The Hawaiian Quilt Page 2

  “I wouldn’t feel right about leaving you here alone.” Barbara looked out the window and grimaced. “The rain is coming down hard. What a way to begin our day.”

  “I wouldn’t feel right about leaving Ellen, either.” Mandy opened the satchel containing her personal items and removed a homeopathic medicine she’d brought along. “This is for nausea and dizziness.” She handed it to Ellen with a fresh bottle of water. “If it doesn’t help, let me know, and I’ll see what’s available from the ship’s infirmary.”

  Ellen took the remedy and reclined on her bed. “I’ll be fine by myself while you’re eating breakfast.” She reached for the sheet and blanket, pulling them up to her shoulders. “I need to lie here awhile. I only wish the ship would stop moving so much.”

  Mandy looked at Sadie and Barbara, and when they both nodded, she hurried to get dressed. By the time they were ready to leave the room, Ellen was sleeping.

  “Hopefully, she’ll be okay,” Sadie whispered. “One of us can check on her as soon as we’re done eating.”

  As they headed out the door, Mandy turned to look at Ellen again. She wanted to stay with her childhood friend, but since Ellen had insisted everyone go to breakfast and couldn’t be helped while she was sleeping, Mandy quietly stepped into the corridor and shut the door. She’d make sure to eat quickly and not be gone too long.

  Ellen woke up with her stomach churning. She sat up for a moment, but the feeling didn’t go away. All at once, her throat constricted, and she covered her mouth. Jumping out of bed, she dashed to the bathroom, barely making it in time. When the vomiting subsided, her ribs felt sore, and she was exhausted. With her stomach empty, and a feeling of shakiness, all she wanted to do was climb back in bed. Will this ever go away? How long am I going to be seasick? Sure hope I don’t feel like this the whole cruise.

  Tears welled in Ellen’s eyes as she lay staring at the ceiling, still fighting waves of nausea. So much for those anti-nausea drops and homeopathic medicine. Maybe they would have helped if I’d taken them sooner.

  Hearing a knock on the door, Ellen pulled herself off the bed. Since she was still in her nightgown and knew she looked a mess, she hoped it wasn’t one of the ship’s attendants. When she opened the door a crack, she was surprised to see Mandy.

  “Sorry if I woke you. I forgot my room key,” Mandy apologized.

  “It’s okay. I was awake.”

  “I ate a quick breakfast and brought these back for you.” When Mandy stepped into the room and closed the door, she placed several packets of saltine crackers and a can of ginger ale on the small table between the beds. “How are you feeling? Did the homeopathic remedy help at all?”

  “Not really. I threw up while you were gone, and I still feel a bit woozy and nauseous.” Ellen sighed deeply. “Sure hope I don’t feel like this the rest of the way. We still have three more days before we get to our first stop on Maui.”

  Mandy took a seat. “I hope this storm passes soon and the ship moves into calmer waters. Even though I’m not sick to my stomach, the rocking affects my equilibrium. Maybe it would help if we went out on our balcony for a while and breathed in some fresh air. For now, at least, the rain has stopped.”

  “I doubt it’ll help me, but I guess I could try.” Ellen slipped into her robe, and they stepped onto the small veranda. The blowing wind and choppy waters were reason enough for her stomach to be upset all morning. Grasping the railing, she drew in several deep breaths, which helped a little, but those lingering gray clouds above didn’t remove her dismal outlook.

  Mandy placed her hand gently on Ellen’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. This is supposed to be a fun trip for all of us.”

  “It will be once we’re on dry land.” Ellen groaned. “I must be a land lover.”

  “Same here. Since I can’t swim, it makes me naerfich looking out at nothing but water and seeing no escape except the ship we’re on.”

  “Then why’d you want to take this trip so badly?”

  “Because I wanted to see Hawaii. And even though I haven’t joined the church, I knew my folks would disapprove of me flying.”

  “Same here.”

  “We’ll keep praying this will go away for you, and you’ll soon be back on your feet.” Mandy stared out at the rough waters. “I’m excited to see Maui, but I wish we could spend more time there. There’s only so much we can see in a day.”

  “Guess we should be happy for what we get. At least we’ll have a taste of Hawaii and should have a lot to tell our families when we go home.”

  “I’m glad I purchased a digital camera before we left. I plan to keep a journal and put together a scrapbook with pictures from our trip. Then whenever I miss Hawaii, I’ll take it out and relive all our precious memories.”

  Ellen snickered, despite her fluttering tummy. “How do you know you’re going to miss Hawaii? You haven’t been there yet. Maybe it’s not as special as you think.”

  “Of course it’s special.” Mandy gave a playful grin. “I’ve seen the pictures my cousin took from her time on the Big Island. Looking at them made me want to see all the beautiful flowers, palm trees, and colorful birds for myself.” Mandy tried tucking the blowing stray hairs back under her head covering, but it was no use. The wind had a mind of its own.

  “Don’t forget about the coconuts, pineapple, and papaya we’ll get to taste. Didn’t you say Ruth brought back a pineapple for you to sample?”

  “She did, and I loved it.” Mandy smacked her lips. “I ate some at breakfast this morning, as well as slices of mango. They were appeditlich.”

  “Nothing sounds delicious to me right now.” Ellen shivered, rubbing her arms. “It’s chilly out here. Think I’d better go back inside.”

  When they stepped into the room, Barbara was lying on her twin bed, reading a Hawaiian magazine. Sadie sat on a chair nearby, mending one of her dresses that had somehow gotten torn.

  “I didn’t realize you were back,” Mandy said.

  “We’ve been here about five minutes.” Sadie held up her turquoise dress. “I brought this one along because it’s kind of a tropical color.”

  Mandy smiled, then pointed to the crackers and ginger ale. “Why don’t you try those now, Ellen? A little something in your bauch might help, and you do need to keep hydrated.”

  “I like saltines anytime,” Barbara commented, before sticking her nose back in the magazine.

  “Guess I will try a little.” Ellen opened one pack of crackers and took a seat on her bed. Nothing appealed, but maybe the saltines would help settle her stomach. Her mother always gave them to Ellen and her siblings whenever they got stomach flu and couldn’t keep anything else down. Maybe tomorrow she would feel better and could explore more of the ship.

  Middlebury

  Gideon stood at the entrance of the barn, sipping hot chocolate and admiring the snowflakes glistening in the sunlight like crystals. As a young boy, he had loved to take his sled up the small hill behind their place and slide down at unimaginable speeds. Back then, he’d thought it was pretty exciting. When Gideon and his siblings came inside afterward, Mom always had a cup of hot chocolate waiting for them. Now he was in his early twenties, and this kind of weather seemed like an inconvenience, not to mention downright cold. Gideon still thought the snow was pretty, but it gave him more things to worry about.

  “It’s too early for schnee,” he muttered. “Sure hope the roads don’t get bad.” Most horse and buggies did well in the snow, but the cars on the roads were what he worried about. Some drivers went too fast, while others crept along at a snail’s pace.

  As Gideon turned toward the stalls needing to be cleaned, his thoughts went to Mandy. No doubt she and her friends were on the boat by now, enjoying better weather than this. He disliked having her so far away. Gideon still didn’t understand why she wanted to go to Hawaii so bad. He was eager for Mandy to come home and make a decision about whether she would join the church or not.

  He paused and clo
sed his eyes, as an image of Mandy’s pretty face came to mind. Her eyes, matching the color of her silky brown hair, seemed so expressive when she talked. Gideon had never seen eyes as beautiful as hers. They were a rich coffee color, but what made them so unique was how they almost turned green, depending on the color of dress she wore. Mandy smiled a lot, too, and got along well with others. It’s no wonder she enjoys being a waitress, Gideon thought.

  He wondered what she was seeing and doing on the cruise ship. Gideon supposed it was a fun adventure, but being here was all he needed to be content. I wonder if she’s nervous about traveling so far from home, especially on a ship floating in a big body of water like the Pacific. Since Mandy’s never learned to swim, I would think she’d be scared being surrounded by all that water. Sure hope she gets this trip out of her system and will be content when she comes home.

  He gave himself a mental shake. I probably shouldn’t be worried. Mandy will be back in a few weeks, and everything will be fine. If we are truly meant to be together, she’ll be ready to take classes preparing her to join the church soon after she arrives.

  Chapter 3

  On the Cruise Ship

  Ready to leave their cabin, Mandy took a moment to write in her journal:

  Today is Sunday, our third day at sea. Before we went for breakfast this morning, we sat in our cabin and had our devotions. It was nice to set a time aside to read God’s Word and reflect on His promises.

  The weather’s improved, and Ellen’s feeling better. I’m glad things are looking up for her now that the ship isn’t swaying like it was before. The storm was a bit unnerving to our group, and probably for a lot of other people on board as well.

  It was nice all four of us could sit together and share the morning meal. A few minutes ago, we got back from breakfast. I ate too much again. It’s hard to pass up all the delicious food; especially the fruit and seafood. It would be easy for a person to put on extra pounds, taking in all the tantalizing food and lounging on the deck or in our room. Maybe I’ll visit the exercise room later today and use the treadmill. I need to burn off the extra calories.

  No matter how many times I look out the door of our balcony, it seems strange to see nothing but water, with no land at all in sight. It’s kind of eerie and makes me feel somewhat isolated, even though we’re on a ship with over two thousand passengers. I’d love to see some dolphins, like some of the folks at our dinner table said they had earlier today. Maybe we’ll still get the chance.

  “Are you ready to do some exploring?” Ellen placed her hands on the desk where Mandy sat.

  “Give me a moment.” Mandy set her pen and journal aside. “I want to put on some sunscreen, since it’s so bright out today.”

  “Good idea.” Ellen picked up her tube of sunscreen and put it in her tote bag, along with a pair of sunglasses. “Since Barbara and Sadie have already gone out to sit by the pool and read, I’d better take this along. I don’t think they took theirs.”

  “They did seem in a hurry to get going.”

  “No more than I am. After feeling so sick and staying in the room yesterday, I’m anxious to get out for some fresh air and sunshine.”

  Mandy slathered some sunscreen on her face and arms, then put the camera in her tote. “Let’s go!”

  After sitting in one of the lounge chairs by the pool awhile, Mandy saw an elderly couple walk by and pick out two empty chairs. Based on their conversation, they seemed eager to get some fresh air by the pool. The woman took her seat carefully and waited for her husband to do the same. He, though, sat rather abruptly, sending the lounge chair crashing as it flattened like a pancake.

  “Oh, dear! Robert, are you all right?” With a worried expression, his wife turned toward him.

  “Only my pride is hurt,” he panted, struggling to get up.

  Before Mandy could react, Sadie jumped up and went to help him. Once he was on his feet, she stood his chair up and made sure it was locked in place.

  “Thanks for coming to my rescue.” His face was bright red. “Bet I looked pretty foolish.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.” Sadie smiled and returned to her seat beside Ellen. “I can’t believe how many people sat there watching and didn’t even try to help.”

  Ellen nodded. “A lot of them had their phones out. Sure hope they weren’t taking pictures of the poor fellow.”

  Some people don’t seem to care about others, Mandy thought. I’m glad Sadie helped the elderly man. He could have been seriously hurt.

  After lounging awhile, Sadie said she was craving some ice cream. “Why don’t we all head for the sundae shop?” she suggested.

  Mandy glanced at her cell phone, noting the time. “It won’t be long till it’s time to eat lunch. If we have ice cream now, it’ll ruin our appetites.”

  “Not mine.” Sadie shook her head. “If anything, an ice-cream cone will whet my appetite.”

  Mandy fought the urge to roll her eyes. One thing she and Sadie disagreed on was the kind of food they ate. Mandy treated herself to ice cream once in a while, but she didn’t go overboard on sweets—especially not before eating a big meal. “You can go to the sundae shop if you want to.” She licked her lips, trying not to think how good an ice-cream sundae would taste. “I’m gonna stay here and enjoy the sunshine. When I talked to Mom last night, she mentioned they were getting snow in Middlebury.”

  Barbara clicked her tongue. “I can’t believe they’re getting schnee so early in November. I hope it’s all gone by the time we go home.”

  “They could have more by then, which is why we’d better enjoy the sun while we can.” Sadie stood. “Who’s going with me to get ice cream?”

  “Guess I’ll come along.” Barbara gathered up her things and left her chair.

  “I’m going to stay here with Mandy. It’s fun to watch the children play in the pool.” Ellen lifted her arm up and grinned. “Think I’m getting a little color, too.”

  “Okay, then, we’ll see you two at the lunch buffet.” Sadie waved and headed off, with Barbara at her side.

  Mandy glanced over at Ellen and grimaced. “I bet those two won’t be able to eat much lunch.”

  Ellen gave her stomach a few thumps. “I will. After only crackers and ginger ale for the past twenty-four hours, I’m more than eiferich to eat.”

  “I’m eager, too, but I won’t overdo. I want to save room for our supper this evening.” Mandy glanced at the cute little blond-haired girl sitting on the side of the pool. Despite her mother’s coaxing, the child refused to get in the water.

  She might be afraid because she can’t swim. Mandy brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Since she had never learned to swim, she could relate to the young girl. Mandy feared going into the pond on her parents’ property, which her four brothers enjoyed. Mandy’s dread of water kept her from learning to swim or even float. She remembered how, on hot summer days, she would hold her long dress up so it wouldn’t get wet and wade into the shallow part of the pond near the shoreline. The cool water felt good on her bare legs and feet, and she’d been satisfied with that. When Mandy was eight years old, her brother Michael, who was ten at the time, pulled her into the water where it was over her head. Certain she would drown, Mandy flailed her arms and screamed so loud their father came running. Within seconds, he dove into the water and rescued her. Sobbing and clinging to Dad’s neck, she vowed never to go in the pond again. Of course, she had, but only knee deep. On several occasions, Dad had offered to teach her to swim, but Mandy flatly refused. Even with her fear of the water, she found it fascinating and looked forward to watching the waves hit the shore when they were on dry land.

  Mandy’s brother Mark had kidded her about making a trip to Hawaii by boat, since the ship would be surrounded by water. Mandy’s response was, “I’m not worried about it, because I won’t go anywhere on the ship where I could fall overboard.”

  Then her youngest brother, Melvin, piped up. “What if the ship sinks, like the Titanic?”

&
nbsp; Mandy squeezed the arms on her deck chair. Leave it up to my bruder to give me a hard time. She could only imagine how horrible it must have been on the Titanic, with nowhere to go but the cold ocean water. Even so, she couldn’t let these feelings get the best of her. Thinking happier thoughts, she reflected on how her parents had given each of their five children a name beginning with the letter M. Michael, almost twenty-three, had recently married Sarah Yoder. Milo was eighteen; Mark, fifteen; and Melvin, twelve. Mandy would celebrate her twenty-first birthday on January 28. She would be home from her trip way before then and figured her parents would do something special for her. Maybe Mom would cook a big meal and invite Mandy’s closest friends to join them. Or perhaps they’d all go out to one of her favorite restaurants in the area.

  Growing up with teasing brothers hadn’t been easy, but she’d survived her childhood—although she had always longed for a sister.

  Of course, she reasoned, I have my three best friends, and they’re almost like sisters.

  “Are you daydreaming?” Ellen nudged Mandy’s arm. “I’ve been talking to you, but I don’t think you heard a word I said.”

  “Oh, sorry. I was deep in thought.” Mandy turned to face her friend. “What did you say?”

  “It’s getting windy, and I’ve had enough sun.” Ellen unrolled her sleeves.

  “You’re right, the wind has picked up. Why don’t we go check out one of the gift shops? Or would you rather go back to the room and rest awhile before lunch?”

  “I’ve been in our room too much already. Let’s go shopping.” Ellen stood and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. “Maybe I can pick up a few trinkets to give to family members back home.”

  The two friends gathered up their things, but before they left the pool area, Mandy paused and took a picture of the little girl she’d been watching earlier. I hope someday I’ll have a daughter as cute as her.