Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Read online

  Charlene apologized—it seemed like a hundred times—but her fiancé assured her, “It wasn’t your fault.”

  The people who’d hit Len’s car also apologized, saying they felt terrible about the unfortunate accident. The driver explained they were gawking at the colt and hadn’t noticed Len’s Suburban at first. By the time they did, it was too late.

  After exchanging insurance information, Len called for help, and he and Charlene rode back to Dover with the tow-truck driver. Len and the driver talked the whole time, but Charlene tuned them out, fretting over what happened. Len squeezed her hand and said, “It’s gonna be okay.” But even with his assurance, she felt terrible. If they hadn’t stopped to see the mare give birth, everything would have been fine.

  Charlene breathed in and out slowly. If Len found it his heart to forgive me, then I need to get past this guilt, because the accident really wasn’t my fault.

  Sugarcreek

  Loretta felt as if the chores would never end. By the time the children went down for their naps, she was exhausted and tempted to lie down, too. But if she stopped now, the rest of her tasks would never get done, at least not today.

  Hoping to increase her energy, she drank another cup of coffee then headed for the clothesline, making sure the back door was left open. With the storm door closed, no bugs could get in, but enough screen was exposed so Loretta could hear the children if they called out.

  A sense of peace settled over her as she took the towels off the line, breathing deeply of their fresh-air aroma. Loretta owned a dryer, of course, but whenever she washed clothes and the weather was nice, she hung them outdoors. It wasn’t merely to save money on electricity. She enjoyed the lingering scent—especially on the sheets and towels.

  When the clothes were all off, Loretta picked up the basket and started for the house. The storm door held fast when Loretta tried to open it. That’s strange. I’m sure I didn’t lock it from inside before I stepped out.

  Perplexed, she set the basket on the porch and yanked on the door handle once more. A piece of heavy furniture would have been easier to move. Despite not wanting to wake the children, she pounded on the door. If the only way she could get in was to rouse Abby and Conner, then they’d have to do with less sleep now and go to bed earlier tonight.

  After knocking on the glass door several times with no response, and wiggling and jiggling the handle again, a sense of panic came over Loretta. She paused to pray. Heavenly Father, please help me get this door open. My children are inside, and they need me. The words from Psalm 46:10 Heidi had written on the back of the recipe card for the breakfast casserole came to mind: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

  Chapter 12

  Loretta’s heart pulsated as she pounded on the storm door, thunder sounding in the distance. Lord, please get me inside. If only one of the children would hear her.

  “Abby! Conner!” She called their names repeatedly, continuing to beat her fists on the door. Lord, I need Your help. Why aren’t You answering my prayer?

  “Be still, and know that I am God.”

  She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

  After what seemed like hours, Conner showed up, rubbing his eyes.

  “Honey, please open the door for Mommy.” Loretta spoke softly, so as not to upset her son.

  He tipped his head, looking at her curiously through the glass. “The door is open. Come in, Mommy.”

  She shook her head. “Only the big wooden door is open. The door with glass and screen in it won’t open for me. Sweetie, pull down on the handle, please.”

  Conner jiggled it, but the door didn’t budge.

  More frustrated than ever, Loretta asked her son to go get his sister.

  “Abby’s sleepin’.”

  “I realize she’s taking a nap, but you need to wake her up.”

  “What if she yells at me?”

  “Tell your sister I asked you to wake her up and she needs to come open the door for me right away.”

  “Okay.” Conner trotted off and returned a short time later with Abby at his side.

  Loretta felt relief. “Abby, I can’t get the door open. See if it will open from inside.”

  Abby pushed the handle down, but nothing happened.

  “Try pulling the button above it straight up,” Loretta instructed. “If it’s locked, that should let us open the door.”

  Standing on tiptoes, Abby kept trying but to no avail.

  Loretta saw no other choice but to remove the storm door from its hinges. First, she’d need to find the right tool in order to do the job.

  “I’m going out to the garage to look for a tool,” Loretta called to her daughter. “I want you and Conner to go to the living room and wait for me there.”

  “Okay.”

  Loretta hurried across the yard. Before she made it to the garage, her elderly neighbor, Sam Jones, showed up.

  “Is everything all right, Mrs. Donnelly? With a storm approaching, I wanted to check.” The wrinkles on his forehead deepened. “Heard you shouting and pounding. Wondered if you’d gotten locked out of the house or something.”

  “I did, in fact. I can’t open the storm door from the outside, and the kids can’t get it open from inside.” Loretta gestured to the garage. “I came here to find the right tool to remove the door from its hinges.”

  He held up one hand. “Not to worry. I’ve been locked out of my house a time or two. I’ll get the door off for you.” Sam stepped inside the garage.

  Loretta walked back to the porch. No need to tell her neighbor where the tools were. Sam used to come over to visit with Rick while he did things in the garage. The two became good friends. Sam was devastated when Rick died. He told Loretta once that he felt like he’d lost a son.

  “Mommy! Mommy!” Abby yelled from the living room.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” Loretta peered in through the glass door but couldn’t see the children.

  “I hear thunder,” Abby whimpered, finally stepping up to the door. “Conner’s scared, too. He’s on the couch, holdin’ two pillows against his ears.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you both shortly. Sam is getting a tool from the garage to help me get inside.”

  Telling Abby about Sam seemed to calm her fears, for she went back to the living room. Loretta stayed by the door, relieved when she heard the children giggling. It sounded like Abby was reading her brother a story.

  A few minutes later, Sam showed up, and in no time, he had the storm door off.

  “Thank You, Lord,” Loretta murmured. What a blessing to have a good neighbor like Sam.

  Mt. Hope

  Tired from a day of fruitless job hunting, Kendra went to bed early. Dorie was on a date with her boyfriend, Gene, so the house was quiet.

  Kendra plumped up her pillow and crawled into bed, thankful her friend’s mobile home included this small guest room. Sleeping on the couch held no appeal, but Kendra would have crashed there if Dorie had nothing else to offer.

  Distant thunder rumbled, and a gentle rain fell from the storm that had passed through earlier. For her, the rain hitting the metal roof of the mobile home worked like a lullaby on a baby.

  As Kendra closed her eyes, lulled by the soothing sound, the scripture verse Heidi had written on the back of the recipe card for the breakfast casserole came to mind. “Be still, and know that I am God.” She thought about praying, the way she’d done since she was a young girl. But what was the use? God hadn’t responded to the one thing she’d recently prayed about.

  Kendra felt discouraged and wondered sometimes if God was real, or just a supernatural being someone had made up so they’d feel better when praying. Well, Kendra didn’t need some Bible verse to make herself feel better. What she needed was a job and someone to tell her what to do about the baby. Should she keep the child and try to raise it alone? Would it be better to put the infant up for adoption? Mom and Dad sure won’t help me raise my baby, even if this innocent child will be their f
irst grandchild.

  She rolled onto her side, trying to find a more comfortable position. If I keep the baby, what kind of a life do I have to offer? What if I never find a suitable job? Even if I do secure employment somewhere, who’ll watch the baby when I’m at work?

  The sensible thing would be to adopt it out, but Kendra couldn’t do it unless she knew for certain the little one growing inside her would be raised in a good home with loving parents. Since God hadn’t answered her prayers about this, maybe, if He did exist, He was mad at her, too.

  She clenched her fingers until her palms ached. That creep, Max. If he’d asked me to marry him instead of getting involved with someone else and then running off to join the navy, this wouldn’t be a problem right now. While Mom and Dad might have been angry about my promiscuousness, they may have eventually accepted things if I’d gotten married.

  Though the rain slowly stopped, faint flashes of lightning reflected on the wall, and occasional claps of thunder continued to rumble.

  Kendra rolled onto her back again, staring at the ceiling. What a pickle I’ve gotten myself into. Her eyes and nose burned with unshed tears. I need some answers, and soon.

  Walnut Creek

  Heidi entered the bedroom to the sound of her husband’s gentle snores. Thankfully, the storm had abated, or she’d be hearing that, too. The battery-operated light on the nightstand glowed, and Lyle’s Bible lay across his chest. He’d had a long day and gone to bed soon after they finished supper.

  Gently, she lifted the Bible and carried it to her side of the bed. She’d meant to do her devotions this morning, but Ada and Sharon arrived earlier than expected, so she’d put her Bible reading on hold.

  Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Heidi opened the Bible to Psalm 127. Reading silently, her eyes came to rest on verse three. “Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” She’d read this passage many times, and it always put an ache in her heart.

  Tears welled and her shoulders slumped as the longing for a child took over yet again. Help me, Lord, to be content and stop dwelling on what I cannot change.

  Heidi finished the psalm, set the Bible aside, and picked up the notepad on her nightstand. I should concentrate on my next cooking class and decide what dish to teach my students how to make. Haystack might be a good choice. It’s a healthy, traditional Amish meal to serve for lunch or supper. It’s not difficult to make, either.

  Heidi turned off the light. With one less thing on her mind, hopefully sleep would come easy. She was pleased her garden had gotten planted today before the rain fell. Thank You, dear Lord, for all my blessings, and the rain we needed.

  It was close to midnight when Ron looked outside. The rain had stopped an hour ago, and now he’d have to dodge puddles. Regardless, a little water or mud wouldn’t stop him from carrying out his plans. No light coming from the Troyers’ windows—that’s good. He grabbed a flashlight, stepped out of the motor home, and headed for the barn.

  When Ron entered the building, the horses neighed and moved around restlessly in their stalls. “Hush, you two. There’s nothin’ to get excited about.” Ron went to each horse and patted them on the nose, hoping to get them comfortable with his voice.

  He’d need to work fast and hoped neither Lyle nor Heidi woke up because of sounds from the horses. If they caught him in the barn at this time of night, he’d have to come up with a legitimate excuse for being here.

  Ron made his way to the back of the building, thankful the horses settled down. Shining his light up ahead, he spotted the canning jars he’d seen earlier today. Four of them sat side by side on a shelf, but Ron only took two. Would they miss a third? With no more thought, he reached for another jar. As Ron wrapped his fingers around the cool glass, something wiggled in his palm. In the nick of time, before dropping the jar, he caught it in his other hand, seeing a spider crawl out between his fingers. The eight-legged creature must have been on the back of the jar when he took it down from the shelf.

  Seeing all the cobwebs, he should have known better. Ron put the third jar back, shook the spider to the floor, and stomped on it. No point pushing his luck. Since he’d be sticking around the Troyers’ several more weeks, there’d be plenty of time to get more loot. A little here … a little there … Soon there’d be enough items to make a trip to the pawnshop in Dover or New Philadelphia. Of course, he’d go when Heidi and Lyle weren’t home. They’d become suspicious if they saw him driving his rig when it hadn’t been fixed.

  “Bide your time,” Ron whispered as he opened the door to his rig. Stepping inside, he kicked off his shoes and left them lying by the door. Tomorrow he’d knock the mud from the soles. His RV looked messy enough without getting dirt all over the floor. Heidi and Lyle are so trusting, by the time they realize some of their treasures are missing, I’ll be long gone.

  Chapter 13

  Are you ready to teach your second class this morning?” Lyle asked as he sat beside Heidi at the kitchen table.

  She nodded. “We’ll be making haystacks.”

  “Yum.” He smacked his lips. “Might be good for supper tonight. Unless you have something else planned.”

  Heidi smiled, lightly brushing her hand against his. “I’d figured on serving it for supper since all the ingredients are here.”

  “Will there be enough?

  “Jah. I bought plenty of everything.”

  “I look forward to it. Oh, before I forget, I spoke with Ron after the auction.” Lyle reached for his cup of coffee and took a drink. “He’s eager to take part in your class today.”

  “I’m glad, and I hope the rest of my students feel the same way.”

  “How could they not?” Lyle set his cup down and clasped her hand. “They’re learning from the best cook in all of Holmes County.”

  Heidi rolled her eyes at him. “I doubt I’m the best, and you might be a wee bit prejudiced.”

  “Maybe so, but you’re an excellent cook. Why else did I choose you among all the other young women who wanted to marry me?” Chuckling, he winked at her.

  She swatted his arm playfully. “You’re such a big tease.”

  “True, and isn’t it one of the reasons you love me so much? You enjoy a little teasing.”

  She gave his beard a gentle tug. “A little humor is good for everyone. Which is why I chose Proverbs 17:22 to write on the back of everyone’s recipe card today. ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.’ It’s one of my favorite verses.”

  “God’s Word is full of good advice.” Lyle leaned closer to Heidi and kissed her cheek before pushing back his chair. “I’d better get going or I’ll never get to Abe Miller’s place to find out how much he’d charge for a new open buggy.”

  “Can we afford it right now?” Heidi questioned.

  “I’m not sure. That’s why I need to ask about the price. Afterward, I’ll be heading to Charm to pick up a few things. Should be home by the time your class is over or possibly a bit later, depending on if I run into anyone I know and end up chatting a spell.” Lyle grabbed his straw hat from the wall peg, lifted his hand in a quick wave, and headed out the door. “Hope you have a good class,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Danki. See you later, husband.”

  When the door clicked shut, Heidi left the table and put their empty cups in the sink. As she washed them along with the breakfast dishes, she watched out the window until Lyle’s horse and buggy was out of sight. Already she felt lonely without him.

  Mt. Hope

  “How are you feeling this morning?” Dorie asked when Kendra entered the kitchen.

  “Not bad. I felt a little queasiness when I first woke up, but it’s better now. With any luck, I’ll make it through the day without throwing up.” Kendra moved across the room to fix a cup of mint tea. “How was your date with Gene last night?”

  “Good. Better than our last date when it rained, although we had fun bowling once we dried off after running from Gene’s car through the parki
ng lot. This time, we drove up to Canton, had dinner, and went to see a movie. Since I don’t have to work Saturdays, it was nice going out on a Friday night rather than a Monday evening.” Dorie took a box of cold cereal from the cupboard. “What’d you do all evening?”

  “Not much. Went to bed early again. Had a hard time falling asleep, though. Like almost every night here of late, too many thoughts swirled in my head.”

  “Were you rehashing the situation with your parents?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t stop fretting about what to do when the baby comes.” Kendra gave a slight shake of her head. “Any way I look at my options, it’s a no-win situation.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If I put the baby up for adoption, I’ll always wonder where the child is and if he or she is well cared for.” Rocking back and forth, Kendra placed both hands across her stomach. “How could I forget about a baby I carried for nine whole months? The child is already a part of me. It’s not something easily forgotten.”

  “Like I’ve said before, no one’s forcing you to put your baby up for adoption.” Dorie put two bowls on the table and took a carton of milk from the refrigerator. “You could keep the child and raise it yourself. A lot of single mothers are doing that these days.”

  Kendra pulled the silverware drawer open and removed two spoons, placing them on the table. “When you say it like that, it sounds so right, but raising a child by myself would be a challenge—especially since I won’t be getting any help from Mom and Dad.” Frowning, she lifted one hand. “And how will I take care of the baby financially? I have no job yet, and what if I’m not able to find one?”

  “I’m sure the right one’s out there, Kendra. You have to keep looking. Don’t give up.”

  “Easy for you to say. You have a good job. Besides, even if I worked at a fabulous place, I’d need to find someone to watch the baby after it’s born.” She sank into a chair as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. “Paying a babysitter could be expensive, not to mention all the things I’d need to buy for the baby. Sure wish I had lots of money in the bank.”