The Teacher (Amish Country Brides)

by J. E. B. Spredemann

  Tomorrow afternoon couldn’t come soon enough!

  ~

  Martha hung up the phone, still stunned that Jaden had called.

  Ach, had it only been yesterday when Jaden had kissed her? How many times had she relived that moment since then? More importantly, would he kiss her again? She couldn’t stand to think about it. If she did, her heart would get all fluttery and her face would feel like she’d been cooped up in the schoolhouse in summertime with the doors closed.

  Jaden was coming over! Tomorrow.

  She needed to start thinking about something to make, because there’d be no cooking or baking on Der Herr’s day. Ach, she could cook some of the corn Jaden had brought from his folks’ place. And maybe she’d make some lemon poppyseed muffins. Jaden had mentioned liking lemon in one of his letters. She’d be sure to have some cold sweet peppermint tea ready too.

  Martha hurried back to the house. She had a lot to do if she planned to help Mamm with supper and prepare everything for tomorrow. Her family would be surprised that she planned to take the pony cart to her bruder’s house, but she didn’t intend on telling them why she was coming back early. Unless it was absolutely necessary, like if one of her siblings insisted on riding back with her. Nee, that wouldn’t do at all. She and Jaden would only have a few hours together as it was.

  For sure, her family would think she and Jaden were courting if they returned home and found him there. Were they courting? She would do well not to assume anything. If Jaden only wanted to be friends, she’d have to be content with that. She really liked Jaden as a person, and although she desired to be more than friends, she’d take what she could get. She just hoped that if he ever did decide he wanted to court someone, that she would be his first choice.

  ~

  Jaden pitched the last log of the stack at his feet into the horse-drawn wagon, while he waited for Josiah to finish up with the chain saw.

  “I think this is all we’re going to get to today. We’ve got supper, then you have your meeting tonight. You’ll need to get washed up before then.”

  Jaden wiped the sweat from his brow. “Jah, you’re right.”

  He walked over to where Josiah had just cut up a dead tree, then began loading the wood with his bruder.

  “You seem different. Happier.” Josiah lifted a half-smile.

  “Ach, that’s because I am.” Jaden grinned.

  “What happened?”

  “Earlier, I went and talked to Sammy.”

  “So that’s where you went.” Josiah nodded.

  “We had a gut talk. He’s a very wise man.”

  “That, he is.”

  “He told me how to become a believer.”

  Josiah’s brow arched upward. “And?”

  Jaden couldn’t hide his smile. “And I did.”

  “Really?”

  “Jah, really.” Warmth filled his heart. Ach, it was a wunderbaar feeling knowing he was saved and had a Helper in his corner.

  “That’s wunderbaar, bruder. I’m very glad to hear it. And I’m glad that you were able to work through whatever was bothering you.”

  “I plan to go see Martha tomorrow after church.”

  Josiah chucked the last log into the trailer. “Wow, you did work through whatever was bothering you. You were a mess earlier.”

  “Well, I’m still a mess. Kind of. I just know how to deal with it better now.”

  “I hear you. We all have our own struggles.”

  “Ain’t that the truth?” He hopped on the back of the wagon just as Josiah coaxed the horses forward.

  TWELVE

  “This is my bruder, Jaden.” Josiah introduced him to the community’s leaders and schoolboard members. “Jaden, this is…” Josiah rattled off their names.

  Jaden was grateful they’d agreed to a single meeting instead of two separate ones. “Gut to meet you. I’ll try my best to remember your names.” Maybe he should’ve written them down.

  The men chuckled at his comment.

  “You may have a seat.” The minister gestured to the bench next to the dining table. “Josiah tells us you are single.”

  “I am.” Jaden did his best to mask his nervousness.

  “Any plans to settle down?”

  “Well, seeing as I don’t have a girlfriend or anything, no.” He chuckled. “But I’m not ruling it out entirely. If Der Herr wants me to settle down, I’m sure He’ll let me know.”

  The men laughed.

  Ach, gut. They seemed to like him. Although, he was nervous as ever. He was thankful his bruder had come along.

  “You taught school before?” The bishop asked.

  “Yes. Well, briefly. It wasn’t an entire school year, but I substituted for a few months while our teacher was recovering from an accident.”

  “And you had a gut experience?”

  “I did. I think all the kinner liked me. The teacher had a schedule laid out, so I pretty much just went by that and picked up where she left off.”

  The men nodded.

  “The children around here enjoy playing basketball and softball at recess. Do you play?”

  “Jah. I enjoy basketball and softball too.” He glanced at Josiah, who gave him a thumbs-up that only the two of them were privy to.

  “Did you have any challenges or difficulties at the other school?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, really. One time, we had an Englischer stop by and ask to see the school.”

  “And what did you say?”

  “I informed them that we were in the middle of class and if they’d like to return after the scholars left, I would be happy to show them the classroom. I also requested that they take no pictures of me or the children.”

  They glanced at each other, then at him, nodding satisfactorily.

  One of the men slid a small stack of papers toward him. “Those are for you. It is information about the school, how many scholars we expect next school year, your pay schedule, the school calendar, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the kinner and their families, should you need them, information on ordering books you might need. There’s a catalog in there for the publishers as well.”

  “Do you have any questions?”

  He tapped the papers. “Not that I can think of at the moment.”

  “So, you will start at the school this week, then?”

  Jaden frowned. “This week?” Ach, nee. He was going to spend the week with Martha in her classroom. “I was under the impression it was next week. I already made plans for this week because I thought I’d be teaching the following week.”

  The men looked at each other.

  “Jah, I guess that would be okay. That will give you a week, at least, to help out and get to know the scholars.”

  He thought about mentioning that he’d be helping Martha out at her school, but he wasn’t sure that would go over very well with them. Especially since there’d been rumblings about distancing from Bontrager’s district. If that ever happened…ach.

  If that ever happened, he’d be stuck between a rock and a hard place. If this church district required complete abstinence between them and Bontrager’s church, that would mean he would have to disfellowship with Martha and her entire family. That meant he and his bruder would no longer be permitted to commune with Silas, Paul, and Timothy in their men’s group, which he wondered if the leaders were even privy to. He guessed not.

  He needed to ask Josiah about it later. If he remembered, he’d bring it up at their next men’s fellowship. Because this was something that really needed to be discussed, and prayed over. He couldn’t imagine distancing himself from his friends, especially over something he wasn’t sure he even believed in. Maybe he would talk to Sammy about that. The older man seemed to have answers to many of life’s problems, or he knew where to find the answers. He was blessed to know Sammy, he realized. Not everyone had a go-to person who had all the answers, or seemed to, at least.

  Jaden realized something just then. He was happy. For the first time
in his life, he could say he was truly happy. The circumstances and possibility of turmoil around him didn’t matter. Something inside him—was it Gott’s Spirit that Sammy had talked about?—told him that no matter what happened, it would be okay. This must be what the word “peace” meant.

  Really, it made no sense to human thinking. He should be anxious. He should be stressed. He should be fearful. But he wasn’t. Nee, Gott had taken those things from his heart and replaced them with a tranquility he could not describe if he tried. It must be the peace that passeth all understanding.

  He thought of some of the stories he’d read in the book Martyr’s Mirror. Many of those slain for the cause of Christ had that peace in their hearts. No matter that the storm was raging around them, they’d kept their eyes on the Master of the sea. Ach, he must remember to never take his eyes off the Master. As long as he kept his eyes on Him, all would be well.

  Der Herr was gut indeed.

  ~

  “Well, that went well. I think.” Josiah smiled as he guided the horse onto the road.

  “Jah, I thought so.” He stared out at the scenery as they slowly passed by. Wildflowers were sprouting up from the ground, promising hope of new life. New life, like Der Herr had given him. Spring had to be the best time of year, to his thinking.

  “You’re awfully quiet over there. What are you thinking about, bruder?”

  “Ach.” He shrugged. “The goodness of Gott.”

  “Jah. We have a lot to be thankful for. Look at me. I’m back with the Amish again, something I never thought I’d return to. I have a beautiful wife and kinner. A grandchild on the way, even. A wunderbaar home. Great friends. I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Josiah shook his head. “I think of those people in other countries who have so little. I mean, for crying out loud, Bailey showed me some pictures where people were getting their water from a filthy river. Because of it, disease thrives. Can you imagine? Something as simple as water! We take it for granted every day.”

  “That’s one of the things they’re going on the mission for, right?”

  “Jah. That, and they help build things, show them how to farm, and leave them with the Gospel. I don’t think they really do much preaching or teaching, though. Our people tend to take a more silent, ‘lead by example’ approach. And leading by example is a good thing. But honestly, I don’t know if it’s enough. True, they can find Jesus by reading about Him from a pamphlet, but I know for myself, I really needed someone to explain things to me.” He shrugged. “Not that everyone does.”

  “You’re right. I understood things so much better when I sat down with Sammy and he showed me different Scriptures. But at least they’re doing something, right? I’m sure those people will be grateful for the clean water and everything else.”

  “I just hate to see the missed opportunities, you know?”

  “Jah, I get it. We will just have to pray that Der Herr will reach the people’s hearts with what they do see and hear.” Jaden nudged his bruder with his shoulder. “Sounds like you might want to go along, too.”

  “Ach, I couldn’t leave Nora and the kinner. When you’re married, a month is a long time to be away from your fraa.”

  “I can imagine.” The corner of Jaden’s mouth crept up as he thought of Martha.

  “You thinking of settling down eventually?”

  “Eventually, probably.”

  “I hear you have your eye on Silas’s sister. I thought you said you were just friends.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I see. Just kiss her again and voila, it won’t be complicated anymore.”

  Jaden laughed. “That’s what complicated things in the first place.”

  Josiah leaned to the side and eyed him. “Really? Did she slap you or something?”

  “Nee! She kissed me back.”

  “Okay, then…I fail to see the complication. You like her, she likes you. Just roll with it. Move forward. What have you got to lose?”

  “I don’t want to lose her friendship. What if it doesn’t work out? Or I do something stupid and mess it up?”

  “If you do something stupid, then marry her. Problem solved.”

  “Ach, I wasn’t talking about that.”

  “You befuddle me sometimes, bruder.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, Silas’s sister is…what? Thirty?”

  “Thirty-one.”

  “Chances are she’s looking to get hitched, sooner rather than later. You might run out of time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If she’s a wunderbaar woman, there’s bound to be somebody interested in her.”

  Jaden shook his head. “There’s no one else.”

  “Did she tell you that?”

  “Nee.”

  “Then how do you know?”

  “I just do. I mean, she did kiss me back. She wouldn’t have done that if there was someone else.”

  “True. But if you back off now, you may give someone else a chance to step in and steal her affections.”

  “Like who?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t even know the woman. I’m just thinking in practical terms.” Josiah eyed him. “Is she pretty?”

  He smiled. “Very.”

  “I wouldn’t take my time if I were you, bruder. You don’t know what you got till it’s gone. How would you feel if she announced her engagement in a few months?”

  “I…” Jaden’s mouth fell open, then shut. He shook his head. “Nee. That won’t happen.”

  “Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.”

  THIRTEEN

  Jaden couldn’t stop his fingers from tapping against his pant leg. Ach, were they only an hour and a half into the church service? Jah, it was halfway through, but the leaders mentioned something to him about introducing their new schoolteacher after the service. Which meant he would have to greet everyone. He had no idea how long he’d actually be here. All he knew was that he’d told Martha two o’clock and he couldn’t—and wouldn’t—be late.

  ~

  Martha urged Sprinkles, their pony, to trot a little faster. She’d wanted to be plenty early so she’d have everything ready for when Jaden arrived. She was used to Quibble, her cantankerous former race horse, whom she often had to coax to slow down. It appeared that the two creatures were polar opposites. Of course, she couldn’t blame poor Sprinkles. Her legs were only so long.

  The moment Sprinkles finally turned into the driveway, Martha groaned. A horse and buggy were waiting at the hitching post. Ach, had Jaden borrowed someone’s rig and arrived early? On closer inspection, she noticed that it wasn’t Jaden at all.

  “Hullo, Martha.” Titus Troyer stood next to his buggy, hat in hand. His clean blue shirt and black pants indicated this was likely a social call. He moved close as soon as she brought Sprinkles near to help unhitch the pony.

  “Ach, Titus. Are you…what brings you by?” She slid out of the buggy and allowed him to care for Sprinkles.

  “Well, I was talking to my cousin Amy.” He eyed her carefully. “She said you weren’t courting anybody, so I think maybe I misunderstood you the other day.”

  She knew she should have talked to Amy about Jaden. But when she shared things with her best friend, they had a curious way of slipping out into the community. And since she and Jaden weren’t officially courting or anything, she didn’t want to start any rumors. Especially ones that weren’t true.

  “Amy suggested I come by and have a chat with you.” He glanced around. “Is it just the two of us here?”

  “Jah, it is. But I’m expecting company in a little while.” Ach, with Titus here, how would she find time to prepare for Jaden’s visit? “I have a few things to do in the haus.”

  “I see.” He nodded. “Well, don’t let me stop you. We can talk inside.”

  Ach. “Uh, jah, okay.”

  She led the way into the house as soon as Titus put up Sprinkles and moved the pony cart to the carriage barn. The light seeped in from the window
s, reminding Martha what a lovely day it was. She moved to the kitchen, then turned. “You may have a seat.”

  “Denki.” He pulled out the bench from under the dining table and made himself comfortable.

  She didn’t want to be rude by asking Titus to leave. Since he was a guest in her home and he’d come to see her, she needed to offer hospitality, as Der Herr required. “Where are the kinner today?”

  “They’re at mei schweschder’s haus playing with die kinner.”

  She took out the pitcher of tea she’d prepared for herself and Jaden, and poured out a glass for Titus.

  He smiled and took a drink. “Denki. It’s gut.”

  She opened a bag of sweet and salty snack mix, poured some into a bowl, then set it near Titus.

  He nodded his thanks, then pitched a small helping into his mouth.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I get some things ready for my guest.” She hoped he’d get the hint.

  “Nee, I don’t mind.” He didn’t.

  She blew out a breath. How long did he plan to stay for? She didn’t want to be rude, but she also didn’t want Jaden to show up when another man had come to call on her. Ach, it was a predicament indeed!

  “So, about my offer—”

  A knock on the screen door drew their attention. “Martha?”

  Oh no. Jaden.

  “I’ll get it.” Titus popped up from the seat before she had time to protest.

  This was a nightmare. How was it that she hadn’t had any suitors stop by for years on end and now there were two men coming to call on the same day? She supposed she should be pleased. Flattered even. Instead, embarrassment warmed her from the inside out. She rubbed her forehead.

  FOURTEEN

  “Hello, is Martha here?” Jaden eyed the bearded young man at the door. Who was he?

  “Jah, she’s just in the kitchen. We were enjoying a snack,” he said.

  We?

  “Hi, Jaden.” Martha offered a tentative smile as they neared the kitchen. Her cheeks were alive with color. Ach, she was so beautiful. “This is Titus. He just stopped by. His dochder is one of my scholars.”