One evening in late August. Hal delighted in listening to summer sounds coming through the living room screen door. Living here was so totally different from the apartment in Wickenburg. In town, she'd been closed in. The only sounds were the rumble of the air conditioner, and cars.
Living in a house with a screen door and dim lighting, a person could imagine being outside in the evening in the fading daylight without having to put up with mosquitoes or gnats. The green peepers yeeped, and crickets rubbed their scratchy legs. Moths fluttered against the screen and lightening bugs glimmered just beyond the porch.
An owl hooted, causing Hal to jump. The bird was perched close. The children had already gone to bed so Hal and John had the living room all to themselves. Hal carried a chair over by the rocker so she could sit close to John.
“That owl is really close,” Hal said, patting John's knee.
“He's high in the shade tree, looking down on us. Probably smells the chickens. Gute thing they have a building to live in. That owl would be eating one right now,” John told her as he concentrated on the newspaper.
“John?”
“Jah?” he said absentmindedly.
“School will be starting soon. We need to do something fun for a change as a family while the children aren’t in school,” Hal said. “The summer has gotten away from us.”
John put the newspaper, Die Botschaft, down on his lap. “What did you have in mind?”
“How about going to the Old Thrasher’s Reunion at Mt. Pleasant this Sunday? Have you ever been?”
John nodded. “Jah, when I was small my parents hired a driver to take us.”
“I know the kids would love seeing all the exhibits -- the machinery and horses. It starts Thursday but coming up is the in between Sunday so I thought instead of visiting anyone, we could go to Mt. Pleasant,” Hal suggested.
“Sunday is only a few days away. This is maybe too short a notice for me to find someone to drive us,” John said, debating whether to say yes.
“We could take my car. I’ll drive,” suggested Hal offhandedly.
John lifted an eyebrow in annoyance. “Hal, you know better than that. You are not to drive your car anymore.”
“What would it hurt this one time? I still drive my car to work in Wickenburg, and no one has said anything. Sunday we would be a two hour drive away from home. No one will know that we went anywhere in the car or how we got to Mt. Pleasant if they knew we were gone,” Hal argued.
“I would know,” John said shortly.
“Yes, but I haven’t been told yet by the bishop that I have to get rid of the car. Technically, I should be able to still use it, shouldn’t I?” She asked.
“I don’t think so. Now that you are Plain you must obey the Ordnund laws. It seems to me you must do as the laws say without being told so by the bishop. Let me think about this matter,” John said.
“Just keep in mind, Margaret told me I was getting too serious about being Amish. I should lighten up. This trip to Mt. Pleasant seemed like a good way to do it,” Hal informed him.
John gave her a weak smile. “Margaret said you needed to lighten up? Perhaps, she is right, but I think you will catch on to your lot in this family and the community in due time.”
“Thanks for the confidence in me, John Lapp,” Hal said, patting his hand.
The next morning, John came in the kitchen while Hal was alone. “All right. We will go to Mt. Pleasant in your car, but please do not ask to drive us anywhere else after this. I am afraid this is not the right thing to do. The Ordnund is set against such things.”
“I won’t ask again. At least not unless the bishop says it is all right to use my car,” agreed Hal.
“That is not going to happen. You should face it,” John said exasperated. “I’m telling you Plain people can not drive a car according to the Ordnund. You really should get rid of the car so you ---- er we are not tempted anymore.”
“I don’t want to face that yet. Give me time to get used to the idea of not having a car,” Hal pleaded. “Now let’s tell the kids what we're doing on Sunday.”
Sunday morning by daybreak they were packed in the car and on the long drive east of them. The children enjoyed the ride and the scenery. There was plenty of chatter in the back seat as they pointed out farm sights that interested them on the way. A John Deere tractor crossed a hayfield, pulling a rake that bunched up hay into windrows. Cattle herds, goat herds and various colors of horses speckled the hillside pastures.
When the Lapps arrived at the Mt. Pleasant city limits, Hal followed the signs along the streets to the Old Thrasher Reunion grounds. A man in the driveway of a parking lot a block from the ground’s entry way motioned Hal in. Another man pointed to an empty space on the end of the row of cars, facing the sidewalk. Hal maneuvered the car into the parking spot.
They walked along the sidewalk and stopped at the crosswalk that led to the ground’s entrance. Two policemen stood in the middle of the street, directing the traffic and pedestrians. One held his hand up to stop the Lapp family at the cross walk. He waved his arm to keep traffic moving slowly by. Finally, he held his hand up to stop the cars and motioned for the family to cross the street.
Ahead of them was the small building with a sign that indicated it was the ticket booth above the open window. Hal asked for tickets for five people. At the corner of the building, a man put a colored paper band on their wrists to show they had the right to be on the grounds and could come and go for the day.
Hal stopped at a visitor center not far behind the entrance. She bought a program book that was good for the whole Old Thrasher Reunion. Now they would know the where and when information for all the demonstrations.
“Each demonstration is at a certain time. Let’s see.” Hal ran her finger down the list of times. “It is 10:30 now. There’s a talk about old cars in the Antique Car Building about the 1909 Stanley Steamer,” Hal read and added, “Whatever that is.”
“Any discussions for Plain people about antique horses?” John said, grinning at her.
The children giggled.
Hal skimmed over the pages. “Very funny. I’m afraid not. Someone is telling how the boiler and cylinder on a steam engine works. West of the tractor collection is a demonstration on threshing wheat and baling straw.”
“That sounds interesting,” Noah said, and Daniel agreed.
“I’d like to look at the items for sale in the buildings of exhibits and crafts over there,” Hal said, pointing at the long buildings ahead of them.
Emma said to Hal, “I will go with the boys. You and Daed look around.”
“Are you sure, Emma?” John said.
“Jah,” she answered.
“Then I will go with Hal. We should meet up by lunch time at the gate entrance so we can eat together,” John planned.
John and Hal walked through the first long building filled with tables of crafts. They dodged around people and rented golf carts driven by people who had trouble walking. As they strolled to the next building, they listened to gospel music as a band played in the family tent.
Hal didn’t get excited until she spotted a bread pail in a tent full of old items. “That looks like the perfect birthday gift for Emma,” she exclaimed.
John slanted his head toward his shoulder. “What is it?”
“The price tag says this is a bread pail. See the crank on the side and the paddles in the bottom. The pail beats the bread,” Hal explained.
John chuckled, “I think bread gets kneaded. Not beat.”
“Fine then, but all Emma has to do is put the dough in and turn the crank. The paddles do all the work,” Hal told him.
“Not all the work if Emma is turning the crank,” John said in good humor.
Hal picked the pail up and looked it all over. “You know what I mean. This galvanized pail looks brand new. It should be worth the price.”
“Maybe the fact that it looks new should tell you something,” John surmised.
“What?”
“That the pail didn’t work for what it was intended so that is why no one else has bought it.”
“In that case, it won’t go to waste at our house if it won't work for bread making. You can figure out how to take the paddles and crank out. Emma can water her chickens with it,” retorted Hal. She picked the pail up and made her way around the line of people to the counter.
With so many exhibits on the vast grounds, it was hard to get through everything going on. They walked though the rows of old tractors which took awhile since this exhibit interested John. Hal tried to keep him on track to come out at a line of booths with canvas overhangs for shade.
About half way along the booths, Hal stopped and pointed excitedly. “John, that's interesting.”
He looked doubtful. “An old machinery seat on an old painted milk can? Why is it interesting?”
“Will you look past what it is and think what it could be?” Hal complained.
“All right, Hal, I give up. What can it be?”
“An incentive to get the boys to fish in the pond more for the fun of it. This can be our winner’s fishing throne,” Hal decided.
John caught the tag flopping in the wind and groaned, “For that price, it should have a place at our table.”
Hal brightened up.
“I was just teasing,” John said quickly.
“I want one of those milk cans. The bright blue one I think with the red seat. It would be so good to get the boys to think of the pond as a place of enjoyment again instead of conjuring up sad memories. I’ll buy it, but it's heavy. You carry it back to the car for me, please.” Hal took the pail from him.
“Using this seat will not take away the bad memories the kids have about the pond,” John told her.
“I know that, but I'm hoping maybe the seat will make new and better memories,” Hal said.
“Maybe so but don't expect the boys memories about fishing in the pond to be any better as long as their sister, Emma, catches the most fish. She will probably be the one sitting on the seat most of the time,” John predicted.
“So be it.” Hal said, not about to change her mind.
The milk can seat dangled from his hand as John shook his head all the way through the entry gate. Hal walked along beside him, holding on to the bread pail. She thought this was a great outing for the Lapp family, and she was pleased with her great buys.
Since it was near noon, Emma and the boys made their way to the entrance. Noah pointed as he spotted their parents in the distance, headed along the sidewalk toward the car. He frowned as he asked, “What are they carrying?”
“Looks like Daed has a milk can, and Mama Hal has a milk pail,” Daniel guessed, squinting to get a better look. “Does this mean we are going back to milking cows by hand?”
“Ach, I hope not,” Noah retorted.
“Ach, nah,” cried Emma softly, covering her cheeks with her hands.
“I am glad to see you agree that we should not go back to the old way of milking, my schwestern,” Noah said, smiling at her concern.
“That is not what is worrying me,” Emma said abruptly.
“Was ist letz?” Noah asked.
“Turn around to face this way quickly, and I will tell you what is the matter,” Emma said urgently. Grabbing both boys by their shoulders, she swung them around so they faced a shelter house with pony rides for young children.
“What is wrong with you?” Noah repeated tersely.
“Stella and Moses Strutt are standing by the visitor center booth. They are staring at Hallie and Daed. I do not want Stella to see us and come over here,” Emma hissed.
Noah looked over his shoulder. “Uh oh! Emma, she is watching Daed open the trunk on Mama Hal’s car.”
Emma looked back. Stella had moved and was now leaning on the grounds fence. With her husband beside her, she had a hand shading her eyes and was standing in a wide legged stance. A look of discovery was on her face.
“I think we’re in big trouble,” Emma predicted. “We must tell Daed and Hallie.”
“Maybe not,” Daniel replied. “We can not be sure Stella Strutt will do anything.”
“Daniel is right,” Noah reasoned. “We are having fun. We are already here. We should just not say anything about seeing Stella. What harm is there in our being here if it is a place that Stella Strutt comes to see. Why should we leave early because of her?”
“It is not that. It is the fact that Hallie drove her car, Noah,” Emma explained frankly.
“Still maybe this will turn out all right. Why spoil the day?” Noah reasoned.
“You are probably right,” Emma agreed although she looked doubtful. “Quick, get out of sight until Stella and Moses move on.”
“I hope that is before Daed and Mama Hal run into them,” Noah said as they took shelter behind the public restrooms.
When an a man on the loud speaker listed the name of church tents furnishings lunch, Stella and Moses turned from the fence and disappeared into the crowd. The children edged back to the entrance in time to meet Hal and John by the ticket booth, getting their wrist bands checked. Hal stopped to checked her guide book for places to eat and what was happening next. “There is the Cavalcade of Power parade. We could watch all the steam engines start up and parade around the grandstands. After that, we can pick one of the tents to eat in.”
Emma readily agreed with that plan. If they picked the same place to eat as the Strutts, maybe the couple would have finished eating and be gone by the time they got in the lunch line.
That afternoon, the Lapp family visited the North Village. John ushered his children past the Golden Slipper Saloon as fast as he could. He’d heard the loud music from down the block and the feisty singing. He took a quick peek over the bat wing doors at the scantily dressed women, in short black and red skirts, doing a cancan dance. One glance at the black fishnet stockings on bare legs caused John to avert his eyes. He certainly didn't want his children to see the dancers.
Hearing the boastful challenges in the middle of the street, they stopped to watch the gunslingers American West Show. That was fun. The blustering bank robbers argued with the sheriff and his deputies until the law was forced to kill all the bank robbers in a shootout.
School was in session at West Pleasant Lawn School at the end of the block. Anyone could come into the one room school house for the spelling bee. Hal tried to talk Emma into trying, but she refused.
At two that afternoon, they watched a horse powered saw mill in action, splitting a large log into boards. Then they walked through the RV park to the pioneer village. The log cabin, one room school house in session, and a barn with cows, ducks and chickens was fun to see. Everything helped them imagine what it was like in the 1850's. Hal bought each of them a large cup of ice tea at the concession stand before they watched the blacksmith at work. Finally, they looked through a wood work shop. Noah and Daniel really showed an interest in watching the carpenters when they made dovetail ends on a drawer to put it together without nails. At the log barn, Emma got a kick out of watching two small English girls trying to see under a brood hen. When the hen finally moved over, four fuzzy yellow chicks were exposed. One of the little girls pointed out the chicks had their beaks open, panting.
The man in charge of the barn said, “This is a hot day. The chicks are too warm.”
“I'd be too warm too if I had to sit under a mother with that heavy coat on,” replied the girl.
That remark tickled Emma.
After awhile, the family headed back to the main grounds. John gave the kids money to buy each of them a bag of popcorn. They got in the long line. All the time, Emma kept a watchful eye around her, hoping against hope that Stella Strutt had tired of all the walking and went home.
At four o'clock, Hal read off the list of events. “Some of these are a repeat of the morning shows.”
John said, “I think we should head for home. It will be after milk time when we get there.”
“I think you’re right,” Hal said. “My feet are tired. I feel like I’ve walked miles today.”
“That is because you have, Mama Hal,” Daniel chirped.
Soon the women were busy chatting and putting the finishing touches on supper. What Hal was too busy to see before the milking was done was the buggy that pulled up by the barn. Bishop Bontrager and Deacon Enos Yutzy climbed down and disappeared into the barn. Looking way too serious, they nodded at Luke Yoder, leaning against the barn wall.
Elton said in a staid manner, “Preacher Yoder, we are all together at last.”
“Jah, we are. This is the right time to have our meeting. I will get John,” Luke said solemnly. He turned toward the milking parlor and walked past the boys. Noah was wiping a cow's bag with the iodine solution. Levi was sliding a full scoop shovel toward the end of the gutter. Daniel held the milking cups under a cow's bag and released them as they sucked up the teats. Josh stood, hands in his pockets, relaxed against the barn wall with no intention of helping. Luke tapped John on the shoulder as he took milking cups off a cow. Rather than yell above the generator rumble, Luke pointed toward the ministers by the door. John straightened up and spotted the men. Luke motioned for Josh to take over. The young man reluctantly unfolded from against the wall and sauntered over.
John handed Josh the milking cups and went to greet the minister and the deacon. “Wilcom, Elton and Enos. What brings you here? Coming to Emma’s birthday party?”
“Nah,” the bishop said, looking apprehensive.
“We want to have a private talk with you, John,” Enos said reluctantly.
“It looks serious. Come away from the noise.” John led the way down the alley between the stalls to the far end of the barn so they could talk without shouting. “Now what can I do for you?”
“This is official church business.” Elton cleared his throat before he finished. “Bruder Lapp, we all realize there are certain temptations for all of us. Always ----,” his voice trailed off as he licked his lips and studied his shoes.
Enos stroked his beard as he continued, “What Eldon is trying to say is we have been made aware ----.” He looked over John’s head at a cobweb and tried to find the words.
“Was ist letz?” John asked point blank.
With a somber expression, Preacher Luke Yoder finished with, “John, give us time to explain what is the matter. These gute men are finding this a hard meeting to have with you, because we have all always been gute friends. What they want to say is, we have been told you were tempted and broke one of the rules of the Ordnund.”
“Which one?” John asked, but he knew before he had to be told.
“No riding in a car driven by a Plain person,” the bishop got out. “Stella Strutt has been to see me. She says she saw you at Mt. Pleasant with your family. She says you went there in Nurse Hal’s car. Tell me, did someone else go along and drive the car for you? That would make a big difference.”
“Ach, nah! I can not tell you that,” John said, wiping his sweaty forehead with his shirt sleeve. “Hal drove. I knew it was wrong when we went. I tried to talk her out of driving, but I was weak and as you say tempted by my wife. I have anguished over it ever since. I do not like the guilty feeling, knowing that I sinned against the church. I am so very sorry that I was weak.”
Bishop Bontrager looked relieved. He nodded at the deacon and then Preacher Yoder. “If the two of you are satisfied, I am, too. We all know John Lapp. He has never been one to go against Ordnund rules before. I accept his admission of guilt and his willingness to not sin in this manner again. I say we should let him move on and put this in the past.”
Both the deacon and Minister Yoder nodded that they agreed.
“One other thing, John,” the bishop began and grimaced, reluctant to bring the matter up. “How much does Nurse Hal use her cell phone?”
John shook his head slowly, wondering where this question came from. If he had to guess, he'd say from Stella Strutt. “Hal never uses that phone. She has it laid away somewhere in the clinic.”
“That is gute, but perhaps it would be better to throw the phone away to prevent more temptation on Nurse Hal’s part,” the bishop suggested strongly.
“By now, the battery has probably run down. She has no way to recharge it here,” John said.
“We will need to talk to her about these modern conveniences. Can you please tell her Deacon Yutzy, Preacher Yoder and myself want to see her at my house for a meeting at seven tomorrow night? We have to tell her she has to make her things right with the church by giving up the car and phone,” the bishop said gravely.
“I will tell her and come with her to the meeting,” John said.
“We will let you get back to your chores now so you can get in the house for supper and Emma’s birthday party,” the deacon said, holding out his hand to shake with John. “Have a good evening, Bruder Lapp.”
John stared after Bontrager and Yutzy as they left the barn. Luke put his hand on John’s shoulder. “I am sorry this had to happened. I would rather have been anywhere else than here this moment, my friend.”
“So would those two men who I know are my friends. It is not your fault that this happened. I strayed from the Ordnund. I have admitted it. If I am forgiven by the church, it is a big relief to me. I have felt such a weight because of my sin,” John told him.
“You are forgiven, but you realize the bishop has given you a warning with this forgiveness. If you are caught another time in Hal’s car with her driving, you will be called to a member meeting to make your things right. The punishment will be worse next time,” Luke warned.
“I know. I have learned my lesson,” John vowed. “Now if I could only figure out a way to talk Hal into getting rid of that car.”
Read Worldly Temptations in the Nurse Hal Among The Amish series to find out what happens to the Lapp family and Nurse Hal for driving her car.
My husband Harold and I have been to the Old Thrasher's Reunion many times. I've taken quite a few pictures I've used in books and blog posts. Many of the exhibits I found educational when it comes to writing about times gone by. Listening to people make comments about what they see is fun. I happened to be standing by the little girl that worried the hen's coat was too hot for the baby chicks. The bread making bucket was a source of amusement when I saw it. I looked it over well enough to describe it and connect it with Nurse Hal and Emma, but I didn't think it worth $20.
The last of August Harold saw an advertisement for the Reunion. He wisptfully thought about going, but the days were very hot. Walking around in the sun all day during record heat didn't sound like fun. There will be another time.
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