Her mother laughed, her green eyes crinkling at the corners. Even though her mother was in her mid forties, she was still quite an attractive woman. Rose hoped she might look as good when she reached that age.
“Of course, you haven’t done anything wrong, Rose. I couldn’t have asked for a better dochder.”
Rose was relieved, but hated not knowing things. She couldn’t wait to hear what her mother was going to tell her. “Can you tell me now, Mamm? I can’t wait.”
Her mother sighed. “Okay, sit down.”
Once Rose was seated at the long wooden kitchen table, her mother sat opposite.
“Now that both of your brothers are married, I can turn my attention to helping you, and Tulip, and then the twins to find husbands.”
“Is that it?”
“Jah, it wasn’t a big secret I had to tell you.”
Rose huffed. “I thought it was. Anyway, I don’t need help, thanks all the same. I’d rather not look for a man. He can find me.”
Her mother shook her head. “That’s not how it happens. You must listen to me, Rose. If you wait, you’ll end up with no one!”
Rose frowned at the urgency and panic in her mother’s voice.
Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Men are in limited supply in the community. Girls Tulip’s age are getting married, and girls the twins’ age are dating. I don’t want you to miss out.”
Rose thought about that for a moment. It would certainly feel weird for her younger sisters to get married before she did—weirder still for either of the twins to date a man. They seemed far too young and definitely acted younger than their years. “I don’t even know anybody that I want to marry.”
“That’s because you haven’t been focused on looking for someone.” Her mother slapped a hand hard on the table, which made Rose jump.
“You scared me.”
“But that ends today!”
“What does?”
“You not looking for someone. You’re old enough to be married and there’s nothing wrong with giving me some grosskinner. Your bruder’s boppli will be born soon and it would be gut if my grosskinner were all close in age.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good reason to get married to me.”
Her mother laughed. “Everyone should be married. That’s what Gott has planned. He planned for every mann to have a fraa and every woman to have a mann. That’s the way Gott made us.”
“I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know, my dear girl?”
“I don’t know about this whole thing. I’ve never even gone on a buggy ride with a boy … err, I mean, a man.”
“Jah, I know. That’s the problem, Rose. Can’t you see that?”
Her mother cast her gaze downward and Rose felt bad for being such a disappointment.
“You see, Rose, if we don’t plan in life we get nowhere.”
Her mother wasn’t making sense. “You want me to plan to fall in love with someone?”
Nancy pressed her lips together and fine lines appeared around her mouth. “You’re trying to make light of this, Rose.”
“I’m not, Mamm, really, I’m not! I just don’t see how you can plan to fall in love with someone.”
Her mother leaned forward. “Love grows when you’re married. You choose a husband with this.” She tapped a finger on her head. “Not with your heart. Love grows from respect.”
That was news to Rose—that her mother felt that way. A thought occurred to Rose. “Is that how you chose Dat?”
“Jah. Your vadder was a gut man of Gott and a hard-worker. He wasn’t a deacon back then, though. That came when you were a boppli. He’s never disappointed me and he’s been a steady provider. Together, we’ve been happy.”
Rose nibbled on a fingernail. She had never heard such a thing. She always thought that love was something whimsical and magical—something to be experienced once in a lifetime, when two like souls met and knew at once that they were meant for one another. “Are you saying you were never in love with Dat before you married him?” It was bold of Rose to ask that question at the risk of angering her mother, but she had to know. “I mean, when you first met him? I know you’re in love with him now.”
“Nee, I wasn’t in love with him when I first met him. I had to get to know him. Now run and get those eggs so I can make the breakfast.”
“Okay.” Rose had a lot to think about. She stood up and grabbed the egg basket.
“I’m giving you a year, Rose.”
Rose was nearly out the door. She stopped and turned slightly to look at her mother. “A year for what?”
“To get married.”
Rose’s jaw dropped open. “What if I haven’t found somebody in a year?”
“You will. Start talking to some men and that’ll be a beginning. If you never talk to a man, how will you know which one suits you?”
Rose nodded. There was no point telling her mother that she did talk to men. If she told her mother that, she’d want to know which ones. It was easier just to keep quiet. With the basket looped over her arm, Rose hurried across the wet grass, fresh from the morning dew, as the crisp morning air bit into her cheeks.
Rose unlatched the wooden door of the chicken coop, closed it behind her, and leaned down. She and her sisters had raised most of the chickens by hand, and the others were just as tame. Each of the hens had their own distinct personality. She picked each one up and gave them a cuddle as she spoke to them softly. When she remembered her mother was waiting on the eggs, she stood up.
“How many eggs do you have for us this morning?” she asked as she looked in the straw bedding. She found eight eggs when there were normally twelve to fifteen every morning. Rose had a better look around and found two more.
“Better than nothing,” she said aloud. “Denke, my little friends.”
Leaving the basket of eggs by the door, she freshened their water and topped up their grain. She looked at the straw and wondered if she should change that too, but left that to Tulip.
“Well, that took you long enough,” her mother said when Rose got back to the house.
Rose placed the wicker basket of eggs on the table.
“Don’t put them there. The basket’s dirty. Put it on the floor. You should know these things by now. Why can’t you remember anything?”
“Sorry, Mamm.” Rose obeyed her mother and placed the basket on the floor. She then proceeded to put the eggs in the ceramic bowl where they were kept, on the counter by the sink.
Her twin sisters suddenly appeared and sat down at the table, while Tulip was nowhere to be seen.
“Mamm says you’ve got to get married.” Daisy, the older of the twins, laughed.
“Do you think you’ll find someone with your head on fire like that?” Lily added.
The twins giggled. They always poked fun at her red hair. Their hair was dark, as was everyone else’s in their family. Two generations ago, she’d been told, there were some red-haired family members, but Rose was the only one of this generation to have that color.
“That’s not very nice,” their mother reprimanded the twins. “And you know you shouldn’t be eavesdropping. I won’t warn you again.”
“Sorry, Mamm,” the twins said in unison.
“Your turn is coming,” Rose said to her sisters.
“I want to be married soon, and I’ll have three sets of twins and then no more,” Lily said.
Daisy gave a laugh, and said, “Me too. I’ll have one set of girls, one set of boys, and then more girls. Then I’m done, too. There’ll be fewer childbirths and pregnancies if I have all my kinner in sets of twins.”
“What about triplets?” Lily asked her sister, which made Daisy giggle.
“So, who are you going to marry?” Rose asked them.
“I’d rather not talk about it,” Daisy replied.
“What about you, Lily?” Rose figured she’d do some teasing of her own.
“Forget about us. You’re
the oldest dochder, Rose. Who are you going to marry?” Daisy stared at her. “That’s more important right now. You are the one who has to set the example because you’re the eldest. Isn’t that right, Mamm?”
“I expect Rose to marry first but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“Well, who’s it going to be?” Lily asked Rose.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“She’s got no idea,” Daisy said to Lily.
When both twins laughed, it was too much for Rose. “Make them stop, Mamm.”
“We’re going to wash the windows today,” their mother announced to the twins.
Both sisters groaned and Rose couldn’t help but giggle. She had a nice little job working at the farmers market. She ran a flower stall for the Walkers, an Amish family, who owned a wholesale flower business.
A job was far better than staying home every day, cooking, or scrubbing the house from top to bottom. And to make matters worse for her sisters, their mother always insisted on things being just so. With Rose having no horse and buggy of her own, Mrs. Walker collected Rose every day and also brought her home. This suited Mrs. Walker because after she took Rose to the market, she’d continue to her elderly mother’s house and stay with her to help until the work day was done. It was also convenient that the Walkers lived right next door.
After breakfast, Rose grabbed her black shawl off the peg by the back door and yelled goodbye to everyone.
“Come here, Rose.”
“Jah, what is it, Mamm? Do you want me to bring something home with me?”
“Nee.” Her mother hurried over to her and said, quietly, “I want you to spend the day thinking about what men you might like to marry. When you get home, we’ll discuss them one by one.”
“I can’t, Mamm. I’ll need time to think. Can I take a few weeks to think about it?” Rose bit her lip. “What if the man I’m supposed to marry doesn’t even live in this community?”
Her mother’s eyes opened wide. It was clearly something that her mother had never considered. “That wouldn’t do at all. I think he’ll be from around here somewhere. There are many to choose from, but you mustn’t delay. This time next year, many of the single men will be spoken for. If you wait, you’ll end up without.”
Her mother’s words sent a chill down her spine. The thought of ending up with no one to marry was something Rose had never considered. Surely God would put couples together without it being a race. “I’ll definitely give it some serious thought, Mamm.”
“Gut girl. We’ll talk more about it tonight.”
Rose nodded, knowing her mother only wanted the best for her.
She walked down the driveway listening to the crunch of the small white pebbles underneath her black lace-up boots.
At the end of the drive, she leaned against the gatepost and waited for her ride. Mornings were Rose’s favorite time of the day. She loved to watch the birds going about their work, gathering small twigs and other odds and ends to make their nests, and plucking the occasional worm from the soft earth. It was spring and everything seemed fresh and new.
Once she saw Mrs. Walker’s gray horse trotting toward her, she took some steps closer to the road, so she could get in quickly before the buggy would slow any passing traffic. Traffic was something they rarely saw down their road apart from the occasional weekend tourist looking at the countryside, but Rose was still careful.
“How are you this morning, Rose?” Mrs. Walker asked as soon as she stopped on the side of the road.
“Fine, denke. What about yourself?”
“I’ll feel better when it rains.”
“Jah, it hasn’t rained for some time and we surely need it.”
Every morning one of the Walkers’ sons got to the market early and loaded the stall with fresh flowers. All Rose had to do was arrange them nicely, and, of course, sell them.
“Your bruder and Amy were very happy to be getting married,” Mrs. Walker commented.
“Jah, Dat said they were made for each other.”
“It certainly looks that way.”
Rose was tempted to talk more about the wedding, but she didn’t want to let on that her mother had given her what was close to an ultimatum about getting married within one year. Mrs. Walker had two sons who were single and Rose didn’t want Mrs. Walker to think that she was hinting about one of her sons.
“How old were you when you got married, Mrs. Walker?”
“It was the day after I turned eighteen. Our parents made us wait to get married. We grew up together, right next door—side-by-side. We always knew we were going to marry each other.”
“That must’ve been very comforting—knowing where your destiny lay.”
“Jah. I always knew we would be together, and he knew it too.” Mrs. Walker glanced at her. “What about you? Do you have a boy you’re interested in?”
“Nee, not really.”
“That sounds a bit doubtful. Have you got your eyes on someone?”
Laughter escaped Rose’s lips. “I wish I did; then things might be easier for me.”
“There’s no rush; you’re still young.”
Tell my mother that, she thought. “That’s true.”
Mrs. Walker prattled on about what flowers were going to be at the stall that morning. “And the daisies aren’t looking as fresh as they should be, so you can mark them down or give people more for their money. You know what to do.”
“I do.” Rose had to agree. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was to sell flowers. She knew when they weren’t looking their best and then the aim was to mark them down in price enough so they’d sell that day. It was better to get a little money before they wilted too far. The Walkers didn’t freeze their flowers like many of the other flower wholesalers did, so the shelf life was considerably less. Fortunately, there was a strong demand for local produce. Retail florists were favoring locally-grown flowers, which helped the Walker family.
Chapter 3
At work that day, Rose’s mother’s words played through her mind.
Since he had no customers, Mark took a few steps toward Rose. “What’s got you so upset, Rosie?”
She looked into Mark’s concerned face. “Who said I’m upset? I’m not, not at all.”
“Maybe upset’s the wrong word, but something’s on your mind. Tell me what it is?”
She stared at the pink roses in the bucket by her feet, and answered, “It’s nothing.”
“It must be something.”
Looking back at Mark, she said, “Nee, it’s not.”
“Tell me.” He put his hands on his hips and stared at her, narrowing his eyes.
“It’s just that I feel under pressure. Now that my mudder has got my two brothers married off, she’s turning her attention to me. She tells me I must plan to be married by next year.”
“Plan?” He chuckled. “Or what?”
“She didn’t exactly say what would happen if I wasn’t married by then. I think she is worried that I’ll never get married if it doesn’t happen by then, or something.” Rose shrugged her shoulders.
“Rosie, if you want to marry me, just say it. You don’t have to make up a story about something your mudder said.”
She stared into Mark’s smiling face. If only life were as simple as Mark made it out to be. “Ha ha; very funny.”
“I’m sorry to be unsympathetic. Who does your mudder think you should marry? Has she got some man lined up for you?”
“She wants me to give her some names tonight. I’ve got today to think about it.”
Mark roared with laughter.
“Don’t laugh.”
“Maybe I should pay your mudder a visit, and tell her I’m the man for you. She should know that already.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“You could do worse.”
“Is that the best reason you can come up with for me to marry you—the fact that I could do worse?”
“I suppose not. I’ll make a list
of my good points and present them to Mrs. Yoder next time I see her. Perhaps I should stop by for dinner one night?” He tapped on his chin with his finger and looked upward. “I hope she is considering me for the job.”
“I’m serious about this; it could become quite a problem. You know what my mudder is like when she gets her mind set on something.”
“I don’t know personally, but you’ve told me, so I have to take your word for that.”
“I’ve got customers heading this way.” Rose served some of her regular customers while Mark stayed behind his stall.
Mark ran a cheese stall at the end of the food line, and Rose’s stall shared the corner of his where the flowers aisle started. Mark’s family had a goat farm and made goat cheeses and other related products. The most popular products were the goats’ milk and cheese. Mark had spent many an hour telling Rose how much better goats’ milk was than cows’ milk, mainly because it was easier to digest.
* * *
As the day drew to a close, Mark walked over to Rose. “I’ve come up with a plan for you.”
“A plan to do what?”
“If your mudder gets too high-pressured, we can always pretend that we’re dating. You and me.”
Rose considered what he said before she answered. “It might work for a while. Then she’ll put pressure on us at the end of the year to marry.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The offer’s there.”
“How do you see it would work? My mudder’s not easily fooled. She’s a very smart woman.”
“It would take the focus off you if she thinks you’ve already got someone lined up to possibly marry. She could turn her energy onto one of your sisters.”
Rose giggled. “It seems like a good plan. Denke, I’ll definitely give it some thought.”
Mark smiled, and then turned back to securing his stall for the night. He’d never made a secret of liking her. Rose knew she’d only have to say the word and they’d be dating. But Mark was just a friend and Rose couldn’t see herself marrying him. He was just a shade taller and he was an ordinary looking man. Rose had always known how she’d feel about her husband when she first laid eyes on him. There would be tingles running up and down her spine, and her heart would pitter-patter when he came close. He’d be tall, with dark eyes and dark hair, with olive tanned skin and dazzling white teeth.
Amish Rose Page 2
