by Sarah Price
But, as always, Caleb took it in stride. “The farms in Ohio are wunderbarr, Esther. Rich soil, fewer tourists, and right gut communities.”
“It’s so far away…”
Esther did not have time to finish her statement as the door opened and Amos walked inside. He took one look at his wife’s face and turned to look at Drusilla. “Wie gehts?” He glanced at Caleb and nodded his head in recognition of the young man.
“Our dochder seems to have some news of us Amos,” Esther said in a flat voice.
Amos looked at Drusilla and Caleb standing there and, instantly, it was clear to Drusilla that he knew.
Without realizing it, Drusilla took a small step closer to Caleb. She needed to feel his strength because, at that very moment, she wasn’t feeling quite so strong.
“Amos, I’ve asked Drusilla to marry me,” Caleb said, his voice direct and unwavering.
It was Esther who added, “And moving her to Ohio, apparently.”
“Is that so?” Unlike his wife, Amos sounded neither surprised nor upset. “I heard you were in Ohio, Caleb. Tell me what you found.”
“I was just telling Esther about it. I found us a right nice farm for half of what we would pay here, Amos. Eighty-acres and the best soil I’ve seen. The farmer only raised dairy cows and didn’t plant crops. The years of grazing have let the fields sit and nutrients grow,” Caleb said. His confidence and self-assurance both startled and stunned Drusilla. While her heart felt as if it would race right out of her chest, Caleb remained cool and at ease. “And the community,” he continued. “Why, they are just as simple and godly as any man could hope! With fewer tourists, it will be a wunderbarr gut place to raise a family.”
Amos reached up and stroked his beard as if deep in thought. From the playpen where Anna slept, a rustling noise could be heard. The baby was waking from her nap. When the rustling noise turned to a light whimper, Esther tensed at the noise and Drusilla started to head over to fetch Anna, but her father held up his hand to stop her.
“Nee, Drusilla,” he said firmly. “Your maem can tend to the boppli.”
Her father’s reaction surprised Drusilla and she frowned, questioning his reasons without speaking.
“It’s high time you began your own life,” Amos said as a way of explanation. “And high time your maem tends proper to Anna and the household. Relying on you for so much just ain’t fair.”
She thought she felt Caleb shift his weight beside her, his arm gently brushing against hers. She didn’t dare look at him, too worried that he would be upset by her father’s words. In all of her life, Drusilla had never heard her father speak in such a manner to anyone, nonetheless her mother.
And then, as her mother shuffled to where baby Anna slept, it dawned on Drusilla: her mother’s dependence on her had become a crutch, enabling Esther to not address her postpartum depression while forcing Drusilla to take on more of a maternal role for the entire family. The revelation struck her and she caught her breath. No wonder that her father wasn’t upset with her moving away…at least not on the surface.
“I reckon you have a plan then, son?” Amos asked Caleb.
“Ja, Amos, I do.” Always so self-confident, Caleb began to share his plans with her father.
The more that Caleb spoke, the more Drusilla realized how fortunate she was to be marrying such a smart man. Caleb talked about the money he had saved since he had turned sixteen years old and how he had enough to pay for half of the mortgage on the farm. His own father said that he would gift the newlywed couple with some farm equipment and seed for their first year’s crops. And with a small herd of dairy cows they would be able to sell the milk and make cheese to help with household expenses.
“And this all needs to be done in Ohio?” Amos asked.
Caleb sighed and nodded his head. “I’ve been looking for something around here, Amos. Between our own communities and the developers, there isn’t much available and certainly not what I can afford.”
Amos nodded. “Ja, I hear you, Caleb. You and many others.” He placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder as if empathizing with him. “Now, you just hold off on making that offer on the Ohio place. This is something I want to think on for a while, ja?” He looked at Drusilla and, after a second studying her face, he smiled. “You have other things to worry about, ain’t so? A wedding. I think it’s best that you focus on that, Drusilla. It will be the first of many weddings at our haus for our kinner. Let’s make it special, ja?”
His words almost made Drusilla cry. Had he not supported her engagement to Caleb or reacted negatively to the move to Ohio, she didn’t know what she would have done. Instead, he understood their reasons and expressed his approval. She hadn’t realized how important it was for her parents to stand behind her decisions. With her mother’s reaction, her father’s acceptance was even more important to her. Stepping forward, she hugged her father, a rare display of affection.
“Danke, Daed,” she said softly. “Danke for everything.”
Chapter Six
Amish church districts were always busy in autumn. In late September, new members were baptized into the church, a special service where the youth took their kneeling vow and promised to honor the Amish way of life, both culturally and religiously.
In October, the church districts held a communion service for the baptized members of the church. A solemn service that reminded the members of the g’may about the sacrifice made by Jesus as well as his commitment to humility, the service always included foot-washing, a time for each member to remember their commitment to serving others just as Jesus humbled himself by washing his disciples’ feet at the last supper.
It was after this worship service that the bishop began announcing upcoming weddings in their church district. With the harvest over and the days growing shorter, there was less work on the farms. For this reason, weddings were usually held in November and early December, and always on a Tuesday or Thursday.
True to his word, after the communion service, Caleb wasted no time in speaking to the bishops from both of their church districts so that their engagement could be announced at the next worship service. In the meantime, Drusilla found herself busy at home, helping her mother and father as usual, but also planning what needed to be prepared to host the wedding at her parents’ farm.
Caleb managed to visit just twice during the two weeks after the communion service. There was a lot of work to do at his father’s farm and the distance between their houses did not lend itself to daily visits. But, now that the family knew of the engagement, he was free to visit in the evenings and even share supper with them. For once, most of the Riehl children remained quiet and well-behaved during dinner, Elsie staring at Caleb with her mouth open and her eyes wide.
Even Hannah tried to display her best manners. Daniel, however, conversed with Caleb as if they were old friends, the majority of their discussions focused on what Caleb had learned about the opportunities in Ohio.
Finally, the next worship Sunday arrived. After the regular three-hour service, the bishops of their respective g’mays would stand before their congregation of church members and announce the upcoming wedding of Caleb Lapp and Drusilla Riehl as well as any other couples who intended to marry.
Only Caleb and Drusilla would not be there to hear it.
As was customary, on the day of the wedding announcements, the engaged couples did not attend the service. Instead, Caleb left his own church district and travelled to the Riehl farm. Alone in the house while the rest of the family attended the worship service, Drusilla and Caleb visited in the privacy of the kitchen while she made him dinner. Traditionally, it was a chance for young couples to catch up and learn more about each other while the rest of their respective g’mays learned about their intentions to marry.
Often, the men joked that it was a day for the prospective groom to sample the bride’s cooking. If her cooking didn’t suit, the groom might call off the wedding. Drusilla didn’t know if that had ever happened, but she s
till worried for two days about what to cook, how to cook it, and whether or not he would like it. She fretted about burning the bread the day before and preparing all of the dishes so that, on Sunday, she could just heat up everything instead of having to prepare it while he was visiting. Besides, she also needed to tend to Mammi Ana’s needs.
“This was a fine meal, Drusilla!” he said as he pushed away from the table and rubbed his stomach. “I’m going to need larger clothing if that’s how you intend to feed me!” His teasing brought a blush to her face.
“I’m sure your maem feeds you well enough,” she said, hoping that she sounded modest.
He laughed. “That she does!” Reaching forward, he pushed back his plate and, with a satisfied expression on his face, he took a deep breath. “I reckon by now both of our districts have heard the news. I know my maem has a long list of people to invite already. I’ll be doing that this week,” he said, “going to their farms and houses.”
Drusilla glanced around the kitchen. “I’ll be helping Maem plan the food and then cleaning all the following week.”
“And then, we’ll be getting married.” He grinned at her. “I told you there’d be no breaking off, Drusilla Riehl.”
In sixteen days, she would become his wife. Ever since Caleb’s return from Ohio and the discussion with her parents, Drusilla had found herself daydreaming more and more when she was supposed to be doing chores. For once, neither her mother nor her father reprimanded her. Instead, despite her protests, Hannah was forced to pick up the extra slack.
Drusilla couldn’t help herself from thinking about Caleb and the life that they would lead together. For a few weeks, they would still live apart, especially since his parents’ farm was so far away. But as soon as the situation with the Ohio farm was worked out, they would ship their few things, mostly clothes and some household goods, and travel by train to their new home. That unnerved her as much as the getting married part. Perhaps more.
She would have no friends or family for support. If she forgot a recipe, she’d have to rely on a cookbook and not her mother’s memory. In the evenings, it would be just the two of them after supper. For a while, Drusilla would be lonely. She knew that without even having moved yet. She’d miss her family and, just as importantly, she’d miss her cousins. Over the years, she hadn’t realized how important they were to her. Now, faced with such a great distance, one that precluded even annual visits, Drusilla worried that she might not see them again.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Caleb said.
“I will miss Miriam and Naomi,” she admitted.
He nodded his head in agreement. “We’ll both be missing quite a few folk, Dru. But you realize that it’s a right gut opportunity, ja?”
“Oh, I know that, Caleb,” she said. “I hope I didn’t sound unappreciative.” She thought back to John Miller and his broom making company. The memory of the Englische tourists who accosted her at David’s store over the summer. No, that was not the life she wanted for her husband or her children. “But I cannot deny that I will miss many people.”
“I wish I could show you that farm, Dru. It’s such a beautiful place, although it sits closer to the road than the houses we have out here in Lancaster County.” He shut his eyes as if remembering it. “They all do, you know. But it’s not a bother, with little traffic on those backroads. Not like here.”
She knew what he meant. Never mind the local people, even tourists often sped along the backroads. They seemed to be exploring more and more of the Amish sections, becoming emboldened by those navigational mapping systems in their cars and on their phones.
“And the schoolhouse,” he said, “why it’s just a stone’s throw away from the side paddock. No worries about kinner walking along a road or the building being out in the open.”
“It does sound quite lovely.”
And she meant that. From all that Caleb told her, she knew that Ohio was a good choice for their future. A lower cost of living and greater independence from the Englischers meant that they would be free to worship and live in the way they wanted. And, as Caleb had pointed out, raise their children.
Caleb glanced at the clock and sighed. “I reckon I best get going, Dru.”
His words disappointed her and she couldn’t help but say, “So soon?”
He nodded his head as he started to stand up. To her surprise, he picked up his plate as well as hers and carried it to the sink. “Ja, I have a long trek home and I’m sure my parents will want to go over their guest list.” He looked at her and winked. “Again.”
She laughed.
“Plus I have to help my daed with the chores,” he said.
“Caleb?” she asked as she stood up. “What will your daed do when you are gone?”
He looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Your bruders. Are they going to be able to help him?” When he didn’t respond right away, she added, “With the farmwork, I mean?”
He reached up and rubbed his chin. In a few weeks, he would begin growing a beard as all married men did. The gesture, however, was far too familiar to Drusilla and she smiled. Her father as well as many of the men in the community often did the same gesture when they were thinking.
“He’ll make do, Drusilla,” Caleb finally said. He sounded thoughtful and pensive, almost as if he was trying to convince himself as well as Drusilla. “Younger or not, my bruders will have to pick up their share of the work.”
“They still go to school.” She didn’t like having to point that out to Caleb, but his brothers would not be much help if they were gone for most of the day during the plowing and planting season.
Caleb didn’t have a chance to respond. From the other room, Mammi Ana made a noise.
Without hesitation, Drusilla stood up and hurried to the sitting area where the hospital bed had been set up. With the shades drawn, it remained dark enough so that she could sleep during the day.
“Oh help,” Drusilla said. “I think she’s running a fever.”
Caleb joined her and reached out his hand, pressing it gently against Ana’s forehead. “Just a little warm. I think a cool cloth might help. If it stays warm, mayhaps she has an infection.”
“I sure hope not.” Drusilla fetched a dishcloth and, after running some water on it, she rang out the excess water and brought it back. She folded it into a long rectangle and placed it on her grandmother’s forehead. “Does that feel better, Mammi? I’m sure it does.”
She had developed the habit of talking to her grandmother, despite not knowing whether or not her words were understood. Even though Ana couldn’t communicate with words or gestures, her grandmother still might have the capacity to hear and feel. Drusilla often sat with her and told her stories about the day or her upcoming wedding. She even had introduced Caleb to her and, to her relief, he responded to the introduction as he would with any other person. It was just one more thing to love about him.
“You know, Drusilla Riehl,” Caleb said, standing back and watching her, “you’re going to make a right gut maem one day!”
She flushed at the compliment. “Ach, Caleb. Anyone would do the same for their grandmother. I’m no more special than the next person.” She looked down at her grandmother.
“Ain’t that so, Mammi?” She paused as if waiting for a response. When none came, she continued talking. “Have you ever heard of a man that compliments so much, Mammi? Why, if he continues, I might just fall victim to the sin of pride!”
Caleb laughed. “Oh I doubt that very much, Dru. You are one of the most righteous people I know. If anything, I’m guilty of pride because I sure am proud of you.” Now it was his turn to address his words toward the grandmother. “Now, if I was boastful about her, Mammi Ana, I reckon that would be a whole different type of sin, ja?”
Drusilla appreciated his kindness more than she could say. She understood what he meant because she, too, was proud of Caleb. The only difference was that she didn’t express it in words.
H
er family had not raised her that way. Compliments were far and few between, not due to neglect but just because that wasn’t their way. Oh, she might have heard someone comment on Miriam’s fine stitches or Drusilla’s hard worth ethic. But no one spoke too highly of another and the recipients always downplayed the compliment.
The way she felt about Caleb, however, made her realize that even if pride was a sin, people just felt it naturally toward the ones that they loved. She could remember when Elsie was little and took her first steps. Drusilla had seen the glow of pride in her mother’s face. When Daniel drove the mules by himself for the first time, Amos had watched proudly. Pride was a natural reaction and, she realized, it was not necessarily a sin, especially when it was felt toward others.
The sin was in thinking too much of oneself, putting on airs of superiority because of pride.
She walked him to the door and he turned, one last time, to thank her for the meal. When he paused, his blue eyes staring into hers, she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.
“Everyone knows by now, Drusilla,” he said, his voice serious and low. “You’re Caleb’s Drusilla now. How does that make you feel?”
“I…I feel gut, Caleb,” she managed to reply. “How does it may you feel?”
He smiled at her, his eyes still holding her gaze. “I reckon I knew you were my intended bride from the moment you spilled that lemonade on me, Drusilla.” He reached up and gently brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. His touch startled her and her skin tingled beneath his caress. “But I am relieved that everyone knows. I’m not one to favor secrets.”
She leaned her cheek against his hand and shut her eyes, enjoying, for just that one moment, being connected to him.
When he finally withdrew his hand, she opened her eyes and saw him smiling at her.“Good night, Drusilla,” he said in a soft voice as he took a step backward from her. “Sweet dreams.”
She watched him as he readied his horse. He paused only once to wave at her before stepping up and into the buggy. As he drove it down the driveway and toward the road, Drusilla lifted her hand and touched the very spot where his fingers had brushed her skin. She shut her eyes and smiled to herself, remembering the way Caleb called her “Caleb’s Drusilla.” It was a designation she’d hear for many years to come. And for that, she was, indeed, happy.
