Rebecca's Bouquet (13 page)

She gave a helpless shrug. “I still prefer to stay the girl I've been the last eighteen years.”

In silence, they looked at each other. Rebecca noted the sad expression on William's face. Obviously, he was disappointed that she had failed to be taken in by this newfound life. But she, too, was equally disappointed. Because the man she loved had changed.

She wouldn't be concerned if this change didn't affect their future. But right now, she wasn't sure if William would return to Arthur.

After they arrived at the Conrads' home and William tied the horse, they walked in tense silence toward the house. She didn't bother to ask how the horse and buggy would be returned to the owner. Her future with William weighed heavily on her mind. She needed guidance. She needed Old Sam.

* * *

The month of July was going by quickly. Letter in hand, Rebecca quickly stepped to the mailbox in front of the Conrad home. If she couldn't walk to Old Sam's red barn and talk to him in person, she'd settle for asking his advice the second-best way she knew. The good old postal service. She couldn't call because he didn't have a phone.

All night, Rebecca had agonized over her conversation with William. Finally, at two in the morning, she'd flipped on her lamp and had written to the wisest person she knew.

As the white chunks of gravel crunched under her shoes, she smiled a little. As she did so, a small yawn escaped her. Why hadn't she thought of contacting Old Sam before?

As she anxiously stepped away from the house, the grinding noise of electric saws from the shop filled the air.

She reached the mailbox, where a small yellow butterfly hovered gracefully. While the warm breeze nudged the bottom of her long skirt, Rebecca pulled the letter from its unsealed envelope and read the contents out loud. She wanted to make sure she'd made her concerns clear, so he would know how to best counsel her. And if anyone could tell her what to do about William, it was Old Sam.

“‘Dear Sam, I hope you're doing well and that you're not working too hard. I wanted you to know that I love the hope chest you made me and that I look at it every night before going to bed. It's a treasure. I'm doing okay in Indiana. But I miss coming over to talk to you. I'm dealing with an issue that requires your expertise. That's why I'm writing this letter.'”

She glanced away a moment and took a deep breath. “‘William is becoming comfortable with the English. Actually, he loves their ways more than I ever anticipated. I'm so afraid I'm losing William, Sam. He loves me. That I'm sure of. But I don't know that he'll want to return to Arthur when his father recovers from his heart attack.'”

For a moment, Rebecca looked away from her neat printing and bit her lip. With a frown, she returned her attention to the letter. “‘Sam, I long to marry William. But I want to go home and raise our children Amish. For me, life wouldn't be the same anywhere but Arthur. It's my greatest fear that I'm losing him. Is it selfish of me to expect him to join the church if he decides not to? I know what's in my heart; at the same time, I have an obligation to respect his wishes, too. I'm sure you'll know what to tell me. Right now, I'm uneasy. I can't wait to hear from you. Love, Rebecca.'”

With newfound confidence, she refolded the letter and sealed it in the envelope. She shoved it into the mailbox and pulled up the red flag.

She smiled. Soon she would hear from Sam. It was just a matter of time until she would know what to do about the different directions she and William were headed. With a deep sigh of relief, she made her way to the house. As she approached the front patio, Beth pushed the front door open and waved.

“Rebecca! Your mother's on the phone.”

Excited, Rebecca rushed to the house. She couldn't wait to talk to her mamma. Everything would be okay.

* * *

That afternoon, Rebecca squinted as the bright sun illuminated the light blue sky. She looked down at her flower garden. Her geraniums boasted bright, beautiful colors. The hot pink petals were her favorites.

As she admired her work, she thought of her mamma's disturbing call. The words weighed heavily on Rebecca's mind as she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows and put her hands on her hips. Flowers grew fast. So did weeds. And so did the weeds of life.

Rebecca wrinkled her nose. Her parents were concerned about her longer-than-intended stay in Indiana. They wanted her home. People were talking. Rumor had it that Rebecca and William would leave the Amish community, just like Daniel, and that Rebecca's parents were at fault for allowing their daughter to go out of state. To Rebecca's chagrin, her poor parents were taking the flack for her absence.

She gave a sad, frustrated shake of her head, adjusted her work apron, and squatted to pull butter-print from the soil. One by one, she tossed the thick green stems into a plastic bag.

As Rebecca continued removing the unwanted plants, she tried to focus on the positive: Daniel's business was back on track. She'd already decided on one goal for the bishop. She had a new friend, Katie. Beth had been wonderful to Rebecca. Soon Rebecca would be back in Arthur.

But would William be with her? She considered that ominous question. At the same time, she thought of her parents. A dull ache formed in her chest.

There weren't many phones in the Amish community, but it didn't matter. Rebecca knew all too well that once gossip started, it spread like wildfire.

Facing the truth was difficult because she truly believed she was making the right choice by extending her stay. How could she leave when Daniel's condition was touch and go? In spite of the turmoil at home, she believed with all of her heart that God wanted her here until Daniel was on his feet again.

Besides, William needed help with the shop while Beth counted on her for moral support. More importantly, Rebecca could influence William to make the most important decision of his life. Whether or not to join the Amish church. How could she go home when so much was at stake?

She considered William. Usually, he was decisive. But right now, he was as fragile as a feather in the wind. He hadn't hesitated to express his love for the English ways. Right now, he could go either Amish or English.

Rebecca's presence could influence him to make the right choice. A decision that would affect the future. For both of them.

She looked inside her bag of weeds and raised a thoughtful brow. To remove unwanted plants, she merely yanked them out of the ground. She smiled a little. If only getting rid of life's problems were that simple.

But how could she possibly destroy the verbal weeds bothering her folks? Could she stop rumors? If only there was a way.

Rebecca yearned to end the gossip. How could she justify staying in Indiana when her mother was paying the price?

In the small, tight-knit community, approval was important. Rebecca bit her tongue as she thought of others judging her. If only everyone would mind their own business. But they didn't. And Mamma didn't deserve this stress.

She needed to come up with two more goals. She couldn't leave without carrying them out. She had taken that instruction to heart. And she would be a better person after she left here.

At the same time, William was still the reason she was in Indiana. If she returned to Illinois before Daniel recovered, what would happen to William?

He was her true love. And she had no intention of bailing on him, even if they weren't married. How could she leave him when he needed her most?

Rebecca stood and rubbed her hands together to rid them of dirt. Catching her breath, she focused on her task at hand and bent to lift her heavy metal watering can. Slow, steady steps took her to the end of the row, watering each flower, one at a time.

As soon as the liquid touched the plants, the green leaves became more alive. The stems took on a darker, more vibrant shade. Rebecca recalled the scriptures her mother had sent with her and realized that water to the plants was similar to scripture to the soul.

She stopped a moment, watching the moisture glisten as it clung to the soft, velvety-looking petals of the pink petunias. Turning, she made her way down the next row.

She returned to the spigot on the side of the house to refill her watering can, still worrying about her parents. And about William. About their future together. Would she lose him? For a moment, the dreaded problems flitted through her mind until she shook her head to rid herself of them.

She recalled the story of Adam and Eve. Of course, weeds were a part of life. And she knew from a long-ago sermon that a person's success was dependent on how he or she dealt with obstacles. For every problem, there was a solution. She couldn't let negative issues get the best of her. She must pray for a way to remove the sinful plants.

And if she couldn't rid herself of them?

She would work around them.

The lesson about measuring success stuck with her. She had listened with interest when the preacher explained how trials made us stronger and that challenges force us to grow as human beings. In a deep, low voice, he'd explained to the small, attentive congregation that without pain, a person's faith isn't tested.

Therefore, it is impossible to know what we could overcome. When obstacles are thrown at us, our personal success is measured by how we cope with them. When all is said and done, facing battles strengthens our faith.

Rebecca enjoyed her life without obstacles. But she definitely had taken the first step by addressing whether or not to give William her blessing to become Daniel's business partner.

She prayed about what to do. She thought about her future with William twenty-four-seven. Salty tears stung her eyes at the thought of telling Mamma she must leave them for good.

She remembered her special scripture book and yearned for home. That would have to wait. But how long? In the meantime, what would Rebecca tell William? Should she give him her blessing to partner with his father and forfeit everything so dear to her?

She let out a faint moan of distress and came to a decision. She wouldn't do anything until she was confident of her choice. Either way, she would suffer a huge loss.

She robbed William of his opportunity to go into business with his father, or she abandoned her family. Which was worse?

As Rebecca stopped a moment to look up at the large white clouds in the light blue sky, she thought of Mamma's advice to deal with the negative and focus on the positive. Rebecca sighed contentment as she took the advice to heart. Even with weeds, there was still much to be thankful for.

Family. William. Her newfound friend, Katie. Her health. Faith. And her dream.

Other enjoyable things that made her life special. Being outside. The warm sun shining down on her back. Birds chirping. Horse-and-buggy rides. Old Sam. She grinned.

She stopped to study a tiny hummingbird as it hovered over the cannas. If only her decisions were as simple as the bird's.

But human life involved complex issues like beliefs, religion, pleasing others, making difficult choices, and living with those decisions.

It was amazing how these beautiful, fragile-looking plants survived and grew under the hot sun as well as occasional downpours. If God watched over her plants, He would certainly protect her. And William.

Surely, he would guide her down the right path. He was omniscient. There was nothing God couldn't deal with. Was there a way to make everyone happy? She thought hard.

Rebecca dreamed of her flower shop and lifted her chin in determination. The thought prompted a big grin. It was a wonderful, happy dream.

She imagined arranging flowers and watching people smile when she delivered them. She pictured herself in a room filled with exotic plants. She envisioned herself clipping long, green stems and arranging them in terra-cotta bowls and crystal vases.

She imagined smelling sweet scents all day. Of setting deep green leafy plants into earthy-looking bowls of different shapes and sizes.

At least she had a dream. Even if her flower shop never materialized, the very thought brought happiness. A bright spot in her life.

She thought of Katie's ambition to run a day-care center and smiled. In more ways than one, she was a lot like her new Amish friend. Both had big dreams. At the same time, they faced obstacles.

As Rebecca pulled another weed from the moist earth, she thought of her conversation with Beth and realized she was passionate enough about plants to make selling them a career. She'd read books on different species. She was aware of which genera required little water and those that needed a lot. She could mix compatible plants into the same pots. She remembered the terrarium of cacti she'd done for her brother for a school project and the bouquet she'd put together for Mamma's birthday.

As a breeze feathered her face, she planted a satisfied hand on her hip. The sun hit the blossoms of her bright red geraniums, making them appear unusually bright.

William's voice made her turn.

“Hey.”

She jumped.

He smiled a little. “Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.”

“It's okay.” In the same breath, she motioned to her work. “What do you think?”

He furrowed his brows as he appeared to study the garden. Several heartbeats later, he nodded. When his gaze met Rebecca's, he grinned mischievously. “On a scale of one to ten?”

Anxious for his approval, she gave a quick, eager nod.

“Definitely a ten plus.”

Rebecca curtsied. “Thank you.”

“I don't know what you feed your plants, but they'd win a race. Heck, it's just been little more than a week since they were tiny. This will be great for Dad, Rebecca. How do you always come up with the best ideas?”