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Deputy Jennings and the Black Buggies

November 28, 2018 by Jim Potter 8 Comments

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Deputy-Jennings-and-the-Black-Buggies.m4a

·  Episode 2  ·

Previously, in Episode 1 (Topsoil, the Story: Deputy Tom Jennings Meets Rosannah Yoder), Deputy Tom Jennings responded to a 911 call to investigate theft of soil from a county ditch. Upon arrival, he met resident Rosannah Borntrager Yoder.

*

Artist, Marie Worden, 1994. If you have more information about Marie, please contact me!

Driving his horse and buggy, Jacob Yoder arrived at the scene of the so-called crime. He and his wife, Anna, carried a buggy-full of grandchildren—five of them belonging to Rosannah and Adam. Anna held the youngest in her arms. All of the children remained curious but quiet as Jacob exited his trusted transportation.

Rosannah had been observing the buggy for several minutes as it neared the farmstead. She welcomed the clip-clop sound of the horse’s hooves on the asphalt. She half-smiled at the neigh and whinny of the horse. Faith and family kept her strong. She exhaled a deep breath when she saw the faces of her parents and her children. Their worried eyes were big and unblinking but their mouths relaxed the longer they stared at her standing safely beside the big, uniformed, English man.

Deputy Jennings had the information he needed for his case. He would be sure there wasn’t a single blank box on the report form. Jennings was ready to go “10-8,” to get back into service, to become available for the next assignment, but he knew that first he had more explaining to do.

Just then he heard a loud noise. It was his stomach growling. He was famished. Tom considered his next meal.

Jennings had watched the buggy pull into the driveway of the house, its rotating wooden wheels, slowing to a stop. He was amazed that one horse could pull so many people. The buggy’s engine was one horsepower yet it carried two adults and how many children? From his patrol car he tried to count the number of straw hats and bonnets worn by the youngsters, but he soon gave up.

The Amish man, Jacob, and his daughter, Rosannah, were talking, but they were a fair distance away from the deputy. Jennings couldn’t make out the words. He wondered if they were speaking Dutch or German.

Yackel started barking excitedly which was extremely unusual unless he perceived a threat or had discovered drugs. Jennings visually scanned the area, but he didn’t recognize any potential problems.

Nein!” Jennings shouted, telling Yackel, “no,” to stop barking. He considered letting Yackel out of the SUV for a bathroom break. 

Jennings decided to wait until he was approached by the long-bearded Amish man wearing the common solid-colored shirt, dark blue pants held up with suspenders, and straw hat, before initiating a conversation. There wasn’t much more for him to say that he hadn’t already explained to Rosannah Yoder. He hoped they would understand. He was just doing his job.

But, as he waited beside his patrol car, he spotted them. The distant black boxes, like hard-shelled turtles, were approaching and growing larger. “Buggies!” he said out loud. “Lots of them!”

Rosannah and Jacob stopped talking and studied the road. Between the two of them, they gradually identified each advancing family by the subtle differences in their respective horses and Plain buggies.

Jennings thought back to the morning’s patrol briefing. He didn’t recall a request for a funeral’s traffic control, but the horse-drawn buggies were approaching from both the north and the south. “What was going on?” he asked himself. He sure hoped that his location wasn’t their intended destination.

Jennings’ brain searched for an explanation. Maybe the Amish buggies were headed to church for a wedding, a funeral, or a prayer meeting. Or, did they even have churches? Should he call in deputies for traffic control? If he was the reason they were on the road, would he need help? He imagined his radio call: “431, Dispatch, I’ve been surrounded by Amish buggies and need help! The Plain people are holding me down and shaving my mustache! Send all available Mennonites to render officer assistance.”

Well, he thought again, he should at least notify his sergeant. Was there going to be an Old Order Amish uprising? He’d always heard that the Amish weren’t violent, that they were consciousness objectors when the country had a military draft. But still, couldn’t they be armed with slingshots, pocket knives, heavy skillets, sharp kitchen knives, pitchforks, and hunting rifles? Or make explosives from natural fertilizer?

Jennings had a feeling that he was on the verge of learning a thing or two about cultural communication. He understood that the situation might become a personal test of his ability to help resolve conflict.

The first buggy, one of many, turned into the driveway. The Yoder house was their destination. Jennings tried to swallow. His only thought was a question: “What on earth have I got myself into?”

*

Cottonwood County (KS) Deputy Tom Jennings, K-9 officer. Sculpture by J. Alex Potter; Photo by Gina Laiso.

“431 to 422,” Deputy Jennings said into his police radio’s microphone.

“Go ahead,” replied Sergeant Hunter.

“Can you 10-23 with me at my assignment?”

“10-4, be there shortly. I’m encountering a lot of buggies and tractors headed in your direction.”

“10-4, thanks,” concluded Jennings, unrealistically hoping the Amish church districts were gathering for a vote about the use of electricity, or meeting to discuss whether or not to permit their youth to play electronic games on their phones, if they owned any.

To be continued.

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

 

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Filed Under: Blog posts Tagged With: Adam Yoder, Amish, Amish buggies, Behind the Books Blog, black buggies, Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Tom Jennings, Jacob Borntrager, Jim Potter, M. Worden, Old Order Amish, Prairie Grove Kansas, Rosannah Yoder, Topsoil, Yackel

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarMiriam Iwashige says

    November 28, 2018 at 8:25 am

    I’m going to guess that those buggies and tractors are arriving for a “frolic” which has more to do with hard work and community life than mirth and gaiety. Tom Jennings might well have been worried if he saw hammers and saws and shovels being unloaded from those buggies or sharp knives and heavy skillets in the hands of the ladies . I notice that you got some tricky details right–such as straw hats on a weekday during the summer. Good for you. Some people know only about black felt hats–which are worn for church or any time on cold weekdays. Bonnets, on the other hand, are often worn year round. So a setting during the gardening season calls for straw hats and bonnets. The description of curious and quiet children is just right too.

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      November 28, 2018 at 2:08 pm

      Miriam, I’m so glad you got this story started! Thanks to you I already edited today’s blog. On the list of Amish implements of destruction, I added heavy skillets and sharp kitchen knives! Jim

      Reply
  2. AvatarAnonymous says

    November 28, 2018 at 9:51 am

    I love these “new adventures of Tom Jennings” !

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      November 28, 2018 at 2:05 pm

      Thanks! They certainly are “new.”

      Reply
  3. AvatarNancy Julien Kopp says

    November 28, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Somehow, I missed part one but this got me hooked. Looking forward to the next installment, Jim.

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      November 28, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Nancy, thanks for your encouragement! Were you able to click on the link to Episode 1 from today’s second installment? If not, just go to my website. I’m having so much fun with this! Jim

      Reply
  4. AvatarAnonymous says

    November 28, 2018 at 8:16 pm

    Just because it’s Amish, it feels so “old timey” and the blending of the cultures is impressive. Nice work, Jim.

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      November 28, 2018 at 8:19 pm

      Thank you! I have so much I want to explore; it’s really exciting!

      Reply

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What People Are Saying

Sean McArdle

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:24:22-06:00

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sean-mcardle/

Rebecca

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:41:14-06:00

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca/

Wynona Winn

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:18:33-06:00

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/wynona-winn/

Denise Low

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:31:21-06:00

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/denise-low/

Larry Kruckman

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:27:15-06:00

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/larry-kruckman/

Deb Theis

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:20:29-06:00

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/deb-theis/

John & Cindy Morrill

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:14:56-06:00

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/john-cindy-morrill/

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.

Morgan Penner

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:25:35-06:00

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/morgan-penner/

Dennis Perrin

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Dennis Perrin, educator

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:44:55-06:00

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/dennis-perrin/

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Rebecca Schillaci

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:46:40-06:00

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca-schillaci/

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Sheryl Remar

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:47:46-06:00

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sheryl-remar/

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Jane Holzrichter

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:21:41-06:00

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/jane-holzrichter/

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Steve Becker

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:26:21-06:00

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/steve-becker/

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Diana Dester

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:19:23-06:00

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/diana-dester/

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:44:26-06:00

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/karleen-wilson-moon/

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

Judy Hawk

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:15:48-06:00

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/judy-hawk/
16
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