After Joseph left, Cousin Mary slid behind the wheel of the plantation van. She called over to the Aldens, “Time to go. First stop is the cannery. Then on to the farmers’ market in town. Hop in.”
The Aldens crowded into the van. Cousin Mary followed the Pineapple Place fruit truck out of the plantation.
My teeth are ch-ch-ch-chattering,” Soo Lee said when the van hit one bump after another along the country road ahead.
You can see the problems we’re having,” Cousin Mary said to Henry and Jessie, who were in the front seat. “It gets harder and harder to get my pineapples out and to get tourists to travel in this far.”
A bumpy old road doesn’t stop us!” Benny cried.
Several empty trucks pulled away from the cannery parking lot when the Pineapple Place truck and Cousin Mary’s van arrived. A worker with a clipboard waved the truck toward the warehouse in back. Cousin Mary followed the truck.
Then something strange happened. When the manager saw the van, he motioned it to stop.
Why is he stopping us?” Jessie asked.
When Henry and Jessie took a second look, they noticed a familiar face. Norma Kane was in the loading area, too. She marched over to the van. “We’re not taking any more pineapples, Mary. I bought the last load from the truck that just left here. You’ll have to unload your pineapples elsewhere.”
Cousin Mary took a deep breath before she spoke. “I’m a bit confused, Norma. I understood from the previous owner that the cannery would buy the same number of pineapples as last year. In fact, I called your manager yesterday. He told me to have our truck arrive at ten o’clock. We even came a little earlier.”
The cannery manager looked at Mrs. Kane. “It’s true. I told her —”
Mrs. Kane broke in before the man could finish. “And I just told Mary no more pineapples today. We already brought in a truckload from my own farm, not to mention several truckloads from the large plantations down the road. How many pineapples do you think I can take, anyway? These small farms are hardly worth the bother.”
Cousin Mary took another deep breath. “I had hoped you would buy the amount your manager agreed to over the phone. I know Pineapple Place is small, but our pineapples are very special. We counted on your word, Norma.”
This didn’t seem to bother Mrs. Kane a bit. “My word is that I have quite enough pineapples for now.”
Cousin Mary paused. “Someone’s word and handshake used to be as good as money in the bank out this way. In the long run, that will turn out to be the best way to do business.”
I really don’t have time to discuss these old-fashioned ways of doing things, Mary,” Norma Kane said. “My manager will call you if we need your crop. No need to call us.”
Cousin Mary looked as if she’d already put in a full day’s work. “Well, I guess that’s that. All we can do now is try to sell these at the farmers’ market over the next couple of days. Everyone knows Pineapple Place pineapples are the best.”
After Norma Kane closed the warehouse door, Cousin Mary’s truck driver spoke up. “We can sell some of our crop at the farmers’ market, Mrs. Cook, but a whole truck? That’s not too likely. And these pineapples are nearly ripe, too.”
The Aldens didn’t know too much about pineapples, but they weren’t giving up so fast.
We like to sell things,” Jessie told Cousin Mary. “We’ve sold lots of things before. I know we can sell your pineapples. There are five of us.”
People like buying from kids,” Benny added. “We sold lemonade in Greenfield. We made lots of money. Almost five whole dollars!”
For the first time that day, Cousin Mary smiled. “You know, I have a feeling if anyone can sell pineapples, it’ll be you Aldens. Let’s get going.”
The Aldens wasted no time setting up a colorful booth at the farmers’ market in the middle of town. Violet quickly made up some posters. Jessie and Henry learned how to use the juice machine. Soo Lee and Benny poured fresh pineapple juice into small cups. They handed out free cups of juice to the many tourists and shoppers who passed by.
Fresh, juicy pineapple juice here!” Benny said when people went by. “Fresh, juicy pineapples, too!”
At first the Pineapple Place booth was a big success. But, awhile later, the crowd seemed to disappear.
Where did everybody go?” Benny wanted to know.
Mary Cook soon had an answer. “Norma Kane’s workers set up a booth down the block,” she told the Aldens. “They’re selling pineapples at half the price I have to charge. If I lower my prices, I might as well dump my pineapples into the ocean.”
Oh, no,” Jessie said. “Is there anything we can do?”
Cousin Mary took off her straw hat. “I wish. But I had my driver make several calls to canneries on the other side of Maui — even on some of the other islands. It’s the same story everywhere. All the rain forced growers to pick their crops at the same time and sell to the places they used in the past. There are too many ripe pineapples and not enough canneries. No one is interested in a whole truckload of pineapples.”
By midafternoon, most of the shoppers and tourists had gone home or back to their hotels.
Cousin Mary folded up the bright blue market umbrella. “You children did an amazing job. I’ve never sold so many pineapples at the farmers’ market in one day.”
The Aldens tried to feel happy about this, but how could they? Cousin Mary’s truck looked almost as full as it had been that morning.
It’s okay children,” Cousin Mary said when she saw how discouraged the children looked. “Be proud of yourselves. You couldn’t have unloaded more pineapples if you’d given them away for free. I make most of my money selling my crop to the cannery. Still, this farmers’ market money will help, too. Now I want to share some of the profits with you. Here’s five dollars each. Go buy yourselves some souvenirs while I close up the booth.”
Henry pushed the money away.
Even Benny wouldn’t take anything. “When we go places, we like free souvenirs the best — like rocks and treasures we find.”
Cousin Mary hugged Benny. “You children are the best treasures I could ever find. Well, at least go buy some ice cream. Try coconut ice cream if you want a real treat. You can window-shop while I pack up everything. You’ve worked hard enough.”
Ten minutes later, the children stood in front of a jewelry store and enjoyed their ice-cream cones.
Wow!” Benny said, when he saw all the diamonds, pearls, and gold in the window. “Do all those jewels come from Hawaii?”
Some of them do,” Jessie answered. “The pearls anyway. I remember reading about that in my geography class. People used to dive for pearls in the oyster beds in Hawaii. There’s even a bay called Pearl Harbor off Oahu, only it’s not used for pearl farming anymore.”
Do farmers grow pearls like pineapples?” Soo Lee asked.
Jessie smiled. “Not exactly. A pearl grows inside an oyster shell when something small like a grain of sand gets stuck in it. There’s a pearly liquid inside the oyster that covers the grain layer by layer. After a few years, you get a pearl! On pearl farms they put some kind of tiny bead or grain in the oysters on purpose.”
Violet pointed to a gold chain with three grayish pearls in the middle. “I wonder where they found those dark ones. The sign says they’re black pearls. Can we go inside and find out why they’re dark like that? Maybe the owner knows something about the legend of the black pearl.”
The children finished up the last of their ice-cream cones, then entered the shop.
Inside, the owner was talking with two customers who were facing away from the Aldens. He sounded impatient. “I can’t tell you the value of something that disappeared over forty years ago. Even my own father never saw it, and he was an expert in pearls.”
One of the customers spoke softly, but the Aldens could still hear what she said: “Just give us an idea, that’s all. We’d like to know what it’s worth.”
Before the owner could answer, the bell over the shop door jingled. A group of tourists crowded into the shop.
Sorry,” the owner said. “I have to wait on these customers. Anyway, I really don’t have the information you want. People around here think it’s bad luck to even talk about it. Good day.”
The Aldens overheard the couple arguing on their way out.
I told you not to say anything,” the man said. “No use stirring things up by asking a lot of questions. Now come on, let’s find a place to stay.”
Violet strolled over to the counter. “Can you tell us about the black pearl —”
Before Violet could finish, the owner tapped his pencil on the glass counter. “Again? I really haven’t time to discuss these old stories while I’m so busy.”
Violet stepped back. “Sorry. I just wanted to find out about the black pearl necklace in the window. I wondered why the pearls are dark, not white.”
The owner calmed down a bit when he heard this. “Oh, sorry, young lady. I thought you were asking about something else. Black pearls come from the black oysters. They only grow in a couple of special bays around the Hawaiian Islands. They’re pretty rare, even small ones like that. The big ones — well, I’ve only heard about them. Does that answer your question?”
Violet nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
The store owner told us about the necklace,” Henry said to the other children after they left the jewelry store. “But he wouldn’t talk about the black pearl legend. I’d sure like to know what’s so mysterious, anyway. Nobody around here wants to talk about it.”
The children dawdled along, stopping at a booth where someone was making leis with blossoms, feathers, even nutshells. At another booth, a woman was weaving a hula skirt from long plant leaves.
I’d like to wear one of those grass skirts,” Soo Lee said. “Maybe Hani will let me try one of hers.”
The Pineapple Place booth was closed when the children turned the corner about a half hour later.
Look who Cousin Mary is talking to,” Violet said. “I didn’t get a close look, but those two people seem like the couple we overheard in the jewelry store.”
Cousin Mary waved to the children. “Come meet Richard and Emma Pierce. They stopped to ask for directions, and what do you know? They’re looking to buy a small farm out our way. They need a place to stay while they look at farms for sale. They can stay in my other guest cottage for a while.”
Benny looked at the couple. “Hi! Were you just in the jewelry store down the block?”
Mr. and Mrs. Pierce didn’t answer right away.
Finally Emma Pierce spoke up. “We’ve been walking around looking at all these booths. It’s too nice out to be shopping indoors.”
But . . . but . . . you sound just like the people we heard talking about —” Benny stopped. His brother and sisters had taught him good manners. “Maybe it was two other people,” he said finally in a soft voice.
All the shops and booths are crowded,” Richard Pierce told Benny. “It’s easy to get mixed up.”
But Benny wasn’t mixed up at all. He had sharp ears. He was sure that the people in the jewelry store were the same couple standing in front of him. Why didn’t they just say so? |