Lydia's Charm

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked. “Did you think I’d forgotten about you and gone home?”

  “Naw. Some big English kids came by and made fun of me for bein’ so small.” Peter’s nose wrinkled as he squinted his eyes. “They kept pointin’ at me and sayin’ I was funny lookin’ and would never grow into a man.”

  Levi’s face heated as he glanced around. “Where are the boys now?”

  Peter pointed to the door. “They took off runnin’ when their mamm called ’em.”

  Levi frowned. It upset him when people made fun of his family. He shouldn’t have let Peter wander around by himself. People could be so insensitive and cruel.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I invited Menno and his boys to join us for supper this evening,” Lydia said to Mom as they set the table. “I know you asked me not to invite anyone without checking with you first, but when I saw the dejected look on Menno’s face at the cemetery, I wanted to do something to help cheer him up.”

  “I don’t mind a bit,” Mom said with a shake of her head. “Remember I’d mentioned before that we needed to have Menno and his boys here for supper?” She smiled. “I still think that nice man’s interested in you.”

  Lydia shook her head. “I think he’s more interested in eating a home-cooked meal than he is in me.”

  “I don’t think so. I can tell that he’s lonely, and I think he might be looking for another wife.”

  “Well, he hasn’t given me any indication that he’s interested in me as a wife.” Lydia shrugged. “Even if he did, I’m not sure I’m ready to get married again.”

  “But you will be someday, don’t you think?”

  “Maybe…if I ever fall in love and find the right man.” Lydia touched Mom’s arm. “What about you? Have you thought about getting married again?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Mom’s face flamed, and she lifted her apron and fanned her face with the edge of it. “After all, who’d be interested in marrying me?”

  “Rueben Miller. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Mom. I think if you’d give him half a chance…”

  A horse whinnied outside, and Lydia thought Mom looked relieved.

  “Our guests are here,” Mom said, peeking out the kitchen window. “Why don’t you greet them while I check on the chicken?”

  Lydia opened the back door and stepped onto the porch just as Menno pulled his horse and buggy up to the hitching rail.

  “Now remember what I said,” Menno told his boys as they clambered out of the buggy. “Watch your manners at the table, and be nice to Lydia and her mamm.”

  “We will, Papa,” they said in unison.

  By the time Menno had his horse put in the barn and had made his way up to the house, the boys were already on the porch, talking with Lydia. He hoped they hadn’t said or done anything rude. If they had, he hoped she would say something so he could deal with it.

  “I was just telling the boys that we’re having chicken for supper,” Lydia said when Menno joined them on the porch.

  He smiled. “Sounds good. We all like chicken.”

  “Not me,” Dennis said with a shake of his head. “I’ve never liked chicken.”

  Menno nudged the boy’s shoulder. “Since when?”

  “Dennis don’t like nothin’,” Carl said. “Remember the time you made him eat spinach, and he threw up all over the kitchen floor?” He groaned as he held his stomach. “Nobody wanted to eat after that.”

  “That’ll be enough. We don’t need that kind of talk,” Menno said sternly. He looked over at Lydia and smiled. “It was nice of you to invite us to supper. I’ve been looking forward to it all afternoon.”

  She pulled the screen door open. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure Mom has everything just about ready.”

  As they stepped into the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma of baked chicken greeted Menno, and his stomach rumbled. He hoped Lydia hadn’t heard it.

  “It’s good you could come,” Mae said with a smile. “If everyone would like to have a seat, Lydia and I will set the food on the table.”

  Menno pulled out a chair at the head of the table, and his boys took a seat on the wooden bench to his left. After Lydia and Mae put the food on the table, they seated themselves in the chairs on Menno’s right, with Lydia sitting closest to him. All heads bowed for prayer.

  When Carl started rustling his napkin, Menno nudged the boy’s leg under the table. That boy can’t sit still for more than a few minutes, he thought.

  When the prayer was over, the serving dishes were passed. Besides the chicken, Mae and Lydia had prepared mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, pickles, homemade rolls, and a lemon-flavored gelatin salad.

  The adults visited while they ate, but the boys said very little as they gorged on the food—even Dennis, his pickiest eater. Menno was sure they were enjoying the tasty meal as much as he was. It was a far cry from the bland meals he tried to cook, and the female company was kind of nice, too.

  Toward the end of the meal, Kevin looked over at Lydia and said, “So, what’s for dessert?”

  Menno would have nudged Kevin with the toe of his boot, but the boy sat too far away for his foot to reach.

  “How does applesauce and maple-nut cookies sound?” Lydia asked. “I made them because I knew you were coming.”

  Kevin smacked his lips. “Sounds real gut to me.”

  The other three boys bobbed their heads in agreement.

  Mae served up the applesauce while Lydia set out the cookies.

  “It’s a nice evening,” Mae said as she poured Menno a cup of coffee. “Why don’t we go outside and play a game of croquet?”

  Ike scrunched up his nose. “I don’t like that game. I’d rather play volleyball.”

  “We don’t have a volleyball or a net,” Mae said. She looked over at Lydia. “Why don’t you and Menno go out to the barn and get the croquet set while I do up the dishes?”

  “Don’t you want my help?” Lydia asked.

  Mae shook her head. “By the time you get the game set up, I’ll be done with the dishes.”

  Lydia hesitated but finally went out the back door. Menno and his boys followed.

  “The croquet set’s in the barn,” Lydia said to Menno. “If you’d like to have a seat at the picnic table, it shouldn’t take me long to get the game.”

  “Why don’t I come with you?” Menno hurried along beside her.

  As they passed the flower bed along the side of the house, the sweet fragrance of roses wafted up to Menno’s nose. He missed not having any flowers growing in their yard. Since Sadie had died, the flower beds had gone untouched.

  As they neared the barn, he glanced at the vegetable garden and noticed several clumps of weeds were coming up between the rows of tomatoes. Menno didn’t even plant a garden this spring much less have the time to maintain it.

  When they entered the barn, Lydia pointed to the area where the horse’s grooming supplies were kept. “I think the croquet set is over there.”

  “I’ll get it.” Menno strode quickly across the barn and glanced over his shoulder at Lydia as she leaned against a wooden beam. She appeared to be watching a fluffy gray cat skitter across the floor, no doubt in search of a mouse.

  “Here we go,” Menno announced when he joined her again. “Found all I could of the croquet set.” He hesitated a minute, hoping to draw her into a conversation, but she turned and hurried out the door.

  The boys, who’d been sitting at the picnic table under the shade of an enormous maple tree, joined them on the grass. Once they had all the wickets put in place, Dennis and Carl started an argument about who would go first and who would get to use the red ball. Since there were only four balls, it was decided that the boys could play the first game, and whoever lost would sit out while one of the adults played the second game.

  “Don’t wanna play this stupid game,” Ike said with a grunt. “Someone else can have my mallet.” He handed it to Lydia and bent down to pick up one of the cats that had run out of the barn.

 
Menno took a seat beside him on the grass, and a few minutes later, Mae showed up with a couple of folding chairs. “If you’d like to play, I can have one of the boys sit out,” he told her.

  “That’s okay; I’m content to sit and watch.” Mae lowered herself into one of the chairs. She motioned to the other chair. “Wouldn’t you rather sit there? It’ll be a lot more comfortable than sitting on the hard ground.”

  “Guess you’re right about that.” Menno brushed away some pieces of grass that had stuck to his pants and seated himself beside Mae.

  “I hope the boys don’t get upset if Lydia wins,” Mae said. “She’s always been good at croquet.”

  “Don’t think they much care who wins or loses; they just like to smack the ball around.” Menno watched as Kevin lined up his ball and gave it a good whack. He groaned when the ball missed the wicket.

  Kevin lined up the ball, swung, and missed once more.

  “Try it one more time,” Lydia urged.

  With a determined expression, Kevin swung the mallet, but missed yet again.

  “Let me do it!” Ike jumped up, grabbed the mallet from Kevin, and smacked the ball hard. It sailed across the yard with such force that Menno heard it zing.

  Whack!—it hit Lydia in the knee, and she crumpled to the ground.

  Menno leaped out of his chair and dashed across the yard. “Are you hurt? Can you put weight on your leg?”

  “I think it’s just a bruise,” Lydia said, rising slowly to her feet. “I’d better go into the house and put some ice on it.”

  Menno grimaced. If his boys kept doing things like this, he’d never gain Lydia’s favor.

  CHAPTER 29

  Mae felt anxious as she left the quilt shop in Berlin. The store owner had said she’d be interested in selling some of her quilts, but Mae didn’t have anything ready except for a table runner and a few pot holders. If she was going to help out financially, she’d have to get busy and start working on another quilt right away.

  Before heading home, Mae decided to stop by the health food store down the street to get some Arnica lotion. Lydia had used all they had on her sore knee, and even though the bruise was better, Mae didn’t want to run out of the wonderful, healing cream.

  When she stepped inside the health food store, she noticed Levi in the homeopathic section, where the Arnica was located.

  “Guder mariye,” Levi said with a smile.

  “Good morning.” Mae moved closer to the shelf and picked up a bottle of Arnica.

  “That’s pretty good stuff,” Levi said. “Someone at our house always seems to be falling or bumping into things, so we keep Arnica on hand because it helps bruises heal.”

  Mae gave a nod and started to move away.

  “How’s Lydia doing? Is she working full-time at the restaurant again?”

  “Jah.” Mae moved quickly to the cash register, made her purchase, and left the store. She was sure Levi was concerned about Lydia, and he really did seem like a nice man. Too bad he’d been born into a family of little people, or she might have hoped that he and Lydia would get together. Mae still felt that Menno would make a better husband for Lydia. He needed a wife, and Lydia needed the opportunity to be a mother again.

  When Mae reached Spector’s Hardware, where she’d tied her horse, she was surprised to see Rueben standing beside her buggy.

  “I was pretty sure this was your rig,” he said when she joined him. “Figured you might be in the Christian bookstore or over at Spector’s.”

  “I went to the health food store,” Mae said.

  Rueben’s eyes looked even bluer than usual. As he gazed at Mae, her heart began to pound. Why did he have to look at her that way? Why’d he have to be so nice looking?

  Rueben took a step closer. “Have you had lunch yet?”

  She shook her head. “I thought I’d get something to eat after I got home.”

  “How’d you like to join me for a sandwich at Java Joe’s? It’ll be my treat.”

  Mae nibbled on her lip as she considered his offer. The thought of a sandwich and something cold to drink seemed appealing.

  “I won’t take no for an answer, so you may as well say yes,” Rueben said with a chuckle.

  “Oh, all right.” Mae had turned the poor man down so many times in the past, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to join him for a meal this once.

  A look of relief swept over his face. “Whatever I decide to order will taste a lot better with you sitting across the table from me.”

  She suppressed a giggle, feeling much like a young woman on her first courting date. What a way with words this determined man had.

  Anxious to see how Lydia was doing, Menno slipped into a booth for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie.

  “How’s your knee?” he asked when Lydia came to wait on him.

  “The bruise is almost gone, and it’s feeling much better.” She smiled. “You really don’t have to come in here every day to check on me.”

  “I know, but since it was one of my boys who smacked the ball that hit your knee, I feel responsible.”

  She shook her head. “It was an accident, and I’m really doing okay.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “So what would you like to order?”

  “Just pie and coffee.”

  “What kind of pie?”

  Menno leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Let’s see now. Have you got any lemon meringue?”

  She nodded. “Last time I looked there were two pieces left.”

  “Great. I’ll take ’em both.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Are you really that hungry?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Thought I’d take one to go. It’ll be a nice snack for me to have after the boys are in bed this evening.” Menno drummed his fingers along the edge of the table. “Speaking of the boys, I promised to take ’em fishing this Saturday, and I was wondering if you’d like to go along. Thought maybe we could pack a picnic lunch to take to the pond.”

  “That sounds nice, but I’m scheduled to work this Saturday.”

  “What time do you get off?”

  “Not until four.”

  “Guess we could do some evening fishing and have a picnic supper instead of lunch.”

  “That’s a nice idea. I could buy some sandwiches and chips from the restaurant and put a picnic supper together before I leave work on Saturday.”

  “Sounds good. Should we pick you up here at the restaurant?”

  “That’ll be fine. I’ll get your pie and coffee now.”

  As Lydia walked away, Menno smiled. If things kept going this well, before the end of the year, his boys might have a new mother.

  By the time Lydia’s shift ended, she was more than ready to go home. She had ridden her bike so she could get to and from work faster than walking.

  As she pedaled her bike up the hill just a ways past Keim Lumber, her knee began to throb. Maybe I’d better get off and walk the rest of the way home, she decided.

  Lydia winced as she grabbed the handlebars and began to push. Apparently, her knee hadn’t healed quite as well as she’d thought. Being on her feet all day, and then pedaling a bike had probably put too much strain on it.

  The sun bore down mercilessly, and she stopped to draw in a deep breath, wishing she had some ice to put on her knee.

  Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

  Lydia heard a horse and buggy coming down the road. She turned, and when it crested the hill, the driver pulled the rig along the shoulder behind her. She shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun to see who was driving the buggy, and soon realized that it was Levi.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, sticking his head out the driver’s side of his rig. “Is there a problem with your bike?”

  “It’s not the bike, it’s my knee.”

  Levi hopped down from the buggy and rushed up to Lydia. “What happened to your knee?”

  She quickly explained about the accident during the croquet game.

  “T
hat must have been why your mamm was buying Arnica at the health food store in Berlin when I saw her the other day.”

  “Mom mentioned buying Arnica, but I didn’t know she’d seen you.”

  “Guess she didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”

  Lydia wasn’t sure how to respond. Mom didn’t care much for Levi—or at least not his family. Did Levi sense Mom’s disapproval, too?

  “If you’ll hang on to my horse so he doesn’t take off, I’ll put your bike in the back of my buggy and give you a ride home.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” she said, stepping up to his horse.

  Levi lifted Lydia’s bike into the back of his rig; then he helped her into the passenger’s side and climbed in himself.

  “How’s business at your store?” Lydia asked as they headed down the road. “Have you been keeping busy this summer?”

  “Sure have.”

  “I guess things will stay busy even into the fall. Mom said a lot of tourists come to the area during September and October.”

  “That’s how it usually goes all right.”

  “It looks like someone’s found the time to do some fishing,” Lydia commented as they passed a pond where two young Amish boys sat on a log with their fishing poles.

  “Probably stopped to do some fishing on their way home from school.” Levi directed his horse and buggy up Lydia’s driveway. “Do you like to fish?”

  She nodded. “In fact, I’ll be going fishing with Menno and his boys this Saturday evening.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

  Was that a look of disappointment she saw on Levi’s face, or was she imagining things? Could Levi be interested in her? No, she decided, it’s probably wishful thinking on my part.

  Levi halted the horse near the barn, jumped down, and took Lydia’s bike out of the buggy. By the time he came around to help her, she’d already climbed down. “Danki for the ride. I appreciate it,” she said.

  “Sure, no problem. See you, Lydia.” Levi stepped into his buggy and drove away.

  I wish it were Levi who’d asked me to go fishing, Lydia thought as she pushed her bike toward the barn. I wish he would look at me the way Jeremiah used to.