Free The Amish Nanny by Mindy Starns Clark Page A

take it quite seriously and behave themselves in a godly manner throughout. Believe it or not, pregnancy prior to marriage is actually quite rare among the Amish, especially when compared to the rest of the world.”
    Still no spoken response from either of them, so I couldn’t resist adding one more thought.
    â€œStatistically speaking, you know, the majority of us do end up making a decision to join the church. Obviously, then, the practice of rumspringa does work. I’d say it’s a very necessary and useful phase of life. I just wanted to make sure you knew that it has nothing to do with wild parties or illicit behavior or trapping husbands and everything to do with building a solid, obedient, mature church body. I hope that clears up any misconceptions you may have had on the matter.”
    My lesson finished, I gave them one last moment to reply, and when they didn’t I simply turned back around and gulped down some juice. But then my heart began to pound and my cheeks began to burn as I realized what I’d just done. These weren’t little children, my teenage cousins, or even elderly Mennonites interested in the Amish way of life. These were Englischers . And I’d been rude. I wanted to get up and run out of there, but instead I forced myself to stay, feet crossed under the table, hands shaking only slightly when the waiter brought my food and I reached for my knife and fork.
    The couple behind me, however, didn’t last nearly as long. Before I’d even finished choking down my first slice of bacon, they were asking for the check and preparing to leave. I thought I could hear the man say something to the waiter about me, and suddenly I was afraid I might have blown the whole trip for everyone. Was I crazy, speaking to a pair of total strangers like that? What would happen if my companions and I were kicked off the train because of my behavior, way out here in the middle of nowhere? So much for being an adult! Right now I felt more like a toddler who had just thrown a big tantrum than a teacher educating others.
    Once the couple was gone, I found that my appetite had left as well. Putting down my fork, I motioned to the waiter and told him I was ready to pay.
    â€œNo need, ma’am. It’s been covered.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    He pointed toward the now-empty table behind me.
    â€œThe gentleman who was sitting there with his wife said to tell you that your breakfast is on him.” Looking at me quizzically, he added, “Oh, and also that they were sorry for having been rude.”
    After a long moment, a smile began to spread across my face. I told the waiter never mind, that my appetite had suddenly returned after all and I wouldn’t be leaving just yet. He offered to refresh my coffee and then wished me “bon appétit” before walking away.
    I scooped up a big bite of eggs and popped it into my mouth. Imagine that! Here I had confronted an Englisch couple and basically told them off, yet they ended up apologizing to me for having been rude—and paid for my meal besides. Shaking my head, I honestly couldn’t decide if my actions had been right or wrong. As a Christian, I was to be in the world and not of it, after all, and by allowing their conversation to get my hackles up, I had been concerning myself with the world and its silly misconceptions. On the other hand, with so much misinformation about my people floating around, how could it be wrong for me to have corrected such an embarrassing assumption, as long as I had done it respectfully?
    I still wasn’t sure how I felt about what I’d done, but either way, my unintended tirade had earned me a free meal and an apology. Though I doubted I’d ever tell the full story of what had just happened to a living soul, I couldn’t wait to share the term “ringalinga” with someone. But who? Maybe Silas, who was currently on a ringalinga of his own.
    As was I, actually, now