Authors: Ruth Price
“
I see.
”
“
Is there anything else we can offer you to eat?
”
Esther asked, and while she smiled, the question seemed more like a statement than an offer of hospitality.
Isaac looked at his daed, Judith, and then Esther before settling his gaze on his plate again.
“
I'm fine,
”
he said.
“
It was wonderful!
”
“
Ja,
”
Jacob said.
“
Miriam, why don't you gather the plates? The other girls can help you.
”
Judith nodded. As the three of them cleared the table, Esther guided the two men to the living room. When they'd gone, Miriam whispered,
“
The nerve of him, insulting Samuel like that.
”
Judith nodded.
“
I think Isaac's daed is very strict.
”
“
Well, I'll be happy to see the back of him.
”
Miriam gathered the stack of plates, and putting the forks atop with more gusto than was necessary, carried them to the kitchen. Judith followed with the used napkins, depositing them in the trash. She was glad
she hadn't mentioned Mr. Graber's suspicions from the night before. While Samuel's actions had been ill-advised, he'd done nothing wrong, and it wasn't Mr. Graber's business anyway. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't be excited to spend more time with Isaac, or that Isaac was actually interested in learning CPR.
Tuesday couldn't come soon enough. Once Judith had finished putting the dishes away, she allowed herself the chance to check in on the guests in the living room. Isaac's daed was on the couch, a Bible in his lap, reading. Isaac sat beside him. Cupped in hi
s hands was a small, brown volume. Walt
Whitman’s
,
“
Leaves on Grass.
”
Judith's breath caught at the seeing her daed's favorite book of poems in Isaac's hands. Judith had thumbed through the book so many times, the corners were black with smudged ink, and t
he words settled in her mind as deeply as her favorite psalms. She swallowed, her throat large and sore, like she'd caught a cold.
Judith must have moved, squeaked her foot over the floor or something, because Isaac looked up.
“
Is this yours?
”
he asked.
“
It was my daed's.
”
“
Oh! I'm sorry--
”
He closed the book, looking flustered, and held it out to her.
“
No, please,
”
Judith said.
“
You should read it. I mean, I'm happy you are.
”
Jacob looked up. His gaze rested on the pair of them, and the lines around his mouth deepened as his lips turned downwards.
“
Is there anything I can get for you?
”
Judith asked quickly.
“
Something to drink?
”
“
We're fine,
”
Jacob said.
“
No need to mind us. You surely have work with which to occupy yourself.
”
“
Yes, sir,
”
Judith said. With one last glance at Isaac, she left.
Jacob kept Isaac busy the next afternoon, first helping their host family in the fields and then the next day securing time for Isaac to work with Amos, acknowledged as the most skilled hand carpenter in the district.
Amos was a large, cheerful man with a bulbous nose and wide hazel eyes with thick brown lashes a woman would envy. He had a bit of a belly, but with his sleeves rolled up, his arms were massive trunks of corded muscle. He greeted Jacob and Isaac with a smile, towering half a head taller even than Jacob with a wide grin as he extended his massive hand to shake. His grip was well controlled, leaving no doubt of the strength of his hands while at the same time making it clear that he had chosen not to use the slightest hint more than necessary.
“
Good morning,
”
he said.
Jacob and Isaac returned the greeting, Jacob following up with,
“
If you don't mind taking care of my son, I have business with the Bishop. Deacon Hilty's going to give me a ride over on his buggy. I should be back before dark.
”
“
Ja, sounds good. I look forward to working with your son. I read the letter you gave me from Mark, whose been teaching him the past two years.
”
Amos directed his gaze towards Isaac.
“
He says
you’re
an earnest boy with lots of talent.
”
“
Danki,
”
Isaac said. He'd never thought of himself talented or not, though he did try to work the wood with the seriousness is warranted. He'd come to love working with wood, the feel of it beneath his fingers, the attention to detail in measuring and fitting pieces together, and the creativity of implementing his own ideas, albeit within the strict framework of Mark's designs.
“
I hope I'm soon trusted to make my own pieces,
”
he said.
“
I expect you will be, soon enough,
”
Amos said.
“
Come with me.
”
Amos led him through the house to an attachment at the back where he had his own workshop. It had been built with coolness in mind with large doors at the north and south sides that swung out to capture any breeze that might pass through the workshop. It was sunny, and Amos had two partially finished chairs outside, which he lead Isaac to look at while at the same time giving the younger boy a thorough quizzing of what he had already been taught. Isaac had always had an excellent memory as well as facility with his hands, so he had little problem answering Amos's questions, and soon the older man had put him to some light sanding work while he discussed the intricacies of function and design.
After about half an hour, his oldest daughter, a girl of sixteen with large brown eyes and a quiet demeanor which Jacob had praised mightily came in.
“
Mamm asked me to ask you if you wanted something to drink?
”
“
Some of your mamm's lemonade would go down a right treat,
”
Amos said with a booming laugh.
“
Ja,
”
Isaac seconded. He'd been so absorbed in his work, he hadn't recognized the dryness in his mouth or how the sweat had blossomed from his skin, staining the front of his shirt.
Fawn smiled at them both, and bustled out of the room.
“
So, son,
”
Amos said, gesturing Isaac towards one of the workman's benches.
“
Your daed seems to think you've got eyes for some of the young ladies here.
”
“
Young--young ladies.
”
It was like Isaac's face had caught fire, he was so embarrassed. He stared down at his boots.
“
I haven't--I mean--
”
Amos burst out laughing again.
“
It's fine, young man.
”
He clapped Isaac on the shoulder firmly enough to make the younger man cough.
“
I just wanted to let you know, if you're thinking to look to my Fawn, she's only got eyes for Hezekiah's Jacob, who everyone calls Beanie because we've got about six too many Jacobs in this crop of kinner.
”
“
I haven't...I mean your daughter is lovely but--
”
“
Oh-ho, who is the lucky lady then?
”
“
I don't...
”
“
Nobody's struck your fancy? It's fine, you're young yet.
”
“
Well...
”
Isaac took a breath to steady himself. He desperately wanted someone to talk with about this, someone who he could trust not to go to his daed, who so clearly disapproved.
“
I haven't eyes for...but...my daed...can we keep this conversation in confidence?
”
Amos smelled of sweat, and his face was red from the heat as he took a spot beside Isaac on the bench, the wood creaking under his weight.
“
Look at me boy,
”
Amos said.
Startled at the seriousness of the other man's tone, Isaac looked up. Amos's expression was absolutely serious as he said,
“
What's said in confidence between men is just that. You have my word.
”
Relieved, Isaac nodded. He was still embarrassed, but just knowing he could speak to Amos without his daed finding out gave him the courage to speak.
“
I wanted to know a bit more about...Judith.
”
“
Esther's girl!
”
Amos's eyebrows went straight up.
“
Well, I must admit, I didn't see that one coming. She's usually not the favorite.
”
“
Why does everyone say that?
”
Isaac said, anger rising in him.
“
She's smart and beautiful and she's not afraid to do things even if they're not what everyone else is doing!
”
“
Oh, you do like her then.
”
“
Daed!
”
Fawn walked in, two cups of lemonade in hand, a third held between the curl of her elbow and her chest. She handed the first to Isaac, who drank greedily, the cool condensation on the outside of the glass a balm to his fingers. The three of them drank together in silence for a bit, the Fawn said.
“
I heard you two talking about Esther. Did anything else happen?
”
“
No,
”
Isaac said.
“
It was completely quiet, though Judith's mamm must have come in pretty late at night because I didn't see her until this morning.
”
“
Rachel's going to be so mad you spent the night with her instead of with their own family. Her daed's supposed to be hosting you the rest of the week.
”
“
Ja,
”
Isaac said. He'd rather have stayed with Judith's family, but at least he'd get to see her tomorrow for the class.
“
Well, I'll warn you, Isaac. Rachel's got her sights on you, so be careful.
”
“
Be careful? Why?
”
It seemed an especially odd warning to come from Rachel's friend.
“
Rachel gets what she wants, that's all,
”
Fawn explained.
“
I love her, but while she's got the will of a mule, she's also got the sense of one a lot of the time. She doesn't know what's good for her, that's for sure, and she doesn't see what's plainly in front of her face. Like you and Judith.
”
“
There's nothing between me and Judith!
”
Isaac said, heart pounding.
“
But there could be. You're going to that class with her tomorrow, ja?
”
“
How did you know?
”
“
It's a small town.
”
Fawn shrugged.
“
Just watch your step. And don't you dare break Judith's heart. As God is my witness, you'll see no good for it.
”
“
I won't.
”
Isaac had no intention of breaking Judith's heart, and it spoke well for her that her friend defended her so vigorously.
“
I promise. And danki.
”
Fawn nodded, taking a sip of her lemonade.
“
Well, to be honest, I should be more worried about her breaking yours. She loved learning, even before her daed died, and after...I think she's still looking for a way to save him, and she thinks the Englischers have some solution, though if you asked her, she wouldn't be able to say what.
”
“
I just want to get to know her better,
”
Isaac said.
“
She's interesting, that's all.
”
Possibly the most interesting woman he'd ever met, if he was being honest.
“
Ja.
”
Fawn finished her lemonade and stood.
“
I'll come and get those glasses from the pair of you later. If you need anything else, you just give a shout inside. Mamm's working on her quilting mainly to stay out of the heat, and I'm tending to the chickens.
”
Both men nodded. When she'd left, Amos said,
“
My Fawn's a quiet girl, but she always sees things true. She gets it from her mamm, I think. Now, let me show you how I've joined these two pieces together...
”
They worked through the afternoon in honest sweat and labor. While Isaac paid attention to what Amos was teaching, he couldn't focus entirely. His thoughts were too wrapped up in Judith, his anticipation of the next morning, and worry that in spite of everything, the girl he fancied might already be too far out of reach.