the coleslaw. She shivered at the thought of losing one of her sisters.
“It was Eli looking so much like his father that worried Esther,” Fannie said. “At least that’s what Roman thinks.” She added more honey to her coffee. “Roman says Esther never gave the boy a chance to explain his side. You know, concerning that girl who made the accusations. Then, before the matter could be brought to the church, she took off—ran away.”
It was on the tip of Ruth’s tongue to ask Fannie if Roman had asked Eli himself if it was true about the girl, but she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t want to know? Maybe because as long as it was just a rumor, Ruth could think Eli might be innocent.
Mam shook her head. “Some English people think that such things never happen to us, but they do. We are all human and all capable of sin. It’s what happens after we sin that really matters.”
A knock on the door startled Ruth, and she crossed the kitchen to answer it.
“It’s too early for Roman,” Fannie said. “He…”
Ruth didn’t hear the rest of what Fannie was saying. Her attention centered on the tall figure standing on the back porch. It was Eli. She swung open the door, suddenly feeling guilty. Had he heard them talking about him?
He grinned shyly. “Ruth.”
“Eli.” Her hands nervously found a speck of mayonnaise on her apron.
He stepped into the room. “I came early,” he said, stating the obvious.
Eli’s yellow hair was damp, his cheeks freshly shaved. He was wearing English jeans and the Nittany Lions T-shirt, and his head was uncovered. No hat at all.
Mam rose from the table where the women had been enjoying their coffee. “Good to see you, Eli.”
Eli shook his head. “I meant to say, I came early…to…speak to you,” he said, directing his attention to Hannah.
Ruth looked at him. What he’d have to say to Mam, she couldn’t imagine. Surely, he didn’t have the nerve to ask if he could walk out with Miriam. Not dressed like that. And it was too soon. No one here really knew him. Surely, their mother wouldn’t…
“Yes, what is it, Eli?” Ruth’s mother didn’t seem to notice the English clothes.
Eli straightened and cleared his throat. “They have movies,” he began awkwardly. “At the mall.”
“Ya,” Mam agreed. Her mouth tightened into a thin line, but her eyes twinkled with mischief. “This even I have heard.”
Eli shuffled his feet. “Today, they show a…”
Ruth folded her arms over her chest. A movie at the mall? Her gaze darted from her mother back to Eli. He looked so young, so unsure of himself.
“Speak up,” Fannie said.
His words came out in a rush. “A decent movie. Noah and the Ark. No bad talk or fancy behavior. I saw it. Last night. Roman and I went to be sure…”
Fannie’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s where you and Roman went? He never said a word.”
Eli extended one hand toward Hannah. “Would you give me permission to take—”
Mam frowned, interrupting. “You want to take my daughter to the mall? On a date?”
“Not a date, exactly. Just to see the movie. A good story, a Bible story. Educational. And full of wonders. The ark that God bade Noah to build, the animals, the great flood that covered the earth.”
“Which one?”
Eli’s brow furrowed beneath the fringe of yellow-blond hair. “Which one?”
“Which daughter do you wish to take?” Mam demanded, her eyes still twinkling.
“Um.” His cheeks grew bright red. “Susanna and Anna, Miriam and Ruth.”
“Oh, no,” Ruth interrupted. “I’m not—” She fully intended to refuse the invitation but before she could get the words out of her mouth, she suddenly realized that she wanted to go. Desperately. With Eli. The back of her eyelids stung. But Eli had really come to ask Miriam to go to the show with him. He’d just asked about the rest of them when he had lost his nerve. He didn’t really want Ruth to go. That was plain to see.
A slow smile spread over
“It was Eli looking so much like his father that worried Esther,” Fannie said. “At least that’s what Roman thinks.” She added more honey to her coffee. “Roman says Esther never gave the boy a chance to explain his side. You know, concerning that girl who made the accusations. Then, before the matter could be brought to the church, she took off—ran away.”
It was on the tip of Ruth’s tongue to ask Fannie if Roman had asked Eli himself if it was true about the girl, but she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t want to know? Maybe because as long as it was just a rumor, Ruth could think Eli might be innocent.
Mam shook her head. “Some English people think that such things never happen to us, but they do. We are all human and all capable of sin. It’s what happens after we sin that really matters.”
A knock on the door startled Ruth, and she crossed the kitchen to answer it.
“It’s too early for Roman,” Fannie said. “He…”
Ruth didn’t hear the rest of what Fannie was saying. Her attention centered on the tall figure standing on the back porch. It was Eli. She swung open the door, suddenly feeling guilty. Had he heard them talking about him?
He grinned shyly. “Ruth.”
“Eli.” Her hands nervously found a speck of mayonnaise on her apron.
He stepped into the room. “I came early,” he said, stating the obvious.
Eli’s yellow hair was damp, his cheeks freshly shaved. He was wearing English jeans and the Nittany Lions T-shirt, and his head was uncovered. No hat at all.
Mam rose from the table where the women had been enjoying their coffee. “Good to see you, Eli.”
Eli shook his head. “I meant to say, I came early…to…speak to you,” he said, directing his attention to Hannah.
Ruth looked at him. What he’d have to say to Mam, she couldn’t imagine. Surely, he didn’t have the nerve to ask if he could walk out with Miriam. Not dressed like that. And it was too soon. No one here really knew him. Surely, their mother wouldn’t…
“Yes, what is it, Eli?” Ruth’s mother didn’t seem to notice the English clothes.
Eli straightened and cleared his throat. “They have movies,” he began awkwardly. “At the mall.”
“Ya,” Mam agreed. Her mouth tightened into a thin line, but her eyes twinkled with mischief. “This even I have heard.”
Eli shuffled his feet. “Today, they show a…”
Ruth folded her arms over her chest. A movie at the mall? Her gaze darted from her mother back to Eli. He looked so young, so unsure of himself.
“Speak up,” Fannie said.
His words came out in a rush. “A decent movie. Noah and the Ark. No bad talk or fancy behavior. I saw it. Last night. Roman and I went to be sure…”
Fannie’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s where you and Roman went? He never said a word.”
Eli extended one hand toward Hannah. “Would you give me permission to take—”
Mam frowned, interrupting. “You want to take my daughter to the mall? On a date?”
“Not a date, exactly. Just to see the movie. A good story, a Bible story. Educational. And full of wonders. The ark that God bade Noah to build, the animals, the great flood that covered the earth.”
“Which one?”
Eli’s brow furrowed beneath the fringe of yellow-blond hair. “Which one?”
“Which daughter do you wish to take?” Mam demanded, her eyes still twinkling.
“Um.” His cheeks grew bright red. “Susanna and Anna, Miriam and Ruth.”
“Oh, no,” Ruth interrupted. “I’m not—” She fully intended to refuse the invitation but before she could get the words out of her mouth, she suddenly realized that she wanted to go. Desperately. With Eli. The back of her eyelids stung. But Eli had really come to ask Miriam to go to the show with him. He’d just asked about the rest of them when he had lost his nerve. He didn’t really want Ruth to go. That was plain to see.
A slow smile spread over
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