Chapter 33
Becky stood at the bathroom sink in her white cotton nightgown, brushing her teeth. She started humming “All You Need Is Love” as she brushed. Ike, who stood next to her at his sink, joined her. She spit first and then began to sing.
Becky had an eight-track player in her car and a few cartridges, including Magical Mystery Tour. Selling her car, with the player and cartridges included, had been a sad moment for her. But the reward was joining the church and marrying Ike. It had been more than worth it.
Ike missed pop music the most when they joined the church. Becky missed it too, but she missed fancy clothes even more. She’d had to give up her skirts, jeans, and blouses. But no one could take away the lyrics to the songs. Of course, they’d never sing any of them with anyone but each other.
As they finished, they both giggled. Adam had gone for a walk, something he’d done every night for the last week.
She’d become used to having the house to themselves over the years, but she hoped Adam never left.
At sixty-seven and sixty-eight, she didn’t feel as if they were old.
But they did need more help than they used to and in time they would need even more.
The next morning, both Becky and Ike went to the warehouse and called the team together for a meeting. Ike announced they wouldn’t be taking on another project until the Pequea Creek house was nearly finished. “We need to get it on the market.”
Adam glanced at Joanna and then cleared his throat and said, “What about the barn?”
“We’ll fix the roof.”
“Like I said before, it definitely needs more than that,” Adam said.
Ike rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ll talk about it later.”
As they walked home Ike looped his arm through Becky’s. “Is it fair to Joanna to have Jacob still working for us?”
She pulled her arm in tightly, drawing him closer. “I asked her this morning. She doesn’t want us to fire him.”
“Why not?”
Becky shrugged. “She didn’t say, but I think we should follow her wishes on this. She probably has Miriam’s best interest at heart.”
On Tuesday Becky caught up on paperwork in the office while Nick drove Ike to his cardiac rehab appointment. Adam had the cell phone, and when he returned from the Pequea Creek house he held up the phone as he walked into the office. “I had a message from the doctor,” he said. “My heart is fine.”
Becky stood but had to sit back down when her knees went weak. “Wunderbar,” she managed to say as she held out her hand. “I need to listen to it.”
Adam shook his head a little as he handed her the phone. “You don’t trust me?” Joanna stood behind Adam in the doorway, but then she disappeared.
“Of course I trust you,” Becky said. “I just need to hear it for myself.” After she listened, she handed the phone back. “Denki,” she said, “for doing the testing.”
He put his hand over hers. “I’m glad I did.” Then he left the office. Curious about where he’d gone, Becky followed a few minutes later. Joanna and Adam stood at the counter, deep in conversation. Becky smiled as she quickly turned back toward the office, hoping Adam had shared his good news.
On Friday Becky hosted the quilting group. It had been over a month since the four of them had gathered to quilt. That morning after she tidied up, Becky lowered the quilt frame with Ike’s help before he left for the warehouse. Then she arranged four kitchen chairs around it.
Lu brought her peach cobbler with whipped cream, which the women ate as they visited.
The conversation started out about the muggy weather and who was canning what and moved on to Ike’s health.
Becky wasn’t sure if it would stay surfacy or not.
Elaine shared a funny story about a calf that got away.
She laughed and then said, “I was out there in the middle of the lane going back and forth until the cows came home while a string of tourists’ cars backed up each way.
I can only imagine the photos they all took of me.
It wasn’t until Miriam—” Her face froze.
“It’s all right,” Lu said.
Elaine’s eyes filled with tears.
Everyone was silent for a long moment. Then Becky said, “I need to apologize. I was the one who suggested the circle letter so we could share prayer requests about our families, but I don’t know what I was thinking.
It’s much better for us to share face-to-face.
I think we can all trust each other not to share the requests with anyone else. ”
“I’ve been thinking about this too,” Lu said.
“It’s natural for us to want to talk about those we love.
It’s how we share our burdens, and it’s how we bond with each other, even after all of these years.
But I think we need to always be aware of our motivation.
If it’s ever to draw attention to ourselves, it’s better not to share.
Or if any of our kin, or someone else, would rather that information stay private, then we shouldn’t share it either. ”
Elaine took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes.
“I know why you did the circle letter. I wasn’t trustworthy.
” She blew her nose. “I’m sorry. I know I can be a gossip.
” She put her tissue in her lap and glanced around the room.
“I never thought anything would happen in my family like this—like what’s happened with Miriam.
” Elaine couldn’t say it out loud, and that was all right.
Becky understood. “All along people needed support, not my unkind words behind their backs. I hope you can forgive me.”
Caught off guard, Becky tripped over her words. “Of course—we can.”
“Jah,” Lu said.
Elaine wadded the tissue in her hand. “But now I know what it feels like. I’m not sure if I’m reaping what I sowed—that will depend on how much others are talking about us—but Gott has certainly convicted me of gossiping in the past.” Maybe she’d had an epiphany after all.
“And it all feels so complicated. I’m worried about Miriam and I wonder if Jacob is right for her.
And I worry about Joanna.” Elaine leaned over the frame as if she could get closer to the other women. “How is she doing?”
“All right,” Lu and Rhoda answered at the same time. Everyone laughed and the tension broke a little.
“Actually,” Lu said, “she’s doing well. She’s worried about Miriam too, God bless her.” There Lu went blessing people again. But if anyone deserved it, Joanna did.
“Ach.” Elaine leaned back in her chair. “She’s setting an example for me. She’s a Youngie who has her house in order. I wish I’d had her maturity through the years.”
Becky put her empty plate on the table beside her. “Can you believe it’s been over fifty years since we started on our Rumspringa? It seems like it was last year.”
Lu reached for her coffee. “The years are long, the decades short.”
“Jah,” Rhoda said. “Because the days fly by so quickly we can’t keep track of them.” She laughed. “Or remember what happened yesterday while still mulling over something from decades ago.”
Elaine nodded in agreement.
They continued to quilt and talk. As they finished up the last of the stitches, Becky asked, “So who is the quilt for?”
Without hesitating Lu said, “Miriam. We’ll send our prayers with it.”
“Nee.” Elaine reached for her tissue again. “That wouldn’t be right to give it to her—and Jacob.”
“I agree with Lu.” Rhoda pushed her needle into her pincushion. “Miriam is going to need this.”
“But what about Joanna?” Elaine asked. “Will she be hurt?”
“Nee,” Lu said. “I know she won’t.”
“It’s decided,” Becky said. “The quilt is for Miriam.” She grinned at Elaine. “You’re outnumbered.”
“What else is new?” Elaine’s frown turned into a smile.
“Jah. So many things have stayed the same.” Becky grinned, stood, and walked to her desk.
She returned with a picture. “And yet so many things have changed.” She held it up.
“Remember this?” It was a photo of the four of them sitting on the hood of her Impala wearing bell-bottoms and halter tops.
“It was taken the year we were nineteen, the year before we all joined the church and then married.”
Elaine’s mouth flew open. “Don’t tell me you kept that photograph.”
“Obviously I did.” Becky handed it to Lu.
“Look at us.” Lu sighed. “We were gorgeous.” They had been. They all had long hair halfway down their backs and long legs and perfect skin.
“We’re still gorgeous.” Becky wanted to hug each one of her friends. What would her life have been like without them? “Pass the photo around. Remember what it was like to be young—and in love. That’s what we want for our grandchildren.”
That evening after supper while Adam did the dishes, Ike and Becky went for a walk out to the highway and down the road to Lu’s and back.
When they returned, the kitchen was spotless, and Adam was gone and so was the scooter they’d kept over the years.
Becky hoped he was out having fun. If he and Joanna weren’t going to court, then she hoped he would find someone else.
And soon. He wasn’t getting any younger and neither was his grandmother.
More than anything, she wanted a little one around again that she could help care for.
As she and Ike got ready for bed, she asked, “What year was that old Impala I had?”
“Sixty-eight.”
“That’s right.”
He laughed. “I’ll never forget it. The day you stepped out of that thing was the happiest day of my life, up to that point in time.”
“I was really something, wasn’t I?”
“Was?” He reached out and gave her a pat. “You still are. You always have been.”
She grabbed his hand and held it against her abdomen. “We’ve had a good life, haven’t we? Despite the heartaches.”
“Jah. The Lord has been good to us.”
A little while later, after they’d crawled into bed, they both reached for the other’s hand at the same time. They needed the Lord’s love—and to love Him—most of all. And to keep loving each other. Becky’s mind began to wander into sleep, but Ike squeezing her hand brought her back.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Jah,” he whispered. “I just needed to say that I love you.”
She smiled in the dark and turned her face toward him. “I love you too.”
She drifted off again, holding Ike’s hand. God willing, He’d give her another decade or two or even three with this man beside her. That was her hope. That was her prayer.