Read Online Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cindy Woodsmall
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this time. Kumm on. I can prove it.”
Abram shrugged. “Fine. I’ll need to change.” He’d helped haul hay before this, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
“There’s not time. It’s after seven now, and the performances are scheduled to end by eight.” Mark pulled a crumpled flier out of his pocket. “See?” He opened it, pointing to the schedule.
The leaflet had four columns of names. Abram focused on the names. “Which one is she?”
“No idea. But you should see the commotion those Englisch create to have a silly performance. It’s crazy.” He motioned toward the car. “Let’s see if we can put a name to the face.”
Mamm came out the front door, carrying a clothesbasket dripping with water. She glanced up. “Hey, Mark, I’m glad you’re home. I need you to—”
“I came to get Abram. The driver is waiting to take us to see a play.”
Concern flickered across Mamm’s face. “Just last Sunday you said that an Amish man has no place building a stage for a play. Now you’re enlisting siblings to watch one?”
“There’s a girl in it who is the spitting image of Salome.”
“I’ve always heard that everyone has a twin. Maybe you found Salome’s.” Mamm dropped the basket on the ground. “Another kitchen pipe broke.”
“Again?” Mark’s face crinkled with exasperation. “The whole house has been falling apart for the last fifteen years.”
“Be that as it may, I’ve turned off the water valve to the house, but you’re the plumber of the family, so you have to work on it immediately. We won’t have any water to the house until it’s repaired.”
“Okay, I’ll get to it just as soon as we get back. Abram’s gotta see this girl.”
Mamm picked up a towel from the basket and began wringing water out of it. “You’re way too old to get carried away about something so trivial.” She tossed the towel over one arm and grabbed another. “And it’s a play. What are you thinking, talking a younger sibling into something like this?”
“I normally wouldn’t, but this girl looks exactly like a younger Salome. I swear it.”
“Hey.” Mamm frowned in the motherly way that said she disapproved and was disappointed simultaneously. “Don’t swear.”
Mark plucked the flier from Abram’s hand. “I give you my word. Somewhere in this list of girls is one who looks just like I said. Want to go with me to see?”
Mamm wrung the life out of the towel in her hand. “Nee.” Despite her refusal she glanced at the open flier Mark waved in front of her. “How do they fit that many people on a stage you built this morning?” She dropped the wet towels into the basket and dried her hands on her black apron.
“Well, it doesn’t take long to build a stage, and they don’t all fit on it at the same time. Even when the largest portion of them are performing, they’re moving through the audience.”
She took the flier from him and skimmed the front, middle, and back. “Pay your driver and dismiss him. Life becomes a monumental task when there’s no water.”
A moan of displeasure emerged from Mark’s throat, but he went to the driver to do as she said.
“A play.” She sighed and held the flier out to Abram. Her brows furrowed as if something on the program caught her eye. She pulled it back, studying it.
She inhaled sharply and pointed to a spot on the back of the flier. “What’s the woman’s name next to the words ‘costume designer’?”
“Brandi Nash.”
Mamm stared at the flier.
Abram peered over her shoulder. “You know her?”
Mamm didn’t answer. After a full minute or two, he waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she didn’t budge. Was she having a stroke? “Mamm, you okay?”
Finally she blinked. “Ya. Of course.” But she shook her head as if disagreeing with herself. “God’s world is filled with coincidences. All the time. Every day.” She took a breath, nodding. “And Mark exaggerates.”
“That’s true. All of
Abram shrugged. “Fine. I’ll need to change.” He’d helped haul hay before this, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
“There’s not time. It’s after seven now, and the performances are scheduled to end by eight.” Mark pulled a crumpled flier out of his pocket. “See?” He opened it, pointing to the schedule.
The leaflet had four columns of names. Abram focused on the names. “Which one is she?”
“No idea. But you should see the commotion those Englisch create to have a silly performance. It’s crazy.” He motioned toward the car. “Let’s see if we can put a name to the face.”
Mamm came out the front door, carrying a clothesbasket dripping with water. She glanced up. “Hey, Mark, I’m glad you’re home. I need you to—”
“I came to get Abram. The driver is waiting to take us to see a play.”
Concern flickered across Mamm’s face. “Just last Sunday you said that an Amish man has no place building a stage for a play. Now you’re enlisting siblings to watch one?”
“There’s a girl in it who is the spitting image of Salome.”
“I’ve always heard that everyone has a twin. Maybe you found Salome’s.” Mamm dropped the basket on the ground. “Another kitchen pipe broke.”
“Again?” Mark’s face crinkled with exasperation. “The whole house has been falling apart for the last fifteen years.”
“Be that as it may, I’ve turned off the water valve to the house, but you’re the plumber of the family, so you have to work on it immediately. We won’t have any water to the house until it’s repaired.”
“Okay, I’ll get to it just as soon as we get back. Abram’s gotta see this girl.”
Mamm picked up a towel from the basket and began wringing water out of it. “You’re way too old to get carried away about something so trivial.” She tossed the towel over one arm and grabbed another. “And it’s a play. What are you thinking, talking a younger sibling into something like this?”
“I normally wouldn’t, but this girl looks exactly like a younger Salome. I swear it.”
“Hey.” Mamm frowned in the motherly way that said she disapproved and was disappointed simultaneously. “Don’t swear.”
Mark plucked the flier from Abram’s hand. “I give you my word. Somewhere in this list of girls is one who looks just like I said. Want to go with me to see?”
Mamm wrung the life out of the towel in her hand. “Nee.” Despite her refusal she glanced at the open flier Mark waved in front of her. “How do they fit that many people on a stage you built this morning?” She dropped the wet towels into the basket and dried her hands on her black apron.
“Well, it doesn’t take long to build a stage, and they don’t all fit on it at the same time. Even when the largest portion of them are performing, they’re moving through the audience.”
She took the flier from him and skimmed the front, middle, and back. “Pay your driver and dismiss him. Life becomes a monumental task when there’s no water.”
A moan of displeasure emerged from Mark’s throat, but he went to the driver to do as she said.
“A play.” She sighed and held the flier out to Abram. Her brows furrowed as if something on the program caught her eye. She pulled it back, studying it.
She inhaled sharply and pointed to a spot on the back of the flier. “What’s the woman’s name next to the words ‘costume designer’?”
“Brandi Nash.”
Mamm stared at the flier.
Abram peered over her shoulder. “You know her?”
Mamm didn’t answer. After a full minute or two, he waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she didn’t budge. Was she having a stroke? “Mamm, you okay?”
Finally she blinked. “Ya. Of course.” But she shook her head as if disagreeing with herself. “God’s world is filled with coincidences. All the time. Every day.” She took a breath, nodding. “And Mark exaggerates.”
“That’s true. All of
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