Dat was in the kitchen, his foot propped on a chair, and an ice pack lying on his knee.
" Dat , what is wrong?" she asked in concern.
"I twisted my knee in the field, daughter. It is just a minor inconvenience. Now, why have you been crying?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," she replied, giving him her back as she started gathering ingredients to put on a roast for their supper. She was certain her Mamm would appreciate not having to rush around to fix a meal when she got home.
"It matters to me," Levi said softly. "Put that roast aside for a moment and sit down with me and tell me what troubles you so."
Sadie obeyed him, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. "Would you like a snack, Dat ?" she offered.
"No." He looked at her, willing her to answer his questions.
"It is Samuel Hilty, Dat . I wanted to see him, and thought it would be nice to take him a basket. I know he is as busy with the spring work as you and my brothers, and he has no one to cook for him. I gathered things I thought he would enjoy and drove over there to surprise him. He did thank me for the basket, but was upset with me for coming without asking you first if I may. He thinks I broke your trust." She kept the part about his threatening to spank her to herself. That part was too embarrassing to share. "Are you upset with me, Dat ?" she asked, unaware of the tears filling her eyes.
"You care for this man very much, daughter...?" Levi asked.
"Right now I don't care if I ever see him again!" she blurted out the words, but her heart knew that she was lying.
"Your feelings are hurt," Levi said, nodding his head. "You were expecting Samuel to be grateful, and take time from his day to do a bit of courting. Instead, he thanked you for being thoughtful and then scolded you for breaking your promise to me."
"I did not feel I was doing that, Dat !" she protested. "I just wanted to see Samuel for a few moments and offer him food."
"Those are the actions of a woman who is being courted." Levi watched as her dark eyes opened wide. "I think you should spend some time thinking about why you gave me your word and then made excuses to break it, Sadie. Your anger with Samuel is misplaced. He is attempting to guide you on the right path, which is obedience to your parents. After supper tonight we will discuss this matter again and you may let me know what punishment you think appropriate."
Sadie sat there with her mouth hanging open as she watched her Dat dispose of the ice pack and then limp outside to begin working once more. Once he was out of hearing, she gave vent to the tears she'd been holding inside.
Sadie's Mamm and sister Mary came home a couple of hours later and Martha was pleased to find supper slowly simmering on the stove. Sadie kept herself busy and did more baking, trying to will herself to stay calm. She simply could not understand why her Dat was so upset with her. It was their way to take baskets of food to others.
Martha quickly noticed her eldest daughter's sadness and asked what was wrong. She listened patiently while Sadie blurted out her story, including the fact that her Dat was upset with her for breaking her word to him, although she did not think she had.
"If you did not think you were doing wrong, why didn't you ask your Dat's permission to take the basket to Samuel?"
"I thought he would say 'no'. Dat doesn't want Samuel and I to have any time together!"
"That is not so, Sadie Miller, and you know better. Dat and I do not want you courting until you are both members of the church. We do not want your heart broken if Samuel changes his mind and is not baptized. Without baptism into the Amish faith, you cannot wed him. It would not do to spend so much time together and then suffer a broken heart."
"Samuel is going to be baptized at the same time I am. He isn't going to change his mind. You and Dat are worrying for nothing. I am supposed to be in my rumspringa , and yet, I have no more freedom than Hannah and Katie! I am eighteen
" Dat , what is wrong?" she asked in concern.
"I twisted my knee in the field, daughter. It is just a minor inconvenience. Now, why have you been crying?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter," she replied, giving him her back as she started gathering ingredients to put on a roast for their supper. She was certain her Mamm would appreciate not having to rush around to fix a meal when she got home.
"It matters to me," Levi said softly. "Put that roast aside for a moment and sit down with me and tell me what troubles you so."
Sadie obeyed him, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. "Would you like a snack, Dat ?" she offered.
"No." He looked at her, willing her to answer his questions.
"It is Samuel Hilty, Dat . I wanted to see him, and thought it would be nice to take him a basket. I know he is as busy with the spring work as you and my brothers, and he has no one to cook for him. I gathered things I thought he would enjoy and drove over there to surprise him. He did thank me for the basket, but was upset with me for coming without asking you first if I may. He thinks I broke your trust." She kept the part about his threatening to spank her to herself. That part was too embarrassing to share. "Are you upset with me, Dat ?" she asked, unaware of the tears filling her eyes.
"You care for this man very much, daughter...?" Levi asked.
"Right now I don't care if I ever see him again!" she blurted out the words, but her heart knew that she was lying.
"Your feelings are hurt," Levi said, nodding his head. "You were expecting Samuel to be grateful, and take time from his day to do a bit of courting. Instead, he thanked you for being thoughtful and then scolded you for breaking your promise to me."
"I did not feel I was doing that, Dat !" she protested. "I just wanted to see Samuel for a few moments and offer him food."
"Those are the actions of a woman who is being courted." Levi watched as her dark eyes opened wide. "I think you should spend some time thinking about why you gave me your word and then made excuses to break it, Sadie. Your anger with Samuel is misplaced. He is attempting to guide you on the right path, which is obedience to your parents. After supper tonight we will discuss this matter again and you may let me know what punishment you think appropriate."
Sadie sat there with her mouth hanging open as she watched her Dat dispose of the ice pack and then limp outside to begin working once more. Once he was out of hearing, she gave vent to the tears she'd been holding inside.
Sadie's Mamm and sister Mary came home a couple of hours later and Martha was pleased to find supper slowly simmering on the stove. Sadie kept herself busy and did more baking, trying to will herself to stay calm. She simply could not understand why her Dat was so upset with her. It was their way to take baskets of food to others.
Martha quickly noticed her eldest daughter's sadness and asked what was wrong. She listened patiently while Sadie blurted out her story, including the fact that her Dat was upset with her for breaking her word to him, although she did not think she had.
"If you did not think you were doing wrong, why didn't you ask your Dat's permission to take the basket to Samuel?"
"I thought he would say 'no'. Dat doesn't want Samuel and I to have any time together!"
"That is not so, Sadie Miller, and you know better. Dat and I do not want you courting until you are both members of the church. We do not want your heart broken if Samuel changes his mind and is not baptized. Without baptism into the Amish faith, you cannot wed him. It would not do to spend so much time together and then suffer a broken heart."
"Samuel is going to be baptized at the same time I am. He isn't going to change his mind. You and Dat are worrying for nothing. I am supposed to be in my rumspringa , and yet, I have no more freedom than Hannah and Katie! I am eighteen
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