seat and sighed as he leaned back. “God has graced us with a beautiful day, ja ? I’m surprised that you are inside when it is so lovely outdoors.”
“Avoid the midday sunlight. The doctors say so, nowadays. It’s a wonder that the farmers of olden days didn’t all just drop from skin cancer!”
Gideon laughed.
“As for you, you must stay for supper. We insist!” He turned to look at his dochder . “Don’t we, Emma?”
“But of course!” Quickly she began to hurry about the kitchen, opening cabinets and trying to determine what she would serve for supper. She knew that Gideon lived alone and was certain that he was most likely lonely, which explained his frequent visits to the Weaver household. However, she had not been expecting anyone and therefore had not planned a proper Saturday supper.
“Don’t go to any trouble on my behalf, Emma,” Gideon said as if reading her mind. “It is the company I seek, not the food.”
She spun around and put a hand on her hip, giving him what could only be described as a look . “Now Gideon, if there is one thing you must know, we will never let anyone leave our home with anything less than a full stomach!”
He shook his head, laughing under his breath. “You fuss too much, Emma. But if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is best to not argue with you on the small things. I save those types of discussion for items of much greater importance.”
With a quick puff of air she scoffed at him. “Seems you enjoy arguing with me as much as you enjoy Daed ’s conversation!” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Come to think of it, I’m not certain which you might enjoy more!”
“Now, Emma,” her daed chastised gently. “You know that Gideon is only looking out for your best interest. We allare. Such a special young woman is bound to need guidance from time to time.” Then without another word in reference to Emma, Henry began to share some of the local stories he had heard just the previous day when he went into town to replenish feed for the horse.
Shortly before four o’clock Henry announced that he was going to take a walk down the street and back. The doctor had told him to exercise more and take in the fresh air whenever possible. Since then he had taken to a late afternoon stroll in order to enjoy the sun without worrying about the harm of its rays. Often he would pause to visit with the neighbors when they were outside. His walks usually took a good forty-five minutes, sometimes a bit longer if he happened to reach the farm at the end of the lane. Emma knew that he enjoyed leaning against the fence and watching the cows in the field as they walked, single file, along a trodden path toward the barn for the early evening milking.
Without Henry’s presence the house was deathly silent except for the ticking of the clock that hung on the wall. Every five minutes or so Emma heard the familiar crinkling sound of the paper as Gideon turned the pages of The Budget , the weekly newspaper with news of Amish communities across the country. It was a comforting sound, one of peaceful belonging. She felt much less alone with Gideon’s presence in the kitchen.
After the fourth time hearing the page turn, she smiled to herself as she poked the needle through the fabric of the quilt, her stitches neat and small on the fabric. “I never can understand how a man can spend so much time reading that paper.” She lifted the needle from the underside, pulling the white thread through the quilt top. “With the bishopso adamant about gossip, I don’t see where The Budget is not much more than a step above that!”
“Gossip, you say!” Gideon gave a soft chuckle and put the paper down. “I bet if I told you that I have my own bit of gossip today, you’d find that most interesting, Emma, and wouldn’t complain one bit.”
She laughed, knowing that Gideon knew her too well. Still, she tried to act nonplussed, aware that denial was the
“Avoid the midday sunlight. The doctors say so, nowadays. It’s a wonder that the farmers of olden days didn’t all just drop from skin cancer!”
Gideon laughed.
“As for you, you must stay for supper. We insist!” He turned to look at his dochder . “Don’t we, Emma?”
“But of course!” Quickly she began to hurry about the kitchen, opening cabinets and trying to determine what she would serve for supper. She knew that Gideon lived alone and was certain that he was most likely lonely, which explained his frequent visits to the Weaver household. However, she had not been expecting anyone and therefore had not planned a proper Saturday supper.
“Don’t go to any trouble on my behalf, Emma,” Gideon said as if reading her mind. “It is the company I seek, not the food.”
She spun around and put a hand on her hip, giving him what could only be described as a look . “Now Gideon, if there is one thing you must know, we will never let anyone leave our home with anything less than a full stomach!”
He shook his head, laughing under his breath. “You fuss too much, Emma. But if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is best to not argue with you on the small things. I save those types of discussion for items of much greater importance.”
With a quick puff of air she scoffed at him. “Seems you enjoy arguing with me as much as you enjoy Daed ’s conversation!” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Come to think of it, I’m not certain which you might enjoy more!”
“Now, Emma,” her daed chastised gently. “You know that Gideon is only looking out for your best interest. We allare. Such a special young woman is bound to need guidance from time to time.” Then without another word in reference to Emma, Henry began to share some of the local stories he had heard just the previous day when he went into town to replenish feed for the horse.
Shortly before four o’clock Henry announced that he was going to take a walk down the street and back. The doctor had told him to exercise more and take in the fresh air whenever possible. Since then he had taken to a late afternoon stroll in order to enjoy the sun without worrying about the harm of its rays. Often he would pause to visit with the neighbors when they were outside. His walks usually took a good forty-five minutes, sometimes a bit longer if he happened to reach the farm at the end of the lane. Emma knew that he enjoyed leaning against the fence and watching the cows in the field as they walked, single file, along a trodden path toward the barn for the early evening milking.
Without Henry’s presence the house was deathly silent except for the ticking of the clock that hung on the wall. Every five minutes or so Emma heard the familiar crinkling sound of the paper as Gideon turned the pages of The Budget , the weekly newspaper with news of Amish communities across the country. It was a comforting sound, one of peaceful belonging. She felt much less alone with Gideon’s presence in the kitchen.
After the fourth time hearing the page turn, she smiled to herself as she poked the needle through the fabric of the quilt, her stitches neat and small on the fabric. “I never can understand how a man can spend so much time reading that paper.” She lifted the needle from the underside, pulling the white thread through the quilt top. “With the bishopso adamant about gossip, I don’t see where The Budget is not much more than a step above that!”
“Gossip, you say!” Gideon gave a soft chuckle and put the paper down. “I bet if I told you that I have my own bit of gossip today, you’d find that most interesting, Emma, and wouldn’t complain one bit.”
She laughed, knowing that Gideon knew her too well. Still, she tried to act nonplussed, aware that denial was the
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