“What are you muttering about again?” Arlene’s sharp voice caused Joseph to jump. The spray from the garden hose flew skyward for a second before he pointed the nozzle back to its proper place.
“You’re always talking to your roses,” Arlene continued. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Talking to plants helps them grow.”
Arlene snorted. “That’s nothing but an old wives’ tale. I thought you would know better.”
“Apparently I don’t,” he said, moving the flow of water onto another plant.
“Don’t you want to improve yourself, Joseph? I mean, most men want their lives to be normal instead of strange. Here you are talking to roses! Who does that?”
“Well, for one, a German professor named Gustav Fechner. In his 1848 book Nanna, he proposed the theory that plants can benefit from human conversation.”
“Who?”
“Then there’s Rich Marini from Penn State’s horticulture department, who says there’s evidence that plants respond to sound.”
Arlene wrinkled up her face. “You are very strange, Joseph. Who are these people?”
“Englisha researchers. It’s not old wives’ tales, Arlene. Maybe you are the one who should learn a thing or two.”
Anger showed on her face. “How can you believe what the Englisha say? You know they make things up, like evolution and all that stuff about the world taking millions of years to be created—all while we know that the Lord spoke the world into existence in a moment of time. How can you change a plant by talking to it? That’s almost as bad as thinking you can create new roses.”
Joseph smiled. “I water the plant, and that changes it. Talking is another form of watering…in a sense.”
“Listen to yourself just…talking nonsense,” Arlene sputtered. “No one else in the community believes that plants can be made to grow by talking to them.”
“They grow better,” he corrected with another smile. “Now, how are we coming with the Saturday market preparations?”
Arlene seemed to simmer down a bit. “I’ve begun to pack the cabbages, but if you’d come help me instead of talking to your roses, I wouldn’t be so far behind. With all the extra money my plan will bring in, you should be grateful—and in this case, you could express gratitude by helping me. Can you understand that much, Joseph?”
He grinned. “Maybe if you say it real slow, I can.”
“You’re laughing at me,” she chided. “While I’m the one who should laugh at you for your silliness.”
“I’m not complaining. I don’t mind people laughing at me.”
“Silly man. Even that attitude is unnormal.”
“I don’t think that’s a word, Arlene.”
“Stop correcting me!” she shrieked. “That is a word. Yah! Unnormal. Why wouldn’t it be? My mamm used it, and Daett does too, and that goes for Dawdy as well.”
“If you say so.”
“Well, at least you’re correctable. I just wish you didn’t have to be corrected so much.”
He laughed. “You know you don’t have to correct me, don’t you, Arlene?”
“Then who else would, Joseph? You and Ben live all by yourselves in that big, old house. Poor Ben is not much more than skin and bones, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. You need a frau.”
He hid his smile. “And you’re volunteering?”
She turned red. “You know that’s not decent, Joseph.”
“Forget it, Arlene.” He turned off the water. “I’m ready to help you now.”
“Well, it’s about time.”
As they walked, he continued. “I do thank you for coming up with the plan for our produce. I think you did a goot job.”
Her face burst into a glow. “Why, thank you. I didn’t think you’d ever say a kind thing about me. Esther even suggested that I should try to be more…well, forget about that. She was obviously wrong.”
Joseph chuckled. “Esther thinks you should be more accepting of me. Is that it?”
“Yah! How did you know? She thinks I should try and understand your crazy talk about roses, but how can I do that? I’ll never talk to roses to make them grow faster. My mamm taught me—”
“Yah, I know.”
He came to an abrupt halt by the cabbages, and with care he harvested each one slowly. He lowered them gently into crates scattered along the edge of the patch. Arlene joined him a row away, muttering to herself.
“So what do you want from a young man who decides to court you?” Joseph asked. “Are you expecting him to take you home from the hymn singings on Sunday evenings?”
“Joseph!” Arlene gasped. “You know I’m not looking for just any young man to court me.”
He laughed. “Okay, fair enough. So what if I wanted to court you? What should I do in that case?”
Arlene abruptly stopped moving. “You would do this, Joseph?”
“I’m not saying I would, but as you pointed out, I don’t have a frau and Ben needs a mamm. How much work would I have to put into this courting business with you?”
The words came out in a rush. “You wouldn’t have to put anything in. I don’t need anything fancy. Nothing at all.”
“No taking you home from the hymn singing, then?”
“That’s not necessary,” she assured him.
“I don’t have to talk to you like I talk to my roses?”
Tears formed at the edges of her eyes. “You’re teasing me. You’re saying this only to laugh at me because I corrected you.”
“Arlene.” He sighed. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m serious. But you need to know I don’t want a frau who’s always trying to change me.”
“In that case, you don’t have to change one bit,” she declared.
He twisted off several more heads of cabbage.
“Joseph, please,” she begged. “Don’t ignore me. I can’t stand that.”
He straightened his back. “I don’t know how to say this so that you will understand. There will never be another Silvia. Is that okay with you?”
“Are you actually saying you might want me as your frau, Joseph?” She struggled to compose herself.
“Esther has got me to thinking,” he admitted. “I really do need to move on with my life, so maybe we could make it work. Perhaps we can arrive at an agreement and see how it goes. I won’t ask you to change except to stop criticizing me all the time, but I will always talk to roses, Arlene. Could you be married to a husband who talks to his roses?”
“I’m not sure I can,” she said slowly. “I…I would hope you would be willing to stop doing that.”
“I’m not stopping,” he said firmly. “I will always talk to my plants, and I’m not going to sneak around to do it.”
“I wouldn’t want you sneaking around. I just want you to be normal.”
“Arlene,” he said with a sigh, “I am normal. I am Joseph Zook. That’s normal for me, and I think you have your own problems if you would be honest.”
She stared at him for a moment. “That makes no sense.”
“There you go, Arlene. We only go in circles.”
“But you did say that you would consider me for your frau?” Her face brightened.
“Yah, I did, Arlene. I’m not sure it will work, though, because if you expect me to change, I will disappoint you.”
“There must be a way to cure you from talking to roses,” she said, almost to herself.
Joseph sighed. “You’re not hearing me.”
She gulped. “I don’t know what to say, Joseph.”
He looked at her and said, “Well, we could try what Isaiah and Esther are doing. Maybe you could come over once a week to cook supper for Ben and me. That plan seems to be working for them. I could try to be more practical, and perhaps love would come, although—”
“You want me to cook for you? Once a week like Esther does for Isaiah? Oh, Joseph! Is that really all you want for us to begin our walk to the holy marriage vows? Supper? Why didn’t you say so? I�
��ve done all this work at the greenhouse and tried so hard, and cooking is the easiest thing of them all. I’ve racked my brain trying to bring you around, and you simply want me to cook supper?”
He swallowed. “It’s worth a try. Let’s think about cooking supper once a week and maybe…”
“Maybe what, Joseph?”
“Just maybe…that’s all.”
Arlene fell silent and continued harvesting the cabbages. Joseph glanced at her. Would Arlene now spread word all over the community that they were officially dating each other, even if those dates were just meals she prepared for him? Yah, most likely, but he had asked for this and had no one to blame but himself.
In the end, perhaps this would be for the best. Esther was right in a way, and he didn’t want another frau who would demand that he fall in love. His heart was locked away forever. Maybe Arlene was the right choice, the best choice, if she could keep her tongue in her head.
They would have to see about that.
THIRTEEN
Esther slipped between the wooden tables set up at the Saturday morning produce market on Fords Bush Road. Her arms clutched a carton of lettuce heads, their green goodness rising almost to eye level. She set them down with a lurch and caught her breath before returning to the wagon for another load.
Dawn had flooded the sky an hour ago, and the place would soon be swarming with people as the market opened. She had nothing to sell of her own, but she had agreed to help when Joseph asked her yesterday.
“I’m willing to pay,” he had said with a smile.
“While I’m using your greenhouse for a garden? No way will you pay me. Besides, it’s not as though I have a lot to do here at home.”
“I’ll be expecting you to carry your share of the work,” Joseph teased.
Diana had stood beside her mamm, clapping at the news. “I’ll help too!”
Today, Diana was shadowing Joseph’s every move as he set up the bouquets of roses he was offering for sale. Esther had to admit they were gorgeous with their beautiful white and orange blossoms. Was it a secret among Amish women that they, too, liked the beauty of flowers around them?
There was nothing wrong in liking roses, and there was nothing wrong with Diana’s continued fascination with Joseph. Esther would have to tell herself that often. Her unsettled feeling came from the move and her rapid introduction to the innermost affairs of this small valley community. Lancaster County had been much larger, with multiple districts spread across many miles. One didn’t become drawn in as quickly to people’s lives unless they were family. Here, everyone seemed like family, which was exactly what she wanted—practical, down-to-earth family.
“Confound the roses,” Esther muttered to herself.
“What did you just say?” Arlene chirped from a few feet away.
Esther ignored the question but waved her hand down the long table, which was laden with fresh lettuce heads. “How in the world does Joseph plan to sell this many?”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem!” Arlene declared. She whipped out her tablet and scanned the page. “According to my figures of the sales from past Saturdays, these should not even begin to satisfy the demand for lettuce.”
“Okay,” Esther allowed. “That’s impressive. You’re doing a goot job tracking sales.”
Arlene glowed. “Yah, I am. And I have to thank you for something. The Lord has finally opened Joseph’s heart to me.”
Esther jerked her head around. “How is that? I thought you didn’t like what I had to say the last time we talked.”
“Oh, it wasn’t what you said to me, but to Joseph, and what you’re doing with Isaiah. Joseph has taken your example. I’m going to come over to cook supper for him once a week.” Arlene leaned closer to whisper, “Joseph doesn’t know this, but that will soon be twice a week, and only the Lord knows what lies beyond that. We might even be saying the wedding vows by this fall.”
“How did this come about? I had no idea Joseph had changed his mind about you.”
“I’m not sure myself,” Arlene mused. “Well…yah, I do know that your practical ways made an impression on Joseph. But I’m thinking that beyond your influence maybe my trying to change him is finally paying off. He’s so hardheaded and unwilling to see his own foolishness. Why…” Arlene’s voice lowered to a whisper again. “Maybe you never heard everything. See, Joseph talks to his roses all the time, and when I corrected him, he said lots of fancy Englisha words that I couldn’t understand. But I didn’t give up. I prayed and prayed, and Joseph invited me to cook supper for him one night a week.”
Esther drew a long breath. “Wow. I still don’t quite understand. Can you tell me more about what happened?”
Arlene demurred. “One shouldn’t share the secret things that pass between a man and a woman. Do you tell me about the sweet conversations you have with Isaiah on Friday evenings over supper, or about how you keep him coming back?”
“But—”
“Oh, Joseph said the sweetest things to me. My heart could hardly contain itself. I’m half afraid I’ll pass out while I’m serving him supper on Tuesday evening—that’s when I’m going over to his house for the first time. Early, of course, and straight from my work at the greenhouse. Oh, Esther! I never dreamed this day would come.”
“Won’t you at least go back to Dorrine’s place to clean up before you make supper? I mean, greenhouse work is kind of…I mean, look at us right now.”
“You don’t understand, Esther. Joseph doesn’t want any of that fancy stuff. He just wants a woman who will cook supper for him. He’s not worried about dirt-stained aprons. Underneath all his fancy talk and odd notions, the man still needs someone to cook supper and care for his kinner. Ben needs a mamm, just as all boys do, even if they have strange fathers.”
“I see,” Esther allowed, even though she didn’t. “But how is this going to work? Joseph will still be strange to you, and he will still talk to his roses.”
“Yah, I know.” Arlene nodded, solemn-faced. “Joseph told me that himself. But he doesn’t know the wunderbah powers a woman has to change her man for the better. I’ll bide my time, but my foot is in the door now. Supper will soon be on the table.”
Arlene’s face glowed as she hurried away with her head held high.
Esther took a moment to collect herself before returning to the wagon for the last carton of lettuce. Setting it with the others, she walked over to where Joseph was still setting out rose arrangements.
“Looking for your daughter?” he asked.
“I saw her go into the greenhouse a moment ago. I’m assuming you sent her on an errand.”
“Yah, she went to fetch me the spray bottle. The sun will be up soon, and we have to keep water on the roses until they’re sold.” Joseph took a step back and looked at the array of his arrangements. He smiled. “Silvia would be so pleased at how her rose turned out. I know this valley loves them. They sell out quite quickly and at decent prices.” Joseph turned to face her. “Are you done with the lettuce?”
Esther didn’t speak for a second. “Joseph, I need to ask you something…and it’s not about roses. What made you change your mind about Arlene? She claims you are dating.”
Joseph’s smile spread to his whole face. “Arlene has been letting you in on our arrangement? Well, I don’t mind. I’m just trying to follow your advice. Isn’t that goot? By tomorrow the news will be all over the community. Arlene will see that her conquest receives the attention she thinks it deserves.”
Esther didn’t move. “Why are you doing this? It doesn’t seem right…or even like you.”
“Come on, Esther. Isn’t this how you live? What’s so difficult to understand? I have loved once, immensely and deeply. I don’t need that again, but Arlene does need help, and perhaps I can learn to like her a little…after some time, of course. Women can change, you know. For the better, one hopes. Arlene understands I can’t love her the way I once loved Silvia. To pretend that I could would not be fair to her or to me—a
nd I’m not goot at pretending anyway. Arlene knows this and doesn’t care. It’s a practical arrangement—if only I can tame her sharp tongue. You’re a practical woman, Esther. This should make perfect sense to you. No two flowers smell alike, remember? I’m not one to pretend that they do.”
Esther stepped back. “And you think I pretend? Do you think that’s what I’m doing with Isaiah? Pretending? That I’m trying to repeat what I had with Lonnie?”
“Esther, you give me too much credit. I’m a simple man who was given the love of a great woman. By that I will always be blessed and forever changed. But I know not to look for that kind of happiness again. I’m not telling you how to run your life.”
“No, but aren’t you trying to teach me by example? You expect me to see the foolishness of how I’m acting with Isaiah as you act out the same thing with Arlene.”
Joseph laughed. “Do I strike you as a man who would put up with Arlene’s criticisms just so I could make a point with you? I enjoy my own life too much for that. I’m beginning this relationship with Arlene because I want to. I took your words to heart, Esther. You are right. Something can be made out of her and me that hasn’t been before. I have faith, but I’m not stupid. I don’t think or dream that my heart will ever be hers the way it once was with Silvia. But that’s okay.”
“It sounds as though you’re just settling, and I find that sad. But it’s your life.”
“See, then why are we fussing about it?”
“Because I still think you’re doing this to rub something in.”
Joseph laughed again. “If the salt burns, it’s only because there is a wound, Esther. Maybe you should be thankful I have the salt shaker in my hand.”
“So you are doing this to teach me a lesson.”
“I’m just living the way I want to, and if you can learn from it, fine. But I’m truly doing this for myself, not for you.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Perhaps you need a man who can grow a rose for you, Esther. That’s what you’ve never had, and one should experience such a thing once in one’s life.”
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