The plot thickens.
I dropped off two large turkeys at Levi and Mattie's today. Tim headed straight down to the sawmill. He wanted to talk to Levi. He had read that the state police were looking for information. A logging site had been robbed. We didn't know where. We didn't know when. We didn't know what was taken, but Tim wanted to let Levi know he probably did not want to be buying any tools for the sawmill off 'Joshua'.
We were all visiting in that warm kitchen when the men returned. The situation was discussed in general terms, little pitchers having big ears and the fact that there were nine little pitchers in that kitchen. Levi mentioned that Joshua had left his telephone number. He wanted to be a driver for the Amish. (Some folks make a living doing that.)
I said, "Do you have his last name then?"
Levi hauled out his wallet and rifled through it thoughtfully. He found the name, and I put it in the UJS portal on my phone. Our Joshua has a history of theft and receiving stolen property. His last arrest was September 18th.
Levi looked shocked, his mouth wide open. "Well," he said, putting his wallet away, "we are not going to need a ride from that one."
Looks like Joshua has a shady little business going. Good thing you checked.
ReplyDeleteLooks like.
DeleteThat's good that it's clear what his intentions were...and sad that a young man is involved in doing this (probably to buy drugs...which is also sad, but not your problem to solve.)
ReplyDeleteWe will never be sure what his intentions were that night. Was he selling something, or taking advantage of an empty house to pick up more merchandise?
DeleteGood that you are friends and Levi trusts you.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that we are friends.
DeleteHow bizarre that the guy thinks he can continue his evil ways. I didn't know the Amish had drivers. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteMy husband had an uncle in Versailles, Missouri, who drove the Amish. There were several Amish people at his funeral.
DeleteLevi and Mattie have a son with some serious health issues. I drive them to Pittsburgh for his appointments when he needs to go. When Mattie was expecting, I drove her to Erie. Levi needed a part for the sawmill, and I drove them to an Amish Machine shop in another state. They usually travel by horse, but buggies are not permitted on the interstates and it is not practical for a horse to travel that kind of distance. Our agreement is that they reimburse me for gas. I actually think it's kind of inhuman to charge to drive a sick child to receive medical care. Mattie told me that they generally pay a couple hundred dollars to go to Pittsburgh. In good conscience, I could never do that. As time passes, it's just morphed into a friendly back and forth. They are there for us. We are there for them.
ReplyDeleteOur suspicions about Joshua were correct then. Well sleuthed. Debby.
ReplyDeleteI was following up on the dog's tip.
DeleteClearly the arrest in September did not persuade him to mend his ways. Many years ago I was called up to do jury service in the local court. One of the first cases to be tried was a young man accused of car theft. The services of the jury were not required as he immediately admitted his guilt then calmly requested for 135 similar cases to be taken into consideration. (Under this system they avoid being tried for these crimes at a later date).
ReplyDeleteHis father lives in our area, but he's from Jamestown NY. I have a feeling that what I am seeing on the Pennsylvania court docket side is just a piece of his history, but I cannot access the docket system in New York State. It also bothers me that in addition to the thefts, which date back to 2016, he's got a defiant trespass, which means he was told not to come onto the property, but he ignored it.
DeleteSo your uneasy feelings about Joshua were justified. Well done, but sad for Joshua.
ReplyDeleteYes. It is good though that people know he is not trustworthy. I can tell you that word will shoot around the Amish community. I don't know how they do it without phones, but everyone will be aware.
DeleteWell sometimes mobile phones come in handy. Sad about Joshua's trade in stolen goods though.
ReplyDeleteHe's a 31 year old man who seems to have made some pretty poor choices.
DeleteYour interactions with these folk are very interesting, strange as they might be.
ReplyDeleteI think if you had a community of Amish around you, you would find your interactions with them quite easy.
DeleteI know a few people who retired and then went into driving for the Amish. The Amish around us tend to be a little more distant from the English than yours appear to be. Although we stop and talk occasionally on the roadside and trade gifts of food, we've never been invited into their house.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a little different situation because of the Pittsburgh drives. You cannot help but get to know each other on a two hour+ drive.
DeleteMy Hubs and I took a concealed carry class, and the teacher taught us about levels of awareness. The lowest level are the lalalala folk who have no awareness of their surroundings or of other people or their intentions. They either don't have or they ignore any gut feelings. They are the ones who get mugged/robbed/hurt. The next type are the head-on-a-swivel type, who identify the exits everywhere they are, and are completely aware of the people around them and pay attention to what they feel in their gut. They are not afraid or scared, but when shit gets real, they can react decisively into the next levels of awareness/action. Our teacher told us that this is the level of awareness we should all have, every day, every where. I have a feeling you are the head-on-swivel type, Debby, and your gut feelings were correct.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the scene in the dark made me very uneasy, but the thing that cemented it for me was the fact that the dog did not like him at all. The dog knows us, but still was barking when we pulled up, but when Joshua pulled up, Shadow's barking reached a crescendo. He was beside himself. He stayed in the shadows where he couldn't be seen (black dog in a very black night), but he was at the front of the house where the man was standing and he was carrying on so badly that it was hard to hear what the man was saying. He talked very fast. The dog was very loud. I got old ears.
DeleteGod love a good dog, just for this. If a dog is uneasy, it says a lot about the person. Dogs can sense intent.
DeleteI made sure that Mattie knew what a good dog he had been. No one will ever sneak up on them with that fellow about. He was barking when we pulled in, but nothing at all like the fuss he put up when the second car pulled in.
DeleteThere is an Amish area in Sarasota, and it is quite large. They ride black three-wheel bikes since horses and the traffic on the streets is not safe. Some of the older ones come south for the winter but they hire a van that brings a number at one time. The ones that live here have business and lots of great Restaurants with really good food. We had an Amish friend come cut trees for us. He left the trunks about 12 foot high, another man came and cut the stumps for his sawmill. He told my husband he would have come this far for anyone but him as he had always been considered a good friend. He asks if he might bring his wife to visit us and we had a fun time. She worked in a small market with lots of good food and home-made things. I shopped there some and we discovered the wife and I knew each other already.
ReplyDeleteHow funny. What always gets me is the way that they know each other. Last year when we were shopping for Christmas for the children, we were looking at a monopoly game. I wondered outloud if Amish would be offended by monopoly. Honest to pete, I turned around and there was an Amish woman standing there. So I asked her. She said they loved playing monopoly when she was a child. Then she said, "I wonder who it is that you know." I told her, and she said, "Oh, Levi's my cousin."
DeleteThere are no Amish that I know of in our area. Levi and Mattie sound like the very best sort of people and I know that you are all lucky to have each other in your lives. As with all religions, there are things that to outsiders just seem absurd and this is the case here for me but I very much respect how you and Tim accept this family as they are and help them how you can. There is mutual admiration and that is good.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget the supper invitation before Tim's surgery. Mattie knew that I was worried. A supper out, good conversation, a chance to play with the children. That was simple kindness extended and I am grateful for that.
DeleteThey are good people. And that young man is certainly a bad lot
ReplyDeleteCertainly someone that bears watching closely.
DeleteIt is so good that you are there to help your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteThey are not neighbors exactly. They live maybe 15 minutes away. It's the easiest thing to make a quick run up there. Our grocery store is between them and us, so sometimes we coordinate shopping. She can call me, and I can pick up what she needs and run it up there while doing my own shopping.
ReplyDeleteI had to Google UJS portal. Now I know, and what a handy thing to have.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is. It is a good tool to have when vetting tenants. A recent history indicates potential problems. A distant history indicates someone who has turned their life around.
DeleteInteresting. Is it worth passing on this information to the police? Might give them a lead on solving that robbery.
ReplyDeleteThe information was provided to a tip line. The police will know where the logging site is, what was stolen. The will also be able to access his history in New York State.
DeleteYou are so very kind, Debby. I'm glad that Amish family has you as a friend and that the friendship is dear to you too.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny. They believe firmly that people are put on this earth to help others. Tim and I believe the same.
Delete