Free Anna's Healing by Vannetta Chapman Page A

and she had vowed she would bury the hatchet. Some days it seemed to her that they had been fighting for years, though they never raised their voices. But tension always simmered beneath the surface.
    She slowed down as they entered a school zone adjacent to the local elementary school. “But before Amish women marry…”
    â€œSometimes young girls will work at a shop in town or in one of our local schools, but a woman’s place is most often on the farm. We believe it is Gotte’s wille .”
    â€œI don’t understand. I know there are plenty of shops in places like Pennsylvania and Indiana and even Ohio. Why not here?”
    â€œThose areas have a bigger Mennonite population, which can help with establishing businesses. For example, Lolly’s Fabrics in Shipshe—”
    â€œShipshe?”
    â€œShipshewana. It’s near my town of Goshen, in northeast Indiana.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œLolly’s is run by a Mennonite woman. That helps, because women working outside of the home is more accepted in the Mennonite culture. She hires Amish girls, but she and her husband run the business.”
    Chloe shook her head. She was going to have to resist her urge to fix things, and really, was the Amish way broken? The families they had visited seemed to be doing fine. No one was going hungry because a quilt hadn’t sold.
    They were driving through Cody’s Creek on the way to the next quilter on her list.
    Chloe nodded toward the dry goods store. “The owner there is Amish, right? I’ve been in a few times.”
    â€œ Ya , Rebecca and Joseph Byler own the store.” Anna glanced out the window as the signal light changed and they passed by. “I hadn’t given much thought to the fact that Rebecca works in the store. Maybe, because they live behind the store instead of on a farm, it’s natural for her to help her husband.”
    â€œShe could carry a few locally made quilts in her store.”
    â€œPerhaps.”
    Chloe’s stomach rumbled the moment she saw the Dairy Queen sign up ahead. She turned on her right blinker and changed lanes. “Hungry?”
    â€œA little.”
    â€œLet’s get some ice cream, then. I’ll buy yours since you are giving up your afternoon to show me around.”
    â€œAnd I’ll buy yours since you gave me an excuse to get off the farm for a few hours.”

CHAPTER 13
    T he last home Chloe and Anna visited was in the northern part of the district.
    â€œNaomi Hershberger is one of the best quilters in our area, or so my aenti says. I’ve never seen her work.”
    â€œYou moved here just a few months ago. How do you know where everyone lives?”
    â€œI don’t. I’m only taking you to the homes I’ve visited during our church meetings.”
    â€œI read about that. The Amish have church in their homes. How does that work?”
    â€œEach family hosts the meeting twice a year.”
    â€œOh. I guess that makes sense.”
    â€œ Ya . It’s the same in nearly every Amish community, though some New Order districts have church buildings like the Englisch and like the Mennonites.”
    â€œIt must be crowded when you meet in a home.”
    â€œIt is, but it also assures your house receives a thorough cleaning twice a year.”
    Chloe pulled into the drive of a large two-story home. Like the others they had visited, this one had a massive garden to the side and a huge barn to the back. A trampoline adorned the front yard, but no children were on it.
    â€œThe older ones are in school today,” Anna explained.
    It turned out plenty of younger children were not in school. A woman in her early fifties opened the front door.
    â€œAnna, it’s gut to see you.”
    â€œAnd you, Naomi. This is Chloe Roberts. She works for the newspaper and is doing a piece on quilting.”
    â€œPlease come inside.” Naomi stepped aside and introduced her