Chapter 7 #2
She and Malachi shouldn’t have come here. The more hospitable Jalon was to them, the more guilt piled on her conscience. He’d paid for the taxi ride, and now he was giving up his house for her and Malachi’s benefit. He was giving her more than she deserved.
Malachi, on the other hand, seemed to have no qualms about staying at Jalon’s. In fact, he appeared the most content she’d seen him since they left Fredericktown.
Malachi took advantage of the pause in the conversation to make a break for it.
However, one thing he consistently underestimated was Phoebe’s reflexes.
She was fast—always had been. As a kid, she’d won every footrace against her brothers, and against the boys at school, both older and younger.
So it wasn’t difficult for her to catch Malachi by the back collar of his coat and yank him in place.
“You will geh inside. And you will stop arguing with me.”
He went with her, but complained the entire way until she thought she would grind her teeth to dust. Why couldn’t she get him to behave?
He’d minded Jalon just fine. Then again, Jalon had a commanding air about him.
Not forceful or condescending. Only that he clearly wasn’t a man to be crossed. Which gave her an idea.
She stopped at the bottom of the front porch steps and crossed her arms. “Jalon’s not going to like how you’re behaving. Not one little bit.”
Malachi paled, which made his red, cold cheeks look like buggy taillights at a stop sign.
“Do you want to disappoint him? After he’s been so kind to us?”
He shook his head. “ Nee. I’ll geh inside.”
Phoebe couldn’t help a small smile of satisfaction. Yes, she’d have to learn how to get him under control herself, but at least right now he was listening.
She directed him around the house to the mudroom she was certain was there.
Once inside she could see it was larger than Aunt Bertha’s and about the size of the one back home, which was still too small for a family of fourteen.
She helped him take off his wet outer clothes and hung them on empty pegs, then placed his boots on the floor underneath.
Fortunately, he’d been wearing his boots when Aunt Bertha had kicked them out.
Since she’d had to leave hers behind, she was wearing only black sneakers, and her toes were stinging as they warmed up.
At least her gloves had been in her coat pockets.
“Where’s Jalon’s cat?” Malachi asked as Phoebe took his small, cold hands in hers and started rubbing them.
“He came inside with us.”
“Can I geh find him?”
She paused. Could Malachi be trusted in Jalon’s house? Not that he would intentionally do anything bad, but in his zeal to find the cat he might knock something over or make a mess.
“I promise I won’t do anything wrong.”
“Oh, Malachi.” She hugged him, then held him at arm’s length. “ Ya , you can find the cat. But please be mindful that we don’t live here. We need to treat Jalon’s haus like it’s our own.”
The irony of her words struck her. Over the past few months she’d allowed herself the fantasy of being married to Jalon.
It was a pleasant daydream and a welcome distraction at Aunt Bertha’s.
Now she had to set that dream aside. Actually, she should probably destroy it.
There was no time for fantastical dreams when she didn’t even know what she was going to do about tomorrow.
“Oh, so I can pretend I live here?” Malachi smiled. “I like that!”
“That’s not what I meant—”
He darted off, calling, “Kitty! Kitty!”
Phoebe leaned against her heels and let out a long sigh. Malachi was already getting attached to the cat. That wasn’t good. Neither of them needed to be attached to anything, especially Jalon. Too late for that.
She went into the kitchen, eager to focus on supper and not on her still-strong feelings for Jalon or her predicament.
The kitchen was simple, but much larger than the one at Aunt Bertha’s.
Unlike her aunt’s it had a few personal touches—a wooden calendar on the wall, a battery-operated clock over the window, and, oh wow, an actual cookie jar on the counter in plain sight.
A normal kitchen, which made her smile and allowed her to forget her problems for a moment.
It didn’t take much time to find the ingredients to prepare a meal.
She found some ground beef in the gas-operated refrigerator.
A jar of canned green beans, a few potatoes, an onion, some cheese, butter, and a jar of tomato sauce and she had the makings for shepherd’s pie.
Too bad there wasn’t time to make fresh rolls.
But she would make do with what she had.
Before long the scent of chopped onions sautéing in butter filled the kitchen. By the time the potatoes were boiling on the stove she heard footsteps on the kitchen floor. Assuming it was Malachi coming from elsewhere in the house, she didn’t turn around. “Did you find the cat?” she asked.
“Is he lost?”
Surprised, Phoebe turned at the feminine voice.
The woman, who appeared to be Phoebe’s age, walked over to her, carrying a cake container in her hands.
She’d apparently shed her outer clothing at the front door.
Auburn hair peeked out from her white kapp .
Phoebe assumed she was Leanna come home early until she said, “Hi. I’m Karen.
” She set the cake container on the counter.
“I live next door. Jalon told us you and yer sohn are staying here. Daed thought it would be a good idea if I stayed here too.”
Phoebe nearly sank against the counter with relief.
Even with Jalon in the dawdi haus , she’d been afraid people in his community would gossip about him.
Having a chaperone here would help dispel that temptation.
She smiled and held out her hand to Karen.
“Nice to meet you. Is Jalon still at yer haus ?”
“He was still talking with Daed when I left.” She sniffed. “Something smells delicious. What are you making?”
“Shepherd’s pie.”
“Can I help?”
“ Danki , but there’s really not much left to do.”
“I can whip up some cornbread.” She walked over to the pantry and opened the door. Phoebe noticed how familiar Karen seemed to be with Jalon’s kitchen.
Phoebe tested the potatoes with a fork. They needed to cook a little longer before she drained and mashed them with butter and milk. She set the fork down on the counter and turned to Karen. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to check on mei sohn .”
Karen glanced over her shoulder. “I’m assuming he’s the little bu fast asleep on the couch?”
He was asleep again? “He must be tired,” she murmured.
“I’m surprised to see Blue snuggled next to him.”
“They’ve kind of taken to each other.”
“ Gut. That cat needs to expand his social horizons. He usually only likes being around Leanna. Unless you have food. Then suddenly he’s yer best friend.” Karen found the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder she needed. “Can you hand me one of the mixing bowls?” she asked Phoebe.
“Where are they?”
“Lower cabinet on the right.”
Phoebe found the bowl exactly where Karen said.
Karen took it as Phoebe lifted it out. “I know this kitchen almost as well as mei mamm ’s.
I’ve known the Chupps for a long time. Almost fourteen years, I think, since they moved to Birch Creek.
” Karen went to the fridge and opened the door.
“My older sister, Ivy, is best friends with Leanna, and since Ivy and I are the only daughters in mei familye , we used to come here all the time. We always helped Jalon’s mamm , Rose, with the cooking.
” She pulled out eggs and a carton of milk, then shut the fridge door.
“Rose makes the best lemon chiffon pie you’ve ever tasted. Leanna makes ... boiled eggs.”
“Really?” Phoebe said, relaxing enough to smile a little.
“ Ya , she’s a great friend, and she can throw a baseball and spike a volleyball like nobody’s business. But she’s an awful cook. Ivy’s not much better, but at least you don’t have to worry about her burning down the haus .”
“I love to cook,” she said, feeling at ease for the first time since she arrived here. Karen was easy to talk to.
“So do I. With four siblings, it’s a good skill to have.”
“I agree.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Karen measuring out the cornmeal. “I have ten. All boys.”
Karen’s eyes widened. Like Jalon, she also had freckles, but hers were more prominent. “And I thought our familye was big.”
As they continued to cook, they fell into easy conversation. Phoebe was pleased to find someone who was as adventurous in the kitchen as she was. “You’re lucky yer familye is open to experimentation,” Phoebe said as she mashed the hot potatoes in the pan.
“They just like food. Especially mei brothers and mei daed . Nee one’s very picky.”
She thought about her aunt, who would never have had cornbread with shepherd’s pie. Rolls only. And no putting cheese on top of the potatoes, which Phoebe planned on doing because it added a tasty richness. “Can’t say the same for mei familye . Some of them, anyway.”
“Where are you from?”
“Originally Fredericktown, but I was staying with mei aenti in Dover.”
“And you and Jalon met through letters?”
She turned and looked at her. “How did you know that?”
Karen’s face turned red. “He, um, said something. Right before he left yesterday.”
Phoebe put down the potato masher. “He talked about me with you?”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Karen sighed. “I’m sorry. He was worried about you, and wondering whether he should geh see you.”
The warm feeling she’d had knowing Jalon cared enough to check on her faded. “Then it was yer idea for him to geh see me?”
“Well, kind of. As soon as I suggested you might be in trouble, he left right away.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t come to see her without prodding from Karen. That disappointed her. Would he have checked on her if Karen hadn’t thought of it? Or would he have let their relationship fade away?
“Me and mei big mouth,” Karen muttered.
Phoebe lifted the corners of her lips, wanting to put Karen at ease. “You didn’t say anything wrong.” But she did wonder what kind of friendship the two of them had, since Jalon felt comfortable talking about her with Karen. A close friendship, obviously.
“I don’t want you to think Jalon talks about his private business with me. He doesn’t. He wouldn’t have said anything if he hadn’t been so worried about you.” Karen scooped the cornbread batter into a muffin tin. “I also had to drag it out of him. He’s not a big talker, not about personal stuff.”
“I wasn’t worried.” At least not much. She sighed.
She didn’t have the right to be concerned about who Jalon was friends with.
She turned back to the potatoes, defeat overwhelming her once more.
She mashed them a few more times, then set the masher to the side again.
“I’ll take a peek at Malachi,” she said, needing to remind herself of the main reason they were here.
Karen nodded and carried the muffin tin to the oven. “I’ll keep an eye on everything here.”
Phoebe left the kitchen and went to the living room.
Blue was lying on the back of the sofa, but when he saw Phoebe approach, he jumped down and curled himself against Malachi’s small belly.
Her son shifted at the movement but remained asleep.
His lips twitched into a half-smile. He looked so peaceful, so content.
Seeing him this way meant everything to her. If only the happiness could last.
How could it, though? She was in the same position she had been in right before she left home. She had to find a place for her and Malachi to live. She couldn’t take advantage of Jalon’s hospitality for long. She had very little money and no job. How was she going to take care of her son now?
God, what am I supposed to do?