Plain and Fancy (12 page)

“Laura, your mother and I want you to be happy,” Dad said. “But is giving up the only way of life you’ve ever known and becoming Amish really going to make you happy?”

“Being with Eli will make me happy, and if I have to make a few sacrifices along the way in order for it to happen, then I’ll learn to deal with it.”

“She’s got a determined spirit, this daughter of ours, and it took a lot of courage for her to make a decision such as this. I think we should give her our blessing.”

Laura knew Dad was talking to Mom now, so she waited to hear what her mother’s response would be.

“I don’t see how you can expect me to give Laura my blessing when I know she’s making the biggest mistake of her life. She won’t be happy living without electricity and many other modern conveniences. She might think she’s in love with this Amish man, but a few months from now, she’ll change her mind; mark my words.”

Laura released an exasperated sigh. “I’ve got to go now. I need to pack. I’ll give you a call on my cell phone after I get moved so I can give you my new address. Maybe you can send me that quilt I bought at the farmers’ market. It would be nice to have it in my possession again.”

Mom released a couple of sobs and hung up.

“If you change your mind about this or ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call,” Dad said.

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

“Be happy, and please keep in touch.”

“I will, Dad.” Laura clicked off her cell phone and flopped onto the bed. Mom had reacted to the news pretty much the way she’d expected her to, but her father’s reaction had been a complete surprise. Had he been so compliant because he wanted her to be happy, or was it possible that some part of Dad could actually identify with Laura’s desire to go Plain?

As Laura sat on a bench in front of the variety store in Paradise, she began to worry. She had turned in all of her books at the school, sent everything home that she didn’t think she would need in her new life, and dropped off her rental car. Now she was waiting for Eli to pick her up. But what if he didn’t show? What if he’d changed his mind about asking his sister to take Laura in? Maybe his folks had talked him out of his plans. Or maybe his sister had said no to his request.

She drew in a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. The last time she’d waited on this bench for Eli and had been worried he wouldn’t show, he’d only been running late. That was probably the case this time, too. At least she hoped it was.

She leaned her head against the wall behind her and tried to focus on something else. It was useless. All she could think about was Eli and how much she wanted to be with him. If he didn’t show up, she would be devastated, and she’d never be able to face Darla again.

Darla had tried again this morning to get Laura to change her mind about joining the Amish faith. She’d reminded her of how hard it was going to be and said that Laura needed to give it more thought.

Ever since the day Laura had met Eli, he’d never been far from her thoughts. She dreamed about him at night, compared him to Dean during the day, and imagined what it would be like to be Mrs. Eli Yoder.

The
clip-clop
of horse’s hooves drew Laura’s attention to the parking lot, and a feeling of relief flooded her soul. Eli was here. He had come for her just like he’d promised. Everything would be okay now.

As Eli led Laura up the steps to his sister’s home, her insides quivered with anticipation. She’d been relieved when Eli had told her that Martha Rose had agreed to let her stay, but that was only half the battle. Laura still had lots to learn, and she worried about whether she would be accepted among Eli’s friends and family.

“Don’t be nervous now,” Eli whispered as he opened the back door. “You’ll like it here, I promise.”

Laura forced a smile. “I—I hope so.”

When they entered the kitchen, they were greeted by a tall, large-boned woman with a flawless complexion, hair the color of chestnuts, and dark brown eyes. She offered a warm, friendly smile. “You must be Laura.”

Laura’s only reply was a quick nod.

“I’m Eli’s sister, Martha Rose.”

Laura extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, and I appreciate your letting me stay here.”

Martha Rose glanced over at Eli and smiled. “I’d do most anything for my little brother.”

Eli chuckled. “Should I bring in Laura’s things while you show her around?”

“Jah, sure.” Martha Rose motioned toward the door leading to a hallway. “Why don’t we start with the upstairs, since that’s where Laura’s bedroom will be?”

Eli disappeared out the back door, and Laura followed Martha Rose up the stairs.

“This will be yours,” Martha Rose said, opening the door to the second room on the left. “It’s right across the hall from the bathroom.”

Laura breathed a sigh of relief. At least this Amish farm had indoor plumbing, and for that she felt grateful. Darla had told her that most Amish in the area used diesel or propane-operated generators, so they had indoor bathrooms with hot and cold running water, but a few homes still used outhouses.

As Laura stepped into the bedroom where she would soon take up residence, a shockwave spiraled through her. It was even smaller than her dorm room at the school had been. Plain ... so very plain. There was a double bed, a chest of drawers with a washbowl and pitcher sitting on top, and a small cedar chest at the foot of the bed. Dark shades hung at the two windows, and except for a small, braided throw rug, the hardwood floor was bare. Instead of a closet, a row of wooden pegs was connected to a narrow strip of wood lining one wall.

“Here are a few dresses you can wear.” Martha Rose handed Laura two long, cotton frocks. One was navy blue, the other a dark shade of green. “You’re a bit shorter than me, so they might be kind of long.” She grinned. “Better too long than too short.”

Laura was too dumbfounded to even speak. In her excitement to join the Amish faith and win Eli’s heart, she had almost forgotten that she would be expected to wear such plain, simple clothing.

“I have a white head covering for you. And you’ll need a dark bonnet to wear over it when you go out at certain times.”

Laura nodded mutely as she was given the rest of her new wardrobe.
What have I gotten myself into? Can I really exchange my jeans and T-shirts for long, plain dresses?
She inhaled deeply, reminding herself that she could do this and that it was for a good cause. Her determination and love for Eli would see her through.

“We’ll go to the boot and harness shop tomorrow and buy you some black leather shoes for church and other special occasions,” Martha Rose said. “If you already own a pair of sneakers, you can wear them for everyday.” She looked down at her bare feet and smiled. “Of course, most of us just go barefoot around home, especially during the warmer weather. It saves our shoes, and it’s much cooler.”

Laura shifted from one foot to the other. Barefoot? Sneakers and black leather shoes? Were those her only choices? “Don’t your feet get dirty and sore, running around barefoot?”

“Jah, but they toughen up, and I always wash my feet before going to bed.”

Laura shrugged. What could she really say? She’d gotten herself into this predicament, and it was of her own choosing that she had decided to go Plain. She would simply draw from her inner strength and do whatever was necessary in order to convince Eli and his family she was worthy of being part of their clan.

The next few weeks were busy ... busier than Laura ever imagined. She had so much to learn about cooking, sewing, baking, and doing laundry and other household chores, not to mention the outside jobs. Gathering eggs, slopping the hogs, and cultivating the garden were all things she had never done before. It was dirty, backbreaking work, and she made so many foolish mistakes at first.

One morning after breakfast, as Laura was in her room getting ready for a date with Eli, she glanced at herself in the hand mirror she’d found in the drawer and dug underneath her underwear for the satchel of makeup she had stashed away. She knew Amish women didn’t wear makeup, but she wasn’t ready to part with those things, so she hadn’t mailed them home with all her clothes.

Today was Saturday, and Eli would be coming soon to take her for a buggy ride. They planned to go into Paradise and do some shopping, then stop for a picnic on the way home.

Laura stared longingly at the tube of lipstick she held in her hand.
What would it hurt to apply a little color to my pale lips so Eli will find me attractive? I wouldn’t want him to lose interest in me and go back to Pauline.

Laura blended the coral lipstick with the tips of her fingers, then reached inside the makeup case for some blush. A little dab blended on each cheek made her look less pale. She added a coat of mascara to her eyelashes and filled in her brows with a soft cinnamon pencil.

“There now,” she whispered to her reflection. “I almost look like my old self—not nearly so plain.” She glanced down at her plain green dress and scowled. “What I wouldn’t give to put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.” She slipped her head covering on and sighed. “Guess I’d better get used to this if I’m ever going to fit in here.”

Downstairs in the kitchen, Laura found Eli’s sister and his mother sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea and eating shoofly pie. Just the smell of the molasses-filled pastry made Laura’s stomach churn. She didn’t think she would ever acquire a taste for this particular dessert.

“
Guder mariye,
” Martha Rose said cheerfully when Laura joined them.

“Good morning,” she responded with a slight nod. Learning Pennsylvania Dutch was another challenge for Laura, along with studying the Bible and learning the church rules, which the Amish called the
Ordnung.
She glanced over at Eli’s mother. “I didn’t realize you were here, Mary Ellen.”

“Came to help Martha Rose do some baking.” Mary Ellen studied Laura intently, making her feel like a bug under a microscope. “What’s that you’ve got on your face?”

Laura shrugged and reached for an apple from the ceramic bowl sitting in the center of the table. “Just a little color to make me look less pale,” she mumbled as she bit into the succulent fruit.

“Makeup’s not allowed. Surely you must know that.”

Laura blinked a couple of times as she stared at Mary Ellen. “What harm is there in trying to make myself a bit more attractive?”

“‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised,’” Mary Ellen quoted.

Laura squinted her eyes. “Where’d you hear that?”

“It’s in the book of Proverbs,” Martha Rose answered, before her mother had a chance to respond.

Mary Ellen looked right at Laura. “Face powder may catch some men, but it takes baking powder to hold them.”

Martha Rose giggled, and her mother chuckled behind her hand, but Laura sat stony-faced. She didn’t see what was so funny. Besides, she had the distinct impression these two Plain women were laughing at her, not at the joke Eli’s mother had just shared
.

Laura felt foolish for doing something she knew was wrong, but it irritated her that Mary Ellen had made a joke at her expense. She was sure the woman didn’t like her. With a sigh of frustration, she pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “Sorry about the mistake. I’ll go wash the makeup off my face now.”

Eli whistled as he hitched his horse to the open buggy. He was looking forward to his date with Laura, but he still couldn’t believe she had actually agreed to become Plain. She was beautiful, talented, and smart. He was sure she could have any man she wanted, yet it was him and his way of life she had chosen. It almost seemed too good to be true.

“I’ll make her happy,” he said aloud. The horse whinnied and nuzzled the back of Eli’s arm.

“At least
you
aren’t givin’ me a hard time. If Mom and Pop had their way, I’d be married to Pauline by now, not courting Laura.”

Eli knew his parents had his best interests at heart, but they didn’t understand how much he loved Laura. Even though his folks had agreed to try and make her feel welcome, he was sure it was only to please him. Deep in his heart, Eli felt they were just waiting for Laura to give up and leave so they could say, “I told you so.”

He was glad Martha Rose seemed to be on his side and had agreed to let Laura stay there. It was a comfort to know his sister was willing to mentor his fancy English woman who wanted to become Plain. Mom and Pop were another matter. They were no more thrilled about the idea of Laura joining the Amish faith than they had been about Eli seeing her when she was still English. It was hard to understand how Mom, who normally was so pleasant and easygoing, had seemed almost rude to Laura when she’d first visited their home. Even now, as Laura prepared to become Amish, there was a coolness in the way his mother spoke to Laura. He hoped things would change once Laura took her training and was baptized into the faith.

Eli climbed into the driver’s seat and gathered up the reins. He knew Mom had gone over to Martha Rose’s this morning so she would see Laura before he did.

He clucked to the horse, and it moved forward. “Let’s hope things went well between Laura and Mom, for if they didn’t, I’m likely to have a cross woman on my hands for the rest of the day.”

When Laura greeted Eli at the back door, he thought she looked like she’d lost her best friend. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me this morning? Do you still want to go to Paradise and then on a picnic?”

“Of course I want to go.”

“Would you like to come in and have a piece of shoofly pie?” Mom asked.

Eli glanced at his mother, who sat at the kitchen table with Martha Rose. “Jah, sure.”

“I think we should be on our way,” Laura said, stepping between Eli and the table.

He frowned. “What’s your hurry?”

“I’ve got quite a bit of shopping to do, and we don’t want to get to the lake too late.” She rushed past him, pulled a dark blue sweater from the wall peg by the back door, and grabbed the wicker picnic basket sitting on the cupboard.

Eli looked at Laura standing by the door, tapping her foot. He glanced back at the table, and his mouth watered just thinking about how good a hunk of that pie would taste.

As though sensing his dilemma, Martha Rose said, “Why don’t you take a few pieces along? You and Laura can have it with the picnic lunch she made.”

Eli shrugged. “I guess I can wait that long to sample some of your good cooking, sister.”

He reached for the pie, but Martha Rose was too quick for him. She had already begun slicing it by the time he got to the table. “If you really want to help, get some waxed paper from the pantry,” she instructed.

He did as he was told, not caring in the least that his big sister was bossing him around. He’d grown used to it over the years. Besides, she really didn’t mean to sound so pushy. Martha Rose had always been a take-charge kind of person. She was pleasant and kind, so he could tolerate a little ordering about now and then.

“You two have a good day,” Martha Rose said as Eli and Laura started out the back door.

“Jah, and be sure to be home in time for chores and supper,” Mom called.

“I will,” Eli said, closing the door behind them.

Laura stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and Eli nearly ran into her. “What’d you stop for? I could have knocked you to the ground.”

She scowled at him. “You’re henpecked. Do you know that?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Laura.”

Her nose twitched as she blinked rapidly. “Those two women have you eating out of the palms of their hands.”

Eli started walking toward his open buggy. “They do not. I just happen to like pleasing them, that’s all. I love Mom and Martha Rose, and they’re both mighty good to me.”