Whispers of a New Dawn by Murray Pura Read Free Book Online

He doesn’t know what to do with me. Any more than his father, Pastor Miller, does. So now he hangs around Rachel King a lot.”
    “You’re okay with that?”
    “Do you think I need three or four young men on a string to make me feel good about myself? I’m more than happy getting to know Moses. If I only knew how to stop feeling like a washing machine.”
    “And what does that feel like?”
    “Well, like being the butter in a butter churn. But I’ll be lucky if I come out looking like anything as good as butter.”
    “Eventually you’ll settle down inside.”
    “When?”
    “A year or two.”
    Ruth grinned. “Come. I said I’d brush your hair out for you andit’s getting late. I want to go to bed. So get into your nightgown and sit beside me here.”
    Becky reluctantly got up, washed her face and hands at the washstand and toweled them dry, changed into her nightgown, and sat down by Ruth. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep.”
    “I noticed you didn’t eat much supper either. I’m surprised my sister didn’t pick up on it.” Ruth began to run her brush through Becky’s blond hair.
    Becky rolled her eyes. “The only reason Mom never saw how little I had on my plate was because she was too busy darting back and forth from the oven to the table. Her and her angel-food cakes.”
    “It’s not as if no one sees what’s going on. It’s quite obvious the bishop’s grandson is attracted to you. But the community knows nothing can come of it unless you’re baptized into the faith.”
    “I think, This is so foolish. I can’t give up flying . Then Moses looks at me with his green eyes, those deep-water eyes, and says something like, ‘You are this special person. It’s like watching the sun come up over the fields and I’m all alone and the air is so good.’ What am I supposed to do with that? God throws this curveball at me—this handsome Amish farmer who is some kind of love poet too.”
    “What is a ‘curveball’?”
    “In baseball. A difficult pitch to hit with the bat.”
    “Hm. But you don’t love him, do you?” Ruth stroked Becky’s hair with her hand. “You’ve let it grow almost to your shoulders. I’m surprised. Usually you keep it short.”
    Becky mumbled. “Well. He says my hair is like—” She stopped. “Never mind what he says.”
    “The Bible says a woman’s crowning glory is her hair.”
    “Moses says that too.”
    “The only man who may see it among the Amish is the husband.”
    “Yes. So he told me.”
    “And does he want to be the husband?”
    “Just so he can see my hair?” Becky began to squirm. “Are you done yet?”
    “With the longest hair I’ve ever seen on Rebecca Whetstone? Oh, no.”
    “Ouch!”
    “You see? A snarl.” Ruth slowed her brushing down. “You haven’t answered my question.”
    “What question?”
    “Do you love him?”
    “How should I know? I told you. Everything is mixed up in my head.” She groaned. “It’s easier to fly upside down and do the kind of stunts where one mistake turns you into strawberry jam.”
    “Ugh. Please don’t talk like that, Becky.”
    “Saying it doesn’t make it happen, Auntie Ruth.”
    “Still. I don’t want the image in my mind.” She set down the brush. “There. That will do. It’ll gleam like gold in the morning when Moses sees it.”
    “What makes you think he’s going to see it tomorrow morning?”
    “I thought you knew. He will be here at five to help your father repair the fences. The dairy herd escaped yesterday. And some of the horses got into the hayfield and almost ate themselves to death before a neighbor spotted them. Luke and Daniel and Harley are helping too.”
    “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
    “It was just decided after supper. When you came up here to lie down.”
    “You thought I knew? How would I know?”
    “Shh. Now I suppose you’re going to have an even harder time falling asleep.” She hugged Becky with one arm. “I’m going to pray for you. None