The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt (26 page)

As Carmen’s car approached Emma’s house, she thought about how she’d gone to church with Paul and Sophia on Sunday. They’d eaten lunch afterward at a family-style restaurant, then gone to a nearby park. If anyone didn’t know better, they might have thought the three of them were a family spending a Sunday afternoon together.

Carmen had enjoyed watching Sophia run and play. She could still hear the little girl’s laughter as she sat on the swing, being pushed by Paul and Carmen. Sophia looked so much like her mother, and seeing her on the swing reminded Carmen of the times she and Lorinda were children and enjoyed swinging in their parents’ backyard. Carmen looked forward to seeing Paul and Sophia this Saturday evening, when they would have supper at the home of Paul’s sister, Maria. Carmen would miss the happy times she’d spent with Paul and Sophia when she went back to California, and she planned to keep in better touch through phone calls and e-mails. Maybe during Paul’s summer break, he and Sophia could come to California for a visit. It would be fun to go to the beach and teach Sophia how to build sand castles and search for seashells.

Carmen pulled her thoughts aside as she turned up Emma’s driveway and parked the car. When she got out, and started walking toward the house, she spotted Emma’s goat Maggie lying on the porch swing, snoozing. The goat looked so cute, Carmen couldn’t help but smile. She was sure Maggie had escaped from her pen again, and figured Emma and Lamar didn’t realize it.

Carmen walked past the swing and knocked on the front door. Apparently unaware of her presence, Maggie slept on, snoozing like a dog on a lazy summer afternoon. A few seconds later, Lamar came to the door. After Carmen greeted him and said she’d come to visit Emma, she pointed to the porch swing. “Looks like Emma’s goat is enjoying herself.”

Lamar groaned. “That silly critter can sure be persistent.” He opened the door wider. “Emma’s in her quilting room, so just go on in. I’d better put Maggie back in her pen.”

“Thanks, I will. Oh, and good luck with the goat,” Carmen called over her shoulder as she entered the house.

When she stepped into the room, she found Emma working on the tattered old quilt Cheryl had brought for repair.

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Carmen said, approaching the sewing machine where Emma sat, “but Lamar said I should come in.”

Emma smiled and motioned to the chairs at the sewing table. “What a nice surprise. It’s good to see you. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“When I got here, I discovered your goat lying on the porch swing, so Lamar’s outside putting her away,” Carmen explained. “That animal must keep you and Lamar on your toes.”

Emma clicked her tongue while peering over the top of her glasses. “That’s my Maggie. I’m beginning to think there’s nothing that will keep her in the pen.”

Carmen smiled, glancing out the window just in time to see Lamar walking Maggie back to her pen. “She does seem to be quite the escape artist, but I see your husband has everything under control.”

“He’s good with animals,” Emma said. “Maggie can be a handful, but it’s hard to stay mad at her. So what brings you by here this morning?” she asked.

“I was hoping we could talk awhile—if you have the time, that is.”

“That sounds nice. Would you like a cup of tea?” Emma asked, rising from her chair and setting her sewing aside.

“Don’t go to any trouble on my account,” Carmen said.

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s nice that we can visit like this, other than just during the time we spend in the quilt class.” Emma smiled and ambled out of the room.

Carmen left her seat and went over to look at the quilt Emma had been working on. Being careful not to touch it, she studied the detailed stitching. Each stitch was evenly spaced, and the pattern, with interlocking patches of color, was quite interesting. A quilting machine couldn’t have done it any better than the quality she saw in Emma’s work. Carmen remembered Emma saying that the design of this quilt was called Wedding Ring, and that many Amish couples received a quilt like this when they got married.

I wonder if I’ll ever get married
, Carmen mused. In high school, she’d had a few boyfriends but never gotten serious about any of them. Since her job kept her so busy, she really didn’t have time for dating these days. Sometimes, Carmen wished she were married and raising a family or had at least found someone with whom she might want to pursue a meaningful relationship.

“Here we go,” Emma said as she entered the room and placed a tray on the table.

Carmen motioned to the quilt. “I know this is old, but I think it’s beautiful.”

Emma nodded. “I agree. But then, I have a fondness for quilts, so most of them appeal to me.”

“I’m glad I decided to take your class,” Carmen said. “I’m anxious to see how my wall hanging turns out.”

“Do you have a special place you’ll want to hang it?” Emma asked.

“I’m thinking of giving it to my niece, Sophia, for her bedroom. The colors I chose are bright, and they nearly match her bedspread and curtains.”

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate the wall hanging as she gets older, and also the quilt that Paul finished for her after his wife died,” Emma said.

Carmen flinched at the mention of her sister. If Lorinda hadn’t been killed, she would have finished Sophia’s quilt.

“Yes, my sister, Lorinda, had many talents. She could walk circles around me with all she knew how to do.” Carmen looked down, wondering if she’d ever get over the loss. “Sophia was cheated, losing her mother before she had a chance to know her.” Taking in a quick breath, she continued. “I feel cheated, too, after losing my sister, but I’ll certainly make sure I share with my niece all the wonderful memories I’ve locked away in my heart, growing up with a big sister like Lorinda.”

“I’m sure you will, Carmen, and I’m sorry if I’ve opened up a painful memory for you.” Emma put her hand on Carmen’s arm, patting it gently. “Your niece is fortunate to have a father like Paul. Even a stranger could see how much he adores his little girl. And from what I’ve observed, she’s pretty lucky to have an aunt like you as well.”

“Thank you, Emma. And don’t worry, you didn’t open any wounds. It’s getting easier for me as time goes on to be able to talk about my sister and not get all choked up.” Needing to change the subject, Carmen said, “Would you mind if I asked you some questions about the Amish way of life?”

“Of course not. You can ask me anything while we drink our tea.” Emma poured tea into their cups, handed one to Carmen, and took the other for herself.

Carmen took a sip of tea, savoring the delicate aroma and taste of peppermint. “This is really good,” she said, letting it roll around on her tongue.

“I’m glad you like it. I grow the mint in my garden, and there was a lot of it this summer.”

“I can’t have a garden where I live.” Carmen sighed. “That’s what you get with apartment living.”

“Maybe someday you’ll have a home of your own.” Emma set her cup on the table. “If you have a patio, perhaps you could plant a few herbs in a planter box. They don’t need a lot of space. I’ve planted things in the window box outside the kitchen. It’s nice to be able to pick whatever I need without having to walk out to the garden all the time.”

“That sounds doable.” Carmen’s interest was heightened. “I may consider that when I get back home. In Los Angeles, the nights are sometimes cool in the winter months, but the days are pretty mild. In fact, wintertime is our rainiest season. The rest of the year it’s quite dry.”

“I can’t imagine being able to have a year-round garden.” Emma paused and took a sip of tea. “Now, on to another subject. What is it you want to know about the Amish life?”

“I’ve been wondering about rumschpringe. What can you tell me about it?”

Emma tapped her fingers on the edge of the table. “Well, it normally begins around the age of fifteen or sixteen and ends when an Amish young person decides to be baptized and join the church.”

“Do most of the youth go wild during that time and do things their parents wouldn’t approve of?” Carmen queried, thinking of her boss’s insistence that her article focus on wild Amish teens.

“No, not all. In fact, most, at least those in our district, enjoy a time with others their age, where they attend Sunday night singings and get together for volleyball and baseball games. Some take trips together, and some never leave the area during their running-around years.”

“So it’s not just a bunch of wild parties or Amish young people leaving home to experience things in the world that their parents would disapprove of?”

Emma shook her head. “I’m sure there are a few who do that, but as I said, most of the young people I know have stuck close to home.”

“What about their parents?” Carmen asked. “Do they approve of rumschpringe?”

“Some look the other way,” Emma admitted, “but other parents hold a tight rein on their children.”

“From what Anna’s told me, her parents won’t give her the freedom to explore the outside world,” Carmen said. “Is that healthy?”

Deep wrinkles formed across Emma’s forehead as her lips compressed. “It’s not really my place to say, but I think they may be making a mistake by holding her back. Anna, like most others her age, is curious about the English world. In my opinion, if she’s allowed to experience a few things outside of her community, she might find out, just as my children did, that there’s much to appreciate about the Amish way of life.”

Carmen mulled things over as she finished her tea. Emma was a wise woman, and this conversation had given Carmen a lot to think about. After learning what she had so far, it would be difficult to write a negative article about the Amish. But if she didn’t write it, she could lose her job.

C
HAPTER
23

Elkhart

H
ow come you’ve been so quiet today?” Jan asked as he and Terry removed shingles from the roof of an elderly couple who didn’t have much money. Jan had given them a discount, which he often did when someone couldn’t pay full price. It was a wonder he made any money at all, but he said that over the years he’d become aware of what a limited income many senior citizens struggled to live on and that it felt good to be able to help out whenever he could.

“Hey, man, did you hear what I said?” Jan repeated. “I asked how come you’ve been so quiet today.”

“Yeah, I heard. I’ve just been thinking, is all.”

“About what?”

“The weekend and how it went.”

“If you’re talking about Saturday night at the bowling alley, then I can tell you exactly how it went.”

Terry tipped his head to one side. “Oh yeah? How’s that?”

“You bent over backwards to get Cheryl to pay attention to you instead of her date.” Jan grunted. “And you made a complete fool of yourself in the process.”

Terry’s face heated. “Oh really? What’d I do that made me look like a fool?”

Jan stopped what he was doing and held up one finger. “You tried to out-bowl Blaine, and you both acted like two roosters in a henhouse.” Another finger shot up. “You talked more to Cheryl then you did me and Star, and we were the ones you were supposed to be bowling with.” Jan held up a third finger, but before he could say anything Terry cut him off.

“Okay, I get it. You’re mad because I paid Cheryl some attention.” Terry planted his hands against his hips. “Did you forget that I’ve been trying to get her to go out with me?”

Jan shook his head. “’Course not, but you shouldn’t be making a play for her when she’s out with another man. That just ain’t cool. Anyone watching could see you were pushing too hard, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she noticed that, too. If anything, that might have turned her away.”

Terry shrugged. “Think what you want to, but I had to get Cheryl to notice me somehow, and you know what? It worked!”

“How so?”

“Cheryl and I had our first date Sunday afternoon.”

Jan quirked an eyebrow. “Is that the truth?”

“’Course it is. I showed up at Cheryl’s church, and—”

Jan stared at Terry in disbelief. “I’m not hearing this. Did you just say you went to church?”

“That’s right, and afterward Cheryl and I went out to lunch.” Terry grinned widely. “When we were done eating, we drove back to Shipshe and got my Harley, so Cheryl could take her first ride on a motorcycle.”