“They enjoy getting together this way, even if it’s to do housework.”
“Well, I certainly feel more prepared now than I did before.” She gave Edna a tentative smile. “We might actually pull this off without having to apologize for anything.”
“Of course you will. I never doubted it for a moment.”
Phoebe wished she had that same level of faith in her abilities.
Chapter 29
Thursday afternoon, when Phoebe entered the workshop to bring Seth some of the oatmeal raisin cookies she’d baked, she found him cleaning his tools.
He glanced her way and put the tools down. “You’ll have to eat one of those with me to celebrate—I’ve finished the last of the Christmas orders.”
“Oh, Seth, that’s wunderbaar!”
He nodded. “I counted the sets, went through every drawer and counted the pieces, just to make sure. They’re all there.” He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck. “I actually made the deadline, even with the addition of that last-minute order for four sets.” He met her gaze. “Or I should say we made the deadline. Your suggestion of the assembly-line process did the trick.”
“Actually it had more to do with all the help you received from your brieder.” She grinned. “Even if you did have trouble accepting that help.”
He had the grace to look a little sheepish at that. “I’ll admit I was reluctant to give up control of my process. But I didn’t have a lot of choice and, in the end, I actually enjoyed having my brieder around and seeing the way they took ownership of the finished product.”
“Well, I think this calls for not only a familye celebration but also a frolic of sorts to get these all packed up and ready for shipping.”
True to her word, Phoebe set up a frolic-like atmosphere that evening for the final packaging of the sets. She had prepared a pan of snickerdoodles and popped a big bowl of popcorn for snacking and the whole household was recruited to get the job done. Even Edna declared she wanted to play a part, if only to read through Seth’s checklist.
Though grateful for everyone’s enthusiastic willingness to help, Seth found himself unable to relax. He hovered over everyone, making sure the right sets went to the right recipients, that the inner packaging was such that the contents were well protected and secured, that the outer packaging was absolutely perfect so that nothing would come open in transit. Despite that, the mood among the others in the room was lighthearted and even playful.
When at last it was finished, everyone just sat back and stared for a moment. Then Levi grinned and let out a loud whoop, tossing some popcorn in the general direction of his brieder. “We did it!”
With a laugh, several of the others reached for the bowl and retaliated. Quite a bit of popcorn ended up on the floor as kernels were tossed back and forth.
Seth let them go at it awhile—they deserved a little bit of horseplay after putting in so many hours to help him out. A moment later he got hit with a handful of the salty white snack himself.
Caught by surprise, he glanced around the room and realized Phoebe was the culprit. “I don’t believe you did that.”
“Why not?” She didn’t look at all repentant. “Someone needed to do it—you were looking much too pompous.”
“Was I now?” He plucked some of the popcorn from his lap and bent to put it on the side table. Then at the last minute tossed it in Phoebe’s direction.
She laughed as most of it landed in her lap, and the sight of that delighted merriment held him entranced for a moment.
It was only when Edna stood and called a halt that he came back to himself. “I think that’s enough for tonight.” She managed to include them all in her stern gaze. “I’m going to bed but I expect every one of you to help Phoebe clean up this mess.”
As they worked to comply with Edna’s demand, Seth announced to his brieder, “I plan to take these to town tomorrow to have them shipped and Phoebe is going to go with me to do her shopping. So make sure if there’s anything you need from town it makes it to the list.” Even if she couldn’t read it, a list was a gut thing to have. And he’d help her check everything off.
It was the least he could do.
Phoebe made certain she was on time the next morning—she didn’t want to keep Seth waiting like the last time they’d gone to town.
Still, when she stepped outside she found him standing beside the buggy, blowing on his gloved hands, no doubt trying to warm his face.
“I’m sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said as she approached.
“Nee,” he answered with a smile. “I only just finished getting Chester hitched to the buggy.”
The lightness of his tone made her smile. Having finished all his work by the deadline had definitely put him in a gut mood this morning. When she grabbed the frame to climb into the familye buggy she noticed that the ready-for-shipping cartons he’d loaded inside earlier almost filled the entire back.
Once she’d settled inside, Seth set the buggy in motion. Phoebe lifted her face and inhaled deeply. Despite the cold it was a beautiful day—the sun was out and there were only a few clouds dotting the blue sky.
The silence between them was companionable, comfortable, as if they were two old friends. But after a while she decided she wanted to hear his voice. And learn more about him at the same time. So she hit on a subject that would accomplish both. “You said that the chess set we use for our games was one of the first ones you made. How old were you at the time?”
“Fourteen.”
“Fourteen? Ach, so young. How did you learn such a skill at such an age?”
“When I was a boy, even before he married my mamm, Daed liked to whittle little trinkets for me and other kinner. Watching him make these little animals and whistles out of a bit of wood always fascinated me. Then, when I was about eight years old, he gave me my first whittling knife and patiently taught me how to carve without cutting myself. Then other things, like how to carve actual figures and make whistles, how to choose the right piece of wood, how to smooth the pieces out.” He shrugged. “After a while I found myself experimenting on my own and making other things. I liked to challenge myself with each new project. The chess set I made for Daed was a result of that.”
He liked to challenge himself—she could see that in him. “So is that when you started selling the chess sets?”
“Nee. I made another set a couple of months later for an onkel who had seen Daed’s set and admired it. And then I made a few more as I had time and gave them away as gifts. I did it more because I enjoyed carving the pieces and wanted to try to improve my skill.” He shifted in his seat. “Eventually I did get the occasional request from people who had seen them and wanted one. So, if I could fit it in with my workload on the farm, I made them for just the cost of the materials.”
“That was generous of you. Did you ever try to make other games?”
“Jah. Once I started making chess sets I knew that’s what I wanted to do, but I also tried a few things like tops and tic-tac-toe games. Daed said he would speak to a toymaker he knew about me apprenticing with him, and I knew if I did that I might have to do more than just chess sets.”
“And that was something you wanted to do, apprentice with a toymaker, I mean?”
