The Amish Teacher's Dilemma. Patricia Davids

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      He glanced her way. “You’ll have to pump faster. I’m losing the heat.”

      She picked up the pace. It wasn’t as easy or as much fun as it had looked. The heat from the forge soon had her sweating. She cast aside her shawl. Willis turned a block of iron in the coals with a pair of long tongs. “When do you know you have it hot enough?” she asked.

      “By the color. Iron glows red, then orange, yellow, and finally white when it’s heated hot enough. A bright yellow-orange color indicates the best forging heat.”

      “Isn’t it yellow-orange enough yet?” Her arms were getting tired.

      “Almost.”

      She kept pumping until her arms were burning. “That’s enough,” he said.

      Grateful to step aside, she let him take over. No wonder he had such muscular arms. “Now what?”

      “Now I beat on the iron until I make something.”

      “What are you making?”

      “A brake pedal for a buggy.” He lifted the hot metal from the forge and placed it on an anvil. She watched him mold the metal into the shape he wanted by pounding on it. When it grew too cool it went back into the coals. In a surprisingly short amount of time, he had a new brake pedal ready to be attached.

      “That is amazing. How did you learn to be a blacksmith? Was your father one?”

      “Papa made furniture,” Maddie said.

      “Our onkel had a smithy near our farm in Maryland. He taught me the trade.”

      She tipped her head, glad for the chance to learn more about Willis and his family. “What made you move all the way up here?”

      “The same reasons a lot of Amish folks are here. Farmland is cheaper than back home. Plus, I got tired of the Englisch tourists that came to gawk at us Amish. I wanted to practice my faith and my trade without feeling like I was a circus act.”

      “I know what you mean. I have this wonderful book that talks about how we strive to live apart from the world but by simply being Amish we are being drawn into that world more every year. Have you read it? I can loan you my copy.”

      He started pumping the bellows again. “I don’t have time to read.”

      Eva swallowed her disappointment. “I understand. I reckon I’ve played hooky long enough. Thanks for letting me help in my limited way.”

      His mouth lifted in a brief grin. “You did okay. If you get tired of teaching, come look me up. I could use an apprentice.”

      She rubbed her aching forearms. “I don’t think this is the trade for me.”

      “Can I help you at the school, Teacher?” Maddie asked.

      “I would like that if your brother doesn’t object.”

      “She is all yours. Remember what we talked about, Maddie.” He leveled a stern glance at her.

      “I remember.” Maddie hopped off her chair and took hold of Eva’s hand.

      Willis met Eva’s gaze and grinned. She marveled again at what beautiful eyes he had. She knew dozens of men but none intrigued her the way Willis Gingrich did. He was easy to talk to. She wasn’t sure why she felt so comfortable around him. Maybe it was because she’d never had a friend who was a man before. “Maddie and I will be in the school if you need us.”

      He gestured toward several iron bars waiting to be made into something else. “I’ll come get her when I’m done here.”

      “Don’t hurry. Maddie and I will have fun. Oh, and before I forget, you need to fill out enrollment forms for the children. I’ll need them before the end of the week.”

      His easy smile vanished. “Can’t you take care of it?”

      “I don’t know their history or where they went to school before they came here. I’ll need those records, too.”

      His frown deepened. He began pumping the bellows again. “I’ll send Harley over to get the papers as soon as he gets back.”

       “Danki.”

      He didn’t respond so she left and crossed the road with Maddie beside her, wondering if she had somehow upset Willis.

      At the steps of the school Maddie looked back. “Whew. Bubble sure had a hard time keeping her mouth shut today.”

      Eva tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it. “Why don’t I read a story to you. That way Bubble doesn’t have to talk and neither do you.”

      “Okay. I like stories. Do you have one about ponies? I sure wish Willis would put shoes on my pony.”

      “I thought I saw him shoeing a pony last evening.”

      “It wasn’t mine. Harley brought it over from his Englisch farmer friend. Would you ask Willis to shoe my pony? He likes you.”

      Eva hoped that was true. “I’ll remind him.”

      She saw he was watching them. She waved. He hesitated and then waved back. She entered the school with a light and carefree step.

      For the next hour she read to Maddie and occasionally to Bubble when she couldn’t be silent. Eva sighed when Willis came through the door to get his sister. She had enjoyed spending time with Maddie even more than she thought she would. The child had quickly wormed her way into Eva’s heart.

      “I was just about to teach your sister to write her name on the blackboard. Do you want to show her how it’s done?”

      He held up both hands. They were black with soot. “You don’t want me handling your clean chalk and erasers.”

      “Okay, Maddie is spelled with a capital M, lower case a, d, d, i, e.” She glanced at Willis. “Unless you spell it with a y or a single i?” She waited for him to clarify the spelling for her.

      He shrugged. “Spell it however you like.”

      His comment puzzled Eva. “I want to teach her the correct way.”

      There was a thump against the side of the building. She glanced toward the windows. “What was that?”

      Willis shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe a bird flew into the side of the school.”

      She frowned. “Do they do that?”

      “Sometimes a bird will fly into a window by mistake. The first way you said. That’s the right way to spell Maddie’s name.”

      “Okay.” She wrote the letters out and handed a piece of chalk to the child. “Your turn. All you have to do is copy what I’ve written.”

      Shattering glass caused Eva to jump and Maddie to shriek. They all turned to look СКАЧАТЬ