An Amish Noel. Patricia Davids

      Luke spent Monday morning prowling through Zachariah’s sheds and barn, taking stock of what equipment the man had squirreled away. He found eight chain saws, none of which worked, and a half dozen two-man saws that only needed sharpening; six bailers in various stages of rust; three silage blowers; eighteen carriage wheels; twelve sets of harnesses; four plows; four harrows; fifty-five assorted sizes of horseshoes and a busted corn binder. As he went through, over and around the piles, he made notes in a small spiral notebook. Roy worked with him, but Alvin had school and wouldn’t be home until after three o’clock.

      Zachariah came out to check on their progress occasionally, but for the most part, he puttered in the half-built hardware store. Luke gained the impression that it was hard for Zachariah to see his holdings being assessed by someone with an eye to selling them. He didn’t see hide nor hair of Emma. Was she avoiding him?

      Stupid question. Of course she was.

      Where they could, Luke and Roy moved Zachariah’s hoard to lay it out for better access and to inventory the cardboard boxes and wooden crates filled with gears, bearings, nails and assorted small tools. They were both covered with dust and grease within a few hours.

      “I count twenty-three oil lamps complete with shades and wicks in these boxes. Looks like only one shade is cracked.” Luke replaced the last lid and moved to tally the rope and tackle hanging on pegs nearby.

      “What are these?” Roy asked, pulling a tarp away from a stack of silver-and-blue metal panels in the hayloft of Zachariah’s largest barn. Luke suspected the horses’ and cattle’s need for hay was the only reason this part of the barn hadn’t been overtaken yet.

      Luke stopped counting the pulleys and puzzled over Roy’s find for second. “I think they’re solar panels.”

      “The kind that make electricity?”

      “Ja. I wonder how your daed came by them. I always thought they were expensive to buy.”

      “He probably traded for them. That’s what Daed does. He trades for stuff. He rarely buys anything. Could these be used to charge up my cell phone?”

      “I’m sure it could, but I don’t know how to make it work.”

      Roy flipped the cover back over the solar array. “I thought you were gonna tell me to get rid of my phone. That’s what Emma would say.”

      “I know a lot of guys your age carry them. You aren’t baptized yet, so you don’t have to abide by the church rules.”

      “Emma says I need to. She is always harping about how hard it will be to give up my Englisch things later. She says it’s better to give them up now before I get attached to them.”

      “She might have a point. You shouldn’t be too hard on your sister. She means well.”

      “I know. It’s just that she tries to be our mother. She’s not.”

      “She’s been taking care of you and Alvin since you were little. You can’t blame her for wanting to see that you turn out right.”

      “How I turn out is going to be my decision, not hers.”

      The boy had a point. No amount of his mother’s prayers or pleading had kept Luke home when he was ready to leave. “Once she gets married, she won’t have as much time to fuss at you.”

      Roy’s eyebrows shot up. “Emma is getting married?”

      “Your daed mentioned as much. I figured you knew.”

      “I thought my sister would be an old maid forever.”

      “So you don’t know who she has been seeing?” Was that odd, or was Roy simply too caught up in his own life to see what was happening under his nose? Luke was ashamed to admit that he had been like that at Roy’s age.