Bamboo and Lace (42 page)

Lily came forward, head bowed. She spoke and indicated the hat. Jeff handed it to her and stated a price. Lily said very little, but by her hand movements and the way she handled the hat, she told Jeff she thought it was very nice. She spoke about the top of her head not being covered and said how the sun beat down on her. She drew out a tiny coin purse, opened it, and looked inside.

Everyone laughed when Jeff looked affronted and waved at her to put the coin purse away. Lily's manner of apology was fascinating. She bowed and groveled, and in a few moments Jeff forgave her and sold her the hat. Everyone clapped when Jeff turned back to the congregation.

“Had we been in Kashien, it would have taken a lot more groveling on Lily's part to get me to notice her again. As Pastor pointed out, her offering price was insulting for what was obviously a fine work, and I was angry. I would have gone without a sale before I would have given in too soon.”

“Can we take some questions, Jeff?” Pastor Stringer cut in.

“Certainly. Aleka,” Jeff called on the woman whose hand came up first.

“Is there no compassion, Jeff? Would there be some caring that she didn't have a hat and had to work in the hot sun?”

“Not for a woman. As the seller, I might feel some compassion if I hoped to marry her someday, but even if that were the case, I would have to be careful not to show too much of that in public and lose face.”

“Is the hat actually from Kashien?” was the next question from a girl in the back pew.

Jeff looked to Lily.

“Yes, I brought it with me,” Lily explained.

“She did more than that,” Jeff interjected. “She made it herself. The weave is so tight you could carry water in it.”

As people throughout the room murmured with appreciation and more questions were asked, Ashton leaned toward his brother.

“If that smile gets any bigger, Gabe, it's going to split your face.”

Gabe didn't even try to hide it. His chest was out a mile as he watched Lily up front. Her smile was on the shy side even as she worked not to drop her eyes before all the men of the church. Her gaze swung over in his direction repeatedly, and Gabe asked God to help her relax and do a good job.

A few minutes later she was back in the pew next to him.

“You did great,” he told her softly.

Lily gave him a look, said a single word in Kashienese, and shook her head a little. Gabe waited only until the service ended to ask her about it.

“Didn't you think you did well? And what was that word?”

“That word was ‘terrified.' Couldn't you see me shaking?”

“No, you did great.”

“I'm glad to hear you couldn't tell, but it's a bit daunting to know that I have to go up there four more weeks.”

“You're going to do fine. You already know most of these folks, so you're getting more relaxed,” he reasoned. “You love the work you do with the translating, so when it's time to talk about that, you just share with us like you did that day with Carson.”

Lily glanced toward the podium.

“It's scarier up there than it would first seem.”

“Yes, but could you tell that everyone enjoyed it?”

“I could, Gabe. Thank you.”

It was on Gabe's mind to say something more, but people were headed their way. They greeted Jeff if they had missed him that morning, and then had more questions for Jeff and Lily. The family was late getting home, but since Jeff was staying with them, it felt like a continuation of their time off. They talked and laughed until much too late, but all agreed that it was worth it.

“So, do the two of you have a plan?” Jeff asked Gabe when he'd been home about ten days.

The two were alone in Gabe's office. Jeff had gone over to ask him an entirely different question and then saw a snapshot of Gabe and Lily on Gabe's desk.

“It's interesting that you should ask that, Jeff. You know how I love maps and charts and such, so just last night I was looking at the calendar and putting some of this down on paper. I met Lily when you brought her to us on September 5. On October 7—just a month later when we were in Hilo—we talked about our feelings. You came home November 6, which meant we'd had a month to get to know each other under closer circumstances. And now, Lily leaves for Kashien four weeks from yesterday.

“I love her, Jeff,” Gabe said simply. “Has it happened very fast? Yes, but that's not my problem. My problem is having no idea how to approach your father.”

Gabe stopped talking for a moment, but he added something before Jeff could speak.

“I also want you to know that I've done nothing more than hold Lily's hand.”

“I appreciate your telling me, Gabe. I recently found out how hard it can be. But tell me something. What does Lily want you to do about our father?”

“She thinks it would be best if she talked to him first and asks him to write to me. She's hoping he'll be willing to dialogue through the mail.”

Jeff looked thoughtful, trying to gauge if Lily was on the right track. It was so hard to know.

“Maybe I'll talk with her,” Jeff said, his mind still working on it.

“Or the three of us could talk.”

“Yes,” Jeff said immediately; that was the idea he was looking for. “Let's do that tonight.”

“Okay. We'll let Lily know as soon as she gets back from the store.”

“I'd better go and let you get to work.”

“Before you leave—” Gabe stopped him—“tell me how things are going with Annika.”

Jeff smiled. “I got a letter yesterday.”

“And she's doing well?”

“Yeah. We miss each other. For the first time I think I know how Ash feels.”

“And how I'm going to feel in a few weeks.”

“Well, there's one consolation,” Jeff said, this time on his way out. “We'll all know how to pray for one another.”

“Look at this one,” Lily said to the children, Celia in her arms and Peter standing beside her. Bailey was on her own with the shopping cart. Lily and the children were shopping with the little handheld basket.

“It's red, and this one is yellow,” Peter told her.

“And you say they have tiny M & M's inside, Pete?”

“Yeah! They're real good.”

“I think we'd better add some to our basket.”

Peter and even Celia lit up over this.

“Eat an now,” Celia said.

“No,” Lily said with a shake of her head; she had become quite good at translating. “We'll eat them later, maybe after lunch. Would you like to walk for a while?”

Celia's little head bobbed. Lily gladly put her down; her arms and shoulders had started to ache.

The threesome shopped on. The whole point was for Lily to entertain the children so Bailey could make better use of her time, but in truth Lily was the one being entertained.

The bathroom was in the produce section, and when Peter needed that, Lily stayed close by but looked her fill of luscious fruits and vegetables. Not until Celia said she missed her mother did they go and report back.

“How is it going?” Bailey asked.

“Someone needed to see her mother.”

Bailey took Celia in her arms. “Did you want to shop with me for a while?”

Celia nodded, her face a bit sleepy, and Lily made room in the seat area of the cart for the little girl to ride. Bailey had just moved on her way when Peter quietly spoke Lily's name.

“Yes, Peter?”

“Lily, can we look at the baby things?”

“We certainly can. Do you know where they are?”

“No.”

“Well, we'll find them.”

Not many minutes later Peter stood in front of the stacks of diapers, his little face serious.

“Were you hoping to get something here, Pete?”

“No, I'm just looking for blue diapers.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, if Mama has a boy, I think he should have blue diapers.”

Lily had no idea that he'd thought that much about this. Her heart was very touched by his admission.

“And why is it important that a boy wear blue diapers?”

“So people won't think he's a girl.”

“Will you be all right if your mom has a girl?”

“Um-hm,” he said, his face completely open. “I think they have lots of pink diapers.”

Lily looked at him, her heart filling with love.

“Have I told you, Peter, that you're one of my favorite people to shop with?”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are.”

Obviously pleased, the little boy only smiled at her, his eyes shy. Lily was ready to stand and study this aisle for as long as he wanted, but evidently he'd seen what he came to see. A moment later he suggested they look at the candy section again. Lily was only too happy to comply.

“I finally have things figured out, Jeff. The last time we spoke of this—you were still away—I didn't know what to tell you when you offered to represent me to Father.”

“But you do now?”

“I think so. At least, I have a plan. I'm going to tell him how I feel. I know it won't be easy, but somehow I think my having been away will have softened him. I might want you to write him someday, but not now.

“My goal is to go home and find a way to dialogue with my father. I don't know how he'll react, but I'm hoping he'll respond to me openly, and through mutual respect we can move to a different level in our relationship, at least within the walls of our own home. And then in the same way I want to introduce the subject of Gabe and me.”

“Good,” Jeff congratulated her. He was more than willing to write to his father for Lily, but if she could implement changes on her own, that would be best.

“What will you do if he doesn't respond the way you hope, Lily?” Gabe wanted to know.

“I guess I honestly believe he will, Gabe.”

Gabe smiled at her. From all he'd heard of this man, his heart was doubtful. But Lily certainly knew her father better than he did, and on top of that, she looked peaceful with her decision. And Gabe hoped she was right. His future with her rested on Owen Walsh's response. God might choose to work in the man's heart, and Gabe needed to make up his mind to believe and trust God, no matter what the outcome.

“Will you approach this as soon as you get home, Lily?” Jeff asked. “Or ease into it?”

“Right away. As soon as we're home and alone.”

“We'll be praying.”

“Thank you, but out of curiosity, what will you ask God to do?”

“I'll ask Him to help Father to listen. You put your finger on it, Lily. If he gets upset or angry, you can't talk to him. I'll ask God to work in his heart, even before you arrive.”

This plan worked for Lily. She did not want to tell God what to do or beg Him in desperation to make her father listen. She did believe that she had some good things to say to her father. She never once wanted to show him disrespect, but she ached for change between them. Even if she could never come back and marry Gabe, the man she was now in love with, she wanted her relationship with her father to be different in the future.