Plain Paradise (18 page)

Abe shrugged. “All right.”

“This is dangerous, Abe. But you just don’t see it.”

Abe chuckled, and Mary Ellen took two steps toward him. “You think this is funny? It’s dangerous enough that Linda spends all that time with her
Englisch
girlfriends, but it’s her
rumschpringe
, so not much we can do about that. But, not only is Josephine unequally yoked, she is the girl’s kin. Linda could choose a life with her, and . . .”

“Are you listening to yourself ? Josephine doesn’t have much
life
left, Mary Ellen.”

“What if she exposes Linda to her fancy life so much that Linda decides to leave?”

“She ain’t goin’ anywhere. She’s gonna marry Stephen, and our
maedel
is grounded in her faith. You are worrying about something that ain’t ever going to happen.”

Mary Ellen picked up Abe’s empty plate and placed it in the sink. “I hope you’re right.”

“There’s our girl now.” Abe pointed to the window, and Mary Ellen saw Linda turning the buggy into the driveway. “I hope everything is all right with Jonas. That poor fella has been fighting this cancer for years, and every time I think it’s come his time, that old coot pulls through again.” Abe followed Mary Ellen to the window and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Everything is going to be fine, Mary Ellen.”

They watched Linda move the horse toward the barn, then they sat down on the couch in the den for their usual reading time. Mary Ellen looked up from her Bible when Linda walked in a few minutes later. Abe had his head in a book that had a man on a motorcycle on the cover.

“How is Jonas?” Mary Ellen marked her place with her finger.

Linda fell into one of the rockers and crossed her legs. “He looked bad when I got there,
Mamm
. I thought he was going to heaven any second. The worst I’ve ever seen him.” Linda shook her head, and then her face brightened. “But then
Onkel
Noah showed up and said that Jonas’s medications were making him sick, and he said he’ll start feeling better now that they know to take him off some of his pills.”

“What did I tell you?” Abe looked above his gold-rimmed reading glasses at Mary Ellen.

“
Ya
, Jonas always seems to overcome and surprise everyone, but Linda . . .” Mary Ellen paused. “You do know that Jonas is still on a downward spiral. He’s eaten up with the cancer. It is just a matter of time.”

Linda smiled. “Miracles happen sometimes.”

Mary Ellen was proud of her daughter’s faith, and she silently reprimanded herself for questioning the choices she’d feared Linda might make. “
Ya
, they do.” She smiled back at her beautiful girl, even though Mary Ellen didn’t think God granted the type of miracle Linda was searching for. Jonas had beaten the odds for a long time, and Mary Ellen feared his time was near.

“
Mamm? Daed
?”

Mary Ellen waited for Linda to speak, but she tucked her chin the way she did so often. “
Ya
?” she finally asked when Linda looked up at her. “What is it?”

Linda avoided eye contact. “Josie wants me to spend the night at her house Tuesday night. Tomorrow is wash day, and I think if I work late tomorrow, I can get some of Tuesday’s chores done. Do you think that would be all right? Her husband is going out of town for two weeks.” Linda pulled her eyes away from Mary Ellen’s. “Actually, he asked me to stay with her for two weeks, but—”

“Two weeks!” Mary Ellen slammed the Bible shut. “That’s impossible. How could she even ask you such a thing?”

“She didn’t ask me, her husband did. But
Mamm
, I told her I couldn’t, of course.”

Linda’s eyes started to fill with tears, and Mary Ellen instantly regretted her reaction. Once again, she hadn’t trusted her daughter’s judgment.

“I think one overnight visit would be fine.” Abe said and glanced at Mary Ellen before turning to Linda. “As long as you can get your chores done.” He looked back at Mary Ellen. “Don’t you think, Mary Ellen?”

“
Ya
, I reckon so.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Linda. It’s just that the
Englisch
often don’t have an understanding about how busy our day is, and I just wasn’t expecting you to say two weeks.” The nerve of her husband to even ask Linda such a thing. Then Mary Ellen felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. The woman is sick. Of course he doesn’t want to leave her alone.
I am a mean, selfish woman. Forgive me,
dear Lord
. “Does Josephine have any kin here in town?”

“No, she doesn’t.” Linda scowled, a confused expression on her face. “And her husband doesn’t seem to want to leave her alone.” She glanced at her father. “But you’ve left
Mamm
for days when you’ve had to go out of town. Maybe it’s different since
Mamm
has us with her.” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Mary Ellen silently prayed. Somehow she needed to try to make up for doubting Linda, questioning the Lord’s will, for not telling Linda she was adopted, and mostly for the ugly thoughts she’d had about Josephine since she’d come into their lives—a woman with little time to live and who’d given birth to their beloved Linda.

Mary Ellen raised her chin and folded her hands in her lap. “It is your
rumschpringe
, and Josephine is your birth mother. Maybe you should go and spend the two weeks with her.”

Abe’s mouth dropped open, and Mary Ellen held her breath as she waited for Linda to answer. And, again, she prayed—that this wouldn’t backfire on her.

11

S
TEPHEN BROUGHT HIS FOOT SCOOTER TO A HALT AND
pulled the note from the bridge, his pulse racing as he wondered whether or not Linda had found the note and responded. He uncoiled the paper and exhaled a long sigh of contentment as he read.

You are my sunshine, that wave of happiness that I carry with me when we are apart; like the love also in my heart.

He pulled his pen from within his front shirt pocket.

My dearest Linda, There is much to be discovered in an ocean. It can be shallow. It can be deep. Life it can give. Life it can take. Never to be taken for granted. Found all around us, making the world smaller. My love for you is like an ocean.

Stephen shook his head.
If my buddies knew I wrote this stuff .
. . But Linda loved his poems, and that’s all that mattered. He continued.

I love you. Will you marry me?

Always, Stephen

Every time he’d tried to ask Linda to marry him, he froze up with worry about things he needn’t be worrying about.
Hopefully,
she will think this is romantic and not dumb
. He quickly stuffed the note back in between the wood slats, then scooted off as the clouds became shaded with orange and the sun settled on the horizon in front of him.

Linda could hardly believe she was going to go stay with Josie for two weeks. She’d never had a vacation, and even though Josie’s house was only a few minutes from home, this would certainly seem like a holiday. She pinned the last towel on the line, after getting up early to start the wash this sunny Monday morning.

She still didn’t understand why
Mamm
was allowing this. A tiny part of her was hurt that her mother suggested she go stay with Josie for two weeks. Had something changed for
Mamm
? Did she no longer feel like Linda’s mother? Linda didn’t ever want
Mamm
to feel that way, but she wouldn’t turn down the offer. Again, she thought about the luxuries in Josie’s house. Air-conditioning, for starters. And that bathtub. She smiled to herself.

“Almost done?”

Linda twisted her neck to see her mother approaching. “
Ya
. Last load.” She picked up the laundry basket to head back inside, but
Mamm
inched closer to her, then put her arms around Linda’s neck and pulled her close.

“Do you know how very much I love you?”

Linda eased away from her. “
Mamm
, I won’t go tomorrow if you don’t want me to.”

Her mother kept hold of Linda’s arms and gently ran her hands up and down. “No. I think you should go.”

Linda tucked her chin, but
Mamm
gently eased her face back up, then locked eyes with her. “I’m so sorry,
mei maedel
, for not telling you about your adoption.” She smiled, gazed into Linda’s eyes, and then spoke softly, with such tenderness that Linda considered not going. “Everyone always says how much you look like me, and I think we just really started to forget.”

“That’s what Jonas said.” Linda smiled back. “Are you sure that it’s okay with you if I go,
Mamm
? I don’t want this to hurt you.” She shrugged. “I probably won’t like it there.” Linda cringed inside as she told the tiny lie.

“Josephine gave you life. She gave you to us to love and raise. I think she is deserving of a chance to know what a lovely young woman you have grown into. But Linda . . .”

Linda waited.
Mamm
frowned a bit and just stared at her for a moment.

“There will be much temptation in Josie’s world. All the things that are forbidden to us. Televisions, radios, electricity, and everything modern that we don’t agree with. I know this will be like a vacation for you, away from all the hard work, but I will pray constantly that you remember the
Ordnung
and stay steady in your faith. I know it’s your
rumpschpringe
, and to worry is a sin. I’m going to work hard to keep worry and fear from my heart.” She paused. “Your
daed
and I love you very much.”

Linda threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “I love you too,
Mamm
. And you will always be my mother. Always.” She eased away. “And no worries. My life is here, with all of you, and with Stephen. Please don’t worry.”

“Things are
gut
with Stephen?” Her mother’s eyes brightened.

“
Ya
. I love him very much.”

“I think he is much in
lieb
with you as well.”
Mamm
playfully arched her brows a couple of times. “Perhaps a proposal will be in order soon, no?”

Linda giggled. “I hope so!”

They started toward the house with Linda carrying the empty laundry basket. She wanted to assure her mother what she knew in her heart to be true. “I won’t be tempted,
Mamm
. I know things will be different at Josie’s house, but it’s only for a couple of weeks so I can get to know her better—as a new friend.”

“I know, dear. I trust you to make wise decisions.”

It was after dark when Stephen came calling Monday evening. They were just finishing up family devotion time when Linda heard a buggy pulling up.

Daed
scowled from his seat on the couch. “A little late for that boy to be showing up here.”

“Linda will be busy the next couple of weeks, Abe. I’m sure they want to spend a little time together.” Mary Ellen winked in Linda’s direction.

“Don’t seem fair that Linda gets to go stay with that woman for two weeks.” Matthew shook his head. “I reckon we are supposed to take care of her chores while she’s gone on her little vacation?”

Daed
closed the Bible and peered over his reading glasses. “Watch yourself, Matt.”

“I tried to do as much as I could before I leave tomorrow.” Linda stood up from the rocker so she could let Stephen in.

“Well, it ain’t enough to make up for two weeks,” Matthew grumbled as he walked out of the den.

Luke didn’t say anything, but Linda suspected by the scowl on his face that his thoughts matched Matthew’s. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea.

“It’s late, Linda. Keep your visit short.”
Daed
set the Bible on the coffee table next to one of two lanterns that illuminated the den, then stood up. “I’m heading to bed. Outten all the lights when you come in.”

“
Ya, Daed
. Good night.” Linda picked up the flashlight by the door, opened the screen door to the den before Stephen had a chance to knock, and met him coming up the porch steps.

“I’m glad you came. I have something to tell you.” She latched onto his hand and pulled him down the steps toward the garden.

“I’m happy to see you too.” He chuckled as Linda pulled him toward the entrance to the garden surrounded by a white picket fence. She shined the light on the latch, flipped it open, and wound her way to a white bench on the far side of the garden and sat down. Stephen took a seat beside her.