Read Online Rum Spring by Yolanda Wallace - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Yolanda Wallace
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the match. “If he does, Rebecca will have to stay home tonight.”
“You’re riding to the sing with Tobias Hershberger?” Sarah asked. She, Joshua, and Isaiah had come to visit after church and had not yet returned home. “Are you going to pair up with him tonight?”
At a sing, boys and girls from congregations in neighboring districts sat on opposite sides of a long table. Each person took turns selecting a hymn, the more solemn songs ignored in favor of those with a faster pace. The boys and girls conversed between songs. A boy who did not have a girlfriend paired up with a girl who was also unattached. After the sing ended, the boy—who had ridden to the sing accompanied by his sister or one of his sister’s friends—drove his prospective girlfriend home in his courting buggy.
“Sarah, leave your sister in peace. You know such questions are not encouraged.”
“I’m sorry, Papa.”
Rebecca tied her cape around her shoulders when she heard Esther bounding up the front steps. “I’ll be going now.” She could feel everyone’s eyes upon her as she walked to the door. Was it too late to change her mind? Perhaps Uncle Amos had the right idea after all.
Tobias Hershberger touched his fingers to the brim of his straw hat. “Good evening, Rebecca.”
“Good evening, Tobias.”
“Would you like to sit in the middle next to Tobias or would you prefer to sit next to the road?” Esther asked.
Rebecca looked up at Tobias’s earnest face and lowered her eyes. “Sit next to your brother, Esther. I’ll take the outside seat.”
Esther climbed into the buggy. Rebecca followed her. Tobias waited for them to settle into their seats.
“Giddap!” he said with a click of his tongue. He lightly flicked the reins against his horse’s haunches, stirring the animal into motion.
The horse trotted down the driveway and headed for the road as if it knew where it was going. Perhaps it did. Sunday sings were traditionally held in the same home that hosted the day’s services. The horse was being asked to repeat the journey it had made that morning.
Rebecca sat with her hands folded in her lap. She looked down at her laced fingers and was immediately reminded of her time with Dylan. Sitting in Dylan’s car on the side of the road. Holding hands. Listening while Dylan revealed her innermost secrets. She was thankful Dylan had shared something so personal with her. And grateful for her friendship.
Esther leaned to whisper in Rebecca’s ear. “Is there a reason for the smile I see on your face?”
“Yes, someone is the cause.”
“Someone I know?”
“Yes,” Rebecca said, allowing Esther to believe the someone was Tobias.
Now she had a secret of her own.
Chapter Three
Rebecca clutched Dylan’s hand and glued herself to Dylan’s side. The stadium had a capacity of over forty-five thousand. Most of the seats were filled. Rebecca had never seen so many people gathered in one place at one time. The noise they made was deafening and the game had barely begun.
Dylan gave Rebecca’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”
Rebecca looked up at the huge scoreboard suspended over her head. The Dodgers were up 1–0 in the bottom of the first inning. Mr. Mahoney had spent the top of the first trying to find a place to park in a lot that looked bigger than her father and Uncle Amos’s entire farm.
Dylan, Rebecca, and Willie took their seats while Mr. and Mrs. Mahoney made a trip to Harry the K’s for food and drinks.
“Dylan said you used to do some teaching. Is that true?”
Rebecca told herself not to stare at the silver hoop that pierced Willie’s left eyebrow, but her eyes kept returning to it like a moth to a flame. Even when she had stood in front of the Liberty Bell, the nearly three hundred-year-old symbol of freedom, she had been more fascinated by Willie’s unusual accessory than the storied crack she had heard so much about.
“I helped out,” Rebecca said. “I was
“You’re riding to the sing with Tobias Hershberger?” Sarah asked. She, Joshua, and Isaiah had come to visit after church and had not yet returned home. “Are you going to pair up with him tonight?”
At a sing, boys and girls from congregations in neighboring districts sat on opposite sides of a long table. Each person took turns selecting a hymn, the more solemn songs ignored in favor of those with a faster pace. The boys and girls conversed between songs. A boy who did not have a girlfriend paired up with a girl who was also unattached. After the sing ended, the boy—who had ridden to the sing accompanied by his sister or one of his sister’s friends—drove his prospective girlfriend home in his courting buggy.
“Sarah, leave your sister in peace. You know such questions are not encouraged.”
“I’m sorry, Papa.”
Rebecca tied her cape around her shoulders when she heard Esther bounding up the front steps. “I’ll be going now.” She could feel everyone’s eyes upon her as she walked to the door. Was it too late to change her mind? Perhaps Uncle Amos had the right idea after all.
Tobias Hershberger touched his fingers to the brim of his straw hat. “Good evening, Rebecca.”
“Good evening, Tobias.”
“Would you like to sit in the middle next to Tobias or would you prefer to sit next to the road?” Esther asked.
Rebecca looked up at Tobias’s earnest face and lowered her eyes. “Sit next to your brother, Esther. I’ll take the outside seat.”
Esther climbed into the buggy. Rebecca followed her. Tobias waited for them to settle into their seats.
“Giddap!” he said with a click of his tongue. He lightly flicked the reins against his horse’s haunches, stirring the animal into motion.
The horse trotted down the driveway and headed for the road as if it knew where it was going. Perhaps it did. Sunday sings were traditionally held in the same home that hosted the day’s services. The horse was being asked to repeat the journey it had made that morning.
Rebecca sat with her hands folded in her lap. She looked down at her laced fingers and was immediately reminded of her time with Dylan. Sitting in Dylan’s car on the side of the road. Holding hands. Listening while Dylan revealed her innermost secrets. She was thankful Dylan had shared something so personal with her. And grateful for her friendship.
Esther leaned to whisper in Rebecca’s ear. “Is there a reason for the smile I see on your face?”
“Yes, someone is the cause.”
“Someone I know?”
“Yes,” Rebecca said, allowing Esther to believe the someone was Tobias.
Now she had a secret of her own.
Chapter Three
Rebecca clutched Dylan’s hand and glued herself to Dylan’s side. The stadium had a capacity of over forty-five thousand. Most of the seats were filled. Rebecca had never seen so many people gathered in one place at one time. The noise they made was deafening and the game had barely begun.
Dylan gave Rebecca’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”
Rebecca looked up at the huge scoreboard suspended over her head. The Dodgers were up 1–0 in the bottom of the first inning. Mr. Mahoney had spent the top of the first trying to find a place to park in a lot that looked bigger than her father and Uncle Amos’s entire farm.
Dylan, Rebecca, and Willie took their seats while Mr. and Mrs. Mahoney made a trip to Harry the K’s for food and drinks.
“Dylan said you used to do some teaching. Is that true?”
Rebecca told herself not to stare at the silver hoop that pierced Willie’s left eyebrow, but her eyes kept returning to it like a moth to a flame. Even when she had stood in front of the Liberty Bell, the nearly three hundred-year-old symbol of freedom, she had been more fascinated by Willie’s unusual accessory than the storied crack she had heard so much about.
“I helped out,” Rebecca said. “I was
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