Doubting Thomas-Nurse Hal Among The Amish

by Risner, Fay

  “Oh, dear me. I need to get my Amish book on special occasions out and start reading again,” Tootie exclaimed. “There's so much about how an Amish wedding works I don't understand yet. Nora, you better read the book, too.”

  Nora hung her dishcloth over the line behind the stove to dry. “No thanks. I think I'd rather ask questions. I'm finding out enough that way to suit me.”

  Tootie made a huffing sound.

  Emma felt sorry for her. Mammi picked on her sister too much, and Tootie just wanted to help. “Maybe I should read your book, Aendi. I hate to think there is something I missed while we are planning this wedding. I want everything to be just recht.”

  Tootie was all smiles at that suggestion.

  Nora slipped close to Emma and hissed, “You shouldn't encourage her. You will be sorry.”

  “Where will you live?” Tootie asked.

  “Adam plans to remodel the open area above his shop into an apartment. That is only three miles from here so we will always be close by.”

  “Sounds handy, Adam that close to work, and you near your family,” Nora said.

  “Sure,” Emma said.

  She'd been busy working on wedding plans with Hallie, and today, she'd enjoyed visiting with her grandparents and aunt. All of a sudden at the mention of Adam, Emma wondered why she hadn't seen him since the last worship service over a week ago. She was surprised Adam didn't come for supper tonight to visit her company.

  The rest of the week passed without seeing Adam. Emma was anxious for the next worship service so she could spend the afternoon with him. She hoped he hadn't become ill from so much work and not enough sleep.

  The service was at Moses and Stella Strutt's farm. While the young women were waiting their turn to go inside, Emma told Katie and Jennie she wanted to talk to them. She led the way to a quiet spot in the yard, well aware the other young women watched them leave. They would be very curious now and trying to guess among themselves what was going on.

  “Was ist letz?” The tall, willowy built girl's blue eyes seemed troubled as she looked down at Emma.

  Emma giggled. Her tan face reddened, making her freckles darken. “Jenny Yoder, nothing is the matter. I have some gute news for both of you, and something I want to ask you where none of the others can hear me.”

  That made Katie Yost big blue eyes twinkle “What?”

  “Adam and I are getting married in September on my birthday,” Emma said softly.

  The excited girls did a three way hug.

  “We are so happy for you.” Katie's pale cheeks flushed at the news as she added, “And I am a bit jealous.”

  “Why should you be? Levi Yoder is a great man,” Emma said.

  Jenny added, “I will agree with that since he is my brother.”

  “Jah, but sometimes, I worry I will end up a maidel before Levi decides to propose,” Katie said.

  “At least you have a sweetheart. I have yet to find me one,” Jenny quipped.

  Emma looked toward the house. The men had started to walk inside, and Adam was among them. “We have to go in soon. Before we do, I want to ask both of you if you will be my attendants.”

  Katie clapped her hands. “Oh, jah.”

  “Jah, sure I will.” Jenny was all smiles.

  As soon as the fellowship lunch was over, Emma caught up with Adam. “Our company arrived as I am sure you saw already. Want to say hello?”

  Adam followed her through the crowded room. Nora and Tootie gave Adam a big hug, and Jim gave him a hearty handshake.

  They moved over along the wall out of the way while men rearranged the benches.

  Adam ducked his head bashfully when Nora said, “We're so glad to hear the news.”

  Tootie elbowed her. “We can't talk about it. Remember?”

  “Sorry.” Nora frowned at Tootie. “Can I at least say I'm happy to see Adam?”

  “Don't see why not,” Jim interrupted. “Cause I'm thinking that same thing myself.”

  From behind them came am excited, booming voice. “What news do you know? What news?”

  Out of the corner of her eyes, Emma saw a stout figure, dressed in black, had slipped up behind them. As heavy as Stella Strutt was, Emma couldn't figure out how she walked so quietly. Especially, when her feet were always so swelled, causing them to spilled over her black oxfords. “Stella, Mammi was talking to Adam about their visit with us.” She turned to Nora. “Mammi, that is recht, ain't so?”

  “Of course, that was it. Nice to see you again, Stella,” Nora replied and changed the subject. “We're so glad to get to visit with everyone today that we met on our last trip to Wickenburg.”

  “I am glad you are having a gute time. A gute time.” Stella studied them closely, obviously wondering if she'd missed something newsy they didn't want her to know.

  From the kitchen doorway, Roseanna Nisely called, “Schwestern Stella, come show me where you keep this bowl?” When Stella turned her back to Emma, Roseanna had a twinkle in her light brown eyes as she winked.

  Emma nodded that she understood and mouthed denki.

  Nora patted Adam's arm. “Tootie and I better get into the kitchen to see if we can help with cleanup. We will talk to you again soon. Come see us as often as you can.”

  Adam nodded and smiled.

  When Nora and Tootie disappeared through the kitchen door, Emma lamented softly, “Adam, I want to add I would like you to come see me as often as you can. It has been a long two weeks for me without seeing you.”

  Adam nodded agreement as he patted his chest and pointed at her.

  A smile kindled in Emma's eyes. “Are you interested in a walk with me on this fine day?”

  Adam flashed a smile that danced up to his eyes as he followed her out of the house.

  Emma clasped her hands behind her back while they walked down the driveway. “I hoped sometime this last week you would come visit my gross eldra and aendi and me.”

  Adam wrote on his notepad. “Sorry. Swamped with work.”

  Emma teased, “That so? I worried you were trying to put off getting close to Aendi Tootie.”

  He grinned and scribbled,“I am up early. Making an order of furniture for a new house in the mornings, and work at the Weber sisters in the afternoons. By night, I am too tired to visit.”

  “What are you building for the Weber sisters?”

  “A kitchen.”

  Emma frowned. “Ach! They are remodeling their kitchen recht now. I hope you get the job done in time for them to bake my wedding cake.”

  “I am not remodeling the old kitchen. I am building a new kitchen,” he wrote.

  Emma's eyes widened in concern. “Now of all times. What's wrong with the one they have always used?”

  Adam rolled his eyes toward the sky.

  “That is not gute news. They might not be able to take baking orders or serve meals for some time,” Emma worried.

  Adam wrote, “They will. They still have the old kitchen to cook in.”

  Emma was confused. “You lost me.”

  “When I get done, they will have two kitchens.”

  “Why?”

  Adam shrugged.

  Emma opened her mouth to ask another question. She lost her train of thought as she watched a new family walking toward their buggy. A thin woman in a faded blue dress and three skinny boys, wearing patched trousers, followed a lanky, weathered man. Each of the boys was a head taller than the next one. “Wonder where they live? This is the first time I noticed them in church.”

  Adam wrote, “They just moved in. My neighbors.” He poked her arm to get her to look at the note.

  “Neighbors. Where?”

  At the old compound,” Adam wrote.

  Emma felt fearful at the mention of that compound, and the Hostellers that once terrorized the neighborhood. Her hand flew to the lump forming in her throat. “They are not part of the Hosteller family, are they?”

  Adam shrugged.

  “They should have stayed to join in the fellowship. T
hat is the best way to get to know all of us,” Emma criticized. Under her breath, she added, “And for us to find out more about them.”

  Adam nodded in agreement.

  “We do not want Hostellers to move in and take over again. Come with me. We need to talk to Daed and the bishop. Maybe they know something about that family.” Emma grabbed Adam's hand and headed for the house.

  A group of men, John Lapp and Bishop Elton Bontrager among them, were at the screen door as Emma opened it. “Coming out on the porch?” Emma backed up. As soon as the screen door shut, she said, “Adam and I are wondering if any of you talked to the new family that was at the service?”

  “I greeted them when they first arrived, but they just nodded and moved away,” John Lapp said.

  “Anyone else talk to them?” Fear dropped from Emma's throat and tighten her chest, making it hard to breathe.

  Bishop Bontrager asked, “Emma, what is this all about?”

  “Adam just told me the family is living at the Hosteller compound. I am worried they might be Hostellers. Nah, I am not just worried I am scared to death.”

  Hamish Manwiller spoke up sharply. “We went through too much at the hands of the Hostellers to wilcom them back again. If that is who they are, I want them out of this neighborhood.”

  The rest of the men nodded their heads, and a few uttered soft jahs.

  “Now just a minute,” Elton said. “We do not know anything about these people yet. They might be innocent of what you are thinking. Remember judge not lest ye be judged. Maybe the women know something if the wife talked to them while she helped in the kitchen. I will ask. Wait here.”

  John patted Emma on the shoulder. “Elton's recht. Best not get worked up until we have some answers.”

  Bishop Bontrager came back with Margaret Yoder, Preacher Luke Yoder's mother. He swiped the sweat on his red face with his white hanky as he said, “Schwestern Margaret says the wife helped her with the table settings.”

  The chunky, elderly woman folded her arms and rested them across her chest. Her brown eyes grew serious as she noted the concerned looks. “What is this about?”

  “We did not get a chance to find out about the new family,” Elton said. “Adam says they live on the Hosteller farm.”

  “Jah, Ada Jostle told me that while we worked.”

  “Are they kin to the Hostellers?” Hamish Manwiller demanded.

  “I do not think so,” Margaret said uncertainly. “Their last name is different.”

  “That does not mean a thing,” Hamish declared.

  “Hamish is right,” Moses Strutt said. “The woman might be a Hosteller kin.”

  “They might have changed their last name so we would not know they are Hostellers,” Preacher Luke Yoder suggested.

  “I hear too much guessing. You cannot go off half cocked. We should wilcom the family to the community and find out more about them,” Elton said.

  Deacon Enos Yutzy shook his head. “Now, Bishop, how are we going to do that if they do not talk to us. I greeted the man when he sat on the end of the bench for the service and introduced myself. He said his name was Jake Jostle. That was all he said. I noticed during the service he looked down at his hands most of the time.”

  Abram Beiler's frizzy, gray beard moved up and down as he shook his head. “I agree. The man did not want to get acquainted when I greeted him.”

  Bishop Bontrager held up his hand. “Come morning, a committee of us will go visit the Jostles and make them wilcom. If we take the first step, that might make them feel more like talking.”

  “That sounds like a gute idea,” Preacher Luke Yoder nodded his blond head in agreement.

  “Meet at my house around ten,” the bishop told them. “Now we are here to spend this afternoon in fellowship. We should do just that. Bruder Abram Beiler, wie bischt du this fine Sunday?”

  Abram rubbed his beard as he spoke in a slow drawl, “Ach, Bishop, I am slow in all things and getting slower by the minute.”

  That brought a laugh from the other men.

  Elton quipped, “I know how you feel, Abram. Anymore, it is harder to tell which one is faster, me or the box turtle in my yard.”

  Emma whispered in Adam's ear. “You are the one I want to have fellowship with. Let's take that walk you promised me.”

  They walked away from the house toward a dense windbreak of tall evergreens. Once they were behind the trees, Adam wrapped his arm around Emma's waist and squeezed her side.

  His warm smile and adoring eyes caused Emma to answer, “I am glad to hear that, Adam Keim.”

  Adam raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes, teasing her to explain.

  “It is gute to hear that you love me.”

  Adam's smile widened as he nodded yes.

  That evening, Adam and Emma went back to the Strutt farm for the singing. On the way home after the singing, Emma said, “This morning, I asked Katie Yost and Jennie Yoder to be my newehockers. Have you decided who you want for newehockers?”

  Adam handed her the lines and wrote, “I asked Levi Yoder and Noah.”

  Emma held the paper in close to her face to make it out. She squeezed Adam's arm. “Ach, that is perfect. Katie and Levi are dating. Noah would like to take Jennie out, and she is wanting to date someone. This makes a good excuse for them to get together. You could not have made better picks.”

  Adam patted his shoulder, boasting about his good idea.

  “Take it easy. Only my rooster, Abraham, is allowed to crow,” Emma scolded playfully and handed him back the lines.

  Soon they were at the Lapp farm driveway. Adam pulled back on the lines to stop Sophie when the buggy was even with the Lapp house.

  Emma asked, “Will you have time to visit my grandparents and Aendi Tootie this week? They are wishing you can come for supper soon.”

  Adam wavered his hand back and forth.

  “This week is going to be busy, too?”

  Adam nodded, leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “Sure, I understand, but just remember I will miss you very much,” Emma said as she climbed out of the buggy.

  Adam nodded, patted his chest over his heart, snapped the lines to start his horse and left.

  Emma stood on the edge of the driveway and waved at Adam until he was out of sight. If wishing made it so, they would already be married as far as she was concerned. That way Adam would be at home with her every night, and she wouldn't feel so lonely the minute he drove out of her sight.

  Chapter 3

  Monday near dinner time, John drove in and parked the buggy by the barn. Noah met him and started to unhitch Ben while John walked to the house.

  Jim and Daniel were at the table, watching the women dish up the food.

  Nora said, “Hi John, just in time for lunch.”

  “Gute,” he said solemnly. He walked over to the wash pan and stuck his hands under the water.

  At the gloomy sound in John's voice, Hal stopped placing the plates on the table to study him. “All recht, how did the visit to the Jostles go? You don't look happy.”

  “It did not go well. Hamish Manwiller should not have gone with us. He is still upset about what the Hostellers did to him and Edna. Our feet barely hit the ground before Hamish was in the front of the wilcom committee. Jake came down from his ladder to meet us. He is remodeling the little hog house beside the driveway so his wife can use it for a chicken house.”

  When John paused to dry his hands, Emma urged, “Go on, Daed. Is that family related to the Hostellers?”

  “Nah, they are not. Elton shook hands with the man. He told Jake Jostle we were there to wilcom him and his family to the community. Luke Yoder said we were pleased to see him and his family in church and wanted them to continue attending.

  Enos Yutzy said a new family is always a wilcom addition to the community. Jake seemed to be warming up to us until Hamish butted in. He blurted out the only reason he came along was to find out if they were kin to the Hostellers.”

  “Ach,
that's too bad,” Hal said.

  “Sure was. Jostle’s face turned red. He asked if that was the real reason we wanted to be so friendly. He said he did not have anything to hide. He heard about the Hostellers. He was told the story by the agent when he bought the farm. He was not kin to them and did not want any more to do with the likes of them than we did. If that was all we wanted to know, he had work to do. He turned his back on us and went back to hammering on the building.”

  “Can you blame the poor man?” Tootie asked, tisking.

  “Nah, I cannot. I am afraid we are going to have trouble now convincing him that his family is wilcom in this community,” John said, plopping down at the end of the table. “After he opened his mouth, Hamish hated that he upset Jake by sounding so hostile, but too late now. The damage is done.

  Emma's expression was troubled. “Now we know that family is not here to cause us trouble. We should try extra hard to convince them we want to be friends.”

  The next Sunday evening, Adam came to take Emma to the singing at Abram Beiler's farm. The late afternoon sunlight painted the countryside with pinks and grays.

  Adam noticed Emma was too quiet. He elbowed her and pointed to the sky.

  “I see it. Very pretty.”

  Adam was perplexed when Emma didn't add more. He elbowed her again and wavered his hand in a question.

  Emma said, “I am sorry. Did you hear what happened when the wilcoming committee went to the Hosteller compound?”

  Adam nodded yes.

  “Hamish Manwiller really messed up the wilcom the men planned. My thoughts are with the Jostle family. I feel so bad for that new family. I wish I had not been so quick to start everyone wondering about them. We need to find a way to show them we are not as unfriendly as Hamish Manwiller made us seem.”

  Adam gave Sophie her head and wrote, “That family does not help make friends. They haven't shown interest in getting to know anyone. That standoffish attitude is still there.”

  “Ach, that is too bad, but can you blame them? Has something else happen?”

  Adam wrote, “Luke Yoder took his family to visit. Linda gave Ada Jostle baked goods as a wilcom.”

  “That is gute. If they like any family it will be the Yoders. They are the nicest people around,” Emma said.