Love Means No Shame - Andrew Grey

he was using as a blanket, and the wide-brimmed black hat that had been carefully set on the empty manger. What on earth was an Amish boy doing sleeping in his barn?
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Love Means … NO SHAME
    Geoff didn’t get much time to contemplate the question, because a few seconds later, the boy’s eyes opened and immediately filled with fear. Suddenly he was on his feet and running like a jackrabbit out of the barn and into the yard. Lumpy looked at Geoff and took off after him, but Geoff called him back. “I’ll go. You get started with your work.” Lumpy nodded, and Geoff picked up the hat and pair of boots, walking outside. Dawn was just starting to break, and he could see the boy standing by the road, looking back at the barn.
    Geoff walked slowly in his direction, treating the boy like a spooked horse, making no sudden movements. “You forgot your boots and hat.” Geoff held them out to him, and when the boy didn’t move forward, Geoff slowly bent down and set them on the ground.

    “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” He stepped back, and the boy moved forward, pulling on his boots and taking his hat. “Why were you sleeping in the barn? Where’s your family?”
    “ Rumspringa .”
The word sounded foreign to Geoff. “I don’t know what that means.”
    The young man—Geoff could see now that he was definitely not a boy—stood back up again, those intense blue eyes boring into him. “It is my time away from the community.” Geoff nodded, not really understanding too much about Amish life other than what he’d heard secondhand. But if the boy was supposed to live away from the community and he was sleeping in his barn, he obviously didn’t have a place to stay. “Are you hungry?”
    The young man stood stock still as if deciding whether to answer or bolt, to listen to his fear or his stomach. “Yes.” Geoff smiled and extended his hand. “I’m Geoff, and this is my farm.”

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    Andrew Grey

    The Amish youth looked around, his eyes traveling over the house and barns, his expression filling with awe. “I’m Elijah, Elijah Henninger.” He took Geoff’s hand and shook it tentatively.
    “All right, Elijah, follow me, and we’ll get you some breakfast.” Geoff turned and walked toward the house, checking to see if Elijah was following. “It’s okay. We’re just going inside.” He led them to the back door and into the kitchen. Elijah followed and immediately took off his hat when he came inside, unsure of where to go or what to do.
    The look of surprise on Len’s face when he saw the young Amish man standing in the kitchen was hard to miss, but luckily Elijah was looking around and didn’t see it. Geoff pretended he hadn’t seen it either and started talking as though there was nothing out of the ordinary. “Is breakfast almost ready?” For a second, Len looked at him like he had three heads, but then he remembered his manners. “About ten minutes.”
    “Good.” Geoff motioned Elijah over. “Len, this is Elijah; he’ll be joining us for breakfast. Elijah, this is Leonard—Len. He’s the foreman here on the farm.” There was no way that Geoff was going to try to explain their relationship, and Len seemed to understand and followed his lead. Geoff indicated a chair, and Elijah sat down, placing his hat beneath the chair. “Thank you, sir.” Len finished dishing up the food, putting three plates at their places on the table while Geoff poured glasses of juice and set them at each place.

    “What’s that?” Geoff saw Elijah pointing at the glass.

    Oh my God… what a realization. “It’s orange juice; try it.” Elijah looked dubious but took a sip and smiled, tasting some more before putting the glass back down. He then started eating with gusto, the eggs, pancakes, and toasted bread disappearing quickly, 38

    Love Means … NO SHAME

    washed down by the juice. He was definitely hungry. Geoff watched out of the corner of his eye as he ate his own breakfast and sipped his coffee. He’d poured Elijah a cup, and the young man had sipped it, shuddered, and put the cup back down, not touching it again.
    Len had been watching Elijah with a strange look on his face.
“I know you.” Then he remembered. “I see you at the bakery when I buy bread.”
    A banging outside startled all of them, with Elijah jumping a little in his chair, and then Fred hurried into in the kitchen, his eyes widening when he saw Elijah. “Len, it’s Princess; she’s struggling with the foal. I