Read Online Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer - Free Book Online
Authors: Tricia Goyer
Tags: Fiction, General, Family Life, Montana, Man-Woman Relationships, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Families, Amish, Spiritual life, Amish Children
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tourists. I suppose she thought he was an actor playing a part. Would you believe that?
Dat entered the room with quick steps and placed his flat-brimmed straw hat on a nail near the back door, distracting Marianna from her reading.
"Dat!" Josiah and Ellie called in unison, dropping their dough balls and running toward their father, reaching out with sticky, dough-covered hands and flour-sprinkled clothes. Marianna knew that most fathers in their community would have scolded their children for not washing up first, but Dat patted David and Charlie on the shoulder, where they sat at their game, and then squatted down to scoop the younger two up in a hug.
"Mem, I've found two more bags of seed. Do you know how these got in the house?" Dat tossed Josiah and Ellie over his shoulders and held them by their legs, their heads dangling down his back.
"Weez not seed bags," three-year-old Ellie countered, snapping her father's suspenders with her small hands.
"Yer, not? Good thing you said so, I almost put you out in the barn with the cows." He set the two down and ruffled their heads, before moving into the kitchen, sidling up to his bride. Knowing their game was over, the youngsters returned to their dough at the table. Marianna slid the letters and the objects back into the envelope, placing it with the other mail. After talking to Naomi, the letters seemed frivolous. And then there was the look on her father's face. Even as he joked, there was a seriousness in his gaze.
Without a word Marianna rose and moved to the table, sitting in the chair beside Ellie. She again pulled a piece of dough from the dwindling ball and rolled it in her hands.
"Ike's not coming in for supper, is he?" Mem's voice was curt.
"No. He's heading down to the Stoll's place. They invited him to eat with them."
"Hope Ike doesn't go telling his stories again. It's prideful, you know, talking so much about a place." Mem took down eight bowls from the open cupboard, by habit, before returning one.
"It's my brother you don't care fer, not the idea." Dat placed a hand on Mem's shoulder. "You have to admit seeing something new, taking an adventure with our children, doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"Some Amish man you are, speaking of adventure. You never were content just being a farmer, were you?" Her mother pouted. "Maybe that's why my dat never approved much of you. Then again." Mem's voice quieted and she peered over her shoulder to where Marianna sat. "So you really think it's a good idea?"
Dat lowered his voice. Marianna strained to hear, though she kept her gaze on her hands as she worked another piece of dough between her palms.
"Just for a year. That Zook boy is still working to build his herd, establishing his home. One year won't make much of a difference. Marianna's not planning a wedding yet."
They talked about her as if she wasn't in the room. As if she couldn't hear.
"Can you tell me again of the community? Are the people nice?" Mem angled her knife and sliced a cucumber into ovals.
Marianna rose and placed the first tray of rolls into the oven, yet even though they were her favorite recipe she'd lost her appetite. She returned to her envelope, fingering it. Dat was just talking. He had talked about moving for six months off and on. Perhaps another six months would go by and they'd still be talking.
"Ike says the people are friendly, and the mountains are nothing like you've ever seen. And the community is smaller and life's slower paced. Ike's friend offered me a spot at a log furniture workshop. Without the farm I'll only have one job, and we can spend more time together. Montana seems like my type of place. I'll call and check on train ticket prices."
Train tickets? The envelope slipped from Marianna's fingers, spilling the contents on the floor. The penny rolled, spinning under the kitchen table. Her body grew hot, then cold, and the conversation continued in slow motion. Even Josiah's gleeful shout as he jumped down from the bench
Dat entered the room with quick steps and placed his flat-brimmed straw hat on a nail near the back door, distracting Marianna from her reading.
"Dat!" Josiah and Ellie called in unison, dropping their dough balls and running toward their father, reaching out with sticky, dough-covered hands and flour-sprinkled clothes. Marianna knew that most fathers in their community would have scolded their children for not washing up first, but Dat patted David and Charlie on the shoulder, where they sat at their game, and then squatted down to scoop the younger two up in a hug.
"Mem, I've found two more bags of seed. Do you know how these got in the house?" Dat tossed Josiah and Ellie over his shoulders and held them by their legs, their heads dangling down his back.
"Weez not seed bags," three-year-old Ellie countered, snapping her father's suspenders with her small hands.
"Yer, not? Good thing you said so, I almost put you out in the barn with the cows." He set the two down and ruffled their heads, before moving into the kitchen, sidling up to his bride. Knowing their game was over, the youngsters returned to their dough at the table. Marianna slid the letters and the objects back into the envelope, placing it with the other mail. After talking to Naomi, the letters seemed frivolous. And then there was the look on her father's face. Even as he joked, there was a seriousness in his gaze.
Without a word Marianna rose and moved to the table, sitting in the chair beside Ellie. She again pulled a piece of dough from the dwindling ball and rolled it in her hands.
"Ike's not coming in for supper, is he?" Mem's voice was curt.
"No. He's heading down to the Stoll's place. They invited him to eat with them."
"Hope Ike doesn't go telling his stories again. It's prideful, you know, talking so much about a place." Mem took down eight bowls from the open cupboard, by habit, before returning one.
"It's my brother you don't care fer, not the idea." Dat placed a hand on Mem's shoulder. "You have to admit seeing something new, taking an adventure with our children, doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"Some Amish man you are, speaking of adventure. You never were content just being a farmer, were you?" Her mother pouted. "Maybe that's why my dat never approved much of you. Then again." Mem's voice quieted and she peered over her shoulder to where Marianna sat. "So you really think it's a good idea?"
Dat lowered his voice. Marianna strained to hear, though she kept her gaze on her hands as she worked another piece of dough between her palms.
"Just for a year. That Zook boy is still working to build his herd, establishing his home. One year won't make much of a difference. Marianna's not planning a wedding yet."
They talked about her as if she wasn't in the room. As if she couldn't hear.
"Can you tell me again of the community? Are the people nice?" Mem angled her knife and sliced a cucumber into ovals.
Marianna rose and placed the first tray of rolls into the oven, yet even though they were her favorite recipe she'd lost her appetite. She returned to her envelope, fingering it. Dat was just talking. He had talked about moving for six months off and on. Perhaps another six months would go by and they'd still be talking.
"Ike says the people are friendly, and the mountains are nothing like you've ever seen. And the community is smaller and life's slower paced. Ike's friend offered me a spot at a log furniture workshop. Without the farm I'll only have one job, and we can spend more time together. Montana seems like my type of place. I'll call and check on train ticket prices."
Train tickets? The envelope slipped from Marianna's fingers, spilling the contents on the floor. The penny rolled, spinning under the kitchen table. Her body grew hot, then cold, and the conversation continued in slow motion. Even Josiah's gleeful shout as he jumped down from the bench
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