The Hawaiian Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean;

  “Oh?” Jim bit into his bologna sandwich.

  Gideon poured another cup of coffee. “Mandy rarely ever calls me.”

  “Why don’t you call her? Do you have the number there?”

  “I have called, but she’s usually too busy to say more than a few words. Sometimes she’s not there at all.” He frowned, rubbing his arm where a few scabs remained. “Once when I called, I was told she was out with someone named Ken, who was showing her around. Do you think she’s avoiding me?”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much, Gideon. Your girlfriend probably wants to enjoy the beautiful island.” Jim stared off for a moment. “Years ago, I was on Oahu for a short while. I’m sure it’s changed a lot since then. It was a nice place to visit, but the cost of living is high—at least, compared to what we’re used to here in Middlebury.” He leaned back in his chair, sipping from his can of soda. “When do you expect your girlfriend to come home?”

  Gideon shrugged, turning his palms up. “All I know is when she finally gets here, I’ll be relieved.” He couldn’t help thinking about this fellow, Ken. Was he merely a friend showing them around the island, or could he be interested in one of the girls? If so, he hoped it wasn’t Mandy.

  Better not let my thoughts get carried away, he scolded himself. Jim’s probably right. I shouldn’t be worried.

  Peggy and Barbara had kept busy at the fabric store from the time it opened until well past noon. Now it was time to take a break.

  “It’s nice we’ve slowed down for a while,” Barbara commented. “This morning was so hectic we could hardly catch our breath.”

  “You’re right. When the tourists locate this store, they spread the word and others come in. They take their time looking around, too, and often find plenty of trinkets to take home.” Peggy pointed to the nearest shelf. “That’s why I’ve added more variety in the store, like purses, shoes, and some small home decor.”

  “I have to agree. In fact, I’ve been eyeing a purse over there myself.”

  Peggy tilted her head. “Oh? Which one?”

  “The black purse with a little tan on it.”

  Peggy left for a moment and returned with the handbag. “Consider it yours. It’ll be a bonus for the hard work you’ve been doing around here.” She handed the purse to Barbara and gave her a hug.

  “Danki.” Grinning, Barbara put the purse straps over her arm.

  “You’re welcome to eat your lunch in the back room or sit here with me.” Peggy motioned to the stools behind the counter. “One of us needs to stay up front in case any customers come in.”

  “I’ll put my new purse away then get my sandwich and join you. It’s not much fun to eat alone.”

  “I agree.” Peggy pulled her lunch box out from under the counter while Barbara went to the back room to get hers. When she returned, they sat at the small table behind them, keeping the counter free for customers’ purchases.

  “How is Gideon doing these days?” Barbara asked after their silent prayer.

  “He’s feeling much better. In fact, today is his first day back at work.”

  “I had the wasserpareble when I was a child.” Barbara crinkled her nose. “My mamm put stockings over my hands at night so I wouldn’t scratch those itchy pox. One time, my arms itched so intensely I took the stockings off and scratched.” She lifted her right arm and pointed to a scar. “Here’s proof I should have listened to Mom.”

  Peggy sighed. “Even though Gideon is old enough to know better, he did his share of scratching, too. I’m sure he’ll have at least one bad moler to prove he scratched.”

  Barbara unwrapped her sandwich. “It’s strange he never came down with the chickenpox when he was a boy.”

  “It is odd, especially because my other five kinner all had them. Walter and I always figured he must be immune.” Peggy shook her head slowly. “Boy, were we ever wrong.”

  “Since Gideon is older now, I’ll bet he was a lot sicker with the pox.”

  “Jah. He was one sick puppy the first week or so.”

  “I’ve been praying for him.” Barbara’s tone was sincere. She had asked about Gideon every day since he came down with the chicken pox.

  Peggy frowned. Then there’s Mandy, stranded on an island and rarely bothering to call my son. Yet Gideon seems determined to talk her into joining the church and marrying him. I wish he’d reconsider.

  “Your sandwich looks good.” Peggy blew on the chicken noodle soup still steaming in her thermos.

  “It’s chicken salad.” Barbara took another bite. “If you like, I’ll bring you some tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good. And I’ll have some molasses cookies for us, too. I plan to make a few batches this evening for our bishop’s wife. There’ll be plenty to share.”

  “I’m looking forward to taking classes in the spring so I can join the church,” Barbara added. “Will Gideon be joining, too?”

  “He wants to, but I believe he’s waiting on Mandy so they can be married.”

  “I thought so.” Barbara’s shoulders slouched a bit as she ate her sandwich.

  Peggy touched her arm. “You mentioned awhile back that you were worried about Mandy, but our conversation was interrupted. Is this something you’d like to talk about now?”

  Barbara shook her head. “It was nothing, really. I just wish she and Ellen were home.”

  Peggy didn’t pursue the conversation, but she had an inkling Barbara was holding something back. Could she possibly have feelings for Gideon herself, or is she missing her friend?

  Massaging the back of her neck where it felt a bit stiff, she continued to reflect on things. Why couldn’t my son have taken an interest in someone like Barbara? Sure wish mothers could pick out their son’s wives. This girl is so caring and sweet. She’s almost like a daughter to me.

  Kapaa

  Mandy stood near the edge of the pool, trembling and breathing hard. She couldn’t believe she’d let Ken talk her into this. Worse yet, it was awkward wearing a skirted lavender swimsuit. For modesty, she’d put a T-shirt over the top, but that didn’t help her nerves. Ellen wore a similar swimsuit, only hers was dark blue. Yesterday, Ken drove them to one of the shops in town, and they’d bought the most simple-looking, modest swimsuits they could find.

  Ellen was able to swim quite well and had already gotten into the water and begun doing the backstroke. While they were on the cruise ship with their friends, she would effortlessly skim through the water. Mandy envied her friend for making it look easy. She wasn’t sure she could even get in the pool. All she could think about was when she’d struggled for air after her brother pulled her into the water when she was a girl. Her fear of drowning was almost paralyzing, and to this day, the trepidation gripped her. Mandy would never forget feeling certain she would drown. If not for their dad coming along and rescuing her, she probably wouldn’t be here right now.

  “Ready to give this a try?” Ken’s deep voice, up close to Mandy’s ear, caused her to jump back.

  This is so embarrassing. Maybe agreeing to let him teach me to swim wasn’t the best idea. She coughed, cleared her throat, and coughed again. Maybe I should have told Ken why I’m afraid of the water.

  “You okay?” Squinting, he looked at her with obvious concern. “Are you coming down with a cold?”

  “No, I … I’m a bit nervous right now.”

  “You have nothing to fear. I’ve taught people how to swim before, so I know what I’m doing.” Ken jumped in the pool. “Hold onto the ladder and come on in. The water on this end of the pool isn’t over your head.”

  Mandy’s legs shook as she stepped onto the ladder. Lord, help me be able to do this.

  As her feet touched the water, Ken’s strong hands grasped her waist. “Easy now … You’re doing fine.”

  Mandy wasn’t sure if it was the nearness of him or the cool water on her legs, but a shiver went up her spine. When her feet touched the bottom, the water was as high as her waist. She turned her head toward Ken, but for assurance, kept
one hand behind her, touching the ladder.

  “Okay, now.” Ken looked at her with an air of confidence. “Let yourself get used to the water.”

  All Mandy could do was shake her head as she gripped the ladder tightly.

  “See there.” Ken pointed to the middle of the pool. “Those markers painted on the side of the pool are to let us know where it starts getting deeper. The pool slopes downward and then levels off to a depth of eight feet.”

  “I don’t want to go there,” Mandy whispered.

  “Don’t worry, we have all this area to work in, and we’ll stay at this end as long as you like.” Ken pointed to the shallow end where they stood. “For now, though, why don’t you walk around and put your arms out to the sides? Then move them in front of you, back and forth, letting the water roll over your hands and through your fingers. Keep repeating the motion until you feel more comfortable.”

  Mandy did as Ken instructed. All the while, he stayed beside her, doing the same motion.

  The water felt almost like velvet as it softly whooshed through her fingers. After a while, Mandy smiled at Ken, feeling a little more at ease.

  “Would you mind telling me why you never learned to swim?”

  She drew a quick breath and looked away from him. One of her greatest dislikes was expressing any form of weakness, yet with Ken she felt vulnerable. Mandy tried sorting out her thoughts, but they kept getting scrambled by what ifs. She didn’t want Ken to think her reason for not wanting to swim was silly. Even though the incident happened when she was a child, it still greatly affected her.

  “You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not.” Ken’s voice penetrated her thoughts. “I figured talking about it might help calm your nerves.”

  A wave of heat rushed through Mandy’s body, yet it wasn’t from being flustered. It was more pleasant and comforting, like sipping on warm cocoa during a cold winter’s evening. The familiar sensation briefly reminded her of being back home with her family. Mandy wasn’t one to vent about her problems, but her family was always there for her whenever she needed someone to talk to. Having this sort of feeling around a person she’d only known a little while was odd. Do I trust Ken enough to share my thoughts? Perhaps telling him would be the right thing to do. “Well, the truth is … I’m afraid of the water.”

  Mandy waited for him to respond and was surprised when he gently nudged her shoulder. “Then what made you decide to visit Hawaii, with so much water around?”

  Heat flooded her cheeks. Ken was obviously confused by such a contradiction. “Just because I can’t swim doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy staring out at the ocean. I’m okay with being around water, as long as I’m not expected to swim in it.”

  “All right. Makes sense.” Ken looked directly at her, but the smile he wore seconds ago slowly diminished. “So why are you afraid of the water, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  It was difficult, but Mandy managed to explain the event that took place during her childhood. She stumbled a bit while she spoke and had a difficult time finding the right words to use, mostly because she was worried what Ken would think after she finished. Her gaze met his, but he wasn’t laughing. His eyes appeared relaxed, reflecting somberness and concern.

  “I’m sorry you went through that, Mandy.” His voice was soft, and he spoke slowly, which was unusual since he was always so energetic. “It’s frightening to think you could have drowned.”

  “It was, and I should’ve told you earlier why I didn’t want to try swimming again.”

  “If you’re having second thoughts about this, you don’t have to do it. I won’t force you to learn how to swim.”

  Mandy turned her head, noticing Ellen in the water, still swimming on her back. I’ve gone plenty of years without swimming. Am I really going to let my fear stop me from learning now?

  The muscles tightened in her arms as she looked up at Ken. “No, I want to do this. I need to overcome my fear.”

  “Okay. You did well with the first part. Now we’re gonna try something else.”

  “What do you mean?” Mandy eyed the ladder on the other side of the pool, wishing she had it for support.

  “You need to trust me on this,” Ken urged. “Take my hands and let me guide you around, only when I start walking backward, I want you to let your feet float behind you and start kicking.”

  “You won’t go to the deep end, will you?” Mandy’s eyes widened.

  “Trust me, Mandy. We’re only staying in the shallow end. And if you feel uncomfortable, we can stop anytime.”

  She did as Ken asked. Before long, as he pulled her from one side of the pool to the other, she found herself rather enjoying the feeling of gliding along on her stomach. This isn’t so bad. In fact, it’s kind of fun.

  “Now, I want you to go one step further.” Ken reassuringly squeezed her hands, keeping his backward motion. “As I pull you, keep kicking your feet, but also lower your head a bit more so your chin is skimming the water.”

  Nervously, Mandy complied. She was used to the water’s coolness now, and it actually felt good as the bright sun shone down on them.

  “You’ll be a fish in no time, Mandy.” Ellen smiled and waved as she stood on the end of the diving board.

  “Be careful, Ellen.” Mandy glanced at Ken after watching Ellen dive and go beneath the surface, hardly splashing any water at all. “I’ll probably never be able to dive like Ellen, let alone feel comfortable if my feet can’t touch.”

  “Never say never,” Ken encouraged. “Look how good you’re already doing.”

  “I have to admit, this is the first I’ve been in water this deep since I was a little girl.”

  “I have great confidence in you.” Ken stopped while Mandy let her feet touch the bottom. Wiping the water from her chin, she missed Ken’s touch when he let go of her hands. “That’s why I’m going to ask you to keep trusting me. I wouldn’t suggest you do anything I didn’t think you could do.”

  “Okay. I … I trust you, Ken.” Mandy took a deep breath. “You’re good at this. Did you ever think of giving swimming lessons fulltime?”

  “I taught children at one of the resorts here on the island for a while, but it took a lot of time away from helping my family at the chicken farm. So I only taught for one summer. It was fun, though.”

  “I know from experience, it’s best to learn to swim when you’re young. And I regret not pursuing it when I had the chance to learn from my dad.”

  “Don’t look back Mandy. You’re here now, and that’s what counts. The next thing I’m going to ask you to do is lean over and put your face in the water.”

  Mandy gulped. “But … but I won’t be able to breathe.”

  “You’ll hold your breath while your face is in the water, then count to ten and lift your head to take a breath. Once you’re able to put your face in the water, you can learn to float without assistance.”

  “I—I’m not sure I can.” Mandy glanced at the other side of the pool, where Ellen continued to swim, this time with her face in the water. She made it look so easy as she kicked her feet and lifted her arms easily in and out of the water. It was the first time since they’d become stranded on Kauai that Mandy had seen Ellen enjoying herself so much.

  “It may help if you hold on to me again.” Ken grasped Mandy’s hand. “Now take a deep breath, close your eyes if you’re more comfortable, and put your face in the water.”

  Mandy grimaced. That’s easy for you to say. You already know how to swim, and you’re not afraid of the water.

  Wanting to please Ken and hoping he wouldn’t think she was a fraidy-cat, she took a deep breath and dunked her head under the water. But she couldn’t muster the courage to open her eyes.

  “Good job!” Ken grinned when she lifted her face out of the water. She noticed his face was wet, too. “Now do it again; only this time, try opening your eyes.”

  Mandy did as he asked. Once her eyes got used to the stinging sensation, it wasn’t so bad. She grinned wh
en she saw Ken under the water, looking right at her. Then quickly, they surfaced together.

  “Okay, now, I want you to grab the edge of the pool. When you put your face in the water, stretch out your legs and kick.”

  Again, Mandy did as Ken instructed. After she’d done it awhile, he showed her how to float on her back while stabilizing her head. If not for his gentle coaching, she never could have done as he asked. Mandy trusted Ken and felt sure she was in good hands.

  “You’re getting the hang of it, Mandy. Great job!” Ellen shouted.

  Mandy was pleased with her friend’s compliment. It made it easier to press on with the lesson.

  “Ellen’s right. You’re doing very well.” Ken gave her a thumbs-up. “A few more visits to my folks’ pool, and you’ll be swimming like a mermaid.”

  Mandy wasn’t sure, but with Ken teaching her, she felt hopeful about learning to swim. In fact, she was beginning to think she could do almost anything with him at her side. Even though she had fought it, she was beginning to see Ken as more than a friend, and home filled her thoughts less often.

  Chapter 23

  Middlebury

  Christmas didn’t often fall on a Sunday, but today was one of those years it did. As Barbara sat on a church bench inside her uncle Nate’s barn, she glanced at her friend Sadie, who sat to her left, and then to her sister Libby, on the right. The weather was quite chilly this morning, but the barn was kept warm by her uncle’s woodstove. It was good to be with the people closest to her. Too bad Mandy and Ellen aren’t here.

  Sadie must have been deep in thought, starring into space, while drumming her fingers on the inside of her arm. Was she, too, wondering about their friends?

  Ever since she’d arrived home, a day hadn’t gone by when Barbara’s thoughts didn’t end up hundreds of miles away. It was hard enough to believe she’d been to Hawaii, let alone to think about Mandy and Ellen on a tropical island without any family. I wonder what our two friends are doing right now. Are they wishing they were home with their families? Barbara glanced out the window and saw it was beginning to snow. Are Mandy and Ellen missing the cold, snowy weather, or are they content to be where it’s warm?