was flattering and comfortable and best of all, she already had it on.
The argument between Anita and Dan calmed down, and Dan marched into the living room mumbling something to Teri about women being irrational. He plopped in front of the TV and turned on a competition volleyball game.
Teri wondered if she should try to talk to Anita or leave her alone. She finally decided that if she were in Annie’s place, she would want her sister to comfort her.
“It’s me,” Teri said, tapping on the bedroom door and ignoring Dan’s glare. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” came the calm voice behind the door.
Teri went in and sat on the edge of the bed. Anita was curled up under a sheet. Her short hair stuck out, and her eyes looked red from crying.
“You okay?” Teri asked.
Anita nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Is there anything I can do?” Teri asked, reaching over and giving her sister an assuring pat on the shoulder. “Do you want anything to eat?”
“No, I’m fine. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I wanted you and me to go places and do things together.”
“I know. And we will. You need to get over this bug you’ve caught. We have lots of time.”
Anita readjusted her position. “Danny thinks the bug is a baby. Did you know he bought a test?”
Teri nodded. “I was with him.”
“I’m not going to take the stupid thing. Do you know how many of these I’ve taken in my life? Too many! When, or if, I’m ever pregnant again, I’ll know.”
“Danny was probably trying to help in his own bizarre, masculine way. If it makes any difference, it wasn’t his idea. This man at church, Gordo, suggested it. Can you believe people call him
Gordo?”
Anita’s face lit up. “Danny didn’t tell me Gordo was home. How is he?”
“Fine, I guess. He sure is an odd one, isn’t he?”
“He’s unique, all right. Part maverick, part pioneer, and part saint. He’s a fantastic person. Did you know he’s a pastor?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Really, he is. He’s going to school on the mainland. Texas, I think. When he graduates, he wants to come back here and start a church on Maui,” Anita said.
“Then why did he come to your door on Friday night delivering pizza?”
“Money is tight for almost everyone who lives here,” Anita said. “Gordo is just like the rest of us. He works hard to make a living and trusts God to make up the difference somewhere along the way.”
“I can’t get used to hearing you call a grown man ‘Gordo,’ ” Teri said. “I actually first met him at the luau. Remember when I told you some jerk spilled Coke on me? It was he.”
Anita smiled. “That is his one fault. Gordo is the clumsiest person I’ve ever met. One time he was helping to serve communion at church, and he stumbled with a tray of bread in one hand and a tray of juice in the other hand. Crumbs and sticky grape juice were on the front pews for months!”
Teri could never picture their father tripping when he served communion. “Was it a total disaster or what?”
Anita started to laugh. “Not with Gordo. He broke into that laugh of his, and the whole congregation busted up. He said his guardian angel must have tripped him because the church geckos weren’t getting enough to eat lately.”
“Church geckos?”
“You know how people talk about starving church mice? On the islands we have church geckos. They’re little green lizards with tiny suction cups on their feet. Gordo said we should leave the spilled communion for them to lick up. It was really funny at the time.”
“I guess that’s one way to break the mood in the middle of a serious sacrament,” Teri said.
“It was actually the best communion I’ve ever participated in. Certainly the most meaningful. Since Gordo had dumped the bread and juice, he asked if anyone had anything with them that we could use instead. He passed the tray around and collected everything from restaurant-wrapped soda crackers to Life Savers.
The argument between Anita and Dan calmed down, and Dan marched into the living room mumbling something to Teri about women being irrational. He plopped in front of the TV and turned on a competition volleyball game.
Teri wondered if she should try to talk to Anita or leave her alone. She finally decided that if she were in Annie’s place, she would want her sister to comfort her.
“It’s me,” Teri said, tapping on the bedroom door and ignoring Dan’s glare. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” came the calm voice behind the door.
Teri went in and sat on the edge of the bed. Anita was curled up under a sheet. Her short hair stuck out, and her eyes looked red from crying.
“You okay?” Teri asked.
Anita nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Is there anything I can do?” Teri asked, reaching over and giving her sister an assuring pat on the shoulder. “Do you want anything to eat?”
“No, I’m fine. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I wanted you and me to go places and do things together.”
“I know. And we will. You need to get over this bug you’ve caught. We have lots of time.”
Anita readjusted her position. “Danny thinks the bug is a baby. Did you know he bought a test?”
Teri nodded. “I was with him.”
“I’m not going to take the stupid thing. Do you know how many of these I’ve taken in my life? Too many! When, or if, I’m ever pregnant again, I’ll know.”
“Danny was probably trying to help in his own bizarre, masculine way. If it makes any difference, it wasn’t his idea. This man at church, Gordo, suggested it. Can you believe people call him
Gordo?”
Anita’s face lit up. “Danny didn’t tell me Gordo was home. How is he?”
“Fine, I guess. He sure is an odd one, isn’t he?”
“He’s unique, all right. Part maverick, part pioneer, and part saint. He’s a fantastic person. Did you know he’s a pastor?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Really, he is. He’s going to school on the mainland. Texas, I think. When he graduates, he wants to come back here and start a church on Maui,” Anita said.
“Then why did he come to your door on Friday night delivering pizza?”
“Money is tight for almost everyone who lives here,” Anita said. “Gordo is just like the rest of us. He works hard to make a living and trusts God to make up the difference somewhere along the way.”
“I can’t get used to hearing you call a grown man ‘Gordo,’ ” Teri said. “I actually first met him at the luau. Remember when I told you some jerk spilled Coke on me? It was he.”
Anita smiled. “That is his one fault. Gordo is the clumsiest person I’ve ever met. One time he was helping to serve communion at church, and he stumbled with a tray of bread in one hand and a tray of juice in the other hand. Crumbs and sticky grape juice were on the front pews for months!”
Teri could never picture their father tripping when he served communion. “Was it a total disaster or what?”
Anita started to laugh. “Not with Gordo. He broke into that laugh of his, and the whole congregation busted up. He said his guardian angel must have tripped him because the church geckos weren’t getting enough to eat lately.”
“Church geckos?”
“You know how people talk about starving church mice? On the islands we have church geckos. They’re little green lizards with tiny suction cups on their feet. Gordo said we should leave the spilled communion for them to lick up. It was really funny at the time.”
“I guess that’s one way to break the mood in the middle of a serious sacrament,” Teri said.
“It was actually the best communion I’ve ever participated in. Certainly the most meaningful. Since Gordo had dumped the bread and juice, he asked if anyone had anything with them that we could use instead. He passed the tray around and collected everything from restaurant-wrapped soda crackers to Life Savers.
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