A View from the Buggy (26 page)

“I wish I could go,” 12-year-old Wilma sighed.

I grinned at her. “You only have four more years to wait.”

“Are you dressing warmly?” Mom asked as she handed me the sandwich. “There's a sharp wind.”

“I certainly feel warm enough right now,” I said. “And thanks for the sandwich.”

I wrapped my scarf around my neck, pulled on my boots and gloves, and grabbed my sandwich and the box with bread and apple butter. “'Bye, everyone!” I called.

A chorus of goodbyes echoed back. “Have a good evening,” Mom called after us.

“Think of me,” 15-year-old Anna Mary said dolefully.

I laughed. “Cheer up! You can go along next year.” I shut the door behind me and hurried to the buggy.

It didn't take long to drive the two miles to the community building. Once there, I helped Titus unhitch the horse and hurried into the cloakroom.

“Good evening,” I greeted the other girls as I took off my boots. “Emma, here's what I brought along for a goodies plate.” I held the box with bread in it.

“Good,” she answered. “Once everyone is here we'll have to make sure each group has the right number of plates,” she answered.

“Who is going along as parents?” I asked Barbara.

“Nathans and Mahlons,” she answered. “And Melvins will stay here to make supper for us.”

I nodded. “I think I already smell something good.”

“Who are we waiting for?” Ida asked.

“Everyone's here except Mahlons,” Ruth answered.

Emma looked out the window. “I think they're coming right now.”

Sure enough, a minute later they burst through the door. Before long everyone had gathered in the women's cloakroom so they could give us further directions. Melvins were the youth leaders and had arranged everything for the evening, including notifying people so they would know to expect us.

“I'll read off the ones going with the Mahlons' group.” Melvin proceeded to read off a list of names. “The rest will go with Nathans'.” He paused, then continued. “In the front of your songbook is a paper telling who your group will be singing for and who starts which song. After you've been at each of the places, we'll gather here for supper. Try to be back by eight thirty.”

Nearly 40 youth pulled on their boots and hurried out the door. I headed for Nathans' wagon with seven other girls.

“Is there room for everyone?” Mattie, Nathan's wife, asked from the front seat.

“Some of us can sit on the back,” Miriam said as she settled herself on the back of the wagon, dangling her feet over the edge. I plopped down beside her, and with a jerk we were off.

“It feels like we could slide off,” said Marietta, who was sitting with us. “If I start sliding, I'll grab you and take you with me.”

I reached under the seat behind us. “I can take hold of a bar that's under the seat,” I said. “I don't think I'll fall off, so if you start sliding just grab hold of me.”

As we settled that issue, the horse trotted briskly down the road. Behind us came another wagon. A cold wind blew, piling the snow into drifts and blasting snow into our faces.

“We thought about putting off the caroling because of the weather,” Miriam said.

“I'm glad you didn't,” I declared. “This weather just makes it more adventurous. I'm glad we have snow.”

“Me too,” agreed Ruth. “Last year when we went caroling we hardly had any snow, and it was so muddy. It didn't seem like Christmastime.”

“I just hope no one gets too cold,” Miriam said. “The temperature isn't so low, but the wind makes it feel cold.”

“I'm not cold yet,” I declared. “But I have lots of clothes on.”

We continued to chat as the wagon rattled down the road. It wasn't long before the horse slowed down to turn into the driveway.

“This is Jesse Stewart's place, isn't it?” asked Regina.

“Yes,” I answered. “We came here last year when we went caroling.”

“Let's walk in the drive,” Carol Ann said, jumping off the wagon. We all followed her example and walked up to the garage where we were sheltered from the wind. We waited as the men tied the horses.

Nathan went up to the door and knocked. Dogs yapped inside. Finally the door opened and then closed again. Nathan came over to us and opened the garage door. “He said we can go in through the garage,” he explained.

We stepped back and let the boys go first. Miriam and I were the last to enter. As we turned to go down the stairs, Jesse stopped us. “Here's something for you.” He held a package.

“Thank you,” Miriam said, taking the brightly wrapped package before we followed the others down to the basement.

The boys lined up in a row and we girls formed another row in front of them. Jesse seated himself on a chair to listen.

“The first song we'll be singing is ‘Christ Is Born in Bethlehem,' ” Nathan announced. Someone started the song and the basement rang with the words.

After a few more songs, we sang our parting verse:

We wish you a blessed Christmas,

We wish you a blessed Christmas,

We wish you a blessed Christmas,

And a happy new year!

“Well, that's all the songs we picked,” Nathan told Jesse. “Do you have any you'd like us to sing?”

“Oh no, no,” the slim, elderly man said. “I'm happy with what you chose to sing. It was beautiful. Thank you for coming.”

“We enjoyed it,” Nathan said as we filed up the stairs.

We burst out into the cold and piled back on the wagons. I found a place beside Lois on the leather wagon seat.

“We're going to Eugene Shermann's next, aren't we?” Lois asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “I'm glad our group is going there. I've never been there.”

It wasn't long before we swung into the driveway at Eugene's. We girls huddled beside the garage where there was a little protection from the wind. Christmas lights hung above us from the eaves and twinkled on a bush.

Before long Nathan opened the garage door. We waited in the garage while he knocked on a door leading into a small entryway.

The door opened, and a stoop-shouldered gentleman appeared. “Come on in! We've been expecting you.”

Everyone squeezed into the tiny entrance. Being one of the last to enter, I hesitated. Was there room for me? Carol Ann slid over on a chair and motioned for me to sit down.

Quickly I joined her. “Couldn't we sing better if we stood up?” I whispered.

“There's hardly room to stand up with this table and chairs in the way,” she whispered.

“I guess you're right,” I answered as I found the right page in my songbook.

Elmer started the first song and everyone joined in. It was uncomfortable to be so crowded, but the singing sounded nice in such a small room. I glanced at Eugene as he wiped a few tears. His petite wife sat on a chair beside him with a sweet smile on her face.

“Brightest and best of the sons of the morning!” Elmer started the second verse and I turned my attention to the songbook and put my all into the song.

We sang a few more songs then bade Eugene “Goodnight” and “blessed Christmas.” One of the girls handed them a plate of homemade candy before we headed back out into the cold.

“Is it okay if I sit on your lap?” I asked JoEllen as I scrambled onto the wagon.

“Sure. Someone has to sit on a lap. You'll just keep me warm,” she said.

So I did and we started off down the road again. The horse didn't go as fast as he had at first, but he kept up a steady pace.

“Brrr, it's colder when you're sitting on top,” I said as I pulled my scarf over my nose.

Our next stop was at Tom Shaw's. Tom and Terry did taxi work for the Amish, so we knew them well. We filed into the kitchen and were soon heartily singing.

After the parting verse, Tom passed out cookies for everyone.

“Are you going to sing a song for us now?” Nathan teased.

“No, I can't sing,” Tom chuckled.

I looked at the Christmas tree set up in the living room and the many Christmas decorations throughout the house as I munched on my cookie.

“Well, we'd better go,” Nathan said a few minutes later. “Thanks for the cookies.”

“You're welcome. Thanks for coming to sing, and also for these goodies.” Tom held up the plate one of the girls had given him.

I added my own thanks as I turned to go outside.

We started off for our last stop. I listened to the chatter swirling around me and added my own two cents occasionally. How I enjoyed socializing with my friends!

The horse pulled in at Dirk Pattee's house and everyone hopped off.

“I'm going to leave my gloves on the wagon,” I decided impulsively. “That way I won't have to hold them and my songbook while we're singing.” I tossed my gloves under the seat and hurried to join the group of girls.

Nathan and Mattie led the way to the back door. Nathan knocked and we waited expectantly. He knocked again. Still no one answered the door.

“I'm going to try the front door,” Nathan decided. He disappeared around the corner of the house.

“Do you think they aren't home?” JoEllen asked.

“We let them know we're coming,” Miriam answered.

“I wish someone would answer the door. I'm ready to go inside where it's warm,” I said.

“Maybe we'll have to stand out here to sing,” Carol Ann said.

Just then Nathan reappeared around the corner of the house. “They're coming out,” he told us.

Sure enough, the basement door opened and a middle-aged man and young boy stepped outside.

“This is going to be real caroling,” Regina whispered as we stepped closer together to form a circle.

Miriam started the first song and everyone joined in. The song sounded small as it drifted away into the night. I pulled the cuffs of my coat over my hands and turned slightly so the yard light would shine on the words in the songbook.
Perhaps I should've worn my gloves after all
, I thought.

I glanced around at our little group, red-cheeked and cold but singing heartily. A gust of wind blew a shower of snow over us, and we moved closer together. My heart warmed. This was real caroling! Why, this was more adventurous than any of the other places had been. This was fun!

I turned my attention to the song and joined in with my whole heart.

After the parting verse, Dirk thanked us for coming, but no one lingered to visit.

“Let's start off running back to the community center,” someone suggested.

“Yes, that would feel good and would warm us up,” I agreed.

I grabbed my gloves off the wagon and joined the others to run out the driveway. We jogged down the road, but before long my side started to ache and I was relieved when a few of the others slowed to a walk.

It didn't take long to walk the rest of the way to the community building and we burst in the door to the bright warmth.

“Oh, it smells good in here!” I exclaimed as I unwrapped my scarf.

“I know. It makes me hungry just to smell supper,” Miriam said.

Finally, I had my coat off and my boots placed beside the door. I sank down on a bench beside Ruth. “I'm ready to sit down and warm up,” I commented.

“Me too,” Miriam said. “I hope the other group comes soon so we can eat.”

“Let's sing while we wait,” someone suggested.

“Yes, let's,” I agreed, and fetched my songbook from the shelf.

After a few songs the others burst in the door, red-cheeked and cold.

As soon as everyone had removed their wraps, we were seated at the long L-shaped table that had been set up. The lights were dimmed and the candles on the table lit. Small glass dishes filled with candy sparkled in the candlelight.

“Let's sing ‘Come and Dine,' and then we'll have a silent prayer before we eat,” Melvin said. The room was quiet as everyone bowed their heads, but at the
amen
the chatter started again.

Steaming bowls of chili were sent around the table followed by trays piled with individually wrapped hot ham and cheese sandwiches. A cup of hot chocolate was offered to everyone.

“This is just what we need to warm up,” I said as I took a spoonful of chili.

“Were you really cold?” Rebecca asked.

“It wasn't so bad,” I answered. “I got cold at the last place, but I wasn't chilled. I thought I was warmed up by the time we walked back here to the community building, but my toes hurt after I took off my boots so they must've been cold.”