The Hawaiian Quilt Page 4

  “So you came by cruise ship?” the young man asked.

  Before either Barbara or Ellen could respond, he added, “I’ve never been on a big boat like that.” He paused, lifting his oar out of the water. “So, what’s it like?”

  “It’s an interesting way of traveling,” Barbara replied. “There are a variety of shows to see on board and incredible amounts of elaborate food to eat. It’s like a small floating town, with shops, swimming pools, and many other things to see and do. So far, it’s been quite enjoyable.”

  “Except for me getting seasick one day.” Ellen leaned closer to Barbara. “I wonder how things are going with Mandy and Sadie.”

  Pearl Harbor

  A lump lodged in Mandy’s throat as she stood on the USS Arizona Memorial platform, looking into the water. She could see an outline of the submerged ship. A taped narration played close by, telling about the attack. This was the final resting place for the 1,177 crew members who lost their lives when the ship was sunk by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.

  “This is so sad,” she whispered.

  Sadie nodded slowly, clutching her handkerchief.

  Mandy could hardly fathom the horrible chaos that went on during the bombings. This wasn’t the only ship that had been attacked in the harbor. The Nevada, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, Oklahoma, and California were also hit. The battleship Pennsylvania was in dry dock that day for repairs.

  Since the Japanese attack had been a surprise, many of the bombs and torpedoes hit their targets. The damage to the ships was severe, causing great loss of life and many ships to sink.

  When Mandy closed her eyes, she could almost smell the pillars of smoke and hear the loud booms as the enemy aircraft swept in. She shuddered thinking about the shouts of anguish from those who’d been injured and the sorrow of family members who lost a loved one that fateful day. War was a terrible thing. She wished there could only be peace.

  “It’s time to go, Mandy.” Sadie touched her arm. “They’ve announced the boat that brought us here is ready to transport us back to the visitor’s center.”

  Glancing once more at the remains of the ship beneath them, Mandy turned away.

  “What shall we see next?” she asked Sadie when they reached the visitor’s center a short time later.

  “I’d like to walk through the USS Bowfin. The submarine is docked outside the Bowfin Museum. The cost for museum admission and a tour of the sub is twelve dollars, which includes getting a digital audio player to narrate the tour.”

  “It does sound interesting. It’s a good thing neither of us is claustrophobic, because from what I’ve read, submarine quarters are tight.”

  “When we’re done touring the Bowfin, if there’s still time, we could visit the USS Missouri,” Sadie rushed on. “It’s famous for being the site where Japan signed the formal surrender, ending World War II in 1945.”

  “You certainly know your history.” Mandy moved in the direction of the submarine.

  “I’ve often wished I could have lived in the past. Course, not through something as serious as a world war,” Sadie quickly added.

  On the Cruise Ship

  When the girls sat down to dinner that evening, they shared their adventures of the day.

  “The best part of visiting the Polynesian Culture Center was learning how to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together.” Barbara’s eyes gleamed. “It was hard work, but the Samoan villagers made starting a fire look effortless.”

  “I’ll bet it was fascinating.” Mandy cut into a piece of baked chicken. “Pearl Harbor was not only interesting, but quite emotional. Too bad we didn’t have time to see the cultural center, too.”

  “What was your favorite part of the day?” Sadie focused her gaze on Ellen.

  “I enjoyed the canoe ride, but even though it was relaxing, our tour guide made me kind of naerfich. He seemed overly talkative and flirted with Barbara.” Ellen’s brows pinched together. “But watching several skilled artisans carve some beautiful pieces from various types of wood was also interesting.”

  “Oh, and don’t forget the food,” Barbara interjected. “We had a tasty lunch at one of the snack stands inside the center.” She looked at Mandy. “Where did you and Sadie eat?”

  “Between the USS Arizona Museum and the USS Bowfin Museum there’s an open-air café.” Mandy paused for a sip of iced tea. “Of course, the food wasn’t nearly as good as what we’re being treated to tonight.”

  “We have had some delicious meals on this trip.” Sadie lifted her fork and took a bite. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve gained a few pounds. When we get home, I’ll most likely have to diet and exercise.”

  “Speaking of home, have any of you heard from your family lately?” Ellen asked.

  “I got a call from my mamm this afternoon,” Mandy replied. “She mentioned the weather there has warmed a bit. Instead of snow, they’re now getting rain.”

  “We had some rain today, too,” Sadie reminded. “Although it was a warm rain, so I didn’t really mind it.”

  Barbara’s forehead wrinkled. “I almost feel guilty being here where the days and nights are so balmy, while our family and friends are dealing with pre-winter weather.”

  “We should enjoy it while we can.” Mandy’s enthusiasm slowly diminished as reality sank in. “Because all too soon our wunderbaar vacation will be over.” She didn’t tell the others, but part of her wished she never had to go home. Mandy didn’t dislike her home in Middlebury—it was where she’d grown up and met her friends. But the sensation of being somewhere new made her feel like all her burdens had been removed. Of course, she reminded herself, if I lived anywhere else, I’d miss my family and friends.

  Chapter 6

  The Island of Kauai

  Don’t forget your cell phone, Barbara. I may want to borrow it to call my folks today,” Sadie said as they prepared to leave the boat Thursday morning.

  “No problem.” Barbara held up her phone. “It’s charged up and ready to go in my travel tote.”

  “Are you two sure you don’t want to go with us to see the Waimea Canyon?” Sadie turned to face Mandy and Ellen.

  Mandy shook her head. “I’m sure the canyon is beautiful, but I’d rather see a few things on my own this time, instead of going with a tour group.” She looked at Ellen. “Do you still want to explore with me, or would you rather go with Sadie and Barbara?”

  “I’d like to go with you and see Spouting Horn, or whatever else we have time for before the ship moves on this evening.” Ellen smiled. “It’ll be fun to be on our own.”

  “We’ll be going to see the canyon on a bus with our tour group,” Barbara stated. “But how will you two get to the places you want to see?”

  “Guess we’ll have to call a taxi, because only the town of Lihue is within walking distance of the port,” Mandy replied.

  Sadie squeezed Mandy’s shoulder. “Be careful out there, and make sure you’re back on time. The boat will probably head for the Big Island sometime during our evening meal.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be here in plenty of time.” Mandy pulled her cell phone from her purse and held it up. “The clock on this device keeps me right on track.”

  Koloa Estate

  When Ellen and Mandy stepped out of their taxi cab, Ellen paused and sniffed the air. “Can you smell it, Mandy?” Her excitement mounted. “The wunderbaar aroma of kaffi is all around us.”

  Mandy chuckled. “Of course it is—we’re at a coffee farm.”

  “Jah, but I never thought it would smell like this.” Eager to go inside the visitor’s center, Ellen grabbed Mandy’s hand. “Let’s ask about taking the walking tour.”

  “Don’t you want to try some kaffi first? The brochure I picked up says there are several kinds to sample inside the visitor’s center.”

  “Good idea.” Ellen started walking in that direction, and Mandy followed.

  The aroma of coffee greeted them inside the building, even stronger than it had been
outside. It didn’t take Ellen long to find the room where the free samples were located. She and Mandy tasted all of them—chocolate, dark-roasted peaberry; coconut caramel; vanilla; chocolate macadamia nut; hazelnut; and Hawaiian-style Irish crème.

  Ellen turned to Mandy and grinned. “After all those samples, we should have enough energy to keep going for the rest of the day.”

  Mandy nodded. “Maybe a little too much energy. I’m not used to drinking so much kaffi at one time.”

  “Let’s go on the walking tour, and then we can check out the gift shop before our taxi picks us up.” Ellen reached into her tote bag to get her camera. “Oh, oh.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t find my camera. I must have left it in our room on the ship.”

  “No problem. I have mine, and I’ll share it with you. We can take all the pictures we want.”

  Since they had the option of meandering through the shade of the coffee trees on their own or waiting for a time when a tour would take them, Mandy suggested they start walking by themselves. “There are signs along the way identifying the different coffee varieties, as well as telling about the coffee process. We can learn what we want to know without a tour guide.” She quirked an eyebrow. “After all, this day is supposed to be about branching out on our own.”

  Ellen stopped, pointing to a sign. “Aloha e komo mai.”

  “I wonder what it means.”

  Ellen smiled. “It means ‘Welcome.’” Before Mandy had a chance to ask, Ellen explained that she found the words in a little Hawaiian booklet she’d bought at the Polynesian Cultural Center the previous day. “I left it in our room on the ship, but wish now I had it with me.”

  “Guess we should both study your book so we can say a few Hawaiian words while we’re here.”

  “Good idea. I’ll take it out of my suitcase when we get back to the ship, because it won’t do us any good unless we have it with us when we’re touring the islands.” Ellen’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m surprised I even remembered what I’d read about how to say ‘welcome.’”

  As they moved on, they came to other signs identifying the different coffee varieties. Up ahead, they found even more informational markers explaining the process from initial blooming, through harvesting and processing, to the final roasting.

  They ended the tour by sitting on the veranda to enjoy sweeping views of the plantation and coffee trees, leading down to the ocean. The palms moved in the gentle breeze as Ellen and Mandy sat together eating the ice-cream cones they’d purchased at the snack bar.

  “I’m glad we came here.” When Mandy finished her cone, she stood and tossed her napkin into the trash can. “It’s time to check out the gift shop and call our taxi so we can move on. Also, maybe we should get a high-protein snack to take with us.”

  “You’re right,” Ellen agreed. “With nothing in my stomach but ice cream and coffee, I feel a bit shaky.”

  Mandy glanced at her cell phone. “The time is going quickly, and I do want to see Spouting Horn yet, don’t you?”

  “Of course. According to the brochures I have, it’s a sight to behold.” Ellen finished the rest of her cone and rose from her seat.

  Waimea Canyon

  “I wonder how things are going with Ellen and Mandy,” Sadie said as she sat beside Barbara on the tour bus taking them up the long, curvy road to the viewpoint.

  Barbara’s brows lifted. “I still can’t believe they went off by themselves. They’re gonna miss seeing what some call the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific.’”

  “It was their choice, and I’m sure they’ll get to see some things as awesome as what we’ll be witnessing today. Besides, we’ll take plenty of pictures.”

  “I suppose.” Barbara looked away, staring out at the scenery as the bus traveled along.

  “This has sure been a wonderful trip, getting to see so many unusual and beautiful things.” Sadie sighed. “It’s almost like stepping inside the pages of a book.”

  “It has been pretty amazing,” Barbara agreed. “Too bad we can’t spend more time on each of the islands. But then again, we should be glad for what we have been able to see. Our trip might be more expensive if the ship remained docked for more than a day on each island. We’d probably still be at home, working to save more money, instead of being here, enjoying ourselves.” She pulled a package of mints from her purse and offered one to Sadie.

  “Danki.” Sadie smiled and put one in her mouth.

  When the bus came to the viewpoint, it stopped and everyone got out. Sadie stood staring at the panoramic view of the colorful canyon, with its rugged, craggy surface and deep valley gorges. The rock formations of beige, red, and green seemed almost surreal. “How could anyone believe there is no God?” she whispered in awe.

  “I understand what you’re saying. Oh my, I wonder how it all came about.” Slowly, Barbara shook her head.

  “It was formed from the steady process of erosion, due to a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauai millions of years ago. At least, that’s what it says here.” Sadie lifted the brochure she held. “When Kauai was still continually erupting, a portion of the island collapsed. It then formed a deep depression, which became filled with lava flows.”

  Barbara sucked in her breath. “All I know is, what we are looking at is gorgeous. I see it as the handiwork of God.”

  Sadie nodded. “Well said.”

  Spouting Horn

  “Watch now! Watch real close, ‘cause it’s gonna blow.” Mandy lifted her camera in readiness to see water shoot upward through an opening of lava rock, as she’d read about.

  Ellen stood beside her, holding tightly to the rail. “I don’t see anything, Mandy. When is it supposed to happen?”

  “I don’t know the exact moment; that’s why we need to watch.”

  A minute later, it happened. As a huge spray of water shot upward through an opening, it created a great moaning sound. “I got it!” Mandy shouted as she snapped a picture. “That was absolutely incredible!”

  “And it never ceases to amaze me.”

  Mandy’s head jerked at the sound of a deep voice close to her ear. Startled, she turned to see a young man with tousled sandy-blond hair hanging almost to his shoulders. He stood right beside her and wore a pair of dark blue cutoffs and a white T-shirt.

  “You’ve seen it before?” she questioned.

  “Oh yeah, many times.” His cobalt-blue eyes twinkled as he gave her a dimpled smile. “I live on the island, so I can come here whenever I have time. The spray from Spouting Horn can shoot as high as fifty feet in the air. Oh, and you might also like to know that the original name for this natural wonder is ‘puhi,’ which means, ‘blowhole.’”

  “It sounds like you know a lot about it.” She tossed the ties on her head covering over her shoulder to keep them from blowing in her face.

  “Sure do. According to Hawaiian folklore, a giant lizard protected this area, until a young man named Liko challenged it. Of course, this threatened the people who came here to fish or swim.” He paused, his thick lashes brushing his cheeks as he blinked. “During the battle, Liko plunged a sharp stick into the lizard’s mouth.”

  “What happened next?” Mandy felt drawn into his story.

  “Well, Liko leaped into the water, luring the lizard in, too. Then he swam into a small lava tube in the rocks, leading to the surface. The lizard followed and got stuck in the tube. So today, what you witnessed when the water shot up was the lizard’s roar. And he does it every time Spouting Horn blasts into the air.”

  Mandy giggled. “What a great story. Thanks for sharing it with us.”

  “Us?” He tipped his head, looking at her curiously.

  She glanced to her left, thinking Ellen was still there, but her friend had wandered off and was kneeling beside a mother hen and her baby chicks in the grassy area. Mandy had read about all the chickens roaming free on Kauai, but these were the first she had seen. “My friend is over there.” She pointed over he
r shoulder with her thumb. “This is our first time to Kauai, and I’m impressed with what we’ve seen so far. There’s so much colorful foliage and beautiful flowers—even more so than the other two islands we’ve already seen.”

  “It is beautiful here.” His hands made a sweeping gesture of the landscape. “That’s why it’s known as ‘The Garden Island.’”

  “I’d heard that, and it makes sense to me now.” Mandy took a picture of Ellen and the chickens. She would surprise her with it when they got home.

  “Where are you from?” he asked.

  “We live in northeastern Indiana.”

  “Amish country?” He slipped his sunglasses on.

  She nodded.

  “I figured you were Amish by the way you’re dressed.” He kept his focus mainly on Mandy, glancing briefly at Ellen as she watched the mama hen and her chicks.

  “Have you ever been to Indiana or met any Amish people?” Mandy asked.

  “Nope. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, but I’ve read about the Amish and seen some shows on TV about them.”

  Mandy frowned. “Don’t believe everything you read and especially what you see on television. Not everything people say or think about us is true.”

  He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Figured as much. Not everything people say about those who live on the Hawaiian Islands is true, either.”

  Ellen returned to Mandy’s side and tugged her sleeve. “Should we go look at some of the souvenir booths now? I’d like to see if there’s anything I might wanna buy to take home.”

  “You’ll find some nice locally-made items,” the young man said.

  Mandy smiled. “It’s been nice talking to you. Thanks again for the information about the blowhole—even the story you made up.”

  “Oh, I didn’t make it up. The legend’s been around a long time.” He lifted his hand to wave. “Enjoy your time here on the island.”

  As the girls made their way toward the booths, Ellen leaned close to Mandy. “Do you always talk to strangers?”