KL04 - Katy's Decision

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

  Katy knew Shelby was right, but the sooner she let Shelby off at the house, the sooner she could take the cart to the pasture and herd Shadow and Saydee in close. But as her visibility worsened, she knew it wasn’t safe to drive so close to the others when she couldn’t see the road clearly. She’d have to slow down.

  As Katy fell back, storm clouds boiled overhead and released rain in a torrent. Raindrops lashed the car, settling the dust, but the onslaught of rain blocked her vision. Frightened by the fierce assault, Katy slowed to a crawl. She clung to the steering wheel so tightly her fingers hurt, and she squinted through the windshield wipers while silently praying for safety. Shelby, normally chatty, fell silent, which allowed Katy to focus on driving.

  Both girls heaved a sigh of relief when Katy pulled into her driveway. She drove as close to the back door as possible. The moment she put the car into park, Dad came racing out of the house with an umbrella held over his head.

  He popped the passenger door open. “Shelby, I’ll get you inside first, then I’ll come back for Katy.” He didn’t bother with her crutches, but just wrapped his arm around her waist and half-carried her into the house. Then he came back out. “C’mon, Katy-girl — let’s go.”

  The raindrops pounding on the car’s roof sounded like a band of drums. She hollered over the concert, “I’ll come in, but only to put on my rain gear — I need to go check on Saydee. She’s never been in a storm before. I’m afraid she’ll be spooked by it.”

  Dad shook his head. “Don’t bother.”

  “But, Dad!”

  “The horses are already in the barn,” Dad said. He gestured for her to slide across the seat. “Come on —let’s get in.”

  Katy reached into the backseat and pulled Shelby’s crutches with her as she slid to Dad. Together they ran the short distance to the house, their feet splashing muddy water with every step. In the shelter of the little mudroom, Katy kicked off her soggy sandals and tried to brush the excess moisture from her skirt. She grinned at Dad. “We need a bigger umbrella.”

  “Or a carport on the side of the house to drive under,” Dad said. His pant legs were soaked to his knees, the bottom several inches brown and dripping with mud. He removed his boots and grunted in irritation. “I’m going to have to change — I can’t stay in these wet clothes.”

  Katy grimaced. “Sorry you got so wet bringing us in.” Then she looked him up and down. “How’d you get Shadow and Saydee in without getting soaked head to toe?”

  “I didn’t bring them,” he said. He ushered Katy into the kitchen and gestured to the table where Shelby, Rosemary, and Jonathan Richter sat together. “Jonathan did.”

  Katy’s eyes landed on Jonathan’s smiling face, and she stopped so quickly her bare feet squeaked on the linoleum floor. “Oh …”

  “He saw the storm building when he was out with them,” Dad explained, “and he brought them close well before it hit. Then we started visiting, and the storm arrived. I didn’t want to send him on until it cleared.”

  “So you’re still here …” What an idiotic thing to say! Katy wished she could snatch the words back.

  Dad gawked at her in surprise. “Katy …” His voice held admonition.

  Katy’s ears flamed hot. “I didn’t mean —” She gulped. She began inching toward the doorway to the dining room. “I need to go change.” Her gaze turned to Shelby. “Do you …?”

  Shelby shook her head. “Your dad kept me pretty dry. I’ll stay here and sip this wonderful cinnamon tea Mrs. Lambright just poured for me.”

  Katy gave a quick nod and shot through the dining room to the staircase. She clattered upstairs, her feet making almost as much noise as the crash of thunder that rattled the windows of the house. She changed quickly into a dry dress — her favorite purple-on-purple checks one — and then took the time to pop off her water-speckled headcovering, redo her bun so her hair lay smooth against her head, and put on a fresh cap. She looked in the mirror. One satin ribbon lay rumpled against her shoulder. She smoothed it and gave a satisfied nod.

  Presentable.

  Drawing in a huge breath, she returned to the kitchen at a much more sedate pace. Dad had already changed into dry work trousers and sat in the fourth chair, but when Katy entered, he bounced up.

  “Here you go, Katy-girl. Sit down and join your friends.”

  Jonathan jumped up too. “Katy can have my seat. I should probably head on back to Dan and Sandra’s.”

  “Nonsense,” Rosemary said. “Listen to that thunder! It sounds like it’s booming right over our heads. Where there’s thunder, there’s lightning, and it isn’t safe to be outside. They wouldn’t expect you to be out in the storm. Just stay put.” She aimed a crinkling smile at Katy. “I’ll pour Katy a cup of tea, then Samuel and I will leave you young folks alone to chat.”

  Jonathan settled back into his chair without an argument, and Rosemary bustled to the stove. On her way past Katy, she whispered, “Sit. Enjoy.” Her eyes twinkled.

  Katy felt her ears heating again, but she slid into the chair Rosemary had vacated. She forced herself to take slow, shallow breaths to bring her racing pulse under control while Rosemary poured a cup of tea. Her stepmother placed the cup in front of her, then she and Dad disappeared into the front part of the house.

  Shelby pushed the sugar bowl and a spoon across the table to Katy. “Jonathan was telling me about his work with horses at his dad’s horse farm.” She propped her chin in her hand and gazed at him with longing. “It must be really fun to spend every day with horses. I love horses — Katy and I haven’t had nearly enough time with Shadow and Saydee so far. Horses are such beautiful animals. Majestic, really.”

  “I enjoy working with them,” Jonathan said. He’d finished his cup of tea, and he played with the empty mug, rolling it between his palms while he spoke. “As you say, they’re majestic animals. So much power, yet they have a gentle strength. A man learns a great deal of patience, working with horses. Dad always says training horses is good practice for living life wisely.”

  Katy took a cautious sip of her tea. The sweet cinnamon flavor tingled on her tongue. Outside, the wind calmed, turning the raucous pounding of drops against the roof and windows into a gentle patter. She began to relax. “So do you think you’ll raise horses for a living too?”

  Jonathan chuckled. “Well, as I was telling your dad earlier, I’m the youngest of six boys. So I have plenty of competition for taking over my dad’s business. My two oldest brothers have already gone into other occupations. Joshua works with his wife’s father on their farm, and Judah opened a farming implement business near Bird-in-Hand. Then Jeremiah and Jerrod — they’re the twins — opened a wagon-building and harness-making shop on the edge of my dad’s property. My other brother, Jerome, works fulltime with my dad and uncle. He’ll probably be the one to take over the horse ranch when Dad decides to quit.”

  Katy, listening, tried to imagine growing up in such a large family. The picture wouldn’t gel. She said, “So what about you? What do you want to do?”

  Jonathan lowered his chin, and his forehead creased into a series of frown lines. “I’ll probably end up working in Jeremiah and Jerrod’s shop. They said they could use me, and I know my dad would approve.”

  Katy caught the hint of melancholy in his tone. She leaned forward. “I didn’t ask what your dad wants you to do. I asked what you want to do.”

  His head lifted, and his gaze smacked into hers. For several seconds he didn’t reply, and Katy wondered if she’d insulted him. But she didn’t retract her question. She really wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about him.

  Finally he drew in a big breath. “What I want to do I can’t do, so there’s no sense in even thinking about it.”

  Shelby set her empty cup aside and released a little snort. “You can’t say something like that and just leave us hanging. Come on — ‘fess up. We won’t tell anybody. What do you want to do?” Her grin turned teasing. “Do you wanna be, like, the first Mennoni
te to fly in a space shuttle to the moon?”

  Katy swallowed a giggle, imagining Jonathan with his flat-brimmed church hat atop the globelike headgear of an astronaut’s suit.

  “No, not that.” Jonathan laughed lightly too, but then he shrugged. “But you’re not far from what I want.”

  Shelby’s eyes flew wide. “Really?”

  Jonathan nodded, his face sad. “Really. I love science. Especially space science. Our galaxy is so amazing — God’s creation … I never tire of looking at the stars. I’d love to study what all is out there.” His expression turned pensive. “If I could, I’d go to college and try to become some kind of astronomer. Or a meteorologist — that would be okay too. Or even a high school teacher so I could share what I love with others.” He sighed, turning to face Katy. “That’s why I’m a little jealous of you, Katy. Getting to go to high school and earn your diploma.” He angled his head to the side, the pose very boyish and appealing. “What do you plan to do after you graduate?”

  The question pierced Katy. Would she get to graduate? She wasn’t even sure she’d go on to her junior year. So much depended on Aunt Rebecca’s treatments and recovery. She answered carefully. “I’m like you — I’d like to go to college, if Dad and the elders allow it. That’s why I want to train Saydee to pull a buggy — she’ll fetch a better price, and I’ll need the money for college.” She risked sharing her dream with this visiting boy who gazed at her with open interest on his handsome face. “I want to be a journalist.”

  “Really?” Jonathan’s face lit. “For newspapers or magazines?”

  Katy shrugged. She sipped the cooling tea. “Either, I guess. I haven’t really decided. I just know I love to write.”

  “She’s good at it too,” Shelby contributed. “You should read her poems.”

  Katy sent Shelby a frantic look. Her poetry was private, revealing some of her deepest feelings. She’d never share any of those with a boy!

  “And,” Shelby went on, “she wrote this amazing oration for forensics competition that wowed the judges. Maybe she’ll show you her medals sometime.”

  Jonathan said, “I’d like to see them.”

  But Katy knew she’d never show Jonathan the medals she won at contests. Showing them would be the same as bragging. She didn’t want Jonathan to think of her as prideful. She ducked her head and pretended great interest in the remaining contents of her mug.

  Jonathan chuckled. “But maybe I better not see them. They’d only make me more jealous.”

  Katy sneaked a peek at him and saw his lips twitch in a self-conscious grin. A giggle found its way from her throat. He didn’t claim to be perfect. She liked that.

  Suddenly Jonathan jerked, seeming to examine the ceiling. Katy, uncertain, looked upward too. At the same time, they lowered their heads and looked across the table at each other.

  Jonathan said, “The rain stopped.”

  At the same time, Katy said, “It’s quiet.”

  Shelby snickered. “Great minds think alike.” Jonathan’s cheeks blotched pink while Katy’s ears heated.

  He pushed his chair back. “Since the storm’s passed, I should go.”

  Katy stood too. “I — I enjoyed … visiting.”

  He smiled — a funny, almost crooked smile that made Katy feel like her insides were melting. “Me too. But I need to …”

  “Yes, it’s probably time for you to …” Couldn’t either of them finish a sentence?

  Shelby lurched upright and reached for her crutches. “Let’s walk him out, Katy.”

  Katy gave herself a little nudge and gestured toward the dining room doorway rather than escorting him to the mudroom back door. She was certain his cousin’s truck waited in front. She and Shelby followed him to the front room, where he stopped and thanked Dad and Rosemary for their hospitality. His manners pleased Katy, and she could tell by the expressions on her parents’ faces that they appreciated his polite ways too.

  He opened the door and turned back. “‘Bye, Katy and Shelby.” Then he fixed his gaze on Katy. “You …” He licked his lips, flicking a quick glance at her dad. “You don’t work on Monday, right?”

  Katy’s hands began to tremble. She clasped them behind her back. “Well, yes and no. The fabric shop’s always closed on Monday. But I left before I finished the cleanup chores today. So I’ll probably go in and run the vacuum cleaner and dust the shelves and so forth — get the place looking nice for Tuesday.”

  “With today’s heavy rain, and the storm they’re predicting for tomorrow, the fields will probably be too wet for Dan and me to do much on Monday. Could I, um, maybe pick you up — and Shelby too, of course — and … well, take you into the café for lunch?” The pink streaks in his cheeks deepened to a blazing red. “I’d like to talk to you a little more. About school and …” Again, he glanced at her dad. “Something else.”

  Katy looked at Dad. “Would it be okay, Dad?”

  Dad turned to Rosemary. He’d started seeking her approval when granting or denying Katy’s requests. Rosemary didn’t say anything, but she smiled. Dad gave a barely discernible nod, as if the two of them had communicated silently.

  Dad faced Jonathan and Katy. “I think that would be fine. Maybe Katy could stay in town after lunch to do her cleaning, and one of us could pick her up later in the afternoon.”

  Their plans seemed set. Jonathan grinned. “Good. I’ll come by around … eleven thirty?”

  “That would be perfect,” Katy said.

  “All right then. See you Monday, Katy.” He slipped out the door.

  Katy closed it slowly, peeking through the narrowing crack at his retreating form. What did he mean when he said he wanted to talk to her about “something else”? The curiosity might drive her crazy.

  She clicked the door closed and turned to find both Dad and Rosemary grinning at her. She put her hands on her hips. “What?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Dad said innocently.

  From the backyard, the sound of a car horn blared. Dad leaped up. “Must be Caleb, wondering where I am. It’s milking time.” He paused to drop a kiss on Rosemary’s cheek before charging through the house.

  Katy stood as still as if her feet had sent down roots. Her conversation with Shelby about Caleb and remembrances of her time visiting with Jonathan bounced around in her brain, raising a variety of confusing emotions.

  Rosemary cleared her throat, and Katy looked at her. Rosemary’s smile grew tender. “He’s a nice boy, Katy.”

  She didn’t indicate which boy, and Katy realized the comment could apply to either Jonathan or Caleb at that moment. Katy’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. She swallowed. “Yes, I know.” But which boy is the right one for me?

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I’d like a BLT, french fries, and a Coke, please,” Katy told Yvonne. Both Shelby and Jonathan had ordered cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes, and Katy had been tempted to do the same. But she didn’t want Jonathan to think she was copying him. Besides, she loved the café’s bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich on their home-baked wheat bread with lots of mayonnaise.

  “Coming right up.” Yvonne whirled and returned to the kitchen with her skirts swishing around her knees. She’d been a lot friendlier with Jonathan in the booth than she’d been with Katy and Shelby the day they’d come in alone. But Katy decided not to mention that fact.

  Shelby looked around the busy café. She leaned close to Katy and whispered, “I can’t believe how many people are in here. And lots of them are non-Mennonite.”

  Katy swallowed a chuckle. It was easy to differentiate between the Schellberg residents and the visiting patrons. Their clothing gave them away. “I know. That’s pretty typical, actually. People from neighboring communities come over here to eat because they enjoy the home cooking.”

  Shelby continued to survey the other customers, and Katy looked across the booth to Jonathan. She felt that telltale heat creep into her ears when she realized he was staring at her. His fervent expression made her
feel weak and quivery inside. She’d never understand the effect this boy had on her.

  “You said you wanted to talk to me about … something,” she reminded him.

  He gave a little jolt, as if awakening from a dream, and propped his elbows on the edge of the table. “Yes, I do. Two things, actually.” His change in demeanor — from deeply seeking to businesslike — helped put Katy at ease. “First of all, school. What did you do to convince the elders to let you go?”

  Katy cringed, remembering the agonizing weeks before she gathered the courage to ask Dad if she could seek permission from the council. “First of all, I prayed. A lot. I wanted to make sure it was something I was even supposed to pursue. I knew I couldn’t be happy following my dream if my dream wasn’t what God wanted for me.”

  He nodded, his brow furrowed in a serious frown. “That’s always best.”

  “Then I talked to my dad, and he set up a meeting with the elders to discuss the possibility.” She sighed as she thought about the long meeting and the numerous questions she’d fielded. “Since no one in Schellberg had ever wanted to go beyond ninth grade, the elders had a lot of concerns. Mostly that what I wanted was really best for me, and also that my going wouldn’t create a rift in the community with the other young people. The council didn’t want the others to feel as though I got an unfair advantage or something.”

  Shelby looked at Katy with sympathy. “You sure stepped out on a limb. And I can think of a few people who tried to saw it off behind you.”

  Katy chuckled at Shelby’s picturesque speech. “That’s a good way to put it.” She turned to Jonathan again. “The first months were pretty uncomfortable all the way around — for me at the high school because I … well, I stuck out.” She shrugged. “It was uncomfortable for me here in town too, because some fellowship members really didn’t approve of the decision to let me go. But I think people have settled in with it now for the most part.”