An Amish Family Reunion Read online

  FOURTEEN

  Willow Brook—Late June

  The Miller family left the preaching service that Sunday in better spirits than they had known in a long while. The outpouring of concern and offers of financial help from their district overwhelmed Matthew and Martha, especially because they were still relative newcomers in their Amish community. Neither had any kin living in the area, yet members created quite a fuss when little Noah arrived with his arm in a cast and sling. Many folks reached for their wallets after lunch, wishing to help pay for the hospital or doctor. Matthew refused their offers graciously, insisting the bills had been paid. However, he didn’t admit to using his employer-provided health insurance due to Martha’s insistence. She said she couldn’t bear the shame or potential censure from the bishop. Her husband honored her request. Things had been tenuous between the two of them since Noah’s fall, with Martha often distant and distracted.

  But today on the drive home, she seemed like her old self—bouncing their daughter on her lap, humming the old-fashioned hymn they’d sung during the service. Noah, wedged in between them in the buggy, enjoyed shooing flies away from the horse with the long-handled crop.

  “What’s for supper tonight?” asked Matthew.

  “We’ve just left the hosting farm, where you ate more than your share not more than two hours ago.” Martha’s large brown eyes glowed with health and mirth. “How many pieces of fried chicken did you eat—five, six?”

  “I lost count, but I got in line several times so my gluttony wouldn’t be so noticeable.”

  “I believe it might still be a sin, but I’m no one to criticize. I couldn’t leave that plate of walnut brownies alone until I’d eaten three.” She shook her head, peering down. “I’ll never lose this baby belly at this rate.”

  “You are perfect just as you are.” Matthew leaned over Noah to kiss her cheek.

  She grinned. “To answer your question, I made a meat loaf yesterday. So we’ll have cold sandwiches today with pickles and potato salad, but not until five thirty. You must hold out until then.”

  Matthew clicked his tongue and the Standardbred picked up the pace. “I’ll take any leftovers with me tomorrow for my lunch for a couple days with a loaf of your homemade bread. They have been serving odd dishes lately in the bunkhouse. An older man from Guatemala does the cooking, and he loves frying up a big skillet of rice and vegetables. He throws just about anything into the pan—beef, chicken, leftover pork roast, ham cubes, even sausage. The last time there were two vegetables I didn’t recognize. The cook said they were artichokes and okra.” He shook his head.

  “You’re joking, right? Sort of like a mystery rice stew?”

  “I’m serious. Miguel calls it pay-ella and says at home he would use clams, mussels, and fish instead of meat because he lived near the ocean.”

  “That sounds even stranger.” Martha wrinkled her nose. “How does this concoction taste?”

  “Not too bad. The seasoning takes some getting used to, but Miguel will never be any match to Martha Miller.” He smacked another kiss on her cheek loudly.

  “Stop trying to butter me up. You still must wait until five for the meat loaf.”

  Matthew grinned as their buggy rolled up the drive of the rental house. The electric lines running from street pole to their home marred the view, but they couldn’t do much about it. “I suppose I’ll play ball with my boy if you girls don’t need me for anything.” His daughter now slept soundly, swaddled in a pink quilt in the crook of Martha’s arm.

  “I’d like to talk to you about something first, Matthew. Let me put Mary in the crib and then I’ll meet you on the porch.” She stepped down as soon as the buggy stopped and headed to the house, not waiting for him to unhitch the horse.

  “About what?” he asked, as an uncomfortable foreboding climbed up his spine. He lifted Noah down to the lawn. “Follow your mamm,” he ordered in Deutsch.

  “About a letter we got this week,” she called over her shoulder. “From Julia.”

  From his mother? Since when did a letter from home need a family sit-down? Was someone sick? Had his mother’s arthritis worsened, requiring more surgery? Had something happened to Dad or Henry…or one of his sisters? These and other possibilities coursed through his mind as he rubbed down their one buggy horse and put him into the garage stall he’d built from old plywood.

  A little while later he found Martha and Noah on the porch swing. She placed the boy near his toys when Matthew arrived and then drew an envelope from her apron pocket. “What is it? Has something happened in Winesburg?” He settled into the spot vacated by his son.

  “Your mother wants us to come home this summer for a big family reunion. She wants all her kinner together again, along with their families.”

  He expelled his breath through his teeth. “Whew, fraa, you had me worried. She’s just inviting us for a shindig?” He leaned back, tipping his felt hat over his face.

  “Hold up there. Before you dismiss this idea out of hand, I want you to read the letter. Julia is quite upset over the fact that she seldom sees her grandchildren. They’ll grow up without knowing either of their grossmammis.” Martha gave him the envelope.

  Matthew extracted the single folded sheet. He read carefully his mother’s heartfelt summons for them to come to Ohio for a visit. Martha wasn’t exaggerating about mamm’s insistence. “She wants us all home for a full month!”

  “Any less time would hardly be worth the expense of bus fare,” she murmured.

  “Ach, a month off during prime show season? The owners want me to prepare their horses before and in between shows to tweak behavior and decorum. This is the busiest time of year, not to mention I’m a fairly new employee who hasn’t earned any vacation time yet.”

  Martha lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “You’re only considering two aspects, Matt. The welfare of some overpriced fancy horses along with the money aspect—the dent in your anticipated paycheck.”

  Matthew stared, slack-jawed. Apparently, she’d given the matter significant thought. “Well, yes, those are the first two that came to mind. My boss may not allow me to leave, Martha. It might not be my choice.”

  “Everyone always has a choice, ehemann. We simply must be willing to accept the consequences.” She focused on the lawn, where bees flitted between clover heads.

  “I suppose that’s true, but I worked very hard to land this job. There are not many good jobs around in my business.”

  She turned to face him. “What about the other considerations? That none of our parents have seen our daughter yet, while Noah only has a vague memory of his Ohio family. And—” she began, but hesitated.

  Matthew put his hand over hers. “Go on. Speak your mind.”

  “And that I’m so lonely here. Jah, I’ve met the district wives and they’re nice to me, but I long to see my parent and sisters. A month in Winesburg would do me a world of good. I might not be such a grumpy old fraa when we come back.” Her dark eyes filled with moisture, but she held back her tears. “Will you at least ask your boss for the time off?”

  Her words and tears tore through his soul. It took a remarkably short time to make up his mind. “I won’t ask, Martha. I will tell Pete I must go home for a month. I’ll take my chances that he will keep my job open, but I won’t have my wife this unhappy for another day.” He drew her into his arms. “Write to both our mamms. Tell them they can expect us home by the end of July. That should give them enough time to cook and bake all my favorite foods.”

  Nestled against his shoulder with her face buried, Martha said quietly, “Danki, Matty. I love you, and not because I’m getting my way.”

  “I know that. I’m eager to visit my folks too, so we’re both getting our way. It’s high time Noah and Mary met the rest of the Millers and Hostetlers.”

  Winesburg

  “Yoo-hoo.” A voice carried on the warm summer air, but for a moment Julia paid no attention as she reread the short letter for the fourth time. The slam of the scre
en door barely registered. Only when the person swept into her kitchen did Julia glance up.

  “Goodness, sister, have you gone deaf?” Hannah strode to the stove, turned on the burner beneath the coffeepot, and set a baking pan on the table.

  Julia lowered the letter. “What’s in the pan?”

  “Cinnamon rolls. I bought a tube of white frosting at the dollar store to make them look like fancy hot cross buns from the bakery. Your daughter would be proud of me.” Hannah retrieved two mugs, the sugar bowl, and the pitcher of cream.

  “Which daughter?” Julia broke off one roll and licked the white vein of frosting.

  “Leah, of course. What’s happened to you—sunstroke?” Hannah pressed the backs of her fingers to Julia’s forehead.

  Julia batted her away. “I’m fine. Better than fine, actually. I got a letter today from Martha. Matthew and his family are coming to visit for a full month! They’ll be here for the reunion. That husband of mine is a genius!”

  Hannah grinned as she carried over the pot. “Indeed he is. When do they arrive?”

  “In four weeks. Matthew needs to give his boss notice and do as much as he can with his show horses before leaving.”

  “He must be a very important man, your son.” Hannah poured coffee in both their mugs and then stirred cream and sugar in hers.

  “He’s done well for himself in New York, working first at the racetrack and now at that stable where rich Englischers board their horses for training.” Julia took a large bite of her cinnamon roll and licked her lips.

  “Training them to do what?”

  Julia dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “I don’t understand exactly. It sounds as though the owners parade their horses around a ring in front of judges. They have to lift their feet quite high and stand in a certain way to get good scores.”

  “Which, the people or the horses?”

  “Probably both.” The two sisters dissolved into giggles. “I do know they buy expensive clothes for these shows. One outfit can cost a couple thousand dollars, and they need several for the multiday shows.”

  Hannah stopped laughing. “Surely you misunderstood him.”

  “I don’t think so. These are very wealthy people with money to burn in their fireplaces. I believe he was joking about the fireplace part, but you can ask him yourself when he’s home in a few weeks.”

  Hannah set down her mug with a clatter. “With all the want and suffering in the world, these horsey folks waste money seeing who has the fancier horses and duds?”

  Julia broke off another cinnamon roll. “Simmer down, schwester. I’m sure they donate plenty to charity and indulge in good works during the rest of the week. They just have so much money that they can’t figure out what to do with it all.” She sighed wearily.

  Hannah downed her mug and reached for the coffeepot. “Tonight I will thank the Lord for sparing me those kinds of problems. What’s the news from Emma and the Davis clan? I know they’ll come to your big reunion.”

  Julia narrowed her gaze and huffed. “Can you believe my kinskind can barely speak a word of Deutsch? Emma and the boys were here last week, and Jamie couldn’t understand a word I said. ‘Ich vill some kuchlen’—the only thing he could do in the language of his people was ask for some cookies.”

  Hannah nearly choked on her mouthful of coffee and hid her face behind a dish towel.

  “You find this amusing? That little boy won’t be able to converse with the other children after church or during socials. He needs to learn Deutsch now. English can wait till down the road. This is because of his other grandmother’s influence. That Barbara Davis. She’s as pushy and headstrong as…as…” Julia struggled to find the best comparison.

  “Who would that be, Julia?” asked Hannah, lowering the gingham towel to reveal a face fighting for composure.

  “Me, okay? Headstrong as me. Are you happy?”

  Hannah daintily nibbled her roll. “I’m quite happy today, but tell me how will you rectify this problem with little Jamie?”

  Julia crossed her arms. “I wrote to Emma yesterday. I told her about the reunion when she visited, but I decided she needs to come with the boys and stay the full month that Matthew will be here. The cousins should get to know each other. Who knows when they’ll have another chance? If Emma won’t leave Charm for the month, I’m insisting that I take the boys so I can teach them Deutsch. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  Hannah winked one of her green eyes. “This is shaping up to be an interesting summer. I don’t want to miss a single moment.”

  FIFTEEN

  The following Wednesday, when Eli sauntered into the Winesburg Library half an hour early, he found a surprise waiting for him at their designated table. Phoebe Miller sat surrounded by books and magazines, including one tome thick enough to serve as a foundation stone for a house.

  “My, my, I see the early bird has caught plenty of worms already.” He bowed slightly as he reached her side, tossing his hat on the adjacent chair.

  “You’re not the only one with ideas up your sleeve, Mr. Riehl. I decided to get a head start looking up book publishers.” She grinned so widely her face began to cramp.

  Eli’s jaw dropped open. “You are brilliant as well as beautiful.” He dragged over the largest volume as soon as he settled into a chair. “Publishers Marketplace,” he read aloud. “The library keeps a copy of this on hand?”

  Phoebe stole a glance over her shoulder. “Not normally, but the librarian was so excited about our idea that she requested some research materials be sent here from Wooster.”

  Eli pawed through the other publications: “How to Get Published in Today’s Market and The Basics of Fiction Writing.” He held up a thin paperback. “So You Want to Become a Children’s Book Author. That should make for some interesting bedtime reading.”

  “I’m not sure which of them I can take home, but this large one must stay here.”

  “I wouldn’t think the horse could pull your pony cart carrying that book.”

  Phoebe pulled a notebook from her tote bag. “I know I accused you of getting ahead of yourself and now look at me. But I thought I should familiarize myself with how things work in publishing.”

  “Making any progress?” He brushed his blond hair back from his face.

  She shook her head. “I’ve been here for two hours. I came as soon as I finished chores, but the more I read, the more confused I become.” She fought to hide her discouragement.

  “That’s why you have a business partner. When we put our heads together, we can scale any mountain…eventually.” He leaned over close enough to bump his head against hers.

  “Are you like this with everyone, Eli? So relaxed and outgoing?”

  “Absolutely not. Most women scare me, but not you, sweet peach. I’m not the least bit afraid of you. Now tell me your plan of attack.” He drummed his fingers on the stack of books.

  “The librarian said I should jot down the name and address of twenty or so publishers of picture books. They’re also called children’s gift books. Not all publishers have a children’s line. Then she will check on the computer to make sure the information is up to date and see if their website has additional submission guidelines. When I’m ready, she and I will do that part together.”

  “Great idea.” His face glowed with enthusiasm.

  “Then we have to put together twenty identical packets containing your story and my artwork to send out to the twenty companies. We also need to state the theme—the lesson we hope the child will learn from our book.”

  “And then we sit back to see who bites the worm?”

  “I guess so. I haven’t gotten that far with Mrs. Carter yet.”

  “Speaking of your artwork, are you ready to show me more of your drawings?”

  “As ready as I ever will be.” Phoebe pulled out her sketch pad, flipping to where she had left off last week. The next several drawings showed the goat, the rooster, the horse, and the pig attempting to pull the cow from the mud,
despite having suffered humiliation from the cow’s jeers and name-calling. The baby lamb, followed by the flock of sheep, mustered a team of animals to finally free the heifer from her predicament.

  Eli took his time, studying each double-page drawing to absorb every minute detail. “Considering how good these are, I’d have to say you’re not getting ahead of yourself. I love the progression of expressions on the Holstein’s face. That little cow seems to have learned a valuable lesson about friendship.”

  “That will be our story’s theme: Everyone needs friends, and in order to have them you must be one.”

  Eli tipped up her chin. “My life improved immeasurably that day in Berlin, waiting for a bus to come.”

  Phoebe blushed but didn’t look away. “I’m rather glad we struck up a conversation.” She reached out to pinch his cheek.

  Eli ducked his head, embarrassed at long last. “I have news for you too. You weren’t the only one not letting moss grow beneath your feet.” He extracted a folded sheet from his trouser pocket and opened it for her inspection.

  She read the unfamiliar name and address aloud. “Who is this woman who lives in Kidron?”

  She’s a Mennonite friend of Rose. She’s studying landscape architecture or something like that in college, but the important part is that she has a computer with that fancy software program I told you about. She can scan your artwork and then add whatever color or special effects you would like.”

  “I don’t know what I would like, so why don’t you do the choosing?”

  “I’d be happy to if that’s what you prefer. She said I could experiment with just the tap of a mouse…I mean, a button. Sort of like seeing what a person would look like with a dozen different hairdos. I can’t wait to take your drawings to her house.”