An Unexpected Amish Courtship

by Rachel J. Good

  Leave it to Leanne to think of that. To Isaac, Sovilla looked beautiful the way she was, but he could understand her not wanting to stand out.

  “You know Sovilla better than I do. Which colors do you think she’d like best?”

  Isaac had no idea. He tried to picture her glossy brown hair and green eyes. She’d look lovely in any of these colors, but she’d look pretty in the bright rosy pink. He tapped that one.

  “Sovilla will be lovely in that color.”

  She’d also be easier to spot. Not that he’d need any help with that. His eyes automatically picked her out in a crowd.

  “Which other one?” Leanne asked. “She should have at least two.”

  Isaac fingered the yellowish one. “This?” That color would emphasize her green eyes. It would also stand out among the darker colors.

  Leanne put away the other dress. Then she came back to the bed and slipped the pink and yellow dresses off their hangers, folded them neatly, and placed them inside a canvas drawstring bag. “I have a white church apron in there already. And a black half apron and a work apron.”

  Isaac smiled broadly to show her how much he appreciated her helping Sovilla, but one thing worried him. They usually passed dresses down to the next sisters in line. “M-Mamm’s all r-right with it?”

  “I already said she was. She agreed as soon as I suggested it. One dress is mine and one belongs to Mary Grace, so we’ll be fine.”

  “G-gut.”

  “And Mamm offered to make Sovilla a kapp, but we’ll need her measurements to be sure it fits properly. There’s a pattern in there for her to mark, but you’ll need to bring it with you.”

  “M-me?”

  “Don’t worry. I wrote out the instructions, and you can fold the paper and put it in your pocket.”

  Isaac gulped. He’d have to take a pattern from Sovilla and keep it with him?

  “She’ll feel more comfortable if she has a Lancaster kapp. I expect it’s hard enough being a newcomer without wearing clothes that make you stand out.”

  Isaac often had that stomach-sinking feeling of standing out in a crowd. He never wanted Sovilla to experience it.

  Leanne slid the drawstring bag closed and held it out to Isaac.

  He gave her a questioning look.

  “I won’t get to the market tomorrow or Saturday. If Sovilla’s going to get this before Sunday, you’ll need to give it to her.”

  “M-me?” He’d be the laughingstock of his brothers if he went around with a drawstring bag containing two dresses.

  “Should I ask Andrew?”

  “Neh.” Isaac snatched the bag from her fingers. No way would he let his brother deliver these dresses. He’d have to find a way to keep the bag hidden and to sneak it to Sovilla. Wilma didn’t want Sovilla around boys, which made it even more difficult.

  Lord, help me to find a way to give the clothing to Sovilla so she doesn’t get in trouble.

  First, though, he had to get it out of the house without Andrew or his brothers noticing.

  Leanne sensed his plight. “Here. Give the things to me. I’ll take them into the kitchen and set them out in the mudroom by the door. You can get them when you go out to check the puppies.”

  “D-danke.”

  His sister waited until he’d gone downstairs, then she descended, swinging the canvas bag casually. Andrew eyed both of them, but lost interest when Leanne entered the kitchen.

  Isaac spent ten minutes reading, but he was too antsy to concentrate. He kept turning pages, because if he went out too soon, Andrew might follow him. But Snickers sensed Isaac’s restlessness and kept nosing him. He rubbed the puppy’s ears and tried to figure out how to get outside without anyone paying attention.

  He didn’t want his brother to see the bag. If Andrew discovered the contents, he’d mock Isaac. Even worse, if his brother found out who the bag was for, he’d insist on going along to deliver it.

  Finally, Isaac rose and sauntered through the kitchen, Snickers at his side.

  “Don’t stay out in the kennel too late,” Mamm said as he passed. “You’ve been out there much longer than usual the past week or so.”

  He’d been using the extra time to read aloud. Most mornings were too busy to allow much practice. “All r-right.”

  As he walked through the mudroom, he picked up the drawstring bag. He hunched over it and turned his back to the kitchen window as he strode out the door. If anyone looked out, he hoped they couldn’t see him carrying anything.

  He hurried into the kennel and stowed the bag in the feed closet. After the girls and Mamm finished in the kitchen, he’d hide it in the back of the buggy and toss an old blanket over it.

  Isaac opened his Bible and slipped the handful of gravel from the container. As he kicked the closet door shut, the kennel door banged open. He froze.

  Andrew burst into the building. “What did you sneak out here? What were you and Leanne up to? I saw you carrying something.”

  Isaac tried to turn so his brother couldn’t see the Bible. He slid his hand in his pocket and dropped in the pebbles. Thank goodness, Andrew had come now before Isaac filled his mouth with gravel.

  “What are you hiding?” Andrew moved closer and pulled on Isaac’s arm to reveal the book in his hand. He stopped and stared. “A Bible?”

  Isaac prayed his brother wouldn’t ask him why he had a Bible in the kennel.

  Andrew chuckled. “Are you out here preaching to the puppies?”

  Could you keep your face from turning red? Isaac tried, but didn’t succeed.

  “You are, aren’t you?”

  Not exactly. “N-neh.”

  “You want to be a preacher.” Andrew doubled over with laughter. “You? I can just see you up there.” He stood up straight, assumed a serious expression, and cupped his hands as if he held a book. “G-G-G-God s-s-says-s-s . . .”

  Isaac’s eyes burned. Why was Andrew being so cruel? Turning his back on his brother, Isaac set the Bible on a shelf. Then he headed blindly for one of the pens, lifted the latch, and sank to the floor.

  Snickers hunkered beside him as the pups climbed and tumbled over Isaac’s legs. He picked up the nearest pup to cuddle. The puppies didn’t care if he couldn’t speak.

  “Ach, Isaac, I’m sorry. I was angry because you and Leanne wouldn’t let me in, but I shouldn’t have done that. Will you forgive me?”

  Isaac bobbed his head up and down, but he didn’t face Andrew. Deep down, Isaac ached, but not because of his brother’s teasing. Inadequacy twisted Isaac’s insides. So many things he couldn’t do or be.

  “Can I help you with the dogs?” Andrew sounded regretful.

  “All d-done. J-Just p-playing now.”

  “All right. I’ll go back to the house, but I really am sorry.”

  Isaac nodded, and his brother left, closing the door softly behind him.

  Andrew hadn’t hurt Isaac’s feelings by saying he could never be a preacher. God chose their preachers when the men drew lots. Isaac’s name would never be entered in the first place. Not that he cared. The last thing he wanted was to speak in front of the church. But that represented one more option closed off to him.

  Nor could he be an auctioneer like Zeke. Or a salesperson. Or a husband. Who’d want a husband who couldn’t speak? He’d never even be able to ask a girl on a date.

  Although he’d talked to Sovilla twice now and she’d been incredibly patient, each of those conversations had only lasted a short time. Even she’d grow irritated after a while. Most people did.

  He’d content himself with loving her from afar. Was it even right to do that when she had a boyfriend?

  God, if my feelings for Sovilla are wrong, please take away these longings.

  * * *

  The next morning, Sovilla headed out to the car to bring in another crate of pickles. After the bishop had left the other day, Wilma had worked feverishly, canning batch after batch of pickles. She hadn’t spoken to Sovilla the rest of that day.

  Sovilla h
ad opened the trunk and leaned in to grasp the wooden box when someone touched her arm. She gasped and jerked away, almost clunking her head on the open trunk.

  “S-sorry.”

  Isaac looked so upset, Sovilla wanted to reach out to comfort him.

  “It’s all right. I didn’t hear you come up. Hi, Isaac.” She smiled down at the puppy. “Good morning, Snickers.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, then thrust a drawstring bag into her hands.

  “Is this for me?”

  Once again, he looked all around, then nodded.

  As Sovilla undid the drawstring, Isaac gave the leash a gentle tug, and he and Snickers turned to go.

  “Wait. What is this?” Sovilla pulled a bright pink dress from the bag. Then she lifted out a yellowish dress. Under it, three aprons lay neatly folded: a white one that she assumed was a church apron, one black half apron, and a full black work apron. “Where did these come from?”

  “L-Lee-a-anne.”

  Leanne? The girl I met yesterday? “You know Leanne? She sent these for me?”

  Isaac nodded. Then his eyes widened, and he backed away.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Without answering, he and Snickers took off.

  Sovilla opened her mouth to call after him, but Wilma’s strident tones echoed across the parking lot.

  “I sent you out here to get pickles. You took so long, I came to see what was keeping you.”

  Ach! Could she have any worse timing? Keeping her back to Wilma, Sovilla tucked everything back in the bag. Seeing Plain clothing would upset her aenti.

  Wilma stomped over. “And what do I find? You canoodling with that boy again.”

  Sovilla had no idea what canoodling meant, but from Wilma’s inflection, it sounded bad.

  “I can’t even trust you for five minutes.”

  Sovilla tugged on the drawstring to close the canvas bag. She wished she’d put it straight into the car without opening it.

  “What’s that in your hand?”

  “Some, um, clo—”

  Wilma’s screech interrupted her. “You’re getting presents from that boy?”

  “Neh, it’s not from him. He only delivered it for Leanne, the girl who stopped by yesterday.”

  Wilma’s eyes narrowed. “She couldn’t give it to you herself?”

  “I don’t think she works here. At least, I’ve never seen her, have you?”

  “Stop changing the subject. Why didn’t she give it to you? And what’s in it?” Wilma snatched the bag from Sovilla’s hands and tugged at the drawstring.

  A sickish look crossed her face. After a quick glance at the clothing, her jaw clenched. She yanked open the car door and tossed the bag onto the back seat.

  “Keep that thing away from me.” Wilma slammed the door. “Now, explain to me, why is a complete stranger giving you clothes?”

  “I don’t know. She’s being kind, I guess. She did ask if I had Lancaster clothing.”

  “And she just did it out of the goodness of her heart? So why was that boy delivering it?”

  “I didn’t get to ask him. He was only here for a few seconds.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “I imagine Leanne asked him to drop off the clothes.” Sovilla had wondered the same thing. Perhaps Leanne was his neighbor, but Sovilla kept circling back to the explanation that made the most sense—Leanne was his girlfriend.

  Leanne seemed like a nice, caring girl. Sovilla should be happy for Isaac. So why did she feel depressed?

  To banish those thoughts, Sovilla reached into the trunk and lifted a crate of pickles. “We’d better hurry before the market opens.”

  “Whose fault is it that we’re late?”

  “I’m sorry.” Sovilla moved around her aenti and rushed to the market door as fast as she could with the heavy box. She set it down on the floor of the stand and hurried out for another, passing Wilma on the way.

  Sovilla took the last crate, set it on the ground to slam the trunk, and returned to the stand as Gideon made his rounds to unlock the doors.

  “Watch where you put that.” Wilma pointed to a small red spot on her ankle, then to the crate Sovilla had carried in first. “Were you trying to trip me? I could have been badly hurt.”

  Once again, Sovilla clamped her lips together to avoid an unkind retort. She longed to snap back, Why didn’t you look where you were going? And she wanted to defend herself. She’d placed that crate in the far corner of the stand out of the way.

  To release some of her pent-up energy, Sovilla rapidly filled any empty spots on the shelves with pickles. Clanking the jars together or plunking them down a bit too hard dispelled some of her irritation. A brief prayer helped too.

  Sovilla reminded herself of the bishop’s words. She needed to show her aenti God’s love. It seemed impossible.

  Lord, I want to do Your will, but I can’t do this without Your help. Fill me with love for Wilma and touch her soul.

  Chapter Twelve

  Soon after they arrived home after work on Saturday, someone knocked on the front door. Wilma had gone up to bed early complaining about her legs, so Sovilla answered it. Leanne stood on the porch.

  “I hope the dresses fit.”

  Sovilla had planned to wait until Wilma fell asleep before trying them on. “Danke for lending them to me.”

  “Neh, they’re yours. Alter or hem them so they fit.”

  “I can’t take them.”

  “You can and you will. I’ve come to take you kapp shopping. We’d give you one of ours, but they have to fit properly, since Isaac didn’t explain about the pattern.”

  “My aenti . . .” Although she didn’t want to disturb Wilma, Sovilla needed a Lancaster kapp. She couldn’t ask her aenti to take her. Not after the way Wilma recoiled at seeing the dresses and aprons. “Let me leave a note.”

  If Wilma woke and discovered Sovilla gone, would she get in trouble?

  As she shut the front door quietly, Sovilla let out a breath. “I can’t stay long.”

  “Don’t worry. The stores will close soon, so we’ll hurry.”

  Leanne chattered the whole way, making Sovilla feel comfortable and relaxed. At the store, Leanne picked a box with a # 2 on it. “Let’s see if this one works.”

  Feeling guilty, Sovilla removed her kapp. They were in a back aisle of the store with nobody around, but she’d never taken her kapp off in public before.

  Leanne set the kapp on Sovilla’s head and tugged at it. “That one doesn’t cover enough of your ears. Let’s try a different one.”

  They tried a second one, and Leanne checked the sides and back. “That one fits properly. Let’s get it. In addition to the white one, you’ll also need a black one.” She selected another box with the same number from a different section of the shelves.

  While Sovilla put her own kapp back on, Leanne picked up kapp strings, and then they headed for the checkout counter. As they passed rows of clothing, Leanne pointed out a nearby rack. “They have used clothes here, and the prices are good if you want more dresses and don’t have time to make your own.”

  If Sovilla had more money, she might have selected a few and given back the dresses. But she barely had enough to pay for the kapps. For now, she’d have to use Leanne’s dresses. Later, Sovilla intended to find a way to pay Leanne back.

  On the way home, Leanne explained the proper way to pin on the kapp. Sovilla thanked Leanne several times for the shopping trip. It had been a blessing. And Sovilla tried not to think about the changes she’d be making tomorrow.

  She entered the house quietly, relieved to find her note where she’d left it and her aenti snoring upstairs. She tiptoed to her room with the kapp. Because she was a little more petite than Leanne, she spent several hours taking in the side seams of both dresses and turning up the hems.

  When she finally went to bed, Sovilla tossed and turned most of the night. She couldn’t wait to go to church, but she dreaded meeting new people and being under scrutiny. That wasn’t the
main thing keeping her awake, though. Each time she drifted off into sleep, Isaac’s face appeared. She’d sit up, startled and guilty.

  Before dawn, she gave up trying to sleep and slipped downstairs for breakfast. She’d rather not wake Wilma. Anxiety and anticipation warred in her stomach, so she could barely eat. She didn’t need the added stress of Wilma’s criticism.

  Although Sovilla tried not to use the electricity, after she put on the pink dress, she slipped into the bathroom and turned on the light. Sovilla followed Leanne’s instructions for the kapp. Light as a feather, the gauzy, heart-shaped kapp barely seemed to be there. Unlike her stiff pleated kapp, she kept reaching up to reassure herself it was still on her head.

  After Wilma’s fury at the market yesterday, Sovilla stayed away from her aenti, who’d embarked on another pickle marathon. They’d filled all the shelves at the market, so Wilma stored the extras in the basement. Sovilla would have plenty to sell during Wilma’s hospitalization. She had to admit, she looked forward to having the house to herself for a brief time.

  Sovilla’s conscience nagged at her. She’d prayed to love her aenti, but since then she’d spent most of her time wishing Wilma were gone.

  One other thing weighed on Sovilla. Yesterday, she’d peeked into the bedrooms to find a needle and thread. One room held a sewing cabinet, and Sovilla sneaked inside. Not only did she take the sewing supplies without asking, but she opened the closet door, which stood slightly ajar.

  Inside, Wilma’s Amish dresses hung next to a black cloak. Most of the Midwest-style dresses would fit a slim young girl. A few of them appeared larger and baggier. When had Wilma decided to become Englisch? If she lived here, why hadn’t she changed into Lancaster Amish clothing?

  That brought up additional questions. Had Wilma been baptized? If so, she’d be under the bann. Mamm wouldn’t have sent Sovilla here if that were the case, would she? But if Wilma had left before she’d joined the church, she must have continued to live Amish for a while. When and why had she become Englisch?

  Sovilla wished she could ask her aenti all these questions, but Wilma’s rage over anything Amish made that impossible. And Mamm would provide no answers. She’d said to talk to Wilma.