Trading Secrets (24 page)
“Well, apparently you make friends fast.”
“It's strange to think about it”âhe looks up at the skyâ“but just a few months ago, I felt kind of lost and lonely.”
“I remember you writing that in your letters,” I say. “That's one reason I wanted to see you.”
“
Ja
. . . you were the only one I could tell those things to, Micah.”
“You mean when you thought I was a boy?”
He laughs. “
Ja
. You were a strange sort of boy. Even for the English.”
“Really?” I try not to feel offended. “How did you really feel when you discovered that I was a girl?”
His expression turns serious. “Well, of course I was shocked and embarrassed. I mean, my whole family witnessed it. But a part of me was curious too. I wondered,
what kind of girl is this?
To travel all that way and pass herself off as a boy? I was very curious.”
“You acted so furious that night. I thought you hated me.”
His mouth twists to one side. “You want to know the real reason I was so upset?”
“Sure.”
“Because I'd wanted to come and stay at your house. I thought you were my chance to escape. But how could I run off with an English girl?”
“Yeah. That was pretty awkward.” I want to return to what he'd been saying. “You had felt kind of lonely working on the farm . . . kind of like your life was over, I think you said in one of your letters.”
“
Ja
. That was how I felt. At first I thought it was because I missed going to school and being with friends and learning. Working on the farm is a quiet, lonely life. After a couple of years, it started getting to me. I felt like my life was over. Like I'd been overlooked. Forgotten, even.”
“I remember you wrote to me about that,” I confess. “It worried me.”
His somber expression warms into a smile. “Everything has changed, Micah. I don't feel like that anymore.”
“That's so great. I'm happy for you.”
“Did I ever tell you the meaning of my name?”
“Zach?” I try to remember. “I don't think so.”
“Well, you know that Zach is short for Zachary. It's a Hebrew name. It means
remembered by
God
.” He reaches over and takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thanks to you and your family, I feel like that now. I feel like God really has truly remembered me.”
Suddenly I remember the meaning of my name too. “You know, my mom's the one who named me Micah,” I tell Zach. “And you are well aware that most people think it's a boy's name.” I laugh. “Sometimes I forget about what it means, although I do remember my mom telling me. It was why she named me that. Do you know what Micah means?”
“I have no idea.”
“Micah means
resembles God
.”
His eyes light up. “Your mom got it just right, Micah. You
do
resemble God. Many times I've looked at you and seen God in you. I believe God used you to remind me that he remembers me.”
Now, just like in my secret daydreams, Zach opens his arms and embraces me in a wonderful, sweet hug. I have no idea where this will take us, but I can tell it's a brand-new beginning.
Melody Carlson
is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, including
Double
Take
,
A Simple Song
,
My Amish Boyfriend
, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody recently received a
Romantic
Times
Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody, visit her website at
www.melodycarlson.com
.
My Amish Boyfriend
A Simple Song
Devotions for Real Life
Double Take
Just Another Girl
Anything but Normal
Never Been Kissed
Allison O'Brian on Her OwnâVolume 1
Allison O'Brian on Her OwnâVolume 2
L
IFE
AT
K
INGSTON
H
IGH
The Jerk Magnet
The Best Friend
The Prom Queen
T
HE
D
ATING
G
AMES
The Dating Games #1: First Date
The Dating Games #2: Blind Date
