Holding a Tender Heart (17 page)

Lois finally shrugged and climbed in when Debbie drove the car
over and stopped beside her. She probably figured this was
Englisha
laziness, Debbie decided, but she didn't really wish to explain. Lois didn't protest during the short ride, but she spent the time brushing imaginary crumbs off her dress.

Debbie laughed. “Mom knows we've both been working. And your dress is clean anyway.”

“Just making sure.” Lois gave her dress another couple of swipes as they climbed out of the car.

No one answered her knock, so Debbie walked on in. Both her parents were sitting on the couch with the TV on. Her dad hit the remote when she appeared with Lois close behind.

“Well, who comes in here?” Joy spread over her dad's face. “Are you settled in at your new abode?”

“I think so.” Debbie bent over to give him a hug. “I thought I'd come down and let you know that all is going well. Actually, Saloma suggested I come.”

“Do sit down.” Her dad motioned toward the other couch. “And hello, Lois. How are you doing?”

“I'm fine,” Lois chirped. She looked around as usual, but mostly she stared at the picture on the TV.

“Just watching another episode of
Mad Men
,” Debbie's dad said. “What a series! Absolutely amazing how they've recreated the sixties.”

“Dastardly series if you ask me,” Debbie's mother complained. “Men treated women horribly back then.”

Lois followed the conversation wide-eyed until Debbie interrupted. “I guess we'd better head back. I still have to see about what to wear tomorrow. Are either of you going to church?”

“I think I'm going,” her mother said. “I don't know about Herbert. Depends on how late he stays up watching TV.”

Her dad laughed. “Debbie, why don't you come by at the regular time, and you can ride with us? If you're still attending our church, that is.”

“Yes, that's fine,” Debbie agreed. “I'm not quite up to attending
an Amish church service just yet. She pulled on Lois's arm. If she didn't get the girl out of the house soon, Lois was going to plop down on the couch and join her dad in watching
Mad Men
. Debbie figured she'd never get Lois home then. And she certainly didn't want to explain it to the bishop.

Lois was still looking over her shoulder as they reached the front door. When they went outside and climbed into the car, Lois asked, “What was that
wunderbah
show about, Debbie?”

“It's not something you want to see,” Debbie assured her. “It's from a totally different world.”

“That's what I liked about it.” Lois was entranced as Debbie drove out of the driveway. “I like worlds different from mine. That's why I like you, Debbie.”

Debbie nodded. “Thanks, Lois. You're a wonderful friend, but my world isn't what you think it is.” Lois didn't look convinced, but Debbie decided she'd keep saying it until the truth sank in. Bishop Beiler might have allowed her to stay in his house for this very reason. Her moderating influence on Lois might be something the bishop was counting on.

When they arrived back at the Beilers', Debbie parked the car beside the buggies. They climbed out, and Lois led the way inside. In the kitchen Ida was stacking the last of the dishes in the cupboards. Debbie offered to help, but Saloma waved them on upstairs. “You've done enough today, both of you. Go and finish unpacking and get your jabbering out of you. I don't want noises coming from your bedroom late into the night.”

“Thank you for everything,” Debbie told Saloma before she followed Lois up the stairs.

In their room, Lois held one of Debbie's best summer dresses—a bright-yellow polka dot—high in the air in front of her. “May I try this one on?” she begged. “Please? I'm going to weep all night if I can't. Especially now that I've seen it. Just thinking about how it will look sends shivers up and down my back.”

Debbie closed the door behind her. She looked for a lock, but there was none. “What if someone sees you, Lois? Your dad will think I'm corrupting you.”

“You promised!” Lois clutched the dress closer.

“Well, okay,” Debbie conceded.

Lois's face glowed as Debbie helped her drop the dress over her head and settle it on her shoulders. The Amish girl seemed quite adept as she fastened the buttons, which Amish dresses didn't have. She turned around and asked for Debbie's help with the zipper. When they were finished, Lois pulled the hand mirror from a dresser drawer and spent long minutes looking at herself, repeatedly moving the mirror up and down to see the full dress.

“Like it?” Debbie asked. Lois
was
beautiful, she thought. And if she were honest, Lois had natural grace. But Debbie wasn't about to admit that fact out loud. Lois needed no encouragement in this area.

“It's absolutely divine!” Lois exclaimed. “I feel like I'm going to float away on the clouds and never come back.”

Debbie laughed. “I don't think it's quite that good. Now, help me into one of
your
dresses.”

Lois came out of her trance. “You want to try on one of
my
dresses?”

“Yes, if you don't mind.”

“I guess, but they're
ugly
, Debbie. Are you sure?”

“I don't think they are ugly.”

Lois took in a long breath and went to her closet. She brought out a dark-blue dress. Skepticism was written all over her face.

Debbie held out her arms, and Lois helped her slide the dress on.

What followed was a long pinning of dress pieces and a few yelps from Debbie when she tried to do some of the pins herself.

Lois giggled. “It takes practice, believe me. You push the pin in, holding your finger underneath for protection. Then you push it out again, so you don't get stuck with the point during the day.”

Debbie tried the next pin with better success, and soon the task was completed.

Lois handed her the mirror, and Debbie repeated Lois's process from earlier.

“It does look a little better on you than on me,” Lois allowed.

“It's
divine
!” Debbie said. Both girls dissolved into a fit of giggles and fell on the bed thinking how odd this was. An
Englisha
girl in an Amish dress, and an Amish girl in a bright-yellow polka dot outfit.

Debbie's life with the Amish had surely begun, and someday, hopefully, she would take it all the way. Before long she would attend an Amish church service—if Bishop Beiler would allow it. Not this Sunday, but soon. Debbie could feel it in her bones. But right now there was work to do. She had to separate the clothing she didn't absolutely need so she could drop them off at the thrift store next week. And she needed to keep Lois away from the makeup kit until she figured out what to do with it.

Fifteen

W
hen the time came for Joe's church confession, Verna kept her head down. This horrible day had started hours ago when church began. As usual, she was seated in the older girls section for the three-hour church service. Now the last note of the last song rang in the air. Her
daett
stood. Verna knew most everyone expected dinner in a few minutes, but she knew what was coming. Today's church confessions lay ahead of them. Joe, and likely Henry Yoder, who was the culprit in all of this, were going to experience the public humiliation that fell on transgressors of the
Ordnung
.

Everyone waited in silence as Bishop Beiler's voice swept through the house. “Now that
Da Hah
has blessed us with another day of worship, will the members please stay seated while the others are dismissed?”

There were no groans as might be expected in an
Englisha
environment. The Amish were too reverent for such things. There were a few startled looks as the nonmembers rose and poured out of the house.

Verna glanced over at Joe. He'd refused to look her way even once during the long church service, even though he sat in plain sight in the unmarried boys section. Thankfully she noticed he wasn't making eye contact with any other girls either. Perhaps there was still
hope their broken relationship could be mended. If Joe would so much as glance in her direction, she'd send him the sweetest smile she could manage. It didn't matter who else might see it at this point. She would let them think what they wished.

The slam of the front door rang through the house and jerked Verna out of her thoughts. She glanced around to see a few of the younger girls peeking out of the kitchen doorway. Bishop Beiler gave them a brief stare, and they vanished. He turned to the people sitting on the benches.

“As we all know,
Da Hah
's vineyard needs work done to it from time to time. None of us ministers would object if He were here Himself to care for His people, but
Da Hah
is not. He has left us in charge. So we wish to proceed today with humility and brokenheartedness. It gives none of us joy to exercise church discipline, but it must be done.” Bishop Beiler paused and nodded at the row of ministers who sat with bowed heads. “It has come to our attention that two of our brethren have been found in transgression. It is always a serious matter when the
Ordnung
is broken. These are rules we have all agreed to live by as part of our community. It troubles all our hearts when trust among the people of
Da Hah
is breached. I ask that our brothers Henry Yoder and Joe Weaver please leave the room. We will call them back inside when we are finished.”

Verna held her hand over her heart as Henry stood, followed by Joe. They both walked down the benches to the aisle.
Joe looks so troubled,
Verna thought.
But he's doing what is required of him. Isn't that a
gut
sign?
Oh, if only some hope could rise in her heart. If Joe only knew how she ached for him. Perhaps then he'd give her at least a small sign. Perhaps even a hint of a kind look. She watched as the two brethren walked toward the door. Joe's gaze didn't stray from the floor. Didn't he understand that she had no part in this matter? Hadn't
Daett
explained who had told the ministers about his transgression?

When the men had exited and the door closed behind them,
Bishop Beiler lifted his head. He spoke with a steady voice. “Both of our brethren have agreed to this confession, for which we are grateful. And now I will present what happened to see if the church is willing to accept their confessions. Some of our youngest members may ask why we cannot accept confessions without the voice of the church, so I will take some time this morning to explain that.”

A few of the men settled lower on the benches. This would take some time, but Verna really didn't care. The end would come with Joe seated on the front row, where he would speak his confession of failure. Verna forced her mind back to what her
daett
was saying.

“The early church had such a standard. They believed that all members should be involved in deciding if a transgressor had truly repented and if his punishment was suitable to the sin. With that in mind, we will now proceed.”

Bishop Beiler paused for a moment. “Henry Yoder has in the past confessed to the problem of using his
Englisha
neighbor's tractor to pull around the new equipment he buys. Henry understands this is against the
Ordnung
, and yet he continues to fail in his attempts to resist this temptation. So the ministry recommends that another confession be taken at this time. Deacon Mast has also visited the
Englisha
neighbor, asking him to respect our ways. Perhaps he can be an aid to Henry by refusing to loan his tractor. We have no hold on the
Englisha
neighbor, but he has, in his kindness, told us that he will consider our problem and our solution. For this, Deacon Mast has heartedly thanked him. If these solutions don't stop Henry from further transgressions, we expect other disciplines will need consideration.”

Bishop Beiler shifted on his feet and clasped his hands in front of him. “Our other brother, Joe Weaver, has admitted to driving
Englisha
vehicles at the auction barn in Belleville. Not out in front where his actions would be widely noticed, but behind the scenes. He claims his intentions were to help out when the auction people were short-handed. Joe understands he was in the wrong and has
agreed to make his confession. We expect no further problems on the matter.”