Chapter 3
Junior’s father had been one of the smartest people he’d ever known.
Though he, like most Amish, had finished his formal education in the eighth grade, he’d continued to be a lifelong learner.
His father could chat knowledgeably about most everything.
He’d been a voracious reader and one of their library’s best patrons.
In addition, his daed had possessed a common sense that surpassed most everyone else’s.
That wasn’t just Junior’s opinion, either. People all over Walden used to ask his father’s opinion on approaching storms, the political climate, and on business plans. Even their bishop would stop by from time to time to ask Levi Lambright for his thoughts on a problem he was wrestling with.
In addition, his father had been kind and generous. Junior didn’t know of a better man to dispense advice or offer suggestions whenever he had a problem. Unfortunately, both of his parents had gone to heaven many years ago.
That was why he’d decided to call on his Aunt Rhoda that afternoon.
He needed information without a well-meaning, informative lecture.
She was mighty skilled at that . . . and so different than her brother, his father.
If Levi Lambright had a fault, it was that he’d been unable to dispense advice in a quick way.
After unhitching Arthur and leading him into the fenced field by the barn so he could graze for a spell, Junior opened his aunt and uncle’s back door after a brief knock.
“Hiya, Rhoda. It’s me!” he called out.
When there was no answer, Junior frowned. It was quiet in the mudroom and the kitchen, too. After spying his aunt’s newest kitten playing alone in living room, he headed down to the basement. “Aunt Rhoda? Hello?”
Nothing.
Heading back upstairs, he began to get worried. All sorts of worst-case scenarios entered his head. Maybe she was sick and had fallen and hit her head? Or she was deathly ill and in bed?
“Rhoda?” he called out. “Aunt Rhoda, are ya here?” Still not hearing a word, he ventured into the living room and the three-season room in the back of the house before climbing stairs to the second floor.
When he heard the comforting sounds of her treadle sewing machine, he felt like sagging against the wall in relief. Instead of doing that, he marched into his aunt’s favorite spot in the house—his old bedroom, which was now her sewing room.
“Hiya, Junior,” she called out in a sunny voice.
“Aunt Rhoda, didn’t you hear me calling for you?”
She didn’t stop her feet. “I did.”
“Well, why didn’t you answer me? I was starting to get worried about you.”
“Sorry. Hold on, though.”
He took a seat on the edge of his old twin bed and watched her finish a seam on what looked like a tablecloth.
After another four minutes passed, she turned to him with a bright smile. “At last, the tablecloth I’ve been working on for the mudsale is done.” Holding up the pale-pink fabric with embroidered daisies on the edge, she said, “What do you think?”
He was still a little irritated that she’d made him worry for no reason. Of course, she would say that was his problem and not hers. “I think it’s pretty, but I’m more concerned with how you are doing.”
“Me?” She carefully folded the finished product. “I’m fine, dear. Better than fine, since you’ve decided to pay your old aunt a visit.”
“Don’t act as if I never come over. I just saw you on Sunday.” He checked in with her often, too. Unlike his brother, Sam, who seemed to have forgotten that he still had a pair of relatives who loved him dearly.
“That was days ago.” Standing up, she added, “You rarely step away from your candle shop during the week, ain’t so?”
“That’s true. I am there a lot.” When she cast him a knowing look, he laughed. “I guess you aren’t the only person in the family who gets so preoccupied with a project that they forget about other things.”
“I am sorry for worrying you, Son. More importantly, I’m mighty pleased to see ya.” She reached out to give him a hug.
“Do you have time to talk?” he asked after they parted.
“For you? Always. Are you hungry?”
“Nee.”
“Are you sure?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s heading toward suppertime.”
He wanted advice in a timely manner. If she started getting out dishes, he’d be there for another hour. “A cup of kaffi would do me fine for now. I really only wanted to talk for a bit before I headed on home.”
A little bit of her smile faded. “All right, then. Let’s go downstairs and visit.”
Following her down the hall toward the stairs, he said, “I saw your new kitten.”
“Did you? She’s a sweetheart, ain’t so?”
“Indeed. Are you going to name her?” Rhoda loved her cats, but she didn’t seem to like to name them. She only ever called each one “cat” or “sweetheart.” He’d always found it maddening.
“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.” She brightened. “Sit down and I’ll bring you a cup of kaffi and a couple of cookies.”
He sat, thinking that some habits were so ingrained in their history that deviating from them wasn’t an option. This was one of those moments.
“Where’s Uncle Eli?” he asked as he watched her fill the percolator on the gas range.
“I’m not sure. He mentioned something about visiting the new bicycle shop on the trail.”
“Jonny Schrock’s?”
She paused with her hand literally in the cookie jar. “Maybe?”
“Jonny Schrock sells the electric bicycles. Is Eli interested in them?”
She chuckled as she arranged the cookies on a plate. “Your uncle is interested in most everything.”
While that was true, Junior felt obligated to give his opinion on the matter. “Uncle Eli is a little old to tackle a newfangled bike.”
“I agree, though I don’t believe he aims to get one. Most likely Eli wanted to learn more about ’em.” She winked. “Let’s hope and pray that Jonny has time to answer all his questions.”
“I will. Uncle Eli’s curiosity seems to know no bounds.”
“Perhaps. Though I’m sure Jonny will be able to handle him well.” She opened a cabinet and pulled out a pair of cups.
“If your uncle was here right now, he’d say you need to have more faith in him.”
“I have lots of faith in Eli. I just don’t want him to decide to try out an electric bike. It’s his reflexes that I’m not too sure about,” he joked.
When Rhoda approached the table, she held a tray filled with two cups of coffee, the plate of cookies, and a dish of peanuts. “Here you are.”
“This is a feast.”
“Hardly that,” she scoffed, though her cheeks were pink. “Now, enough of this small talk. What information are you looking for?”
“Information about Elizabeth Schrock.”
“Elizabeth?” She frowned. “That name . . . oh, do you mean Beth?”
“Jah.”
“I see.” Looking lost in thought, she remained quiet for a moment. Then she added, “Beth is Sylvia and Josiah Schrock’s granddaughter. One of them. They have two granddaughters.”
“I know that.”
“You do? Well, let’s see. Beth has an older bruder named Martin and a younger sister named Kelsey. Kelsey married Richard Miller and recently had a baby girl. He’s a preacher in another church district, you know.” She paused. “Oh! And of course, there’s Jonny, who married Treva Kramer.”
“I know who Elizabeth’s siblings are and I know about their grandparents, too.”
“Then I’m not sure what you need to know. Though, I am curious as to why you’re referring to Beth as ‘Elizabeth’ and not ‘Beth’.”
“I think it suits her better.”
His aunt studied him closely. “Hmm,” she said with a hint of a smile.
“Rhoda, I want to know what you know about Beth.”
“Such as?”
He waved a hand. “You know . . . I was hoping for some specifics. Like, did she go to college? Does she have a job?” He lowered his voice. “What is the story about her being pregnant and unmarried?”
She leaned back in her chair. “I don’t have those answers.”
“Come on. Please? You’re the friendliest person I’ve ever met. You always know stuff about people.”
“That doesn’t mean I gather information in order to gossip with my nephew.”
“I don’t want to hear gossip about her. I only want to try to get to know her better.”
Her eyes narrowed as she picked up a cookie and took a bite. “I think it’s time you gave me more information, too, Junior. I’m curious about why you need to know such personal things about Beth.”
“Fine. When I stopped by Patti’s, we got to talking. I ended up giving her a buggy ride home. There’s something about her that I really liked. Since she’s not Amish, I feel like she and I are on uneven ground. I just want to know a little bit more about her.”
“I believe she finished high school, went to college, and does something in real estate.”
“She’s a real-estate agent?”
“Perhaps? Or, maybe she does something with mortgages or loan applications?” She shrugged. “All that I know for certain was that she is successful.”
“I see.”
She stared hard at him, then added slowly, “I’ve also heard she’s far more closed off than either Kelsey or Jonny. She’s got her guard up.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Tell me, what about Beth sparked your interest?”
Everything. But no way was he admitting that to Rhoda. “I don’t know.”
“Junior, do you hear yourself?”
“Yes, I know I sound confused. But that’s because I am. I’m really confused about why I’m so taken with Elizabeth.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps she led you to believe she was interested, too?”
“She didn’t.” Remembering their conversation—what there was of it—he frowned. “She was kind of prickly.”
“I have no doubt she was prickly, if you were asking her a bunch of personal questions.”
“I wasn’t.”
After taking a bite of a cookie, she said, “John, the things you want to know about Beth are personal. You should be asking her these questions, not me.”
“All I wanted to know were some basics.”
“Which you already knew. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me the real reason you’re so interested in Beth Schrock?”
“What I told you was the truth.”
“If that is the case, then I suggest you start asking yourself some questions, Junior. Maybe you should do a bit of soul searching, followed by a prayer?”
He couldn’t deny that she had a point. Plus, prayer always helped. “I’ll do that.”
“I hope so . . . and I hope you find the answers you are looking for, too.”
“Danke, Aunt.” After draining his cup of coffee, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now get on with ya, before I decide to ask you some personal questions . . . or tell Uncle Eli to get involved.”
“Please, no. If Eli was here, we’d talk about this for another two hours.”
“Will I see you on Sunday?”
Meeting her gaze, Junior knew that she was thinking about Samuel. Ever since he’d jumped the fence, he hardly ever stopped by. Then, sometimes even when he did promise their aunt and uncle that he’d visit, he wouldn’t show up.
It was yet another reason Junior wanted to shake some sense into him from time to time.
“I’ll be here,” he promised.
After giving her a quick hug, he scurried out the door. He had a lot to think about. He not only needed more information about beautiful, secretive Elizabeth Schrock, he had to figure out why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He hoped he’d be able to find some answers in the near future.