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Restored Hearts

By Eileen Hinkle Rife

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No matter how much Maggie squirmed, her feet just wouldn’t move. Sand caved in around her by the second. She wanted desperately to run, but couldn’t. Her entire being screamed to be released from bondage. The huge wall of water was advancing, and there was nothing she could do but allow it to overtake her. She was going to die. She harbored no regrets, yet a pervasive sadness blanketed her like fog. Her breathing quickened as the ocean toppled over her.
Maggie’s eyes popped open. She lay in a puddle of sweat with Gavin gazing down at her. Without a word, he stroked a damp curl from her forehead and cradled her in his arms. He kissed away the fright while gently rubbing her back, restoring her to calmness. She gazed into his deep brown eyes—pools of tenderness—and relaxed in his embrace. She was warm, safe and loved.
”A nightmare, darling?”
She swept a hand over her face and scrunched her pillow. “Do you think I’m experiencing some post-traumatic stress?” Worry filled her eyes. “I know the tsunami is over, but—”
“Yes, it’s over, but you’re still reliving the event in your subconscious mind.” Gavin ran his hand down her arm and squeezed her hand. “Try giving your dream a happy ending.”
She smiled. “Oh, that’s easy. I survived, and you finally declared your love for me. We were married on a September evening on the lush hillside of my cousin’s home, and we spent our honeymoon in Maui. So I guess you could say you have given me a happy ending.”
“More like a happy beginning, and I’m so glad to be a part of it!” Gavin yawned and stretched his arms over his head as she threw the covers back.
Shaken, but glad to be awake, Maggie pulled on a pair of shorts and matching top. After she grabbed some chicken wraps, bananas, and mineral water from the fridge, she followed Gavin out the door to cruise the Maui coastline.
Along the way, she spotted a crowd, singing with guitar and ukulele accompaniment, sitting on a grassy knoll by the ocean. Curious, she urged Gavin to pull over. He helped her out of the car and led her to a seat on the ground by a girl whose German Shepherd periodically sniffed the salty air. His massive paws dug the rich dirt, releasing an earthy smell.
Praise choruses filled the air as ocean waves quietly lapped the shoreline. Maggie imagined Jesus calling James and John from their small fishing boat. Without hesitation, the two brothers abandoned their vessel and followed the Lord. She smiled, remembering the day she sensed God calling her to leave her comfortable home and journey to India as a missionary. So long ago, it seemed, and so many sweet surprises He had lavished on her in the process, one of which was her marriage to Gavin. She snuggled up to her husband, desire running through her as he pulled her close.
After the final amen, Maggie squeezed Gavin’s hand as they walked back to the car to travel 30 North on route to Hana. The resort host had mentioned the journey would take them around the island in about two hours. She strained to see the passing sites as the Dodge climbed the winding precipice.
“Sure are a lot of bikers out today,” Maggie said.
Gavin glanced out his window. “Wow, look at that whale breaching the water.”
She craned her neck to see. “Oh, I missed it. But look at the sailboat resting against the backdrop of those distant cliffs. Absolutely beautiful.” Maggie pointed, her arm dangling in front of Gavin’s face. “Isn’t that Maalaea Harbor over there?”
“Maggie, sit back. You want to end our honeymoon going over a cliff?”
He fumbled to activate the windshield wipers since a daily misting was replenishing the rain forest.
“Ooh, watch out for that hairpin curve up ahead.” Maggie lunged forward, gripping the dashboard.
Gavin careened the car closer to the center of the road, away from the sharp drop ending in the azure ocean below.
“Whew, that was close. Hey, only 599 curves to go.” He chuckled. “Reminds me of your Tennessee hometown.”
“Not too different from this road, apart from the vegetation,” she said. “Let’s get out and explore some, okay?”
Gavin pulled over and they walked through the forest, holding hands and snatching a kiss or two along the way. The heady aroma of eucalyptus filled Maggie’s nostrils. A gentle wind knocked bamboo together, releasing a clattering sound like wooden chimes. Idling along the trail, she ran her hand over the smooth bark of a rainbow eucalyptus trunk while Gavin blew a kiss on her neck, inciting her to return the gesture with a generous kiss on his mouth. Breaking from his embrace, Maggie plopped on a stump. Gavin settled on a mossy patch beside her, drawing his legs up and draping his arms on his knees.
“Just breathe in that air.” Gavin closed his eyes and raised his face to the breeze. “You won’t smell this sweet fragrance in Chennai.”
Maggie snickered. “Nope. More like garbage burning, curry and cumin and thick dust.” She swirled a stick through the dirt.
“Essence of dung and death.”
“Not an aroma one would most likely pick given another choice, I’ll admit. I miss it, though.”
Gavin poked the ground with a rock. “After everything you’ve been through, you still miss it?”
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so they say. I’m ready to get back,” Maggie gave her head a slight bounce. “I’m anxious to meet the new missionaries, Dan and Yvonne Pratt, and of course, I’m thrilled that Dr. Hauser and his wife, Constance, are now serving at the compound.”
“With the new team and rebuilding efforts, be prepared for adjustments. It’s not going to be easy getting through this transition phase.”
“I know. When has ministering in India ever been easy?”
“Growing up as a missionary kid, I got used to seeing dire need all around me. I never had to search for a compelling reason to minister. I saw it in the sunken eyes of starving children, in the leprous limps of the aged.” Gavin waved his hand as though pointing out invisible people. “When I was a child, Dad would take me into the villages where he would walk from hut to hut sharing the gospel. I suppose that’s when I first developed a passion for sick and hurting people.”
Maggie nudged Gavin’s shoulder. “Dr. Dedication. That’s my love! I suppose that’s what first attracted me to you—watching you converse with villagers as you swabbed infection and bandaged wounds. Seemed to be as natural as breathing for you. You don’t just treat bodies, Gavin,” Maggie’s voice trailed to a whisper, “you treat people.”
“And I miss it, too, Mags.” Gavin gently slapped his knee. “But, hey, not so much that I’m going to sacrifice my honeymoon with the girl of my dreams spending time thinking about it.” He sprang to his feet and grabbed Maggie’s hands, drawing her to his chest and smothering her lips with another liberal kiss.
An older couple ambled by. They looked every bit like Ma and Pa Kettle—more likely candidates for a farm than an island paradise. She blushed when she overheard the elderly man mutter, “Honeymooners. Always smoochin’,” at which he received a sharp stab in the ribs from his wife.

A few days later, Maggie crept into the kitchen to pour a cup of steaming mocha latte. She heard Gavin saunter in and turned to see him rubbing his eyes.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” She positioned the carafe in the base of the coffee maker. Cradling the cup in her hands, she examined her husband. Unruly dark curls layered his head. Fuzzy black hair trailed down his bare chest to his boxer shorts. So adorable in the early morning. Like a little boy waking from a nap.
He rubbed his nose and raked a hand through his disheveled hair, then padded to a barstool. Dragging a bowl of pineapple across the counter, he popped a chunk into his mouth. “It’s 5:30 a.m. What are you doing? Our flight doesn’t depart for hours.”
“I know. I just couldn’t sleep. I want to squeeze every drop out of our last day in Maui, starting with the sunrise. Now that you’re up, want to join me?”
“Hand me a cup of that coffee and I’ll think about it. Better yet, throw in some dark chocolate, and I’m yours. Do with me what you want.” Gavin managed a sleepy grin.
Maggie poured another cup and placed it in front of him, then ruffled his hair. She opened the glass door to the patio. A gentle breeze stirred her bangs. The stars winked from their pockets in the inky sky. A full moon hovered above, patches of creamy clouds occasionally gliding by and hiding its face. She marveled at the stillness which was only interrupted by an occasional passing car.
Gavin joined Maggie, and they climbed down the back stairwell and exited the complex. She touched her face, amazed that the moist air conditioned her skin like a fine facial treatment. After they turned the corner to walk down the sidewalk, Maggie surveyed the landscape. Lights flickered in houses that peppered the base of Moku’ula. Above the majestic mountain, clouds dissipated revealing wisps of pink that swirled through a brightening sky. She hugged her chest, grateful for the hope birthed by a new morn. When they approached the banyan tree in LaHaina Harbor’s historic park, she heard a chorus of birds chirping a morning concert.
Gavin jumped in front of Maggie with hands behind his back. “Last call for a kiss in the famous banyan.”
Startled, she pushed her husband. “Race ya!” Her slight build and short legs were no match for Gavin’s six-foot frame and broad stride, but she never missed the opportunity for a good challenge. Besides, Gavin seemed to relish the whole male in pursuit of female thing anyway, so why not humor him and give him a little exercise to start the day.
After he overtook her, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center of the banyan. Even in the midst of the excitement, Maggie noticed the unique design of the tree. Gnarled branches formed the trunk and the compact leaves at the top served as a vast canopy which housed a multitude of birds. Each branch sent down a shoot, which rooted itself in the soil and caused the tree to mushroom.
A tingle raced down Maggie’s spine when Gavin leaned over and gave her the best kiss of the honeymoon. When a skinny scraggly-haired man jumped down from the top of the banyan and scurried off toward the beach, Maggie laughed and snuggled into Gavin’s arms. She looked in his face just in time to see him roll his eyes.
“Well, that sufficiently spoiled the moment,” he said, helping Maggie step out of the tree. “How about we see what ‘Maui Mama’ is whipping up this morning? I can smell the coffee all the way across the street.”
“Fine by me. A sweet roll might actually hit the spot.”
As they savored their pastries and sipped cappuccinos, Maggie giggled at the palm fronds that waved above them like Egyptian slave girls fanning royalty. Other tourists ambled into the sidewalk café for a morning pick-me-up, and she wondered how many of them might be newly weds, too. “We’ve made so many memories here. Good memories, huh, Gavin?”
“That’s for sure. We’ll have to do this again on our 25th anniversary.”
“Good idea. That would be better than waiting until our 50th when we’d probably be riding down the beachfront in wheelchairs.”
Gavin coughed a laugh, spewing some coffee across the table. Maggie grimaced but didn’t say anything. “Right. I want mine to be turbo-charged. Pop a wheelie, ya know, and run circles around you. Of course, it’ll probably take us fifty years to save up for a trip like this, unless I can convince my brother to finance a second honeymoon.”
Maggie set her cup on the stone table. “It was so generous of him to gift us this trip. What a surprise! But, hopefully, he’ll be financing his own honeymoon before too much longer.”
“You have a match in mind?”
“No one in particular, but he is coming to India, match-making capital of the world.” Maggie watched Gavin flick a crumb off his shirt.
“He says he’s a confirmed bachelor.”
“Even confirmed bachelors can change given the right incentive.”
“I want to see him find a good wife as much as you do, but don’t get any bees in your bonnet just yet.”
“Well, we’ll just see what God has in store. I get the sense he’s ready for a change. Maybe that’s why he’s coming to help out in Chennai.”
Gavin leaned forward, his eyes widening. “Woman’s intuition, hey?”
“Call it what you like.” Maggie waved a hand, dismissing his comment. “Just a feeling I have, that’s all.”

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