The Shunning (6 page)

"Do you promise you will never again behave in that manner?" Samuel asked sternly, continuing to spank her rounded cheeks. Her skin was hot to his touch and since the light was so poor, he could not see how red her skin was. It was time to stop.

"I do promise," she managed to reply.

Samuel pulled down her skirt and then gently sat her on the seat beside him. He reached for his handkerchief and used it to wipe her face of tears. "Now, now, it is all over, little one. I am sorry it was necessary."

"I do feel terrible for treating all of you so badly," she said, sniffling.

Samuel gave her a hug. "I believe you, Sadie. You are such a sweet and nice young woman, and it isn't in your nature to hurt others. I am sure and certain you will think the next time and do your best to curb such behavior."

"I will try," she promised, her burning backside a reminder that she would need to be careful not to act that way again.

"I better get you on home. It would not do for one of your brothers to beat us there; your
Dat
would not be happy with me." Samuel was well aware that Levi Miller was still suspicious of him, and he understood the man's worry. Once he was baptized, he hoped that would change. Baptism would be in another two months, and the Bishop said he would be ready by then to make a decision. Samuel was sure of his decision, and hated that his shunned father took his
Mamm
away from here and denied him the upbringing he should have had. It felt like coming home in many ways. Even the
Ordnung
was true to the way his
Mamm
raised him to believe.

"Samuel,
Dat
fears you will not choose to be baptized," Sadie said. "He also fears I would choose to live in the
Englisch
world if you asked." She looked over at him before asking, "Are you committed to choosing the Amish way?"

"
Ja
, I am, Levi's Sadie. Your heart is safe with me." He smiled at her. "I will be taking my kneeling vows in May; Bishop Hershberger has been personally instructing me in the
Ordnung
, and he is pleased that my
mamm
taught me so much as I was growing up. He says I am ready to be baptized."

"My
Dat
and
Mamm
will be pleased," Sadie said, and then said, "I am also being baptized in May."

"This is
goot
. We should be permitted to openly court then, if you are agreeable to this?"

"I am, as long as
Dat
agrees. I will not sneak behind his back," she warned, and Samuel chuckled.

"I grow to love you more each time I am around you, Levi's Sadie."

They talked of many things in the short drive to her home, and when they arrived, he walked around the buggy to help her down, even though he was sure she was used to getting down by herself. It made him feel good to treat her like a lady. "Goodnight, Sadie."

"Goodnight, Samuel." She was disappointed when he didn't kiss her goodnight, or ask to see her again before the next meeting, but she understood now that Samuel was respecting her
Dat's
wishes. She let herself inside the house and quickly realized her parents and younger siblings were in bed. Sadie decided she wanted a snack before going upstairs and she got a glass of milk and a couple of her sister's raisin puffs.

"Why do you eat at the counter, daughter?" Levi asked, coming into the kitchen in his stocking feet.

"Oh,
Dat
! I thought you were in bed!"

"I could not sleep. I thought I heard you come inside and when you and your brother did not come upstairs I thought something might be wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I accepted a ride home tonight,
Dat
," she said. "It is a
goot
thing, too. Both David and Atlee offered rides to girls and then worried about what to do with me!" she said, giggling. Her
Dat
smiled.

"Who brought you home?" he asked, wondering if she would tell him the truth.

"Samuel did," she said quietly.

"And he made you cry?" Levi demanded. He knew his daughter well, and her eyes always told the truth when she was upset.

"
Dat
, it is embarrassing," she admitted.

"I am still your father and I would have the truth of the matter, daughter." Levi did not want the young man breaking Sadie's heart.

"I was horrible tonight during a game with others." The telling brought a look of shame to her pretty face. "I was too aggressive, and I fear I hurt feelings, including Samuel's. Atlee took me aside to caution me, and I did apologize."

"But Samuel decided to scold you further?" Levi guessed, unsure why his daughter would cry over that.

"
Dat
, Samuel wanted to be sure I never did it again. He gave me a
bletching
," she confessed the truth. "It was hardly the way I wanted my first ride home from a singing to go, but afterwards, Samuel was kind to me, and said he was sure I would remember to play with a kinder heart the next time. He is being baptized in May,
Dat
. Bishop Hershberger has been instructing him in the
Ordnung
and says he is ready to join the faith."

Levi was surprised at the news. He honestly did not think that Samuel would choose the faith. After all, his father was shunned and took his wife away from here. It was unusual for the child of one who is shunned to return and take up life in the old ways. "Do you feel you were treated fairly, daughter?" he asked. While he did not particularly like the fact that Samuel disciplined his daughter, he knew only too well that she had a problem with needing to win. Games were meant to be fun, and he couldn't remember how many times he and Martha had scolded their daughter for this type of behavior. Sadie seemed to like and respect Samuel, and if a spanking from him helped her control this, he would be grateful.

"
Dat
, I promise I will not do that again. It is so wrong of me, and I am an adult now. Samuel did what he thought best, and I will recall the lesson the next time I am asked to play a game with others," she said, her face red with embarrassment. "Do you feel he was wrong to punish me when we are not even courting yet?" she asked.

"I think I will shake his hand if you are truly cured of this bad habit," Levi teased his daughter. "I will be serious now, Sadie, and ask you to mind me. I want no courting until I am sure Samuel is of the faith and earning his way."

"We are not courting,
Dat
. Samuel wishes your permission before that happens. We are only seeing each other at our meetings and the singings, and he did not ask to bring me home until he had his horse and buggy. He hasn't come into the restaurant, either. We will not be sneaking behind your back, I promise you this."

Levi stepped forward and gave Sadie a hug, which was a very rare thing indeed. "
Danki
, daughter. I only care to protect you and keep you safe from the outside world."

"I know,
Dat
. I am looking forward to being baptized," she told him, meaning the words with all her heart. They were joined by Atlee, who seemed relieved to find her at home.

"You are home safely!" he said with a smile.

"Of course I am. I was with Samuel, and he would never let anything happen to me."

"And you told
Dat
who brought you; I am proud of you, little sister. Goodnight."

"Did you ask Atlee to watch out for me,
Dat
?" she asked, a bit insulted.

"No. It is part of being an older brother. I used to do the same when your
Aenti
Miriam and I were young. My
Dat
did not ask, but I felt responsible for her. It is
goot
that Atlee loves you, ain't so?"

Sadie smiled. "
Ja
,
Dat
. It is
goot
."

* * *

Samuel felt that two weeks was a long time to wait to see Sadie again, and he needed to be sure she was not upset with him for spanking her. Still, he could not very well sneak behind her
Dat's
and
Mamm's
backs to see her; it wouldn't be right. He took himself out to the barn early, took care of his horse, and then got busy sorting through the junk that David Yoder left behind. The elderly man told him to make use of what he could, and to do what he wanted with the rest. The farm equipment included with the sale was in good condition and Samuel felt he was lucky. Some of the other things he found in the barn were buckets, and broken harness straps that he could use to mend other straps. There was even some wood that was protected with a tarp, and Samuel's eyes lit up with pleasure. He planned to do a lot of woodworking to help support himself and his family, when he had one. As he sorted the wood into piles according to size and type, he thought he heard a horse and buggy coming down the lane. He stepped outside the barn and learned he was right.

It did not take Samuel long to recognize Sadie's father as his visitor, and he wondered how much trouble he was in for bringing Sadie home last night. He doubted the pretty redhead would tell her
Dat
that he took her over his knee, but if she did, he might be in even more trouble. He squared his shoulders and stepped forward to greet the man. "
Gudermariye
, Mr. Miller."

"
Gudermariye
, Samuel. It is a fine day, ain't so?" he asked quietly.

"
Ja
, it is. Would you care for some coffee? I have some already made in the haus."

"
Danki
, that would be nice." Levi followed him inside the house and Samuel invited him to have a seat at the table. He quickly poured two mugs of coffee and then asked, "Do you take sugar or milk?"

"No. Black is fine."

Samuel nodded, trying to figure out what the man wanted. After he set the coffee on the table, he took out a package of cookies and opened them. "These aren't as good as the cookies the ladies in your family make, but I am not a cook."

"They are fine," Levi said, helping himself. He waited until Samuel was seated to say, "My Sadie says you are to be baptized in May."

"Yes, sir. Bishop Hershberger was kind enough to offer to instruct me privately, and he feels I am ready. My
mamm
raised me to understand the
Ordnung
and little has changed since my father took her away."

"I remember your
mamm
. She was a nice young woman."

"Did you know my father?" Samuel questioned.

"
Ja
. He was restless during his
rumspringa
, but he seemed to settle when he started courting your
mamm
. The elders spoke with him on several occasions, but Melvin was stubborn and refused to accept the warnings were for his best interests."

"That is what
Mamm
told me. She was heartbroken when he was shunned and he took her away. Her family shunned her from that point on and refused to speak with her or answer her letters. I know nothing of my aunts and uncles or cousins, or even if my grandparents still live.
Mamm
did nothing wrong, but my father took her away and she was shunned by her own family for his choices."

"I have wondered why she did not return here and ask the community for help when your father died."

"She feared she would not be welcomed, and she did not wish to be a burden on the community."

"Shunning is a painful matter for all those involved."

"
Ja
, it is."

"I came to see if you need help with your spring work? Do you know how to plow your ground?" Levi asked curiously, wondering how the young man hoped to make the place work without any experience. He came to offer help and instruction if need be.

"I worked on an Amish farm for a year, sir. I knew I needed to learn before I bought a place and settled here. I still have much to learn," he admitted with a grin.

"You have been planning to come here for some time then?"

"It has been my dream since I was sixteen or so. I never felt a part of the world I grew up in.
Mamm
worked very hard, and as soon as I was old enough to work, I did. When I lost her, I closed up the apartment we lived in, and I found an Amish farmer who was willing to take me on and teach me."

"I am sure you found it much different to live plain...?" Levi said with a smile.

"Living without worldly things has never been a problem. We had no radio or television in our home. We did have electric, but
Mamm
used lamps and candles and our kitchen stove was gas; we used electric for heat during the winter. We didn't have room for a garden, but she bought produce from farm stands and she canned. She made clothing for us both, even though she insisted I wear jeans and dress like the other kids I went to school with. She feared that I would stand out too much if I did not, but she always dressed Amish."

Levi nodded, impressed. "Your
mamm
sounds like a true Amish woman. She did her best to raise you with the
Ordnung
. This reassures me that you are sincere, Samuel. The Bishop would not proclaim you ready for baptism if he did not believe you would live the faith."

"You need not fear I would pull Sadie away from all that is familiar to her, sir. I would never permit her to suffer what
Mamm
suffered."

Levi nodded, then cleared his throat. "I asked Sadie to respect my wishes about courting and she told me that you would not court her without my knowledge and blessing. This shows respect, Samuel. If you continue to see Sadie at our meetings and the singings, I will allow you to court her once you are both baptized. To stand in your way then would show a lack of faith on my part."

"Thank you, sir. I can be patient that much longer. Sadie is worth the wait."

Levi smiled and nodded. He got to his feet and said, "I must be going now. If you find you need help, Samuel, all you need to do is ask. You are part of our community now, and we help each other."