Courting Buggy: Nurse Hal Among The Amish (30 page)

I can't tell you what to do. You have to be
the one to decide. You give it some thought. Like I told you, I
won't say a word to anyone. This secret is safe with me, but you
should make a decision soon. Dad is making noises about going
home.”

“
Thank you, Dear. It really has helped
to get this off my chest,” Tootie said.

“
We've walked far enough. We should go
back and raid the refrigerator for some of Emma's gute lemonade.
Emma and Mom are probably done picking green beans and could use a
gute drink by now, too.”

A few mornings later, Tootie caught Hal
alone, dusting in the clinic. “I've decided to go visit Jonah and
Anna. Peter stands over me every night in my dreams, shaking his
finger at me. It doesn't look like he's going to let me have a good
night's rest even after I go home. Could you take me today?”

“
I'd be glad to,” Hal said. “Would you
mind if we used Dad's buggy?”

“
Right now I'm so nervous about this
whole mess I don't care what we ride in,” Tootie said
forlornly.

Hal went to the garden to tell Nora and Emma
she was taking Tootie for a ride. Nora was squatted in a row of
green beans. She stopped picking and studied her daughter intently,
but she didn't ask where or why. She just said okay. Emma nodded
and kept picking. She always seemed to sense when saying less was
better.

Hal hunted her father up in the barn with
John. “Dad, would you mind if I borrowed your buggy today?”

“
Of course not. I'll get Mike hitch up
for you.”

John asked, “Where are you headed?”

“
I thought I'd take Aunt Tootie for a
ride. Maybe a ride would cheer her up,” Hal excused.

Jim turned around at the door. “Really? More
power to you if you think you can get either one of those
Petermeyer sisters in my buggy,” Jim growled.

“
Aunt Tootie has already agreed to ride
with me,” Hal said timidly.

Jim grunted as he went out the door and
grumbled, “Must be the driver they object to then.”

Hal looked helplessly at John. He stuffed his
hands in his trouser pockets and leaned against the barn wall. Hal
rolled her eyes up at the cobweb covered barn ceiling. “Lord, give
me the strength to smile when I don't feel like it. Honestly, John,
sometimes I just want to hide under the bed and stay there until
everyone in this family can get along.”

“
Don't do that,” John said.

“
Why not?”

He kissed her cheek. “I'd miss you.”

When Hal came to the Bender Creek Road, she
turned onto it. “This really is a pretty area in the daylight.”

“
It is,” Tootie agreed. “I couldn't
tell much about it in the dark with Peter. I didn't give the
scenery much thought. Peter sure didn't have his mind on scenery.”
She giggled like a school girl. “He said he drove around this road
often, thinking about Dolly. He used to bring her here a lot where
he thought no one would see them. Why did you pick today to come
here?”

“
I thought you might feel closer to
Peter. Maybe that feeling would help you when you talk to Cooner
Jonah.”

Hal followed the road until they reached the
intersection stop sign and drove toward the Rogies farm. Jonah was
coming out of the barn when they drove in. Hal helped Tootie down,
and they went to meet him.

“
Come on in. Anna will be glad to see
you,” Jonah greeted.

They all sat down at the table while Anna
poured coffee and set out a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

“
I had a reason for stopping by.”
Tootie licked her lips nervously. “You might be sorry I came, but
we're going home soon so I couldn't wait much longer to talk to
you, Jonah.”

His head came up fast. “Me?”

“
Yes. You see your father and I
confided in each other. Of course, the intimate things he shared
with me he thought he was sharing with the Dolly he loved long ago.
I didn't mind until he told me a family secret that he made me
promise to share with you after he was gone. I was for letting
sleeping dogs lie, as they say, but my conscious has bothered me so
much I decided I should tell you what your father wanted you to
know.”

Tootie took a drink of hot coffee to wet down
her throat and told the story as Peter had told it to her. Jonah
and Anna were surprised that Peter had loved two women at the same
time. Maybe it happened more than they knew, but they didn't think
that love was always acted on, especially not in their family.

Tootie assured them that they were the only
two that knew the story besides Hal and her. What they choose to do
with the news was up to them. No one else would know as far as Hal
and she were concerned. Tootie stood up and declared the visit
over. Anna and Jonah gave her a hug and thanked her for
sharing.

On the way home, Tootie worried, “Everyone is
going to wonder where we went today? I'd just as soon not get into
where with Nora and Jim. They would ask too many questions. I'd be
sure to say the wrong thing, and before I knew it, they would know
more than I want them to know.”

“
What should we tell them?”

“
Take me by the cemetery if you have
time. I'll say I wanted to visit Peter's grave,” Tootie
said.

“
I'll make time. That sounds like a
gute reason to go for this ride,” Hal replied softly. “But only if
you will do something for me in return.”

Tootie snorted. “Is this what you call
blackmail for helping me?”

“
Nah, I'd call it one hand washing the
other. The next time my father is going to take this buggy
somewhere I want you to volunteer to ride along with him,” Hal
said.

Tootie looked put out.

“
Aunt Tootie, you're hurting his
feelings. You take the fun out of his owning this buggy by turning
him down when he asks you to ride in it. It's about time you and
Mom acted like you like riding with Dad. Besides, have you ever
thought that Dad is dragging his feet about going home? He's hoping
Mom and you will give in to liking his buggy first. The quicker you
act like you like this buggy the quicker you could be going home,”
Hal scolded.

“
I did like riding in the buggy with
Peter. Why don't you tell your mother to go with Jim? She's his
wife,” Tootie retorted, pouting.

“
Ach, don't worry. Mom's going to be
the next one to hear from me. Now do we have a deal?”

“
All right, but when is this ride going
to take place?”

“
When you see me nod at you. You wait
for the signal,” Hal told her.

That morning, Emma had done a fair amount of
baking. Hal asked for her to bake a coconut cream pie to take to
the Bontragers. After lunch, Hal said, “Dad, will you do me a big
favor?”

“
Sure thing,” he said
agreeably.

“
Emma made a coconut cream pie I want
delivered to the Bontragers this afternoon. Can you deliver it for
me?”

“
Sure, be glad to.”

Hal gave Tootie a nod and nodded toward Jim.
Tootie cleared her throat. “Jim, could I ride along with you? I'd
like to visit with the Bontragers. They are the nicest people.”

“
Of course, you can,” Jim said with a
pleased smile.

After they left the house, Nora stood at the
kitchen window, staring at Jim and Tootie climbing in the buggy.
“What do you suppose got in to that sister of mine? I didn't think
she would ever get in that buggy with Jim.”

“
Guess she just decided to be nice for
a change. You saw how happy it made Dad to take her for a ride. You
should volunteer next. Dad has had his feelings hurt a lot lately.
You and Aunt Tootie have been so unkind to him about that buggy.
You really should make it up to him,” Hal said.

When Tootie came back from her ride with Jim,
she was all smiles. “Hal, I apologized to Jane for what happened at
the quilting bee. She has forgiven me. Isn't that great.”

“
It's very gute news. I'm glad you did
that,” Hal said.

“
Jane even invited me to come visit
again when we're down this way. I promised to be on my best
behavior next time so I wouldn't spoil her quilting bee. You should
have heard her laugh.”

Later that afternoon, John appeared in the
mudroom door. “Hal, clean up. You and me have some place to
go.”

“
Where?”

“
Just come upstairs with me and get
your fer gute clothes on so we can go for a ride,” he said, smiling
at her.

“
Are you sure? It's so close to supper
time and chores,” Hal worried.

Nora winked at John. “Hal, just do as John
says. Tootie, Emma and I can handle supper tonight.”

“
Go on,” Emma insisted, pushing Hal out
of the kitchen.

Jim said from the living room doorway. “The
boys and I will milk. Get out of here. The buggy is out front
waiting for you.”

Consumed with curiosity, Hal did as she was
told. She put on her newest lavender dress and cape. John changed
into his white shirt and black trousers. When John opened the
screen door for Hal, she stepped out on the porch and stopped. “I
thought Dad said the buggy was waiting.”

“
It is,” John said, pointing to Jim's
courting buggy.

“
We're taking Dad's buggy?”

“
Jah, he does not mind. Seems only
recht to use it since we are going on a date,” John said, grinning
at her.

“
A date? Really? A real
date.”

“
Jah. Now go get in that courting
buggy,” John ordered.

Hal stared at him as Mike started off. “Why
all this?”

“
Because you need a night off to get
away from this mad house. Because I can't take care of this family
without you if you really do decide to hide under the bed. Because
I love you. Need anymore reasons?” John asked.

“
That will do for starters. Where are
we going?”

To the Gingerich sisters for supper and for a
long moonlit ride,” John said, grinning at her.

“
Uh huh. Would this ride happen to end
up going down Bender Creek Road?”

John chuckled. “How did you guess?”

That later evening, after a wonderful supper
prepared by great Amish cooks, John turned onto the Lover's Lane.
With a full moon glowing down on them, Hal's senses came alive. She
felt the heat of the breeze on her face and dampness coming off the
creek. A sweetness from the timber leaves scented the air. She
reminded herself places like this was the reason she loved this
part of the country. Most importantly, she loved the man beside her
on the courting buggy seat as they enjoyed this place together.

The next morning, Jim announced at breakfast
they should head home the next day. They had been gone long enough.
It was time Nora and Tootie to pack their bags.

“
I'm going for one last ride around the
countryside in my buggy this morning,” Jim announced.

Hal caught her mother's eyes and nodded at
her father. She mouthed the word go.

Nora licked her lips and swallowed hard to
keep from chocking on her words. “Sounds like a nice ride. Can I go
with you?”

“
You sure can,” Jim said, smiling from
ear to ear. He hitched the buggy to Mike and waited for Nora to
climb in. They rode down gravel roads now as familiar as the
country roads around their home. As they passed each farm, echoes
of the Lapp farm, they chatted about what they saw happening. It
was as if the Plain people had always been their
neighbors.

After awhile, Nora realized she didn't mind
riding in the buggy as much as she once thought she did. “I've been
thinking, Jim. If you really want to take this buggy and horse
home, why don't you hire a truck to haul them?. That would be the
safest thing to do.”

Jim asked, “You really think that would be
all right?”

“
Yes, taking the buggy home is what you
want, isn't it?”

“
Well, I thought it was, but before you
know it, winter will be here. I'd have to get out on cold snowy
days to take care of the horse. Then when we came back here to
visit I'd have to haul the buggy and horse back down here where I
really like using the buggy. I think I'd rather leave the rig here
and dream about using it next year.”

“
Whatever you think is best,” Nora
said.

When they arrived back at the house, Jim
stared out the living room window at his courting buggy and horse
parked by the barn.

Nora asked, “Jim, are you sure you've decided
what you're going to do with that buggy? You look as if you hate to
leave it behind.”

John said, “We will be glad to store the buggy here
and keep the horse for you. When you come visit you will have it to
use, Jim.”

“
There you see. That sounds like a good idea,”
Nora added.

“
That's what I'd like, but I don't want John
stuck with feeding my horse on my account, and the buggy just
parked, gathering dust and not being used. I've decided I want to
give it to Noah to use when I'm not around,” Jim said.

“
Really, Dawdi Jim,” Noah said
excitedly.

Hal intervened, “But Dad he's only fourteen.”

“
I've seen how he can drive and take care of a
horse. He will take good care of my buggy and horse,” Jim
defended.

“
I know Noah would, but he's a little young for
a courting buggy. We have an open buggy he uses,” Hal
insisted.