Minding The Amish Baby

Turner clicked the door shut behind him. While he was grateful for Tessa’s suggestion to catch a nap before work, he had lingering qualms about her being in the house while he was asleep. Namely, he was nervous someone might stop by—not that that was likely to happen, since it rarely had before—and discover Tessa there, whether with or without the baby. While he knew there was no hint of impropriety in his or Tessa’s behavior, he worried her presence there so early in the morning might tarnish their reputations.

But hadn’t she promised she’d wake him instead of answering the door if anyone came by? Ultimately, he was too tired to worry an instant longer and he collapsed into bed. He was so exhausted from being up half the night with Mercy it seemed as if his head had just hit the pillow when Tessa rapped on the door. “Turner, it’s almost eight o’clock,” she called. “Mercy’s asleep in the parlor and I’ll be in the kitchen.”

As he opened the bedroom door a fragrant aroma filled his nostrils and Turner snuck past the dozing baby into the kitchen. “Something smells appenditlich,” he said.

“I figured you’d need a decent meal to start your day. I made pannekuche and wascht but since there’s no syrup, you’ll have to use jam. It wasn’t easy preparing something substantial. You must dislike cooking as much as I do—your cupboards are even emptier than mine.”

Unlike most of the Amish leit in their district, Turner hadn’t owned a milk cow, or even chickens, since Jacqueline left home. He relied on the local market for his dairy supply as well as for his other staples, and sometimes he neglected to shop until he was down to the last item in his pantry. He was surprised to hear Tessa’s cupboards were often bare, too. Since she said she didn’t like to cook, he was touched by her thoughtfulness in preparing their meal.

“Well, denki for making this,” Turner said, sitting down at the opposite end of the table. It felt strangely intimate to eat breakfast alone with a woman. After saying grace, he told Tessa, “Don’t feel as if you need to cook for me in the future.”

Tessa’s gleaming eyes dimmed. What had he said wrong? He only meant he didn’t expect her to do anything other than care for Mercy. If last night was any indication, she’d have her hands full enough as it was.

“Since Mercy was asleep, I didn’t have anything else to do and I was getting hungry myself,” Tessa replied, helping herself to a sausage.

Turner stacked pancakes on his plate and took a bite. They melted in his mouth. “Do you want to watch Mercy here or at the daadi haus?” he asked.

“Here, since I’m far more likely to get unexpected visitors at the daadi haus than you are.”

Embarrassed Tessa noticed how seldom he received company, Turner swiped a napkin across his lips. “That probably would be best,” he agreed.

Tessa continued, “Monday through Friday I can arrive as early as you like until Mercy’s mamm returns. For the most part, I can stay as late as you need me to stay, too. But I do have occasional evening commitments I’d prefer not to miss.”

Evening commitments. Did that mean she was being courted? It was the customary practice for Amish youth in Willow Creek to court on Saturdays and to attend singings on Sunday evenings, not during the week. But for all Turner knew, it might be different for some couples, depending on how serious they were. He set his napkin beside his plate. “What time do you usually go out?” he asked.

Tessa’s cheeks flushed and she swallowed a sip of water before speaking. “I didn’t say I was going out.”

Now Turner’s face burned. He hadn’t meant to be presumptuous. “Sorry. I assumed someone like you would be going out.”

“Someone like me?” Tessa arched an eyebrow. “What am I like?”

Turner sensed he was wading into murky waters. “I only meant that you’re young. You’re social. You’re, you know...carefree.”

“Carefree?” Tessa echoed. “I’m not sure that’s accurate. But, jah, sometimes I like to socialize on Saturday evenings. On Sundays after church, too, although I suppose I could change my plans if necessary.”

So then, did that mean she was being courted or not? Turner didn’t know why it bothered him that he couldn’t be sure. “Neh, there’s no need for that. I’ll watch Mercy on the weekends—my brothers can tend shop on Saturdays, if needed.”

Tessa dabbed the corners of her lips. Turner had never noticed how they formed a small bow above her slightly pointed chin. “On Wednesdays, Katie and I usually have supper together at the daadi haus. I suppose I could cancel, but I don’t know what excuse I’d give her...”

“Neh, you shouldn’t cancel,” Turner insisted. “The last thing I want is for you to be tempted to create a false excuse. I’ll be back in plenty of time for you to eat supper with your sister tomorrow evening.”

He rose to don his woolen coat for the short stroll to the buggy shop on the western corner of his property. Setting his hat on his head, he hesitated when he heard Mercy stirring in the next room. His brothers were going to wonder what was keeping him and he didn’t want them to come to the house, so he reached for the doorknob. Just then, Mercy began wailing in earnest and Tessa moved toward the parlor.

“Don’t worry, I’m here,” she said as she left the room.

Turner didn’t know whether her words were intended for the baby or for him. As grateful as he was for Tessa’s help, she also kept Turner on edge. Is she a little touchy, or am I imagining it? he wondered, hoping she wasn’t temperamental enough to change her mind about protecting his secret or honoring their arrangement. But as he strode across the yard, he again reminded himself he had no choice but to trust her.

By noon, Turner and his brothers finished assembling an order of wheels for the Amish undercarriage assembler who owned a shop several miles away and partnered with the Kings. Although Mark offered to make the delivery, Turner insisted he’d do it himself. His reasons were twofold. First, he’d stop at an Englisch supermarket, where no one would look twice if he purchased formula for the baby along with food for himself.

Second, the trip would give him an opportunity to check out the area’s minimarkets. According to Louisa, it was rumored among Jacqueline’s acquaintances that Jacqueline had recently returned to the Lancaster County area, not far from Turner’s home. Although his sister didn’t have the required work permit, her peers said she supposedly was working in what the Englisch called a “convenience store.” The term saddened Turner, especially when he saw what was sold at such shops. But he made a habit of stopping in at the area’s stores under the pretext of buying a soda, hoping he’d bump into Jacqueline. He realized this method was about as precise as searching for a needle in a haystack with mittens on and his eyes closed, but it was better than nothing.

As usual, his Tuesday trip yielded no further clues about his sister’s whereabouts and by the time he made his delivery, purchased groceries, returned home and stabled his horse, Turner’s eyes were bleary with fatigue.

“Look who’s here!” Tessa exclaimed when he walked into the parlor, and he grinned in spite of himself. Tessa was holding Mercy against her chest, one hand supporting the baby’s legs in a sitting position, the other embracing her across her waist. As if in welcome, Mercy cooed and a long string of drool dangled from her lower lip.

“Let me get that,” Turner said. As he gingerly removed the spit cloth from Tessa’s shoulder to wipe the baby’s mouth, his knuckles skimmed Tessa’s cheek. “Sorry,” he mumbled, his ears aflame, but she acted as if she hadn’t noticed.

After Turner dabbed the baby’s mouth dry, Tessa handed her to him. “I’ve made a list of items we’ll need for the bobbel,” she said.

A list? “I already bought formula when I was making a delivery.”

“Gut. Did you pick up extra bottles, too?”

“Neh, I didn’t think of that.”

“It would be helpful to have another spare or two. Also, I’m concerned about Mercy sleeping in the basket. She can’t roll over yet, but she’s a good little kicker and I wouldn’t want her to topple it.”

“I might have a cradle stored in the attic. I’ll look tonight.”

“And then there’s the matter of Mercy’s windle. I’ll use your wringer to wash them, but we ought to purchase cloth so I can cut a few more. I could do that in town but it might arouse suspicion.”

“You’re right,” Turner replied, jiggling Mercy. “If you tell me what to get, I can pick the material up in Highland Springs the next time I make a delivery. But I don’t have a wringer—I gave mine to Patrick and his wife when they married. Barbara Verkler does my wash for me. She picks it up from my porch on Monday morning and delivers it on Tuesday.”

“Uh-oh. I knew about Barbara but I didn’t realize that meant you didn’t have a washer here at all. I’d better take Mercy’s dirty windle home with me and wash them there.”

“Denki,” Turner said, impressed Tessa thought of details about Mercy’s care that never would have occurred to him. He followed her to the door and waited while she donned her cloak.

“I’ll be glad to see you again tomorrow,” she said, tapping the baby’s nose.

Turner was surprised but pleased. “You, too,” he replied, not realizing until too late that Tessa was speaking to Mercy instead of to him.

As soon as Tessa latched the door behind her the baby let loose a howl Turner couldn’t quiet no matter how he tried. Tomorrow might as well have been a month away.

“Supper was scrumptious,” Katie raved, cleaning her plate with a heel of bread. “Was the sauce actually homemade?”

“Jah,” Tessa confirmed.

On Tuesday, although she’d enjoyed reading Scripture and praying quietly while Mercy slept, Tessa had begun to feel stir-crazy without having any tasks to do or anyone to talk to, so on Wednesday she had toted ingredients with her to Turner’s house. Since she had time, she’d decided to forgo the jarred spaghetti sauce she usually bought and use fresh tomatoes and basil to create her own. Tessa had inwardly smirked when Turner gladly accepted the helping of meatballs and pasta she’d set aside, despite what he’d said about it being unnecessary to prepare meals for him.

After spending more time with him in the past few days than during the entirety of the time she’d lived in Willow Creek, Tessa expected to have gained better insight into his personality. Instead, she found him just as difficult to understand. Sometimes his response to her best intentions—such as when she’d prepared breakfast for him—bordered on disapproval. But at other times his appreciation for Tessa was obvious, such as when he’d clumsily indicated he couldn’t wait to see her again or when he was retrieving a cradle for Mercy and he’d also brought a rocking chair down from the attic for Tessa to use.

“There’s got to be another way you can earn enough money to pay your rent,” Katie said, interrupting Tessa’s thoughts. She spooned a generous helping of meatballs into a glass container. Both girls appreciated that Mason understood their need to spend time with each other, and they always made enough food for Katie to bring home to him. “I can speak with the eldre after school tomorrow. Maybe one of the families needs help around the house, or—”

“Neh!” Tessa vehemently objected. “Denki, but for now, I can make ends meet.”

Katie cocked her head. “Are you certain?”

“Jah,” Tessa replied, struggling to come up with an explanation that was both honest and convincing for why she didn’t need a temporary job. “I have a little money in savings. Besides, I’m not certain when Joseph might need me back again, so I’d hate to commit to working for someone else and then have to quit as soon as I began.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Katie agreed. “Are you going to tell Mamm and Daed you’re not working at the shop?”

Tessa frowned. “Neh, not if I can help it. If Mamm finds out Joseph has no pressing need for me—even though it’s only temporary—she’ll say I’m no longer required to continue working for him and I should return home.”

“Don’t worry,” Katie consoled her. “Unless she questions me directly, I won’t say a word about it, but you know she has a knack for figuring these things out on her own.”

“Jah, and if she does, I might as well pack my bags. There are only two things Mamm wants right now—for me to kumme home and for me to find a steady suitor and get married. The minute I return to Shady Valley, she’s going to arrange for Melvin Umble to call on me. I just know it.”

“That’s the perfect solution!” Katie exclaimed, clapping. “We need to match you up with a suitor here.”

“Oh, you mean so I don’t get into an argument with Mamm about Melvin once I move back? I’m not sure a long-distance courtship would be enough to deter—”

In her enthusiasm, Katie cut Tessa short. “Neh, I’m not suggesting a long-distance courtship in the future. I’m suggesting a local one in the present. Think about it. If Mamm caught the slightest hint you already have a suitor here, she’d likely pay the rent for you to stay at the daadi haus herself!”

Tessa squinted suspiciously at her sister. Ever since Katie married Mason, she seemed eager to match Tessa up, too. Katie claimed it was because she valued finding a man she loved so much she wanted Tessa to experience something similar, but Tessa suspected Katie may have felt guilty about leaving her behind. There was no need; although initially Tessa was sorry to see her sister go, she quickly adjusted to living completely by herself and now she actually preferred it that way. Especially since Katie and Tessa still visited each other regularly.

“That may be true, but I’ve already been courted by the only eligible bachelors I can think of in Willow Creek,” Tessa complained. Everyone except Turner, that is, she mused, recalling how her skin had tingled when his hand accidentally touched her face the previous evening. She immediately banished the peculiar thought.

“In Willow Creek, jah,” Katie said. “But Mason’s sister-in-law Lovina has a brother who just moved nearby to Elmsville from Indiana, and he has expressed interest in remarrying.”

“A widower? How old is he? Forty? Forty-five? Sixty?”

“Schnickelfritz!” Katie flicked a dish towel at her sister. “For your information, he’s thirty-three.”

“Is that how many kinner he has, too?”

“Of course not. David only has four kinner.”

“Only?”

“Four isn’t a lot. I hope to be blessed with at least that many.” Katie brought the last of the dishes to the sink. “Kinner are a gift from the Lord, Tessa.”

“I know that,” Tessa replied. “But I can’t imagine myself as a mamm to one kind yet, let alone four at once.” As adorable as Mercy was, and as fond as she was becoming of the baby, Tessa had grown antsy after only two days of caring for her. She couldn’t wait to get back to the shop where she’d be among people who could talk back to her when she spoke to them. “What do you think I have in common with this David, anyway?”

“I’m not sure,” Katie admitted. “But you need a suitor and he wants a wife, so you ought to at least meet him. If you don’t strike it off, that’s fine, but you need to keep an open mind. You never know who the Lord might provide for you.”

“How do you propose I meet him? It’s not as if a thirty-three-year-old widower visiting from out of town is going to show up at one of our district’s singings.”

“That’s why you’re going to host a potluck supper here the next time he visits Willow Creek. Mason and I will kumme, and we’ll invite Mason’s sister, Faith, and her husband, Hunter. We can also ask Anna and Fletcher Chupp to kumme.”

Tessa groaned. “But then it will be obvious you’re trying to match David and me, which will be uncomfortable, especially if we have nothing in common.”

“How about if Anna and Fletcher each invite a single friend, too?”

“I don’t know...”

“Have you got any better ideas?”

“Neh.”

“Then a Saturday evening potluck it is. I’ll find out when David’s going to be in town, and then we’ll extend the invitations,” Katie said, smiling.

Tessa wished she was as optimistic as her sister was, but she felt more dread than hope about meeting David. Still, it gave her the excuse to host a party and she supposed that if there was even the tiniest possibility Katie’s plan would help prevent Tessa from returning home, it was worth a try. Somehow, though, when she weighed the option of becoming an instant mother to four children against the option of going home, going home didn’t seem so bad after all.

Friday afternoon was especially challenging for Turner. For one thing, the shipment of LED components he’d ordered didn’t arrive, which meant Patrick couldn’t finish installing the new lighting system for Jacob Stolzfus’s buggy. For another, Mark encountered a problem as he was working on the brakes of Jonas Plank’s buggy. Unlike most of the buggies in Willow Creek, his used disc instead of drum brakes. Jonas said he kept going through brake pads too quickly, so Mark removed the calipers and when he saw how damaged the pads were, he examined the rotors, which were severely scored. The buggy would need new ones.

Because disc brakes were rarely used among the Amish, Turner had to call several Englisch salvage yards to find what he needed. Although it was permissible for the Amish in Willow Creek to use phones for business purposes, Turner didn’t have one installed in the buggy shop, so he had to traipse to the phone shanty. It was quicker to walk than to hitch and unhitch his horse, but even so, the trip disrupted his regular work. He finally secured the parts from a place in Highland Springs, but the yard owner was going out of town and told Turner he couldn’t pick them up until late the following Thursday afternoon. Jonas Plank pulled a face when Turner explained the situation to him, and it took all of Turner’s self-control not to remind him he’d urged the young man to purchase a buggy with drum brakes from the start.

Then on Friday evening, despite Turner’s best attempts to pacify her, Mercy cried so long and hard she eventually wore herself out. Between managing the challenges of his shop, taking care of the baby after work and struggling with his concerns about Jacqueline, Turner was bushed. After putting Mercy to bed, he stayed up just long enough to devour a ham sandwich before going to sleep himself.

Not long after, the blaring of a car horn jarred him from slumber. Jacqueline’s back! he thought and bounded from bed to don his daytime clothes. His heart thumped as he shoved his feet into his boots, flung open the door and bolted outside onto the porch without a coat.

When the horn sounded again, he realized it was coming from the other end of the lane, near the daadi haus. A man’s voice traveled distinctly across the winter air. “I’m not going to stop honking until you come out, Tessa!”

So it wasn’t Jacqueline after all. Turner couldn’t quite catch Tessa’s reply to the man’s demands, but her tone sounded alarmed so he hurried through the night in the direction of the ruckus. As he neared the daadi haus, he could hear Tessa scolding the driver. “I said hush! You’re going to wake my landlord, who’s a very grouchy person on a gut day, so I can’t imagine how agitated he’ll be if his rest is disturbed at nearly midnight by an Englischer. Please leave.”

“It’s not my fault I’m an Englischer,” the man argued. “I’ll become Amish if it means you’ll go out with me. Just once. Please? I’ll be a complete gentleman. We’ll go out to eat, that’s all. If you don’t enjoy your time with me, I won’t ask for another thing again. I promise.”

“Neh, Jeremy. You need to leave. Now.”

“Not unless you agree to go out with me.”

“The only place I’m going is back inside, and I want you to leave.”

The moon cast enough light for Turner to watch as Tessa started back up her walkway and onto the porch. Unsure whether he ought to interfere, he hesitated, but when the young man sounded his car horn again, Turner stepped out of the shadows. Suddenly all the frustration he felt about his sister living among the Englisch boiled up inside him and he struggled to suppress the urge to direct it toward the driver. The Amish were pacifists and Turner’s faith required him to forgive both figurative and literal trespassers.

“Tessa asked you three times to leave. Do I have to ask you a fourth time?” he stated in a deep, gruff voice.

Jeremy’s head swiveled in Turner’s direction. “Of course not. I’m sorry for causing a commotion. I’ll leave right away, sir,” he said, his voice suddenly meek.

“Denki,” Turner responded. “Please don’t return without an invitation from me.”

As Jeremy repositioned the car so he could drive forward down the lane, the headlights circled the porch where Tessa stood clutching a shawl around her shoulders. Turner had never seen her dark, glossy hair loosened from its bun and he wasn’t surprised Jeremy was smitten with her, considering the emphasis the Englisch placed on physical appearances. Still, Turner considered Jeremy’s late-night visit an unacceptable intrusion and he wondered if this boisterous Englischer was the reason Waneta wanted him to keep an eye out for Tessa. Tessa had been baptized into the Amish church, so she wouldn’t dream of becoming involved with an Englischer in any romantic capacity—about that, Turner had no doubts. But he worried she may be too guileless to realize her lively personality could be misinterpreted by young Englisch men who didn’t understand her commitment to the Lord and the Amish way of life.

“I’m very sorry about that, Turner,” she said. “Jeremy’s parents own the Englisch diner on Main Street and he often stops by Schrock’s, so I’ve chatted with him a few times. I’m surprised by his behavior tonight. Usually he’s so well-mannered.”

“As true as that may be, Englischers don’t think the same way we do about, er, romantic relationships and courting, so you probably shouldn’t give your address to them.”

“I didn’t give my address to Jeremy!” she protested. “His sister has given me a ride home before so she might have told him where I live, but I certainly didn’t invite him here! I’d never do such a thing!”

Her adamant objection made it clear to Turner he was mistaken to think she would have been so naïve. Wanting her to know he’d stand behind her if Jeremy showed up again, Turner said, “That’s gut. But he’ll have to answer to me if he kummes here again without an invitation.”

“He won’t,” Tessa firmly assured him, her chin in the air.

Turner got the sense she was offended, but once again he didn’t know why. After saying good-night, he tromped back to the house. To his relief, Mercy was still sleeping soundly, which was exactly what he wanted to do. But when he got into bed, sleep escaped him. All he could think about was whether Jacqueline had been drawn into the Englisch world by a boy who promised he wanted only a single date and if she didn’t like him, he’d never ask for another thing.

Then Turner questioned if he really came across as disagreeable as Tessa suggested. She had a lot of nerve, didn’t she? Perhaps if she bore even a fraction of the kind of concerns and responsibilities he had, she wouldn’t be so quick to judge. Or maybe if Turner were a younger man with little to worry about except which Willow Creek maedel he should court, he’d walk around wearing a ridiculous grin on his face.

Ah well, there was no sense dwelling on how his life might have turned out if he hadn’t had to raise his siblings. He pulled the quilt to his chin and shut his eyes so he wouldn’t be “a very grouchy person” come morning.