Abram's Daughters 01 The Covenant (4 page)

Leah swept every inch of the barn that needed attention, whipping up a swirl of dust like never before. She couldn't help it, she simply felt like taking out her frustrations on the old broom and the barn floor. It was a good thing she'd hur' ried out here early this morning, so cross she was with Sadie.

An interesting discussion with Dat was about the only thing that might get her mind off her sister. She glanced over at him there in the milk house washing down the small room. He happened to catch her eye, and seeing her going about her chore with such vigor, he stopped what he was doing and hurried to her, digging deep into his trouser pockets for a clean blue kerchief. "Here, Leah, looks like you might be needin' this. It'll help keep your lungs free of grime, maybe," and he placed it over her nose and mouth, knotting it firmly behind her head.

"I'll surely scare the mules lookin' like this," she said, though awfully touched by her father's sympathetic gesture.

"Pay no mind to the animals. They've seen us both lookin' worse, ain't?"

"Guess you're right." Still, she felt awkward the way Dat's kerchief was tied around her head, pushing her devotional cap off center. So she quickened her pace, completing her job in the nick of time, just as Dat mentioned he was headed over

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io the welding shop. "Wouldja like to ride along? We'll be hack before your mamma ever misses us," he said, already i housing his driving horse for the short trip.

"Jah, I'll go." She pulled off Dat's handkerchief. She'd much rather spend her morning with Dat than be anywhere near Sadie at the moment. No doubt in her mind! But she

never let on to her father as they rode, the carriage swaying .r.i'iitly as the horse pulled them toward the welding shop.

"Preacher Yoder's thinking of hiring a driver to take him and his family out to Indiana for a short vacation, after the harvest is past."

"Why Indiana?"

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if they're goin' to look for some grazing land while out there. Not for them to up and move, mind you, just to help one of his cousins who's thinking of getting married soon."

"To a girl in Indiana?"

Dat nodded. "Now don't that beat all?"

"Talk about long-distance courtship." She thought Dat might bring up Smithy Gid just then, try to blend the present lopic with his ongoing anticipation of Gid marrying her; but he didn't. She was quite surprised that he refrained, especially when he easily could have slipped in a comment or two.

They rode along for a time enjoying the silence, aware of I he hum of insects and chirp of birds. At last, Leah asked, "What do you think is the difference between being sorely tempted and yielding to it?"

"Well, all the difference in the world, far as the Scriptures say. We're admonished to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation."

"But how does a person avoid being tempted?"

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" 'Tis by steering clear of those who may be tools of the enemy."

"You mean Englishers?"

The reins lay loosely in his lap, and he lifted his straw hat and scratched his head beneath. "Seems to me there's a time and a place to mingle with the outside world, but when it comes to making close friends or choosin' a mate, well, you know the best way is God's way."

She was trying not to think of Sadie now, afraid Dat might wisely see through her questions and suspect, maybe, why she was asking such things. They talked about the spirit being willing and the flesh awful weak at times. Dat brought up the pure conscience of the righteous and the battle that rages in every man . . . "every woman, too." He gave her a serious look. "But the most important thing 'bout temptation is knowing how to avoid it."

She fell silent then, soaking in all that Dat had said.

When Mamma wasn't looking, Sadie slipped into their large sunroom just off the kitchen, staring longingly out the windows, toward the barn and beyond to the dark woods. They'd made it through the dreadful maze survived the denseness, the lurking shadows just as Derry had said they would. He'd helped her find the way out, and she would tell Naomi so when she went to pick up her knapsack later on.

Why had she worried last night? With Derry by her side, she was safe in the forest. Safe anywhere at all, for sure and for certain.

Derry Schwartz. The most wonderful boy in the whole world. With a peculiar pang part thrill, part anguish she thought of his life and hers, how the two of them had seemed to collide unexpectedly, like an automobile appearing out of

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M^vlu-iv and hitting a horse and buggy sort of like that. Of Him.sc, they had no business spending time together, none kiusoever. Yet they were drawn to each other, she for the Heri' during of a forbidden English boy who knew the outside ^^>rld through and through and for the great love she truly I'dleved he would soon have for her. And Derry . . . She 'li'ln'i quite know yet. Maybe it was her wheat-colored hair iti it I hip; blue eyes. Maybe he saw something in her other boys had missed. But find out, she must. She would fully discover win11 it was that the village doctor's son had appreciated in liei, ;md in such a short time, yet . . . that he would ask to see liei ii^ain, this very night! "Do you think you can meet me lien- in the woods? Would you be afraid?" he'd said after their |nylul evening together. She'd said she didn't know "It's ever so thick outside, confusing, too . . . with so much underbrush and all."

She had been careful not to admit to being fearful of the woods, just hoped he'd take the hint. And he had. He said he would be glad to meet her behind her father's barn at ten nVIoek straight up^

"You could . .Twear your regular, uh, dress if you'd like," I ti'M added quickly, which took her off guard. "No need to I ii el end you're not Plain for my sake." So he'd known all iilong.

She could feel her cheeks growing warm. "You're sure?"

"Please don't risk getting caught in modern clothes that might, well, reveal that your boyfriend is modern."

Boyfriend . . . Her heart had leaped up at the thought. I Very must truly care for her already.

She decided right then that Derry was a very wise young niiin. For him to say outright that she didn't have to bother

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impressing him with fancy English clothing any longer. Jah, this was quite a burden lifted off her shoulders. She could be herself with him. Dress Plain, if he didn't mind. No more games to be played. Maybe she'd found the man of her dreams. Who knows, maybe he'd want to join church with her. Maybe he'd be asking more about life in the Plain cornmunity. Why else had he asked her to meet him for a second walk in the woods? Then again, maybe she would join his world and leave the Amish life behind.

She would know the answers soon enough. Now, if Mamma would just stop poking her head in the room, looking at her as if she was trying to figure out what in the world was twirling round in Sadie's head. No, she wouldn't go and spoil things by sharing her secret with either Mamma or Leah about the boy with dark wavy hair and shining brown eyes. Not just yet. Mamma would put her foot down hard about seeing a boy outside the church, heaven knows, especially when she was planning to be baptized here before too long. And Leah . . . well, she knew her sister would flat out tell her she was playing with fire. In the boundless forest, yet. Best keep all this to herself.

Mamma had often accused Mary Ruth, jokingly of course, that once she got started chattering she just didn't know when to quit. And she had been doing her share of talking this morning while helping Mamma cook breakfast.

I'll make a gut schoolteacher someday, she thought. But Dat and Mamma would be alarmed if they knew.

Her whole life, Mary Ruth had dreamed of becoming a teacher. But how could such a wonderful thing happen? Higher education past the legal age of fifteen was a no-no

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mnongst the People, according to their bishop. Yet it was impossible to quiet her overwhelming desire to communicate learning skills to youngsters.

Mixing the pancake batter, she allowed her mind to wander. Tomorrow at Preaching service over at the Peachey place, there would be many little children in attendance. She hoped to spend time playing with some of them at the picnic lollowing the church meeting. How many youngsters would I he Good Lord give her and her future husband? And what sort of young man would share her love for books?

Eagerly, she looked forward to helping with the Lord's Day menu with Mamma and Sadie after breakfast. Unlike Sadie, she was only slightly interested in boys. As for Leah, well, that was the sister who captured her attention, especially when it ciime to Smithy Gid. He seemed to have his eye on their tomboy sister. Mary Ruth had suspected this for a year or so. I )l" course she hadn't, and wouldn't, utter a word to anyone. I ,eah was a very private sort of girl practical, too so there was no inkling of anything romantic in store, far as she knew.

Glancing overeat Hannah setting the table, Mary Ruth could see that he? twin was more curious about Sadie's glazed expression. It reminded Mary Ruth of the selfsame look in i lie eyes of worldly girls at the public one-room schoolhouse on Belmont Road, near Route 30, where she and Hannah attended. There, Amish, Mennonite, and English students recited their lessons together, and at recess some of the girls whispered about certain boys.

Mary Ruth didn't like the idea of comparing Sadie to worldly girls, though it was true that Sadie had attended the public high school over in the town of Paradise till she was seventeen. These days, Dat declared up and down it hadn't

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been such a gut idea for his eldest daughter to cultivate friendships with Englishers at school, an environment that promoted individuality so frowned on by the People. Had those years encouraged Sadie to have herself a wild rumschpringe?

It wasn't Mary Ruth's place to judge, really. She would bide her time, wait and see how the Lord God heavenly Father worked His will and way in each of her sisters' lives.

Pouring a cup of batter on the sizzling black skillet, she shook off the annoying blue feeling. She hummed a church song, doing what she could to lift everyone's spirits, as well as her own. It was high time to rejoice, for goodness' sake. The Lord's Day was ever so near.

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/"Vfter the noon meal Leah helped Sadie wash and dry each line of the kerosene lamp chimneys in the house. The glass uibes had been rather cloudy last evening during Bible reading and evening prayers, and Leah and Mamma had both imliced the light was too soft and misty because of it. Dat Inn I n't complained at all, though he did have to adjust his reading glasses repeatedly, scooting close to the lamp in the kitchen, where they'd all gathered just before twilight, the luck door flung wide, along with all the windows, coaxing the lightest breeze into the warm house.

"We really oughta clean these every day," Leah said, hnnding one to Sadie for drying. "No sense Dat struggling to Nee the Good Book, jah?"

Sadie nodded halfheartedly.

"Are you going out again tonight?" Leah whispered.

Sadie's eyes gave a sharp warning. "Ach, not now. . ."

Glancing over her shoulder, Leah saw that Mamma was i lust ing the furniture in the sunroom. "Cleanliness is next to iu)dliness," Mamma liked to say constantly. Hannah and Mary

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Ruth had run outside to hose off the back porch and sidewalk.

"You'll break Mamma's heart if you're sneaking out with English boys, ya know," she said softly.

"How do you know what I'm doin'?"

"I saw you come home last night saw what you were wearing, too." But before she could ask where on earth Sadie had gotten such a getup, Mamma returned, and that brought a quick end to their conversation.

Leah washed the rest of the chimneys, turning her thoughts to the Preaching service tomorrow. Will Gid single me out again before the common meal? she wondered. He had been more than forthright with his intentions toward her before, though discreetly enough. Yet she knew he was counting the weeks till she was old enough to attend Sunday singings. And so was she, but for a far different reason. "I'll be first in line to ask you to ride home with me," he'd said to her out in the barnyard two Sundays ago, when it was her family's turn to have house church.

Speechless at the time, she wished the Lord might give her something both wise and kind to say. To put him off gently. But not one word had come to mind and she just stood there, fidgeting while the smithy's only son grinned down at her.

What she was really looking forward to was next Sunday the off-Sunday between church meetings when the People spent the day visiting relatives. Mamma was awful eager to go to Grasshopper Level and see the Mast cousins again. It had been several months.

Leah remembered precisely where she was standing in the barn when Dat had given her the news of the visit. Looking

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ill ivvn, in the haymow, she'd stopped short, holding her pitchli ill-, just so in front of her, half leaning on it while she willed In'i heart to slow its pace.

She smiled, fondly recalling the first time she'd ever i alked with Jonas. The two of them had nearly missed out on upper, standing out in the milk house talking about birds,

> specially the colorful varieties that lived on Aunt Lizzie's ,n|f ol the woods, near where the wild flowers grew. She had iold him her favorite was the bluebird. Jonas had wholeheartedly agreed, his blue eyes searching hers. And for a moment,

he nearly forgot he was three years older. He was Sadie's age. Vet) unlike any other boy, he seemed to know and understand her heart who Leah truly was. Not a tomboy, but a real girl. In all truth, she hadn't experienced such a thing with anyi nit1 ever in her life. Not with Sadie, for sure. And not so much with Mamma, though on rare occasions her mother had

> ipened up a bit. Hannah and Mary Ruth had each other and were constantly whispering private conversations. Only with Aunt Lizzie and Adah Peachey, Gid's younger sister, could I i-sih share confidentially.