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.”
“All right. Take care, Mandy, and tell everyone, including Luana and Makaio, I said hello.”
“I will. Bye, Ellen.” Mandy hung up the phone and sat slumped in her chair. As much as she loved it here on Kauai, she would miss her friends and family back home. It was hard to tell her best friend the sad news and even harder to ask Ellen to keep all this information a secret for some days ahead. Mandy would call her folks tomorrow and let them know the new plan. She dreaded hurting her parents, but it couldn’t be helped. This would be a big adjustment for several people in her life. But Mandy felt confident she was supposed to be on this island, so she would take one day at a time and trust God to guide her and Ken.
Middlebury
Ellen hung up the phone, leaned over, and bent into the pain. She couldn’t imagine Mandy and Ken selling their beautiful bed-and-breakfast, much less making what could very well be their permanent home in Hawaii.
Ellen tried to soak it all in as the tears ran down her cheeks. When the B&B sold, she would probably be without a job, because the thought of working here without her friend, Mandy, was not pleasant. She never imagined this would happen. Just thinking about this change brought an ache to her heart. Why do I have to lose one of my best friends? We had such a good thing here. Why, Lord?
Ellen wept for several minutes and then forced herself to sit up. It isn’t right for me to be thinking only of myself. I could tell from talking to Mandy that she felt sad about selling the bed-and-breakfast. She and Ken are making a sacrifice to stay on Kauai and keep his parents’ organic farm running. The least I can do is offer them my full support.
Ellen reached for a tissue, dried her eyes, and blew her nose. Then another thought popped into her head. Will I have to show the B&B to prospective owners, or will the Realtor Ken and Mandy hire do that? And if that’s the case, how’s it going to work if there are guests here?
There were so many things to think about; it was hard not to feel overwhelmed. Ellen knew, however, that the best antidote for stress was prayer. So she bowed her head and closed her eyes. Heavenly Father, You know what is best for Mandy and Ken, as well as Ken’s mother and brother. I want to seek Your will in my life, so help me keep a positive attitude and remember to trust You in all things. Perhaps there is something better for me than working here at the Pleasant View Bed-and-Breakfast. Help me to be open to the plans You have for my life. Please watch over my dear friends in Hawaii, as they serve and trust You for their future.
When Ellen opened her eyes, a sense of peace settled over her like being covered with a warm quilt. She didn’t know what the future held for any of them, but felt confident that through it all, the Lord would be their guide.