The Hawaiian Quilt (9 page)

Mandy was almost to the door when she dropped her handkerchief. She bent to pick it up and noticed a little wooden statue on the floor under the dresser. “I wonder what this is.”

Ellen turned around. “What?”

Mandy reached for the small object and held it up. “Have you ever seen one of these before?”

“No, I have not.” Ellen ran her finger over the dark-colored sculpture. “It’s smiling face carved into the wood looks so peculiar. Let’s ask Luana or Makaio about it.”

When Mandy and Ellen entered the dining room a short time later, they were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, already seated at the table.

“Did you two sleep well?” Dottie asked.

“I did.” Mandy grinned and pulled out a chair at the table. “The bed was a lot more comfortable than the upper bunk I slept on during our time on the ship.”

Ellen pulled out a chair and sat beside Mandy. “I had a good night’s sleep, too.”

Two other couples entered the room and took seats at the table, and everyone introduced themselves. The middle-aged couple were from Washington State, and the newlyweds who’d arrived last evening lived in Canada.

Smiling cheerfully, Luana stepped into the room carrying a plate of scrambled eggs. Makaio, wearing a pale green shirt with palm trees on it, was right behind her, bringing a platter of sausages and a bowl of white rice. Already on the table were two bowls of fruit—one with pineapple and strawberries, the other with papaya and blueberries.

Mandy’s mouth nearly watered, thinking how good everything looked. No doubt it would taste equally yummy.

“If anyone would like Spam instead of sausage, I’d be happy to bring some out.” Makaio’s prominent cheekbones rose. “I kinda like the stuff.”

Luana poked her husband’s arm and chuckled. “Don’t let him fool you. My man is addicted to Spam.”

“I especially like it with scrambled eggs and rice,” he added. “My dad likes it, too. He raised me on it.”

“Thanks anyway, but I think I’ll pass.” Mandy averted her gaze. Although she wasn’t a picky eater and was willing to try many things, she’d never gotten acquainted with Spam until she’d tried it on the cruise ship during breakfast their first morning. One glance and one sniff was all it took for her not to like it. She didn’t understand how anyone could eat the stuff.
Then again
, she thought,
some people might question my taste for seafood
.

“Did you both sleep well?” Makaio asked.

“Oh yes,” Ellen replied. “It was good to sleep in a bed that didn’t feel like it was swaying back and forth.”

“I have a question.” Mandy held out the small statue she’d discovered. “I found this under the dresser in our room and wondered what it was.”

“It’s a tiki,” Makaio explained. “One of our previous guests must have bought it from a gift shop and left it in the room. Guess we missed seeing it there when we cleaned.”

“Do the little statues have a special purpose or meaning?” Ellen asked.

“Well, some who live on our island believe if a totem such as this has been carved with a scary expression, it will keep away evil spirits.”

“Others with a friendlier appearance, like the one you’re holding, are thought to bring good luck,” Luana added. “Of course, as Christians we don’t believe in such superstitions.” She held out her hand. “Unless you want to keep the tiki, I’ll dispose of it, because I don’t feel comfortable keeping it around. I wouldn’t want anyone to get the impression we worship idols or even believe in the fantasies surrounding the carvings.”

Mandy was glad the Hawaiian couple didn’t believe in such things, and she gladly handed the tiki to Luana.

“If everyone is ready, we can eat breakfast now.” Makaio then asked if anyone objected to him saying a prayer before the meal.

The guests all shook their heads. Even though she was used to praying silently, Mandy had no objections to a prayer spoken aloud. She was glad the Hawaiian couple were Christians and remembered seeing a Bible lying on the coffee table while walking through the living room last night. It eased some of Mandy’s inner tensions and gave her a sense of peace.

“Dear Lord,” Makaio prayed. “We thank You for this food and the hands that prepared it. Bless the meal, and may it bring nourishment to our bodies. Thank You for the opportunity to make new friends and get reacquainted with those we have met before. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

Mandy felt certain Makaio and Luana were devout Christians, not only because of the heartfelt prayer he’d given, but from the scripture verse on a plaque hanging above the buffet at the other end of the room. It quoted Hebrews 13:2: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” She had a feeling every visitor who came to this bed-and-breakfast was treated special—as though they were an angel.

Middlebury

Stepping around mud puddles, Miriam headed down the driveway to the phone shack to check for messages. She’d meant to see if there were any this morning, but it had been raining so hard she’d waited. Even now, at one o’clock in the afternoon, the rain fell, although it had been reduced to a drizzle. She was glad there’d been no more snow, but they’d had rain for the last several days, leaving the yard a mess. She looked forward to spring when the weather warmed and she could be outside in her garden. Miriam longed to see budding trees and flowers opening their petals. She glanced at one of the maples in their yard and frowned. Like all the rest, it was barren of leaves. The birds sitting on its branches looked as miserable as she felt. None of them even chirped a tune.

Miriam moved on. When she approached the phone shack, she shook the rain from her umbrella and stepped inside. The blinking light on the answering machine signaled messages waiting. She took a seat in the folding chair and clicked the button. The first message was from Gideon’s mother, asking if Miriam needed any more thread. They had an overstock of both black and white, which would be on sale for half price.

The next message was from Miriam’s driver, saying she would be free to take her to the chiropractor’s later in the week.
Good to hear. With the pain I’ve had in my neck the last few days, I need to go in as soon as possible
.

As Miriam listened to the beginning of the third message, she smiled. It was from Mandy.

“Hi, Mom and Dad. I wanted to let you know Ellen and I missed the ship last evening. We are staying at the Palms Bed-and-Breakfast, in the town of Kapaa, on the island of Kauai.” Following a short pause, her message continued: “Barbara and Sadie are on the boat, heading for the Big Island, but I have no way of contacting them. Unfortunately, I lost my cell phone, which is why we were late and missed the ship’s departure.” Another pause. “Don’t worry about me, okay? Ellen and I have a nice place to stay until we’re able to book passage home. Ellen has called her parents, too. If Barbara should call, please let her know we’re okay. Oh, and if you could please call Barbara and Sadie’s folks and tell them what’s happened, I’d appreciate it. I’m going to give you the phone number for the B&B so you can contact me. When you call Barbara’s mamm, would you please ask her for Barbara’s cell number? It was programmed into my cell phone, but I didn’t write it down. Oh, and don’t forget about the time difference here when you call me back, because I’m five hours earlier than you are in Indiana. I need to let you go for now, so Ellen can call her folks. I hope to hear from you soon. I miss you all. Please give my love to everyone.”

Miriam wrote down the phone number her daughter gave for the place they were staying, and then she listened to the message a second time to make sure she hadn’t missed any information. Without listening to any of the other messages, she called and left messages for Barbara’s and Sadie’s parents. Immediately after, Miriam dialed the number for the B&B and brought her hand to her forehead.
It’s no wonder I didn’t want Mandy to go on that trip
.

Kapaa

“We’ve had many people at our B&B, but no one quite like Mandy and Ellen,” Luana said after she and Makaio returned to the kitchen. “I’ve heard about Amish people but never imagined we’d have the chance to meet any. They’re nice young women, don’t you think?”

“Yes, they seem to be. They sure dress different than other people here on the island, though.” Makaio opened the refrigerator and removed a pitcher of guava juice. “I put some pineapple juice on the table earlier, but maybe our guests would like some of this.”

Luana smiled. Her husband thought of everything this morning. “I can’t help but wonder if the Lord may have brought Mandy and Ellen to us for a reason.” She lowered her voice, to be discreet.

He tipped his head while squinting his dark eyes and leaning in closer to her. “What reason?”

“I’m not sure, but I feel like they are supposed to be here. It’s as though God brought them to us for a purpose.”

“Maybe so. You’ve had feelings about certain other guests in the past.”

“I’ve also been thinking, since the girls have only the clothes on their backs, after breakfast, I’ll see if they’d like to go shopping to look for a few modest dresses, some sleeping attire, undergarments, and sandals.”

“Good idea. They sure can’t wear the same dress every day they’re here.” Makaio started for the dining room but turned back around. “How long do you think they will stay?”

Luana was about to respond when the telephone rang. “I’ll get it. You can go ahead and take the juice in to our guests.” She reached for the phone and picked up the receiver. “The Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.”

“Hello. This is Miriam Frey. Is my daughter, Mandy, there?”

“Yes, she is. I’ll go get her.” Luana set the receiver on the counter and hurried to the dining room. “Mandy, your mother’s on the phone. If you like, you can take the call on the extension in the kitchen.”

Mandy jumped up, dashed into the kitchen, and eagerly grabbed the phone. “Hi, Mom.”

“Ach, Mandy, it’s so good to hear your
mundschtick
.”

Tears welled in Mandy’s eyes, blurring her vision. “It’s good to hear your voice, too. I guess you got my message.”

“Jah. I called as soon as I heard it.” Mom sniffed. “Are you and Ellen all right?”

“We’re both fine. Makaio and Luana Palu, the owners of the B&B where we are staying, are nice Christian people. They welcomed us with open arms.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Being stranded in a place where everyone is a stranger has to be frightening.”

“We were scared at first, but not anymore.” Mandy switched the receiver to her other ear.

“How’s the weather there, Mom?”

“Cold and rainy.”

“I don’t miss the colder weather. It’s eighty degrees here on Kauai.”

Mom sighed. “Must be nice. I’m anxious for spring to come and bring warmer weather.”

“Did you get ahold of Barbara’s parents?” Mandy asked.

“I left a message for the Hiltys, as well as the Kuhns, but it could be awhile before I hear anything back. When I do and they give me Barbara’s cell phone number, I’ll be sure and call you again so you can get ahold of her.”

“Good. She and Sadie are probably worried about us.”

“I imagine they would be. It’s hard to believe they’ll be coming to Middlebury without you and Ellen.” Mom paused. “What can your
daed
and I do on this end to get you home again?”