After the final song—a lively rendition of “Shall We Gather at the River?”—she told Lydia in a whisper, “Arden wants to go for coffee with me next Saturday evening.”
Lydia’s face beamed. “This is so gut to hear!”
Lena shook her head. “Just havin’ coffee doesn’t change anything, okay?”
“All right, then.” Lydia reached for her hand and squeezed it all the same. “But I’ll want to hear about it sometime, jah?”
CHAPTER
28
Lena attended another youth outing the following Saturday—a Ping-Pong play-off in the unfinished basement of Lydia’s parents’ home. As before, Arden lingered near the snack table, striking up a conversation with Lena over coffee and cookies.
Lena found it enlightening to learn more about Arden’s new vocation. “Word’s spreading quickly,” Arden said, pleased, although he seemed humble about his woodworking skills, coming just short of saying he’d inherited the talent from his father. “I want to help others—it’s important to be a good steward.”
“Does Manny think the same way?” she asked while they held their coffee cups and nibbled on warm chocolate chip cookies.
“For the most part,” Arden said. “Why do ya ask?”
Lena wouldn’t share the few conversations she’d overheard between Harley and Mimi. “My father used to say that it’s wise to partner with someone similar in attitude.”
“Well, Manny and I might not see eye to eye on every jot and tittle of what we do with our personal finances, but we both want to build a strong business. Get established here locally for many years to come, Lord willing.”
Lena still found it interesting that the two men were so keen on doing something other than farming—not so unusual in Centreville, but pretty much unheard of in Lancaster County. And she certainly had not missed the words here locally, either. Truly, Arden and Manny were working to build a business that they could pass down to their children.
“Tell me more ’bout your brothers and sisters,” Arden said once he and Lena Rose were seated in a small restaurant, not far from the location of the Ping-Pong gathering.
The place was rather empty, given the later-than-supper hour, and Lena assumed Arden might be glad if what he had in mind to discuss was as private as he’d seemed to indicate.
She folded her hands on her lap beneath the table. “Well, for one thing, Emma has a beau for the first time ever, which makes it hard . . . me bein’ here and missing our sisterly talks. And Wilbur just started goin’ to Singings. I missed his birthday, just like I missed Liz’s and Verena’s and Timothy’s.” She paused, thinking she must sound like she felt sorry for herself. “I don’t mean to grumble.”
He looked across the table at her, a caring expression on his face. “I can’t imagine what you’ve endured,” he said quietly.
The waitress came just then and took their order for coffee, then asked if there was anything else. Arden invited Lena to have a piece of pie.
“After all the treats earlier, I really don’t need anything more,” she said politely, not wanting him to spend much on her, since it wasn’t really a date.
“What if we split a piece of pie?” he said, his smile encouraging her.
“It’s up to you.” She shrugged. “I would only have a taste or two.”
“That settles it, then,” he said with a glance at the waitress. “What kind will it be, Lena Rose? You choose.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Coconut cream?”
“One of my favorites, too!” Arden winked at her and placed the order. After the woman left, he asked Lena, “Did you and your mother and Emma take turns cookin’?”
“Well, I helped more with sewing. With ten children, there was always someone needin’ something. Then when Liz and Verena got a bit older, they sometimes took turns with Emma, making desserts and cookies.” Lena wondered if Arden was curious about her cooking ability. “It was a busy, busy house, let me tell ya! And when we went out, it was a challenge squeezin’ into even two carriages.”
Arden tilted his head, listening.
“But really, the only time all of us had to crowd into the buggies was on Preaching Sundays. After the twins were born, and then little Chris, too, our relatives started comin’ to see us on the off-Sundays from church. It was much easier that way, and Mamma and Dat appreciated not having to leave the house. Still, I kinda missed it. Dat used to let us chatter in the buggy till we turned out of the long driveway and onto the road.”
“Then what?”
“He would put his fingers in his mouth and whistle sharply, which made some of us giggle. After that, we knew better than to make a peep.”
Arden nodded. “That’s a gut way to do it. My Mamm preferred us kids to be quiet in the buggy, too, at least when we were younger. Dat never seemed to mind, though—and trust me, he would’ve said somethin’ if he had.”
They talked a bit more about what they’d loved about growing up in large families; then she got off on a tangent and mentioned their family meetings. “They were originally Wilbur’s idea back when he was ten or eleven. He really liked to call the meetings to order, and Dat would let him round up the other children beforehand, appointing him the speaker of the house.”
Arden chuckled. “Now, that’s funny.”
“Well, the positions of president and vice president were already taken by Dat and Mamma, of course.”
“These meetings . . . what sort of things were discussed?” Arden leaned back and crossed his arms, his blue-green eyes fixed on her.
“Oh, things like how much longer the girls were spending in the one and only bathroom compared to the boys, who naturally brought it up.” She smiled. “And we talked about who would do which chores, too. Liz, for example, wanted to help in the barn, instead
