Excerpt for A Decision of Faith
From his buggy, Luke saw the kitchen light was still on. Dreading a confrontation with his father, Luke decided to take his time unhitching Stormy and getting him into his stall. By the time he entered the house, he hoped his Daed would be in bed. Or it might not be Daed up yet and could be one of my sisters.
After ten minutes he was done in the barn and quickly walked to the house. Once inside the kitchen, Luke realized so much for hoping his father wouldn’t be around. His stern dat sat at their table. He removed his straw hat and placed it on a peg on the wall.
His father asked, “Were you cavorting with that English girl again?”
“Daed, her name is Violet. I’m sure you know her name.” He hated how his father wouldn’t say his girlfriend’s name. “I’ve been seeing her since April.”
His daed’s eyes narrowed. “If you’d been baptized, would you even had an interest in Violet?”
“How can I answer that when that isn’t the situation? Maybe God meant for us to be together. He brought Violet into my life. Instead of praying we break up, you could pray that Violet and I make the right decisions.” He wanted to say more, but his daed looked tired and old.
Although he was the same age as David Hershberger, his father had more wrinkles and gray hair. David looked ten years younger than his father. They’d been childhood friends and both had decided to move to Fields Corner to buy cheaper farmland. Was being a bishop the reason his dat looked like he was in his late fifties instead of in his forties? Or had he aged because of him?
Luke knew he couldn’t mention that joining the Mennonite church might be the right choice for them. Both Violet and he would be making changes, so it wouldn’t just be one of them adapting to a completely new lifestyle. Becoming Mennonite would be a middle ground. Switching to Mennonite would definitely alarm his father so it was best not to bring up the topic. Amish never liked to lose their children to the Mennonite faith or to the English way of life.
“Sit down. We need to talk.” His father pointed to the seat across from him.
While pulling out a chair, Luke noticed his father’s jaw tightened, and felt tense about the upcoming lecture he was sure was coming. “Okay, I’m sitting.”
“I stayed up to talk to you because the girls are in bed. I don’t want them to hear this discussion. When you were born, we were thankful to have a boy first. We expected you to be a good example to the younger kinner. I understand you’re attracted to Violet, but seeing her is wrong. Continuing on this path is giving your sisters the wrong idea. Beth, Priscilla, Anna, and Sadie all see you with an English young woman. What if they start hanging around Violet and English boys?”
“None of Violet’s friends have even visited her here. And Violet isn’t just an English woman, but a niece to your best friend, David. Violet had the most devout Amish grandparents. Have you forgotten Esther and Jonas Troyer? Violet has visited our Plain community for years and isn’t a stranger to our ways. Her mother has instilled many of our values in Violet and her brother, Adam. Violet wants to learn Pennsylvania Dutch and German. Maybe she’ll even decide to join our church.”
“That seldom happens and you know that. It’s too hard for an outsider to give up electricity and many other things to become Amish. It would be a significant lifestyle change for her. Sure, Violet has some knowledge of our ways, but she seems to be a bad influence on you. I know you talk to her on that phone of yours. I’ve heard you’ve gone to movies and baseball games with her too.”
He needed to stay calm, but he wasn’t a child that needed to be reprimanded. His dat deserved his respect, so he said in an even voice, “Daed, I haven’t been baptized. I can still do these things. It’s my rumspringa.”
“It wouldn’t be as bad you doing a few things if it would be with a woman from our faith. I wish you had started courting Katie Weaver. She’d make you a fine Amish fraa.”
Although he’d explained his feelings about Violet several times to his parents, Luke knew telling it again might give his daed something to pray and think about instead of dwelling on the negative aspect of his seeing Violet. Luke leaned forward in his chair. “I think the reason I’ve put off joining the church is because God meant for me to meet Violet. I always felt it wasn’t time yet for me to take instructions to become a church member.”
“You and Violet have little in common. I don’t see what you two could find to talk about with all your differences.”
“What did you and Mamm talk about when you courted her? I’m sure we cover similar topics that you did, plus some more interesting ones.” He grinned, deciding to tease his parent a bit to lighten the tension-filled atmosphere. “What did you do during your rumspringa anyhow?”
“It was a long time ago. I don’t recall much except I did go to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.” His daed stroked his gray beard. “Violet’s gone to college, but that might be a gut thing. When will she return to college? It won’t be too late for you to take instructions if she leaves soon.”
Why does Daed think I’ll start instructions if Violet leaves Fields Corner? What they shared was not a summer romance. He wanted to spend his life with Violet. “It’s only July. She doesn’t need to go back yet until late August. But that’s not the point. Even if she leaves for a short time, we’re planning to stay together. I love her and nothing will change that fact. I want to spend my life with Violet.”
After ten minutes he was done in the barn and quickly walked to the house. Once inside the kitchen, Luke realized so much for hoping his father wouldn’t be around. His stern dat sat at their table. He removed his straw hat and placed it on a peg on the wall.
His father asked, “Were you cavorting with that English girl again?”
“Daed, her name is Violet. I’m sure you know her name.” He hated how his father wouldn’t say his girlfriend’s name. “I’ve been seeing her since April.”
His daed’s eyes narrowed. “If you’d been baptized, would you even had an interest in Violet?”
“How can I answer that when that isn’t the situation? Maybe God meant for us to be together. He brought Violet into my life. Instead of praying we break up, you could pray that Violet and I make the right decisions.” He wanted to say more, but his daed looked tired and old.
Although he was the same age as David Hershberger, his father had more wrinkles and gray hair. David looked ten years younger than his father. They’d been childhood friends and both had decided to move to Fields Corner to buy cheaper farmland. Was being a bishop the reason his dat looked like he was in his late fifties instead of in his forties? Or had he aged because of him?
Luke knew he couldn’t mention that joining the Mennonite church might be the right choice for them. Both Violet and he would be making changes, so it wouldn’t just be one of them adapting to a completely new lifestyle. Becoming Mennonite would be a middle ground. Switching to Mennonite would definitely alarm his father so it was best not to bring up the topic. Amish never liked to lose their children to the Mennonite faith or to the English way of life.
“Sit down. We need to talk.” His father pointed to the seat across from him.
While pulling out a chair, Luke noticed his father’s jaw tightened, and felt tense about the upcoming lecture he was sure was coming. “Okay, I’m sitting.”
“I stayed up to talk to you because the girls are in bed. I don’t want them to hear this discussion. When you were born, we were thankful to have a boy first. We expected you to be a good example to the younger kinner. I understand you’re attracted to Violet, but seeing her is wrong. Continuing on this path is giving your sisters the wrong idea. Beth, Priscilla, Anna, and Sadie all see you with an English young woman. What if they start hanging around Violet and English boys?”
“None of Violet’s friends have even visited her here. And Violet isn’t just an English woman, but a niece to your best friend, David. Violet had the most devout Amish grandparents. Have you forgotten Esther and Jonas Troyer? Violet has visited our Plain community for years and isn’t a stranger to our ways. Her mother has instilled many of our values in Violet and her brother, Adam. Violet wants to learn Pennsylvania Dutch and German. Maybe she’ll even decide to join our church.”
“That seldom happens and you know that. It’s too hard for an outsider to give up electricity and many other things to become Amish. It would be a significant lifestyle change for her. Sure, Violet has some knowledge of our ways, but she seems to be a bad influence on you. I know you talk to her on that phone of yours. I’ve heard you’ve gone to movies and baseball games with her too.”
He needed to stay calm, but he wasn’t a child that needed to be reprimanded. His dat deserved his respect, so he said in an even voice, “Daed, I haven’t been baptized. I can still do these things. It’s my rumspringa.”
“It wouldn’t be as bad you doing a few things if it would be with a woman from our faith. I wish you had started courting Katie Weaver. She’d make you a fine Amish fraa.”
Although he’d explained his feelings about Violet several times to his parents, Luke knew telling it again might give his daed something to pray and think about instead of dwelling on the negative aspect of his seeing Violet. Luke leaned forward in his chair. “I think the reason I’ve put off joining the church is because God meant for me to meet Violet. I always felt it wasn’t time yet for me to take instructions to become a church member.”
“You and Violet have little in common. I don’t see what you two could find to talk about with all your differences.”
“What did you and Mamm talk about when you courted her? I’m sure we cover similar topics that you did, plus some more interesting ones.” He grinned, deciding to tease his parent a bit to lighten the tension-filled atmosphere. “What did you do during your rumspringa anyhow?”
“It was a long time ago. I don’t recall much except I did go to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.” His daed stroked his gray beard. “Violet’s gone to college, but that might be a gut thing. When will she return to college? It won’t be too late for you to take instructions if she leaves soon.”
Why does Daed think I’ll start instructions if Violet leaves Fields Corner? What they shared was not a summer romance. He wanted to spend his life with Violet. “It’s only July. She doesn’t need to go back yet until late August. But that’s not the point. Even if she leaves for a short time, we’re planning to stay together. I love her and nothing will change that fact. I want to spend my life with Violet.”