Rosemary Opens Her Heart: Home at Cedar Creek, Book Two (24 page)

“Here you go, Dat,” he said as he took a lawn chair from Emma and set it next to the
door. “We’ll put you here with your better ear closer to the phone—”

“And don’t you be yackin’ with anybody or interruptin’ James while he’s talkin’ with
that reporter lady,” his mother instructed with a shake of her finger. “If you start
actin’ up, I’ve told Emma she’s to march you right back to the house, mister!”

James winced. His poor father found few enough activities to enjoy these days, now
that his close friend Paul had passed, and it seemed his mother’s tongue cut sharper
with each passing week. He and Emma exchanged a knowing look, and as his sister settled
between their parents on a folding stool, he was pleased that Abby stood behind her.
Although she never complained, Emma didn’t get
nearly enough time to chat with Abby or her other friends these days.

The ringing of the phone made everyone sit up in anticipation. James slipped into
the chair and closed his eyes.
Lord, let this be a chance to hold up our Plain ways so the outside world understands
us better
.
And please don’t let me say anything stupid.

He picked up the phone and let out the breath he’d been holding. “Jah, hullo? This
is James Graber speaking.”

“James, it’s such a pleasure to talk with you. This is Lacey Piranelli from
Town and Country
, and I can’t tell you how excited everyone here is that you’ve agreed to an interview.”
She sounded young and energetic, but sincerely interested in whatever he might say.

“Everyone here in Cedar Creek’s excited, too,” he replied. “Several of them are gathered
around to listen while I talk to you.”

“And is your bishop there? That was a very good idea, requesting the questions in
advance, as it gives me a way to learn more about Amish ways without unwittingly offending
you.”

“Vernon’s here, jah.”

“And who else is with you? I think it’s fascinating that your friends and family are
sharing this experience with you, James,” she said with a lilt in her voice. “It speaks
to a very special bond you Amish share.”

“Jah, there’s that,” he said, pleased at the direction this conversation was taking.
“My parents, Merle and Eunice Graber, and my sister Emma are here, and our friends
Mervin and Bessie Mast, and Vernon Gingerich, our bishop—”

“Sounds like you’ve got quite a group.”

“Jah, and here comes my gut friend Matt Lambright, who raises sheep across the road
from our place, and his sister Abby is here, too,” he added, enjoying the way her
face lit up when he mentioned her name. “Abby has a seamstress business in the loft
of her brother Sam’s mercantile, and we’ve known each other all our lives. That’s
how it is here in Cedar Creek, you see. Our roots go deep, on land that belonged to
our dats and their dats before that.”

“So how did you get started building carriages, James?” Lacey went on. “You’ve told
me you built that white princess carriage yourself, using very few factory-produced
parts. You don’t sound old enough to have mastered such a craft.”

As James explained about his apprenticeship with Pete Beachey when he was fourteen,
the words flowed like Cedar Creek, rippling along on their own easy current. His parents
looked so tuned in and interested. Abby stood with her hands on Emma’s shoulders,
silently cheering him on—just as older folks like Vernon and the Masts were. Noah
Coblentz moseyed over and sat cross-legged in the grass and then Leon Mast joined
his parents. Perry Bontrager arrived with his young son Eli riding on his shoulders.

As Lacey asked him about building his carriages and about everyday Plain life in Cedar
Creek, James sensed that this reporter from New York City wasn’t really so different
from the young women he’d grown up around. Sure, she had a job with a big-time magazine
and she probably drove a fancy car. Yet she spoke of growing up with siblings and
the importance of going to church with her fiancé—the same Christian faith and traditions
his family and friends honored, but in a different setting.

“Well, it’s been mighty nice talking to you,” he said as she wrapped up her remarks.

“I’ve enjoyed it, too, James. Can you believe an hour and a half has passed?”

James hung up, gazing at the friends and family gathered at the phone shanty. “Well,
I wouldn’t want to give interviews every day, but it was gut to discuss our ways and
the work of our hands with an English gal who respects them.”

His father chortled. “Can’t say as I ever talked to a woman for that long in my life,”
he remarked. “But sometimes your mother carries on for that long, and I don’t get
a word in edgewise. Does that count?”

“Merle Moses Graber!” his mamm retorted as she glared through her thick glasses. “We
were goin’ along just fine without you sayin’ that!”

The Masts and the bishop said their good-byes, while Emma folded the lawn chairs.
“I’ll be in for supper in a few,” James told his sister, and as most of the folks
headed into the mercantile to shop, he gazed at Abby. “Did I do all right? I was too
caught up in following her quick way of speaking to notice how folks were reacting.”

“You sounded real gut, James,” Matt replied. “Made me proud to be living in Cedar
Creek, the way you talked about us.”

Abby beamed at him. “I thought it was a wonderful-gut chat, James. Bless them, your
parents were hanging on every word. I hope that reporter sends us a copy of the article
she writes.”

“She said she would, jah.” James relaxed, satisfied by the way his unusual afternoon
had gone. “Denki for taking a break from your work to listen in. You could’ve sewn
up a couple of dresses in that time, no doubt.”

Abby shrugged. “And who amongst us couldn’t go a couple of hours without a new dress?
I will get back to the store, though, as it looks like Sam and the girls might be
awfully busy now.”

James watched her walk toward the entry to the Cedar Creek Mercantile, gratified because
Abby wouldn’t give him anything but her honest opinion. This being Saturday, and with
tomorrow being a non-preaching Sunday, he tried to think of someplace he and Abby
might enjoy themselves this evening. It seemed like a chance to celebrate his recent
orders and today’s interview, because, after all, hadn’t God provided such opportunities
for him?

“James, might I have a word?” a familiar voice behind him asked.

He turned, smiling at Perry Bontrager. The lanky fellow with the bushy black beard
had been in his class at school, had apprenticed in Pete Beachey’s shop with him,
and had then come to work in Graber’s Custom Carriages when James had started up nearly
ten years ago. “It was nice of you and Eli to spend your afternoon off listening
to me rattle on about the rigs we build,” he said. “I should’ve handed you the phone.
You’re every bit the carriage maker I am.”

Perry’s expression wavered. “I—well, that’s partly what I wanted to talk about,” he
said in a tight voice. “After all the years of working for you, it’s—it’s not an easy
thing for me to say, James, but I’ve gotten an offer on Dat’s land. Salome’s always
had a hankering to live closer to her family over toward Clearwater, so now we’ve
got our chance to go.”

James’s heart thudded like an anvil being whacked with a mallet. “You—you’d leave
Cedar Creek?” he rasped, glancing at Matt for support. “But how will you make your
living there, Perry?”

Matt’s eyes lit up with surprised interest, while Perry’s smile went sideways. “Well,
you just said I’m a pretty gut carriage maker, ain’t so? Always a call for that kind
of work in Plain settlements, and the fella there’s about ready to hang up his hammer,”
he explained in a low rush. “I can take over his shop, equipment and all, he says.
And selling off Dat’s land will pay for that place and leave enough money to build
us a bigger house.”

James blinked, reeling as this information sank in. “So—where’ll you live in the meantime?
What with Salome nearly ready to deliver—”

“Her mamm and dat are ready to shift into their dawdi haus, so it’ll be a lot like
living here with Dat. Except I’ll have my own shop.” Perry’s smile wanted to break
out like the sun from behind clouds, for what man didn’t want to own his own business?
Yet he glanced at the ground and shifted young Eli to his other hip. “I feel bad about
leavin’ when you’ve taken on all that new business, James. But it’d be best to get
Salome settled in with her folks before this baby comes.”

“Jah, I understand that, Perry.”

“And what with these details comin’ together so quick-like, with a few phone calls,
I feel like it’s the hand of God movin’ us forward,” Perry continued earnestly. “Before
now, I wasn’t even considerin’ a
move, but—well, it’s too gut an opportunity, close to family, to pass it up.”

James felt the blood was draining from his head. Yet what could he say? Perry sounded
like he’d made all the right decisions…had a new life falling into place just days
after he’d buried his dat. “Well, then, gut luck to you and may God bless.”

“Denki, James. I’ll stay on for another couple weeks, if that’s all right.”

“Jah, that would be gut.” James gazed down the county blacktop toward the rolling
hills of the Bontrager place. “So who’s to be our new neighbors?”

Perry gave James another lopsided smile and then he gazed at Matt. “I’m guessin’ neither
of you have heard the latest. Titus Yutzy made me this offer after Dat’s funeral,
and I gave him my answer this morning. He’ll be bringin’ his flock here to Cedar Creek—partnering
with you, Matt, the way I understand it.”

“So we’re gut to go?” Matt threw his straw hat up in the air, letting out a yell of
pure joy. “This means that— Well, I hope Rosemary’ll come with him, but either way
I’ve got my work cut out for me, ain’t so? Wait till the folks hear
this
!”

Off he ran, up Lambright Lane toward the house, as excited as James had ever seen
him. And rightly so. It seemed that for Matt, a lot of hopes and dreams had just come
true. Little Eli kicked and laughed in his dat’s arms, as though he wanted to get
down and race Matt up the driveway.

“Well, I’d best get along home to supper,” Perry said as he held more tightly to his
wiggly son. “Lots to talk about. Lots to do in a little bit of time.”

“Jah, you’ve got that right.” As James watched Perry hike home with his young son
riding high on his shoulders, he felt like a deflated balloon. All the fine energy
from the successful interview had fizzled out, and the excitement Matt and Perry felt
was lost on him as he made his way across the road toward home.

At least Mamm and Dat weren’t here to hear this news, but it’ll get out soon enough
.
If I’d known about Perry’s move a few days ago…

James gazed at the sign that said
GRABER’S CUSTOM CARRIAGES
across the top of his shop. What a joy it had been to declare himself his own boss
at the age of twenty. As his parents’ only son, he’d been pleased to support his family
with the skills he’d learned and the abilities God had given him.

He prayed now for help in meeting the challenges ahead of him and for some insight
into what special plan God had in mind for him.

A
fter a few moments of silent thanks before their evening meal on Friday, Titus reached
eagerly for the platter of hamburger steaks. “Well, it’s official! Perry Bontrager’s
sellin’ me his dat’s land. They’ll be moved out by the first of June—well before Salome
has her baby.”

Rosemary’s jaw dropped. Today was May 1, so did that mean Titus planned to be out
of this house in just four weeks? So much for her second-guessing about why this sale
would never go through.

Beth Ann’s fork clattered to her plate and she burst into tears. “But, Dat, that means
I have to leave all my friends and—and I won’t know anybody in—”

“But you get to finish out the school year here, daughter. We’ll not be moving until
the new place is ready for the sheep, after all,” Titus replied.

Wasn’t it just like a man to put his livestock before his daughter’s feelings? Rosemary
took a thick onion-studded hamburger steak and then handed the platter across to Beth
Ann. “Well, this way you’ll have the summer to meet new friends around Cedar Creek
before school starts in the fall,” she said gently. “And Ruthie Lambright
will be glad you’re moving across the road from her, too. Didn’t seem to be a lot
of girls her age in that community.”

“Seems to me your wish about living closer to the mercantile has just come true,”
Titus added as he piled mashed potatoes on his plate. “Busy as that store is, you
might even get hired on someday.”

Beth Ann’s chin quivered, but she knew better than to do any more crying at the table.
She cut a piece of meat in half, leaving the other half on the platter, and took only
a small spoonful of potatoes. “So…what’s to happen to this house, then? And to Rosemary’s
land?”

Rosemary silently thanked her young sister-in-law for asking that question. While
it was good to see Joe’s dat looking so pleased with the way his plans were coming
together, she and Beth Ann would have to handle all the practical details, such as
packing and redding up this big old house for the final time—and, of course, getting
the Bontrager house ready to move into. Right now, those tasks seemed overwhelming.
She spooned some mashed potatoes onto Katie’s plate and put the little fork into her
daughter’s hand with a purposeful look.