Sarah looked at Joseph with worry plain on her face.
“He is one persistent man,” Joseph muttered. “What is that term the Englischers use?”
John, hearing his question, walked out of the kitchen. “‘Stalker,’ Mr. Beiler. He’s stalking Miriam. I heard about this when I spent some time in the city.”
***
Miriam was grateful that she was so busy with the quilting. The only times she wasn’t in the quilting room at her sewing machine, she was helping Sarah or spending time with John or Anna.
Joseph hired a young Amish boy to help him with the chores that Miriam had previously helped him with – milking and caring for the livestock.
He noticed that, on several days as he returned to the house, he saw the by now very familiar black truck driving slowly up and down several roads around Ephrata. It was Lance, looking for an opportunity to encounter Miriam. Joseph was grateful that he had told Miriam that, when she needed to leave the farm, she was to be with him, Sarah, John or Anna.
Miriam continued her daily work on the Amish Wedding quilt. She had allotted several weeks for its completion and she was just a little bit ahead of the schedule she had planned for herself. On one day when Sarah needed several crafting supplies, she realized she would be forced to ask Miriam to buy them for her.
“Joseph, can you take her to town?”
“I can’t. I have this order to finish – my customer told me he needs it earlier than he had realized, so I need to get it done fast,” Joseph said. “You can’t go with her?”
“Nee. I am rising the bread for supper right now.”
Joseph sighed, feeling helpless. “Well, it’s early. Maybe, if she leaves now and hurries, she can be back before that Lance character comes here. He’s been arriving after dinnertime for the past several weeks.”
“I don’t like it, but I have no choice. Okay. I’ll tell her to leave right now and get back as fast as she can,” Sarah said with a worried sigh.
In the house, Miriam’s jaw dropped as she heard Sarah’s instructions.
“Alone? But mamm! He’s still out there, from what daed says! I can’t go out alone,” Miriam said.
“We don’t like it, but I can’t leave home and your daed is trying to finish a rush order. Just go now. Here’s my money and list. Get what I need and get home as fast as you can,” Sarah said, worry in her voice.
Miriam swallowed, feeling fear swirling in her belly.
“OK, but I have to leave right now. I want to be back before dinnertime.” Tucking the cash and list into her apron pocket, she hurried to the barn and quickly hitched the horse to the buggy.
“Daughter, be very watchful. Keep an eye on all the roads and look for his truck. If you see him and he tries to stop you, ignore him and get back on the road. Take back roads if you must, and get home as fast as you can,” Joseph instructed Miriam.
“Ya. Daed, you are scaring me!”
“Good! Let it keep you alert. Go now and be careful.”
Miriam left, driving the buggy as fast as she could. Arriving at the market, she picked up everything her mother needed and stopped at the counter to pay.
Hurrying to the buggy, she put everything in the back, untied the horse from the post and climbed into the buggy. Driving back as fast as she could, she kept a worried eye out for an all-too-familiar black truck. As she got closer to home, she began to breathe a little more freely.
Lance, driving to an outlying Englischer community to talk to a baseball prospect, kept moving his eyes over the countryside, looking for Miriam. As he got closer to the edge of the Amish community, he felt disappointment. Then, he spotted her buggy moving quickly down another road. By now, familiar with the roads in and through Ephrata, Lance whipped his steering wheel around, taking a side road so he could shortstop Miriam. Driving quickly, he slammed on the brakes and turning his steering wheel so he could angle his truck, blocking Miriam’s ability to get away.
Miriam, seeing him and how he had angled his truck, was scared for her safety. “Let me go! I have work to do and my mamm needs her purchases!” she called out.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to know something – why is everyone and their uncle reacting to me the way they have?” Lance asked.
“Because the Amish Ordnung – the rules we live by – forbid me from spending time with any man who is not my fiance. If anyone from the Amish community were to pass by and see me talking to you right now, it would destroy my reputation. I would be seen as damaged,” Miriam said. As she spoke to Lance, she tried to measure the gap between the back of Lance’s truck and the edge of the road. I think I can pass by and get away. Slapping the horse’s back with her reins, she began moving slowly between the edge of the road and the back of Lance’s truck.
Lance, seeing her moving through the gap, finally realized that his interest in her could ruin her reputation. Climbing into his truck with reluctance, he set the gear into “drive” and moved it forward slightly, allowing her to get through.
Miriam turned to him. “Denki for understanding. Please don’t come after me any more. Respect my life and how I live it.” Facing forward again, she flicked the reins, urging the horse on – she didn’t want to be seen in his company at all.
Getting home, she told both of her parents that he had found her and that she had told him to leave her alone.
“Did he try anything to you?” Sarah asked, hand at her throat.
“Nee. When I told him that his interest could destroy my reputation – about the Ordnung, he realized we were serious. He let me go then. That’s when I came home,” Miriam said.
After that, Miriam – and all of Ephrata – had several weeks of peace. Her message to Lance seemed to have worked. Joseph didn’t see his truck rolling through the community at any time of the day or night.
Miriam, finding this out, began to feel as though she could breathe freely. Now that Lance had stopped snooping around Ephrata, Miriam felt a little more freedom to visit Anna and go to the market when she needed to do so. On days when she and her parents had to go into town, she felt happier and more excited, knowing she was not likely to bump into Lance.
***
In Philadelphia, Lance struggled with his resolve to stay away from Ephrata and Miriam. On some days, it was difficult for him to resist the drive to the small Amish community.
As the weeks wore on, however, his resistance began to crumble. As April slid into May, he began to question his decision to stay away.
What are ya, some kinda’ wuss? You go for what you want and you take it, dude! Are you gonna let some stupid, old-fashioned religious rules get in the way of what you want? You want that woman, so go take her. Besides, you know she was just putting up a show of resistance. She wants you just as bad as you want her. She was kissing that Amish dude, but before long, she’ll be kissing you. Don’t let her parents and her boyfriend get in the way. Take her, you idiot!
These thoughts and more ran through Lance’s mind. As the academic year at his university finally ended, he decided he was going to take a day off and pay a little visit to Miriam.
Striding into his boss’s office, he plopped into the chair across from his boss.
“Hey, Dan, I need to take a personal day. I’ll wait until finals are over,” said Lance.
“Sure, long as everything is up to date, you can take a day. Shoot me an email,” Dan said.
“You got it. Thanks, man!” Lance stood up and went back to his office, feeling relief. You’re doing the right thing, dude – for you.
At the end of the semester, Lance jumped into his truck, anticipating seeing Miriam’s quiet beauty. She’s a looker, all right, but take that ridiculous bonnet thing off her head, curl that beautiful hair and put some makeup on her and WHOA! She’ll look even more beautiful. I might be able to convince her to come away with me by the end of the summer. That’s what I’m going to plan on, anyway. Besides, it’s been a couple months since I’ve been in Ephrata. It won’t matter. The
y won’t mind. I obeyed their idiotic rules.
Setting his cruise control once he hit highway speed, Lance drove quickly to the Amish community.
***
In Ephrata, Miriam was taking a rare day off of her own. Humming a hymn under her breath, she made sure her hair was neatly combed, then set her black prayer kapp on her head.
“Mamm, I’m going to Anna King’s. We’re going to spend the day together and I’m going to look through some cross stitch patterns to see if she has any patterns I might be able to use for future quilt orders,” she told Sarah.
“Okay, but be watchful, daughter. That Lance character hasn’t been around for some weeks, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to come back,” Sarah warned.
“Ya, mamm. I will. I’m going straight to her house and coming straight home. It will be before supper when I get home,” Miriam promised.
“Okay. Eat some hot breakfast first,” Sarah instructed.
After spending an enjoyable day with Anna, Miriam was riding back, using side roads to get home.
In the distance, Lance smacked his steering wheel, laughing.
“Bingo! There she is!” He stopped his truck, looking at her direction, then took the road she turned onto. Angling his truck as he had before, he jumped out of the truck and, bending down, began plucking wildflowers from the side of the road.
Miriam spotted the black truck and got scared.
“What are you doing here? My fiance and father told you to stay away from me!” she said. “Go – no! I don’t want those,” Miriam said, edging away from the small bouquet that Lance was holding out toward her. Seeing the display of affection, she grew even more scared for her safety and reputation. She didn’t try to look for any side roads – there were none that connected with the road to her parents’ farm.
“Please, just give me a few minutes of your time. I know you’re engaged, and I respect that. I just want to get to know you a little better – as friends,” Lance pleaded.
“No. That is not possible. Our rules make no allowances for a woman to be friends with a man not her fiance or husband. I can’t be friends with you. Now, please let me pass. I have to get home and help my mother with supper,” Miriam said. She refused to plead or beg. She had to be strong.
“Please. Just enjoy the sunlight with me? For a few minutes? Please? That’s all,” Lance said.
Miriam sighed. If the only way I can get him off my back is to sit with him for a few minutes, I will do so, then I will hurry home. Why didn’t I take that other side road?
Climbing down from the buggy unassisted, she walked slowly to the side of the road and, crossing her arms stiffly, she faced the sun quietly. After a few minutes, she uncrossed her arms and said, “I have to go home now.”
Lance nodded and moved his truck out of the way.
Climbing back into the buggy, she was startled when she saw Samuel Fisher rushing up to her.
“Miriam! What are you doing, talking to a strange man? Are you all right?”
Miriam looked at Samuel with wide eyes. She knew just what could happen. Looking at Lance Newman, she said, “This is what I was telling you about! I don’t want to spend time with you because . . . because I don’t like you. And because, doing so will ruin my reputation!” As she spoke, she flung the nosegay at Lance.
“Mr. Fisher, you can ask John to confirm this. In fact, I beg you to do so. This is the man who nearly ran me over at the beginning of spring. I have spent most of the spring trying to avoid him, but he won’t listen to me.” Flicking the horse’s reins, she sped away, trying not to cry and scream.
That evening, John knocked hard on the front door even before Miriam could sit down to supper. Dreading the coming scene, she opened the door.
“Miriam, I just talked to my daed, and he told me that he saw you talking to that Lance! What were you thinking?”
Miriam looked frantically from John to her shocked parents.
“Miriam? What were you doing? I told you to watch out for him and to get home right away!” Sarah said.
“Wait. Everyone, please wait. John, I told him exactly what could happen to me if anyone saw me talking to him. You know that I have been trying to avoid him ever since he first came here! The last time he tried to stop me, I told him his interest could ruin me and he seemed to understand what I was talking about. That’s when he stopped coming here. Mamm, daed and I agreed that I could spend the day with Anna King today as long as I went straight there and came straight home. That’s what I was doing. I had no idea that that Lance had decided to try and come back here,” Miriam said forcefully. She was angrier than she had ever felt before.
“Okay. I am sorry, Miriam. You’re innocent – that’s clear. But, please. Don’t talk with him at all. Don’t spend even one minute in his presence. Ignore him! If he tries blocking you again, get around him on the side of the road,” John pleaded.
Miriam, upset, nodded sharply, agreeing with John.
Meantime, Lance, not knowing that John was at the farm, knocked at the door.
Joseph, already upset by what Miriam had done, was even angrier when he saw the tall, blonde Englischer standing on the porch.
“Do you know what you’ve done to my daughter? You’ve put her good reputation at risk! Her fiancé’s father – his father! Saw her talking to you. Stop acting mupsich – stupid – and leave my daughter alone! Don’t come her and don’t talk to her. Don’t even look at her. Go on! Get out of her!”
Miriam had taken too much. About to break down crying, she threw the pot holder onto the kitchen table and ran upstairs into her room. Sitting forcefully on her bed, she began to cry.
Downstairs, Sarah and Joseph Beiler, along with John, stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Joseph mutely pointed to the door, not trusting his ability to speak. John took a menacing step toward the interloper. Sarah crossed her arms and took several steps toward him.
Lance, belatedly realizing his blunder, raised his hands, palms out.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d put her at risk by just passing a few minutes with her. I’m outta’ here,” he said. Backing up fast, he bumped into the edge of the door. Correcting his path, he backed out and, turning around, ran down the porch as fast as he could. Looking up to the second story windows, he spotted Miriam’s downcast head and her shoulders framed in a window. He paused for just a second, hoping she would look down. Then, thinking of his self-preservation, he ran to his truck and gunned the engine. Leaving a huge dust plume rising in the air, he took off as fast as he could.
The atmosphere in the Beiler house was quiet and sad for the next few days. Miriam, feeling pulled between two forces, tried to find her usual happy mood, but couldn’t. Joseph and Sarah were worried for her safety and good reputation.
That Sunday was a meeting Sunday. After the three-hour service had ended, Bishop Stoltzfus asked Sarah to join him.
Sitting on a bench that was at a distance from the lunch crowd, he began to speak.
“I have heard that you were seen in the company of an Englischer man, Miss Beiler. Is this the same man the drives the black truck?”
“Yes, Bishop, he is. I . . .” Miriam sighed, trying to stay calm. “I have been trying to make him leave me alone. I’ve tried to avoid him. When he was coming here every day, I stopped running errands for my mamm and daed. I didn’t go into town to visit friends or to buy supplies for my quilting. Bishop, that man has tried to express his interest in me. John and my daed told him that John and I are courting and to leave me alone. I told him about the Ordnung and how we are expected to live. Before I stopped going about Ephrata by myself, he blocked my buggy once. This last time – the first time he had returned after several weeks – he blocked me once again. We – John and my parents – told him to leave me alone and never to contact me again. I don’t know what else I can do!” Miriam said, swallowing her tears.
“Okay. It is clear that he doesn’t want to understand the Ordnung and how we are all expected to obey the rule
s. I see, too, that you have done everything you could to avoid him. Miss Beiler, for the sake of your good name, I am telling you to do everything your parents tell you to do, from today forward. Do you understand?” asked the bishop.
“Yes. Denki.” Miriam quickly returned to sitting with Anna, and began playing with her food.
That night, after Miriam had come home from the singing with John, her parents called her into the kitchen.
“Daughter, until this Lance character moves on, you can’t go out around by yourself. It’s clear he doesn’t respect you, your reputation or our rules. If you need to go out, you will go out with us or John,” said Joseph.
Miriam was scared. Lance had nearly destroyed her life and her reputation. Nodding quickly, she agreed with her father.
“What about going to see Anna?” she asked.
“One of us will take you to go spend the day with her, then go to pick you up. Until that man understands our rules, that’s how it has to be,” Joseph said.
Miriam didn’t like this arrangement, but knowing the alternative, agreed to it.
“Denki, daed. I know you’re trying to protect me,” Miriam said.
CHAPTER FIVE
Two weeks later, Miriam told her parents that she needed to go to the Amish market for items she needed. Her father told her he would take her. As they were on the way to the market, Joseph spotted the black truck.
“He’s back. I’m taking that side road there,” he told Miriam.
Miriam sighed, grateful now that her daed was now with her.
Lance, driving down the quiet roads, spotted Miriam’s buggy in the far distance. Figuring out which road the buggy was on, he veered onto that road. As he approached Miriam, he realized, too late, that Miriam was with her father.
Oh, no, no way! I don’t want to tangle with him again!
Pulling abreast of the buggy, Lance floored the accelerator, speeding down the dirt road. He left a huge, brown cloud of dust behind him, causing Miriam and Joseph to choke on it. Once they had gotten the dust out of their mouths, Joseph drove straight to the market, where Miriam bought everything she needed.
Winter of Faith Collection Page 10
