Sarasota Dreams (46 page)

“What do you think about me knocking off early tomorrow?” Charles asked.

“Is it for something important?”

“Not really.” Charles thought for a few seconds then changed his mind. “Actually, it sort of is.”

“I’m sure Abe will understand, but remember he needs all the workers he can get, and you did commit to being there.”

Charles explained his situation and how he really wanted to take Ruthie to the circus. Pop listened until he poured out all his thoughts.

“You done?” Pop asked.

“I’ve pretty much told you everything.”

“Why do you have to go to the circus?”

Charles thought the answer to that was obvious. “It’s all I know, Pop.”

“C’mon, Charles. Give yourself more credit than that.”

“I’m comfortable at the circus. I don’t want to look like a nerd.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd.”

Such a Pop thing to say. “Maybe not, but I’d rather get to know a girl in a place where I’m comfortable.” He cleared his throat. “So do you think Abe will give me the afternoon off to get the tickets?”

Pop let out a chuckle of disbelief. “Ya know, son, I thought you had more integrity than that. You don’t tell a man you’ll work for him then back out just because something better comes along.”

“But everyone wants me to take Ruthie out on a date, and you and Mom both said—”

“Sure, we thought it was a good idea for you to date a sweet Mennonite girl, but we didn’t intend for you to go back on your responsibilities. If you leave early tomorrow, not only will Abe think less of you, but I’ll be terribly disappointed in you.”

“Stan said he has lots of people wanting those tickets, and it’s first come—”

“So work to earn the money to buy your tickets. I don’t see the problem.”

“You know how expensive the good tickets are, Pop. If I have to buy them, I can’t afford the decent sections.”

Pop put the last bowl in the refrigerator, closed the door, and turned to face Charles. “Remember when we took you to your first circus?”

Charles nodded. “Of course I do. How can I forget?”

“Those were the cheapest tickets I could find. You were quite a bit younger then, so your mother didn’t have a job outside the house. We barely made ends meet on my salary, but we found inexpensive ways to have fun as a family.”

“Those were cheap tickets?” Charles asked. He reflected on that day and didn’t remember sacrificing anything. “I thought they were the best in the house.”

“Only because we made you think that. Now do the right thing and let Stan know you’ll have to pass, unless he can hold those tickets until you’re available.”

Pop was right, but it sure didn’t make things easy. He’d have to keep trying to get in touch with Stan, and then he’d need to set aside the money he’d make over the next several weeks to be able to afford two tickets to the circus. Even the cheap ones put a dent in the budget.

He finally got in touch with Stan the next morning as he rode to the Glick farm.

“I already told you I can’t hold the tickets,” Stan reminded him.

“Yes, I realize that. Thanks for offering them to me though.”

“If you change your mind in the next few hours, call back.”

Charles clicked the O
FF
button and turned to his dad.

“You did the right thing, Son. It’s just a circus.”

It was
just
a circus to Pop, but at least it was a place Charles felt comfortable and he’d have something to talk about. At the circus, he could point out some of the acts and explain some of the things the clowns were doing.

Friday and Saturday were grueling. Summer had begun, and the Florida sun beat down on the field, casting blazing rays on the workers’ shoulders and necks. Charles didn’t mind though. Now he knew what it was like to feel manly and worthwhile.

When Sunday morning rolled around, he was ready for a day off. Mom and Pop took their time getting ready, so Charles went outside and trimmed some of the shrubs while he waited. They finally let him know they were ready to go to church.

“Don’t let Ruthie get away after the services are over,” Mom said once they stepped inside the church. “Since you work and go to school all week, this might be your only opportunity to ask her out.”

“I’ll try, Mom.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t try. Just do it.”

Charles laughed as Mom turned and headed for the other side of the church. All his life, Pop told him that trying wasn’t always good enough when “doing” was what it took to get the job done.

Ruthie was about to leave the building after church when she heard her name being called. She spun around and saw Charles Polk walking briskly toward her. She reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair back under her kapp and licked her lips to keep them from feeling so dry.

“Hey, Ruthie, I was wondering if you’d like to … um … would you like to …” Charles had stopped about ten feet in front of her and had begun fidgeting with the paper in his hands.

“Would I like to what?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

“Circus Sarasota has their big summer event at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, and I thought … well, maybe …” He cleared his throat. “Would you like to go with me?”

Ruthie hoped he couldn’t hear her heart pounding. “I’ve never been to the circus before.”

“You’ll love it. They have all kinds of fun acts. Even if you don’t like one, there will be another one right afterward. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the circus.”

“I guess that would be okay. When is it?”

“The end of June. I’ll get the dates and let you know. Since I’m working and going to school, I thought a weekend afternoon would be best.”

Since Ruthie’s parents had already approved, she nodded. “I would like that.”

He wiped his palms, one at a time on his pant leg, as he remained standing there. She wondered if he had anything else to say, but he obviously didn’t when he said, “I’ll be in touch. See ya.”

How strange. Charles appeared just as uncomfortable around her as she was around him.

Even stranger was how the people in the church reacted when they found out Ruthie was going on a date with Charles. The matchmakers were delighted, but another group was so upset they stopped by to see the Kauffman family to find out if it was true. Howard and Julia Krahn led the group, followed by Daniel and Cynthia Hostetler and Clayton and Diane Sims.

“Look who’s coming up the walk,” Mother said. “And they don’t look happy.” She opened the door slowly.

Mr. Krahn had already taken the position of spokesperson. “We wanted to find out if the rumor is true. Is your daughter in a relationship with that Polk boy?”

Ruthie’s face burned. Fortunately Mother spoke up. “All depends on what you call a relationship.”

“You know what we’re talking about. Are they dating?”

Mother opened the door wider. “Would you like to come inside and get out of the sun?”

“Mother,” Ruthie whispered as Mr. Krahn turned to consult the rest of the people in the group. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

“It’ll be fine, honey. They just have a few questions that I’m sure I can answer very quickly.”

Ruthie had her doubts, but she couldn’t argue with Mother. All three couples marched into the tiny house with scowls on their faces.

“Have a seat,” Mother said, gesturing toward the living room at the front of the house. “Or would you be more comfortable in the kitchen?”

“This is fine,” Mr. Krahn said. “And this will only take a few minutes. We need to protect our young people from the wickedness in the world.”

“I believe that is what the Lord would want you to do,” Mother said. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”

The visitors exchanged glances before all shaking their heads. “Neh, we don’t need refreshment,” Mr. Krahn said.

The demeanor of the guests had softened, but now they looked uncomfortable standing in the small living room. Mother gestured toward the sofa. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

“We can’t stay,” Mrs. Krahn said. “We just wanted to come by to remind you how important it is we protect our children’s faith. Walking with the Lord is difficult in these times.”

“Yes,” Mother said, still smiling, “from what I remember, it always has been. We certainly appreciate your concern.”

Ruthie remained standing at the edge of the room, listening to everything. No one even bothered looking in her direction, even though they claimed to be there out of concern for her.

Mr. Krahn took a step toward the door, and the others followed. “Keep your daughter away from anyone who might cause her to stray,” he advised before opening the front door and walking out.

“Thank you again,” Mother called out as they filed out of the house.

After she shut the door behind the last of the group, Mother turned to Ruthie and shook her head. Her smile had faded, but she didn’t look angry.

“Why do they hate the Polks?” Ruthie asked. “It’s not like they’re doing anything wrong. I would think they’d be happy to see another family wanting to know more about the Lord and the Mennonite life.”

“I don’t think they hate the Polks.” Mother nudged Ruthie toward the kitchen. “They mean well. Unfortunately they’re reacting to something they don’t understand.”

“What don’t they understand?”

“The Polks’ motives. Most of the naysayers in the church speak out of ignorance.”

“Do you think the Polks have good motives?”

Mother sighed. “There’s no way I can know for sure, but it appears they do. They seem to realize that the Lord has led them to the church by using adversity to get their attention.”

Ruthie knew some of the details about how Mr. Polk had lost his job and how they were struggling to pay their bills. She admired them for turning to the Lord.

“Just remember, Ruthie, that when people say they don’t want you associating with the Polk boy, they think they’re protecting you.”

Ruthie nodded. “I don’t always know what to say.”

“Why bother to say anything? They’re going to believe what they want anyway, so putting up resistance will only fuel their argument.”

Mother was the wisest person Ruthie knew. She never would have considered the ramifications of defending herself.

“I have to admit something else,” Mother added. “Your papa and I are concerned about you dating Charles, but we don’t want you to turn your back on the Polks because we don’t know them very well.”

“If you don’t want me dating him—”

Mother lifted her finger to shush Ruthie. “I didn’t say that. All I’m saying is that you need to be cautious.”

“I always am.” Ruthie didn’t mention again how the one time she wasn’t careful had backfired.

C
harles woke up with a flutter of excitement in his belly. Three weeks had passed since Ruthie Kauffman had agreed to go to the circus with him, and she hadn’t changed her mind. He’d seen her in church Sunday nearly a week ago, and she’d even smiled at him before looking away. Her shyness intrigued him.

He’d seen a change in Pop ever since they’d known Abe Glick. Even Mom had noticed it and said she liked how he’d taken his eyes off his own plight and concentrated on his spiritual life. She’d been trying to get him to go to church with her ever since Charles could remember, but he’d always found some excuse not to go. Charles doubted she expected Pop to embrace the Mennonite life so eagerly. Between being too tired and using bad weather as an excuse for not wanting to go anywhere, Pop had managed to attend church merely a handful of times each year. As a small child, Charles had gone to Sunday school, but as he got older, he’d become more like Pop. Mom had finally given up.

Charles had to laugh about Mom’s reaction when Pop started talking about going to the Mennonite church. The only exposure she’d had was when they went to Penner’s Restaurant in Pinecraft. Mom and Pop had always considered the Conservative Mennonites an oddity. After Pop started working for Abe, he mentioned wanting to check out the Mennonite church to see what it was all about. At first Mom had resisted until she got to know some of the women who showed her the advantages of living a simple life wrapped around a deeply committed faith. Now they wanted to be Mennonite. Life was
so
filled with irony.

When Charles asked Abe if he could have Saturday afternoon off to take Ruthie to the circus, Abe gave him the whole day. “I want you to be rested and in a good mood,” Abe had said, “not worried about something you’ll have to leave on the farm.”

Pop had argued and said he thought it would be good for Charles to work all morning, but Abe’s wisdom and position of authority overrode anything Pop had to say. Charles knew Pop had been humbled enough to not even flinch at Abe’s direction.

“Charles!” Mom’s voice echoed through the hallway leading to the bedrooms. He could hear her footsteps on the tile floor as she got closer. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping so late. It’s almost nine o’clock.”

Charles sat up in bed. “I’ve been awake for a while.”

“What are you doing still in bed?”

“Thinking.”

Mom folded her arms, leaned against the door frame, and smiled at him. “There’s been a lot to think about lately.”