The Mending Page 8

  “I’m glad to see you felt up to coming out today,” a syrupy voice said.

  Malinda involuntarily cringed. Without even turning to look, she could identify the owner of that voice. If words had a color, those words hanging in the air would be the same honey gold color as Rebecca Zook’s hair.

  “I’ve been to every service since I’ve been home.” Malinda forced a pleasant note into her voice. She pasted on a little smile before shifting to look up into the taller girl’s green eyes. She raised a hand to check her kapp, which was already properly positioned, just to shake Becky’s hand off her arm.

  “But I know how sickly you are—never sure from day to day if you’ll feel like doing anything.”

  “I’m not sickly, Becky. I have a medical condition that flares up sometimes, but I’ve been fine lately.” Malinda gnawed her tongue to keep from saying if Becky hadn’t been staring at the men’s side of the gathering during church services, she would have known Malinda had been in attendance.

  “I guess Isaac had it wrong. You know how fellows can mess things up.” Becky forced a little laugh.

  “Isaac?”

  “Jah. He said you were just so sickly it was hard to count on you.”

  “Really?” Tears burned the backs of Malinda’s eyes. She would not let Rebecca Zook make her cry. She would not!

  Becky grasped Malinda’s arm again. “Isaac is such a nice fellow and so much fun to be with. He likes to do so many active things—you know, taking long walks, playing games, taking his daed’s little boat out on the river. I guess these things would be kind of hard for someone in delicate health, but we are certainly having a great time.” She batted seemingly innocent eyes and smiled her sugary smile.

  Malinda tried to figure how she could politely shake Becky’s hand off her arm. Now she wished they had arrived too late to mingle. She wished they had rolled up just in time to file inside. “I-I’m glad you’re enjoying life,” Malinda managed to say. She opened her mouth to speak again, but before any coherent words tumbled out, someone looped an arm through her free arm, pulling her away from Becky’s grasp.

  “There you are, Malinda. We’ve been waiting for you.” Phoebe tugged on Malinda’s arm again. Mary stood on Phoebe’s other side. “I know you and your mamm have been as busy canning and working as we have. It’s nice to have a day off, ain’t so?” Phoebe paused for a breath. “Ach! Hi, Becky. We’re going to steal Malinda away from you. We have ever so much to talk about.”

  “For sure.” Mary wormed her way in between Malinda and Becky. “You know the singing tonight will be back here at the Swareys’,” Mary began as she and Phoebe propelled Malinda away from Becky.

  Malinda blew out an exaggerated sigh. “Danki for rescuing me.” She let Phoebe and Mary lead her into the barn, where they assumed more solemn countenances fitting for church.

  Malinda couldn’t miss the flirty glances Becky continued to shoot at Isaac or the periodic winks he aimed back at her. But her reaction surprised her. Her heart no longer hurt. She didn’t feel sad or jealous. All her recent prayers and petitions must have been answered, and she’d only just realized it. Now relief flooded through her. The Lord Gott had spared her future pain. If she had become more involved with Isaac, his betrayal would have been ever so much harder to bear.

  She wiggled slightly to find a more comfortable position on the backless, wooden bench. She straightened her shoulders and willed her attention back to the minister delivering the second sermon. Before long the tingly sense of being watched raced up her spine. Malinda cautiously slid her eyes to the men’s side of the barn to locate the source. Right away she found Tim’s blue eyes fastened on her. His ever-so-slight smile raised a crop of goose bumps all along her arms. Malinda returned a wisp of a smile before refocusing on the sermon. She admonished herself to pay closer attention. After all, she’d be starting baptismal classes next week to join the church in early fall.

  * * *

  Malinda sat with Phoebe and Mary at the singing that evening. She sang the old songs with enthusiasm, her voice blending in with those around her. She knew Phoebe would be slipping away with Ben Miller later. They seemed to be a perfect match. They shared a fondness for the prissy-looking alpacas and would probably raise a passel of them if they got married. She didn’t know if Mary had her eye on any special fellow since her interest in Aden Zimmerman had waned.

  As the singing neared an end, Malinda’s nerves caused quivery waves to roll through her stomach. Would Timothy make gut his intention of talking to her? Would he ask to take her home? Should she go with him if he did ask? She didn’t remember feeling a flock of butterflies fluttering around inside of her at thoughts of Isaac when they had first started talking. What did that mean?

  “Let’s go get some snacks.” Mary nudged Malinda with her elbow when the notes of the last song faded away.

  “I-I’m not really hungry.”

  “You’re going to dry up and blow away. Kumm grab something.”

  Malinda trudged along with Mary and Phoebe to the tables where bottled water, sodas, chips, and cookies awaited. Malinda never liked to call attention to her illness and sometimes, out of a desire to fit in, ate foods she knew could give her problems. After her recent severe flare-up, she hesitated to eat just about everything. Besides, her appetite still had not quite returned to normal.

  She was well aware that her dresses hung on her sticklike body—as Atlee so kindly described it—no matter how tightly she pinned them. She could encircle her upper arm with her thumb and index finger and could visibly count her ribs. No wonder Isaac had dropped her like a hot potato. A man wanted a woman with a little more substance. Timothy would probably lose interest in a sick-looking person, too. She had been making progress, though. She had added at least a couple pounds onto her frame in the weeks since she returned home.

  Malinda eyed the refreshments. Phoebe grabbed a soda and a handful of cookies. She searched the room, most likely looking for Ben. Mary grabbed a napkin, opened it, and filled it with greasy potato chips and two of each kind of cookie. Malinda’s stomach churned just looking at Mary’s fare. She snatched a bottle of water, the least offensive treat for her. Chips were definitely out of the question, but a plain oatmeal cookie should be all right, especially if she just nibbled at it.

  “Is that all you’re having?” Mary stuffed several salty, oily chips into her mouth.

  “This is fine for now.” She twisted the cap off her water bottle and took a sip. She replaced the cap as she scanned the group of young people. Several couples had paired up to eat and chat. Phoebe had made her way over to Ben and looked totally absorbed in whatever he said to her. Malinda caught Mary stealthily glancing in first one direction and then another. “Are you looking for anyone in particular?”

  “Uh, I’m just looking to see who is still here.”

  “I don’t think anyone has disappeared yet, have they?”

  “Probably not.” Mary craned her neck to look over and around clumps of people.

  “Maybe I can help if you tell me who you’re searching for. I know it isn’t Aden.”

  “Nee, not Aden. Let’s just say a certain fellow with the initials J.K. has caught my eye.”

  “Joshua King from the next district?”

  “Shhh!”

  “Oops. Sorry.” Malinda bit her lower lip. “I guess it didn’t hit me that people from the other districts would be here.” Malinda didn’t mention that her own thoughts centered on a certain tall, muscular, blue-eyed fellow.

  “I may mosey around a bit.” Mary’s words came out garbled.

  “You might want to swallow that wad of chips first.”

  Mary nodded, gulped, and took a big swig of soda. “I love potato chips, but you can’t stop eating them once you start.”

  Malinda wrinkled up her nose. She hadn’t been all that fond of potato chips even before her Crohn’s diagnosis. With Mary moseying, she’d be left standing alone. Her other freinden all seemed to be paired off or involved
in conversations. She supposed she could join one of the little groups, but for some reason, she felt a little self-conscious.

  Maybe she’d slip over to the fringes of the barn, out of sight in the shadows. That would make it easier to sneak out. She’d never persuade Sam or Atlee to leave early, but maybe she could escape unnoticed and walk home. The evening was pleasant enough, and the walk would probably be gut for her.

  “Finally you’re free,” a deep voice said close to Malinda’s ear, causing her to nearly jump out of her shoes.

  “Ach, Timothy!” She patted her chest, where her heart was galloping like a horse racing home in a thunderstorm. “I didn’t see you walk over here.”

  “I’m sorry I scared you. You were staring at the door like you were planning to bolt, so I figured I’d better hurry over to see you.”

  “I-I thought you were busy talking to some of the other fellows.”

  “I was biding my time until you were free.” Timothy paused as if weighing his next words. He lowered his voice a bit more. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

  “I enjoyed the singing. I always like how our voices all blend together.”

  “Jah, that is nice. Did you get something to eat?”

  Malinda looked down at her empty hands. She didn’t remember setting her water and cookie down anywhere. “I had some water and a cookie somewhere.”

  Timothy smiled that smile that lent a sparkle to his blue eyes. “Would you like something else?”

  “Nee, I’m fine, but you go ahead and get something if you like.”

  “I’m not really hungry, either.”

  “What?” Malinda gave an exaggerated gasp. “I don’t believe my ears. Timothy Brenneman is not hungry?”

  Tim laughed. “That is rather surprising, isn’t it?” He glanced toward the dwindling refreshments.

  “Go grab a cookie, Tim. I can see you might need a little something to tide you over until you can get home and raid your mamm’s kitchen.”

  “Ach, Malinda, you know me too well.”

  Did she? How well did she really know this bu who had been a regular fixture at her house all her growing-up years? Sure, she knew him as a nice fellow and Sam’s best freind, but what about the person deep down inside? To her surprise, Malinda realized she wanted to know that person.

  Tim scooted over to the refreshment table, wrapped two cookies in a paper napkin, and snatched a bottle of water. “Would you like more water, since yours took a hike?”

  Malinda smiled. She started to refuse, but then figured holding the bottle of water would give her something to do with her hands. At least Tim didn’t try to foist food on her. “Sure, I’ll take another bottle of water.”

  Tim grabbed a second bottle and held it out to Malinda. “We’ll keep a close eye on this one so it doesn’t wander off.”

  Malinda giggled. “Danki.” She almost giggled again when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught Mary sashaying around the area where Joshua King stood talking to a couple of other fellows from his district. She’d like to keep watching that scene unfold, but turned her attention back to more important matters, namely Timothy.

  “It’s a nice evening, not too hot and sticky. Would you like to step outside?”

  “Sure.” Malinda felt a little awkward with Tim in this new relationship. She was beginning to consider him in a totally different way, which, while pleasant, was still a bit confusing. She walked toward the doorway beside Tim, telling herself to relax and breathe normally. This was Timothy, after all, not some stranger.

  Several couples strolled around outside the barn, and two open courting buggies rolled down the driveway toward the paved road. In the waning light, Malinda recognized Phoebe’s beautiful strawberry blonde hair beneath her white prayer kapp in the last buggy. She wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear a wedding was in Phoebe’s near future. Phoebe and Ben made such a perfect couple. Of course, any such news would be kept a secret until the couple was published during a church service shortly before the wedding.

  Malinda couldn’t determine the identity of the couple in the first buggy. She did a quick sweep of all the parked buggies and found that Sam had already slipped away. Maybe a wedding was forthcoming this season for him and Emma, too. It might turn out to be a very busy fall indeed.

  Another couple wandering around outside so close together their arms appeared joined caught Malinda’s eye. Without having to squint to enhance her vision, she knew it was Isaac and Becky. Funny, that jolt of pain didn’t shoot through her heart. Involuntarily, her shoulders gave a little shrug, as if saying, So what?

  “I’m sorry about, uh, about, well, how things turned out with Isaac.”

  Malinda turned to look into Tim’s caring blue eyes. “You are? It was for the best. We were definitely not right for each other. I’m fine with it now.” She had to look away lest she drown in those crystal clear eyes.

  “You are? That’s gut to hear.” Timothy shuffled along beside Malinda, close but not touching. “I have a little confession to make.”

  Malinda’s heart skipped a beat. Here it comes, she thought. Timothy was going to say he’d changed his mind and didn’t want to get any further involved with a sickly girl. “Wh-what kind of confession?” Malinda held her breath, anticipating his polite but definite let-down. She ventured a peek at his face.

  “I’m not really sorry.”

  Malinda quirked her eyebrows and tried to decipher Tim’s words. “About what?”

  “I’m not really sorry that you and Isaac aren’t a couple. I’m also sorry if that makes me sound mean.”

  “I don’t believe you could ever be mean, Tim.”

  “I always want to be truthful. That’s why I had to tell you I’m actually glad you and Isaac aren’t a couple. I was afraid I’d lost my chance when you started talking to Isaac.”

  “Your chance?”

  “Jah. I’ve been waiting for years for you to grow up and, uh, maybe notice me as someone other than Sam’s buddy and, uh, maybe let me take you home.” Tim’s gaze dropped from Malinda’s face to his feet.

  “You have?”

  “Jah. You couldn’t tell?”

  “I guess I thought you were being polite when you asked about me or talked to me.”

  “I really cared . . . care.”

  “Oh.”

  “I suppose I didn’t want to be too obvious in case you rebuffed me. I’d never live down Sam’s or Atlee’s teasing in that case.”

  Malinda smiled. “My bruders, especially Atlee, can be rather relentless. Sam may have teased a little, but Atlee would go overboard. I don’t think he intends to be mean, but he can get carried away with his teasing.”

  “That he does.” Timothy chuckled. “Would you let me drive you home?”

  “That would be nice, Tim. I’ll tell Roman I have a ride home. He can let Atlee know.”

  Chapter Twelve

  As summer wound down, a hint of crispness tinged the early morning air. Malinda breathed deeply as she battled the wet sheets to pin them onto the clothesline. The cumbersome things always had a mind of their own and resisted Malinda’s efforts to neatly stretch them out to dry. Malinda’s breath came in pants and hiccups by the time she’d finished wrestling sheet after sheet, but finally they were all gently flapping in the breeze. Thank goodness the morning had not started out hot and sticky. An early fall would be a welcome relief from summer’s heat and humidity.

  Malinda sighed and took her time heading back to the house to continue with the laundry. Robins were already singing, and blue jays squawked. Squirrels skittered about gathering acorns. Did they know a hard winter was approaching? Malinda had already seen fat, fuzzy caterpillars. The old folks said the caterpillars were a sure sign of a cold winter. Malinda hoped it wouldn’t be unbearably cold this year.

  Right now, though, she planned to enjoy this day the Lord Gott made. She’d been feeling well—no sign of a flare-up. She’d been attending baptismal classes and would soon join the church. She’d been pictu
ring in her mind a quilt she wanted to start sewing as soon as apple season was over, with its busy days of putting up sweet, dark apple butter and chunky and smooth applesauce. The apples weren’t quite ready yet, so today, if she hurried through chores, she could pull out fabrics she and Mamm had on hand and plan her quilt.

  Malinda would make a list of other things she needed and maybe head out to the quilt shop if she had time. She loved the smell of the bolts of crisp cotton fabrics lining the walls of the shop. Something about the scent of new material called to her. She could spend hours browsing through the fabrics neatly displayed in color-coordinated groups of blues, greens, purples, and whatever other hues might be in stock. Then she would sort through the spools of thread to find perfect matches. Starting a new project always sparked her excitement.

  To be entirely truthful, though, another reason for her happy, lighthearted mood probably had something to do with a certain blue-eyed young man who had appeared outside her window several evenings now. She smiled as she remembered his first visit a few weeks ago.

  It was the Saturday following the singing. The next day would not be a church Sunday, so Malinda had stayed up a little later playing a board game with her bruders, followed by knitting in her room. She had been standing at the dresser reaching for the pins holding her kapp in place when she heard a pinging noise outside her window, followed by a flash of light. She tiptoed along the wall to the window, careful to stay out of sight until she could determine what was going on. She stayed close to the wall and leaned forward slightly to peek out the window. Her heart tripped over itself and her breath caught when she recognized Timothy’s pale blond hair in the faint glow of his flashlight. His other hand was clenched as if it held more pebbles to toss at her window. Isaac had never appeared at her window. He’d just knocked at her door early in the evening before her parents had even gone to bed. He’d chatted with the whole family as much as with her.