“Why did you do that without my agreeing first?” I withdrew my hand.
With audacity, he strode over to the barn. I followed, but I stopped short of joining him when he found Harvey. The two men chatted in what seemed to be an amicable conversation, and then they strode toward me. Harvey raised a hand to greet me—the opposite of what I’d expected.
“I thank you for the ride, Jake, but don’t take this as an indication I approve of your driving a car,” Harvey said.
“Yah, I understand. Denki for coming to see Dat first. Unless you’d rather go straight home?”
“Nee, I look forward to seeing your parents. I should have visited Amos days ago.”
Minutes later, Jake had us in the sedan and was chauffeuring us to his family home. I insisted on sitting in the backseat, behind Harvey. Harvey removed his black hat and placed it on his lap.
“A visit from you will bless my parents greatly.” Jake turned on the headlights. “I have to warn you not to expect too much from my dat. Sometimes he falls asleep even when someone’s speaking to him.”
“I won’t take it personally.” Harvey chortled. “Many a man has nodded off during one of my sermons.”
I held in my laughter, but Jake guffawed. “They were probably just overly tired.”
Harvey cleared his throat. “Speaking of church, I’m concerned that you two aren’t yet baptized. How about you, Eva?”
I squirmed as he tried to peer over his shoulder at me. “I’m waiting…” Jake must have turned up the heat because I was sweltering.
“To see if Jake wants to marry you?”
Humiliated, I felt as if my mouth were clogged with oatmeal.
“Eva, if he doesn’t join the church, then you’d leave your family and community and live in the Englisch world with him?”
“I might.” There, I’d stated the truth.
“You might leave us? If you had children, how would you want them raised? Without your parents and community close by?”
Jake fingered the steering wheel, making me think he was as nervous as I was.
“Jake, are you planning to marry Eva?”
“Yah.” Jake stared straight ahead, searching for traffic or maybe to avoid Harvey’s intense eyes. “If she’ll have me.”
I sat forward, scooted to the middle of the seat, and spoke in his ear. “But you said you might marry Brandy.”
“I told you. I didn’t mean it.”
Harvey’s words turned harsh. “You’d joke about the holy sacrament of marriage, Jake?”
“You see, my friend’s little schweschder is pregnant.” Jake swerved to pass a slow-moving buggy. “I’m not the father, but I told Evie if she wouldn’t marry me, then I’d marry the girl to give her child a father. I admit I said it out of spite, because Evie’s the only girl I’ve ever loved. I only brought Brandy to Lancaster County to protect her from her abusive boyfriend.”
“Shouldn’t the girl go back home?” Harvey said.
“Her parents kicked her out. And her boyfriend wants her to have an abortion even at this late date. She’s due to give birth in a couple of months.”
“Ach, the world is a grievous place.” Harvey slouched. “Jake, what’s stopping you from joining the church and courting Eva properly? Your Englisch haircut and fancy clothes?”
Jake tossed his baseball cap into the backseat.
“This your car?” Harvey swiveled in his seat to face Jake.
“No.” Jake stared out the windshield at an oncoming buggy. “I borrowed it so I could come see my dat in a hurry. I have to return it.”
“But you did own a car at one time, did you not? The lad who bought it drove into a telephone pole and died, yah?”
After a moment of silence, a tear rolled down Jake’s cheek. I’d never seen him cry. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. “If only I hadn’t sold him that car, Lester would still be alive.”
“Maybe. Only Gott knows the future. Lester might have bought a different vehicle and done the exact same thing.” Harvey’s voice was somber, as if recalling the funeral. “If you feel you sinned, repent and attempt to sin no more. Our Lord is quick to forgive.”
The car was a tomb of silence for several minutes. I knew we were all sinners. I needed to forgive Jake and all others who might have hurt me through their gossip. Ignoring them hadn’t healed my pain or resentment.
“Okay, yah. I want to be baptized and marry Evie.” Jake slowed as we neared his parents’ farm.
“Not so quick,” Harvey said. “I caution you not to take the baptism classes until you’ve given it careful thought. This last week back with your parents, I’ve noticed a new stability in you, but you must prove it’s permanent before I or any minister baptizes you.”
He craned his neck to speak to me, but I moved closer to the window. “Same goes for you, Eva. You seem insecure. As if what others think of you is all-important.”
He had me pegged. I sank into my seat and wished I could vanish into the upholstery.
“But marrying Jake won’t fix anything unless your faith in Gott matures. His opinion is the most important.”
Jake stopped the car and turned off the engine, but he didn’t remove the key. “So if I’m stable and Evie’s faith matures, we can be baptized?”
“We’ll see. You’re both teetering on the fence, but I’ll allow you to take classes if you’re serious. After you’ve finished, we’ll speak again. And then possibly of marriage if you two are set on it.”
“Ach, so long to wait. And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime, you work your father’s farm, and you both weigh the pros and cons. Too many young people dive into marriage. After the initial infatuation fades and the babies arrive, the couples come to the deacons and ministers with their complaints.” He placed his black hat atop his head. “Now, shall we visit
