think you owe it to Rhoda to return and spend a day helping her.”
“No way. She works long, hot hours in the sun, bent over in her garden.”
“Grow up, Leah. Work equals food, clothing, and shelter. Did you eat this morning?”
“Ya, just a tiny bit.”
“Are those your clothes?”
She shook her head.
“Then you held out your hand for two things she had to work for. They didn’t just float down to her from heaven like manna.”
She crossed her arms, looking as sullen as a five-year-old and clearly unwilling to say anything else.
Rhoda wanted him to accept Leah’s behavior and attitude, but he wanted to ask Rhoda the same question Christian had asked Catherine: What planet do you live on?
TEN
Catherine grabbed a couple of kitchen towels to protect her hands and pulled the hot pan out of the oven. The delicious aroma of sugar-sweetened blueberries wafted in the steam as she set the pie on the counter.
Creaking stairs signaled that Arlan was finally on his way down to breakfast, despite it being past noon. Mamm was in her vegetable garden, weeding, as she had been since around sunup. Daed had gone to a neighbor’s house early that morning to help clear out furniture and set up the benches for church services to be held there tomorrow.
While baking this morning, Catherine had daydreamed of marching up the steps and banging on her brother’s door, demanding he tell her what he was doing at the music store. But it wasn’t like her to be confrontational, so she held on to her questions until she saw him.
He walked into the kitchen, freshly scrubbed and his well-combed hair almost dripping with water. He had on some shiny athletic shorts and an unbuttoned shirt with nothing under it. “Morning.”
“Afternoon is more like it.”
He glanced at the clock. “Afternoon.” His tone was just as chipper as before. He understood nothing. Less than nothing.
“Where did you go last night?”
“Out. And you?”
“I’ve been worried sick.”
He raised one eyebrow, a slight smile making him look wary. “If you’re going to get all emotional, take it elsewhere.”
“You think this is funny?” She fought to stay calm. “Mamm and Daed were humiliated once because of you. I thought you’d changed.”
“I did, and then I changed back again.” He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a jug of juice. “Look, I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I’ve decided I’m not giving up music.”
“Did you buy another instrument?”
“No.” He opened the cabinet and took down a glass.
“Good. That’s a start, because—”
“Not so fast, Sis.” He poured some juice. “The store didn’t have anything in the price range I was looking for, but they’re getting a shipment in a few weeks. Besides, I couldn’t make myself plunk down money on a guitar Leah hadn’t listened to first. She can tell a cheap-sounding one with a few strums, even in a store with lousy acoustics. I can’t. It’s like a gift of hers.”
Arlan and Leah were friends, nothing more. That used to give Catherine a good measure of relief, but when she realized that he hung on every word Leah said, it pretty much canceled all comfort of their being only friends .
He gulped down some juice. “Did you know she has an ear for music like that, able to hear the right key?”
“No, and if you were walking according to the Ordnung, you wouldn’t know it either.”
“I know just what you mean.” His sarcasm rang out clearly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Because it’s totally immoral to play an instrument. Reports have it that God never did like anyone strumming chords, not even in the Old Testament.”
Her heart pounded as he heaped his casual disrespect onto her. The church’s stance on musical instruments was one of those really difficult topics. She didn’t understand why the Old Order Amish took the view they did, but she accepted the church’s position. It made sense to avoid being the center of attention
“No way. She works long, hot hours in the sun, bent over in her garden.”
“Grow up, Leah. Work equals food, clothing, and shelter. Did you eat this morning?”
“Ya, just a tiny bit.”
“Are those your clothes?”
She shook her head.
“Then you held out your hand for two things she had to work for. They didn’t just float down to her from heaven like manna.”
She crossed her arms, looking as sullen as a five-year-old and clearly unwilling to say anything else.
Rhoda wanted him to accept Leah’s behavior and attitude, but he wanted to ask Rhoda the same question Christian had asked Catherine: What planet do you live on?
TEN
Catherine grabbed a couple of kitchen towels to protect her hands and pulled the hot pan out of the oven. The delicious aroma of sugar-sweetened blueberries wafted in the steam as she set the pie on the counter.
Creaking stairs signaled that Arlan was finally on his way down to breakfast, despite it being past noon. Mamm was in her vegetable garden, weeding, as she had been since around sunup. Daed had gone to a neighbor’s house early that morning to help clear out furniture and set up the benches for church services to be held there tomorrow.
While baking this morning, Catherine had daydreamed of marching up the steps and banging on her brother’s door, demanding he tell her what he was doing at the music store. But it wasn’t like her to be confrontational, so she held on to her questions until she saw him.
He walked into the kitchen, freshly scrubbed and his well-combed hair almost dripping with water. He had on some shiny athletic shorts and an unbuttoned shirt with nothing under it. “Morning.”
“Afternoon is more like it.”
He glanced at the clock. “Afternoon.” His tone was just as chipper as before. He understood nothing. Less than nothing.
“Where did you go last night?”
“Out. And you?”
“I’ve been worried sick.”
He raised one eyebrow, a slight smile making him look wary. “If you’re going to get all emotional, take it elsewhere.”
“You think this is funny?” She fought to stay calm. “Mamm and Daed were humiliated once because of you. I thought you’d changed.”
“I did, and then I changed back again.” He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a jug of juice. “Look, I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I’ve decided I’m not giving up music.”
“Did you buy another instrument?”
“No.” He opened the cabinet and took down a glass.
“Good. That’s a start, because—”
“Not so fast, Sis.” He poured some juice. “The store didn’t have anything in the price range I was looking for, but they’re getting a shipment in a few weeks. Besides, I couldn’t make myself plunk down money on a guitar Leah hadn’t listened to first. She can tell a cheap-sounding one with a few strums, even in a store with lousy acoustics. I can’t. It’s like a gift of hers.”
Arlan and Leah were friends, nothing more. That used to give Catherine a good measure of relief, but when she realized that he hung on every word Leah said, it pretty much canceled all comfort of their being only friends .
He gulped down some juice. “Did you know she has an ear for music like that, able to hear the right key?”
“No, and if you were walking according to the Ordnung, you wouldn’t know it either.”
“I know just what you mean.” His sarcasm rang out clearly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Because it’s totally immoral to play an instrument. Reports have it that God never did like anyone strumming chords, not even in the Old Testament.”
Her heart pounded as he heaped his casual disrespect onto her. The church’s stance on musical instruments was one of those really difficult topics. She didn’t understand why the Old Order Amish took the view they did, but she accepted the church’s position. It made sense to avoid being the center of attention
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