“Next week!” Joshua exclaimed.
“Jah. I’m going to be a teacher’s aide next week and help through the transition. ”
“So, you can stay home with me now?” Melissa asked.
Samantha smiled, this time more genuinely. “Jah, I can,” she said, her voice gaining a little strength.
Joshua leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. “While I’m going to enjoy having you home, I’m very sorry that it came about like this, and so suddenly. I know you love teaching. It was very kind of you to give up your position for this other woman. I’m proud of you, and I'm sure Gott is too.”
Samantha dabbed a few tears from her eyes. “Danke, Joshua.” She exhaled deeply and glanced at Melissa. “We better get dinner going, before the kinner starve.”
“Where’s Andrew?” Joshua asked.
“On the porch,” she said. She grimaced. “He’s not taking the news well. I’ll get the noodles and sauce cooking if you want to go see him?”
“Jah.” Joshua said. He kissed Samantha on her cheek and patted Melissa on the head before heading out to the porch.
Andrew was sitting on the rocking chair, his arms crossed, rocking back and forth, staring out. He looked so much like his mamm that sometimes it was painful for Joshua to look at his little boy.
When Joshua stepped outside, Andrew frowned at him.“Samantha won’t be my teacher anymore,” he said.
“Jah, Samantha told me that,” Joshua said. He took a seat in the swing nearby. The young boy threw his head back against the rocking chair, rocking himself back and forth quickly. “I don’t understand why this other lady can’t get a different job,” Andrew said. “Why does she have to take Samantha’s job?”
“I don’t know why it had to be Samantha’s job,” Joshua said. “Gott only knows that.”
“Why can’t Gott change it?” Andrew asked.
“Gott can change it, if He wants to, but He knows better than we do,” Joshua said. “There’s a reason that He wants this other woman to teach. Maybe you'll have a little bruder or a little shveshtah soon. You want that, don’t you?”
Andrew gave Joshua a pained look. “Jah, but I want Samantha to be my teacher too. Joshua held out his hands to Andrew, and he clambered off the rocking chair and into Joshua's lap. He held the boy close to him. “Gott is gut, Andrew, and we must trust Him, okay?”
“Okay,” Andrew said, a little begrudgingly.
“Gott knows what He’s doing, even when it seems to be going badly for us,” Joshua said. “He was gracious to bring Samantha into our lives. Maybe she has a different role to play now. Or perhaps it's just that this woman needs the teaching job more than Samantha does. We don’t know. But it’ll work out. Gott always sees to it. Okay?”
“Jah.” Andrew looked up at Joshua. “Can we eat now?”
That quickly, and the boy had been distracted. Joshua chuckled. “As soon as the food is ready. Let’s go help Samantha, it’ll go faster.”
“Jah! ” Andrew scrambled off of Joshua’s lap and hurried into the house, while Joshua followed.
Hopefully Samantha will be as quick to find her joy again, Joshua thought.
* * *
Chapter 3
Long after the children were asleep, Samantha and Joshua stayed up talking and sitting together on the porch swing, sipping on chamomile tea. Samantha was feeling better about her transition as she and Joshua talked about how things would change. For instance, not having to rush to get dinner done, and not having to do so much dinner prep work on the weekends to make dinner faster during the week. She also looked forward to being able to spend more time with Melissa, and even Joshua occasionally during the day.
It gave Samantha some hope, and she and Joshua shared a smile as their conversation paused. Samantha glanced down at the cup in her hands.
“I guess I really hoped to have at least one more year of teaching,” Samantha said at last.
Joshua nodded. One of his strong, carpenter’s hands dwarfed the small, empty tea cup he held, the other hand tracing the handle of it. He looked exquisite in the fading light, with intense green eyes under rich brown hair searching the horizons. His straw hat, which he’d set on the rocking chair, fluttered in the breeze. Inhaling the pleasant scent of the flowers in the pot nearby, Samantha leaned her head against Joshua. He set his cup down and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Nothing says you won’t have the chance to teach again,” Joshua said.
“That's true.” Samantha said, relaxing her shoulders down as Joshua stroked her back. She sighed. Maybe Ruth will want some help. Perhaps she’d like to review the lesson plans I’ve made, and she could even come by once in a while on the weekends to go over things.”
“Exactly. It’s not like you’re going to be completely cut off from teaching. Goodness, Melissa would do well with a teacher at home before she heads off to school.”
Samantha kissed Joshua on the cheek, feeling better. “Danke, Joshua. It helped to talk this out.”
“Everything will all work out.” Joshua said.
Jah, everything will work out, Samantha thought. It always does. I must keep trusting Gott's will.
He kissed her on the forehead, then on her nose, and then on her mouth. Her stomach tied itself into knots and she started to blush as Joshua kept kissing her. It didn’t matter that they’d been married for almost three months or that they’d dated for almost a year up till their marriage, Samantha still wasn’t used to being in love. Joshua could easily make her breathless, and her heart melted under his warm embrace.
* * *
“Danke, but I don’t need your help,” Ruth said.
Samantha stared at the tall, strong-looking young woman before her, feeling her hope at an easy transition or even second-hand teaching slip away. Ruth had a commanding presence, especially beside Samantha, and the children had been quiet the entire day on Monday as she had explained the switch and run Ruth through one day. At the end of the day, however, Ruth had given Samantha all of her lesson plans back, telling her that she would make her own and would handle it just fine.
“Ach,” Samantha said. “Are you sure?”
“Jah,” Ruth said. Her eyes were fixated on Samantha, and there was a slight tension in her shoulders, which were pulled back, giving her an even taller, more regal appearance. “I do appreciate the job,” Ruth added after an awkward pause.
Samantha tried to find some way to gracefully exit and still console herself that she’d done the right thing, but Ruth had been so terse with her the entire day that it was difficult. Even her gratitude sounded forced, and Samantha hesitated, hoping for something more.
“Well,” Samantha said after a moment. She forced herself to smile up at Ruth. “I hope it goes well for you, and if you need anything at all, please feel free to let me know.”
“I will,” Ruth said simply. Samantha handed over the keys to the schoolhouse, feeling like she’d left the children under the charge of, despite her name, a ruthless woman.
Reminding herself not to think so ill of Ruth, Samantha bid her a good day and walked out with her belongings, casting a longing look at the desk. She’d decided to let the new teacher keep the desk from Joshua, but now she was regretting it.
Andrew had been waiting outside with Kristen, and they both gave Samantha such a forlorn look that she wondered if she’d even been right to so quickly give the teaching job to Ruth.
Still, perhaps she was being too hard on Ruth – the woman’s husband had been recently disabled, and she’d lost her brother. Maybe she was mistaking the sternness for a desire to try and hide tears.
A smile worked its way onto Samantha’s face, and she tried to hold it there for Kristen and Andrew. “Well! I guess that’s that,” she said, feeling none too thrilled but trying to sound enthusiastic.
Andrew burst into tears. She quickly knelt, drawing the boy into her arms. Kristen rubbed his head. “It’s going to be okay,” Kristen said.
Unable to say anything her
self, she kissed the top of Andrew’s head. After a long time, she cleared her throat. “Kristen’s right,” Samantha said. She had to take a deep breath, her voice shaky. “Gott always has a plan. Right?”
Andrew nodded his head, rubbing his eyes as he stepped back. “Right,” he muttered.
“It will be fine,” Kristen said. She gave her a hug, but Samantha had to keep it brief and stepped back when she thought she might cry. “Have a gut week,” Kristen said.
“You too. I'll see you at church.” Samantha managed another smile and began walking down the road towards home. Andrew held her hand but said nothing as they went, and she couldn’t work up the strength to encourage him.
Gott, please help me to adjust to this new phase, Samantha prayed.
* * *
The first week at home was a struggle for Samantha, but to her surprise it was Andrew that took it the hardest. He cried every night, dragged his feet to go to school, and when he came home he did nothing but talk about how awful Miss Haier was. She and Joshua discussed the issue, and both of them figured Andrew was just having a difficult time with the change. They tried their best to encourage him, but Andrew was nearly inconsolable. At last, Joshua warned Andrew that he wasn’t going to stand for one more complaint about Miss Haier.
“Gott has set Miss Haier as schoolteacher for a reason,” Joshua said. “You need to trust that Gott is in control. And you will respect Miss Haier.”
“I won’t respect Miss Haier ever,” Andrew said.
Joshua’s face darkened, and Samantha cringed as he took Andrew out behind the house. She picked up Melissa and went back to the kitchen to check on the roast. She felt like she was slowly getting the hang of being at home. She missed teaching and seeing the children's faces and the joy of watching their eyes light up when they solved a problem. But she found that she liked the quiet of the home as well as spending time with Melissa. She also liked being able to spend more time with Joshua; visiting him out in the workshop occasionally and when he came in the house for lunch.
If only Andrew could find peace. Samantha hoped that the ache in her heart would lessen for him and the job she missed.
* * *
Andrew stopped complaining after Joshua disciplined him, but he remained sullen and unenthusiastic about school.
“Andrew, dear,” Samantha said. “It’s going to be okay.”
Andrew’s lips pursed together, though he quickly rubbed the tears from his eyes as Samantha put his hat on his head. “Can I stay home today?” Andrew asked softly.
“You’ll have to ask your Daed,” Samantha said.
The young boy’s shoulders dropped. Instead of saying anything to Joshua, who was waiting by the front door, Andrew accepted the packed lunch bag that Samantha had made for him and walked out the front door. He never even looked back at them.
“Have a gut day, Andrew,” Joshua said. He frowned as Andrew, hopping off the porch and heading towards the road, didn’t even wave back at them. Joshua looked at Samantha. “Andrew doesn’t normally hold a grudge like this,” he said.
“Do you think something is actually wrong?”
Joshua took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair before putting his hat back on. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “But if there was a problem, wouldn’t someone else mention it?”
“Jah, that's true.” Samantha sighed. She kissed Joshua before he headed off to the workshop, while she went and lay down on the couch.
Mary had come to visit yesterday, and she mentioned in passing that she thought John was getting sick. Now Samantha was fairly certain she’d caught whatever John had. She was tired and started to feel nauseous. Joshua had been very concerned and had told her that if she didn’t get better soon, he wanted her to visit the doctor. For now, however, she decided to just rest before trying to tackle household chores.
Melissa spent the morning working on her cross-stitch project in the living room and checking on Samantha. As much as she didn’t want the dear girl to get sick, Samantha did appreciate the company, and the morning passed by better as a result. After her rest she felt strong enough to prepare lunch. “When is this bug finally going to leave? ” She wondered.
Just before calling Joshua in for lunch, there was a knock on the front door. She looked up to see Bishop Miller waiting outside.
“Gut afternoon, Bishop. Come in.”
“Hello Samantha.”
“Have you eaten? Did you want to join us?” She gestured to the fact that Melissa was already sitting at the table, noodles in beef gravy with a side of corn kernels and green beans set out.
“Nee, but danke.” He stepped to the side to allow Joshua into the house. “Gut afternoon, Joshua.”
“Bishop, it is gut to see you,” Joshua said. They shook hands, Joshua watching the bishop's face carefully. “Is something wrong?”
The bishop turned to Samantha, taking a deep breath. “I’ve received several complaints about Ruth Haier as the new schoolteacher.”
“From Andrew?” Joshua asked.
“What? Nee, Andrew hasn’t said anything to me. Actually the other parents have complained to me about Ruth.”
Samantha exchanged a glance with Joshua, stunned. Something really is wrong? she wondered.
“Andrew’s been upset about her, but we thought it was just because Samantha stepped down.”
“What kind of complaints?” Samantha asked.
“Mostly, the overall consensus is that Ruth doesn’t seem to be a very gut teacher, and she’s having trouble controlling the kinner. There’s some complaints about her being particularly stern, but I’m less worried about that. Each teaches as they can. But Ruth seems to be having difficulty with the actual teaching.” The bishop rubbed the back of his neck. “To be honest with you, Samantha, some of the parents have asked that I remove Ruth from the teaching position and install you in again, but I’d like to talk to Ruth first. However, I wanted you to be aware that we may have to ask you to step back in. I feel badly that last time we gave you so little warning, and I wanted you to be aware of the situation and see if you were even still available.”
She felt a surge of hope. She could teach again. She would get to go back to the school and work with the children and see the joy on their faces once more. Melissa would miss her being home, but Andrew would be happy again. And she would once again have both of her dreams.
But still, a part of her couldn’t help wonder about what had happened to Ruth. Despite how brisk Ruth had been with her, she felt like Ruth had a good air of confidence and clearly grasped all the lessons that she had run her through and given her.
“Do you want me to talk to Ruth?” Samantha asked. She blinked at her statement – she had no idea where it had come from. She meant to say she was available if it came to it. But it was too late – she’d already said as much.
He looked at her in surprise, as did Joshua. If you’re willing, Samantha, I’d really appreciate it. Maybe she just needs more training that hadn't been anticipated, and is embarrassed to admit to it.”
“I’ll stop by after school tomorrow,” Samantha said.
“Jah, the sooner, the better. And danke, Samantha. I really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome,” Samantha said. She managed a smile at the bishop as he left, but as soon as he was out of earshot, she sat down into one of the dining chairs and stared up at Joshua. “I'm not even sure of what to say to Ruth.” Joshua took her hand.
“This sounds serious enough that I probably shouldn’t even wait until tomorrow. She sighed. I’d go today, but I still have laundry to hang up and it’ll start to smell if I just let it sit. And I’ll need all the energy I can get.”
“Make sure you're feeling better though, before you do go talk to her.”
“I can do it. I’ll just rest most of the day tomorrow and then head over to the school.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Joshua eventually nodded. “Alright. When you’re ready to leave, just let me know. I’ll give
you a ride to the schoolhouse.”
“Danke.” They shared a kiss before sitting down to pray and eat, and the entire time Samantha’s heart pounded with anticipation, hope, dread, and confusion.
* * *
Chapter 4
Joshua wasn’t quite sure how he felt about Samantha going back to teaching, as he’d quickly come to love her being at home. He was able to see her during the day and she added more life to the house in many ways. On top of that, Melissa was benefiting greatly from the attention she was receiving from Samantha, not to mention her gift for teaching.
Now, it looks like she may return to teaching at the schoolhouse. Joshua was telling himself that if it was what Gott wanted, who was he to argue about it? Yet he couldn’t help but hope that Ruth would be able to work out her problems and Samantha could stay home. And Joshua felt terrible about his desire, knowing how much she loved to teach.
Why must this be so complicated? Joshua wondered.
Of course, part of his concern now was that Samantha was ill. Joshua insisted she rest all day. He knew it was just because he was afraid of losing her like he’d lost Jessica; which was ridiculous given that Samantha was an otherwise healthy woman dealing with a small cold or bug, but the worry was still there.
* * *
Joshua was sandpapering the side of Mary’s crib when he heard a child sobbing. Just as he stood up to his feet looking towards the wide-open doors of the workshop, Andrew appeared at the entrance. His hat was in his hand and he was crying.
“Daed!” Andrew ran over and Joshua quickly set his tools aside just before Andrew jumped onto him. Burying his face into Joshua’s arms, Andrew wept even harder.
“Andrew? What’s wrong?” Joshua asked. He looked the boy over and picked him up. “What happened?”
“Miss H-Haier got rid-d of the d-desk you made for Samantha,” Andrew said. He was crying so hard he was stuttering.
AMISH ROMANCE: Amish Dreams Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 5
