The Aloha Quilt (32 page)

“I’m so sorry,” Bonnie said, horrified.

“You don’t have to apologize for his behavior,” Darren said. “I’ve seen worse. I’d
advise you to stay off his radar, however. No phone calls, no emails, don’t check
in on him, don’t discuss
matters about the kids, and definitely don’t apologize. His actions are not your responsibility,
and there’s no reason for you to expose yourself to contact that will only upset you.”

“Don’t worry,” said Bonnie. She had absolutely no desire to speak with Craig, especially
with his temper clearly out of control.

Darren ended the call with a reassuring prediction that since Elm Creek Quilts had
been removed from the equation, the property division could be settled soon, and perhaps
the divorce could be made final within a month. Bonnie thanked him, relieved to hear
that the end could be in sight. She had feared that Craig would come up with an endless
supply of obstacles and drag out the divorce forever.

In the second week of January, Bonnie and Claire began interviewing the ten finalists
for their new faculty. After much discussion and debate, they decided to hire three
teachers and to alternate their course offerings so that one week would be focused
on making a Hawaiian quilt top from start to finish—or as close to it as each quilter
could come, depending upon her skills and diligence—and the next week would offer
two different classes each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, focused
on different techniques or methods rather than one particular project. Bonnie preferred
the Elm Creek Quilts model and her concerns about varying their schedules lingered
until Claire pointed out that their schedule
would
follow a regular pattern, just one that covered two weeks instead of one. Bonnie
finally relented when Claire pointed out that the variety would keep their teachers
from getting bored and might encourage campers to book two-week stays rather than
a single week, allowing them to fit in day trips to other islands on the weekend between.
Certain that their guests would enjoy seeing the Queen’s Quilt as much as she had,
Bonnie agreed that Claire’s proposed schedule had advantages that she hadn’t considered.
Perhaps she had been so intent upon re-creating Elm Creek Quilts that she had closed
her mind to other possibilities.

The rest of the month was a whirlwind of interviews, reference checks, and long, private
discussions about the candidates’ qualifications and personalities and their balance
of skills and experiences, as Claire and Bonnie worked to assemble the best possible
team of teachers. Nearly every day brought a different aspiring quilt teacher to the
Hale Kapa Kuiki, and at least half of the candidates brought along their husbands
at their own expense.

Upon each applicant’s arrival, Claire provided a tour of the inn that ended at the
courtyard lanai, where Bonnie took over. There, in the outdoor classroom, she described
the ideal quilt camp experience as well as the general structure of the day from classes
to evening programs. After a delicious casual lunch on the lanai courtesy of Midori,
the candidate would have a break, which most used to settle into their rooms or call
family back home. Afterward, Claire, Bonnie, and Midori met on the shaded lanai for
the formal interview. With more practice they became more adept at asking questions
that encouraged the applicants to share openly about their strengths and weaknesses,
their experiences and career aspirations, their ideal working environments and potential
conflicts, and most especially, why they wanted to teach for Aloha Quilt Camp. Some
provided well-rehearsed, flawless answers, while others spoke more frankly, with less
polish but more feeling.
Bonnie took copious notes, concerned that under pressure she would begin to confuse
one applicant with another, mixing up their responses and giving one credit for another’s
achievements.

Bonnie found the applicants’ responses to the question of why they wanted to teach
for Aloha Quilt Camp to be the most intriguing. Some wanted to give up the itinerant
teaching life and have students come to them instead of traveling from quilt guild
to quilt guild offering lessons. Others thought of the faculty position as a retirement
job, and they could think of no better place to retire to than Hawaii. One spoke movingly
about longing to pursue her passion for quilting as her livelihood rather than a hobby
she squeezed in after the demands of another, less compelling career. Almost everyone
spoke of wanting to make dramatic changes in their lives, to undertake something out
of the ordinary, to surround themselves with people who understood their passion for
the art, history, and rich heritage of quilting.

Bonnie understood exactly what they meant, and she knew that this passion for the
art of quilting was an unquantifiable quality that would distinguish an outstanding
teacher from a merely competent one. She also knew that it marked a kindred spirit,
and she could not imagine hiring anyone who did not possess it.

The applicants came prepared with questions of their own, of course: what benefits
Aloha Quilt Camp offered, how much opportunity teachers would have to design their
own courses, if housing and meals were included or deducted from their salaries, and—a
question posed delicately—how certain Claire and Bonnie were that their business venture
would succeed. Bonnie understood their caution. It required a particular entrepreneurial
spirit to move to Hawaii to work for a business that was far from established. Claire
responded frankly, making
no promises about guaranteed success, but not discouraging the applicants from taking
a chance, either.

After the formal interview concluded, the applicants were encouraged to explore Maui
for a few hours with their spouses. Bonnie or Claire offered to acompany them if they
had traveled alone. Most preferred to sightsee on their own, but one candidate from
upstate New York asked Bonnie to show her around. To Bonnie’s astonishment, the quilter
confided that she had applied for a job at Elm Creek Quilt Camp the previous year,
but she had not been invited for an interview. She asked Bonnie whether new positions
might become available there soon, because in all honesty, she would much rather work
in Pennsylvania, closer to her extended family in New York. When Bonnie told her that
she didn’t think Elm Creek Quilts would be hiring new faculty in the foreseeable future,
the woman looked so crestfallen that Bonnie regretted that she must tell Claire and
Midori about their conversation. This applicant had been one of their favorites, but
if Aloha Quilt Camp was not her first choice, she might become homesick and resign
within a few months, leaving them understaffed and in disarray.

When evening came, Claire and Eric took each candidate out for a nice dinner and one
last chance to make a good impression. Then it was back to the inn for coffee or tea
and relaxed conversation in the kitchen. Bonnie and Claire privately agreed that they
learned more about how their candidates would fit in from these late-night chats than
from any other part of the formal interview process. Then, after a good night’s sleep
and a delicious breakfast on the lanai, the candidate would depart and the next would
arrive. Occasionally the arrivals and departures overlapped, and Bonnie noticed the
applicants taking each other’s measure, sometimes nervously, sometimes in the cheerful
spirit of friendly competition.

As far as Bonnie could tell, each candidate left the Hale Kapa Kuiki certain that
she would enjoy working for Aloha Quilt Camp—even the woman from New York who secretly
wished to become an Elm Creek Quilter instead. “They’ve set the standard,” she said
as Bonnie helped her carry her luggage to a waiting taxi. “But I have to say, you
and Claire are going to give them some competition in the years to come.”

Bonnie couldn’t disagree, and she decided not to hold the woman’s preferences against
her. After all, Elm Creek Quilts was Bonnie’s first choice too. So was a loving, enduring
marriage with a good man rather than divorce. But as she had recently learned the
hard way, she couldn’t always have everything she wanted.

After the last aspiring teacher departed, Claire, Bonnie, and Midori compared notes,
reviewed files, and had endless discussions about the merits of one applicant over
another. Bonnie pointed out that they shouldn’t consider the teacher in isolation
but approach the selection as if they were assembling a team. One teacher’s strengths
could balance another’s weaknesses, and some personalities might clash where others
would harmonize.

On the first day of February, with one month before their soft opening, they settled
upon three wonderful instructors: Kawena Wilson, a master of the Hawaiian quilt from
the Big Island; Arlene Gustafson, a traditional quilter from Nebraska and author of
three best-selling pattern books; and Asuka Fujiko, an innovative quilt artist from
Tokyo who specialized in machine quilting techniques and had won numerous awards for
her breathtakingly intricate quilts.

Bonnie insisted that Claire enjoy the privilege of notifying the finalists. As the
dreamer who had bought the dilapidated Hale Kapa Kuiki and had transformed it into
a wonderful place
suitable for Aloha Quilt Camp, she deserved to be the one to share the good news.

Bonnie was not at all surprised when Kawena, Arlene, and Asuka gladly accepted their
invitations to become the first Aloha Quilters.

With the pressure of selecting their faculty off their shoulders, Bonnie and Claire
tackled their remaining preparations for the soft launch with renewed energy and excitement.
One activity at a time, Bonnie finished investigating the remaining items on Hinano’s
list, reflecting wistfully that she would have enjoyed herself more had he accompanied
her. She should have been able to invite him along—as a friend—but something held
her back.

After she had seen the recommended sights and had begun to make arrangements for group
discounts and guided tours with those she thought their campers would most enjoy,
she threw caution and embarrassment aside and stopped by the music shop to thank Hinano
for his help. He seemed pleased to see her and invited her to go for coffee. They
chatted as easily as before, so two hours flew by before Bonnie remembered that she
had work awaiting her back at the inn and she shouldn’t have kept him away from his
store for so long.

“Let’s do this again, snowbird,” Hinano said as they parted on the sidewalk. “If you
have time before you fly home.”

She assured him she wanted to and invited him to meet her there in a week, hiding
her annoyance that once again, he had emphasized her impending departure instead of
making the most of the time that they could enjoy together. But she supposed she couldn’t
blame him.

Just as the plans for the soft opening of Aloha Quilt Camp
were falling into place, Sylvia called to remind Bonnie of other responsibilities
far away. “Maggie Flynn arrived last week and she’s settling in nicely,” she said.
Bonnie had forgotten that the newest Elm Creek Quilter was expected so soon, and she
had to remind herself that Maggie wasn’t early but right on schedule. It was Bonnie
who had lost track of time.

“She’d like to teach a week-long class in sampler design,” Sylvia continued. “Would
you be willing to offer your quilted garment seminar at the same time so it will be
easier to assign classroom space? It wouldn’t be for the entire summer, just the first
two weeks of camp until the end of the college semester when Gwen can begin her workshops
on color theory.”

Bonnie agreed, but not without misgivings. Sylvia and the Elm Creek Quilters expected
her to return in less than two months. Sarah was trying to finish the master schedule
before she went into labor. Friends were choosing which courses to teach based upon
Bonnie’s preferences. But only Bonnie and Claire knew there was a chance that Bonnie
wasn’t coming back.

“Sylvia,” she said, “I need to tell you something, in strict confidence.”

“Of course, dear. What is it?”