Amish Sweethearts (16 page)

It was hard for Shani to imagine that it wasn’t a big deal to Casey’s folks, but Zane was her firstborn. Maybe that was the difference.

The next morning the weather turned cold, so instead of holding the deployment ceremony outside, it was moved to a gym, where the friends and family sat on bleachers. There were around thirty in Zane’s unit. They marched in, wearing their fatigues, and then stood in formation.

Joel took her hand as Shani’s heart swelled at the sight of Zane. He stood with his arms close to his sides, straight and tall. He’d gotten a haircut the evening before—it was as short as she’d ever seen it. Casey was two rows ahead of him, perfectly poised too.

Their commander approached the microphone and said, “At ease.” He was a captain and looked much too young to be in charge. Or maybe she was getting old. The soldiers put their hands behind their backs and relaxed a little. He spoke for a few minutes about their mission. They’d be providing infrastructure, health care, and domestic support to the Afghan people, hoping to win their hearts and minds away from the Taliban. Zane’s language skills would definitely be needed.

A woman sitting below their family bounced a baby, probably around one, on her lap. After a few minutes, she held him up to her shoulder. He raised his head up and grinned at Adam, who began playing peek-a-boo with the little one. The woman turned to see who was there and then smiled in relief. “Thank you,” she mouthed to Adam. Shani patted him on the leg.

After a short speech the band played the “Army Song.”

Shani sang the words in her head:

“March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free.

Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory . . .

. . . For wher’er we go,

You will always know

That the Army goes rolling along.”

Zane used to sing the song when he was little. He’d heard it a dozen times from the ceremonies he’d been to before Joel was injured. She couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed thinking of him as a little guy singing words that meant nothing to him at the time. Now he was all grown up and one of the brave.

Once the music was done, the group was dismissed. Shani told the woman how cute her baby was and then asked who her soldier was.

“Specialist Turner. Grant is his first name.” She nodded toward the middle of the gym. “He’s the one coming toward us.” A solid-looking guy who looked to be a few years older than Zane was headed their way.

“Who is your soldier?” the young woman asked.

“Zane Beck,” Shani said as Joel stood, leaning against his cane.

“Oh, I know him,” the woman answered. “He came over to
our house.” She stood and shifted the baby to her hip. “You’re the ones with the Amish neighbors.”

Shani nodded, thinking of Casey’s comment. Funny what people remembered.

“Zane’s a great guy.”

Shani smiled as the woman’s husband approached.

“These are Zane’s parents,” she said.

Joel stuck out his hand to the soldier. “Joel and Shani Beck—and Zane’s little brother, Adam.”

“Grant and Donna Turner,” the soldier said. “And Alex.”

“Pleased to meet all of you,” Shani said.

Joel and Grant started talking, Adam tickled the baby’s foot, and Shani asked Donna if Grant had been deployed before.

She shook her head. “This is his first time.”

“Do you have support here?”

“Some.” She patted her belly. “I have another baby on the way—due in July—so we’ll see how that goes.”

As they chatted, Shani told her a little about Joel’s deployment to Iraq and how much Skyping helped.

“Was he injured there?” Donna asked.

Shani nodded as Casey approached them, saying hello to Donna and then Shani and Adam.

Zane approached but stood back a little, until Shani said, “Come here.”

He complied, and she gave him a hug, which he endured. “What now?” Shani asked.

“How about if we all go get something to eat?” Casey said. “Our last meal, so to speak. We could go to that barbecue place off base.”

Shani nodded in agreement. Zane had joined the men’s conversation. Another soldier joined the group too, positioning himself next to Grant.

Shani touched Joel’s shoulder and said, “Sorry to interrupt,
but would you all like to join us women and Adam for some Texas barbecue?”

“Sounds good,” Grant answered, and Joel smiled and nodded.

Zane introduced the other soldier to her as Wade. He seemed like a nice guy too. He shook her hand warmly as he smiled and said, “I’m very pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

Zane didn’t say anything as they walked to the parking lot, not even when Adam caught up with him and grabbed his hand. Once they reached the pickup Zane said, “I hope you don’t have the idea that my unit is one big happy family, because it’s not.”

“Casey sure seems nice.”

“She is . . .”

“And Grant and Wade seem likeable.”

Zane shook his head. “They’re not.”

As she climbed into the back seat Shani said, “Well, Grant’s wife is lovely.”

“Yeah,” Zane said. He didn’t say it, but Shani was pretty sure his tone implied he couldn’t figure out why she married Grant.

The next morning they told Zane good-bye in front of his barracks. Adam hugged him long and hard. When he finally pulled away, Zane tousled his brother’s hair and said, “Send me e-mails, Bub. And hopefully we can Skype.”

Shani hugged him next, followed by Joel. After he was done, Joel stepped back. “I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, son, but I hope you know how proud I am of you.”

“Thank you.” Zane said. “I signed up for all the wrong reasons, but I’m excited about this assignment. I hope I can make a difference.”

Joel nodded. “God has a plan for sending you. We’ll hold on to that when we’re worried.”

Zane put his hand up. “I’m not worried, and I don’t want any of you to worry either.” He wrapped his arm around Adam. “Especially not you, Bub.”

He pulled a large manila envelope from his backpack and handed it to Joel. “Would you keep this for me? The title to my truck is in there—and other stuff.”

Joel nodded. “I’ll give it back when you get home.”

Zane grabbed his duffel bag and headed toward the bus where the others were congregating. Donna, with Alex in his stroller, stepped to Shani’s side as both Grant and Wade followed Zane.

Shani asked Donna how she was doing.

“Not so good,” the young woman said. One of her hands clutched the handle of the stroller and the other was cupped around her stomach.

Shani put her arm around Donna and squeezed her shoulder.

“Thanks,” Donna whispered.

The soldiers fell into formation. A few minutes later, they marched toward the bus. Besides Zane, Shani kept her eye on Casey and Grant. None of the soldiers turned to wave as they boarded. Shani tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Shani, Joel, and Adam stood, alongside Donna and Alex, until the bus rolled away. Once the bus was out of view, they all said subdued good-byes and then Shani watched Donna push Alex to her car.

Finally Joel asked, “Shall we go?”

Shani nodded, knowing if she spoke she’d cry, which she didn’t want to do. Once Joel was injured and then retired, she never dreamt she’d go through sending off someone else she loved to war. Even when Zane joined the Army, she hoped both wars would wind down and he wouldn’t have to go anywhere.

Adam ran ahead.

“What’s in the packet?” Shani asked Joel.

“You know.”

“No . . .”

Joel’s eyes watered. “His will. A copy of his orders. Insurance stuff. And, like he said, the title to his truck.”

“Oh,” Shani said. She remembered now.

After stopping by the hotel, loading their luggage, and checking out, they headed east.

“It’s so flat,” Adam said, his nose pressed to the window. “And brown.”

“Not all of Texas is like this,” Shani said.

“I miss home,” he said.

Shani nodded. She did too.

By the time they turned north, onto the interstate, Adam had fallen asleep.

“I hope I didn’t pester him too much,” Shani said.

“Zane?” Joel asked.

She nodded.

He didn’t respond.

She leaned toward him, brushing against his shoulder. “Did I?”

He smiled. “Maybe a little.”

She sighed. She was so used to coordinating everything at home. It was hard to stop.

“Zane’s always needed his space, right? He’s never wanted our opinions or our ideas.” Joel shook his head. “When he began criticizing the wars, I should have just listened instead of challenging him.”

Shani patted his forearm.

“I felt bad—as if my injury was for nothing. Even worse, I started dwelling on Samuel’s death again.” Joel grasped the gear stick, as if throwing it into reverse might change what had happened. Samuel had died in the same attack that injured Joel. “Zane really knew how to push my buttons,” Joel said. “Instead of realizing that and working through things with him, I told him he wasn’t soldier material, which I’m sure contributed to
him joining.” Joel shook his head. “Isn’t that ironic? I didn’t intend that at all.”

She knew he didn’t. “You apologized to him. Remember?”

He nodded. “But the thing is . . .” Joel said, “he turned out to be a fine soldier.”

“He takes after you in that,” Shani said.

Joel frowned. “I’m sorry.” He let go of the gear stick and reached for her hand.

“Don’t be,” she said. “It’s life.”

Joel sighed and then said, “When Zane was born I always imagined him playing football, but he didn’t. And I doubt Adam will either.”

Shani nodded. “Does that bother you?” Joel had been a football hero in his small Wisconsin town, growing up.

“No, not at all. I’m just saying what I imagined, you know—way back when.” He let go of her hand, passed a semi, and then pulled back into the right lane. “I never imagined Zane joining the Army, I never even wanted that for him. It didn’t fit his personality at all—even though he’s become a good soldier. Now here he is, going off to war.”

Shani waited for him to explain further, but when he didn’t, she asked, “What are you saying, honey?”

“Just that it’s not about us, is it? It’s about them. Who God created them to be. I just wish I hadn’t interfered.”

“But God is using Zane being in the Army,” Shani said. She hoped Zane appreciated who God had made him to be.

Joel ran his hand over his mouth. “I just can’t bear the thought of anything happening to him.”

Fear clenched her heart again. “Unfortunately that’s one thing that neither of us can control.”

10

L
ila sat beside Jenny in the shed on her friend’s farm during the Youngie singing. It was chilly, and Jenny’s Mamm and Gideon had put propane heaters around the benches.

Reuben sat across the aisle from her. They hadn’t finished the conversation from Christmas Eve yet, but she expected they might tonight. She’d been twenty now for almost a week. But before she thought seriously about marriage, she needed to take care of her grandmother. The doctors finally determined Mammi was strong enough for surgery, and it was scheduled for a week from Friday. Lila had a plan to go take care of her grandmother, but so far could find no way to implement it. She could see to Dat’s books at her grandparents’ house, and she’d wanted to suggest that he hire someone to help with the milking after Simon left, but she knew they couldn’t afford it. Especially if she took time off from her restaurant job. Simon was complicating her life far more than she could have imagined a few weeks ago.

On the men’s side of the room, directly across the aisle, Reuben sat between Daniel and Simon. A couple of times, Lila caught Daniel stealing a look at Jenny and once Reuben turned his head and smiled at her, his eyes kind.

Simon, on the other hand, had his eyes on a group of girls who were a year younger than he was. Lila wasn’t sure why he’d come at all. He was leaving for basic training in two weeks. It wasn’t as if he’d court a girl between then and now, and besides it seemed as if he were going out with Mandy. Not courting, that was for sure. Lila was sure he had no intention of marrying her—at least not in the next four years. But maybe they were dating, in a casual way. Lila didn’t understand Simon, not at all. Both his upcoming exit from their home and his current presence at the singing only added more drama to their family and the community, something they could all do without.