Hymn of Praise Read online

  “It will be fun to have them here,” her sister said.

  “Ya, I think it will.”

  * * *

  “Everything smells appeditlich,” Alice announced as she and Darlene strode into Sharon’s kitchen late Wednesday afternoon.

  “Ya, it does,” Darlene said. “I hope you’re going to save some of that kuche for us.”

  Sharon heaved a sigh of relief when she looked up from the counter, where she was frosting her German chocolate cake. “I’m so glad you’re both here. And we made enough food for the guests and us too. But it is possible this kuche will be gone. I’ll make us another one soon.”

  “Put us to work.” Alice gestured around the room. “What can we do?”

  Mamm pointed to the utility room off the kitchen. “Ruby Sue, why don’t you and the girls get the folding tables and chairs? Let’s see . . . for twenty guests, we’ll need four tables and, of course, enough chairs to supplement our regular kitchen chairs.”

  Sharon glanced at their wooden table, now shoved against one wall. That was where they set out most of the food before serving it.

  The oven timer buzzed, and Mamm hurried over to turn it off and check the baked chicken. “Oh dear. We’re running out of time. Our guests will be here soon.”

  “I’m almost done with the kuche, and then I’ll help.” Sharon spread the last of the coconut pecan frosting as her sister and friends returned with the tables and chairs.

  The food was ready, and the tables were set, just as car engines rumbled into the driveway.

  “Sharon,” Mamm said. “You made a mess of your apron. Go change.”

  Sharon glanced down at her black apron. Splotches of frosting dotted it. “Oh. I’ll be right back.”

  She dashed upstairs and pulled off the dirty apron before covering her blue dress with a fresh one. She checked the mirror to make sure her prayer covering was straight and then hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, where her friends were carrying glasses to the tables.

  “Welcome,” Mamm said to two middle-aged couples, the first of the Englishers stepping into the kitchen from the mudroom. Mamm always had guests leave their outerwear near the back door. “We’re so glad you’re here today.”

  “What’s next?” Sharon asked Ruby Sue.

  “Here.” Her sister handed her a crystal pitcher of water. “Fill the glasses on that far table and work your way toward me. I’ll start here.”

  As Sharon carried the pitcher to the table, she smiled at a couple who looked to be in their late twenties. “How are you today?”

  “We’re fine,” the man said.

  The woman gave her a wide smile. “We were so excited when the inn manager told us we could eat in an authentic Amish home. This is such a treat for us. And the food smells delicious.”

  “Thank you. I hope you enjoy it.” Sharon finished filling the glasses and then stood by the counter with her sister and friends as all the guests took seats. Several folks looked to be in their forties, and a few looked to be in their sixties or seventies.

  When everyone was seated, Mamm stood in front of the tables. “Good evening. I’m so glad you could all join us for supper tonight.” Mamm’s smile was bright as she clasped her hands together. “Let’s start by introducing ourselves. My name is Feenie, and these”—she gestured toward Sharon and Ruby Sue—“are my daughters, Sharon and Ruby Sue.” Then she swung a hand toward Sharon’s friends. “And we’re grateful our friends Alice and Darlene are here to help us serve. Now, tell us where you’re from and if it’s your first time visiting an Amish home.” She pointed to the first table to the left. “Why don’t you start?”

  A gentleman with dark skin and horn-rimmed glasses shifted in his seat. “I’m Bob Davenport, and this is my wife, Samantha.” He nodded toward a petite woman wearing a pink sweater beside him. “We’re from Philadelphia, and this is our first time visiting any Amish home.”

  “And we’re excited to be here and taste that food,” Samantha chimed in with a husky voice. “It smells divine.”

  A few of the other guests nodded in agreement, and Sharon shared a smile with Alice. Then she leaned back against the counter while the other guests introduced themselves and shared their Amish Country experiences.

  When everyone had been heard, Mamm said, “Let’s say a prayer, and then we’ll start serving the meal.” She bowed her head, and before she closed her own eyes, Sharon saw that all the guests had followed suit.

  “Dear Lord, thank you for bringing our new friends here today to share this meal with us. We ask you to bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies. And please be with our guests as they make their way back to the inn tonight. In Jesus’ holy name, amen.”

  When Mamm lifted her head, she said, “We’ll now serve your meal, starting with a fruit salad.”

  Sharon and the others each delivered a bowl of fruit salad to a table. Once that course was finished, they followed with the crustless spinach quiche, bread, chicken, and noodles. As she refilled glasses during the meal, always asking if she could bring more food, Sharon chatted with the guests.

  When the main courses had been consumed, they cleared the tables and delivered slices of the German chocolate cake and shoo-fly pie as well as whoopie pies, along with mugs of coffee.

  Mamm pulled a stool over to the tables and sat down as the guests began eating. “While you enjoy your dessert, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about our life here.”

  Sharon and Alice joined Ruby Sue and Darlene at the sink, where Ruby Sue had already filled the sink with soap and water and lowered soiled dishes, quietly scraped first out of earshot.

  “How long have you lived here?” a young man seated in the back asked.

  Mamm sat up straighter. “This dairy farm has been in my husband’s family for four generations. We moved here when we were married, and his parents moved to a small house on his sister’s farm, which is only about a mile away.”

  “Is it true that the Amish don’t build churches?” another woman asked.

  “That is true. We take turns worshipping in each other’s homes or barns every other week.”

  “I’ve heard many Amish families have ten or more children.” The woman in the pink sweater looked at Sharon and Ruby Sue. Sharon thought about her closest friends’ families as her mother answered that some families do, but many do not. God provided what he saw best.

  “Do you really not have any electricity? Or do you have secret light switches everywhere?” One of the older men asked this question as he looked around at the several gas lamps dotting the kitchen.

  Ruby Sue spun to face Sharon, who bit back a smile.

  “Some Amish have solar-powered lights, but we don’t have any on our farm.” Mamm kept a relaxed smile on her face.

  “I’ve seen some reality shows on television about the Amish, and they feature youth going through a running around time,” a middle-aged man with a bulbous nose and a gruff voice began. “I’d like to ask about that.”

  Sharon mustered all her strength to prevent a groan from escaping her lips. She looked at her mother, who continued to give the man a serene smile.

  “What do you want to know?” Mamm asked.

  “Is it true that some Amish youth go wild?”

  Sharon’s body began to shudder with a mixture of frustration and disgust.

  The man waved his arms around widely. “The Amish on that show act so pious, but then their youth try drugs and all sorts of terrible things before they join the church, like—”

  “Why don’t we sing a song for you?” Sharon said loudly, determined to interrupt his inappropriate and rude tirade. She felt all the eyes in the room turn to her as she stepped to her mother’s side.

  Sharon cleared her throat and looked at Alice, whose eyebrows were raised as she stared at her. “How about one of my favorites? It’s called ‘Farther Along.’” After clearing her throat, she began the first line and nodded at her friends and Ruby Sue, hoping they’d join her.


  Thankfully, Alice and Darlene came closer and began singing in near perfect harmony. Sharon noticed the guests listened intently, but then she closed her eyes and allowed the Holy Spirit to fill her. She felt she was not only singing of God’s blessings but sharing the gospel.

  When the song ended, the guests smiled and applauded, and a fresh kind of happiness rolled through her. She glanced at her mother, who grinned and nodded encouragement.

  “Why don’t we all sing a song together?” Sharon asked. “How about ‘Jesus Loves Me’? Do you know that one?” She began the song, and when almost everyone joined in—including the rude man—the room filled with their voices. Relief loosened the frustrated knots in Sharon’s shoulders. This seemed to be the perfect way to handle the large crowd—and avoid disrespectful questions about her community at the same time!

  * * *

  “Thank you again,” Sharon called as the last guest stepped onto the back porch. Then once the door clicked shut behind them, she left the mudroom and dropped into the closest kitchen chair. “Thank goodness it’s over.”

  Ruby Sue sat down beside her. “I think you’re brilliant, Sharon.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The way you distracted that rude man was amazing.” Her younger sister beamed.

  “I agree,” Mamm called from the stove, where she was removing the leftover chicken and noodles from where she’d kept them warm in the oven.

  Darlene touched Sharon’s shoulder. “It was perfect. You caught everyone off guard when you started singing. They seemed surprised at first, but then they loved it. I even saw a few of the women join in when we sang ‘Farther Along.’”

  “And they all seemed to enjoy singing ‘Jesus Loves Me,’” Alice added.

  Sharon sat up straighter. “I was afraid you’d think I was narrisch, but I couldn’t stand to hear that man talk about our community that way. Surely Englishers know those television shows aren’t real. No true Plain person would participate in that.”

  “You did the right thing,” Ruby Sue said. “You not only brought the conversation back to a good place but to Jesus and the gospel.”

  “You did.” Mamm passed out clean plates and utensils, all they needed to enjoy a buffet once the guests were on their way back to the inn. “Let’s eat and then finish cleaning so we can get some rest.”

  “Is it safe to come in? I’m starving,” Dat joked as he stepped into the kitchen. At fifty, he had deep-blue eyes lined with wrinkles and dark-brown hair streaked with gray. Sharon had always admired his easy sense of humor and loud, boisterous laugh.

  “You missed all the fun,” Ruby Sue said as Mamm handed him a plate too. “One of the guests asked an inappropriate question, and Sharon redirected the conversation by starting a sing-along.”

  “Really?” Dat gave Sharon a wide smile. “Gut for you. What a great idea.”

  “Danki, Dat.”

  After they’d all eaten, Dat said, “I’ll help with the chairs.” He grabbed an armload of them from Darlene and carried them to the utility room.

  Once all the work was done, Sharon walked Darlene and Alice outside to meet Darlene’s driver.

  “Danki for helping tonight. You were a blessing.”

  Sharon hugged them and gave each one an envelope. They’d balked when Mamm first mentioned paying them for their help. But arguing with Feenie Lambert was useless.

  “It was fun,” Darlene said.

  “Let us know the next time you have a large crowd,” Alice said.

  Sharon waved as Darlene’s driver backed out of the driveway, and Alice started down the street with a flashlight guiding her way.

  When Sharon stepped back into the kitchen, she found her parents and sister sitting at the table now again in the center of the room. “When is the next supper?”

  “Next Friday,” Mamm said.

  Sharon smiled as she imagined what the evening would be like. These suppers were a lot of hard work, and they never knew how a guest might behave, but she found herself looking forward to a new opportunity—singing. After they ate, her mother could field their questions like she always did, but then Sharon could lead the group in another sing-along. She’d choose selections she thought might be familiar to them.

  Next Friday couldn’t arrive soon enough!

  Chapter Four

  Shouts and cheers echoed as a group of young people gathered around a ping-pong table in Andrew’s family barn on Sunday afternoon. The sweet scent of rain mixed with hay filled the air and wafted over Jay.

  He turned toward the crowd just as Cal hit the ball, and it shot up in the air and then landed on the other side of the barn. Laughter exploded as Cal took a dramatic bow.

  “Cal always swings the paddle too hard,” he said. Then he turned to Sharon, who sat next to him on a bench.

  She chuckled, and her face lit up with a gorgeous smile.

  Jay angled his body toward her. “Where’s Darlene today?”

  “Her mamm wasn’t feeling well again today, and Darlene thought she should stay home.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Ya, me too. I’ve been praying for them. I’ve offered help, but Darlene insists her mamm doesn’t want anyone but family in the house. That leaves all the work three women used to do to only two—Darlene and Biena. To say nothing of their supporting Al in the family’s dry goods store.”

  They sat in silence for a few moments as he wondered what to say next.

  “How was your week?” he finally said.

  He had been delighted when Sharon followed him to the bench and sat down beside him. He’d spent the past week thinking of her, even while building lawn ornaments in his father’s store. He’d hoped she’d call and suggest they sing for a member of their church district some weekday evening, but that call never came.

  Yet his hope was ignited when Andrew suggested he host a youth gathering to play games today. Since it was an off Sunday without a church service, they had all met in the early afternoon for a picnic lunch. And when the light rain started, they set up the ping-pong tables in the barn.

  Now Jay couldn’t take his eyes off Sharon’s beautiful face. He was mesmerized.

  “I had a gut week.” She picked up her cup of iced tea and took a sip. “I had my usual chores to do, of course.” She shrugged. “You know—laundry, cleaning, sewing. And we hosted another group of Englishers Wednesday night. Darlene and Alice helped us since the group was so large.”

  “Really?” He rested his arm on the back of the bench. When his hand brushed her shoulder, he was almost certain he felt her shiver. “What did you serve?”

  “Let’s see . . .” She looked adorable as she glanced up at the ceiling. “We made baked chicken, noodles, brot, fruit salad, corn, and a crustless spinach quiche. Then for dessert we offered shoo-fly pie, German chocolate kuche, and whoopie pies.”

  “German chocolate kuche.” He rested his hands over his heart and gave a dramatic sigh. “Tell me it had coconut pecan frosting.”

  “It did. That’s how I always make it.” She nodded, and the ties to her prayer covering bounced on her slight shoulders. Then she tilted her head. “Let me guess. That’s your favorite.”

  “No.” He held up his index finger. “It’s my absolute favorite. There’s a difference.”

  Her smile grew coy. “Are you asking me to make you a German chocolate kuche?”

  “Maybe.”

  She laughed and swatted his shoulder. “I’ll make you one. You just have to ask.”

  “Okay.” He folded his hands as if to beg. “Sharon, would you please make me one of your amazing German chocolate kuche?”

  “Ya, I will.” She laughed again, and he relished the sweet sound. “Now, tell me about your week.”

  He looked down at his lap and then back up at her. “I built quite a few big wooden planters. And a few wagons too. The days were long, but it’s gut for business, right?”

  “Hey, Jay!” Cal called. “Are you going to sit there all day? Or are y
ou going to play?”

  Jay bit his lower lip to suppress a frown. He’d rather talk to Sharon all day, but he couldn’t admit that out loud. At least, not yet. If he seemed too eager, he’d run the risk of scaring her away.

  He turned to her. “Do you want to play ping-pong?”

  She shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Great.” Jay stood and then waited for Sharon to approach the ping-pong table first.

  With a smirk, Cal tossed Jay a paddle. “Let’s see how gut you are.”

  Jay nodded. “Let’s go, Cal.”

  The afternoon flew by as Jay enjoyed playing several ping-pong games, especially when Sharon was his partner. When it was time to go, he helped Andrew stow the tables and then joined Sharon where she stood with Alice and Cal at the entrance to the barn. Glancing outside, he could see the rain had stopped, but large, gray clouds still clogged the sky.

  Jay had been eager to ask Sharon if he could give her a ride home, but he hadn’t found the right moment all day. Now was the time to ask.

  “Sharon,” he began, and she turned toward him. “Would you like a ride home?”

  “Oh.” She glanced at Alice and then back at Jay. “I just asked for a ride with Cal. He not only brought Alice and me today but he’s already taking Alice home. You know how close together our farms are.”

  He forced a smile. “That makes sense. I guess I’ll see you soon, then.”

  “Ya. I hope so. I’ll have to get you that German chocolate kuche.”

  “Right.” His heart warmed at her sweet smile. “Take care.”

  Jay waved good-bye to his friends and then headed for his horse and buggy.

  As he started his trek home, he found himself stuck on the idea of asking Sharon’s father for permission to date her. Excitement thrummed through him as he imagined beginning the journey as a couple.

  She’d seemed content to talk with him today, and she’d offered to make him a cake, but would she give her old friend a chance at something more than friendship?

  * * *