A Marriage for Meghan (17 page)

Mr. Santos blanched with unease. “I don’t want folks afraid to come here. I run a sound business, but I did hear something just today.”

“What did you hear?”

He shook his head, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t want to upset you, Miss Yost. Your family has already been through enough.”

She glanced back at the family to be certain they weren’t paying attention. “I’m no shrinking violet, Mr. Santos. I’m tough enough to be the new schoolteacher. Please tell me, sir. I have important reasons for asking.”

With a reluctant shrug, he too leaned over the counter. “I’ve been asking around, quiet-like, among my customers. One of my regulars from the campground said a new bunch recently moved in. They supposedly came north looking for work. They spend most days raising a racket and drinking beer—even before noon.” He shook his head with dismay.

“
Campground
?” asked Meghan, a bit too loudly. “Who in their right mind would go camping in February in Ohio?”

Mr. Santos quickly scanned the room. “Shhh, Miss Yost. Many people have fallen on hard times and live out there in campers, semi-permanently. The owners have kept the utilities on year-round and are charging weekly rates until the economy improves. Most of the residents are real nice folks.”

Meghan felt a pang of pity and remorse. Campers could be cramped and confining during bad weather. “Sorry about that ‘right mind’ part.”

“Anyway, my customer says this group has been bad-mouthing Amish people—nasty trash talk—as though they have something against them.”

“What could they possibly hold against us?”

“I have no idea, that’s all I heard. But some people don’t need a reason to hate.” His face softened with sorrow. “Now, you stay there, young lady. I’ll be right back, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

A few minutes later Meghan was on her way home with a fresh, hot mushroom pizza that probably had been intended for someone else. It smelled wonderful. But at the moment she had more on her mind than her growling belly.

M
eghan wasn’t sure what she had hoped to accomplish with what she learned at the pizza shop. Drive her buggy to the campground and demand to meet those who didn’t like Amish people? Maybe wait outside the pizza shop each night until the wicked boys came back and then demand that they leave her brothers alone in the future? Volunteer her efforts at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department to track down the vandals?

She had enough to keep busy between her ever-expanding duties as assistant teacher and her chores at home. Her
mamm
might have two working daughters, but she still needed help with cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Her brothers were busy preparing the fields for spring planting, while her
daed
had plenty of district business to contend with. Besides, Amish males seldom helped with domestic chores as long as there were living, breathing females in the household.

She had told her father what she’d heard from Mr. Santos the following day. He’d been quite clear about how she should proceed:
“Concentrate on your own challenges and leave crime investigation to English law enforcement.”
So she had done nothing with the information except worry about Jacob. She hoped he wouldn’t hold this shame and embarrassment against her.

At least she’d made headway with her own “challenges,” as
daed
called them. She no longer sweated like August-in-the-attic when she addressed the entire class. She was no longer the first to glance away after locking gazes with Owen Shockley. And her primary grade students had made great strides with word recognition and alphabet penmanship. Joanna would be pleased when she dropped by to visit, even though Meghan doubted she would come until the weather turned warm and sunny.

Pride was a sin, but Meghan couldn’t help but feel proud of the progress she had made. Would it be enough to win the solo teaching position for the fall? That remained to be seen, but according to Catherine, a person could accomplish anything he or she set their mind to. As Meghan’s confidence increased, so did the amount of responsibility her older sister heaped upon her. Catherine decided the time had come for her to teach a lesson to the whole class.

Today, after reading, spelling, and morning recess, Meghan would begin her practical living lessons—how her students could benefit by putting Scripture into action. She’d gotten the idea from Joanna several weeks ago. Although her application that day had turned disastrous, Meghan spent the previous evening formulating a new plan. Now, as the students trailed in after recess, Catherine signaled that the moment of truth had arrived.

On shaky legs, Meghan approached the front of the room. The primary and middle grades immediately fell silent, but chatter continued in the back, where the seventh and eighth grade boys sat. She cleared her throat. “This afternoon we shall hear the parable of the rich man to see what we can learn from him.”

“But it’s still morning, Meghan. We ain’t eaten lunch yet.” The concerned voice of Annabeth Selby rang out loud and clear, drawing giggles and snickers from the other students.

Catherine moved into position behind the last row of desks while Meghan plastered a smile on her face. “Oh, my. It is still morning?” she asked. “We’ve done so much good work already that I thought surely it must be afternoon.”

The room settled down and her sister smiled with approval.

“I will tell you a story from the Bible. It’s from the book of Mark.” Meghan waited to continue until all eyes fastened on her. “When Jesus was on His way into town, a man asked Him what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminded him to obey all the commandments, such as you must not lie or steal or cheat anyone, and you must honor your
mamm
and
daed
. The man said he had been obeying those things since he was little.” Meghan glanced over the room to discover the students were paying attention, even the eighth graders. “So Jesus said, ‘There is still something you haven’t done. Go sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow Me.’ The man went away very sad because he owned many possessions. Jesus explained to His disciples that it is very hard for rich folk to get into heaven. In fact, it’s easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle. This upset many of the disciples until Jesus assured them that
everything
is possible with God.”

The room had become completely quiet, even though none of the
kinner
lived in a rich household. Nevertheless, they were contemplating the parable, while a few looked downright worried.

Meghan hesitated half a minute before speaking again. “The primary grades will discuss the story in English up front with me. I’d like the middle and upper grades to take out a sheet of paper and pencil and write down what they learned from the story. How we can make ourselves more worthy of heaven, even if we’re not rich? And I want the upper levels to also write down ways for rich people to improve their chances of heaven.”

She laid her Bible on the desk and scanned the room, unwittingly holding her breath. Every single child sitting beyond the first row, except for one, took out paper and pencil. Owen Shockley stared blankly for a long moment, and then he too complied with her instructions.

“All right,” Meghan said softly. “The first and second graders may now bring their chairs up to my desk.”

The little ones lifted their small chairs and approached with faces bright with ideas. Once they had arranged themselves around her, Meghan said, “One at a time, tell me what you thought about the story. We’ll start with Jemma and then go around the circle.”

Jemma scooted to the edge of her seat. “If we get money from selling eggs, we need to give it to the poor folk who don’t own any chickens.”

“If they don’t have any chickens,” ventured the next student, “why don’t you give them half of your eggs each day?” Everyone in the group nodded.

“How about you, Eli. Do you have an idea?” asked Meghan of the third child.

“I’m gonna make sure everybody’s done with their first helping at the potlucks before I get in line for my second helpin’,” volunteered Eli.

“That’s a very good idea.” Meghan flashed a smile at the well-fed second grader.

The next child, Mary, could barely wait for her turn. “I’m going to make sure my
daed
gives the bishop all the money he gets from selling milk. That way he’ll get to heaven, the same as me and
mamm
.” The tiny blond girl beamed with satisfaction.

“Well, I’m sure it would be okay for him to keep enough to pay the family bills,” Meghan said gently.

Mary thought about that and then nodded her head. Around the circle, suggestions for Christian living abounded. Meghan straightened to check on the rest of the class and saw that everyone was hard at work. Catherine circulated among the desks, helping students spell unfamiliar words.

A ripple of pleasure shot through Meghan’s veins. As the young scholars provided practical suggestions for dealing with money, a sense of accomplishment grew deep within. She was teaching and maintaining classroom control at the same time. When the last first grader thought of a way to share their harvest with those less fortunate, it became hard for Meghan to sit still. Joy swelled her heart to near bursting. This felt even better than winning the girls’ barrel racing competition many years ago.

Because enthusiasm for the subject remained high, they went around the circle a second time, sharing additional ideas as long as they didn’t lapse into
Deutsch
. While the older students finished their essays, the younger were able to practice their English. Glancing up, Meghan noticed Owen Shockley still writing something on his paper.

After ten more minutes, Meghan rose to her feet with the grace and bearing of a
grossmammi
. “We’ll begin reading our essays aloud tomorrow and finish the rest on Wednesday,” she announced to the class. “Those who are finished may quietly place their papers in the tray, get their lunches, and begin to eat. You may either eat indoors or outside, but make sure no rubbish blows around the playground.” She spoke in the firm, modulated voice she’d learned from Joanna, neither squeaking nor stuttering as she had done weeks before.

About half the class stood immediately and complied with Meghan’s instructions. Owen continued writing for another sentence or two before he strode to the desk with his paper and then hurried out the door.

Fifteen minutes later, the two sisters were eating ham-and-cheese sandwiches side by side in the weak rays of a February sun. Catherine leaned over to whisper in Meghan’s ear. “Well done,
schwester
. Well done.”

And it took an enormous amount of effort for Meghan not to cry.

Catherine washed the breakfast dishes, left them to air dry in the strainer, wiped down the countertops and stove, and went for her bucket and mop for the kitchen floor. With breakfast finished, Meghan headed to the cellar to start the laundry, and then she would join her mother upstairs dusting and sweeping bedrooms and stripping beds. They would have to wash all bedding today, hang it on the line, and then remake the beds. Afterward, they would prepare the sliced roast beef and cold potato salad they would take to the church service tomorrow. And, of course, they couldn’t neglect lunch and dinner with three hungry men in the house.

Mamm
had mentioned using the last of the cabbage in the cellar to make stuffed cabbage, but rolling up dozens of pigs-in-a-blanket could take hours. Catherine sighed as though the arduous day was ending instead of just beginning. Now that she and Meghan worked as teachers, many chores were left for Saturdays. By the time the Sabbath arrived, the Yost women were grateful for a day of rest.