Amish Cooking Class--The Celebration

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Actually, Lyle checked early this morning, before he left for the auction he’s in charge of today. There’s probably no reason for me to check it again until sometime this evening.”

  “Okay.” Velma turned and grasped the door handle. “I’m heading outside now. Give a holler if you need me for anything.”

  Dover

  When Darren entered the house, carrying a black-and-white puppy, Jeremy jumped off the couch. “Wow, Dad, where’d ya get the mutt?”

  “It’s not a mutt.” Darren stroked the dog’s silky ears. “As near as I can tell, this is a cockapoo.”

  Jeremy tipped his head. “What’s a cockapoo?”

  “Part cocker spaniel, and part poodle.”

  “Oh.” Jeremy didn’t show much enthusiasm.

  Darren lifted the whimpering pup and held it out to his son. “She’s a cute little thing, isn’t she?”

  “I guess so, but why’d you bring the dog here?”

  “I rescued her earlier this morning from an abandoned building close to one that had caught fire. Poor little thing was so scared she was shaking all over when I found her.”

  “Wonder what happened to its mommy.” Jeremy stroked the dog’s head.

  “I’m not sure, but she was nowhere around, and this was the only puppy in the building. Now you understand why I couldn’t leave it there.” Darren rubbed the puppy’s nose and it started chewing on his finger. “Looks like this little gal is hungry. How about we go warm up some milk?”

  “Okay, but what are you gonna do with her?”

  “Thought maybe we could give her a home here.”

  Jeremy held up his hand. “No way, Dad! Bacon would have a fit if we brought another dog into our home. He hid under my bed the night we brought Velma’s dog home, and he didn’t come out till we took the black Lab to Heidi’s place the next day.”

  “True. Guess I’ll take the pup with us to Heidi’s next Saturday and see if any of the kids would like her.”

  “But that’s a whole week away. What are we supposed to do with her till then?”

  “Good question.” Darren snickered when the puppy licked his ear. “Do you think Bacon could deal with the pup for a week? We could keep her in the utility room at night, and outside in our fenced yard during the day.”

  Jeremy shrugged. “It might be okay, but what happens if none of the kids from the cooking class want a puppy?”

  “I’ll deal with it then.” Darren shifted the pup in his arms. “Where’s Mrs. Larsen?”

  Jeremy nodded with his head in the direction of the kitchen. “She’s baking cookies again.”

  “I should have guessed.” Darren sniffed the air. “I’ll go show her the pup. Maybe she’d like a dog to take home.”

  Canton

  Denise and Greg sat on chairs inside their screened-in patio, sipping lemonade. The overhead fan rotated on medium, keeping it comfortable, despite the outside heat.

  “It was nice going for ice cream after lunch, Greg.” Denise looked at her husband, feeling a tenderness she hadn’t felt in a while. “I can’t remember when we last did something fun as a family, or when an ice-cream cone tasted so good.”

  “It’s my fault for not taking the time to be with you and Kassidy more.” Greg rubbed his thumb over a brow. “We’re going to do more of that from now on.” He looked toward the door leading into the dining room. “By the way, where is our daughter?”

  “She’s on the phone, telling Hillary about our outing today.” Denise shook her head. “I have to tell you, Greg, our daughter was more excited about spending time with us today, than about all those niceties we’ve given her over the years.”

  “Objects don’t give or show your love, that’s for sure.” Greg took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you something else. Last week, when the lightning struck close to that guy at the golf course, I had an epiphany.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I realized how quickly someone’s life can change.” Greg snapped his fingers. “Lightning could have struck me, and it may have turned out far worse than it did for that man. Imagining you and Kassidy having to fend for yourselves really put a scare into me.”

  “Last Saturday was an eye-opener.” Denise inhaled sharply. “Even for Kassidy.”

  “Really?” Greg cocked his head. “But you’re right. I have noticed a difference this week in our daughter’s attitude. What has changed?”

  “During the cooking class last Saturday, I overheard the kids talking in the kitchen while we parents waited in the dining room. And then later, Kassidy told me she heard one of the boys tell how his mother had died from cancer. Kassidy was quiet the whole time Jeremy told how he has to have a babysitter whenever his dad has to work. Jeremy also said he missed his mom, and it’s hard for his dad to do everything.”

  “Wow, imagine our daughter learning a lesson from another kid.”

  “Yes, it certainly wasn’t planned. And coming from someone who has had a huge loss in his life made her think what it would be like if something happened to one of us. In fact, when she heard about the lightning strike on the news, she was highly upset and feared it was you. You can only imagine how relieved we both were when I called and you answered the phone.”

  “I was a bit nervous myself,” he said. “Just thinking about you driving home from class in that terrible weather had me on edge.”

  “Thank the Lord, we are all okay.” Denise placed her hand on her husband’s arm and gently squeezed it.

  “You know, this is nice sitting out here, just the two of us, talking. I need to stay home more instead of playing golf so often. I still have my work, of course, and so do you, but when we have free time, we’re going to spend it as a family. Besides, I have a lot of catching up to do around our property—especially taking care of those gutters.”

  Denise clinked her glass against Greg’s before they took another sip of lemonade. She almost felt like a young woman again who’d been kissed for the first time.

  Walnut Creek

  Heidi put a kettle of freshly snapped beans on the stove. They would go well with the ham and potatoes baking in the oven for supper. Having the oven on had heated up the kitchen, so they would eat their meal outside this evening.

  Heidi was about to light the gas burner but decided to hold off a bit, since Lyle wasn’t home yet. After working in the garden several hours, Velma had gone to take a shower, and Hank was in the living room, keeping all four kids entertained. That was evidenced by the giggles coming from the other room.

  Think I’ll go out and check for phone messages. There might be something from our lawyer or the social worker about the adoption proceedings.

  Heidi dried her damp hands on a paper towel and scooted out the back door. As she approached the phone shed, Rusty ran across the driveway in front of her. She jerked to one side, nearly losing her balance.

  “Rusty, you scared me.” She shook her finger at him.

  Arf! Arf! The dog ran around her in circles, and then dropped at her feet, looking up at Heidi with his big brown eyes.

  She paused and bent down to pet him. “So you need some attention, do you? Where’s your new friend, Abner?”

  Woof!

  Heidi laughed and looked toward the shade tree in the backyard where Velma’s dog was stretched out. “That’s what I thought. You played him out, huh?” She gave Rusty a few more pats, then continued on her trek to the phone shed.

  Once inside, she closed the door so her dog wouldn’t follow. It was hot and stuffy inside, so she would hurry and jot down any messages she found.

  Heidi took a seat and punched the button to retrieve the first message.

  “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Troyer. This is Gail Saunders, and I have some unexpected news to share with you.”

  Heidi leaned forward, eager to hear what the social worker had to say. Please let it be about the adoption. It would be wonderful to have some good news to share with Lyle when he gets home.

  “I know this may come as a surprise
, because it did to me, but Randy and Marsha’s grandfather has contacted the agency. Mr. Olsen wants to see the children as soon as possible, so…” Gail’s voice was cut off. Apparently Lyle hadn’t deleted enough messages this morning, and now their voice mail was full.

  Heidi brought a shaky hand up to her head, where she felt the beat of her heart in her temples. How could this be? We were told the children had no living relatives. Who is this man who says he’s their grandfather, and why has he come forth now after all these months?

  Heidi released an uncontrollable whimper. Oh, no… He’s come to take the children away from us. Tearfully, she bent into the excruciating pain. Dear Lord, what are we going to do?

  Chapter 45

  Heidi spent the next hour fixing supper and keeping her ear tuned for a car that might pull into their yard. She could only imagine what it would be like when the children’s grandfather showed up and demanded that Randy and Marsha go with him. She hadn’t returned the social worker’s call, fearful of what she would say. But if he was coming to see the children, Heidi needed to know when it would be so she could prepare them.

  Heidi looked up at the clock on the far wall. It was too late to call Gail now. She would have already left her office for the day.

  She rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to clear her thoughts. Since this was Saturday, Gail might not have been in her office at all when she made the call. Did she call yesterday, and somehow Lyle missed the message when he’d gone to the phone shed this morning? So many jumbled and conflicting thoughts raced through Heidi’s mind. It was hard to concentrate on anything else.

  She glanced out the kitchen window. I hope Lyle gets here soon. I need to talk to him about this before we say anything to the children. Heidi held her arms tightly against her sides. She feared that she and Lyle were about to suffer yet another shattering disappointment. Why would God allow something like this? Doesn’t He care how much we love Marsha and Randy?

  “Are you okay, Heidi?” Velma asked when she entered the kitchen. “Your face is the color of fresh-fallen snow.”

  “I… I…” Heidi stuttered. Should I tell her, or wait until I know something more?

  Velma rushed forward and slipped her arm around Heidi’s waist. “You look like you’re about to pass out. Why don’t ya sit down?” She pulled out a chair at the table and guided Heidi to the seat.

  “Where are the children?” Heidi asked.

  Velma took a peek into the living room, then quietly returned to the kitchen. “Hank must have played them out. All four kids are sound asleep, and Hank’s snorin’ away in the rocking chair.” Velma rubbed Heidi’s arm. “Now what has you so upset?”

  A moan escaped Heidi’s lips as she answered quietly. “We may lose Randy and Marsha.”

  Eyebrows raised, Velma took the chair beside Heidi. “What do you mean?”

  With a desperate need to tell someone, Heidi told Velma about the social worker’s message. She sniffed back tears threatening to spill over. “I can’t believe this is happening to us. We were told the children had no living relatives.” Heidi paused to pick up a napkin and blow her nose. “If this man Gail Saunders spoke of is truly the children’s grandfather, then where has he been all this time, and why did he wait till now to come forward?”

  “I—I don’t know. It makes no sense to me.”

  “I’m not sure what I’ll do if we lose Randy and Marsha. I love them so much, and Lyle and I have been looking forward to adopting them.” Heidi nearly choked on the sob rising in her throat.

  Velma stroked Heidi’s forearm with a gentle touch. “Maybe the man isn’t really their grandpa. He could be an imposter tryin’ to steal their inheritance.”

  “There is no inheritance.” Heidi shook her head. “From what we were told, the children’s parents barely had enough insurance for burial expenses. And the money they had in the bank was meager. Basically, they were living from paycheck to paycheck.”

  “Did they own a house and a car?”

  “No house. They were renting. They did have a car, but it was totaled when they were hit by another vehicle.” Heidi sat quietly for a few seconds, staring at the table. “If the man is really the children’s grandfather, his interest in them would not be for any money he might receive.”

  She stood and moved over to the stove to check on the ham. “Please don’t say anything about this to Randy and Marsha, or even Lyle. I’ll discuss this with him, of course, but not until after the children have gone to bed. Lyle and I need time to talk this through and decide the best way to tell them.”

  Velma’s head moved back and forth. “Don’t worry, Heidi. I won’t say a word.”

  Millersburg

  The doorbell rang, and Ellen took one last look in the hall mirror to make sure she looked okay. Opening the front door, she put on her best smile. Darren looked so handsome there on the porch, holding a bottle of sparkling cider. Jeremy stood beside his father, wearing a cheerful smile.

  “It’s nice to see you both. I’m glad you could come for supper this evening.”

  Darren grinned and handed her the bottle. “We’re glad you invited us.” He looked at Jeremy. “My son gets tired of his dad’s bland cooking.”

  She laughed. “Come on in.”

  They followed Ellen into the living room. She smiled when Jeremy flopped down on the couch beside Becky. There had been a day when those two would never have sat beside each other.

  “What’s new with you?” Jeremy asked, looking at Becky.

  “Nothing much. How ‘bout you?”

  “My dad brought home an abandoned pup, but we’re not gonna keep the mutt, since we already have a dog.” Jeremy bumped Becky’s arm. “Say, how’d ya like to have a dog? You don’t have any pets, right?”

  “Actually, we do,” Ellen spoke up. “We got a cat last week, and most cats and dogs don’t get along very well, so we’ll have to pass on the pup.”

  “We went to the pound and got a cat that needed a good home,” Becky explained.

  Just then the pretty calico entered the room and meowed.

  “There she is now.” Ellen pointed. “Guess she heard us talking about her.”

  “What did you name the cat?” Jeremy asked.

  “We call her Callie.” Becky giggled when the cat walked over and rubbed against her leg.

  Jeremy looked up at his dad. “Guess there’s not much point in takin’ the cockapoo to the cooking class next week. Peggy Ann and Eddie already have a dog, and so do Randy and Marsha.” Jeremy tapped his chin. “Come to think of it, Debbie and Kevin told me one time after class that they have a dog named Blondie.”

  “Theoretically, Rusty is the Troyers’ dog, but since Marsha and Randy live with them, I guess they figure the dog is theirs too,” Darren interjected. “Anyway, there’s still Kassidy to ask. She might be happy to take the puppy.”

  Becky’s nose scrunched up as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t even bother asking her. She’s too snooty and prissy to take care of a pet.”

  “Be nice, Becky,” Ellen warned. “You don’t know Kassidy well enough to make a judgment about what she would or would not do.”

  “Your mom’s right,” Darren put in. “So it won’t hurt for me to ask.” He leaned close to Ellen and stroked her arm, sending shivers up her neck. “Now lead the way to the kitchen, and I’ll help you get supper on the table.”

  “Thank you.” Ellen smiled. What a thoughtful man. I’m glad you came into my life when you did.

  Berlin

  “Sure am glad you and the kids were free this evening. I’ve wanted to take you all out for a picnic supper, and this is the perfect night.” Trent looked over at Miranda and smiled.

  “Yes, it’s a beautiful evening.” Miranda waited until the kids were in the back, along with their dog, and then she slid into the passenger’s seat. Unconsciously, she reached over and took his hand. “I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so pleased that you gave the Kimballs a car they so desperately needed.” She gen
tly squeezed his fingers. “I’m proud to be your wife.”

  He leaned closer and whispered in Miranda’s ear. “Does that mean what I hope it does?”

  She nodded slowly. “I’d like you to move back in with us whenever you’re ready.”

  “Is tonight too soon?” His eyes glistened.

  “Tonight would be fine. When the picnic is over, we can stop by your apartment for a few of your things. The rest you can bring home at your convenience.”

  Trent turned and looked in the back seat. “Did ya hear that, kids? Your dad’s coming home.”

  Debbie and Kevin clapped their hands and shouted, “Hooray!”

  As though not wanting to be left out, Blondie joined in with a few excited barks.

  Trent pulled Miranda into his arms and kissed her tenderly. When the kiss ended, he looked into her eyes and said, “I can’t promise to be the perfect husband, but I will always try to do my best. And I’ll go to church with you, and study the Bible on my own, because I want to be the kind of husband and father you and the kids deserve.”

  Walnut Creek

  As Heidi sat at the picnic table during supper, she could barely eat anything. She stared at the slice of ham next to the few green beans she’d put on her plate, and as her thoughts took her to the message she’d listened to earlier today, her fear and insecurity increased.

  Lyle must have sensed something, for he looked over at Heidi and pointed to her plate. “You’ve barely touched a thing. Aren’t you hungrich this evening? Or is the oppressive heat we’ve had lately getting to you?”

  “A little of both, I guess.” She wanted to blurt out the real reason for her loss of appetite but was committed to waiting until the children were in bed before she told Lyle about Gail’s message.

  “Well, the heat hasn’t hurt my appetite any. I’m hungry as a mule!” Hank reached for a second baked potato and slathered it with butter and plenty of sour cream. “You’re married to one fine cook.” He grinned at Lyle.