thought…since you haven’t officially joined the church yet, it would be okay. You having the phone.” He sounded nervous. But in a good way. “ Ya, that’s true,” she said. Having a cell phone or using it to call the vet wasn’t really against the Ordnung. Since she hadn’t joined the church, she wasn’t bound by the same restrictions that baptized members were.
When the accident happened, no one thought it was wrong to use the phone at the chair shop to call the vet. In fact, the objection to telephones was the phone wires that connected them to the English world, not the actual phone. A cell phone didn’t have a wire.
Miriam stared at the phone in her hand. She knew she didn’t have much time. Susanna would be back, and if she saw the phone, she’d tell everyone about it. That was the bad thing about her little sister. Whatever Susanna knew, she repeated it to anyone she spoke to. And nothing Miriam could say would make her understand that her having a phone wasn’t a sin—or that she didn’t have to tell Mam about it.
“So this would just be for calling you if Molly got worse?” Her heart was pounding so hard that she was afraid that John could hear it. Say no, she told herself. She looked at him.
He took her hand with both of his, cradling hers, cradling the cell phone. His hand felt warmer than the phone and Miriam felt a thrill run to the tips of her toes. This close to him again, she felt almost dizzy.
“I’d be lying if I said it was just for the mare,” John admitted. “I like you a lot. And I want you to call me whenever you want.” He squeezed her hand and then released it. “We’re friends.” He hesitated. “But I think it’s more than friends, Miriam. I think we’re past that.”
“You’re Mennonite,” she said, so softly that it was barely a whisper.
“I know.”
“And I’m Amish.”
“Yes.”
“There would be problems.”
“You’re right.”
“It wouldn’t be easy, if we…”
He shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t, but we should see, don’t you think? We should find out if…if it is more than friendship.”
“I’ve got the block.” Susanna held it high as she skipped toward them from the feed room.
A stray chicken squawked and scurried out of Susanna’s way.
“Close the door so the rats can’t get in,” Miriam shouted to her sister. Dat had lined the whole feed room in sheets of tin to keep out vermin. Even the door was mouseproof.
“You have to tell me if you want to keep it, Miriam. I know you want to,” John pressed quietly. “Will you take it?”
She looked up into his eyes and a bubble of mischief rose in her chest. She’d always been a little rebellious. She’d ridden horses when girls weren’t supposed to. She’d played ball with the boys and walked the ridgepole on the barn when everyone else was afraid to.
“Dare you,” John challenged.
She slipped the red cell phone into her apron pocket. “If Mam finds out, I’ll be in big trouble.”
“Me, too.” He chuckled, and she laughed with him.
It would be their secret, Miriam thought. She couldn’t wait to try out the phone, to talk to him in the night. Just the thought of calling him on the little red phone made her face feel warm. This is temptation, she thought. But will it lead to something more? Only time would tell.
“Here you go.” Susanna walked into the stall, carrying the mineral block.
“Good work.” John looked at Miriam and then back at Susanna, again. “You’re a big help, Susanna, the best.” He patted Molly’s withers. “I guess I’d best be getting on home,” he said. “I have an early call in Felton.”
“Ya,” Miriam agreed. “I have to get to the milking. It’s late.”
“I leave the house at about seven,” he said. “And it takes me about twenty minutes to get there.” He was telling her to call him. Tomorrow.
“Seven,” she repeated, already planning how she could get away—maybe into the old milk house that served as a
When the accident happened, no one thought it was wrong to use the phone at the chair shop to call the vet. In fact, the objection to telephones was the phone wires that connected them to the English world, not the actual phone. A cell phone didn’t have a wire.
Miriam stared at the phone in her hand. She knew she didn’t have much time. Susanna would be back, and if she saw the phone, she’d tell everyone about it. That was the bad thing about her little sister. Whatever Susanna knew, she repeated it to anyone she spoke to. And nothing Miriam could say would make her understand that her having a phone wasn’t a sin—or that she didn’t have to tell Mam about it.
“So this would just be for calling you if Molly got worse?” Her heart was pounding so hard that she was afraid that John could hear it. Say no, she told herself. She looked at him.
He took her hand with both of his, cradling hers, cradling the cell phone. His hand felt warmer than the phone and Miriam felt a thrill run to the tips of her toes. This close to him again, she felt almost dizzy.
“I’d be lying if I said it was just for the mare,” John admitted. “I like you a lot. And I want you to call me whenever you want.” He squeezed her hand and then released it. “We’re friends.” He hesitated. “But I think it’s more than friends, Miriam. I think we’re past that.”
“You’re Mennonite,” she said, so softly that it was barely a whisper.
“I know.”
“And I’m Amish.”
“Yes.”
“There would be problems.”
“You’re right.”
“It wouldn’t be easy, if we…”
He shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t, but we should see, don’t you think? We should find out if…if it is more than friendship.”
“I’ve got the block.” Susanna held it high as she skipped toward them from the feed room.
A stray chicken squawked and scurried out of Susanna’s way.
“Close the door so the rats can’t get in,” Miriam shouted to her sister. Dat had lined the whole feed room in sheets of tin to keep out vermin. Even the door was mouseproof.
“You have to tell me if you want to keep it, Miriam. I know you want to,” John pressed quietly. “Will you take it?”
She looked up into his eyes and a bubble of mischief rose in her chest. She’d always been a little rebellious. She’d ridden horses when girls weren’t supposed to. She’d played ball with the boys and walked the ridgepole on the barn when everyone else was afraid to.
“Dare you,” John challenged.
She slipped the red cell phone into her apron pocket. “If Mam finds out, I’ll be in big trouble.”
“Me, too.” He chuckled, and she laughed with him.
It would be their secret, Miriam thought. She couldn’t wait to try out the phone, to talk to him in the night. Just the thought of calling him on the little red phone made her face feel warm. This is temptation, she thought. But will it lead to something more? Only time would tell.
“Here you go.” Susanna walked into the stall, carrying the mineral block.
“Good work.” John looked at Miriam and then back at Susanna, again. “You’re a big help, Susanna, the best.” He patted Molly’s withers. “I guess I’d best be getting on home,” he said. “I have an early call in Felton.”
“Ya,” Miriam agreed. “I have to get to the milking. It’s late.”
“I leave the house at about seven,” he said. “And it takes me about twenty minutes to get there.” He was telling her to call him. Tomorrow.
“Seven,” she repeated, already planning how she could get away—maybe into the old milk house that served as a
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