The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Emma knew the importance of passing things on to the next generation. That’s why she’d taught her daughters and granddaughters how to sew and quilt. Since Mary lived close to Emma, she often came over so she and Emma could do some quilting together. It was fun having someone to quilt with while getting caught up on one another’s lives.

  “How did you think things went with the class today?” Lamar asked, bringing Emma’s thoughts to a halt.

  Emma sighed. “Okay, I guess, but I wish Anna would open up to me. She seemed even more sullen than usual this morning.”

  “She does seem to be catching on to quilting, though,” Lamar observed.

  “Jah, but I’m concerned because Anna doesn’t say much to anyone except Carmen.” Emma stopped walking and turned to face Lamar. “I have a hunch that young woman is not going to join the Amish church.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “She has a chip on her shoulder and seems to be dissatisfied with the Amish way of life. I recognize it because when I was a young girl that’s how I felt.”

  Lamar’s mouth gaped open. “Oh Emma, I find it hard to believe that you ever had a chip on your shoulder or were dissatisfied being Amish.”

  “It’s true. I was restless and rebellious and almost ran off with my boyfriend, but I came to my senses in time.” Emma’s face heated just thinking about it. Even after all these years she felt shame for what she’d put her parents through.

  “Maybe you should share this with Anna,” Lamar suggested. “Let her know that you understand what she’s going through.”

  “I would if she’d open up to me, but I can hardly bring up the subject for no reason at all.”

  Lamar took Emma’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I think we should pray about this, don’t you?”

  Emma nodded. She’d been praying for Anna, as well as her other five students, and would continue to do so.

  Winona Lake

  Blaine left the Lakehouse store, where he’d spent the last half hour looking at various items involving water sports, and headed for his SUV to wait for Cheryl. After talking to a fisherman he’d met in the store, he’d learned that Winona Lake was known as one of the better bass fisheries in northern Indiana. He’d also been told that it was best to fish during the early morning hours before any power boats hit the water. The thing that made him want to come back the most was learning that in addition to largemouth bass, there were also walleye and bluegills. The man had said the shallower water of the lake was best fished from a kayak with a flat bottom because the thick vegetation that grew there could create a problem for motor boats.

  Blaine glanced around the parking lot, then over toward one of the shops. Where is she, anyway? he wondered, looking at his watch. Cheryl should have been here by now. What could be keeping her? Blaine pulled out his cell phone to call her and frowned. That’s great; my battery’s dead. Think I’d better drive past some of the shops and see if I can spot her.

  Cheryl stepped out of the Whetstone Woodenware shop and headed for the parking lot where Blaine’s vehicle was parked. She’d spent a little more time in the shop than she’d planned, but at least she’d found a nice hand-carved soup ladle to give her mother for Christmas. She’d also purchased a set of wooden salad tongs for herself. Since Cheryl’s dad loved coffee, she’d bought him a wooden scoop for measuring out coffee grounds. She wished she’d been able to spend a little more time in that shop, but she was already late.

  As Cheryl switched her bag of purchases to the other hand, she looked for the spot where Blaine had parked his SUV before they’d gone to eat. What’s going on? Blaine’s vehicle isn’t there. Did he move it? Could I be mistaken about where he parked it?

  Feeling a sense of panic, Cheryl dashed up and down the aisles of parked cars, searching for Blaine’s rig, but to no avail. Out of breath, she halted and looked at her watch. She’d gotten here fifteen minutes later than when they’d agreed to meet, so at least she wasn’t too far off the mark. But then, she started blaming herself. This is my fault. I should have been paying attention to what time it was and spent less time shopping. Was it possible that Blain had become impatient and left without her? Was he capable of doing such a thing?

  Why didn’t he call me? Cheryl fretted, reaching into her purse to retrieve her cell phone. When she didn’t find it there, she remembered having set it on her dresser this morning to charge the battery. “That’s just great; I left home without it,” she mumbled, looking both ways and wondering what direction to take.

  As Terry approached Winona Lake on his Harley, he lowered his speed. The resort town looked busy today, with many cars lining the streets. Even the parking lots were full. He saw several boats on the lake and people walking from shop to shop.

  Terry hadn’t planned on coming to the area today, but after he’d left Selma’s and taken to the road, he’d just kept going, enjoying the ride. Winona Lake was where he ended up.

  Think I’ll look for a spot to park my cycle and then head into one of the restaurants for something to eat, Terry thought. The sandwiches he’d eaten at Selma’s had filled him for a time, but he’d worked up an appetite riding down here from Shipshewana.

  When Terry turned onto the next street, he spotted a blond-haired woman coming out of a parking lot. She looked kind of like Cheryl. After doing a double-take, he realized it was Cheryl!

  Terry pulled his cycle next to her and stopped. She gave him a blank look at first, but then her mouth formed an O. “Terry, wh–what are you doing here?” she stammered.

  “After I finished helping Selma with a little problem she had, I decided to take a ride, and this is where I ended up. It’s a nice fall day for a road trip, fresh air and all. I’ve been here before, but not for some time.” He studied Cheryl a bit and noticed that her face was red and her forehead glistened with sweat. “What are you doing here? And where’s Mr. Clean? I thought the two of you had a date this afternoon.”

  “We did, but we went our separate ways after lunch and were supposed to meet back at his car. But when I got there, Blaine’s SUV was gone.” Cheryl’s forehead wrinkled. “And I wish you wouldn’t call him ‘Mr. Clean.’ ”

  Ignoring her last comment, Terry said, “Where’d the guy go? Don’t tell me he went home without you.”

  “I—I don’t know. I’m worried that he might have, because if Blaine was still here, I’m sure his vehicle would be in the lot. Why else would he have moved it?”

  Terry shook his head and muttered, “Some date he turned out to be. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of in my life, but I’ve never left a date stranded.”

  “Do you have a cell phone?” she asked. “I need to call him.”

  Terry shook his head. “No cell phone for me today. I forgot and left it home this morning. Where’s your cell phone?”

  She frowned. “I left it at home.”

  “Well, if you need a ride, I’d be happy to give you a lift,” Terry offered. “I always carry an extra helmet with me.”

  Cheryl hesitated, but finally nodded. “Thanks, I appreciate that, but what about my package? How am I supposed to carry it if I’m holding on to you?”

  “That’s not a problem.” Terry pointed to the saddlebags on the back of his cycle. “Just stick it in there.”

  “Okay, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to ride around town once or twice and see if we can spot Blaine’s vehicle. Before we head home, I just want to be sure he’s not still here someplace, looking for me.”

  “Sure, we can do that. But if we don’t see the guy, then I say we head outta here. We can stop on the way back to Emma’s, where you left your car, for a bite to eat. I was gonna eat here, but I can wait.”

  Blaine had driven past all the shops in town several times, but there was no sign of Cheryl. Since his cell phone was dead, he’d gone to a pay phone and tried to call her, but all he’d gotten was Cheryl’s voice mail. This was frustrating, and he wasn’t sure what to do. Cheryl had to be somewhere in town,
and he sure couldn’t leave without her, so he decided to go back to the parking lot where they were supposed to meet and check one more time. If Cheryl wasn’t there, he’d leave the SUV parked and walk into every single shop until he found her.

  A few minutes later, Blaine pulled into the parking lot. The spot he’d been in before was taken, but there was another slot a few cars away. He didn’t see any sign of Cheryl, however. Pulling into the empty spot, he turned off the ignition and got out. Guess I’d better head for the shops, he told himself.

  Blaine had only walked a short distance when he heard the roar of a motorcycle. Looking to his right, he spotted a guy on a Harley, and a woman with blond hair on the back. She held on to the biker’s waist as they headed out, in the opposite direction. Blaine blinked a couple of times and stared in disbelief as realization set it in. Even with his helmet on, he could see it was the redheaded roofer from the quilting class driving the bike, and Cheryl, with wisps of blond hair sticking out from under her blue helmet, was his passenger on the back!

  CHAPTER 30

  Blaine’s hands shook as he stood on the sidewalk and watched Terry’s bike disappear out of town. The nerve of that guy, running off with my date! I’ll bet he had it planned all along. For all I know, Cheryl might have been in on it, too. I wonder if she told him we were coming here today?

  If Blaine hadn’t been so far from his vehicle, he would have gone after them. But trying to catch up to the fast-moving motorcycle would be a challenge, and with his luck, he’d probably end up with a speeding ticket.

  Stuffing both hands into his jacket pockets, Blaine walked back to the place where he’d left his rig and continued to mull things over. Should I try calling Cheryl when I get home and demand to know why she rode off with Terry, or do I just let it go and forget about her?

  Blaine wished now that he hadn’t taken Stuart’s advice and asked Cheryl out in the first place. Terry had shown up on their first date at the bowling alley, and now again today! Strange coincidence, if you ask me. Or is it? Blaine hated feeling this way, but what else could he think?

  “Maybe I should give up on women,” Blaine mumbled as he approached his car. His track record wasn’t good. First Sue walked out of his life, and now it appeared as if Cheryl had done the same without even giving them a chance to get to know each other.

  Of course, Blaine thought as he opened the vehicle door and slid in behind the wheel, I haven’t really tried to get to know Cheryl.

  He remembered that back at the restaurant most of their conversation during lunch had been about him. He’d barely listened when Cheryl read the history of the BoatHouse Restaurant. Since it didn’t have anything to do with fishing, he hadn’t been that interested. Still, he should have at least made some effort to be involved in the conversation.

  Blaine decided he would give Cheryl a call when he got home. Perhaps he’d jumped to conclusions, and she’d been looking for him while he’d gone looking for her and thought he’d left. He hoped that was the case and that she hadn’t planned to meet Terry the whole time.

  Shipshewana

  When Anna left Emma’s after the quilt class, she pedaled her bike around Shipshewana for a while, feeling sorry for herself. It wasn’t just that she’d been forced to give up the beautiful bracelet. She felt sad because there were only two weeks left of the quilting classes, which meant Carmen would be going back to California. Anna would miss the talks they’d had, although she really didn’t know a lot about Carmen. During the times they’d spent together, Anna had mostly talked about herself. Of course, that was partly due to Carmen asking so many questions about the Amish way of life. Anna wondered why Carmen was so curious. Of course, Anna was curious about things concerning the English life, and more times than not, she found herself wishing she could wear beautiful garments like Carmen’s instead of her plain clothes.

  Knowing she should be getting home before Dad came looking for her, Anna turned her bicycle in the direction of Middlebury. She’d have to offer an excuse for being late, and the only thing she could think to say was that she’d been hungry after class and had gone to a restaurant in Shipshewana for something to eat. It wouldn’t really be a lie, since she had eaten a hamburger and chocolate shake at one of the restaurants.

  As Anna continued to pedal toward home, she thought about her decision to move to Sarasota. If she’d kept the bracelet Carmen had given her, she could have taken it with her. Oh well, it was too late for regrets.

  Anna thought once again about the best way to tell her folks that she’d be leaving the first week of December. She knew they wouldn’t be in favor of her going to Florida with Mandy, but she was old enough now to make her own decisions.

  When Lamar turned their horse and buggy onto the driveway, he handed Emma the reins and said, “Think I’ll hop out and check the mail. It’ll save me a trip walking out after I put the horse and buggy away.”

  “Would you rather I get the mail?” Emma asked.

  He shook his head. “That’s okay, I’ll do it. No need for you to get out.”

  Emma smiled as she watched Lamar climb down from the buggy and walk to the mailbox by the side of the road. He was always so thoughtful and considerate.

  When Lamar returned to the buggy, he handed Emma a stack of mail and took up the reins.

  As they headed up the driveway toward the barn, Emma thumbed through the mail. She smiled when she saw a letter from her sister Rachel, who lived in Middlefield, Ohio. Tearing open the envelope and quickly reading Rachel’s note, Emma’s smile widened.

  “What’s that big grin about?” Lamar asked. “I’m guessing whatever you opened is not a bill.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s a letter from my sister Rachel, and she’s coming for a visit.”

  “How nice. When will she arrive?”

  “In two weeks. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her, so I’m looking forward to her visit.” Emma placed Rachel’s letter in with the rest of the mail and sighed. “The only thing that concerns me is that there are still two more quilting classes to go, and the quilt for Cheryl’s grandmother isn’t done yet. So I may not have enough time to clean house and get things ready for Rachel’s visit.”

  Lamar reached over and patted Emma’s hand. “Not to worry; I’ll help as much as I can. I’m sure Mary and your granddaughters will, too.”

  Selma stood at the door, looking out and calling for Scruffy. She hadn’t seen any sign of the cat since early this morning and was beginning to worry. Could he have returned to wherever he came from? she wondered. Maybe he wasn’t really looking for a new home. It could be that he was lost and just needed someplace to get in out of the cold. Selma hated to admit it, but she missed the pesky cat. His gray-colored coat had looked better after she’d combed out the mats, and she had even given him a collar with a small bell so she could tell where he was in the house.

  “Guess that’s what I get for letting the critter worm his way into my house and heart,” Selma muttered, closing the door. It seemed like she was destined to lose everyone she cared about—even a pet. It was as if the cat had deliberately forced his way into Selma’s life, only to desert her once she’d begun to care.

  “Just like Cora,” Selma grumbled, shuffling into the living room and collapsing on the sofa. She remembered how Terry had mentioned Cora’s picture today and how just talking about her had been painful. Yet in some ways, telling Terry about Cora had given Selma a small measure of peace, because he seemed to understand.

  Selma picked up the remote and turned on the TV. She scanned the list of shows that were on but didn’t see anything that really interested her as she continued to hit the Channel button. She glanced toward the bookcase where the framed photo of Cora always sat. No wonder Terry thought it was her in the photo. It was like looking at herself when she was sixteen years old. Selma and her husband, John, had all but given up hope of ever having any children, but then, when Selma was in her late thirties, they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl.


  The photo had been taken more than fifteen years ago, but Selma remembered it as if it were yesterday. John, Cora, and Selma had gone on a picnic, and after they’d eaten their lunch, Cora had sat on a fallen tree, gazing at a field of wildflowers.

  Selma closed her eyes to relish the memory. She and John had cleaned up everything and were discussing some colleges Cora might attend in the not-too-distant future. Suddenly, John nudged Selma’s arm and pointed at their daughter sitting on the log as though in deep thought. Wanting to capture the moment, Selma picked up her camera, zoomed in on Cora, and snapped the look of contentment on the young woman’s face. Of all the pictures Selma had of her daughter, this one was her favorite. Everything about that special day had been perfect, even the glow on Cora’s face. Looking back, it was hard to think that Cora was now thirty years old. Since Cora had not married, Selma was sure she’d never be a grandmother.

  Not wanting to get depressed like she normally did when thinking too deeply about the past, Selma picked an old rerun she’d seen many times before, but at least it was a humorous show and one she wouldn’t have to think too hard about. “Mindless entertainment” was what Selma called it.

  After a few minutes, when a commercial came on, Selma got up to make a cup of hot tea. Walking past the bookcase, she glanced once more at Cora’s photo.

  When Selma stepped into the kitchen, she looked out the window, but there was no sign of Scruffy. Guess the cat hasn’t been gone all that long. Maybe I’m overreacting. He’ll probably be back, meowing at my door before it’s time for bed.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m sure hungry,” Paul said to Carmen as they entered the Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana.

  “I’m hungry, too,” she admitted. “And anxious to try some of the Amish-style meals they serve at this restaurant.”