Simple Choices (18 page)

Papa knelt down on Benjamin’s grave. “I’m grateful, too, son,” he said brokenly. “I can hardly wait to give Benjamin a hug. I know Essie is with him now and that they’re waiting for the rest of us.” He looked up at us. “You know, I’m fully aware that I have one foot in heaven and one foot on the earth. Soon I’ll set both of my feet on that side, and Essie, Benjamin, and I will be there to greet you when you arrive. That will be a great day, won’t it?”

My father bent down and helped Papa up. Then he wrapped his arms around him. “Yes, Papa,” he whispered. “That will truly be a great day.”

We stayed at Benjamin’s grave for a little while, and then we walked through the rest of the cemetery. Mom and Dad pointed out the graves of people they’d known. Several times they linked their arms together and wept at the names of people they’d loved. Sweetie knew most of the names and was able to bring my parents up to date on past history—marriages, children, and how people had died. She had some great stories about Harmony residents that I’d never heard before. By the time we finished, I felt even more tied to Harmony. As if I’d been raised here, just like my parents.

One grave was missing though. John had allowed Abel to perform a small memorial service for his father, more for John’s comfort than to memorialize Jacob Glick. Then Jacob’s ashes had been scattered somewhere private. John had never shared the location and as far as I knew, no one ever asked. Although he wouldn’t have faced opposition had he wanted to bury Jacob in the Harmony cemetery, John refused. His concerns weren’t for himself but for those his father had harmed.

We drove back into town to visit the shops. Mom and Dad knew several people including the Menlos who owned Menlo’s Bakery. Papa’s memory seemed clear as a bell while they talked about old times. They all reminisced for quite a while, and Mr. Menlo insisted they try some of his baklava. By the time we left, we had an apple spice cake, a bag full of Mrs. Menlo’s fudgy brownies, and a box of the best baklava I’ve ever tasted. We stopped back by Ruth’s Crafts and Creations, and my father was able to see some of Benjamin’s beautiful birdhouses and feeders. Most of them had been purchased by townspeople, but there were three houses and two feeders left. Dad ran his hand over them slowly. He’d seen the ones I had at the house, but these were brand new, not faded by time and weather like mine.

Ruth came from behind the counter and stood next to my father. “When you get ready to leave town, you come on by here,” she said softly. “I’ll have these packed up for you.”

He nodded. “Thank you. If you’ll just make up a bill, I’ll pay you when my wife decides what else she wants.” He winked at Ruth. “I’m glad my car has a big trunk. Looks like she’s buying out your inventory.”

Ruth shook her head. “You don’t understand, Daniel. I’m giving them to you.”

My dad started to argue with her, but she grabbed his arm. “Now hush. This is what Benjamin would have wanted, I’m sure of it. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

My father, who prides himself on his self-control, paused only a second before wrapping his arms around the stout shop owner. I turned away and concentrated on some hand-painted plates mounted to the wall. I’d cried so many times lately, I was afraid of drying out my insides. We spent quite awhile in Ruth’s and by the time we left, my father’s words had proven true. My mother’s stack of new acquisitions was impressive. I’d shown them some of Hannah’s paintings, and they’d agreed that she was incredibly talented. As I stood in front of the colorful pictures, I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever paint again.

Papa spent most of his time gazing at a display of beautiful quilts, mumbling to himself. When I went to fetch him so we could leave, he grabbed my hand.

“Now Gracie, have you found Essie’s wedding present yet? She’s gonna scold us both if you don’t find it. It’s really, really important.”

“I’ll find it, Papa. We’ve still got plenty of time.”

This seemed to satisfy him, and he followed me out of the shop, first stopping to receive a hug from Ruth. She’d been a young woman when Papa knew her and her parents, and she clearly remembered him, even bringing up times they’d spent together. Even though he pretended to recall the events she mentioned, it was obvious he had no idea who she was. Ruth’s sad expression as she watched Papa leave made my heart ache.

We spent some time in Cora’s Simple Clothing Shoppe talking to Amos and Cora Crandall. Although they hadn’t lived in Harmony when my parents and Papa were here, it turned out Amos’s parents had. They shared several stories passed down to them and we discovered that Amos’s father and Papa used to go fishing together. Their conversation sparked some animation in Papa’s face. Thankfully he remembered Norman Crandall and could even tell us a couple of big “fish stories” that made everyone laugh.

My mother grew nostalgic over some of the garments sold at the store and ended up buying two lovely pastel dresses. I had little faith that she would actually ever wear them, but since I had several similar dresses in my own closet, I certainly wasn’t the person to protest her choice.

We made the rounds of quite a few other places in town, including Joe Loudermilk’s hardware store and the Scheidler brothers’ farm implements store. My mother loved Nature’s Bounty, a shop that sells dairy products, fresh fruits, and vegetables. The store used to be owned by Joyce Bechtold, a woman who had been in love with my uncle. Even though I believe he loved her, too, he’d never reached out to Joyce. Instead, he’d remained trapped, trying to protect a family secret that didn’t need protecting. After he died, Joyce left town, brokenhearted. Now the shop was run by Florence Avery, wife of a dairy farmer who supplied most of the milk, eggs, and cream. Flo was a very nice woman, and my parents purchased assorted fruits and vegetables that Sam and I toted back to the car. Their stash was growing. Hopefully we’d be able to get the trunk closed after loading everything that waited at Ruth’s.

The last visit on our route was to Ketterling’s Candles and Notions. I could hardly wait to see Sarah and her father, Gabe. My mother pulled me aside before we reached the front door.

“This is Sarah? The girl you told me about?” she asked quietly.

I nodded. “Yes, she’s the one who’s in love with Dr. Keystone.”

I’d told my mother all about Gabe and Sarah and how that although we were now dear friends, my first introduction to Gabe was pretty bumpy. A man hurt by the devastation of losing his beloved wife to an outsider, he’d withdrawn into a world he thought he could control. Unfortunately he’d dragged Sarah into it, too. Thanks to the efforts of a loving community, Gabe had finally come out of his shell and joined the human race—to an extent. His complete commitment to his faith kept certain boundaries strong, including not allowing his daughter to become involved with an unbeliever like John Keystone.

“Their story is so similar to ours. I feel such compassion for them,” Mom said.

“Except that you and Dad were both believers. John isn’t. I can’t fault Gabe for not wanting his Christian daughter to marry someone who doesn’t know God.”

“Does Sarah feel the same way?”

Dad, Sam, and Papa were busy looking over farm equipment through the Scheidler brothers’ window so we sat down on one of the many benches along the boardwalk.

“Yes, she believes that she shouldn’t be unequally yoked,” I said. “But she’s also very protective of her father. I told you that his wife, Sarah’s mother, ran off with another man. Gabe’s carried that hurt for a long, long time.” I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. It seemed much hotter now than when we’d started our tour. “Sarah believes if she left her father, it could destroy him. She loves him too much to risk it.”

My mother sighed and stared off into the distance. “But that’s not her job, Gracie. We need to find our fulfillment from our relationship with God, not from other people. Her father needs to let her go so she can experience the life God has called her to live.”

“I know, Mom. I tried to tell her, but she doesn’t want to hear it. If I say anything else about it, I could ruin our friendship.”

The men had finished their survey of farm machinery, so Mom and I got up and followed them to the candle shop. As we entered, Gabe looked up from something he was working on behind the counter.

“Gracie!” he said, his face breaking out into a big smile. “I heard you were back.”

He held out his arms and embraced me in a big hug, something he never used to do. I was still adjusting to the changes, although I loved seeing the difference in his personality. Then he approached my father. “You must be Daniel,” he said, holding out his hand. “I knew your brother. In fact, we were friends. I’m so happy to meet you.”

Dad seemed somewhat taken aback by Gabe’s Old Order attire and customary beard. I was sure it brought back memories from his youth. Gabe and Sarah were one of the few Old Order families left in Harmony. But ever the trouper, Dad quickly regained his composure and took Gabe’s hand.

“Good to meet you, too, Gabe. I’ve certainly heard a lot about you—and your daughter.”

I quickly made the rest of the introductions. When I got to Papa, Gabe nodded. “My family and I moved here shortly before you and your wife left Harmony,” he said to Papa. “I’m sure you don’t recall me, but I certainly remember you. You were very highly thought of in this community. I’m honored to see you again.”

Papa took his hand and smiled, but the blank look was back. He stared at Gabe’s clothing and beard and frowned. I wondered if he was also remembering the past. But whatever his thoughts, he kept them to himself.

“I still remember coming here when Levi Hoffman ran this store,” Dad said. “We bought candles and lanterns for our home. Levi was a good friend of our family.”

Gabe nodded. “He was a good friend to many people here. What happened to him was sad. I hope someday he’ll return to Harmony. People in this town still pray for that day.”

“Yes,” Dad said. “We pray for that, too.”

Just then the curtain that separates the main shop from the rooms in the back parted and Sarah entered the room.

“Gracie!” she said, laughing. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

I ran over to the beautiful young woman in the dark dress and apron, her raven-colored hair tucked under her prayer covering, and hugged her tightly. I was startled to feel her bony frame under my grasp. She looked even thinner than she had before I left.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I said, feeling somewhat emotional. Sarah was my very best friend in Harmony. An Old Order Mennonite and a very modern girl from the big city. Strange combination, but somehow it worked.

She finally let me go and stepped back to smile at me. “I’ve been keeping up my cooking lessons with Sweetie. I think I’ve passed you by, you know. Will you be ready to begin again soon?”

“I think we can work in one more lesson before the wedding. Can I call and let you know when? I really need the rest of this week to go over wedding plans and spend some time with my family.”

Sarah looked at her father. “That would be wonderful as long as Papa will let me take off some time from the shop.”

Gabe’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Saying no would only hurt me in the long run. I’m the one benefiting from your lessons.” He patted his stomach, which was flat as a board. “I may have to go on a diet if this keeps up, but it’s worth it. Sarah is becoming quite the cook.” His face lost its jovial look for a moment. “Can’t figure out why I keep gaining weight and she seems to be losing it though. Doesn’t make sense.”

“You do look thinner, Sarah,” I said. “Are you feeling all right?”

She blushed slightly and looked down toward the floor. “I think I’ve been working too hard and forgetting to eat. But I promised Papa I’d do better, and I will.” She swung her gaze up to me. “Now, no more talk of how much I weigh. I want to hear all about Wichita.”

Gabe leaned back against the counter behind him. “Of course, we’ve heard about Hannah. The whole town is abuzz. What’s really going on, Gracie? Did she run away?”

I hesitated before answering, torn between keeping folks in Harmony from becoming frightened by the idea of a killer who might target their daughters and an overwhelming desire to warn these people I loved so much. Not certain if Pat was finished talking to the Muellers, I decided not to share everything quite yet. “We honestly don’t know, Gabe. Sheriff Taylor thinks she’s a runaway. A few other people aren’t so certain.” I sighed. “I just wish she’d show up. I can’t help but blame myself some for this situation. If I hadn’t taken her to Wichita …”

“Don’t be silly, Gracie,” Gabe said. “Even though Sarah and I believe in a separated life, we don’t believe that alone will keep us unspotted from the world. People have free will. They have the right to make decisions. Good ones or bad ones. Hannah Mueller has godly parents who taught her right from wrong. Her reaction to what she saw in Wichita was her own.” He shook his head. “It’s unlikely she would have lived all her life here anyway.” He motioned toward my father. “In the old days, young people were expected to stay in their hometowns. Schooling past the eighth grade was not only discouraged, but in many families it was forbidden. Do you remember?”

Dad nodded. “My brother and I were allowed to finish high school and my parents knew we intended to go to college. But my mother and father were rebels in their day.” He smiled at Papa who returned his smile. “But yes, that’s the way it was.”

“Today, children are allowed to go to college even in the more conservative communities,” Gabe said. “I believe the Muellers would have allowed Hannah to leave if she had that desire, so she would have seen life outside our little town eventually. It was something inside her, Gracie, that sparked a fire. It wasn’t you.” He shook his head and his eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Sometimes I wonder, though, if the old ways aren’t better. I worry about the world and its effect on young people.” He smiled at my father. “Of course I’ve changed my mind about many things since your daughter came into my life. I’m sure I’m not through learning, but I thank God all the time for her friendship. I know I’m better for it.”