Courting Ruth by Emma Miller Page B

Mam’s face. “And if Fannie and I wanted to go with you to see this Noah and the Ark? Would you take us as well?”
    “Ya,” Eli answered. “I would. And there would be room.”
    “On your motorbike?” Mam asked. She was teasing him outright now. Ruth knew it, and a small part of her felt sorry for Eli. Mam had raised his hopes. He looked so eager, and when Mam would tell him Miriam couldn’t go, that none of them could go, he would be crushed.
    “Ne.” He raised his chin and stared back at her boldly. “I hoped you would let them go. I hoped they would want to, so I asked a driver to come with her van. There will be room for anyone who wants to go.”
    “Susanna would love it,” Ruth put in, feeling a trickle of excitement.
    “What of my dinner?” Mam asked. “What of my turkey and the ham?”
    “There is a show at four o’clock,” Eli explained. “We’ll have time to eat, drive to the mall, see the movie, have an ice cream and be back before dark.”
    “I can see that you’ve thought this out,” Mam said. She nibbled her bottom lip, a habit that Ruth and her mother shared. Then, Mam turned and looked straight at her. “What do you think, Ruth? Would your sisters like to see this movie?”
    Fannie frowned. “The bishop might not think…”
    “But the bishop isn’t here. It’s Ruth I asked,” Mam said.
    Ruth’s mouth felt dry. “I think,” she began. “I think that Miriam has not yet been baptized in the church, nor Susanna. I think the movie might be educational for them.”
    “And you?” Mam asked. “What do you think about going?”
    Ruth couldn’t look at her mother or Eli. She wanted to say she didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t lie. “ Ya, Mam,” Ruth admitted glancing at the floor in front of Eli’s boots. “I would like to see the movie, too.”
    “It’s settled then.” She nodded. “You may ask my girls, Eli. But I expect them home before dark.”
    “We will be,” he promised. “I’ll take good care of them.”
    “And one more thing,” Mam said.
    “Anything,” Eli said.
    “Church is here next week. I would like you to help us make ready. And I would like you to come to the services.” She arched one eyebrow.
    Eli grimaced. “I’ll come because you ask,” he said. “But don’t blame me if your bishop kicks me out the door.”
    “He would never,” Mam assured firmly. “Bishop Atlee is a fair man and a good shepherd to his flock. You’ll be welcome here. You’ll be welcome in our church, or I will know the reason why.”
     
     
    Anna, wearing her best Sunday-go-to-meeting dress and bonnet, led the way up the carpeted ramp through the darkened theater and found a seat. Ruth slid in beside her, followed by Susanna, clutching an enormous container of popcorn and so excited that she had the hiccups. Ruth had to admit it had been very thoughtful of Eli to invite Susanna. None of the boys in the neighborhood were unkind to Susanna, but Eli was the first to ask her to go on a date with her sisters.
    Miriam sat on Susanna’s right, leaving Eli next to the aisle. A few English turned to look and whisper, but then they lost interest and returned to their own conversations. Ruth could see that they were the only Amish in the movie this afternoon, perhaps in the mall. She had expected to be an object of curiosity, but stares always made her feel uneasy. She didn’t think of herself as old-fashioned or quaint, simply apart from the larger world. The way she dressed and the way she lived was outward proof of a covenant with God; she didn’t think herself better than the English, simply different. And different they were. That was obvious sitting here in the movie theater in a sea of brightly colored tank tops, dangling earrings and sparkly open-toed shoes.
    Loud music blared from speakers on the walls, and on the screen, bottles of soda pop, boxes of candy and bags of popcorn danced and bounced. It looked very silly, but Susanna was entranced. She’d never