small town of Staunton only a number of times, when she was needed to carry goods or take her mammi and dawdi in for something they needed there, but never for anything to do for herself. She suddenly felt selfish with all the attention drawn around her.
Though it was forbidden, she was curious about some places in the town, but not enough to make excuses to go to them, like some of her friends did. Some of the magazines exposed as much of people’s lives as their skin in revealing clothes, and some of the restaurants served alcohol, which made some of the teenagers curious. The more enamored they became with these temptations, the more they drove her away. The things she had seen created a strange feeling in her stomach, as they did now.
“Lord, keep me safe on this journey,” she whispered with bowed head.
She tried not to stare as she considered the variety of clothes people wore and wondered what it must be like to have so many choices. She observed one man’s arms, which were tattooed from forearm to wrist, wondering how he decided on a green vine wrapping up his arm to his bicep. It reminded her of the jasmine that grew on her mamm’s lattice by the garden. Another young man wore earrings from his earlobe to the top of his ear. Even if her community didn’t forbid the practice, she knew she wouldn’t want any part of that. She cringed at the pain it must cause.
A man and a woman groped one another, their lips locked. Annie hoped only one of them would be boarding the bus soon. She’d had enough of an education on public affection for a while.
An unshaven man with tousled hair paced through the station. Annie wondered why another man had on a suit with shiny shoes, and this man searched in the trash cans for food. His long coat was dirty and worn, as were his red high-top tennis shoes. Annie remembered some of the Amish girls wearing high-tops with their plain dresses and looked down at her flat black shoes.
One woman chased after her toddler and gave him two hard slaps to his behind. The boy wailed and screamed. The mother sat beside him with a tense face, trying to ignore him. Annie wondered who suffered more from the disciplinary action—the mother or the child.
An elderly lady slowly walked over and sat near her. She put her purse in the chair between them and took off her scarf. “I’ve always admired those bonnets you ladies wear.” She gazed admiringly at Annie’s kapp.
“Danke.” Annie paused when the woman smiled. “I mean, thank you.” She noticed the purple scarf she’d removed from her puffy hairdo and then folded neatly in her lap. “That’s a pretty color.”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “You don’t wear color?”
“We wear some dark colors.” Annie smiled at the lady’s interest.
“Really?” She chuckled. “Soon enough you won’t be able to tell a Mennonite from an Amish.”
Annie thought on that for a moment. The woman might be right. Wouldn’t that put a wrinkle in Mammi’s bed sheets? She had known Mammi and Dawdi wouldn’t come to see her off, but she was disappointed her daed hadn’t told her good-bye. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to him while she was gone. He would probably never understand why she’d left.
“I didn’t offend you, did I?” The woman put a hand on Annie’s arm.
“No, it’s our faith that matters most. And we do agree on that.”
“Well, that’s what I’ve always thought.”
“Some of our rules are not the same. But we appreciate our similarities more than our differences.”
“Smart girl.” She smiled and reached for her bag. “Are you riding on this bus?” She nodded toward the window into the huge garage that housed the buses.
Annie noticed the Harrisonburg name on the side. “Jah, I am.” She made a mental note to try and curb her Deitsch tongue.
A man wearing a shirt with the Greyhound logo stepped down from a bus and yelled to the crowd. “Now boarding for Harrisonburg, Virginia.”
The
Though it was forbidden, she was curious about some places in the town, but not enough to make excuses to go to them, like some of her friends did. Some of the magazines exposed as much of people’s lives as their skin in revealing clothes, and some of the restaurants served alcohol, which made some of the teenagers curious. The more enamored they became with these temptations, the more they drove her away. The things she had seen created a strange feeling in her stomach, as they did now.
“Lord, keep me safe on this journey,” she whispered with bowed head.
She tried not to stare as she considered the variety of clothes people wore and wondered what it must be like to have so many choices. She observed one man’s arms, which were tattooed from forearm to wrist, wondering how he decided on a green vine wrapping up his arm to his bicep. It reminded her of the jasmine that grew on her mamm’s lattice by the garden. Another young man wore earrings from his earlobe to the top of his ear. Even if her community didn’t forbid the practice, she knew she wouldn’t want any part of that. She cringed at the pain it must cause.
A man and a woman groped one another, their lips locked. Annie hoped only one of them would be boarding the bus soon. She’d had enough of an education on public affection for a while.
An unshaven man with tousled hair paced through the station. Annie wondered why another man had on a suit with shiny shoes, and this man searched in the trash cans for food. His long coat was dirty and worn, as were his red high-top tennis shoes. Annie remembered some of the Amish girls wearing high-tops with their plain dresses and looked down at her flat black shoes.
One woman chased after her toddler and gave him two hard slaps to his behind. The boy wailed and screamed. The mother sat beside him with a tense face, trying to ignore him. Annie wondered who suffered more from the disciplinary action—the mother or the child.
An elderly lady slowly walked over and sat near her. She put her purse in the chair between them and took off her scarf. “I’ve always admired those bonnets you ladies wear.” She gazed admiringly at Annie’s kapp.
“Danke.” Annie paused when the woman smiled. “I mean, thank you.” She noticed the purple scarf she’d removed from her puffy hairdo and then folded neatly in her lap. “That’s a pretty color.”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “You don’t wear color?”
“We wear some dark colors.” Annie smiled at the lady’s interest.
“Really?” She chuckled. “Soon enough you won’t be able to tell a Mennonite from an Amish.”
Annie thought on that for a moment. The woman might be right. Wouldn’t that put a wrinkle in Mammi’s bed sheets? She had known Mammi and Dawdi wouldn’t come to see her off, but she was disappointed her daed hadn’t told her good-bye. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to him while she was gone. He would probably never understand why she’d left.
“I didn’t offend you, did I?” The woman put a hand on Annie’s arm.
“No, it’s our faith that matters most. And we do agree on that.”
“Well, that’s what I’ve always thought.”
“Some of our rules are not the same. But we appreciate our similarities more than our differences.”
“Smart girl.” She smiled and reached for her bag. “Are you riding on this bus?” She nodded toward the window into the huge garage that housed the buses.
Annie noticed the Harrisonburg name on the side. “Jah, I am.” She made a mental note to try and curb her Deitsch tongue.
A man wearing a shirt with the Greyhound logo stepped down from a bus and yelled to the crowd. “Now boarding for Harrisonburg, Virginia.”
The
Similar Books
