Seasons of Sugarcreek 02. Spring's Renewal

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “I would.” Since moving to their home, he’d gone few places. He’d enjoy seeing more of Sugarcreek, and would like to see the schoolhouse, too. And, of course, he knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see his cousins in the play. “I wouldn’t miss it. Anson and Carrie have talked of nothing else for days.”

  “They are terribly excited. Can you be ready in a half hour or so?”

  “I can. I’ll be all set as soon as I put on fresh clothes.”

  With a sigh, Elsa looked at his shirt. “It’s going to give me quite a time, trying to make that shirt white again,” she murmured.

  Tim chuckled. “I figured you might say that.”

  Peeking out through the window, Clara gasped. Oh, but there was a wonderful-gut crowd of parents and siblings visiting today! They were sitting on quilts on the grass in the front yard. Sweet Maggie Graber and Jeffrey Miller were walking among them, passing out the peanut butter cookies Clara had baked the night before. She was glad that she’d taken the time to make two batches.

  Inside the schoolhouse, the noise level was almost deafening. Her scholars were excited to share the fruits of their labor and continually kept repeating their lines.

  Clara knew enough to let them practice for a few moments in their frenzied way. It would relieve their stress and make it easier to be quiet when it was time to begin. Each pair of children was going to recite poems about the bounty of the spring. They were dressed in their finest and looked freshly scrubbed.

  But now that the cookies had been passed out and all the relatives were anxiously waiting for the program to begin, Clara knew it was time to reinstate order. “Come now, kinner. It is time to get started.”

  Anxious voices climbed another decibel.

  Clara clapped her hands three times. “Now, now. It is time. We must begin, my scholars. Anson, where are you?”

  Fresh-faced in a bright white shirt, he raced forward. “Here I am.”

  She bent down a bit to reach his eye level. “Do you feel ready to introduce your classmates?”

  “Jah, but I still don’t understand why you don’t want to.”

  “Your parents came to see you, not me,” she said, knowing deep in her heart that her given reason was only half of it. She’d learned time and again that her appearance could be a distraction.

  Of course, there was more to that as well. While she wasn’t shy at all around her students, she often became naerfich around their parents. “They will be verra happy to listen to you. You will do a mighty gut job, Anson. I feel sure of it.”

  He took a deep breath. “Well, okay.” And before Clara had time to share any more words of wisdom, he opened the schoolroom door, gave a little whistle between his teeth, and stood at attention.

  Clara rolled her eyes as the assemblage dutifully became silent and all faced him. That was not quite the way she’d hoped to begin her program—but she should have guessed that was Anson’s way. There was not a shy bone in the boy. And he wasn’t afraid to take control no matter how he did it.

  As she heard him introduce their program in his clear, bright voice, she noticed most of the people gathered begin to smile. Yes, she had done the right thing by having young Anson begin their show.

  Stepping out, she walked to the side of all the parents so she could see the students, too. The majority of them followed her movements, watching her for directions. When she nodded and smiled, they began their song.

  The audience listened in rapt attention, then clapped politely when they finished. As soon as all the children came to sit near Clara, Anson proudly walked right back to the front. “And now, here’s Maggie and Mary. They’re going to recite our first poem, ‘Spring’s Renewal.’”

  Mary held out her hand to Maggie. After seeing Clara’s hopeful nod, Maggie gripped her girlfriend’s hand and walked out to stand in the position Clara had marked with a taped X that morning.

  Anson stood to one side as the girls took turns reciting the poem’s stanzas.

  Clara listened and felt her chest swell with pride. They were doing a mighty fine job, hardly stumbling over many of the words at all!

  Feeling secure enough to scan the crowd, checking to make sure each child had some family present, Clara felt a lump form in her throat. There, right in the midst of the parents, sat the man she’d talked to near the creek. Tim Graber!

  Unable to help herself, she craned her neck out a little farther, eager to catch a better look at him. But she was mightily taken off guard when she saw that Tim wasn’t looking at Maggie and Mary at all! No, he was staring right at her.

  For a moment, she felt spellbound, unable to look anywhere but right back at him. Just like in the field, she was mesmerized by his handsome, easy looks, and his quiet spirit. He surely did not look like he minded sitting on the grass at a children’s production.

  And, even more surprising, he didn’t look like he found anything wrong with her. No, he was staring at her in interest, not shock or distaste. When their eyes caught and held, his lips slowly curved upward.

  Afraid someone would notice if she smiled back, Clara looked away.

  After four more pairs of students recited poems, Clara tapped Anson on his shoulder. “It’s time to say thank you and goodbye.”

  Agreeably, he hopped to his feet. But then, to her surprise, he reached for her hand. “You come, too.”

  “No, Anson. This is your time.”

  “Come, Teacher,” he said a bit more loudly.

  “Ach, Anson—”

  “Go up, too, Miss Slabaugh!” a group of students sitting to her left chorused.

  The encouraging words had already claimed a number of parents’ attention. Clara knew she had no choice but to follow Anson and quickly say her thank-yous. Otherwise it would cause quite a scene.

  As gracefully as possible she rose to her feet and, holding Anson’s hand, walked to the center with him. “Thank you all for visiting our class,” she said. “I think you will agree with me that our scholars did a fine job.”

  As everyone clapped, two little girls rushed over and hugged Clara tight. That brought all the other kinner over for hugs, too. Laughing, she looked again at the audience, all shyness won over by her exuberant students for a bit. “You may take your children home as soon as you are ready.”

  As each child slowly drifted away and Clara chatted with their parents, she couldn’t help but smile. It had been a wonderful-gut program.

  When a small hand pulled on her skirt, she turned to the child with a smile. Then saw it was Toby, who was holding Tim’s hand.

  After greeting the toddler, Clara faced his companion.

  “Your program was very fine.”

  “Danke. I…I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “Aunt Elsa asked me if I’d like to come. I thought it would be a good opportunity to see your school and your classroom.”

  “We’ve been outside.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Clara wished she could take them back. She sounded so clumsy and awkward!

  “Yes, but now I have a better idea of how you are as a teacher. You’re a good one, I think.”

  “I try my best.”

  Around them, the area was quieting as more and more children left the area. Mrs. Graber approached with Anson, Maggie, and Carrie in tow. “I thank you for the nice program, Miss Clara,” Mrs. Graber said as she reached for Toby. “As always, the children did a good job. You are a teacher we can all be proud of.”

  “I’m proud of them as well,” Clara said, looking at the Graber children fondly. “I need to give some credit to young Anson, here. Because he did such a nice job introducing everyone, I was able to stay in the back and keep the rest of the group organized. Anson, I would have been lost without you.”

  Anson preened. “I liked being out front and calling names.”

  Patting his shoulder, Mrs. Graber chuckled. “I would have been fairly shocked if you had not.” She looked from Tim to Clara. “I see you two are getting acquainted?”

  “Yes,�
�� Clara said shyly.

  “Actually, this wasn’t the first time we met,” Tim said. “Our paths crossed last week.”

  Just recalling how much that meeting had affected her, Clara said, “Yes. I was walking home by the creek and Tim was there. We talked for a bit.”

  Tim smiled. “You cheered me up that day, Clara. I hope our paths cross again one day soon.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that.

  But Mrs. Graber didn’t seem to want to shy away from that at all. In fact, a new light entered her eyes. “I see. Clara, perhaps you’d like to join us for supper one evening?”

  Maggie cheered. “Teacher, please say yes!”

  “I wouldn’t want to impose,” she said automatically, though inside, she couldn’t help but be excited. She enjoyed everyone in the Graber family. And though she was a single teacher, it wasn’t often that she was invited to her students’ homes for suppers. People knew her mother wasn’t in good health and therefore were reluctant to ask Clara to leave her for meals.

  Of course, it was fairly obvious that the invitation didn’t have much to do with Anson, Carrie, or Maggie.

  “One more person won’t make a difference at our table. Consider coming over soon. You could bring your mother. We’d enjoy her company, too.”

  Beside her, Tim didn’t say anything, but he did seem to be watching her carefully. “Danke. I’ll ask my mother soon.”

  Scooping young Toby up in her arms, Elsa Graber sighed. “I suppose we’d best get our walk home started so Miss Slabaugh can get home, too.”

  “Thanks again for your help, Anson,” Clara said to the freckled-faced boy.

  “Welcome. Bye, Teacher.”

  Tim stepped forward. “How about I stay and help you clean up?”

  Mrs. Graber smiled. “Ach! That’s a wonderful—”

  “No, no, thank you,” Clara interrupted. “I’ll be fine by myself.” Knowing how she sounded, she softened her words. “I mean, I still have some other things that need doing.”

  Tim looked to comment on that. But his words were cut off when the children started running off, Carrie calling out for him to join them. “I…I guess I better go, too, then.”

  “Yes, it would be best,” she murmured. Though, best for whom? she wondered.

  Timothy merely gave her a long look before following the rest of his family.

  As the crowd of Grabers soon disappeared over the hill, their exuberant voices faded away, leaving Clara good and completely alone.

  But instead of feeling exhausted, she suddenly felt terribly fresh and buzzing. Tim Graber had shown her a definite interest. His steady gaze had made her feel things—made her feel interesting and almost…pretty. He made her think about the future she had always wanted. A future that included marriage and children and love.

  She held the feeling tight to her heart…even though she knew those things could never actually happen. They were only a dream.

  Turning away before she caught herself attempting to listen for his voice in the wind, Clara steeled herself to her job. After all, that was what she should be holding close.

  That was what was truly important.

  Chapter 4

  “I’m glad you came along, Tim,” Elsa said as they walked along the winding gravel road toward home. “Very glad, indeed.”

  “Seeing my cousins perform was fun. And speaking more with Clara was nice, too.”

  She looked at him sideways. “You two did seem to get along well.”

  “What do you know about Clara, Aunt Elsa?”

  “About Miss Slabaugh? I think she’s a right good teacher.”

  “Has she been teaching a long time?” he asked, trying to discover more about her. He wondered what her age was. Clara didn’t look to be very old.

  “Not so much. This is her second year to teach. I think she’s twenty-two.”

  That was his age as well.

  But his aunt knew that. Breaking into a smile, Elsa said, “She’s been a good teacher to our children. She’s patient and kind and helps them learn a lot, too. Anson especially likes her very much.”

  “I noticed that she does seem to have a lot of patience with him.”

  “She would need it,” Elsa joked. “My Anson could talk the ear off a person, he could. But somehow Clara gets him to channel all his energy, such as when she had him introduce everyone at the play today. That was a good thing, that was. If he’d had to sit quietly with the others, he would have been causing trouble in no time.”

  “The program was nice. She seems nice, too.” He frowned. Saying she was “nice” sounded so…inadequate.

  “She is that. She’s done a good job teaching them how to write English. She’s taught them many other things, too. Caleb can list all the presidents in order.”

  “My teacher only had us sit quietly and do our lessons. We did very few programs.”

  “The previous teacher had events like this, but not as many as Clara. She has the students present several times a year. The Christmas one is especially nice. For that program, us moms came up and made everyone a hot lunch.”

  Though he’d thought he had seen a glimmer of match-making earlier, his aunt now seemed intent to focus only on Clara’s teaching accomplishments. He wondered why.

  Rather bluntly he said, “Aunt Elsa, how did Clara get her scars?”

  “Ah, those scars are a shame, aren’t they?”

  “What happened?”

  She sighed. “Clara was involved in a kitchen accident when she was five or six.” She shook her head sadly. “It was a terrible thing. Somehow hot oil from a fry pan splattered on her. It burned her something awful. She was in the hospital for weeks, she was.”

  Tim was shocked. “That’s terrible.”

  “Oh, it was! Actually, it was much worse than that.” Keeping an eye on Maggie and Toby, who were holding hands and trying to skip in the field, Elsa lowered her voice. “Clara got an infection at the hospital and developed a terrible high fever. We weren’t sure if she was going to survive. Her mother was in a terrible way.”

  Looking at him sideways, she said quietly, “I heard it was right painful. She’s had several operations. Skin grafts and such. For a few years the poor little thing seemed to always be covered in bandages.”

  Tim imagined such things had to be very costly. “The community paid for all that?”

  “They did, but actually, her father worked for a fencing company and their insurance helped a bit, too. It was a lucky thing, that.”

  “I feel sorry for her.”

  “She looked worse, Tim. Now we’re all used to it. Besides, that saying about what is inside a person counts is still true. Clara is a beautiful woman on the inside.”

  To his eyes, she was pretty on the outside, too. Her brown eyes were expressive and pretty. And the rest of her skin was a pale, creamy pink. “Is she courting anyone?”

  “She’s not.” Elsa shook her skirts as they walked to the top of a hill, then started down into the valley that surrounded her home. “I’m afraid most of the men here can’t see past her looks. And, well, her mother is dependent on her. Whoever married Clara would have to take on her mother as well.”

  “That’s too bad, don’tcha think? It’s like she’s destined to be alone for always.”

  Elsa blinked in surprise. “She’s lucky to be alive. I’m sorry to say I’ve never thought too much about her courting or not. She was always in and out of the doctor’s and hospitals, and then her father passed away and her mother’s health started failing. Then the teaching job came up and she took to it like a duck in water.”

  But Tim had seen something in Clara’s eyes. Something that said she was more than just a teacher. “Is she an only child like me?”

  “No, she has two older sisters. They married but don’t live nearby.” Looking out in the distance, her voice became reflective. “I guess I’ve simply been used to her lot in life. She has problems, it is true. But we all have our crosses to bear.”

  “He
rs seem greater than most.”

  “Perhaps.”

  Tim glanced her way in surprise. Elsa was being especially close-mouthed. Was it because she didn’t think it was any of his business? “Aenti Elsa, I don’t mean any disrespect toward her. I’m merely interested.”

  At first he thought that perhaps she didn’t hear him, she took so long to reply. But then finally, she spoke. “I invited her over because I thought you two had formed a friendship. But I hadn’t imagined there might be something more between you.”

  “I don’t know if there is. We just met.”

  “That is true. But Timothy, I thought you already had a sweetheart. Isn’t that true?”

  “It is, kind of.” With some surprise, he realized he hadn’t thought of her for hours.

  “What is her name?”

  “Ruby Lynn.”

  “And is she special to you?”

  “I think so. Maybe.” Actually, he was far less sure of how well they were suited. But it wouldn’t be fair to her to talk about that. “She’s been a good friend to me,” he said loyally.

  Elsa looked sideways at him. “Most every day, the mail delivers a letter from her to you.”

  “I write her often, too.”

  “A woman’s heart is softer than a man’s I think,” she said finally. “It does no good to play with it. This Ruby Lynn—let her be your sweetheart for now.”

  “There’s no chance of a future with Clara?”

  “I didn’t say that,” she hedged.

  “But if you were going to make a guess?”

  “If I was going to say anything about that, I would mention that Clara’s heart might be more tender than most. She’s a wonderful-gut woman and a mighty fine teacher. But as a girl in love…she has no experience. She might expect more than you can give. She’s a sweet girl. I’d hate for her to be disappointed.”

  “I wouldn’t mean to hurt her.”

  “Jah, but sometimes we can all get hurt by surprise, yes? Accidents are the opposite of intentional problems, I think. And not all accidents only hurt the skin. Some make scars far deeper, and those are less easily healed.”

  Tim said little the rest of the way home.