The Shunning (2 page)

"If I were to approach the Bishop and Deacons and Preacher about kneeling, would you allow me to court you, Levi's Sadie?" he asked, his voice low.

"The road is ahead." She ignored his question. The road was narrow, full of hills and curves, and she did her best to tell Samuel what was ahead. Finally, they reached her lane, and Samuel drove her as close to the house as she permitted. "Please do not come inside," she begged of him as her Dat opened the door and stood there watching to see who was getting out of the car he did not recognize.

"I am a grown man, little Sadie, and I will behave so. I have done nothing to be ashamed of, and neither have you." He rounded the car as she opened the door. He blocked her and said, "If you are ever in my car again, Miss, you will wait for me to open the door. Is that understood?"

"I can hear very well, but it is unlikely this will ever happen again, Samuel."

The look she gave him was full of challenge and spirit and Samuel was positive she would make a good wife. He put a smile on his face and followed Sadie to the porch. The man standing there was clearly unhappy that his daughter arrived in a car driven by someone he did not know. "Sir, I am Samuel Hilty. I saw a car slide around a curve and almost hit Sadie, and I insisted she allow me to bring her home." Levi's frown deepened, and Samuel forced himself to smile. "Sadie did not want to get in my car and told me 'no' several times, but I am more stubborn than she, and I picked her up and put her inside. She informed me you would not be pleased with my actions, but I assure you I was merely trying to keep her safe, as any good neighbor would do."

Levi nodded, his dark eyes taking Samuel's measure. "Hilty...? There was a family by the name of Hilty who lived in the community some time ago. Would you be related to them?"

"Yes, sir," Samuel replied truthfully.

"Dat, could we come inside out of the cold?" Sadie asked quietly and Samuel noticed she was shivering.

"You need to change into dry clothing, Sadie," Samuel told her, his tone firm once again.

"I will be fine as soon as I am warmed," she responded a bit more sharply than she should have by the look on Dat's face. She quickly lowered her eyes.

Levi moved inside and held the door open for his daughter and the man who followed her inside the house. "Martha, we will have a guest at the table. Mr. Hilty was kind enough to bring our Sadie home safely."

"What of Wade?" Martha asked as she wiped her hands on a towel as she came from the kitchen.

"I waited forty minutes for him, Mama, and he did not come. I decided to start walking, and that is when Mr. Hilty saw me. Another car slid around that curve just beyond the restaurant and would have hit me if I did not quickly jump into the ditch. Mr. Hilty brought me home, his intentions to keep me safe."

"Thank you for your kindness to our family, Mr. Hilty," Martha said quietly. "We will have supper shortly. Please take off your coat and hat and make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Mrs. Miller," Samuel replied with a smile. Martha reminded him of his own mother. She was filled with the same serene peace, and he felt welcome in her home.

"Sadie, you will change your clothing before you catch your death. Go now and hurry to come help me put the food on the table."

"Yes, Mama," Sadie replied, wondering how Samuel managed to talk himself inside Levi Miller's home and earn himself an invitation to sit down at the table with them. Her Dat did not hold with befriending the Englisch. He feared his children would be yanked over to the fancy way of life. It was the main reason he did not approve of Sadie's job at the restaurant; Englisch worked alongside the Amish, and Levi was determined that all nine of his children would become members and take their kneeling vows and marry within the community. He prayed for this nightly.

Levi was quiet and simply stared at their visitor while Sadie was changing her clothing. As she hurried to the kitchen to offer her Mama help he noticed the young man's blue eyes following her about. Levi knew his daughter was very pretty, but she would only marry a man of their faith, one who farmed in the old way, and one who would take his spirited daughter in hand when necessary. And he knew it would be necessary, especially the first few years while they learned each other's ways. Levi remembered those early years of his own marriage very well:

* * *

Levi searched the house, and then the garden and finally the barn, looking for Martha, his bride of six weeks. It was when he checked inside the barn that he learned the small buggy and Gus, the horse, were missing. Levi sighed and took out his pocket knife. He had a chore to tend to that would give him no pleasure at all, but one that was necessary. His pretty bride needed a good bletching and his intention was to see to it she got one to remember. He cut a switch and peeled it while waiting for Martha to return.

It was nearly an hour later when Martha finally turned into the lane. He moved to help her unhitch Gus and put him in his stall in the barn while she chatted on and on about what she'd learned while visiting with her friend, Lindy. When she finally stopped talking, Martha saw the solemn look on Levi's face. "What is wrong, Levi?" she asked.

"Have we not discussed your chores and responsibilities, Martha?" he asked quietly, and she immediately bowed her head and looked at the floor. "Did you complete the work that must be done before you left for your visit with your friend?"

"I intended to do so when I returned," she answered, her voice low and hard to understand.

"Is that the way we agreed to do things?" he asked.

"No, sir," she admitted, feeling very small.

"What else did we agree upon?" he asked, putting his fingers under her chin and turning her face up so she was forced to look at him. He could see that she had no clue, and that told him she needed a serious bletching. "Did you leave a note telling me where you intended to go?" He watched her face turn red as her eyes filled with guilt.

"I am most sorry, Levi," Martha apologized. "I forgot my promise."

"You have earned a bletching, wife. Push your apron aside and pull up your skirt. I want you bared from your waist to your knees."

Martha wanted to argue and plead with him not to punish her, but she was raised to know that she needed to obey her husband. Tears started leaking from her eyes as she raised her skirts and lowered her panties. Once she was bared, Levi marched her over to where bales of straw were stacked and he arranged them, and then lifted her and arranged her over the top. Her feet couldn't reach the floor, and her head and hands dangled from the other side. She suddenly realized he had a peeled switch in his hand and she cried out in dismay. "Please don't use a switch, Levi! I'd rather you used your belt or a harness strap!" She'd been switched once, when she was much younger, by her Aunt when she and her cousin made a terrible mess in the kitchen Aunt Laurie had just finished cleaning.

"It is not for you to decide, Martha, and the switching will continue until you accept your punishment like an obedient wife." He raised the switch and brought it down on the crease beneath her cheeks and her thighs. Martha yelped in pain, but she honestly tried hard to accept the punishment her husband felt was deserved. The switching was much worse than any other bletching she'd experienced from her parents, and Levi knew he was being very firm. He did not enjoy punishing his wife and making her cry out in pain. It hurt his heart, but as the leader of his family it was his duty to see to it his wife obeyed. When she did not obey, it was up to him to discipline her. By the time he finished with the switching, Martha's bottom, thighs, and her calves bore marks from the switch. Her bottom felt hot to the touch, and looked like a thousand bees stung her at the same time. He helped her to stand and instructed her to pull up her panties and fix her clothing. Martha's hands were shaking, but she obeyed him. Levi held her then, telling her she was forgiven and that he loved her. When she quieted, she said she was going to go and lie down, and he shook his head 'no'. "You have your chores to do now, Martha, and you will tend to them while your bottom burns. It will remind you the next time you are tempted to waste a day visiting when you have work to do." Martha nodded respectfully, and he hadn't had to punish her for putting off her chores since that time.

* * *

Martha sent Sadie to tell her Dat and Samuel that supper was ready and invite them to come to the table. The men had been discussing the storm, especially since her brothers Atlee and David came inside from the barn and entered the conversation.

They all settled around the table, twelve in all, and as usual, Dat announced prayer. Sadie peeked and was stunned to see that Samuel had his eyes closed and his head bowed, just as if he did this every day of his life. For some reason she couldn't explain, the thought disturbed her. She knew she needed to fight the attraction she felt for the handsome man. Her Dat would thrash her if she permitted feelings to develop between them, but this was her rumspringa, and perhaps it was time to sow some wild oats?

Chapter Two

"What kind of work do you do, Samuel?" Atlee asked curiously as they passed the heaping bowls and platters of food around the large table. Sadie was thankful her eldest brother asked the question and waited to see what Samuel would reply.

"As I told Sadie, I have recently moved here. I bought a farm on New Hope road, the David Yoder farm...?" he answered.

"I heard that David Yoder sold the farm," Levi said, nodding his head as he helped himself to ham. "He plans to live in the dawdy haus on his daughter and son-in-law's farm."

"Mr. Yoder is waiting on the weather to clear before he moves, and I told him to take the time he needs," Samuel stated.

"Goot. That is kind of you, Samuel," Martha said with one of her gentle smiles and Levi could see that she liked the younger man. Levi knew that his wife was a good judge of character, but that did not mean that Samuel Hilty was Amish.

"Do you enjoy having a car, Samuel?" ten-year-old Jacob asked.

Levi immediately said something to him in the old language, and Jacob lowered his eyes to his plate. Sadie hated that her little brother was scolded for his curiosity and she felt guilty for bringing Samuel into their home. She wanted to say something to Jacob, but before she could speak, Samuel spoke in the same language to her Dat.

"Sir, I am not bothered by the question and would like to answer."

Levi was stunned when the 'Englischer' replied in the language of the people. "Ja? Go ahead, Samuel."

"A car is just a thing, Jacob. Mine is for sale as soon as Mr. Yoder moves and I have a place to keep the buggy I have ordered and my new horse."

"You are planning to live plain, Samuel?" Levi asked, obviously surprised.

"Ja," Samuel agreed, smiling. "I will need patience from the community while I learn the rest of what I wish to learn. My Mamm taught me as best she could living in the English world," he explained, "but there is much I need to study and learn."

"I remember a Ruth Hilty who lived here a long time ago," Martha said, looking at Samuel. "Could you be her son?" she asked.

"Ja, I am," Samuel nodded.

"I remember that she was a very sweet girl. She was a Troyer, but her family moved away right after she married Melvin Hilty." Martha looked at him and asked. "Are your parents still living, Samuel?"

"Nee. My father," he used the English word deliberately, "was killed in an accident at his job two months after I was born. My mamm raised me alone, working as a waitress. She died two years ago of cancer."

"I am sorry to hear that, Samuel," Martha said sympathetically.

"Why didn't your mamm return here after your dat died?" Sadie asked shyly.

"We invited the man to eat supper with us, not answer all these questions," Levi quickly interrupted.

Sadie felt her cheeks turn a bright red, but she and everyone else quickly understood that Levi meant what he said. "Martha, this food is very goot," Levi complimented his wife, giving her a smile. "I am a lucky man to be married to the best cook in the county."

"Danki, Levi." Even after twenty-five years of marriage, Martha never tired of hearing her husband give thanks for her cooking.

They all finished eating and Mary and Sadie started clearing the table. The scholars in the family had lessons to do, and their mamm deserved some time to sit down after cooking the big meal. "Mama, please go and sit down and be comfortable in front of the fire. Mary and I will be happy to do the dishes and clean the kitchen for you," Sadie offered, seeing the tired look on her mamm's face.

"Ya, Mama," Mary agreed. "You have worked hard today."

"I would love to work on my mending if you are sure you don't need any help," Martha said with a smile for her older daughters. "You have both worked hard today, too."

"They are goot daughters, Martha. They will manage. Come and do your mending in front of the fire," Levi said gently, giving his daughters a smile of approval. "John, Jacob, Hannah, and little Katie, you will do your lessons now, ja?"

"I must be leaving now, but would like to thank all of you for your hospitality," Samuel said just before there was a loud pounding on the front door.

"You were kind to our daughter, Samuel; you are welcome in our home," Levi said simply, shocking both his wife and his eldest daughter.

"Danki," Samuel said with a smile. He heard steps and Atlee was followed into the kitchen by an older man.

"Sadie, I am so thankful you are safely home. My van slid off the road, and by the time I walked to get help, and was pulled out of the ditch, you were no longer waiting at the restaurant. I am so sorry I let you down."

"You were unhurt, Wade?" Martha immediately asked.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Miller. I just feel bad that Sadie had to walk all the way home in that storm." The man was red-faced.

"I did not walk far. Mr. Hilty insisted on giving me a ride." She introduced the two men and Samuel stepped forward to shake his hand.