Doubting Thomas-Nurse Hal Among The Amish

by Risner, Fay

  “For Pete's sake, Tootie, stop worrying. Reading that book hasn't done you much good so far, otherwise you wouldn't have wound up eating with the men.” Tootie opened her mouth to make an excuse, but Nora kept talking. “Now get away from this door and out of the workers way. Let them do their jobs.” Nora grabbed Tootie by the arm and led her over to a group of women Hal was with.

  During the social time, Adam and Emma walked around through the guests, talking to as many of them as they could. To the men that were interested, Adam offered thin cigars the size of cigarettes. The rest of the guests, Emma offered ballpoint pens for a remembrance. On the side of the pen was written Faith and Love, Adam and Emma Keim, September 15, 2014.

  The children were given Snickers candy bars.

  When the cleanup was over, women moved back into the tent to sit down and visit. The men stood in the yard. The younger children ran off to play a game of softball. The teenagers separated, the girls to Emma’s room upstairs to visit, and the boys by the barn to play darts.

  Hal searched the crowd for Emma. “Your wedding gifts are on the bed in the spare room. Are you ready to come upstairs and open them.”

  “Sure.”

  Hal announced to the women in the tent, “Come with us. Emma's going to open her gifts.”

  As soon as they reached the spare bedroom, Emma sat down on the bed in the middle of the gifts and waited for the women to fill the room.

  As Emma opened the gifts, she found new and practical items. In a few minutes, stacked Tupperware containers, crystal salad and fruit bowls and kitchen utensils covered the bed. A special gift came from John and Hal. It was a cast iron waffle maker which Emma knew Adam would be pleased with.

  Each gift had a slip of paper attached with a pin to the wrapping so Emma knew who gave her the gift. She opened a large gift and ran her hand over the quilt she'd helped put together at the quilting frolic. The milky way quilt made by Mammi Nora and Aendi Tootie.

  “Mammi and Aendi Tootie, this is so beautiful. You out did yourself putting together this lovely quilt. So much hard work went into it.”

  “It was a labor of love,” Nora said.

  “One that made us nervous until we finished it,” Tootie added. “We aren't as efficient at quilt making as the rest of you are.”

  “We'd still be quilting on it if we hadn't had help from the ladies at the quilt frolic,” Nora admitted. “I'm so glad Hal organized that so you ladies could help finish the quilt.”

  “All of you that quilted this lovely quilt, denki for putting in all that hard work for Adam and me,” Emma said to the women. “Denki for your thoughtfulness and for all the wedding gifts. Each one will be a special reminder of you when I use them.”

  Hal joined John again as soon as the gift opening was over. John nodded to a group of women going back to the tent. “See my schwesterns. Let's say hello.” When John and Hal caught up with his sisters, John greeted, “It is so voonderball gute, Beth and Amy, to see you today.”

  Beth, the slim and wiry sister, gave him a hug. “We would not have missed this wedding for anything in the world. Would we, Amy?” She gave Hal a hug and patted her back.

  “Ach, nah!” said Amy, the plump one. She stood on tiptoes to hug her brother than Hal. “It is gute to see Emma so happy.”

  “John and I agree, and we are so proud to have Adam be a part of the Lapp family,” Hal assured them. “Denki to both of you for all your hard work, cleaning the windows and house. We so appreciated it. I don't have to fear spiders or dust for awhile, and I can actually see who is coming when I look out of the windows.”

  The sisters giggled behind their hands.

  Amy said, “You are wilcom.”

  Beth turned serious. “John, have you had time to talk to our bruder, Marvin, today.”

  “We had a gute visit early this morning,” John said. “And we visited some during lunch when we sit together.”

  “Voonderball gute! Ida sit with Amy and me so we could visit. Will you let us know when we can bring Marvin and Ida to visit you while they are here,” Beth said excitedly.

  Hal said. “I’m hoping they stay long enough to visit around the neighborhood. As far as we're concerned, you should come for meals any time you want and spend as much time as you can with us while they're here. We will be glad to have all of you any time. Just come.”

  “Denki, Schwestern Hal. We will look forward to that,” Amy said. “It has been a long time since we last had a family gathering with Marvin and his family. Ain't so, John? I can’t remember how long. When do you think, Beth?”

  “Right after the twins, John and Marvin, were born five years ago. Remember, we paid a driver to take us to see the new babies.”

  “That’s right,” Amy agreed.

  Chapter 15

  Daylight left as did most of the guests after the evening meal was over. Kerosene lamps were lit in the tent. The flames flickered on the shadowed walls. Winding down after a long day, the Lapp family visited with John's sisters, brother and their families.

  Adam wrote on his notepad, “It is time to leave.”

  Emma sighed. “Just give me a few more minutes.”

  Now that the time had come, nervousness fluttered inside the new bride. She walked out of the tent and strolled across the yard. Under the maple tree, she stopped to take in the nearly cleared off garden. For years, she'd worked hard in that garden to produce food for her family. Now it would be Hal and the boys' job.

  Emma surveyed the roadside stand Noah and Daniel just put up for another season. It was time for her brothers to fill the stand with squash and pumpkins. That stand had always been her project.

  She walked back of the house. The martins had roosted in their houses for the night. The air smelled of sweetness from yellow and gold flowers on the honeysuckle vine climbing the trellis under her window. She loved the way the flowers made her room smell on summer evenings and the second blooming in early fall.

  Once she settled in with Adam, she'd come back and get a start of the vine to put … . Where would she put it? She didn't know where she was going? Adam hadn't told her yet. Was it to live with his mother and brother? Had he by some miracle and help from Bobby built the apartment above the furniture shop?

  Emma would have to struggle hard to resist asking. She had to wait until Adam showed her tonight. She understood why. He was making her wait, because she was a doubting Thomas. She'd have felt so much better leaving her childhood home if she knew where she was going. Not that she had a choice. Now that they were married, she'd live where Adam lived even if it was in his horse barn.

  She wandered through the mudroom and stopped in the kitchen by the wood cookstove. She sure hoped Daed was right about Hallie doing all right on her own. She would say some prayers for Hallie to be ready for full time housekeeping. She wouldn't have a choice. Hopefully, Mammi and Aendi Tootie stayed awhile longer. They could help Hallie adjust.

  Emma walked slowly up the stairs to her bedroom. She took a deep breath to push back tears as she looked around. She'd never be sleeping in this room again. This place had been her safe haven under her daed's roof. Would she be comfortable and have a room that she could get away to be by herself in where Adam was taking her? Emma sat down on the bed and leaned forward with her head in her hands.

  Adam followed Emma as far as the porch. He paced back and forth, waiting for her as she disappeared back of the house. He didn't see Hal until she tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Where is the bride?”

  He wrote, “Emma wanted a few minutes alone. She looked sad about leaving.”

  Adam's concern caused Hal to give him a comforting hug. Emma had put him through a lot. Adam was naturally going to be nervous, wondering what his new bride might do next. “Don't worry. Emma is feeling like every young bride does on her wedding day. I'll talk to her and hurry her up.”

  Hal walked around the house. Emma wasn't in sight. She decided to check upstairs in Emma's bedroom. That's where she often found Emma
when she wanted to be alone.

  When Hal opened the door, the hinges squeaked. Emma sat up straight. Hal sat on the bed beside her. “Adam's waiting for you, and not so patiently I might add. Was ist letz?”

  Emma rubbed the quilt on the bed. “Nothing is the matter. I am just looking around one last time. Saying gute bye to the days of my childhood and feeling a little surprised that I have suddenly become a woman.”

  “You certainly have. It seems you grew up way too fast. Now don't look so sad, or you'll make me sad. When I get sad, I cry, and you don't want that. It's not like you're moving a long ways off. Three miles is close, and it's with Adam for goodness sakes.”

  “I know, but it is not the same as being here with you and the family every minute where I can see what is going on.”

  Hal assured her, “You can come visit any time of day or night. You know that. I expect you to. If you need help with anything just ask.”

  “I'm going to miss you and Daed and the boys.”

  “That's only natural. We're going to miss you, but now you have a new life with Adam.”

  “Jah, I just wish I knew what the beginning was going to be like. I want to know where we are going to live. Adam has not told me. If I had not made him so mad, I would know already I suppose.” Emma paused then said, “We really should spend the night here like most newly married couples so we can help with clean up tomorrow.”

  Hal took Emma's hand and squeezed it. “You know Adam wants you to go with him. Do what Adam wants. You can trust him. Let me tell you, I expect you back tomorrow bright and early to help clean up. That will be an all day job.”

  “I want to trust Adam, but where are we going to live,” Emma repeated.

  “Trust me when I say Adam knows what he's doing,” Hal insisted, squeezing Emma's hand.

  Emma studied Hal. “Do you know where Adam is taking me?”

  Hal wrinkled her nose and said slowly, “Jah.”

  Emma asked brusquely, “Have you known all the time?”

  “Ach, nah! Honest, Emma. Not until last night. I was as worried as you are, so I insisted John tell me. If I didn't like his answer, I was going to insist Adam and you stay with us.”

  “Now that you know, tell me,” Emma said in a low, urgent voice.

  “I can't. John made me promise I wouldn't. It is what Adam wants, and it is for him to tell you.”

  Emma asked warily, “Am I going to like it?”

  “Jah, you trust Adam to do the recht thing, and you will be all recht no matter what,” Hal said evenly.

  “Sure, I do know I must. Now I want to go to the chicken house and tell Abraham gute bye.”

  “Emma! You're stalling while you torture poor Adam. Tomorrow evening when you're ready to go home take Abraham and as many of the hens as you find you have room for. Just leave me a few hens for a start, and go with me to the salebarn some day to buy a new rooster.”

  “I would like that. We do need to hatch out more pullets, too. We're short on laying hens since I gave Ada Jostle some of ours.” Emma gives her a hug. With a new found confidence that everything was going to work out all right because Hallie said so, Emma walked downstairs, out of the house and down the porch steps. Adam's eyes showed his concern. Emma took his hand. “Time to go, my husband.”

  After the couple drove off, Hal wiped tears. Nora put her arm around her daughter. “Years go by, and time seems to stand still. Suddenly, the children are grown and leaving home. Hallie, I know how you feel. I felt the same way the first time you left home. Takes some getting used to, but believe me, you will adjust. Just like I did.”

  From behind them, Tootie added, “According to my Amish book, that's repeated over and over again until you quit getting pregnant and have all the kids raised.”

  “Tootie, honestly!” Nora snapped at her.

  “It's all right, Mom. Aunt Tootie's book is right,” Hal said, knowing that is the way it works for Amish women.

  Once she was in the buggy, Emma was on pins and needles. She gripped her hands together in her lap and concentrated on the dark scenery. They passed the Bontrager farm, turned south at the intersection and went by the Yoder farm. Next was the Manwiller farm and the Jostle farm. The driveway to the Keim farm was coming up.

  She liked Adam's mother, but it was going to feel strange working in another woman's kitchen. Lovina had her own way of doing things. Emma had to be careful to follow Lovina's lead where the kitchen was concerned. She'd manage since that would be Adam and her home for awhile.

  Most brides spent a few months in their parents home until they got a place of their own. That would have been the most comfortable situation for Emma, but that wasn't what Adam had in mind. She had to make do with Lovina's house, because she loved him.

  Adam drove passed the driveway. Emma grabbed his arm. “Adam, wake up? You just drove by your farm driveway. Turn around.”

  Adam nodded no. He slapped the horse's back and kept going.

  “Do you know where you are going?”

  He smiled and nodded yes.

  Evidently, they weren't going to live with Lovina and Bobby. Emma thought she'd figured out where they would live. Adam did get the apartment above the shop ready. Emma didn't know how as busy as he was. Maybe the whole apartment wasn't finished yet. They would live in it while Adam found time to complete the rooms. That was all right. Just the two of them in the apartment was ideal to her way of thinking. Better than living with Lovina and Bobby. Of course, she'd have to get used to Priscilla in the shop under her every day. The differences between them, hopefully, would get easier as time went by.

  Adam drove by the furniture shop driveway.

  Emma twisted around and eyed the driveway in the tail lights red beams. Her curiosity kept mounting. “We are not going to live in the upstairs of the shop?”

  Adam nodded sideways.

  Emma opened her mouth to speak. Adam's left eyebrow arched in a warning. Emma leaned back and pressed her lips together tightly to help her remain silent. They passed the timber that bordered the shop. Adam pulled back on Sophie's lines to slow her down and turned the buggy into a field driveway.

  “Ach, Adam, I cannot stay silent any longer. Why are we in your field full of shocks? I really think it is not a gute idea to camp out when the nights are so cool. We didn't bring sleeping bags or bedding with us. The coyotes roam every night, and all sorts of other wild animals that I do not want to sleep with.” She glanced at the star speckled sky, hoping for clouds. “It might rain tonight which would not be gute.”

  Adam grinned, clearly enjoying himself, as he pointed ahead of them.

  Emma squinted to see through the dark. A white house loomed up at the end of the field. “I do not remember anyone living here for a long time. After the house burnt years ago, alls that was left were the outbuildings. Funny, I do not remember hearing that someone built a house behind this field. Who lives here?”

  Adam pulled on Sophie's lines to stop her. He climbed out of the buggy and came around to Emma's side. His strong hands studied her as he lifted her down. “You are not going visiting this time of night. The house is dark. Those poor people are in bed. There will be plenty of days in the future for us to go visiting.”

  “They will not mind,” Adam wrote.

  Emma held the note pad close to make out the words by the buggy headlight. She was never going to figure Adam out if he kept doing such strange things. She hoped Hal knew what she was talking about when she said to trust this new husband.

  Adam turned off the headlights and took Emma by the arm. He led her up the porch steps. They paused at the door. Adam turned the knob. The door opened quietly into the dark kitchen.

  Emma whispered, “Adam, we cannot go in this house without knocking to let the owners know we are here.”

  Adam wrote on the notepad and handed it to Emma. She squinted at the paper and hissed, “It is too dark. I cannot read this.”

  Adam grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. While she watched, he felt for a
box on the table, struck a match and lit the kerosene lamp.

  As the kitchen lit up, Emma tensed, waiting for someone to pounce into the kitchen and yell at them to leave. Her eyes grew wide as she kept a watch on the living room door.

  Adam shook her hand with the note in it. Emma held the pad toward the light. “Your handwriting is terrible when you write in the dark. This looks like it says we can come in. We live here.”

  Emma was sure she'd misread the note. She read it again. Her eyes widened as she looked at Adam for clarification.

  He nodded yes and smiled.

  “In this brand new house?” Emma shrieked.

  Adam nodded.

  “Are you sure?”

  Adam waved his hand toward the room, wanting her to look at the kitchen. Emma walked around, trying to take in the new smells of wood and fresh varnish. She had to get used to the wonder of it all. A light, wooden parquet floor, white painted walls and glowing pine cabinets were the kitchen of her dreams. A gas cookstove and refrigerator lined up with the counter.

  Emma patted the gas stove, wondering how long it would take her to get used to cooking on it. Once she mastered it, she'd insist Hallie get a gas stove and help her learn to cook on it. When Hallie wanted one, Emma wouldn't give in. She was used to the wood cookstove, and now she didn't have a choice.

  Above the door was a wooden plaque with a verse burnt into it. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord – Joshua 24:15.

  In the middle of the kitchen was a long table with eight chairs around it. The dining set looked familiar. “This looks like the order you made for the English customer.”

  Adam nodded.

  Emma leaned against the stainless steel sinks and folded her arms over her chest. “It seems to me, you did an awful lot of fibbing to pull this surprise off.”

  Adam wrote, “I did not say the furniture order was for an English customer. You decided that on your own.”