“I found someone I liked for each of the girls and then arranged for them to be together more often than they normally would. Things progressed naturally from there. I just gave everything a helping hand. I can’t take credit for finding Bruno, though. He was a nice surprise, and what better husband for one of my dochders than Valerie’s younger bruder?”
“I’d have to agree on that. Now where’s that list I gave you?”
“I’ll get it.” Nancy leaned over and looked at the four loaf tins in the oven before she retrieved the list.
As Nerida gazed over the names on the list, she said, “We should pick someone ourselves, since she hasn’t shown any preference toward one person over another.”
“I know.” Nancy clapped her hands together. “I have the perfect man in mind. Benjamin Hostetler, and he’s a good friend of Elijah’s. Violet could easily see a lot more of him now that she’s staying at Elijah and Lily’s haus.”
“That would be perfect. I know he comes from a good family. What’s he like? I’ve never spoken to him.”
“He’s wunderbaar. Do you want to meet him before we make plans?”
“My only concern is that he’ll take Violet away somewhere with him. I know he comes from a small community just outside of Ohio. Or has he moved here permanently?”
“He’s here to stay, I've heard, and we should move quickly. I don’t know why I didn’t think of him before.”
“I think we should wait. I’d like to meet him first and see what I think. Is he on the list for Hezekiah’s birthday dinner?”
“He is now.” Nancy laughed as she tapped a finger on the list. Once she sat down with it, she took up a pen and scribbled his name on the bottom. “Nerida, do you think we should invite Nathan?”
Nerida sat down. “Nee.”
“Wait and listen to my thoughts before you get all bossy.”
Nerida huffed. “Why would it be a good idea to invite him?”
“If we don’t, Violet might focus on him too much and since she knows you and John disapprove of him, it might drive her to him.”
Slowly, Nerida nodded. “I see where you’re going. Invite him and then let her see for herself that he falls short of the other young men who are there. I know she’s a sensible girl.”
Nancy nodded. “We’ll just have him there in the mix. What do you think?”
“Okay.” Nerida’s face soured.
“What’s wrong now? Do you think he’s that bad?”
“It’s not that he’s bad, but I don’t want Violet having the burden of being with a man who might suddenly leave the community. We don’t even know if he’s come back to stay. No one knows if he’s in or he’s out. Violet needs someone with some solid reliability, someone stable.”
“It’ll work out. Trust me. I’ll stop by and invite him myself. He’s at Lorraine’s haus. Well, I suppose it’s his place now.”
Nerida sighed. “Jah, it’s best that you invite him and I hope John sees the sense in all this.”
“He will, trust me,” Nancy said.
* * *
Instead of take-out like he’d had nearly every night for the past week, Nathan had decided to cook himself a decent meal. Nathan was busy cutting up his vegetables for dinner when he heard a buggy. He looked out the window to see Nancy Yoder and she was by herself. There was no Valerie. He finished cutting the carrot and then pushed the vegetables to one side and walked out to see what Nancy wanted.
By the time he got to the door, Nancy was standing there just about to knock.
“Hi, Nancy.”
“Hello, Nathan.”
“Please come in.” He stepped aside to allow her through.
“What have you been doing?”
“I was just cutting some vegetables for dinner. I’ve been having a lot of take-out lately. Have a seat.”
When they were both sitting on the couch, she said, “I’ve come to invite you to Hezekiah’s birthday dinner. He’s having a big birthday this year.”
Nathan wondered how old he was. Fifty, or perhaps even sixty? He didn’t like to guess and nor did he like to ask. It was unusual for the Amish to make a big deal out of birthdays. “Thank you. It’s very nice of you to ask me.”
“I didn’t ask you out of politeness. I asked because I really wanted you to come. Will you?”
“When is it on?”
Nancy told him the date. It wasn’t too far away.
“Okay, thank you. Is it okay if I think about it? It’s just that …” He sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve got a few things to sort out.”
Nancy smiled. “Did I mention there’ll be lots of food there?”
He chuckled. “I am fond of my food.”
“All men are.”
“I guess so.”
“You don’t even have to let me know. If you decide to come, just turn up.”
Nathan knew that was the Amish way. No one ever gave RSVPs or expected them. The invitation made Nathan feel welcomed and accepted. Acceptance from Violet’s close relations was a good thing. Maybe he could return and feel at home in the community. For the first time, he had a glimmer of hope that he could find his way back.
“The funeral went well,” Nancy said.
“Yes, it was good to see the people I haven’t seen in so long. My mother would have liked it.”
“She would’ve.” Nancy looked around her. “What are you going to do with the haus?”
Nathan was a little surprised by her question. It showed that she thought he wasn’t coming back, and if she thought that, why was she inviting him to Hezekiah’s birthday dinner? “I’m not sure what I’m going to do as yet. It depends on a few things.”
“Jah, I suppose it would. I hope you don’t mind me asking.”
“I don’t. I guess it’s only natural to wonder about these practicalities of life.”
Nancy nodded. “I should get back to get the dinner on and see what Hezekiah is doing.”
“Okay. Denke once again for inviting me. I guess you’ll have a lot of people there?”
“It’ll be big. I’ve invited everyone we know.” Nancy stood up and Nathan followed her to the door.
“Bye, Nancy.”
When she was through the doorway, she turned around to face him. “Is there anything I can do for you, Nathan?”
“No thank you. Everything is fine. You and Valerie have done more than enough already.”
“Okay, well, don’t hesitate to ask if you think of anything.”
“Thanks again, Nancy.”
Nancy smiled at him and gave a little wave before she climbed into her buggy. He watched Nancy’s horse clip-clopping away from his house, and then he headed back inside to continue chopping his vegetables for dinner.
Chapter 8
That evening, Elijah and Lily arrived to collect Violet to stay with them.
“Denke for coming to collect her. It’s saved me a trip out there,” Violet’s father, John, said when he opened the front door to them both.
Elijah smiled. “It’s not far for us to go.”
“Are you ready?” Lily asked Violet, who was standing behind her father.
“Jah, I’ve got my bag by the door.”
Nerida stepped forward. “How are you going to get to and from work?”
“It’s all organized, Mamm. Don’t worry. I’m not a child anymore.” She looked over at Lily and laughed. “Come on, let’s get out of here before she asks me if I’m taking enough to wear and if I’ll be warm enough.”
“Well, are you taking enough clothes? I’m doing the washing tomorrow and I can drop some more over to you if you need some.”
Violet shook her head. “Goodbye, Mamm.”
“Well, why did you mention clothes?”
A small voice came from the living room. “Goodbye, Violet.”
“Bye, Willow. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Willow was sitting on the couch in the living room, sewing with a blanket over her knees. When she didn’t look up from
her sampler, Violet knew she was sad about her going, but this was something she needed to do.
As soon as they were out of the house, Elijah took Violet’s bag and then Lily walked with her to the buggy.
“What’s going on with you two—you and Aunt Nerida?”
“You could tell there was something wrong?”
“It was obvious. You were tense with each other and you haven’t been like that before.”
“Didn’t I tell you? They’re getting all strict on me and I haven’t even done anything wrong.”
“Time apart will do you all good.”
Lily and Violet climbed into the buggy while Elijah put Violet’s bag in the back.
* * *
That night, Violet stayed up late talking to Lily.
When Violet finally went up to the small spare room, she sat on the edge of the bed. The room was small and fitted only a double bed and a small dresser. The walls were pale yellow with the same color curtains—hand sewn by Lily.
Violet noticed the quilt on the bed. It was beautifully sewn with small stitches. The stitches looked like they’d been done by hand rather than on a treadle or gas-powered sewing machine. The sections were all different shades of yellow and green. Then Violet recalled a long time ago that the twins, Daisy and Lily, had worked on that quilt as children. Violet had never associated much with the cousins when they were all growing up. It was due to the rift that had developed between her mother and Aunt Nancy. Maybe her mother had been harsh with Nancy just like she’d been harsh about Nathan.
For some reason, Violet couldn’t get Nathan out of her mind. Everything reminded her of him.
* * *
Violet woke early the next morning and found Lily in the kitchen making breakfast.
“Elijah’s just left,” Lily explained as she continued to fiddle with the coffee machine that sat atop the gas stove. “Do you want kaffe?”
“Jah, please. Can I help with anything?”
“Nee, sit down and I’ll fix you some breakfast.”
Once Violet was sitting, Lily said, “Elijah invited someone for dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind. I know you came here for a quiet time.”
“It’s your haus. Just do what you normally do. Who’s coming?” She desperately hoped that Lily might say Elijah had invited Nathan.
“It’s Benjamin Hostetler.”
Her heart sank and she tried her best to cover up her disappointment. “Okay.”
“Do you know him?”
“Jah, I talked to him a few Sundays ago. He seems nice.”
“He’s been here a few times. Elijah and he get along well.”
Lily glanced at the clock.
“What time do we have to leave?” asked Violet. “I don't know how long it takes from here.”
“In about fifteen minutes.”
“That’s early.”
“I know,” said Lily.
“I can come and get you after I collect the flowers.”
“Nee. I’ll take you to the Walkers’ and then I’ll see if I can leave my horse and buggy there until evening; then you can take me to the flower stall, and collect me in the wagon at the end of the day. You can use my buggy in the middle of the day while I'm working.”
Lily talked so much that she’d forgotten she’d already offered Violet use of the buggy during the day. “Okay. That sounds good.”
Violet felt better being around Lily. The four of her female cousins had become like big sisters to her over the past few years. The eldest of the sisters, Rose and Tulip, now had children, but Lily and Daisy still didn’t have any. She wondered if that upset them. Most couples had children arrive within the first year or two of marriage.
* * *
While Nathan ate his tasteless dinner of pan-fried chicken and vegetables, he gave some thought to his future. Now with both his mother and father gone, he felt empty. It wasn’t fun to be alone in the quiet house. He considered coming back to the community and being surrounded by a close circle of people. From what he’d seen at the funeral, there would be people he could get along with. Many people had gone out of their way to be friendly to him.
Right now, he had a more pressing need to get back to the real world. At least he had his housemates who had become his close friends. He couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to the two people who’d been the nicest to him and that was Valerie and Violet. Since it was still early in the evening, he figured he’d stop by and say goodbye to both of them. Then he remembered he’d told Molly Gingerich he’d say goodbye before he left.
* * *
Nathan knocked on Molly Gingerich’s door and she opened it.
“Nathan, come in.”
“I won’t, thanks, Mrs. Gingerich. It’s late for visiting. I just wanted to say goodbye and let you know I’m leaving my Mom’s house to go back home.”
“I hoped you’d stick around a little longer.”
“I’ve got to get back to work and it’s too far from Mom’s house. I could do it, but I just need to get back to my routine.”
“I understand. Will you stop by every now and again?”
He nodded. “I will. Thank you again for being a good friend to my mother. I know my mother was grateful for your visits. She talked about you often.”
Molly chuckled. “She was a good woman and a good friend.”
They smiled at one another and then Nathan said, “I’ll see you soon. I’m not sure when, though.”
“Okay. Denke for coming to see me.”
He stepped away. “Bye, Mrs. Gingerich.”
“Bye.”
He got in his car and drove away, heading to Violet’s house. He left his car a distance from the house in case they didn’t appreciate having a vehicle parked so close.
After he knocked, Violet’s mother opened the door.
“Hello.” She didn’t even have a hint of a smile on her face and that made him uneasy.
“Hello. I’m sorry to come at this late hour, but I wondered if I might have a quick word with Violet to say goodbye.”
Her expression changed immediately. “You’re going?”
“Yes, I’m going back home where I belong.”
“Oh, well Violet’s not here.”
“Do you mind me asking where I might find her?”
“Nathan, I’ll let her know you were kind enough to stop by and say goodbye.” She went to close the door.
“I’d really like to know where she is so I can say goodbye in person. She’s been really good to me and very kind. I feel I owe her that much.” He stared at her, willing her to let him know where he could find Violet. Just when it looked like she was weakening, her face returned to its former hardness.
“Like I said, I’ll tell her you stopped by. Goodbye, Nathan.” She closed the door.
He turned around and as he walked to the car, he knew he couldn’t leave. Not without seeing her just one more time. He’d change his plans and stay another night at his mother’s home. When he had his hand on the car door handle, he saw movement coming from the house. It was Violet’s chubby younger sister running toward him.
He walked toward her. “Hi, Willow.”
“She’s at Lily and Elijah’s.”
“Violet?”
“Jah.” Willow glanced nervously over her shoulder.
She’d clearly gone against her parents’ wishes by giving him that information. If he’d done that when his father was still alive, he would’ve been taken out by the barn and given a whipping. “Why?”
“Why am I telling you, or why is she at Lily’s haus?”
“Why are you telling me?”
“I feel it’s the right thing to do.”
“Thank you.”
Willow glanced back at the house again and this time her father was striding toward them. “You should go now, Nathan. She’ll be at the markets tomorrow morning too.”
“Willow!” her father called out.
“Coming, Dat.”
“Thanks again, Willow,” Nathan s
aid.
Willow turned back to Nathan. “Just go! Quick!”
Nathan jumped back in his car, feeling bad for Willow.
When Nathan knocked on the door, it opened immediately and he saw Valerie’s smiling face. She’d never had any children and lately Nathan had thought that was a shame because she would’ve made a wonderful mother. Valerie had a kind heart just like his mother had.
“Come in, Nathan.”
“Thanks, Valerie.”
“Have you had dinner?”
“Yes. I cooked it myself. I don’t do much cooking. One of my housemates usually does all the cooking.”
“It’s not hard to cook.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Everything I’ve ever cooked has tasted dreadful.”
“You probably need to be shown a few basic things. I could help you.”
“I don’t think I’ll be sticking around long enough, but thanks.”
“Would you like dessert? I was just about to have some. I have fruit salad and custard with apple pie.”
He chuckled. “I won’t say no to that.”
Valerie laughed. “Come into the kitchen. I’ll fix us some.”
While Valerie cut the pie, he finally talked about the reason he was there. “I’m thinking of going back home tomorrow night.”
Valerie looked up. “Really?”
“Yeah, I have to go some time. I need to get back into a proper routine and Mamm’s house is a distance from where I work. It’s not that far but the house I share with a couple of guys is much closer.”
“That’s a shame. I was hoping you’d surprise us all and stay on.”
Nathan didn’t know what to say. He was grateful to have some friends in the community.
Valerie continued, “Still, it’s your decision.”
“You never know what the future holds.”
She passed him a bowl filled with dessert and placed one down for herself.
“This looks great, thanks, Valerie.”
“Try it and see.”
He pushed his spoon into the pie, broke off a portion, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm, it’s delicious.”
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