James glanced again at the bottle. He hadn’t drunk a drop for many days now. He knew why he had abstained. He wondered if there was a reason now to continue. Ruth would not come back. He might as well drink. Yet the desire to drink was absent. He took the bottle, placed it back in the suitcase, and locked it.
There was only one thought in his mind.
I will try to be pure and simple like the Amish.
* * * *
Ruth had been walking for an hour when she saw the familiar house set amidst a green farm.
Home! Finally!
Her pace quickened as home beckoned her. Abram saw her from afar and shouted loudly, “Schweschder is back. She has returned.”
Ruth laughed and sprinted toward Abram. Abram ran across the field to meet her and held her tightly. “We all missed you, Schweschder.”
Ruth looked up to see the rest of the family gathered in the doorway. Tears of joy streamed down her face. “I also missed you all.”
* * * *
Chapter 10
“Father, I need to talk with you about something,” Ruth said in a quiet voice.
It was evening and they had just finished dinner. Ruth was happy to be back. It was incredible how comfortable everything felt when you were at home. She had spent most of the day talking about what she and Sadie had done during her rumspringa.
“Sure dear, is there anything that is bothering you?” Samuel asked.
“No. I'm fine. I just felt like I needed to share something with you. I met an Englischer when I was at Ant Sadie’s house.” Ruth paused and looked at her father to see if he would say anything, but her father simply nodded and gestured at her to carry on.
“Ant Sadie fell sick one day. The Englischer was a doctor, and he helped to cure her sickness.”
“That was really gracious of him.”
“Yes. We were grateful for what he had done. He … er … became interested in me.”
“Indeed?”
Ruth lowered her eyes. “And at one point, I even felt that I liked him.”
Samuel raised an eyebrow. “And?”
Ruth continued hastily, “But later I realized that he was not the right choice for me, so I avoided seeing him. I wanted to share this because I felt guilty about it. I don't want to hide anything from you. But I feel that I acted immaturely. You might think of me as a bad child. I am sorry.” Tears trickled down Ruth’s face as she confessed the thing that had been gnawing at her.
Samuel reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ruth, why do you think of yourself as a bad child? You are my good daughter and you did what was right.”
“I did? I don’t think so.” Ruth was still crying.
“Yes, you did the right thing,” Samuel emphasized. “Your values determined the choice you made. You weren’t led astray. I am proud of you. You are a good example of a young Amish woman in the community.”
Ruth wiped her eyes, thinking about what her father had said.
Samuel continued, “God brought you into the world. He gave you a family, food, friends, and a good life. You are God’s creation. How can a child of God be bad? God is always watching over you. He is guiding you on the right path. And look, in the end, you realized that the outsider was not meant for you. That was God’s will.”
Ruth nodded her head. It was indeed God’s will. She closed her eyes and started praying. She prayed to God that His benevolence would always be upon her. She asked for wisdom to distinguish right from wrong. She prayed for a loving soul mate who would understand her needs and provide for them, and she promised God she would be a worthy wife, a caring mother, and a respectable woman of the community.
Ruth felt relaxed and lighter after her prayer. She felt as if God had listened to her prayer and would grant her what she had asked. She opened her eyes and saw her father looking at her. She smiled. “Thank you, Father, for listening. You have always been so supportive.”
“Age gives one wisdom," he replied. "Would do you me a favor, child?”
“Yes, Father. What do you want?”
“When you are my age, remember to give your own child the same wisdom and support.”
Ruth thought about it. “Yes, Father.”
“Now go sleep. It’s been a long day for you.”
“Yes, Father. Good night.”
Ruth laid herself on the bed and thought again of the events of the day. She thought about God’s plans for her. She prayed again and fell asleep with God’s name on her lips.
In her dream, Ruth saw a handsome young man with golden hair. He wore a straw hat and had a dazzling smile. The young man invited her to take a ride in his buggy. Her smile mirrored his as she accepted the invitation. They chatted and laughed together. They had eyes only for each other.
The handsome young man finally spoke the words Ruth had been yearning to hear. “There comes a time in a young man’s life when he desires to be united in marriage to a fine woman.” The young man looked at her. “You are a fine young woman, Ruth.” Ruth felt her cheeks burning and her heart beating fast.
She opened her eyes.
It was the first light of morning. She closed her eyes again, hoping to revisit the dream. She wanted to know if she had accepted the proposal. But the dream had slipped away. She opened her eyes and sat up. She smiled as she thought about the dream.
God has a plan for me.
* * * *
Epilogue
“Ruth, can you go over to the Millers' and get some potatoes?” her mother asked.
“Sure, Mother.”
It was early morning and Ruth still couldn’t shake off the dream that she had had. It brought a smile to her face every time she thought of it. She wondered if dreams could come true.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the approaching person until she bumped directly into him. The collision knocked her to the ground, but the stranger stood unmoved. He leaned down and extended his hand to help her up. “My apologies, ma’am. I was lost in my thoughts.”
She looked up and her heart stopped.
The swirling curls of golden hair were the first thing Ruth saw. The face was young and handsome. She grasped his hand and let him help her back up to her feet.
Ruth said, “That makes two of us. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
The young man grinned. Ruth’s cheeks glowed red. She was captivated by his dazzling smile. His eyes were the color of the sky. His golden hair flowed around him like a cape in the wind. He bent down and picked up a straw hat that had fallen off in the collision. He smiled at her again.
“My name is Jacob. What is yours?”
* * * *
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