Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“Can you believe we are doing this?” Hannah asks beside me, her face lit up as we pass buildings and structures we don’t recognize.
“I sure can’t.” Rachel says, reading a book she picked up at the bus station. It does not seem appropriate, but then again we left home to learn what we didn’t know and figure out who we are so who am I to say anything?
“Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at your destination in ten minutes. At this time we ask that you remain seated and wait for the bus to park in the depot. Thank you for riding with Greyhound.”
Once again I look at the letter and let my mind play a guessing game. I am trying to picture his face. I bet he looks rough, but I sense his eyes are warm. I know his hands will show he is a worker, but I like that. My Daed used to say, “A man’s worth is shown in his hands. If they are worn and scarred he has lived his life as he should. If they show no use and no wear, he has lived his life for sin.”
I don’t know if that last part is true given what our way of life is, but I do believe the first part. A man works using his entire self to provide. “I sure hope he is nice,” Lavinia says, frowning a bit.
“It seems like it,” I tell her, once again looking down at his words on paper. “It was nice of him either way to let you five come with me, no?” She nods in agreement but says nothing else. I look over to Miriam noticing she is quiet, and I start to worry. “Miriam, are you having second thoughts?” She turns her head and shakes it.
“No. Just wondering why none of our ads were chosen.” I also wondered the same thing, but I had mailed mine ahead of theirs by weeks. We did leave a forwarding address with Charlie should they get a response.
Turning, I intend to address Miriam when the driver once again comes over the speaker. “We have arrived passengers. Please be seated until the doors open.” Where I was calm a moment ago, now my stomach is doing rumbles. A number of doubts go through my mind at this final moment, but I know it is too late. I attempt to calm my nerves and say a silent prayer in my head that I haven’t led my sister to damnation, but to a future.
The closer I walk to the door, the more I feel as if I am going to be ill. As the last one off, when I walk down the last stair, my sisters are all lined up to the side. I look around, trying to figure out how I am going to know who is here for us and then it occurs to me that he left me his address. Maybe we have to find our own way. That is when I see him. Well, I assume it is him.
There is a man holding a sign with my name on it. I don't immediately move toward him. I use these moments to take in his appearance. Soak up as much of his outer body as I can. “Is that him?” Ada asks, whispering in my ear.
“I am not sure. It’s either him or someone he sent to pick us up.” I answer back. I guess there is only one way to find out.
Chapter Three
Jasper
I’ve been waiting for my bride for a week, but today is the day. She’s coming in on the five o'clock bus from Ohio. I’m at the bus station, which is the train station in town. I live about five miles outside of Hollow’s Hollow but that’s nothing. I’m pacing. The bus is eight minutes late. Eight. It’s nothing, but the longer it takes to get here, the more I worry. What if something happened to her or her sisters? Six Amish girls, presumably naive girls, traveling almost two hundred miles from home… anything could happen. Disastrous thoughts run rampant through my mind. Thoughts of mangled metal and blood fill my head and I have to shake my head to dispel the thoughts I have.
I’m still pacing when the bus finally pulls to a stop in front of the train depot. The doors open and I wait patiently as passenger after passenger gets off. My gut starts to churn thinking maybe something happened when they don’t get off, immediately. Hell maybe they changed their mind.
Finally after what feels like forever, six girls dressed in a rainbow of solid-colored dresses. They each have a black bonnet on their heads, but their hair hangs free. My research tells me that black bonnets mean a woman is single. All of their tresses are long. All of them are pretty, their body shapes and sizes varied, but none of them call to me like the last one to get off the bus. I am drawn to her. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.