reminded herself that she didn’t have the exclusive right to be miserable. Maybe there was something going on with Levi that no one knew anything about. Maybe he was more upset about leaving Middlefield than he’d let on.
“I have news.” Their father lifted his brows and glanced around the table as he let Mamm spoon some potatoes onto his plate. “We have enough money in our community fund to start construction on the new schoolhouse when the weather clears, and I have six people in our community committed to helping out on Saturdays.” Daed shook his head. “If we were in Middlefield, gathering workers wouldn’t be a problem, but there just aren’t very many of us here.
But a nice Englisch fel ow volunteered to head up the project. He’s been a carpenter al his life, so we’re in good hands.” Then Daed smiled, as was his way. Her father always recognized the hardship of a given situation, but then he’d find a way to make the best of it. Emily was sure that her father believed he could turn anything bad into something positive. She knew it frustrated him that he couldn’t do this for her. But Emily found Daed’s approach to life endearing. It was as if he was saying, “I’m sorry something bad happened to you. I care, and I love you. It’s okay to feel it, and I’m going to do my best to keep things going around here.”
She recal ed a time when she wasn’t much older than Betsy. It was the first year she’d helped her mother plant a garden, and Emily had insisted that they have watermelons, something they usual y didn’t plant. She could stil remember her father’s excitement when the first sprig of growth popped through the soil. They al worked hard to avoid pride, but her father had kept Emily’s first watermelon on display on the kitchen counter for so long that it almost became inedible. He showed it to everyone who came to visit. “ Mei maedel grew this. It’s the finest watermelon I’ve ever seen,” he’d said. Emily could stil recal how proud she felt, and within a few years, she was completely in charge of the garden. Jacob did the til ing, but Emily did al the planting and harvesting, and her appreciation for the soil paral eled her father’s. Many evenings they sat on the front porch after supper, and Emily would tel him about her garden, and her father would talk about the plentiful crops he had going in the fields. Working the land brought a profound sense of stewardship and close connection to God. Emily wondered if she would capture any of those precious moments in this new place when spring arrived.
In Middlefield, her father and brothers had worked the land ful -time, but here in Canaan, Daed and Levi also had the construction and solar panel business they would be tending to, in addition to farming. Jacob was to tend the store with Emily and split his time in the fields. Daed said these changes were necessary until they knew how their crops would fare in this new climate.
“There’s a new family in town, Elam.” Mamm sat up tal er. “They have a daughter, Anna, who is Betsy’s age, another daughter who is five named Elizabeth, and...” Her eyes twinkled with hope. “And a young man named David who wil be coming to our singin’ this Sunday. He’s Levi’s age, I believe.” She smiled in Emily’s direction.
“He seems like a gut fel ow.” Jacob reached across Emily and began to spoon potatoes onto his plate.
Emily glowered at him. “I could have passed you the bowl.” She leaned back as his arm came much too close to her glass of milk.
Jacob didn’t react to her comment and instead piled another heap of potatoes on his plate. “Maybe he’l help us with the schoolhouse. I’l ask him Sunday when he’s here.”
Emily saw Levi scowl, but he didn’t say anything.
“The mother’s name is Lil ian.” Her mother shifted her weight in the chair. “And listen to this! She actual y converted from the Englisch world about eight years ago, then married
“I have news.” Their father lifted his brows and glanced around the table as he let Mamm spoon some potatoes onto his plate. “We have enough money in our community fund to start construction on the new schoolhouse when the weather clears, and I have six people in our community committed to helping out on Saturdays.” Daed shook his head. “If we were in Middlefield, gathering workers wouldn’t be a problem, but there just aren’t very many of us here.
But a nice Englisch fel ow volunteered to head up the project. He’s been a carpenter al his life, so we’re in good hands.” Then Daed smiled, as was his way. Her father always recognized the hardship of a given situation, but then he’d find a way to make the best of it. Emily was sure that her father believed he could turn anything bad into something positive. She knew it frustrated him that he couldn’t do this for her. But Emily found Daed’s approach to life endearing. It was as if he was saying, “I’m sorry something bad happened to you. I care, and I love you. It’s okay to feel it, and I’m going to do my best to keep things going around here.”
She recal ed a time when she wasn’t much older than Betsy. It was the first year she’d helped her mother plant a garden, and Emily had insisted that they have watermelons, something they usual y didn’t plant. She could stil remember her father’s excitement when the first sprig of growth popped through the soil. They al worked hard to avoid pride, but her father had kept Emily’s first watermelon on display on the kitchen counter for so long that it almost became inedible. He showed it to everyone who came to visit. “ Mei maedel grew this. It’s the finest watermelon I’ve ever seen,” he’d said. Emily could stil recal how proud she felt, and within a few years, she was completely in charge of the garden. Jacob did the til ing, but Emily did al the planting and harvesting, and her appreciation for the soil paral eled her father’s. Many evenings they sat on the front porch after supper, and Emily would tel him about her garden, and her father would talk about the plentiful crops he had going in the fields. Working the land brought a profound sense of stewardship and close connection to God. Emily wondered if she would capture any of those precious moments in this new place when spring arrived.
In Middlefield, her father and brothers had worked the land ful -time, but here in Canaan, Daed and Levi also had the construction and solar panel business they would be tending to, in addition to farming. Jacob was to tend the store with Emily and split his time in the fields. Daed said these changes were necessary until they knew how their crops would fare in this new climate.
“There’s a new family in town, Elam.” Mamm sat up tal er. “They have a daughter, Anna, who is Betsy’s age, another daughter who is five named Elizabeth, and...” Her eyes twinkled with hope. “And a young man named David who wil be coming to our singin’ this Sunday. He’s Levi’s age, I believe.” She smiled in Emily’s direction.
“He seems like a gut fel ow.” Jacob reached across Emily and began to spoon potatoes onto his plate.
Emily glowered at him. “I could have passed you the bowl.” She leaned back as his arm came much too close to her glass of milk.
Jacob didn’t react to her comment and instead piled another heap of potatoes on his plate. “Maybe he’l help us with the schoolhouse. I’l ask him Sunday when he’s here.”
Emily saw Levi scowl, but he didn’t say anything.
“The mother’s name is Lil ian.” Her mother shifted her weight in the chair. “And listen to this! She actual y converted from the Englisch world about eight years ago, then married
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