An Amish Noel Read online

  “How do you charge your cell phone, anyway?” Luke asked to change the subject. He could see he wasn’t getting through to the boy.

  Roy looked disappointed, but said, “I have three batteries that I rotate. Fannie Erb has a phone charger that runs off a car battery. Alvin stops by there on his way to school, leaves one with her and picks it up on his way home. If he forgets or school isn’t on, I go to Brian Morgan’s place. He lets me use his charger for a small price. Well, he used to. I’m not sure he will after I wrecked the snowmobile. If we could get a solar panel running, I know a lot of fellas from our neighboring church group who would pay to use it.”

  “From Bishop Hochstetler’s church? I thought they didn’t permit any phones at all. Not even a community phone booth.”

  “They don’t, but some kids have them, anyway. They sure don’t want to get caught with one. Bishop Hochstetler had the parents of one kid shunned after he was caught with a phone. The bishop claimed they hadn’t raised their son properly.”

  “Was this your friend Micah?”

  Roy nodded. “I was the one who got the phone for him. He gave it up after that. He didn’t want his folks punished for the things he did.”

  “I can understand that.”

  Every Amish congregation decided on the Ordnung for their church. Some were much more conservative than others and their bishops held great sway over the members. Bishop Hochstetler’s group was one of the strictest. His church members lived without indoor plumbing or running water. Their children weren’t allowed a rumspringa, but were all expected to join the church when they came of age. Members were even forbidden to use reflectors on their buggies, including the orange slow-moving vehicle triangle that adorned the back of every buggy in Luke’s congregation. Luke didn’t agree with their way of thinking, but he respected the people who adhered to the old ways so staunchly.

  “Did Micah stop seeing you because of his parents’ shunning?”

  “Nee, not because of that.”

  Luke was shocked by the sadness in Roy’s voice.

  Outside, the clanging of a bell signaled the noon meal was ready. Roy started for the ladder. “Emma doesn’t like us to keep her waiting. Come on.”

  Luke stayed rooted to the spot. He’d known this moment was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. He would have to share a meal with Emma and her family. He would have to sit across from her and pretend she didn’t set his head spinning like a top. He’d have to pretend it didn’t matter that she was thinking about marrying.

  Who was the fellow? He was dying to know.

  * * *

  Emma had her emotions well in hand by the time she rang the dinner bell. Luke’s presence was nothing more than a minor annoyance. Nothing of their past relationship remained. She wanted to make sure he got the message in case he thought otherwise.

  After everyone had washed up and taken their place at the table, she carried the platter of meat loaf and turnips from the oven and placed it in front of her father. She took her place opposite Luke, folded her hands demurely and prayed silently.

  Her father cleared his throat to signal the prayer was ended and reached for the dish Emma had put on the table. “Meat loaf and boiled turnips. My favorite. I hope you like them, Luke.”

  Emma stifled a small grin. Luke didn’t like meat loaf, and he hated turnips.

  “I do. It’s one of my favorite meals, too,” Luke said.

  Her glance flew to his face. He was grinning at her with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m surprised that you remembered, Emma.”

  Of course he would find a way to put her on the spot. He knew exactly what she had done, but she could hardly claim she remembered he disliked them. She raised her chin a notch. “I didn’t. It was a pure coincidence.”

  “A happy one for me, it seems.” He loaded his plate and passed the platter to Roy.

  Emma fumed silently as the meal continued, but a covert glance at Luke proved he hadn’t touched his turnips and was only picking at his meat loaf. She took pity on him and fetched the half dozen leftover dinner rolls from the day before. She offered him the plate and he took three.

  “What do you think of my collection, Luke?” her father asked.

  “You have a good amount of salvageable equipment. It’s going to take some time to get the bulk of it in running order.”

  “How much time do you reckon?”

  “Six months, maybe. Truthfully, it would be better to wait until warmer weather to work on it.”

  “I reckon you’re right about that.” Disappointment clouded her father’s expression.

  “I think you should concentrate on getting your hardware store finished,” Luke added quickly. “A lot of the small things like the horseshoes and nails can be sold in your store without waiting for a farm sale. The chain saws and handsaws will likely sell, too. This time of year, everyone needs firewood. Does the log splitter work?”

  Roy shook his head. “We’ve been splitting our wood by hand for the past two years.”

  “That’s too bad, but once your store is enclosed and can be heated, repairing things like the log splitter and other small equipment will be much easier.”

  “That will be our plan, then,” Zachariah announced. “Starting this afternoon, we’ll get busy finishing the walls.”

  Luke buttered his roll. “Where did the solar panels in the hayloft come from?”

  Zachariah scratched his chin. “Let me think. I remember now. I traded a green-broke horse to an Englisch fella over by Berlin. It was a poor trade on my part. I thought I could resell them for more, but most folks want them installed and guaranteed. I intended to read up on it but never got around to it. I still have that book somewhere.”

  “If you find it, I’d like to see it.”

  Her father looked her way. “Any idea where it might be, Emma?”

  “It’s in the bookcase in the living room where I put all the books you intend to read and never do.” She smiled tenderly at him. He was a fine man, but he wasn’t without his faults.

  He chuckled and pointed his fork at Luke. “My daughter keeps me in line. A good thing it is, too. Her mother was just the same. Never settle for a woman that always lets you have your way, Luke.”

  “I won’t,” Luke said quietly. His gaze was fixed on her face.

  She looked away first. The sound of the buggy outside caught her attention. She glanced past her father and saw Wayne drive in. He stepped down from his buggy, brushed off his coat and adjusted his hat before approaching the house.

  Her dad glanced over his shoulder. “Well, it seems that Wayne isn’t wasting any time.”

  “What does that mean?” Roy asked, looking perplexed.

  Her father chuckled. “Nothing. I shall go see what he wants. Perhaps he can join us for our midday meal.”

  Emma closed her eyes and prayed that would not be the case. The thought of Luke watching Wayne court her was almost more than she could bear.

  Her prayer went unanswered. Her father came in with Wayne behind him. “Set another place, Emma. Wayne will be joining us.”

  “This should be interesting.” Luke watched her with a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. “Wayne Hochstetler? I never would have guessed.”

  “Oh, be quiet and eat your turnips!” She pushed back from the table and went to fetch another plate.

  There was nothing wrong with Wayne’s appearance, Emma decided as he shed his coat and hat and took a seat beside Luke. The widower was a fine-looking man with thick black hair and a well-kept beard. He was tall with an athletic figure, but he didn’t smile much.

  Emma was hard-pressed to make the meal stretch to include another healthy appetite, but she was required by her faith to feed any person who came to her table. Luke offered Wayne some of his untouched turnips, and he accepted them with ba
rely a nod. Emma passed the meat loaf to Wayne without taking any herself. She added a day-old roll to her plate instead. Cutting it in half, she buttered the crown. The meal progressed in silence, made all the more uncomfortable by her father’s contented smile. She reached for the honey.

  Luke caught her eye, gave her a wink and a nod as if signaling his approval. She wanted to pour the honey over his head, but restricted herself to adding it to her day-old roll.

  When the meal was done, the men retired to the living room, leaving her alone at last. She hurried through the dishes so she could join them. Thankfully, her father was hard of hearing and she had no trouble listening to the conversation taking place in the other room.

  “What brings you out this way?” Zachariah asked.

  “I heard about Roy falling through the ice. I came to see how he was faring after his accident. I had a cousin who perished from pneumonia after a winter dunking. I hope you have seen the error of your ways, Roy. The Englisch machines are dangerous and only draw us into peril.”

  “I did learn not to take one out on the river ice. I’ll stick to the snow-covered fields in the future.”

  Emma flinched at Roy’s flippant tone.

  “You jest with me, but your accident was not a laughing matter. The bishop may well be out to speak with your father about your attitude if it does not change soon.”

  “I have taken my son to task. He’ll not repeat his mistake. I’m sure you have work waiting for you, Roy,” her father said sharply. He wasn’t pleased with Roy’s attitude, either.

  “We do,” Luke said, and rose to leave.

  Emma watched Roy saunter through the kitchen. She dried her hands on a towel and beckoned him with one finger. When he was close enough, she hissed, “Are you trying to embarrass our father?”

  Roy glared over his shoulder. “What business does Wayne Hochstetler have threatening to send the bishop out here? We aren’t members of his church. Why would our bishop care if I ride a snowmobile? I’m not baptized. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “It is the business of all good men who see others going astray to set the wrongdoer on a better path. Search your heart for gelassenheit, Roy.”

  “I don’t want to be humble before Wayne.”

  “It’s not about Wayne. Gelassenheit means yielding oneself to a higher authority. It means giving ourselves up to the church. Self-surrender, submission, yielding to the will of God and to others. It brings contentment and a calm spirit to our lives.”

  “Not to me.” He shouldered past Luke, snatched his hat and coat from the pegs by the door, and stormed out.

  Luke stepped close to her. “He’s having a hard time about something, Emma. He’ll come around.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  He was the last person she should turn to for help. “I’m more afraid of your advice than of leaving him alone.”

  He flinched slightly, and she was sorry she had been so abrupt. She clasped her hands in front of her and looked down. “Forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. Go in and enjoy your visitor.”

  “What makes you think Roy is having a hard time?” She glanced up to read the concern in his face.

  “He mentioned a boy named Micah Yoder, a friend of his. I got the impression they don’t see each other anymore.”

  “Micah was a member of Wayne’s church. He died almost a year ago. It will be exactly a year on Roy’s birthday later this month.”

  “I do remember hearing about it. Some kind of farming accident, wasn’t it? It must have been tough on Roy to lose a friend so young.”

  She gazed into his blue eyes. “It’s hard to lose a friend no matter what age we are.”

  * * *

  Luke knew Emma was referring to him. “I hurt a lot of people when I left home. I regret that, and I regret that you were one of them.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  It felt like only yesterday. Should he try and make her understand why he left? Or was it best to leave it alone and move forward.

  Her father called from the other room, “Emma, could you put on a pot of coffee?”

  “Right away, Daed,” she answered.

  “Is Wayne the one?”

  Luke thought she would deny it, but she didn’t. “I’m considering him. He has a lot going for him.”

  “Such as?”

  “He owns a nice farm. He has a five-year-old daughter who needs a mother. My daed and his are close friends. It would make my father happy.”

  “Will he make you happy?”

  “He’s reliable, Luke. That’s important. He’s a good man and a staunch member of the faithful.”

  “If he’s the one, I’m glad. I want you to be happy.”

  She hardened her heart against his charm and the way his soft voice pulled at her heartstrings. “I gave you the chance to make me happy once, and you threw it back in my face. You have no say in my life now.”

  A muscle twitched in his jaw. “You’re right. It’s none of my business.” He walked out the door without another word.

  She watched him go and wished he had been more concerned about her happiness when it was his business.

  Chapter Six

  Luke chose to walk to his destination the next morning. It was cold, but the sky was cloudless and the rising sun promised a mild day. His boots crunched through the snow as he crossed the lawn to the edge of the roadway. Yesterday’s warm temperatures had caused a minor thaw, but a thick crust had frozen over again during the night. He was almost at the covered bridge when he heard a shout behind him.

  “Onkel Luke, wait for me.”

  He stopped and turned around. His six-year-old niece Hannah came hurrying toward him. She was light enough that she ran over the surface of the snow without breaking through. Her ever-present shadow, a yellow Lab named Bella, trotted at her heels.

  Luke waited until she was closer. “What’s new, buttercup?”

  Hannah took his hand and settled into a walk beside him. “We’re going to practice our parts for the school Christmas pageant today. I already know my poem by heart. Do you want to hear it?”

  “Sure.”

  Hannah stopped and folded her hands in front of her. In a loud clear voice, she recited her lines. She only stumbled once. When she was finished, she gave him a sad look. “That wasn’t very good.”

  “It was fine. All you need is a little more practice.”

  “Onkel Timothy has been helping me. Mamm and Grossmammi, too.”

  Joshua had moved his wife, Mary, and her grandmother, Ada Kauffman, into a small house near the Bowman farm. “Timothy has been helping you? Is he any good at poetry?”

  “I think he just comes over for Grossmammi Ada’s gingerbread cookies.”

  “That sounds like Timothy.”

  “He’s going to clean out our stable at school and help make the decorations for our program.”

  “Now that doesn’t sound like Timothy.” They crossed the river using the pedestrian walkway built along the side of the covered bridge. A horse and buggy trotted through on the road. Hannah waved to Jonas Beachy, the bishop, and his wife, Ellie. They both waved back.

  Hannah glanced up at Luke. “Are you coming to visit our school?”

  “I’m passing by, but I can’t stay. I’ve got to see Jim Morgan and then I’m going to Zachariah Swartzentruber’s place.”

  “I like Alvin Swartzentruber.” She covered her mouth with her mittened hands and giggled.

  Luke grinned. She was just too cute. “Does Alvin know that?”

  She nodded, making the ties of her cap jiggle on her shoulders. “I told him.”

  “And does he like you?”

  Her lower lip stuck out in a pout. “Nee
, he likes Betty Lapp. She’s in the seventh grade.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It’s okay. Billy Lapp likes me.”

  “Is he related to Betty?”

  “Her little brother. He’s in the first grade with me. Our school is going to go caroling on second Christmas.”

  “Are you? That sounds like fun.” Second Christmas, December 26, was a day normally devoted to visiting between Amish families and friends. Caroling was just one way they shared the joy of the season.

  “We’re going to a nursing home and a hospital. Aenti Rebecca and your mamm are holding a cookie exchange on December 20. I’m to invite all my friends. You can invite your friends, too. I love Christmas, don’t you? Are you coming to our school pageant on Christmas Eve?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  “Alvin is going to sing a solo. He has a beautiful voice, only I’m not supposed to tell him that. Teacher Lillian says he mustn’t get a gross feelich.”

  A “big feeling” was another way of saying pride. “I’m sure Alvin knows his singing gift comes from God.”

  “He does. I’m going to be one of the angels that appear to the shepherds. Teacher Lillian has decided our program will be all about the shepherds and the good news they heard first.”

  “Sounds like it will be a mighty goot program.”

  “Onkel Timothy is coming, too. He likes my teacher.”

  That was news, although Luke wasn’t sure his source was reliable. He’d definitely ask Timothy about it soon. “I don’t remember there being so much romance at Rider Hill School when I went there.”

  “What’s romance?”

  “Something for you to ask your mother about when you’re eighteen.”

  “Will you be a hundred then?”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure it will feel that way.”

  “Papa Nick and Mammi Miriam are coming to visit us. Mamm has been missing them something awful on account of she gets sick every morning.”

  Nick and Miriam Bradley were Hannah’s mother’s adoptive parents. Luke knew Nick well. He was the sheriff of Holmes County.