Amish Circle Letters II: The Second Circle of Letters by Sarah Price Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Price
He had returned from school and waited until Mary Ruth and the girls had busied themselves with something in the basement…sorting canned goods he thought he had overheard them talking about as they climbed down the rickety staircase. That had been his moment.
Now, as he sat upstairs on his bed, his back to the door, he stared at the white envelope. I can do this, he told himself. With a nervous hand, he began to write on the front of the envelope:
Katie Fisher
Box 201
Leola, PA
He assessed his penmanship, hoping that it was his best. It looked good to him but he worried that Katie might find fault with it. After all, Melvin didn ’t know much about how girls reacted to being courted. He imagined that Katie would get the envelope and wonder who sent her something. When she opened it and read the note, she would swoon with adoration for Melvin Yoder, knowing that only Melvin could send such a missive. Despite being so young, they would wait until rumschpringe and then Melvin would take her home from each and every singing until they were old enough to take the kneeling vow and marry.
Yes, he thought. That’s exactly what will happen!
Satisfied with the address, he flipped over the envelope and slid his finger under the flap on the back. He reached into his back pocket and carefully withdrew a slip of paper. He unfolded it and his eyes darted over the neat handwriting:
Do everything in love.
1 Corinthian 16:43
He smiled as he refolded the paper and slipped it inside of the envelope. Then, with trembling hands, he licked the envelope and pressed the flap so that the envelope was properly sealed. He would slip it into the mailbox right away, knowing that the mailman didn’t deliver anything until close to four o’clock. He’d pretend to be going out for the mail since it was up to the kinner to bring in the mail. If he timed it proper like, no one would ever know he mailed the letter to Katie and, for sure and certain, she would have it by the next day.
Earlier that day, Melvin had found the yellow note inside the ceramic coffee mug when he had wandered sleepily into the barn to help his daed with the milking. Curiosity had gotten the best of him. When Melvin had peeked at the note, immediately, an idea was born. If this was how adults courted, Melvin could do the same with Katie! He had hesitated before slipping the note into his back pocket, his heart pounding from taking something that clearly was not intended for his own use. But, he had rationalized, his daed and Mary Ruth were already married. No need for them to keep courting. And so the note was now being sent to Katie from a secret admirer with the hope that she would quickly realize how important Melvin felt about their relationship.
“Melvin!”
He jumped at the sound of Mary Ruth calling him from downstairs. Slipping the envelope into his back pocket, he quickly hurried out of his room and raced down the stairs. “ Ja ?”
“Reckon you should go on outside to see what your daed needs. It’s cold tonight and he’ll need some help.”
Melvin nodded and grabbed his coat before slipping out of the door. The cold air hit him and he caught his breath. It clung to his lungs. He ran as fast as he could, first to the mailbox where he glanced around before he reached into his pocket to extract the folded envelope. He ran his hands along the crease, hoping to make it less noticeable before he placed it into the mailbox and pushed up the red flag.
His heart was pounding and, for just a split second, he contemplated snatching the envelope and ripping it into a dozen little pieces.
But he didn ’t.
Instead, he turned and ran to the barn, knowing that the mailman would come within the next half an hour and the letter would be gone. He tried to imagine Katie ’s face when she opened the letter and read the verse. Certainly she would know that the secret admirer was Melvin. She had said they could be pen pals, he told himself. This was a perfect way to
Now, as he sat upstairs on his bed, his back to the door, he stared at the white envelope. I can do this, he told himself. With a nervous hand, he began to write on the front of the envelope:
Katie Fisher
Box 201
Leola, PA
He assessed his penmanship, hoping that it was his best. It looked good to him but he worried that Katie might find fault with it. After all, Melvin didn ’t know much about how girls reacted to being courted. He imagined that Katie would get the envelope and wonder who sent her something. When she opened it and read the note, she would swoon with adoration for Melvin Yoder, knowing that only Melvin could send such a missive. Despite being so young, they would wait until rumschpringe and then Melvin would take her home from each and every singing until they were old enough to take the kneeling vow and marry.
Yes, he thought. That’s exactly what will happen!
Satisfied with the address, he flipped over the envelope and slid his finger under the flap on the back. He reached into his back pocket and carefully withdrew a slip of paper. He unfolded it and his eyes darted over the neat handwriting:
Do everything in love.
1 Corinthian 16:43
He smiled as he refolded the paper and slipped it inside of the envelope. Then, with trembling hands, he licked the envelope and pressed the flap so that the envelope was properly sealed. He would slip it into the mailbox right away, knowing that the mailman didn’t deliver anything until close to four o’clock. He’d pretend to be going out for the mail since it was up to the kinner to bring in the mail. If he timed it proper like, no one would ever know he mailed the letter to Katie and, for sure and certain, she would have it by the next day.
Earlier that day, Melvin had found the yellow note inside the ceramic coffee mug when he had wandered sleepily into the barn to help his daed with the milking. Curiosity had gotten the best of him. When Melvin had peeked at the note, immediately, an idea was born. If this was how adults courted, Melvin could do the same with Katie! He had hesitated before slipping the note into his back pocket, his heart pounding from taking something that clearly was not intended for his own use. But, he had rationalized, his daed and Mary Ruth were already married. No need for them to keep courting. And so the note was now being sent to Katie from a secret admirer with the hope that she would quickly realize how important Melvin felt about their relationship.
“Melvin!”
He jumped at the sound of Mary Ruth calling him from downstairs. Slipping the envelope into his back pocket, he quickly hurried out of his room and raced down the stairs. “ Ja ?”
“Reckon you should go on outside to see what your daed needs. It’s cold tonight and he’ll need some help.”
Melvin nodded and grabbed his coat before slipping out of the door. The cold air hit him and he caught his breath. It clung to his lungs. He ran as fast as he could, first to the mailbox where he glanced around before he reached into his pocket to extract the folded envelope. He ran his hands along the crease, hoping to make it less noticeable before he placed it into the mailbox and pushed up the red flag.
His heart was pounding and, for just a split second, he contemplated snatching the envelope and ripping it into a dozen little pieces.
But he didn ’t.
Instead, he turned and ran to the barn, knowing that the mailman would come within the next half an hour and the letter would be gone. He tried to imagine Katie ’s face when she opened the letter and read the verse. Certainly she would know that the secret admirer was Melvin. She had said they could be pen pals, he told himself. This was a perfect way to
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