An Unexpected Amish Courtship

by Rachel J. Good

  For a moment, Leanne’s brows pinched together. She hadn’t figured out his message. Before he could form another painful sentence, his sister’s face cleared.

  “That’s what I came in to tell you.”

  Is something wrong? She’s not ill or—

  A worried look crossed Leanne’s face. “Wilma was napping when Sovilla slipped out for the singing. Sovilla hadn’t asked for permission.”

  Ach! Knowing Wilma, she’d be livid. How much trouble would Sovilla be in? Isaac wished he could protect her.

  “Sovilla asked if we could pray for her.”

  Of course. Isaac bobbed his head up and down.

  “I figured you’d want to know. I’ll be praying too.”

  “D-Danke.”

  After Leanne closed the door behind her, Isaac sank to his knees on the cold cement floor. Snickers whined.

  “It’s all r-right, g-girl.” Isaac rubbed the puppy’s head to reassure her.

  Tucking the handful of gravel into his mouth, Isaac poured out his heart. If anyone came through the door and heard him, they’d never understand his garbled words. But God could.

  * * *

  Swallowing hard, Sovilla dragged her feet as she headed for the door. Maybe she could slip in without Wilma noticing.

  She eased the doorknob and pushed. The door didn’t open. Had Wilma locked her out?

  Sovilla stumbled around to the back door. She’d left that open.

  That knob didn’t turn. No doubt about it. Her aenti had locked her out.

  What should she do now? Knock and disturb Wilma? Sleep on the porch? Go down the hill and ask to stay with the Lantzes?

  Isaac’s mamm had issued an invitation, but what would she think if Sovilla showed up on the doorstep at this time of night?

  From the back porch, Sovilla could see their house in the valley below. Dark windows stared back at her from every room. The only light burning on their property came from a long, narrow building with rows of fencing surrounding it.

  Isaac’s kennels.

  Suddenly, the back porch light flicked on, and Wilma’s leering face appeared in the glass.

  Sovilla gulped in air and leapt back. She flailed her arms as she teetered on the edge of the porch steps. Catching her balance, she inched forward until she could plant her feet firmly on the wooden boards. But her heart battered her ribs.

  Please help me, Lord.

  The door lock clicked open. “Hoping to sneak in? The way you sneaked out?”

  “N-neh.” That wasn’t entirely true. Sovilla had been hoping to avoid Wilma.

  How could she expect God’s assistance if she didn’t tell the truth?

  She hung her head. “Actually, I was.”

  Wilma looked taken aback. “Well, at least you’re honest about that. Even if you’re dishonest about other things. You knew I didn’t want you to go, yet you waited until my back was turned to defy me.”

  “I’m sorry. I went upstairs to ask you, but you were asleep.”

  “You’re trying to blame your defiance on me?”

  Sovilla shook her head. “Neh. It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have left without getting permission. I did it anyway.”

  “You admit you did wrong?” Wilma sounded incredulous.

  What else could she do?

  By telling the truth, Sovilla seemed to have drained some of Wilma’s firepower. Her aenti must have prepared for a shouting match. She appeared almost disappointed.

  Wilma winced. “I can’t be on my feet this long. I’m going to bed. We’ll finish this tomorrow.”

  Thank you, Lord! Maybe by tomorrow Wilma would have simmered down enough to let the whole incident blow over.

  * * *

  Isaac prayed long into the night. He asked the Lord to heal Wilma’s soul and for her to be kind to Sovilla. He also unburdened his own soul, begging for God to show him the path for his life. If falling for Sovilla was wrong, he pleaded to have his desires taken away. He wanted to do the Lord’s will, no matter how difficult and painful.

  When he finally fell into bed, worn out and uncertain of his future, he drifted off into lovely dreams of being with Sovilla, and he didn’t awaken until Andrew poked him.

  Isaac groaned. He didn’t want to get up. He never wanted to let go of Sovilla’s soft hand.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Andrew nudged him again. “You’re usually the first one up. Don’t you need to take care of the puppies?”

  Puppies? Isaac’s eyes flew open. As much as he desired staying in dreamland with Sovilla, he had animals to tend.

  As he dressed, Isaac’s mind wandered to Sovilla. How had last night gone for her? He hoped his prayers had helped.

  His sore knees reminded him throughout the day to lift her to the Lord. If only the market were open today, he could check on her. All the hours until tomorrow seemed so far away.

  In the afternoon, when he and his siblings took a break for a quick baseball game between chores, Leanne sidled up next to him. She whispered so that only he could hear, “I wonder what happened to Sovilla last night. I’d love to go up and ask, but I don’t want her to get in any more trouble.”

  “J-jah.” The same thought had crossed Isaac’s mind too.

  “What are you two whispering about?” Andrew leaned close as if hoping to hear.

  “N-nothing.”

  Andrew glared at Isaac. “That’s a lie.”

  “He meant it was nothing that concerned you. Why don’t you mind your business?”

  “You are my business.” From Andrew’s gloating grin, he thought he’d gotten the best of Leanne.

  “Really? You think it’s your duty to take care of me?” Leanne acted innocent. Isaac could tell she had a zinger planned.

  “Of course. All of us older ones have to take care of you little ones.”

  “Good.” Leanne smiled sweetly. “My back’s been hurting. I’m sure you won’t mind mucking out the stables for me this week.”

  “Whoa.” Andrew held up a hand. “I didn’t say that.”

  “Yes, you did. You promised to care for me. Didn’t he, Isaac?”

  Isaac nodded.

  “That’s not—”

  “Are you breaking a promise? You know what the Bible says about that.”

  Turning to hide his smile, Isaac headed for the kennels. Once again, Leanne had saved him. He needed to find a way to thank her. Knowing Andrew, he’d find a way out of the chore, so it looked like Isaac would be mucking out the stables for the rest of the week.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When Sovilla went downstairs for breakfast on Monday morning, she passed Wilma’s door. Her aenti was groaning. Sovilla debated knocking on the door, then decided against it. Wilma didn’t appreciate intrusions, but Sovilla could use breakfast as an excuse to check on her aenti.

  She prepared Wilma’s favorite meal—scrapple and scrambled eggs with ketchup. After Sovilla loaded a tray with the plate, silverware, orange juice, and milk, she headed upstairs and knocked on her aenti’s door.

  “What?” Wilma barked.

  “I brought you breakfast.”

  “Come in.” Wilma sounded grudging.

  When Sovilla entered, Wilma, her face tight and drawn, wriggled into a sitting position. She truly was hurting. Sovilla carried the tray to the bed and set it on her aenti’s lap.

  Wilma stared down at the tray, her eyes damp. Was it from the pain and exertion of sitting or because she was touched by Sovilla bringing her breakfast in bed?

  Wilma picked up the fork. “You forgot a napkin.”

  “I’ll go get one.” Sovilla started for the door.

  “Never mind. I don’t need it.”

  Sovilla cleaned the downstairs and then went upstairs to collect her aenti’s dishes. Wilma had gotten out of bed and was sitting in a chair staring out the window, sadness etched into every feature.

  She didn’t thank Sovilla for the meal, but Sovilla hadn’t been expecting that, so she wasn’t disappointed.

 
; As she walked out of the room, Wilma said, “Fawning over me won’t make me forget your disobedience.”

  That hadn’t entered Sovilla’s mind, so it stung.

  After Sovilla washed and dried the dishes, she went into her room to write a letter to Henry. She agonized over each word, writing and rewriting, crossing out sentences. Once she’d decided on the final phrasing, she took out a fresh sheet of paper and recopied it. She read through it again, deleted a paragraph, and jotted a replacement. Now she’d need to recopy it again.

  Was she ready to send this? What if Henry dashed her hopes?

  Before she could rewrite it, Wilma screamed up the stairs.

  “I need help.”

  Her aenti’s bellow sounded as if she were in pain. Had she fallen? Or burned herself?

  Sovilla dropped the letter and dashed downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, Wilma was standing at the stove stirring another huge vat of brine. Jars filled with bread and butter pickles covered every surface.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Of course not. My joints ache.” Wilma nodded toward the jars. “You finished the canning yesterday. I need you to do it again. I’m going upstairs.”

  Another rest? In the short while Sovilla had been living here, she’d never seen Wilma give up so easily. Her aenti had bullied her way through her aches, grimacing and grousing. She’d never pampered herself. If anything, the more she hurt, the harder she worked.

  Had she discovered letting someone else help her made life easier? Or had her hips grown worse? She’d been working nonstop for the past two weeks.

  Sovilla didn’t mind finishing the canning, but she’d hoped to get the letter out to Henry today. She wouldn’t finish the canning before the mail arrived. Now that she’d finally written to Henry, she wanted to send the message on its way before she changed her mind. Maybe if she hurried, she could finish the pickles and complete the letter.

  As she filled the last batch of pickle jars, the mail dropped through the slot in the front door. She’d almost made it.

  She sighed. One day would not make a difference.

  As she headed for the stairway, she passed the mail scattered on the floor by the front door. She bent and gathered the circulars and junk mail. An envelope peeked out from under the pile. Sovilla set the rest of the mail on the hall table for Wilma, then rushed upstairs, clutching the envelope to her chest. A letter from Mamm!

  Sovilla shut herself in the bedroom to read it. She savored each word of the first few newsy paragraphs about Mamm and her sisters. Then the letter took a darker turn. Mamm never complained, but she recounted a few hardships in an offhand way.

  Sovilla read between the lines. Lloyd constantly scolded her sisters, and his sons tormented them. He kept a close watch on all of them and had forbidden Mamm to walk to the quilt shop. She could only go if he accompanied her.

  Melinda had started coming to the house in secret to collect Mamm’s mail and to drop off materials for quillows, the cute quilts that tucked into pillows Mamm had made for the Sugarcreek quilt store. She made them for babies, and she could slip that work in between the larger quilts that Lloyd collected the money for. Melinda secretly paid Mamm in cash.

  It sounded like Melinda had become an ally. Sovilla was grateful for the woman’s kindness to Mamm.

  Sovilla returned to the letter:

  I wish we could move back to Sugarcreek. I could make enough for a small apartment if I went back to the quilt shop there. And Melinda said if I moved away, she’d send someone to pick up my quilts and quillows once a month. So I’d have that work too. I’d like to have all my girls together again.

  After Sovilla took over the stand, any pickle money would go to Wilma. But she could keep the money she made for her baked goods, at least until Wilma healed enough to go back to the market. Once Sovilla started earning a profit, she’d send it all to Melinda.

  Mamm didn’t say it, but Sovilla sensed Mamm also wanted her freedom. Lloyd had always been controlling. He seemed to have gotten worse over the years. Sovilla had to help them start a new life.

  She dreaded reading the last paragraph of Mamm’s letter. What she’d heard so far had made her heart ache for Mamm and her sisters. She wasn’t ready for more sad news, but she traced her fingers under the words, wishing she could hear Mamm speaking them.

  I received a letter from Betty Zook. She caught me up on all the news in Sugarcreek. Maybe you already know, but Henry’s dating Nancy Hershberger. I’m so sorry. I wish I didn’t have to write such sad news. If only I could be there with you to comfort you. I pray for you many times a day, my darling dochder. I hope Wilma is as kind and loving to you as she was to me when we were growing up. I cried so hard when she ran away, and I’ve missed her every day since.

  Sovilla sat at the desk, stunned and unable to take in the news. Henry and Nancy? It didn’t seem possible.

  Tears stung Sovilla’s eyes. She tried to block out the picture of Henry taking Nancy for picnics, strolling down the lane, riding home from singings. Each memory she’d shared with him drove another knifepoint into her heart.

  At least she hadn’t sent her letter to Henry. She picked up the pages and ripped them to shreds.

  Not until she fell into bed that night did Mamm’s last two sentences pop into Sovilla’s mind. Wilma, kind and loving?

  Sovilla had never seen her aenti act that way. Why had she run away from the family?

  Mamm had cautioned Sovilla not to ask Wilma about the past, but Sovilla wanted to discover the reason her aenti had changed so much.

  * * *

  Andrew’s poke in the ribs jolted Isaac awake on Tuesday morning. Two days in a row, Isaac had to struggle to rouse himself from dreams of Sovilla. He’d better not make this a habit.

  Reluctantly, he rolled out of bed, dressed, and hurried out to help with chores and then take care of the pups. Most days, he spent time playing with them, but today he wanted to get to the market to check on Sovilla. He hoped his prayers had helped.

  “L-let’s g-go,” he said to his brothers as soon as they’d herded the lambs onto the truck.

  Andrew smirked. “You were the one who couldn’t get out of bed this morning. Now you want us to hurry. I wonder why.”

  Isaac pointed to Daed, who’d climbed into the livestock transport truck beside Myron Groff, their Mennonite neighbor who drove their animals to the auction on market days.

  “I’m sure you’re not worried about getting there to unload.” Andrew’s laugh held a touch of spite. “Is your eagerness because of a certain Sovilla?” He dragged out Sovilla’s name and batted his eyelashes.

  Zeke burst out laughing. “You look ridiculous, Andrew.”

  “Not any worse than my lovesick brother.”

  Isaac ignored them and hurried to the passenger side of the buggy with Snickers. Andrew cut in front of him, opened the door, and moved the seat forward. Instead of getting in, he waited for Isaac.

  Today was Zeke’s turn to drive, and Andrew should sit in the back.

  “B-back seat?” Isaac sent Andrew a questioning glance.

  “So nice of you to offer.” Andrew waved to the back seat with a flourish.

  Because Isaac didn’t want to waste time, he signaled for Snickers to get in. No point in arguing.

  Zeke untied the reins and climbed into the driver’s seat. As the horse trotted down the driveway, he asked Andrew, “Why are you teasing Isaac this morning?”

  “Didn’t you see him at the singing?” Andrew put on an exaggerated dreamy-eyed expression.

  At least, Isaac hoped it was exaggerated.

  “He couldn’t keep his eyes off Sovilla.” Andrew accompanied her name with a breathless sigh.

  “Sounds to me,” Zeke said wryly, “like you’re jealous.”

  “Me? Jealous of Isaac? I have plenty of girls interested in me.”

  “But none of that counts if the girl you want to date likes someone else.”

  So, Zeke had noticed Andrew’s ploys to get Ru
thie’s attention.

  “I haven’t picked anyone special yet.” Andrew acted indifferent. “I have too many choices.”

  “Really?” Zeke shot Andrew an I-don’t-believe-you smile, and Andrew lapsed into sullen silence.

  They reached the auction parking lot an hour before the market opened. It’d be a long wait until Sovilla arrived.

  Once they’d unloaded the lambs, Daed turned to Isaac. “Could you ride back with Myron to pick up the chickens? I can’t do it, because I have to pay Gideon this month’s rent, and he just pulled in.” Dad motioned to a buggy near the market entrance.

  Why not Zeke or Andrew? What if Sovilla arrived while he was gone? Then he’d have to wait until they had a break to see her.

  Isaac formed the questions in his mind, but before he could stutter them out, Daed had already started jogging across the parking lot. He obviously hadn’t expected Isaac to protest.

  Resigned about not seeing Sovilla until later that morning, Isaac rushed over to Myron’s truck. Maybe if he hurried, they’d make it back in time.

  “You’re eager this morning,” Myron teased as Isaac patted the seat to get Snickers to jump into the truck before he hopped in after his puppy.

  Isaac smiled and nodded, hoping it’d persuade Myron to increase his usual poky pace.

  After they arrived at the house, the girls came out to help load the crates, and when Leanne noticed Isaac’s impatience, she mouthed, You want to get back to see Sovilla?

  His lips curved into a huge answering smile.

  “Come on,” Leanne encouraged her sisters. “Let’s see who can put in the most crates.”

  Isaac and Leanne won the race, but with everyone competing, they’d loaded the truck in record time.

  “D-danke.” Isaac sent Leanne a grateful glance before he rounded the truck.

  “Wow, that was fast. I’m impressed.” Myron shifted the truck into gear.

  Please hurry, Isaac begged silently as the old man meandered along the back roads.

  When they reached the market, Isaac leaned forward, scanning the parking lot for Wilma’s big, old-fashioned Oldsmobile.

  Myron chuckled. “You looking for someone? No wonder you’ve been in such a rush today.” He studied Isaac. “A girl, I bet.”