Ruth will be calling us into breakfast, there is baking and ironing—”
“All that can wait.”
“You will want to see your young Moses.”
“Yes. But that can wait too. He’ll be there an hour from now, even two hours from now.”
“You sound too proud when you say that, Becky, too sure of yourself.”
“It’s not that, Mom. It’s that I’m sure of him. I know he cares for me. I know he’ll be there.” She smiled. “I guess I know he loves me. I only wonder if I love him too.”
F IVE
A low boom rumbled over the fields from dark clouds away to the east. Moses Yoder glanced back. The storm wasn’t any closer than it had been an hour before and the glow of the rising sun was lining the top of the thunderhead. He was certain the clouds would head out to sea or up the coast. Turning back to his buggy, he flicked the reins of his horse, Milly, and clicked his tongue.
“Come, girl, we must hurry.”
They rushed past farms where his Amish neighbors had long been up and about seeing to their livestock in the dark. One or two waved to him, holding their lanterns, and he waved back. Soon the buggy was in Paradise, rolling through quiet streets where only a few cars were on the road that early. He snapped the reins again, biting his lower lip.
“ Bitte , Milly, bitte .”
He emerged on the far side of town and immediately spotted the airplane in a field several hundred yards away. It was the field of Henry Parker, an English farmer. He had just taken his second cut of hay off it the week before. Moses could see Parker, recognizable by his tall, lean frame in the dim light of early dawn, and a smaller figure as well. He could feel his heart thudding in his chest as he drew closer and closer.
The sun cleared the cloud bank just before he stopped. Gold flashed over the plane and grass, over Henry Parker—and it flashed over Becky Whetstone, who stood by the craft in a leather flight jacket and helmet, goggles pushed high up on her head. Moses felt dizzy when he lookedat her in that light. He almost fell out of the buggy, climbing out so hastily. Becky’s eyes glittered with a smile.
“Moses Yoder. Good to see you, son.” Henry Parker extended his hand. “Have you ever been up in a crop duster before?”
Moses shook Parker’s hand. “No, sir. I’ve never flown in anything before.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat. My Curtiss Jenny is an old girl but she’s solid. Sorry to say I won’t be taking you up myself. I hope this young lady will do.”
Becky looked like a different woman in her flying gear. Moses kept staring at her even though her hand had been extended for several moments. Finally she withdrew it and handed him a jacket and helmet and goggles.
“ Guten Morgen , Mr. Yoder. Please put these on and climb into the front seat. Mr. Parker will see to it you are strapped in properly.”
Moses tugged on the jacket. “Whose is this?”
“My dad’s. He arranged for us to borrow Mr. Parker’s Jenny and he was quite happy to lend you his gear.” She came closer and whispered to him while Parker checked over the aircraft a final time. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? I haven’t taken my vows. It doesn’t matter what I do. But you’ve been baptized into the Amish faith.”
Moses had an almost blank expression on his face as he looked at her. “I have never seen anything so beautiful as the way you look right now.”
“Oh, my.” Becky reddened. “You are the most romantic Amish farmer that has ever been born in Lancaster County. Are you sure you won’t get into trouble for doing this?”
“No one will know.”
“Of course they’ll know. Everyone will find out.”
“So if they shun me, they shun me. It will be worth it.”
Becky helped him put on his helmet. “No Amish boy is as crazy as you. No wonder I like you.”
“Like?”
She paused and put a hand to his cheek. “You know how I feel, my Amish man. Ich liebe dich .”
A smile moved over his lips.
“All that can wait.”
“You will want to see your young Moses.”
“Yes. But that can wait too. He’ll be there an hour from now, even two hours from now.”
“You sound too proud when you say that, Becky, too sure of yourself.”
“It’s not that, Mom. It’s that I’m sure of him. I know he cares for me. I know he’ll be there.” She smiled. “I guess I know he loves me. I only wonder if I love him too.”
F IVE
A low boom rumbled over the fields from dark clouds away to the east. Moses Yoder glanced back. The storm wasn’t any closer than it had been an hour before and the glow of the rising sun was lining the top of the thunderhead. He was certain the clouds would head out to sea or up the coast. Turning back to his buggy, he flicked the reins of his horse, Milly, and clicked his tongue.
“Come, girl, we must hurry.”
They rushed past farms where his Amish neighbors had long been up and about seeing to their livestock in the dark. One or two waved to him, holding their lanterns, and he waved back. Soon the buggy was in Paradise, rolling through quiet streets where only a few cars were on the road that early. He snapped the reins again, biting his lower lip.
“ Bitte , Milly, bitte .”
He emerged on the far side of town and immediately spotted the airplane in a field several hundred yards away. It was the field of Henry Parker, an English farmer. He had just taken his second cut of hay off it the week before. Moses could see Parker, recognizable by his tall, lean frame in the dim light of early dawn, and a smaller figure as well. He could feel his heart thudding in his chest as he drew closer and closer.
The sun cleared the cloud bank just before he stopped. Gold flashed over the plane and grass, over Henry Parker—and it flashed over Becky Whetstone, who stood by the craft in a leather flight jacket and helmet, goggles pushed high up on her head. Moses felt dizzy when he lookedat her in that light. He almost fell out of the buggy, climbing out so hastily. Becky’s eyes glittered with a smile.
“Moses Yoder. Good to see you, son.” Henry Parker extended his hand. “Have you ever been up in a crop duster before?”
Moses shook Parker’s hand. “No, sir. I’ve never flown in anything before.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat. My Curtiss Jenny is an old girl but she’s solid. Sorry to say I won’t be taking you up myself. I hope this young lady will do.”
Becky looked like a different woman in her flying gear. Moses kept staring at her even though her hand had been extended for several moments. Finally she withdrew it and handed him a jacket and helmet and goggles.
“ Guten Morgen , Mr. Yoder. Please put these on and climb into the front seat. Mr. Parker will see to it you are strapped in properly.”
Moses tugged on the jacket. “Whose is this?”
“My dad’s. He arranged for us to borrow Mr. Parker’s Jenny and he was quite happy to lend you his gear.” She came closer and whispered to him while Parker checked over the aircraft a final time. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? I haven’t taken my vows. It doesn’t matter what I do. But you’ve been baptized into the Amish faith.”
Moses had an almost blank expression on his face as he looked at her. “I have never seen anything so beautiful as the way you look right now.”
“Oh, my.” Becky reddened. “You are the most romantic Amish farmer that has ever been born in Lancaster County. Are you sure you won’t get into trouble for doing this?”
“No one will know.”
“Of course they’ll know. Everyone will find out.”
“So if they shun me, they shun me. It will be worth it.”
Becky helped him put on his helmet. “No Amish boy is as crazy as you. No wonder I like you.”
“Like?”
She paused and put a hand to his cheek. “You know how I feel, my Amish man. Ich liebe dich .”
A smile moved over his lips.
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