the bus for their trip home. Phoebe threw clothes into the suitcase haphazardly so she could spend her remaining time at the window.

It was a view she would never forget. So much power and energy were contained within the force of water. She stood mesmerized by the rapids, whirlpools, and ever-changing islets of trapped tree debris. God had always seemed majestic yet peaceful when she viewed the mist-shrouded meadows and rolling hills of her home. But this? This was evidence of a powerful, all-encompassing God…whom she hoped never to displease. Too bad Eli never got to see this.

“The views from our bedroom windows will never be the same after seeing this,” said Rebekah, slipping an arm around Phoebe’s shoulder. “Come on. You don’t want to miss the bus. This would be one expensive cab ride back home.”

Once their bus left the Niagara region, heading back toward Buffalo, the driver put in a Disney movie to the pass the time. Phoebe took out her pad and colored pencils, preferring to change some minor details on her drawings rather than watch a cartoon.

“Mind if I sit with Phoebe for a while?” asked Eli of Mary Mast.

“Not at all. I’ll go sit with my cousin.”

Before Phoebe could stop her, Mary rose from the seat and vanished.

“That was rather presumptuous of you.”

“Ah, what a lovely word—presumptuous,” said Eli. “But no, I presume nothing. I merely hope you will let me sit with you and maybe show me the changes you’ve made.”

She wanted to send him away, but instead she said, “Sit, if you like.” Then, as though she had no control over her hands, she gave him her tablet.

It took him no time to find the schoolteacher drawings and even less to start smiling. “Perfect! You changed Miss Taylor to match the movie.” He handed back her art.