Englisch on Purpose (Prequel to Amish by Accident) Read online

  “You weren’t in a saddle?” her mother’s voice rose. Many people rode without saddles in their community, but her mother’s concern for safety seemed to be all-consuming.

  “Jah, Mamm. I was, too. With Jacob.” She took a deep breath.

  “So…you were both in the same saddle,” her dat said flatly. “Oh, boy.”

  “But Jacob didn’t mind,” Rachel assured.

  “I bet he didn’t.” Her father frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” Rachel knew she wasn’t supposed to be riding, but why were her folks making such a big deal out of this?

  “It’s not appropriate for you to ride like that, Rachel. I think you know that. And Jacob shouldn’t have asked you to ride with him.” Her father’s gaze pierced hers. “Maybe I should go and have a word with his folks…or him.”

  “Oh, Dat! Please don’t.” She couldn’t think of anything more humiliating.

  “You’re never to ride with Jacob again,” her mother insisted.

  Never? “But, Mamm–”

  “You heard your mother.” Her father agreed?

  Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes and she fled to her bedroom. Just when she and Jacob were beginning to build a relationship, she had to cut it off? How was that fair? She’d had a crush on him for a year now. It seemed like he was finally beginning to notice her; at least, it felt like it.

  Her folks didn’t know that this was actually the third time she and Jacob had ridden together. The first time, they’d gone down to the pond and walked by the shore. The time after that, they’d gone on a picnic. This time, they’d just enjoyed the wind in their hair and conversation.

  Chapter 4

  He’s here! Rachel discreetly watched Jacob from across the table. Although he was about ten chairs away, she still had a pretty good view of him. He laughed and talked with Luke Beiler, who’d been courting his sister, Elisabeth. It seemed the two of them had a pretty good relationship.

  Jacob glanced her way then quickly turned back. Would he ask to give her a ride home tonight? She wouldn’t think about it. If she did, she’d be way too nervous.

  Technically, Jacob wasn’t even supposed to be there tonight. If one of the chaperones spotted him and realized his age, he may be asked to leave. But it seemed most chaperones in their district tended to turn a blind eye on minor issues. Since he was only fifteen, he wasn’t allowed to attend singings for another year. Rachel didn’t think that was fair, since the girls were allowed to attend at fourteen. Their district was the only one she knew of that practiced this custom and she often wondered why. All of the other Amish churches around only allowed attendance at sixteen. So perhaps Jacob wouldn’t be asking anyone for a ride home tonight.

  Rachel sighed and turned toward Elisabeth and Mattie, who seemed to be deep in conversation. Since Mattie’s family was related to several families in their district, she occasionally visited their singings. Mattie’s Mennonite district had hymn sings as well, but they included the entire family – not only the young folks and a few chaperones, like their Amish community.

  She’d caught Jacob’s eye briefly and smiled when they’d played softball out in the Millers’ field earlier, hoping he would realize that she was interested – if perchance he should ask. At the same time, she didn’t wish to be too obvious.

  What would it be like to ride home next to Jacob Schrock in his buggy? Rachel closed her eyes, imagining what the future might hold.

  <><><>

  “Oh, no. My dad is so going to kill me.” Mattie looked over at Johnny and Judah, who were currently being handcuffed by two police officers.

  “Sorry, Mattie,” Johnny said with a grimace.

  “Our dat won’t be too thrilled none either,” Judah added.

  Mattie scoffed. “Your dat? He won’t do anything. He’ll probably pat you on the back.”

  Both of the young men shook their heads adamantly. “No, he’ll be upset. Especially when Mamm finds out. He don’t like Mamm to cry none.”

  “Aunt Susie lets Uncle Jonathan get away with whatever he wants.”

  “Nope. That ain’t true. Dat would get into a lot more mischief without Mamm.”

  “I knew I shouldn’t have come with you guys.”

  “We were the ones who did it, Mattie. You shouldn’t get in trouble none.”

  “I was driving the getaway car!”

  “But you didn’t know.”

  “Yeah, well, try explaining that to my father.” Mattie frowned. “And I just got my keys back! I’m going to be grounded forever,” she groaned.

  “He won’t tell your dawdi, will he?” Johnny’s eyes widened.

  “Oh, no. Why did you have to mention Dawdi Sabastian?” Mattie began to shake. “No, they’re not on speaking terms. But I’m quite certain that he will find out somehow. And, of course, he’ll blame my father for leaving the Amish. And then my parents will get into an argument. And then they’ll yell at me.”

  “Doesn’t your Englisch grandpa work for the police or something? Can’t he get us out of this?” Judah asked.

  “Officer Douglas? He’s not really my grandpa. And I doubt it. We might have a better chance with Officer Love.”

  Both young men shook their heads. “Nee, we’d be worse off then.”

  “What about Dawdi Judah? You guys won’t be shunned or anything, will you?” Mattie thought about her maternal grandfather, the bishop of the twins’ Amish district. He also happened to be the twins’ grandfather.

  “Nee. You gotta be a baptized member to be shunned,” Johnny said.

  “Did they tell you what’s going to happen? Do we have to stay here?” Mattie frowned.

  “I think they’ll hold us until someone comes to get us out. I wonder if they’ll have to pay money,” Judah said.

  “I hope not. If my Dad has to pay, he’ll make me pay him back.”

  “Don’t worry, Mattie. We can help pay too.”

  The boys’ offer was kind, but brought little comfort. What on earth would her father say to her this time? She would almost rather stay in jail.

  <><><>

  “Well, Mattie, what do you have to say for yourself?” Maryanna huffed.

  She looked at her mother in disillusionment. Usually, Mom would be the first to come to her rescue when Dad was giving her the evil eye. “Mom, I was innocent!”

  “I think you need to look up the definition of innocent. Because it seems that yours doesn’t match ours – or the law’s. There’s a good reason your car is impounded for thirty days. Which you are paying for, by the way.” Her father’s glare brought little comfort.

  Oh, no! If she had to pay for her car, how would she ever get enough money to go to New York? “How much will it cost?”

  “I’m guessing about thirty dollars per day.”

  “For thirty days?” her voice screeched. “But that’s…that’s like nine hundred dollars.”

  “Yeah. Maybe you should have thought about that before you became partner to a crime.”

  “It wasn’t really that bad, Dad. You make us sound like criminals. JJ just thought it would be fun to get some fireworks. And, in my defense, I didn’t know they hadn’t paid for them.”

  “I would think the two of them running to the car and telling you to step on the gas would have been a clue.” Her father rubbed his forehead. “And it is a big deal. When are you going to realize that you are going down the wrong path? What’s it going to take for you to wake up? You were arrested, Matilda!”

  She absolutely hated when her father used her full name. She loved her paternal great grandmother for whom she was named, but she much preferred Mattie for herself.

  “Dad, it was all just a big misunderstanding. You see, Johnny thought that Judah had already paid for the fireworks, and Judah thought that Johnny had paid for them.”

  “And the officers believed that explanation? That’s surprising.” He crossed his arms over his chest then turned to her mother. “Maybe we should sell her car, Maryanna.”

  “Sell my
car?” Tears welled in Mattie’s eyes. “What are you going to do, Dad? Keep me locked in my room for the rest of my life?”

  He frowned. “I’m considering that option. At least it would keep you out of jail.”

  She knew her father didn’t really mean it. He was just venting, as he often did when they argued. “I have a job, Dad.” She hoped reminding him of that fact would make him realize that she was indeed responsible.

  “Which you are going to lose, if you keep up this behavior.”

  “I get it, okay?”

  “Do not use that tone of voice with me. Sometimes I think it would have been better if we had stayed Amish.”

  “Oh no, not this again.” Mattie rolled her eyes. “Johnny and Judah are Amish, and they’re the ones who got me in trouble, Dad. Being Amish doesn’t help them any.” The last thing she needed was more restrictions!

  “Mattie, go to your room!”

  “I’ve got to work tomorrow.”

  “Now!”

  Mattie hastily turned and marched to her room. It was times like this she wished Elisabeth had a cell phone too. Surely her friend had already heard about her and JJ being locked up. The Amish grapevine tended to spread news quicker than the daily newspaper. She wondered what, if anything, would happen to Jonathan and Judah.

  <><><>

  “Mattie.”

  Mattie rolled over on her bed and glanced at her alarm clock. Was it six o’clock already? Apparently, she’d fallen asleep.

  “Mattie, it’s time for supper,” her sister Rebekah called from the other side of her door. “You’d better come before Dad comes up here.”

  Mattie groaned and rolled out of bed.

  “By the way, Dawdi Judah and Mammi Lydia are here.”

  “I’m coming.” She looked out her window in search of a horse and buggy near the barn. Sure enough, her grandparents were there. Although her maternal grandparents were Amish and her grandfather was the bishop, they seemed much less strict than her paternal grandparents. Mattie would have looked forward to spending time with her grandparents, had she not been in hot water. Hopefully, her father would act civilized.

  She quickly smoothed out her dress, but left her hair down, and quickly trotted downstairs. The moment her feet hit the bottom step, she caught her father’s look of disapproval.

  “Mattie.” Her father approached her in short order. “Why is your hair down?”

  “Rebekah said to hurry, and I didn’t feel like putting it up.”

  “You didn’t feel like putting it up?” Her father frowned.

  She knew she was defying her father, but he’s the one who’d wanted her to hurry. How could she hurry and fix her hair? Why did she have to follow her father’s nonsensical rules anyway? What did it matter if she wore her hair up or down, covered or uncovered? “Maybe I want to wear it down.”

  “You won’t in this house. Go back to your room and don’t come back down until your hair is up.” He pointed to her room. “And covered.”

  Mattie resisted the urge to argue with her father and did as told. She wouldn’t contest, for the sake of her grandparents visiting. If they hadn’t been there, though, she would have asked her father why she couldn’t wear her hair down. Funny, she’d never thought to ask before.

  Several moments later, Mattie walked into the dining area with her hair pinned up and her head covering in place. She rushed to give her grandparents a hug before her father had a chance to criticize anything else.

  “Take a seat, Mattie,” her father ordered.

  She joined the others at the table, then bowed her head to pray. As soon as her father finished the blessing, she felt his stare on her.

  “What?” She lifted her gaze to her father’s.

  “You know you’re not allowed to wear color on your lips. Please take it off.”

  If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Mattie frowned, but she took her napkin and removed her lip gloss.

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, look at all this delicious food!” Her grandfather smiled and passed a plate of mashed potatoes to her brother. “Who made it?”

  “All us girls, ‘cept Mattie. She was in trouble.”

  Mattie frowned at her youngest sister. “You don’t need to gossip, Ellie. Keep your mouth closed.”

  “Mattie!” Her mother gasped.

  “Just eat, girls,” Matthew reprimanded. He looked at his father-in-law. “I apologize, Judah. We’ve been dealing with issues lately.”

  “He means me,” Mattie volunteered.

  “Not now, Mattie,” Maryanna warned.

  “I heard you and the twins encountered trouble,” her grandfather spoke.

  “Mattie was in jail, Dawdi Judah!” Ellie volunteered.

  “Ellie, I told you to keep your mouth shut! Mind your own beeswax.” Sometimes Mattie felt like taking some tape and sticking it over her sister’s mouth.

  “It’s true. I heard Daddy tellin’ Mom,” she insisted.

  Her mother spoke up, “Ellie, sometimes it’s better not to repeat things we hear. Especially when it’s about someone else.”

  “Even if it’s true?” Ellie protested.

  “Yes, Ellie, even if it’s true. It’s best just not to say anything,” Maryanna said.

  Ellie shook her head. “It’s hard not to say anything.”

  Her grandfather chuckled. “I agree with you there.” He winked at Ellie.

  “Let’s just eat now, and we can talk later. How does that sound?” Her grandmother Lydia had always tried to be a peacekeeper. “Judah?”

  Judah smiled at her grandmother. “That sounds good to me. I think I’d like to have some time with my oldest granddaughter after supper.” He winked at Mattie.

  “She’s not really the oldest,” Ellie said.

  “Well, she’s the oldest in this family,” her grandfather said.

  <><><>

  “Want to talk about it?”

  Mattie’s brow lifted as she made eye contact with her grandfather. “Not really.”

  “That’s okay. We can just–”

  “My dad makes me so angry sometimes! He blames me for everything, even when it isn’t my fault.”

  “I see.” He rubbed his white beard.

  “He expects me to be responsible, yet he doesn’t even offer to give me a ride to work. How does he expect me to do that?”

  “I could loan you one of my buggies.”

  Mattie grimaced. “No, thank you, Dawdi Judah.”

  He reached over and grasped her hand. His kind eyes met hers. “Matilda, no one, besides Der Herr, will ever love you more than your folks do.”

  “Well, they sure don’t act like it. And will you please only call me Mattie, Dawdi?”

  He nodded. “Don’t they, Mattie?” His brow rose.

  “All they want to do is take away everything I have. My car, my job, my friends, my freedom.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Because they want to make my life miserable?”

  “I don’t know of any parents who want their children to be miserable. Perhaps they’re just trying to protect you.”

  “From what?”

  “There are a lot of things out in the world that can hurt you. There are people who’ll take advantage of you. I advise you to listen to your folks. They may not be right about everything, but, I can assure you, they only want your best. They love you.”

  “Well, they have a lousy way of showing it.”

  “Parents don’t always do what’s right; that’s true. But your responsibility is to obey them.”

  “I’ve tried. Nothing I do makes them happy.”

  “You don’t believe that, do you?”

  “It seems like it.”

  “How can we resolve this issue?”

  Mattie shook her head. “I don’t know. I sometimes think Mom and Dad might be happier if I weren’t here.”

  Judah grasped his granddaughter’s hand. “Matil-Mattie, don’t ever think that. They only want what’s best for y
ou.”

  Tears pricked her eyes. “Then why are they making my life so difficult?”

  “You are so blessed. I wish you could see that.”

  “Well, I don’t feel like it.”

  “There are billions of people without half of what you have. Some people don’t even have a place to live or food to eat. You are blessed, Mattie.”

  “I understand all that, and I feel sorry for those people, but this is my reality. Everybody has their problems. I know I have more blessings than some, but having things isn’t what life is about.”

  His forehead rose. “What do you think life is all about?”

  “It’s about being happy. It’s about living your life the way you want to live it – not how someone else wants you to.”

  “I disagree.”

  “Well, you’re Amish because you choose to be. My folks are Mennonite because that’s how they want to be. But what about me? When do I get to decide to choose what I want?”

  “I have chosen to stay Amish – that is true. But my choice wasn’t about what I wanted, it was what I felt God wanted. When we agreed on a New Order way back when your folks were just youngsters, it was a big decision – one that many didn’t agree with and left the church over. We lost many friends.

  “But when Gideon Fisher came to me with Bible Truth that I could not refute, I realized that I had to swallow my pride, admit that I and others before me had been wrong, and acknowledge the Truth. I believe everyone comes to that moment at some point in their life. Some call it ‘The Valley of Decision’. Oftentimes, the most important decisions are the most difficult to make – for, your future and the future of the generations that come after you, hinges on the outcome of those decisions.

  “If others in this community didn’t agree with what I came to know as the Truth, I wouldn’t be here today. In fact, I’d probably be Englisch.” He chuckled. “Imagine your grossdawdi as an Englischer.”