Chapter 8
Becky positioned her thimble onto her finger, her mind wandering as Rhoda talked about the good deal she’d gotten on the fabric for her new curtains, and pushed the needle into the quilt top.
A deep voice came from the doorway. “Mammi?”
She jerked her head as her needle plunged into her thumb. “Ouch!” She hadn’t forgotten Adam had arrived in the middle of the night, yet his voice surprised her.
“Ach du lieva!” Lu said. Oh my goodness. “Adam!”
He grabbed a paper napkin from the snack table and handed it to Becky as he grinned at Lu.
“Denki.” Becky wrapped it around her thumb and held it away from the quilt and her new dress. “Say hello to the ladies.”
He turned toward Lu and Rhoda.
Lu grinned from across the quilting frame, her reading glasses perched on her nose.
He said, “Lu, it’s so nice to see you.”
Everyone loved Adam.
“This is Rhoda.” Becky motioned to her right. “She’s Joanna’s paternal grandmother.”
Adam smiled at Rhoda. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
Rhoda gave him a curt nod, which was her style.
“How long are you in town for?” Lu’s voice overflowed with warmth, which was her style.
Adam shrugged. “I’m not positive, but perhaps permanently.”
Becky certainly hoped he’d stay for good this time. “He came in late last night.” Becky turned toward Adam. “Did you decide to work today after all?”
“Jah.” He ran his hand through his thick hair. “Am I too late?”
“Probably not. Hurry over to the warehouse.”
“Will do.” He waved at the other ladies. “It’s gut to see all of you.”
They all smiled and Lu said, “Gott segen dich.” That was Lu’s style also—to say God’s blessing over someone who was leaving. She added, “Stop by and see us sometime soon.”
Us. Becky knew Lu meant Joanna.
Adam glanced over his shoulder on his way to the front door. “I’ll take you up on that!”
Becky doubted Rhoda knew Jacob had broken up with Joanna—again—yesterday. Becky could tell by Lu’s demeanor that she did. Of course she knew. Lu and Joanna were as close as any grandmother and granddaughter she’d ever known.
Sometimes there seemed to be tension coming from Rhoda concerning Joanna.
Rhoda had never been close with the girl, and yet Rhoda had assumed that when she moved to Strasburg Township Joanna would visit and confide in her.
Joanna did visit—but she didn’t confide in Rhoda.
No one needed to tell Becky. It was obvious.
And Becky didn’t blame Joanna. Rhoda had always been brisk, even when they were all girls, but she’d grown even more so to the point she could be harsh. And oftentimes judgmental. However, she didn’t gossip the way Elaine did, at least not in front of Becky.
As soon as the door clicked Becky sighed. “It’s wonderful gut to have Adam back. He quit his job in Florida—I’m hoping he stays here.”
“At least we don’t have to worry about Joanna.” Rhoda glanced at Lu. “Don’t you think she and Jacob will marry before winter?”
Lu pursed her lips.
Becky’s neck tightened. When she’d seen the two of them leaving work the day before in Jacob’s buggy, Joanna had a pained expression on her face. She’d confirmed Becky’s suspicions with her five thirty a.m. phone message saying she wouldn’t be in to work until noon.
“What is it?” Rhoda glanced from Lu to Becky and back to Lu.
Rhoda put the square she was stitching in her lap and leaned forward. “Don’t tell me Jacob broke up with her again.”
Lu met Rhoda’s gaze and said, “Jacob broke up with Joanna again.”
Rhoda groaned. “They were perfect together.”
Becky knew they weren’t, but she wouldn’t say so in front of Joanna’s grandmothers. Well, at least not in front of Rhoda. She wouldn’t hesitate to share her opinion with just Lu.
Rhoda clucked her tongue. “That’s a pity. Joanna’s stood beside him for so long.” Rhoda had a way of insinuating she knew more about a situation than she actually did. She’d always been that way. She directed her attention toward Lu. “I think they’ll get back together, don’t you?”
Lu shrugged. Becky knew her friend was doing her best not to share too much information. If she did, it was bound to get back to Joanna.
Rhoda clutched the square in her lap. “Why did he break up with her?”
Lu shrugged again.
Rhoda wrinkled her nose.
Becky panicked for a moment. She needed to distract Rhoda from asking any more questions.
Joanna didn’t talk about her private life, and she would be mortified to find out she was the topic of choice at the quilting circle—well, three-quarters circle.
Usually, with Elaine, there were four of them.
She guessed that made it a quilting “square.” Elaine had left a message on Becky’s machine this morning too, saying she wasn’t feeling well.
They all needed to be able to share about their families, as much or as little as they wanted, without being afraid Elaine would gossip about everyone. Becky quickly came up with a plan. “We all have grandchildren at or near the marrying age, right?”
Rhoda and Lu both said, “Jah.”
Rhoda shifted in her chair toward Lu. “I still don’t understand why Jacob—”
Becky interrupted. “What if we start a letter with prayer requests for our grandchildren who are marrying age? And for other requests in our families too. Whatever’s on our minds.”
“Why a letter,” Rhoda asked, “when we meet in person?”
“A letter—a circle letter—will remind us to pray, at home.” Becky lowered her voice for emphasis. “It will keep us from gossiping here.”
Rhoda’s face reddened.
Did Lu just suppress a smile?
Becky hadn’t meant to direct her comment at Rhoda, not when it was Elaine she was worried about.
She was the one who gossiped about anything and everything, including her three lifelong friends.
“Write whatever requests you want in the circle letter. We’ll pray for our families.
I’ll send out the first letter in a day or two and include instructions. ”
Lu agreed immediately, as expected. Rhoda hesitated and then said, “I guess so.” Becky had known both women, along with Elaine, since she was a girl.
Each had the same personality they’d had by the time they were Youngie—so many things had changed, but the essence of all of them, Becky included, had stayed the same.
Two hours later, Lu started to clear the snack table as Becky watched Rhoda walk down the front steps. Hiram sat in their buggy, waiting for her, at the end of the walk.
Lu picked up Becky’s sleek white coffee cups as Becky carried the white serving trays of peanut butter bars and raspberries into the kitchen. Lu followed.
As Lu put the mugs in the sink, she asked, “How did you know Jacob broke up with Joanna?”
Becky hesitated and then asked, “Was it that obvious that I knew?”
“Jah.”
Becky winced. “I saw them in the buggy together. Joanna’s expression was like an open book. And she called in this morning.”
A horn honked.
Becky glanced at the clock over the kitchen doorway. “Ike wants me to go with him to see a new property.”
“I’ll finish cleaning up.”
“Wunderbar! Denki.” Becky followed Lu into the hallway.
“Let’s put the frame up first.” Ike had installed a pulley system to raise the frame, with the quilt on it, up to the ceiling.
As she pulled on the rope, Becky said, “I’ll send the letter to you first. You pray for Adam—I’m hoping he’ll find the right girl, settle down here, and take over the business in a few years. And I’ll pray for Joanna.”
Lu gave her a wave of confirmation as she tied the rope in her corner of the living room.
Becky thanked the Lord every day for a friend like Lu.
She was kind. And loyal. Back when Becky decided she didn’t want to have one child after another like her mother had, Lu never questioned her decision.
And when others gossiped, passing on what Elaine had told them, that Becky wanted only one child, Lu shut them down in her quiet way.
Lu, even as she grieved losing Marcus, had remained an attentive friend.
Becky knew she wasn’t supposed to worry, but since Marcus died, she had been waking up in the middle of the night numb at the thought of losing Ike.
She would find his hand and squeeze it. Once he returned the gesture, she’d be able to fall back asleep, reassured he was all right.
“Denki, Lu!” Becky called out as she grabbed her bag.
“Gott segen eich!” Becky’s heart swelled at the sound of Lu’s blessing as she opened the back door with one hand and stepped into the midday July heat. She searched her leather bag with the other, touching her notebook. She dug deeper.
Her hand grasped her pen, and she squeezed it. Hopefully she’d have a few minutes of peace to start the circle letter today.
She hurried down the steps, waving at Nick.
Would she share her own personal request in the circle letter?
She’d have to think about it. For the first time in years, the business’s finances were tight.
She’d given too much money away in the last couple of months.
As the oldest of eleven children, each of whom she’d mothered at one point or another during her growing up years, Becky felt a responsibility to help when she could.
And Ike had always been supportive of her generosity, quoting from the verse in Luke, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”
She’d told Ike a couple of weeks ago that she’d stretched their money too thin, but he still wanted to buy the Federalist-style house on Pequea Creek. They’d both admired the property for years, and when it came on the market two weeks ago, they jumped in with an offer, which was accepted.
Her hope was to get the business in good shape over the next few years and then turn it over to Adam so Ike could retire. Jah, Marcus’s death had been a shock. She didn’t want Ike to have to keep up the long hours he’d been working his entire life.
As she reached the van, she decided she wouldn’t reveal all of that to the girls, not even to Lu. Everything would work out, just as Ike always assured her. She’d keep their business concerns to herself.