Go Get Your Mother Son
Conrad was a good man, a hard working man, a God-fearing Amish man. Now, the Amish are known for simple living, plain dress and have adopted a life of Christian pacifism and a strong hesitation to adopt modern technology. They prefer face-to-face communications, not a phone. They seek self-sufficiency, but now and then, must partake of conveniences and products offered by urban merchants.
Conrad valued his rural life, a life of manual labor, humility and “Gelassenheit”, submission to God’s word. He, nor any member of his young family, had been to the town in several years Others living in the area who visited town more had often been kind enough on several occasions to get a few things for Conrad’s family, saving him a trip and allowing him to accomplish important work at the farm. The last time he had been to town was to help with the emergency flood control six Springs ago. Every Amish man and boy for miles around had answered the call and the locals had not forgotten.
One evening, his wife, Rebecca, quietly said, “The child should see the town. I would like to see the town. Will you consider a family trip to town?”
Conrad thought for a moment as he stared into the pleading eyes of his wife, Rebecca. Their two daughters had been to town before the flood. “Why not?”, he responded with a smile. Conrad was not a boasting man, but he was proud of himself. .She was a good wife, a Germanic beauty, fair of skin and shape. She was a good seamstress and knew her way well around the kitchen. She had given Conrad a fine, healthy son, Ernst. Ernst was just over six years of age; but he didn’t know there was more to the world than the farm. He was already a good work helper and big for his age; but Conrad agreed that he should know of and visit the town with he and Rebecca. She was happy and Ernst was excited.
The town had changed a great deal since the flood. It was much larger than before. Many of the familiar old buildings had been razed and their space rededicated to some other business. Town seemed much more modern, particularly in the suburban areas they were passing through. There was so much more traffic than he remembered. Still, no one honked at them in their surrey. Conrad was thankful for that since this was his horse’s first trip to the town as well, and he was the “spirited” sort that a horn might upset.
Suddenly, Rebecca saw a huge fabric store with “Big Sale Today” signs. She was very excited and told Conrad that she would be in this store for quite a while. She urged him to take Ernst and go see the rest of the town. Conrad deemed that was for the best and agreed to pick her up in two hours.
Leaving the surrey parked at the fabric store, Conrad and Ernst wandered down the street. They were in awe of all the signage and the merchandise in the windows. Conrad could tell that Ernst was having a great time. They stopped on a street corner where a hot dog vender happened to be standing. He was selling quite a few to passers, many of whom seemed to know him. Conrad thought it over, then ordered 2 with chili and onions and mustard. Pure whimsy, he knew; but the boy was so appreciative of the act and the hot dog. They were excellent dogs and the chili was perfect. They finished up their dogs and thanked the vender for the experience.
“Father. Father. What is that building?” Across the street was a large gray stone building with pillars in front and several steps to the front doors, where a uniformed guard was standing. It was most impressive. Well dressed people were moving in and out of the building. “I don’t know, son. Let us go inside and see.” They crossed the street and climbed the steps to the doors. When they entered, they were greeted by marble floors, glass and brass everywhere, all surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers. There were sofas and chairs to sit on and beautiful art on the walls. Very busy people scurried about, usually carrying papers of some kind to one of the many glass-enclosed offices.
Gazing around, Ernst asked, “Father. Father. What are those golden doors?” Conrad looked and saw two sets of “golden doors” side by side. He responded, “I’m not sure son. Let us watch and learn.” Just then, a chubby older woman, old enough to be Conrad’s mother, stepped up to the golden doors and pressed a button on the wall. Soon, one set of doors opened up and she stepped in. As Conrad and Ernst watched, they could see the lights go up and, after a bit, come back down. The doors opened and a stunningly beautiful and well built redhead stepped out.
Conrad looked at Ernst and said, “Go get your mother son.”
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