Plain Paradise (15 page)

Linda glanced back and forth between the two of them. “No, I couldn’t,” she said sheepishly. “I have many chores to tend to at the farm.” She paused and smiled. “But maybe I can come visit some.”

“Anytime.” Josie set her pie on the coffee table after taking only one bite. “I guess I ate too much popcorn at the movies,” she lied. Her head was splitting, and she needed to lie down.

Robert sat up taller in his chair. “Baby, are you okay?”

Don’t alarm Linda
. They’d discussed this. Josie didn’t want Linda to know about the tumor. Not yet. She didn’t want Linda to feel sorry for her.

“I’m fine, Robert.”

Linda placed her clean plate on the coffee table. “
Danki
, Mr. Robert. This was so
gut
.”

“You’re very welcome, Linda. And just call me Robert.”

Linda nodded. Robert looked older than Josie, but he sure seemed to love her very much. He looked at her the way Stephen often looked at Linda, and also like the man in the movie looked at that woman. Linda cringed, and wondered how she’d ever have a baby if making one would hurt. She knew that actually having the baby hurt; Aunt Lillian had said it hurt bad. But Linda always figured that once she was in a family way, the baby was coming out no matter what. It never occurred to her that the making part would be painful.

She glanced around the room at all the paintings on the walls as she enjoyed the cool air-conditioning. She thought about what it would be like to stay here for two weeks. Linda had seen Josie’s bathroom on her first visit, and she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to take a bath in a tub twice as big as the one at home. She envisioned herself taking a long soak in bubbles up to her neck.

“Maybe I could spend one night?” She smiled at Josie.

“That would be great!” Josie reached over and squeezed her hand. This was all very confusing, but Linda couldn’t help but like her birth mother. She and her husband both seemed very kind. “Any night you want,” Josie added.

“Josie, I’m going to try one more time to get out of this trip. I’m just not comfortable leaving you alone, and—”

“No, Robert. I already told you that I’ll be fine. Really.” Josie glared at her husband, and Linda didn’t understand why he didn’t want to leave her.
Daed
had left
Mamm
several times for a few days to go purchase farm equipment in another town. Of course,
Mamm
had her
kinner
around, and Josie didn’t have anyone.

Linda faced Robert. “What day do you leave, Mr. Robert? I mean—Robert.” Linda couldn’t help but wonder if Josie had fancy lotions and bubble baths in her bathroom too.

“I leave on Tuesday morning.”

“Monday is wash day, but Tuesday is a slower day. Maybe I can spend the night with you on Tuesday night, if it’s all right with you. And with
mei
parents.”

“I would love that.” Josie slapped her hands to her knees. “I’ll cook us something. Anything you’d like. Do you have a favorite?”

“I like meatloaf and potatoes.”
Mamm
made the best meatloaf, but for some reason, she hadn’t made it in a while.

Linda watched Josie and Robert glance at each other and smile, even though Linda wasn’t sure why.

“Then meatloaf and potatoes it is.” Josie was smiling, and Linda wanted her to be happy. But she wanted
Mamm
to be happy, too, and she wasn’t sure if this news would make her mother very happy, or if
Mamm
would even allow her to stay overnight with Josie. But the thought of bathing in that warm bathtub, with the air-conditioning running, and maybe even the television on, told Linda she was going to ask for permission.

But she couldn’t help but be leery as to exactly what Josie wanted from her, and how much she had to give in return.

9

M
ARY ELLEN ALWAYS ENJOYED HAVING WORSHIP SERVICE
at their home, and her family hosted about every nine months. Much preparation went into readying the house. On this Sunday morning, she was pleased at how well things had come together. Her house was clean, benches were in place, food was prepared and ready to serve, and Linda had stayed unusually close to her throughout the morning.

Her daughter didn’t say too much about her visit with Josephine, just that she’d had a good time and that they’d gone to the movies. And she mentioned meeting Josephine’s husband, commenting that he seemed like a good fellow. Mary Ellen still wasn’t comfortable with the situation or pleased that Josephine had disrupted their lives in such a way, but Noah’s information certainly shed new light on the circumstances. It stood to reason that Josephine would want to know her daughter. Mary Ellen’s heart ached when she thought about Josephine’s short future, but she also wanted to make sure that Linda was grounded in her faith and would stay on course with her studies of the
Ordnung
in preparation for baptism. Mary Ellen and Abe had worked with all the children from the time they were young to make sure they had a good understanding of the code of conduct by which they lived, so that each one would know the
Ordnung
well and be able to choose baptism into the community.

Mary Ellen glanced at the clock as time for worship service drew near, then looked out the window to see a line of buggies coming up the driveway. Her yard was green and plush, her flowers in full bloom, and Abe had even cleaned up the inside of the barn, knowing the men would gather there in the afternoon to tell jokes and possibly sneak a few cigars, or even a glass of homemade wine. Everything was ready.

“Stephen’s here.” Linda bounced across the living room and out the front door. Mary Ellen watched through the window as the two met in the front yard, showing no affection, but Mary Ellen could see the looks in both their eyes. She was quite content knowing that Stephen would someday be her son-in-law. They were both still young, but Mary Ellen hoped he would ask her to wed soon. Somehow, in her mind, that would solidify Linda’s staying in the community and dissolve the threat that Josephine brought into their world. Even though Linda was of age to experience her running-around period, Mary Ellen knew that her exposure was heightened when she was in Josephine’s fancy house and doing things Mary Ellen certainly wouldn’t approve of.

At eight o’clock everyone was seated, and the service began with thirty minutes of song in High German, followed by the opening sermon which always lasted about twenty minutes. After the sermon, there was a short silent prayer before the deacon read a Scripture verse. Mary Ellen caught Linda and Stephen winking at each other from across the room. However inappropriate, Mary Ellen couldn’t help but smile.

Two hours into the service, they listened to the minister give the main sermon, and today he seemed to be speaking directly to Mary Ellen. “We don’t always understand the circumstances that we find ourselves in, but we must remember that to question His will is a sin and often leads us down a path that is not of His choosing.”

Mary Ellen knew she’d been guilty of questioning God’s will from the moment Josephine showed up on the doorstep. However, she tried to recall that day Josephine arrived at Mary Ellen and Abe’s house seventeen years ago. She suspected it was just as hard on Josephine then, if not more so. Mary Ellen cringed when she thought about the way Josephine’s mother spoke to Josephine all those years ago, and it had been clear at the time that Josephine was being forced to give away her child. Perhaps Mary Ellen and Abe should have backed out of the adoption because of that.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the congregation began to sing, and she regretted allowing her mind to drift and missing the end of the sermon. She sang with conviction her praises to the Lord for the next fifteen minutes of the service, and then worship came to a close. She hurried to the kitchen to start getting things ready for the meal.

She bumped into her friend, Sadie Saunders, who was with her husband, Kade, and their two children. They chatted for a moment, then Mary Ellen excused herself.

“I’m going to put the meal out so everyone can get started.”

Sadie handed Kade their daughter, Marie. “I’m coming to help.”

By the time Mary Ellen and Sadie worked their way through the crowd to the kitchen, several of the ladies were already putting the food on the counter. Every two weeks after worship service, the noon meal consisted of the same thing. Mary Ellen had wondered for years if that would ever change, but it didn’t appear so. Ten loaves of homemade bread sat next to large containers of peanut butter and cheese spreads. Sandwiches were made by swiping both spreads onto the bread. The tastes complemented each other, and they’d all been raised on it. Occasionally, an
Englisch
person was invited to worship service, and they were always interested in the consistency of the peanut butter spread, which was made using traditional peanut butter, but with added ingredients that made it sweeter and thinner.

Pickled beets, seasoned pretzels, pickles, and snitz pie were always served as well. On this late morning Mary Ellen’s stomach was growling, and she was wishing for more than the usual offerings.

“I notice that none of Lillian’s family is here. Not her, Samuel, or the children. And neither are Jonas, Lizzie, and Sarah Jane.” Sadie twisted the lid from a jar of pickles and placed them on the table. “It wonders me if everything is all right.”

“I haven’t heard anything.” Mary Ellen poured the homemade pretzels from a plastic bag into a large bowl as speculations about the family’s absence began to stir worry. “I reckon maybe Linda can pay them a visit this afternoon, see if everyone is all right. She enjoys visiting with Jonas.”

“Did I hear my name?”

Mary Ellen turned to see Linda snatching a pickle from the jar on the table. “We’re just concerned that Samuel, Lillian, and the children aren’t here, and neither is Jonas, Lizzie, or Sarah Jane. I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go check on them in a while.”

Linda nodded with a mouthful, then swallowed. “
Ya
. I noticed they weren’t here. I hope Jonas is all right, but don’t you think Barbie or someone would have gotten word if—if something bad happened?” Linda paused, bit her bottom lip, and waited.

“I think so.” Mary Ellen comforted herself with that thought.

“
Mamm
. . .”

“
Ya
?”

“Do you think I could drop off a piece of snitz pie for Josie and her husband on the way? I mean, if there’s any left.” Linda tucked her chin, then raised her eyes to Mary Ellen. “They seem to like pie,” she said sheepishly.

“I reckon that would be all right.” Mary Ellen recalled her conversation with Noah and she offered another silent prayer for Josephine.

Linda shared a kiss with Stephen back behind the far barn after almost everyone had gone home later that afternoon. His touch sent a tingle up her spine and caused her body to react in ways she didn’t exactly understand. She immediately thought about the movie she’d watched with Josie, and she edged away a bit.

“Have you told your
mamm
that you want to spend the night at Josie’s house on Tuesday?” Stephen pulled his arms from around her waist and sat down on a nearby stump.

“Not yet. I’ll talk to her tonight.” Linda was dreading having to ask permission. She could see the tension in her mother’s expression anytime Josie was mentioned.

“Linda . . .” Stephen pulled his straw hat off and swiped his forearm against beads of sweat building on his forehead. “I reckon you gotta be careful ’bout what you’re doing.”

She sat down on a stump facing him, rested her elbows on her knees, and cupped her cheeks. “What do you mean?”

“Gotta be careful ’bout getting unequally yoked with outsiders. We hear about it at worship and in our studies of the
Ordnung
.” He twisted his mouth to one side. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Linda sat up straight. “I know that.”

“
Daadi
says that lots of them are
gut
Christians, but we don’t know for sure, so it’s best to stick with our own, not be tempted by their ways.”

Just because your grandfather is the bishop . . .
“I’m just enjoying my freedom during my
rumschpringe
, that’s all.” She paused, feeling defensive. “It wouldn’t hurt you to do a few things in the
Englisch
world, while you can. We’ll be baptized soon enough, and you’ll never be able to experience some of those things.”