A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters) Read online

  A JOYFUL BREAK

  Dreams of Plain Daughters, Book One

  By Diane Craver

  Copyright © 2012 by Diane Craver

  All Rights Reserved

  Editing by Regina Andrews

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Note to the Reader

  Pennsylvania Dutch Glossary

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  About the Author

  A Joyful Break is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person past, present, or future is coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Reference: ‘Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House’, per the notice of copyright at the beginning of the Bible.

  Scripture taken from the King James Version ®. © 1976 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN. No permission listing is necessary as it's in the public domain per their website at http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/dept.asp?dept_id=190620&TopLevel_id=190000#KJV.

  Dedication

  To my loving sister, Carolyn,

  who always listens to me talk nonstop about life, family, and my writing.

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank some very special friends. They always are ready to support and encourage me in so many ways. When I first decided to write an Amish romance, these friends were an immense help to me. I bounced story ideas, several covers, and received feedback on several chapters from them. Their comments helped me to write the best book possible. Thank you to Regina Andrews, Stephanie Burkhart, Sue McKlveen, Karen Wiesner, and Celia Yeary.

  Also a big thank you to my husband and children for their continued support.

  Note to the Reader

  The Amish community I’ve created is fictional, but exists close to Wheat Ridge which is an actual Amish community in the southern part of Ohio where I live. Before I started writing my Amish novel, I did extensive research to portray this wonderful faith as accurately as possible. I’ve used many rules and traditions common to the Amish way of life. However, there are differences between the various groups and subgroups of Amish communities. This is because the Amish have no central church government; each has its own governing authority. Every local church maintains an individual set of rules, adhering to its own Ordnung.

  If you live near an Amish community, actions and dialogue in my book may differ from the Amish culture you know.

  Pennsylvania Dutch Glossary

  Aenti: aunt

  boppli: baby

  bopplin: babies

  bruder: brother

  daed: dad

  danki: thank you

  Dietsch: Pennsylvania Dutch

  dippy: term for easy over eggs

  dochdern: daughters

  ehemann: husband

  eiferich: excited

  English/Englischer: not Amish

  fraa: wife

  freinden: friends

  froh: happy

  gem gschehre: you’re welcome

  grandkinner: grandchildren

  grossdochdern: granddaughters

  gudemariye: good morning

  gut: good

  in lieb: in love

  kaffi: coffee

  kapp: prayer covering

  kind: child

  kinner: children

  mamm: mom

  naerfich: nervous

  onkel: uncle

  Ordnung: Set of rules for Amish and Old Order Mennonite living.

  rumschpringe: running around; time before an Amish young person officially joined the church, provides a bridge between childhood and adulthood.

  schweschder: sister

  was iss letz: what’s wrong

  wunderbaar: wonderful

  ya: yes

  Chapter One

  Fields Corner, Ohio

  Rachel Hershberger took a deep breath, realizing she had to tell her boyfriend, Samuel, what he definitely would not like to hear from her lips. While standing in front of the farm he’d just bought, she thought how it meant one thing. He wanted to make wedding plans, but it was not possible right now. How could she set a date for their wedding when she needed to leave Fields Corner? Before her grandparents and mother died, all she wanted in life was to marry Samuel Weaver and have children.

  But things changed when her mother suddenly died at age forty-four. Losing her dear mamm had put a huge emptiness in her heart and spirit.

  He pulled her next to him. “What do you think? You’ve been quiet about me buying this land. Do you like it for us?”

  She looked into his blue eyes and saw he was eager to hear her opinion. She needed to ease into telling him about her aunt’s request. “It’s perfect. I love the row of pine trees.”

  “We can build our house by the tree line. The property’s the right size for me. I don’t need more than thirty acres. It’s enough to raise our own feed for livestock. I’ll still have time to help my daed with his farming and take furniture orders.”

  Her wonderful Samuel had everything figured out for their future when she was so unsure now about her life. I better speak up and tell him about Aunt Carrie’s letter. She fingered her kapp’s string. “I have something to tell you.”

  He grinned. “You decided to join the church. You need to hurry talk to Bishop Amos so you can start your classes, and we can get married in November.”

  She understood what he meant about not waiting any longer to talk to the bishop. Before having an Amish wedding, both needed to be baptized and to become church members. There were usually nine special instruction classes before being allowed to join the church. “I can’t join the church yet. I received a letter from Aunt Carrie. She wants me to visit her next week while Violet’s on spring break from college.”

  “Is Adam going to be home too? I could go with you. He invited me to visit sometime.”

  Samuel had met both of her cousins when they came for her grandparents’ funerals. Then two months later, the Robinson family came again for her mother’s funeral. Unfortunately, the media got news of her Uncle Scott, the U.S. Senator from Kentucky, attending her mother’s, but waited to film until after the ceremony. For both somber occasions, her aunt and uncle left in an Amish buggy to blend in with the rest of the funeral processions. Adam and Samuel enjoyed each other’s company even though one was English and other Amish. “Adam isn’t going to join us until later at the beach.”

  He frowned. “What beach?”

  “It’s such a pretty day. Why don’t we sit by the creek to talk?”

  “You sound serious. We better get comfortable. I’ll grab the Pepsi I brought for
us.” He left her side to walk to the buggy. She watched him as he bent down to pick up a brown bag. It didn’t matter that he was dressed in the usual Amish garb of black pants, dark blue shirt, and suspenders; he looked handsome and special to her. At six foot, he towered over her petite height of five-three. She loved gazing upward at his gentle face.

  They held hands while walking toward the creek. “I’m ready to grow a beard and become a husband. You don’t have to delay joining the church any longer on my account.”

  She laughed, remembering a conversation between Samuel and her brother Peter. Both men were the same age, and Samuel had teased married Peter about his beard. He’d said how that was one advantage to being single and not having to let his beard grow. She rubbed his strong chin affectionately. “A wife gets to pull on her husband’s beard when he doesn’t listen.”

  “I’ll be sure to remember that.” He glanced at a log above the creek. “We can sit here and I’ll practice listening to you.”

  She popped open her can and took a sip of the cold drink. “It’s gut.”

  “Rachel, you’re almost twenty-one and I’m twenty-three. We can’t get married until you’re baptized and join the church. You need to start instructions soon so we can get married next fall. What’s the problem? Violet’s spring break should only be for a week.”

  The traditional ceremony of baptism was held in the fall, so she understood his concern. If she didn’t get started soon on her religious education instructions, she wouldn’t be allowed to enter the church in the fall. Their wedding would be delayed for a whole year. But it might be anyhow, she thought. “Well, Violet has early finals so it’s more like ten days.”

  “So you’ll be gone for longer than a week?”

  “Yes.” I’ll wait to tell him I might be gone for a month or even longer. Better to build up to it.

  “What does your daed think of you leaving?”

  “Aunt Carrie wrote my daed that she wanted me to visit. He’s not froh about me going but he gave his permission. He said our year of mourning is over. Aunt Carrie is driving here to get me so I won’t have to take the bus to Kentucky.” She didn’t mention how clever her aunt was in getting her way. She played on her daed’s sympathy, saying how much she missed her sister Irene and their parents. Aunt Carrie explained in her letter how she wanted her oldest niece to visit, and she knew Irene would want them to spend time together.

  Samuel’s blue eyes widened. “So you’re going to Kentucky, then to the beach. We can go to the beach for our honeymoon. I’ve always wanted to see the ocean.”

  Interesting. She didn’t recall him ever saying he wanted to go to the beach. “We won’t go. Something will happen. Besides few Amish couples go on a honeymoon. We’ll be busy cleaning up after the wedding for several days. Judith would kill me if we didn’t spend our honeymoon weekend at home to help clean up. And have you forgotten how newlyweds travel to relatives’ homes each weekend? That takes months to visit everyone. I guess you’ve been around too many English folk in your shop and heard about their honeymoons.”

  “That’s true. We don’t want to miss out on collecting our wedding gifts. Of course, a lot of these gifts are furniture and quilts. I plan on making all our furniture.” He rubbed his chin. “I’d like to go to the beach before my beard gets too long so it’d have to be soon after we marry.”

  She smiled at him. “Then I can go to the beach again, but right now I need to go before I’m baptized. I want to do my rumschpringe.”

  He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “You did your running around with me when you were eighteen. We experienced the English world together then.”

  She sighed. “I went to one baseball game with you to see the Cincinnati Reds. That was all I did for my rumschpringe.”

  “Did you forget Kings Island when I kissed you for the first time?”

  “I guess I did.” She’d been shocked when he’d kissed her at the amusement park. The Amish stressed to their young people that the courting couple shouldn’t have any physical contact. Not even kissing or holding hands. Although it wasn’t proper, she’d liked his kiss. She decided to tease him a bit. “Your kiss at the baseball game must have been better. I remember it the best.”

  He took a big drink of pop. “I bet my kisses would be sweeter on the beach.”

  “I have to tell you the truth. I’ve taken care of my siblings for a year since my mamm died. I love them but need to take a break and experience different things before I commit to our way of life. I want to feel the sand between my toes and see the blue ocean. And I can’t wait to see the dolphins play in the water.” She lifted her arm and waved her hand across the rolling fields. “I love our country scenery but at the same time, I’m tired of the green grass and hills. I want to see something different.”

  He shrugged. “If you look carefully, you see that each blade of grass is a different shade of green.”

  “But still it’s all green.”

  “I like green. Especially your pretty green eyes.”

  She gave him a playful nudge. “I’m partial to blue because of your blue eyes. And I already mentioned the ocean and how much I want to see it.”

  His jaw tightened. He’s going to give me more arguments about leaving. In a way, she was glad he cared so much about what she did. It was good to know he’d miss her.

  He put his can on the ground. After removing his hat, he ran his fingers through wavy brown hair. “It’s warm here in the sun. It feels good to have warmer temperatures finally after the cold winter we had. Outer Banks won’t be that warm in March.”

  “We aren’t going to their beach house. Aunt Carrie’s taking us to a friends’ cottage at Cocoa Beach. It’ll be warmer in the southern part of the state.”

  “That’s so far. You can’t fly. Remember Amish don’t use planes.”

  “Did you forget that Aunt Carrie was Amish before she married…”Her voice broke with irritation. “She knows I won’t get on a plane. She’s going to drive us to Cocoa Beach.”

  “What else do you plan on doing on your rumschpringe?”

  “Not much. Use a computer. Maybe watch movies.” Should I tell Samuel my other reason for visiting? I don’t want to hurt him.

  “One reason I bought this particular piece of land was because it’s close enough to your daed’s house. I know how close you’re to your family.”

  “You’re a wunderbaar man.” She squeezed his hand, quickly deciding to share with him her deepest feelings. “I was so close to my mamm. Her death is another reason I’m going to visit Aunt Carrie. She’s five years older than my mother was, and she has no heart problems. My mamm shouldn’t have died from a heart attack. She was too young. I wanted her around for many more years. An English doctor would’ve caught her heart disease. My children will never know their grandmother.”

  “What are you saying? That your aunt’s alive because she’s English.”

  She nodded. “That’s what I want to find out. If we had a phone for emergencies, we could’ve gotten help quicker to my mamm and maybe she’d still be alive. And English don’t work as hard as we do. Mamm worked too hard.”

  “It was a shock to your mamm when your grandparents were killed. That could’ve had something to do with her death. She died only two months after they did. ”

  “Why did that teenager have to use his cell phone while driving? He said he didn’t see my grandparents’ buggy but it was broad daylight.” Even though it was the Amish way to forgive people, she couldn’t forget the wrong caused by the young driver. He had a responsibility to watch the road and shouldn’t have been using his phone.

  “It was a terrible tragedy. Your grandparents were an important part of our community.” He was quiet for a moment. “Your mamm was nineteen when she married your daed. You’re past that age now. I’ve been courting you for close to three years.”

  “That’s what worries me. I don’t want to follow my mamm’s path and die when I’m forty-four.”

  “I don’t wan
t you to die in your forties either.” He cleared his throat. “How long are you planning on being gone? I can finish my furniture orders before we leave. I only have a dining room table for an English couple that needs to be done soon. Other stuff can wait. That is if it’s okay with your Aunt Carrie that I go too.”

  Her daed thought the world of Samuel, but he would never approve of them both going away together when they were not married. Amazing that Samuel would even suggest it. Not a good sign he wanted to go with her. “That’s not a good idea. We aren’t married. Besides, I might stay with Aunt Carrie for three or four weeks.”

  He gave her a worried glance. “It sounds like you want a break from me.”

  “No, not a break from you. Just a break from everything Amish. The time will go fast. You won’t have a chance to miss me.”

  “You’ve been too isolated and at home all the time with cooking and doing all the housework for your family. Judith should’ve been more help. Then you could’ve kept your job at the bakery. My mamm misses you and all the customers still ask about you. They want to know when you’ll be back. Mamm says no one’s desserts are as good as yours. Not even hers or Katie’s.”

  Before her mother died, she’d worked in the bakery owned by Mrs. Weaver, Samuel’s mamm. She loved the Weaver’s Bakery filled with wonderful smells from all the delicious goods sold to Amish customers as well as to the English tourists. And baking was her passion in the kitchen.

  “I do miss talking to the customers. I enjoyed the women talk with your mamm and your sister. We laughed and had good times together while working.” She sighed. “Judith’s talent doesn’t seem to be in cooking but I’m hoping it’ll improve when I’m away. She’s going to grade papers at home and only work at school half a day.” Her younger sister, Judith, started teaching the younger Amish students when Miss Miller left the district to get married.