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

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Okay. Have a good trip, Mr. Lawrence.”

  Carmen had no more than hung up, when out of nowhere, Paul, with Sophia perched on his shoulders, stepped up to her. “Who were you talking to, and what’s this about writing a story on the Amish?”

  Caught off guard, and realizing that Paul had obviously heard her conversation with Mr. Lawrence, Carmen swallowed hard and moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Umm…I thought you took Sophia to the toy store.”

  “Never mind that. What’s this about?” Paul asked again, pointing to Carmen’s cell phone.

  Unsure of where to begin, Carmen drew a deep breath. “Let me explain.”

  “Yes, please do. I’m all ears.”

  Quickly, Carmen told Paul that she’d been sent to Indiana to write a story for the newspaper in Los Angeles that would shed some light on the topic of rumschpringe and why the parents of Amish young people allowed them to run wild during that time.

  Paul frowned, while shaking his head. “So the whole time you’ve been taking Emma’s quilting classes, and spending time on your own with Anna Lambright, you’ve been gleaning information for your story?”

  Carmen nodded, hoping to explain a little more. “But it’s turned out to be more than that, Paul. During the time I’ve been here, I’ve come to—”

  Paul held up his hand. “You don’t need to say anything more; I get the picture. You’ve used my Amish friends to get the story you want, and now you’re going to shed a bad light on the Amish way of life.”

  “It’s not like that. I really—”

  “I don’t want to talk about this,” Paul said. “If you’re done shopping, I’ll drop you off at your hotel and you can say good-bye to Sophia, because we won’t be seeing you again before you return to California.” Paul lifted Sophia from his shoulders and held her in his arms.

  Carmen cringed at the way he looked at her and recoiled at his next verbal blow.

  “I’m really disappointed in you, Carmen. I never thought you’d stoop so low. And all those months I had to live with you thinking the accident that killed my beloved wife was my fault…well, I should have known from that what kind of a person you really are.”

  Paul’s icy stare and the tone of his voice was enough to make Carmen know that she’d lost his respect. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t listen.

  I should not have agreed to do that story, she thought with regret. No matter what I say or do, Paul will never trust me.

  Middlebury

  James picked up Anna and Mandy later than expected, and by the time they got back to Shipshewana, Anna really had to hustle to get home, riding her bike, which she’d left locked to the bike rack outside the 5 & 20 restaurant.

  When Anna walked into her house, flushed from the hard ride, she found Mom and Dad in the living room. Dad was reading the newspaper, while Mom knitted on the prayer shawl she’d started a few weeks ago.

  “You’ve been gone most of the day, Anna,” Mom said, setting her paper aside. “Where have you been?”

  “I went to lunch and then did some shopping with Mandy.” Anna plopped down in the empty chair across from her parents.

  “You know we don’t approve of you hanging around that girl,” Dad said, looking at Anna over the top of his reading glasses.

  “Mandy’s a good friend,” Annie defended, grasping the arms of her chair. Then throwing caution to the wind, she leaned forward and blurted, “I’m going to Sarasota, Florida, with Mandy in December.” There, it was out, and she felt a sense of relief for finding the courage to finally say it—that is until she saw her parents’ reactions.

  Dad’s face turned beet red, and he slapped his hand down on the end table next to the sofa so hard that Mom’s knitting yarn fell off and unraveled as it rolled across the floor.

  “Anna Lambright, I forbid you to go!” he shouted. “And if you leave here against our wishes, you may as well stay in Sarasota and never come back!”

  “I’m an adult now, and I have a right to make my own decisions,” Anna argued. “I need some time to decide whether I want to join the Amish church or not.” Tears stung Anna’s eyes as she abruptly stood. What was the point in trying to explain? “I’m sorry you feel that way, Dad, but there was no good time to tell you this. I figured you’d react this way, but my mind is made up.” Unable to say anything more, Anna ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her.

  CHAPTER 36

  As the week went by, Emma became more excited. Her sister was supposed to arrive on Friday but had called and said that due to a few extra stops her driver had made, she’d be a day late, and that Emma should expect her to arrive sometime Saturday.

  “I hope Rachel gets here after the quilting class today,” Emma told Lamar as they sat at the kitchen table Saturday morning, drinking coffee. “I want to give her my undivided attention, and if she comes in the middle of class, I won’t be able to do that.”

  Lamar placed his hand on Emma’s arm and gave it a tender squeeze. “Try not to fret. Rachel will get here when she’s supposed to get here, and if happens to be when in you’re in the middle of teaching your class, then you can introduce her to everyone.”

  Emma smiled. “That’s true, and since she’s also a quilter, she might enjoy seeing what my students have been doing.”

  “Speaking of which,” Lamar said, rising from his chair, “I hear the roar of a motorcycle, so I’m guessing Terry must be here.”

  When Terry pulled his cycle into Emma’s yard, he noticed that no other vehicles were there. He figured he was probably early, but that was okay because if the class went longer than normal today, he’d have to leave early. He’d be heading out for a three-day fund-raiser bike trip this afternoon and didn’t want to be late meeting up with Jan and

  Star, along with the rest of the people who’d be riding with them. This fund-raiser was to help a family who’d recently lost everything when their house burned down. Since Terry had gone to school with the man, he wanted to help out in any way he could. In fact, he and Jan had offered to help rebuild the family’s house, as had many of their biker buddies.

  Terry stood on the porch a few minutes, watching for Cheryl’s car. He hoped she would get here soon, so he could tell her about his plans. If she didn’t, he’d try to sneak in a few words with her during class.

  After waiting several more minutes and seeing Selma, Blaine, Anna, and Carmen show up, Terry finally gave up and went inside, too.

  Emma smiled as everyone took a seat around the table. “Today we’ll finish the binding on your wall hangings,” she said. “But I think we should wait until Cheryl gets here.”

  Terry glanced at his cell phone to check the time. “I’m in a hurry, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to start sewing right away.”

  “Go right ahead. Lamar can help you finish up,” Emma responded. “The rest of you are free to do the same. Cheryl’s wall hanging is almost done, so when she gets here I’m sure it won’t take her long to finish it.”

  Goshen

  Cheryl had forgotten to set her alarm, so she was already running late, but just as she climbed into her car, her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother, she quickly answered the phone. “Hi, Mom. How’s Grandma doing?”

  “I was there the other day, and she didn’t know who I was. I’m not sure it’ll do any good to have a party for her.”

  “With or without a party, I’m still coming for her birthday,” Cheryl said.

  “Have you booked your flight yet?”

  “No, but I’m going to do that as soon as I get home from the quilting class today. I should have done it sooner, but I’ve been watching for a cheaper rate, and there hasn’t been any.” Cheryl took a deep breath. “Do you think she’ll recognize me?”

  Mom sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll give you a call as soon as I get my tickets booked so you or Dad will know when to pick me up.”

  “All right, Cheryl. We’ll talk to you soon.”

&nbs
p; Cheryl’s heart was heavy as she clicked off the phone. She was tempted to skip Emma’s class today, but it was the last one, and she really wanted to finish her wall hanging. She’d also planned to have lunch with Terry. If those weren’t reasons enough, Emma had promised she’d have Grandma’s quilt done today, so Cheryl needed to pick it up. Maybe once Grandma saw her old quilt again, she would regain some memories.

  “Thanks for helping me get this done so fast, Lamar,” Terry said, looking at the clock on the far wall and knowing he had to leave soon. Cheryl still hadn’t arrived, and he hoped he would have time to explain why he had to cancel their lunch date today. Lately, Terry had been so wrapped up in wanting to be with Cheryl, it had taken him by surprise when Jan reminded him that the charity ride was this weekend.

  “Are you doing something special this afternoon?” Lamar asked, placing Terry’s finished wall hanging in a cardboard box.

  “Yeah, I have plans with a few of my biker friends. We’re going on a road trip for a few days to help a friend in need, and I just found out this morning that we’re supposed to leave this afternoon.”

  “Are you finished up?” Emma asked, walking over as Lamar handed Terry the box.

  Terry nodded. “I hate to do this, but as I was telling Lamar, I’ve got a trip to take and need to get going. Is it okay if I leave my wall hanging here till I get back?”

  “Certainly,” Emma said.

  He smiled at her. “Just want you to know that I appreciate all you and Lamar have done in helping me make the wall hanging.” He rubbed his forehead. “This sure isn’t the way I wanted to leave on our last day of class, and I didn’t even get to see Cheryl and explain why I have to postpone our lunch plans.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Lamar put his hand on Terry’s shoulder. “When she gets here, we’ll explain things to her. Just be safe on that trip, and have fun.”

  “I’ll ask Lamar to fill me in on this trip you’re taking,” Emma said. “But while you’re still here, I need to tell everyone something.”

  When Emma had the class’s attention, she began to explain. “I know this is the last day of class, but with my sister arriving today, I want to spend as much time with her as possible, so I was thinking of setting another time when we can all get together and visit awhile. Would two weeks from today work for all of you? I’ll make a dessert, of course,” she quickly added.

  Everyone agreed, except Carmen, who said she had to return to California.

  “I hate to run off like this,” Terry said, looking at Emma, “but I’ll catch up with you when we get back together here.” With that, Terry hollered, “See you all soon,” and headed out the door.

  Terry hopped on his cycle and started the engine. Revving up the engine and knocking the kickstand back with his foot, he headed out. He thought this road trip might serve a twofold purpose. Besides raising money for a needy family, it would give him some time to clear his head so he could deal with all the things he’d been thinking about concerning Cheryl and where their relationship might be headed.

  As Emma and Lamar supervised the students, Emma began to worry. Not only was Cheryl late for class, but Rachel wasn’t here yet, either. She hoped Rachel’s driver hadn’t run into bad weather or experienced any problems with her vehicle.

  Lord, please bring my sister and Cheryl here safely, Emma silently prayed, and help me not to worry so much.

  Needing to focus on something else, Emma moved across the room to help Carmen, who’d just dropped a package of pins. As she approached the sewing machine where Carmen sat, she noticed that the young woman’s hands were shaking, and her eyes were rimmed with tears.

  “Oh dear, what’s wrong?” Emma asked. “There’s no reason to be upset about dropping those pins.”

  “It…it’s not the pins,” Carmen said, sniffing. “I’ve done something I’m not proud of, and I think I’ve ruined my relationship with Paul.”

  Emma placed her hands on Carmen’s trembling shoulders. “I’m sure whatever you did can’t be that bad.”

  Carmen bobbed her head, while swiping at the tears running down her cheeks. “Yes, it is.”

  Emma didn’t want to pry, but she thought it might help if Carmen talked about it. She was on the verge of asking, when a knock sounded on the door. Lamar said he would get it, and he returned moments later holding a suitcase, with Rachel at his side.

  Emma hurried across the room and gave her sister a hug. “Oh Rachel! It’s so good to see you!”

  Rachel nodded, her pale blue eyes sparkling with the joy she obviously felt. Then she looked around the room and said, “I can see that you’re busy right now, so I won’t interrupt. Lamar can show me to my room.”

  “Nonsense,” Emma said with a shake of her head. “I want you to meet my quilting students.” She took Rachel’s arm and led her around the room, introducing her to each one. By this time, Carmen had dried her eyes and looked a little perkier. When Rachel reached out and shook Carmen’s hand, Carmen smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Thinking this might be a good time to take a break, Emma announced that she was going to the kitchen to get some refreshments.

  “I’ll help you,” Rachel said, following Emma into the other room.

  When they returned with a tray of cookies, coffee, and iced tea, Emma was pleased to see that Cheryl had finally arrived, after being over an hour late. The young woman’s face looked drawn, and Emma suspected that she, too, might be upset about something.

  “Sorry I’m so late,” Cheryl said, turning to Emma. “I forgot to set my alarm last night, and then I got a call from my mother.” She paused a moment and drew in a sharp breath. “My grandma’s not doing well, so I’m anxious to go home to see her.” Cheryl’s voice trailed off and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Emma said, gently touching Cheryl’s arm. “I have the quilt ready for you, so you’ll be able to take it when you go. In fact, I’ll get it right now.”

  While Emma went after the quilt, Cheryl glanced at the empty seat, then noticed Lamar heading her way.

  “Are you looking for Terry?” he asked.

  “Yes. How’d you know? Didn’t he make it to class today?”

  “He was here, and you missed him by about fifteen minutes,” Lamar explained. “He had to leave early because he was meeting his friends. Seems like they’re going on some sort of bike ride for a couple of days. He said he’d call you when he gets back.”

  Just then Emma returned with the quilt. She asked Lamar to hold one corner, while she held the other, so Cheryl could see how it had turned out.

  “Oh, it’s beautiful,” Cheryl murmured. “I think Grandma’s going to be pleased.”

  Rachel, who stood off to one side, moved forward. She stared at the quilt and gasped. “Ach, my! This isn’t meechlich!” she said, lifting her eyebrows in obvious surprise as she brought her hand up to her mouth.

  “What isn’t possible?” Emma questioned, watching as her sister drew closer to the quilt and examined every detail.

  “The gwilt. It belonged to our sister Betty.”

  “Why would you think that?” Emma asked.

  “See here,” Rachel said, touching the underneath side on one corner of the quilt. “Those are Betty’s initials. I remember when she embroidered them there.”

  “Betty?” Cheryl said, her eyes opening wide.

  Rachel nodded. “She’s our oldest sister, but she left the faith and moved away when she was eighteen years old.”

  Emma’s lips pursed as she stared at the quilt. “I’ve never met Betty. She left home shortly before I was born. I’d only heard my family talk about Betty a few times, but I know from what little had been said that it hurt our parents deeply when Betty left. And in all those years, she never returned or made any contact with our family. I can’t imagine how I would have felt if one of my children had done that.”

  Emma turned to Cheryl. “I wonder how your grandmother ended up with our sister’
s quilt. Do you know where or from whom she bought it?”

  Cheryl stood motionless, as though in a daze. In a barely audible voice, she squeaked, “Betty is my grandmother’s name. I don’t know how it’s possible, Emma, but I think Grandma might be your sister.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Portland, Oregon

  Emma’s excitement rose as she followed Cheryl and Rachel off the train. Needing to find out if Cheryl’s grandmother was their sister Betty, Cheryl had booked train tickets for all three of them, since Emma and Rachel weren’t allowed to fly. Spending two days on the train gave them time to visit and let all that they’d learned sink in. Cheryl seemed especially thrilled to find out that Emma might actually be her great-aunt.

  The train trip had been pleasant for Emma, except for the worry she felt about the health of Cheryl’s grandmother. The scenery had been beautiful as they’d headed west, zipping through the central states, then the mountainous areas, until they’d ended up here in Portland.

  “Oh, there’s my folks.” Cheryl motioned to the middle-aged couple walking toward them. After she’d hugged her parents, she introduced Emma and Rachel.

  “So if what Cheryl told me on the phone is true, then you two would be my aunts,” Cheryl’s mother, Katherine, said, giving Emma and Rachel a hug. “I wasn’t aware that my mother had any sisters. She’s never said much about her past, and when I asked about her childhood, I was told that she had no family. I figured that meant no siblings.”

  “I was only seven years old when Betty left home, but I remember that she was upset about something,” Rachel said as they headed toward the baggage claim area. “Later on, our folks explained that Betty wanted to live in the modern world and thought our ways were old-fashioned. Betty and Dad had words, and he said if she left home she shouldn’t come back.” Rachel sighed deeply. “I suppose she took him at his word, because we never heard from her again. I remember Mama crying many times over losing Betty.”