Sisterchicks Do the Hula Page 19

  I clapped my hands together. “Laurie!”

  “I know.”

  We were interrupted and had to finish the conversation later that evening back at our home. Gabe was sitting in the living room, rocking Emilee while Laurie and I went through my photo album laughing our hearts out.

  Darren and Gabe just looked at each other and shrugged.

  Laurie and I decided we would start to plan our next sisterchick trip now. If it took us twenty years to pull off the first one, we knew we’d better get a running start.

  Before Gabe and Laurie drove back to their hotel, they told us they had a little gift for us in the trunk of their rental car. I put Emilee to bed. Gabe went outside and returned with a gift bag, which he handed to Laurie, and then carried in a large, flat box.

  “This is for you, Hope and Darren,” Gabe said. “It might appeal more to you, Hope, but we want you to know that you can do whatever you want with it.”

  I pulled the gift from the box and laid it on the cleared dining room table before tearing back the brown paper wrapping and exposing a thick, dark wood frame.

  “Is this koa wood?”

  Gabe nodded, obviously pleased that I recognized the value of the now-rare wood.

  Darren pulled back the rest of the wrapping, and all my breath escaped me. Gabriel Giordani had given us an original oil painting of the Hawaiian graveyard where the two magnificent plumeria trees stood guard in full bloom. Hidden away on an obscure white marble gravestone was a purple orchid lei. The color, the depth, the essence of the picture were astounding. It was the most elegant and dramatic piece he had ever painted.

  “He used all the pictures I took of you,” Laurie explained, when I had no words to respond. “This oil is the only one. Do you understand what I’m saying? We didn’t have any prints made.”

  Darren and I looked at Gabe. He nodded. “It’s yours. If you ever want to have lithos made to sell, I’ll work with you on it.”

  “Gabe, this is …,” Darren began. “I don’t know what to say.”

  I impulsively threw my arms around Gabe and kissed him soundly on the cheek. “Thank you! It’s beautiful! I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  Darren shrugged. “I guess that about covers it for both of us.” He gave Gabe a manly, arm-around-the-shoulder sort of hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Gabe was beaming. I could tell this scene had captured a small corner of his heart.

  “One more present,” Laurie said.

  “You guys!” I protested.

  “This is for Emilee Rose.” Laurie held out the gift bag. “I bought it at the gift shop at the Kalamela Makai, and I kept it hidden from you the whole trip.”

  I pulled from the gift bag an itty-bitty, baby-sized grass hula skirt.

  “It’s adorable!”

  “Read the card,” Laurie said with a broad grin.

  I opened the envelope and read out loud, “For Emilee Rose, our little sisterchick-in-training.”

  “Oh, Laurie,” I said, starting to slush. “You’re so good to Emilee and me.”

  “I try,” she squeaked.

  Before she could leak or I could gush, we wrapped our arms around each other and started laughing at our familiar line, immersed in the joy of our sweet, sweet friendship that had taken us to a place where we felt the presence of God like never before.

  That Laurie. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t know a thing about being a sisterchick. And worse than that—if not for Laurie, I might have gone my whole life without ever learning to do the hula.

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  Readers Guide

  1. Have you ever done the hula? Details, please!

  2. With your friend, have you ever felt the way Hope did when Laurie came to visit and Hope hid behind the curtains wondering what they would talk about?

  3. What is it in a friendship that makes two women feel instantly reconnected after years of not seeing each other?

  4. Would you have gone in the ocean your first night like the bobbing Betties? Why or why not?

  5. How do you see yourself changing as you get older? Are you more adventuresome or less?

  6. Is there a maven in your mirror? What sass-and-slash comments has she been feeding you? How do you overcome the negative messages she dishes out?

  7. Have you ever rented a convertible? How did it make you feel when you were riding in it? Do you drive like Lead Foot Laurie, Reluctant Hot Rod Hope, or Slowpoke Sally?

  8. What is the wildest adventure you and your sisterchick have ever experienced? The most moving?

  9. Do you or your sisterchick have a 259-pound baby that’s yearning to be born? How can you serve as midwife-encourager for her? What do you wish she would do for you?

  10. According to Laurie’s definition, are you in a season of beauty, contentment, or dignity? How do you see this concept being played out in your life?

  11. Hope rode high on the blessed-art-thou-among-women cloud when she found out she was pregnant with Emilee Rose. If you’ve been pregnant, how was your experience similar or different from Hope’s?

  12. When was the last time you were overwhelmed with the beautiful artistry of God’s creation? How did you respond?

  13. In what ways have you experienced the “unforced rhythms of grace” lately?

  Hello, dear Sisterchick!

  One of my greatest delights in writing the Sisterchick novels has been the journeys I’ve taken around the world while researching the location of each book. (I know, what a writer’s dream!) If I could take you with me on these adventures, oh what a time we would have! Since that’s not possible, I thought you might enjoy seeing a few snapshots and hearing a few of the stories behind the story for Sisterchicks Do the Hula!

  ALOHA!

  I love Hawai’i. We’ve traveled to the islands many times over the years, starting with our honeymoon (many, many honeyed-moons ago!) and including a year on the island of Maui when our son was in third grade. Maui is the home of my heart. Warm sunshine toasting the powdered sugar beaches, turquoise waters ebbing and flowing with life, trade winds whispering in the swaying palm trees—what’s not to love about this island paradise?

  KAWAIAHA’O CHURCH

  My Sisterchicks Carrie and Cindy and I joined in the worship service at the coral-block Kawaiaha’o Church on Sunday and stayed after for a special Hawaiian celebration in honor of King Lunalilo. Tribute is paid to certain Hawaiian ali’i (royalty) on various Sundays throughout the year. One of my favorite sounds in all the world is the sound of Scripture read in Hawaiian or, better yet, hymns sung in Hawaiian. The sound feels like a gentle brook rolling over you.

  CARRIE AND ROBIN UNDER THE PLUMERIA TREES

  This book is dedicated to Cindy and Carrie, my longtime prayer pals. As soon as I started writing this story, my imagination turned to the time the three of us spent on the beach at Waikiki as well as to the time we spent doing research at the Mission Houses Museum in Honolulu. Cindy snapped this photo of Carrie and me under the memorable arched plumeria trees that stand guard over the missionary graveyard located behind the Kawaiaha’o Church. We were there in January, and the trees were not yet in bloom. However, I’ve been there in the spring as well as in the summer when the branches of these two trees are bursting with fragrant white plumeria. Ahhh! What a memorable scent that is!

  BOBBING BETTIES

  My daughter and I have found it easy to imitate the “Bobbing Betties” that Hope and Laurie observed on the beach at Waikiki. Floating devices are optional, of course, but if you do choose to go bobbing about in the Pacific with a raft, we highly recommend one that comes in a shocking shade of pink.

  CINDY SOAKING UP THE SUN!

  Here’s my beautiful Sisterchick Cindy, soaking up the sun on the beach at Waikiki. You might recognize Cindy’s name because she coauthored the Sisterchicks devotional Take Flight! with me. This picture was taken a mere twenty minu
tes after she really did hang the red hibiscus bedspread off our balcony, just like in the story. Carrie and I were on the beach, watching the surfers, when we called the room and told Cindy to join us. Since we could see our hotel from where we were camped out, we said on the phone, “Wave to us from the balcony.” Cindy did one better and waved the bedspread so we’d have no doubt which room was ours! (I’m so glad she didn’t drop it. We were on the twenty-third floor!)

  ROBIN AT FLORAL HOTEL

  Just like Hope, I was caught off guard by an amazing, fragrant, vibrant bouquet in the lobby of one of the grand hotels in Honolulu. God is so creative! The variety He wove into His creation stirs my soul.

  “MORNING GLORY”

  In the same way that Hope found a unique sort of peace and solitude when strolling on the beach early in the morning, I too have reveled in that “beach morning glory.” God feels very close at the start of each new day in this island hideaway. Our Lord daily throws “garlands of hosannas” around our necks, even if we can’t see them with our human eyes.

  MISSION CHURCH

  Hawai’i has many different sides. Visitors who explore some of the more remote corners of the islands will find beauty in unexpected places. We pitched our pup tent and camped not far from this spot on our first visit to Maui. Since then we’ve returned to the area a number of times to find it as unspoiled and wild with lush tropical foliage as it was on our first visit. Protestant missionaries built the church in the background over 150 years ago. The lovely chapel is still used for services and has amazing acoustics. It does the heart good to know that many places on the islands remain as they have been since the days of “old Hawai’i.”

  A FEW TIPS ON SOME HAWAIIAN FAVORITES

  Hawaiian food: kahlua pork, laulau (steamed pork wrapped in taro leaves), and mahimahi fish. Be sure to try some lomi salmon and, of course, poi.

  Beaches: Visit them all. Black sand, hidden coves, and even crowded Waikiki. Each beach has its own personality and beauty. Just as you wouldn’t smell a single hibiscus and say you’ve experienced the flowers of Hawai’i, why go to only one beach? Scoop up a bouquet of beach experiences!

  Teatime: Yes, the Mission Houses Museum has a lovely tearoom, as mentioned in the story. Cindy, Carrie, and I sipped afternoon tea on the veranda under the banyan tree at the Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki. Highly recommended as a way to get into the island pace of life.

  Churches: Kawaiaha’o in Honolulu is referred to as the “Westminster Abbey of the Pacific.” Visiting on an Ali’i Sunday is a special opportunity to glimpse Hawaiian tradition. Check the calendar on their Web site for celebration Sundays: www.kawaiahao.org. Or visit First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu, where Dan and Pam Chun have been faithfully ministering for more than twenty years.

  Best luau: I’m partial to the Old Lahaina luau on Maui. If you go and Malia is dancing the hula, say hi for me! Even though the luaus at all the many venues on each island can be a stretch to your meal budget, it’s well worth the experience. You’ll come away with a memorable sampling of the food, stories, traditions, and the hula and mele (dance and music) of the islands.

  Please visit my Web site so you can view more photos of Hawai’i in my gallery and sign up to receive the Robin’s Nest newsletter. I’d love to keep in touch and update you on new releases as well as let you know about drawings for free books and book signings in your area.

  www.robingunn.com

  www.sisterchicks.com

  Sisterchick n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.

  Helsinki or Bust!

  Ohh, yeah … these gals are gone!

  “Deliciously fun!

  Sisterchicks on the Loose is the feel-good book of the season!”

  —PATSY CLAIRMONT,

  Women of Faith speaker and author of Stardust on My Pillow

  Meet two very real women who have become unlikely best friends. Sharon is the quiet mother of four; Penny is a former flower child. Their twenty-year friendship takes a surprising leap when Penny plans an impulsive trip to seek out her only living relatives in Finland. The land of reindeer and saunas holds infinite zaniness for these two sisterchicks. They find their hearts filling with a new zest for life and a fresh view of the almighty God who compressed the stars with His hands and flung them across the universe.

  ISBN 1-59052-198-6

  Join the Sisterchick network at http://www.sisterchicks.com!