An Amish Wedding (30 page)

Chester closed his eyes and imagined curling up on the couch beside Priscilla in front of a warm fire this winter. He was close to finishing the house he was building for them. The building inspector was coming tomorrow to check the electrical wiring. Installing electricity was required, even though they would never turn it on. And should they decide to sell, the resale value would be better if it was wired for electricity. But Chester was counting on spending the rest of his life in that house with Priscilla. He’d worked hard to make it everything they’d dreamed of. Four bedrooms would be enough room for the
kinner
they planned to have.

He heard movement and turned to his left to see Priscilla moving through the field like a beautiful butterfly, her arms swinging back and forth as she lifted her legs high through the pasture, a pallet of orange dusk behind her.

My sweet Priscilla
.

Chester had loved Priscilla since she was sixteen. That was when he started courting her, carrying her home from Sunday singings and making plans for their future. But since he was three years older than she, he waited until she was nineteen to propose. As he watched her hurrying toward him in a dark green dress and black apron, his heart skipped a beat, the way it always did when he first saw her.

She came to a stop right in front of him, breathless and beautiful. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands and gently kissed her on the mouth, lingering for much longer than he should.

She pulled back and smiled at him. “We’ll be married soon enough, and you can kiss me like that all the time.”

Chester would be lying to himself if he denied the fact that her looks had drawn him to her initially. She stood out among their people with her strawberry blond hair and stunning blue eyes. A natural blush filled her cheeks atop her ivory complexion.

Despite her comment, Chester kissed her again. She giggled and pushed him away. “Chester Lapp, you better behave yourself.”

She was small and flowerlike, but Chester knew better than to be misled by her dainty appearance. Priscilla was as strong a woman as he’d ever met—inside and out. He recalled the day not long after her sixteenth birthday when they held hands and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane together.

His future wife could also swing a baseball bat like no woman he’d seen and outrun most of her teammates. She spoke her mind when necessary, yet was the most compassionate person he knew. She was organized and punctual, and expected others to be. She could obsess on details sometimes, that was true, but in Chester’s eyes . . . she was perfect.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

She tapped her finger to her chin and twisted her mouth to one side. “Hmm . . . I can’t recall.”

He cupped her cheek in his hand. “I love you with all my heart. Forever.”

Priscilla put her hand atop his, then pulled his hand to her mouth and kissed it tenderly. “I love you too, and I can’t wait to be your
frau
.” Then she let go of his hand, stepped back a bit, and frowned.

“What is it?”

“Something happened today. With my wedding dress.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Sarah Mae used it to make doll clothes, along with a hammock and blanket for her doll’s enjoyment.”

It wasn’t funny, but Chester stifled a grin just the same. Priscilla came from a family of girls. Naomi—the oldest at twenty-five and still unmarried—lived in the
daadi haus
on the family’s property where she ran a bakery business. Then there was Priscilla’s married sister, Hannah, who was twenty-two. Then Priscilla, and then Sarah Mae—her parents’ little surprise.

Priscilla folded her arms across her chest. “Chester, are you laughing?” She tried to make her voice sound stern.

“No. Not laughing at all.” He held his palms toward her. “Besides, you’ll be beautiful on our wedding day no matter what you’re wearing.” He reached for her hand, then squeezed.

“I can make a new dress.” She scowled a bit, then her eyes brightened. “The inspectors come tomorrow to look at the house, no?”

“
Ya
. I think everything will be fine, then I can move forward with the finishing touches for my bride-to-be.” He hoped that everything would in fact be fine. With his father’s help, they had done most of the wiring themselves. It would be a huge setback if something was wrong. He wanted to whisk Priscilla into their new home as soon as possible.

“Do your parents know you meet me here on Tuesdays and Thursdays?” Priscilla bit her bottom lip, then grinned.

“I think so. Do yours?”

She giggled. “
Ya
. We don’t speak of it, but they know I’m not just going for a walk.” She hugged herself and shivered. “I forgot my sweater.”

Chester wasted no time taking off his black jacket, regretful he hadn’t done it as soon as she arrived. He draped it around her shoulders.

“Danki.”
Priscilla settled into the jacket, smiling. “I hope the weather is nice for our wedding day. It might be a little cold, but I’m hoping there won’t be any rain. I want everyone to be able to gather in the barn or outdoors following the ceremony.”

“It will be a perfect day.” Chester latched on to the collar on both sides of his jacket and pulled it snug around her. “You warm enough?”

“
Ya
. I’m
gut
.”

Then she hiccuped, and he laughed. It was the cutest little sound he’d ever heard, and her eyes widened as she cupped her hand over her mouth.

“This is the second time this has happened today.” Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. “How embarrassing.”

“It’s cute,” he said as another hiccup escaped. “
Daed
always tells us to eat a spoonful of sugar when we get the hiccups.”

Chester’s family was small by comparison to others in the district—only Chester and his brother, Abraham.

“Abe used to get the hiccups a lot.”

“
Nee
, I don’t know how cute it . . .
hiccup
. . . is.”

They both laughed again, but jumped when the telephone in the shanty rang.

On the third ring, Chester stepped inside the booth and picked up the receiver. He said hello, then his smile faded and he tightened his grip on the receiver.

Chapter Two

I
T WAS ALMOST DARK BY THE TIME
P
RISCILLA EASED UP
the porch steps. She hung her head as she opened the door and moved inside. Naomi was peeling potatoes at the kitchen table.

“Why so sour?” Naomi wasn’t wearing her
kapp
, and strands of her dark brown hair had fallen forward from the bun atop her head.

Priscilla and her sister didn’t look anything alike. Naomi had dark hair, dark eyes, and an olive complexion, just like Sarah Mae and Hannah—and like their mother. Hannah used to tease her when they were young, telling her she was adopted.

Priscilla pulled out a chair across from Naomi at the large kitchen table. She sat down, propped her elbows on the table, and rested her chin in her hands. “I was with Chester at the phone shanty.”

“Really? I’m
so
surprised.” Naomi smiled. “I think we know where you go on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Priscilla.” She set a peeled potato in the pot beside her, then her expression grew solemn. “Did something happen? You look sad,
maedel
.”

“I’m okay, I guess.” She bit her bottom lip. “Chester is pretty upset, though. The building inspector is coming tomorrow to check the wiring, and we’ve been nervous about that, praying everything would be up to code. But tonight Zeke called and said there’s a problem with the roof.”

Chester’s cousin Zeke was in town for the wedding, and he just happened to be a carpenter who specialized in roofing. Chester had asked him to check out the roof on the house.

“What’s wrong with it?” Naomi sliced off a sliver of potato and handed it to Priscilla; she was the only one in the family who liked raw potato.

Priscilla waited to swallow before she answered. “The storm last week blew off some shingles. Zeke said he would help Chester repair it, but I know Chester wasn’t expecting to have to fit that in. His job at the furniture store takes up most of his time, plus the chores around his house, and . . .” She sighed. “And now he has to fix the roof.”

“God often challenges us, but I’m sure you and Chester will have a fine home.” Naomi began cutting hard-boiled eggs on a chopping board.

“Potato salad?” Priscilla eyed the mayonnaise and jar of pickles on the table beside Naomi.

“
Ya. Daed
asked if I would make him some.” Naomi carried the pot of potatoes to the sink, filled it with water, and put it on the stove.

Naomi took most of her meals with the family at the main house, even though she lived in the
daadi haus
. She also ran a baked goods business from her home, and she was a wonderful cook.

Priscilla let out a heavy sigh. “Did you hear what happened to my wedding dress?”

Naomi grinned as she sat down again and continued chopping hard-boiled eggs. “I did . . . something about clothes for Lizzie Lou?”

“Don’t forget the hammock and blanket.” Priscilla shook her head. “I was so upset with her, but when she started to cry, I thought . . . well, I guess I’ll just have to make another dress. A better dress.”

Priscilla reached for half a boiled egg, only to have Naomi playfully slap her hand. “
Ach
. No,
ya
don’t. I have just enough.” She pulled the plate of eggs closer. “I pulled a honey bun cake from the oven. Go get yourself a piece.”

“We just ate supper.”

“Then why are you trying to eat my eggs?”

Priscilla shrugged. “I don’t know.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

“I have a lot on my mind about this wedding. First my dress today, and then problems with the roof.”

“Everything will be fine, Priscilla. You worry too much.”

They sat quietly as Naomi chopped the eggs for the potato salad. Priscilla knew her sister was right. But when things didn’t go as planned, she wondered if she was on the right path, the one God had planned for her.

Priscilla tapped her finger to her chin. “Remember how everything went wrong with Hannah’s wedding?”

Naomi chuckled. “
Ya
. The church wagon showed up late with the supplies, we ran out of propane for the extra ovens
Daed
rented . . .” She shook her head. “And the poor groom was battling the flu.”

“It’s not funny, Naomi. I don’t want those troubles at my wedding.”

Naomi stopped chopping the eggs and locked eyes with Priscilla. “Hannah didn’t let it bother her, Priscilla, because she loved Leroy and just wanted to be with him. You should be glad you found someone to spend your life with and stop fretting about everything. You know worry is a sin.”

“I know.” Priscilla sighed again. “Why do you think I’m like that? I mean, I always pray that everything will go smoothly, even though I know we’re not here on this earth to have an easy life.”

Naomi handed her a piece of egg and a sympathetic smile. “Priscilla, where were you while we were growing up? Did you not listen at all? We cannot understand God’s plan for us. Everything is His will. It might seem like things are falling apart sometimes, but often God has something better in store for us down the line.” She sat taller and smiled. “You will enjoy life much more if you will just relax.”

C
HESTER CLIMBED UP THE LADDER AND JOINED
Z
EKE ON
top of the roof. Zeke had come from Ohio to serve as one of Chester’s attendants for the wedding, and Chester was sure thankful that his cousin was in the construction business.

“I’m surprised more of these shingles didn’t blow off during the storm.” Zeke pointed to the section of the roof over the kitchen. “Look. See how different some of them are? You need to talk to the person who sold these to you.”

Chester rubbed his forehead, wondering how neither he, his father, nor his brother had noticed the difference in the shingles. “
Ya
. You’re right.”

“Don’t worry, cousin. I can help you with this.”

“
Danki
, Zeke. Since Abe broke his wrist, he hasn’t been able to be of much help.” Abe had fallen from the roof a few weeks earlier, and they were grateful that his injuries had been no worse.