[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey (45 page)

“I’ll bet Phoebe Stoltzfus wouldn’t like that if she knew,” Marla said.

“Well, she doesn’t know, because she’s living in California.” Hannah frowned. “That girl was never anything but trouble for Titus. I don’t see what he ever saw in her.”

Samuel didn’t think this was an appropriate conversation for his children, so he quickly changed the subject again. “I’ve been thinking about making a trip to Kentucky to see Titus.” He looked over at Elsie and smiled. “Don’t you think that would be fun?”

She reached for her glass of water and took a drink. “I don’t know, Samuel. Given the nausea and fatigue I’ve been having with this pregnancy, I’m not really up to a trip anywhere right now. Maybe we could go sometime next year, after the boppli’s born and old enough to travel.”

Samuel nodded. “That makes good sense.”

Timothy looked over at Hannah and said, “Maybe we should go with ‘em. It would be a fun trip for Mindy.”

“There’s nothing for me or Mindy in Kentucky,” Hannah said sharply.

“How do you know?” Timothy asked. “You’ve never been there.”

She gave a decisive nod. “That’s right, and I don’t want to go there, either!”

Los Angeles, California

Phoebe yawned and stretched one arm over her head. She’d just returned home from her job at the convenience store and was exhausted. They’d had a lot of customers this evening: some demanding and impatient, and some—like the two bikers who’d showed up shortly before her shift ended—who’d given her a hard time because she wouldn’t go out with them. Whatever happened to her dream of starting a new, exciting life in California? Why was nothing going right for her anymore? The only reason she was still in this apartment was because Charlene, one of her coworkers, had loaned her enough money to cover this month’s rent. Phoebe still hadn’t found a second job, and she knew she couldn’t keep borrowing money forever. If something didn’t go her way soon, she’d have no other choice but to move back home.

She flopped down on the shabby brown sofa and thumbed through the mail she’d picked up before she’d headed upstairs to her apartment. There were two advertising flyers, an electric bill she wouldn’t be able to pay, and two letters. The first one was from Mom, so she tossed it on the coffee table. When she saw the return address on the second letter, her mouth went dry. It was from Titus, in Kentucky.

Phoebe’s fingers trembled as she tore the letter open and read it silently:

Dear Phoebe
,

This letter is long overdue, but it’s taken me some time to come to the place where I could forgive you for walking out on me. I realize now that I’ve been hurting myself by hanging on to the bitterness I felt when you broke up with me. God has changed my heart and shown me many things about myself, as well as others, since I moved to Kentucky. I’m a different person—more confident and mature. I’m even buying my own place—a manufactured home on several acres of land
.

I also want to ask your forgiveness for anything I may have said or done to hurt you in the past. I still don’t understand why you’d want to leave the Amish faith and go English, but that’s your choice, and it’s not my place to say what’s right or wrong for you
.

I hope things are going well for you in California and

that you’ve found happiness in whatever you’re doing
.

I wish you all God’s best
.

Most sincerely,
Titus

Tears welled in Phoebe’s eyes and coursed down her cheeks. Titus was obviously happy in Kentucky. She was miserable here in California. Titus had forgiven her and wished her God’s best. She was bitter and angry toward God, as well as everyone else.

Phoebe wasn’t sure when all that bitterness had begun, but she thought it may have started when she was thirteen and her folks had forbidden her to see Titus.

She sat for several minutes, mulling things over; then she gathered up Titus’s letter and hurried into her bedroom to pack. God must be blessing her already, because she knew exactly what she needed to do. By this time tomorrow, she’d be on a bus headed for Kentucky.

S
uzanne took a seat on the sofa, prepared to embroider the pillowcases she’d made the other day. Even though she didn’t have a cedar chest to put the things in, she’d decided that in case Titus should ever propose, she ought to have some things ready for marriage. She would put them in a cardboard box for now.

“What’s that you’re working on?” Mom asked when she came into the living room and took a seat in the rocking chair across from Suzanne.

“I’m doing some embroidery work on the pillowcases I made.”

“For your hope chest?”

“Jah.”

Mom smiled. “I’m glad to see that you’re taking an interest in more domestic things now and have begun making some things you can use when you get married.”

“If
I get married,” Suzanne corrected. “Titus hasn’t asked me yet, and he may never ask.”

“I think he will. Just give him time. From some of the things you’ve told me, I assume that he was hurt badly by his ex-girlfriend when she ran off to California. He might be taking his time before he gets serious again.”

“I realize that, but I hope he won’t take too much time. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

Mom leaned her head back and laughed. “For goodness’ sake, Suzanne; you’re only twenty-two. It’s not like you’re
en alt
maedel.”

“I’ll turn twenty-three in January, and I feel like an old maid. Many women my age are already married and starting their families by now.” Suzanne threaded her needle and stuck it into the cotton material.

Mom started the rocking chair moving, causing it to squeak against the wooden floor. “Esther’s a few years older than you. Do you think she’s an old maid?”

“I guess not, but she’s had several boyfriends. I wouldn’t be surprised if she finds someone who wants to marry her soon.”

“You need to have patience. And whatever you do, don’t say or do anything to make Titus think you’re trying to push him. Men want to do the wooing, and we women need to be smart enough to at least let them think they’re in control of the situation.” Mom stopped rocking and leaned forward in her chair. “Just be yourself, and take an interest in the things Titus likes. Eventually he’ll come to his senses and realize he can’t live another minute without asking you to be his fraa.”

Just then, Effie shuffled into the room, looking a bit under the weather. “Look,” she said, holding her arm out to Mom. “I’ve got itchy spots here and on my tummy, too.”

Mom studied Effie’s arm and then felt her forehead. “You’re running a fever, that’s for sure. From the appearance of these bumps, I’d say you’ve come down with a case of
wasserpareble.”

Effie’s eyes widened. “Chickenpox?”

“That’s what it looks like to me. Have the pox been going around at school?” Mom asked.

Effie shrugged. “Maybe so. Sarah Beth’s been out of school all week, and Brian and his sister Peggy weren’t there today, so I guess they might have wasserpareble.”

Suzanne groaned. “You’d better stay away from me then, because I’ve never had the chickenpox, and I sure don’t need them now.”

Tennessee

Phoebe stared out the bus window, trying to concentrate on the passing scenery so she wouldn’t worry about how things would go when she saw Titus. What if he wasn’t happy to see her? What if he asked her to leave?

He won’t do that. I’m sure he won’t
, Phoebe told herself.
He said in his letter that he’s forgiven me for breaking up with him, and I know how much he cared about me even when I was only thirteen
.

Phoebe put her head against the seat and closed her eyes. Her body felt stiff, and she was tired of sitting on crowded buses with people she didn’t know. She’d gotten on the first bus at the Greyhound station in Los Angeles two days ago at seven fifteen in the evening, had made two transfers, and would arrive in Clarksville, Tennessee, by seven fifteen this evening. That was the Greyhound bus station closest to Pembroke, Kentucky, where Titus lived.

When she got to Clarksville, she would get a taxi to take her to Titus’s place. It would probably be expensive, but she thought she had enough money. The bus ticket had cost her $209, but she’d started out with $300, which she’d borrowed from Charlene, so she should have enough to pay the taxi driver. She’d promised to send Charlene the money she owed for the bus ticket, as well as the rent she’d paid on her apartment. Unless she found a job, however, she probably wouldn’t be able to make good on her word until after she and Titus got married.

Of course
, she reminded herself,
the only way Titus will agree to marry me is if I’m willing to join the Amish church. He made that clear after he joined the church himself
. She leaned toward the window, trying to find a comfortable position, more anxious than ever to get off the bus.

I’ve tried living in the English world by myself, and it didn’t work out very well, so I think I’m ready to go back to living the Plain way of life. I just don’t want to go home and join the church there, because I’m sure Mom will try to make me feel guilty for leaving home, and Dad will probably lay out a bunch of rules, the way he did when I lived there before. Well, I’m not going back to Pennsylvania. I’m going to start a new life in Kentucky with Titus
.

Pembroke, Kentucky

Titus had gone out to the barn right after he’d done the supper dishes so he could continue working on the hope chest he planned to give Suzanne for Christmas. Since he wanted it to be a surprise, he knew better than to work on it in the Yoders’ woodshop. Suzanne spent a lot of time out there these days even when she wasn’t helping them work. Sometimes it was to bring the men their lunch, and sometimes just to sit and watch. When she wasn’t in the shop, she was in the kitchen, perfecting her baking skills. Titus always looked forward to sampling what she’d made and was impressed with how well she’d learned to cook.