The Amish Nanny

by Mindy Starns Clark

  She giggled shyly and let him give her a handshake as well.

  “I’m Daniel Hart. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been looking forward to it.” He spoke with a flourish, both in his voice and gestures. “I was so excited to learn you’d be joining us.”

  “Pleased to meet you too,” she replied, her voice sounding stronger. For the first time that I’d seen, Christy’s eyes lit up. She stood taller. Suddenly she seemed like the eleven-year-old that she was, not the eight- or nine-year-old she usually seemed to be.

  “Just think, Christy,” Daniel continued, “soon you’ll be returning to the very ground your ancestors were forced to leave behind more than a hundred and thirty years ago.”

  She nodded solemnly, hanging on his every word.

  “I spent all of yesterday learning more about those ancestors. I found a record and their names in an actual ship log from when they arrived here in New York. The history of your family is fascinating.”

  Christy’s eyes grew wide. Funny, she’d had no interest in her relatives or in history before.

  Before he could elaborate, George took a step forward to interrupt.

  “Daniel, you can save all of that for later, if you don’t mind. Now that we’re finally all together, I wanted to say a few words and then we can board the ship.”

  Behind him, our cab was just pulling out of its parking space. Before driving away, the man rolled down his window, gave us a wave, and called out a “Bon voyage!” Grinning, we all waved in return, and then we focused again on George, who had to speak loudly to be heard over the clamor all around.

  George gave us an overview of our itinerary, the schedule for while we were on the ship, and the sites he hoped that we’d be able to see while we were in Europe, if we had time to do any touring once the property matter was settled. His little speech seemed forced, but I realized that this was something he wanted to do for the actual tours, and he was practicing it on us.

  “If there’s anything else you want to see or do, let me know,” he concluded, looking from Alice to me. “Any questions?”

  We shook our heads.

  He turned toward Daniel. “Anything you want to add?”

  “Perhaps a quick prayer,” Daniel replied. Then he surprised me by reaching out and taking the hands of George and Christy, who were standing on either side of him. Startled, Alice set down the bag she’d been holding and took Christy’s other hand and then mine as well. George and I reached out for each other, our grasp completing the circle.

  “I know the Amish don’t generally pray aloud,” Daniel told us, “but if you’ll indulge me just this once, I’d like to do this one my way.”

  We bowed our heads, and he offered a brief but lovely expression of thanks, petition, and worship. As he spoke, I could feel myself being calmed somewhere deep inside. Even the hand-holding, which had felt uncomfortable at first, began to seem right, as if it were bonding us, under God, this little band of travelers embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Daniel ended the prayer with the exact words I needed to hear, saying, “And as we travel, Father, please bless all of the loved ones we leave behind. Calm their spirits, soothe their concerns, and give them strength and patience until we return.”

  Thanks to my last trip, I was ready this time. When Daniel ended and gave his “amen,” I was right there with him, calling it out loudly just as everyone had done at Lexie’s wedding reception. Strangely, George did not do the same, which made it a chorus of two.

  We all opened our eyes, and though Daniel gave me a smile, I could see that both Christy and Alice were more than a little startled by my outburst.

  “I guess that’s it, then,” George said happily, looking to Daniel. “Is there anything else to say before we go?”

  “Just…” Daniel said dramatically, turning to sweep his arm wide toward the gangplank, “‘Welcome aboard!’”

  We all cheered. Christy surprised me by leading the way, marching ahead with a quick step up the narrow, metal ramp. I let the others, including Daniel and George, go ahead of me so that I could bring up the rear more slowly. I planned to savor every moment of this journey, starting now.

  Stepping onto the ramp, I thought of a man Silas had told me about named Jonathan Fisher. Though Plain, he had managed to travel broadly in his time. A native of Lancaster County, Fisher had visited Europe as a young man in the early nineteen hundreds and later sailed around the world during the 1930s. In the 1950s, when he was in his old age, he had even gone back to Europe again. Somehow, I felt a kinship with him, with his adventuresome spirit. I, too, knew the feeling that propelled such travel, especially since I’d taken the trip out West.

  Halfway up the ramp I paused, taking in the scene in front of me. Fog swirled around the harbor. A horn blasted in the distance. I tried to imagine where all the ships in the harbor would go, but the idea of it was more than I could comprehend. The world was so wide, so vast. All those places. All those people. All those experiences. One could travel for a lifetime and still not manage to see everything.

  “Come on, Ada!” Christy called from a distance. I looked up to see her and Alice standing down a ways, at the rail, beaming at me.

  Giving them a wave, I twirled in a tight circle, my head tilted upward toward the startling blue sky. Then I continued on up the ramp, my heart full of gratefulness for this opportunity. This trip would most likely be my last, and I vowed to make as much of it as I possibly could.

  At the top of the gangplank, as I stepped onto the deck, I thought I could feel a loosening of something, an unbinding of sorts. Nearby, a sailor was untying a knot, and as I watched him, I realized exactly what that feeling was: my mother’s tight grip, slowly slipping away.

  FIFTEEN

  After checking us in, the steward led us to our cabins. On the way, he showed us the dining hall and the recreation room, explaining the schedules for both. When Christy asked him about the other passengers, he said that only one other person would be coming along. Otherwise, it was all crew—forty of them, to be exact.

  When we reached our cabin, I was pleased to see that it had two rooms—a dayroom with a couch and small table, and a bedroom with two beds. Though the bedroom had no windows, there was a large porthole in the dayroom. Looking through the thick glass to the outside, we could see several vessels, a tugboat, and a ferry, which I pointed out to Christy.

  “We’ll set sail in about an hour,” the steward told us as he was leaving, “so be sure you’re up on deck by then. It’s always exciting to watch.”

  Once he was gone, Christy sat down at the table and said, matter-of-factly, that there didn’t seem to be very much to do here.

  “Sure there is,” Alice told her. “We’ll visit. Read. Walk on deck.”

  “And do schoolwork,” I added.

  Christy groaned.

  “And we can check out the recreation room.” I turned around on the couch to face her. “The steward said it’s always open, and we’re free to use it any time.”

  Moving into the bedroom, we unpacked our things quickly and then decided to explore the ship. The three of us put on our capes and off we went. First we checked out the recreation room more thoroughly, which had some exercise equipment, including a treadmill, a game table with padded chairs, and a shelf full of much-used board games. In the back was a large Ping-Pong table with plenty of room around it for play.

  Next we headed up to the deck and watched as the huge, spiderlike machines continued to load containers onto the ship, and then the longshoremen secured them in place. Daniel joined us there, and he seemed happy to answer our many questions and explain the various sights to us.

  “What’s a satellite phone?” Christy asked him after a while, referring to the earlier exchange between Daniel and George. I was glad she asked, because I’d been wondering the same thing myself.

  Daniel explained that it worked just like a regular cell phone except that it connected through satellites instead of land-based cell towers. “That makes it a lo
t cheaper for overseas use,” he added. “I’m glad he got it, because once we reach Europe I’ll have to keep my regular cell turned off. Can’t afford to use it over there.”

  I was about to reply that I had left mine at home for the very same reason when Daniel’s eyes widened slightly and he gestured behind us, toward the gangplank. Christy and I turned to see a young woman just coming on board. She had long, chestnut hair hanging loose around her shoulders and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Around her neck was a camera, on her back a pack.

  She was cute, with an air of confidence, and as the steward greeted her and led her off to check in, I realized something about her reminded me of Leah Fisher. Great. That was just what I needed, a constant reminder of the woman who had stolen my true love and my job. At least Leah wasn’t able to steal this trip from me, I thought. Then again, as Silas had said, it was because of this very trip that Will was now home and available, free for the taking.

  The sun was growing warmer, but a chill was rising up from the water, so I tucked my hands inside my cape as we continued to explore. Off to our right was Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I pointed them out to Christy, adding that our family had come to America so long ago that neither structure had even been built yet.

  Daniel seemed impressed that I knew that. “Your ancestors arrived when the port of immigration was at the Castle Clinton in Battery Park,” he said. “I was doing some research on that too.” He pointed to the New York City skyline. “That’s where the ferry to Lady Liberty departs from, but it’s hard to see it from here.”

  Christy stared at Daniel with admiring eyes as he continued to point out various landmarks along the shore. As they talked, Alice stood next to them with her hands shoved under her cape, the wind whipping the ties of her kapp to the side.

  Eventually, she interrupted to ask Daniel if he had received any updates from Herr Lauten.

  Daniel said he had. The man had invited all of us to stay at Amielbach even though he was a couple of weeks away from his grand opening of the inn. Unfortunately, the agreement still hadn’t been located, but Lauten was optimistic that we would find it before the township’s deadline.

  Alice nodded, and looking at her I realized she didn’t seem worried about the contract or the deadline at all. I wasn’t sure if that was because she was being unrealistic or because she had faith the needed document would be found in time.

  Soon the longshoremen began to leave the ship, and the sailors started untying the thick ropes that had been holding us to the dock. Once they were done, and a truck had rolled the gangplank away, we were finally adrift.

  After that Daniel brought us to the other side to show us the tugboats that would be pushing us out of the harbor. We watched the crew attach steel cables from the tugs to the ships.

  “How can they move us?” Christy asked. “They’re so small.”

  “Oh, you’ll see,” he replied sagely.

  The ship’s horn blew, startling us all. Christy’s hands flew to her ears even as she grinned. My heart warmed at the sight of how animated she’d become.

  The ship began to move as the tugboats pulled, slowly at first and then picking up speed. The red bricks of the buildings on Ellis Island contrasted against the blue sky, as did the vibrant green of the Statue of Liberty and the gold of her flame. She grew bigger and bigger as the ship moved across the bay. A helicopter whirred past overhead. Boats bobbed on the water on every side. Seagulls screeched as they soared. Grinning, I took it all in, my spirit soaring as well.

  Daniel pulled out his camera, snapped some photos, and then he asked me to take a picture of him with Lady Liberty in the background. I complied, though I had to press the button several times before I finally got it right.

  Taking the camera back from me, Daniel slid it into his pocket and then surprised and touched us all by raising his arms and declaring loudly: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me!”

  Swallowing down the lump that had risen in my throat, I prayed suddenly that during this trip Christy would come to realize the value of the most important thing America had given to our ancestors and to us: the freedom to worship.

  Far down the railing, I spotted the young Englisch woman standing by herself, her long hair blowing out behind. I decided to walk down to her and introduce myself, but just as I started that way, she began moving in the opposite direction. Thinking she planned to walk all the way around the ship, I decided to wait until the curve of the rail brought her back to us again. But when time passed and she never reappeared, I realized I’d been mistaken. No matter. Lunch was only an hour away. We could introduce ourselves then.

  The vessel picked up speed, and as it did the wind began to whip against my face and kapp. Soon, Christy complained of being cold.

  “Let’s stay put until we’re out of the harbor,” Alice said, placing her arm around the girl. I stepped closer too, trying to create a shield. We stayed that way for quite a while, not talking much but simply gazing at the rays of the sun shimmering on the surface of the water. Speaking loudly so she could hear me over the wind, I reminded Christy that we were retracing, in reverse, the route that our ancestors had taken so long ago. She nodded but did not reply.

  A little later, as the ship left the bay and moved into open water, Alice offered to take Christy back down to the cabin. Although I was reluctant to leave the deck, I said I would come along as well. Christy was primarily in my care, after all. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure I should be alone with Daniel, unchaperoned, even if we were out on deck in full view of anyone who happened to look our way.

  At lunch we finally met the other passenger, though she seemed a little wary as she joined our group and sat down. The cook had already placed on the table a pot of beef barley soup, a platter of meat and cheese, a basket of bread, and a plate of vegetables, and we’d said our silent grace. We introduced ourselves as we served up the food and began to eat, explaining where we were from. By her expression she seemed slightly amused by our clothing, but she didn’t actually say anything about us being Plain.

  In response, she said she was from California and her name was Morgan McAllister.

  “Like the horses?” Christy blurted out. When we all laughed, she blushed and covered her mouth.

  “Morgan horses,” I explained, patting my young charge on the arm, “are common in Lancaster County.”

  “I see,” Morgan replied, looking at Christy. “I thought you meant McAllister horses, which are common in California.”

  Her face was so serious that we all thought it was true. Then she smiled and told us she was kidding, that there was no such thing as a McAllister horse. We laughed again, Christy the hardest of all.

  “I decided to take a year off and travel,” Morgan went on, relaxing a bit. “But only by train or ship. Airplanes use up way too many carbon points.”

  Before any of us could respond to that, she asked why we were traveling by ship.

  “It fits our simple lifestyle,” George answered.

  “Same reason then,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

  Alice and I exchanged glances, knowing it really wasn’t the same at all.

  There was a silence around the table for a minute, and then Morgan asked if any of us had heard an update on the weather.

  George nodded, and from their ensuing conversation I realized he’d neglected to tell us that some very nasty storms were out there, including a tropical storm brewing south of Bermuda. “But I spoke to the captain just a while ago,” he assured us, “and he said that we’d be avoiding the worst of it. We’ll get some rain for a day or two, but the winds shouldn’t be too bad. After that it should be clear sailing ahead.”

  At least a few rainy days would give Christy and me plenty of time to do her lessons. I planned on starting in the morning, establishing a regular schedule we would maintain for the seven days we’d be on the ship.<
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  Later, after lunch, Alice and Christy both wanted a nap, but I was feeling far too restless to sleep. Instead, I went back up on deck, where I was startled to find the wind whipping my skirt around furiously. I pulled on the down coat I’d brought along just in case, though I did so more for modesty’s sake than because of the cold. Cut on a narrow bias and made of stiff fabric, the coat held its shape well and would keep my legs from being exposed, at least above the knees.

  Looking out at the horizon, I saw there was no longer any land in sight, and that made my heart race, both for the thrill and the threat of it. Gray clouds scudded across the horizon, swallowing the blue sky. Walking slowly along the deck, I breathed in the salty air. Crew members stared as I walked by, making me decidedly uncomfortable. I was used to being the subject of interest to tourists, of course, but there was something a little too familiar about the way these men were looking at me. As I came around to the front of the ship, I was relieved to see Daniel there, talking with one of the crew.

  He was wearing a blue stocking cap, his face red from the stinging wind. When he spotted me, he grinned and waved, and then he asked if he could join me on my walk. Thinking again about the suitability of our being unchaperoned, I decided it probably wasn’t an issue. Chaperoned or not, I felt far safer with him by my side than I had when walking alone. I told him that would be fine, and he fell into step beside me.

  Despite the wind that tried to carry our words away, Daniel and I managed to chat as we walked—about the enormity of the ship, the choppy water, the coming storm. He asked me about myself, wanting to know where exactly in Lancaster County I lived, what my father did, and how many siblings I had. He was surprised when I said I was an only child, as not very many Plain people could say they had no siblings. Of course, I now had Lexie, but I didn’t want to reveal my whole story to him. As far as he was concerned, the woman I was hoping to visit in Switzerland was my aunt, which was true. That she was also my birth mother was a matter far too private to share with someone I’d just met.