The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Star exchanged glances with the biker. Did he know what she was thinking?

  Jan grinned tightly and gave her a wink.

  Smothering a giggle, Star moved over to the window, eager to see how the know-it-all hunter would go about capturing the goat. Everyone else followed, including Emma, all jockeying for a position at the window.

  As soon as Stuart stepped onto the porch, the goat leaped over the railing and darted across the yard. Stuart did the same.

  I wonder what that guy’s trying to prove, Star thought. He could have just as easily taken the stairs.

  Star glanced back at Jan, who now stood beside her wearing a big grin. Like Star, he probably thought they were in for a pretty good show. Amused and a bit skeptical, she was eager to see what would happen next, although she kept her thoughts to herself.

  As Stuart approached the four-legged creature, Maggie let out a loud Ba-a-a-a! and leaped onto the picnic table. Stuart leaned forward with his arms outstretched. He was almost touching the goat’s neck when it jumped into the air, nearly hitting Stuart’s head with one of its hooves. Fortunately, the ball cap took the brunt of the impact and flew into the air. After Maggie’s feet hit the ground, she looked back at Stuart as if to say, “All right now. Catch me if you can!”

  Red-faced and shaking his fist, Stuart scooped up his hat and raced across the grass in hot pursuit of the goat. Round and round the yard they went until Stuart made a sudden leap for the critter. It darted between Stuart’s legs, and he ended up facedown on the ground, unfortunately in a puddle of water—no doubt from last night’s rain.

  Everyone but Pam started laughing; it really was a comical sight. Star thought it was worth coming here just to see that.

  Pam gasped as the goat turned around and made a quick lunge for Stuart’s ball cap. A few seconds later, Maggie was running across the yard with the cap in her mouth.

  “I’m real sorry about this,” Emma said, turning to Pam with an apologetic expression.

  Pam slowly shook her head. “It’s not your fault. My husband should never have gone out there thinking he could capture your goat.”

  “If someone will hold Sophia, I’ll go out and see if I can help Stuart round up the goat,” Paul said.

  “I’ll hold the baby.” Jan eagerly spoke up before any of the women could respond.

  “Why don’t you let one of us hold the baby and you can go help the men catch the goat?” Pam suggested.

  Jan shook his head. “I ain’t in the mood to chase after some stupid goat that obviously don’t wanna be caught.” He glanced at Paul’s little girl and smiled. “Besides, I’d much rather hold the baby.”

  Paul hesitated but then handed Sophia to Jan. As Paul went out the door, Jan took a seat in the rocker and began rocking the baby while gently patting her back.

  Star vacillated between watching the burly biker speak in soft tones to the baby and Paul out in the yard helping Stuart chase after the goat. It seemed odd that Jan would rather be holding a baby than helping the men prove their valor, but something about seeing Jan’s tender look as he held little Sophia touched a place in Star’s heart. Growing up, no one other than Grandma had looked at her in such a gentle way.

  Having never known her real father and being stuck with a jerk for a stepfather, she hadn’t experienced what it was like to have loving parents. She supposed in her own way, Mom loved her, but she’d never expressed her love so that Star believed or felt it. Mom had always seemed to care more about meeting her own needs than she did Star’s. If it hadn’t been for Grandma, Star might never have known what it felt like to be loved at all. Maybe if Mom could have been at home more with Star, things might have been different. Then again, she doubted it.

  After Mom married Wes, Star had thought that her mother’s days of working as a waitress would be over, but the lazy bum never held a steady job, so Mom had been forced to continue working full-time in order to pay the bills. I never liked that man, Star thought bitterly. He was abusive to Mom and treated me like I wasn’t even there. He probably wished I wasn’t so he could have Mom all to himself. The two years he lived with us were horrible, and I hope Mom never gets married again!

  “Well, would you look at that!” Ruby Lee shouted. “Paul almost has that ornery goat eating right out of his hand.”

  Star turned her gaze to the window again. Paul stood near the edge of the yard, holding several pieces of grass, and Maggie the goat was moving slowly toward him. When Maggie drew closer and took the grass in her mouth, Paul put his hands around the goat’s neck and led her easily to the pen. Meanwhile, Stuart stood near the porch holding his battered-looking baseball cap and shaking his head. So much for the great white hunter!

  When the men returned to the house, Emma, still chuckling a bit, apologized to Stuart for the rumpled cap. “I think maybe we all need a little break,” she said. “Let me go to the kitchen and get some refreshments.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Ruby Lee said, quickly following Emma out of the room. Star figured their teacher probably needed a break as much as those in her class did right now. Hopefully after some refreshments, everyone would calm down and relax.

  Jan seemed reluctant to give the baby back to Paul, but when Paul sniffed the air and said the baby’s diapers needed to be changed, Jan scrunched up his nose and quickly handed Sophia to her father.

  “Babies will be babies.” Pam nudged her husband’s arm. “Isn’t that right, Stuart?”

  “Huh?” He was fooling with his phone again.

  “I said, ‘Babies will be babies.’” Pam glared at him and pointed to the phone. “Would you please put that thing away? I suppose you’re checking the scores on some stupid sporting event.”

  Stuart shrugged and put his phone back in his pocket. Star hadn’t expected him to give in so easily. Was he always so compliant or merely trying to avoid a fight?

  “So what do you do for fun?” Star asked, turning to Jan.

  “I ride my Harley.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Well, I did before I lost my license.”

  “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle,” she said.

  “You oughta try it sometime. It’s really a lot of fun.” He frowned as he slowly shook his head. “Sure beats ridin’ a beat-up bike that you have to pedal everywhere.”

  “Well then, maybe you ought to get one that’s not so beat-up,” Stuart interjected.

  Star held her breath, waiting for Jan to make some wisecrack, but he just ignored the man. Didn’t even glance his way. It was probably a good thing, because if he’d said something derogatory, the two men might have ended up going toe-to-toe again.

  It would serve Stuart right if Jan punched him in the nose, Star thought. He’s got a big mouth and oughta know when to keep quiet. Maybe Mr. High and Mighty needs someone bigger than him to put him in his place.

  Paul returned from the bathroom, where he’d gone to change the baby, just as Emma and Ruby Lee entered the sewing room, bringing with them a plate full of peanut butter cookies, a pot of coffee, and a pitcher of iced tea. They also had cups, glasses, and napkins, which they set on the table. The atmosphere in the room seemed more relaxed after everyone had been given a treat.

  Emma smiled at Paul and then Stuart. “I want to thank you both for rounding up my goat, which I’m sure saved my garden.”

  “No problem,” Paul said.

  “Yeah, I was happy to do it,” Stuart added with a satisfied smile. Had he forgotten so quickly that the goat had gotten the best of him? Didn’t he care that they’d all been laughing as they’d watched his antics from the window?

  What a jerk, Star thought. He’s right up there with Mom’s boyfriend, know-it-all Mike. Only I think Stuart likes to show off so he’ll get attention.

  As they ate their refreshments, everyone shared a little more about themselves. Star was surprised to learn that Jan liked the same kind of music as she did, and that he was a self-taught harmonica player. Of course, she didn’t think playing the harmonica was all that diff
icult. One of the geeks at the coffee shop in Goshen had a harmonica, and he’d told her once that it was really nothing more than knowing when to suck in air and when to blow it out.

  When everyone had finished their cookies and drinks, Emma showed the class how to use a template and begin marking the design on the fabric, using dressmaker’s chalk or a pencil.

  “When you’re done marking, you’ll need to cut out the pattern pieces,” Emma said. “In the next step, which is called ‘piecing,’ the pieces you’ve cut will be sewn together, and then onto the quilt top, which will also need to be cut,” she continued. “Now, the pattern pieces are usually pieced onto the quilt top by machine. Then the backing, the batting, and the quilt top are layered, put into a frame, and quilted. When that is done, the binding will be put on, and the project will be finished.”

  Stuart, still obviously disinterested in the whole process, leaned back in his chair, which he’d positioned near the wall. With his arms behind his head, he closed his eyes and dozed off. Star was sure he was sleeping, because she heard soft snores coming from his side of the table.

  That guy shouldn’t even be here, she thought. He oughta be home taking a nap or doin’ whatever he does to occupy his time. He’s probably one of those geeks who likes to sit around watching some game on TV and doesn’t help his wife at all.

  “Wake up!” Pam bumped Stuart’s arm, jolting him awake so he nearly fell out of his chair. “We didn’t come here so you could sleep.”

  “I can’t help it. Chasing that stupid goat wore me out.” His face still shone with the sweat of his exertion.

  Pam wrinkled her nose. “You shouldn’t have gone out there then. All you succeeded in doing was getting your ball cap nearly ruined and your jeans wet and dirty. Oh, and by the way, you’d better give me your handkerchief so I can wipe those smudges off your face. I can’t believe you didn’t wash up before you ate Emma’s cookies.”

  Like an obedient little boy, Stuart reached into his jeans pocket and handed her his hanky, but he didn’t look the least bit happy about it. Star almost felt sorry for the poor sap. Of course, if Stuart had stood up to Pam and put her in her place, they’d have probably had a blowup.

  Star’s forehead wrinkled as she frowned. All married couples seemed to do was fight—just one more reason she was never getting married. It wasn’t worth the pain and disappointment.

  “Hey, Stuart, I want to thank you for givin’ us all such a good laugh,” Jan said with a smirk. “You were quite entertaining with that goat out there in the yard. In fact, you looked downright silly.”

  “Well, no thanks to you! At least Paul was man enough to help out.” Stuart stood and took a step toward Jan. “You chose to sit in here with the women and a baby in your arms. So you shouldn’t be laughing at me.”

  Jan stood, too, and moved toward Stuart until they were almost nose to nose. “So you think me sittin’ in the house holdin’ Paul’s baby is funny, do ya?”

  “Well, since you asked …”

  Jan bristled. “Hey, I’m talkin’ here, and I wasn’t done, so kindly don’t interrupt!”

  “You’re totally out there, you know that?”

  “Oh, you should talk. You know why guys like you have to prove their manhood?” Jan’s eyes narrowed as he pointed at Stuart. “Because you’re afraid.”

  “Oh yeah, right,” Stuart said gruffly, shifting his stance. Then he drew his shoulders back and stood to his full height, which Star figured probably wasn’t more than five feet ten. “For your information, Mr. Tattoo Man, I’m not afraid of anything.”

  Jan’s face reddened, and he took another step toward Stuart. Like the ferocious-looking black panther on his arm, Jan looked ready to attack. “Why, I oughta—”

  “What are you gonna do—sit on me?”

  “If that’s what it takes to shut you up.”

  Emma’s eyes widened; Pam’s mouth dropped open, as did Paul’s. Ruby Lee folded her hands as though praying, and Star just sat there shaking her head. Men could be so juvenile sometimes—always having to prove how tough they were. Well, if she had to choose sides, she’d go with the biker. The baseball-cap geek acted like a big know-it-all. He probably thought he was smarter and better than Jan. At least Jan seemed real and down-to-earth. He’d proven that when he’d spilled his guts about driving under the influence and doing time in jail. It was doubtful that Stuart ever had so much as a speeding ticket, and even if he had, he’d probably never admit it.

  Star leaned forward, waiting to see who would land the first blow, but before either man could raise a hand, Ruby Lee left her seat and stepped between them. “I think you both should calm down. We came here to learn about quilting, not watch the two of you act like a couple of silly schoolboys trying to one-up each other.”

  The men, both red-faced, stood a few more seconds looking peeved, but finally returned to their seats.

  Emma, talking fast and appearing to be quite shaken, began explaining more of the things they’d be learning over the next several weeks. Everyone listened, and thankfully there were no more nasty comments from either Stuart or Jan. Star really felt sorry for poor Emma.

  I’ll bet she never expected anything like this would happen during her quilt class.

  By the time class was over, Emma had given each person some material and a template for their star-shaped pattern, along with instructions on how during the week they should mark, cut, and pin the pieces together.

  Everyone told Emma good-bye, and as they headed out the door, Jan looked over at Paul and said, “You’re a lucky man to have such a cute baby.”

  Paul smiled and nodded. “Yes, I feel very blessed.”

  Star glanced at Stuart and Pam, who were arguing again about the goat escapade as they headed to their car. I’ll bet that man’s wishing he didn’t have to come back here again. Maybe he’s wondering what sort of excuse he can make up to get out of learning how to quilt. It’ll be interesting to see whether he shows up for the class next week. Bet he doesn’t. Bet prissy Pam comes alone.

  CHAPTER 7

  I can’t believe you,” Pam said through tight lips.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Stuart asked as he directed his SUV onto the highway.

  “The way you acted during the quilt class was absolutely inexcusable!” She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, hoping he’d realize how angry she was. “Emma Yoder seems like a very nice lady, but after today, she’s probably wondering why she ever agreed to teach us quilting.”

  “If you’re talking about the goat escapade, I was only trying to help. It wasn’t my fault that crazy critter thought my baseball cap would make a great morning snack. Besides, if you’ll recall, Emma thanked me for helping out.”

  “I wasn’t just talking about the goat or your stupid cap. I was mostly referring to the fact that throughout the entire class you were either nodding off or saying something rude.”

  His thick eyebrows furrowed. “What are you talking about, Pam? I never said anything rude.”

  “You most certainly did.”

  “Such as?”

  “For one thing, the way you talked to the biker was terrible. When he introduced himself, it wasn’t right to make fun of his name. Why did you have to insult him like that?”

  Stuart gave a nonchalant shrug. “Well, what can I say? Jan’s a dumb name for a guy. Besides, he had it coming, the way he was ribbing me about how I chased after the goat.”

  “When you made an issue of his name, you had no way of knowing he was going to say anything to you about the goat. And even if you think Jan’s name is dumb, you didn’t have to make a big deal about it and say it sounded like a girly girl’s name.” Pam gripped the straps of her purse tightly, trying to keep her emotions under control. “Then getting on his case about staying in the house with the women while you were trying to round up the goat made things even worse. In fact, the way you acted today made you no better than him.”

  “I was only stating the obvious. Do you have a
problem with it?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “Yeah, well, I wasn’t gonna let some tattooed bully push me around.”

  “Jan hardly seems like a bully. I think he was just defending his pride.”

  “Oh, and I wasn’t?”

  She sighed. “You’re impossible, Stuart.”

  “Give me a break. I’m no more impossible than you.” He glanced over at Pam and frowned. “I can’t believe you’d expect me to learn how to quilt or sit in that boring class with a bunch of weird people.”

  “They’re not weird; they’re just different. And you need to get over your prejudices.”

  “I’m not prejudiced.”

  “Whatever you say.” Pam knew she should stop right there, but she couldn’t. “So, let me ask you something, Stuart. How does it feel to be Mr. Right twenty-four hours a day?”

  He stared straight ahead. “I think we should find something else to do together. Something other than quilting.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Anything that doesn’t involve sitting in some dimly lit room, listening to an Amish woman bore us about the history of quilts. I’m surprised everyone wasn’t sleeping.”

  “Emma was only giving us some background on quilting so we’d have a better idea of what makes up the different quilt patterns. We’ve got homework to do this week, and next Saturday she’ll be teaching us the next step involved in making our wall hangings, so I’m sure the class will be more interesting.”

  “For you, maybe,” he mumbled. “Wish now I’d never taken you fishing!”

  “You know what?” Pam shot back. “That’s one thing I can agree with you about. I wish you’d never taken me fishing either!”

  Soon after her quilting students left, Emma went to the kitchen to fix some lunch. The morning hadn’t gone at all the way she’d planned, and she couldn’t get the thought out of her mind that God had sent her some very unusual people to teach.

  Am I really up to the task? Emma asked herself as she removed a loaf of whole-wheat bread from the bread box. Is there more than quilting I should teach these people? With the exception of Ruby Lee, who’d appeared to be fairly bright and cheerful, the others in the class seemed to have some serious issues they were dealing with. She was concerned about Star and Paul because they’d both recently lost a family member, although, from what Emma could tell, Paul seemed to be dealing with his wife’s death fairly well. Perhaps he’d found comfort in his baby girl, and maybe he had a strong faith in God. When he’d leaned forward to pick up a toy the baby had dropped, Emma had noticed a silver chain with a cross around his neck. She figured he probably wore it as an indication of his religious beliefs.