not a free thinker. He’ll stick with whatever approach the Amish take.”
“You mean he’s not a free thinker like you.”
Becky shrugged. “Nobody is everything. He has other qualities I like very much. I think we’ll be very happy.”
Jude nodded and smiled. “So do I, honey. He’s a fine young man. Do you really think you’ll finish your classes in time to convince them you should be baptized in November?”
“Yes. For sure. Even Pastor King and his wife can’t stop me.”
“Are they the biggest roadblock?”
“They think I want to be Amish just so I can marry Moses.”
“And?”
“I do want to marry him. And I don’t want to take him away from all this. It works for our relationship here. It may not work somewhere else. I think turning his back on the Amish way would totally destroy him. I don’t think he’d know what to do or who to be. I can’t risk losing Moses Yoder, Dad. He’s too beautiful.” She picked up her apple and put her teeth into it again. “So we’re staying here. For good. I’ll be fine.”
“Even when planes fly overhead and you’re not piloting one of them?”
Becky hesitated, taking the apple away from her mouth. “Even then.” She stared at her father a moment. “Yes. Even then.”
N INE
B ecky glanced out the window as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink. Sheets and pillowcases were flapping wildly on the clothesline as the wind chased leaves back and forth across the yard. A chair scraped behind her and she turned to see her brother settling down at the table.
“Good morning, Nate. It sure is blowing today.”
“Kept me up half the night. The window in my room rattles like a skeleton.” He smiled through the sand-colored beard he had decided to grow. “I was chopping some wood.”
“You shouldn’t do too much. You’ve only been here a few weeks.”
“I’ve been here more than a month, Sugar Plum.”
Becky laughed. “Sugar Plum. There’s an old nickname.”
“I was wondering if I could get a coffee.”
“Of course.” She pushed aside a large wicker basket full of food so she could reach the coffeepot on the stove. “This was only made an hour ago so it should be okay.”
“You mean it won’t be like that stuff last week?”
“That stuff was half a day old.”
Becky placed a mug by his hand and kissed him on the cheek. “Here.” She put a large coaster on the table and set the coffeepot on it. “You can have the whole thing.”
Nate poured as he watched her put a red-and-white checked cloth over the basket. “What’s the occasion?”
“Oh, Moses and his father and some of their friends are shinglingthe Yoders’ barn today. It got damaged during a hailstorm in August. I’m taking over a lunch in an hour or so. Moses’ mother is taking care of the drinks.”
“Heading off by yourself?”
“Well, Dad is over there with Uncle Luke and Uncle Harley. He’s supposed to come back and pick me up about quarter to twelve.”
“Sounds like a picnic. Am I invited?”
“Sure. If you help me with this crazy big watermelon.” She was trying to keep it from rolling off the counter. “I can never cut the slices evenly.”
Nate got up and came over, holding his coffee mug. “Aren’t you going to wait until you serve it?”
“It’s always so hectic. I like to have a couple of dozen slices ready. I’ll pack the whole thing in ice.”
“All right. Anything to get to one of your picnics. Where’s the knife?”
She put a long knife in his hand. “Hey. Some of your hair is coming back.”
“I’m surprised too. The doctors said it wouldn’t. But they didn’t know I had a grandmother who loves to make up poultices.”
“Did she put something on your head?”
Nate began to cut into the melon. “It was our secret. We never told anyone. I slept with all these strange mixtures on my scalp the first two weeks. She kept them in place with cloths and string.”
“Oh, my. I would have paid to see that.”
“You could
“You mean he’s not a free thinker like you.”
Becky shrugged. “Nobody is everything. He has other qualities I like very much. I think we’ll be very happy.”
Jude nodded and smiled. “So do I, honey. He’s a fine young man. Do you really think you’ll finish your classes in time to convince them you should be baptized in November?”
“Yes. For sure. Even Pastor King and his wife can’t stop me.”
“Are they the biggest roadblock?”
“They think I want to be Amish just so I can marry Moses.”
“And?”
“I do want to marry him. And I don’t want to take him away from all this. It works for our relationship here. It may not work somewhere else. I think turning his back on the Amish way would totally destroy him. I don’t think he’d know what to do or who to be. I can’t risk losing Moses Yoder, Dad. He’s too beautiful.” She picked up her apple and put her teeth into it again. “So we’re staying here. For good. I’ll be fine.”
“Even when planes fly overhead and you’re not piloting one of them?”
Becky hesitated, taking the apple away from her mouth. “Even then.” She stared at her father a moment. “Yes. Even then.”
N INE
B ecky glanced out the window as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink. Sheets and pillowcases were flapping wildly on the clothesline as the wind chased leaves back and forth across the yard. A chair scraped behind her and she turned to see her brother settling down at the table.
“Good morning, Nate. It sure is blowing today.”
“Kept me up half the night. The window in my room rattles like a skeleton.” He smiled through the sand-colored beard he had decided to grow. “I was chopping some wood.”
“You shouldn’t do too much. You’ve only been here a few weeks.”
“I’ve been here more than a month, Sugar Plum.”
Becky laughed. “Sugar Plum. There’s an old nickname.”
“I was wondering if I could get a coffee.”
“Of course.” She pushed aside a large wicker basket full of food so she could reach the coffeepot on the stove. “This was only made an hour ago so it should be okay.”
“You mean it won’t be like that stuff last week?”
“That stuff was half a day old.”
Becky placed a mug by his hand and kissed him on the cheek. “Here.” She put a large coaster on the table and set the coffeepot on it. “You can have the whole thing.”
Nate poured as he watched her put a red-and-white checked cloth over the basket. “What’s the occasion?”
“Oh, Moses and his father and some of their friends are shinglingthe Yoders’ barn today. It got damaged during a hailstorm in August. I’m taking over a lunch in an hour or so. Moses’ mother is taking care of the drinks.”
“Heading off by yourself?”
“Well, Dad is over there with Uncle Luke and Uncle Harley. He’s supposed to come back and pick me up about quarter to twelve.”
“Sounds like a picnic. Am I invited?”
“Sure. If you help me with this crazy big watermelon.” She was trying to keep it from rolling off the counter. “I can never cut the slices evenly.”
Nate got up and came over, holding his coffee mug. “Aren’t you going to wait until you serve it?”
“It’s always so hectic. I like to have a couple of dozen slices ready. I’ll pack the whole thing in ice.”
“All right. Anything to get to one of your picnics. Where’s the knife?”
She put a long knife in his hand. “Hey. Some of your hair is coming back.”
“I’m surprised too. The doctors said it wouldn’t. But they didn’t know I had a grandmother who loves to make up poultices.”
“Did she put something on your head?”
Nate began to cut into the melon. “It was our secret. We never told anyone. I slept with all these strange mixtures on my scalp the first two weeks. She kept them in place with cloths and string.”
“Oh, my. I would have paid to see that.”
“You could
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