Part 4 (1/2)
Aaron frowned. ”I'm tryin' to keep the stress off her. But my daughters have teased and tormented Nick something awful over his 'Samson locks.'”
Sol shook his head. ”I guess I'm with you, then - I would've wanted to cut his ponytail off, too.”
The man of G.o.d let out a restrained chuckle, and they both returned to figuring up how much manure they'd need, planning to divide the expense of having it hauled in on a manure spreader to make quick work of the ch.o.r.e once it arrived.
An hour before supper, Hen surprised Rose with yet another visit. As she walked with Nick across the baryard, Rose's legs felt sluggish from sweeping and redding up the barn.
”See ya tomorrow,” she told Nick, who'd spotted Hen's car.
He nodded abruptly and scooted off toward the grazing land without saying more.
Immediately Rose looked for Mattie Sue, but this time Hen was alone. It was actually startling to see her sister here again. Shouldn't she be at home cooking?
But then Rose remembered ”mother's day out,” or so Hen called the days Mattie spent with her little English friend. ”Hullo, sister,” she called, lifting the barnyard gate and going toward the backyard. She waited for Hen to make her way to the sidewalk.
”You look all in, Rose.”
She gave a little laugh. ”Almost said the same'bout you.” She motioned to the screened-in porch. ”Can ya sit awhile?”
Hen dropped her purse on the wood floor and sat down with a sigh. ”Might do me some good.”
Rose pulled a wooden chair over next to Hen's.
”How's Mom?” asked Hen.
”Still restin', hoping to knock this cold. Mammi Sylvia has an ear out for her.”
”I hope she's feeling better soon.” Hen picked at her floral print skirt, like the ones the Mennonite girls up at the Bart general store sewed for themselves. ”Maybe you won't know what I mean if I say this, but do you ever wish you could relive your life?” Hen leaned back against the chair. ”Do you ever have regrets?”
”What sort of regrets?”
”Do you wish you could go back and make different choices?”
Rose was surprised, but she considered the question for a moment, and thought of Mamm ... and the day of the accident. ”Jah, I guess I do, sometimes.” No, all the time. She caught Hen's eye. ”What about you? Do you ever regret marrying Brandon?”
”Well, no ... we wouldn't have Mattie Sue if I hadn't.”
Rose noticed a glint in Hen's eye. Something was amiss. ”Are you all right, Hen?”
Her sister wore a sudden frown. ”No need to tell Mom any of this. Promise?”
”Any of what?”
”Just what I said.”
Rose couldn't understand why she was being asked to promise, but because she knew Hen very well, she suspected her sister must be struggling with something. Hopefully it's not about her and Brandon! The thought made her awful sad.
”I'm planning to make an Amish dress for Mattie Sue,” Hen said quietly.
”Why?”
”And I've been teaching her a few words in Deitsch, too.” Hen glanced over her shoulder tentatively. ”It's time for Mattie Sue to know more about her Plain heritage.”
Rose did not understand this new talk whatsoever. She had observed through the years of her sister's marriage that Brandon was determined to keep Amish ways out of their home and life. And besides, the People were always saying that once a person left, the world swallowed them up. Yet if that was so, why was Hen coming back to visit so often?
Hen grimaced faintly. ”Oh, Rosie, my daughter's missing out on so many of the old traditions.”
Rose Ann hardly knew what to say. Wasn't that the reason for marrying an Englischer?
”I just can't figure out how to mix the Plain ways with the modern. It's so hard.” Her sister's voice cracked.
Rose lightly touched Hen's wrist. But you didn't want anything to do with our ways....
They sat there silently looking at the barn, where the bishop and his son, Christian - and Dat, too - were going in and out of the sliding wooden door. A heavy feeling pervaded the atmosphere, and Rose hoped Hen wasn't going to get herself into hot water with her husband.
After a moment, Hen leaned forward and clasped her knees through her long skirt, linking her fingers. ”If I tell you something, will you keep it mum?” She looked at Rose.
”Two promises in two minutes?”
”I'm simply asking you to keep everything we've just talked about private. That's all.”
Rose tried to absorb the seriousness in Hen's eyes.
”I need to tell you this, sister to sister,” Hen said. ”Do I have your word?”
It was easy to say she'd be silent about something and quite another to remember what she'd promised. With a sister like Hen, Rose had often had to keep track of what was a secret and what wasn't. ”Of course you do,” she said at last.
Hen's face beamed, like she was ever so relieved. ”I did something today I've wanted to do for quite a while.”
Rose braced herself.
”I filled out a job application.”
”You did what?”
Her sister nodded happily. ”I'm holding my breath I'll get the job.”
Rose groaned. She felt she knew where this was going.
”And I'll be expected to put my hair in a bun when I work.”
”You want to work at an Amish store?”
”Rachel's Fabrics.”
What does it mean? Rose's heart was torn.
Hen continued. ”Rachel wants me to look Plain, which shouldn't be too hard, right? After all, I am.”
”Will you start talking Deitsch again, too?” Rose gave a nervous laugh, not sure she wanted to know all that Hen was up to.