thought all Amish people rode in buggies like Abram.
"For rumspringa, you're supposed to experience the outside world before deciding whether or not you will stay in the community. I got my driver's license at 18. One of the guys at the garage taught me. I love cars, though I really shouldn't. It would break my mamm's heart if I didn't get baptized and stay here."
"Can't you visit?" Sofia asked. "No matter what, your mom will want to see you."
"I'm her only son. If I leave, I won't—" Samuel's hand clenched on the hood of the car, fingertips pressing into the ancient paint. Though the shed was lit only by cracks in the slats of the walls and a battery powered lamp on the table, "My father died when I was nine. Leaving will feel like a betrayal of everything he taught me of how to be a good and godly man. How can I give that up for a hunk of Englischer metal on wheels?"
Sofia skirted the table and hesitantly placed a palm on Samuel's back. "Your father would want you to be happy," she said. Maybe God's plan for you involves working on cars.
"Maybe," Samuel sighed and rolled his shoulders back. He was dressed in Amish style, black pants, white shirt and suspenders. He rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, revealing well defined arm muscles. "Just give me a minute to get the battery hooked in. I don't turn it on much, so it's better to keep the battery unconnected so that it doesn't get drained if something is left on accidentally. We can take it to Abram's sister's though, once things have settled down, unless there's somewhere else you'd rather go."
"No." Sofia had no idea what to do. She was terrified to contact the police again. That police officer had hurt her, possibly been responsible for kidnapping her in the first place. It seemed unlikely that the entire police force had been involved, but until she regained her memories, she wouldn't know who to trust. Well, she trusted Abram, and Samuel. None of the Amish people who had sheltered her seemed to have any interest beyond helping her. They were good people. "I need time to find out who I am. I have a name at least. Maybe I can go to a library and research more about myself tomorrow." Maybe there would be some sort of missing persons report on her. Some way she could find someone who knew her without running the risk of being threatened again. "But maybe tomorrow or the next day, I could visit a library? I don't want to contact the police again, not without knowing more about myself."
"My younger sister and some others in the community sell baked goods at the Reading Terminal market on some weekdays," Samuel said. "You can ride with them into the city, but the city library won't open until Monday and I don't think they're going until Tuesday or Wednesday. Why don't you join us for Church meeting tomorrow, and I can take you to the Lancaster library on Monday? Someone there should be able to help you with the computers."
"Yes, please!" Sofia said. "If it isn't too much trouble. I don't know what I can give--"
"It doesn't matter. You'll be our guest for a while. A beautiful Englischer lady is its own reward, ja."
Sofia's cheeks grew warm. Beautiful? She had looked at herself briefly in Abram's mirror, mainly hoping to recognize something, but she hadn't considered her appearance beyond that. She was slim, and her hair had been lightened. Her skin was light, and she had a mole on her left cheek. Her eyes were a bit round and brown, her cheekbones were a bit flat, pointed chin and jaw a bit too wide. She had full lips and thin lashes. Her ears were pierced with small pearl studs that felt like nothing in them; she had probably worn them a while to grow so used to them. She supposed she was pretty enough. Beautiful though...no, that had to be more flattery than truth.
Samuel smiled, and his eyes shone in the dull light of the battery operated lamp on the table behind them. "We can stay here for the next hour or so, then go back before the circle breaks up."
"Back?"
"For rumspringa, you're supposed to experience the outside world before deciding whether or not you will stay in the community. I got my driver's license at 18. One of the guys at the garage taught me. I love cars, though I really shouldn't. It would break my mamm's heart if I didn't get baptized and stay here."
"Can't you visit?" Sofia asked. "No matter what, your mom will want to see you."
"I'm her only son. If I leave, I won't—" Samuel's hand clenched on the hood of the car, fingertips pressing into the ancient paint. Though the shed was lit only by cracks in the slats of the walls and a battery powered lamp on the table, "My father died when I was nine. Leaving will feel like a betrayal of everything he taught me of how to be a good and godly man. How can I give that up for a hunk of Englischer metal on wheels?"
Sofia skirted the table and hesitantly placed a palm on Samuel's back. "Your father would want you to be happy," she said. Maybe God's plan for you involves working on cars.
"Maybe," Samuel sighed and rolled his shoulders back. He was dressed in Amish style, black pants, white shirt and suspenders. He rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, revealing well defined arm muscles. "Just give me a minute to get the battery hooked in. I don't turn it on much, so it's better to keep the battery unconnected so that it doesn't get drained if something is left on accidentally. We can take it to Abram's sister's though, once things have settled down, unless there's somewhere else you'd rather go."
"No." Sofia had no idea what to do. She was terrified to contact the police again. That police officer had hurt her, possibly been responsible for kidnapping her in the first place. It seemed unlikely that the entire police force had been involved, but until she regained her memories, she wouldn't know who to trust. Well, she trusted Abram, and Samuel. None of the Amish people who had sheltered her seemed to have any interest beyond helping her. They were good people. "I need time to find out who I am. I have a name at least. Maybe I can go to a library and research more about myself tomorrow." Maybe there would be some sort of missing persons report on her. Some way she could find someone who knew her without running the risk of being threatened again. "But maybe tomorrow or the next day, I could visit a library? I don't want to contact the police again, not without knowing more about myself."
"My younger sister and some others in the community sell baked goods at the Reading Terminal market on some weekdays," Samuel said. "You can ride with them into the city, but the city library won't open until Monday and I don't think they're going until Tuesday or Wednesday. Why don't you join us for Church meeting tomorrow, and I can take you to the Lancaster library on Monday? Someone there should be able to help you with the computers."
"Yes, please!" Sofia said. "If it isn't too much trouble. I don't know what I can give--"
"It doesn't matter. You'll be our guest for a while. A beautiful Englischer lady is its own reward, ja."
Sofia's cheeks grew warm. Beautiful? She had looked at herself briefly in Abram's mirror, mainly hoping to recognize something, but she hadn't considered her appearance beyond that. She was slim, and her hair had been lightened. Her skin was light, and she had a mole on her left cheek. Her eyes were a bit round and brown, her cheekbones were a bit flat, pointed chin and jaw a bit too wide. She had full lips and thin lashes. Her ears were pierced with small pearl studs that felt like nothing in them; she had probably worn them a while to grow so used to them. She supposed she was pretty enough. Beautiful though...no, that had to be more flattery than truth.
Samuel smiled, and his eyes shone in the dull light of the battery operated lamp on the table behind them. "We can stay here for the next hour or so, then go back before the circle breaks up."
"Back?"
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