over at least a portion of the floor now? It would keep her busy. There were already plenty of women helping in the kitchen.
The men were outside, gathered in the yard in little clumps. Through the window Susanna caught movement inside the big, open, double barn doors and paused to look closer. Why would hay be floating around inside the barn? As she watched, little pieces were flying through the air, followed by a muffled shout.
And she realized she wasn’t the only one looking. The men in the yard were all gazing in that direction now. And while they were all staring, Ernest appeared in the barn door, hollering something. Broad grins spread over the men’s faces, and they moved en masse toward the barn.
“What did he say?” Mary asked, coming to stand by Susanna.
“A wrestling match, I think,” Susanna said. “Looks like John is testing his theory on whether he can best his older brother or not.”
“Men!” Mary muttered. “They’re all boys at heart.”
“Do you want to go out and watch?” Susanna asked. She wouldn’t go, but maybe Mary wanted to.
“Of course not!” Mary sounded horrified.
Susanna laughed. “I’m glad Herman doesn’t feel a need for such antics. He’s more mature than that.”
More women had gathered around the window, and Mary didn’t respond to the complimentary comment about Herman or repeat Susanna’s remark.
Mary could say the same thing about Ernest, Susanna figured, but it might make some of the other women feel bad about having their husbands still considered boys. All men had their faults in one way or the other. Herman had his, with his hang-up over Christmas celebrations. Women just had to learn to live with the faults of their men…as did husbands with their fraus .
Outside in front of the barn, the group of men parted. John and his older brother came rolling out of the door. First one and then the other was on top. Susanna heard a gasp behind her as John’s brother got a firm grip on John’s shoulders and pinned him to the ground.
“Come on! You can get out of it!” John’s wife, Esther, declared, as the group of women watched in silence.
Moments passed and John’s strenuous efforts to throw his brother off went nowhere. Even with his wife’s encouraging words called from the house. Finally he flopped his arms against the ground and gave up.
The group of men stepped back as John’s brother let him go. The two stood and slapped each other on the back a few times. The men broke up into smaller groups again. The women around Susanna did the same, moving away from the window. Susanna stayed rooted to the spot, staring. Just inside the barn door, obviously not paying much attention to the wrestling match, were the forms of Herman and Matthew. They appeared deep in conversation. What did those two have in common? Herman didn’t make conversation easily. She couldn’t imagine what he would say to a man who was in the bann , not to mention a man she had once loved. Is that what they were talking about? Could it be? Herman wouldn’t bring up such a thing with Matthew. And Matthew wouldn’t have anything to say to Herman about their time together, would he? That just wasn’t done. And she hadn’t done anything wrong during those years anyway. She had nothing to be ashamed of if Matthew was talking about their dating years. Sure she had been sweet on him, but that was no secret. Why else would she date a man for that long?
“Is anything wrong?” Mary asked, having come back to stand beside her.
Susanna jumped and gasped. She shouldn’t have made this so plain for Mary to see. Now she too would wonder why Herman and Matthew were talking.
“Did John or his brother get hurt?” Mary asked, peering in the direction Susanna had been staring.
Susanna forced herself to look. Relief flooded through her. The two forms were gone.
“I think they’re both okay,” Susanna offered.
“So what were you looking at?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Susanna
The men were outside, gathered in the yard in little clumps. Through the window Susanna caught movement inside the big, open, double barn doors and paused to look closer. Why would hay be floating around inside the barn? As she watched, little pieces were flying through the air, followed by a muffled shout.
And she realized she wasn’t the only one looking. The men in the yard were all gazing in that direction now. And while they were all staring, Ernest appeared in the barn door, hollering something. Broad grins spread over the men’s faces, and they moved en masse toward the barn.
“What did he say?” Mary asked, coming to stand by Susanna.
“A wrestling match, I think,” Susanna said. “Looks like John is testing his theory on whether he can best his older brother or not.”
“Men!” Mary muttered. “They’re all boys at heart.”
“Do you want to go out and watch?” Susanna asked. She wouldn’t go, but maybe Mary wanted to.
“Of course not!” Mary sounded horrified.
Susanna laughed. “I’m glad Herman doesn’t feel a need for such antics. He’s more mature than that.”
More women had gathered around the window, and Mary didn’t respond to the complimentary comment about Herman or repeat Susanna’s remark.
Mary could say the same thing about Ernest, Susanna figured, but it might make some of the other women feel bad about having their husbands still considered boys. All men had their faults in one way or the other. Herman had his, with his hang-up over Christmas celebrations. Women just had to learn to live with the faults of their men…as did husbands with their fraus .
Outside in front of the barn, the group of men parted. John and his older brother came rolling out of the door. First one and then the other was on top. Susanna heard a gasp behind her as John’s brother got a firm grip on John’s shoulders and pinned him to the ground.
“Come on! You can get out of it!” John’s wife, Esther, declared, as the group of women watched in silence.
Moments passed and John’s strenuous efforts to throw his brother off went nowhere. Even with his wife’s encouraging words called from the house. Finally he flopped his arms against the ground and gave up.
The group of men stepped back as John’s brother let him go. The two stood and slapped each other on the back a few times. The men broke up into smaller groups again. The women around Susanna did the same, moving away from the window. Susanna stayed rooted to the spot, staring. Just inside the barn door, obviously not paying much attention to the wrestling match, were the forms of Herman and Matthew. They appeared deep in conversation. What did those two have in common? Herman didn’t make conversation easily. She couldn’t imagine what he would say to a man who was in the bann , not to mention a man she had once loved. Is that what they were talking about? Could it be? Herman wouldn’t bring up such a thing with Matthew. And Matthew wouldn’t have anything to say to Herman about their time together, would he? That just wasn’t done. And she hadn’t done anything wrong during those years anyway. She had nothing to be ashamed of if Matthew was talking about their dating years. Sure she had been sweet on him, but that was no secret. Why else would she date a man for that long?
“Is anything wrong?” Mary asked, having come back to stand beside her.
Susanna jumped and gasped. She shouldn’t have made this so plain for Mary to see. Now she too would wonder why Herman and Matthew were talking.
“Did John or his brother get hurt?” Mary asked, peering in the direction Susanna had been staring.
Susanna forced herself to look. Relief flooded through her. The two forms were gone.
“I think they’re both okay,” Susanna offered.
“So what were you looking at?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Susanna
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