anything?”
“Brownies and coffee. Good goopy brownies with frosting.”
“Ahh … so the Englishers can bake?”
“I think Naomi made the brownies—”
“Oh yeah—I forgot, she’s Amish.”
Abe squealed tires as he maneuvered a corner. “That better not be no Amish house—with all those cars in the driveway.” He spat out a rough chuckle. “I can stir up trouble with a bishop, if it is.”
Martha punched Abe’s side. “You dummy! They aren’t Amish anymore.” She turned back to Leah. “Were they nice?”
Leah nodded. “Yes, very, and so were all the others there.”
Martha gazed out the windshield, saying nothing, but Leah saw the haunted look in her eyes. Her friend shook herself and waved a hand. “Not for me, though. I’m not getting mixed up with more religious fanatics. Dealing with Amish nuts is more than I can handle.”
Abe snorted. “You can say that again. Glad we’re getting away from them, babe.”
Martha kissed his cheek and turned challenging eyes to Leah. “Don’t go spreading that around, okay?”
“I won’t.” But as Leah met Martha’s gaze, she couldn’t keep a frown from creasing her brow. Martha broke the stare and flipped the radio on. Country music bounced from the speakers, causing Leah’s heart to thump in time with the beat. She was glad to see her lane ahead and was ready to get out of the truck cab as soon as Abe pulled to a stop under the shadow of an ash tree near the drive.
“Hey, don’t look so sour. Everything’s going to be A-okay. I’ll see you tomorrow if I can,” Martha promised.
Leah nodded. “Thanks for taking me tonight. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Good night!”
Abe pulled out, and as he sped away, the roar of the truck echoed through the silent countryside. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air and started home. Hoping that the evening wouldn’t be spoiled somehow, she couldn’t wait to get to her room and pull out the little New Testament so she could reread what Matthew had presented tonight.
The lights were off in the downstairs rooms, so her parents were probably in bed. She breathed a sigh of relief. As she climbed the stairs and passed her parents’ bedroom door, Maem called, “Is that you, Leah?”
She paused outside the door. “Yes, Maem .”
“Good. Have a nice time?”
“ Ja. It was fun.” She wasn’t lying at all about that.
“Have a good rest. See you in the morning.”
“G’night, Maem .”
“Good night.”
She went to her room, got into her soft flannel gown, and lay down. She dug her head deep into her feather pillow, finding the perfect spot as she closed her eyes.
The room was quiet and still, and as the pale light from a buttery moon streamed in over the foot of her bed, she thought of how she had gone against Maem and Daet. The stress of sneaking out and lying to her folks had worn her out. What a day. I’ll have to come up with an honest way to do all this.
She yawned. Just before drifting off to sleep, she remembered the reading materials Naomi had handed her as she went out the door. Getting up, she crossed to the corner where her apron hung and rummaged through the pockets until she felt the papers.
Better hide these. She crept to her dresser, pulled back a stack of underclothes, and laid the study pages neatly under the pile. Maem rarely washed Leah’s laundry anymore, so it was unlikely she would find the study materials in the dresser.
In spite of her fatigue, Leah lay awake a bit longer, thinking over the evening.
How could she be happy to do something that the bishop, Ordnung, church, and her parents considered sinful? Was Satan taking over her mind, as many of the preachers often warned when other members had strayed from the Amish church? Surely it was so, if she had to lie her way to get there …
Yet all those people at Bible study seemed so joyful. What was missing from her life that they had?
At breakfast the next morning, Leah’s sister and
“Brownies and coffee. Good goopy brownies with frosting.”
“Ahh … so the Englishers can bake?”
“I think Naomi made the brownies—”
“Oh yeah—I forgot, she’s Amish.”
Abe squealed tires as he maneuvered a corner. “That better not be no Amish house—with all those cars in the driveway.” He spat out a rough chuckle. “I can stir up trouble with a bishop, if it is.”
Martha punched Abe’s side. “You dummy! They aren’t Amish anymore.” She turned back to Leah. “Were they nice?”
Leah nodded. “Yes, very, and so were all the others there.”
Martha gazed out the windshield, saying nothing, but Leah saw the haunted look in her eyes. Her friend shook herself and waved a hand. “Not for me, though. I’m not getting mixed up with more religious fanatics. Dealing with Amish nuts is more than I can handle.”
Abe snorted. “You can say that again. Glad we’re getting away from them, babe.”
Martha kissed his cheek and turned challenging eyes to Leah. “Don’t go spreading that around, okay?”
“I won’t.” But as Leah met Martha’s gaze, she couldn’t keep a frown from creasing her brow. Martha broke the stare and flipped the radio on. Country music bounced from the speakers, causing Leah’s heart to thump in time with the beat. She was glad to see her lane ahead and was ready to get out of the truck cab as soon as Abe pulled to a stop under the shadow of an ash tree near the drive.
“Hey, don’t look so sour. Everything’s going to be A-okay. I’ll see you tomorrow if I can,” Martha promised.
Leah nodded. “Thanks for taking me tonight. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Good night!”
Abe pulled out, and as he sped away, the roar of the truck echoed through the silent countryside. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air and started home. Hoping that the evening wouldn’t be spoiled somehow, she couldn’t wait to get to her room and pull out the little New Testament so she could reread what Matthew had presented tonight.
The lights were off in the downstairs rooms, so her parents were probably in bed. She breathed a sigh of relief. As she climbed the stairs and passed her parents’ bedroom door, Maem called, “Is that you, Leah?”
She paused outside the door. “Yes, Maem .”
“Good. Have a nice time?”
“ Ja. It was fun.” She wasn’t lying at all about that.
“Have a good rest. See you in the morning.”
“G’night, Maem .”
“Good night.”
She went to her room, got into her soft flannel gown, and lay down. She dug her head deep into her feather pillow, finding the perfect spot as she closed her eyes.
The room was quiet and still, and as the pale light from a buttery moon streamed in over the foot of her bed, she thought of how she had gone against Maem and Daet. The stress of sneaking out and lying to her folks had worn her out. What a day. I’ll have to come up with an honest way to do all this.
She yawned. Just before drifting off to sleep, she remembered the reading materials Naomi had handed her as she went out the door. Getting up, she crossed to the corner where her apron hung and rummaged through the pockets until she felt the papers.
Better hide these. She crept to her dresser, pulled back a stack of underclothes, and laid the study pages neatly under the pile. Maem rarely washed Leah’s laundry anymore, so it was unlikely she would find the study materials in the dresser.
In spite of her fatigue, Leah lay awake a bit longer, thinking over the evening.
How could she be happy to do something that the bishop, Ordnung, church, and her parents considered sinful? Was Satan taking over her mind, as many of the preachers often warned when other members had strayed from the Amish church? Surely it was so, if she had to lie her way to get there …
Yet all those people at Bible study seemed so joyful. What was missing from her life that they had?
At breakfast the next morning, Leah’s sister and
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