Courting Buggy: Nurse Hal Among The Amish (11 page)

Tootie smacked her lips. “With homemade ice
cream.”

That night after supper, Noah got out the battleship
game for Daniel and him to play.

Jim said in a low voice with his eyes on the kitchen
door, “John, how soon do you think my horse will be ready to pull
my buggy? Is he learning anything tied to the road fence every
day?”

“
We will not know until you try him and find
out. When you do we will put blinders on him which should help,”
John said.

“
I want to use my own horse. I think tomorrow
I'll try him out by myself, or maybe one of the boys would like to
ride with me. I don't dare ask Nora to go with me until the horse
knows what he's supposed to do,” Jim whispered.

“
I understand,” John said knowingly.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, cleanup went as usual.
Before Hal could get back from the barn, Nora and Tootie were on
the couch, waiting for Hal to join them. Hal was giving the slop
bucket more of a scrubbing than a slop bucket deserved.

Emma heard Adam drive in to take her to the youth
singing. She threw her dish towel over the line, said good bye to
everyone and rushed to clamber into the buggy. “I could hardly wait
for you to pick me up.”

Adam flicked the lines over his horse's back. Once
they were on the road, he wavered his hand.

“
It is a mad house at our place with company
around,” Emma replied. Adam raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, do not
get me wrong. I like Hallie's folks and aunt, but it is different
when they are there all the time. I never know what is going to
happen.” She paused then blurted out, “Take the slop
pail.”

Adam's head jerked back as he stared at her.

“
Silly, I did not mean you should take it home
with you literally, but if you want to rescue my sanity, it might
come to that to get some peace at our house. Hallie and Aendi
Tootie are feuding about who should wash the slop pail. Aendi
Tootie wants to wash dishes, but she does not want to wash the
nasty pail. She hurries through the dishes while Hallie empties the
pail to the cats in the barn. Aendi is on the couch looking
innocent by the time Hallie comes back, all worn out from
running.”

Adam grinned.

“
I would not find this funny if I were you.
Especially if it is Hallie telling you this story. Let me tell you,
she is not too agreeable recht now when it is time to do dishes,”
Emma said. She tipped her head back and welcomed the faint breeze
over her face and neck. “That is not all that is wrong. Dawdi Jim
and Mammi Nora are having words over that courting buggy Dawdi
bought. She does not like the buggy at all. She would be even more
upset if she knew what was wrong with the horse that came with the
buggy.”

Adam raised his eyebrow again.

“
The first time Dawdi drove the buggy, he found
out he did not buy the best horse for road driving. The horse
stopped every time traffic went by him on the highway. Noah had to
get out of the buggy and get the horse going each time then hop
back in the buggy. Daed thought it might help if he tied the horse
to the road fence so it got used to the traffic.”

Adam wavered his hand.

“
We do not know if it helped. Dawdi has not
tried the horse yet. He has been using one of our horses. When the
time comes, Daed is going to loan him a pair of blinders. We are
all hoping that the horse works well soon. Mammi noticed the horse
tied to the fence, but so far she has not realized something is
wrong,” Emma related. “So help me enjoy our evening at the singing.
Cheer me up before I have to go home and face whatever comes up
next.” She looked sincere then she giggled.

Adam grinned back as he turned into the Rogies
driveway. The golden light slid slowly below the horizon. The glow
tinted the grass and parked buggies. The rays dotted the laughing
and chattering teens, waiting for everyone to arrive. Two hours
later the singing ended, and all the Plain teenagers left for
home.

Adam let his horse go at a slow walk, prolonging
their evening together, while Emma and he enjoyed the pleasant
ride. When they neared the turn off for Bender Creek Road, Adam
turned onto the dirt road. The deeply shadowed trees flickered past
on both sides of the buggy until Adam stopped. He took Emma in his
arms, gave her a hug and a gentle kiss.

“
Denki, Adam. I needed that,” Emma said
softly.

That same evening, Redbird and Beth crawled over by
John's rocker, pulled themselves up and jabbered at him. John swept
them up on his lap and rocked them.

Jim offered wistfully, “I could rock one of them
babies. Wouldn't be any trouble at all.”

“
I know,” John said. “But they like me to do it
every night before they go to bed. He hummed
Sweet And Low
. Soon the girls drifted off to
sleep.

Hal brought a chair from the kitchen and placed it
beside the couch. She sat down with a sigh.

“
You look tired, Hallie,” Nora
surmised.

“
For some reason I feel tired. I think Sunday
is the hardest day of the week. Makes me tired doing nothing. Noah,
do you need to soak that ankle again tonight?”

“
Nah, the swelling has gone down. It's just a
little stiff so no need to bother. I'll walk the stiffness out of
it.”

“
If you say so,” Hal said.

Nora commented, “That Adam sure is a nice young man.
Emma got herself a fine pick.”

“
We sure like having him around,” Hal
agreed.

Tootie mused, “Too bad he can't talk.”

“
Tootie, I declare, you know what not to say
and just go ahead and say it anyway,” Nora scolded. “Your brain is
as scattered as ashes blowing in the wind.”

“
It's all right, Mom. Aunt Tootie, Adam has
been that way since birth so he's not bashful about it. Besides if
you noticed, he communicates just fine with all of us. Emma has
been with him so much I think they can read each other's mind,” Hal
said.

“
I noticed that,” Nora agreed.

“
Their's is a sign of true love if I ever saw
it,” Tootie added dreamily.

“
Tootie, are you feeling all right?” Nora
asked.

“
I'm fine. Why?”

“
You have been so different this evening. Quiet
and sort of … .” Nora searched for the right word. “Well, out of
it.”

“
Guess I'm tired,” Tootie excused.

The boys gave up their game and went to sit on the
floor by John and Jim in the rockers to listen to their father read
the bible for devotions.

When John closed the bible, Noah said, “Some of the
boys are going tomorrow night to practice with their coon hounds.
Daniel and me want to go.”

John stood and put his bible on the shelf above his
rocker. “Where do you plan on going?”

“
Bender Creek timber. Should be coons prowling
in there all the time. We figure Dog ...,” Noah paused, rolled his
eyes toward the ceiling and amended, “Biscuit should start his
training.”

Jim smiled at Noah's slip in front of Hal and rubbed
his chin. “Gonna be good and dark in that timber. Don't you worry
about getting lost, or better yet what might be out there in the
dark with you like ghosts or boogie men?”

“
Nah, not us,” bragged Daniel. “We do not
believe in such things.”

“
Good thing you live this far away from the
timber that's near my farm,” Jim baited the boys.

“
Why is that?” Noah asked.

“
I could tell you the story of old Jasper
Newcomb, but are you sure you want to hear it?”

Nora scolded, “Maybe you shouldn't be telling such
things to these boys.”

“
We want to hear, ain't so, Noah?” Daniel said
eagerly.

“
Don't say I didn't warn you. This story isn't
for the weak hearted,” Jim warned.

“
Maybe I'll take the girls upstairs and put
them to bed before you start,” Hal said.”

Nora asked, “Can I help with one of them?”

“
Sure you can. They're a load to carry up the
stairs at the same time. I usually have Emma here to help
me.”

As Hal and Nora left with the sleeping girls, Jim
commenced with his tale. “Well now, old Jasper said he didn't
believe in ghosts just like you boys did. His very words a matter
of fact.

Everyone in our part of the country knew that two
hundred acres of timber was haunted. Plenty of folks talked about
glowing lights bobbing around when hunters weren't in the timber.
Some folks claimed on full moon nights, human like figures, dressed
in white, appeared out of no where and stood in the moonshine for a
spell. They disappeared before folks' eyes. Jasper laughed when
they talked about it.

Finally, a friend of Jasper's, Andy Brown, and a
bunch of other coon hunters dared Jasper to spend the night in the
woods by himself if he was so brave. If he stayed until dawn, the
men said they would buy him a cart load of watermelons. Jasper was
delighted. Watermelon was his favorite fruit. He accepted the dare,
packed some matches, his pipe, and a bedroll. He went right to the
middle of the timber to camp for the night.”

Jim looked around the room. He had everyone's
attention. Poor Tootie scrunched down with her arms folded over her
chest. Her skittish mind filled with thoughts of what it was like
out in that dark timber among spirits. Jim could tell she was all
ears. The effect his story had on her tickled him, and he was just
getting started.

Hal and Nora came downstairs as Jim leaned forward.
He folded his arms across his legs so he'd be closer to Noah and
Daniel. In a lowered voice, he said, “Jasper started a campfire,
lit his pipe, and settled on a stump by the fire with yesterday's
newspaper. As he read, he heard a creaking sound close to what a
tree frog might make. He looked around right quick. He saw a
gnarled little creature with glowing red eyes on the log beside his
stump. The creature had showed up without Jasper hearing him. This
critter had a long, forked tail, two horns on its head, claws where
fingers should be at the ends of its hands, and sharp dirty
teeth.

'What are you?' Jasper asked in a quivering
voice.

'I'm called Sneak Upon, because I sneak upon humans
that trespass in my territory. Ain't nobody here tonight except you
and me. You're trespassing,' the creature informed old Jasper.
Sneak Upon's voice gave Jasper the creeps. It sounded like the hiss
of fiery flames coming from a saline torch.

Poor old Jasper's heart nearly stopped with fright.
He leaped to his feet and backed away from Sneak Upon. 'Ain't going
to be nobody here but you in a minute,' he told the gnarled
creature. Jasper leaped over the fallen log and hightailed it
through the trees lickety-split. He ran so fast he overtook two
rabbits being chased by a coyote. The animals all veered out of his
way, but it wasn't long before Jasper heard little hooves pounding
back of him.

The ugly creature caught up with him and stayed right
behind him. 'You're making pretty good speed for an old man,'
taunted the creature.

'I can run much faster than this if I'm of a mind
to,' Jasper told Sneak Upon. He took off like a bolt of lightning,
leaving the gnarled creature in his dust. As he past his friend
house, Jasper hollered as loud as he could. Andy came outside to
see what was wrong.

'Never mind about buying me them watermelons. You can
keep them,' Jasper shouted without breaking his stride. He ran all
the way home, locked his doors and hid under his bed for the rest
of the night.

After that, he was a firm believer in ghosts and
spooks. He refused to go anywhere near the woods at night to coon
hunt unless some of his friends were with him.”

Daniel gave Noah a wide eyed look. Noah scoffed,
“Dawdi, that sounds like a real wild tale but a gute one. I do not
think we will ever see one of those Sneak Upons this far south so
we have no need to worry when we are in the timber.”

John teased, “I think it might be time for the two of
you to go to bed while you are still all in one piece.”

“
Ah, Daed,” Noah scoffed.

“
Maybe we all should call it a night,” Nora
suggested. “I agree with Hal. It does seem like it has been a long
day.”

“
Do you lock the doors at night?” Tootie asked
in a shaky voice.

“
Not usually,” Hal said to her.
“Why?”

Tootie gave a sniffle. “I just wondered is all.”

Daniel said, “Do not worry, Aendi Tootie. We know
there are no Sneak Upons around here.”

“
Could we lock the doors tonight just to be on
the safe side?” Nora asked, watching her jittery sister.

“
Mom, you don't actually take that story Dad
told seriously do you?” Hal exclaimed.

“
No, I've heard it many times before, but I
should have sent Tootie to bed before Jim told it. It doesn't take
much for her to have nightmares. That brings on the sleepwalking.
I'd hate for her to get outside and wander away,” Nora
said.

Daniel commiserated, “You are just like me, Aendi. I
used to sleepwalk, but I outgrew it.”

“
I think it's too late for me to outgrow it,
Dear,” Tootie groaned.

“
Jah, we will lock the doors tonight.” John
went to the front door. “I will do it right now, Aendi
Tootie.”

“
Thank you, John,” she said. “That makes me
feel better.”

After John and Hal were in their bedroom, they heard
Nora in the spare bedroom scolding Jim. “What were you thinking
when you told that awful story in front of Tootie? We're in for a
sleepless night I'm afraid.”