Priscilla's Escape

by Diane Craver

  “Not long. I love observing you paint. You’re very gifted.”

  She hadn’t known which bothered her more—Mitch seeing her in more revealing English clothing, or him watching her as she worked.

  When Madison’s husband Jason came on the weekends, Priscilla always wore her prayer covering and Amish dresses. It would be inappropriate to wear revealing clothes around Jason. However, this evening she’d planned on going to the beach, and with the uncomfortable heat, she’d decided to wear a new sundress. It was a lovely dress with a mixture of pastel colors. Hannah had bought a sundress in another pattern when they had gotten their haircuts.

  Although she thought about saying no to Mitch, it seemed rude when he’d carried the pizza with one hand to her spot by the patio table. In another hand, he had a bag filled with paper plates, napkins, and two cold cans of Coke. It was obvious he expected her to agree to eat with him. She found that irritating, but decided she would tell him more about the Christian faith. After all, it seemed likely Mitch might talk again about his decision to become a rabbi. It still seemed strange to her that he had talked to her about his religion. Maybe he’d talked to her in the first place because he knew she had faith. Even though their faith was different, they both believed in God.

  But she felt uneasy that he planned to spend time with her again. Why was he interested in a Plain woman from Fields Corner? Maybe she was reading too much into Mitch’s attentiveness. He might look at their relationship as friendship. She was a novelty to him. He’d even said how he’d researched the Amish faith on the Internet.

  When she’d mentioned their walk to Madison, she’d said not to be too trusting of Mitch’s friends. Although Madison had noticed that Mitch had matured since the previous summer, she hadn’t been too impressed with his two friends from college.

  After they ate quietly for a few minutes, Priscilla said, “The pizza is delicious. Danki.”

  “You’re welcome.” Mitch grinned. “I seem to be picking up on what your Pennsylvania Dutch words mean.”

  “Sorry. I seem to use words in both languages when I speak.” She sipped her pop, then put her can back down on the table. “I’ve been teaching Olivia some Pennsylvania Dutch words. She’s like a sponge and is a quick learner. I’ll miss her when I go home.”

  “I’ll miss you and wish we would have more time together. Dad called me today to remind me that they want me to join them at Hilton Head before they go back to New York. He still expects me to start law school in the fall. I did mention that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. He said how fortunate I was to be accepted at Harvard Law School. I wish sometimes I hadn’t been accepted.”

  “You should tell him your feelings. I know this isn’t the same thing, but I had to do what felt right for me this summer. I wish I would’ve had my parents’ approval about coming here, but I don’t regret making my dream come true.”

  “I plan on making an appointment with one of the rabbis at our synagogue when I go home to New York. You gave me good advice.”

  She broke off a piece of pizza, trying to think of a way to ease into her beliefs as a Christian. Then she remembered her father spoke how the message of Jesus was meant for all. That had to be why she’d met Mitch. I need to share with him how the salvation offered through Christ is not limited but is meant for all races, cultures, and countries. Dad’s teaching was reinforced when I read my Bible last night. “I find it interesting how God has communicated himself to man gradually. God prepared the world for the coming of Christ through his exposure to the Jewish people. In the New Testament, Simeon and Anna realized that the baby Jesus was the Messiah when he was brought to their Jewish temple. I can give you my Bible if you’d like to read about this occurrence in Luke. Simeon’s powerful words are beautiful when he realizes salvation through Jesus is meant for all and for the people in Israel.”

  Mitch raked his hand through his hair. “I believe there was a man called Jesus, but I think he was an ordinary man and was not the Messiah. Jews do not believe that Jesus was divine or the son of God.”

  She swallowed her piece of pizza. “Well, obviously, I disagree. Jesus was not an ordinary man. He came to save everyone, not just a select few. I love what it says in John 3:16 and 17. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’” She put her hand against her chest for a moment to emphasize her next point. “And Amish don’t judge English people . . . by the way, we call non-Amish English. I have wondered if you were seeking answers when you talked to me about being a rabbi. I felt an urging to share with you about my faith. It’s important to me. If I don’t commit to the Amish faith, I will definitely attend a Christian church.”

  “It was thoughtful of you to share with me, but I don’t see me ever becoming a Christian.” He gave her a small smile. “But thanks for trying to convert me to Christianity. We can both agree that there is the existence of God, the Creator.”

  She smiled. “I will pray for you to make the decision God wants for you.”

  Mitch shrugged. “I might go to law school for a year. I’ll still talk to Dad about my spiritual desire and will continue to pray about what I should do.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “I’m glad you aren’t wearing a beach hat or your white thing you wear sometimes. Your hair is beautiful. When the sun shines on it, there is a vibrant red tint to your hair. Other times it looks more like a lovely dark brown. I might as well tell you that I’m attracted to you. I wish we could be more than friends.”

  Before she could comment, a young woman shouted, “There you are. I saw Kevin and Ryan at the bar. They said you decided to stay home.” Priscilla looked up from Mitch’s intense face to stare at the gorgeous woman as she walked from the rental house to them. Her blonde hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders. Her short skirt and sleeveless top showed off her tanned limbs. Once Heidi stood by their table, she smiled, but her eyes were not friendly.

  Mitch removed his hand from Priscilla’s, turning to look at the woman. “Hi, Heidi. We have plenty of pizza. I can grab a Coke for you.”

  After Heidi stopped staring at Priscilla, she turned to look at Mitch. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Heidi, this is Priscilla King. She took a job as a nanny to Madison’s little girl.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Heidi pulled a chair away from the table and sat beside Mitch. “Where’s Madison and Olivia? I guess you have leisure time in the evenings and are off from nanny duties.”

  “They went to a movie.” Priscilla thought she felt uncomfortable earlier, but now the air was tense with Heidi’s presence. It seemed Heidi resented Priscilla eating with Mitch. Was she more than a friend? Was Mitch dating Heidi? Had he pretended to be spiritual to see how far he could get with the naïve Amish girl? Priscilla had heard of a few Amish girls becoming pregnant when they fell in love with English men, only to learn marriage was not going to happen. I don’t want to think such negative things about Mitch, but he did tell me how he’s attracted to me.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Heidi.” Mitch cleared his throat. “Priscilla is the artist I mentioned to you.”

  Heidi raised her eyebrows at Mitch. “I thought you said the artist you met was Amish. Priscilla’s not Amish.”

  Priscilla felt her face become warm, and she felt guilty. She should’ve worn her Plain clothing. No wonder Heidi seemed unhappy with her eating with Mitch. Here, she was dressed as an English woman, wearing a dress showing bare arms and shoulders. Heidi probably didn’t know she had a boyfriend back home. “I planned on painting when Mitch came over. I’m in my rumspringa, so I feel free to not wear my Plain clothing all the time.”

  Heidi gave her a puzzled expression. “What’s rumspringa?”

  “It’s a running-around time before becoming baptized in the Amish faith.
We can experience non-Amish things. Once we commit and take our kneeling vows, we accept the Amish life. Then we do not conform to the world and live according to our Ordnung. It’s our set of rules to live by.”

  Mitch patted Heidi’s arm. “You must see Priscilla’s paintings. When you have your art show, it might be nice to include her work. It could be her only opportunity to have paintings in an art gallery.”

  “It’s not up to me, but I’ll ask,” Heidi said. “Of course, I need to see the paintings, so I can describe them to the gallery owner. She’ll want to see them, too, before she decides. I hope they aren’t beach pictures. That’s what mine are.” She laughed. “We don’t want to be competing against each other with the same type of scenes.”

  “They are of the beach, but I only have two finished.” Priscilla had an inkling that Heidi already knew what she’d painted. It seemed likely that Mitch had told his friend how she came to Florida to paint the ocean. “I’m not sure how many more I can paint, because Madison wants me to paint a family portrait. It will take time.”

  “I’m sure how we each perceive the ocean won’t be the same and our techniques will be different, so our paintings will be unique. The tourists like to visit here and buy paintings of the lovely beach.” Heidi scooted her chair closer to Mitch’s and kissed his cheek. “How about we catch up with Kevin and Ryan? I told them I’d see if you’d changed your mind. That way Priscilla can get busy on her next painting.”

  Priscilla noticed a disapproving frown from Mitch. Was he frowning because Heidi kissed him in front of her, or because he still didn’t want to go to the bar?

  * * *

  Forty minutes later, Priscilla was loving having her easel on the sand and being alone. Her bare feet sank into the incredibly soft sand. The waves rolling in were a bit choppy, and the smell of the salt water refreshed her. With the brush in her hand, she used broad strokes to paint the image of a boat faraway in the ocean. She wished the boat was closer, so more detail could be included in her painting.

  After Heidi sent a text to Kevin and Ryan, Mitch had agreed to go with her to be with their friends. Before leaving Priscilla alone to paint, Mitch and Heidi had gone into the house to see her artwork. Hearing Heidi’s praise for her paintings had been a surprise. The only problem Heidi mentioned was she had fifteen paintings for the art show. Gallery owners liked to have fifteen to twenty paintings from an artist. However, Heidi wanted Priscilla to contact her family to send the Amish country scenes she’d painted. She thought the art gallery owner, Sabrina Sloan, would love to have them, so there would be a larger number of her work to show. Priscilla wasn’t sure if she should. Her parents would want to know why she wanted them in Florida. Her daed wouldn’t be thrilled to have her paintings in an English art gallery. He’d say she was being prideful to have them on display. Why was it okay to sell her artwork at Amish fundraisers where tourists bought them?

  Before she had gone to the beach, Priscilla had grabbed her cell phone to call Molly. She wanted to call her sister to see how Jonathan was recovering from his injuries. Molly had called the day after Jonathan’s accident, and it’d been nice to talk with her. After chatting for a few minutes and hearing Jonathan was doing okay, Priscilla realized the call needed to end soon. Time had already elapsed with Mitch and Heidi both taking up precious daylight time.

  She hurried and asked Molly to give some of her Amish paintings to Stephen. She started to explain how he planned on visiting her, but Molly said he’d already told her about his road trip. Before saying goodbye to Molly, Priscilla learned how Isaac missed her. She wished she could be in two places—Fields Corner and Siesta Key beach. She’d been happy to hear Isaac was going to be a big brother again. Priscilla felt guilty she wasn’t home to help Molly, but felt relief to learn that Anna watched the kinner a couple of days a week.

  When Priscilla asked how her mamm and daed were, there had been a pause before Molly answered.

  “They are fine. Have you heard from Daed?” Molly asked.

  “Nee. I have received two letters from Mamm but nothing from him.”

  “We all think there is something he needs to tell you, but he might want to explain it when he sees you in person.”

  “Ach, Molly. Don’t keep me in suspense. What does he need to tell me?”

  “It was something none of us knew about until the evening Mamm and Daed had us over to read your letter and to let us know you had left home. He’d kept something a secret for years. I think you should know about his secret. It might help you to understand why he told you to stop painting.”

  “I don’t understand how his secret could justify him telling me to stop doing my only talent I seem to have in life.”

  “When I get your paintings, I’ll remind him to write or to call you. I’m sure it is better if he tells you himself.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Priscilla and Olivia were in the pool swimming when Madison came outside. She carried a tray with sandwiches, strawberries with a white fruit dip, and potato chips. As she put the tray on the table, Madison said, “Here’s lunch, girls.”

  “Danki, it looks delicious,” Priscilla said. Madison had mentioned to her earlier that she would fix lunch.

  “I’ll be right back with the lemonade.”

  Priscilla and Olivia climbed out of the pool at the walk-in steps. As they grabbed their towels and dried off, Madison returned with a pitcher and glasses. A strong breeze blew the napkins off the tray. Olivia ran after the napkins and yelled, “I don’t want them to go into the pool.”

  After she retrieved them, Olivia examined the napkins. “They look clean.”

  “We better put them under the plates, so they don’t blow away again,” Madison said. “I didn’t realize it was this breezy outside, but it feels nice.” She gave them each a sandwich. “I think the plates are heavy enough and won’t blow off the table.”

  Priscilla bowed her head as Olivia prayed, “God is good. God is great. Thank you for our food. Amen.”

  “How’s the water?” Madison asked as she poured lemonade in the glasses.

  “It’s great. Mommy, could we have a pool put in at our house? I love swimming. Priscilla can visit us and go swimming too.”

  Priscilla gave a paper plate to Olivia and one to herself. She was glad Madison used paper plates for their lunch. It’d be easy to clean up after. Priscilla usually fixed breakfast and lunch and cleaned up the kitchen during the week. Some nights she cooked, and other times Madison fixed the evening meal. Back home, they referred to the noon meal as dinner and the evening meal as supper. Madison said that was what they called the evening meal too. It was nice they both lived in Ohio and used some of the same terms.

  Madison handed Priscilla a glass of lemonade. “I don’t think we have enough warm weather to justify putting a pool in. I know several people have them in our neighborhood, but we come here in the summer and maybe we’ll come at other times. And Priscilla is welcome to visit us anytime in Ohio.”

  Olivia shrugged. “If you change your mind about a pool, it will be fine with me.”

  Madison laughed. “I’ll remember that.”

  “How is the writing going today?” Priscilla took a bite of her egg salad sandwich.

  “Better today than yesterday. My editor, Andrea, called and didn’t like what I had emailed her last week. She wanted me to include more about a couple of characters. Andrea also questioned the direction of my book. I just emailed her the revised chapters.”

  “That’s wonderful you already could send her your new chapters. I can’t imagine writing books. It has to take a lot of concentration and a wonderful imagination.” Priscilla should read Madison’s books, but she had never been much of a reader, except for the Bible. She read it daily.

  Madison smiled. “I can’t imagine having your talent for creating such realistic pictures.”

  “Danki. Ach, I need to tell you something. After you left last night for the movie, Mitch came over and brought a pizza. While we were eatin
g, his friend Heidi came to see him. She didn’t look happy when she saw me. Mitch never mentioned having a girlfriend.” Should I mention he said something about being attracted to me?

  Madison sighed. “Heidi is crazy about Mitch. It’s obvious how she feels about him, but I’m pretty sure he just thinks of her as a friend and nothing more. I’ve seen the way Mitch looks at you, so I’m afraid she is probably jealous of you.”

  “I’m not interested in Mitch.” Priscilla rested her elbows against the tabletop, and in her mind, she saw Stephen’s handsome face. “I can’t wait until I see my boyfriend. Is it still okay if Stephen comes for my birthday? He’s going to drive all day on Thursday . . . the day before my birthday. He wants to start driving back on July fourth. He can’t get any more time off because he works for a builder and it’s their busy season. Two of the days will be the weekend when you don’t need me.”

  Madison’s green eyes widened. “I’m glad Stephen is coming for your birthday. When is your birthday?”

  “It’s June thirtieth.”

  Madison’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my gosh, that is only a little over a week away. I’m excited for you that he’s coming all this way for your birthday. He can stay here. We have an extra bedroom.”

  Shaking her head, Priscilla said, “He’s already booked a room at the Morning Glory place where Hannah works, but danki.”

  “Is he taking a bus to Pinecraft?” Madison asked.

  “Nee, he has a car. He’s in his rumspringa.” Priscilla didn’t see any point in mentioning to Madison how she and Stephen were unsure about joining the Amish church.

  “What do you want for your birthday? I want to get you something. You’re the best nanny ever.” Olivia grinned. “Maybe I’ll make you something that only my little hands can make. And Mommy and I will get you a store-bought gift too.”

  “I’d love for you to make me something. I’ll always treasure it.” Priscilla put her sandwich on the plate and patted Olivia’s arm. “You’re a sweetie. It’s easy being your nanny.”