Having ventured outside of his culture, Nicolaus Zook finds himself at the forefront of the English world, when destiny thrusts him onstage as the lead singer in a rock band. Fate, in the form of a fatal accident that steals the lives of his best friends, leads Nick back home after four years in a Rumspringa hiatus. Badly injured, he recuperates and struggles to understand the reasoning behind his own survival and how his musical genius led him down a path far from the simplicity of his Amish upbringing and into the spotlight at a local bar. After returning to his people, the tall, handsome, blue-eyed Nick begins to unravel the secrets surrounding his father’s hatred and intolerance towards him.
Follow Nick as he reaches for joy in his relationship with Sarah Bailer, the very essence of his heart and life and his desire to be a permanent part of hers.
The only problem standing in Nick’s way is joining the church and resigning to live the quiet, simple life. That is—if the Church will allow him to do so.
Still, Small Voice—Second in the five book Silent Discourse series. www.outskirtspress.com/zannekennedy
It was cold and even his heavy, double-breasted woolen peacoat did not seem to resist the bite of the winter’s night against his body. His leg now numbed by the snow and cold that stirred a fear deep within him, causing him to voice a prayer of rescue. Before he could say much more than “Please,” he saw headlights coming up from behind him. Waving the car down in the darkness of the country lane, he was surprised it stopped for him at all.
“Could I get a ride? My horse threw me up the road and I need to get home,” he said, looking into the passenger window at a young lady who didn’t even appear old enough to be driving.
“Get in. What direction?” she asked, moving some papers that were spread out across the front seat to allow him to sit down.
“It’s just down the road here. Thanks for helping me. I’m not sure, but I think my horse broke my leg again. Can you turn on your cab light?” Nicolaus pulled up his pant leg as soon as the young lady turned the dome light on and saw what he was afraid he would see.
“Oow. That looks like it really hurts. Sure you don’t want me to take you to the hospital?” the girl said, as she watched the blood ooze down into his boot.
“Ach, no. Thanks anyway. Just get me home,” said Nicolaus, feeling a need to vomit as she started her car and went down the lane, slowly at first then she sped up as soon as the lane straightened out before it turned to the right, making her slow again. Her level of comfort with this let Nicolaus know that she was familiar with these country roads.
“I recognize you now, you’re Nick Zook!” she called out abruptly, making Nicolaus jump in fright of her loud excited tone. He smiled at her and turned away, but did not answer.
“I’ve heard your song on the radio, they’ve been playing it a lot. Why didn’t you sing it?”
Suddenly feeling the pains of hunger and light-headedness from not eating since breakfast, Nicolaus tried to be cordial to the sweet little thing, but he really felt he was losing it fast. “I came out of the outside world to mend a little. I’m going to only write songs now.”
“Did you become Amish?” she asked, allowing Nicolaus ample time to answer her.
“I was born Amish. What’s your name?” he asked, hoping it would defer her questioning until they got to the Bailers.
“My name is Citty. Is it hard to be Amish after being out on the outside for a time?”
“Being born Amish is easy, the hard part is trying to stay Amish!” Nicolaus began to laugh out loud at himself as he leaned back against the car seat. Covering his face with both hands, he ran his fingers through his hair, saying, “Damn, it’s hard!” Then he sighed as if he was already tired of it all. “Ach, I’m sorry, I’ve had a hard day and God help me, it’s not over yet.”
“I got to see you a few times before the… uh…”
“Accident?” Nicolaus snapped, finishing her question abruptly.
“I was at your last night performance at The Eagle, too. That was sad. We all cried for days after that one.”
“Wonderful! You can drop me off here. I can walk the rest of the way. Thanks so much uh, ‘Kitty?’” he asked thinking what a strange name to name your child.
“With a C, Citty,” she said as if she was used to explaining it. Nicolaus had no desire to stay and chat with the girl. He had absolutely no yearning to talk about his deceased friends to a perfect stranger, helpful and kind as she was.
“Thanks again,” he said, bending down at the passenger window again, then he took off at a fast limp toward the Bailer farm from the East pasture.
About Zanne Kennedy
Although Zanne Kennedy has been a professional graphic artist for more than a decade, her love of story telling and appreciation for the art of written words has compelled her to blend both in a form that gives her great personal joy and fulfillment.
Having logged many years of research into the Amish culture, Zanne Kennedy’s “Still, Small Voice” is her second book in a series of recently written stories, giving further insight into the life of Nicolaus Zook, a strikingly handsome, talented and at times, troubled youth. Expect to be drawn into the lives of her characters, while viewing the beautiful simplicity of the Amish world from the perspective of an insider.
Having ventured outside of his culture, Nicolaus Zook finds himself at the forefront of the English world, when destiny thrusts him onstage as the lead singer in a rock band. Fate, in the form of a fatal accident that steals the lives of his best friends, leads Nick back home after four years in a Rumspringa hiatus. Badly injured, he recuperates and struggles to understand the reasoning behind his own survival and how his musical genius led him down a path far from the simplicity of his Amish upbringing and into the spotlight at a local bar. After returning to his people, the tall, handsome, blue-eyed Nick begins to unravel the secrets surrounding his father’s hatred and intolerance towards him.
Although Zanne Kennedy has been a professional graphic artist for more than a decade, her love of story telling and appreciation for the art of written words has compelled her to blend both in a form that gives her great personal joy and fulfillment.