stiff against his privates, and he shifted on the seat. “Did you know her before? Before your father…”
“No.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”
David’s gaze stayed on the road, a yellow line leading their way. “Even though I’d ridden Kaffi across the fields like we did today, I couldn’t seem to catch my breath, and she sat me down on the porch steps and put my head between my knees. I knew it was too late already. When I got to him in the field, it was…he was gone.” A breath shuddered through him.
Isaac waited silently.
“But I had to try. June called the ambulance and drove me back. I didn’t even think about the fact that I’d left Kaffi behind. When I went back the next day, she gave me lemonade and we talked. That’s how it began, I guess. I know it must seem strange to you.”
“No!” Isaac insisted. “Well, a little.”
As they neared the railroad tracks, a thrill shot up Isaac’s spine. How wonderful it would be to see the red flashing lights, and watch the freight cars lumber by. He peered both ways as they bumped over the tracks, but there was only darkness.
Lights flared ahead of them, and then disappeared as the road curved. Isaac watched as the approaching car came back into sight, mesmerized by how different it felt being out on the road at night in a truck rather than a dangerously dark buggy. He could actually enjoy this drive.
“What is it , exactly? You build furniture and she gives you money? Like for the movie tonight?” With a sinking sensation, he added, “But I don’t have any money. How will I get in?”
David laughed. “Don’t be silly. I’m paying for you. Don’t worry, it’s not much. Anyway, with June we split everything half and half. She buys the raw materials and the tools, and does the selling and shipping. Most of my half she deposits into my bank account, but she keeps cash for me as well.”
“How does she put money in your account? Don’t you have to be there?” Isaac’s father had one at the bank in Warren, but Isaac had never been inside.
“It’s all online now. That’s what they call it when it’s on the computer. June has one upstairs. We have a website too. She puts up pictures of my furniture, and people from all over can buy things without ever leaving their house. At first I thought there was no way—the pieces were so heavy no one would pay to have them shipped. But I’ve discovered there are people out there with a lot more money than we could even dream of.”
“Buying things without leaving the house?” Isaac shook his head. “Without ever touching something or seeing it for themselves?”
“I know, it seems weird, but that’s how it works a lot of the time now in the English world. People want convenience.”
Isaac frowned. “Seems wrong. Sinful, somehow.”
“Maybe.” David slowed at a stop sign and turned down Highway 1. “But I can’t support my family only selling to people in Zebulon. The English pay triple or more what I can charge our neighbors. The Ordnung tells us men should stay on their farms, but most of us here are barely scratching by.”
“I know, but…”
“You remember how different it was in Red Hills? Men could work in factories and do other jobs. Bishop Yoder hardly even wants us to sell to the English. There are other Swartzentrubers who do, but we have to hope for stray tourists. Doesn’t God want us to prosper in this land? Why is it okay for us to sell to the English if they come to us, but we can’t go to them?”
Isaac couldn’t argue. “But once you join the church, you’ll have to stop all this. Right?”
David’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I suppose so.”
Ahead a bright sign came into sight. A huge red arrow pointed to a field where a sea of cars and trucks were parked. “Sky-Vu,” Isaac read. He blinked through the windshield at the enormous screen on the other side of the field where huge images flickered. It looked like one of the verboten
“No.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”
David’s gaze stayed on the road, a yellow line leading their way. “Even though I’d ridden Kaffi across the fields like we did today, I couldn’t seem to catch my breath, and she sat me down on the porch steps and put my head between my knees. I knew it was too late already. When I got to him in the field, it was…he was gone.” A breath shuddered through him.
Isaac waited silently.
“But I had to try. June called the ambulance and drove me back. I didn’t even think about the fact that I’d left Kaffi behind. When I went back the next day, she gave me lemonade and we talked. That’s how it began, I guess. I know it must seem strange to you.”
“No!” Isaac insisted. “Well, a little.”
As they neared the railroad tracks, a thrill shot up Isaac’s spine. How wonderful it would be to see the red flashing lights, and watch the freight cars lumber by. He peered both ways as they bumped over the tracks, but there was only darkness.
Lights flared ahead of them, and then disappeared as the road curved. Isaac watched as the approaching car came back into sight, mesmerized by how different it felt being out on the road at night in a truck rather than a dangerously dark buggy. He could actually enjoy this drive.
“What is it , exactly? You build furniture and she gives you money? Like for the movie tonight?” With a sinking sensation, he added, “But I don’t have any money. How will I get in?”
David laughed. “Don’t be silly. I’m paying for you. Don’t worry, it’s not much. Anyway, with June we split everything half and half. She buys the raw materials and the tools, and does the selling and shipping. Most of my half she deposits into my bank account, but she keeps cash for me as well.”
“How does she put money in your account? Don’t you have to be there?” Isaac’s father had one at the bank in Warren, but Isaac had never been inside.
“It’s all online now. That’s what they call it when it’s on the computer. June has one upstairs. We have a website too. She puts up pictures of my furniture, and people from all over can buy things without ever leaving their house. At first I thought there was no way—the pieces were so heavy no one would pay to have them shipped. But I’ve discovered there are people out there with a lot more money than we could even dream of.”
“Buying things without leaving the house?” Isaac shook his head. “Without ever touching something or seeing it for themselves?”
“I know, it seems weird, but that’s how it works a lot of the time now in the English world. People want convenience.”
Isaac frowned. “Seems wrong. Sinful, somehow.”
“Maybe.” David slowed at a stop sign and turned down Highway 1. “But I can’t support my family only selling to people in Zebulon. The English pay triple or more what I can charge our neighbors. The Ordnung tells us men should stay on their farms, but most of us here are barely scratching by.”
“I know, but…”
“You remember how different it was in Red Hills? Men could work in factories and do other jobs. Bishop Yoder hardly even wants us to sell to the English. There are other Swartzentrubers who do, but we have to hope for stray tourists. Doesn’t God want us to prosper in this land? Why is it okay for us to sell to the English if they come to us, but we can’t go to them?”
Isaac couldn’t argue. “But once you join the church, you’ll have to stop all this. Right?”
David’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I suppose so.”
Ahead a bright sign came into sight. A huge red arrow pointed to a field where a sea of cars and trucks were parked. “Sky-Vu,” Isaac read. He blinked through the windshield at the enormous screen on the other side of the field where huge images flickered. It looked like one of the verboten
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