So why shouldn’t her heart be moved by the story? She was sure Isaiah would feel the same way if he took the time to listen to the tale. Isaiah shouldn’t worry that Joseph would change her. There was no danger in that. She was the same ordinary person she had always been, even if she could feel for Joseph and what he had gone through.
Esther entered the greenhouse and headed toward her small patch of ground in the back. It was too soon to expect the seeds to have sprouted, even with Joseph’s green thumb. Still, she figured she would find some weeding to do. Sure enough, short blades of some weeds had already begun to appear. She found a hoe hung on the wall. She was grateful that Joseph made things easy for her. He indeed had a tender heart. Arlene was foolish not to handle him with care instead of abrasiveness. Joseph was a man who could feel deeply, which meant he could be easily wounded. Likely that was why Arlene had yet to experience success in her relationship with him.
Half an hour later, satisfied with her work, Esther went in search of Diana and Arlene. She found them in a far area of the adjoined greenhouses, where Diana was playing with some empty boxes. Seeing her mamm, Diana cried out, “Look at my playhouse! Arlene let me use these smaller boxes, and they’re even better!”
Esther squatted down to peer inside the makeshift shelter. “It’s very nice, sweetheart. You have a lively imagination.” She blew Diana a kiss and got up to join Arlene at the bench, which ran along the side of the greenhouse.
Arlene gave Esther a wry look. “Your daughter is quite taken with Joseph. Maybe I ought to claim Diana as my own until he changes his mind about me.”
Esther laughed. “I don’t think that would help.”
“No doubt Diana is helping you to charm Isaiah.”
“It’s not Diana who can help you with Joseph. It’s you, Arlene. You would win him over easily if you simply changed your attitude toward him. You could certainly be more respectful than you are. That’s what men want—respect.”
“But he says such crazy things!”
“Like what?”
“I already told you. That he creates roses! What man would say such a thing? And he smells them all the time with this strange look on his face.” Arlene threw her hands upward in exasperation.
“Arlene.” Esther sighed. “Are you sure you should even try to win Joseph’s affections if you feel that way about him?”
Arlene set down the pot she was working with and looked sorrowfully at Esther. “You’re saying that because with me out of the way, you can move in on him.”
Esther gasped. “How could you think of such a thing? You need to wake up to reality. I’m not trying to steal Joseph. I’m seeing Isaiah, but I do have to speak with Joseph from time to time. And I’ve heard his story, so I know what I’m saying is the truth. If you want to wed the man, you have to love him.”
“But I do!” Arlene insisted. “And even with him being lame. He’s still well able to supply for his kinner—if the Lord should choose to give us any.” Arlene blushed and rushed on. “Joseph would be exactly what a husband should be if he wasn’t so crazy. But that can be fixed—and I think you can help me. If you’re really not after him, then you can prove it by helping me. You could talk to him. He might listen to you. He sure won’t hear what I’m saying.”
“I’ve been trying to tell you that Joseph isn’t the problem. You are.”
“How can you say that, Esther?” Arlene practically shouted. “All I want is a steady, normal life full of the goot things of the community—like home, kinner, and a husband who can provide for our growing family. Don’t you want these things yourself?”
“Yah, of course. I had them with Lonnie, and I expect my relationship with Isaiah will be blessed in the same way.”
“And I want the same from Joseph. Are you going to help me or not?”
“Arlene, honestly, I can’t help you right now. You have to change your attitude. You’re not going to change a man who is…”
“Strange?”
Esther tried again. “No, not strange…but special. He’s had unusual experiences in life. His lameness, his great love for Silvia, and his loss of her love. Those things would be hard for anyone to bear and at the same time to leave behind him.”
“I don’t understand a word you’re saying,” Arlene declared, shaking her head. “None of us is more special than anyone else. Isn’t that what the community believes? Isn’t that what Isaiah believes? Now, if Isaiah believes such a thing, why are you saying otherwise?”
“Because I think Joseph is special in his own way, and I’m not disagreeing with anyone by saying that. Another thing you should consider is that perhaps Joseph has something you need. You could benefit greatly from his tenderness and soft heart. Perhaps there is something in your life that…”
“Stop talking foolishness,” Arlene snapped. “It’s not me who needs changing.”
Esther attempted a smile. “I’m not trying to argue with you, Arlene. Really, I’m not.”
“I guess you and I just don’t see eye to eye.” Arlene jerked her head as if for emphasis.
Esther sighed again. “I’m sorry we’re not agreeing. In the meantime, I think I’d better go.”
Arlene said nothing to stop her from leaving.
ELEVEN
Early the following Friday evening, Isaiah clucked to Echo as they trotted briskly toward Deacon Daniel’s home. The sun had been out in full strength since dawn, and the temperature had crept up into the upper seventies. Summer was around the corner. The whole valley would blossom with life, and the long winter would be forgotten. The seasons were all blessed of the Lord, yet Esther had chosen a goot time to arrive in the community—the spring.
Any courtship should begin in the spring. He had taken Mandy home from the hymn singing for the first time on such a day back in Lancaster County. Courting was best begun when the Lord awakened the earth, and marriages were best sealed with the sacred vows in the fall with the winter’s snow lying near at hand. Marriage was a practical thing, undergirded by a deep trust in the Lord’s ways.
He had been blessed once with a frau who walked with him in faith, and now it seemed the Lord had chosen to bless him a second time with Esther. They could begin their marriage this fall in the full confidence that their love would stand the test of time, and live through the winter of life. They had both already walked that road to its ultimate sorrow, yet found the Lord sufficient. Yah, He was even sufficient enough to give again what He had chosen to take away.
“Whoa there,” Isaiah called to Echo as he turned into Daniel’s driveway. Isaiah parked beside the barn and hopped down to look around. There was no sign of the deacon, but at this time in the evening Daniel would be in the barn. Isaiah found the tie rope beneath the buggy seat and secured Echo to the ring on the sidewall.
Isaiah pushed open the barn door and entered the whitewashed interior. Daniel ran a tidy operation with his 120-acre dairy farm on the rim above the valley floor. Fresh signs of the evening’s milking shift were everywhere, with wisps of grain on the floor in front of the stanchions. The floors were still wet from their washing down between milking shifts. Few could match the deacon when it came to business or in his duties as a deacon.
“Howdy there,” Isaiah called out, and a muffled call came from the back of the barn.
Daniel’s bearded face appeared and broke into a smile. “Isaiah, it’s you. Why didn’t you come for the first milking? That’s when you were needed.”
Isaiah laughed and joined in the teasing. “You know how well my daett taught me to avoid work.”
They laughed together and Daniel stroked his beard. “So what brings you out tonight? Shouldn’t you be at Esther’s place for supper?”
Isaiah grinned. “I’m headed that way, but I gave myself a little extra time to stop in and chat.”
“And timed just right to avoid the milking?”
“That’s what my daett taught me.”
The two laughed again. “Well, you seem to get along fine with Est
her,” Daniel told him. “You can’t have trouble there, I’m thinking.”
“Who says there’s trouble?”
“She seems well matched for you, as Mandy was,” the deacon continued. “The Lord has blessed you.”
“Yah, He has.” Isaiah hung his head for a moment. “I’m not one to complain, or to think that I can’t handle what is my responsibility, but in this matter I think I should ask for help.”
Daniel appeared befuddled. “What could be wrong? Sure, Esther might have been a little forward in making the move to the valley on her own, assuming you were open to her advances.”
“You do have a sharp eye,” Isaiah muttered.
“I’m not blind, you know,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “But Esther knew you from your rumspringa days, and you knew her, so there’s nothing wrong with any of this. You should be beating a trail over to her house on Friday nights.” Daniel smiled. “By the way, I like that plan. It’s mature and practical, unlike some of these youngsters and their dates on Sunday evenings. Here you get to sample the woman’s cooking skills and make sure she passes the test.”
The two laughed again and Isaiah told him, “I’m sure glad you agree with me.”
“So that’s all you want? My agreement? My blessing?”
Isaiah raised his head. “No, there’s more. It’s about Joseph Zook. What do you know about the man?”
Daniel wrinkled his face. “Well, you know he keeps pretty much to himself. He comes from Southern Lancaster County, and he has suffered what you have suffered—the loss of a woman he loved.”
Isaiah nodded. “But other than his grief, there’s nothing wrong with him?”
“Not that I know of. He keeps the Ordnung to a T, and he makes no trouble in the district. He pretty much stays in that greenhouse of his, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Nothing about roses, then?”
“Roses? I know he grows them. What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I keep hearing about his roses over at Esther’s place. Her daughter, Diana, is constantly speaking of them. Esther doesn’t say much, but Joseph does have a thing with roses, doesn’t he?”
“Yah, I guess he does now that I think about it.” Daniel stroked his beard again. “But what’s wrong with roses, Isaiah? I expect he makes a decent income from the sale of his roses at the produce market. The Englisha like such things, even though they aren’t really appropriate for our people.”
“That’s just it,” Isaiah replied. “There seems to be nothing wrong with roses, and yet there is something wrong somewhere. Could you ask around, perhaps? There’s some story about his former frau, who was Englisha, I believe. Esther began to tell me but then stopped. She seemed sensitive, even touchy, about the subject.”
Daniel grinned. “You’re not thinking he’s competing for Esther’s affections with his roses, are you?”
Isaiah snorted. “Not in the least. Esther is not his type. Nor is he hers. She’s much too practical, but I’d like for Esther to stay that way. That’s why I need to know what Joseph’s story is.”
“Well, then.” Daniel nodded. “Let’s begin with Joseph’s frau, Silvia. Surely you’re aware of what happened there?”
Isaiah shook his head.
“Well, as I understand it, Joseph’s life with Silvia was quite touching. She showed up suddenly from the Englisha world as a single woman, young and goot looking, if I’m allowed to say that. Silvia was clearly devoted to the man, which made for many questions. But it all became clear after their wedding, and Silvia admitted to everyone that she had fled to the community to find peace from her fight with cancer—or rather to make peace with her coming death. She told everyone she was estranged from her parents, who had divorced when she was a child. This didn’t hinder Joseph’s appreciation for Silvia’s affections, and she seemed to need and want his love. Joseph helped to bring healing between Silvia and her father, I think. So the Lord provided, I guess, for both sides, and now that Silvia is gone, Joseph has become a bit of a dreamer. You can’t blame him, can you?”
“I guess not,” Isaiah allowed. “But the roses?”
“Well, Silvia had an Englisha degree in horticulture. She taught Joseph a lot of what he knows about gardening.”
“And roses, apparently.”
“And roses,” Daniel echoed. “Are you happy now?”
“I guess I should be…”
“But you’re not?”
“Let’s just say I suspect there’s more to it.”
“You could ask Esther. She might know.”
“And you don’t think that’s a problem?”
“Now we’re back to Joseph trampling on your territory. Are you sure you want to go there, Isaiah?”
He sighed. “I wish Joseph had left well enough alone, or that Esther had the sense to stay away from him. But she’s new in the area, and she’s become involved in trying to help out with Arlene’s attempt to snare Joseph’s affections.”
Daniel slapped Isaiah on the back. “Cheer up, my friend. You’re acting like a starry-eyed teenager.”
“That’s what worries me,” Isaiah said, beginning to move out of the barn.
The deacon followed him. “Isaiah, maybe you’re looking for another Mandy, but no two women are alike. This is Esther. If she’s the one, you need to accept her as Esther, not as Mandy all over again.”
“But I don’t want them to be different. Mandy was a wunderbah frau, and Esther fits the bill. Things should stay like that.”
Daniel shrugged. “You know what they say. No two flowers smell alike.”
Isaiah stopped in his tracks. “Who says that?”
“I don’t know. I guess I heard it somewhere.”
Isaiah forced a laugh. “I’d better go or I’ll miss my delicious supper.” He untied Echo and climbed into his buggy. With a wave to the deacon, he trotted Echo out of the driveway.
“Confound it,” Isaiah muttered. “Where did the man hear about flowers that don’t smell the same?”
He had come up with the brilliant answer for Diana about the bees the other week, but everyone knew that all flowers smelled alike to humans. He should have challenged the deacon for listening to such things. But what could he say? He was the one who had brought up the subject of roses, and Daniel hadn’t seen him by the rail fence on his knees in front of Esther’s flowers. That was an embarrassment better left alone. He had already fallen low in his pursuit of Esther’s affections, but how did one disappoint a child who wanted to smell roses? Diana might have been reduced to tears by his refusal to spare himself a little humiliation.
Isaiah groaned as Echo trotted west on Oldick Road. Maybe a goot supper at Esther’s place would restore his spirits. He should have left Joseph and his stories alone, but he hadn’t been able to resist that either. If Esther was going to be his frau by this fall’s wedding season, he needed to know what affected her life.
“Whoa there,” Isaiah hollered to Echo as they came to the stop sign at Fords Bush Road. With no traffic in either direction, Isaiah jiggled the reins and turned Echo north. A moment later he pulled into Esther’s driveway. The front door burst open, and Diana raced out to greet him. He came to a stop and hopped down from the buggy step.
“Goot evening, Diana.” He bent down to give the girl a hug. “It’s so nice to see you.”
“Today I got to make a playhouse in Joseph’s greenhouse out of boxes again,” she exclaimed, her face aglow. “It was the best playhouse I ever made.”
“I’m glad it was.” He tried to smile. “Let me tie up Echo, and then we can go on in the house.”
“I’m playing in the backyard until suppertime,” she told him. “I’ll be imagining that all of Joseph’s boxes are there for my wunderbah playhouse.”
“You do that,” he said as Diana raced around the corner of the house.
Isaiah whirled about when Esther spoke from a few feet away. “I’m sorry she always talks about Joseph whenever you come.”
“It’s ok
ay,” he assured her. “You can’t control the girl’s fascination with the man, as long as her mother doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Isaiah, please,” Esther said. “I’m just a common woman, and a simple one.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said, tying Echo to the hitching post.
Esther stayed near him, her gaze downcast.
Isaiah turned to face her. “You never did finish that story about Joseph’s roses.”
“Please, Isaiah.” She lifted her face to him. “Can’t we just eat supper and ignore Joseph for the evening? I don’t want to think about his roses or about him. I’ll tell you the story sometime, but not tonight.”
“Well, would you happen to have pecan pie for dessert?” he asked with a grin.
Her face lit up. “Yah, of course. I know how you love pecan pie.”
“That’ll make the evening perfect, then. That, and to see your smile.”
She lowered her head. “Are you trying to make me blush?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Esther. A woman who can cook a supper like you can doesn’t need to blush.”
“Oh, Isaiah,” she said, reaching for his hand. She fell in beside him for the walk to the house.
TWELVE
A week later as the morning light streamed over the greenhouses, Joseph held the hose in one hand and brushed cobwebs away from the rose petals with the other. Spiders had no respect for sacred places, but their busyness was an admirable trait—at least in the Lord’s eyes. The Holy Scriptures commended the spider because she worked with her hands and did so even in king’s houses. But in his opinion, this rose was held in higher esteem than the homes of kings.
“Silvia’s Rose.” Joseph bent close to whisper a prayer. “May the Lord’s blessing be upon you as His blessing was upon my beloved frau.”
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