The Hawaiian Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean;

  Sadie felt bad for Gideon, but at the same time, she hoped nothing was occurring between him and Barbara. Mandy would be devastated if she came home and found out he’d become interested in one of her friends while she was gone.

  I wonder if I should talk to Barbara about this. Sadie bit her lip. Regardless, now is not the time.

  Lihue

  “Are you two ready to experience an evening you won’t forget?” Ken asked as he led Mandy and Ellen to a table near the stage. He’d upgraded their reservations so they could have better seats.

  “Yes, definitely!” Mandy looked down at the lovely flower leis she and Ellen had received when they’d entered the grounds. She was glad they’d both worn a muumuu tonight, rather than their Amish dresses. It made them blend in more with the crowd, even with the scarves they wore pinned at the back of their heads.

  “The imu ceremony was interesting,” Ellen commented.

  Ken nodded. “Yes, and you’ll enjoy eating some of the tasty pork during the meal we’ll be eating soon. Since we have VIP seats, our table and the others closest to the stage will be called to the buffet table first.”

  “You shouldn’t have spent the extra money.” Mandy spoke softly. “We would have been satisfied to sit at any table.”

  Ken leaned closer to Mandy, touching her arm. “I wanted you to have the best seats so you could see the show up close and be transported to ancient Polynesia during the time of their migration to the islands.” He pushed his seat back and stood. “Now, can I get either of you a glass of Hawaiian fruit punch while we wait for our meal?”

  “I’d like one,” Mandy replied. “But if you show me where to go, I can get it myself.”

  “Nope. You two are my guests this evening, and I’m going to wait on you.” He looked at Ellen. “Does some punch sound good to you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Ken left the table and returned with two glasses of punch, which he handed to Ellen and Mandy. Then he went back and got one for himself.

  A short time later, someone came and told them it was time to go to the buffet table.

  “This reminds me of the buffet we serve at the restaurant where I work in Middlebury,” Mandy whispered to Ellen as they took their plates and began dishing up. “Only the food’s a lot different here.”

  “Be sure you try some of this to go with your kalua pork.” Ken pointed to the container marked Poi. “It’s made from the taro plant.”

  Mandy wrinkled her nose. “Luana told me about poi. She said it tastes rather bland.”

  “It’s more of an acquired taste, but I think it’s pretty good; especially when I dip the pork into it.”

  “Think I’ll pass and have some purple sweet potatoes.”

  They continued down the line, filling their plates with stir-fried vegetables, teriyaki chicken, pan-seared filet of ono fish, tossed green salad with papaya dressing, taro rolls, and steamed jasmine rice. Mandy’s mouth watered thinking how good it would all taste. As they passed the dessert bar, she noticed rice pudding, coconut cake, and pineapple upside-down cake, as well as several kinds of tropical fruits. She would wait until she’d eaten the main meal to get dessert, in case she was too full to enjoy it.

  When they returned to the table, they bowed their heads for a silent prayer. As they ate their meal, Ken told them about the Kilohana Plantation, where the luau was being held. “There’s a train ride you can take around the 105-acre historic plantation,” he explained. “We could have ridden it this evening if we’d gotten here earlier, but I wasn’t able to quit work in time.”

  “It’s okay.” Mandy forked a piece of pork. “What we’re doing now is exciting enough.”

  “Maybe we can take the train ride another time.” He pointed to the poi on Ellen’s plate. “What do you think of it?”

  “It is rather tasteless but not too bad. You should have tried some, Mandy.”

  “I might some other time.” Mandy put another piece of pork into her mouth, enjoying the tender, succulent morsel. “Right now, I’m enjoying this moist, delicious meat.”

  When the meal was over and they’d finished dessert, the lights lowered and the entertainment began. Mandy sat mesmerized as an incredible tale unfolded through dance, song, and the rhythm of Tahitian drums. The story showed the depths of one family’s great effort as they sought courage and vision to carry them on a voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii.

  She sat in rapt attention as the theatrical luau ended with a dream scene featuring fire poi balls and the traditional fire knife dance. The world seemed to slow down as she thought about the difficulty of leaving the only home they’d ever known and traveling to a land far away to begin a new life. She’d been away from her family more than two months. Could she remain on Kauai, knowing she may only see them on rare occasions? It was a question never far from her thoughts these days.

  Chapter 25

  Saturday, January 16

  I am sitting here on the beach with Ellen, watching Ken surf. It’s frightening to see him out there in those giant waves, yet it’s exciting, too. How he manages to stand up and keep his balance on the board is beyond me. If I tried that, I’d be knocked into the water for sure.

  Mandy placed her journal inside the tote bag she’d brought along and drew a deep breath. It had been several days since she’d written anything in it because they’d been so busy at the B&B. It felt wonderful to sit here now, enjoying all the sights and smells around her. This morning, when Ken stopped by and asked if she and Ellen would like to watch him surf, Luana had insisted they go, saying she could manage on her own for a few hours.

  Turning to face Ellen, sitting on the blanket beside her, Mandy observed the plain dress Ellen had made. Except for church, Mandy hardly wore her Amish clothes anymore. The muumuu was comfortable and modest. Wearing it made her feel as if she belonged on Kauai. She had to admit, even though Ellen didn’t have the exact pattern for an Amish dress, she’d done a good job with what she’d had to work with. She hoped her friend wouldn’t hold it against her because she’d strayed from their traditional dress. Sooner or later, Mandy would have to change back to her customary clothing. If she were to arrive home wearing a muumuu, her family would be stunned and no doubt displeased.

  “Luana’s such a nice lady,” she said, setting aside her thoughts. “Just think, if we hadn’t missed the ship, we’d never have met her and Makaio.”

  Ellen nodded.

  “It was good of her to let us have time off this afternoon to spend time on the beach. And look at the beautiful water. It stretches out as far as the eye can see.” Mandy adjusted her sunglasses so they wouldn’t keep slipping on her nose where she’d put sunscreen.

  She focused her attention on Ken when she noticed him talking with two young women on the beach. She assumed he must know them fairly well, for the dark-haired woman wearing a navy-blue swimsuit stood close to Ken, with her hand resting on his arm. Mandy felt a twinge of jealousy but reminded herself that she had no claim on him. They were only friends and would be saying goodbye, most likely for good, when she left Hawaii.

  Refocusing, she noticed that Ellen’s mind seemed to be elsewhere as she watched a stray dog digging frantically in the sand close to the surf.

  “What’s the crazy hund doing?” Mandy chuckled as the shaggy mutt continued to dig and spin around in circles.

  “I don’t know, but he’s certainly energetic. Determined, too.” Ellen laughed as the critter threw clods of wet sand into the air.

  “The dog’s not the only energetic one.” Mandy pointed to the frothy water. Ken was paddling out from the shore. “It amazes me the way he paddles out with his board, then stands up and rides those big waves back in. I’d be exhausted if I tried that, not to mention making a fool of myself.”

  “But now you could swim, or at least stay afloat.”

  “No way! I’m not a strong enough swimmer yet. Even if I was, I wouldn’t have the strength or nerve to do what Ken does.”

  “Me neither. It takes a
lot of practice to master the art of surfing. Fortunately, where we live, we don’t have to worry about such things. Swimming in my folks’ pond is good enough for me.” Ellen grabbed a handful of sand and let it sift through her fingers.

  Swimming in a little pond won’t be near as exciting as paddling around in the ocean, Mandy thought, but she didn’t voice the sentiment to her friend. She looked back at Ken and the enormous wave forming behind him. She sat up straight as the current swelled like a huge wall coming up from the ocean floor. This was the biggest wave she had seen. Ken turned and obviously saw it as he readied himself on the board. She instinctively stood up, watching Ken use his arms to paddle as the wave approached. In no time he was on his feet, riding the water’s crest as if it was as easy as riding a bike. Ken rode the wave beautifully and crouched a bit on his board as a huge curl formed alongside of him. Then quickly, he disappeared, as if the water had swallowed him up.

  Not far from where Ken was last seen, another surfer was engulfed in a separate tube of water. Mandy covered her eyes, peeking through her fingers to watch as the surfer lost his balance. The power of the water flipped him into the air, and then he landed on the backside of the swell. He seemed to be okay after retrieving his board and simply waited for another wave to ride.

  Mandy kept watching and silently said a prayer. Please Lord, keep Ken safe and don’t let him fall off the board.

  Ellen stood up, too. “I can’t see Ken anymore, can you?”

  “No.” Mandy held her breath for what seemed like many minutes, looking for any sign of him. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen this type of surfing when Ken took her to the beach a while back, but this was different. It was Ken out there in the unrelenting ocean.

  She was about to run down to the water’s edge—to do what, she didn’t know. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as Ken, still on his board, emerged, skimming skillfully out of the curling wave. She watched in awe as he continued surfing the swell until it weakened and brought him in to shallower water.

  Ellen sat back down and Mandy followed. “Wow, he had me scared for a minute.” She smiled when Ken raised his hand to wave at them. Then he turned back toward the ocean.

  “He seems to know what he’s doing,” Ellen said. “Look at him. He’s going back out for more. I have to say, a huge wave like the one he rode would have been enough for me. Imagine being in a wall of water like he was. Makes me shudder, even thinking about it.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Do you think that silly hund belongs to anyone?” Ellen pointed to the dog again. “I don’t see his master anywhere.”

  “Maybe whoever he belongs to is up the beach a ways and the dog wandered off.” Right now, the animal was of little interest to Mandy, as she breathed deeply to quell her rapidly beating heart. She watched Ken float casually on his board to wait for another wave to swell. A short time later, he came out of the water, laying his surfboard on the sand. The dog raced over to him, barking and wagging his tail.

  “What do ya want, boy? Wanna play?” Ken bent down, grabbed a stick, and flung it into the water.

  The dog bounded in after it, swam back, and dropped it at Ken’s feet. Woof! Woof!

  “So you do wanna play, huh?” He picked up the stick and threw it again, a little farther out in the water.

  Once again, the dog retrieved it, looking up at Ken as if begging for more.

  “Okay, one more time, boy, and then I’m done. I need to go rest awhile.” He tossed the stick, and as the dog swam out to it, Ken plodded up the beach and dropped onto the blanket beside Mandy.

  “Do you know who owns the dog?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m guessing he’s a stray.”

  “He was digging furiously in the sand a while ago,” Ellen spoke up. “It was comical to watch him—especially when he looked over this way, with sand on his nose.”

  “For sure, he has a lot of energy.” Ken chuckled.

  “After watching you in those waves, I’d say the dog isn’t the only one with a lot of energy.” Mandy tilted her head. “What kind of dog do you think it is?”

  He shrugged. “Hard to tell. Looks like a mixture of terrier and spaniel.”

  “Did you enjoy riding the big waves?” Ellen asked.

  “Yeah. It’s me at the mercy of the ocean. It’s a rush—kind of hard to describe.”

  All Mandy could do was shake her head. She didn’t want to let on how scared she’d been when Ken got lost for a few seconds in the wave.

  “Would you like a glass of cold hibiscus tea?” Ellen reached for the cooler they’d brought along. “I imagine you’re pretty thirsty by now.”

  “Sure. I’d appreciate something cold to drink.”

  “How about something to eat?” Mandy offered, relieved Ken was back on dry land. “We brought along some Maui onion chips, as well as some of Luana’s macadamia nut cookies.”

  “They both sound good.”

  Ellen poured the iced tea, while Mandy got out the food. When they started to eat, the dog bounded up, barking and wagging his tail.

  “The poor pooch looks hungry.” Mandy broke off a piece of her cookie and held it out.

  “Oh, oh, now you’ve done it. We’ll never get rid of the mutt.” Ken smirked as he reached out and scratched behind the critter’s ears. “We’re gonna have a friend for life.”

  “I guess so.” Mandy giggled. “Maybe we should ask some of the people here on the beach if the dog belongs to anyone.”

  “I’ll do it as soon as I finish my snack.” He gave the dog a few chips. Although there was nothing left in Ken’s hand, the mutt continued to lick the salt off his fingers. “From the way the pooch gobbled it up, I’m guessing he hasn’t eaten in a while. One more reason to believe he’s a stray.” He stood and wiped his hand against his black tank top before Mandy could think to hand him a napkin. “Wouldn’t be surprised if someone didn’t drop the dog off somewhere and he wandered down to the beach in search of food.”

  Mandy hated to think anyone would do such a thing, but even back home some dogs ended up to be strays, abandoned by their masters. If this dog was homeless, it was a shame, because he seemed so smart, not to mention friendly and playful. She wished they could take him back to the B&B, but Luana didn’t have any pets and probably wouldn’t appreciate having a dog hanging around pestering her guests.

  As if he could read Mandy’s mind, Ken looked over at her and smiled. “If I don’t find the dog’s owner, I’ll take him with me—at least till I can find him a good home.”

  She smiled, too, thinking once more what a nice person he was.

  “Oh, great. Looks like the vog is creeping in.” Ken pointed to the haze blowing toward them.

  “Could that be why my eyes are itching all of a sudden?” Mandy asked.

  “Wouldn’t be a bit surprised. I’ll go ask around about the dog, and then we should probably get going before the vog becomes any worse.” Ken stood and started down the beach, with the dog trailing along.

  “If the hund doesn’t already have a home, I bet he’ll find one with Ken,” Ellen remarked.

  Mandy was about to comment, when a round of sneezing overtook her. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! “Oh, dear, my eyes itch worse now, too.” She reached into her tote for a tissue.

  When Ken returned, he took one look at Mandy and suggested he ought to take her home. He pointed to the dog. “Guess the mutt’s coming with me for now, ‘cause nobody I talked to knows where he belongs.”

  Mandy smiled, despite how miserable she felt. She was glad Ken would be taking the dog. It wouldn’t be right to leave the poor animal alone on the beach.

  Luana went out to the lanai to visit with Makaio awhile, but the telephone rang. “I’d better get it.” She handed him a glass of freshly made lemonade. “It could be Ailani calling about the doctor’s appointment she went to this morning.”

  She hurried back to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. “The Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.” When she realized it was someone asking about the
availability of a room next month, she grabbed the guest book to check for vacancies. She gave the woman the available dates and details, then took down her information, including a credit card number to hold the reservation.

  After Luana hung up, she returned to the lanai with a glass of lemonade for herself. “It wasn’t our daughter, but we do have another guest scheduled for the first weekend in February.”

  “Good to hear. We need all the business we can get, especially with many of my hospital bills still unpaid.” Makaio’s brows furrowed. “I’ll be glad when the doctor says my leg’s healed sufficiently and I can resume my regular duties here. I feel like a burden to you when all I do is sit around. Think I’ve put on a few extra pounds, too.” Patting his stomach, he took a sip of lemonade. “Good tasting. You make it just the way I like.”

  “Mahalo.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “And you’re not a burden. You’d do the same for me if I were the one laid up. It’s part of the commitment we made to each other when we got married.”

  “True. I only wish—”

  “And don’t you worry. You’ll lose those extra pounds when you’re up and about again.” Luana patted his cheeks. “I’ll see that you do.” The phone rang again, and she stood. “Hold your thoughts. I’ll be right back.”

  Middlebury

  Gideon hoped when he called Mandy this time, she’d be free to talk. He missed her and wanted to know she was missing him, too. Right now, he felt insecure feelings creeping in—the ones that told him Mandy wasn’t his girlfriend anymore.

  He chided himself for thinking this way and took a moment to shake off his doubts before making the call. After pausing at the door of the phone shack a few seconds, Gideon stepped inside and took a seat on the wooden stool. Then he punched in the number for the B&B. Mandy’s birthday was coming up soon, and he wanted to tell her that he’d sent a gift and a card. The phone rang several times before a woman’s voice came on the line. “Aloha! This is the Palms Bed-and-Breakfast.”

  “This is Gideon Eash. Is Mandy there? I’d like to speak with her, please.”