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“Well, let me take a look at it, neighbor.” The man smiled.
Lee glanced at the man, a tall lean man with a long beard. He wasn’t as old as his beard made him look though, Lee decided, as he looked into a pair of bright brown eyes.
“I can fix this for ya.” The man chuckled. “Have some water.”
Lee nodded and looked about: a woman stood on the porch in a long dress with a bonnet on her head. She had a wrap around her as the air was chilly this morning. Lee went to the well and brought up a pail of water. Sipping it, he noticed the kids. They were dressed much like the woman and Lee deduced they were of a religious cult. It mattered little to him, as he merely needed his wheel fixed and the man had been so helpful, he certainly wouldn’t be casting any stones.
“Where’s your wagon?” the man asked as he pounded out the metal on the wheel so it wouldn’t warp.
“Down the road apiece; left my folks under a tree…” he said, sipping the water and putting it back at the well bucket.
“You should bring them in. We’re having a bout of storm around the place. It might not be too safe. Lightning hits trees and causes fires about.”
“Well, if we get the wheel fixed, we’ll be movin’ on real quick like.”
“Where ya headed?” the man asked.
“Texas. Well, actually, the Red River…”
The man looked up. “Been travelin’ long?”
“Just came up out of Alabama,” Lee informed him.
The man stopped his hammering and stared up at Lee. “Well my name is Jonah, and that woman on the porch is my wife, Sarah. We’d be pleased to have you sup with us. But of course, if you have something against the Amish we’d understand.”
Lee studied the man for a moment then smiled. “Amish, well, no, I have nothing whatsoever against the Amish, but…I should explain, my wife…is black sir, and if that bothers you I would like to know it now…”
“All people in our belief are the same, equal in every way. You may bring your family for supper if you like; we’ll be eating in a couple of hours. We go to bed early as we rise early. If you would like to stay ‘til morning you are welcome.”
“Thank you…it would be nice. As my wife is expecting.”
“Then bring her, and let her sleep in comfort.”
Lee rode back to the wagon to tell everyone.
“Did you get the wheel fixed?” Hattie asked.
“It’s being fixed, yes, and we’ve been invited to stay with the people, as there is a storm coming up again.”
“That’s right nice of them,” Joe said.
Lee nodded but added, “Yes, well, these people are Amish.”
“Amish?” Hattie questioned.
“It’s their religion. They are very simple people, religious people. And they think we are married,” Lee explained.
“Did you tell them that?” Hattie asked.
“Sort of, yeah. So, if you don’t mind, just go along with it. We’ll only be there a night and I didn’t want to stir up any trouble. They welcome any people so it’s not like they judge us. But I thought it better to say we are married.”
“Alright. It’s only for a night, as you say.”
So, Lee led the way to the Amish farm whe
re Jonah was fixing the wheel. He introduced them to his family and the woman Sarah came to invite Hattie and the children inside.
The meal Sarah fixed was very special to Hattie; everything was made from fresh produce and milked cows. She even had a fruit pie for them to enjoy. The woman was uncommonly kind, although she didn’t speak much.
