“I can’t have a garden where I live.” Carmen sighed. “That’s what you get with apartment living.”
“Maybe someday you’ll have a home of your own.” Emma set her cup on the table. “If you have a patio, perhaps you could plant a few herbs in a planter box. They don’t need a lot of space. I’ve planted things in the window box outside the kitchen. It’s nice to be able to pick whatever I need without having to walk out to the garden all the time.”
“That sounds doable.” Carmen’s interest was heightened. “I may consider that when I get back home. In Los Angeles, the nights are sometimes cool in the winter months, but the days are pretty mild. In fact, wintertime is our rainiest season. The rest of the year it’s quite dry.”
“I can’t imagine being able to have a year-round garden.” Emma paused and took a sip of tea. “Now, on to another subject. What is it you want to know about the Amish life?”
“I’ve been wondering about rumschpringe. What can you tell me about it?”
Emma tapped her fingers on the edge of the table. “Well, it normally begins around the age of fifteen or sixteen and ends when an Amish young person decides to be baptized and join the church.”
“Do most of the youth go wild during that time and do things their parents wouldn’t approve of?” Carmen queried, thinking of her boss’s insistence that her article focus on wild Amish teens.
“No, not all. In fact, most, at least those in our district, enjoy a time with others their age, where they attend Sunday night singings and get together for volleyball and baseball games. Some take trips together, and some never leave the area during their running-around years.”
“So it’s not just a bunch of wild parties or Amish young people leaving home to experience things in the world that their parents would disapprove of?”
Emma shook her head. “I’m sure there are a few who do that, but as I said, most of the young people I know have stuck close to home.”
“What about their parents?” Carmen asked. “Do they approve of rumschpringe?”
“Some look the other way,” Emma admitted, “but other parents hold a tight rein on their children.”
“From what Anna’s told me, her parents won’t give her the freedom to explore the outside world,” Carmen said. “Is that healthy?”
Deep wrinkles formed across Emma’s forehead as her lips compressed. “It’s not really my place to say, but I think they may be making a mistake by holding her back. Anna, like most others her age, is curious about the English world. In my opinion, if she’s allowed to experience a few things outside of her community, she might find out, just as my children did, that there’s much to appreciate about the Amish way of life.”
Carmen mulled things over as she finished her tea. Emma was a wise woman, and this conversation had given Carmen a lot to think about. After learning what she had so far, it would be difficult to write a negative article about the Amish. But if she didn’t write it, she could lose her job.
CHAPTER 23
Elkhart
How come you’ve been so quiet today?” Jan asked as he and Terry removed shingles from the roof of an elderly couple who didn’t have much money. Jan had given them a discount, which he often did when someone couldn’t pay full price. It was a wonder he made any money at all, but he said that over the years he’d become aware of what a limited income many senior citizens struggled to live on and that it felt good to be able to help out whenever he could.
“Hey, man, did you hear what I said?” Jan repeated. “I asked how come you’ve been so quiet today.”
“Yeah, I heard. I’ve just been thinking, is all.”
“About what?”
“The weekend and how it went.”
“If you’re talking about Saturday night at the bowling alley, then I can tell you exactly how it went.”
Terry tipped his head to one side. “Oh yeah? How’s that?”
“You bent over backwards to get Cheryl to pay attention to you instead of her date.” Jan grunted. “And you made a complete fool of yourself in the process.”
Terry’s face heated. “Oh really? What’d I do that made me look like a fool?”
Jan stopped what he was doing and held up one finger. “You tried to out-bowl Blaine, and you both acted like two roosters in a henhouse.” Another finger shot up. “You talked more to Cheryl then you did me and Star, and we were the ones you were supposed to be bowling with.” Jan held up a third finger, but before he could say anything Terry cut him off.
“Okay, I get it. You’re mad because I paid Cheryl some attention.” Terry planted his hands against his hips. “Did you forget that I’ve been trying to get her to go out with me?”
Jan shook his head. “’Course not, but you shouldn’t be making a play for her when she’s out with another man. That just ain’t cool. Anyone watching could see you were pushing too hard, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she noticed that, too. If anything, that might have turned her away.”
Terry shrugged. “Think what you want to, but I had to get Cheryl to notice me somehow, and you know what? It worked!”
“How so?”
“Cheryl and I had our first date Sunday afternoon.”
Jan quirked an eyebrow. “Is that the truth?”
“’Course it is. I showed up at Cheryl’s church, and—”
Jan stared at Terry in disbelief. “I’m not hearing this. Did you just say you went to church?”
“That’s right, and afterward Cheryl and I went out to lunch.” Terry grinned widely. “When we were done eating, we drove back to Shipshe and got my Harley, so Cheryl could take her first ride on a motorcycle.”
Jan whistled. “I’ve gotta hand it to you, buddy. All those crazy stunts you pulled Saturday night must have impressed that little gal. I woulda thought the opposite, though. And going to church…Well, if it took trying to land a date with the pretty little blond to get you in church, then I have to say, ‘Amen’ to that, ’cause I’ve tried everything but stand on my head to coax you into going to church, and you always come up with some lame excuse.”
“You don’t have to rub it in.” Terry bent down, grabbed an armful of shingles, and tossed them into Jan’s utility trailer. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I kinda enjoyed the church service. The preacher read some verses from the Bible that sorta opened my eyes to the truth about some things.”
“Such as?”
“He talked about temptation. Even said Jesus was tempted, and that He’s able to help those who are tempted.” Terry scratched the side of his head. “I think he said the verse was found in Hebrows something or other.”
Jan laughed and poked Terry’s arm. “It’s Hebrews, and it’s a great verse for you—especially since you’re struggling with the temptation to smoke.”
“Yeah. I’ve been doing a little better with it today, though,” Terry said. He patted his pocket. “Been chewing a lot of gum.”
“That’s good to hear.” Jan loaded more shingles into the trailer and paused to wipe his damp forehead. Despite the autumn chill, they’d both worked up quite a sweat. “So where’d you go to church?”
“That church in Goshen, where your friend, Ruby Lee’s husband, pastors. That’s why I asked you where it was, remember?”
Jan smiled. “Star and I have been there a few times, but we mostly go to a church near my place in Shipshe. Pastor Gene’s a good man, and Ruby Lee…Well, she’s a sweetheart.”
Terry bobbed his head. “She was real friendly and made me feel welcome. When church was over, she introduced me to her husband, and they both said they hoped I’d come back. I even saw a motorcycle in the church parking lot, so I know I’d have something in common with someone in the congregation.”
“Think you’ll go back?” Jan asked.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure of it.”
“That’s good to hear, but you shouldn’t be going to church because of Cheryl. There’s a lot more to it than that.” Jan thumped T
erry’s shoulder. “Can I offer you a piece of advice?”
“Sure. You usually do,” Terry added with a snicker.
“I can see by the starry look in your eyes that you’re pretty hyped up about Cheryl. Just be careful you don’t get your heart broken. She might have gone out to lunch with you and taken a ride on your Harley, but she went bowling with someone else, so don’t get your hopes up.”
Terry shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’m not. Even if I do go out with Cheryl again, it’ll just be for fun ’cause I have no plans of getting serious about anyone.”
Jan chuckled and thumped Terry’s back. “That’s what they all say before they’re reeled in.”
“Hey, wait up a minute, would you?” Stuart called as Blaine was about to leave the sporting goods store at the end of his workday.
Blaine halted near the door as he put on his hunter-green zip-up jacket. “What’s up?”
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you all day and wanted to hear how things went with Cheryl on your bowling date.”
“It was okay, I guess,” Blaine replied in a nonchalant tone, anxious to get home after a grueling day. He’d been on his feet the entire shift, and between helping customers and stocking shelves, his recliner and a good DVD were all he could think about. Extra shipments of goods were starting to arrive for the upcoming holidays. A busy time of the year for the store was fast approaching, but for now, all Blaine wanted to do was get home and prop up his feet.
“Didn’t you enjoy your date at all?” Stuart asked, nudging Blaine’s arm.
“Cheryl’s nice, but she’s not Sue.”
Stuart opened the door to let a late shopper out. “Do you think it’s fair to compare the two women?”
“Maybe not, but—”
“You need to forget about Sue and get on with your life.”
“I guess you’re right,” Blaine admitted. “And I did enjoy being with Cheryl—at least until Terry showed up and started showing off for her.”
“Did she leave with him?” Stuart questioned.
“Well, no, but she didn’t leave with me, either. She drove her own car to the bowling alley, and I met her there.”
“Was Cheryl impressed with Terry? Did she pay him any attention?”
Blaine shrugged. “I don’t know if she was impressed, but she did laugh at his corny jokes.”
“Maybe you ought to ask her out again,” Stuart suggested. “Take her someplace where Terry’s not likely to show up.”
“Such as?”
“How about one of the nice restaurants on Winona Lake? Pam really likes it when I take her there. With all the little stores in the village, she could spend hours shopping.”
“I don’t know. Winona Lake’s in Kosciusko County, over an hour away.”
Stuart thumped Blaine’s back. “Exactly! I mean what are the odds that Terry would show up there?”
“Slim to none, I guess.”
“Right. A guy like him probably wouldn’t even go to a fancy restaurant, let alone drive that far to get there.”
“Hmm…” Blaine pondered Stuart’s suggestion. “Maybe when I see Cheryl at the next quilting class I’ll ask her out to lunch. Better yet, maybe she’d like to go fishing with me sometime.” Blaine had never been to Lake Winona, which was south of Mishawaka, but he was game to find new places where he might want to venture for some good fishing. He remembered one of his customers saying he went to Lake Winona every year and rented a cottage there, but Blaine couldn’t recall what the man had said about the fishing.
“I don’t know about Cheryl, but I know all too well how Pam resented me going fishing so much,” Stuart said. “Maybe you’d better stick to taking Cheryl out to lunch for now. Since you’ll be at the lake, the subject of fishing might come up, and you can ask her then. And I think it might be better if you asked her out over the phone. That way, Terry won’t know about your plans.”
Blaine nodded. “You’re right. That would be better than asking her during class. I’ll give Cheryl a call tonight.”
“You’re late. What took you so long?” Mandy asked when Anna entered the Dairy Queen and found her friend sitting at a table.
“Sorry, but it couldn’t be helped. Dad made me stay longer than usual this afternoon because he had a couple of orders that needed to go out.” Anna sank into the seat beside Mandy. “Have you already had your ice-cream cone?”
Mandy shook her head. “I was waiting for you.”
Anna smiled. “Good, because I’m hungry and more than ready for a treat. Let’s go order our cones now, and then we can visit.”
Anna and Mandy returned to their table a few minutes later with chocolate-vanilla swirl cones. “This hits the spot,” Anna said, swiping her tongue over the sweet frozen treat. “I love soft ice cream.”
“Me, too,” Mandy agreed. “Guess this will probably spoil my appetite for supper, but I probably won’t eat much of it anyway, because Mom’s fixing baked cabbage tonight, and I don’t like it.”
Anna wrinkled her nose. “Me neither. Besides tasting yucky, cooked cabbage stinks up the house.”
“Have you had any luck finding another job yet?” Mandy asked, switching the subject and glancing at the English boys a few tables away.
“No, Dad keeps me so busy at the window shop that there’s no time to go looking.”
“I’m going down to Sarasota this winter,” Mandy announced with a grin. “I’ll be working at one of the restaurants outside of Pinecraft.” She clasped Anna’s arm. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll see if I can get you a job there, too.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. What else are friends for? It would be more fun being there if we were together.”
Anna smiled. This might be the opportunity she was hoping for—a chance for a new job—in a place where Mom and Dad couldn’t watch every move she made. She’d be able to make her own decisions and not worry about anyone telling her what to do. She had a good head on her shoulders and could never understand why Mom and Dad didn’t see that about her.
“So what do you think?” Mandy asked, bumping Anna’s arm. “Will you go to Sarasota with me in December? Think about it—it’s right by the Gulf, and we could go to the beach during our free time. Imagine getting a tan in December.”
“That does sound appealing. Where will you stay while you’re there?” Anna asked.
“I’ll be renting a small house in Pinecraft.” Mandy smiled widely. “Just think how much fun it’ll be for us to spend the winter where it’s warm.”
“I would like to go.” Anna paused to finish her cone. “You know what, Mandy?”
“What?”
“If I like it there, I may just stay and never move back.”
CHAPTER 24
Shipshewana
Selma turned out the lights in her living room and padded down the hall toward her bedroom, dreading the coolness of the room. She’d called the furnace company, but they said they were swamped and couldn’t send a man over until early the next week. Out of desperation, Selma had gone next door to see if Jan might be able to help her out, but he wasn’t home; just that big mutt of his, barking and jumping at the fence in his dog run. She knew she shouldn’t complain. At least Jan had remedied the problem, and Brutus hadn’t found a way to break out of the pen Jan had built for him.
Selma stopped at the linen closet in the hall and grabbed a heavy blanket. The nights had been getting colder lately, and with no heat in her room, she would need the extra blanket. She’d switched to flannel sheets when she’d remade the bed last week, and since then, each morning it was harder to get out of her warm, cozy cocoon.
When Selma entered the bedroom, she placed the blanket on the bed, changed into her nightgown, and turned down the covers. She was about to climb into bed, when she heard an unfamiliar noise. Unexpectedly, the floor vent popped up, and the scruffy cat poked his head through.
Selma jumped. Then, trying hard not to laug
h, she shook her finger at the cat and sternly said, “So that’s how you’ve been getting in, is it? You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, Scruffy?”
The cat gave a quick meow! Then he leaped onto her bed and curled into a tight ball. A few seconds later, seeming quite content, he began to purr, looking as if it would take more than a harsh scolding to change his mind about moving.
Selma couldn’t believe how persistent this animal was. It didn’t seem to matter how stern she was. Scruffy just wouldn’t give up. For some unknown reason, he’d decided to make this his new home, and he didn’t seem to care whether Selma liked it or not.
Should I weaken and let Scruffy stay? she wondered. Selma figured if she put the cat out he’d just find his way back in. Guess I could set a box or one of my bedside tables over the vent, but then he’d probably sit under the house and meow all night.
Leaning down, so she was eye level with the cat, Selma said quietly, “Okay, Scruffy, you win—you’ve got yourself a new home.”
Middlebury
As Anna got ready for bed, she realized that in her excitement over the possibility of going to Florida in December, she’d forgotten to show Mandy the bracelet Carmen had gotten her. Anna had only been to Florida once, when as a nine-year-old, she’d gone with her grandparents for a few weeks in December. The one thing she remembered most was running barefoot on the white sandy beaches. It had been fun to look for shells, chase the seagulls, and wade in the warm water. Grandpa had even taken a kite along, and on windy days he’d shown Anna how to fly it.
The eighty-degree temperatures in Sarasota felt so good. Not having to bundle up like she would have been doing back home had been a plus, too. Summer had always been Anna’s favorite time of the year, and she recalled how different it was to sip milk shakes during the warmth of a winter evening instead of watching snowflakes. On one of those nights, she’d sat with her grandparents on their front porch, watching as lightning illuminated the sky and thunder rumbled.
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