A Simple Autumn: A Seasons of Lancaster Novel (40 page)

So many faces
, Annie thought, as Amish folks filed past. Tall and short, blond and dark.

As friends and neighbors walked by, emotion swelled in her chest. These were the faces
of her life, past, present, and, thank the Heavenly Father, future. So many different
people, but like a fine cloth, they were woven together into a tight community, bonded
by love. What a blessing it was to live here.

When the ceremony started, Annie listened with a new ear to the words of the vows.
The service suddenly seemed so personal, partly because her best friend, Mary, was
the bride.

“Do you also promise your wedded wife, before the Lord and His
church, that you will nevermore depart from her, but will care for her and cherish
her?” the bishop asked Five. “If bodily sickness comes to her, or in any circumstance
which a Christian husband is responsible to care for, until the dear Gott will again
separate you from each other?”

“I do promise,” Five said solemnly.

Annie let her gaze wander to Jonah, and wouldn’t you know it, he was looking at her!
Was he thinking the same thing?

She closed her eyes and resolved herself to think only of the two blessed couples
now. This was their wedding day, and she was here to attend to them.

Those other sweet hopes and dreams … there would be time for that later.

When they arrived at the King house for the reception, all the carriages had to file
around a white stretch limousine parked in the lane.

“What’s that fancy car?” Aaron asked.

“That’s Herb McCallister’s car—Remy’s father,” Jonah explained. “She wasn’t sure that
he would come, but I’m glad he did. I think it means a lot to her.”

“Of course it does. A girl wants her dat at her wedding,” Annie said. She thought
of her own dat and said a little prayer of thanks that the doctors had been able to
help him. Gott willing, his medicine would keep him going until he was ready for the
triple bypass surgery he needed.

As their carriage rolled up to the barn, they were greeted by a group of young men
who had been assigned to park the carriages and tend the horses.

Jonah jumped out quickly and helped Dat from the carriage. “I’m good to walk in with
my wife by my side,” Aaron said. He looked
toward the door of the house, as if measuring the steps. “Lovina hasn’t let me down
in thirty-two years. I trust she’ll get me to a chair inside.”

Annie and Jonah watched as Dat made slow but steady progress toward the front door,
where Nate King stood, ready to receive and seat guests. Mary and Adam’s uncle was
performing the duties usually handled by the father of the bride. Nate would turn
away folks who were not in the first seating, and he would assign each guest a table,
usually based on kinship. Guests waiting for a later seating would socialize in the
barn, where benches had been set up.

“We’d better get inside, too,” Jonah said. As attendants, they would be expected to
sit with the bridal party through all of the seatings, which suited Annie just fine.
They wouldn’t miss one minute of the celebration.

Inside the living room, tables were set up in a U shape, with the two corners, the
Ecks
, specially decorated for the two bridal couples. Those parts of the big long line
of tables were laden with bowls of sweets, candies, fruits, and handcrafted cakes
made by friends.

“So many cakes!” Annie said.

“So many mouths to feed.” Jonah cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at her. “But yours
is my favorite. It looks like a white cloud.”

She was pleased that he had been paying attention when she’d dropped off the pineapple
sheet cake last night. She had covered it with vanilla icing and piped puffs of frosting
in the shape of a heart in the center.

“Denki. The ecks look beautiful,” Annie said. “And you’re a lucky man. You get to
sit with me since we’re both in the bridal party.”

“I’m guessing Mary had something to do with pairing us off?” Jonah said wryly. “Because
I thought I’d be sitting beside Adam.”

“It’s the bride’s choice. Well, at least one of the brides. And you don’t want to
argue with a bride on her wedding day.”

“Mmm. Never argue with a bride.” Jonah tipped his head toward the side, studying her.
“You look happy.”

“I am.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then looked up at him with a heart full of love.
“Jonah, when we were sitting there, before the ceremony, and all those folks came
by to shake hands, I felt such an outpouring of love.” She hugged herself. “It gives
me goose bumps just talking about it. We’re so blessed to live here in Halfway, to
be part of this community.”

There was a golden light in his eyes as he thought about that. “It’s true. I wouldn’t
want to live anywhere else.”

“I just wanted to share that. So many times we’re praying about our worries and fears.
It’s good to have a prayer of thanks bubble inside you that way.”

He nodded.

“Kumm, you two,” Mary called. “Time to sit.”

Annie took her seat next to Mary, facing the room, and Jonah sat opposite her.

When everyone was seated, the bishop called for the silent prayer. “If the tables
are full, let us pray.”

Heads bowed throughout the house, and in the sweet silence Annie thanked Gott for
the many blessings He had showered upon everyone here. For Dat’s mending heart. For
the blessed union of her four good friends.

And for Jonah.

She was so grateful to have found Jonah King, who was right under her nose all along.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me eyes to see
.

I
should have stayed home,” Emma whispered as she and Elsie stayed close to each other
in the Kings’ barn. “It hurts me to look at him. What am I going to do when it’s time
for us to go inside and eat?” Emma would have loved to stay home from the wedding
just to avoid seeing Gabe, but she couldn’t deny her young scholars, Ruthie and Simon,
the support they deserved. So here she was, trying not to look his way, trying to
deny the vibrations that quivered through her whenever he was near.

“If you see him coming toward you, look down at the floor,” Elsie suggested softly.
“Chances are, they’ll put us at a table out in the kitchen, anyway. We’re not close
kin.”

“It gives me that nervous butterfly feeling,” Emma said. “Butterflies that won’t fly
away.”

Elsie closed her hand around her sister’s wrist and looked up at her. “You stand up
in front of dozens of children nearly every day. You keep them quiet and orderly and
teach them reading, writing,
and arithmetic. You can do this, Emma. Do it for your scholars. Didn’t you say Ruthie
and Simon so wanted you to be here?”

Emma pressed the palm of one hand to her flat belly. “They did, and I’m happy to please
them. It’s just that—”

“I know. Gabe is a thorn in your side right now. That’s why you have to think about
the good things that could come of you being here: Ruthie and Simon. You’re a helper,
Emma. Go help your students.”

Emma took a deep breath, trying to ease the tight feeling in her chest. “You’re right.
But I don’t want to leave you alone.” She knew that Elsie felt uncomfortable in social
environments beyond the shop.

“I see Fanny over there talking to Nancy Briggs. I’ll go join them.” Elsie put a hand
on the small of Emma’s back and pushed. “Now go. Do a good deed. It’ll take your mind
off your worries.”

“How did you get so wise? Most of the time you have more common sense than me, and
I’m two years older.”

Elsie smiled, her widely spaced teeth showing. “Gott blessed me with wisdom. Now go
find them.”

As Elsie moved off, Emma glanced around the barn in search of the children, but most
of the guests in here were young people of courting age. She stepped outside the wide
barn doors, a little relieved to be away from the crowd of young people. Ever since
she and Gabe had parted, Emma had found it difficult to be at singings or where she
had to face young people. Her heart filled with envy at the sight of other couples,
and hearing other girls talk of their beaus reminded her of the one she had lost.

The sight of three children running out the back door of the mud porch caught her
attention, and she recognized Simon and Ruthie, along with one of their older sisters.

“Simon!” She quickened her step, dodging two waiters who were carrying trays of food
from the wedding wagon.

Simon turned to look back, then stopped running. “Teacher Emma.” He grinned from ear
to ear. “You came!”

“How could I miss such a wonderful celebration?” As Emma drew closer she recognized
the taller sister as one of the twins who had finished eighth grade last year. Leah—a
wonderful good student.

“Ruthie … and Leah, we miss you in class this year. Have you read any good books lately?”
Emma asked Leah.

“She’s been too busy cooking and cleaning for the wedding,” Ruthie answered for her.

“But I always find time to read,” Leah said.

Ruthie trotted over and took Emma’s hand. “Come with us! Nate and Betsy gave us a
job to do. They need more Nothings for the next round of guests. Did you try them
yet?”

“I haven’t been inside yet, but I’m sure they’re delicious.” Nothings were fried cookies
that were traditional fare at weddings. So large they covered a dinner plate, the
cookies were usually left in a stack on each table so that guests could break off
a piece when they wanted.

“Betsy said there’s a big bin in the cold storage cellar,” Simon said, a sense of
purpose in his stride. They were all moving quickly, as the drizzling rain was starting
to come down harder now.

“I know where they are,” Ruthie said. “I helped store the other cookies in there.”
She looked up at Emma. “Did you know that we have four kinds of cookies to choose
from?”

“I’ll have to remember to save my appetite.” Emma felt her nervousness drain as she
accompanied them to the cellar. Spending time with the Kings was always a delight.
Gabe was blessed to have a loving family, and such a large one, at that.

Down in the cellar, Ruthie was quick to find the proper bin of cookies. “I can carry
this myself,” Ruthie said. “It’s light. Why don’t you two show Teacher Emma the study
room you set up above the
workshop? The one you used when Simon couldn’t go to school last year.”

Leah perked up. “Do you want to see it?”

“Just show me the way.” In truth, Emma didn’t mind missing out on some of the festivities
if it meant she could avoid Gabe.

“And if the rain lets up you can visit with my horse, Shadow,” Simon said. “You’ve
met her before. Do you remember?”

“Of course. She’s the one you spent the summer training, ya?” Emma recalled that Simon
had written his essay about her.

“That’s the one, over there in the field. She’s a quick learner. We were able to put
her on the team to help with the harvest this year.”

“Wow.” Emma nodded. “I’d like to have such a good student in my class,” she teased.

They showed her the little room above the woodshop where Leah had tried her hand at
homeschooling Simon during the difficult times last winter.

“This is his arithmetic book,” Leah said. “He doesn’t like long division.”

Simon’s face puckered at the thought.

“But he learned his times tables. And this is his writing notebook.” Leah handed her
a marble notebook. “Writing is his best subject, I think.”

“And reading,” Simon said. “I used to like it when you read to me.”

Emma leafed through the notebook, smiling at the progression of Simon’s handwriting
from wobbly, oddly spaced letters to better formed words. “It’s good to see your hard
work, Simon. And yours, too.” She held the open notebook to show Leah. “See how his
handwriting is rough and hard to read here in the beginning? And then, after you worked
with him, there was good improvement.”

Leah beamed when she showed her some examples from the back of the notebook.

“Have you ever thought of being a schoolteacher?” she asked. “You have a good start
with your first pupil here.”

“It’s a dream of mine,” Leah said quietly.

“But, Leah, you already have a job at the tea shop,” Simon pointed out.

“The tea shop, I’m not so good at that,” Leah admitted. “But reading and writing,
I could do that all day and night.”

“Then we have to get you back into the classroom,” Emma said. Why hadn’t she thought
of this last spring, when Leah completed her schooling? “If you like, I can talk to
the school board and see if you can be my teacher’s helper. If they’ll approve it,
you can work with me at the schoolhouse. It would be an apprenticeship of sorts.”

“I would love that,” Leah said earnestly. “I’ve been wanting to do it for a long,
long time.” She pressed her fingertips to her mouth. “Do you think the board would
allow it? I would work ever so hard for you. I don’t mind making alphabet posters
for the wall or grading papers.”

Emma smiled. “I know you’re a hard worker, and the board will keep that in mind when
they make their decision. I’ll talk to them first thing tomorrow. Or … maybe today.
I think some of the members are here for the wedding.”