“We are pleased to willkomm you to our school and hope you enjoy the program your kinder have prepared for you.” She took a step. “Ach, without any further delays, we will get started. If the scholars will please komm forward.”
In a rehearsed fashion, the children rose from their desks and walked to the front of the room where they stood in a V-shape with the youngest children to the front and the older children in the back. Turning to face them, Becca lifted her hands and hummed a note. Then, she led the students in a German song that Jesse recognized quite well from his own childhood.
As the last note rang out, little Timmy Hostetler stepped forward and recited a poem from memory. His voice sounded soft and shy, with no inflection. And when he finished, he stepped back into place and gave an audible sigh of relief.
The parents in the room smiled. They understood how hard their children had practiced this program and they couldn’t help being pleased.
The scholars sang several more songs in both English and German. Dale Yoder, the eldest boy in the school, served as the vorsinger and set the pitch for each song before the other children joined in. All of the numbers were sung a capella and most were sung very slow, just like at church. The hymns were achingly beautiful, the scholars’ faces sweet and earnest. And when they finished, there was no applause because they didn’t believe in praise. But Jesse couldn’t help reveling in Becca’s success. She was a very good teacher and he couldn’t help feeling proud of her accomplishment. She should feel good about what she’d done this year.
A few skits were shown by the scholars and most made the audience laugh. Tiny pieces of colored paper had been taped to the wooden floor so the children knew where to stand. But there were some moments of confusion when several of the students seemed to be standing in the wrong place. Becca glanced at the papers on the floor, frowned in bewilderment, then quickly redistributed the kids. It became obvious that the colored papers were not in the proper order.
One skit went quite badly when the scholars held up what appeared to be the wrong posters and their props had mysteriously disappeared. Becca quickly stepped in and sorted everything out, handing them new props to use, then stood back and tried not to look perplexed.
A snicker brought Jesse’s attention to the side of the room and he saw Caleb Yoder whispering something to Enos Albrecht. Both boys chuckled, until Becca threw them a warning look. But Jesse couldn’t help wondering if the two boys had hidden the props and changed the order of the posters on purpose, in an effort to cause mischief. Regardless, Becca was right on top of things, setting it all right. It spoke to her professionalism and how well she had planned and knew the entire program by heart. Jesse hoped Bishop Yoder and the other school board members had noticed all of this and took it into account when they wrote her recommendation.
When Sam stepped forward, Jesse’s attention went on high alert. He’d been anticipating this day for months and eagerly waited with bated breath to hear his son speak out loud.
Sam stood at the front, showed a slightly insecure smile and took a deep breath. He glanced first at Becca, then looked directly at his father...and promptly burst into tears.
Before Becca could step forward to comfort the boy, he raced toward the front door. Pushing his way past the walls of bodies, he burrowed through them and fled.
Oh, no! Jesse’s heart gave a giant leap of sympathy as he hurried after his son.
“Excuse me,” he said when he bumped into Jakob Fisher and stepped on someone else’s foot.
They parted the way and he didn’t stop. He had to go after Sam. Just one thought pounded his brain. He must comfort his son and ensure the child was all right. At that moment, nothing else mattered in the world. Not his love for Becca, not anything. Because it was now obvious to Jesse that Sam was upset about his relationship with the pretty schoolteacher. No doubt Sam thought Jesse was trying to replace his mother in his life. And he wasn’t. Jesse couldn’t do that to Sam. Not after all that he had been through. Yes, Jesse loved Becca so very much. But he couldn’t be with her. Not now. Probably never. It was futile to even try. Sam must come first in Jesse’s life. He was the boy’s father and had a duty to love and protect his child above all else. And for that reason alone, their familye unit could never include Becca. Jesse had to accept that now. Because fighting it would mean that Sam would eventually walk out of his life too. And he couldn’t afford to lose any more of his familye members. Not even for Becca.
Becca watched in horror as Sam ran out of the schoolhouse with his father chasing after him. She couldn’t believe this was happening. First, the colored papers on the floor had been changed, then the props had disappeared and the posters had been rearranged in the wrong order. Since she had checked them right before the program started, it didn’t make sense. Until she heard Caleb and Enos’s muffled laughter. And she had no doubt the two boys had created more mischief. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bishop Yoder gazing steadily at his young son and knew she wouldn’t have to do anything about the situation. It was the last day of school and she was finished teaching here. She had no doubt the bishop would take care of his son without her interference. But now, she had another problem. Sam had run from the room in tears and
