Chapter 4
— chapter four
Today was the day. It was time to gather his courage, put on his best shirt, clean up his boots, and pay a call on Leanna Mast. Evan Keim hoped no one he knew would ever discover just how nervous he was.
For about the hundredth time that afternoon, he glanced at the tall, stately grandfather clock in the living room. It was a dark walnut, had a white face and gold-toned hands, and chimed with annoying regularity every thirty minutes. Rose, his frau, had loved it.
To his dismay, she’d even claimed that she barely noticed when the blasted thing rang its bells twelve times at midday.
His dear departed wife had been a lovely woman. Nearly perfect. A cherished wife and mother. But even though Rose was surely near St. Peter’s side in heaven, Evan still believed that she’d lied about not hearing those bells.
Ironically, after she passed, he’d started to look forward to its chimes. He wished he hadn’t fussed about the ringing so much. It had made her so happy.
After pacing up and down the hall for several minutes, Evan stopped in front of the clock again. It was now three minutes before five. His carefully chosen time for going calling.
Well, it was the time his boy Trip used to go calling on Mary.
He was the only one of his four children who’d decided to remain New Order Amish.
Kurt had married a Mennonite girl, Russell was now living English and seemed to be dating every pretty girl in Wooster, and Jeremy, at seventeen, was still living at home and seemed to care more about work than dating.
Ding! Ding, ding, ding, ding!
It was five. It was time to leave. Feeling a bit like he was on his way to the dentist, he pulled his hat and coat off the pegs on the wall.
When the kitchen phone started ringing, he threw a hand up in the air. A silent celebration of the delay.
“Hello?”
“Hiya, Daed. I’m glad I caught you.”
“Me too, Jeremy,” he said. “What’s going on?” Carefully unwinding the curly telephone cord that continually got tangled, he took a seat on one of the oak chairs that surrounded a very large kitchen table.
“Nothing much. Mr. Henderson got annoyed with all the tourists, so he closed up shop early. Now I’ve got the evening off.”
Since his youngest wasn’t around to see him, Evan grinned. “Your boss has to be the crankiest furniture shop owner in America.”
“I doubt that. I mean, he’s always nice to me and to all the other employees.” He paused. “Most of the time, that is.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Nee, Daed. It’s the truth. It’s just the customers who fray on his nerves.”
Evan appreciated Jeremy’s loyalty, but he wasn’t all that sure the boy had the right of it.
He’d never found Arnold Henderson to be all that easy to be around.
It was a gut job, though. A well-paying one.
“So, what are you going to do now? Are you on your way home?” Maybe they could go out for a burger or something. He could call on Leanna next Sunday.
“Sorry, Daed, but nee. I’m going to go out to pizza with a couple of my buddies.”
“Oh. Well, have a good time. I’ll see you when you get home.”
“Actually, that’s why I called.” His son’s voice grew deeper. “See, I was calling to see if you picked up.”
“I’m not following.”
“Daed, it’s five o’clock.” His tone was pointed.
He was still confused. “And . . . ”
“And . . . I’m making sure you’re still going to visit Miss Mast tonight.”
“Are you truly calling to check up on me?”
“Yep.”
Mildly offended, Evan got to his feet. “There was no need to do that. I am fine.”
“That’s not the point. It’s Sunday, the seventeenth. Your chosen day. You can’t back out, Daed.”
“Might I remind you that you are seventeen and my child?” He was being awfully cheeky.
“I haven’t forgotten. But listen, if you’re still pacing the hallway when we hang up instead of heading to Cherry Hill Lane, then I’m going to let Trip know.”
“You’ve been talking to Trip about me visiting Miss Mast?”
“Yep.”
“I would’ve thought you boys had better things to occupy your thoughts.”
“Trip has a baby and a toddler and a clingy wife. I think he’s looking for other things to think about.”
“That is not nice to say, son. Mary is a very nice woman, and she has her hands full.”
“I agree. Mary’s great. But she also clings to Trip like a vine.”
She kind of did. “He likes her to cling.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what Kurt always says too.” He took a breath. “But listen, we’re not talking about Trip and Mary. We’re talking about you, Daed. And the fact that you finally, finally need to pay a call on Miss Mast.”
“I suppose I should be grateful that only you and Trip are talking about me.”
“Sorry, but it’s not just the two of us. Kurt and Russell are in on these conversations too.”
All four of his boys. “I see. So if I decide to change my mind, you’ll tattle to Kurt and Russell too?”
“Yeah . . . or else Trip will do the honors.”
“I don’t need you four prodding me along like a wayward calf.”
“If you don’t . . . why haven’t you left yet? It’s after five.”
“I was watching the clock. I didn’t want to get there too early.”
“It’s ten after five now. Didn’t you hear the chimes?”
“I heard them.”
“Are you even dressed?”
“Of course I’m dressed.”
“What shirt do you have on?”
He looked down. “A white one.”
“Is it the one Katherine made for you? Because it needs to be that shirt, Daed. It’s the only one that doesn’t look like it needs to go in the rag bin.”
Kurt’s wife made his clothes from time to time. Looking down at his shirt, Evan nodded. “I’ve got it on.”
“How are your boots?”
“They’re clean.” Feeling vaguely like a youngster heading off to his first day of school, he added, “I’ve got this, son.”
“Are you sure? Because the other day you tracked mud into the bank.”
“I’m sure. And before you ask, I brushed my teeth too.”
“Gut. So, want to say a prayer together, then?”
“A prayer for what?”
“Close your eyes, Daed. Here we go.” Before Evan could say a word, Jeremy started talking. “Dear Gott. Please be with Daed today when he finally moves forward in his life. Give him the strength to be his usual calm and polite self and remind him to say nice things to Miss Mast.”
Even though they were praying and all, Evan felt compelled to interrupt. “Son—”
But Jeremy kept right on talking. “Also, Gott, if you have time, please let my father know that Mamm isn’t going to be upset with him for looking for companionship at his advanced age.”
Advanced? “I’m forty-eight, Jeremy.”
“Amen.”
“Amen,” he added. And yes, he might have sounded as grumpy as he felt.
“Okay, Daed, I think it’s time you went on your way. Good luck.”
“I doubt I’ll need any luck if you’ve pulled our Lord and Savior into the mix.”
“Stop complaining. You know He was already there. I’m pretty sure He’s cheering you on, Daed. Just like all of us are too.”
“I better get on my way, then.” He stood up.
“Yep.”
“Don’t you expect for me to tell you anything when I get home,” Evan warned. “I’m not going to be reporting back about my private life.”
“Okay, but Katherine and Mary want to know if you kiss Miss Mast.”
“I would never.”
“That’s what Priscilla said.”
“Who’s Priscilla?”
“The girl Russell just started dating.”
“Your bruder is telling Englisher girls about me going courting too?”
“Well, yeah. We’re all involved. We practically have our own group chat. Love you. Now go.”
Seconds after he heard Jeremy disconnect, he glanced at the clock again. It was time. If he didn’t go, he was going to have to tell four sons, two daughters-in-law, and one Priscilla why he’d chickened out. Not to mention that the Lord was involved now too.
“You can do this,” he said. “It’s not like you haven’t known Leanna Mast for years. You have. She’s always been cordial to you too.”
Remembering how withdrawn and thin she’d looked when he and Jeremy had stopped at her house to do lawn work one Saturday, his insides knotted.
Just like they always did whenever he thought of her.
Now, when she seemed to be accepting callers.
A year ago, when she’d looked so lost after Willis’s funeral.
And yes, the many times when he’d spied her at Willis’s side .
. . and he’d pitied her. He’d often thought Leanna deserved a better man than Willis Mast.
Even if Leanna only showed him the door, it was time to make his appreciation for her known.
Walking back to the door, he put on his hat, his wool coat, his gloves . . . and grabbed the carefully wrapped box of chocolate he’d picked up at Coblentz’s chocolate shop. Hopefully Leanna liked chocolate.
Then he walked out the door and headed toward Cherry Hill Lane.