The Shunning (22 page)

"Now, you know you don't mean that," he put his arms around her and pulled her close to hug her.

"No, I don't want you to leave," she agreed, resting her cheek on his chest. It felt so good to be held in his arms. All of a sudden she felt his hand leave her back and in the next moment it cracked on her bottom! "Samuel!" she cried out. "What was that for?" she asked, pushing away from him and reaching back to rub the injured part of her anatomy. She knew she was sporting his handprint on her right bottom cheek!

"That was because I love you," he said, and when she looked at him in disbelief, he added, "I really do love you, and I want you to promise me that you'll tell me if you start to feel overwhelmed and stressed during the next two weeks. I know that your
Mamm
isn't able to help get things ready, and while I don't know how to help with the details of the food and such, I know I can help you stay focused and calm."

"By spanking me?" she exclaimed. "Don't you dare do that!"

"If I notice you turning all feisty and ill-tempered, I will do precisely that... unless your
Dat
beats me to it," he added.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Sadie asked, her eyes snapping with temper.

"I'm not being mean, sweet Sadie," Samuel insisted. "I'm trying to be helpful because I know how much stress you are under."

"I am not stressed, at least not any more stressed than any other bride whose wedding is only two weeks away!" she informed him, giving her head an indignant toss, making her
kapp
strings fly through the air. "It is mostly a matter of cleaning, and the entire family is helping with that. The other women are all coming in on Monday to help with the cooking, and all my
Mamm
will need to do is take her seat and enjoy the day. The women in the community have stepped forward to offer their assistance, and I am truly thankful. Mary took on the job of making her dress, and Miriam is making hers. You and my two brothers have your new shirts, and all you need to do is make sure your suit of clothing is lint and dust free and freshly pressed."

"I know it is custom to stay within your parents' home on our wedding night, but since our farm is so close, and we can be here early to help with the cleanup, will you mind ignoring that custom?" Samuel asked.

"Oh,
danki
, Samuel!" she surprised him by answering. "It will keep us from having to change around the bedrooms. We are truly fortunate that you already have a farm and it will not be necessary for us to live here while we find a place to call our own."

"You will make the farm ours, Sadie. It clearly needs a woman's touch... especially in the kitchen."

"That will happen soon enough, Samuel." She smiled shyly at him. "Only two more weeks!"

"I am anxious for those two weeks to pass so that you will be mine," he told her.

"My brother Atlee is looking forward to the time passing quickly, too," she said as she moved away from him and began setting the table.

"
Ja
. In between our wedding and his is Thanksgiving. Our November and December are full of special events." The door suddenly opened, and the air was chill coming in off the back porch.

"I am so sorry it took so long, Sadie!" Mary exclaimed. "We kept running into friends who wanted to know about Mama, and to offer help for the wedding. We will have much help with the food, Sadie. Our
Mamm
will be relieved. Hello, Samuel. Are you staying for lunch?" she asked politely.

"
Ja
. Your sister invited me... just as I planned," he said, winking at Mary.

"
Ja
.... It is good that I stopped at the bakery and picked up some pies for dessert. We haven't had a lot of time for baking lately. Little Rebecca needs a lot of attention right now."

Mark came inside, carrying the basket containing the pies.

"You left Mark in charge of the pies?" Samuel asked in mock horror. "Will there be any left for lunch?"

"Very funny, Samuel. Mary wouldn't even let me peek at them!" He pretended to be forlorn. "I could smell them all the way home, but I wasn't allowed to touch or see!"

"I am a cruel woman, ain't so?" Mary asked, laughing right along with her twin. "You had best go and wash up. Sadie is nearly finished out here, and
Dat
will be wanting to eat any minute now."

"You'd best go and see if
Mamm
needs any help, Mary," Mark quietly suggested, his dark eyes reflecting the worry they'd all shared over their parent.

"
Dat
is in the living room with Mama," Sadie told them. "She is fine."

"Good!" they answered together, and then Mark hurried off. "I will take my shawl upstairs and wash my hands and be right back, Sadie." Mary took off running lightly through the house.

"She has grown up since spring."

"
Ja
, Samuel, she has. I am proud of her."

"Make sure you tell her that, Sadie. Mary needs to hear it so that she knows how you feel about her." He was pleased when Sadie nodded.

Within a short time everyone was gathered around the kitchen table, heads bowed in silent prayer, as was the custom. Martha carried Rebecca to the table with her, and once prayer was over, Mary jumped to her feet and ran to get the baby's carrier. She took her sleeping baby sister and carefully put her in the carrier and placed a blanket over her. "Now you can eat,
Mamm
. You need to eat a bit more than you have been eating so that you get your strength back. Remember what the Doctor told you?"

"
Ja
. I remember he was not pleased that I lost so much weight. I will try to eat more," Martha promised, and then she looked at Levi and said, "Will you speak to Mary now, husband?"

"May I eat a few bites of my soup while it is still hot, Martha?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Soup is best eaten while hot."

The others all laughed, but Mary couldn't help but wonder what she'd done that her
Dat
needed to speak with her. She'd tried so hard to mend her ways, and after the forgiveness shown her by Samuel and Sadie, and the rest of her family, her outrage and anger seemed to fade away into nothing. She was still ashamed of the way she behaved, and she tried very hard to prove that by being a better person, and offering more of herself than she had in the past. Nearly losing her
Mamm
had an affect on her, too. Mary tried to eat her soup, but she was too worried to do so."

"Daughter, aren't you hungry?" Levi asked. "Do you feel well?"

"I am fine,
Dat
. I hope I haven't done anything to upset you and
Mamm
?" she blurted out the question.

"No, you haven't," he immediately replied. "You eat now. Nothing is wrong, daughter."

Mary felt her eyes fill with tears, and then the lump of relief in her throat made it impossible to swallow.

"What kind of pie did you get for us?" Mark asked, clearly ready for dessert.

"Cherry and Peach," she told him.

"I'll have one of each."

"You'll have one piece until everyone is served, young man," Martha quickly interspersed.

"
Mamm
, I already did the math," Mark explained. "There are eight of us, and sixteen pieces of pie... two each!"

"And what of the younger children?" she asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Hey, let them go and get their own pie!" Mark declared, causing everyone to laugh. But, of course, he accepted one piece of cherry, which was his favorite, and he promised that he would save some for the family scholars.

"Mary, your
Mamm
and I have wanted to speak with you for a while now, and I agree that this is a very good time. We have watched over you these last few months and have seen you grow up and mature into a lovely young woman we can be proud of. Your
Mamm
and I see no reason to deny your
rumspringa
any longer. You can start going to the singings whenever you feel ready, daughter. We also would like to see you take your place with the other single young women at your sister's wedding."

"Really?" Mary's entire face lit up with disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Mary, even before the
boppli
was born, you'd changed so much... and you've grown up even more since I was rushed to the hospital. We are so proud of you."

"Samuel and I were discussing this right before lunch," Sadie said with a smile. "I had no idea that
Dat
and
Mamm
were planning to speak to you, but I am happy they have. You have earned your
rumspringa
, Mary."

Samuel nodded in agreement, offering his congratulations. When Mary looked over at Atlee, he was smiling, and she was relieved to realize that he also agreed with their parents. Mark was beaming, and David simply winked at her. "
Danki
!" she whispered, genuinely happy to have the punishment ended.

"I believe there is something upstairs in your room waiting for your inspection, Mary,"
Dat
said with a smile.

Mary jumped up and ran, and they all heard her exclaim in delight when she found the cedar hope chest at the foot of her bed. She came running back and hugged each of her parents. "
Danki, danki
! The chest is so beautiful!" she admitted, thanking them.

"Samuel made it some time ago,"
Dat
told her. "It was painful not to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday as we planned, but that is all past now, and I hope you fill it to the brim with lovely things."

"I didn't deserve the chest then," Mary admitted, her cheeks pink. "I'm happy you think I do now!" She hugged them again, and then came around the table and gave Samuel a hug, surprising him. "
Danki
for making something so very beautiful for me. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you, considering how awful I was behaving toward you at the time."

"You are a beautiful young woman, Mary. You simply needed a bit more time to realize that for yourself. I'm happy you like the chest," he told her.

"I love it. Truly." She promptly burst into tears and then ran from the kitchen, embarrassed.

"She's just happy," Mark explained, swiping what was left of his twin's pie and taking another forkful. "Mary was feeling sad to think that she might not get to sit beside Sadie at the wedding table. It means a lot to her. You are great parents," he told his
Dat
and
Mamm
, who were watching him eating his sister's pie without a qualm. "She'll come down and tell you herself when she's done bawling."

And that proved to be true. They were enjoying another cup of
kaffi
when Mary appeared, smiling happily. She hugged all of them, and said her '
dankis
' over and over again. "
Dat
, Joseph Yoder hasn't been courting anyone else at all, and he told me at the last worship service that he is waiting for me to be permitted to court. He is a nice young man, and very considerate of my feelings. When he learned what I did, he told me that it was best we honor your decisions regarding my
rumspringa
and do nothing to bring fault upon us. I hope you will allow us to court openly now...?" she asked, her tone hopeful.

"He can bring you home from the singings for now, daughter. I know that some families permit daughters to marry at your age, but I prefer you wait a bit longer before you become serious about any one young man.
Mamm
agrees with me on this, ain't so, Martha?"

"
Ja
. You are young and there will be plenty of time, Mary. Enjoy this
rumspringa
time and make sure you are ready to settle down before choosing."

"I will be sure of my feelings before I accept a man, Mama." She smiled and then said, "Besides, a birth and two weddings is enough in one year's time for any family!" The others agreed.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Sadie asked sharply when Samuel took her arm and led her away from the gathering of people who were preparing to eat after church services were over.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" she asked, but she feared she already knew. Samuel overheard her nasty comment to Mary, and he was going to take her to task for being so mean.

"For the terrible thing you said to your sister. She has bent over backwards to be helpful to you, Sadie, and you were rude. It tells me that you are filled with stress right now, and that I need to help you get rid of this built up anger so that you can enjoy our wedding in two days time."

"I don't want a
bletching
!" Sadie whispered tearfully. "I will apologize to Mary."

"I know you will, and you will be wearing a stinging bottom while you tell her you are sorry." Samuel led his bride-to-be away from the gathering until he was positive that they were alone. He took a seat on a large rock and then pulled her face down over his left thigh.

"Not here, Samuel! It is much too cold!"

"You will not feel the cold in a few moments," he promised as he tossed up her skirts. His hand slapped against her bottom in the next moment and he was surprised when she cried out in pain. "I have barely started this spanking, Sadie. I expect you to accept this discipline since you know that it is well deserved." He spanked her once again and she was suddenly crying. "You really need this, sweet Sadie," he said quietly, and then he started spanking in earnest. Sadie kicked and tried to escape the hold he had on her, but he continued to hold her in place and slap his open palm on her panty covered cheeks and her sit spots until he could see that they were a deep dark red. Only then did he ease up on the punishment and talk to her. "Mary loves you, Sadie. She doesn't deserve to bear the brunt of your stress."

"You're right, Samuel. I felt so awful the very second the words left my mouth. I have been trying so hard not to take my nerves out on Mama, and I've made Mary my target, which is so very wrong."

"She will forgive you, I am sure," he said with a smile as he pulled down her heavy skirt and helped her stand in front of him. "I want to see a pretty smile on your face, sweet Sadie. I am so happy right now, and I want you to be happy, too. Your
Mamm
and
Dat
are so proud of you for taking on all of the wedding preparation yourself."