“Sometimes, but now that Ken’s out of danger, we’ve been sleeping at home.”
Luana glanced across the room. “Let’s join up with Makaio. Then we can sit together to eat our meal.”
Mandy smiled. “That would be nice. I’d like to hear how things have been going at the B&B.”
“I feel bad that I haven’t been able to help out at the bed-and-breakfast more,” Ellen told Makaio as the four of them found seats at a table.
He shook his head. “We’re getting things done, and your help is needed at the Williamses’ farm more than at our place.”
“That’s right,” Luana agreed. “You came to Kauai to help Mandy, not us.”
“But you’re giving me free room and board.”
“It’s our way of helping out.” Luana’s expression sobered. “We got some disappointing news yesterday.”
“What was it?” Mandy asked.
“Our son-in-law got a job offer on the Big Island, so he and Ailani will most likely be moving. This means we won’t get to see little Primrose as often as we like, not to mention their new baby after it’s born.” Luana’s brows furrowed. “If they should decide to move, I’ll miss seeing their keiki.”
Makaio placed his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll manage. A flight to the Big Island is less than an hour away.”
“True, but it’s never easy for us to leave the B&B when it’s our busiest season.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll work it out somehow.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Pastor Jim came over to their table. Ellen had seen him at the hospital a few times, visiting Ken.
He stood next to Mandy’s chair. “I wanted to let you know that a fund has been started to help with Ken’s hospital expenses. Please let me or one of the elders know when you receive a bill. Then our church treasurer will write you a check. Although we can’t pay for everything, we still want to help.”
“Thank you, Pastor.” Mandy’s gratitude showed by her wide smile.
Ellen felt pleased that both the Amish church back home and Mandy and Ken’s church here had offered to help. This kind of giving was Christianity in action.
Middlebury
Nora rolled over in bed, turned on her small flashlight, and looked at the clock near the bed. It was one in the morning, and she couldn’t sleep. Ellen had been on her mind most of the day, and even after going to bed. She wasn’t used to having her daughter gone so long. The fact that Ellen was so far away bothered Nora. Some Amish families were separated by several miles or lived a few states away, but having a family member living clear across the ocean was not the norm. Of course, Ellen wouldn’t be staying there permanently, so it helped to know that much at least.
Nora glanced at Nathan—sleeping like a baby. Not wanting to disturb him, she got up, put on her robe, and slipped out of the room.
When she entered the living room, Nora turned on a battery-operated light, picked up her Bible, and took a seat in the rocker. Some time spent alone with God might help relieve her tension.
She prayed first, then opened her Bible to Isaiah 54. Verse 13 in particular caught her attention: “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”
Nora reflected on the words. She and Nathan had taught their daughters to love God and obey His commandments. They’d committed the girls to the Lord at a young age. Nora hoped each of them felt God’s peace and would always seek His will.
Nora thought back to over a month ago, when they’d invited Ezra to dinner. Before he’d left to go home, Ezra had asked her for Ellen’s address in Hawaii.
I’ve often wondered if Ezra is interested in our eldest daughter. Nora would keep her thoughts to herself, but maybe the next time she talked with Ellen, she might ask if Ezra had written to her.
Hearing footsteps approach, Nora looked up. She was surprised to see Darla shuffle into the room, the hem of her long robe, brushing the floor.
“Mom, what are you doing up in the middle of the night?” Darla released a noisy yawn.
Nora grinned. “I could ask you the same.”
“I heard the squeak of the rocker.”
Nora tipped her head. “The sound of this old chair moving woke you, all the way up to your room?”
“Well, at first I got up to get a drink of water. Then when I heard the squeaking noise, I came down to see who was out of bed.” Darla took a seat on the couch. “So how come you’re up, Mom?”
“Ellen was on my mind, and I couldn’t sleep. She’s been on Kauai almost two months, and the last time we talked it sounded like she could be staying several more months.” Nora’s hands fell to her lap as she heaved a heavy sigh. “I miss her and wish she were home.”
“Maybe it would help if you called her more often.”
“I would if I could catch her. Hawaii time is six hours behind us, so that makes it difficult. Besides, she’s often busy at the organic farm or at the hospital offering encouragement to Mandy.”
“Any recent word on how Mandy’s husband is doing these days?”
“Ken came through his last surgery, but he’s still in the hospital. Once he goes home, he won’t be able to do any chores around the farm, so Ellen’s help there is still needed.”
“I thought Ken’s mother hired a young man to take care of the chickens.”
“She did, but there’s too much work for one person. That’s why Ellen volunteered to help out.” Nora’s hands rested on the Bible as she rocked.
Darla brushed some long stray hairs away from her face. “My sister is a good friend. I hope Mandy appreciates the sacrifice Ellen is making for her and Ken.”
“I’m sure she does.” Nora laid her Bible aside and stood. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going back to bed. Before you know it, the old rooster will be crowing, letting us know it’s time to get up.”
“Okay. Gut nacht, Mom. I hope you sleep well.” Darla stood and hugged Nora. “I’ll say a prayer for Mandy and Ken. And remember—Ellen’s in God’s hands. I’m certain my sister will return home as soon as she can.”
Thursday morning, Ezra woke up earlier than normal. While he could have gone back to sleep for another hour, he decided to get up and do something he’d been thinking about for several weeks. He couldn’t get Ellen off his mind. Last month when he went to dinner at the Lambrights’, Ellen’s mother had given him her address in Hawaii at his request. It was past time to write her a letter.
It wasn’t like Ezra to be so bold, but the longer Ellen had been gone, the more determined he had become to win her heart. He was convinced she was the girl for him, but he was concerned that she might do something foolish and stay in Hawaii.
Ezra went to the open window and lifted it higher. He breathed in the predawn air and looked up at the stars, wondering if they were this bright in Hawaii. In the distance, he heard a dog barking, and the faint hooting of an owl. He enjoyed the peacefulness of a new morning.
Shaking his head, he went to his desk, got out some paper and a pen, and began to write:
Dear Ellen,
I think about you almost every day, and I miss seeing your pretty face at your daed’s shoe store. Whenever I see your sister, Lenore, I think of you.
Ezra dropped the pen and slapped his cheek. What am I doing? I can’t tell Ellen any of that. He wadded up the paper and tossed it in the trash can. Guess I’d better start over and be a little more subtle this time:
Dear Ellen,
I’d like to first offer you an apology for my behavior when I was in charge at your daed’s store. I was wrong for acting so bossy, and I hope you’ll forgive me. Maybe when you’re back here, we can start over fresh.
So, how are you doing? Is Mandy’s husband getting better? Your daed mentioned that you’ve been working at an organic chicken farm. Do you have any idea when you might be coming home?
Everything here is going okay. We’ve been busy at the store the last few weeks. Maybe when you return to Middlebury, you can start wo
rking there again.
Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Ezra Bontrager
Ezra sat back in his chair, locked his fingers together, and held them behind his head. Looks like a good letter to me. I hope Ellen responds.
CHAPTER 27
Kapaa
I’m going to step out front to check the mail,” Luana told Ellen after they’d finished breakfast.
Ellen smiled. “That’s fine. I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher while you’re doing that.”
Luana brushed the idea away. “Don’t bother with those. You need to get ready to work at the farm. I’ll take care of the dishes after you’re gone.”
Ellen knew better than to argue with Luana. She hadn’t won a disagreement yet and couldn’t change Luana’s mind. Even so, whenever Ellen had an opportunity, she did whatever chores she could in Makaio and Luana’s home.
As Ellen headed to her room to get her purse, she stopped in the living room to see if anything needed to be straightened. Nothing seemed out of place, so she paused to say good morning to one of their guests and moved on to her room.
When Ellen returned to the kitchen, Luana held a stack of mail. “There’s a letter for you on the table, Ellen.”
Eager to see who it was from, Ellen picked it up. She was surprised to see the return address was Ezra’s. According to the postmark, the letter had been mailed a week ago.
I wonder why Ezra would write to me. And how did he get Luana and Makaio’s address?
Ellen took a seat at the table and read the letter.
“What’s wrong, Ellen?” Luana asked. “Did you receive bad news?”
“No. It’s a letter from the young man who works for my dad.”
“Ah, I see. So you have a boyfriend back home you haven’t told us about?”
Ellen shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. Ezra and I are just friends. I’ve known him a long time.”
“Then why would he write to you?” Luana peered over the top of her reading glasses as she placed the rest of the mail on the table.
“I don’t know.” Ellen stared at the letter, still in disbelief. “This was a surprise to me.”
Luana chuckled. “In my younger days, when a young man wrote a letter to a woman, quite often it meant he had a romantic interest in her.”
“Well, it’s not that way with Ezra.” Ellen reflected on the way he’d acted toward her during the time she’d worked at the shoe store. Never once had Ezra showed any romantic interest in her. It fact, it seemed quite the opposite.
Ellen thought about how she’d gone out to lunch with Rob two days ago. The more time they spent together, the more she enjoyed being with him. He was a lot kinder to her than Ezra had ever been.
“Have you ever done anything like this before?” Rob asked as he and Ellen painted the wooden fence surrounding the Williamses’ yard.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just wondered, ‘cause from the way you’re holding that brush and moving your hand back and forth, it seems like you’ve had some experience painting.”
“I have helped paint some things around my parents’ place. How about you, Rob? Have you done much painting before?” Ellen stopped painting and reached up to her face and scratched at a fresh mosquito bite.
“A bit.” Rob stared at a smudge of paint near the bite on Ellen’s cheek. Pulling a hankie out of his back pocket, he poured liquid from his water bottle onto the cloth. As he reached toward Ellen to wipe the paint off, she pulled her head back.
“Wh–what are you doing?” She gave him a quizzical look, then glanced around, as though worried someone might be watching.
“When you scratched your cheek, you smeared paint on your face.” Rob held the dampened hankie up. “May I?”
Ellen didn’t resist this time and nodded.
Rob bit back a chuckle as she closed her eyes until he was done.
“Did you get it?” Ellen peeked up at him.
“Yep, it’s gone. Good thing the paint washes off with water.” Rob’s brows furrowed when a movement caught his attention. He looked to the left and spotted a gray-and-black pigeon lying near the fence. “I wonder what’s wrong with that grounded bird.”
Ellen saw it too. “Is the poor thing hurt, or just scared?” She clambered to her feet, went over to the bird, and then went down on her knees. The pigeon lay still in the grass, as though dazed.
Rob knelt beside her and held the pigeon in his hands. He looked the bird over. Neither of its wings had been broken. “Think it may have plowed into something and is stunned.”
Ellen reached over. “Is it okay if I hold it?”
The pigeon didn’t struggle when he handed her the bird. Rob wouldn’t have struggled either, being held with such tenderness by Ellen. He almost envied the bird.
“Look, it’s not afraid and seems like it’s used to being handled.” She smiled in Rob’s direction.
While Ellen talked in a soft tone to the pigeon, Rob noticed a plastic tag around the bird’s leg. “This pigeon is banded.” He pointed, then touched the bird’s foot with the band around it. “I wonder if the pigeon belongs to someone. On occasion, I’ve seen homing pigeons flying together in a group.” Rob ran his hand down the bird’s back. “I’ve heard of people using them around here like a hobby of sorts.”
“Is there a way we can find out who the owner is?”
“I’ll have to do some checking and see what I can find out.” Rob pointed to the band. “I’ll write the number and letters down. Maybe that’s a clue.”
Ellen stroked the pigeon’s head just as Rob’s hand moved up the bird’s back. When their fingers touched, he felt a warm tingle travel all the way up his arm. It was a familiar feeling—one he used to feel whenever he and his girlfriend from back home used to touch. But that was behind him now. He needed to move on. There was no point in dwelling on the past.
Rob concentrated on the pigeon. If there was one thing he didn’t need right now, it was a romantic complication—especially with someone like Ellen. It was good she wouldn’t be staying on the island indefinitely. But that shouldn’t keep me from enjoying her company while she’s here, Rob told himself.
Mandy arrived home, feeling more lighthearted than usual. She was eager to find Ellen and share some good news.
Mandy put the keys in her purse and set it on the counter. Assuming Ellen must be out back with Rob, she headed in that direction. At least there was a light at the end of the tunnel for Ken.
When Mandy went outside, she spotted Ellen and Rob on their knees with their heads so close, they were almost touching. It appeared as if Rob held Ellen’s hand.
Mandy stopped walking and stood, staring. Has Ellen fallen for Rob? Is the feeling mutual? Should I be concerned?
Mandy remembered how things had been between her and Ken when they’d first met. It hadn’t taken them long to realize they wanted to be together, but there’d been a problem. Ken was English, and she’d been raised Amish.
But that was different, she told herself. I was not a member of the Amish church, and Ellen is. I hope she’s not getting serious about Rob. The last thing Ellen’s Mom and Dad need is for her to leave the church and marry an English man or move to Hawaii, so far from home.
Mandy was reminded once again, that her own parents lived thousands of miles away. She couldn’t help wondering if she would ever see her home in Indiana again.
“Hey, Mandy, come see what we found,” Rob called. When he and Ellen stood up at the same time, Mandy realized her friend held a pigeon.
“What’s going on?” she asked, joining them by the fence.
“We found an injured pigeon,” Ellen responded. “Its wings don’t appear to be broken, so we’re thinking it may have hit a window and is only stunned.”
“This bird is banded, so I’m going to try to find out who it belongs to,” Rob explained.
Ellen lifted the bird so Mandy could see its leg. “We think this is a homin
g pigeon.”
Mandy smiled, relieved that Ellen and Rob hadn’t been holding hands after all. Even when they were children, Ellen had had a soft spot for injured animals, so it was no surprise that she was concerned and wanted to find the pigeon’s owner.
“I’m going to put the bird someplace where it’s safe from any predators and see if it stays there or flies off.” Rob took the fowl from Ellen and headed toward the chicken house.
Mandy stepped up to Ellen. “I have some good news about Ken.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Today the doctor said that if things go well with the cast for Ken’s leg, he might be able to come home within the next few days.
Ellen gave Mandy a hug. “That is good news—jah, an answer to prayer.”
Mandy nodded. “But once he comes home, it’ll take many weeks for him to recover, and he might never be able to walk without a limp or certain restrictions.”
“You’ll need to take one day at a time. And remember, I’m here for as long as you need me.”
“Thank you. It’s a comfort to know that.”
Ellen pointed to the chickens running around in their fenced-in yard. “It will be some time before either you or Ken can work here again, and I’m more than willing to help out for as long as necessary.”
Mandy appreciated her friend’s offer, but she couldn’t help wondering if at least part of Ellen’s willingness to remain here longer had something to do with Rob.
CHAPTER 28
Wailua, Hawaii
As Ellen hung on to Rob’s waist, she felt his muscles through the T-shirt he wore. A sense of exhilaration came over her as they sped down the road on his motor scooter toward their destination. She was ready for some casual fun with Rob, away from the repetitious organic chicken farm and all the hard work.
Ellen thought about the letter she’d received from Ezra. She’d sent him a response the next day. It still surprised her that he’d sent the letter. Could Luana have been right when she’d said when a guy sent a letter to a girl, it meant he was interested in her? Ellen didn’t get that impression from anything Ezra wrote.
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