Living in Harmony (45 page)

As expected, Lewis watched Nora exit like a red-tailed hawk perched on a telephone wire. But Amy turned her attention on John, her new
ehemann,
who was coming toward her. He didn't wrap her into a bear hug or plant a sloppy kiss on his bride's lips—no demonstrations of affection were permitted in an Amish community. But his heart was also pinned to his sleeve, like Lewis's.

Amy felt certain their story, like a fairy-tale romance, would have a happy ending.

Nora gazed over the frozen landscape of late March. Drifts of gray, dirty snow banked up to fence lines, while icy rivulets crisscrossed the acres from melting and refreezing snow. The sun rose higher in the sky each day but offered little warmth.

None of the Waldo County farms had started plowing their fields yet, and certainly nothing had been planted. She wrapped her quilt around her shoulders against the morning chill and watched a world where nothing moved or showed the tiniest proof of life. Her breath on the cold pane created a fog of white. With the tip of her finger she drew the letter
e
on the glass, followed by an
l, a
, and then an
m
. She stared at the letters until they blurred and dissolved into condensation.

“Missing me already?” Amy bustled into Nora's room, interrupting her sister's thoughts.

Nora quickly rubbed the glass with her sleeve and pivoted in her chair. “You're finally moving into your house? There isn't another ceiling for me to paint or maybe more windows to wash?” She arched a brow.

“I am going today. John has two wagons packed with our wedding gifts, the quilts and linens we sewed this winter, and everything I brought with me from Pennsylvania. Thomas gave John tools and implements that had been duplicates, so he won't have much to purchase to begin farming.” Amy's cheeks were especially pink today. “He will attend a livestock auction this Saturday to buy a pair of Belgian draft horses along with a mule. He insists we need a mule—I can't imagine why, but they are rather cute critters, don't you agree?” Amy dropped onto her twin bed.

“I do, especially when they wear somebody's old straw hat.” Nora wiggled her eyebrows.

“I'll look for a hat on Saturday. There's a flea market near the auction barn.” Amy leaned back on her elbows, the picture of newlywed bliss.

“What can I help you with?” asked Nora, feeling a rush of anxiety over what was to come.

“Not a thing. Everything is ready to go.”

A lot had happened to the newlyweds' home since the wedding. John and Thomas had de-electrified the house, patched and replastered the walls, and then the whole family had painted every room. They pulled up the moldy carpeting and sanded, stained, and sealed the hardwood floors.

“What was Sally carrying to the wagons in those crates? I saw her at first light from my window.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Goodness, that woman never stops. She talked the district ladies into donating canned fruits and vegetables, homemade noodles, dried herbs and spices, and a side of beef. Then she organized a potluck to start me off so I won't have to cook for a week.” Amy stretched out her long legs. “I guess I'll lounge around like an English movie star with everything already done for me.”

They laughed at the absurd idea. “Enjoy yourself. Those casseroles and the pampering won't last forever.”

Amy sat up straight, sobering to her normal demeanor. “What you can do, Nora King, is explain why you refuse to move to one of our spare bedrooms. You know I have plenty of space and would love to have you close by. Do you still harbor hurt feelings from John's behavior last fall?”

Nora jumped to her feet. “Not at all. We made our peace the day he apologized. I never think about that anymore.” She paced to the other end of the room.

“Then why do you choose to stay here with Thomas and Sally? Is it because of their sweet little boys? Someday, God might bless us with
bopplin
, and I'll need your help because
mamm
is gone.” Amy had never sounded so earnest.

Nora leaned her back against the rough-sawn pine door as a wave of sorrow washed over her.
Someday, my dear
schwester
will give birth and I will be miles away.
Yet no matter how many times she shuffled and reconsidered the repercussions, she couldn't bring herself to stay in Harmony. “I pray He blesses you with a houseful of children,” she said. Nora drew in a quick breath to steady her nerves and blurted out the difficult words. “I'm not moving with you because I'm not staying in Maine.”

Amy froze on the bed. “Go on.”

“I haven't been content here, Amy. That should come as no surprise, but I waited to see you happily married. After all, I couldn't miss your wedding. Then I remained to help you ready your new home. Now that is done. Today I will help you move and then come back to pack my own possessions.” Nora pushed off the door and paced to the window. “I've already bought my bus and train tickets. The schedules and my traveling funds are in my purse.”

Amy rose with the stately dignity of a matron. “Where will you go, dear heart? Back to Lancaster? I will soon join you there. Once John plants his seeds in the ground, we'll be off on our wedding trip.”

“
Nein
. I don't want to live there, either.” Regrettable scenes of
the young man she thought she'd loved flooded back, unbidden. She had given herself to him instead of saving herself for marriage. But his affections proved to be short-lived. Nora shook away the painful memory.

“Where will you go?” asked Amy. A note of alarm shaded her words.

“Missouri. I plan to go to Paradise, the town Sally came from.”

“Whatever for? You don't know a soul—” The sentence hung in the air as comprehension dawned on the elder King daughter. “Elam Detweiler. You're going to see him?”

Nora looked across the room at the woman she knew better and respected more than any other. “I love Elam. I want to see if I can share my life with him.”

“
Love
?” demanded Amy, as though Nora had used the term in context with boa constrictors. “You don't even know him, and yet you wish to travel halfway across the country?”

Nora crossed her arms and leaned against the windowsill. “I do know him. I told you we had become friends during the fall.”

Amy's forehead crinkled into worry lines. “So you knew he'd taken the driver's test and bought a car?” She whispered, even though no one was close enough to overhear.

“I did.” Nora's response couldn't have been more succinct.

Amy's mouth pulled into a thin, tight line. “You knew he'd planned to leave Maine?”

“
Jah
, but I didn't know exactly when. That's why I was blindsided when he actually made his move. I can't blame him, of course. With this changeable weather, a person has to travel when they can or become trapped by a blizzard for weeks. I'm sure he's not that good a driver yet.” Nora snapped her mouth shut, suddenly aware she was rambling.

Nora could practically see the wheels spinning in Amy's head. “This…friendship with Elam. Exactly how close did you two become?” They locked gazes. “You didn't…”

She didn't complete the question. She didn't have to.

“No!” snapped Nora, “It was nothing like that. He really liked me and I liked him. And while getting to know him, I fell in love.”

“I beg your pardon, Nora. I didn't mean to imply anything.” Amy's relief couldn't be more apparent. “Have you written to him? Did he invite you to visit? Perhaps kin of Sally's can put you up.”

Nora exhaled a frustrated sigh as she paced across the room again. “He doesn't know I'm coming. I want it to be a surprise. I'm not like you. I don't need each
i
dotted or
t
crossed before I walk to the street for the mail. I want some adventure in my life!” Nora hadn't meant to sound quite so abrasive.

Amy's reaction startled them both. She laughed and nodded in agreement. “You're right, I do tend to overthink and overplan everything. I prefer my adventures to be on the pages of a book.” Amy walked to where Nora stood and took her hand.

Feeling defenseless and vulnerable, Nora said in a low raspy voice, “I love you, Amy, and I will miss you terribly, but I must follow my heart. I want to see if my future lies in Paradise.”

“Then go with my fondest wishes, but always remember—trains and buses and even slow-moving Amish buggies travel in both directions. You can come back anytime. There's no shame in changing your mind. After all, it
is
a woman's prerogative.” Amy kissed her forehead and then swept from the room like a whirlwind to finish packing the two wagons.

But Nora remained where she was as tears streamed down her face. How she would miss Amy, the sole connection to their former life.

Please, Lord, bless my sister and her husband as they corner the market with organic celery for folks in Boston.

After sending up her heartfelt prayer, she wiped her face and dressed in her oldest clothes. Today was the big moving day. There would be no lurking on the sidelines or dodging work for Nora King.

But before she headed down the steps, she whispered an addendum to her prayer.

Wherever I go, no matter how far from family I am, may I never falter on my path to You.

Old German Recipe

Rosanna Coblentz (Old Order Amish)

½ cup butter, divided into two ¼ cup portions

4 medium apples, peeled and sliced

½ red onion, chopped

1 head red cabbage, finely shredded

1 cup apple juice (red wine optional)

4 whole cloves

¹
/
₃
cup brown sugar

2 bay leaves

¼ cup vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

Sliced or cubed cooked pork roast (optional)

Melt ¼ cup butter in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Add apples and onion and sauté slightly. Add cabbage, apple juice, cloves, sugar, and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, and then add the remaining ingredients, making sure the last ¼ cup of butter melts and incorporates completely. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Note: For a hearty main dish, add sliced or cubed cooked pork roast, as much as desired, and add a half hour to cooking time.

Anna Beachy (Old Order Amish)

6 medium sweet potatoes

Butter for browning

2 T. flour (white or whole wheat)

Salt

1 cup maple syrup

Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Fry in butter (use enough butter to coat potatoes well while cooking) until browned. Then sprinkle flour over the potatoes while still cooking. Stir and add salt to taste.

When the potatoes are lightly browned, place in a baking dish and cover with maple syrup. Bake at 350 degrees until potatoes are soft, about 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.