Chapter 12
Adam worked carefully—but far too slowly, he feared—to finish the roof by five when Nick said he’d stop by to take them back to the warehouse.
He’d been happy not to have to work with Jacob, but now he wished Dawdi Ike had sent him along.
Adam feared being a disappointment to his grandfather, as he’d often been to his stepfather.
He’d assured Dawdi Ike at breakfast that Jacob said it would take only a half day to finish the roof.
That was probably why Dawdi had sent Adam on the job by himself.
Why had Adam believed Jacob? He seemed full of himself, besides being rude to Joanna.
Cleary, Jacob didn’t deserve her.
Adam concentrated on his work, shuffling along. A few times he had to hop on his right foot going down the slope of the roof. He carefully nailed the shingles, one after another. His stepfather had always shamed him when he “injured himself.”
After what seemed like a long time, Joanna called out to him. She stood at the top of the ladder, her head sticking over the roofline, and extended a cup of water to him.
“It’s getting hotter,” she said. “You need to hydrate.”
The chore of navigating the space to her didn’t seem worth the water.
“I can come to you,” she said.
“Nee.” He took a step toward her. “It’s not safe.” He shuffled as quickly as he could.
Joanna watched him with concern. “Be careful.”
As he reached her, he said, “It was stupid of me to twist my ankle.”
She tilted her head. “Did you fall on purpose?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why would you call yourself stupid?”
She had a point. Without answering her, he took the cup. The sound of a vehicle caught his attention, and he turned his head. The panel van headed toward the house. He had a better view and told Joanna. “Nick’s back.”
“After I clean up, I’ll be done,” she said.
“I’m not even close.” Adam drank half the water and then said, “Nick’s early.” He drained the glass as his Dawdi climbed out of the front seat. Then Jacob climbed out of the side of the van.
Adam groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Reinforcements.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Jah . . .” It was.
Joanna took the cup and disappeared. Adam turned around and shuffled back to the roofline. A few minutes later, Dawdi Ike and Jacob climbed up the ladder.
“What are you doing?” Adam asked when his grandfather stepped onto the roof.
“I’m going to help.”
“Nee.” Mammi Becky wouldn’t want him to. Adam didn’t want him to either.
Dawdi Ike said, “It’s the last time I’ll roof. I promise.”
Adam gave in. A couple of minutes later Dawdi Ike asked Adam what he did to his ankle. “You’re limping.”
“I turned it is all.”
Dawdi had a look of compassion on his face. “It appears to be painful.”
It was. Adam paused a moment before he said, “I’m okay.”
After a half hour, Joanna popped her head up over the edge of the roof again. “Ike!” she called out. “What are you doing up here?”
“Working,” Dawdi Ike grumbled. “Don’t tell Becky.”
“I absolutely will.” Joanna was serious. “You need to get down.”
“This is my last roofing job. I promise.”
Joanna shook her head. “You said that last time. Give me your cell phone—I’m going to leave a message for her.”
Dawdi Ike shook his head. “I promise I won’t do this again.”
Joanna pursed her lips and then sighed heavily. “How about some sandwiches? And coffee? Would a snack help?”
“Jah and jah and jah,” Dawdi answered.
Joanna brought the coffee up first, one mug at a time, followed by three ham sandwiches on one plate.
She came back fifteen minutes later. Jacob handed her the empty plate and cups and somehow she carried everything down the ladder.
As the three of them returned to work, Joanna began cleaning up the grounds.
Adam caught glimpses of her carrying old shingles and debris that had fallen on the lawn to the dumpster in the driveway.
Adam, Jacob, and Dawdi continued to hammer the shingles as the sun began to lower in the sky, shooting streaks of pink and orange across the horizon.
“We can do this,” Dawdi said. “We’ll be done by sunset.”
Just as the sun dipped out of view and twilight cast over the rooftop, Adam pounded the last nail in his section. As he started over to help his grandfather, Dawdi stood with his hand on his back. “Done.”
They both shuffled over to Jacob’s area and gave him a hand.
A few minutes later, the roof was complete.
Dawdi took a couple of headlamps out of the equipment bag and gave one to Adam and the other to Jacob.
“You two clean up,” he said, breathing heavily.
“I’m going to go down.” Adam watched his grandfather slowly make his way across the roof.
Adam and Jacob worked quietly, packing up the tools, collecting the extra shingles, and gathering up wayward nails. Finally, they carried everything down. As Adam limped toward the van carrying the bag of tools, Joanna stepped to his side and grabbed half of it. Embarrassed, he said, “I’ve got it.”
She didn’t let go. She didn’t say anything. She just kept walking beside him.
Mandy and Caleb hosted church the next morning, for the first time according to Mammi Becky.
Adam limped into their shed behind Jacob and ended up sitting beside him.
He glanced over at the women’s side but didn’t see Joanna.
The single women must have been in a row behind him.
Adam’s ankle began to throb during the singing.
He needed to elevate it. After four songs he faked a cough and then excused himself past the others in the row and managed to make his way out the back of the already sweltering shed.
There was a bench under the willow tree in the middle of the lawn, and Adam made his way toward it. He sat on it lengthwise, elevating his left foot and leaving his right one on the ground. Caleb and Mandy had a nice place. He guessed her grandparents helped them finance it.
He smiled a little, thinking about Mandy being interested in him way back when. He was the one who had suggested they get ice cream with Caleb. Adam was proud of his one venture into matchmaking.
After the service ended, the men converted the benches into tables and the women carried food from the house to the shed.
Adam ate quickly, hoping to leave as soon as possible.
He’d brought the buggy and second horse Dawdi had said he could use until Adam had a chance to buy his own.
He saw Joanna a couple of times—carrying food, serving coffee, picking up dirty bowls—but he didn’t have a chance to speak with her.
When he limped out to the pasture to retrieve his horse, he caught a glimpse of Jacob at the edge of Caleb’s property, deep in conversation with a young woman Adam didn’t recognize.
She appeared a lot younger, seventeen or eighteen, and had blond hair.
Adam hardly knew any of the Youngie in the district and had never seen the girl before, not that he remembered.
The ones he had known years ago were married now. Some had children.
As he drove home, he wondered if he should stay in Lancaster County after all.
He could go back to Spartansburg. But to do what?
His next brother, Victor, was seventeen now and farming.
Adam’s stepfather didn’t need more help, nor would he want it.
He could always go back to Florida, but that had never been a long-term plan.
It had been fun for the first year, tolerable the second, and then dreary—even in the sunshine—the last. It wasn’t home.
He spent the afternoon on the porch with his ankle propped on a stool, staring off across the pasture toward Lu’s farm. Toward Joanna’s home.
When Dawdi Ike and Mammi Becky returned, they headed straight into the house for their once-a-week nap.
Dawdi probably really needed it after the workout he had the day before finishing the roof.
Adam hadn’t planned to go to the Youngie singing that evening, but it was at Caleb and Mandy’s.
Perhaps he should. He needed either to make some friends—unmarried—in Lancaster County or move on.
Mammi was working in the kitchen when he went inside to wash up before he left for the singing.
She turned toward him and gasped, her hand going to her chest.
He smiled. “Did I startle you?” He used to love doing that as a child. She always overreacted.
She shook her head and spoke softly. “You look so much like your father.”
They seldom spoke of his Dat. Adam was just a couple of years younger than his father had been when he’d died. Perhaps Adam resembled him more than he used to.
“I need to talk with you.” Mammi sounded so serious. Had Adam done something wrong?
He leaned against the counter, taking his weight off his ankle. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m not saying you should tattle on your grandfather, but if he engages in dangerous behavior, it wouldn’t be wrong for you to include that information in a conversation with me.” Her eyes sparked as she spoke.
“All right,” he said.
“His well-being is essential to all of us, for many reasons. He thinks he’s in perfect health, but he’s not.”
“Oh?”
“He has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He should be exercising—but not on a roof.”
Adam winced. Dawdi was thin and muscular and appeared to be in good shape. “He promised it was the last time.”
“He’s promised that before.” She picked up an oven mitt. “I can’t run this business on my own. And I don’t think you’re ready to.”
“I’m not,” he said.
“So let’s keep your Dawdi Ike alive for as long as we can.” She turned toward the stove. “For more than the business. I don’t want to live without him.”
Adam didn’t respond. His grandmother had never been typical. She was a go-getter. And up-front. But he wasn’t used to even her talking about what she wanted. Most Amish people talked about wanting what God wanted. Although, no doubt, God didn’t want Dawdi Ike up on a roof anymore either.
“I’m going to the singing,” Adam said.