An Amish Kitchen, page 20
Eve pulled up the green and white quilt that Leroy had tossed back this morning, then fluffed his pillows and positioned them against the back of the couch. She glanced around the room. Leroy’s dirty clothes were in a hamper Eve’s mother had put in the room, and his other clothes and personal items were neatly folded and displayed atop Mamm’s sewing table in the corner. Eve smiled. If Levi did choose to marry Lena Byler, the girl would be glad that Eve had trained up her son to be neat and tidy.
She closed the door behind her and went down the hall to the extra bedroom where the twins were staying. As she eyed the mess before her—mostly on Elias’s side of the room—Eve knew that the twins’ future fraas would have their work cut out for them. She picked up two dirty shirts off the floor. As she made Elias’s bed, she thought about the way he’d slipped out to meet Elizabeth. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it had certainly been worthy of punishment. She’d avoided letting her parents know about the incident, but maybe she should have told them. Maybe she should have made a point for her mother to see that she was quite capable of disciplining her children when they needed it.
She smoothed the wrinkles from the quilt on his bed before she went to the other bed, which was covered in a matching quilt. Once both the beds were made, she sniffed a few times, recognizing the smell of dirty socks. She bent to her knees, and sure enough . . . two dark black socks were underneath Elias’s bed. Picking them up with thumb and first finger, she held them at arm’s length as she looked around for any other dirty clothes. When she didn’t find any, she walked to the small hamper and tossed in the socks.
Unlike some of the rooms in the old farmhouse, this room had a closet. Eve had inspected the contents when she and the twins were deciding if it would be a good place to keep George. There were boxes stacked along the left side, and Eve knew that her old faceless dolls were in one of the crates, cards and letters that her mother had saved in another, and various keepsakes. Eve didn’t open the closet, hoping Amos was remembering to feed the reptile.
The boys had managed to sneak the lizard in with a blanket draped over the cage while Eve distracted her parents. She felt a little guilty for deceiving her folks about a Chinese water dragon, but it would have been just one more thing for her mother to fret about.
Eve hadn’t been happy when Amos came home with this unusual pet. Her son had saved his money and begged his parents for what he called a lizard, but the frightful-looking beast had grown much larger than any lizard Eve had ever seen. If it gave Eve the shivers, what would her mother think . . .
Elias bit down on his ham sandwich, his teeth chattering from the frigid temperatures. As he sat on the couch in his family’s living room, wind blew around the plastic sheeting and swirled throughout the damaged structure. Daadi was sitting next to Elias, eating his own lunch. His father and Leroy had eaten earlier and were outside toting lumber from the wagon to a designated pile on the north side of the house. Amos—as usual—had been sent to town for supplies, and was probably thumbing through magazines or books somewhere.
“Elias . . .” His grandfather sighed as he locked eyes with Elias, shaking his head. “I reckon when a fellow is grounded, he should respect his parents enough to follow the rules.” Daadi pushed his glasses up on his nose, frowning.
“Uh, ya. You’re right.” Elias wondered what his grandfather was getting at.
Daadi ran a shaky hand through his beard. “Your mammi caught you coming into the haus last night. She wanted to go straight to your mudder and tell your business, but I told her that I’d give you a friendly talkin’-to, and that I was sure you wouldn’t disobey your parents again.” He stuffed his lunch trash in his black lunch box and stood up from the couch.
Elias’s jaw dropped. “But I didn’t . . .” He scratched his head for a moment before he went on. “Are you sure it was last night?”
“Ya. It was last night.” Daadi pulled on his heavy gloves, then pushed his black felt hat firmly onto his head. “I won’t be able to help you next time.”
“But I . . .” Elias wondered if his grandfather was confused. Or more likely, his grandmother was. He stood up and watched the older man walk out the door to help his father and Leroy. Moments later Amos walked in.
“I’m starving!” His brother’s whole face spread into a goofy smile, and Elias walked closer to Amos, squinting.
“Where’ve you been?”
Amos’s teeth were chattering, but the grin wasn’t going away. “You know where I was. Running errands.”
Elias moved even closer to Amos and thumped him lightly on the arm. “That the only place? And what about last night, mei bruder?”
Amos’s mouth pulled into a sour grin. “Wha-wha-whatcha talkin’ about?”
“I just took the blame for you sneaking out of the haus last night. So you best start talking.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ELIAS TURNED UP THE PROPANE HEATER IN THE bedroom, set the lantern on the end table between his and Amos’s beds, then crawled under the covers and waited for his brother to come in after taking a bath.
Amos’s hair was wet and sticking straight up when he walked in towel-drying it, barefoot, wearing blue pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. “Ach, it’s cold in here.”
Elias rolled his eyes. “Put some shoes on, you dummkopp.” He looked at his cell phone. One bar left, but no word from Elizabeth yet. He scratched his chin. He’d been trying to reach her for an hour and no answer.
Amos got into bed shivering and tucked himself beneath the covers.
Elias turned on his side to face his brother. “So where’d you go last night?” It seemed unlikely that Amos would have a girlfriend, but Elias couldn’t think of any other reason for a man to trek into this weather.
“N-None of your business.” Amos reached over the side of the bed and between the mattresses, pulling out a magazine with bent edges and a shiny red car on the front.
Elias glared at his brother. “It ain’t, huh?” He sat taller. “I’m the one who took the blame for you. Mammi saw you last night, and she and Daadi think it was me who snuck out.”
“Sorry a-about that.” Amos flipped through the pages of the magazine.
“You don’t seem too sorry.” Elias glared at his brother, then grinned. “Find that lizard of yours?”
Amos’s jaw dropped and he sat taller, tossing the magazine to the side. “Ach! I forgot!” He jumped out of the bed, grabbed the lantern, and began searching the room. “Help me look for George.”
Elias yawned as he snuggled into his covers. “I think one gut deed for the day is enough for me.”
Amos grumbled under his breath, and he was still shuffling around the room when Elias drifted off to sleep.
Eve carried the lantern down the stairs, tiptoeing, knowing she was early for breakfast. She could smell sausage and biscuits already going, but she didn’t realize her father was up also until she heard her name.
“Eve and Benjamin give those kinner too much freedom. I could hardly sleep last night, worrying one of them young’uns would be wandering around out in this wedder.” Eve’s mother paused. “And all over a maedel.”
Eve slowed her step, gently turning the lantern down as she listened to her mother go on. “I hope you told Elias that we don’t allow such doings in our home.”
“Ya, ya.”
Eve came to a complete stop, still listening.
“Eve and Benjamin will be lucky if those twins don’t end up in trouble or living out in the Englisch world.” Another pause. “I don’t think they had those types of troubles with Leroy. Or maybe they did, and we just didn’t know about it.”
Eve heard her father’s chair scoot from the table, and Eve picked up the pace, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. She came face-to-face with her father in the middle of the den.
“Guder mariye, Daed.” She scooted around him as he smiled and nodded.
“I’m gonna go milk the cows. Send those boys when they get up.”
“It’s still early. I’m sure they’ll be down shortly.” Eve edged into the kitchen, kept her head high, and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Guder mariye, Eve.”
Eve returned the sentiment but couldn’t look at her mother. Her thoughts assailed her, but she bit her tongue. For a moment. Then she swirled around, leaned up against the kitchen counter, and glared at her mother as Mamm pulled biscuits from the oven.
“We live in different times, Mamm. We don’t allow our kinner to do anything that other parents in the district don’t let theirs do.” She bit her bottom lip, wondering why she had never been good enough in her mother’s eyes.
“Were you eavesdropping?” Mamm set down the oven mitt and raised an eyebrow in Eve’s direction.
Eve folded her arms across her chest. “Nee. I just happened to hear the end of your conversation with Daed.”
Her mother sighed as she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out two jars of jam. “I just don’t think you know what’s going on with your own kinner, that’s all.” She shrugged, putting the jars on the table.
Eve took a deep breath, remembering to respect her parents no matter what. “At least I love my children. And they know that.” She glared at her mother and trudged across the kitchen. “I’m going to go help Daed in the barn.”
“Eve, wait.” Rosemary watched her daughter stomp out to the barn, pouting as if she were a small child. Rosemary knew she shouldn’t have said anything about Eve’s child rearing, even if it had been the truth. Eve and Benjamin were going to lose control of those twins if they didn’t do something. If Rosemary had those boys under her roof for a while, she could teach them a thing or two about the old ways. They’d get rid of all that modern technology—and no one would be sneaking out of the house. And twice now, Eve had mentioned how her boys knew she loved them.
But did Eve just insinuate that Rosemary didn’t love her?
Rosemary shuffled across the kitchen, grasping her right hand as it began to shake. She’d hoped that she and Eve would get closer while Eve was here, but instead, she was just pushing Eve further away.
With a heavy heart Rosemary finished cooking breakfast, hoping Eve would come in before everyone else so that maybe she could make amends with her daughter. When that didn’t happen, she turned to the Lord. She’d been praying that God would show her the way to get closer to Eve, but she also wondered if God was talking and she just wasn’t hearing Him.
Ten minutes later everyone was seated at the kitchen table. After they’d prayed, Benjamin spoke up.
“Eve and I have something to ask you both.” He reached for a biscuit, glancing back and forth between Rosemary and Joseph.
Rosemary briefly looked at Eve, but her daughter was picking at her scrambled eggs and didn’t look up as Benjamin went on.
“Cousin Mary Mae has fallen seriously ill, and Eve and I feel it would be gut to pay her a visit.” Benjamin sighed. “The timing is bad with the haus and all, but it would be a gut chance to also pick up some supplies. I’m having trouble finding some of the hardware we need for the old door in our kitchen and a few other small things we could cart back in the van with us.”
Joseph pushed up his glasses. “How long would you be away?”
“We’d like to stay for a week.” Benjamin took a bite of his biscuit and swallowed. “The boys could still help you on the haus while we are away.” He glanced at Eve. “Mary Mae and Eve write letters and are close. Eve feels we should make the trip, and I do too.”
“She’s got the cancer, huh?” Leroy scooped up the last of his eggs and quickly reached for the bowl in the middle of the table.
“Ya.” Eve kept her head hung low, and Rosemary wondered how much of her sadness was due to Mary Mae . . . or how much of if it was from this morning’s scuffle.
“It’s no problem.” Joseph sat taller as he spoke directly to Benjamin. “You go, take the time you need to be with Mary Mae. We will keep working on your haus, and all will be well.”
As the others chatted, Rosemary grew quiet, thinking. She and Joseph would have these three teenagers to tend to on their own. Could she maybe show them some of the old ways? Tell the boys stories about how things used to be, before all this modern technology invaded their world? And would they listen, maybe even get rid of some of their gadgets?
Rosemary glanced around the table. Leroy was a good boy. He kept busy and seemed to stay on task. He seemed mostly interested in spending his free time with Lena.
She looked at the twins. Elias was making a move for the last piece of bacon when Amos reached for it too, beating his brother to it. Rosemary was pretty sure that the slight bump under the table was one of the boys kicking the other. She’d seen the twins picking at each other continuously, more so than normal. She’d never raised any boys, and these two seemed a bit of a handful.
Well, she had hoped for this. A chance to have some say in her grandchildren’s lives.
She took a deep breath as Benjamin sat up taller and firmly told the twins to mind their manners.
Careful what you wish for.
CHAPTER NINE
THE NEXT DAY EVE SHIVERED ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE van that was waiting in the driveway, large flakes of snow dotting her heavy black coat and bonnet. Benny had already loaded their luggage, and Eve had talked to the twins about behaving themselves while she and Benny were gone.
She felt bad about spouting off to her mother yesterday, although neither had said anything about their unkind exchange.
Maybe a week away from each other would be good for both of them. Her heart hurt for Mary Mae, and Eve was anxious to spend time with her cousin, but she was also apprehensive about leaving the twins with her parents. She’d instructed Leroy to keep a close eye on things. She was almost to the car when Amos called out to her.
“What is it, sohn?” She turned around, putting a hand to her forehead as she tried to block the snow.
Amos lifted his feet high in the snow as he crossed through part of the yard that hadn’t been shoveled. He was breathless when he reached Eve.
“We—we—we . . .” Amos blinked a few times, and Eve knew he must really be upset about something to be having such a hard time saying the words.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” She brushed snow from her cheeks with the back of her glove.
“We can’t find George.” Amos’s teeth chattered as he spoke.
“What?” Eve swallowed hard. “Did he get out of his cage? He is a big lizard, Amos. Where is he?”
Amos raised his shoulders and held them up before slowly dropping them. “I—I guess I left the cage open a few days ago.”
Eve thought she might fall over. “A few days? How can George be missing for that long? Have you looked everywhere?”
“Ya, Mamm. I’ve looked all over the haus, everywhere except Daadi and Mammi’s bedroom.” He tipped his felt hat down with his hand, shielding himself from the snow. “Their bedroom door is always closed.”
“I’m sure George isn’t in their bedroom.” Eve shivered, shaking her head. “We would have already heard about it.” She tried to picture the expression on her mother’s face if she stumbled upon a large lizard running around in her bedroom. Eve suspected that George had either died or gotten outside if he’d been missing this long. Maybe he’d gotten into some poison her father kept in the basement for mice, or slipped outdoors somehow.
Amos hung his head, sighing heavily. He was sixteen in years, but in some ways he seemed much younger, especially now as she watched him fighting tears. She touched him on the arm.
“Keep looking. Maybe he’s hiding somewhere.” She gazed up at him and grinned. “Just find him before your mammi does.” Eve gave him a hug before she made her way to the car, then turned around and pointed a gloved finger at him. “You boys behave yourselves while we’re gone.”
Amos nodded as he trekked back to the house up the cleared walkway. Everyone had delayed going to work this morning until they saw Eve and Benny off.
As the van pulled away with Eve and Benny in the backseat, Eve said a quick prayer—another one—that all would be well while they were gone.
And she prayed that Amos would find George.
The house was quiet, the way it had been before Eve and her family had come to stay. Once Eve and Benjamin had gotten on their way, Joseph, Leroy, and the twins had hitched up the buggies and gone to work on the house.
Rosemary stared out the window at the snow and knew that this weather was slowing down progress. After a few moments she shuffled about the house, wondering if she’d stumble upon her glasses. She’d already checked the refrigerator but had quickly closed it. The jars and jellies had looked like they were dancing on the shelf, which Rosemary knew was not the case. But she’d had the vision just the same, and her anxiety level was rising. What else would happen? Would she lose more things? Would all objects start looking like they were dancing? Would she remember how to cook Joseph his supper tonight?
She picked up the recipe box on the counter and brought it to her chest, thankful that Eve was writing everything down. Now if I could only find my glasses, I could read the cards.
Sighing, she put the container back down and made her way to the cookie jar. She’d been keeping the jar filled for the boys—and to facilitate Joseph’s late-night sweet tooth. She took a peek inside but decided some dried cranberries would better suit her. Grabbing the plastic bag of fruit from the cabinet, she headed to her bedroom to read the family Bible. She’d enjoyed looking at Eve’s latest entries about the boys, but today she wanted to just sit quietly and read from the Good Book.
She sat down on her bed, crossed her legs, and eased the Bible from her nightstand before she remembered that she hadn’t found her glasses. She set the bag of fruit down beside her on the bed. In some ways she was no better than Joseph, eating late at night. Her secret indulgence was to eat a snack in the middle of the day while sitting on her bed reading. Joseph said the bed was no place for eating, so in her own way Rosemary felt like she was getting away with something too. She kept the Bible in her lap as she enjoyed a handful of the cranberries, trying to remember where she’d put her glasses.
