Read Online Annie's Truth (Touch of Grace) by Beth Shriver - Free Book Online
Authors: Beth Shriver
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courting.
As they drove through town, Annie noticed a lot of young adults, many carrying backpacks or tote bags and wearing English clothes. Delores, her seat partner, yawned and stretched. Delores took the scarf out of her bag and tied it around her head and then followed Annie’s gaze.
“Do they attend James Madison University?” Annie asked.
“That, or Eastern Mennonite University. You can’t tell them apart much anymore.” She turned to Annie. “That family you’re staying with sounds real nice. I’m sure they’ll take good care of you. If you need anything, here’s a number where you can reach me.” She squeezed Annie’s hand, slipping a piece of paper into her palm as the bus came to a stop. They silently disboarded then Annie peered over her shoulder and waved good-bye to Delores, who said, “My ride’s here. Good-bye, Annie Beiler.”
“Good-bye to you, Delores.” Annie said a prayer of thanks for this woman who had been so kind to her. She tucked the paper into her handbag and stepped off the bus.
The bus had arrived late, and Annie worried that she’d kept the Glicks waiting. She scanned the room to see if anyone was looking for her. She wasn’t hard to notice in her white cape, plain-cut dress, a kapp, and holding her black-and-white splittail frock coat.
She sat in the center of the room and watched the people while she waited. An unkempt man similar to the one at the Staunton station dug through the garbage and stuffed something into his pocket.
The man saw her watching him and walked over. He favored one side and walked with a limp. He ran a hand through his gray hair and sat beside her. She couldn’t place his smell exactly; it was a mix of body odor, smoke, and what she guessed was alcohol. Some of the Amish teens in her community had gotten together in the Eschs’s barn one night and experimented with alcohol. From what she’d heard the next day, she decided she had no desire to try it.
“Do you have any change to spare?” He coughed loudly, causing Annie to startle. She didn’t think this man meant her harm but prayed for protection. Now she had to figure out what to do for him.
Just as Annie was about to speak a young man walked up and stood in between them. “I’m Rudy Glick.” He was dressed in faded jeans and an untucked, collared shirt. His wide gray eyes flickered from the man to Annie. He held out his hand just as Delores had, and Annie reached her hand up to his, but to her surprise he pulled her up out of the chair and walked away from the older man. He stood only a couple of inches taller than her but held an air of aloofness. Rudy was nice to look at, so Annie made a point not to.
The old man yelled after them sarcastically. “Thanks a lot, mister.”
“So you’re Annie Beiler—” He looked her up and down. “—I assume.”
“Jah, danke for picking me up.” Annie looked back at the old man.
Ignoring her comment, Rudy walked quickly out of the screaming man’s line of sight. “Let’s get your suitcase.”
He walked over to the pile of suitcases the driver was pulling out of the bottom of the bus. He picked out three black suitcases and pointed to each, one at a time. Annie shook her head and smiled as he moved to the next and pointed; hers was the last of the three.
“How did you know one of those was mine?”
“I thought Amish. Moderate size, definitely black, but the defining factor was the leather.”
“Jah, I guess that’s not so common.” She was stunned at his intensity with everything he did, even finding her suitcase.
His chuckle confused her. She tilted her head in question but was hesitant to ask, worried it might throw him off his agenda.
“The jahs . I haven’t heard that for a while.”
Annie’s cheeks warmed.
“You might want to hold back on the Deitsch while you’re here.”
She sighed. Hearing him speak of her sacred tongue in such a way annoyed her, but she understood why she should try to adapt to her
As they drove through town, Annie noticed a lot of young adults, many carrying backpacks or tote bags and wearing English clothes. Delores, her seat partner, yawned and stretched. Delores took the scarf out of her bag and tied it around her head and then followed Annie’s gaze.
“Do they attend James Madison University?” Annie asked.
“That, or Eastern Mennonite University. You can’t tell them apart much anymore.” She turned to Annie. “That family you’re staying with sounds real nice. I’m sure they’ll take good care of you. If you need anything, here’s a number where you can reach me.” She squeezed Annie’s hand, slipping a piece of paper into her palm as the bus came to a stop. They silently disboarded then Annie peered over her shoulder and waved good-bye to Delores, who said, “My ride’s here. Good-bye, Annie Beiler.”
“Good-bye to you, Delores.” Annie said a prayer of thanks for this woman who had been so kind to her. She tucked the paper into her handbag and stepped off the bus.
The bus had arrived late, and Annie worried that she’d kept the Glicks waiting. She scanned the room to see if anyone was looking for her. She wasn’t hard to notice in her white cape, plain-cut dress, a kapp, and holding her black-and-white splittail frock coat.
She sat in the center of the room and watched the people while she waited. An unkempt man similar to the one at the Staunton station dug through the garbage and stuffed something into his pocket.
The man saw her watching him and walked over. He favored one side and walked with a limp. He ran a hand through his gray hair and sat beside her. She couldn’t place his smell exactly; it was a mix of body odor, smoke, and what she guessed was alcohol. Some of the Amish teens in her community had gotten together in the Eschs’s barn one night and experimented with alcohol. From what she’d heard the next day, she decided she had no desire to try it.
“Do you have any change to spare?” He coughed loudly, causing Annie to startle. She didn’t think this man meant her harm but prayed for protection. Now she had to figure out what to do for him.
Just as Annie was about to speak a young man walked up and stood in between them. “I’m Rudy Glick.” He was dressed in faded jeans and an untucked, collared shirt. His wide gray eyes flickered from the man to Annie. He held out his hand just as Delores had, and Annie reached her hand up to his, but to her surprise he pulled her up out of the chair and walked away from the older man. He stood only a couple of inches taller than her but held an air of aloofness. Rudy was nice to look at, so Annie made a point not to.
The old man yelled after them sarcastically. “Thanks a lot, mister.”
“So you’re Annie Beiler—” He looked her up and down. “—I assume.”
“Jah, danke for picking me up.” Annie looked back at the old man.
Ignoring her comment, Rudy walked quickly out of the screaming man’s line of sight. “Let’s get your suitcase.”
He walked over to the pile of suitcases the driver was pulling out of the bottom of the bus. He picked out three black suitcases and pointed to each, one at a time. Annie shook her head and smiled as he moved to the next and pointed; hers was the last of the three.
“How did you know one of those was mine?”
“I thought Amish. Moderate size, definitely black, but the defining factor was the leather.”
“Jah, I guess that’s not so common.” She was stunned at his intensity with everything he did, even finding her suitcase.
His chuckle confused her. She tilted her head in question but was hesitant to ask, worried it might throw him off his agenda.
“The jahs . I haven’t heard that for a while.”
Annie’s cheeks warmed.
“You might want to hold back on the Deitsch while you’re here.”
She sighed. Hearing him speak of her sacred tongue in such a way annoyed her, but she understood why she should try to adapt to her
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