Living in Harmony (28 page)

“Put the filter end in your mouth and light the tobacco.”

He flicked his green lighter and Nora leaned forward close
enough to smell something spicy.
His aftershave? His hair tonic? Is that why his hair is so shiny?
She tried to identify the scent while drawing air through the cigarette into her lungs. Suddenly, the noxious smoke caused her to gag and cough.

“What did I tell you?” Elam folded her arms over his broad chest. “I said you wouldn't like it.” He tried to pull the offender from her lips.

But Nora quickly turned her back on him. “I took too big a puff. Let me try a smaller one.” Nora took several short puffs and tried to hold the smoke inside, to no avail. She coughed and sputtered same as before.

“Give me that thing before it makes you sick.” He reached around to take it away from her.

But the damage had been done. Without warning, the leaf-strewn riverbank tilted before her eyes. Her belly churned as though she'd eaten something spoiled. Nora took a few steps toward the thick holly and mountain laurel bushes that grew nearby. Yet privacy during her personal humiliation wasn't to be. Eggs, orange juice, and two cups of coffee surged up her burning throat.

Without a shred of dignity or decorum, Nora vomited into the weeds and mud at the water's edge. And she had to listen to Elam's hoots of laughter all the way back to Sally's house.

John set down his ax to catch his breath. He gazed at the enormously long pile of stacked, split firewood with little satisfaction. He needed to stop distracting himself with physical labor and figure out what to do before it was too late.

Thomas's admonishment in the barn had been an eye-opener for him. It wasn't Sally's stories of her Missouri adventures turning Amy's head. And the problem wasn't Amy's sister. Either
Nora would adjust to Harmony's rules or the bishop would send her back to Pennsylvania. The problem was himself. Every time Thomas turned around, he and Amy were arguing about something. The bishop would never agree to marry them if they couldn't get along. Although he would have preferred Amy not to have visited her aunt, what was done was done. He hoped the bishop wouldn't make an issue of the trip during their marital counseling…if he ever scheduled their sessions. Prudence Summerton was banned and wouldn't be moving back to town. The only threat she presented was the one he created from his insecurity.

For the third time that hour, John withdrew his cell phone from his pocket and checked for new messages and the battery strength. He'd ridden his horse to the gas station in Harmony just to charge up the battery, fearful he would miss Amy's call. But he hadn't. She called yesterday to say she was coming home this evening. She provided few details regarding the visit, only that she'd found her aunt at her last known address.

It was time to put this ordeal behind them. He aimed to welcome the woman he loved home the best way he knew how. Burying his ax into the chopping block, John marched to the house to shower and start preparations. He would enlist Sally's help and maybe Nora's too. Tonight Amy would wonder why she'd traveled north in the first place, once he started acting like the man she'd fallen in love with.

Three hours later, when she climbed from the bus, John could barely restrain himself. How he yearned to lift her up into a bear hug. She looked so small and helpless bundled in the heavy cloak with her oversized bonnet. But because some of other passengers were Amish ladies, he didn't dare. Instead, he stretched out his hand to shake. “Welcome home, Amy. How was the ride? Are you hungry? Dinner is ready for us back at the house.” He rattled on like Aden after a nap.

Amy handed him her bag with her left hand and shook with her right. “I'm fine, John, and eager to be home.
Jah
, I'm hungry, but I hope Sally hasn't held dinner for me. The rest of the family will be starved by the time we get back.” They walked toward the buggy shoulder to shoulder in the brilliant autumn sunshine.

“
Nein
. I told everyone to eat because I planned a surprise for your homecoming.” He helped her step up to the seat.

“What are you up to, John Detweiler? This doesn't sound like you.”

“If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Just be patient and all things will be revealed. Tell me about your aunt…and Will Summerton.” He clucked to the horse to get the buggy moving.

“She's well and still lives at the address provided by the bishop. She was working in her garden when I arrived. She knew who I was because she'd received both my letters.”

John focused his gaze on the road ahead, keeping the buggy as far to the right as possible.

Amy tugged off her outer bonnet once they left the co-op parking lot. “She received Leon Hilty's death notice but hadn't realized the significance. Yet when I explained that her marriage occurred after her first husband's death, it didn't make an ounce of difference to her.”

“Is that right?” he asked, feigning interest. The sooner they finished talking about Prudence, the sooner they could discuss important topics, such as the farms he'd seen.

“She said it didn't matter. She would have to repent for marrying Will to be restored to the Harmony community. And she's not sorry—not one little bit.”

“You can't tell other people how to live their lives, Amy. You can only hope they make the right choices.”

“I know that, but it's not fair. She left Uncle Leon in the first place because he beat her. He used to get drunk and then strike her—many times, not just once or twice.”

John hated to hear about abuse. Women should be treated with respect and kindness, considering that God made them the weaker of the sexes. He felt a stab of guilty remorse about burning Prudence's letters. It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, like patching the hole in the roof before it started to rain. “I'm sorry to hear that, Amy, but even though she had good reason to divorce, we can't go around changing the
Ordnung
to suit individual circumstances.”

“I know, but I find this incredibly sad.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.

The gesture sent his blood pumping through his veins twice as fast. “Perhaps she'll change her mind someday,” he murmured.

“They still live Amish. They wear Plain clothing, don't use electricity, and keep the old traditions. They have nightly devotions with the German Bible and try to hold preaching every other Sunday, even though they have no district.”

“They didn't turn English when they were banned?”

“No. They still kept their faith.”

He nodded and then tried to steer conversation away from the Summertons. He succeeded in getting Amy to talk about the bus ride. Just when he started to describe the farms he recently visited, she pivoted on the seat to face him.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. My aunt said she wrote two different letters and mailed them right after she received mine. Isn't that odd? They never arrived.”

Shame roiled up his throat into his mouth. He endured the bad taste for the rest of the drive, yet he said nothing. How could he confess now when they desperately needed to mend broken fences?

In the Detweiler yard, Thomas met their buggy with a warm smile. “Welcome home, Amy. You two go in to supper. I'll tend the horse and put away the buggy.”

“
Danki, bruder
.” John grabbed her bag and helped Amy down.
They entered an empty kitchen from the side door. Only one small candle burned on the table.

“Everything has already been put away. Maybe Sally thought we would eat in town. I'll see what I can heat up without much fuss.” She washed her hands at the sink.

“No, you won't.” John splashed cool water on his hands and face, recovering some of his confidence. “A surprise awaits you on the back porch.”

“What on earth?” Amy ran down the hallway and threw open the back door. “Oh, my,” she whispered.

John had covered the picnic table with a white cloth. Three kerosene lamps burned from one end to the other, besides two more hanging from porch rafters. Two places were set with plates covered with foil, glasses of milk, and slices of cherry pie. A huge bouquet of flowers graced the center of the table. He had picked every garden mum and wildflower he found growing along the fence. A small box of chocolates waited next to where she would sit.

“How beautiful! Did you do all this for me?” She hooked her arm through his.

He blushed up to his hairline. “Sally cooked the food, but I got everything ready. Do you mind eating outside? If you get cold, we can carry the meal into the house. I just thought we could be alone without interruptions from people going to the bathroom.” He glanced away, embarrassed.

She giggled and reached up to kiss his cheek. “This is very sweet of you. I would love an autumn picnic.” She sat down and opened the heart-shaped box. “Chocolates with caramel centers—these are the best.”

“I bought them the same day as your new cell phone when you weren't looking.”

She unwrapped one and popped it in her mouth. “
Danki
, John. We haven't had a private dinner since leaving Lancaster.”

“Thomas wasn't keen on the idea but he agreed, providing that
the kitchen curtain remains open and we have plenty of lamplight.” He pointed at the window behind her.

“I think we can live with those terms.”

“For your dining pleasure, we have fried chicken, sweet corn, coleslaw, and cherry pie,” he announced, pulling off the foil covers.

“You remembered all my favorites.” She smiled so sweetly his palms began to sweat.

“I thought of nothing other than you the whole time you were gone.” He sipped from his glass to hide his shyness. Then they both bowed their heads for a moment of silent prayer.

“My aunt asked me if I was happy here. I told her I'd found the man I wished to marry and he was busy looking for our new home.” Amy picked up a chicken breast and took a bite. “The only thing that could make my life better would be if Aunt Prudence moved closer.”

And John began eating too, reassured his life was finally on track.

Y
ou mean the whole district will be there?” asked Nora.

Amy counted to five before replying. Losing her temper with her sister wouldn't help the situation. “
Jah
. If you had been paying attention during my first two explanations, you would know. Singings aren't only for young people in Harmony. The entire district shows up and joins in if they so choose. And the Stolls are hosting a pig roast along with the singing.”

“Will Elam attend?” she asked.

“I have no idea, but I know Thomas, Sally, and their boys will be there besides John and me, so you'll know plenty of people. You'd better hurry, though. We're leaving in a few minutes.”

Nora walked across their bedroom to stand before the row of pegs on the wall. She studied her assortment of everyday garments as though unfamiliar with them. “Can I wear one of my Lancaster dresses?”

“You most certainly cannot.” Amy began tapping her toe with impatience. “We have discussed this before, Nora.”

“But these dresses look so shabby. May I wear my Sunday dress?”

“To eat barbequed roast pork and corn on the cob? No one will be in their Sunday best. Please stop dawdling. I'm going downstairs to carry the pies I baked to the buggy and help Sally with the boys.” Amy moved toward the stairs before the temptation to shake Nora's shoulders got the better of her. She hoped the girl's sudden interest in Elam would end up being a passing curiosity. John mentioned that Nora had monopolized the dinner conversation with questions for Elam while she'd been up in Chestnut. Apparently, Thomas didn't care much for Nora's newfound concern for Maine's northernmost counties. Leave it to John's little
bruder
to select a night she was gone to finally dine with his family.

From the kitchen window, she spotted John leading their horse and buggy toward the house. Sally and Thomas were packing food, diaper bags, and their little boys into their own buggy. Amy hurried to wrap three pies snuggly with aluminum foil before loading them into a hamper. As she finished, John's head appeared in the doorway.