“Oh, my! Were they able to get them freed without calling a plumber?”
“Yes. The boy’s dad bent a coat hanger and fished them out.” Mandy helped herself to a piece of pineapple. “Ellen was so apologetic. She thought I’d be upset, but I told her not to worry. It could have happened if Ken and I had been there. We both like kids, so we would have probably made an exception and let the couple stay too.”
Luana grinned. “Running a B&B does have its challenges. Believe me, over the years of owning this business, Makaio and I have faced many unusual situations. We are thankful each day for the Lord’s help in everything we say and do.”
“One thing is certain. You two are the kindest, most hospitable couple I’ve ever met. It’s because of you that Ken and I decided to open our bed-and-breakfast in Middlebury.”
“Well, thank you. It’s nice to know we had a positive influence.”
Mandy reached over and clasped her friend’s arm. “You certainly have, and in more ways than one.” She set her empty glass down and stood. “As much as I’d like to sit here all day and visit, you have things to do, and I need to get back to help Ken.”
Luana rose and gave Mandy a hug. “Please keep in touch, and we’ll let you know if we hear of anyone who might need a job.”
Middlebury
“I’m glad you were able to take a little time off and join me and your daed for lunch today,” Ellen’s mother said as she sat at her kitchen table. “We don’t get to visit much since Mandy and Ken left you in charge of their bed-and-breakfast. I think you’re working too hard.”
Ellen’s father looked at Ellen and winked.
“I’m fine.” She smiled, hoping to reassure her mother and thankful that Dad understood her position. Mom had enough going on with Lenore, Ellen’s youngest sister, close to finishing up her last year of school. It seemed as if she worried about everyone in the family—including Dad and how hard he worked at his shoe store. She also fretted over Ellen’s other two sisters, who were away in Sarasota waitressing at a restaurant until they returned in the spring. Ellen didn’t want to cause Mom more concern.
“Sadie’s the one who’s working too hard, being at the hardware store all day and helping me out in the evenings and Saturdays. I don’t know where she gets all that energy.”
Mom took a sip of water. “I’m sure your friend does work hard, but you do too, and—”
“Now Nora, don’t start mothering our oldest dochder,” Dad spoke up. “Ellen’s a grown woman. I’m sure she knows her limitations and can handle most any situation.”
Ellen bit the inside of her cheek. “Actually, I do have a problem I can’t seem to resolve on my own. Sadie hasn’t been able to figure it out either.”
“What’s going on?” Dad leaned his folded arms on the table.
Ellen explained how the little boy had dropped his father’s keys in the toilet. “Even though his dad managed to get them out, the toilet hasn’t been running right since.”
“Does it still flush?” Dad questioned.
“Jah, but it keeps running, unless someone jiggles the handle. And I sure can’t expect any guests staying in that room to be subjected to the inconvenience.”
Mom looked at Dad. “I bet you could fix it, Nathan. You’ve always been handy with things like that.”
He nodded, running his fingers through the sides of his thinning reddish-blond hair. “I’ll come over sometime later today and take a look-see.”
“Danki, Dad. I’m sure if anyone can fix it, you can.”
Ellen finished washing her supper dishes when Sadie arrived to help with preparations for breakfast the next morning.
“How’d your day go?” Sadie asked after removing her outer garments and hanging them up.
“It went well.” Ellen dried her hands. “I had lunch at my folks’ place, and my daed said he’d be over later today to check on the toilet that keeps running.” She glanced up at the clock. “I figured he would be here by now, though.”
“Maybe he got delayed at the shoe store. Sometimes customers come in a few minutes before the hardware store closes, and we have to stay open till they finish shopping.”
“Jah, that could be what’s happened. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s had to work late either.”
A knock sounded on the back door. “I bet that’s my daed now.” Ellen hurried to the door, but when she opened it, she jerked her head back, surprised to find Ezra Bontrager on the porch, holding a tool box.
“Hello, Ellen.” Ezra’s cheeks reddened. “I’m guessin’ I took you by surprise, showing up here when you expected your daed.” He gave her a half-smile, glanced down at his boots, then looked back at her.
“I am a bit surprised,” she admitted.
“Your daed’s still at the shop, so I hope you don’t mind, but I’m here to take a look at your briwwi.”
“Oh, okay.” Ellen felt a little funny about her dad’s employee coming over to fix the toilet, but she needed it done, so she showed Ezra the way.
“You work in a nice place, Ellen.” Ezra paused before entering the guest room. He glanced around, as though trying to take it all in, and then he stared at her a little longer than normal.
Ellen noticed Sadie poke her head into the room and give her a silly grin. Then she disappeared into the kitchen, hopefully, undetected by Ezra.
“Uh … thanks, Ezra.” Her chin dipped down. “I like working here. I’d be disappointed if I ever had to quit.”
“That speaks volumes to me.” Ezra shuffled his feet. “I like my job too. Your daed’s a good boss. I don’t mind assisting him and enjoy the easygoing pace at the shoe store.”
Ellen smiled. “Dad’s mentioned several times how glad he is that you’re working for him. He says you’re a good worker.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Ezra blushed as he looked down at his boots again. “Guess I’d better get busy fixin’ your problem in the bathroom.”
Ellen led Ezra into the small connecting bathroom and watched as he set his tool pouch in front of the sink. “It’s sure a waste of water when a toilet runs all the time, and the noise it creates can get annoying,” he commented.
“I’m glad it still worked after those keys got flushed, but I began to worry when it started doing this.” She rested her hand against the door frame.
He flushed the toilet, jiggled the handle, and lifted the lid off the top. “I think I know what the problem is, so you can go back to whatever you were doin’, and I’ll get to work.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” Ellen returned to the kitchen where Sadie mixed muffin batter.
“Did Ezra find the problem?” Sadie asked.
“I think he may have, but now he has to fix it.” Ellen took a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. “Think I’ll mix the eggs and milk now, so tomorrow morning all I’ll have to do is cook and scramble the egg mixture.”
Ellen and Sadie worked in silence until Ezra came into the room. “All done,” he announced. “The briwwi shouldn’t keep running anymore.” Ezra glanced in Ellen’s direction, giving her a shy kind of grin.
“Danki for taking care of it. How much do I owe you?”
He held up one hand. “Don’t worry about that. Your daed said he’d take care of it, since I did him a favor by coming over in his place.” He shuffled his feet once more. “Guess I oughta get going.”
“Okay. Thanks again, Ezra.”
“No problem,” he mumbled before heading out the door.
Sadie snickered.
“What’s so funny?”
“Didn’t you see the way Ezra looked at you when you two chatted?”
Ellen shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, boy … How could you miss it?” Sadie snickered again. “I think Ezra’s interested in you. Jah, I’m almost sure of it.”
“No way!” Ellen took out a wooden spoon. “I’ve known Ezra since we were in school. Besides, he’s two years younger than me.”
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“A few years one way or another doesn’t mean a thing.” Sadie poked Ellen’s arm. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Ezra doesn’t ask your daed if he can start calling on you.”
Ellen shook her head. “Even if Ezra wanted to, it’d be kind of hard for him to come calling on me when I’m here at the B&B working all the time.”
“Well, you know what they say—’where there’s a will, there’s a way.’”
Ellen rolled her eyes. “Come on, Sadie. No more talk about Ezra Bontrager. Let’s get to work.”
CHAPTER 4
Ellen sat at the desk in the kitchen, looking at the computer to confirm upcoming guests. It was hard to believe it was the last day of February. But on the other hand, the outside thermometer reading was a clear reminder that winter was far from over.
Ellen thought about the warm tropical breezes in Hawaii, and wondered if Mandy and Ken were outside, doing something fun today. They certainly deserved a little enjoyment. She knew from having visited the Williamses’ organic chicken farm that the work could be tiring and demanding, so some relaxation was certainly needed on occasion.
Ellen remembered the day she and Mandy had gone over to swim in the Williamses’ pool. She was a good swimmer and enjoyed herself, but poor Mandy, unable to swim at the time, feared the water. Ken volunteered to teach Mandy, and she caught on fairly quick. Those days had been fun and carefree, despite Ellen’s longing for home.
Returning her focus to the upcoming B&B reservations, Ellen reflected on how things had been slow at the bed-and-breakfast the last few weeks. She wasn’t complaining. It was only temporary and gave her more time to spend with family and friends. Last night she and Sadie had visited their friend Barbara Eash and enjoyed supper together.
Clicking the ballpoint pen in her hand, Ellen continued, deep in thought. It’s funny how things turn out in a way one never expects. Barbara was happily married to Mandy’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, and they had a one-year-old baby girl they’d named Mary Jane. Had it not been for Mandy falling in love with Ken when they were stranded on Kauai, she might very well have married Gideon and be living here. Maybe not at this bed-and-breakfast, but somewhere in Middlebury.
Ellen turned off the computer and went to get a drink of water. As she stood looking out the kitchen window, the scene was breathtaking. Fresh-fallen snow coated everything in a powdery, glistening white, and big puffy clouds slowly parted to reveal an azure sky of blue.
A squirrel caught her attention as it bounded through the fluffy snow, leaving a small trail of tracks behind it. Then the critter stopped under a pine tree and stood on its hind legs to look around. His bushy tail was bent in a position reminding Ellen of a question mark.
I wonder what that little guy is thinking. Ellen watched as a slight whiff of breeze lifted and blew through the squirrel’s thick gray tail.
Her gaze shifted higher in the tree, where she spotted something red. It was a beautiful cardinal sitting on the end of a pine bough, and even though muffled by the closed window, its cheer, cheer, cheer song reached her ears.
Ellen took the last gulp of water and gave one more glance out the window. “Oh my!” She watched in amazement as the cardinal flew off, sending a sprinkling of snow from the branch, down over the squirrel. Ellen giggled when the squirrel jumped up and took off running. “I’ll bet that was cold. Wait till I tell Sadie about those critters.”
It was moments like this that were fun to share. Poor Mandy. She’s missing all this winter beauty. Ellen walked back to the desk and reached for the phone. I need to call her and see how they are doing. They’ve been gone almost two months. Surely they must be ready to come home soon.
Kapaa
“Mandy, you’re wanted on the phone,” Vickie called from the kitchen. “You can take it on the living-room extension.”
Mandy set the dust rag aside and picked up the receiver. “Aloha.”
“Hi, Mandy, it’s Ellen. I haven’t heard from you in quite a while and wondered how you are doing.”
Mandy took a seat in the recliner. “We’re getting by, just busier than ever it seems.” She paused and took a drink from her bottle of Hawaiian filtered water. “I’m sorry for not keeping in better touch, and I’m glad you called. I planned to call you as soon as I finished helping Vickie clean the house. Luana and Makaio are coming over for a barbecue this evening, so we wanted to get the cleaning done before we started getting things out for the meal.”
“Sounds like fun. I thought about you earlier. Do you have time to talk now?”
“Yes, I have a few minutes,” Mandy replied.
“I’m glad you’re taking time out to do something enjoyable. How are Makaio and Luana?”
“They’re both well, and keeping busy with the B&B. Are things busy there too?”
“It’s slowed down a bit, but I’m sure things will pick up with spring just around the corner. Oh, and we had some snow overnight. You should see how beautiful it is right now. Your yard looks like a pretty Christmas card.”
Mandy sighed. Along with missing everyone back home, she missed Indiana’s winter beauty. Making snow angels didn’t compare to making them in the sandy beaches of Hawaii—not that she had any free time to spend along the ocean’s shore.
“Any idea when you’ll be coming home?” Ellen asked.
Mandy clasped her knees tightly together. The back of her throat ached, making it hard to swallow. She reached for the bottle and took a drink.
“Mandy, are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Oh, good. Thought maybe we’d been disconnected. Did you hear my question about when you might return to Middlebury?”
“Yes, I did—it’s just that …” Mandy’s voice trailed off.
“What’s wrong? You sound umgerennt.”
“I’m not really upset. I just dread giving you this news.”
“What news? Is everyone there all right?”
“We are fine physically, but everyone’s emotions are still scattered all over the place.”
Mandy twirled a piece of hair around her fingers, then touched the flower pinned behind her left ear, signifying she was married. “You see … well, the thing is … Ken and I have discussed this at great length, and we feel a responsibility to stay here and help out.”
“I understand, but for how much longer?”
“Indefinitely. Ken’s mother can’t manage without us, and Ken’s brother wants her to sell the farm, because he doesn’t want to run it anymore. In fact, he’s talking about moving to California, where Rita’s parents live.”
“That’s too bad. Would Vickie consider moving to Middlebury with you and Ken?”
“No, she is determined to keep the place. It’s all she has left to remind her of Charles, and she feels he would not want her to sell out.” Mandy spoke quietly, hoping Vickie couldn’t hear her conversation from the kitchen. The last thing she wanted to do was make her mother-in-law feel guilty for keeping them here.
“So in order for us to stay on Kauai, we’ll need to sell the B&B there.”
Silence on the other end. Mandy knew her friend wouldn’t take this news well. “Ellen, please say something.”
“I … I’m stunned. When you and Ken left for Hawaii, I never dreamed you wouldn’t be coming home. I thought …”
“We thought we’d be coming back too. But our circumstances have changed, and we feel it’s God’s will for us to stay on Kauai.”
“I understand about family obligations, but what about your family here? Your parents and siblings will be disappointed when they hear this news.”
Mandy’s vision blurred as tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m going to miss them all terribly, but Ken and I can’t be in two places at the same time. Maybe someday Mom and Dad, or one of my siblings can take a cruise and come here to visit. I’m sure they would fall in love with the island the way I did.”
“Maybe, but they won’t be able to stay. Their home is in Middlebury.”
Mandy
drew a couple of deep breaths, hoping not to break down. Why does Ellen have to make this so difficult?
“I don’t mean to be selfish, but it’s hard to think I may never see you again.” Ellen sounded like she too was close to tears.
“We’ll come home for visits,” Mandy assured her. “Ken will have to hire someone to help out on the farm, and even if Ken’s not free to leave the island, I’ll fly home whenever I can.”
“I’m sure you both feel like you’re doing the right thing.”
“Yes. Oh, and there’s a couple more items I need to mention.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re the first person we’ve told about this. None of my family knows our plans yet.” Mandy cleared her throat. “Would you please not share this with anyone until I’ve let everyone else know?”
“Sure, Mandy. So what was the other thing you wanted to tell me?”
“We’ll be contacting a Realtor to sell the B&B, but we’d like you to keep running the place—at least until the new owners take over. When that happens, then maybe you can continue working there if you want to.”
“Oh, I see.”
“If you’d prefer, we can close the bed-and-breakfast while it’s up for sale.” Mandy held her breath, waiting for her friend’s answer. She hoped Ellen would be willing to keep the place open. She and Ken needed the extra income to help them pay to ship their personal things from the mainland to Kauai, and she didn’t want Ellen to be out of a job.
“If it doesn’t sell quickly, I may have to hire someone to help full-time. Sadie’s been most generous to assist me in her free time, but with her working at the hardware store, I can’t ask her to keep doing it indefinitely. I’m surprised she keeps going like she does.”
“I understand. Feel free to use your discretion about whether to hire someone to help you there. Since Sadie is still helping you, go ahead and tell her our news, but just keep it between the two of you, until we’ve told my family.”
“Okay.”
Mandy heard the door to the kitchen open and saw Vickie enter the living room. “Umm, I’m sorry, Ellen, but I’d better go. I’ll call you again soon and let you know how things are progressing.”
The Hawaiian Discovery Page 3