Reuben swept while Felty finished wiping the table. Then Felty hung the dishrag on the faucet, came into the great room, and sank into his recliner. “The queen of Africa never ate that good, Annie-banannie,” he said, picking up his newspaper and settling in to read it.
Anna dried her hands on the dish towel hanging from the fridge handle. “Denki, dear. I made all of Reuben’s favorites hoping it would cheer him up.”
Without looking up, Reuben emptied the dustpan and returned the broom to the closet. “There’s nothing wrong with me, Mammi. I don’t need cheering up.”
Anna looked at her grandson as if she didn’t believe a word he said. “Stuff and nonsense. You’ve been moping around for days, acting like your dog died.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“No wonder you’re so depressed.”
Reuben tried so hard to smile, he looked as if he were in pain. “I’m okay, Mammi. I just . . . I just don’t know what to do about my life. I’m thinking of moving back to Sugarcreek.”
Anna’s eyebrows moved up several inches on her forehead. “Moving back? Ach, vell, we will miss you something wonderful, but I know your mamm has been wanting you back. We can’t be so selfish as to keep you to ourselves.”
“I’d miss your cooking, Mammi. Nobody cooks like you do.”
Fern looked up from her knitting and studied Reuben’s face. Reuben was considering moving back? He must be feeling lower than Fern had expected. Of course he felt low. He had only been trying to do the right thing by Esther and Sadie, and he’d gotten into trouble that he didn’t deserve.
On Wednesday at Esther’s barn, Fern had felt truly sorry for Reuben and secretly overjoyed at the same time. Esther had jumped to several conclusions about their relationship, and he’d been forced to set her straight. But Fern had half feared, half expected Reuben to declare his love for Sadie right there in front of Fern and Fluffy. It would have broken Fern’s heart, but it would have cemented his place as the most important young man in Bonduel.
Sadie may have been sorely disappointed, but Fern had gone home and cried herself to sleep in relief.
It was selfish to feel glad that Reuben didn’t love Sadie, but Fern couldn’t help it. Her heart would break completely when Reuben got married. Lord willing, he would marry someone nice like Linda Sue, who didn’t think she was better than other people simply because she was the bishop’s daughter.
Fern might feel better about his marrying if it was to someone nice.
But probably not.
The immediate problem was how to cheer Reuben up when at least two Bonduel girls hated his guts.
On Friday night, Reuben had taken Fern to the gas station mini-mart for a sandwich, and they’d passed a park where Sadie and some of die youngie were roasting hot dogs—with marshmallows and chocolate and without Reuben. Though he hadn’t said a word, the sight of Matthew and Aaron and the others laughing and having fun without him had made Reuben very unhappy.
Fern patted the sofa and motioned for Reuben to sit. He needed to practice his knitting if he was ever going to finish that pot holder. She gave him a teasingly innocent look. “When do you want to come home to Sugarcreek? I have a bus schedule.”
Reuben expelled a heavy sigh and picked up his knitting. Fern didn’t know if the sigh was because she’d mentioned Sugarcreek or because he had to knit. “You’ve been pestering me to come home ever since you got here.”
She grinned at him. “It sounds like it might have worked.”
He smiled back and made her heart jump around like a drop of water on a hot griddle. “You’ve worn me down.”
Anna’s knees creaked as she planted herself in her rocker. “Much as your mamm misses you, I don’t think you should give up on Bonduel just yet. Fern has so much more to teach you about knitting. And if you get bored with that, she could start you on crochet.”
Reuben threw Fern a sideways grin. “I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with knitting, Mammi.”
“You’re such a dear boy. Who would have thought that one of my grandsons would have taken so naturally to it?” Anna rocked back and forth while she let out some slack in her ball of yarn. “It wonders me why Esther and Sadie are so cross with you. You’re a handsome boy with a nice head of hair and gute teeth.”
Of course Reuben was handsome and likable. That was why Esther and Sadie were so cross.
Fern glanced at Reuben out of the corner of her eye. With his tongue sticking out and his eyes narrowed in concentration, he held his knitting needles like a toddler learning to use a spoon. His knitting was hopeless, but he’d do anything to make his mammi happy.
Fern felt so heavy, she thought she might sink into the sofa. Oy, anyhow. Reuben broke her heart every second of every day. She didn’t know how she would bear it when he married. She could hardly bear it now.
“I suppose gute hair and nice teeth aren’t enough,” Reuben said.
Anna shrugged and seemed to let all the air out of her lungs. “I don’t wonder that nothing is gute enough for Esther. She’s grumpy, and you wouldn’t improve her mood even if you proposed. But Sadie Yoder comes from a wonderful-gute family. Her bruder Tyler is just about the finest boy you’ll ever meet. She’s too nice to hold a grudge.”
No matter how gute Tyler Yoder was, Fern didn’t believe Sadie was that nice. Sadie had forgiven Reuben for yelling at the knitting group, but she wouldn’t be so ready to forgive him for making a fool of her. It was going on five months, and Reuben still hadn’t forgiven John for making a fool of him. Fern couldn’t see Sadie being less self-centered than Reuben was.
After the scene at Esther’s barn, Reuben had been unhappier than ever. He never smiled, and their last knitting lesson on Friday had been conducted in almost complete silence, because Reuben hadn’t been in the mood for chitchat.
“I found some beautiful blue yarn at the store yesterday,” Anna said, seemingly oblivious to all the gloom in the room. She was the only one still enthusiastic about Reuben’s knitting. A thousand tangled balls of yarn wouldn’t have been able to dim her excitement. “When you finish that pot holder you’re working on, you should make a baby blanket. You are coming along so well, and they’re so eager at the hospital.”
If they saw Reuben’s pot holder, they wouldn’t be so eager.
“Okay, Mammi. I’d love to try a blanket,” Reuben said, with that resignation in his voice he always got when they talked about knitting. He was too kind to discourage his mammi, but everybody knew the pot holder was a lost cause. A blanket was out of the question.
“Of course Reuben is coming along well, Banannie,” Felty said from behind his newspaper. “He learned from the best.”
“Now, Felty. I can’t take any credit for Reuben’s success. Fern is the one who’s been teaching him.”
Fern wasn’t about to take any credit. Her one pupil hated to knit and got his fingers tangled every time he picked up his knitting needles.
“Fern is a gute teacher,” Reuben said, “but I am a poor learner.”
“You’re coming along very well,” Anna insisted. “And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
They settled into a comfortable silence as Felty read the paper and the other three concentrated on their knitting with varying degrees of success.
Reuben stifled a groan, and Fern leaned closer to see what mess he’d made of his knitting. “Here,” she said, showing him what he did wrong while trying not to notice how gute he smelled. “It goes over instead of under.”
A loud knock on the door made Fern flinch. Reuben, more than happy to leave his knitting behind, jumped up and answered it. Sadie’s brother Joseph Elmer stood in the doorway, holding an envelope in his hand and looking quite put out.
“Joseph Elmer,” Anna said. “What a wonderful-gute surprise.”
Joseph Elmer looked as sour as dandelion tea as he shoved the envelope in Reuben’s direction. “Sadie wanted me to bring this immediately.” He obviously felt he had been greatly imposed upon by his sister.
“Won’t you come in?” Anna said even as Joseph Elmer clomped down the porch steps and out of sight.
“I guess not,” Felty said, still engrossed in the newspaper.
Reuben shut the door and stared at the envelope in his hand as if deciding whether or not to open it. Had Sadie decided to forgive him? Or had she wanted to vent her indignation in a letter?
It was none of her business, but Fern itched to get her hands on that letter all the same. The Helmuths would probably be shocked if she jumped to her feet and ripped the letter out of Reuben’s hand. It would almost be worth the looks on their faces if she got a chance to read it.
“Are you going to open it?” Anna said.
Dear Anna. She was always thinking of others.
Reuben gave Fern a doubtful smile and carefully, too slowly, slid his finger along the top edge. He pulled out a yellow note card and read it silently, furrowing his brow as he slid it back into the envelope.
Fern wanted to strangle him. Couldn’t he see she was going to choke on her curiosity?
Dear Anna came to her rescue again. “What did she say? Is she coming over? I could whip up a nice bread pudding with my leftover tomato-banana bread.”
Reuben’s lips twitched upward, and Fern thought she might sink into the depths of despair. If the letter made Reuben happy, it could only mean one thing. Sadie had seen it in her heart to forgive him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Fern’s stomach lurched violently, and it wasn’t because she was hungry. Dinner at the Helmuths’ had only been two hours ago. Something didn’t feel right about the singing tonight. Why would Sadie invite Fern when Sadie had made it plain that she didn’t especially like her?
Anna sat in the front with Felty, and Reuben was with Fern in the back. Fern couldn’t very well tell Felty to turn the buggy around and drive her home. She frowned and glanced at Reuben. He’d been all smiles since this afternoon when Sadie’s note had come.
Fern had tried her best to be happy for Reuben. If Sadie really wanted to be friends again, everything in his world would be set to rights once more. With Sadie’s approval, he would be as popular as ever. Maybe Sadie had realized there were advantages to having Reuben as a friend. Maybe she wasn’t ready to give up hope that he’d fall in love with her. And maybe that was why Fern’s stomach was doing flips. She hated to even think it, but given enough time together, Reuben was bound to fall in love with Sadie.
Fern sighed to herself. She’d given up hope of a relationship with Reuben a long time ago. It was none of her business whom Reuben chose to love. She was being selfish, plain and simple.
She should be jumping up and down for joy. Reuben would be happy at last.
So why was she finding it so hard to even sit up straight?
She forced herself to give him a teasing smile. “We’re almost there. Whatever you do, don’t hold Sadie’s hand in public. You want to stay on her dat’s gute side.”
He curled his lips upward and fidgeted with Sadie’s note. Fern didn’t think he’d put it down since Joseph Elmer had delivered it. “But what does it mean?” He read it out loud for the fourth time. “Reuben, I really want you to come to the singing tonight, and please bring Fern. I need to talk to both of you.”
Fern pushed her smile wider until her lips hurt. “Isn’t it obvious? She wants to be friends again.” With both of them? Not likely.
The buggy rounded the corner, and the Miller home and Dorothy’s fabric shop came into sight. Fern’s heart sank even lower. Sadie, Esther, and Serena were clumped under the big oak tree on the west side of the house with Matthew Eicher, Aaron Glick, and five or six other young people. It didn’t look like an ambush, but Fern’s whole body tensed anyway.
When the buggy rolled onto the gravel driveway, Sadie looked up from her conversation and waved enthusiastically. Maybe not an ambush. Maybe a welcoming party. So why had Fern been invited?
Anna caught her breath and waved back. “You see,” she said, wobbling forward when Felty stopped the buggy. “I told you Sadie was a nice girl, and you’re a very gute catch.”
Reuben’s irritating enthusiasm seemed to dim. “I want to be her friend, but I hope I made it clear not to expect anything else. I don’t want to marry her.”
“Of course you don’t, dear,” Anna said, winking at Fern before reaching over the seat and patting Reuben on the leg. “Sadie is not the one.”
“And Annie should know,” Felty said. “She’s made more matches than Noah on his ark.”
Felty slid out of the buggy and helped Anna down after him. Reuben went out next and gave Fern a hand down. Frowning, he lingered over her hand for a few moments before letting go and stepping away. He glanced in Sadie’s direction. “I’m going to wait and let Sadie come to me. She’s the one who needs to apologize this time.”
Fern could only nod. It wasn’t in Reuben’s nature to grovel, but he wanted to get back in Sadie’s good graces something wonderful. No matter what the note said, something told Fern Sadie wasn’t going to be the one to apologize.
Melvin Raber and Dorothy Miller stood on the sidewalk intently studying a wire-bound notebook with pens in hand.
Fern nudged Reuben with her elbow. “Look. You’ve done a lot of gute here. I don’t wonder that Sadie still wants to be your friend.”
Reuben’s gaze traveled in Dorothy’s direction. His eyes danced at the sight of Dorothy and Melvin with their heads together, engrossed in conversation. “The license plates was Dawdi’s idea.”
“And you had the gute sense to ask my advice,” Felty said.
Dorothy burst into a smile and waved at the four of them with her whole arm. She said something to Melvin, and they both headed toward Fern, Reuben, and Reuben’s grandparents.
“How are you, Melvin?” Felty said, shaking Melvin’s hand.
“I have a license plate question,” Melvin said, with his eyes downcast and his hands crossed awkwardly in front of him. No matter how much he liked Felty or Dorothy, Melvin was still painfully shy.
Obviously sensitive to Melvin’s distress, Dorothy hooked elbows with Fern and nodded to Reuben. “We’ll go over here and visit so you can have some privacy.” Fern couldn’t imagine anyone needing privacy to talk about license plates, but Dorothy was sweet to make things easier for Melvin.
Reuben glanced in Sadie’s direction before he, Fern, and Dorothy strolled around to the other side of Felty’s buggy, out of sight of Melvin and the grandparents. “I don’t want him to be uncomfortable,” Dorothy said. “He’s not staying for the singeon. He just wanted to consult me about license plates.” Dorothy’s cheeks were apple red. Without warning, she gave Fern a breathless hug. “Melvin found Texas this morning, but he wanted my advice as to whether it was acceptable to play the license plate game on the Sabbath. I told him if my dat and mamm can play Scrabble on the Sabbath, he can very well play the license plate game.” She clasped her hands together over her heart and lowered her voice. “Oh, Fern. I used to think he was so quiet, but now we talk about everything. Yesterday we spoke for nearly half an hour about why Pennsylvania is the Keystone state. He saw Idaho last week, and I made him my famous Funeral Potatoes. He said they were so delicious that it was a shame to save them only for when someone dies.”
Fern squeezed Dorothy’s hand. “I’m wonderful happy for you.”
“I owe it all to you two.” Dorothy patted Reuben’s arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t like you very much when we first started the knitting group. I don’t know that I like you all that much now, but you gave Melvin the nudge he needed and I’ll never forget that.”
Reuben sprouted a crooked grin. “Ach, vell. I hope I’ll grow on you.”
“Maybe,” Dorothy said. “But I wouldn’t count on it, not unless you stop walking around with blinders on and start noticing things.”
; He looked to Fern for some help. Dorothy was a little hard to figure out sometimes.
“We will keep sending license plates your way when we see them,” Fern said with the express purpose of diverting Dorothy from the fact that she didn’t like Reuben all that much.
“Please do. We always need license plates.” Dorothy reached into the bag slung over her shoulder, pulled out a granola bar, and handed it to Fern. “Are you coming in, or are you going to stand out here and sing from the yard?”
“We’re coming in,” Fern said. “Save us a seat.”
“I will, unless Melvin decides to stay. He might want me to sit across from him.”
Fern shook her head in mock horror. “Don’t save us a seat. We’d never in a million years want to upset the plan.”
The three of them walked around the buggy. Melvin, Felty, and Anna seemed engrossed in a very important conversation about Mississippi. Dorothy joined them, leaving Fern and Reuben to fend for themselves. A warm breeze played at Fern’s bonnet strings as she watched Anna and Felty visit with Melvin and Dorothy. Reuben’s grandparents had a way of making everyone feel loved, even the people who didn’t deserve it, like Fern. It didn’t matter what happened tonight, Anna and Felty would still love her. At least she could find some comfort in that.
Fern looked to the small group of Sadie’s friends congregating around the tree and felt sick to her stomach. She shouldn’t have agreed to come, no matter how badly Sadie wanted to see her. “Do you want to talk to Sadie now or later?”
Reuben took a deep breath. “Before the singing starts.” He pumped his eyebrows up and down. “The suspense is killing me.”
In any other circumstances, standing in any other yard, Fern might have laughed. She couldn’t even muster a smile. “Let’s go then, before you have a heart attack.” She hesitated when she realized that it wouldn’t help Reuben’s chances with Sadie if he were seen with Fern. She stopped in her tracks. “You go over. I’ll count to twenty and follow.”
Reuben pursed his lips as his brows drew closer together. “Are you sure?”
Return to Huckleberry Hill Page 24
