Chapter 4 #2
Emma gave a brief nod, and then she, along with everyone else at the table, bowed her head for a silent prayer.
Each of the four tables held platters piled high with slices of meat and cheese.
Oblong baskets were filled with white and wheat bread, and other plates held layers of lettuce and tomatoes.
Mayo, mustard, and glass jars filled with homemade dill pickles completed the fixings for everyone’s sandwiches.
Macaroni and potato salad were also provided, ensuring no one would go hungry.
“Everyone, eat yourselves full,” Ivan’s father said with a gleam in his eyes. “But be sure to save some room for homemade vanilla ice cream to go with two kinds of pie.”
Ivan looked over at Emma to gauge her reaction to his father’s dessert announcement, but she remained quiet.
He wondered if she might be bashful among people she didn’t know.
Perhaps it was a mistake on his behalf to introduce Emma to his family and invite her to share a meal when they hardly knew each other.
He waited until the food had been passed around before he continued their conversation, hoping it would make her feel at ease.
“What do you like to do for fun?” Ivan asked, leaning a bit closer to Emma. “You mentioned cooking before, but is there anything else you enjoy doing during your spare time?”
She set down the sandwich that she’d just picked up and nibbled, then said in a soft-spoken voice, “I enjoy fishing, hiking, and playing most outdoor games.”
“Like baseball?”
“Jah.”
He offered her a wide grin. “I enjoy all of those things too, and since you like to play ball, you should have joined our game. We would’ve been happy to have you out there with us.”
Emma wiped at the breadcrumbs stuck to the corners of her mouth. “I didn’t want to interrupt. The game had already started with the right amount of players, and it would have been impolite if I’d asked to play.”
“Not at all. I would have been fine with it, and I’m sure someone would have voluntarily stepped out for a while so you could have a go at it. I would’ve willingly stepped aside if I’d known you wanted to play.”
“Well, it didn’t happen, and I’m fine with it, really.” Emma took a bite of her sandwich.
Ivan figured he’d better drop the subject and find something else to talk about.
Dwelling on something that never happened was pointless.
He did, however, want to learn more about Emma and hoped he would have another chance to get to know her better, beyond whatever time they would get today.
One thing was certain: They shared interests, and Ivan was excited to find out more details about the young woman he’d just met.
After the meal, Emma excused herself to help several other women clear things off the tables.
She’d enjoyed talking with Ivan as she ate.
He appeared to be a nice enough fellow, and they seemed to have a few things in common, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to take up all his time this afternoon.
No doubt there were people here he would like to visit with, and she didn’t want him feeling obligated to keep her entertained.
When Emma entered the house, following Ida Mae, the first thing she spotted was a lovely quilt draped over the back of the sofa in the living room.
Since it had been folded, she couldn’t tell what the measurements were, but she figured it might be the size of a lap robe, which would be a perfect covering on a chilly winter evening.
The small squares of fabric had been arranged by color to form rings of brightly colored diamonds, which were framed by a wide border.
Emma couldn’t help but stare at the sections where she could see most of the quilt.
“I see you have noticed my mother’s old quilt,” Ida Mae said to Emma. “It’s a beautiful pattern, don’t you think?”
“Jah, it’s very appealing. Does the quilt have a name?” Emma questioned.
“It’s called the Sunshine and Shadows pattern,” Ida Mae replied.
“Before we had the option of using a sewing machine to assemble a quilt, my mother stitched this together by hand. My father gave it to me when she passed on.” With a faraway look, Ida Mae sighed.
“After receiving this quilt, I became interested in quilting. When I found a good teacher, I spent many hours, and still do, either quilting by hand or doing some of the work on my treadle sewing machine.”
“If I was ever going to make a quilt, I think I’d want to stitch it by hand.”
“Would you be interested in learning?”
Emma nodded. “I would be, but there isn’t time for that, since my grandmother is trying to teach me how to sew my own dresses and cook a decent meal. I imagine it’ll take me the whole summer to be able to do either one adequately, if at all.”
“Don’t lose heart, Emma. My dear friend Luellen is skilled at both sewing and cooking, so I’m quite sure she’s a good teacher.
” Ida Mae patted Emma’s shoulder with her free hand.
“In your free time, you might be interested in coming by the fabric store on a Friday or Saturday, which is when I normally work there. If you like, we can look at some quilt patterns together. After you find one you like, I’d be happy to give you some lessons here at the house on any of the days I have off.
I’m sure you’ll have some free time to do other things besides sew and cook. ”
Emma thought about Ida Mae’s offer a few seconds before responding. “I would surely like that, but I’ll have to wait and see what Grandma has to say about the idea. She might feel that learning to quilt would take up too much of my time.”
“Would you like me to speak with her about it?”
Emma shook her head. “I appreciate your willingness, but if I feel that the time is right, I’ll bring up the topic to Grandma.”
Ida Mae’s lips curled upward. “All right then, and I guess for now, we’d better take the empty plates we’re holding into the kitchen.”
Emma allowed Ida Mae to lead the way, and as they headed down the hall, Emma’s thoughts were overtaken by the idea of learning how to quilt. She hoped when she had the courage to bring up the topic, Grandma would be in favor of letting her take some quilting lessons.
Her sentiments on the intricate design of the Sunshine and Shadows quilt lingered.
She had been enthralled by its design and the heritage tied to the old quilt, and it reminded Emma of the first quilt she’d been given.
Wouldn’t she want to pass on those memories to her children someday?
Emma considered that learning to quilt might make her time here in Arthur more interesting and give her a good reason to get up every morning.