should visit his furniture store in town. He will have to tell you about it.”
Mr. Blauch stood and accepted his hand. “Wilkom to Berlin.”
Mrs. Blauch rose. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Grace told me what stunning shelves you built for her and Sarah’s shop. It was generous of you to take the time to help them out.” She pointed to Grace and Sarah. “They will be back in a minute. They are speaking with Jonah Keim, our neighbor’s little boy.”
Mark traced the brim of his hat with his fingers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” He sat across from them with the other unwed men and studied Mr. Blauch, who had taken a seat next to Grace’s mamm. The man was average height and build. His hands had raised thick blue veins on top. Very little hair remained on his head.
Mrs. Blauch had dimpled cheeks and spectacles sat halfway down her nose. A wisp of brown hair, like Grace’s, had escaped her kapp. She was a round, short woman with bright brown eyes like her dochder’s. He found them warm and welcoming.
He recognized Grace’s voice. She and a little boy, he guessed about six years old, were laughing. The child had an angelic face, brown eyes, brown hair, and a small frame. He was jabbering away.
Grace and Sarah joined him, with the boy between them. “Good morning, Mark. I’d like you to meet my friend, Jonah Keim. Jonah, this is Mark King.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and you can call me Mark.”
Sarah kissed Jonah’s head. “He’s a sweetheart. I want a son like him.”
Jonah pointed to his open mouth. “My tooth popped out when I jumped off the porch last night. I had a hard time bitin’ into my apple this mornin’.”
They all laughed.
Mark patted the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Each day you wake up, little by little your new tooth will appear.” He eyed Grace talking to Sarah and returned his attention to Jonah.
“My grossdaadi lost five teeth.” Jonah held up his hand. “He told me they won’t grow back. I’m scared mine won’t grow back either.”
“No, your grossdaadi lost his boppli teeth then his big boy teeth grew in, and those are the ones he lost. You’re losing your boppli teeth.”
“That’s good. I need ’em to bite and chew apples and hard candy.”
He chuckled. “Grace and Sarah are right. You are a delightful little boy.” He tousled the boy’s hair.
Jonah swayed to and fro. “Can I sit with you?”
“Jah, if your parents approve of you sitting with me.”
Jonah skipped to where his parents were seated.
“He’s an adorable little boy.” Grace blushed. “Have you met Mamm and Daed?”
“Jah. They’re very kind.”
She bit her bottom lip and folded her hands. “I’m glad you had a chance to get acquainted with them.” She blushed. “Levi, Sarah, and I have told them about you. Now they’ll have a face to put with your name.” She lowered her chin. “Will you attend the after-church meal?”
Her shyness warmed him. Of course he’d stay for the meal. He wanted to spend time with her. If he wasn’t with her, she filled his mind. “Jah, I am. Are you?”
“Yes. You can sit with me and my parents when we eat. I’m sure they’d like to learn more about you. Would you mind?”
“No. I appreciate the invitation.”
“The bishop is walking to the front. I should go find my seat.”
He waited until Grace sat with her parents and then followed Jonah to his seat with the men. Each time he encountered her, his heart beat a little faster and his mouth went dry. He hadn’t experienced this with any other woman.
Jonah beamed and moved close to him. “Mamm and Daed said I could sit with you.”
“I’m glad to have a new friend sit next to me. We should be quiet and listen to the bishop.”
Jonah put a finger to lips. “I’ll be real quiet.”
“Please refer to your Ausbund and join me in singing this hymn.”
Mark turned the page and shared his Ausbund with Jonah. He recited the song along with the members.
Mr. Blauch stood and accepted his hand. “Wilkom to Berlin.”
Mrs. Blauch rose. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Grace told me what stunning shelves you built for her and Sarah’s shop. It was generous of you to take the time to help them out.” She pointed to Grace and Sarah. “They will be back in a minute. They are speaking with Jonah Keim, our neighbor’s little boy.”
Mark traced the brim of his hat with his fingers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” He sat across from them with the other unwed men and studied Mr. Blauch, who had taken a seat next to Grace’s mamm. The man was average height and build. His hands had raised thick blue veins on top. Very little hair remained on his head.
Mrs. Blauch had dimpled cheeks and spectacles sat halfway down her nose. A wisp of brown hair, like Grace’s, had escaped her kapp. She was a round, short woman with bright brown eyes like her dochder’s. He found them warm and welcoming.
He recognized Grace’s voice. She and a little boy, he guessed about six years old, were laughing. The child had an angelic face, brown eyes, brown hair, and a small frame. He was jabbering away.
Grace and Sarah joined him, with the boy between them. “Good morning, Mark. I’d like you to meet my friend, Jonah Keim. Jonah, this is Mark King.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and you can call me Mark.”
Sarah kissed Jonah’s head. “He’s a sweetheart. I want a son like him.”
Jonah pointed to his open mouth. “My tooth popped out when I jumped off the porch last night. I had a hard time bitin’ into my apple this mornin’.”
They all laughed.
Mark patted the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Each day you wake up, little by little your new tooth will appear.” He eyed Grace talking to Sarah and returned his attention to Jonah.
“My grossdaadi lost five teeth.” Jonah held up his hand. “He told me they won’t grow back. I’m scared mine won’t grow back either.”
“No, your grossdaadi lost his boppli teeth then his big boy teeth grew in, and those are the ones he lost. You’re losing your boppli teeth.”
“That’s good. I need ’em to bite and chew apples and hard candy.”
He chuckled. “Grace and Sarah are right. You are a delightful little boy.” He tousled the boy’s hair.
Jonah swayed to and fro. “Can I sit with you?”
“Jah, if your parents approve of you sitting with me.”
Jonah skipped to where his parents were seated.
“He’s an adorable little boy.” Grace blushed. “Have you met Mamm and Daed?”
“Jah. They’re very kind.”
She bit her bottom lip and folded her hands. “I’m glad you had a chance to get acquainted with them.” She blushed. “Levi, Sarah, and I have told them about you. Now they’ll have a face to put with your name.” She lowered her chin. “Will you attend the after-church meal?”
Her shyness warmed him. Of course he’d stay for the meal. He wanted to spend time with her. If he wasn’t with her, she filled his mind. “Jah, I am. Are you?”
“Yes. You can sit with me and my parents when we eat. I’m sure they’d like to learn more about you. Would you mind?”
“No. I appreciate the invitation.”
“The bishop is walking to the front. I should go find my seat.”
He waited until Grace sat with her parents and then followed Jonah to his seat with the men. Each time he encountered her, his heart beat a little faster and his mouth went dry. He hadn’t experienced this with any other woman.
Jonah beamed and moved close to him. “Mamm and Daed said I could sit with you.”
“I’m glad to have a new friend sit next to me. We should be quiet and listen to the bishop.”
Jonah put a finger to lips. “I’ll be real quiet.”
“Please refer to your Ausbund and join me in singing this hymn.”
Mark turned the page and shared his Ausbund with Jonah. He recited the song along with the members.
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