“The distance was wearing me out. Long distance relationships clearly don’t work for me.” Milly waved her hands to proclaim her frustration.
“Okay.” Melissa had no idea what to say.
Milly got out of her chair and walked around to sit on the desk. "Look, Melissa, I know this all sounds strange to you. I’ll try to explain. I'm an alpha female. I always have the upper hand in relationships; I never keep a guy around for longer than two or three months and I never fall in love. I fell in love once," Milly broke off and shuddered, "and I'm not going down that rabbit hole again.”
Now Melissa was entirely puzzled. "Rabbit hole?" she asked.
Milly chuckled. "I mean that I had a painful experience, so I won't be repeating it."
Melissa was glad that the Marriage Minded Agency did not share Milly's views. Milly was always hopping in and out of relationships, and her relationships were always short and emotionally unattached. Milly was constantly gushing about her latest date at an expensive restaurant, her vacation at a romantic destination, and the gifts that her doting suitors bestowed upon her.
Without a doubt, the two colleagues were polar opposites. Melissa believed that Gott had one woman for one mann, and dating in the community was always with a view to marriage. Milly's views on menner shocked Melissa, but she was not one to judge; she knew the Englisch had different ways.
Melissa was now more concerned than ever about her feelings for Victor Byler. Had he been Amish, there would have been no confusion whatsoever, but the fact remained that Victor was not in the community. Did Victor have views similar to Milly's? Melissa had no idea. Surely Victor retained his Amish ideals, but then again, he had been living in the Englisch world for quite some time.
Hebrews 11: 1 - 3.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the people of old received their commendation.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Chapter 16.
Isobel stopped rearranging candles in the Old Candle Store, and took one look at Melissa's face before speaking. "Melissa, what's wrong?"
"How do you know something's wrong?"
Isobel tapped her finger on the wooden shelving. "Isn’t there?" she countered.
"Jah. There's a lot on my mind, and I need your help. I was wondering if you were free this weekend to talk?”
“This weekend? Oh sorry, Melissa, I'm heading down to the farm this weekend to see my grossdawdi and grossmammi. It's Grossdawdi's birthday.”
Isobel’s grandparents owned a large farm which was nestled amongst the rolling Lancaster hills. Melissa had spent much of her time there as a child. In fact, it was the scene of Melissa’s fondest childhood memories. Isobel and Melissa had spent their days swimming in the pond in summer, or skating on it in winter. At night they would curl up by the camp fire while Isobel's grossdawdi told them stories of the Old Testament, of three men who walked into the fire and survived, of Daniel in the lions' den, of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea.
“Why don’t you come with me?” Isobel said after a long pause. “It’s the weekend, so you don't have to work, and I'm sure your bruder, Daniel, and his wife, Nettie, can help your mudder if she needs it. Besides, I'm sure Grossdawdi would like to see you again."
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Melissa asked hesitantly.
“Melissa, of course it’s okay. I'll pick you up at daybreak. I'm so excited! It'll be just like we're kinner all over again.”
Melissa could not help but laugh. It was typical of Isobel not even to wait for a response. But her friend was absolutely right. She desperately needed a break; she was not working at the Marriage Minded Agency that weekend, and after that nightmarish dinner with Brian Adams, she needed to get a few things off her chest. But most importantly, she needed Isobel to help her figure out what was going on with her feelings for Victor.
“Denki, I'll come.”
“Of course you will." Isabel chuckled. “Now I’d better get back to work; you can tell me all about it later.”
The drive down to the farm at the weekend was exactly as Melissa remembered. The cool, crisp air blew gently against her skin; the tall pine trees arched high into the sky along the smooth, lonely roads, and there was the gorgeous view of the peaceful pond as it kissed the horizon.
“We’re here!” Isobel pulled her horse to a stop outside to the farm haus.
The girls stepped out and inhaled the delightful springtime air. Melissa looked around her in awe. The farm house was just as she remembered: the brown, rustic, two storey home with its creaky deck, surrounded by large oak trees, the peaceful pond, and the sweet chirping sound of the birds as they fluttered through the trees.
Isobel’s grandparents reared chickens, pigs, and buggy horses. They had always sent Isobel and Melissa to feed the animals before breakfast.
Melissa felt at ease and immediately relaxed. It was as if she were home. It had been years since she visited, and she was thankful it was one of the few things in her life that had remained the same.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite girls,” said a pleasant and familiar voice.
“Grossdawdi!” Isobel exclaimed.
Isobel’s grossdawdi was just as Melissa had remembered. She had not seen him in years, as they were from another community. Grossdawdi Eli was always decked in oversized trousers, while his baard was wild and bushy, and his hair poked out in all directions from under his straw hat.
“Did you girls come to help me feed the chickens before dawn tomorrow morning?” he joked, embracing both girls on either side.
Isobel chuckled. “Grossdawdi, we’re here for your birthday!"
“Birthday? I’m too old for those things now; I didn’t even remember it was my birthday.”
The girls laughed with him.
“Of course we’ll help you, Grossdawdi Eli,” Melissa said.
“Now, girls, I'm heading into town to pick up Grossmammi Olive; she's at her quilting bee. Would you girls like me to get you anything?”
“Marshmallows, please!” Isobel exclaimed.
Grossdawdi Eli let out a roaring laugh. “Oh yes, I should've known.”
A couple hours later, Isobel and Melissa were nestled under cozy blankets and huddled in front of a warm fire. By now, they had unpacked their bags and eaten a birthday dinner with Isobel’s grandparents. The cool night air was soothing and the light from the full moon created a perfect glow over the still pond, which could be seen through the large windows. The girls relaxed in their soft chairs as they devoured their favorite treat.
“I missed this,” Melissa said.
“Jah, me too. I can’t get enough marshmallows. Mmm, I just love church spread, all those marshmallows mixed with peanut butter - yum. Now, Melissa, grossdawdi and grossmammi have gone to bed, so no one can hear - something's on your mind - what is it?” asked Isobel.
“Well, I don't know where to start. First off, I had a business dinner with a most horrible mann last night.”
Isobel laughed. "He must've been bad, Melissa; I've never heard you speak badly of someone before. I have a feeling this story is going to be interesting."
Melissa just shrugged. “His name is Brian Adams, and he is one of the agency's wealthiest clients. So far, it hasn’t worked out with him and any of our matches. It was my job to take him out on a business dinner and try to figure out what his issues are, since Irene is still in Barcelona. And let me tell you, as soon as he sat down, I wanted to run.”
Isobel sat forward in her chair. “Why, what was wrong with him?”
“You mean, what isn’t wrong with him?" Melissa chuckled. "I don't know how to say this politely, Isobel."
"Just say it. You're usually forthright."
"Well, Milly says that he's egotistical, and that he thinks that because he's wealthy and owns his own company, that he thinks that he can
withdraw and deposit girls like he’s at an ATM."
"And you agree with Milly?"
Melissa nodded. "He wants a young, attractive woman, but he is old and balding. I hope Gott forgives me for saying this, but the mere sight of him makes me uncomfortable. In all good conscience, I cannot send anyone on a date with him. And the worst part is, that if I don’t find him someone and we lose him as a client, Irene will be upset with me."
Isobel shifted in her seat. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I know you love your job and it's very important to you, but do you think you should continue on there?"
Melissa hurried to reassure her. "It's only until Irene gets back, although the events of the last few days have made me wonder whether I do want to stay there at all, even to do the filing." There was a time of silence, and then Melissa added shyly, "Actually, the worst part is, that when I was having that awful dinner with Brian Adams, I couldn't stop thinking about Victor Byler the entire time.”
Isobel gasped, and her jaw dropped. “You do like this Victor, don’t you! I knew it the moment you told me about him. When you told me about your dinner with Victor, you kept saying how at ease and comfortable you felt with him, how much he made you laugh, and how you melted when he smiled. You never once admitted that you were falling for him, but it was obvious to me.”
Melissa covered her face with her hands, and her ears burned with embarrassment. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Victor the entire time I was with Brian Adams. Victor is the exact opposite. He is kind, gentle, respectful, and charming. There is just one problem."
“Yes," Isobel said, "and a big problem at that. He's Englisch."
“Jah, well, perhaps."
"Perhaps?" Isobel said. "How can someone be perhaps an Englischer?"
Melissa laughed at the look on Isobel's face. "I don’t want to get my hopes up, but he used to be Amish."
For the second time, Isobel leaned forward in her chair. "Go on," she said with interest.
"He had dinner with my familye…"
"He what?" Isobel shrieked, and then put her hand over her mouth and looked up the stairs. "I hope I didn't wake up Grossdawdi and Grossmammi."
Melissa wrung her hands. "It's all a bit complicated. Victor was Amish, and then something happened and he left. He still seems Amish though; he spoke in Pennsylvania Dutch all through dinner with my familye."
Isobel interrupted Melissa yet again. "How did it happen that he had dinner with your familye?"
"I was coming to that. He took me home, and my mudder insisted he stay for dinner. Well, he seemed quite keen to stay for dinner. He told us all that he'd been brought up Amish, and that he only left his community a few years ago. He'd told me earlier that he did something he was ashamed of, and he left the community."
"He was shunned?"
"Nee; he hadn't been baptized. I think he was quite young. He hasn't told me what it was, and my parents didn’t ask him."
Isobel nodded. “Melissa, have you ever considered the fact that Victor might return to the community? Have you thought that maybe he might actually have been considering it? It sounds like you two have a very strong connection. You don’t know for sure unless you get to know him better. You might be surprised.” Isobel ended with a smile.
Melissa was quiet. "I hope that you're right," she said in a small voice. "I just don’t want to get my hopes up."
"You have plenty of hope. Here, pass me that." Isobel pointed to large books on a little, wooden table next to Melissa.
"What, the Martyr's Mirror?"
"Nee, the Bible."
Melissa reached over and took the Bible, which she handed to Isobel.
"Where is that Scripture?" Isobel muttered to herself, thumbing through the Bible. "Ach, here it is, Romans chapter five, verses two through five." Isobel read aloud: Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
The two sat quietly for a moment and pondered the Scripture. After a while, Isobel spoke. "If it is Gott's Will that you marry Victor, it will be so. You have to place your hope on Gott's Will."
Melissa nodded, and then yawned widely. "Your advice is always gut, Isobel, denki."
“Just think about it. Now let’s go to bed; remember you promised Grossdawdi that you'll be feeding those chickens tomorrow before first light.”
“You'll be feeding them, too!” Melissa said with amusement.
“Nee, I will be fast asleep,” Isobel said, as the girls headed up the stairs. Melissa gave her friend a playful shove. Her talk with Isobel was exactly what she needed. She definitely had a lot of thinking to do.
1 Corinthians 15: 19 - 20.
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Chapter 17.
The following week, Melissa arrived at Isobel's place of work in a breathless state.
Her friend looked up in alarm. "Was der schinner is letz?" she asked.
"Nothing's wrong. It's just that Irene is on her way back and I don't know whether to give notice or not. I wanted to talk it over with you before I come to a decision."
Isobel nodded. "Okay, well it's time for my lunch break; I'll just tell Mr. Harrison that I'm going."
Isobel disappeared into the back room and reappeared moments later. "Let's go."
The two girls hurried to their favorite café. No sooner than they were seated at their usual table overlooking the street, than the waitress hurried over to take their order. Melissa ordered first. "A sugar and spice latte, and a smoked salmon bagel, please."
The waitress looked at Isobel. "A chai tea latte and a smoked ham, cold sandwich on multi-grain, sunflower bread please."
The waitress smiled and left. "You know," Isobel said, "I didn't see her write anything down - did you?"
Melissa chuckled. "Nee. She probably just wanted to make sure that were having the same thing that we always have."
The two girls laughed, but suddenly, Melissa grabbed Isobel's hand. "Don't look around."
Isobel at once turned around.
"Isobel! I said not to turn around."
"Sorry. Why, what shouldn’t I be looking at?"
"It's Victor Byler."
Isobel's face lit up. "Oh, I really want to see him. Can’t I take just a little peek?"
Melissa shook her head. "Nee, nee, he's with an Amish woman. They're sitting in the secluded booth right over in the back corner."
Isobel at first looked concerned. "Hmm, well I suppose it could be his mudder, or his schweschder. Don’t jump to conclusions."
"He's an only child," Melissa whispered. "I've read his file. And she's too young to be his mudder. His back's to me, but I can see her face clearly. She's a young, pretty Amish woman, and their heads are close together."
"Are you sure it’s him?" Isobel asked as their drinks arrived. She briefly stole a glance over her shoulder. "You can't really see much as the booth's partially obscured - you can really only see the girl's face."
"Jah, jah," Melissa said. "It's him all right. Plus I don't recognize the girl, so she can’t be from our community."
"I only got a quick look but I didn't recognize her either. Melissa, I've said it once and I’ll say it again, don’t jump to conclusions. She could be anyone."
Yet try as she might, Melissa was unable to do anything other than jump to conclusions. "Isobel, could we please get our lunch to go? I truly can’t sit here looking at Victor all the time."
Isobel raised her eyebrows, but did as Melissa asked. The two girls took their lunch to a nearby park. Isobel chatted away happily, but Melis
sa was unable to concentrate. Who was the Amish girl? And what was she to Victor?
By the time Melissa arrived back at the office, she was in turmoil, and still scolding herself for having feelings for an Englischer. He wasn't exactly wholly an Englischer, but the fact remained that he was not Amish; he was not back in the community. There was no future with any mann who was not in the community. Melissa sighed loudly. Perhaps Victor was intending to come back to the community, and marry the Amish girl? Of course - it was obvious. Why hadn't she realized it before?
Melissa was sure she had figured it out. She had mistaken Victor's interest in returning to the Amish, for interest in her. He had been speaking to the bishop because he intended to return to the community, and now, he had brought his betrothed over to their town, likely to meet the bishop, as he intended to continue to live here when he was married. It all fitted together. How could she have been so stupid?
Melissa sank into the depths of despair, despair over her feelings for Victor, and despair that she had been so silly. Melissa threw herself into the filing, which only somewhat took her mind off her situation. Near the end of the day, the computer froze. It used to freeze all the time, but then several weeks ago had started working again.
Melissa was about to call Milly, when she came into her office. "Oh, Milly, I was just coming to get you. The computer's frozen again."
Milly sighed. "I think Irene will have to replace it. I thought it was fixed. Here, I’ll have a go; sometimes I can get it to work again. Anyway, we're out of termination forms, and I need to print out a set right now. There's a man at the front desk to see you. One of the difficult clients; he's leaving the agency." She tut-tutted. "Irene won’t be pleased."
The Amish Buggy Horse BOXED SET Books 1-3 (Amish Romance Book Bundle: Faith, Hope, Charity) (Boxed Set: The Amish Buggy Horse) Page 14
