The Hawaiian Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean;

  His gaze went to Barbara. Would she be a better choice for me? Gideon had enjoyed his conversations with her during the time Mandy was gone. Barbara was attractive, had a sweet spirit, and most important she wanted to be Amish. But Gideon saw some problems: He didn’t know how Barbara felt about him, and he wasn’t sure whether Mandy had any feelings for him anymore. Likewise, he felt unsure of his feelings for Barbara and Mandy. He’d never been so confused.

  Gideon had noticed how well his mother and Barbara got along. While Barbara was in Hawaii, Mom had mentioned several times how much she missed her. Furthermore, both of his parents had expressed concern because Mandy would not join the church. Mom even went so far as to say no son of hers should be made to wait around indefinitely for a young lady who didn’t want to commit to the Amish way of life. He felt the pressure building but fought it off, needing to be cautious. Gideon didn’t want any regrets where Mandy was concerned. Everything needed to be prayed about, allowing God to work things out.

  Before directing his attention back to what the bishop was saying, Gideon made a decision. If Mandy didn’t join the church next year, he would give up on their relationship and stop seeing her. In the meantime, regardless of what Mandy told him, he would try a little harder to get back what they once had.

  At lunch following the church service, Ellen took a seat beside Mandy. “Is the dress you’re wearing the one I made you in Hawaii for your birthday?” she asked.

  “Jah, it’s the green one.” Mandy’s expression was somber.

  “Something doesn’t look right with it.” Ellen pulled at the material. “The dress looks as if it’s hanging on you and doesn’t fit like it should. I was certain it fit you properly when you wore it home from Hawaii.”

  “I may have lost a little weight since then,” Mandy admitted. “But don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll gain it back and the dress will fit perfectly again.”

  “That makes me feel better, and I’m glad it wasn’t because I measured wrong.” Ellen looked at her friend long and hard. “I wish you could have been with us today when we went forward to be baptized. It was a meaningful occasion.”

  Mandy nodded. “I’m sure, and I’m happy for all of you.”

  “Why didn’t you take classes with us? You’ve never truly explained.”

  “Jah, I did. I told you before. I don’t feel ready.” She drank some of her lemonade.

  “When will you be ready?”

  “How do we know when we’re ready for anything? Maybe I’ll take classes next spring, but I’m focusing on the now. I want to keep working and saving money, because I still haven’t paid my parents all they spent for the ticket that brought me home from Kauai.” Mandy squinted against the sun streaming into the window and scooted over a little to avoid it.

  “What about Gideon? Do you think he will wait for you that long? He most likely wanted to be married this fall.”

  “Please, Ellen.” Mandy’s brows furrowed. “Don’t make me feel any guiltier than I already do.”

  “Guilty for not joining the church or making Gideon wait?”

  “I’m not sure.” Mandy’s voice lowered. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure of anything anymore.”

  “I can tell.” Ellen pushed the pickle on her plate around with her fork. “You’re not the same person you were before we went to Hawaii. We’ve been home over five months, and by now you should have gotten over…” Ellen stopped talking when she noticed several women at the table looking their way. Now was not the time or place to express her feelings to Mandy. She would do it another day, when they could talk privately.

  Barbara glanced at Mandy and Ellen, wondering what they were talking about. The two had their heads together, speaking in low tones. Then they stopped talking altogether, barely looking at one another.

  During the church service this morning, it had been difficult for Barbara to concentrate on the preacher’s message. She kept thinking about Mandy and how she’d disappointed all of them by not joining the church. Gideon, most of all, she thought. I wonder if she’ll ever decide to join, and if so, will Gideon wait for her or find someone else to court? I wish it could be me, but I doubt he sees me as anything more than a friend. If Mandy would break things off with him, I might have a chance.

  “Are you going to the young people’s singing tonight?” Sadie nudged Barbara’s arm, scattering her thoughts.

  “Umm … I guess so. Are you planning to go?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Sadie smiled. “This will be our first singing as church members.”

  “Did you ever have second thoughts about joining the church?” Barbara whispered, leaning closer to her friend.

  “Absolutely not. I’ve always looked forward to joining. Even as a little girl I knew what I wanted.” Sadie chuckled. “I used to pretend I was the bishop, and I’d baptize my dolls.”

  Barbara laughed. “You were that eager?”

  “Jah.” Sadie nodded in Mandy’s direction. “It saddens me to think you, Ellen, Mandy, and I made the trip to Hawaii together, but only three of us became members of the church today. From the time we were girls in school, I thought we’d all join together.”

  “I thought so, too.” Barbara sighed. “A link was truly missing in what should have been a happy occasion for all of us this morning.”

  “Before we went to Hawaii, did Mandy give any indication she might not join?”

  Barbara shook her head. “At least not to me. She may have mentioned something to Ellen, though. They’re pretty close.”

  “I bet Mandy’s folks are deeply hurt their only daughter hasn’t committed to becoming a baptized church member. My parents would certainly be upset if I never joined.”

  “Do you think Mandy will end up leaving her Amish roots altogether?”

  Sadie shrugged. “Could be. After talking to Ellen about the way Mandy acted when they were staying with the Hawaiian couple on Kauai, nothing would surprise me.”

  “She’s told me a few things, too.” Barbara pursed her lips. “The one I feel the most sorry for is Gideon. Mandy’s been unfair, making him believe she would return from Hawaii and join the church, then staying longer than planned and not joining after she got home.” She lowered her voice even more. “He deserves to be happy.”

  “Maybe he’ll find happiness with someone else.”

  “You think so?” Hope welled in Barbara’s chest.

  “Anything’s possible. Especially since things don’t seem to be going well between him and Mandy these days.”

  A feeling of guilt settled over Barbara, for hoping Mandy and Gideon broke up, but she couldn’t help wishing if things didn’t work out between them, Gideon might turn to her. He’d have to be blind not to see I have feelings for him. Every time he’s around, I break out in a cold sweat. And sometimes when he talks to me, I feel like I can’t speak without stuttering or saying something foolish. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking how nice Gideon looked in his Sunday best today. It was all she could do not to stare at him. If I were in Mandy’s shoes, I’d hang on to Gideon and never let him go.

  Chapter 35

  By early January, Gideon had finally accepted the fact that his relationship with Mandy was over. Even if she did join the church this year, there was no hope of them being together. It hadn’t been easy at first, but if he wanted to move forward with his life, he had to make this choice. He’d tried to continue courting Mandy for a while after he’d joined the church, but the feelings they’d once had for each other weren’t there anymore. Fortunately, their parting wasn’t bitter, and they’d agreed to remain friends. That wasn’t to say he’d erased the last couple of months from his mind. The feelings deep in his heart would take effort and time to overcome, especially with the holidays still fresh on his mind.

  Thanksgiving and Christmas had been difficult, since Mandy hadn’t spent either holiday with him. But with the help of his family, Gideon had made it through. After Christmas dinner, he and his brother Orley had taken a walk outside,
and Gideon had taken the opportunity to unburden his soul. He’d explained the changes in Mandy since she returned from Hawaii and mentioned how she kept drawing further from him. Orley helped Gideon admit to himself the relationship was ending and that he shouldn’t pursue Mandy anymore. If he wanted to remain friends with her, the best thing was to set her free. At the same time, Gideon would also be free to pursue a new relationship when the time was right. He’d taken his brother’s advice, and by New Year’s had come to terms with things and felt ready to focus on the future.

  Gideon had asked Barbara to attend a singing with him this evening and was on his way to her house right now. He and Barbara had always gotten along well. Since she worked in his mother’s store and they saw each other often, he felt comfortable around her. The sparks weren’t there like they had been with Mandy in the beginning of their courtship, but maybe in time deeper feelings would come. Meanwhile, he enjoyed the stronger friendship developing between them. Gideon and Barbara saw eye-to-eye on many things, and most importantly, she had no desire to be anything but Amish. If things progressed with them, he’d probably end up asking her to marry him. “Think Mom would be happy if Barbara became her daughter-in-law someday,” Gideon murmured.

  As if in response, his horse whinnied and his ears perked up. The gelding acted frisky, prancing along the snow-covered road, blowing out his breath in steady streams as Gideon urged him forward.

  Gideon had dressed warmly this evening, with a heavy jacket and gloves. Mom had given him a quilt to place across their laps. She’d also provided a thermos of hot chocolate, saying to make sure they kept warm, because the temperature was supposed to dip down this evening.

  Gideon’s thoughts returned to courting Barbara. Next week a group of young people planned a get-together that would include ice skating and a bonfire. He and Barbara would join them. He looked forward to the winter sport and having quality time with his new girlfriend.

  Barbara’s heart pounded as she stood at the living-room window, watching for Gideon’s horse and buggy. Hours earlier, she’d debated on what dress to wear. Mom had stepped into her bedroom while she was trying on dresses and suggested Barbara wear a blue dress because it brought out the color of her eyes.

  Barbara turned from the window when her mother entered the living room. “I’m a little naerfich tonight,” Barbara admitted.

  “I remember during my courting days, I was so nervous my knees sometimes knocked.” Mom gave Barbara a hug. “I worried someone would notice, but no one said a thing.”

  “My knees aren’t knocking, but I feel like I’ve got butterflies in my stomach.”

  Mom smiled. “You’ll be fine, Daughter.”

  Barbara kept it to herself, but every time she and Gideon were together she found herself falling harder for him. She was amazed they’d become a courting couple. She’d thought for sure he would end up marrying Mandy.

  Of course, Gideon hasn’t proposed to me, and maybe he never will. He might only see me as a good friend—someone to fill the void since he and Mandy broke up.

  Barbara took a seat on the couch. She remembered how when Gideon first asked her out, she’d asked Mandy how she felt about it. To Barbara’s surprise, Mandy had given her blessing, stating she didn’t have romantic feelings for Gideon anymore.

  She sighed. I can’t believe Mandy would give up what she and Gideon once had, but I guess she has her reasons. Barbara was glad she could freely express, at least to Sadie, how she felt toward Gideon. Until he declared feelings of love for her, she would remain quiet. But if the day ever came he asked her to marry him, Barbara’s answer would be yes.

  Shipshewana

  On Monday morning, Mandy’s day off at the meat-and-cheese store, she headed to the thrift shop where she volunteered one day a week. She enjoyed working there. It broke up the week and gave her something to look forward to. She couldn’t wait to see what had come in since the last time she’d volunteered her services. All kinds of housewares and clothing were normally donated. Mandy would sort through the boxes and bags and then clean or repair what was needed.

  She snickered, thinking about the wigs that had come in a few weeks ago. It would be comical to wear one of them while dressing up for a skit of some kind. Another time she’d opened a box of dishes, but many of them were chipped so they couldn’t be put out.

  Mandy pulled her thoughts together when the vehicle she rode in slowed down and turned the last corner before the thrift store. It had begun to snow pretty hard, and she breathed a sigh of relief when her driver dropped her off in front of the store.

  Mandy shivered as she stepped through the door. “Brr … It’s sure cold out there.” She stomped her feet and brushed crystal flakes from her shoulders. “The snow’s coming down harder,” she told Mary Jane Bontrager, the woman in charge of the store for the day.

  Mary Jane crinkled her nose. “We probably won’t get too many customers. Only the brave or someone desperately seeking a bargain would be likely to come out in weather like this.”

  “I did.” Mandy snickered. “But then, I enjoy my work here. It’s a nice change of pace.”

  “I like it, too.” Mary Jane gestured toward the back of the store. “Someone brought in several boxes of used items last week, but I haven’t had time to go through any of it. Would you mind sorting?”

  “Sure, no problem. I’ll begin as soon as I hang up my jacket and outer bonnet and put my lunch tote away.”

  Mandy moved swiftly for the back room. Once she’d put her things away, she located the boxes and got right to work. The first box was filled with children’s toys, so she put them in two piles and would take care of cleaning them as soon as she sorted the items in the other boxes.

  The clock clicked close to noon, and Mandy was about to stop and eat lunch, when she discovered something in the third box that nearly took her breath away. She studied the beautiful blue-and-white quilt. It didn’t look like a traditional Amish quilt when she opened it the whole way. This one reminded her of the photo she’d seen of Luana and Makaio’s quilt while staying at their bed-and-breakfast. After inspecting the covering closely, she discovered the initials L and M sewn in one corner of the quilt. Although it seemed impossible, Mandy wondered if by some miracle this could actually be Luana and Makaio’s missing quilt. But how would it get all the way from Hawaii to Indiana?

  Mandy knelt on the floor beside the cardboard box, holding the quilt. Gazing at the beautiful Hawaiian design put a lump in her throat. She felt a strong need to purchase this quilt, even if it wasn’t Luana’s. She couldn’t imagine leaving it here in the store for someone else to buy, and she felt sure they would. An item this lovely wouldn’t last long.

  Carrying the quilt up to the front counter, Mandy held up her find. “What price will you put on this?”

  Mary Jane studied the covering a few seconds, pursing her lips. “I’m normally the one who prices things here, but … Oh, I don’t know. The quilt’s design is unusual, especially for around these parts. Why don’t you decide on a price? You have an eye for finely made quilts, so you can probably price it as well as I could.”

  Mandy shook her head. “You don’t understand. I want to purchase this quilt. It reminds me of Hawaii, and it looks like the picture of a quilt that used to be owned by someone I met on Kauai.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Since it means so much to you, why don’t you give a donation to the store for whatever you can afford? Then the quilt will be yours.”

  Mandy didn’t have a lot of money, but she’d been saving up since she began working at her dad’s store. “Would a hundred dollars be fair?”

  Mary Jane gave an affirmative nod. “Consider it yours.”

  Holding the covering close, Mandy’s heart swelled. She’d replaced her digital camera a few months ago, so when she went home this evening, she would take a picture of this outstanding quilt and send it to Luana. If, by some miracle, it turned out to be her and Makaio’s quilt, Mandy would make sure it was returned to them
, even if it meant taking it there herself.

  Mandy smiled. Now wouldn’t it be something if I got to go back to Kauai and could present something so special to Luana and Makaio? I hope and pray this is truly the lost quilt they received on their wedding day.

  Chapter 36

  Bundled in a heavy jacket, thick brown scarf, and matching gloves, Mandy stepped outdoors, where a strong wind continued blowing from overnight. Hopefully it would ease up soon, like it was supposed to. Making her way down the slippery driveway, she pulled her scarf up to the bridge of her nose.

  Shivering against the cold, she opened the mailbox and pulled out a stack of mail. Thanks to the gloves she wore, her grip wasn’t so good. Before she could react, a gust of wind whipped it right out of her hands and sent the mail flying down the road. She raced after it, trying to hold her balance as she slipped and slid in the snow. She grabbed one letter, but ended up bending it. “Oh, great! Come on, Mr. Wind. You’re supposed to be calming down by now.”

  Mandy removed her gloves and managed to pick up the rest of the mail as the wind subsided, almost instantly. She stopped and looked around. Guess the wind must have heard me. She giggled. After thumbing through the retrieved items, she saw only a few bills and some advertising catalogs. It had been almost two weeks since she’d sent Luana a letter with the picture of the quilt she’d found at the thrift store. So far, there’d been no response. She hoped her letter hadn’t gotten lost in the mail. If Luana had received it, she should have responded by now. Even if she thought the quilt wasn’t hers, surely she would have written back.

  Meandering back and being careful not to fall, she inhaled a breath of frosty air. Looking out across the field and the tree line adjacent to their property, Mandy paused for a minute to watch a steady stream of smoke, almost fog-like, wafting slowly in the afternoon’s breeze. No doubt someone up the road had stoked their woodstove. The whitish haze was a stark contrast against the bare dark trees at the far end of the field. At least the stronger winds had finally settled down.