An Amish Kitchen, page 21
It was about ten minutes later when she heard movement from underneath her dresser. She’d learned not to get alarmed anymore. Her hallucination had shown up twice before. She’d almost told Joseph about it night before last, but he surely would have dragged her to see Dr. Knepp at that very moment. She watched the lizard crawl out from underneath her dresser.
Her imaginary friend was looking a little parched today.
Rosemary left the room, went to the kitchen, and dribbled some water on a small plate. When she returned, the creature was up on her bed where she’d first spotted him. She wasn’t sure how he slithered his way up there, but for all she knew, her hallucination was capable of flying or a number of other things she didn’t care to think about. She set the plate carefully on the floor, a few droplets splashing onto the wood surface. Then she watched the reptile eyeing her cranberries. She eased past where he was on the bed, reached into the bag, and placed a few in front of his long snout. Or was it a her?
And, dear Lord in heaven . . . does it matter?
Rosemary shook her head, watching as the lizard nibbled at the dried fruit. When he was done, he slid down her bedspread, stopped at the water for a quick drink, then went back under her dresser.
She eased herself back on the bed, picked up the bag of cranberries, and leaned back against the headboard. She grasped her hand as it began to shake so fiercely that the motion of it slapping against her leg was painful.
Rosemary knew she could handle the pain.
It was all these hallucinations that she feared the most. Losing her mind.
She wondered if maybe Eve and Joseph were right. Maybe Englisch medications could do more for her than Fern’s herbal remedies. She closed her eyes, and after a minute or so the trembling began to subside. She opened her eyes and crossed one foot over the other.
If she began to turn to modern ways for medication, where would it stop? First it would be Englisch pills, and next thing she knew they’d be installing propane lamps and using mobile telephones. Too much.
God was in control. Not Rosemary. What good could come from giving up their simple ways? If the Lord wanted to ease her ailments, He could do so, without her having to engage in worldly ways.
Elias tried not to fidget during devotions, but something was gnawing at his gut. He kept his head buried in the Bible as his grandfather recited from the book of Matthew, but he wasn’t hearing much. He’d have to pray on his own later to make up for being so unfocused.
He hadn’t heard from Elizabeth in several days, and he hadn’t been able to reach her by phone. Earlier today he’d begged Leroy to let him use the buggy to go see her after work, but his older brother refused his plea, citing his punishment. Didn’t Leroy understand that without Elizabeth’s love he could hardly function? And with no phone conversations, Elias had no way to schedule a late-night meeting with the woman he planned to marry someday. Even grounded, he was ready to take the risk to see Elizabeth.
“Let us pray . . .” Daadi said the words loudly, as if he knew that Elias wasn’t following along.
Once devotions were over, his grandmother began to tell stories about the old times, how there were no electronic gadgets or many of the modern things that their people used today. She’d never made a secret of her thoughts on the matter, and Elias had heard his mother complain about Mammi not accepting the new ways that the bishop allowed.
Elias tried to show as much respect for his grandmother as he could—despite the knot in his stomach—by responding to her questions, nodding when he should, and so on. But something was wrong. He could feel it.
He glanced at Amos. His brother carried on with their grandmother as if he were really enjoying her lectures and reflections on the old ways. Elias scowled, wishing he’d never taken the fall for Amos. His twin wasn’t perfect—he’d sneaked out the same way Elias had—yet Elias was the one still grounded, and the one who was going to miss a party at Elizabeth’s house on Saturday. Her sister Rebecca was turning fifteen, and the family was having a get-together. Elias had been to parties at Elizabeth’s house before, and he knew there would be lots of food, the Ping-Pong table set up in the basement, and mostly there would be enough people there for him and Elizabeth to go lose themselves somewhere. Elias couldn’t wait to kiss her again, but every time he thought about the feel of her soft lips, he thought about how she hadn’t called him and how he couldn’t reach her.
There had to be a way for him to attend the party on Saturday.
“Elias, are you hearing me?” His grandmother’s sharp tone caused him to sit up straighter on the couch.
“Ya, Mammi. I’m listening.”
It was a small lie, and Elias regretted it, but an idea had danced into his mind.
He knew exactly how he was going to be at Elizabeth’s house on Saturday.
CHAPTER TEN
“Y-YOU’RE AB IM KOPP.” AMOS SHOOK HIS HEAD. “YOU kn-know what gut parties the Lapps throw, and I—I ain’t missing one, no matter what you try to promise me.”
Elias stood over his brother, who once again had his head buried in one of his dumb magazines. He snatched the magazine away from his brother.
“Hey!” Amos jumped up and grabbed the book back from Elias. “I—I said I ain’t d-doin’ it, so just leave me alone.” He cut his eyes at Elias before he settled back down on his bed.
Elias eased onto his own bed and sighed. “All right, then. I’ll give you fifty dollars instead of twenty-five if you’ll let me go in your place. You know Mammi and Daadi can’t tell us apart.”
Amos chuckled. “You don’t even have fifty dollars.”
“Ya, I do. I’ve been saving. Unlike you, mei bruder, I don’t spend my money on expensive Englisch magazines.” He paused, shaking his head. “You’re not ever gonna own a car, so why do you like looking at them so much, anyway?” Before Amos could answer, Elias said, “Come on. Just think of all the books and magazines you can buy with fifty dollars.”
There was silence for a few moments before Amos said anything. Then his brother lifted his eyes over the top of the magazine. “Maybe—maybe Elizabeth doesn’t want to see you or talk to you.”
Elias had thought of that plenty of times, and he was sure the notion was what kept his stomach tied in knots. “What makes you say that?”
“You ain’t talked to her. There’s been no sneaking out to see her, and you can’t even reach her by phone.” Amos shrugged. “Sounds to me like she’s trying to end it.”
Elias clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m going to ask Elizabeth to marry me. I wouldn’t do that if I wasn’t sure about the two of us.”
Amos chuckled. “Well, you won’t be asking her at the Lapps’ party, will ya?”
Elias glared at his brother and decided to ask him something that had been rooting around in his mind. “Who’d you sneak out to go see?”
“I told you. N-None of your b-business.” Amos didn’t look up as he flipped another page.
Elias shook his head, then got his nightclothes out of the dresser. He was moving out of the room when he turned around, feeling the need to jab at his brother. “Ever find that stupid lizard of yours?”
“No.” Amos sighed, not looking up again.
Elias regretted poking fun about the lizard. He knew how much his brother cared for George.
He wished Amos knew how much he cared for Elizabeth. If he did, he would swap places with Elias so that Elias could see her.
Shuffling down the hall to the bathroom, Elias’s mind was still whirling. There had to be a way to get to that party.
Rosemary sat on the side of the bed brushing out her thinning gray hair while Joseph was all tucked in on his side reading a book.
“Did you see how a little bit of influence from us made a difference tonight?” She smiled, recalling all the stories she’d told the boys about the old days, before modern ways invaded their lives. “I bet it won’t be long before those boys give up some of those unnecessary gadgets.”
Joseph grunted. “Ach, I’m sure they’ll be tossing those cell phones and radio plugs right into the trash first thing in the morning.”
Rosemary twisted to face him. “Why do you speak to me like that, Joseph? You’re poking fun about a serious situation. If we don’t do our part to straighten those boys out, they are going to end up fleeing to the outside world, and that will break everyone’s heart, especially Eve’s and Benjamin’s.”
Joseph closed his book and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Mei lieb, those boys are fine. Eve and Big Ben have done a gut enough job raising them up. They’ll make the right choices.”
“I hope you’re right, but I have a couple more days to try to talk some sense into them through the Scriptures.” Rosemary stowed her brush in the top drawer of the nightstand, then crawled in beside Joseph. “Tomorrow, during devotions, I want us to spend some time on respecting your parents and elders.” She poked him on the arm. “And you speak up and say something about not betraying our parents. Maybe they’ll take heed and not keep up that sneaking out.”
“Yes, dear.”
Rosemary huffed. “You are patronizing me, Joseph. When instead you should be thinking about how we can make a difference in those boys’ lives.” She grasped her hand when it started to shake and quickly stuffed it beneath the quilt as she leaned back against the headboard. Her head started to spin a bit, so she closed her eyes.
“Yes, dear.” Joseph eased himself down into the covers, popping his pillow with his fist a few times. He snuffed out the lantern on his side of the bed. “Go to sleep.”
“I’ll go to sleep after I finish tending to Minnie. Momma gave her another lashing. I’ll be right back.” Rosemary sat straight up, ready to go tend to her sister. She picked up the lantern on her nightstand, but Joseph quickly caught her by the arm.
“Rosie, Minnie ain’t here. You know that. She’s playing with the good Lord in heaven. You’re thinking in the past again.” Joseph held tight to her arm, and Rosemary struggled to organize the thoughts in her head. She stared at the gray streaks running through her husband’s beard. If Joseph is old, Minnie can’t still be here.
“But . . . but I heard her cries.” Rosemary grasped her shaking hand and eased the lantern back down. She turned to Joseph, tears in her eyes. “I’m losing my mind.”
He pulled her into his arms, running a hand through her damp hair. “You need to go see Dr. Knepp, lieb.”
She melted into the comfort of his arms and buried her face in his chest. “I’m too afraid. He’ll tell me that I’m goin’ crazy, and they’ll lock me up somewhere.”
“That’s not what they do, Rosie. They’ll give you some medicine to help you, that’s all.”
Rosemary squeezed her eyes closed and fought the visions of Minnie crying, along with the moaning she could hear in her head.
This isn’t real.
But sleep didn’t come for a while.
Elias was glad that they stopped work on the house early Saturday afternoon. The party at the Lapps’ started at four o’clock, and he had to figure out a way to be there. He’d been trying to call Elizabeth, but still no answer. And no calls from her.
He’d caught Amos sneaking back into the house last night, and once again his brother refused to tell Elias what he was up to. It must be a girl after all. He resented the fact that Amos hadn’t gotten caught, that Elias himself had taken the blame for him once, and mostly he resented Amos’s smug attitude.
I’m going to that party.
Elias was having a cup of hot cocoa with his grandfather when Amos came marching into the kitchen wearing his Sunday clothes and a smile as wide as it was irritating.
“Off to the birthday party?” Daadi took a sip of his cocoa, and Amos nodded. Elias resisted the urge to tackle Amos to the ground. His nostrils flared as Amos grinned on his way out the door.
“I know you’re fretting about not being able to go,” Daadi said to Elias after Amos was gone. “But the Lord always has a plan, and . . .” His grandfather shrugged. “It’s just not in the plan for you to go today.”
Elias nodded and fought the urge to tell his grandfather that Amos had been sneaking out. It wouldn’t make a difference right now, though, and Elias wasn’t a tattler.
As he sipped on his cocoa, he thought about Elizabeth. Her parents must have taken her phone away for some reason. That had to be it.
Daadi stood up, gulped the rest of his cocoa, then put his glass on the table. He pulled his hat and jacket from the rack near the kitchen door. “Tell your mammi that I’m going to town for a few supplies for the haus. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Yes, sir.”
Elias tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. It wasn’t long before an idea came to mind. He jumped from the table and ran upstairs.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ELIZABETH OPENED THE DOOR AND SMILED AT HER handsome man. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Me too. I’ve missed you.”
As she stepped to the side so he could come in, she knew they needed to talk, but her father was standing only a few feet away stoking the fire.
“Everyone is in the basement. There’s lots of food, and there’s already a Ping-Pong game going on. Go get something to eat, and I’ll be down shortly.” She resisted the urge to whisper in his ear that she couldn’t wait to sneak off with him somewhere.
As he walked past her, he nudged her hand. She glanced down and saw a piece of paper, which she quickly took and stuffed into the pocket of her apron.
The front door was still open, and she saw Abram Fisher pulling up to drop off his younger brother Matthew. Two more buggies were coming up the driveway. She’d been given the job of greeting all of Rebecca’s guests, and she was anxious to be done with the task so she could head downstairs.
She fumbled at the piece of paper in her pocket, anxious to read it.
It was twenty minutes later when the buggies finally stopped pulling up, and Elizabeth hurried to the bathroom. After locking the door, she pulled the note from her pocket and read.
Dear Elizabeth,
A new love is so tender, the heart fluttering and wanting to render.
It is with you that I feel renewed and alive, like a swim in the pond after taking a dive; crisp and refreshing, but much more than that—it’s the sound of my heart as it goes pitter-pat.
My feelings for you are as pure as a new baby’s soul, and once lost, I now have a goal—to be the best person I can be, to spend my life loving you eternally.
She brushed a tear from her cheek as she pressed the poem to her chest. It was the third one she’d received, and with each one she knew she loved him that much more. She couldn’t wait for him to kiss her later today. Somehow they’d find a place where they could go to be alone. Stuffing the note back in her pocket, she slipped out of the bathroom and made her way back to the living room.
Her father was standing at the window, and she could hear her mother puttering about in the kitchen, but otherwise all their guests had moved downstairs. Elizabeth headed toward the basement stairs, but her father spoke up.
“Hold yourself, maedel. Someone is walking up to the porch.”
Elizabeth sighed as she turned and walked back across the living room. “Danki, Daed.”
She walked onto the front porch, closed the door behind her, and pulled her sweater snug as her teeth chattered. Straining to see who the last guest was, she gasped when he came into view.
Her jaw dropped, and her heart began to pound in her chest. “What are you doing here? I thought you were grounded.”
Elias looked around, grinned, then kissed her on the mouth. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call. I’ve missed you so much.”
Elizabeth eased away and swallowed hard.
Oh, this is a mess.
Rosemary found an old magnifying glass so she could read one of Eve’s recipe cards. Tomato pie sounded good, and one would be enough to feed her, Joseph, and Elias. Amos wouldn’t be home from the Lapps’ house until later in the evening, and Leroy had gone to supper at Lena’s.
As she sliced the tomatoes, she thought about Elias having to miss the party, but rules were rules. Before Eve and Benjamin left, Eve had told her that Elias was grounded, but she didn’t tell her what for. It had to be for sneaking out; she’d seen him with her own eyes as he sneaked back in. She supposed she should be glad that Eve had punished him in such a manner, but as a grandmother, she assumed it was all right to feel a little sorry for him.
“Smells mighty gut in here.” Joseph walked in from feeding the animals.
“That’s just freshly baked bread you smell. I haven’t even cooked the tomato pie yet.” She leaned down with the magnifying glass to see how much milk the recipe called for.
“Still haven’t found your reading glasses?” Joseph pulled out a chair at the table, sat down, and began thumbing through the most recent copy of The Budget.
Rosemary shook her head. “No. And I’ve looked everywhere.”
“They’ll show up.”
“I hope.”
She was quiet as she finished putting the pie together, seeing that Joseph had his head buried in the paper.
After a few moments he looked up. “Is that one pie going to be enough for you, me, and Elias?”
Rosemary nodded. “I made a fruit salad to go with it, and I have a shoofly pie for dessert.” She pulled the oven door open and put the pie in. “When Amos left around four, I told him there would be some cake for him when he got home, although I’m sure there is a mountain of food at the Lapps’ house.”
