Page 17

D URING brEAKFAST S UNDAY MORNING , R OSA noticed Susan staring at her intently, with her head tilted to one side and her eyebrows raised high.

Was her sister on the verge of asking a question or just looking at Rosa with disdain?

Rosa was preparing to pose that question when Susan quickly turned to face Anthony.

“So Anthony, are you excited about the prospect of becoming a father, and are you hoping for a son or a daughter?”

He looked up from his bowl of cereal and jerked his head. “Huh?” Susan repeated her question.

Anthony glanced over at Rosa, as though hoping she might speak on his behalf, but she said nothing and hoped he would answer the question in a manner so that no one at the Sunday morning breakfast table would become suspicious.

Anthony reached for his cup of coffee, took a drink, and set it back on the table. Then he smiled at Susan and said, “When a new baby enters the world, it’s always exciting, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a girl or a boy.”

Rosa felt her tensed shoulders relax. Nice job, Anthony. I couldn’t have said it better myself. After that answer, I don’t think anyone could suspect that Anthony is not my baby’s father or have any suspicion that we’re not married.

“Well,” Rosa’s father said, pushing away from the table, “we’d all best get ready to head for church services now.”

Anthony’s eyes widened and his Adam’s apple became more prominent. Sunday from attending your church.”

Rosa couldn’t miss the pained expression on Anthony’s face or his obvious gulp.

The poor guy had already been forced to attend church twice with her family, and then there was Ada and Ephraim’s wedding.

Anthony had made it clear to Rosa that he was not a regular churchgoer, so sitting on a hard bench with no back for three hours among people he didn’t know and listening to a language he didn’t understand had to be difficult for him.

Feeling the need to come to Anthony’s rescue, Rosa looked at her father and said, “Dad, I’m not feeling so well this morning, and I think it would be best if I stay home from church to rest.” She gestured to Anthony. “I’d feel a lot better if my husband stayed right here with me.”

Susan cleared her throat real loud and looked over at Rosa. “Maybe you ought to drink some of that peppermint tea Mom likes so well. I’m sure after drinking a few cups, you’ll likely feel better.”

“Mint tea doesn’t do much for me,” Rosa was quick to say.

Mom, who sat on the right side of Rosa, reached over and gave her hand a few gentle pats. “You do look kind of pasty white. I think you and Anthony should remain here today, so you can rest and try to get your stomach settled.”

Rosa was relieved when Dad shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “Okay, whatever. But the rest of us will be going to church, so let’s get a move on.”

Tena, Alvin, and even Susan jumped up and quickly cleared their dishes. Mom did the same. When she began running water into the sink, Anthony called, “Don’t worry about the dishes, Elsie. I’ll take care of them while Rosa rests on the living room sofa.”

Mom turned and looked at him with the brightest smile. “Why thank you, Anthony. What a thoughtful son-in-law we’ve been blessed with.”

He merely responded by mumbling, “Just trying to help out.”

As Susan sat stiffly on the back seat of her father’s buggy, stuck between Alvin and Tena, she paid little heed to Mom and Dad’s conversation up front and hardly noticed how bare the trees along this stretch of road appeared now that so many had lost their leaves.

All she could think about was the conversation she’d heard behind Rosa’s closed door last night.

Susan had hoped that asking Anthony about becoming a father might cause him to trip up and reveal that he wasn’t the baby’s biological father, if that was even the case.

The whole thing about Rosa and Anthony not being married didn’t add up, and the fact that they’d been lying to Mom and Dad stunk worse than a dead fish unattended.

Susan felt a desperate need to know the full story about why the tall, good-looking stranger had shown up with her sister a little over two weeks ago, pretending to be Rosa’s husband.

That fact Susan was sure of, but whether Anthony was the father of Rosa’s baby was yet to be determined.

Susan’s fingers clenched, causing her nails to dig into her flesh. I need to get to the bottom of this once and for all, but I’d like a little more information before I reveal the truth to Mom and Dad.

As Dad guided the horse and buggy up the driveway of the home where church would be held, another thought popped into Susan’s head.

I will listen in on Rosa and Anthony’s conversations every chance I get and try to ask more pertinent questions that might trip them up.

Sooner or later, I’ll have all the information I seek, and then we’ll see how things play out for my sister Rosa.

Rosa sat beside Anthony on the couch, drinking a cup of peppermint tea.

Although she hadn’t felt any nausea earlier, after the family left for church, she’d had a bout of morning sickness, no doubt brought on from the odor of coffee brewing in the kitchen.

Anthony had poured himself a cup of the strong-smelling brew and brought it to the living room, along with tea for Rosa.

Her stomach settled quickly, and the smell coming from his cup didn’t bother her so much anymore.

“I wanted to thank you for getting me out of going to church today,” Anthony said, moving a bit closer to her. “I really didn’t feel up to sitting through another long, boring service.”

“You might not think it was so bad if you understood what was being said.”

He shook his head. “Even if I did know the German language, I doubt I’d get much out of the preaching.”

“What makes you think so?” she questioned after setting her cup down on the low wooden table in front of them.

“Because I’m not interested in some minister’s opinion of what’s right or wrong. That’s what they preach about—correct? All the dos, don’ts, and strict rules that people should adhere to. Am I right, Rosa?”

“Our preachers do often talk about what is right and what’s wrong, but their messages come from passages of scriptures found in the Bible.”

Anthony drummed the fingers on his left hand along the corresponding knee of his jeans, about the same time as the grandfather clock on the far wall struck ten. He set his cup down beside Rosa’s, stood, and held out his hand toward her. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Why don’t we get out of here for a while and take a Sunday drive somewhere in Mifflin County that I haven’t seen before?”

“That’s a good idea,” she responded, clasping his hand and rising to her feet. “And I know just the place I’d like to show you.”

“Turn left here and follow the signs to Reedsville,” Rosa said as Anthony headed in the direction of the shops in downtown Belleville.

“What’s in Reedsville?” he asked.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

As they rode along, Anthony listened with interest as Rosa told him how the Amish came to live in Mifflin County.

“In 1791 some Amish families from Lancaster County decided to leave that area and buy some land in what people often call the Big Valley,” she explained.

“The Amish population grew via immigration from the southeastern part of Pennsylvania, and by the 1840s the congregation of people became so big that it was finally divided into three specific groups. I’m sure I mentioned that each of these groups drive different-colored buggies. ”

“Yes, you did,” he agreed. “And the group your family belongs to drive only black-top buggies.”

“Right. Then there’s the yellow-toppers, which you’ve probably seen a lot of driving their horse and buggies in Belleville.”

“Yep.”

“So today, I’m going to show you where most of the white-top buggy-driving Amish live.”

“And that would be in Reedsville?”

“Correct. The Amish who drive those carriages are called the Nebraska Amish.”

“How come?”

“Because a big portion of their very conservative Amish group originally came from Nebraska.”

“Guess that makes sense.”

“The Nebraska Amish dress the most conservatively. The men wear plain white shirts, brown denim trousers, and no suspenders.”

“Seriously? Not even one, like your dad and the other men from your community wear?”

“Nope. It’s my understanding that their trousers are laced up somehow in the back.”

“That seems really odd to me.” Anthony glanced over at Rosa then back at the road. “What else can you tell me about the Nebraska Amish?”

“Let’s see now … They don’t have indoor plumbing, do not place screens on their doors or windows, and the windows have no curtains.”

“Wow! I’m sure glad your folks allow indoor plumbing. I can’t imagine going without a warm shower.”

“Me neither.”

“Any other interesting facts about the white-toppers?”

“Well, for the longest while, most of them only used kerosene lanterns on their buggies, as well as inside their homes. Recently, though, several minor changes have taken place within the Kish Valley Front Mountain Nebraska Amish.”

“Such as?” Anthony found all this information Rosa was feeding him to be quite interesting. If he were writing a book, he’d probably include a chapter about this unusual group.

“Many white-topped Amish are now replacing their kerosene lanterns with LED lights. Also, the power tool batteries are charged using small solar panels.”

“What’s the reason for the change? Do you know?”

“I think one of the main reasons is because the cost of kerosene in the valley has increased a lot.”

“Makes sense to me. The price of gasoline for motorized vehicles has gone way up from what it used to be as well.”

“You’re right, and the cost of living has gone up everywhere it seems.”

As they approached the outskirts of Reedsville, Anthony caught sight of an unpainted barn near a plain white house with a blue door. Outside, in a field, not far from the barn, numerous buggies with white tops had been parked.

“Looks like something’s going on at this place,” Anthony commented.

“They’re having church—most likely inside the barn.”

He let go of the steering wheel with one hand and slapped his forehead. “Oh yeah! I should’ve realized that, since today is Sunday.”

She chuckled. “Well, you can’t be expected to remember everything.”

Anthony elbowed her arm. “Very funny.”

She continued to laugh. “Just admit it, Anthony. It’s a little funny.”

“Okay, whatever you say, smarty. You can make fun of me all you want. I’ll get you back sometime, just wait and see.”

Rosa leaned back in her seat and relaxed.

It was nice to be out with Anthony today, while having the chance to show him around the area and offer some information about the Nebraska Amish and their ultraconservative ways.

She was glad he had suggested they go for a ride.

It almost felt like they were on a date.

Better not go there , she told herself, after they headed in the opposite direction from which they’d come. They were about halfway home, and Rosa wished the drive could last a bit longer.

Anthony is not my boyfriend, much less my husband, and this is definitely not a date, she reminded herself.

He’ll be returning to New York soon, and I need to keep things in perspective.

Even if I did have romantic feelings for Anthony, and him for me, it would never work out between us.

Rosa counted on her fingers while closing her eyes.

First of all, he has an apartment, plus a good job waiting for him in the big city.

Second, I’m expecting a baby that is not his.

Third, I am planning to stay here in Amish country, whether I join the church or not.

And fourth, Anthony only sees me as a friend with a need to fool her parents so she can hopefully be accepted by them.

Rosa’s thoughts came to a halt and her eyes snapped open when the car gave a lurch and came to a complete stop.

“Wh–what happened?” she sputtered. “How come you stopped the car?”

“I didn’t.” His lips flattened as he tried starting the engine and nothing happened. “Well, that’s just great.” He gestured to the fuel gauge. “The tank’s half full of gas, so that’s not the problem.”

“What do you think is wrong?”

“I have no idea, and I’m not a mechanic, so this could be bad.”

Rosa bit down on her bottom lip. “Oh, I hope not. We need to be home before my family gets back from church. Otherwise, if they see that we’re gone, they won’t like it—especially my dad.”

“Why would they care if we were not there?” Rosa heard the irritation in Anthony’s tone.

“As you may recall,” she reminded him, “I did fake feeling ill this morning so we didn’t have to go to church with them. And if they—mostly Dad—believes we were out gallivanting around the valley, he might become suspicious and think we had deliberately skipped church.”

Anthony looked at Rosa with a scrunched-up face and spoke with tension in his voice. “I don’t really care what they would think, Rosa. I just want to get this car started so we can be on our way again.” He tried the ignition one more time, but the engine did not turn over.

Anthony reached into his jacket pocket and groaned. “Now that’s just great.”

“What?”

“My cell phone’s not in my pocket, so I can’t even call AAA for assistance.”

“Where’s your phone?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“I laid it on the counter in your mother’s kitchen while I did the dishes, and I must have left it there. Otherwise I would have it here with me right now.”

She heaved a sigh. “Now what?”

“We walk—unless you have a better idea.”

Rosa shook her head. “Perhaps we can catch a ride with someone passing by. Other than that, I have no ideas at all.”

“Catch a ride in someone’s Amish buggy?”

“Well, no … I mean, maybe. Actually, I was thinking another car might come this way. But if it was a buggy and they had room for us, then I guess we could—”

Anthony gave a shake of his head. “Uh, no. I’d rather walk than ride in a horse-drawn carriage.” He opened the car door. “So come on, Rosa, let’s get out and start walking.”