by Diane Craver
First, he needed to decide if he would join the church. He’d been thinking of going to a modern Mennonite service to see how he liked it. Or maybe a Protestant church. He hadn’t visited other churches on Sundays because it would hurt his parents a lot. Even though he’d thought of going on the Sundays when they didn’t have services, he knew his parents would want to know where he was going in the morning. Unlike Priscilla, he couldn’t lie to his parents.
It was hard being the firstborn in the family. It was expected of him to be a role model for his younger siblings. Having a car had already caused problems, and he wasn’t ready to add more tension to their family dynamics.
There were two choices as he saw it—make his parents happy and join the Amish faith, or join another Christian church that didn’t have as many restrictions. If he went the path of the first, he would have to sell his car, give up his cell phone, and could only marry a woman baptized in the Amish faith.
* * *
As he held his cell phone to his ear, Stephen was glad he’d shut the bedroom door to talk with Priscilla. It was great that she’d bought a phone before losing her job at the store. If she went through with her plan to leave Fields Corner, they would still be able to talk. It’d be much better than going to the phone shanty, especially since they shared it with two other families. Although he understood why the Ordnung didn’t allow a phone inside an Amish house, it was inconvenient.
“How was work today?” Priscilla asked.
“Great. My job is one thing I feel is right in my life. I love building houses.”
“I’m glad you have work that you like.”
“There’s something else I like, and that’s spending time with you.”
She giggled. “I was hoping you’d mention that, because I feel the same way. And it looks like my sister Molly is planning to have you over for supper soon.”
“Jonathan mentioned that to me at work today. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I miss my job at the store, but it’s fun watching Isaac and Grace. Isaac is talking a lot these days, and his favorite word is nee.”
“I’m sorry about your job. It’s nice, though, that you enjoy babysitting.”
“In a way, my parents made it easier for me to leave. I’d planned on giving two weeks’ notice when I left to work for Madison. Now I won’t have to do that, but I could have used the money.”
“I can give you money.”
“Ach, no. I wasn’t mentioning it because I wanted money from you. I’m fine.”
“If there is anything I can do for you, I’ll help.” Why did I say that? What if she asks me again to drive her to the bus station?
She sighed and said in a defeated voice, “Pray for me to make the right decision. I still want to go. If I don’t go, I think I’ll always regret not being brave enough to disobey my parents. I am torn about leaving my family. I’ve never been away except when we’ve visited my grandparents. Then all of us went. If I go to the beach, it will be hard to come back. I’m afraid of how I’ll be treated. I won’t be shunned, but I’m sure it won’t be pleasant to return home. What if my father decides to punish me by not allowing me to date you?”
Should he mention that she should stay here instead of going to work for Madison? What if she met someone in Pinecraft? The beach would be a romantic setting for this to happen. It seemed selfish for him to voice that as a reason he didn’t want her to leave. They hadn’t been together long enough for him to say anything. Then he had a thought about doing something romantic for Priscilla. And soon. That was, if she did decide to leave. Sure, he had thought maybe she was using him for a ride, but she sounded genuine in her feelings for him. Expressing her worry about not seeing him made him realize that she did care.
“Hey, Stephen, are you still there?”
“Ya, I was just thinking how I’ll miss you if you leave.” He laughed a little. “Not that I’m trying to influence you any.”
“We can call each other and write.”
Stephen realized he’d better learn to write wunderbaar letters that helped to strengthen their friendship. He’d heard it was a completely different lifestyle in the Amish community near Sarasota. Homes were equipped with electricity. The Amish permitted electricity usage in cases when living quarters were meant to be temporary. Even though Pinecraft was a vacation spot for many Amish, some lived there year-round. What if Priscilla met someone there and fell in love with him?
He wished with his whole heart that would not happen.
Chapter Seven
Siesta Key, Florida
In some ways, the past two weeks had gone by quickly, but in other ways, the time had dragged. Once Priscilla realized that going to Florida felt like what she needed to do, she couldn’t wait to leave. Everything had fallen into place. It was like God had nudged her into leaving home. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Hannah’s cousins lost an employee and hadn’t been able to hire someone else. They asked Hannah to come to help them run their Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast in Sarasota. Hannah had decided to work for her cousins for a few weeks and had hired a driver. Hannah planned on returning to Fields Corner in time to take the baptism class and work in a store while school was out for the summer. Area stores hired more employees during the popular tourist months.
Hannah was fortunate that she lived in the apartment above Luke’s buggy store. After he and Violet moved to the house Carrie had brought from Ruth Yoder, Hannah left Samuel and Rachel’s house to move into the apartment. Not only could Hannah walk to the school while living in the apartment, but she only needed to tell Luke she would be gone for a couple of weeks. She didn’t need permission from her parents to go to Sarasota. Her family didn’t live in the area, so she wrote them a letter to tell them her plans. And it wasn’t like she was leaving a boyfriend to go to Florida. For the first time, Stephen’s friend, Tobias Glick, had taken Hannah home after the last singing. Priscilla hoped when they returned to Fields Corner that maybe all four of them could do things together.
Priscilla had taken the chicken way out and left a letter on her bed for her parents. There was no way she could tell her mother and father in person how she was going to Siesta Key to take Madison’s job. Sneaking out before her parents were up to question her had been the best way. If only they had given her permission, it could have been so different. She hated not saying goodbye to Anna and Sadie. Although she loved all her siblings, Priscilla would miss Sadie the most. From the bed and breakfast, she’d called and left a message on their answering machine in the barn. Her daed would probably check it to see if there were any messages from people in their community. He always did that twice a day to see if any church members needed anything.
Priscilla had told Stephen nothing about her upcoming trip during their daily phone conversations. She decided it’d be better for their relationship if her parents didn’t blame Stephen for not warning them about her trip. It wasn’t difficult to keep it from him because the past weeks he’d been working hard at his construction job and helping a lot on the family’s farm. The past weekend they’d gone to one youth event together. Anna had ridden with them, so Priscilla never talked about Florida. Even after Anna left the buggy to go inside the house, Priscilla hadn’t mentioned it to Stephen. Would he have told her not to go? She wasn’t sure. But she knew that her mother would question Stephen on church Sunday if he’d been aware of Priscilla’s plan. The past week he’d taken off a couple days of construction work to help his father and brother to cut hay.
The car ride to Siesta Key had been long for her. The driver wanted to leave early in the morning, so she had left while her family were still sleeping. She met him by the road instead of having him drive to their house. Fortunately, it wasn’t a day she needed to watch Isaac and Grace. It was a relief not to have to go by bus and figure out how to get to the bus station. It seemed to be God’s plan for her go to Florida. It’d been a wonderful surprise when Hannah had told her about hiring a driver to take them to Sarasota.
Walking along the shoreline and staring at the vastness of the ocean was an unbelievable feeling. It seemed like a dream that she was actually on the beach. She felt like pinching herself. She still felt unease about the way she left, but she couldn’t dwell on it. She was now miles away from home. Madison had told her that this evening was for her to enjoy gazing at the ocean and get settled in her room. She’d eaten a pizza with Madison and Olivia before hitting the beach. Tomorrow was another off day for her. Madison wanted her to rest after the long car ride. Very generous of Madison, especially since I came a few days later than she asked me to. But I’m glad she understood I wanted to wait until I could ride with Hannah.
As she continued gazing at the blue water, Priscilla gave thanks to God for being on the beach . . . especially this beach. Hannah’s Mennonite cousins, Naomi and Lester, had told her that Siesta Key beach was ranked as the number one beach in America. Of course, she didn’t have any seashore to compare to this one, but from her spot on the sand, she believed it could be the best beach ever. And to think Madison had requested her to be a nanny was incredible. It seemed an Englisher woman would’ve been a better fit for Olivia. Many children around Olivia’s age probably enjoyed watching cartoons, going to movies, and other things Amish kinner didn’t experience. However, there were a lot of fun activities Priscilla could do with the little girl.
She picked up a handful of the white sand and watched it trickle through her fingers. She loved walking barefoot in the soft sand. Sinking her toes into the powdery-white sand felt rejuvenating. Hearing the gentle splashing of the ocean waves soothed her soul. Anxious to feel the water on her feet, she stood close enough that the waves touched them. She didn’t care when the water dampened the hem of her dress.
Priscilla repositioned the tote bag on her shoulder. She had put her phone in it since her dress didn’t have any pockets. Before leaving Ohio, she’d bought flip-flops, a one-piece swimsuit, a beach towel, and a waterproof tote bag. It was a miracle she got to go to Walmart with Hannah to shop. Her parents had kept her busy with babysitting, garden work, cooking, and cleaning. When Hannah had suggested she keep the purchased items at her apartment, it was a relief not to have to sneak them into her house. Hannah had even loaned her luggage for the trip. It made it easy to keep packed luggage at Hannah’s, so that when the driver had picked Priscilla up at the end of their lane, she could just climb into the car.
Maybe she should feel guilty for disobeying her parents, but it was hard to feel remorse. Getting away from the rules of her church community would be fun and freeing. But most important, she could paint when she wasn’t taking care of Olivia.
After walking in the ocean for a few minutes, she noticed how crystal clear the blue water was. What she really appreciated and loved was the fresh smell of the salty air radiating off the ocean. It was much better than smelling cow or horse manure.
When she heard her ringtone, Priscilla stopped walking to remove her cell phone from her bag. On the screen, she saw it was Stephen calling her. She wondered how he would take it when she gave her location.
“Hi, Priscilla. I’ve missed you. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you. Would you like to go for a ride into town and get ice cream?”
“Ya, I would, except for one fact.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m on the beach. I just got here this evening. I decided to take the job and be a nanny.”
Stephen cleared his throat. “I can’t believe you’re not home.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I was doing, but I thought it was better you didn’t know. I left without telling my parents. I didn’t want you to be in the position that I had told you and not them.”
“That makes sense. I’m glad you have your own phone now, so I can still talk to you. How did you get there?”
“Remember Hannah?”
He chuckled. “Ya. You used her for an excuse the first time I wanted to take you home. You said you were spending the night at her place.”
“Ach, I did stay at her apartment that night.” There wasn’t any point in telling Stephen at that moment she hadn’t been sure about spending time with him. She hadn’t wanted to date someone interested in joining the Amish faith while she was undecided. What a surprise when she learned he wasn’t sure about joining the church either. “Hannah hired a driver. She’s helping her cousins, Naomi and Lester, with their bed and breakfast in Sarasota. Hannah and I plan to go to church together. We left early this morning while my family were still in bed. I left them a letter. I called to let them know I arrived safely.”
“I have to admit that I didn’t think you’d go through with it. I’m going to miss you. Maybe I can visit sometime. After all, I have a car.”
Would Madison care if her boyfriend came to see her? Geez, he might not even make the long trip. “Sure, that would be great.”
“What’s it like there?”
As she gazed at the ocean, Priscilla said, “It’s beautiful and breathtaking. I wish you were here right now. I feel like I’m in another world. And it’s comfortable walking on the sand. It’s super soft and white. I thought it’d feel hot against my bare feet, but it isn’t.”
“It sounds wunderbaar. What about Madison’s beach house? Is it pretty nice?” He laughed a little. “Maybe I’ll build one sometime.”
Seeing a pretty stone in the water, she bent to pick it up. “The ocean is a lovely blue.” She straightened and continued, “The house is gorgeous. Madison said her parents bought it years ago, but they recently updated it. The place is airy and bright. Oh, I have an ocean view from my bedroom, but then, there are amazing views from several of the rooms.” She was pleased to have a queen-size bed and her own private bathroom but decided not to mention how nice her bedroom was to Stephen. “They have a pool.”
“It sounds gut. It’d be nice to jump into a pool after working all day cutting hay.”
“Did you get done in the hay fields?”
“Ya. The hay is all cut. Tomorrow I go back to my construction job.” He cleared his throat. “I won’t have to call your parents’ phone in the barn any longer. I called there before I called you tonight.”
Priscilla had told Stephen to call sometimes on their landline phone. Otherwise, her daed might get suspicious she had a cell phone if he never left messages on their answering machine. She didn’t want her father to know, because he’d probably somehow blame her painting on having a phone.
“I’m going to head back to the house. I don’t have paper with me to write down your address. I want to write to you soon.” She would stick a postcard of the beach inside the envelope with her letter.
“I still can’t believe you are so far away. Priscilla King, you are full of surprises. You’ve taken a dream of yours and acted upon it. I lead a boring life compared to yours.”
“Nee, your life is not boring,” she said. “You build houses for families to live in. You’re fulfilling dreams of many people who want to have a nice place to raise their kinner. You give them well-built houses where they can live and love each other, and to call home.”
“Danki. That’s sweet of you to say that. Maybe one of these houses might someday have a beautiful ocean picture created by the famous Priscilla King.”
She laughed. “Don’t allow my bishop father to hear you say such a thing.”
Chapter Eight
Fields Corner, Ohio
On Thursday evening, Amos glanced around the living room at his children. A flash of sadness went through his mind. One child was missing. She was probably the one most like him in many ways. Her art style was similar to his, or what his had been like. Priscilla lost track of time when she painted. He’d seen how deep in concentration she was whenever she dabbed at the canvas with a brush in a bright color. He understood her love of painting because it came from him and his mother.
When Lillian had found Priscilla’s letter and brought it to him in the barn, he’d been crushed. He’d thought they were right
to tell her not to go to Florida. After reading Priscilla’s letter in the morning, Lillian and he had decided to ask Luke, Molly, Beth, and their spouses to come to the house to talk about Priscilla. Not only would it be easier to have everyone present, but they might shed some light on how Priscilla could disobey them and leave their home. Their three eldest children hadn’t done anything like this, but maybe they had thought about running away from home.
“Danki for coming and making arrangements for our grandchildren.” Lillian had suggested it might be a good idea to get someone to watch their children, but if not possible to bring them to their house.
“My parents were thrilled to be asked to watch the twins, Isaac, and Grace,” Henry said.
Molly leaned around Jonathan to smile at Henry and Beth. “I hope they don’t regret watching our two little ones.”
“I’m sure you’ve noticed that Priscilla isn’t here,” Amos said. “She left a letter for us. I’ll read her letter out loud.” He put on his glasses that he had recently started to need to read. Although he’d already read the letter several times and Priscilla’s handwriting was rather large, he wanted to be sure not to miss anything. He read aloud.
“Dear Daed and Mamm,
“When you see this, I’ll be on my way to Florida. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I decided to take the job working for Madison. I prayed about it a lot, and felt God wanted me to take this opportunity. Hannah’s cousins asked her to come to help with their Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast in Sarasota. Hannah was surprised that they asked her to help until they could get someone else. I don’t think it was a coincidence. It seemed like an answer to my prayers. I got a ride with Hannah and her driver.
