“That was wonderful!” I said, clapping at his performance. “I had no idea you had that kinda talent.”
“My papa instructed me from the time I was a tiny tot. He felt it important to pass on his abilities to Samuel and me. This is his banjo, but I hope to get my own someday.”
“I thought Amish didn’t play instruments.”
“Normally they don’t, but I suppose we’ve been more Mennonite than Amish. My grandfather was Mennonite, so my papa and his siblings never had the strict upbringing that some in the community have had. But since our Bishop also denounced the Old Order a few years back, the community has allowed music and barn dances—especially in the spring after everyone has been cooped up most of the winter.”
“My mamma can play our piano with such grace; you’d have thought she was born playing. She has tried to teach me to play and read music, but I don’t seem to have the ear for it—much less the patience. At Christmas, when she plays Silent Night, it’s almost haunting the way she plays because it sounds the same as when my grandmother used to play it.”
Elijah looked at me lovingly, and began to play a slower tune. One by one, the wedding guests filed into the barn, filling it with talk and laughter. Elijah handed the banjo to his brother, while the other players picked up the harmonica, guitar and violin. Elijah stepped off the platform and reached for my hand as the instruments brought forth a soft tune.
“May I have the first dance?” he asked politely.
I nodded a shy response, and we began a slow, clumsy, would-be waltz.
I had never danced this way before, but the movements seemed to come easily after a few minutes.
“You dance beautifully,” Elijah whispered in my ear.
“That’s a good thing you think that, because I’ve never done this before,” I admitted.
He didn’t seem to care. He smiled, and continued to hold me as we floated around the barn floor like dandelion seedlings. After a few tries at the square dancing, I gave up, allowing Elijah to take a turn on stage with the banjo. Samuel sat with me, as I admired my future husband and his talent with the instrument.
The night wore on, filled with talking and dancing. Soon, Elijah was beside me once more as his father took a turn with the banjo. They each played wonderfully, but I was partial to Elijah’s playing because of my deep love for him. A thought occurred to me as I watched the merriment of the over-crowded barn.
“My father told me before we moved here that Amish people don’t dance either.”
“Our Ordnung has always been quite liberal with barn dances and the wearing of colors. I suppose our liberal attitude contributed to our recent change over to true salvation.”
“Didn’t you have Jesus before you got saved?”
“Jah, we always had a grasp on who Jesus was, but we concentrated more on the rules of the Ordnung and our humble way of life and works, than on the gift of salvation.”
I let a short gasp escape my lips. “You mean you didn’t obey God either?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. We observed more the rules of the Ordnung, rather than studying the Bible and living strictly by the Word of God,” he explained.
“So it was a way of life according to the rules of the Ordnung?”
“Jah. God has set us free from being under the law of the Ordnung. Our works alone would not have saved us, and we know that now,” he said cheerfully.
“Let’s dance again before the music stops playing for the night,” I suggested, changing the subject.
We entered the designated dance area, and I spotted something that held my attention for a minute.
“What is so interesting across the room that has you so distracted?”
His voice almost seemed to carry a hint of playful jealousy regarding what was taking my attention away from him.
“Is it just me, or does it seem that lately Hannah and David Yoder have been getting a little chummy? Have you noticed it, too?” I asked.
Elijah looked down at me with a smile that was playing largely on his lips.
“Truth is, I’ve thought the same thing, and even inquired of David about the subject. Each time, he denies it in an embarrassed and defensive manner. But, never once have I met an Amish boy willing to admit he is courting someone.”
He continued speaking playfully.
“But you know I will always be glad to admit to the fact that you are my girl—my little wild flower—because I love you for sure and for certain!”
He was still grinning as we stepped away from the designated dance floor when the music stopped playing. I was glad to hear that he would never deny loving me. It soon became time for the festivities to come to an end. I felt sad that my time with Elijah would be over, but I was extremely tired from the full day that we had.
As the party wound down to an end, Elijah wrapped the shawl that he made around my shoulders. The time was nearing midnight, but we loitered under the big oak tree between our properties. We held hands and kissed as we discussed our future plans for our own marriage.
“How soon will your papa allow us to marry?” Elijah asked
“I hope it’ll be soon. I’m not sure how long I can wait. You know, it’s kinda funny, but I never thought I’d be wanting to get married at sixteen.”
It was a new concept to me, true, but it felt like an acceptable one—something I could certainly get used to.
“I’d like it if you married me just after I turn eighteen. That’s less than a year—not too long to wait.”
His words were comforting, but the real task would be in convincing my parents I was mature enough to marry at seventeen.
“If they allow Nadine to marry Benjamin before she turns eighteen; that will work in my favor.”
The look on his face gave me the impression that he wasn’t as optimistic as I was.
“I have a few things to take care of before we can get married,” he explained.
“Like what?”
“I’d like to wait a little longer before I tell you, if you wouldn’t mind. It’s a surprise that Papa and I started working on a couple of weeks ago.”
The mischievous smile on his face made me wonder just what he was up to, but I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it for him.
“I love you so much.”
Elijah drew me closer, sheltering me from the wind that threatened to force us back into the barn.
“I’m hoping that it will be our turn, come next November. If we could start planning for that time, I’d be the happiest man in the world!”
His excitement encouraged me to eagerly pursue the permission I needed from my parents. However, I would first wait on the outcome of Nadine’s request for marrying Benjamin. If she could persuade our parents to give in to her marrying Benjamin while she was still seventeen, it could change their minds for me, too. After all, I would turn seventeen the same day Elijah turned eighteen. One month later, in November, we could marry if we could get the permission that we sought. There would be a lot to get done in the short year before our wedding could take place, though.
****
Mitchell and Rebekah visited relatives for a few weeks before settling into the Dawdi Haus out back of our property. My father gave Mitchell two acres of land that adjoined a plot that consisted of a ten-acre field that was for sale. Mitchell was already in the process of making it his through a bank loan. The acres that my father gave to him were for building his own house for his new wife and future children. The men in the community had already begun to help him get the main structure up before winter set in. The outside structure would be constructed in the same fashion as a barn-raising, but the detail work inside would be Mitchell’s sole responsibility.
****
By the end of February, Rebekah discovered she was pregnant with the first grandchild for both sides of the family. Everyone was thrilled. Deborah Yoder seemed to be more excited than any of our family because she had been taking over the school teaching in Rebekah’s absence, and she wanted the job ful
l time.
Rebekah suffered from so much morning sickness, it had lasted nearly all day for several weeks. My mother suggested she must be having a girl, since in her opinion, girls seem to cause more hormonal disturbances. Naomi claimed to be sick with each of her pregnancies, so she couldn’t offer any argument for or against my mother’s statement.
My father allowed Nadine to officially quit school even though she hadn’t really participated as a student for a few months. She assisted Deborah in her efforts to take over the teaching of Rebekah’s students, allowing her to make the decision as to whether she should resign from her position. In Nadine’s absence, I decided I would beg my mother to let me quit, too. She knew I hadn’t learned anything new since I’d attended because it had been nothing but review of my past years at the public school. Since the Amish didn’t plan for their students to be instructed past the eighth grade, it was difficult to learn anything new in their school.
When I presented the facts to my mother, she understood that I wanted to be the wife of an Amish farmer, thus making it a moot point to continue boring myself with review. With her increasing responsibilities due to the recent birth of my brother, Samuel, she welcomed the help I could give at home. My duties mainly consisted of taking the responsibility for three-year-old Molly. On washday, I washed all of baby Sammy’s diapers and Nadine helped with the family laundry after her teaching duties.
After much debate, Rebekah turned over the classroom to Deborah full time. She did not feel that her difficult pregnancy would allow her to finish the school year. Deborah was getting the hang of things, which allowed Nadine more time at home to help me with Molly and the chores.
Having lunch with Elijah most days was a good break from the stress that I had so willingly accepted. I didn’t regret my decision to quit school to help my mother; it simply was a lot of adjusting to make at one time.
EIGHT
A TIME TO WAIT
With the arrival of spring, came a yearning in Nadine that nothing but marrying Benjamin could satisfy. She was as determined as ever to shake things up in the Amish community by demanding that she be able to marry in June, right in the middle of planting season. She insisted that by May the planting should be done, so by June, there shouldn’t be much else to do except sit back and watch the corn grow. I found the whole thing comical the way she presented it, but a few of the elders didn’t seem to take too kindly to the whole idea.
****
Before any of us knew what happened, we were planning Nadine’s June wedding—to be held outside. This was definitely a first in the history of the community, but the whole thing was too exciting not to take part in. Besides, Nadine was too much of a flower child to have anything but a June wedding. I was envious of my sister in addition to my happiness for her. I wanted the time to speed up to my own wedding. I felt so impatient at times, I worried I wouldn’t be able to contain myself.
The preparations for Nadine’s and Benjamin’s wedding were nearly ready, and the time came for the “publishing” by the Bishop at the Sunday services. Some of the people who weren’t aware of the upcoming event seemed a little put off by it, but accepted it, nonetheless. To make things easier, I would wear the same dress that I wore for Rebekah’s wedding. It was lovely, and I’d only used it for church a few times after her wedding. Elijah was always happy to see me in the dress, so it made me happy to wear it any occasion I could.
“It’s our turn next,” Elijah whispered to me while we waited for Nadine to make her entrance at the back of the waiting crowd that had turned out to witness the biggest event of the community’s history.
An aisle had been formed from rows of rented, fold-up chairs that were set up in the flower garden behind the Lapp’s house. Nadine had insisted that this was the perfect spot for the outdoor wedding. I had to agree as I looked around at the vined trellis and the sun that shined flawlessly in the cloudless sky.
“I don’t know if I can wait that long,” I whispered back to Elijah.
Elijah and I smiled at each other until the time came for us to start walking down the aisle. David Yoder and Hannah Lapp also served as attendants, but we were first to walk to the front of the makeshift altar, where the couple would be joined. The wedding seemed to drag on, giving me plenty of time to let my mind wander.
At last, they were married and we followed them out of the crowd of chairs that lined the aisle. Before we rode off, Hannah stopped me to speak privately.
“I wanted you to be the first to know that David Yoder and I have decided to get married at the end of August, right after I turn seventeen, but just before harvest!”
Her face was flush, and she could scarcely contain her giddy smile. At first, I didn’t know how to react. I felt happiness for my friend; and jealousy at the same time. Not wanting to be overtaken with the jealousy, I offered her a sincere congratulations, and gave her a squeeze.
“I am so happy for you,” I squealed. “Oh, but I do wish that it could be me that was getting married! Oh, but I’m so happy for you.”
I meant it—every word of it. She was my best friend, and nothing could make me get in the way of her happiness. We hugged and cried, as we giggled in-between wiping our tears. Benjamin had told Elijah about the upcoming wedding at the same time the two of us were blubbering about it the way girls do. They walked over to us, and Elijah grabbed my hand and held it tight. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was—when was it ever going to be our turn?
That evening at the wedding dinner, Elijah boldly went to my father and officially asked for my hand in marriage. Although he consented, he insisted that we wait until after I would turn seventeen.
“I appreciate your boldness, Elijah,” my father said. “I give you my consent, but you have to wait until she turns seventeen.”
My father was turning into such a pushover.
“Thank you, Sir,” was all Elijah said before grabbing my hand and whisking me away from the crowd.
I walked fast behind Elijah, who was practically pulling me along. Once we reached the rows of chairs that the guests had used to observe the wedding, he motioned me to sit on the outside of the aisle. Breathlessly, he knelt on one knee before me and took my right hand in his.
“I love you so much, Jane,” he said around the tears that fell unchecked from his blue eyes.
I didn’t say a word, but began to weep quietly, for I knew what was about to happen. We both stared into each other’s eyes, weeping quietly for a moment.
“I never thought this day would come,” he finally managed to say. “You are the most precious thing to me aside from my Savior. I want you to be second to Him in my life.”
He wiped a tear that clung to my cheek and smiled a heart-felt smile.
“I would like to spend the rest of my life loving you as your husband. Will you honor me by marrying me and being my wife for the remainder of our days?”
“Yes, Elijah,” I whispered.
Elijah let out a whoop, pulling me into his arms to claim me as his own. For the first time, I really felt that I would finally get my chance to be Mrs. Elijah Zook, and I felt nothing would ever make me happier than that.
****
Time moved quickly, and before we knew it, Hannah’s wedding was only two days away. She asked Deborah and me to stand up with her, and we both graciously accepted. Since we knew Deborah wasn’t courting anyone, Hannah and I had put our heads together for days trying to find someone suitable to escort her. It was David who finally suggested Matthew Beiler, though he was a bit older than she. David and I decided that it would be best that his twin sister not suspect that we were setting her up with Matthew. Hannah and I decided they were perfectly suited for one another, but they just hadn’t become aware of it yet.
****
At the wedding, neither Matthew, nor Deborah protested when Elijah and I arranged them in line together. Even though Hannah was too busy at her wedding to notice the mutual admiration between Deborah and Matthew, Elijah and I hadn’t missed
it one bit. David also took the time to notice, and I commended him on a job well done in helping me set the whole thing up.
****
As the excitement wound down at the end of the wedding supper, I began to have a few mixed feelings. I watched Hannah with her new husband, and began to realize that my friendship with her would be taking second seat to her new life as a wife. Things were changing so quickly. We were all growing up, and I was being thrust into the adult world with full force. Mitchell and Nadine were married, and I was about to become an aunt and even a wife soon. My heart fluttered a little as I stepped away from Elijah. I began to walk out of the Lapp home, feeling the need for some fresh air. Elijah was right on my heels.
“What’s wrong with my little wild flower?” he asked.
Little Wild Flower, Amish Romance/Amish Fiction/Christian Romance Page 11
