Bobby Halverson was Apple Creek’s one-man snow-removal department, mostly because he had the only plow within about ten miles, and in a big storm the County boys usually concentrated on Wooster and the bigger towns, leaving Apple Creek to fend for itself.  He had rigged up the plow on his tractor three years ago, with Dutch’s help, and kept the roads mostly clear that year.  The locals were so grateful they pooled some money to create a snowplow fund to help Bobby with expenses.  It wasn’t a lot but it helped Bobby keep the tractor running and get a few extras, which was nice, especially this year, with thanksgiving tomorrow, and his mom and dad barely getting by on their small pensions.

Bobby was a kind man, well-liked and respected in the community.  He was a decorated war vet, honest and easy-going, and he was friendly with just about everyone in town.  He especially got along with the Amish folk and often went out of his way to plow the unpaved roads into their farms.  He had made friends with several of the families, and from time to time they would invite him as a guest to some of their community gatherings.  The first time he accepted their invitation and attended a harvest feast most of the Amish had been cool toward him, but they deeply appreciated his help in the winter, and gradually came to accept him as a friend.  Yet they still avoided intimate or one-on-one situations and  Bobby was fine with that.  The one exception was the Springer family, but that was because Bobby had a different kind of history with Reuben and Jerusha, much of which he did not like to think about.

Bobby was brought up as a Bible-believing Baptist, and he understood the Amish avoidance of the things of the world.  He liked the Amish folks, with their plain ways and their unswerving faith in God.  When he was younger, Bobby had traveled around, “sown some wild oats” and had even been married for a while, but the marriage didn’t last and he remembered that time as one of the darker periods of his life.  When he moved back to his parents’ house in Apple Creek, he was pretty much done in by his adventures, his divorce and the ensuing bleakness of his world.  He bounced from one job to another but couldn’t seem to settle anywhere.  While he was looking for something to do with his life he became interested in the Amish way, and had even considered becoming a “seeker”.  Their lifestyle had seemed so uncomplicated and pure and that was something that was missing in Bobby’s life, so he was drawn to it.

Then the war came and he enlisted.  When he returned he had a different slant on things and was not so interested in “religion”.  He received good training in the Army and got a job right away working as a maintenance man at one of the local mills.  He settled into a comfortable routine and let his interest in becoming Amish go by the wayside.  Beside that, he knew there were just too many things on “the outside”; things like his cigarettes, an occasional shot of whiskey, and especially the Ohio State/Michigan game this coming week-end, that still captured his attention, so he contented himself with helping out when he could.

         I bet they call the Big Game off.

He went back to the open door of the shop.  Bobby was worried about this storm.  The wind was blowing in from western Pennsylvania, and the way it was picking up, along with the big drop in temperature, told Bobby that a humdinger of a nor’easter was coming through.  He’d heard radio reports that the storm had been moving north over Washington D.C, but was now slowly turning and coming through Pennsylvania toward Ohio.  The weatherman had called it an “extratropical cyclone”, whatever that meant, and warned about high winds and even tornadoes along the path of the storm.  Many of the outlying farms would be snowbound and there would definitely be some downed power lines and blackouts.  So it was critical that Dutch get the old plow in shape, because Bobby knew it would be a long haul until Monday.

Outside, the wind continued to gust and the snow fell softly on the road.  There was still enough heat from the sun left in the asphalt to melt off some of the snow, but it wouldn’t be long until the roads were covered and icy.  Bobby stared out at the street.  A few cars made their way toward the center of the village, probably headed for the creamery or the grocery store to do some last minute Thanksgiving shopping.

I sure wish things had turned out different for the Springers.  Doesn’t seem to me that Reuben and Jerusha got a fair shake.  There was a time when it seemed they had the world by the tail …

 

Excerpt from “A Quilt For Jenna” – Coming February 1, 2013