Miriam smiled warmly. “Denki, Isaac. You have no idea how much your help means to us. You must join us for meals if you are working on the property. It’ll be good practice for Rachel to cook for someone other than me before we open the house to guests. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed. She’s an excellent cook.” Miriam fixed him with a stern look. “And I won’t take no for an answer.”
Isaac seemed ready to protest. Rachel could understand, seeing he was known to be distant with the whole community. This had to be a lot of human contact for him as it was. Quite wisely, however, he nodded a wary agreement. When Miriam wanted something done a particular way, Rachel could guarantee she wouldn’t let it go until it was done. Isaac had saved himself quite a battle there.
Chapter 8
It was amazing how much difference a couple weeks of Isaac’s help in between his farming duties had made. The property was shaping up to look like a whole other place. The porch stairs were repaired, and so was the once weak railing. The shingles were no longer blowing in the breeze. The outside was still in need of a couple coats of paint, and the old gazebo was in a terrible state of disrepair, but the improvement was significant.
Rachel admired the newly painted guest room. She figured it would look beautiful once the newly restored furniture was brought back in. The view was looking better by the day.
Rachel leaned on the windowsill, looking over at Isaac in the field by the haus. Isaac was in the field plodding along on his bush-hog which was pulled by his two plow horses, slowly chewing down the saplings and waist high weeds into mulch. It would take a couple weeks, according to him. Rachel smiled when she remembered how he said that a hog has the power to deal with this sort of neglected mess, but it is as slow as tree sap in winter. Regardless, he looked to be about a quarter of the way done with the field, and that part looked so much better than the part to be done. She imagined keeping up with that field was going to be a full time job.
Isaac had surprised them both with his offer to help them out as it was, but they never dreamed he would put so much effort into his promise.
Rachel and Isaac were not exactly the best of friends overnight. He was very quiet at first, and he kept to himself most of the time. Any questions or small talk were generally met with one word responses. He tried to back out of meals the first couple days.
As the days passed though, they had gotten quite a bit friendlier. Isaac slowly started to contribute to the dinner chats with updates and suggestions. In the last few days, he had actually started talking more about himself. Rachel was fascinated to find out he had made the rocking chair she had seen on his porch, and that he was pretty well self sustaining on his property. He appeared to be a little pleased by Rachel’s active interest in the fact he got by on his own for so many things.
Rachel waved as he walked back toward the house after turning his horses loose in the field. She knew that the stuff was so thick and unmanageable that he had to let the horses rest on a regular basis. Not that Isaac ever appeared to rest. He was always hard at work on his farm, or helping them at Eden. She didn’t know where he got the stamina to keep up this sort of workload on a daily basis.
Rachel left the window open to air out the paint fumes, and made her way back downstairs. She glanced at the time on the grandfather clock in the living room. Almost lunchtime. She was about to start planning a meal when she realized that the lower floor smelled delicious. She hurried down to the kitchen to find her mudder mashing potatoes, a steaming pot beside her.
Miriam looked up when she saw Rachel. “How’s the room coming along?”
“It looks great,” Rachel said. “I was about to come down to make lunch.”
“I’ve already made bread filling with pieces of chicken, and gravy, and I’m making mashed potato.” Miriam dashed some butter into the potatoes and gave them a hearty stir. “You and Isaac have been working your fingers to the bone. You two take a break and go for a walk or something. I’ll call when lunch is ready.”
Rachel had a pang of anxiety at the idea. They were on much better terms nowadays, but she couldn’t just tell Isaac to take her for a walk. “Mamm,” she said, “I can’t just ask Isaac to stop what he’s doing and walk with me.”
Miriam waved the wooden spoon at her. “Jah, of course you can. It’s easy. Let me show you.” She slid open the kitchen window.
“Nee, nee, nee,” Rachel stammered in horror.
“Isaac,” Miriam called. “Don’t start on that dresser yet. You’ve been at it since breakfast. Take a break and walk with Rachel while I get lunch ready for you two.”
Rachel felt her face flame red in mortification. The last thing she wanted to do was to annoy Isaac by disturbing him. “Mamm, I -” Rachel stopped abruptly. She knew that look her mudder gave her. Resistance was futile. She gave a small sigh and a reluctant smile.
Despite being shooed and practically pushed out the door, it was a lovely afternoon for a walk. The sky was clear and the weather was perfect. It had been ages since Rachel had taken a break and enjoyed a walk outside.
Rachel shot a nervous glance at Isaac. It had taken so much work to be on friendly terms, that she was afraid that he would be annoyed about being forced to walk with her. When he was angry, he was easy to read, but now, she found it difficult to know what was going on inside his head. Nevertheless, she supposed that it was better than open hostility.
“I wanted to thank you again, for all the help,” Rachel said as they walked along.
To her relief, he looked faintly amused. Amused was good, especially compared to annoyed. “You’ve thanked me about a hundred times already.”
“Um, I know.” Rachel felt her face redden. She had never quite known what to say when she was around other people. Their history from the first few days didn’t really help either. “But I don’t want it to be forgotten. Not that you would forget. It’s just I, um, I’m happy that you’re helping us. That’s all.”
He frowned slightly and cast his eyes away to stare off at the far field. She looked down at the ground. Sometimes she wished she could be more like her mudder. Miriam always had a talent with words, and had a way with people. Rachel, on the other hand, could not even tell if she was irritating Isaac. “If it’s all right, can I ask what changed?”
“Pardon?” Isaac stopped and looked at her.
To her relief, he did not appear to be angered by her question. He simply seemed far away, as if something had distracted him. Rachel supposed he had a lot on his mind. After all, he was putting his own work on hold to help them.
When he did not answer, Rachel pressed on. “Why did you decide to help us?” she asked, looking him in the eye to try to ascertain his reaction. “I’m not complaining, mind you. It’s just, well, you have to admit, it was pretty sudden.”
Rachel held her breath as she paused and waited for his response. As she expected, he appeared to withdraw into himself once again. At least it was an improvement. The last time she had pointed out how he had acted toward her, he had become cold and distant.
“I guess you could say that Gott laid conviction on me to see the error of my ways.” His voice was somber as he looked over the field.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand,” Rachel said.
Isaac fixed her with his gaze. “Your grossmammi Clara was a bit like you. She kept challenging me to be better than I was acting.”
“I’m like Grossmammi?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“In some ways. That way you light up over stuff. The way you pushed back when I took the world out on you.” He rubbed his chin as he struggled with his explanation. “But you are quieter than she was. You keep a lot to yourself, seems like. Anyone can see you have a lot of thoughts that you don’t say out loud. She wasn’t quite so merciful.”
Rachel had to smile as Isaac chuckled at an unspoken memory. All too soon though, that smile faded into his usual somber expression. “I’m not sure what happened between your father and Clara, but I do know that at
the end, she told me she was sorry for the way she had she acted. No matter how much time passed, she always hoped to see you again. It wasn’t my place to give you a hard time on her behalf. Clara wouldn’t have let me get away with it. The best thing I can do know is to watch out for her girls, now that they are finally home. ‘Better late than never,’ she would’ve said.”
“I wish I could have met her,” Rachel said wistfully, gazing over at the house. She wondered what it would have been like to have a woman like her grossmammi in her life.
“I wish you could have, too.”
To Rachel’s surprise, he gave her a half smile. He really was a handsome mann and a pleasant one too, when he wasn’t so guarded and distant. When Isaac was around, Rachel felt warm and safe.
Chapter 9
“So what we are looking for now is a plumber to help with the broken pipes and an electrician to fix up all the wiring,” Miriam said.
The manager of the hardware store smiled. “Well, I can definitely help you out with that. So the first place you want to go is right across the street,” he continued. “Old Benny has a plumbing business. He’s been around for years - if anyone in town has a leaking pipe or broken faucet, Old Benny is who they call. For an electrician, make sure you go to Electrico World. They’re just a few blocks down Main Street, easy to find. Make sure you tell them I sent you.”
Rachel was pleased with the contacts. Both the plumber and electrician were right around the corner, so in no time they would be able to meet with them and make arrangements to get things going.
Moments later, Miriam and Rachel crossed the street and made their way into Benny’s Plumbing Services. Inside were rows and rows of tools, and bolts for the toilet, showers, sinks and faucets. Everything was neatly divided into categories, and every item was appropriately labeled.
“Hi, welcome to Benny’s Plumbing Services. How may I help you today?” the friendly, young attendant asked.
“Hello, my name is Miriam Berkholder, and this is my daughter, Rachel,” Miriam said. “We’re turning an old house into a B&B – it’s just out of town - and we’re wondering if someone could come by and help us out with the pipes and faucets. A few of them are old and broken, and we really need some help repairing them before we open.”
“Dad, Dad!” the young girl called out loudly, turning away from Miriam and Rachel. Her voice rang so loudly throughout the large store, that Rachel jumped. She had no idea what could have warranted this sort of reaction.
A tall, bearded man hurried around the corner. “What is it?” he asked the girl.
She rose on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. Rachel made out the words bed and breakfast. A tight knot formed in the pit of her stomach.
When their whispered conversation ended, the man turned to the two women and glared at them in much the same way the young girl had after Miriam explained who they were. The only difference was that his stare was more penetrating and intimidating. Rachel felt uncomfortable in his presence.
“Sorry, but we will not be able to offer you our services,” the man said sternly. “Please leave our store.”
“But we just need someone to -”
He cut Miriam off. “Sorry, we can’t help you here. Please leave.”
Miriam and Rachel found themselves being ushered out the store by the man whom Rachel assumed was Benny himself. She didn’t know for sure as the man had not bothered to introduce himself to them.
“What was that all about?” Rachel asked Miriam.
Miriam shrugged. Her face was white and drawn. “I have no idea. Clearly there’s something going on that we don’t know about. Anyway, let’s not worry too much about it. Come on, let’s go to the Electrico World on Main Street.”
A few blocks down Main Street stood Electrico World. Unlike Benny’s Plumbing Service with its large and elaborate rows of supplies, Electrico World occupied a small space on the busy sidewalk, offering electrical supplies and equipment. It was a humble establishment and Rachel was certain that they wouldn’t be given the same disturbing treatment as they had received at Benny’s Plumbing Service.
“Hello, how may I help you?” came the voice of a middle aged man. He sported a shiny, bald head and wore a bright red polo shirt with the name Electrico World written in cursive on the left corner. He already seemed a great deal more pleasant than Benny.
“Hi, my name is Miriam Berkholder, and this is my daughter, Rachel. We are the ones opening the new Bed and Breakfast just out of town, and we –”
The man interrupted her and his demeanor at once changed. “Sorry, but I can’t help you. Please leave!” he said, pointing to the door.
Miriam headed for the door, but Rachel stood her ground. “Why? What have we done?” Rachel asked. This was the second store they had visited for help and received the same harsh treatment. “Tell us why!” she repeated, folding her arms and standing firmly in place. She decided if they were going to leave, then she had to receive a solid reason to do so.
The man stared at them angrily, clearly frustrated that Rachel had put up such a defiant position. Finally, he let out a deep sigh. “Listen, everyone knows about your Bed and Breakfast. In case you didn’t know, there is already a Bed and Breakfast on Main Street that has been around for years. That one is owned by Debra Bedshill. She’s good friends with the mayor, and needless to say, she isn’t too happy about your little, rustic retreat.”
Now it’s all starting to make sense, Rachel thought.
“Her B&B has been around for years,” the man continued. “She doesn’t like competition, and she’s warned all the businesses and tradesmen around town not to work with you, or she’ll have the mayor hike up our rent. No one wants to get on her bad side.”
Rachel was stunned. She and Miriam had been had been so consumed with refurbishing the home, that it had not crossed their minds that they would have rivals in the hospitality department. They had never heard of Debra Bedshill’s B&B business.
“Thank you, sir,” Rachel said. She was both angry and disappointed at the revelation. Businesses compete in the same environment and for the same customers all the time. Surely Debra Bedshill didn’t expect to be the only Bed and Breakfast in town forever. And furthermore, if Mrs. Bedshill was so threatened by them, bribing the local businessmen to boycott their entity was not the way to go about settling the problem.
“Come on, Rachel, let’s go,” Miriam said, taking Rachel by the hand and leading her out the door. “I think we’ve had enough for the day.”
The drive home was tense and silent. Rachel and Miriam were too stunned to speak. Rachel was lost in thought.
“Just when things were looking up, this happens,” Miriam finally said.
When Miriam turned the buggy into their laneway, Rachel saw a car in their driveway. They had never had Englischer visitors before and Rachel had no idea to whom the bright blue Ford truck belonged. Rachel and Miriam stared at each other.
Miriam drove the buggy up to the vehicle, and immediately, two figures got out of the truck beside them. There was a tall blonde woman, perhaps in her mid forties. She was wearing a tightly fitting business suit and a miserable expression on her face.
The man was tall and strapping. He was dressed in a smart, black suit and a crisp, white shirt, and looked for all the world as if he had just stepped out of an important business meeting. He seemed professional and exuded a presence that commanded attention.
The two strangers approached Miriam and Rachel in an intimidating manner which made the women immediately uncomfortable.
“Nice set up you have here,” the man said in a sarcastic tone, looking the house up and down.
“I am Miriam Berkholder and this is my daughter, Rachel,” Miriam said.
“Oh, my apologies,” the man said, in a tone which was far from apologetic. “I am Clark Bedshill, and this is my wife, Debra Bedshill. My wife owns the Bed and Breakfast on Main Street. I am sure you have heard of it. It’s been in town for years now.”
Miriam nodded. “Actually, we only heard about your establishment today. We were looking -”
The woman interrupted her. “Don’t you think it’s quite rude to come into town and try to take over an industry that my husband and I have been in charge of for years? We were the only B&B in Town until you came along.”
“I don’t think there is anything wrong with providing guests with options,” Miriam said calmly. “Perhaps you could have come to talk to us first, rather than threatening the local tradesmen in town not to do business with us.”
Clark whipped his head around sharply at his wife. Her actions were clearly a revelation to him. She glared at him and he remained silent.
“Our place is just getting cleaned up,” Miriam continued. “We are no threat to you. Why are you even worried about us? You’re more established and have been around for years. We still have a long way to go. There really is no competition here.”
“It is obvious that guests would choose a beautiful, countryside retreat instead of the busy main street to relax,” the woman snapped. “You have the good views of the creek and the mountains behind. Guests would obviously choose your place over ours. But we aren’t worried - just remember, no one in town will want to work with you on your project. They’re loyal to us. Let’s go, Clark.”
When Rachel finished, she grabbed her husband’s wrist and led him back into the truck.
“If I were you, I would pack up and head back to wherever you came from,” she called over her shoulder. “No one from this town is going to help you finish this project.”
The car spun its wheels, before disappearing in a cloud of dust down the lane.
Chapter 10
Rachel sat on the hard, wooden bench in the haus of Mr. and Mrs. Lapp, an elderly couple. The women were seated in the living room, and the men were seated in the dining room. Rachel was accustomed to this, for that happened back in Ohio when the haus was not enough to seat both the women and men on opposite sides of the same room. Not every familye’s haus was big enough to accommodate the whole community every second Sunday for the church meetings. When the houses were small like the Lapps’ haus, the ministers had to walk from one room to the other when they were bringing the word of Gott to the people.
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