by Janice Hanna
“And check the time, too!” Sydney chuckled. “Which is about all I can do on my watch…period!”
“Speaking of the time, I think it’s nearly time to meet Uncle Ollie and Dad in the big red barn out back.” Kate squinted to catch a glimpse of the building through the haze of the drifting snow. “They’re in the workshop.”
“Why are we meeting them, again?” Sydney asked.
“I think Uncle Ollie wants to introduce us to someone. There’s a neighborhood boy who’s been helping him with some of his projects. I think his name is Michael. We’re supposed to be nice to him.” She shrugged, unsure of what to say next.
“Is he cute?” Sydney asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Could be. I just know that Uncle Ollie said he’s kind of a loner.” She shivered against a suddenly cold wind that tossed some loose snow in her face.
“A loner?” Sydney wrinkled her nose. “Meaning, he doesn’t have any friends? That’s kind of weird.”
“Maybe.” Kate sighed. “Molly told me he’s just sad because his grandfather died last month. So Uncle Ollie’s been playing a grandfatherly role in his life. I think that’s pretty nice, actually.”
“Oh, I see.” Sydney looped her arm through Kate’s. “Well, why didn’t you just say so? I’ll be extra-nice to him. Poor guy.”
With Biscuit on their heels, the girls trudged through the now-thick snow to get to the barn. Kate pulled back the door, amazed at what she found inside.
“Doesn’t look like any barn I’ve ever seen!” Sydney said with a look of wonder on her face.
“I know.” They stood for a moment, just taking in the sights. “Look at all of Uncle Ollie’s electronics! This place is even better than my dad’s workshop in our basement.”
“I can sure tell your dad and his brother are related!” Sydney said.
“No kidding. Except, of course, Uncle Ollie is a lot older. And he is so smart!” Why, next to Dad, he was the smartest man Kate had ever met.
Off in the distance they heard voices. Kate followed them until they reached a small, crowded work space filled with all sorts of electronics and robotic goodies. “There you are!” she said as she caught a glimpse of her father and uncle.
A boy, about fourteen, stood in the distance. That must be Michael. He was tall and thin with messy hair that needed to be combed.
Michael turned to look at them with a nervous look on his face. At once, Biscuit began to growl.
How odd, Kate thought. Biscuit gets along with everyone!
“Stop it, Biscuit!” She tugged his leash and he stopped, but she could tell Biscuit was still uneasy. Very, very unusual. Something about this boy made Kate suspicious right away. She immediately scolded herself. Stop it, Kate. He’s never done anything to you. Be careful not to pass judgment on someone you don’t even know!
Sydney didn’t seem to notice the tension in the air. She went right up to Michael and introduced herself with a welcoming smile. After taking a seat on a nearby chair, she asked, “Have you lived in the area long?”
He shrugged, but never looked her way. “I grew up in Mad River Valley. Why?”
“Oh, I just wondered.” She looked around the workshop then glanced back his way. “Do you ski?”
“Of course. Who doesn’t?” He looked at her as if she were crazy.
“I don’t,” Kate said. “Never have.”
He shrugged and went back to working on some electronic contraption. “That’s weird.”
“So, if you ski, are you going to enter the Winter Competition?” Sydney asked.
“Maybe.” He kept his eyes on his work. “I usually do, but I don’t know if I feel like it this year.”
“Oh, you should! It would do you good.” Uncle Ollie patted Michael on the back then turned to the girls. “You should see him ski! He’s the best in his age group. Wins every year.”
“Humph.” Sydney crossed her arms at her chest and looked him in the eye. “We’ll just see about that.”
“Oh yeah?” Michael turned her way. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, this year I’m entering, too.” Sydney nodded, as if that settled the whole thing.
“You are?” Kate turned to her friend, stunned. “Really?”
“Did you see the grand prize?” Sydney said, her voice growing more animated by the moment. “Three hundred dollars! That’s exactly the amount I need to go on my mission trip to Mexico this summer.”
“Oh, I see.” Kate pondered that for a moment. Sydney would have a wonderful time on a mission trip. And Mexico…of all places! Sounded exciting.
Sydney sighed. “My mom doesn’t make a lot of money.” She shook her head. “And things are really tight right now. But she told me I could go if I could raise the money on my own. So, that’s why I have to win that competition! I’ve read the article in the paper a dozen times at least. And I’ve stared at the poster in the front room of the inn a hundred times!”
“You have?” Kate looked at her, stunned. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I don’t know.” Sydney looked down at the ground. “I still have to come up with the entrance fee. Twenty-five dollars. But I think my mom will send it if I ask.”
“Wow.” Kate stared at her friend. “So you really want to do this.”
“I do.”
Michael crossed his arms at his chest and stared at her. “Well, maybe I will enter after all. We’ll just see who’s the best.”
“Fine.” Sydney shrugged. She stuck out her hand and added, “And may the best skier win!”
Michael shook her hand then went back to his work. Kate could see now that he was putting together an electronic resistor board. What are they building out here, anyway? she wondered. She drew near to Sydney and whispered, “What can I do to help you win the competition?”
“Hmm.” Sydney pursed her lips and squinted her eyes. “I guess you could help me find the perfect skis. I’ll have to rent them, probably.” A sad look came over her. “I guess that will cost even more money, so maybe not. I don’t know.”
“Maybe Aunt Molly can help with that,” Kate suggested.
“Maybe. And then I have to find out where the competition will be held. I want to hit the slopes in advance. Get in plenty of practice.” Sydney’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you need to come with me!”
“Me? Put on skis? I don’t know…” Kate hesitated. “I never…”
“I know you’ve never skied before, but there’s a first time for everything. Besides, I need someone to clock my time. So you won’t really be doing a lot of skiing. I think it will be good for you, Kate! You’ll learn something new, and I know you love learning things.”
“Maybe.” Kate shrugged. “Just usually not sports! But first let’s go talk to Aunt Molly and see if she knows where we can get some skis.”
“Hope she has two pairs!” Sydney said, looping her arm through Kate’s. “Then it’ll be you and me…off to ski!”
Another shiver ran down Kate’s spine. This one had nothing to do with the cold. How could she possibly make Sydney understand…she didn’t like sports! Not one little bit! And the very idea of soaring down a hill with boards strapped to her feet scared her half to death!
Sighing, she headed back toward the house to ask Aunt Molly about the skis. Hopefully she would only have one pair!
The Mousetrap
Kate and Sydney tromped through the snow, finally reaching the back door of the inn, which led straight into Aunt Molly’s spacious kitchen with its big, roaring fireplace. As they stomped their snow-covered boots on the mat, Biscuit jumped up and down excitedly. Must be the smell of gingerbread that had him so excited!
“Oh, yum!” Kate looked down at a large tray where several cookies were cooling. “I love these!” She pulled off her coat and hung it on the coatrack, then turned to her aunt with a “Can I have one?” grin.
“I’m glad to hear that you like gingerbread.” Aunt Molly handed each of the g
irls a warm cookie. “Taste and see if they’re any good.”
“Oh, they’re the best I’ve ever had!” Kate spoke between bites. She snapped off a little piece and handed it to Biscuit, who gobbled it up and begged for more.
“I saw that, Kate!” Aunt Molly said. “You shouldn’t be giving sweets to a dog!”
“I know, I know.” She sighed and pulled off her mittens. “I know I spoil him…way too much! But he’s such a good dog, and he’s been great at crime-solving, so every now and again I like to treat him.”
“Treat him too much and he’ll be as big around as a turkey at Thanksgiving!” Aunt Molly laughed.
“I know, I know.” Kate hung her head in shame, then looked up with a grin.
“I’ve got some good news!” Aunt Molly said as they nibbled. “The creamery is open again. The health inspector came this morning and couldn’t find any rats. In fact, they couldn’t even find a hint that there had ever been rats. Strange, isn’t it?”
“Wow! That’s amazing,” Kate said. “I need to go back for the tour and get some more information for my essay. Do you think Mr. Hampton would give me an interview? Maybe on video? I’d love to share it with my class. My teacher might even give me extra credit!”
“I’ll call him and ask,” Molly said. “Surely he will do it for me. I’m an old friend.” She winked as she said the word “old” and Kate grinned.
“Do we have to go back there?” Sydney asked, looking worried. “I don’t care what the health inspector said. We just saw rats in that place yesterday. Besides, I need to go skiing. I need the practice, remember?”
“Yeah.” Kate leaned her elbows on the counter and sighed.
“What’s wrong, Kate?” Her aunt gave her a curious look.
“Sydney wants to enter the ski competition at the Winter Festival to raise money for a mission trip to Mexico,” she explained.
“Well, that’s a lovely idea!” Aunt Molly stopped working long enough to grin at Sydney. “I think that’s wonderful.” She set two steaming mugs of hot apple cider down in front of the girls.
“Only one problem. Well, two, actually.” Sydney shrugged. “I don’t have any skis, and I don’t have money to enter the competition. At least, not yet. I’m going to ask my mom.”
“I can help with the skis. I have a wonderful pair,” Aunt Molly said with a wink. “They’re in the barn. Want to go see them?”
“Well, um…” Sydney looked a little embarrassed.
“What, honey?”
“Well, Michael is out there, and he’s going to be competing against me,” she explained. “So I don’t really want him to see what I’m up to.”
“Oh, I see!” Aunt Molly giggled. “So this is a covert operation, then?”
“Covert operation?” Kate looked at her, confused.
“Top secret mission,” Aunt Molly explained. “Is that what this is?”
“Oh yes!” Kate and Sydney spoke together.
“We don’t want anyone to know anything!” Sydney explained.
“Excellent idea.” Aunt Molly nodded. “And I’ve got just the pair of skis for you. I used to ski a little, myself. These were mine from years ago. And I’ve even got an extra pair for you, Kate. They’re not the new, expensive kind, but they will do for a beginner.”
“Oh no!” Kate argued. “I don’t ski, Aunt Mol. Seriously. Not ever. And I don’t want to start!”
“Hmm. Well, we’ll see about that.” Aunt Molly snapped the leg off a gingerbread man and popped it into her mouth. “We will just see about that.” Biscuit stood at her side whimpering until she finally gave him a tiny piece of the cookie. “Go away, goofy dog! You’re going to eat me out of house and home!”
Kate looked at Sydney, hoping to convince her. “I don’t mind if you go, of course. You need the practice. I don’t. And maybe I can go with you tomorrow. Today I need to stay here and research cheese-making for my essay paper.”
Sydney rolled her eyes. “C’mon. Are you serious? You want me to believe you’d rather work on a school paper than hang out on the slopes?”
“You don’t understand.” A lump rose up in Kate’s throat. “I have to get the best grade in the class because…” She didn’t finish the sentence. No telling what Sydney and Aunt Molly would say if they knew the truth.
“Tell me, Kate.” Sydney took another bite of a gingerbread man. “Why do you have to have the best one in your class? Why is it so important?”
“Because…” She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s no big deal.”
“Must be,” Aunt Molly said, her eyes narrowing a bit. “Or you wouldn’t have brought it up. Go ahead and tell us, Kate. Confession is good for the soul.”
“Oh, okay.” She bit her lip, trying to decide where to start. Surely Aunt Molly would understand. “There’s this boy in my science class,” Kate said, finally. “His name is Phillip. He’s the smartest person I know.”
“Smarter than you?” Sydney’s eyes widened. “Impossible!”
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. But we’re always competing to see who gets the best grades. Kind of like you and Michael are going to do on the ski slopes. Lately, Phillip has been, well…” Her voice trailed off and she sighed.
“He’s been getting better grades than you?” Aunt Molly asked.
“Yes, but that’s not all.” A lump rose in Kate’s throat as she remembered the things Phillip had said. “He made fun of my last science project. I did a great job on it, and the teacher really liked it, but…”
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry he hurt your feelings.” Aunt Molly shook her head.
“I don’t like to be made fun of.”
“No one does,” Aunt Molly explained with a sympathetic look on her face.
“He doesn’t sound like a very nice guy,” Sydney said.
“He’s not. He even told me…” Kate felt the anger return as she thought about him laughing at her. “He even told me that I would never be a professor like my dad…because I’m a girl.”
“Ah.” Aunt Molly nodded and handed her another cookie. “So, you’re going to try to prove him wrong by being better than him at something.”
“M–maybe.” She shrugged and bit off the gingerbread man’s head. The yummy, warm cookie slowly dissolved in her mouth.
“Kate.” Aunt Molly reached over and placed her hand gently on Kate’s. “It’s not wrong to want to be the best you can be. But in this case, I question your motives. You’ve got to examine your heart, honey.”
“Examine my heart?” Kate swallowed a nibble of the cookie and took a drink of the hot apple cider. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you need to start by forgiving Phillip for what he said.”
“Oh.” Kate sighed and took another sip of the cider. “I never thought about that.”
“Holding a grudge isn’t a good thing. Besides, the Bible says the Lord will only forgive us to the extent that we forgive others.”
“W–wait. What do you mean?” Kate stared at her aunt, stunned. “You mean God won’t forgive me if I don’t forgive Phillip?”
“Well, Ephesians 4:32 says we should be compassionate and understanding toward others, forgiving one another quickly as God forgives us.”
“Whoa.” Sydney and Kate both spoke at the same time.
“Forgive quickly? But that’s hard to do.” Kate drew in a deep breath as she thought about it. “Sometimes it takes a while to forgive, doesn’t it?”
“Sometimes. But here’s the problem with holding a grudge,” Aunt Molly said. “It might start out small—like competing over whose essay is best. Then before you know it, a grudge can turn into revenge. Anger. And that’s never good. So, it’s better to put out that spark before it becomes a raging fire.”
“Wow.” Kate thought about her aunt’s words as she continued to nibble on the cookie. It was all starting to make sense.
“Think of it like this.” Aunt Molly appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. “Let’s use what’s going on at the c
reamery to illustrate. Imagine you’re a little mouse and you see what looks like a beautiful piece of cheese. You run over to it and grab it, then…snap! You’re caught in a mousetrap.”
Kate nodded, “I see what you mean.”
“Unforgiveness is a trap,” Aunt Molly explained. “And as soon as you’re caught in it, you’re in trouble. So, let go. Forgive. It’s always the best choice.”
Kate stared at the fireplace, listening to the crackling and popping sounds the fire made. “I never thought about that before, Aunt Molly. I guess I have been holding a grudge but didn’t realize it. Will God forgive me for that?”
“Of course He will! But you have to pray about it. And then—while you’re at it—pray for Phillip, too,” her aunt said. “And you never know…you two might end up being friends when all is said and done.”
“I can’t imagine that.” How could she ever be a friend to such a mean person?
“I know it seems impossible now, but trust me when I say it is possible.” After a wink, Aunt Molly added, “Ask me how I know.”
“How do you know?” Kate asked, nibbling on her cookie.
“Because your Uncle Ollie and I met when we were competing against each other in a square-dancing competition. We were both mighty good, though maybe I shouldn’t say that.”
“Oh, wow!” Kate giggled. “So, who won? You or Uncle Ollie?”
“In the long run, we both won,” Aunt Molly explained with a sly grin. “Though it certainly didn’t seem like it at the time. In the second round of the competition, my partner hurt his leg. And Ollie’s partner got sick. So, we ended up competing together…as a team.” She giggled. “And the rest is history!”
Sydney’s eyes sparkled. “You fell in love on the dance floor? He danced his way into your heart?”
“Well, not that first day, but it didn’t take long.” Aunt Molly winked. “Ollie Oliver is a godly man and a great dancer. What a charmer!” Her cheeks turned pink, and she giggled.
Sydney sighed. “That’s so sweet!” She grinned at Kate. “So maybe you and Phillip will fall in love and get married someday!”
