Saving Gideon (39 page)

If only he’d kissed her, like Meredith said, like the song, then maybe she would know that he loved her enough to let her stay. And that he was willing to take the chance that they could make it together. As it was, she could only watch as he unloaded alpacas. A rusty-colored male that would make the prettiest raw yarn, another small female as close to snow white as she had ever seen, and a larger male so dark brown he almost looked black.

Avery could hardly wait to see them up close, touch them, watch them graze and frolic on the tall grass. She just hoped she got the chance.

Finally, all sixteen were in the pasture, and the driver paid. The man climbed into his truck and headed off back down the country drive.

Avery’s heart gave a hard pound as Gideon secured the fence and headed her way.

He stopped mere feet in front of her, his hands on his narrow hips, his wide-brimmed straw hat tipped a little to the side by the Oklahoma winds.

“
Ach
, then, let’s
geh
, Annie Hamilton.”

“
Geh
?” What did that mean?

“Let’s go.”

“Go?” She hadn’t wanted to say the word, but it slipped through her lips.

“
Jah. Geh
.”

He reached for her waist and pulled her down from the fence, setting her gently on her feet.

Avery soaked in the warmth of his hands on her, wondering if it would be the last time she’d be this close to him. He loved her, of that she was certain, but it didn’t seem like he thought they could overcome their differences and make a life together work.

“Gideon, I . . .” She had to give it one last chance, make him see how good it could be between them. What kind of woman would she be to just let it all slip through her fingers without giving a fight?

“You talk more’n any woman I’ve seen.”

“But—”

He dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, effectively cutting short anything she would have said. Not that Avery minded. His kiss said it all, was more than she could have hoped. It was sweet, promising, and filled with love.

When he lifted his head, his green eyes shone with emotion, his voice thick with the same. “Your dresses are in the bedroom closet. I suggest you put one on before we go to my elders’
haus
. I don’t think my
dat
will be glad to see you wearin’ this little
frack
.”

“
My
dresses?”

Gideon smiled. “Go on, now, we have a lot to decide tonight. Where you’re goin’ to stay. And then we’ll have to talk to the bishop.”

Avery clapped her hands together. “You mean it?”

“
Jah
.” His expression turned serious once more. “It’s not goin’ to be easy.”

“But I’ll be with you,” Avery said.

“
Jah
.”

She raised up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss at the corner of his mouth. “As long as we’re together, it’ll all be worth it.”

“
Jah
.” He kissed her on the mouth one last time, then gently nudged her toward the house. “Change your dress.”

And with a laugh, Annie headed toward the house. Her new life—her new adventure—had begun.

Glossary

Ach—
Oh

Aemen
—Amen

Aenti
—Aunt

Appeditilch
—Delicious

Allrecht
—All right

Bensel
—Silly child

Brechdich
—Magnificent

Bruder
—Brother

Bu
—Boy

Danki
—Thank you

Dat
—Dad

Deutsch
—Pennsylvania Dutch

Dippy eggs
—eggs cooked over-easy

Dochder
—Daughter

Elder
—parents

Englisch, Englischer
—non-Amish person

Frack
—Dress

Geb acht
—Be careful

Geh
—Go

Grossdaadi
—Grandfather

Grossmammi
—Grandmother

Guck datt hie
—Look there

Gut
—Good

Guder mariye
—Good morning

Gut nacht
—Good night

Halt
—stop

Haus
—House

Jah
—Yes

Kaffi
—Coffee

Kapp
—Prayer covering, cap

Mamm
—Mom

Meidung
—Shunning

Mudder
—Mother

Naerfich
—Nervous

Natchess
—Supper

Nay
—No

Onkel
—Uncle

Ordnung
—Amish rules written and understood

Rumspringa
—Running around time (at 16)

Snitz pie
—Dried apple pie

Sohn
—Son

Unser Satt Leit
—Our sort of people

Wunderbaar
—Wonderful

Katie Rose’s Oven-Fried Chicken

8–9 pieces of chicken—breasts, thighs, and legs

1 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. garlic salt

1 tbsp. dried marjoram

1 tbsp. pepper

1 cup flour

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 drops Tabasco

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place oil and butter in a shallow baking dish and melt together in heated oven. In a large sack, mix together flour and dried spices.

In a medium-sized bowl, add Tabasco to buttermilk and stir. Coat chicken pieces in buttermilk, then shake them in the sack. When evenly coated, roll the pieces in the melted butter and oil mixture. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and bake for 45 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until skin starts to bubble and juices run clear.

Best served with creamed potatoes and fresh green beans.

Ruth Fisher’s Shoofly Pie

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup molasses

1 cup hot water

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ginger

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup lard

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

unbaked pie shell

Stir soda into molasses until frothy. Add water, salt, and ginger, then set aside.

Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, cut in lard and butter. Stir until crumbly.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pie shell and pour in 1/3 of the molasses mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the crumb mixture over and continue alternating layers with crumbs as top layer.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Annie Hamilton’s Chicken Pot Pie

1 small chicken

4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken over the stove until partly tender. Then add onion, bell pepper, carrot, potatoes, and celery. Continue to cook until chicken is completely done. Remove meat from the pan and allow to cool. Remove meat from the bones and skin.

Pot Pie Dough

2 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 to 3 tbsp. of milk or cream

Mix together eggs and flour, adding the milk to make a soft dough. Roll the dough as thin as possible. Cut into 1 x 2 inch strips with a knife.

Heat broth to a boil. Add pastry strips and allow to cook 20 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and serve piping hot.

Dear Reader,

Name’s Abram Fisher, and I live in the Amish community of Clover Ridge. It’s in the greenest part of Oklahoma, mighty close to Arkansas. Close enough to share some of the rolling hills, green pastures, and towering trees.

Sometimes I don’t understand why God works the way He does. I never thought I’d say that. I’ve always been taught to accept the Lord’s will and make the most of all I’ve been given. This is the best way. And it’s the Amish way.

Yet, the Lord does see fit to throw us into situations that test our faith. Or maybe He’s just giving us an opportunity to strengthen it. After my son’s wife and son died in a tragic accident, I noticed that Gideon had more and more trouble dealing with his pain and grief. So much, he sold their family farm and moved to the outskirts of the district. He quit going to church services and shaved his beard. I was mighty worried about Gideon those days, as was his
mamm
.

And then a miraculous thing happened. This purty young Englisher crashed her fancy car, and the only soul around to help was my Gideon. He pulled her in from the cold and tended to her injuries. He even cared for her tiny whelp of a dog.

Annie (that’s what we call her) comes from a very wealthy family in Texas, but as time went on, she seemed to adapt more and more to our ways. But the best part is, she seemed to bring Gideon out of himself and find that piece of him that was lost and buried along with his family.

Now, I don’t know for a fact, but it seems to me Gideon and his Annie are
wunderbaar
together. Somehow, she helped him get back right with the Lord. And he helped her slow down and learn to enjoy life, to see God in places she might not have ever known.
Jah
, they’re gut for each other, my Gideon and his Annie, but there are so many obstacles standing between them and true happiness.

We’re all questioning if Annie can for sure and for certain let go of her worldly life and embrace the practices of the Plain folks here in Clover Ridge. After all, it’s much more common for Plain folk to jump the fence than it is for Englishers to convert. And what about Gideon? I can’t help but wonder if he’ll be able to put the past behind him and learn to believe again. To live again. And maybe even with God’s help, learn to love again.

Discussion Questions

1. An Amish man’s beard is the mark of his faith and family, yet Gideon shaves his beard after the accident. How does this show the level of his grief? How is his decision viewed by the other members of the district?