Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Read online

  Conner, who’d been playing with his truck in a pile of dirt several feet away, joined them. “I wanna see the snake!” Hopping on one foot and then the other, he spoke with the excitement of a three-year-old.

  When Loretta spotted the creature, she sighed with relief. “That’s not a snake, sweetie. It’s a salamander. Come, take a look.” Leaning down, she put her arms around both of the children and urged them forward. “See, it has little legs, and there’s a red stripe down the middle of its back.”

  Eyes wide, the children bobbed their heads. Abby got brave and moved a little closer.

  “Salamanders live in damp areas, such as under leaves and rocks,” Loretta explained.

  “Can I pet it, Mommy?” Conner’s eyes widened.

  “Oh, I don’t think it would hold still for that. If we get too close the salamander will most likely scurry under a rock.”

  “Can we put the critter in something and bring it in the house?” Abby squatted down and reached out to touch the tiny amphibian. “It’s cute. We could name him Oscar. He could be our pet.”

  Although Loretta felt no connection to the salamander, she understood the way her daughter felt. When she was Abby’s age and discovered the wonders of nature, she often brought things home. Now she’d have to tell her children the same thing her father told her when she was a girl. In fact, Loretta could still hear his words echoing in her ears. “As nice as it would be to take care of this salamander, he belongs here in his natural environment,” she told the children.

  Abby’s lower lip protruded. A few minutes ago she’d been afraid of the creature, and now she wanted to make it a pet.

  “Our yard is his home, and I’m sure you will see him again. When you do, be sure to sit quietly so you don’t scare him.”

  Abby seemed satisfied with Loretta’s explanation. Conner was content, appearing almost spellbound as he studied the salamander. Loretta stayed with the children, observing the creature until it finally crawled off.

  Conner clapped his hands. “That was fun!” He turned and scampered back to the dirt pile and his toy truck.

  Abby reached up and took Loretta’s hand. “Can I help ya put seeds in the ground?”

  “Of course you may.” Loretta squeezed her daughter’s fingers tenderly, then handed her the packet of seeds. It pleased her to see how the children found pleasure in simple things. She hoped, with her guidance and love of nature, Abby and Conner would grow up to appreciate everything God created.

  Mt. Hope

  “How’d things go at the cooking class?” Dorie asked when Kendra entered her friend’s cramped living room. “Did you have a good time?”

  “The Amish teacher’s nice, and we made a tasty breakfast casserole, but I really messed up.” Kendra flopped onto the couch with a groan.

  “How so?” Dorie took a seat in the chair across from her.

  “I got sick to my stomach and barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up.” Kendra frowned deeply. “It was embarrassing, but that’s not the worst of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I blurted out in front of everyone that I’m pregnant.”

  Dorie’s eyes opened wide. “What made you tell them?”

  Kendra shrugged. “Figured I may as well admit it so they didn’t think I exposed them to the flu. Plus, after my parents’ negative reaction to the pregnancy, guess I was hoping for a positive response from at least one of Heidi’s students.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Not much. The one lady—Loretta—mentioned how she’d felt during her pregnancy. No one even asked if I was married, or when the baby’s due. If they had learned I’m not married, they might have been condemning like Mom and Dad were.” Kendra massaged the back of her neck, hoping to release some of her tensions. “Sure hope when I go back in two weeks, I don’t get sick again.”

  Dorie left her seat and stood behind the couch to take over massaging Kendra’s neck. “If you do throw up again, at least no one will be concerned about getting the flu. Hope your teacher didn’t have a smelly outhouse.” She coughed several times, as though gagging.

  “I didn’t see one, and they did have indoor plumbing. In fact, except for the lack of electric lights, Heidi’s bathroom didn’t look much different from yours or any other bathroom I’ve been in.”

  “Really? I figured the bathroom in an Amish home would look pretty plain.”

  “Well, I didn’t see pictures on the wall there or in any other part of the house I was in. But some pretty towels hung in the bathroom, in addition to scented hand soap and hand lotion on the vanity.”

  “Interesting. So getting back to the people you met … Maybe they didn’t know how to react when you told them you were expecting a baby. You don’t have a ring on your finger, and my guess is they weren’t going to pry with a bunch of nosy questions.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Kendra closed her eyes, letting Dorie’s magic fingers relax her muscles. “Once I get better acquainted with everyone, I’m hoping I’ll feel more comfortable. I’d especially like to know Heidi. She seems nice. Sure wish my mom was more like her.” Kendra sighed and quickly changed the subject. “Thanks again for letting me use your car today.”

  “No problem. I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  Kendra’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and swept a hand across her forehead. “It’s Shelly. I wonder what she wants.”

  “Why don’t you answer and find out?”

  “Most likely, Mom told her the reason they kicked me out. She’s probably calling to say how disappointed she is in her big sister and wishes I’d been a better example for her and Chris. As Dad likes to point out, ‘they’re still impressionable teenagers.’” Kendra shook her head. “I can’t deal with it right now. Shelly can leave a message if she wants to.”

  Dorie took a seat on the couch beside Kendra. “This isn’t the first time your sister has called. You should be honest with her.” She clasped Kendra’s chin, turning her head so she was looking directly at her. “Shelly’s reaction might surprise you. How long will you keep avoiding her?”

  “I’ll return her call eventually, but not today.” Kendra stood, arching her back. “I’m tired. Think I’ll go take a nap.” She grabbed her cell phone and hurried from the room. She appreciated her friend’s concern but didn’t like being told what to do.

  Walnut Creek

  “How’d things go with your first cooking class?” Lyle asked, entering the kitchen where Heidi sat at the table making a list of things she wanted to cover at the next class.

  She looked up at him and sighed. “The cooking part went well enough with the students, but I think I may have underestimated my job as their teacher.”

  Lyle pulled out a chair and sat down. “What do you mean?”

  “Two of the students, Eli and Charlene, can’t cook at all, so I had to go over some of the basics before we started making the breakfast casserole.”

  “It’s understandable. For some folks, cooking doesn’t come easy like it does for you.”

  “I didn’t have a problem with sharing some of the fundamentals, but I wasn’t expecting a few of the people who came here to share their troubles.” Heidi went on to tell Lyle about Kendra’s pregnancy. “Then there’s Eli, who obviously still misses Mavis, and right before she left today, Loretta mentioned being a widow.”

  “Do you want my opinion, Heidi?”

  She nodded slowly.

  Lyle placed his hand on her arm. “In addition to showing your students how to make some special Amish dishes, I believe you could end up helping them deal with whatever problems they have.”

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing, since that’s how things turned out with Aunt Emma and some of her quilting students.” She pulled in a breath and released it slowly. “I only hope I’m up to the task.”

  “If you ask God to help, He will give you the wisdom to say the right things and know when to say them.”

  Heidi patted Lyle’s knee
. “You’re right, of course.” She appreciated her husband’s insight and would try to take his advice.

  “Something else interesting happened this morning, shortly after my students and I came to the kitchen.”

  “What was it?”

  “Ron showed up and is now officially taking my class.”

  Lyle’s mouth opened slightly. “I’m surprised he’d be interested in a cooking class, and even more surprised you agreed to teach him.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Since you expressed concern about Ron parking his motor home in our yard, I wouldn’t think you’d be open to him coming into our home and joining your other students.”

  “I couldn’t very well say no—especially since Eli seemed to want Ron in the class.”

  Lyle leaned slightly forward. “How exactly did this all come about?”

  Heidi explained how Ron had come to the door asking for coffee, and then Eli had assumed Ron was part of the class. “One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, Ron was a new class member. It all happened so fast.”

  “But your classes will go through the end of June. Does Ron plan to stick around our place that long?”

  Heidi lifted her hands, turning them upward. “I never got the chance to ask.”

  Lyle rose from his chair. “I’d better get this straightened out right now and see what he has to say about it. By the way, I brought sub sandwiches home for our supper. Got one for Ron, too.”

  “Oh, good. It will be nice not to have to cook tonight. We’ll have the leftover coleslaw from the other day along with the sandwiches.”

  “Great.” Lyle grinned.

  Heidi watched as her husband went out the door. I hope Ron doesn’t take it wrong when Lyle questions him. I felt like I got to know Ron a little better during class, but I still feel uncomfortable around him. Sure hope he can be trusted and that I won’t regret letting him take the class.

  Chapter 10

  Ron opened his closet door and peered in. With the exception of his few items of clothes, nothing else occupied the space. Of course, he’d recently emptied it after visiting a pawnshop the week before he’d shown up at Heidi and Lyle’s place. The closet was useful and could hold a good deal of things. He hoped within the next few weeks he’d have it filled again. First things first, though. He needed to figure out a way to get inside the Troyers’ when no one was home.

  Ron considered flaking out on his bunk for a short nap, but before he could head in that direction, someone rapped on his side door. Yawning, he opened it and was surprised to see Lyle, holding a plastic sack. “Didn’t know you were back from the auction.” Ron stepped out and shut the door behind him. “Never heard a vehicle pull in.”

  “I asked my driver to drop me off out front by the mailbox so I could check for mail.” Lyle shuffled his feet, kicking a small stone with the toe of his boot. “Is it all right if I come inside? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  “No problem. I’ve been wantin’ to talk to you, too.” It was a good time to let Lyle inside the RV. Aside from being a little messy, nothing looked out of the ordinary.

  Lyle stepped inside, and Ron swung the driver and passenger seats around so they could sit comfortably. “Should I start, or do you want to go first?” he asked after they’d both taken seats.

  “Guess I’ll say what’s on my mind.” Lyle cleared his throat. “Heidi mentioned you took part in her cooking class today.”

  Ron gave a nod. “I enjoyed it, too, and hope I’ll get the chance to be part of the next five classes.”

  Lyle gave his earlobe a tug. “I see. Well …”

  “So I was wonderin’ if you would mind if I kept my rig parked on your property a few more weeks.”

  Lyle worked his fingers through his thick, full beard, while looking steadily at Ron, as though sizing him up. Letting his hand fall in his lap, he spoke. “Did you come here, thinking you would stay indefinitely?”

  “Course not. I needed a place to park my motor home until I could get it running smoothly again.” Ron shook his head. “Never expected to get involved in a cooking class, but now that I have, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to see it through.”

  “If I’m hearing you right, you want to stay here through the end of June?”

  “Yeah, but I’m willing to do some chores in exchange for letting me stay. Could we work something out?”

  Lyle sat several seconds then slowly nodded. “I’ll make a list of several things needing to be done and give it to you in the morning.”

  “Thanks for the opportunity.” Ron held out his hand, as if to seal the deal. After shaking Lyle’s hand, Ron thought of something else. “Say, I was wondering…. Do you think your wife would mind if I use her clothesline to dry some of my things?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Do you have a way to wash your clothes?”

  Ron scrubbed his hand down the side of his face. “Unless I’m close to a laundromat and have money to spare, I usually wash ’em there.” He pointed to his small kitchen sink. “Wouldn’t expect Heidi to wash my clothes. Nope, that’d be asking too much.”

  “Umm … we’ll see how it goes.” Lyle lifted the plastic bag he’d brought in with him. “Before I forget, I picked up some submarine sandwiches on my way home and got one for you. Hope you like turkey with cheddar cheese.”

  “Much obliged. Truth is, I can eat most anything, but I’ve always had a fondness for hoagies.” Ron took the plastic bag. “At least that’s what I’ve always called ’em.”

  Lyle remained in the chair a few more seconds then stood and moved toward the side door. “See you tomorrow, Ron. Have a good night.”

  “Yeah, same to you.”

  As soon as Lyle left, Ron took a seat at his table and dug into the sandwich. It would be too risky for him to get close to these people, even though they were kind and hospitable. He couldn’t afford to let any sentimental emotions take over, or he might leave here with nothing but a few pleasant memories. While pleasant memories were nice, what Ron really needed was money.

  Saturday evening, as Eli ate a bologna and cheese sandwich for supper, he reflected on his day. The cooking class had been interesting, and he’d felt relief when another man showed up. Being the only Amish person in the class, though, he didn’t fit in with the rest of them. Of course, Heidi was there, and even though she was Amish, she was also the teacher, not to mention an expert cook.

  “Maybe I’ll never be able to cook a halfway decent meal,” Eli muttered. “Might be eatin’ sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs the rest of my life.”

  He thought about the three English women in Heidi’s class. Two of them, Kendra and Charlene, wore makeup and dressed in what he saw as clothes made for a man. Loretta, however, wore a long skirt with a cotton blouse. From what he could tell, she had no makeup on her face, either. If her hair had been pulled back in a bun, and she’d worn a Plain dress, she would have almost looked Amish.

  Eli’s musings scattered when he heard scratching on the door. “Okay, Lady, I hear ya.” He rose from his chair, opened the back door, and let the black lab out.

  Returning to the table to finish the rest of his sandwich, Eli’s thoughts were redirected to Heidi’s cooking class. I wonder what her other students would’ve thought if I’d told ’em I make caskets for a living.

  Eli’s profession, which he’d learned from his grandfather, wasn’t something he normally talked about with English people. Everyone in his Amish community knew what he did for a living, but he had a hunch the women in class, and maybe even Ron, would think making caskets was a creepy kind of job. Well, it might be disturbing, but when someone died, their family needed to purchase a coffin, and his were made according to Amish custom. Nothing fancy, just a simple pine box. What Eli never expected was the one he’d worked on only a few weeks before his wife’s death would end up having Mavis buried in it.

  Eli drank the last bit of milk in his glass and took the dishes to the sink to wash. Mavis
never minded doing dishes. He filled the sink with detergent and warm water then reached for a sponge. He didn’t hate doing dishes, but it wasn’t his favorite chore, either. Of course he didn’t enjoy doing any of the inside chores his wife used to do. Mavis isn’t coming back, Eli reminded himself. And unless God directs me otherwise, I’ll never get married again. So I may as well do the inside chores without complaining.

  Canton, Ohio

  Bridget Perkins had no more than entered the kitchen to begin making supper than her middle daughter, Shelly, stepped into the room. “I called Kendra again today, but I only got her voice mail.” Tilting her head to one side, Shelly pursed her lips. “I don’t understand why Kendra doesn’t return my calls. Doesn’t she realize I’m worried about her?”

  Bridget moaned. “I don’t believe your sister cares about anyone but herself.”

  Shelly pushed her shoulder-length auburn hair behind her ears. Her resemblance to Kendra was uncanny. If Shelly’s hair were shorter, they could have almost passed as twins.

  Leaning against the counter, Shelly folded her arms. “Something’s going on, Mom, and I have a right to know what it is. Don’t you agree? After all, I’m part of this family, too, and I’m not a kid. I’m eighteen years old.”

  “There’s nothing going on you need to know about.” Bridget reached for a potato to peel.

  “It doesn’t make sense for Kendra to move out and not tell us where she’s living.” Shelly moved closer to the sink. “Did you and she have a disagreement about her boyfriend? Is that the reason she moved out?”

  “Your sister left this house because we asked her to. End of story.”

  Bridget turned at the sound of her husband’s deep voice. “Gary, I didn’t realize you’d come home. You mentioned this morning you’d be working late this evening.”

  “I changed my mind.” He looked at Shelly and narrowed his eyes. “You are not to have anything to do with your sister! No more phone calls or text messages. Do you understand?”