A Place Called Eden

by R. H. Hull

  Rebecca was speaking rapidly as Tom pulled into the long driveway of their farm, “Tom, I have a confession to make. Jacob told me in high school today when we were talking about us that he had feelings for me that he felt were those of love. And, I told him in return that I feel that I love him. I do Tom! I feel that I love Jacob with all my heart! I know it! I feel it!”

  Tom stopped the pickup truck abruptly. As the truck slid to a stop, and as dust from their driveway rose around the windows, he looked at Rebecca sternly, and said in a strong voice, “Are you sure that you are not just rebelling against father’s commitment that you are not to see Jacob? How can you know about love? How can you know that you are in love? You do not know Jacob that well, and you have not been with him enough to know that you love him!”

  Rebecca looked squarely into Tom’s eyes, “I know that I feel that I love him, and I feel strongly that he is the one with whom I desire to spend my life in marriage!”

  Tom paused momentarily and then said, adding a quiet intensity to his voice, “You are going to die when father finds out! Even though we adhere to a culture of non-violence, he will be livid! Perhaps he will only excommunicate you from our family, he mused. Oh Rebecca, what have you done! I will help you in any way that I can, but this is going further than I ever imagined!”

  Rebecca could hardly hold back an amused smile. “Tom, you are imagining things that will not happen. No one knows about Jacob and my conversation today. I have not told anyone but you, not even Sarah. It is a secret that now only Jacob, you and I are aware of. Mother will understand. I know she will, and she will protect me, even if you won’t.”

  Tom also couldn’t hold back an amused smile, and said in reply, “I hope she will, Rebecca. For your sake, I sincerely hope that she will.”

  When they pulled up to the back door of their family’s farm house, Rebecca climbed out of Tom’s pickup truck and went immediately into the kitchen where the telephone was located. No one was there, so she picked up the receiver to call Sarah. After the operator put the call through, the phone on the other end rang twice and Sarah’s mother answered. Rebecca asked for Sarah and waited momentarily until Sarah came to the phone. Rebecca was sure that someone would walk into the kitchen while she was talking, so she spoke quickly and quietly, “Sarah, I need to talk with you! Come to our house and pick me up if you can by 10 minutes before 7:00 p.m. on the button. Can you get here at that time?”

  Sarah replied, “Okay, but it seems any more that I am spending more time driving to your house than I am spending at home! I will ask if I can borrow our car once more. If I can, I will be there at 10 minutes before 7:00 pm. ‘on the button,’ as you said.”

  “Good,” Rebecca replied. “Now, I must hang up!”

  Just as Rebecca hung up the phone, her mother walked into the kitchen. “Who was on the telephone, Rebecca?”

  Rebecca flushed, her face turning more pink than usual. “I was talking with Sarah. She is coming over at a little before 7:00 p.m. so we can talk. We’re going to drive around for a little while.”

  “This sounds important, Rebecca. Is it?” Her mother was primarily wanting to determine the nature of the talk, but was hesitant to intrude into her daughter’s privacy. She was a considerate parent, and wanted her daughter to have the opportunity to have some privacy in her life that she was not afforded by her parents during her teenage years. In fact, during those years of her life, her parents gave her no privacy, and she felt deprived of the opportunity to be, at least to some degree, her own person. She did not want to deprive Rebecca of the opportunities that she was not afforded, no matter how her husband felt about it. And, if Rebecca felt that it was important enough, she knew that she would eventually want to talk with her about it anyway. Rebecca seemed to feel comfortable talking with her mother about rather private matters, and it made her mother feel good that Rebecca trusted her in that way.

  Rebecca remained quiet during dinner again that evening. It seemed to her parents that she was more quiet than usual during most meals nowadays.

  Again, the question was asked, “Rebecca, is something bothering you?” her father inquired.

  Rebecca looked up first at her mother, then Tom, and then at her father, nearly avoiding his eyes. Looking down at her plate of food that she had barely touched, she said, “No, father, nothing is bothering me. School has been rather difficult. The subjects that I am taking this semester are hard, but nothing else that I can think of.” Rebecca wanted more than anything to tell someone about Jacob and what she had planned for the evening, but knew full well that if she did, she would not be allowed to leave the house.

  Chapter 18

  At exactly 10 minutes before 7:00 p.m., Sarah drove into the driveway of the Yoder farm and pulled up to the back gate. As was usually the case, Rebecca was waiting, and almost before Sarah had pulled to a stop, Rebecca opened the passenger side door and jumped in.

  “Here we go again!” Sarah said with a happy sound to her voice. “Where to this time?”

  “The church parking lot by 7:00 p.m.,” Rebecca said quickly. “Jacob will be meeting us there, and I will get into his car. But, at all costs, I need for you to be in the parking lot at 8:30 p.m. sharp to pick me up! I do not want anyone to see me leave Jacob’s car and climb into yours! If someone from our community saw me do that, I know they would wonder what I was doing, and they would probably ask my parents!”

  Sarah looked troubled. “This is truly a risky thing you are doing, Rebecca! I want you to know that I am with you all the way, but now I am beginning to get cold feet!”

  “Me too,” Rebecca answered, “But, I told Jacob to meet us in our church parking lot promptly at 7:00 p.m., and so I feel obligated to be there. I am willing to take a chance on being caught. I want to be alone with Jacob so badly that I am willing to do this!”

  “It must truly be love, or about as close to it as I can think of! Remember when we read Romeo and Juliet in school? Well, it seems like that, but don’t even think about poison!” Sarah said with an odd smile on her face.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Rebecca said. “Just get me to the church parking lot as fast as you can. It is now 7:00 p.m. according to the clock on your dash board!” Sarah was just pulling into the parking lot when a dull black car pulled in beside her. “There he is,” Rebecca said.

  As Sarah looked into the side window of Jacob’s car and saw him, she remarked, “Oh, Rebecca, he’s so cute!”

  Rebecca quickly climbed out of Sarah’s family car and ran to the passenger side of Jacob’s car, jerked open the door and slid into the seat as quickly as she could just as another car was seen being driven slowly down the road past the church parking lot.

  Panting audibly, out of breath, her heart was beating so loudly that she was afraid that Jacob could hear it. “Oh, Jacob, I am so afraid! We are risking so much in order to be together. I am so afraid that we will be caught!”

  Jacob looked over at Rebecca and smiled as he said, “Is it worth it? Or, do you want to climb back into Sarah’s car and go back home?”

  “Oh, Jacob, I want to be with you even for a short time. Let’s leave quickly. The longer we remain in my church parking lot, the more likely we will, indeed, be caught!”

  Jacob drove out of the parking lot onto the country road. “Where do you want to go, Rebecca?” Without waiting for a response, he continued, “I would like to go someplace where no one knows us—another town where we will be able to go someplace to talk, maybe to a restaurant where we will be alone so we can talk.”

  Rebecca was feeling very uncomfortable. She had never deceived her parents in such a way before, and was feeling very guilty.

  “Jacob,” she broke the silence, “How do you feel?” And, without pausing, Rebecca answered her half of her own question when she said, “I know how I am feeling, I’m feeling very guilty deceiving my parents this way!”

  Jacob looked at her and smiled his beautiful wholesome smile. Then said, “How do I feel? I am feeli
ng wonderful! I am with the most beautiful, the nicest young woman I have ever met, and I get to be with her even for a short time—alone! But a short time is certainly better than nothing at all! I am with the girl who I feel I love very much! That’s how I feel!”

  He smiled again, and then drove on into the night toward a small town 20 miles south of the Eden River Mennonite Church by the name of Cambridge, Kansas, a non-Mennonite community where there was a truck stop near the highway called Rick’s Coffee Shop that offered soft drinks, tea and coffee, and where they should be safe from observers.

  After driving for 30 minutes, they drove into the parking lot of the coffee shop and parked near several 18-wheeler trucks. After telling Rebecca what he was going to do, Jacob left the car and walked to the restaurant to make sure that there was no evidence of members of the Eden River Mennonite faith inside. Of course, the only way he would have been able to tell was by their manner of dress. Otherwise, there would be no way of knowing.

  He entered and looked around quickly, pretending to be looking for someone so as not to look suspicious. Although he had nothing to look suspicious about since he had done nothing wrong, bringing Rebecca to a public place made him feel somewhat ‘guilty by association,’ since he knew he was placing her in a very awkward position of making excuses for being somewhere she was not supposed to be. She had told her parents that she was going to be with Sarah, and had thus lied to them. Punishment by her family for such an act could be severe. She was taking a great risk just to be with him, even for a brief period of time! At this point, all Jacob really wanted to do is to get their time together over with as quickly and as unobserved as possible! But, that in and of itself made him feel sad since he, more than anything else, wanted to be with Rebecca alone. The conflict was very frustrating!

  Jacob quickly walked back to his car where Rebecca waited patiently. She rolled down the side window to hear him, and he said that it was all clear. He opened the car door for her and they walked together to the restaurant, Rebecca in her traditional Mennonite garb with white cap perched on the back of her head with straps hanging loosely around her shoulders, long cotton print dress with puff sleeves, dark brown hose and plain shoes, and Jacob in his modified white shirt from which he had removed the collar, plain dark slacks with suspenders to hold them up, a flat brimmed black hat, and rather plain dress shoes with dark socks. The fresh new chin whiskers that were growing completed the changes that he had made in order to be with Rebecca and not stand out as one from ‘the world’—better known as an ‘Englisher’ in the words of the Old Order Mennonites. Since he was alone with an obviously conservative Mennonite young woman, not having made those changes would have been a matter worth gossip in some communities of south-central Kansas.

  They found a booth near the back of the restaurant out of sight of most of the main room, sitting together on the same side of the booth. They sat silently, waiting for a waitress who seemed busy waiting on other tables. Finally, the waitress saw them and came to their booth to ask if they would like to have a menu. They told her that they did not, and only wanted something to drink. Both ordered a soft drink and a straw, hers without ice, since ice in a drink was considered an extravagance ‘of the world,’ and looked down upon by her church. Hearing what Rebecca ordered, Jacob ordered the same even though he would have preferred to have ice with his drink. But, again, he didn’t want to draw attention away from his appearance of being with a young Old Order Mennonite woman by ordering something that was obviously not condoned within their traditions.

  Rebecca and Jacob sat quietly for a few moments. Neither one of them felt comfortable, particularly Rebecca since she knew very well that she had voluntarily lied to her parents about where she was going that evening, and Jacob was a part of that lie, as was Sarah—two special people in her life who could be in very deep trouble by participating in her deceit.

  A few words of small talk were spoken, nothing deep or personal that she had imagined they would have conversed about. She had dreamed that they would be talking about their future, about how happy they were to be together, how they would meet next time, and other such topics of a personal nature. But they sat uncomfortably, not speaking, but rather simply worried that they would be caught.

  The waitress brought their soft drinks without ice along with straws for both of them. Jacob wondered about the significance of drinks without ice as opposed to the use of drinking straws. Aren’t both considered somewhat of an extravagance? He thought about asking, but then decided not to. He, too, was worried that someone from Rebecca’s church who might be driving home from a neighboring town would stop in at the truck stop for a bite to eat and discover the two of them sitting together alone. They would surely think it strange, and tell her parents that they saw them. So, they sat quietly and drank their soft drinks quickly.

  Their evening was not turning out as they had expected or desired in any way, except for the fact that they were together alone. Guilt does that to a person, and both Rebecca and Jacob were realizing that in no uncertain terms at this moment.

  It was time to go home. They must leave, or continue to fear discovery! Jacob left the amount owed for the soft drinks on the table along with a small tip he had learned from his parents as being appropriate in a restaurant, and they both left the truck stop. They walked quickly across the parking lot and into Jacob’s car. It was now 8:10 p.m., and Sarah was supposed to be waiting in the church parking lot at exactly 8:30 p.m. They had just enough time to make it if Jacob drove a little above the speed limit, which he did.

  Rebecca was sitting near the passenger side window, almost afraid to look out for fear she would see a car she recognized from her community, or worse, her parents! They drove quickly to the Eden River Mennonite Church parking lot. As Rebecca had feared, Sarah was not there waiting for them to drive her home! Sarah being told that she could not use her parent’s car was Rebecca’s worst fear! So, perhaps her worst fear was coming true! What if someone drove by their church and saw a strange car sitting in the parking lot and came to investigate?

  Rebecca and Jacob remained in his car anxiously waiting for Sarah to return. Rebecca had hoped for a romantic evening with Jacob. She had waited for this time to be alone with Jacob for such a long time! But it was turning out to be nothing romantic, but rather a time filled with fear that they would be caught together!

  Rebecca sat with her hands folded tightly and her eyes closed, praying that Sarah would drive into the parking lot to pick her up! There were no church activities going on that evening, so the parking was empty except for Jacob’s car. Anyone could see them if they drove into see why they were there! Then, they would surely tell her parents that she was sitting in the parking lot with a young man who they did not know! How would she explain it to her parents, when she had told them that she was going to be with Sarah! Oh…why had she deceived her parents!? She felt so guilty!

  Rebecca re-opened her eyes just in time to see a pair of headlights coming toward the church. The car was slowing down apparently to turn into the parking lot. “Oh Lord, please let it be Sarah,” Rebecca prayed out loud! And, she was thankful that it was, indeed, Sarah’s parents’ car, and Sarah was driving alone.

  Rebecca realized suddenly that she had hardly spoken to Jacob during the entire evening. She had been so afraid of being caught, and she felt so guilty that her stomach had been tied in knots from the beginning of the evening to the end, and that was not conducive to casual, or even constructive conversation.

  Rebecca looked at Jacob, her eyes meeting his. She at least wanted to say goodbye before she left his car. He took her hand and squeezed it lightly, and with his other hand he placed it on her shoulder. They paused for a brief moment; eyes fixed on each other. Jacob’s hand that was on her shoulder became firmer as though he was about to pull her toward him. Instead, Rebecca suddenly jumped up on her knees next to Jacob and kissed him gently and quickly on his cheek. Jacob was slightly startled at the sudden change in behavior and the
kiss that was really just a peck on the cheek!

  And, instead of releasing Rebecca’s hand, he pulled her to him and kissed her firmly on the lips! Rebecca, now startled by receiving what was, she suddenly realized her first real kiss, brought her hands to her lips. And, instead of saying anything, she inhaled audibly, and with her blue eyes open wide, gave Jacob a beautiful smile, and then jumped out onto the parking lot and into the front seat of Sarah’s waiting car where she waved at Jacob.

  Jacob sat for a moment, remembering the kiss, and the fact that Rebecca seemed to accept it as something that was supposed to happen! In fact, by her beautiful smile, she seemed pleased! On that happy note, he drove out of the church parking lot, and toward Fall Meadow Farms.

  Safely inside of Sarah’s car, and after a fairly lengthy silence, Sarah, in hushed tones said, “Rebecca! I saw you kiss Jacob, and then he kissed you right on the lips! Oh Rebecca! What did you say? Oh, what a wicked thing to do, Rebecca!”

  Rebecca, thinking back to that moment in Jacob’s car, responded by saying in her most confident and romantic voice, “I don’t think I said anything! I wanted more than anything to kiss Jacob on the cheek to thank him for all that he had done to make his car look like those of this community and for risking being caught with me at the restaurant where we went. I didn’t know that he would then pull me to him to kiss me on the lips! All I did at that point, I think, is smile! I couldn’t think of anything to say! It was just wonderful!” Rebecca sighed and smiled.

  Surprised, Sarah responded to what she thought was almost a brazen statement from Rebecca regarding the kissing episode, “You mean you liked it?” she said in hushed tones.