by R. H. Hull
Jacob, looking downward, replied thoughtfully, “I’ve been trying to think of a reason to drive back there, but haven’t been able to think of one that will get me away from our farm on a Saturday morning when my father needs me to work for him. That’s where I need your help, Charles! I need help to think of a reason that is so important that it would take me away from the work my father has for me on Saturday mornings, and that would take me to the Eden General Store, particularly when my real reason for going there would be to see Rebecca! We don’t need any more soda. The cows have their feed. Plus, I don’t think that old store has anything that my father really needs!”
“Then seeing Rebecca is in itself a good reason for going there! Tell your father that you want to see Rebecca to ask her a question,” Charles replied brightly. “Ask her out for a date!”
Jacob responded without hesitating, “I know what would happen even without really thinking about it. She is from a different world! I mean, she is not of ‘our world’ so-to-speak. The people of the Eden River Mennonite church are to remain a suitable distance from people of our world. Rebecca goes to school at my high school only because her parents want their children to go beyond what is typical of their community, which is to not attend school beyond the 8th grade. So, they are allowing Rebecca and her brother to attend our high school. Even so, they are not to socialize with people such as you or me. They are to remain apart from us, especially the girls, and to not even speak to people such as me, unless it is absolutely necessary.”
Jacob continued, “I am sure that her mother or father, particularly her father, would not even consider allowing Rebecca to see me on a social basis! I am not considered a part of their world. I’m an outsider, even though my family has farmed in their community a number of generations, know Rebecca’s community well, and her father knows my father and mother and my grandparents. But, in their Mennonite tradition, people such as my family who attend a church other than an Old Order Mennonite church, and in my case the Methodist church, are not a part of their world. Their children are to establish relationships only with those from their Order of the Mennonite faith. Their children are not to enter into our world, but rather to remain apart from it, or rather above it, away from it except to attend school.”
Charles remained silent for a moment, wondering what to say. Then, he broke the silence and said something that for a teenager was probably quite profound. He said, “Do you really want to be with Rebecca?”
Jacob replied, “Yes! Of course, I do!”
Charles then completed his original thought, “Then you should do whatever it takes to be with her. Rebecca may very well be thinking the same thing. So, one way or another, you need to find out.”
Jacob almost snorted, and with a wry smile replied, “Okay then, please tell me how.”
“Well,” Charles chuckled, and then said after a dramatic pause, “First of all, as you said before, you need to figure out a reason to go back to the Eden General Store on a Saturday morning when Rebecca is there in order to see her again. What can you think of that would be a good reason? Did you see anything in her father’s store that you or your father can use, that is for the farm or the dairy? Or, why not just stop by to say ‘Hello’? Again, tell your father that you need to see Rebecca to ask her a question!” Charles said with confidence.
“I can’t do that,” Jacob replied as he looked down at his feet, his eyes tightly closed. “No, I just can’t. Again, as I said, I’m not one of their Mennonite Order. If Rebecca’s father thought for a single moment that I was there only to see Rebecca, I don’t know what he would do, and I don’t really want to find out!”
Charles had been thinking about it, and had anticipated Jacob’s response, “And, that would be? Tell me, what would be the worst thing her father could do to you? You are a good person, you come from a good and well-respected family of strong heritage, with a history in their community that is well-respected by them. If you really want to see Rebecca, then you will have to risk it and find out what he will do. Most of all, don’t let fear keep you from seeing her! The probability of seeing her again by accident is not great, or even probable, is it? She needs to know that you care enough and are brave enough to see her and talk with her in spite of your fear!”
Jacob thought for a moment and then replied, “Now you are making me feel guilty—like I don’t really care. But I do—I really do! My feeling now is that I will do it. And, you are right. What can her father do but become angry? He would not hurt me.” Jacob smiled slightly, “Her father probably won’t ‘kill’ me since hurting people isn’t condoned by the traditions of the Eden River Mennonite church! They’re Pacifists. I almost forgot about that!”
Charles smiled and then laughed in response as he nodded his head in agreement, “So true. So, do it! Otherwise you will regret it and only wish that you had gone. I have a strong feeling that if you don’t see Rebecca again, you may regret it for the rest of your young life—and maybe your old life!”
Jacob and Charles’ time together came to a close—hamburgers eaten and root beers finished. Jacob drove Charles back to his house, and then drove from there back to his family’s farm. Since it was Sunday night, he would have to wait a week to see Rebecca, unless he happened to see her at school the next day.
Was there really another reason to drive to the Eden General Store? Did Jacob’s father have something that he needed that would give him a reason to drive there? Would Rebecca even be there? What if he drove there only to find that Rebecca was not there on that day!
Chapter 7
The only way to find out if Rebecca was going to help her father the next Saturday morning was to call her by phone. ’But what if I call and her father answers the phone? What would I say? What if her mother answers? I’ve never met her mother. What would I say if she answered the phone? What would be the purpose of my call, except to speak to Rebecca? What if Rebecca answers? What would I say to her?’ So many questions were difficult to answer when Jacob didn’t really know what the responses by Rebecca and her family would be if he talked to any of them!
Finally, Jacob decided, recalling his conversation with Charles, he would never discover the result of a telephone call to the Yoder household by talking to himself! He had to muster the courage to make the call! But he first had to have a reason for driving to Eden next Saturday morning. That would be a good reason for making the call, to find out if they carried a certain item that he needed to purchase! Or, maybe, as Charles had wisely said, “Just drive to the Eden General Store to say ‘Hello’! Let Rebecca know that you want to go there just to say ‘Hello’ to her!”
‘But’ Jacob thought once again, ’What will I say if I call her?’ Then, as though Charles was still advising him, the answer came, “When she answers the phone, just say ‘Hi Rebecca! This is Jacob! It was good to see you when I came to your father’s store last Saturday! I’m wondering if you are going to be there next Saturday morning? I would just like to stop by to say ’Hello!’ And, if she says ‘Yes,’ she will be there, then I’ll just say, ‘I’ll stop by at about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, if that’s okay!’ Then, I’ll just hang up the telephone receiver!” And, then Jacob said to himself as though Charles was still advising him, “Say everything with a happy voice!” But then Jacob asked himself, “What if her father answers the phone? I guess I’ll just hope that he doesn’t!”
It was only 8:30 p.m. in the evening, so the Yoder family should still be up. It didn’t seem too late to call. Even though he was still nervous, he then made his decision, he would do it! He would call Rebecca!
Hesitating only momentarily, and trembling slightly, Jacob pulled the small community telephone directory from the nail from which it hung next to their telephone on the kitchen wall. In their rural community, anyone who made a telephone could ‘ring-up’ the telephone operator by ringing the phone either by a crank that was positioned on the side of the telephone if it was an old wall model, or by turning the dial on the front of
the phone if the phone was a rotary table model. The crank or the dial had to be turned one complete turn to activate the signal on the telephone operator’s switchboard that indicated that someone wanted to make a call. The person who wanted to make the call then spoke to the operator and would tell her who they wanted to talk to. Every household in the county had their own special series of ‘rings.’ The problem was that every household on that telephone line would hear the ring, and could lift their receiver and listen to the conversation that was taking place as a result of the call. One simply had to hope that other people wouldn’t ‘listen in’ on their telephone conversations. And, usually they didn’t.
The Swenson’s ring was one long and one short ring. The ring for the Yoder household was two short rings and one long ring. Today, this would seem to be a cumbersome and antiquated method for making a telephone call. But those were the times, and it worked until a storm might interrupt calls, or tree limbs rubbing against telephone wires on a windy day that would cause static or interrupt the call, thus making it difficult to understand what the other person was saying.
So, Jacob turned the crank on the side of their wall mounted telephone, and heard the distant ring that would activate the operator’s switchboard. A moment passed, and then the operator’s voice came on saying, “What number please?” Jacob paused, and the operator’s voice came once again, “What number please?” Then, Jacob, with all the courage he could muster and in the weakest voice he had ever heard himself produce,
“The Abraham Yoder residence on Rural Route #1, please.” The operator paused, probably looking up their telephone number and their ring sequence, finally said,
“I have it now, and will ring them for you.”
Jacob heard the first ring. ‘Maybe they aren’t home,’ Jacob thought with a mixture of relief and anxiety. The second ring was heard in the distance, then a pause and a ’click’ as the telephone receiver was raised.
A female voice said, “Hello?” It was apparently Rebecca’s mother, or at least he thought so. For a couple of seconds, Jacob thought that he had lost his voice, and he was momentarily silent. Again, Mrs. Yoder’s voice was heard, “Hello? Is anyone there?”
Jacob’s voice was still weaker than usual, but he mustered, “Mrs. Yoder?” still trying to recover his voice.
Her reply was a brief, “Yes?”
“I was wondering if Rebecca might be there so I can speak with her,” Jacob replied. He thought that he was about to lose his voice. He supposed it was nerves!
Rebecca’s mother, curious as to what male caller was asking to speak with her daughter, asked, “And, who may I say is calling?” Jacob was now truly afraid that he would not be permitted to speak with Rebecca.
But, in spite of his fear, Jacob replied in his strongest voice, “This is Jacob Swenson. I know Rebecca from school.”
Rebecca’s mother said in what appeared to be a gentle voice, “I will see if I can find her. Just a moment, please.”
Well, at least Mrs. Yoder didn’t refuse to let him talk with Rebecca! Jacob waited patiently, his heart pounding loudly. One minute…two minutes…three minutes— ‘Was she ever going to come to the telephone?’ Maybe she and her mother were discussing whether she should come to the phone to talk with him. Maybe his nervousness was for nothing.’Maybe she doesn’t want to talk with me,’ was Jacob’s most negative thought.
The voice on the telephone was once again Rebecca’s mother. “Hello, Jacob?” Jacob’s heart sank, for he just knew that her mother was going to tell him that Rebecca was busy, which would mean that she did not wish to speak with him. Mrs. Yoder continued, “Rebecca is on her way to the telephone. Can you wait another moment? She’s trying to finish the last few stitches on a dress that she is making.” Jacob’s heart leaped! He was actually going to speak with Rebecca!
“Yes, I can wait. Thank you”, Jacob replied.
The moments seemed to drag on. Maybe she forgot to come to the phone! “Hello?” came a sweet voice over the telephone line. It was Rebecca’s voice! Fear once again caught Jacob, and he was almost unable to return her “Hello.”
But he regained his composure, and said, “Hello Rebecca? It is good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear yours too, Jacob,” Rebecca replied.
With those words, Jacob’s heart rejoiced, and the burden of fear that he had been carrying with him from the beginning of the telephone call began to vanish! He felt light—even a little airy!
It was a relief to hear Rebecca’s voice, and from what she said in reply realizing that she was apparently happy to hear from him! As far as he was concerned, the conversation could have ended at that moment! But, the reason for calling was not complete.
So, he pushed forward and said, “I am just wondering if you are you going to be in Eden at your father’s store next Saturday morning?” Although Jacob prided himself as one who did not lie, he continued with a little one in order to keep the conversation going, “I have to go there again, and was hoping to stop by and say ‘Hello’ to you if you are going to be there.”
Rebecca replied in her sweet voice, “Yes, I am to be there to help my father again, starting at around 8:00 a.m. until about noon. Since my brother will be working in the fields, I must be home by noon to help my mother take the noon meal out to the field for him.”
Then, Rebecca said something that Jacob did not expect. He had not dared to imagine that she might say something that would give a shadow of caring, or that she would look forward to seeing him again. But, she did when she simply said, “And, when might I expect you to stop by?” Although Jacob had yet to come up with a logical reason for convincing his father that he needed to leave the farm the next morning to drive to Eden, all he could think of to say was,
“I will plan on being there at about 10:00 a.m.”
“I will be looking for you, Jacob,” Rebecca replied with a happy voice.
After a few pleasantries, and with a polite “good-bye,” Jacob and Rebecca ended their conversation. Now, Jacob felt as though he was truly walking on air! He was going to see Rebecca again! He had been so worried about calling her, and because he had the courage to call in spite of his fear of rejection, he was going to be able to see her again! To him, it almost seemed a miracle! And, the best part was that she seemed to be glad that she would be able to see him again!
Now, he had to come up with a valid excuse for leaving the farm on Saturday morning to drive to Eden, particularly when his father would be expecting him to be available to work on their farms! What will the reason be? Harvest was completed long ago, as was the harvest of row crops, and the silo was filled with finely chopped cane sorghum that was fermenting nicely, at least what he could tell from the sweet somewhat acid smell that was coming from their two tall silos.
Jacob’s father always had something planned for Saturdays that needed to be completed. On a large farm operation such as Fall Meadow Farms, it was inevitable. So, Jacob must come up with a reason that was so important that the hour or two of Saturday work that he would be missing would not seem as important. What could that be? The week would soon be over, and so a good reason for driving to Eden would have to be decided. But, as he dozed off to sleep each night of that week, still no good reason came to mind.
When Jacob had replaced the telephone receiver after his conversation with Rebecca, and was pleasantly reflecting on it, Rebecca was already on the phone with Sarah. “Guess what?” Rebecca said breathlessly, holding the telephone receiver so tightly that her knuckles were turning white! Sarah wasn’t given a chance to respond, when Rebecca answered her own question, “Jacob Swenson called me on the telephone!”
“He didn’t!” Sarah exclaimed in a hushed almost breathless voice since she didn’t want her parents to ask questions about the call from Rebecca.
“Yes!” Rebecca replied in an equally hushed tone for the very same reason, “And, he’s coming to father’s store on Saturday morning to say ‘Hello’!”
“Oh,
Rebecca,” Sarah warned, “You are so very brave! What would your father say if he found Jacob in the store talking with you, and for being there for no other reason than to see you? I would imagine that he will ask Jacob to leave if he is not there on business, or to purchase something!”
“He wouldn’t dare!” Rebecca whispered loudly.
At that moment, Rebecca’s parents entered the kitchen where the telephone was located. As Rebecca caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye, she concluded her conversation with Sarah by saying as though there was nothing exciting to talk about, “And, I’ll see you at school tomorrow! It will be good to see you, as always. I’ll not ask you what you are going to wear, since we wear the same style of dress and cap every day! The only difference is the color. You know the routine—near ankle length print dress with puffed sleeves and shoulders, heavy stockings, plain shoes, and our boring white cap!”
Sarah, realizing that something had happened to end their previous conversation, wisely said, “And, it appears that your parents have come into the kitchen. Is that the case?”
Rebecca responded in an equally wise manner with, “Yes, it does become tiresome, I know! Bye—bye Sarah. Have a good evening.”
When Rebecca hung the receiver on its hook, her parents looked at her rather sternly. It was apparent that they did not appreciate the comments by their daughter regarding their manner of dress. But Rebecca and Sarah had discussed the issue on several occasions. When the other girls at their high school could wear the latest styles of clothes, it did not seem fair to them that the plain life style of the Eden River Mennonite Order had to carry over into the clothes that they wore every day at school, and even to church on Sunday! Even when Rebecca worked at her father’s Eden General Store, girls had to dress exactly the same way, and for all practical purposes looking just like their mothers!
