Free Ella Finds Love Again by Jerry S. Eicher Page B

for all the questions. My name is Robert Hayes. I guess I didn’t introduce myself, though it seems like I’ve known you for a long time.”
    “Ella Yoder,” she said, suddenly feeling very weak in the knees. But why? she wondered.

Ten
     
    A h, perhaps you’d best sit down,” he said, standing and offering her a chair from the kitchen table.
    Ella almost laughed. What a ridiculous situation this was. An unknown Englisha man in her kitchen, offering her a chair from her own table? Thankfully Joe and Ronda lived on the first floor or this could become a mighty uncomfortable situation to explain.
    “Your mom’s name is Marie? She lives in Maryland,” Ella said, taking the chair.
    “So you do remember,” he said, pausing as Mary approached them. “I’m hungry,” Mary said, pulling on Ella’s sleeve.
    Ella froze. What was she supposed to do with this man and his questions? Lunch time had arrived, and she couldn’t ask him to leave.
    He cleared his throat. “As I said, I have a lot of questions about the Amish. I know I’m imposing on you, but I really don’t know where else to start. If you want to make lunch for the children, I can ask my questions while you work or I can come back some other time.”
    “No,” she said, glancing at his face. “You can ask questions while I work, if you don’t mind.”
    He looked quite determined, and she didn’t want him to come back. This visit was bad enough.
    “I’m hungry,” Mary said again. Sarah had joined her and nodded in agreement.
    “I really am sorry about this,” he said. “May I help?”
    “I’ll fix sandwiches,” she said, getting up. “The children are hungry, and you can eat with us. I don’t know how much I can answer because some things aren’t for Englisha ears, but ask away.”
    He laughed softly. “ Englisha, yes. But we aren’t from England.”
    “It is our way, and I don’t know that it can be helped. I suppose that’s the first answer to all things Amish. We do things our way, and that’s just the way it is.”
    “I understand,” he said. “Don’t let me hold you back from fixing the girls’ sandwiches.”
    “Oh, yah.” What was wrong with her? She was standing in the middle of the kitchen staring at him.
    “You haven’t eaten, have you?” she asked, turning and pulling homemade bread out of the cupboard.
    “Not since breakfast,” he said. “But I don’t want to be a bother.”
    He already was a bother, but he didn’t seem to know it.
    “It’ll be sandwiches then,” she said, slicing the bread. “Think you can handle that?”
    “With bread like that,” he said, watching the thick slabs falling on the cutting board. “And homemade butter, I assume—and jam.”
    “Are you guessing?” she asked. “Or do they starve you where you come from?”
    He laughed. “Of course not. They only starve you from the good things in life.”
    “Like homemade bread and butter?”
    “That and much more.” He stood to pull a chair out from under the kitchen table. Mary climbed on, and he scooted the chair back in.
    “ Danki ,” Mary said, all smiles.
    “Me too,” Sarah said, lifting up her hands.
    “Now, now,” Ella said. “You shouldn’t be bothering Mr. Hayes.”
    “Robert,” he said. “And it’s not a bother. I think I’m the one bothering you.”
    Ella took a few quick steps to pick Barbara up and lower her into the high chair. The baby slapped her arms up and down as she smiled at Robert.
    “Hi, there,” he said, leaning toward her. “You are a cute one.”
    Barbara jerked back, puckering up her face to cry. He backed away, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m sorry,” he said.
    “She doesn’t like you,” Mary said.
    “I see that.” He dropped his arms. “Why do you think she doesn’t like me?”
    “I don’t know,” Mary replied.
    “She’s a sweet baby,” he said. “Perhaps I’m just new to her. Don’t you think that’s all it is?”
    Mary shrugged.
    “Time to eat,”