You're Not Lost

"Did you want to change clothes before we go, or no?"

Janie asked the question to her cousin casually, as she sprawled out on her bed in the same manner as the night before.

"Just because it's really hot outside today. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." She added, as she mindlessly pushed more buttons on her cell phone.

Elizabeth sighed quietly to herself as she gazed in the full body mirror once more. Her pale pink cape dress came down to her ankles, and the sleeves came down to her elbows. This was a typical summer dress for her, and Janie's suggestion to change made her nervous. Her brown hair was pulled back, like always, and tucked into her white bonnet. She was wearing black stockings, as she knew she would be going out into public today, and plain black shoes.

"I...think I'd rather go like this..." She squeaked out her response. Janie smiled.

"Ok! Let's go!"

The petit blonde hopped off the bed and cheerfully headed to the door. Elizabeth couldn't help but to think what people were going to think when they saw them out together. Her cousin seemed like the complete opposite.

Janie had on a light purple tank top, as she called it, and short denim bottoms. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, almost on the top of her head, and it swished around when she moved. Her ears were exposed, and you could see three silver studs in each of her ear lobes. Her eyes were done up with makeup, but they were covered by plastic sunglasses; and her bright green sandals hit the backs of her feet whenever she walked.

Janie led the way down the stairs, stopped to grab her small pink wallet from the kitchen table, and then continued out the front door of the house.

"My mom is at work today, so we can't take her car out. We'll just have to walk to town, it's only about a 20 minute walk, and I can show you things along the way!"

Janie's excitement was contagious and Elizabeth smiled a genuine smile. She was grateful to have such a kind, stylish, happy friend to spend the day with.

It was a fairly quiet Friday afternoon as the two girls walked the streets of Maryland. It was only the beginning of June, so most kids on her street were still in school, Janie explained. But the first year of college for her had already ended mid-May.

Elizabeth didn't try to keep up with the education conversation. It was all too foreign to her. Most Amish education ended at about grade 8. Many of her friends back home still had trouble reading and writing, especially the men.

Elizabeth was lucky though. Her mother was not always a part of the Amish community, and she had taught Elizabeth for many years after school had formerly ended for her. She was not very good with math and sciences, of course, but reading and writing were her passions.

Although her mother had grew up English, she rarely spoke of it to her family. Countless times Elizabeth would plead her mother to tell her stories of what English life was like, but she would seldom get an answer. The answers she did receive were generic and bland.

"That's my friend Zack's house."

Janie pointed to a house at the opposite end of the road from her own. It looked about the same as every other house on the street. It was big, two stories, and an off-white color.

She pointed to the house across the street.

"And that's my best friend Jill's house! I've known her and Zack since we were five. Jill just got back from college this week, you'll meet her later tonight."

Elizabeth stayed quiet, and the girls continued walking through the suburban development until they hit a main road. With Janie continuing to lead, they crossed the road and turned down another.

"Here we are!" Janie smiled as she waved her arm to show off Main St. Elizabeth grinned.

"Wow..."

She looked down the road in awe. So many different kinds of people; driving, walking, biking, jogging. And so many different shops. As she took in the scene she hardly noticed the awkward glances she was already getting from some of the people passing by.

"There's a coffee shop, a sandwich shop, an antique shop, a book shop, a dog grooming salon, and a bunch of other boring business places...anything sound interesting, Elle?!"

It all sounded interesting.

The pair decided on the sandwich shop first.

"What looks good? I always get the same thing when I come here." Janie said as they looked up at the huge menu hanging on the wall.

"I...don't know." Elizabeth let out a nervous laugh. "There's so many choices...I guess I'll just get whatever you're getting as well."

Janie went up to the counter and ordered two turkey club sandwiches and two drinks. Elizabeth stayed back a few steps and wondered to herself what a turkey 'club' was. She was clueless about a majority of the menu, and decided to trust Janie on this one.

The automatic drink machine was another first. Elizabeth watched as Janie effortlessly slid her cup under a button, pressed it, and a dark, bubbly liquid came out.

"It's cherry cola, do you want some? You just push this button when the cup is under it." She explained.

"Is it like soda?" Elizabeth asked, as she went to fill up her cup anyway. She had tried soda before, but only once or twice.

"Yeah. It's soda that tastes like cherries!" Janie laughed.
Elizabeth laughed too, as she excitedly pressed the soda button. The two girls continued to giggle at the fact that pouring a drink could be so exciting. The man working the counter gave them strange looks.

--

"English food is good, but I do miss Amish food."

They had finished with lunch and were now heading toward the book shop.

"Mmm, I miss Amish deserts."
Janie closed her eyes in delight as she thought of all the cakes her Aunt Rebecca had made in the past.

"We can bake some!"

"We must!"

--

The girls spent a little while in the book shop before returning home. The sun was beginning to hide behind the clouds. For a long while they just sat in the grass of the front yard, talking.

"I'm nervous to meet your friends..." Elizabeth spoke up. As the words left her mouth she instantly felt some relief.

"Really!? Oh, don't be! They're a bunch of crazy people, you've got nothing to be nervous of! I told them all about you and they can't wait to meet you."

Elizabeth was surprised.

"So you told them all about your Amish cousin who doesn't know anything about English life and they're excited to meet me?"

Janie laughed at her cousins slight sarcasm.

"Yes! Not stop worrying! I grew up with these people, they're like family. They'll love you!"

Janie's words were comforting, but she still wasn't convinced