Chapter 20
Shipshewana
MONDAY MORNING, AFTER BIDDING FAREWELL to Rachel and her driver, Dianna ventured out to the mailbox, and while thumbing through the handful of envelopes, she discovered a letter from Emma.
Eager to see what her daughter had written and fighting the urge to tear open the envelope right then, Dianna hurried into the house, set the rest of the mail on the kitchen table, and took a seat in the living room to read Emma’s letter.
Upon reading the part where Emma said she had made some cupcakes and pancakes that turned out well, Dianna smiled. Emma had also mentioned that she was still taking quilt lessons and enjoyed them very much.
“That is so good to hear,” Dianna spoke aloud.
“I think there might be some hope for my daughter’s domestic skills after all.
My mamm must have a special way of teaching her that I don’t possess.
Then again, Mom did teach me most of what I know, so I guess that explains why Emma is picking up on it. ”
Dianna read on and nearly dropped the piece of paper when she read the next paragraph, announcing that Emma and Ivan Yoder had become a courting couple.
“Oh my, that’s sure unexpected.” Although happy for her daughter, she couldn’t help wondering how Rachel would take this news once she heard about it.
Poor Rachel. Her younger sister had a boyfriend, and Rachel was filled with heartache because the man she loved and had hoped to marry had fallen in love with someone else.
Dianna’s other concern was how things would go between Emma and her boyfriend after Emma came home and they couldn’t see each other regularly. Surely that would have an impact on the couple’s relationship and could even lead to a breakup.
“Life is full of ups and downs,” Dianna murmured as she slipped Emma’s letter back into the envelope and rose to her feet. Guess I should go out to Philip’s workshop and give him the news that Emma is being courted by a young man from Arthur, Illinois.
Another thought sprang into her head. What if Emma and Ivan’s relationship becomes serious and he eventually proposes marriage?
Would Emma decide to move to Arthur, or is it possible that Ivan might be the one to relocate?
Even though I’ve encouraged my daughter to figure out what she wants in life, it seems as though it’s happening all at once, and it’s a little unsettling for me.
Arthur
Rachel fiddled with the straps on her pocketbook.
After the five-hour drive from Shipshewana, she was eager to get out of the car and stretch her legs.
Even more than that, Rachel looked forward to seeing her grandparents again.
It had been nearly a year since they’d visited Shipshewana, and even more time than that since Rachel had visited their home here in the small town of Arthur.
Rachel’s senses heightened as her driver, Karen, headed the vehicle ever closer to Grandpa and Grandma’s two-story home. To settle the flutter that stirred within her stomach, Rachel inhaled deeply.
She still couldn’t believe the woman she worked for had given her two weeks off, or that her parents had agreed coming here might help to erase her depression over the breakup with David. Perhaps a change of scenery would give her the perspective she needed before her return to Shipshewana.
I haven’t even stepped foot into the house, yet I already feel better, Rachel told herself after she’d said goodbye to her driver and exited the car with suitcase and tote bag in hand. And I can’t wait to see the look on Emma’s face when she sees me walk in the door.
After stepping onto the front porch, Rachel set her suitcase down and rapped on the door. It didn’t take long before the door swung open and Grandpa greeted her with a hug.
“Ah, Rachel, it’s so good to see you. Glad you made it safely. How was your trip?”
Hearing the enthusiasm in her grandfather’s voice and seeing his raised cheekbones all rosy caused Rachel to smile. “The trip went well, and there were no problems along the way.”
“Good to hear.” Grandpa glanced out toward the driveway. “I see your driver is gone already. Did you think to invite her in to join us for the noon meal?”
“Well, I wasn’t sure if you had already eaten or not, and besides, Karen was eager to be on her way.”
“We haven’t had lunch yet. Emma and your grandma are in the kitchen preparing it right now.” Grandpa leaned over and picked up Rachel’s suitcase. “Let’s go inside. It’s too hot to stand out here on the porch and visit anyway.”
Rachel followed him into the house. After he’d set her suitcase in the hall and she’d placed her tote bag beside it, they headed straight for the kitchen.
The familiarity of this home and the experiences from childhood lingered in Rachel’s mind.
A lot of memories had been built here, and she missed those carefree days when her parents had brought the family here to visit Grandma and Grandpa.
“Look who’s here,” Grandpa announced after they’d fully entered the room where Grandma and Emma stood with their backs to them near the sink.
Emma turned to see who had come into the room with her grandfather, and her eyes opened wide at the sight of her older sister standing next to him.
“Rachel, what are you doing here?” The question came out almost as a squeak.
“I came to see you, as well as Grandpa and Grandpa.” Rachel rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Emma, and then she embraced Grandma.
Touching the base of her overly warm neck, Emma spoke again—this time with more clarity. “I didn’t know you were coming. Was it meant to be a surprise for us?”
“Just you,” Rachel responded. “Grandma and Grandpa knew, but when Mom wrote the letter asking if I could come and stay for a few weeks, I asked them not to tell you, because I thought it would be fun to catch you unaware.”
“You did that, all right.” Although Emma was happy to see her sister, she felt a bit intimidated because Rachel could cook so well, and that was bound to make it more difficult for Emma when they were both in the kitchen helping with a meal.
Worse yet would be if Emma made something and it didn’t turn out well, and then when Rachel went back home, she told their mother about it.
Well, at least, Emma thought, since Grandpa and Grandma have a second guest room, I won’t have to share a room or a bed with my sister while she’s here.
Grandma placed her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Would you mind setting an extra plate on the table and finishing the sandwiches for our noon meal while I get Rachel set up in the guest room? It will give her a chance to freshen up before we eat too.”
“Sure, I can do that,” Emma replied. “By the time you two come back, lunch should be on the table.”
“This is a yummy-tasting egg salad sandwich,” Rachel remarked, pointing to the sandwich she held, while directing her comment to Emma. “There’s just the right amount of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper mixed in with the egg.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Emma said. “Grandma’s a good teacher, and I think I’m finally getting the hang of fixing a meal that doesn’t taste baremlich.”
“That’s true,” Grandpa interjected. “Some of the earlier things you fixed tasted pretty terrible, but you’re doing much better these days, Emma.”
Leave it to Grandpa to say something like that, Emma thought as she swallowed what was left of her sandwich. He doesn’t think twice about embarrassing me. Grandpa may as well bring up how I fell in the pond while he’s at it.
Although slightly agitated by his remark about her cooking skills, Emma felt sure that her grandfather didn’t blurt things out to be mean. He was blunt, for sure, but also a helpful, kindly man, and she loved him very much.
“How’s the weather in Shipshewana been lately, Rachel?” Grandma asked, shifting their conversation in another direction.
“Hot and muggy, like it seems to be here,” came the reply.
“I’ll be glad when the cooler days of fall replace the summer heat,” Grandpa stated. “I like to take naps in my hammock, but it’s not as comfortable as I’d like it when the humidity is so thick you could cut it with a knife.”
Both grandparents plied Rachel with a few more questions, and when the meal wound down and the table had been cleared, Grandma announced that she was going over to their English neighbor’s house to call their mother’s neighbor and leave a message that Rachel had made it there okay.
“That is, if you two don’t mind doing the dishes without my help,” she added, looking at Emma and then Rachel.
They both shook their heads and assured her that they didn’t mind, and then Grandpa said, “While you two are taking care of the dishes, I’ll be in the living room napping in my favorite chair.”
After Grandma left for the neighbor’s, Emma prepared the dishpan, and Rachel got out the drying towel, while Grandpa retired to the living room. Silence hung in the room for a while, with only the clanking of dishes being cleaned and dried by the sisters.
Following a long exhale, Rachel was the first to break the silence between them. “I guess you probably heard that David broke up with me.”
Emma nodded as she sloshed the sponge around in the sudsy dishpan full of warm water. “I was sorry to hear about that, and it certainly came as a surprise. I really expected you two would be getting married soon since you’ve been together for so long.”
Rachel’s eyes quickly filled with tears. “I had hoped for that, but I guess it was not meant to be. David obviously prefers my best friend over me.”
“What does Alice have to say about this situation?” Emma questioned. “Has she apologized to you or tried to explain how it all happened?”