First Down

by Paula Mabbel

  *****

  THE END

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  Rumspringa Break

  John stood there, tall and strong, like the glorious corn. His arms rested by his side as he looked up at the night sky and saw the moon reflecting the sun’s rays back down on him, filtered through an atmosphere of lust and greed.

  “I’m not sure I want to do this,” John Yoder said.

  Grace Miller smiled, and she understood.

  John hated the hot, sticky, late July nights.

  Even well after dark, long after the sun scampered below the horizon, the evening air was thick and choking.

  “I’m going to come back to you, and you to me,” she said.

  He wanted to believe her, just as all the other couples who never came back after Rumspringa had.

  John stole a leaf from the stalk, inspecting it before he broke it off.

  “But why? I love it here. I thought you loved it here too.”

  “This is how we’ve always done it, and if it be Gott’s will…” Grace replied.

  “You’re not your father. You don’t have to act like him.”

  “I’m not pretending, and you know what I mean.”

  “I love you, Grace, and I have for as long as I can remember. You know we don’t have to do this. Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. You’ve seen what it’s done to others. I just don’t understand why you want to do this so much. Why do we have to go off and leave each other. I don’t think I can take being without you for a single minute. I feel like my heart will break in two the moment you slip from my sight.”

  “You have such a strong body and such a soft heart.”

  He hated it when she talked to him like that, but then she always smiled and made him forget how demeaned it made him feel. It also helped that she was right.

  It was hard for him to be upset with her, not with that perfect cream-colored skin that reminded him of a marble statue, or those dark brown eyes that made him feel as if she had bewitched his soul.

  “How long will you be gone?” John asked.

  “You know I can’t answer that, and I know you have no idea either. Please, let’s not talk on this right now. We only have another week together, and I don’t want to waste it. I want to remember good things about the last week we have together before we go off to Rumspringa.”

  She grabbed his hand and interlaced her fingers into his. He took her other hand and did the same.

  He held her close to him, letting her warmth suffocate his already overheated body. The unforgiving night air forced him to relent, so he let go and took a seat next to her on the tree stump near where they were standing.

  They sat there for the next half hour, looking up at the clear night sky and the constellations of stars, thinking about what might be, what could be, what should be. And when he could take it no longer, his mind wandered to the ice box.

  Before dawn, the sound of the cocks crowing smothered his dreams. John was a light sleeper, and he never could fall back to sleep once the noise of the morning woke him.

  He spent the rest of the morning getting a head start on his chores, even before his maeem had breakfast ready.

  John’s maeem, Emma, watched from the window as he worked outside in the yard, splitting the wood and gathering the hay. She smiled, reflecting on how much he had grown and the young man that he was becoming.

  Emma was a handsome woman, not so portly as to be unattractive, but just enough to show the wisdom of age of a maeem in her forties.

  She finished her motherly duties of the morning and set the table before calling in the boys.

  Jacob walked in from the other room, stealing a peck on Emma’s cheek when the kids weren’t looking.

  Jacob was near the same age as Emma, but the long flowing beard with patches of grey made him look older.

  “John,” Jacob called from the door.

  John was already dripping in sweat. His daett could see that he was upset, still worried about the future.

  “Get yourself cleaned up, son, and come have breakfast with your family,” Jacob said.

  Emma prepared a feast. Their youngest son, Samuel, kept trying to reach for the bacon and had to be scolded several time.

  “Wait for your brother, Samuel,” Jacob snapped as Samuel reached for a piece a second time.

  John was quick to clean up and finally made it to the table.

  “Say thanks,” Emma asked John.

  “Dear Gott, thank you for this food you have blessed us with and for the family, also. I ask that you keep us safe and happy for the days and years to come. I ask that you give me wisdom for the challenges to come, and that you bring back those we love once in your time. I hope that it won’t be too long.”

  The words were barely finished when Samuel reached over and took the thick piece of bacon he had set his heart on for the last several minutes. Jacob looked at him with a furrowed brow. Samuel smiled back and stuffed the crisp pork in his mouth, then proceeded to chew.

  “It’s going to be okay, Son,” Emma said.

  “How do you know that, Maemm? How do you know?”

  “I know Grace, and I know you. Look at your daett and me. We went through it, and we came back.”

  “But that’s you and Daett. Not everyone is like you and Daett,” John replied.

  “Son, if it be Gott’s will, then it be Gott’s will. If it’s not, then I’m sure you will find someone who is worthy of your time.”

  “I don’t want someone else. I want Grace. I’m just worried that she doesn’t want me,” John said.

  *****

  He was loyal. She had no question about that. John Yoder was a good man, a kind man, the best man his age she had ever known. Grace Miller was loyal, too. She loved John, but she wanted him to work a little for it. She felt a little guilty for making him squirm the other day, but she wanted to give him something to think about once he left, just in case he was tempted by some ungodly girl he might come across while away on Rumspringa.

  John stepped into the doorway. Grace smiled. He was holding something in his hand, but the light of the sun blinded her and kept her from seeing what it was. He stepped closer, and the brim of his hat covered up the rays of light enough for her to see its brown and grey silhouette.

  It was dangling from his hand, covered in fur. He stepped closer, and she stepped forward. She could see it now in all its stuffed glory.

  "I caught this a few nights ago. I've been working on it since then, making sure it was just right. It's for you, so you can hang it up on your wall. Something to remember me by."

  He had a triumphant smile, and she could see that he was waiting with baited breath to hear what she had to say in response.

  "Oh, that's so thoughtful. I know you went hunting a few days ago with your daett, but I didn't know you were going to stuff one."

  "I've been practicing lately, hunting and stuffing. Daett says I have the makings of an excellent taxidermist. I wasn't sure if I had the talent, but I guess he was right. He said most talent is learned talent. I still plan on being a writer, but I've been thinking lately. Getting ready to leave and all has started to make me think a little more about the future. I figure I can still write. I can do both, but I need some practical skill," John said.

  "I'm glad you're thinking about the future, John, and I appreciate the gift. I’m sure you will make a fine taxidermist, but maybe it's a better idea to think about something else right now. I mean, this is why we're leaving isn't it? Aren't we supposed to be having fun?" Grace said.

  "And finding out who we are," John quipped back.

  Grace took the small beast from John's hands and set it down on t
he table.

  "I do appreciate the gesture," she said.

  John looked down. He breathed a deep breath, and then he exhaled in a muted sigh. His heart started pounding, and he could feel the heat from the skin on his face as the blood rushed to the surface.

  "I was thinking, there's this arts and crafts festival by the general store this evening. I was wondering if you might want to go."

  Grace gave him a half smile but didn't say a word.

  "Unless there's something else you might like to do," he added.

  "No, that sounds like it could be interesting."

  Truth was, she didn't want to go. She didn't want to talk about when she would be back, what she wanted to do with her life, or what he wanted to do with his life. From what he just said, she had a feeling that's all he wanted to talk about if they went there. Grace had talked enough about it. It's all she heard from her parents, and the other adults in the community. She was spent, and she was looking forward to doing nothing productive and nothing too mentally taxing once she left. Her mind was already in Rumspringa. She just wanted to spend time with him, without any talk of the future or what they would do after they got back. She figured she could spend time in more serious thought when they returned.

  "Is something a matter? You look upset," John said.

  "I'm not upset, maybe just a little tired, anxious, excited about leaving, sad about leaving. I don't know. I'm feeling a lot of things."

  He grabbed her hand and caressed it with his thumb, stroking it.

  "Yeah, I know what you mean. Alright, let's get out of here then, and head on over to the festival."

  "I can't leave just yet."

  "Why not? What's wrong?"

  "Nothing's wrong, John. I just need to finish my chores. You know that. I don't have as many brothers and sisters as you."

  He thought for certain he was making a fool of himself now. If he kept acting like this, she would leave him for sure.

  "Let me help you, then."

  They spent the next hour finishing up the barn chores, raking the hay, milking the cows. John took a break from talking, and Grace welcomed the quiet. She thought how nice it was just to have him there helping, not saying anything. It almost made up for his silliness the last couple of days. She didn't blame him, though. John was kind and honest to a fault. She knew it made him seem childish now, but she appreciated it and knew it would make him a good suitor when they got back.

  After finishing the chores, John moved closer to her and gave her a smile. He took her hand again and gazed into her eyes.

  "You really are beautiful."

  Her cheeks turned pink. She smiled back and said, "You're not so bad yourself."

  *****

  It was now the first week in August. Luckily, though, the weather had cooled that day just in time for the festival.

  "There's a much bigger crowd than I expected," Grace said.

  "They're all here to see you. You are the most beautiful woman in the town," John answered.

  "Oh yeah? Well how exactly did they know that I would be here?" she replied with a grin.

  "That's simple, I told them all I was coming. They knew if I was going to be here, then you must be here, too."

  "Oh, really? And what makes you think I would follow you wherever you go?"

  John didn't know quite how to answer. He was trying to be funny, but started to think he was coming off as rude.

  "Just a hope, I guess. But I did enroll in the contest."

  "What contest is that?"

  "Woodworking. There are some pretty nice prizes. If I win, then I'll consider it fate telling us that we're meant to be together."

  She reflected for a moment, hoping he wouldn't start a conversation about the practicalities of it, which she knew would lead to a discussion of his manliness and his ability to provide for her in the future.

  "And you're so sure that you would win? I thought you already believed we were meant to be together. What if you lose?" she asked.

  "I won't lose, but if I do then, of course, we make our own fate, so it won't matter."

  Grace chuckled.

  A crown gathered by each section. There was a drawing and painting contest, sculpture and pottery, crafts, jewelry, textiles, and of course woodworking.

  Drawing and painting was by far the most popular, then the lines got progressively smaller for each other category. Woodworking was the smallest.

  "I see why you were so convinced you were going to win. Looks like there are only three other contestants in your section."

  "'Tis true. 'Tis true," John said, smiling.

  "But there's a bigger prize, one for overall winner."

  "And you think you're going to win that one?" she asked.

  "Have a little faith."

  The entries were concealed. Only the names of the entrants were visible. Grace looked at the names in each section as they walked along the table. It was a small town, and she knew most of them.

  They left the entry table and walked around, spending much of the next hour playing games and talking with friends they knew. There were a lot of young people at the festival, more than one would typically see in town. One boy in particular caught her eye.

  "Do you want something sweet to eat? I can grab up something from concessions," John said.

  Grace told her what she wanted, and he left her there by the entries while he went to get them some food.

  "Oh, hello, Grace. I didn't know you were going to be here," said the young man who walked up to her from behind.

  "Hi, Jesse. Yeah, I'm here with John. It's a lot busier here than I expected. Do you come to this festival a lot?"

  "It's my fifth time. I always enter several of the contests. Gott has blessed me with several gifts, including these guns," Jesse said as he lifted his arm and flexed his muscle.

  "What to give it a squeeze?" he asked.

  "I don't think I need to. I can see that you are very strong," Grace replied.

  Jesse was obviously already on Rumspringa. His outfit looked like something she would expect to see if she was in an average city.

  "Is this the only reason you decided to stick around, or are you planning on leaving right after the festival?"

  "Well, I wouldn't want to miss out on one of my trophies, especially since I've won a couple of them several years running."

  "Oh yeah? Which ones?" Grace asked.

  "Crafts and woodworking mostly," Jesse replied.

  Grace crinkled up her face.

  "You are a lot prettier than I remembered," Jesse said, just as John walked up behind them holding the fried sugared pastries he had brought back from concessions.

  "She is pretty, isn't she? I'm the luckiest man here," John said to Jesse.

  "Are those for us? You shouldn't have," Jesse replied back.

  John opened his mouth and tongued the inside of his upper molars while he put on a fake smile and gave a half-hearted laugh.

  "What brings you here, Jesse?"

  "Same as you, I imagine, though I'm already on Rumspringa. I must admit I'm having a blast. I'm sharing a place a few miles outside of town with some friends of mine."

  Jesse turned and looked to Grace.

  "You really should come over some time. We have some pretty wild parties. Nothing you've ever seen here, I'm sure."

  Grace looked back at John and waited to see what he had to say. John's pulse jumped a few dozen beats per minute, and a hot sensation took over the upper extremities of his body.

  "She's not interested, but you go right ahead and have all the fun you like. We're going to get going," John replied.

  "What, going so soon? They’re just about to reveal the winners of the contest. You won't want to miss it. I'll probably win, like I always do. Oh, did you enter as well?"

  "Woodworking," John replied.

  "You could always come in second," Jesse said.

  *****

  John wanted to say a lot of choice words to Jesse, but kept them to himself for fear
of coming off as too brash. Grace looked at him, and by the movement of her face he suspected she wanted him to be a little less reserved.

  The three of them watched as the judges removed the large sheet that had covered up the entries. Grace looked only at the woodworking entries and tried to see if she could figure out which one was John's before she inspected the names.

  One of them stood out to her. It was a carving of a face, and not just any face. The lines were deep and smooth. The wood was stained a deep orange brown with hints of red. She could make out the flowing hair at the top and sides. The color was off, but the shape and form was impressive.

  "Is that one yours?" Grace pointed.

  John smiled.

  "I worked on that for two whole months. It was a lot of work.I spent most of my time after all my barn chores were done making sure it was perfect."

  Grace's face lit up. A tremble went down her body, and she was convinced John was going to win. John was sure of it, too, that is until they removed the sheet from the final entry. It was larger than the rest, so it took some extra prodding to the sheet that was caught on some of its spires.

  "That one's mine," Jesse said with a big smile.

  Once the sheet was gone, there was a silence in the audience. They could hear oohs and aahs from the crowd as they pointed to the very large model that Jesse had made.

  It was mock-up of the town in vivid detail. They could see the main strip, the bakery and general store. All the main street signs were there. Each building carefully carved and stained. Upon closer inspection, one could see changes in color that mimicked the changing shades of each structure.

  "I think you're a shoe-in for second," Jesse said with an even bigger grin.

  John took one of the pastries and shoved it in his mouth. He was certain if he hadn't that he would have said something awful, or done something worse.

  Grace took John's hand with a firm grip.