The Amish Teacher's Dilemma and Healing Their Amish Hearts by Patricia Davids (best chinese ebook reader TXT) 📗

The boy stared at his bare feet and drew a circle with his big toe in the dirt. “I’ll go but I won’t like it.”

Maddie got off the bale and took Otto’s hand. “She can make it fun. You’ll see.”

Willis stood up. “All right, this family meeting is officially over. I think we should have a family meeting every week to make sure we’re on the right track. Bishop Schultz is worried that I can’t take care of you. So I think we’re going to have to take care of each other. We’re going to be a family team.”

Harley grinned and held out his fist. “This is how the team does it. Everybody put your hand in.” Maddie had to stand on the bale, but they all stacked their hands on top of each other’s.

“Go, Gingrich team,” Harley declared. The boys cheered as they tossed their hands in the air. Maddie jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

Willis was struck by the notion that there was one set of hands missing. Eva should’ve been in on this. She wasn’t a member of the family but she was becoming important to him and to the children. And that scared him. He’d never felt this way about any woman, not even the one who hurt him the most.

Chapter Nine

Eva was disappointed when Willis didn’t accompany the children to her home the next morning. Harley came in and handed her the enrollment forms she had been asking Willis to provide. She took them happily. Harley sat with them for a while, but he soon excused himself. He stopped before he went out the door. “I will be over at the Arnett farm today if you need me.”

“Danki, Harley. Has your brother written to your old school asking them to send your records here?”

“I don’t think so. Can’t you do it?”

“I reckon I had better if I’m to get them before the start of classes.” It was a simple thing she could do to help Willis.

“I will need your former teacher’s name and the school address. Do you know it?”

“Sure.” He supplied the information and she wrote it down.

“Where is Willis today?” She tried not to sound too curious about him.

“He’s gone to a farm sale hoping to pick up some scrap metal and another anvil. He said he would be home by five o’clock.”

So she wouldn’t see him until later. Hiding her disappointment Eva stared at the two children watching her. Maddie was all smiles. The dour look on Otto’s face didn’t bode well for the day. “Otto, I will have you start by sweeping out the classroom and making sure all the desks are clean and lined up. Maddie, I’m going to need you to help me make cookies.”

“Will they be snickerdoodles?”

“I think I have the ingredients for some. Otto, what kind of cookie do you like?” She needed to engage with the boy on some level. If she couldn’t break through his barrier of resistance the school year was going to be difficult.

“Oatmeal chocolate chip,” he muttered.

“Two of my favorites mixed together. Good choice. The broom and dust rags are in the coat closet at the school. I’ll be over later if you need any help.”

His eyes snapped with anger. “I’m not so dumb that I need help sweeping the floor.”

“Of course, you aren’t. That isn’t what I said and certainly not what I meant.”

He stomped out of the house without looking back, letting the screen door slam behind him.

Maddie shook her head. “He hates it when people treat him like he’s slow.”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt his feelings. I was only offering to help.”

“I know. Daed used to say Otto had a chip on his shoulder and that’s why he gets mad but I never see one.”

Why was the boy so prickly? She didn’t know and she wasn’t sure how to find out. She could only hope things improved before he started school.

Eva was finishing up in her kitchen after making a batch of blackberry jam from the bush out back when she saw a white car turn into her drive. Two women got out. They turned out to be the county social worker and a public health nurse. They left Eva papers showing what they suggested should be taught regarding health and science and gave her a schedule for vision and hearing tests in October. Working with local health and welfare people was another part of her teaching position she hadn’t given much thought about. She would have to visit with the school board and learn how much of what the outsiders offered the community would accept.

They left after a brief visit and Eva was about to go across to the school when a second car pulled into her drive. This time an Amish fellow got out. She couldn’t see his face but there was something familiar about him. He pulled a suitcase out of the trunk. When he turned to look at her she gave a squeal of delight and raced out the door and flew to hug him. “Danny. What are you doing here? Oh, it’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Eva.” He turned to inspect the school. “So this is where you’ll be spending your days.”

“Ja, isn’t it lovely? It’s brand-new and so is the house. In a few days the community is holding a frolic to add a barn and corrals. I can hardly believe how fortunate I am to have landed here. How long are you staying?”

“A week or so, I think. Gene wanted to make sure you were getting along up here since the only thing you have written us about is the need for your books.”

She laughed “If I wrote about everything that has happened since I arrived in New Covenant, I would have my own book to be published.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I like a good story. Maybe you should fill me in.”

She took his arm and led