Katy's New World

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

  Katy gaped. “I can see your teeth! The braces are gone!”

  Cora snickered and nudged Bridget. Bridget rolled her eyes. Katy’s ears started to heat.

  Shelby smiled even bigger, putting her open hands on either side of her cheeks to turn her face into a sunshine. “Yeah, got them off this morning. It feels really weird too, after wearing them for four years.” She ran her tongue over her teeth and then laughed. “That’s why I wasn’t here.” She opened her milk carton. “I’m glad to have them gone, but my teeth are kinda sore from being poked on. I don’t think I can bite into those chicken nuggets.”

  “I’ll take ’em,” Cora said.

  Katy opened her mouth to remind Cora that the school rules said no food sharing, but Cora reached across and scooped Shelby’s chicken nuggets into her hand. One bounced off the tray and onto the table, sending a shower of crisp crumbs in Trisha’s direction. Cora giggled. “Oops!”

  “Stop making a mess, Cora.” Trisha brushed the crumbs toward Cora. Several flew into her lap.

  “Don’t!” Cora squealed, rearing back. Her shoulder slammed into Bridget, who was lifting her milk carton for a sip. Milk sloshed down the front of her shirt.

  “Cora!” Bridget slammed the carton onto her tray and reached for her napkin.

  The lunch monitor strode by their table and sent a warning glance their way. The three hunched their shoulders and giggled. Their behavior reminded Katy of how she and Annika used to play around during lunch break, and a smile twitched on her lips.

  Shelby nudged Katy with her elbow. “Hey, Kathleen, I talked to my parents about that…what did you call it? Fall Festival?”

  Katy’s smile disappeared. She nodded.

  “They said it would be fine for me to go.”

  Suddenly the trio across the table became very interested in Shelby and Katy’s conversation. Cora said, “Go where, Shelb?”

  Shelby continued as if Cora hadn’t spoken. “You usually ride the bus, right? I can’t ride the bus—district policy—but my dad said he’d drive me out to your place if you give me directions. Or…” Her eyes widened, and her smile grew. “Hey! You could get permission from your dad to skip the bus, and you could ride with me to your place. Then you could just show my dad where you live.”

  Bridget tapped Shelby’s arm. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Never mind.” Shelby brushed Bridget’s hand away. “What do you think, Kathleen?”

  Katy stared, slack jawed, at Shelby. I think I’m in really big trouble.

  Chapter Six

  Katy waited until Dad finished his second serving of cherry crisp before approaching the subject of Shelby spending the night. Fixing his favorite dessert was a deceptive tactic, and guilt made her hands tremble as she reached for his scraped-clean bowl and his spoon, but she needed him to be in an especially good mood.

  “Dad, you know the Fall Festival is coming up…”

  Dad sipped his coffee, his eyes half-closed. “Mm-hm?”

  Katy busily stacked the dirty dishes next to the sink, maintaining a casual tone. “And I was thinking that maybe it would be nice to invite a girl from the high school to go to it with me. Her name is Shelby Nuss.” She glanced over her shoulder. Dad’s eyebrows lowered. She hurried on. “She’s interested in learning to quilt, and I think Gramma Ruthie could help her.”

  “A girl from the high school? She’s your friend?”

  Katy considered Dad’s question. Was Shelby her friend? Shelby was kind to her. She sat with Katy in class and in the cafeteria, and walked with her in the halls sometimes. She was the closest thing to a friend that Katy had at her school. She swallowed. “Yes. I suppose she is.” Or could be…maybe.

  “Then I should get to know her.”

  Katy knew that meant Dad wanted to be sure he approved of Shelby, but she didn’t mind. Not if it meant she wouldn’t have to take back her invitation and embarrass herself. “Can she come here on the Friday before the festival and stay all night?”

  Now Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “All night?”

  “And Annika too. She hasn’t stayed over since early in the summer.” Although Katy hadn’t originally intended to have both girls, the idea made sense. If Annika were left out, she’d be jealous. It would be better to include her. Inviting Annika would also prove to Dad she wasn’t trying to leave her Mennonite friends behind.

  “Two girls?” Dad made a face and put his coffee cup down. “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll still help with milking and all my other chores.” Annika and Shelby could entertain each other while she helped Dad. She clasped her hands beneath her chin. “Please? We’ll be so quiet, you won’t even know we’re here.”

  Dad’s lips twitched. “Katy-girl, you aren’t that quiet by yourself.”

  Katy grinned. Dad didn’t often joke with her, so it meant he wasn’t upset about her request. “So they can come? Shelby and Annika?”

  He pressed his palms to the table, pushing himself from the chair. “I suppose it will be all right.”

  Katy sucked in a happy breath.

  “We need to arrange for me to meet this girl’s parents before the nineteenth.”

  She blew out the air, her shoulders sagging. “How can you do that? She lives in Salina. And you have to milk in the evening…Can’t you just meet her dad when he drops her off here?”

  Dad gave Katy a puzzled look. “Her parents would bring her without meeting me beforehand?”

  Katy paused. Since Shelby’s parents had already given permission for her to spend the night with Katy, they obviously hadn’t felt the need to meet Katy’s dad ahead of time. “Well…I guess they would…”

  Dad shook his head. “That isn’t wise. A parent shouldn’t send his child to a stranger’s house.” His thick brows formed a V on his forehead. “No. I can’t have a girl stay here without first meeting her parents.” He handed Katy his empty coffee mug. “Does her family have a telephone?”

  Katy had seen a little pink cell phone in Shelby’s backpack. If she had a cell phone, then her parents certainly had a telephone at their house too. “Yes.”

  “Get their number for me, and I’ll call her dad from the grocery store and arrange a time for us to meet.”

  “But, Dad—”

  “You can’t have her here until her parents and I have met, Katy, and that’s final.”

  Katy watched Dad round the table and head out the back door. She bit her lower lip, worry making her stomach churn. When Dad talked to Mr. Nuss, would he discover Katy had invited Shelby before asking permission? If so, she’d be in trouble with Dad. And with Shelby. She walked to the sink and gave the water spigots a vicious twist.

  I might as well forget about having Shelby over now. Even if Dad doesn’t make me uninvite her, Shelby won’t want to come after Dad calls her parents. No other dads have to meet her parents ahead of time. Now she’ll think I’m weird, just like Jewel and all the other kids at that school do.

  Even though Katy was supposed to wash the dishes and then help with the evening milking, she shut off the water, left the dishes in the sink, and ran to her room. She’d gone too long without spilling her feelings into her journal. One word—one ugly word—seemed to chase her up the stairs: Weird…weird…weird…

  Katy stood behind Dad and chewed her thumbnail while he reached across Mr. Nuss’s desk to shake hands. Her ears still burned from the embarrassment of finding Dad parked in the bus loading zone at the close of the school today. A couple of the jocks had made fun of their pickup and of Dad’s suit and black, flat-brimmed hat.

  Why had he worn his Sunday suit to meet Shelby’s parents? He wouldn’t have stuck out so badly in his work trousers, plaid shirt, and billed ball cap. Her heart turned over. He’d dressed up out of respect and to make a good impression on the Nusses. She should be grateful, but humiliation washed the gratitude away.

  Shelby’s father ran his hand down his striped tie and pointed to two matching chairs that sat side-by-side against the wall. “
Please sit down, Mr. Lambright and Kathleen.” He settled himself in the squeaky black chair behind the desk and linked his fingers over his stomach. His brown eyes matched Shelby’s, as did his smile. If Katy hadn’t been so nervous, she would have smiled back when he winked at her. “Thank you for meeting me here at the church. It would probably be more comfortable at the parsonage, but my secretary is under the weather and wasn’t able to come in today. If I left the office, there wouldn’t be anyone to man the phone. We don’t want to miss any calls in case someone needs assistance.”

  Katy began nibbling her pinky nail. Mr. Nuss’s constant talking was pointing out how very different the Baptists were from the Old Order Mennonites. The Mennonite meetinghouse didn’t have a pastor’s study, as Shelby had called her dad’s office. No secretary answered telephone calls at their meetinghouse—there wasn’t even a telephone in the building. And Katy had no idea what Mr. Nuss meant by “parsonage.” Maybe she should start carrying a dictionary in her pocket.

  “Shelby is excited about the festival,” Mr. Nuss continued in a cheery voice. “We saw it advertised in the newspaper last year, shortly after we moved here, and we discussed going then. It looks interesting, but the janitor reminded me that Saturday is a preparation day for Sunday.” He laughed softly. “My wife is the janitor here at the church, and she isn’t shy about enlisting the help of her family to get the building spotless for Sunday morning services.”

  Dad held his hat in his lap and gave a solemn nod. “It’s good to take proper care of the Lord’s house. When it’s our turn to clean the meetinghouse in Schellberg, we do our best work too.” He glanced around the shelf-lined walls. From floor to ceiling, books filled the dark-stained shelves. The sight made Katy’s chest expand with envy. What must it be like to own so many books? “You are an ordained minister, Reverend Nuss?”

  “That’s right, through the Southern Baptist Convention—but please call me Brother Tim. And your first name is…?”

  “Samuel,” Dad provided.

  “Samuel,” Mr. Nuss repeated. “Well, it’s good to have this chance to get acquainted. Shelby has told us a lot about your Kathleen. She’s hoping Kathleen can join the Christian Students’ Club. I’m sure she’s told Kathleen about it already.”

  Dad flicked a quick, questioning look at Katy. Katy inserted, “It meets before school on Wednesdays. Since I ride the bus, I can’t get there in time.”

  “Oh.” Mr. Nuss puckered his lips. “That’s too bad. Well, maybe next year, if you drive yourself to school…”

  Katy almost giggled. Dad owned one vehicle—their old blue pickup. He hadn’t let her learn to drive yet. She supposed she could saddle her personal means of transportation, her ten-year-old mare, Shadow. But even if Dad allowed her to, she wouldn’t ride Shadow to school. The kids would laugh her out of the parking lot.

  Dad tapped his hat on his knee. “Rev—Brother Tim, I wanted to meet you and talk some before we have your daughter stay at our house. Katy—”

  Katy cleared her throat.

  Dad frowned. “Kathleen wants to be friends with Shelby. I must be sure it won’t be harmful to her before I give my approval.”

  Katy held her breath. Would Mr. Nuss be offended?

  Shelby’s father leaned forward and propped his elbows on the desk. His chair creaked in complaint at the sudden movement. “Do you mean you want to be sure Shelby won’t try to convince Kathleen to do something that would be against your beliefs?”

  Dad nodded. “Staying true to our teachings is very important. Kathleen spends time at school with children who have been raised very differently. This will certainly have an effect on her. But if she forms close friendships, there is greater opportunity for her to adopt other habits and behaviors, some of which may not be appropriate.”

  Katy gnawed in earnest on her left thumbnail. She’d already nibbled the right one clear to the quick.

  Dad went on, “I don’t want to tell the girls they can’t be friends. Friends are important. I just need to be sure Shelby understands that Katy…er, Kathleen…is Mennonite, and she will stay Mennonite.”

  Mr. Nuss’s face didn’t lose its friendly expression. “Samuel, I appreciate your honesty. Your desire for Kathleen to maintain her Mennonite beliefs mimics my desire for Shelby to hold fast to her Christian standards. She’s been taught since she was very young that she needs to honor God with her words, actions, and attitude. If at any time you feel she is behaving in a way that would be harmful to your daughter, I would want you to tell me right away. My responsibility as Shelby’s father and her minister is to keep her on a godly path.”

  Dad didn’t smile, but Katy sensed him relaxing a bit. He said, “I also want to make certain that you have no concerns about Shelby spending time with my daughter and me. There is no…” Dad lowered his head for a moment. “No wife in my home.”

  Katy flicked a glance at Reverend Nuss. The brief flash of sympathy in his eyes reminded her of Shelby’s reaction when she’d said her mother was dead. The Nusses might not be Mennonite, but Katy liked them. They were nice people.

  Dad met the reverend’s gaze again. “Kathleen and I have been alone for several years. If the situation makes you uncomfortable—having your daughter staying in a home with only a father and daughter—then we’ll understand that you’d rather not have Shelby spend the night.”

  “Shelby told us Kathleen’s mother had passed away.” Mr. Nuss sent a quick, understanding smile in Katy’s direction. “I’m sorry for your loss. Shelby has other friends who, for various reasons, live with a single parent. We’ve told her if she’s in a situation that makes her feel uncomfortable that she can call at any time and we’ll come and pick her up. Does that sound reasonable to you?”

  “I think that makes good sense,” Dad said.

  Mr. Nuss leaned back in his chair and placed his hand over the telephone receiver on the corner of his desk. “Are there any specific rules your family follows that Shelby needs to hear before she comes to your house? I can call her over right now and we’ll discuss them together.”

  Dad put his hand on Katy’s arm. “My daughter knows the expectations, and she can share these with Shelby. Do you have rules that should be enforced while your daughter is with us? I want to show consideration for your beliefs as well.”

  Mr. Nuss smiled. “Thank you, Samuel. I appreciate that. Our family strives to obey the commandments written in God’s Word. Honoring her parents extends to honoring other adults in authority.” For the first time, his face turned stern. “If she behaves inappropriately, please let me know. There will be consequences here at home.”

  Katy listened in amazement. Mr. Nuss just said, nearly word for word, what her dad had told Miss Yoder every day on the first day of each school year at the Schellberg school. He’d told the principal at Salina High North the same thing when he enrolled her at the high school.

  While she watched Dad and Reverend Nuss shake hands in parting, a realization crept through her brain. The two might be dressed differently and attend different places of worship, but in some ways they were very much alike.

  Dad turned in at the Gehrings’ farm on the way home from meeting with Shelby’s father so Katy could invite Annika to stay over the night before the festival. The Gehrings’ property bordered the Lambright dairy farm, and although their houses were a mile apart, the girls were accustomed to walking to visit one another. Still reeling from the amicable meeting between Dad and Mr. Nuss, Katy couldn’t wait to tell Annika how well it had gone. She bounced out before the pickup had rolled to a complete stop.

  “Don’t stay long, Katy,” Dad admonished, leaning out the truck window. “You have chores waiting. Get permission from Annika’s mom and then walk straight home.”

  “Yes, Dad. Thanks!” Katy skipped up the dirt pathway that led to the farmhouse and hopped up on the unrailed porch. Annika’s house and Katy’s were both two-story farmhouses built in the early 1920s, but Annika’s looked older with its peeling paint and porch that slan
ted toward the south. Katy had written a poem about Annika’s tiredlooking house—exhausted from its door being opened and closed all day long by the many occupants. Miss Yoder had given Katy high marks on the poem, but Annika hadn’t like it much.

  Just before she knocked on the wood-framed screen door, one of Annika’s brothers came around the corner of the house. “Hi, Katy. Annika’s in the barn. We got a new batch of kittens, and the mama finally brought them out of hiding.” He grinned, showing two missing teeth. “They’re cute. Go see ’em.”

  Katy had seen plenty of barn kittens, but it never grew old. They were always so sweet when they were little. She dashed to the barn and found Annika kneeling in a corner stall. Two kittens stood in her lap, batting at the strings of her cap. She looked up and grinned when Katy approached.

  “Hi! There are two more over there, if you want to play with them.” She pointed to twin orange and white balls of fur coiled against their mother’s stomach, fast asleep.

  Katy sank down next to Annika but didn’t disturb the kittens. If she started playing, she’d forget to hurry home. “I came to see if you wanted to spend the night next Saturday.”

  Annika’s face lit up. “Really? Then we could go to the festival together. That would be fun. I’ll go ask Mom.” She pried the kittens’ little claws loose from her apron and plunked them next to the mama cat.

  Katy followed her toward the house. “I hope you can come. It will be kind of a party since a girl from Salina High North is coming too.”

  Annika froze in her tracks. “Oh?”

  Despite the sun beating down, Katy experienced a chill. “Yes. Her name is Shelby Nuss, and Dad just talked with her father. Mr. Nuss gave Shelby permission to spend the night. I thought it would be fun for all of us to get to know each other.”

  Annika folded her arms over her chest. “Why?”

  “Because…Because…” Katy licked her dry lips and held her hands outward. “Why not?”

  “I don’t know this girl. I don’t go to high school. Why would I want to spend time with her? It’ll be weird, staying the night with her there.”