Plain and Fancy

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Laura was about to scold him, but Ben picked up one of his mother’s dark bonnets and plunked it on top of his head. She sank to her knees and laughed so hard that tears ran down her face. The cows on the other side of the fence mooed, and the little boy giggled.

  Maybe life on this humble, Amish farm wasn’t so bad after all.

  ***

  Pauline sat on the front porch, staring at the flowers blooming in her mother’s garden but not really seeing them. She’d been miserable ever since Eli had told her they had no future together and had begun dating that fancy English woman. Not that Laura looked so fancy anymore. She wore the same plain clothes as the other Amish women in their community, but there was something about the way she walked, talked, and held her body so prim and proper that made her seem out of place among the other women in their district.

  Every time Pauline saw Laura at church or some other community event, it made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach. She didn’t know if she would ever get over the bitterness she felt over losing Eli to someone outside their faith.

  She won’t be outside the faith once she’s baptized and joins the church, Pauline reminded herself. She’ll be one of us, and I’ll have to accept her as such, no matter how much it hurts.

  “What are you doing sitting out here by yourself?” Pauline’s mother asked as she seated herself on the step beside Pauline. “I figured you’d be anxious to get some baking done before it gets too hot.”

  “I don’t feel much like baking today. Can’t it wait for another day?”

  “I suppose, but we’re almost out of bread, and you know how much your daed likes those ginger cookies you make so well.”

  Pauline made no comment; she just sat there breathing in and out, feeling as though she couldn’t get enough air.

  “Are you okay? You look kind of peaked this morning.” “I’m fine. Just tired is all.”

  Mom laid a gentle hand on Pauline’s arm. “Still not sleeping well?”

  “Not since...” Pauline couldn’t finish the sentence. It pained her to think about Eli, much less speak his name.

  “You’ve got to put your broken relationship with Eli Yoder behind you, daughter. You can’t go through the rest of your life pining for something that’s not meant to be.”

  Pauline released a shuddering sob. “It was meant to be, until she came along and ruined things. Eli and I were getting closer, and I was sure he would ask me to marry him after he finished his membership classes at the end of summer.” Tears slipped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “It’s not fair, Mom. It’s just not fair.”

  “Many things in life aren’t fair, but we must learn to accept them as God’s will and move on.”

  “I’m not sure I can do that. Not when I have to see Eli and that woman together all the time.”

  “Maybe you should go away for a while.”

  Pauline wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and turned to face her mother. “Go away? Where would I go?”

  “Maybe you could stay with your daed’s sister, Irma, in Kidron, Ohio.”

  “I’ll have to think about it.”

  Mom patted Pauline’s hand. “You do that. Think and pray about the matter.”

  ***

  Laura sat at the kitchen table, reading the Bible Martha Rose had given her. Why did it seem so confusing? She had been to Sunday school and Bible school a few times when she was a girl. She’d even managed to memorize some Bible passages in order to win a prize. Why couldn’t she stay focused now?

  “You’ve been at it quite awhile. Would you like to take a break and have a glass of iced tea with me?” Martha Rose asked, pulling out a chair and taking a seat beside Laura.

  Laura looked up and smiled. She really did need a break. “Thanks, I’d like that.”

  Martha Rose poured two glasses of iced tea and piled a plate high with peanut butter cookies.

  “Are you trying to fatten me up?” Laura asked when the goodies were set on the table.

  Martha Rose chuckled. “As a matter of fact, you are pretty thin. I figured a few months of living here, and you’d have gained at least ten pounds.”

  “Your cooking is wonderful, but I’m trying to watch my weight.”

  “You need to eat hearty in order to keep up your strength.” Martha Rose pushed the cookie plate in front of Laura. “Please, have a few.”

  Laura shrugged. “I guess two cookies wouldn’t hurt.”

  “How are your studies coming along? Has little Ben been staying out of your way?”

  “He’s never been a problem. Your little boy is a real sweetheart.”

  “Jah, well, he can also be a pill at times.” Martha Rose shook her head. “This morning I found him playing in the toilet, of all things. Said he was goin’ fishing, like he and his daed did last week.”

  Laura laughed. “Where’s the little guy now?”

  “Down for a nap. I’m hoping he stays asleep awhile, because I’ve got a bunch of ripe tomatoes waiting to be picked. Not to mention fixing lunch and getting a bit more cleaning done. Church will be here this Sunday, you know.”

  “I’d almost forgotten. Guess that means we’ll have to do more cooking than usual.” Laura reached around to rub a tight muscle in her back, probably caused from standing long hours at the stove.

  “Not really. I’m just planning to fix a pot of bean soup and some sandwiches.”

  “Isn’t the weather kind of hot to be having soup?”

  “We enjoy soup most any time of the year, and my daed always says, ‘A little heat on the inside makes the outside heat seem cool.’” Martha Rose chuckled. “Dad has lots of sayings like that, and plenty of jokes to tell, too.”

  Laura bit into a cookie and washed it down with a sip of cold tea. She hadn’t really seen a humorous side to Eli’s father and wondered if he held back because of her. She had a feeling Mary Ellen wasn’t the only one in Eli’s family who didn’t care for her, and she had to wonder if she would ever truly feel a part of them.

  “How’s the Pennsylvania Dutch coming along?” Martha Rose asked. “Do you feel like you’re understanding the words better yet?”

  “I can figure out what many words mean, but I’m still having trouble speaking them.”

  “Practice makes perfect. I think it might help if we spoke less English to you.”

  Laura nearly choked on the second bite of cookie she had taken. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Martha Rose shook her head. “I think you need to hear more Deitsch and less English. It will force you to try saying more words yourself.”

  Laura groaned. Wasn’t it enough that she had to wear plain, simple clothes, labor all day on jobs she’d rather not do, conform to all kinds of rules she didn’t understand, and get along without modern conveniences? Must she now be forced to speak and hear a foreign language most of the time?

  As if she could read her thoughts, Martha Rose reached over and patted Laura’s hand. “You do want to become one of us, don’t you?”

  Tears gathered in Laura’s eyes, obscuring her vision. “I love Eli, and I’d do anything for him, but I—I didn’t think giving up my way of life would be so hard.”

  “You say you love my brother, but what about your love for God? It’s Him you should be trying most to please, not Eli.”

  Laura swallowed hard. How could she tell Martha Rose that, while she did believe in God, she’d never really had a personal relationship with Him? She wasn’t even sure she wanted one. After all, what had God ever done for her? If He were on her side, then wouldn’t Eli have been willing to leave his religion and become English? They could have worshiped God in any church.

  “Laura?” Martha Rose prompted.

  She nodded. “I do want to please God. I just hope He knows how hard I’m trying and rewards me for all my efforts.”

  Martha Rose’s forehead wrinkled as she frowned. “We should never have to be rewarded for our good deeds or service to God. We’re taught to be humble servants, never pridefu
l or seeking after the things of this world. There’s joy in loving and serving the Lord, as well as in ministering to others.”

  Laura thought about that. The Amish people she was living among did seem to emanate a certain kind of peaceful, joyful spirit. She couldn’t figure out why, since they did without so many things.

  Martha Rose pushed away from the table. “I think we should end this discussion and get busy picking in the garden, don’t you?”

  Laura eased out of her chair. While she had no desire to spend the next few hours in the hot sun bent over a bunch of itchy tomato plants, at least she wouldn’t have to listen to any more sermons about God and what He expected of people.

  A short time later, as Laura crouched in front of a clump of rosy, ripe tomatoes, she thought about home and how she’d never had a fresh out-of-the-garden tomato until she’d come here. Yesterday, she’d gone over to the Petersons, who were Martha Rose’s closest English neighbors, to call her parents. Dad had been gone on a fishing trip, which was a surprise since he rarely did anything just for fun; and Mom had mentioned that she would be hosting a garden party this weekend and was having it catered.

  Probably won’t have anything this fresh or tasty to eat, Laura thought as she plucked a plump tomato off the vine.

  Her thoughts went to Eli. Martha Rose had told Laura that Eli liked homemade tomato ketchup, which Laura hadn’t learned to make yet. There were so many things she still didn’t know, and even though she disliked many of the chores she was expected to do and still hadn’t gotten used to wearing a dress all the time, she never got tired of spending time with Eli. The more they were together, the more she was convinced she had done the right thing when she’d decided to become Amish. Despite the fact that Eli could get under her skin at times, he treated her with respect—nothing like Dean had done when they were dating.

  Laura wasn’t looking forward to another long church service this Sunday, but the promise of attending a singing that night gave her some measure of joy. It would be held in the Beachys’ barn, and Eli had promised to take her. Since he would be coming to Amon and Martha Rose’s for the preaching service, he would probably stick around all day, then later escort Laura to the singing. If things went as planned, she should be baptized into the Amish church by early fall, and she hoped she and Eli could get married sometime in November. Of course, he needed to propose to her first.

  ***

  Eli felt a mounting sense of excitement over his date with Laura, and even though he’d told her awhile back that she should learn to get into the buggy herself, he helped her in this time, not wishing to cause another rift between them. Truth be told, Eli worried that Laura might not like the Amish way of life well enough to stay, and he didn’t think he could deal with it if she decided to return to her old life.

  “I’ve been looking forward to tonight,” Laura murmured as she settled against the buggy seat.

  “Jah, me, too.” Eli glanced over at her and smiled. “You’re sure pretty, you know that?”

  Laura lifted her hand and touched her head covering. “You really think so?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  “But my hair’s not long and beautiful anymore.”

  “Your hair’s still long. You’re just wearing it up in the back now.”

  “I know, but it looks so plain this way.”

  He reached over to gently touch her arm. “You may become one of the Plain People, but you’ll never be plain to me.”

  ***

  When they arrived at the Beachy farm a short time later, the barn was already filled with young people. The huge doors were swung open wide, allowing the evening breeze to circulate and help cool the barn.

  Soon the singing began, and the song leader led the group in several slow hymns, followed by a few faster tunes. There were no musical instruments, but the young people’s a cappella voices permeated the air with a pleasant symphony of its own kind. Laura got caught up in the happy mood and was pleasantly surprised to realize she could actually follow along without too much difficulty.

  When the singing ended, the young people paired off, and the games began. Laura was breathless by the time she and Eli finished playing several rounds of six-handed reel, which to her way of thinking was similar to square dancing.

  “Would you like a glass of lemonade and some cookies?” Eli asked as he led Laura over to one of the wooden benches along the wall.

  She nodded. “That sounds wunderbaar.”

  Eli disappeared into the crowd around the refreshment table, and Laura leaned her head against the wooden plank behind her. She caught a glimpse of Pauline Hostetler sitting across the room with her arms folded. She appeared to be watching her, and not with a joyful expression.

  It was obvious to Laura that Pauline wasn’t fond of her. In the months since Laura had been part of the Amish community, Pauline hadn’t spoken one word to her. I’m sure she’s jealous because Eli chose me and not her, and I guess I can’t really blame her.

  “Here you go.” Eli handed Laura a glass of cold lemonade. “I was going to get us some cookies, but the plate was empty. I didn’t want to wait around ’til one of the Beachy girls went to get more.”

  “That’s okay. I ate a few too many of your sister’s peanut butter cookies earlier this week, and I don’t want to gain any weight.”

  Eli frowned. “I think you could use a few extra pounds.”

  Do you want me to end up looking like your slightly plump mother? Laura didn’t vocalize her thoughts. Instead, she quietly sipped her lemonade. They would be going home soon, and she didn’t want to say anything that might irritate Eli or provoke another argument.

  CHAPTER 17

  “If you’re ready to go home now, I’ll get the horse and buggy,” Eli told Laura after they had finished their refreshments.

  She smiled up at him. “I’m more than ready.”

  “I won’t be long. Come outside when you see my horse pull up in front of the barn. There’s no point in us both getting bit up by all the swarming insects tonight.” He strolled out the door, leaving Laura alone by the refreshment table. She caught sight of Pauline, who had exited the barn only moments after Eli.

  “I hope she’s not going after him,” Laura muttered under her breath.

  “What was that?”

  Laura whirled around and was greeted with a friendly smile from a young woman about her age, whom she’d seen before but had never personally met.

  “I was talking to myself,” Laura admitted, feeling the heat of a blush creep up the back of her neck.

  The other woman nodded. “I do that sometimes.” Her smile widened. “My name’s Anna Beachy, and you’re Laura, right?”

  Laura nodded. “I’m staying with Martha Rose Zook and her family.”

  “I know. Martha Rose and I are friends. Have been since we were kinner, but I don’t see her so much now that she’s married and raising a family.” Anna’s green eyes gleamed in the light of the gas lamps hanging from the barn rafters. “Our moms were friends when they were growing up, too.”

  Laura kept on nodding, although it was a mechanical gesture. While this was interesting trivia, and Anna seemed like a nice person, she was most anxious to get outside and see if Eli had the buggy ready. What was taking him so long, anyway?

  “Our families have been linked together for quite a spell,” Anna continued. “Martha Rose’s mamm, Mary Ellen, is the stepdaughter of Miriam Hilty. The dear woman’s gone to heaven now, but Miriam, who everyone called ‘Mim,’ was a good friend of Sarah Stoltzfus, Rebekah Beachy’s mamm. Rebekah’s my mamm, and she’s partially paralyzed. She either uses a wheelchair or metal leg braces in order to get around. Has since she was a young girl, I’m told.” Anna paused a moment, but before Laura could comment, she rushed on. “Now, Grandma Sarah is living with my aunt Nadine, and—”