Courting Buggy: Nurse Hal Among The Amish (20 page)

“
Nah, I'll be fine,” Hal said. “Don't worry
about me. I understand what Peter is going through.”

“
I wish I did,” Anna said, feeling
frustrated.

David put his arm around Daniel's shoulder. “I'm
sorry my dawdi ruined the party.”

“
It is all right. He really did not ruin much.
We had the gute cake and ice cream and a gute visit,” Daniel
said.

“
We will do something fun together soon. Maybe
go coon hunting again to train the dogs,” Noah added.

David brightened up. “Jah, that would be gute.”

Cooner Jonah said in a hushed voice to John, “I sure
am sorry this happened. My daed comes and goes like this all the
time. There is no way of getting his mind back when he does
something wrong. The change happens so suddenly it takes us by
surprise. I never thought he would hurt Nurse Hal of all
people.”

Hal said, “Your father is sick. He has Alzheimer's
disease. If there's a time you could come by the clinic and talk to
me away from where your father can hear us, I'd be glad to explain
the disease to you. Maybe I can help you figure out how to talk to
Peter when he's upset.”

“
Jah, Anna and me would like to learn about
this disease,” Cooner Jonah said. “John, why did you ask about our
digger?”

“
Your father stopped at our house a couple
times before he caught me home. He asked me to return the digger I
borrowed from him. I told him I didn't borrow his digger and showed
him mine in the shed. He was very upset. He said someone must have
stolen his,” John explained.

“
That's not so,” Cooner Jonah
declared.

Anna studied the screen door. “Will your aunt be safe
with Peter?”

Nora looked worried. “Hal, I was wondering that
myself.”

“
I'm not sure why, but he seems to like Aunt
Tootie. I think she will be all right. I can tell she likes Peter,”
Hal said.

“
It sounds odd to hear Peter call my sister
Dolly,” Nora said. “We haven't used her given name in
years.”

“
He is reminded of a special friend named Dolly
he dated before he married my mother,” Jonah shared. “The way I
heard it they almost married. I do not know what happened, but he
wound up marrying my mother instead.”

“
John, perhaps we should think about going
home,” Jim suggested.

“
Maybe so.” John said, “Noah, will you go find
Aendi Tootie. Tell her we are ready to leave.”

Noah shot out the door. He rushed back in a few
minutes later and leaned against the door frame, panting, “I have
looked everywhere, but I can not find Aendi Tootie.”

“
Did you see my father?” Cooner Jonah
asked.

“
Nah, not him, either. I checked in the dawdi
house. Peter and Aendi Tootie are not there. That is not all. Dawdi
Jim's courting buggy is missing,” Noah said, mystified.

“
Peter and Tootie have disappeared? My buggy is
gone? How do you like that? She wouldn't go for a ride with me, but
she will with a strange … .” Jim paused when Cooner Jonah's head
came up. “A stranger,” Jim finished politely.

“
We need to figure out where Peter would take
Aunt Tootie,” Hal said.

“
He drives around Bender Creek Road often,”
Cooner Jonah suggested.

“
That is right. That road seems to hold
pleasant memories from years ago for him,” Anna
remembered.

“
How about that. Tootie wouldn't go down Bender
Creek Road with me, but she went with Peter in my courting buggy,”
groused Jim.

“
You asked your wife's sister to go to Bender
Creek Road with you in that courting buggy, and you have the nerve
to call my father strange,” Cooner Jonah said harshly.

“
I didn't intend to take Tootie there for any
other reason but a ride to try my new buggy out. A short ride at
that. A very short one.” Cooner Jonah continue to stare in a
distrusting way at him. Jim turned to Nora. “Tell him, Nora. I
wouldn't do what he's thinking, would I?”

“
Jim is telling the truth, Mr. Rogies,” Nora
said. “He's not that kind of man.”

“
He's a gute man, Cooner Jonah,” Hal
defended.

“
We better be looking for those two instead of
talking. Cooner Jonah, how about you and I search for Peter and
Aendi Tootie. Jim, you take the women and kids home,” John
planned.

Daniel sat in quiet contemplation all the way home,
looking off into the dark night. He leaned against the barn with
his hands in his trouser pockets, staring at his bare feet while
Jim helped Noah unharness Ben.

Jim asked, “Daniel, you're too quiet. Is what Peter
Rogies did tonight bothering you?”

Daniel nodded. “He scared me. Looking mean at all of
us and hurting Mama Hal like that. I do not understand. He has
always been such a nice man.”

“
The poor old fellow isn't well. He might just
get worse,” Jim said. “If you are around him from now on, you need
to be mindful of that fact and keep some distance between you and
him.”

Noah came back with the harness. “That is not gute to
know now that Aendi Tootie is with him.”

“
All we can do is wait and see. Hope for the
best,” Jim said.

“
How come Mama Hal told Peter she was sorry.
She didn't do anything wrong. Peter hurt her. He should have told
her he was sorry,” Daniel said.

“
Jah, Mama Hal lied to him,” Noah
added.

“
No, not really. You see sometimes to tell a
person something they want to hear when they are sick like Peter
isn't considered dishonest. Peter thought he knew the truth so he
might have hurt Hal worse if she had tried to reason with him,” Jim
explained. “Remember that if you're ever around him or someone like
him. Telling them what they want to hear is better than getting
hurt or making it worse for the person who is sick. In a few
minutes, right or wrong, they won't remember what you said to them
anyway. On top of that, what Hal did was to show respect and
kindness for a fellow human being who has a horrible
illness.”

It was Tootie's intention to calm Peter down and
remind him it was his birthday so he could go back and enjoy what
was left of the party with everyone.

The plan seemed to be working until they walked past
the Lapp's enclosed buggy. Peter stopped by the courting buggy.
“Remember when we used to go on dates in that buggy.”

“
I don't think it would have been that one,”
Tootie said.

“
Let me take you for a ride now,” Peter
urged.

“
Now! It's dark. I thought maybe we could take
a moonlight walk right here.”

“
I'd rather go for a ride,” Peter
insisted.

“
It's getting late,” Tootie excused.

“
We will not stay gone long. Please go for a
ride in my courting buggy with me,” Peter coaxed.

Tootie looked toward the house. She didn't see anyone
watching them. What was it Hallie said? This was like play acting.
Peter was happy again. She should go along with whatever he said.
She wanted him to enjoy her company and not be mad at her. “All
right, let's go. Just don't make it a long ride. We don't want our
families to worry about us.”

Peter relaxed once they were in the seat. He dangled
the lines over the horse's back and let Mike walk. Peter looked
like he wouldn't mind if this ride lasted all night. Tootie felt
uneasy about taking Jim's buggy, but what else could she do? Maybe
she could talk Peter into turning around soon and taking the buggy
back before Jim noticed it was gone. “Where we going?”

“
Just around the Bender Creek Road,” Peter
said.

Tootie suddenly felt jittery. She didn't think it was
proper to be on Lover's Lane with Peter, but she didn't have a
choice now. She should have ask Peter before they started. Too
late. She was along for the ride now.

She'd read about teenage dating in her All You Need
To Know About Amish Customs book. She racked her brain for what was
written in the book. It finally came to her what she should say as
they turned onto Bender Creek Road. “Peter, I mean to stick to the
no touching policy on this date.”

“
No touching? Oh, you mean a Hands Off
Courtship.” Peter chuckled heartedly. “It is a little late to ask
for that between the two of us, ain't so?”

“
Holy Buckets!” Tootie exploded and felt a
tight lurch in her stomach. Peter and the real Dolly must have been
closer than she realized. Now what was she going to do?

“
Young lady, that is no way to talk. Scripture
says, Now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, and filthy communication out of your mouth.

You know if it had not been for my responsibility to
Sara I would have followed you when you moved away. I wanted to
marry you.” Peter pulled the buggy over to the side of the road and
stopped. He twisted in the seat and took her hand. “We need to
talk. I want you to know I did not want to let you go all those
years ago. I checked with your brother as often as I could without
getting caught to see if you were all right after you left. When I
found out you married, it was no use anymore. I had to quit.”

“
I see,” Tootie said quietly.

“
I can tell you do not really see. You were not
around when I was wishing things could have been different. Oh, I
loved Sara, but I loved you more, Dolly.” Peter leaned over and
pressed a light, very gentle kiss on Tootie's cheek. It was such a
tender kiss she couldn't ignore it. “Now do you see?”

The gesture was so sweet it brought tears to Tootie's
eyes and a load of quilt to her insides. She shouldn't have let
this mess go as long as she did. Peter needed to know she wasn't
his Dolly. She was just a fill in even though she wished she was
the real deal. “I'm beginning to,” she whispered as she wiped tears
rolling down her cheeks with her fingertips. “Now that you've told
me don't you think we better go back to your place. We've been gone
long enough.”

Peter's gaze didn't budge from her face as he took
her hand in his. “Jah, but only after you make me a promise.”

“
I'll try. What is it?” Tootie
asked.

“
You will come back here with me again soon.
I've spent a lot of time traveling on this road by myself over the
years with just the memory of you to keep me company. Now that I
have the real thing, I want you to come here with me again,” Peter
said.

“
It's a date for sure,” Tootie agreed
solicitously. “You know as late as it's getting maybe you should
take me to the Lapp house.”

“
Jah, I can do that. This is all I will make
you promise for now, but we have to talk again soon. We have had
too many years go by. We can not let what is between us go unsaid
or not acted upon.” Peter flicked the lines and turned the buggy
around in the road.

The pale light from the gas lamp lit up the Lapp's
living room window. Tootie sighed. Someone must be waiting up for
her. She tried to steel herself for the chewing out Nora and Hal
were going to give her for taking off with Peter. Worse yet, Jim
was really going to be mad about them using his old buggy without
asking.

Tootie let Peter help her down. They climbed the
porch steps and entered the house. Her family stared at the door,
wondering who would be coming through it.

Tootie opened the door. “Hello.”

“
Where have you been?” Nora barked.

Tootie shrugged, “We went for a ride.”

“
My buggy all in one piece?” Jim
snapped.

With an offended sniffle, Tootie said, “Yes, it is,
and so are we. Thanks for asking.” She patted Peter's arm. “Peter
needs a ride home now.”

“
I'll take him,” Jim said
begrudgingly.

Tootie excused softly to Jim, “Peter thought the
buggy was one he used to own.”

Jim went over to stand at the door by Peter, ready to
leave.

Hal said, “Wait, Dad. Noah, go along with Grandpa in
case Peter gives him trouble. You will make sure Dawdi finds his
way back home. See if you can find your father on the way. Tell him
and Cooner Jonah that all is well. They can come home.”

Noah walked over to Peter. He put his hand on the
elderly man's rounded shoulder. “Come on, Peter Rogies. It's
bedtime for all of us. Time to go home.”

Chapter 14

“
That quilting frolic at Jane
Bontrager's house is this afternoon,” Hal said as she helped her
mother clean off the table after breakfast. “Eldon stopped John
down by the road and told him to pass the word on to
us.”

“
Do they live close?” Tootie asked as
she put a glass in the rinse water.

“
Jah, they live just down the road,”
Hal said. “We can go right after lunch.”

Tootie frowned. “We didn't bring needles and
scissors to quilt with.”

“That's all right,” Emma said. “We will give
you some of ours to use.”

Nora gazed out the window. “I haven't been to
a quilting bee since we were children. We went to them with
Mama.”

“I haven't, either,” Tootie said.

Nora turned to her. “You're always telling me
you quilt with women in the church basement.”

“
Sure I do if you call sewing squares
of material together and tacking with different colors of scrap
yarn quilting. Hardly the same thing as a good old fashion quilting
bee,” Tootie declared.