Courting Ruth (17 page)

“But, Eli.” Ruth brushed her hand over his shoulder. “She told everyone you were the father. And they believed her.”

“They did. I got angry, and I let her face her trouble alone. In the end, she gave the baby to her sister, and she left.”

“Did you know where she went?”

“Not until I got the letter at Uncle Roman’s. Her English boyfriend didn’t want to take responsibility for the baby, but his family helped her with money. She’s going to go to college to be a nurse. She was writing to me to tell me she is all right and that she was sorry for everything.”

“Why didn’t you tell your family what really happened?”

“I tried at the time, but they wouldn’t listen. You are the only one who didn’t judge me.”

“Maybe I did, in the beginning.” She smiled at him. “Because of those red suspenders and that awful motor scooter. You are a wild boy, Eli Lapp.”

“
Was
a wild boy.” He leaned close and brushed his lips against hers. “Marry me, Ruth Yoder, and keep me on the path of Godliness. Keep me Plain.”

Ruth closed her eyes and savored a second kiss. She was so full of love and joy that she thought she would burst. “Oh, Eli,” she began, but then she stopped when she heard Susanna squeal. She opened her eyes to see her little sister scrambling out from behind the rosebushes to run toward the house—her chubby feet bare, her bonnet strings flying.

“Mam! Mam! Roofie’s kissing Eli!” Susanna shouted. “Come quick, Mam! Roofie’s getting married!”

F
or a moment, Ruth sat beside Eli in sweet silence, gazing into his blue eyes, holding his hand tightly. She wanted him to kiss her again, but her heart was pounding so hard that she thought maybe she’d had enough kissing for the moment.

Upstairs, Anna pushed up a bedroom window. “What’s going on?” she called. “Why is Susanna—” She broke off when she saw them together, hand in hand. “I’ll be right down!”

“I suppose we’d better speak to your mother,” Eli said, “before we cause another scandal…to ask her blessing on our marriage.”

“Ya,”
Ruth agreed and giggled with sheer joy. “We wouldn’t want to give Aunt Martha even more reason to gossip about us.” She was so happy at this moment that she thought she might take off like a dandelion puff and float away.

“Do you want to do it now, or should I, you know, make an appointment or something to speak with her?”

She laughed at that thought. “I don’t know. That depends on how soon you want to marry,” she teased. “If you mean years from now—”

“I’d marry you today if I could!” Eli caught her around the waist and lifted her up. “I can’t believe I’m so lucky,” he said, “to come down from the Kishacoquillas Valley and find you.” He lowered her bare feet to the ground and kissed her mouth with such tenderness and passion that tears sprang to her eyes. “Marry me today.”

“I can’t marry you today!” She laughed, breathless, playfully pushing on his broad chest. “But maybe you should speak to Mam today before there’s more kissing.”

“Speak to me about what?” Mam demanded, coming around the corner of the house with Susanna tugging on her hand. But Mam’s eyes sparkled with mischief, and Ruth knew she really wasn’t angry. “Eli, do you have an explanation for kissing my daughter in front of her mother and little sister?”

“Sisters,” cried Miriam and Anna together as they joined them.

Irwin was the last to appear, the little terrier in his arms. “All of us,” he echoed.

Eli slipped an arm around Ruth’s shoulder and pulled her close beside him. The smell of her and the softness of her skin was so sweet that it made him almost giddy. “We’re going to be married,” he declared more boldly. “Ruth and me. In the church.”

“But you have to be Amish,” Irwin said sternly. “You can’t marry our Ruth if you aren’t Plain.”

Mam dried her hands on her apron and folded her arms. “Irwin’s right. So what do you have to say to that, Eli? Can you be properly Amish? Can you accept our faith and live by it every day?”

“Eli has already joined the church in Belleville. He’s one of us now.” Ruth looked up at him with such love in her eyes that he felt ten feet tall.

“Can you be a loving husband to Ruth?” Hannah asked. “In good times and bad?”

Miriam’s chin firmed. “He’d better be.”

“Or we’ll know the reason why,” Anna added.

“I will,” Eli said. “I give you my word.” He held out his hand to Irwin. “I would like your blessing, too, since you’re the man of the house.”

Irwin’s ears turned fire red beneath his straw hat, but he took the offered hand and shook it. “I’ll hold you to it,” he said.

“I want to be part of this family,” Eli announced to them all, still holding Ruth in his arm. “I want to be the kind of man Jonas was and a son to you, Hannah, as well as a true brother to the rest of you.”

“And I promise you that God will always come first in our home,” Ruth said, clinging to him for all she was worth.

“Then you have our blessing,” Hannah said.

“Ya,”
Susanna jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “And now I will have a big brother for sure!”

“And I will have a husband,” Ruth said.

“The happiest husband in the world,” Eli answered.

Ruth smiled up at him, her eyes shining. “
Ya,
and the happiest wife.”

1. Ruth Yoder believes that it is her duty to remain at home and care for her widowed mother and mentally challenged sister. Why do you think that Ruth believes this is God’s plan for her? Falling in love with Eli makes Ruth reexamine her choice. Do you think Ruth was being selfish to want a husband and family of her own?
   
 

2. Ruth suspects that Irwin Beachy is responsible for the fire at the school. Why does she consult with her mother rather than taking her concerns to Irwin’s guardians or the school board? Do you think that was a good decision? Would you have questioned Irwin directly if you were Ruth?
   
 

3. When Eli meets Ruth at the schoolhouse, he is immediately attracted to her, despite his better judgment. He believes that he isn’t worthy of her, that a religious girl like Ruth isn’t for him. So why does he continue to pursue her against his better judgment?
   
 

4. Hannah is a convert to the Old Order Amish faith. Do you think she feels constricted or protected by the rules? Does Hannah seem like a spiritually strong person who knows her place in God’s plan? What proves this to the reader?
   
 

5. Hannah reminds Ruth not to pass judgment against Irwin without proof. We all make assumptions about people and situations every day. Have you ever formed an opinion and later found yourself wrong and regretted your haste?
   
 

6. Ruth’s younger sister Susanna has Down syndrome. Among the Amish, Susanna is accepted as God’s child and is considered a useful member of her church and community. Is Susanna treated differently by her faith than she would be in mainstream contemporary American society? Has Ruth put limitations on her sister by assuming she will always need care at home?
   
 

7. Eli’s father abandoned his family and he was raised by a strict, conservative grandfather. Do you believe Eli’s mother and grandfather blamed him for his father’s mistakes? If they did, did those accusations add to Eli’s confusion and rebellion?
   
 

8. Eli came to the Seven Poplars community after an incident that separated him from his family and church. If Hazel hadn’t gotten pregnant, do you think Eli would have remained in Belleville, or were there other problems in his life? Why do you think Eli believed that he wasn’t worthy of God’s love?
   
 

9. As Ruth and Eli come to know each other better, rumors about Eli’s past trouble Ruth and her family. Where Irwin seems to be an unattractive and unlikable person, Eli is handsome with an appealing personality. How do these opposites work against each character in the Amish community?
   
 

10. Hannah wants to encourage her daughters’ independence, while protecting them. Why does Hannah become so angry when she finds Ruth and Eli holding hands in the grape arbor? If she trusts Ruth to do the right thing, why is she so concerned that the community not find out? Do you think that single mothers face more difficult struggles in raising children?
    
 

11. When does Ruth begin to question her decision not to marry? How did she know that she wasn’t bargaining with God because she had fallen in love with Eli? Does Ruth ever struggle with her faith in the way that Eli does? Why or why not?
    
 

12. When Eli went back to Belleville, Ruth thought she had lost him to his old life. Why did it take a separation from him for her to realize what she really wanted? Did she take this time to consider her own mistakes in the relationship?
    
 

13. If Ruth loved Eli, why does she tell him that she can’t marry him unless he’s willing to join the church and live an Amish life? Should love for a man or woman come first or should each person decide how they want to live their lives and then find a partner who will add to that ideal?
    
 

14. Amish life is constructed around family, faith and community. The desires of an individual are less important in the Amish world than that of the group. What aspects of Amish life do you find most admirable? What do you believe are an Amish woman’s greatest challenges?