Allison's Journey Page 5

  “Did you have fun at the young people’s gathering last night?” Aunt Mary asked. “Since I was in bed when you got home, I didn’t get the chance to ask.”

  “It was okay.”

  “When Harvey came downstairs this morning, he mentioned that James Esh gave you a ride home last night.”

  Allison nodded. She hoped the warmth she felt on her cheeks wouldn’t let Aunt Mary know how embarrassed she felt over the kiss James had given her.

  “In case you didn’t know, James hasn’t joined the church yet.” Aunt Mary’s brows furrowed. “You might watch yourself around James, because from what I’ve heard, he’s kind of wild.”

  “I don’t think James is really interested in me, but I’ll be careful, Aunt Mary.”

  “I hope so, dear one.” Aunt Mary moved over to the bed and picked up the faceless doll. “It looks like this poor thing is in need of repair.”

  Allison set her kapp on the back of her head. “According to my daed, my mamm made it for me when I was little. I don’t remember that, but I’ve kept it because it reminds me that I had a mamm once.”

  Aunt Mary patted Allison’s arm. “I’m sorry about that.” She took a seat on the edge of the bed and placed the doll in her lap. “Is there a reason this poor thing is in such bad shape?”

  “I. . .I don’t know how to fix it.” Allison sighed. “I asked Aunt Catherine several times to repair the doll, but she said she wasn’t much of a seamstress and was too busy to mess with something as unimportant as a faceless doll.”

  “Are you saying no one has ever taught you to sew?”

  Allison nodded. “Whenever I tried on my own, I either managed to stick myself with the needle, or the thread never seemed to hold.”

  “Would you like to learn to use my treadle machine?”

  Allison nibbled on the inside of her cheek. Truth be told, she’d never had a desire to sew.

  “We could begin by repairing your faceless doll. Then later, when we have more time, I’d be happy to show you how to make a doll from scratch.”

  “Well, I—”

  “I haven’t made a faceless doll for some time, since most Amish children don’t play with that kind of doll much anymore.” Aunt Mary smiled. “I think it would be fun for you to make one, though. You might even want to sell some dolls at the farmers’ market or in one of the gift shops in Seymour.”

  The thought of making some money appealed to Allison, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to learn how to sew in order to accomplish that. Of course, she reminded herself, the reason Papa sent me here is so I can learn to do more womanly things. If I’m ever to find a husband, I’ll need to know how to sew, whether I like it or not.

  “Jah, okay,” she finally said. “I’d be happy if you could show me how to use the sewing machine.”

  “Has the mail come yet?” Herman asked as he entered the kitchen after finishing his morning chores.

  Catherine, who was sitting at the table, nodded and motioned to a stack of letters on the counter.

  “Any word from Allison?”

  “Not a thing.”

  Herman compressed his lips. “That’s strange. I thought for sure there would be a letter from her by now.”

  “Your sister-in-law is probably keeping the girl too busy to write. She’s supposed to be learning how to run a home, after all.”

  Herman noticed the bitter tone in his sister’s voice. Was she jealous because Mary possessed homemaking skills she didn’t? Or could she be angry because having Allison gone meant she was stuck doing all the housework on her own?

  “Is there any iced tea?” he asked.

  Catherine shook her head. “I didn’t make any cold tea today. Just some hot peppermint tea to soothe my stomach.”

  “What’s wrong with your stomach? Are you feeling grank?”

  “I don’t think I’m sick; just a bit of indigestion is all.” She shrugged. “It’s probably those greasy sausage links I ate for breakfast. Never did care much for sausage.”

  “Then why’d you fix them?”

  “That’s what you and Peter said you wanted this morning.”

  In all the years Herman’s sister had been living with them, he had never known her to cater to anyone’s whims. Maybe she thought, with Allison gone and him missing her so much, she needed to be more agreeable.

  “I’d better change out of these grubby clothes,” he said. “I hope your stomach settles down soon.”

  Catherine grunted.

  Herman stomped up the stairs, wondering why he’d bothered to say anything positive to Catherine. She seemed determined to spend the rest of her days finding fault and complaining about something or other. Which is one of the reasons I sent Allison away for the summer. If I had the time, I’d take a vacation from that negative sister of mine myself!

  Aaron had just finished his chores in the barn and was about to head to the harness shop, when he spotted his collie crouched in the weeds near the garden. He moved closer to see if the dog had a mouse or some other critter cornered and discovered Rufus had a kitten between his paws. “Come here and leave that poor animal alone!”

  The collie released a pathetic whimper and backed away slowly. Aaron figured the cat would take off like a flash, but it just lay there, still as could be.

  “Rufus, if you killed Bessie’s kitten, she’ll have your hide. Mine, too, for letting you run free.” Aaron squatted in front of the tiny gray kitten and was relieved to see that it was still breathing. After a quick examination, he realized there were no teeth marks.

  Aaron returned to the barn, placed the cat with its mother, and then tied Rufus up for the rest of the day.

  When Aaron entered the harness shop a short time later, he found Paul at his workbench, assembling an enormous leather harness for a Belgian draft horse.

  “How come you’re late?” Paul asked.

  “I caught Rufus with one of Bessie’s kittens. I knew if I didn’t get the critter away from him quickly it would soon be dead.”

  “You’d better keep that dog tied. At least until the kittens are big enough to fend for themselves.”

  “He’s tied up now.”

  “That’s good, because Bessie would have a conniption if something happened to one of her cats.” Paul motioned to a tub sitting off to one side. “Better get started cleaning and oiling James Esh’s saddle. He dropped it by on Friday afternoon while you were up at the house getting our lunches.”

  The mention of James’s name set Aaron’s teeth on edge. He’d never liked that fellow much. Ever since they were children, James had been a showoff and a bit of a rebel. Aaron hadn’t liked the way James had looked at Allison last night at the young people’s gathering, either. He especially didn’t like seeing the two of them drive away in James’s buggy after the gathering was over. I hope he didn’t try anything funny with Allison. If only I’d had the nerve to ask about giving her a ride myself.

  Aaron balled his fingers into tight fists. What am I thinking? I’m not interested in a relationship with Allison. Courting leads to marriage, and I’m not getting married!

  “Aaron, did you hear what I said?”

  Aaron whirled around. “Huh?”

  Paul pointed to the tub. “The saddle needs to be cleaned.”

  “Jah, okay. I’ll see that it gets done.” Aaron set to work, but it was hard to concentrate when he kept thinking about Allison.

  He shook his head in an attempt to get himself thinking straight. Why was he thinking about a woman who would be leaving in a few months—especially when he was dead set against love and marriage? It’s probably because she took an interest in the harness shop.

  Aaron and Paul worked in silence for the rest of the morning, interrupted only by an English customer who dropped off two broken bridles and a worn-out harness that needed to be replaced. By noon, Aaron had James’s saddle finished, and he’d also done some work at the riveting machine on a new harness for Noah Hertzler.

  “I think I’ll go up to the house and s
ee if your mamm’s got lunch ready,” Paul said as he headed for the door.

  “Did you plan to bring the food back, or should we close the shop and eat in Mom’s kitchen today?” Aaron asked.

  “I’ll bring it back.” Paul nodded toward the finished saddle. “James Esh said he’d be here around noon, and I don’t want to miss him.” The door closed behind him, but a few minutes later it opened again.

  “Came to get my saddle,” James announced as he stepped into the building. The straw hat he wore was shaped a little different than most Amish men’s in their area, and it had a bright red band around the middle.

  Anything to let everyone know he’s going through his running-around years, Aaron thought. I wonder if James will decide to jump the fence and go English.

  “Your saddle’s ready and waiting,” Aaron said, motioning to the workbench across the room.

  James sauntered over to the saddle and leaned close, like he was scrutinizing the work Aaron had done. “Hmm. . . Guess it’ll be good enough.”

  Aaron bit back an unkind retort and moved to Paul’s desk. He reached into the metal basket and handed James his bill.

  James squinted at the piece of paper. “This is pretty high for just a cleaning and oiling, wouldn’t you say?”

  Aaron shrugged. “I don’t set the prices. If you’ve got a problem with the price, you’d best take it up with Paul.”

  “Paul, is it? Since when did you start callin’ your daed Paul?”

  Aaron shrugged. He didn’t think he had to explain himself to James.

  James glanced around the room. “Where is Paul, anyway?”

  “He went up to the house to get our lunch. You can wait if you want to talk to him about the bill.”

  “Naw, I don’t have any time to waste today.” James reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of large bills. He slapped the money down, then sauntered back to his saddle, which he easily hoisted onto his broad shoulders. He was almost to the door when he pivoted toward Aaron. “Did you know that I escorted that new girl from Pennsylvania home from the gathering last night? Allison Troyer, that’s her name.”

  Aaron gritted his teeth. Did James have to brag about everything he did?

  “Allison sure is cute,” James said with a crooked grin. “Don’t you think so?”

  “I hadn’t noticed.” Aaron’s fingers made a fist as he fought for control. He knew it would be wrong to provoke a fight, but at the moment, he felt like punching James in the nose.

  Just then, the front door swung open and Paul stepped into the room, carrying a wicker basket. “How are you, James?”

  “Doin’ real good,” James replied with a nod.

  “I see you’ve got what you came for.” Paul motioned to the saddle perched on James’s shoulders.

  “Jah. I’m headed home.”

  James made no mention of how much the cleaning and oiling had cost, and Aaron figured James had only made an issue of it just to see if he could get a rise out of him. The ornery fellow had a knack for irritating folks—especially Aaron.

  “Well, I’d best be on my way. I might stop by the Kings’ place sometime soon and see if their niece wants to go out with me.” James had his back to Aaron, so Aaron couldn’t see the fellow’s face, but he had a feeling there was a wily-looking smile plastered there. “See you later, Paul. You, too, Aaron.”

  When the door shut behind James, Paul placed the basket on the desk in front of Aaron. “You ready to eat, son? There are a couple of roast beef sandwiches in here, as well as a carton of your mamm’s tangy potato salad.”

  Aaron shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to eat something. Besides, your mamm worked hard making our lunches. She’d be real disappointed if you didn’t eat yours.”

  “Oh, all right.” It would be a shame to let a tasty roast beef sandwich go to waste on account of his dislike for James Esh.

  “I just got around to checking for mail, and I discovered a letter in the box for you,” Aunt Mary said as she entered the kitchen, where Allison was cutting slices of ham for their lunch.

  “Is it from my daed?” Allison asked.

  “No, it’s from someone named Sally Mast.” Aunt Mary placed the mail on one end of the counter. “If you’d like to read it now, I’ll take over making the sandwiches.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind? Sally’s my best friend, and I sure do miss her. I’d like to see what she has to say.”

  “I don’t mind at all. Enjoy your letter, and feel free to answer it now, too.” Aunt Mary moved over to the counter, took the knife from Allison, and started slicing the ham.

  “Danki.” Allison could hardly believe how agreeable Aunt Mary seemed to be. If Aunt Catherine had been getting the mail, she wouldn’t have told Allison she had a letter until lunch had been served and the dishes had been washed and put away.

  Allison thumbed through the mail until she located Sally’s letter. Taking a seat at the table, she opened the envelope and silently read her friend’s letter:

  Dear Allison,

  How are things in Missouri? Do you like it there? Have you made any new friends?

  I miss you. We all do—your daed, Peter, and the rest of your family.

  Allison grimaced. Sally didn’t mention anything about Aunt Catherine missing me. She’s probably hoping I’ll decide to stay here in Missouri and never come home.

  “Is everyone all right at home?” Aunt Mary asked. “That frown you’re wearing makes me think something might be wrong.”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Allison said with a shake of her head. “Sally’s letter says I’m missed.”

  “And I’m sure you’re missing your family back home, too.”

  “Everyone but Aunt Catherine,” Allison mumbled.

  “What was that?”

  “Oh, nothing. It wasn’t important.” Allison returned to the letter:

  I probably shouldn’t say anything just yet, but I think Peter’s on the verge of asking me to marry him. If he does, I’ll want you to be one of my attendants.

  Write back soon and tell me all about Webster County. I want to know about everything you’re doing.

  Your best friend for always,

  Sally

  Allison was pleased to hear that Sally and Peter might be getting married soon, but she couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy, wondering if she would ever become a bride. She moved over to the desk across the room and took out a writing tablet and a pen. Returning to the table, she wrote a letter to her friend:

  Dear Sally,

  It was good hearing from you. I’m glad things are going well for you and Peter. Be sure and let me know when he asks you to marry him. I miss you a lot, but I’m making some new friends here, too, which helps me not to feel so homesick.

  Things are so different from what I’m used to in Lancaster County. They drive only open buggies, which is fine during the warmer months, but I have to wonder how they manage during the cold winter months.

  Aunt Mary is going to teach me to sew, but we’ll have to see how that goes; I’ll probably make a mess of things. I still prefer doing outdoor things better than household chores, but maybe I’ll learn to like some domestic things, too.

  A young man named James gave me a ride home from a young people’s gathering awhile back. Don’t tell anyone, but he gave me my first kiss. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it felt good to know he found me attractive enough to kiss. I’ve always felt so plain, and since I’m a tomboy, I didn’t think anyone would ever want to kiss me.

  “Lunch is about ready now,” Aunt Mary said, touching Allison’s shoulder.

  Allison quickly folded the letter, slipped it into an envelope, and jumped up from the table. She would finish writing later.

  Chapter 6

  Keep your legs pumping while you hold the material just so,” Aunt Mary said as she showed Allison how to use her treadle sewing machine.

  It looked easy enough when Aunt Mary did it, but when Allison tried, th
ings didn’t go nearly so well. On her first attempt, she either pumped the treadle too fast or too slow. Then when she thought she had the hang of things, she pushed the hand wheel backwards and stitched right off the piece of cloth.

  On Allison’s next attempt, she stitched the end of her apron to the material. “I don’t know how that happened,” she muttered, pulling the thread from the scrap of fabric. “Makes me wonder if I’ll ever get the hang of things.”

  “Try it again,” Aunt Mary encouraged. “I’m sure you’ll get it soon enough.”

  Allison pumped up and down with her feet as she guided the wheel with one hand and directed the cotton material with the other. When the thread snapped, so did her patience. “I’m no good at this!” She pushed her chair away from the machine and stood. “I’d rather do something else, if you don’t mind.”

  Aunt Mary put her arm around Allison. “You’ll catch on if you give it a chance. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.”

  Allison shrugged. “Can it wait until later? It’s such a nice day. I wouldn’t mind going fishing if there’s someplace nearby—and if I can borrow someone’s pole.”

  “There’s a pond up the road that has some good bass in it. I’m sure Harvey wouldn’t mind if you used his pole. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go fishing alone.”

  “I’ll be fine. I go fishing by myself a lot back home.”

  “Maybe so, but I’d feel better if you took one of your cousins with you,” Aunt Mary insisted. “Dan’s out in the garden pulling weeds with Sarah, but I’m sure he’d be happy to join you at the pond for a while.”

  Allison figured it wouldn’t be so bad to have her ten-year-old cousin tag along. At least she’d have someone to talk to if the fish weren’t biting. “That’s fine with me,” she said with a smile.

  When Allison left the room, Mary took a seat in front of the sewing machine. I can’t believe a woman Allison’s age doesn’t know how to sew, she thought as she picked up the piece of material Allison had been working on. What kind of a woman is Herman’s sister that she’s never taught Allison to cook or sew?