Chapter 21 #2
Grandma frowned. “That hund should not be under the table, Emma. In fact, she shouldn’t be in the kitchen at all while we’re eating.”
“I know, Grandma. She must have snuck in when I wasn’t looking.” Emma hurried out of the room.
When Emma opened the door, she was surprised to see Ivan on the porch, holding a cardboard box in his hands.
“Hello, Emma. It’s good to see you,” Ivan announced when she answered the door.
“It’s nice to see you too. Please come in,” she responded.
After Ivan entered the house, he bent over and set the box on the floor.
Then he stooped down and scratched Fawn between her silky ears.
The dog had stopped yapping, but her tail swished exuberantly to the point that it nearly hit Ivan’s face.
He didn’t mind, though, as he remained firmly in place, enjoying the attention he was getting from the dog.
Emma, on the other hand, didn’t seem as pleased to see him as she normally did, which he thought was a bit odd.
Maybe she was preoccupied or had been having a difficult day with cooking or sewing lessons.
“My daed had an appointment in town this afternoon, and since he closed the harness shop early today, I decided to come by here to give your grandpa the clock I’ve had these past several weeks.
” Ivan grinned up at Emma as he continued to pet Fawn.
“I finally figured out what was wrong with the chiming mechanism and fixed it. I think the clock is almost as good as new now.”
“I’m sure Grandpa will be pleased to hear that. He’s in the kitchen right now. Let’s go there, and you can give the clock to him.”
“Okay, sure.” Ivan stood, then leaned forward and reached for the box, while Emma let Fawn out into the yard.
“Right this way,” Emma said, glancing over her shoulder at Ivan. She then started walking down the hall in the direction of the kitchen.
When Ivan caught up to her with his long strides, he stopped, sniffed, and asked, “What’s that heavenly smell coming from the kitchen?”
“That must be the creamy mushroom soup I made for lunch,” Emma replied.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were in the middle of eating your noon meal.”
“It’s okay. We’re almost done.” Emma stepped into the kitchen, and after announcing to her grandfather that Ivan was there and had come to give him the clock he’d repaired, she took a seat at the table.
“Oh, that’s sure good to hear. Let me see what you accomplished.” Rising from the table, Marlin approached Ivan.
Ivan suggested they move to the counter, where he set the box down. Then, lifting the lid, he withdrew the antique clock. “See here,” he said, pushing a button. “The chimes are working again. Good as new.”
Marlin’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “That’s great, Ivan. Thanks for all your hard work. How much do I owe you for the repairs?”
Ivan shook his head. “No, that’s okay. Working on the clock was good practice for me.”
“I appreciate that,” Marlin said, “but I still want to pay for your time. I’ll get you some money as soon as we finish our lunch. Speaking of which, there’s still plenty of soup left, so why don’t you join us?”
“It does smell pretty good.” Ivan glanced over at the table, which he’d barely taken notice of upon entering the room.
That’s when he became aware that in addition to Luellen and Emma, a young woman he didn’t recognize sat at the table.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. I probably should go.”
“Don’t be silly, Ivan. You’re more than welcome to join us,” Marlin said.
“In fact, we were rude not to introduce you when you first entered the room. This is our granddaughter Rachel. She’s Emma’s older sister.
” He looked at Rachel while gesturing to Ivan.
“This is Ivan Yoder. He’s the young man who recently began courting Emma. ”
Rachel got up from the table and moved across the room. Ivan met her halfway. They both extended their hands at the same time. “It’s nice to meet you,” they said in unison.
“Rachel came for a two-week visit,” Emma explained from her seat at the table. She pointed to the empty chair across from her. “You can sit right there, Ivan.”
He hesitated, but only for a moment, and put the clock back in the box before taking the offered seat.
Luellen dished up a bowl of soup for Ivan and offered him some bread and cut-up vegetables.
“Danki,” he said, taking some of each after he’d prayed.
“So did you make all this?” Ivan directed his comment to Emma.
She nodded.
He spooned some soup into his mouth and smacked his lips. “This has a real good flavor, Emma. And the texture is just right too.”
Patches of red erupted on Emma’s cheeks. “You really think so?”
“Very much. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume you’ve been cooking like this for a long time.”
“I’m glad you like it,” she said in a near whisper.
As Ivan munched on a piece of bread, he grinned at Emma from across the table. “This is also quite tasty.”
She made no reply this time, but the color on her cheeks deepened.
“Emma’s turning into a fine cook,” Luellen remarked.
“I can see that.” Ivan chuckled. “Actually, guess I should have said, ‘I can taste that.’”
Ivan swallowed another spoonful of Emma’s soup, delighting in the flavors as they bloomed in his mouth.
Even though the soup was still warm, it was cool enough to keep from burning his tongue.
Ivan eyed the bread, tore off another piece, and dipped it into his bowl, allowing it to absorb the soup broth like a sponge before he brought it to his lips.
When Ivan paused from eating long enough to speak again, he smiled at Emma and said, “Are you still planning to attend the young peoples’ singing with me this Sunday evening?”
She offered a brief nod and glanced at her sister.
Pretty sure he knew what she was thinking, Ivan gestured to Rachel and said, “There’s plenty of room in my buggy, so you’re welcome to come along and ride with me and Emma. My younger sister Norma has a boyfriend, so I’m pretty sure she’ll be going to the event with him.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Rachel said. “But I don’t want to impose. I could stay here Sunday evening and spend a pleasant evening with my grandparents.”
Ivan’s gaze wandered to Emma again, hoping she would say something. But she just sat there, staring at her barren plate.
Emma didn’t seem to be herself this afternoon, and Ivan had a feeling that either she wasn’t pleased to see him or she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of her sister going to the singing with them.
Either way, it concerned him. He couldn’t deal with the idea that there might be something wrong between the two of them.
He wanted to ask, but that wouldn’t be a good idea with her grandparents and sister sitting here with them.
He’d have to talk to her about it some other time.
Right now, Ivan decided to simply enjoy this delicious meal Emma had prepared and put all negative doubts and thoughts aside.