The Amish Doll: Amish Knitting Novel (Bonus Knitting Pattern Included) (6 page)

Raven hadn’t realized the boys had such little contact with the Amish community. How short-sighted! If they were going to be in Amish foster homes, she needed to plan other activities as well.

~*~

Susanna sat in her rocking chair, knitting. The wide circular needles Raven bought were easy on the eyes. She feared needles would be too cumbersome. Dialysis was making her feel stronger and she was thankful she had something new to do to pass the long hours at the clinic. The nurse even told her how knitting was good for her health, to her surprise. She looked out the window at the large snowflakes falling almost horizontal, the wind being so strong. From the circle letters she received from friends in Pennsylvania, it was like they lived in Alaska compared to them. They’d never heard of a foot of snow on the last day of October, but here it was, without fail.

She thought of Rueben. At the first singing he had the courage to ask to drive her home. It was the last day of October, and he got the buggy stuck in the snow.  He admitted later he
planned it that way. They’d cuddled under the warm buggy robe and had their first kiss, his lips so warm against the harsh wind. He was like that today, too.  Rueben warmed her heart every night when they held hands and kissed good-night.

Susanna sighed. Joshua needed the comfort a good spouse could bring. She thought of Hannah’s accusation that he was falling for an Outsider … Raven. Now Hannah was encouraging Joshua to pay attention to Lottie. She didn’t know which one scared her more because Lottie didn’t fit Joshua like a glove, how her Rueben fit her. Lottie was too passive, too feminine, that it seemed unnatural. She didn’t want to think badly of Lottie, but breaking her courtship with Joshua showed poor character. If she couldn’t stand by him in hard times while courting, how could she during marriage? Susanna put her knitting into a basket and clasped her hands. 

Dear Lord,

You see my faithful loving son, Joshua, day in and day out serving his family. I know you honor those who honor you. I pray for his future wife, Lord. Reveal your loving kindness to her. I pray she know you not in lip service, but in her heart. And I pray she love my son, and the love would grow into a beautiful family, like you have blessed me with. I pray this more fervently than for a kidney, Lord. My son’s happiness means more to me than my life. I know you’re a
big God and can answer both prayers, but you know my heart, and how it aches for my son.

In Jesus name,

Amen

CHAPTER 6

              Joshua knew the boys would have fun skiing Amish style, so he hooked up the sleigh and waited for Raven to pull in. Over the past two weeks they’d tried to have a hayride, the snow kept ruining their plans. Maybe the boys would like this better. 

The thought of seeing Raven again was troubling. As much as he gave it over to God, he still preferred her to Lottie. There was depth in Raven he admired. She’d had more struggles than most people, but she was still reaching out to others.  On her visits to their place to finalize papers for foster parenting, she’d told him her concern for Eb. He needed healthier foods, so she collected leftovers from Appleton. And Eb lacked work, so Raven hired him to build a table and china cabinet. She even put up ads all around Jamestown and on the internet, and more orders were coming in.
Shame filled him. Raven had a way of seeing needs…How stingy he was in giving Eb only twenty dollars. 

Joshua soon saw the Appleton van come down the road, and his mouth grew dry. He had to guard his heart against these feelings for Raven. She wasn’t Amish. He saw her get out of the van, and she wore a black coat with gray fur. When she looked at him, the blue hat made her green eyes look turquoise. Their eyes locked and he found himself drawn in and he didn’t look away for a few seconds, then he turned to the boys. They seemed apprehensive being on an Amish farm, just as Raven had warned him. He greeted them all with a handshake and told them to call him Joshua.

“But you’re an adult. We should call you Mr…?” Bud asked.

“My last name is Yoder, but we Amish aren’t formal, calling people Mr. and Mrs. Just call me Joshua, okay?”

The boys nodded in unison.  “How’s your mom?” Chuckey asked. “Did you find a kidney yet?”

He was surprised the boys knew about his
mamm
. “No kidney yet.”

“Well, we pray for her every day and especially on Bible Club night. The whole church is praying,” Ethan said.

“Well, isn’t that something,” Joshua said. “
Danki
. We can use all the prayers we can get.” Pastor Lawrence’s whole church was praying for his
mamm
? Lord forgive him for being jealous of the good man of God.  He was English and had a chance with Raven.

“Boys, do you remember how disappointed you were about the hayride?” Raven asked.

The boys groaned and nodded.

“Well, Joshua was looking for a clear day, but this snow is unbelievable. So he thought of something else you’d like to do. Ski.”

“We’re going to Cockaigne?” Toby gawked.

“
Nee
, you’re going to ski here,” Joshua said, grinning.

“How?” Bud asked. “There’s no hills!”

“Are you going to teach us how to cross country ski?” Chuckey asked. “It’s lots of work. I don’t like it.”

Joshua knew the boys would never guess. “I’ve asked one of my cousins to come over to help show you Amish style skiing.” He turned toward the barn and yelled for Lester. He soon saw his cousin appear and smile at the boys in a knowing way.

Lester got into the sleigh and rode it to the back of the house. Joshua put on his skis and hung onto the noose he made in rope that was attached to the sleigh. He signaled for Lester to go and soon the sleigh was moving, pulling him along.

“It’s like water skiing,” squealed Cliffy. “I can’t believe it.”

Joshua yelled for Lester to speed up and soon he was racing across the field, skiing on the fields used for grazing.  He continued to ski in a large circle a few times until it was slick. He let go of the rope with one hand and waved to the boys. He saw them all clap their hands, and Joshua shouted for Lester to pull him in. He soon glided to a stop in front of his audience. “Who’s first?” he asked.  He saw all the hands go up except Raven’s. “Aren’t women supposed to go before men?”

Raven’s eyes grew round. “Not me. I was never good at skiing.”

Soon the boys were chanting,
Miss Meadows, Miss Meadows, Miss Meadows
.

She threw her arms up in the air. “Okay, I surrender. I’ll try it, but I’ll fall.” She went to Joshua and took the wooden skis. Joshua got down and put the leather latches around her boots, making sure they were tight.  He handed her the rope, and whispered, “You don’t have to do this.”

She whispered back, “Oh, yes I do. I teach the boys to be brave, and they learn by example.” She looked toward Lester. “Can you start slow?”

He nodded and soon they were off. Joshua watched as Raven held rigidly to the rope. “You need to loosen up in case you fall,” he yelled. He saw her flex her knees a little. “That’s better.” They all watched her in admiration as she made her first circle.

“She’s doing great!” Chuckey yelled, clapping his hands.

“Go Miss Meadows!” Cliffy screamed.

Joshua looked at Cliffy, the one Raven was worried about. She was teaching him a valuable lesson, even if she was scared stiff, literally. “Loosen up, Raven,” he yelled. He saw her flex a little but then stiffen again, and watched as she struggled to turn the skis, and then crash to the ground. He led the way as they all ran to help her up, but she was face down in the snow, not moving.

“Oh my gosh! She’s dead!” Bud yelled.

Joshua bent down, turned her over, and laid her in his arms.  He looked down and saw one eye open and wink, and then she shut it again.

“We killed her!” Chuckey said. “We shouldn’t have made her do it.”

“We need to pray, right now!” Ethan said, trying to be calm. “God could raise her from the dead.” He got on his knees and prayed.  The other boys joined him. Raven still lay motionless.

Joshua looked somberly at the boys. “Look at it this way. An Amish funeral is cheap. Only costs twenty-five dollars for a pine casket.”

He felt Raven wiggle in his arms then bursting with laughter. She slapped his arm. “Oh, so you don’t care like my boys do.” She stood up and looked at the kneeling boys. “I was only kidding. I’m fine.”

All the boys got up and charged her, trying to give her a hug. She fell over in the snow, but only laughed. She made a snowball and threw it at Cliffy and then got up to run. Cliffy made a snowball and hit her back. Soon, there was a full-fledged snowball war going on. Joshua watched Raven play with the boys. She’d make a
wunderbar
mamm
.

~*~

That night, Joshua closed the door to the barn and looked over at the snow drifts piled up against its walls. He leaned against the wind, covered his mouth with his scarf, and trudged to the house. He noticed his
daed
had brought in ample firewood for the night, and nodded at him, sitting in the rocker by the woodstove, reading the
Die Botschaftt
. Joshua stomped the snow off his boots, took them off and put them by the fire, and sat at the table. “
Daed
, don’t’ you think we should check on Eb? It’s mighty cold out there.”

Rueben put the paper down, and leaned his head against the back of his rocker. “He’s shunned.”

“I know, but it just doesn’t seem Christian-like to not check.”

Rueben’s eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward. “Son, we can’t feather his nest outside the flock. We’ve talked about this before. He needs to miss the community, repent and be restored.”

“Why can’t we help him be restored, though? Raven is…”

Joshua saw his
daed’s
eyes darken. “Because it’s our way. This is Eb’s second winter on his own, and maybe he’ll miss the People more and return.”

“Makes me feel bad.”

“Son, look at Job. Are we not told in the Bible to consider his sufferings?” He shifted in his chair. “He never cursed God like Eb, and Job suffered more.”

“Well, I’m glad Raven’s helping him. She saves food from Appleton and brings it to him. Pastor Lawrence’s trying to help, too.”

Rueben hissed. “He’ll never change. He made a mess of his
rumspringa
and tried to drag down other men with him. He could do it to you.”

Joshua saw a fire in his
daed’s
eyes he’d never seen before.  What was he talking about? Did Eb try to drag his
daed
down when they were young?  The deep red of his daed’s face started to bother him and he got up and fetched him some water. “
Daed
, what is it? Calm down.”

Rueben took the water and leaned his head back again. “Son, you don’t know the real Eb. He got baptized, taking the Amish vow, but he never lived out our ways. Sometimes I think that fire was the judgment of God.”

Joshua felt his own anger rising now. “God wouldn’t let a man’s wife and daughter die because of his sin. And he helped me stay out of sin during my
rumspringa
.”

His
daed’s
eyes slowly softened. “What are you talking about?”

“I was getting a little wild when I was seventeen. I was sneaking out with some English to go to Jamestown, and Eb knocked some sense into me.  He even helped me stop lying when I was a kid, so we go a ways back.”

Rueben folded his hands and sighed. “I didn’t know that…”

~*~

Raven cherished the times she could snuggle up and read, and this blistering cold night made her feel all the warmer in her bed. She looked at the title of the book Lawrence gave her.
More Than a Carpenter
. He said her doubts about Jesus being God would slip away once she read it. She had to admit she liked Jesus, from what she read in the Book of John, and hoped he was right.

She also thought of Lawrence’s question. Would you like to go out sometime for dinner and a movie?  Yes, he was handsome and kind, but why did she compare him to Joshua and not Brandon? She didn’t even think of her former boyfriend in Florida, unless he emailed her. She thought of Joshua more than she wanted to, and caught herself replaying over in her mind how it felt to be in his arms when she fell in the snow.  He just seemed to fit her. She’d never talked about her past to anyone but she felt so safe with him.