Sisters by the Sea, page 26
Twenty-two-year-old James Fisher gazed out the window on board the Marina Jack II. “Dude, this sunset is amazing! Your parents are awesome for giving us a pre-graduation dinner cruise celebration,” he told his best friend and roommate, Brian.
Taking a bite of key lime pie, Brian nodded. “Yeah, my folks are pretty cool. Tonight’s also a celebration of the two of us having fantastic job interviews today. I’m confident that we’ll both get hired to teach at the Christian school here in Sarasota.”
“Man, I sure hope so. I want to work in a place where I can inspire kids to become lifelong learners, but on a foundation of Christ.” James paused to take a drink of his iced tea. “I feel super good about the teaching interview today. But if God has a different plan for me and the door shuts on this opportunity, I’ll go where He leads. The lifeguard interview I had this morning went well too, considering they hired me on the spot.”
Brian reached across the table and put his hand up for a high five. “Yeah, that’s great! I’m glad I don’t have to worry about a summer job. My folks said to take time this summer and give myself much-needed rest. I’m going to do whatever I want. No more early morning classes and late night study sessions. If I want to sleep till noon, I will.”
“Hey, don’t brag.” James grimaced. “Some people have to work, you know. But I hear what you’re saying. Downtime would be great. Here’s my plan: during the week, I’ll lifeguard, but the nights and weekends will be dedicated to having fun and hanging out with friends. The summer will go by too fast. Before you know it, we’ll be busy being adults, working full-time jobs and paying rent.” He groaned.
“Yeah, don’t remind me,” Brian said. “Hey, it looks like we’re headed back to dry land. Once we dock, we can hurry and catch a movie if you want.”
They stopped talking long enough to finish their pie as the boat slipped into its spot at the dock. As the other upper deck passengers stood to exit, James and Brian followed, making their way down the narrow staircase.
“What a fun evening it’s been. Danki for making my birthday a memorable one,” Leora exclaimed as the boat docked. “The food was wonderful, and seeing the beautiful homes along the waterfront was fascinating.”
“I think I saw a few that need new roofs.” John chuckled, wiggling his brows at Leora. “Maybe I’ll hang my business card on the bulletin board at the marina if we have time. I don’t want to make our driver wait for us.” He rose from the table and gestured for the sisters to go in front of him as the passengers exited.
Halfway up the walkway, Alana stopped. “Wait! I need to go back! I left my phone on the table.” Several passengers who’d been sitting on the upper deck were heading up the walkway. She moved to the side to allow them to pass, then made her way to the lower deck cabin. With a sigh of relief, Alana spotted her phone on the table where she’d been sitting. She snatched it up and hurried out of the cabin, nearly colliding with a tall young man. “Excuse me,” she mumbled looking down in embarrassment as she swiftly made her way past.
Recovering quickly, she trekked up the ramp again, but not before another quick stop to capture one last picture of the lit-up boat and harbor at twilight. Searching the waiting area, she spotted Leora standing at the dock railing. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I can’t believe I did that. I captured some great pictures on this phone, which I need because I don’t want to forget anything about this night.”
“No worries,” Leora said. “John went to find a bulletin board and hang his card. He said he’d meet us out front.”
James halted after barely avoiding a collision with a young Amish woman who had exited the lower cabin. He watched as she hurried up the walkway, stopped suddenly, turned, held up her cell phone, and appeared to take pictures of the harbor and boat.
“Hey!” Brian’s voice jolted him back to the moment. “Why are you stopping? Let’s go!”
“Sorry. I almost got taken out by some Amish gal. Then I was watching her take a picture of the boat with her cell phone. It took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see any Amish on a boat cruise in Sarasota, Florida.”
Brian shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s get going so we make the show on time.”
Sarasota
Saturday passed swiftly as Alana spent most of the day recreating Friday’s magnificent sunset, and before she knew it, Leora was home from work and in the kitchen fixing a simple meal.
“What can I do to help?” Alana asked as she joined her sister at the counter.
“Grab the potato salad out of the fridge, please. I made it Thursday, so it’ll really be flavorful today.” Leora pulled two plates out of the cabinet, placing them alongside the ingredients for sub sandwiches. “After we eat, I thought we’d walk over to the community park in Pinecraft and listen to the yodelers perform. John’s going to meet us there, and I believe he’ll join the singers on his harmonica tonight. I think they’re having a shuffleboard tournament and a volleyball game too.”
“That sounds like fun.” Alana assembled her sandwich, took her plate to the table, and sat down.
Leora joined her. “It’ll give you an opportunity to meet some of the Amish young people who are here to work during the summer season.”
Pinecraft Park
Standing on the path above the creek that ran behind the park, Alana watched a turtle make its way across the water and up the bank, where it settled in among the rocks. A cheerful yodeling tune floated through the air. I’d better rejoin my sister. She took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her nose. Thankfully, the bleeding’s stopped. I knew I shouldn’t have tried to participate in the volleyball game. This was worse than the last time I played and jammed my finger. I’m so embarrassed. Now I’ll be known as the poor girl who took a volleyball to the nose on the first serve of the game. What a great impression I made.
When the sisters had arrived at the park, Leora had introduced Alana to Carlie and Sara, coworkers who waitressed at Der Dutchman. They’d introduced Alana to a group of young adults in attendance, then invited her to join the volleyball game. Alana, not wanting to seem rude, reluctantly agreed to play.
I should have trusted my gut. I knew it was a bad idea, she mused. Okay, Alana. Pull yourself together now. She took a deep breath, pulled her shoulders back, and held her head high as she rejoined Leora at the picnic table where she sat visiting with friends.
“Are you okay, Alana?” Leora scooted over to make room for Alana on the bench.
“I’m fine…just embarrassed. But that’s nothing new for me, is it?”
Leora turned to examine Alana’s nose. “Well, other than a little swelling, it doesn’t look bad. I’ll give you some Arnica gel to put on it when we get back to the house.”
Just then Carlie and Sara appeared. “We brought you some ice cream and wanted to see how you’re doing, Alana.” Sara held out a small cup of soft-serve ice cream.
“Danki.” Alana accepted the treat. “That’s so nice of you. I’m fine. Please, join us.” She gestured to the other side of the table.
The girls took a seat across from Alana. “Have you been to the beach, yet?” Carlie asked as they ate their ice cream.
Alana shook her head, explaining that she’d only arrived the day before. “I’m hoping to go soon, though. I’ve never been to an actual beach, except for the shoreline at the lake, which I’m sure doesn’t begin to compare.”
“Oh, I meant to ask if you’d like to go to Lido Beach tomorrow after church,” Leora interjected. “On Sundays we often have a beach day. It’s a wonderful way to relax and enjoy God’s beautiful creation.”
“I’d love to!” Alana clapped her hands. “Is it far?”
“It’s only about a twenty-minute drive by car, depending on traffic,” Sara explained. “It takes longer by bus because there are transfers along the route. That’s why we usually ride our bikes if we are going out to Lido. It only takes us about forty-five minutes.”
“I asked Violet to take us. It’s been a while since you saw each other. She said she’d love to drive us and get in a little beach time,” Leora told Alana.
“Who’s Violet?” Carlie asked.
“She’s our youngest sister, and she lives nearby,” Alana explained.
“Is she Amish?” Sara inquired.
“No, she decided to live in the English world,” Alana told the girls.
“Carlie and I haven’t joined the church yet, but we will when we return home in the fall,” Sara informed. “What about you, Alana?”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’m hoping to find some clear direction for my life.”
“Maybe we can help by showing you around,” Carlie suggested. “We’re planning a day trip to Venice soon. Caspersen Beach is one of our favorites. Do you want to come along?”
Alana looked at Leora, who nodded and smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea, Alana.”
“I’d love to. Thanks for inviting me,” Alana said.
“I’m sure we’ll see you around. We’ll finalize our plans before then,” Sara said as she and Carlie stood. The last volleyball match of the evening was beginning. “It was nice meeting you, Alana.”
Alana waved. “Thanks! I feel the same.”
Chapter 4
Sarasota
Alana stretched out on the lounge chair late Monday morning. John and Leora were at work, so she’d put on shorts and a tank top and begun to work on her tan in the backyard. Gazing up at the sky, she watched as the light breeze rustled the tall palm trees, and she studied the puffy white clouds as they passed in front of the sun. A sense of peace enveloped her as she closed her eyes and thought about yesterday’s trip to the beach.
Alana couldn’t believe the contrast between the white sand and the brilliant aquamarine hue of the water. She recalled what the little boy and his mother from the bus trip had said about her eyes being the same color as the Gulf waters. Reaching for her cell phone, she opened her camera app and took a close-up selfie. She studied her image. My tan’s coming along nicely. The bronze tone of my skin really makes my eyes stand out, and my freckles are kind of cute. She’d always considered herself rather plain, especially compared to her sister Violet. Now, with her kapp off and her light brown hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, she felt pretty.
Alana squinted as the sun broke through the clouds. She jumped up from the lounge chair and headed into the house for her sunglasses and a glass of iced tea. As she passed through the laundry room, she spotted the bag of seashells she’d collected during the trip to Lido Beach. I need to clean and sort those. I can’t believe how many shells I found in just a few minutes. I hope I find even more when I go with Violet to the beach at Siesta Key on Thursday.
Grabbing an old plastic colander, along with her tea, shells, and sunglasses, she returned to the lanai, where she carefully dumped the shells into the colander. Alana gave the shells a good rinse at the outdoor sink and marveled at their varied colors. One by one she sorted them, laying them on a paper towel to dry. I need to come up with a creative art project for these beach treasures. She picked up a butter clamshell. This seems so plain compared to the other shells I found—kind of like me, I guess. Maybe I can paint something pretty inside the shell. “Hmm…I wonder…”
Hurrying into the house, she gathered her art supplies and rushed back out to the lanai. She laid a painting mat on the outdoor dining table and took a seat.
Opening the photo app on her phone, she scrolled through the recent pictures. She stopped at the picture she took of the Marina Jack II. What a fun evening that was. She zoomed in and noticed a tall, handsome man in the picture. Hmm. I didn’t realize there was anyone in the last picture I took of the boat and harbor. She continued scrolling through her camera roll. “Ah, there it is.” She studied the image of the Lido Beach sunset she’d taken the night before, then took up her brush, dipped it into the paint, and began recreating a miniature version of the sunset.
Thursday morning, Alana greeted Violet at the door. “Come in,” she said. “I need to grab my beach bag and sunglasses.”
Violet stepped into the living room. “Wow! That painting’s gorgeous. Is it one of yours?” she asked, moving closer to study the landscape of Sarasota Bay at sunset, which hung on the wall.
“Yes, it is. Thanks for the compliment. I painted it Saturday morning after we watched the sunset on the dinner cruise where we celebrated Leora’s birthday.”
“John invited me to come too, but I had to work. It looks like I really missed out. It seems like I’m always working when the sun is setting. You really captured the beauty of a Sarasota sunset, though.”
“Thanks, and I painted a sunset for you too.” Alana handed Violet a small clamshell.
“I don’t know how you captured a sunset on a little clamshell, but you did. It’s gorgeous. Thank you, Sister. Are you ready?” Violet asked as she headed toward the front door.
Alana held up her bag and nodded. “Let’s go!”
Siesta Key
Alana and Violet waited for the Siesta Key Breeze Trolley. They had just come off the beach and were ready for some shopping and lunch.
“I’m glad we found a parking spot by the beach access. We can leave the car there all day. Parking can be tricky in the village,” Violet explained. “The free trolley is a great way to get around Siesta Key. Look, here it comes.”
The girls entered the trolley and took a seat toward the back. All the windows were open, allowing for a fresh breeze to pass through as the bus moved down the road and toward the Siesta Key Village shopping area.
After lunch at an outdoor café, the sisters strolled through the village, stopping to browse at several shops. Alana noticed a HELP WANTED sign hanging in the front window of the store they’d just entered.
“There’s something for everyone in here,” Alana remarked. The shop was full of unique items, including a section of local art.
“Yeah, this shop’s one of my favorites. They have a nice selection of beachwear, as well as souvenirs and gift items. Did you notice they’re hiring?” Violet nudged Alana.
“I did. Should I ask about the job?”
“Why not? You’re planning to stay for a while. You’ll need an income while you’re here. I can picture you working in a place like this, and you have experience since you worked in a gift shop in Shipshewana. I say go for it!”
“We’ll see.” Alana spotted a sale rack toward the back of the store. She flipped through the hangers, stopping when she spotted a modest beach cover-up. She grabbed it from the rack and joined Violet in the next aisle. “I think I’ll get this. I’ll feel more comfortable strolling on the beach if I’m wearing a cover-up.”
“Hey, that’s a great price! Where’d you find it?” Violet examined the price tag.
“Right over there.” Alana pointed to the sales rack.
“Excuse me, do you work here?” an older woman asked. “I’m looking for a large, brimmed beach hat. Do you have anything like that?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t work here, but I can show you where the hat rack is.” Alana directed the woman to the proper area.
“See, you’re perfect for a job like this. Go buy your cover-up and ask about it.” Violet turned Alana toward the checkout and gave her a little push.
Alana waited in line behind another customer, and when it was her turn, she placed the cover-up on the counter and smiled shyly at the cashier.
“Did you find what you were looking for today?” The middle-aged woman smiled in return.
“Almost. I wanted to ask you about the HELP WANTED sign I saw in the window.”
“I’m glad you noticed. I watched you help that woman a few minutes ago. I’m desperate for help, and you seem perfect for this job. Would you like to fill out an application?” she asked, handing her the form and a pen.
“Umm…sure.” She glanced sideways at Violet.
“Do it!” Violet mouthed.
“There’s a table on the back porch of the shop. You can sit there to complete the application. By the way, my name’s Patricia, and I own this shop,” she said with a wink.
“Thank you, Patricia,” Alana said appreciatively. Violet joined her as she headed toward the back door of the shop and stepped out on the porch.
“I think I’ll run across the street and pick up a few things from the drugstore. I need new lip balm and toothpaste. How much time will you need to complete that?” Violet pointed to the application.
“Is half an hour okay? I don’t want to make you late for work. If I get done earlier than that, I’ll text you.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Violet called as she skipped down the steps.
Alana sat down and began filling in the application. Fifteen minutes later, she was ready to hand it to Patricia. She had to wait because a long line of people had formed at the checkout. This store really does need help.
When things slowed down, Alana approached Patricia. “Here you go. Let me know if you have any questions. I can be reached on my cell phone at any time.”
“Do you mind if I look at this right now? There’s a lull in customers,” Patricia said as she began reading through the application. “This is great! You’re perfect. I’d like to hire you. Can you start tomorrow?”
Alana’s mouth dropped open. “Really? Don’t you want to interview me?”
“Nope, I saw how you helped that customer, and I like what I see on your application. I have a good feeling about you. You’ve got experience, you’re young, and you have energy.” Patricia tapped her fingers on the counter, grinning at Alana. “What do you think?”
“Well…sure. I can start tomorrow. What time do you want me here, Patricia?”
