The Hawaiian Quilt (24 page)

“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 when 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.

Middlebury

C
hristmas 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?

Barbara reflected on the last conversation she’d had with Ellen, when she’d mentioned how she and Mandy attended a church on Kauai. No doubt, they would attend services there today and then take part in whatever kind of celebration the Hawaiian couple had in their home.

I wonder if my friends feel out of place. I sure would. It must be hard for Miriam and Isaac, having their daughter so far away—especially during the holidays. I’m sure Mandy’s brothers miss her, too, since it’s the first Christmas their entire family isn’t together. Same for Ellen’s parents and her siblings. I’m thankful I can be with my family for Christmas. I can’t imagine being stuck on an island, far from home, with people I’d only met a little over a month ago
.

She glanced at the men’s side of the room and spotted Gideon, wearing a grim expression. Barbara’s heart clenched.
I wish he didn’t look so sad. He must miss Mandy something awful today
.

Gideon had a hard time concentrating on the bishop’s message. Christmas was supposed to be a joyful occasion, but he wasn’t in the holiday spirit, even with the pleasure of seeing a few snowflakes falling this morning. Going to church and celebrating with his family afterward wasn’t the same without Mandy. He’d called her the night before to wish her a Merry Christmas, but like before, she was busy and couldn’t talk long. She’d been polite, of course, and explained they had company at the B&B, but it almost seemed as if she was looking for an excuse not to talk to him.

Maybe I’m being paranoid. With Mandy so far away and me not knowing when she’s coming home, it’s easy to conjure things up in my mind that may not even be true. I miss her so much, I can’t think straight anymore
.

The bench Gideon sat upon seemed more uncomfortable than usual. Or was it only because he felt so miserable? Scooching around to find a comfortable position didn’t help, nor did stretching his legs out in front of him.

He sighed and instinctively reached up to touch the small indentation on his right cheek, caused from scratching an infected pox. This was not going to be one of his better Christmases.

Kapaa

“I’m glad we were able to go to church today,” Ellen whispered as she and Mandy took seats in the sanctuary. “But it would have been nice if Luana and Makaio could have come with us.”

“They wanted to, but Makaio still isn’t doing well with his crutches, so he figured it would be better to stay home.”

Ellen’s stomach tensed as she heard the word
home
. Every year she looked forward to spending Christmas with her family. Not being with them today was heartbreaking. She turned to her friend. “Do you think he’s ever going to be well enough to help Luana again so we can go home?”

“Of course he will. But is going home all you ever think about?” Mandy’s brows furrowed. “Can’t you enjoy our time here on Kauai for as long as it lasts?”

Ellen bristled. “The things you say shock me sometimes. It’s Christmas, Mandy, and I miss my family. You should miss your family, too.”

“How can you even suggest such a thing?” A pained expression gathered on Mandy’s face, and then she lowered her head. “I do miss everyone back home, but I’m trying to make the best of our situation.” She slowly lifted her head. “And what about Luana? Would you want to leave her in a bind? I would hope not. It isn’t the way we were taught.”

“No, of course not. I only meant—”

“
Shh
. It’s time to get quiet.” Mandy motioned to the front, where the worship team had assembled.

The pastor stepped up to the podium and tapped on the microphone. The sound boomed through the speakers. Startled, many people jumped.

Red-faced, he grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. Would everyone please stand for a word of prayer?”

Luana sat on the sofa, gazing at the twinkling lights on their Christmas tree. Makaio was asleep in his recliner, with his Bible in his lap. He’d had a restless night, and soon after they’d read scripture together this morning, his eyelids had grown heavy. It was all right. He needed his rest. Luana’s only regret was they couldn’t go to church with Ellen and Mandy. Makaio was disappointed, too, and had become impatient, complaining about not being able to climb a ladder to decorate the outside of the house with colored lights.

She understood her husband’s edginess. After six weeks of wearing the cast, he had been excited to get the thing off. But when he’d seen the doctor two days ago, he was told he would need to wear it another two weeks to be sure the leg healed properly. Luana never let on, but she’d been hopeful for Makaio. Eight weeks was a long time to be wearing a cast.

She leaned her head back and let her mind drift to the many Christmases she’d spent as a young girl on the Big Island. Some years, her parents got together with other family members in one of their homes. Other times, they would gather at one of the beaches for a picnic. Anywhere with her loved ones felt like home.

She laughed faintly, thinking about her uncle Randy. He always showed up wearing a shell lei around his neck and a Santa hat on his head. Of course, he made sure it was his job to hand out all the Christmas presents to the children who were there. He used to tell them stories about how Santa Claus rode in a red canoe pulled by dolphins, and then they all sang, “Here comes Santa in a Red Canoe.” Songs such as “Christmas in Hawaii” and the Hawaiian version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” were accompanied by ukulele or a guitar.

As soon as Ailani and Oke came over and Mandy and Ellen returned from church, they would share a meal. Afterward, if Makaio felt up to it, he would play his ukulele while they sang Christmas songs for their holiday gathering.

Sighing, Luana stood and headed for the kitchen. The tantalizing smell of ham slowly heating in the oven reached her nose and caused her stomach to growl. It was tradition to have coconut pudding for dessert, but instead, she’d made a pineapple upside-down cake.

I’ll miss those young Amish women when they return to the mainland
, Luana thought. Even though she hadn’t known them long, they’d become almost like family to her.
Maybe someday, if we can find someone to take over the bed-and-breakfast for a few weeks, we can go to Indiana to meet Mandy and Ellen’s families. Visiting Amish country would be an interesting way to spend a vacation. We’d have to make sure we went during the warm summer months, because I don’t think I could get used to the cold or snow
.