Naomi’s Christmas (21 page)

Nathan wasn’t so sure it was all that wonderful, but he nodded. Not much else he could
do. Seth wasn’t under the bann, since he’d left before being baptized into the church,
and there was no reason to keep his sister’s kinder from him.

“How long will you be staying?” Nathan tried to keep his doubts from showing.

“I’ll be here through the weekend, I guess. I was in New
York on business when I got the message from Mamm, so I took some time off. I flew
into Harrisburg and rented a car there.”

Seth had explained more than he’d asked. Maybe he felt the need to justify his presence.
Or his absence.

Jessie caught Nathan’s arm in a quick, impulsive movement. “So you bring the kinder
in by then,” she said. “Not Naomi.”

There was an edge to her voice when she said Naomi’s name, but a glance from her mother
seemed to keep her from saying more.

“I’ll try.” He patted her hand. He wasn’t imagining her antagonism toward Naomi, but
he suspected anything he tried to do about it would only make it worse. Maybe the
excitement of having her big brother around would distract her from whatever bee she
had in her bonnet about Naomi.

Jessie’s antagonism. Seth’s return. Nathan shrugged his shoulders, as if he could
shrug off how uncomfortable it all made him.

I
t
was very seldom that Amish children had an opportunity to perform in front of an
audience. Naomi had never thought much about why, but it was probably because Amish
children were taught to be humble, not drawing attention to themselves. That humility
was an attitude that would serve them well their entire lives.

But the standard was suspended for the Amish school’s Christmas program, and the community
joined in support of the young scholars. Although Naomi had brought the children early,
the lane going back to the white one-room schoolhouse was already lined with buggies.

“Hurry, hurry, Naomi.” Sadie bounced on the seat next to her. “I want to see everything.”

“So you will,” she said, pulling into the next open space. “We are in plenty of time,
for sure.”

One of the older boys came running to tend the mare. It was obviously one of his jobs
for the day.

“Denke.” She slid down, handing him the horse blanket for Sunny. Sadie and Joshua
followed her quickly.

“Komm.” She took their hands, and they walked toward the school. Joshua’s eyes were
big with contained excitement while Sadie danced along, her feet seeming to skim the
ground.

Naomi slowed as they reached the steps to the porch. “Once the program starts, you
must sit still,” she cautioned. Joshua didn’t need to hear it, but Sadie did. “It
would not be polite to talk or move around then, ain’t so?”

“Ja, Naomi,” Joshua said, and Sadie nodded.

“Like in worship,” she said.

“That’s right,” Naomi said, smiling. “Let’s go in and find seats.”

That was easier said than done. The room was already crowded, and even with extra
folding chairs set up, Naomi began to think they might have to stand.

“Look, Naomi.” Sadie, wide-eyed, was staring at the chalkboard. It was decorated with
a snow scene, filled with children sliding on a hill. “I can’t wait to sled ride.”

“That will be fun.” Naomi trusted that Nathan’s protectiveness didn’t extend to keeping
the children from enjoying the snow. “See the stars?” Strands of yarn reached across
the room, bearing cut-out angels and many-pointed Moravian paper stars. That was something
she could make with Sadie and Joshua. Talking about the symbols was a good way of
teaching the children the meaning of Christmas.

She spotted Leah Glick motioning to her from across the room, indicating a chair next
to her. Clutching the children’s hands, Naomi began working her way through the crowd.
Was she imagining it, or did conversation cease momentarily as folks saw her before
resuming again?

By the time she reached Leah, she feared her cheeks were burning. She slid into the
chair and then realized she had displaced Leah’s stepdaughter.

“Ach, I don’t want to take Elizabeth’s seat—”

“Not at all. She wants to sit with the little ones,” Leah said, and indeed, Elizabeth
seemed perfectly happy to gather Joshua and Sadie next to her along with Rachel Anna,
Leah’s youngest, and Gracie, Leah’s little niece.

Anna Fisher, Leah’s younger sister, was sitting in the next chair. She smiled a welcome,
pulling a diaper bag over to give Naomi more space. She held her baby son on her lap,
and it was her little Gracie who sat with Elizabeth.

“Anna, how your little David has grown.” She had seen them at worship, of course,
but it still amazed her how babies seemed to change to toddlers in the blink of an
eye.

“Eight months old now, and crawling enough to get into things,” Anna said, her blue
eyes shining as she looked down at her son. He was reaching out as if to grab one
of the stars that hung over his head.

“He’s going to keep you running, for sure, with Gracie, too.”

When Naomi leaned back again, she found Leah regarding her with what had to be sympathy
on her face.

“I guess I’m giving the sisters plenty to talk about,” she murmured, knowing Leah
would understand what she meant about the attention she’d garnered when she’d entered
with Joshua and Sadie.

“Pleasant Valley is a small place,” Leah said. “Everybody knows everything.”

“And what they don’t know they make up.” There was a little bite to Anna’s voice,
and she patted Naomi’s arm. “I understand. I haven’t forgotten the talk that went
around when I came home.”

True, that had been a wonder to the valley when Anna Beiler came home after three
years in the Englisch world, and with little Gracie, too. Tongues had flapped for
sure.

“They mean well, for the most part,” Leah said, her voice soft under the chatter of
the children. “It’ll be forgotten soon enough.”

“Are they more interested in my disagreement with my daad or in my taking on Nathan’s
kinder?” She imagined both topics were exercising folks’ tongues.

Leah shrugged. “A little of each. You mustn’t let it trouble you. Everyone will soon
be too busy with Christmas to think of anything else.”

“I hope so.” She glanced at the children. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to
bring them, if it led to their hearing something they shouldn’t.

Well, it was too late to change her mind about it now. She glanced toward the front
of the room where a cluster of young scholars had gathered around the teacher, probably
getting some last-minute instructions. The program would start soon, and Leah was
right. Afterward, people would be so busy talking about it that they surely wouldn’t
have a thought to spare for her.

“I know you’re happy with the family, but do you ever miss teaching?” She gestured
toward the front of the classroom, looking at Leah.

“I don’t miss the stress of coming up with a new Christmas program each year. Ach,
I can remember I’d start working on it in July.” Leah smiled at the children in front
of them. “Now the family takes up all my time and energy, and all I have to do is
enjoy the program.”

“Kinder have a way of doing that, don’t they?” Naomi said. Even when they were not
your own, children could take over a woman’s time, energy, and love.

Rachel Anna spun around, tugging on her mother’s skirt. “Mammi, tell Joshua I am,”
she demanded.

“You are what?” Leah asked, smiling at the little girl.

“I am going to start school in another year. He says I’m not old enough.”

“Not yet, you’re not,” Leah said. “But in another year, you will be.”

“See, Joshua?” Rachel Anna turned to him with that determined little nod of hers.

Naomi could see Joshua mulling that information over in his mind. He looked at Naomi,
his frown a miniature version of Nathan’s.

“Naomi, if Rachel Anna is starting next year, then I should have started this year,
because I am a year older than she is, ja?”

The question left her unprepared. True, she’d hoped to interest Joshua in school,
but she hadn’t expected such a direct challenge. If she said anything in response
that Nathan didn’t like—

The teacher clapped her hands, and the room fell silent. Swept with relief, Naomi
put her finger to her lips. Hopefully
she’d have found a tactful answer by the time the program had ended.

The youngest children came on first, their eyes wide with excitement. Nervousness
showed in feet that couldn’t quite be still and in a reluctance to look straight at
the audience, but they recited their Christmas welcome poem faultlessly. Naomi thought
she detected relief on the teacher’s face when they reached the last line.

The program went on with poems and recitations, every child in the school taking part.
Sometimes they carried simple props, like the candle each child held for one reading.
There was no mention of Santa or Christmas trees, of course. Each piece focused on
the true meaning of Christmas or on the importance of giving and sharing in humble
ways, just as Jesus had been humble.

Naomi glanced at Sadie’s and Joshua’s faces. Sadie was watching, smiling and nodding.
But Joshua—Joshua was rapt, leaning forward, his shining eyes focused on the children.
Naomi could practically feel the longing in him to be up there participating.

He is ready to be in school, Nathan. What can I do to convince you of that?

The program moved from simple to complicated presentations, from the youngest children
to the oldest. Whatever their poem or reading, the messages were consistent: humility,
appreciation, thankfulness. They spoke the joy of the season in the simplest way and
even Naomi, who had witnessed so many Christmas programs, felt the sweet message as
if it were brand-new.

Joshua wasn’t the only one with longing in his heart. She longed, as well. She longed
to give Joshua and Sadie her very best for as long as she had them in her care. If
she could do that, she would be content.

The final recitation came to an end, and the applause was loud and long. Everywhere
Naomi looked, faces were filled with happiness, and she felt her heart swell with
gratitude that she was a part of this community.

Once the applause died down, the refreshments were brought out. No Amish event would
be complete without feeding people. That was certain-sure.

“Can we go to the table for a cookie, Naomi?” Sadie tugged at her sleeve. “Please,
please, please?”

“Ja, but don’t cut in front of anyone. Wait, I’ll come with you—” But it was too late.
Sadie had already scampered off through the crowd with Joshua right behind her, weaving
their way between and around pairs of adult legs toward the serving table.

As one of the grown-ups, Naomi had to behave with a little more circumspection. Leah
was hugging her little stepson, congratulating him on a fine recitation. Gesturing
to let Leah know where she was going in the din of chatter, Naomi followed the children.

The crowd was thickest, of course, near the table, and now she couldn’t see Sadie
and Joshua at all. Not that she was worried about them, of course, but she wanted
to be sure that Sadie wasn’t letting her enthusiasm carry her away. Naomi stepped
around a group of women and then froze when she heard the sound of her name.

“…father walked right into the harness shop and told Bishop Mose what an undutiful
daughter she was in front of everyone. I heard it with my own ears.”

Mary Esch, of course. Nothing pleased Mary more than to have something negative to
say about someone. And to as big an audience as possible. Sometimes Naomi felt embarrassed
at having her for even a distant cousin-in-law.

This time her audience was aware of Naomi’s presence. Maybe their sudden silence alerted
Mary. She spun and stared right at Naomi.

Maybe someone braver than she would have been able to snap back at Mary. Naomi could
only stand there, wishing she could sink right into the floor.

There was a rustle of movement behind her, and an arm swept around her waist. “It’s
too bad you can’t put your ears to better use, Mary Esch.” Lovina’s voice was even,
but her eyes sparkled dangerously. “Komm, Naomi, let us get some punch.”

Naomi allowed herself to be led away, gratitude sweeping through her for her sister-in-law.
Surely Lovina’s support would still the clacking tongues. But—

“Lovina?” She struggled to get the words out. “Is it true?”

Her sister-in-law didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. The pity in her face was all
the answer Naomi needed.

So Betty had been right. Daad had gone to the bishop about her.

Naomi
plunged one of the supper plates into the hot sudsy water. In hot water—that was
as good a description as any of where she found herself.

Daad had spoken to the bishop about her behavior. She’d said those words to herself
several dozen times since they’d left the schoolhouse this afternoon, but she could
still hardly believe it. No wonder she’d sensed a reaction to her presence at the
program. Probably half the people there already knew what Mary had been so gleefully
passing on, and if they hadn’t, they would by now.

Too bad Mary hadn’t mentioned what Bishop Mose’s response had been. Nerves fluttered
in Noami’s stomach. Would the bishop come to see her? If he made a formal call, accompanied
by one of the other ministers, that visit meant he considered her behavior a serious
breach of conduct.

She picked up a towel and began drying the plates, looking absently out the window
over the sink. It was dark out already, but she had a strong flashlight, and she didn’t
worry about her safety, walking across the field to her little house. She’d be far
more nervous walking along a street in town after dark.

A squeal came from the living room, where Nathan had been reading to the children
to settle them down before bedtime. It sounded as if the reading had turned into a
game of some sort.