Chapter 13
Lu unpinned the first sheet and started to put it in the wicker basket when Joanna yelled, “I’ll do that!”
Squinting into the sun, Lu turned. Joanna jogged toward her. Her granddaughter insisted on folding the laundry as it came off the line instead of waiting to do it in the house. She was happy to have Joanna do whatever she preferred.
As Joanna reached her, she held up several envelopes. “You have a letter from my Mamm. And one from Becky.” Joanna cocked her head. “Why would Becky write to you when she lives a half mile away?”
Lu pursed her lips. “Who knows why Becky does what she does.” She reached for the envelopes with her free hand, hoping Joanna wouldn’t ask any more questions.
She didn’t. Instead she touched one of the daisies on the wilting chain Lu had made a few hours ago and wore around her neck. “I remember making these with you when I was little.”
Lu lifted her gaze and met Joanna’s. “I remember that too. And making hollyhock dolls.”
Joanna’s eyes glimmered.
“My favorite days were when you visited.” Lu lifted the chain of daisies over her Kapp and handed them to Joanna. “Your turn.”
Joanna grinned and pulled it over her head. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Lu groaned. “Are you remembering that time Elaine scolded me?”
Joanna nodded. “Mandy and Miriam were here. Elaine said you were being fanciful.”
“Jah. If Elaine—or anyone else—stops by, take the chain off.”
Joanna pressed her hand against her daisy necklace. “Not until the last one has completely wilted.” She took the bedsheet from Lu with her other hand. “Go sit.”
Lu obeyed her granddaughter. What would she do without Joanna? Losing Marcus had shattered her heart. Joanna was the glue that held her together. And now Joanna’s heart was broken too.
Lu sat in her rocker on the back porch and opened her daughter’s letter.
She was the second of Lu and Marcus’s four children and the only girl.
Two of her sons had chosen not to join the church and now lived in Indiana, near each other, and the third had moved to a northern New York Amish community where his wife was from.
After trying to read Suzanna’s small cursive, Lu reached for her reading glasses on the table next to her chair. Suzanna wrote they were all working fifteen-hour days to make the most of the long hours of light in Maine.
It takes a lot to prepare for winter here.
Besides the vegetable garden, they were growing flowers for the first time. Lu read the line again—her son-in-law Nehemiah had never allowed Suzanna or Joanna to grow flowers, saying doing so was both fanciful and frivolous. Suzanna wrote,
I’ve been selling bouquets at the farmers’ market—I can’t believe how much Englischers will pay for a bunch, which is the only reason Nehemiah agreed to me growing the flowers in the first place.
Lu gripped the page a little tighter.
That’s all for now. Write to me with your news. I need an update from Joanna too, hopefully that she and Jacob will decide to join us here. No doubt Enoch Byer wouldn’t be in favor of Jacob leaving, but the money Enoch could get for his farm when he’s ready to retire might lessen that worry.
Suzanna and Enoch had been in school together and Nehemiah had become acquainted with him, which was part of the reason Nehemiah felt so positive about Jacob.
Lu finished the letter, folded it, and slipped it back into the envelope.
“What did Mamm have to say?” Joanna, with the basket against her hip, had reached the porch.
“She’s been selling flowers at the farmers’ market.”
“Really?” Joanna hurried up the steps. “Dat is allowing that?”
Lu nodded.
“Ach. So flowers sell well in Maine too?”
“Apparently,” Lu said.
Joanna shifted the basket to her other side. “Is that all she wrote about?”
Lu held up the letter. “You can read it.”
“I will, later.” Joanna went into the house, and Lu opened Becky’s letter.
It was short, just three lines. She asked for prayer for Adam that God would provide friends for him in Lancaster County and a wife.
She asked that, if it was God’s will, Adam would stay in Lancaster County and be willing to take over the family business in the future so Ike could retire.
Although Becky didn’t talk about it much, Lu knew she was concerned about Ike’s health.
Lu would pray about that too. At the end Becky wrote,
Lu, include your own request and mail the letter to Rhoda. Then, Rhoda, mail your letter and the previous letters back to me.
Lu put the letter on the table adjacent to her chair and found the pen under her notebook and Bible.
She wrote a short paragraph asking for prayer for someone she dearly loved who was grieving a loss.
She wasn’t going to specifically name Joanna, even though everyone would know, nor ask that the Lord would bring someone new into Joanna’s life.
She wasn’t ready for that. And she certainly didn’t want the Lord to bring Jacob back.
Lu opened her eyes. Had she dozed? She leaned forward. The sun hadn’t moved much. If she had fallen asleep it hadn’t been for long. She turned her attention to the garden. Joanna was weeding. Her flowers had never been so big, all thanks to her granddaughter’s care.
She walked down to the garden and as she approached asked Joanna if she’d seen Jacob at work.
“Nee. But I would like to talk with him.”
“About?” Lu asked.
Joanna stood up straight. “He took Veronica home from the singing last night. They left halfway through.”
“Veronica?” Lu stepped into the garden and began weeding too.
“Troyer. You know. She’s Daniel and Elaine’s granddaughter. Mandy and Miriam’s little cousin, who isn’t so little anymore.”
“Oh. Jonathon’s daughter, right?” Lu fully registered what Joanna had said, but still she asked, “Jacob took her home?”
“Jah.”
That sounded odd.
“She was there with a couple of her friends, who are from our district.” Joanna swiped the back of her gloved hand along her chin. “It was a relief when he left. I was just surprised she went with him.” Joanna glanced up at her grandmother. “What do you think is going on?”
Lu gave her granddaughter a sympathetic look. “Only time will tell. Try not to dwell on it.”
“Veronica is only seventeen.”
“Maybe he was just doing her family a favor by taking her home. They’d probably made plans ahead of time.”
Joanna straightened her back. “Did you and Dawdi ever break up?”
“Once.” Lu stood too. “He was so sure I was the right one—but I was the only girl he’d ever taken out. I broke up with him and said he couldn’t know for sure until he dated someone else. I said I wouldn’t go out with him again until he took out at least three other girls.”
Joanna grinned. “What happened?”
“He took three girls out.” Lu couldn’t help but smile. “All at once.”
Joanna laughed. “Quiet Dawdi Marcus did that?”
“Jah. He took them to the creamery. He asked Ike to take me at the same time, so I’d see that he’d taken three girls on a date—Ike convinced me to go by saying Becky would be there.”
Joanna looked the happiest she had in weeks. “Becky was one of the girls there with Dawdi Marcus?”
“Exactly. She was one of his dates.” Tears sprang into Lu’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Joanna said.
“Nee. It’s a good memory.” Lu blinked quickly. “I’m glad you asked.”
“Who were the other girls?”
“Rhoda and Elaine.” Lu laughed even as she cried. “Can you imagine all of us forty-eight years ago?”
Joanna began to laugh too. “Nee. I can’t. What happened next?”
“Becky rode home with Ike, and your Dawdi gave me and Elaine and Rhoda rides home. He dropped them off first.”
Joanna had a twinkle in her eye.
“We were married a year later.” Lu sighed. “How could I resist?” Marcus was no Jacob, that was for sure. He was a good man.
A half hour later, Lu and Joanna were both sitting on the porch. “Lu! Joanna!” Becky came sashaying toward them in a fresh dress and apron. She wore a black bonnet over her white Kapp. Becky always looked her best.
Lu called out, “You missed me telling Joanna about the time Marcus took you, Rhoda, and Elaine to the creamery on a date.”
Becky slapped her thigh as she reached the porch. “No matter how old I get, I’ll never forget that. And then it still took you a year to marry him.”
“A year isn’t long.” Lu smiled. “Unless you are the standard.”
Becky put her hand to the side of her mouth and whispered to Joanna as she sat, “I had to ask Ike to marry me. He was taking his own sweet time.”
Joanna didn’t have to feign being surprised. She really was. “Wow.”
“He was scared I’d say no if he proposed. I don’t know why. I was as crazy about him as he was about me—we married three months later.”
Lu knew they were still crazy about each other.
“Joanna,” Becky said, “I need you to go with Ike and me tomorrow to see the Federalist-style house I was telling you about.” Lu could tell by the tone of Becky’s voice that she was pleased about the property.
Joanna straightened. “All right.” Lu would be forever grateful to Becky for giving Joanna her job. She’d grown so much more confident working for the Slaybaughs. Joanna added, “I’ve always wanted to see the inside of that house.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Becky said. “Well, it will be gorgeous. Currently it’s a mess, but it’s all cosmetic. The structure is sound.”
Joanna’s eyes lit up.
“Adam will go with us too,” Becky said. “We’re going to put the two of you in charge of the project.”
Joanna’s volume dropped as she said, “All right.” Lu assumed Joanna felt a little overwhelmed to be in charge of such a big house. Hopefully she hadn’t caught on that Becky wanted to play matchmaker between her and Adam.