Crossing (15 page)

Every Amish community had a bishop, a deacon, and a secretary. When all three of them showed up at a house, it was generally a grave situation. Daniel wasn’t very surprised when he opened the door and invited them in.

The bishop was Gideon Lambright, who had performed Daniel and Becky’s marriage ceremony. Today, in constrast to that day, he seemed tall and stern, his beard and white hair bristling. He had come along with Joshua Middleton, the short, forty-four-year-old deacon, who was normally a jolly man but today was somber. Also accompanying them was Sol Raber, another deacon. He and Daniel had become good friends, but now he seemed distant.

Daniel led them into the parlor where Becky and Zemira waited. “Will you sit down, gentlemen?” he said.

“Thank you, Mr. Tremayne,” Lambright answered. He took a chair and the other two flanked him.

“Would you like for us to leave, Bishop?” Becky asked, motioning to herself and Zemira.

Daniel stood by Becky’s chair.

“I would like for the whole family to be here.” Bishop Lambright took a deep breath and continued, “This isn’t a pleasant task that we have, I’m afraid. But it must be done. There is some serious difficulty concerning your son, Yancy.”

“Is there a charge being brought against him?” Daniel asked at once. He was facing the men squarely, and there was a light of challenge in his eyes. He had been expecting a visit such as this and forced himself to show no signs of temper.

Bishop Lambright shook his head. “There are no charges against him at this time, Mr. Tremayne, nothing like that. It’s just that we have decided that it is highly unseemly for your son to work for Major Jackson. You know well our stand on war and that none of our men are allowed to serve as soldiers.”

“But Yancy isn’t serving as a soldier. He is just working for the major.”

“We understand that he is also taking part in military exercises, using the musket, firing the cannon.”

“I fail to see any harm in that,” Daniel said firmly.

“But we do see the harm. It wasn’t so bad when all your son was doing was working at Major Jackson’s home. But now he is mingling with the soldiers at the institute, and he is shooting cannons. I understand he is even learning to use the saber. Please, Mr. Tremayne, you must bring the boy home, here, to work on the farm. Or to find a trade for him.”

Daniel was angry, and he knew it wouldn’t be good for him to speak what was on his heart.

Becky, however, spoke up. “You must understand, Bishop, that Yancy led a completely different life with the Indians—a life that included hunting, fishing, and using guns. And after all, he is still in rumspringa. He’s only fifteen years old.”

“I’m well aware of this, Mrs. Tremayne,” Bishop Lambright said, not unkindly. “But the fact remains that Yancy is not hunting and fishing. He is learning the tools and the ways of war. And that we cannot allow.”

Becky, Zemira, and Daniel all exchanged glances. Daniel took up the argument. “But most of the time he is working at Major Jackson’s home, helping Mrs. Jackson. Surely you can find no fault in this?”

“Major Jackson has exposed him to these weapons of war and has influenced his conduct for the worse,” Lambright said. “Yancy needs to be here, with the People.”

“Major Thomas Jackson is an honorable, Christian—” Daniel began angrily.

Becky laid her hand on his arm, and he was silent. “Do I understand,” Becky said in a quiet voice, “that you want us to make Yancy quit this job he loves and bring him back here? And if we don’t, will the three of us be punished?”

“Mrs. Tremayne, you and your husband, and of course you, Zemira, have done nothing wrong. But surely you understand the consequences for the boy, if he persists in this course.”

That ended the conversation and the three left.

After they were gone, Daniel turned and the expression on his face was bleak. “I can’t do this to Yancy, make him leave the Jacksons and come back here,” he said. “I think if I did, he’d just take off and leave us. Like I did,” he said bitterly.

“Of course we won’t do that!” Becky said. “I know we shouldn’t disagree with the bishop, but it’s not right. It’s just not right. You shouldn’t force people into the community. That’s just another form of aggression. You must let them decide for themselves. Yancy has a right to do what he wants, whether it is the Amish way or the English. You know, Daniel, that we don’t shun the members of our families who have gone the way of the English. Look at your cousins, Caleb Tremayne’s family. Sol Raber is still good friends with him.”

Daniel nodded. “I know. I agree. But—Mother? Are you afraid that the leadership may order us to shun Yancy if we don’t make him stay home?”

Zemira said firmly, “I don’t know, and I don’t care. Yancy is a good boy. If I would have had this choice with you, Daniel, I never would have tried to force you into our ways, as Becky said. I think that we must let Yancy do whatever seems right to him, and never in this life will I turn my back on him.”

And that settled the matter for the three of them.

When Yancy came home from work, Daniel called him aside and related what Bishop Lambright had said. Then he told him what he, Becky, and Zemira thought.

“What do you think I should do?” Yancy asked worriedly.

“Whatever your heart tells you, as long as it’s honorable,” Daniel answered, patting Yancy’s shoulder. “And I know it will be. We trust you. Follow your heart, and whatever you decide your family will be with you.”

The next day Yancy went to work at the Jacksons’ home. He and Mrs. Jackson worked more out in the garden, planting the new daisy-mum that he had brought her from Zemira’s yard. Anna had been delighted. And they were busy weeding and turning over the soil and mulching, preparing the beds for the long winter.

After a while Anna took a break, getting lemonade for them from the kitchen. She invited Yancy to sit down in the shade for a few minutes. Even though it was the middle of October, the midafternoon was still warm for gardening work.

They sat in silence, as Yancy had very little to say all day. He was tired, as he hadn’t really slept.

Finally Anna put her head to one side and asked, “Yancy, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well today?”

“No, ma’am, it’s not that,” he said, ducking his head. “It’s—it’s a problem. At home.”

“Is it something you can tell me about?” she asked softly.

He hesitated for a long time then looked up at her. His dark eyes were troubled. “I don’t know, ma’am. I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “I would like to help, if I could.”

Slowly he explained to her his dilemma. “And so, I’m certain to be shunned if I don’t go back and just stay on the farm.”

“What do your parents say?” Anna asked.

“They told me to do whatever I feel is right,” he answered. “Even my grandmother says I should pray and ask God for what is right for me. Even
she’s
not trying to force me to be Amish.”

“She sounds like a very wise woman.”

“She is. I wish I was as close to God as she is. But I’m still not sure about Him, either.”

“You’re young,” Anna said sturdily, “and you’ll find Him. In the meantime, I will pray for you, Yancy. So you’ll know in your heart what you must do.”

That night, again, he lay awake at home, staring at the faint starlight on the ceiling. His father had told him that he could take as long as he needed to think about his decision. Yancy didn’t pray much, and when he did, he felt like he was talking to the ceiling. And so it was on this night.

But close to the dawn, he finally made his decision in his heart and knew his course was set. He dozed for a while then rose early, as always, to go to the Jacksons’ house.

When he arrived and took Fancy into the stables, he saw that the new hay for the stall beds had been delivered. He decided to go ahead and muck out the stalls and replace the hay before he checked in with Mrs. Jackson. He had arrived early, anyway.

He started shoveling out the soiled hay bed in the first stall, working energetically. He even started whistling. Since he had made his decision, his heart felt lighter. He knew he had chosen the right course.

Yancy wasn’t really surprised to see Major Jackson come into the stable, for both of the Jacksons’ horses were still there, so he knew the major hadn’t yet gone to VMI.

“Hello, Yancy,” Jackson said pleasantly.

“Good morning, Major Jackson. Want me to saddle Bebe or Gordo for you?”

“Not just yet. I’d like to speak with you for a few minutes. Will you come into the kitchen? Hetty has made fresh coffee for us.”

“Yes, sir,” Yancy said, a little mystified. He and Mrs. Jackson often had coffee or tea or lemonade for a little break, but Major Jackson had never sought him out for a break in work.

Yancy followed Major Jackson into the kitchen, where they seated themselves comfortably on the high stools at the worktable. Yancy almost always had lunch in here, talking with Hetty. Although the Jacksons had made no specific provisions for Yancy’s meals—in fact, he almost always brought food from home—more often than not Hetty would fix him lunch, usually leftovers from breakfast and last night’s dinner. Sometimes Yancy wondered whether Major and Mrs. Jackson knew this, but then he decided that they were generous people and probably didn’t mind.

They sipped their fresh hot coffee for a few moments, and then Jackson said, “My wife tells me that you’ve had some trouble at home with the Amish leadership.”

Yancy shifted uncomfortably on his stool but didn’t drop his gaze. The blue glare of Jackson’s stare hardly allowed one to look away. “I’m sorry if I bothered Mrs. Jackson,” he said. “I didn’t mean to, sir.”

Jackson gave a dismissive wave. “You didn’t bother her, Mr. Tremayne. She told me out of concern for you and your welfare. And I have an interest in that, too.”

“You do?” Yancy gulped. “Well—thank you, sir.”

“And so, have you been able to come to any conclusions about the course you should follow?” Jackson asked.

“Yes, sir, I have,” Yancy answered. “I’d like—I’d like to keep working for you, sir. There’s just one thing I’d like to ask. It’s kind of a big favor, but I was hoping you might understand.”

Jackson nodded. “And what is that?”

“You see, sir, if I keep working for you and disobey the bishop, it—it puts my family in a bad way. They support my decision, sir, but the bishop could still sort of put them in disgrace. They wouldn’t be shunned.” He grinned unevenly. “Guess that’s what’s going to happen to me. But still, they would be out of favor with the leadership of the community. So what I was going to ask is if maybe there’s a room for me out at your farm, sir. Even if it’s just in the loft of the barn or in the carriage house, I could make do. It would just be so much better for my family if I wasn’t actually living at the farm.”

Jackson leaned back, crossed his arms, and studied Yancy for a long time.

Yancy didn’t flinch at his scrutiny; he met his icy gaze solidly.

“That’s a hard decision for a boy of fifteen, Yancy. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes, sir. And it’s not really so hard,” he added. “There’s no law that says I can’t go back and visit them anytime I want. Even if I’m supposed to be shunned, if they decide not to do it, no one’s going to go tell on them to the bishop.”

“I see. All right, Mr. Tremayne, now let me tell you of something that I think the Lord is leading me to do. You see, Anna and I prayed last night for you, to see if there was something we might do to help you. I believe you’re an honest, hardworking, gifted young man, and that is something that I believe should be encouraged always. So I have a proposition that I’d like you to consider.”

“What’s that, sir?”

Jackson leaned across the table. “How would you like to attend VMI?”

Yancy’s eyes widened. “Me? Go to VMI? But—how?”

“One of the alumni has established a charity scholarship program for promising young men who can’t afford to attend the institute,” Jackson answered. “I believe that if I submit you as a candidate, with my recommendation, you’ll be accepted. It would pay for your tuition and your uniforms, provide a small allowance for food and other necessaries, and you would live in the barracks.”

Yancy was stunned. “But—you really think I can qualify? I’ve had very little education, sir.”

“Very little formal education, I know,” Jackson agreed. “But I’ve observed that you’re very quick, you’re intelligent, and you pay attention. I know it will be difficult, but”—he sighed dramatically—”it couldn’t possibly be harder for you than it was for me at West Point, Mr. Tremayne. I did it. I have every confidence that you can do it.”

Yancy jumped off the stool and reached across the table. Jackson took his hand, and Yancy pumped it enthusiastically. “Yes, sir! I can! I will! And how can I ever thank you, sir?”

“Don’t thank me, Mr. Tremayne,” Jackson said. “It will be all to my satisfaction to see you become the soldier I know you will be. And the time is coming, I think, that it will be good soldiers that we need.”

B
road bands of yellow sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the snowy white tablecloth on the modest fourseater dining room table at Major Thomas Jackson’s house. Anna put the good Blue Willow china on the table; she liked to have a fine table setting when Thomas was home. She looked over the two table settings with satisfaction, with Thomas at the head and her sitting at his right hand. They always sat close together when they dined alone.