A Chance for Charity (The Immortal Ones)

by S. L. Baum

“One,” I said.

  “How many runs?” She demanded.

  “Two,” I answered timidly, frightened by her expression.

  “Eight times, one run,” she snapped.

  I glanced over at Summer and Rusty in time to watch them turn their heads and do a poor job of trying to cover their smiling faces. They were truly amused by Delilah’s absolute frustration.

  “But I’m skiing and you’re boarding. Don’t compare the two,” I offered, hoping she would agree.

  “Come on Dee,” Burke reached down to help her. She accepted his hand and, still pouting, he plucked her up out of the snow. Burke pulled her into his arms, enveloping her tiny frame in his immense hug. I watched as her expression changed from a disappointed pout to a contented smile as she buried herself in Burke’s embrace. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head and her smile widened.

  “Jeez, let’s go,” Rusty exclaimed.

  My second shuffle to the chair lift went much smoother. I glanced down below and wondered what a fall from such a height would do to a person. If someone were to lean just a little too far forward they would plummet to the ground. I secretly smiled at the thought of jumping down, landing all twisted and injured, then walking into school on Monday as if nothing had happened. The shock value alone, to witness the confused horror plastered on the faces of the students and faculty was tempting. But I knew I could never pull such a stunt. Even though it wouldn’t permanently hurt me, it would still hurt – and not just me physically, but everyone else emotionally. I pushed the thought out of my mind and watched all the empty seats pass by, making their way down to the waiting skiers. We passed an enclosed capsule with a man inside. He was scanning the slopes below.

  “What’s that?” I asked Link.

  “A gondola,” he answered, surprised by the question.

  “Okay I guess I knew that. I meant to ask, what is it doing on the lift?”

  “It transports non-skiers, people meeting others at the restaurant down there, hikers in the summer, whatever,” he looked at me. “Have you been on any of the gondolas yet?”

  “No.”

  “How is that possible? You’ve been in town for almost two months,” he was clearly shocked by my admission.

  “So take me,” I challenged him.

  “Oh I will,” he smirked.

  We got off the lift and I stayed upright. Yay! During the next two runs I only fell one more time. My skis crossed again, this time halfway down Meadows. One ski came off, poles went flying, and snow invaded my gloves as I attempted to break my fall. I got up, brushed myself off, and with considerable help from Link, was soon on my way down again. At the end of that second run, Summer suggested lunch. We all agreed. At this point in the day food was necessary, skiing was strenuous work.

  It felt marvelous to unbuckle the ski boots and more freely move my ankles. Sadly, the heel-toe shuffle was still necessary as we made our way into the restaurant at the base of Meadows. I shuffled in line between Link and Summer. She pushed her elbow into my side and when I glanced at her she was sporting a cheesy grin. She wanted info. I mouthed, “Later,” at her and turned to the guy behind the counter to order a bread bowl filled with beef stew. The aroma of the warm stew made my body realize how ravenous I really was. My stomach grumbled, loudly, and Link looked at me.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Famished,” I answered.

  We all sat down at one of the empty tables and I examined our little group. Delilah and Burke were leaning in toward each other. She was giggling at something he had just said. Rusty had one hand on Summer’s leg as he stuffed fries in his mouth with the other. Link sat next to me, silently eating. I wondered if he felt strange, sitting at this table with a bunch of teenagers. Why was he here? Why did I want him here so badly?

  After lunch, Delilah proclaimed she was finished boarding for the day. Burke accepted defeat, and said he would take her home. Summer and Rusty said they were going over to lift four. They were tired of Meadows and wanted something faster and more challenging. Link and I said we were going to stay. I waved goodbye to everyone. Summer mouthed, “Call me,” as she left.

  I sighed, happy to be alone with Link again. We spent the next few hours improving on my new skill. I loved skiing with him. He was an ideal teacher and with his patient instructions, I felt myself getting better with each run. My stops were a little cleaner and my turns a little smoother by the end of the day. Exhaustion started to take over just as the lifts were about to close. We took our skis off, loosened our boots, and made our way to the parking garage.

  When we reached his vehicle I completely de-geared, which seemed to go a lot faster than the gearing up did. My feet were in heaven as I removed my armored boots and slipped them into my soft sheepskin ones. I wiggled my toes, “Wow! That feels amazing,” I said as I stretched my arms behind my head, lengthening myself in the passenger seat.

  Link smiled at me as he entered the vehicle, “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked.

  “Very much,” I yawned as a day’s worth of hard exercise caught up with my now still body. “Thank you, you were the perfect teacher,” I smiled in return.

  “I’ve got powers,” he teased.

  “Awesome powers,” I agreed.

  “I’m glad you liked it. Does that mean you’ll ski with me again?” he asked, uncertainty present in his voice.

  “Does that mean you’d really want to spend another day babysitting me on the slopes? Wouldn’t you rather ski at your own level? I’m holding you back,” I worried.

  “I can ski the harder stuff on my days off, during the week, when you are in school. I’m getting a kick out of watching you,” he grinned.

  “Well I’m glad to be the source of your amusement,” I sulked, suddenly worried about being laughed at.

  “That’s not what I meant,” he corrected me. “The way your face lights up when you’re getting it... I just love to watch it,” he paused, thinking, then continued, “Honestly, I just like being with you. I’ve been alone the last couple of years. It’s not a good feeling. But when I am with you it feels right, familiar, comforting... Hell, I don’t know how to explain it,” he trailed off lost for words.

  “I want to be around you too,” I admitted as I placed my hand on top of his, “and honestly, it scares me a little. I usually keep myself rather guarded around everyone, except my aunt and uncle. But when you are with me, my guard slips away without my being aware. I am more myself with you than I’ve been with anyone I’ve ever met, in any city I’ve ever lived, in a really, really long time,” I searched his face, his eyes, for a sign that he questioned my statement. I understood that it probably sounded a bit strange coming from the mouth of a supposed seventeen year old. But Link held his gaze steady and nodded his head in agreement.

  We skied together all day Sunday as well. We were more at ease with each other now. Laughing, teasing, talking, but again staying away from any conversation too serious. We just wanted to enjoy ourselves. I was more confident on my skis now. It helped to know that Link was always close by, to lend a hand if I fell. My sunny happy day was overshadowed by a nagging cloud of doubt. How much longer could I keep pretending to be someone I was not, to this man that I was inexplicably drawn to?

  chapter six

  PRESENTATION

  “You never called me this weekend,” Summer winked at me. It was our last class, on Monday afternoon, and I had been avoiding her all day.

  “Yeah dish,” Delilah chimed in, “What’s with the older hottie? Summer told me he’s twenty-two, works at the hardware store, and moved here to ski.”

  “That’s about all of it. What do you need me for?” I said.

  “Oh no you don’t... Where did you meet him? Why are your aunt and uncle letting you hang out with him? My mom would freak,” Summer pressed for more answers.

  “I met him on a hike,” that sounded good without admitting to the embarrassing falling part, “We are just friends so Aunt Rachel and Uncle Jason are cool with
it. Anyway I’m almost eighteen so that’s not such a huge difference in our ages,” I defended myself.

  “Friends, I’m sure,” smirked Delilah.

  “I like him, he likes me, there’s no kissing involved so – sounds like a friendship to me. Discussion’s over, Mrs. Beech is looking this way,” I said, thankful for the excuse to end our little “chat” and avoid any further questions.

  “I have, in this box, slips of paper labeled with different important events in the history of the United States. For example, The Great Depression,” Mrs. Beech read from the slip she had just pulled out of the box. “What can you tell me about that event?” she asked, in a monotone voice.

  Sara Evans raised her hand with that smug, I know everything, smile ever present on her face. Mrs. Beech immediately called on her. “The Great Depression started with The Stock Market Crash of Nineteen Twenty-Nine, years of economic strife followed,” Sara answered, clearly pleased with herself.

  “Correct. So Sara, I’m going to give this slip to you. You’re assignment will be to write a three to four page summary of that major event in U.S. History. You will present your paper to the class next week.

  “As will all of you,” she addressed the class. “These presentations will help you study for the final exam that you will be taking before Christmas Break. Each of you will present a different event, in the history of the United States, which was covered in class this past semester. Everyone up here to draw,” she said.

  We all got up from our seats and went to the front of the class, where she stood. One by one, each student drew a slip of paper from the shoe box she was holding. Then we all returned to our desks.

  “Three to four page summary of the major event, class presentations at random starting next Monday, take notes on your classmates’ presentations,” she ticked off a mental list as she gave her instructions. “Oh, and extra credit will be given for authentic props, visual aids, costumes from the era, et cetera, et cetera. Yes, you can wear a poodle skirt or a leather jacket and jeans if you get something in the Fifties. Please ask for help if you are unsure. This is the last grade before the final,” she finished as the bell rang, excusing us from History.

  “It’s President Roosevelt’s New Deal for me,” said Rusty.

  “I got Prohibition, yeah flapper costume,” Delilah said.

  “I got our entrance into World War I,” Burke said.

  “California Gold Rush,” Summer read from her paper.

  They turned toward me... it was clearly my turn to reveal my draw. But I stood silent, thinking about the event I’d drawn.

  “Emily, what’d you get?” Summer waved her hand in front of my face as she asked.

  “Sorry... Spacing... Pearl Harbor,” I mumbled, “and the United States’ entrance into World War II,” I continued.

  I knew James and Catherine had opted to relax at home that day. So when I arrived at the house after school, I sought them out. I found them in their study, reading. James was sitting at one end of the couch and Catherine was lying down, her head propped with a pillow and her feet resting in his lap. I envied the comfort and security they each felt in the other’s presence. James looked up from his book and smiled warmly at me.

  “Are you both enjoying your day off from the world?” I asked.

  “We are thoroughly enjoying it. We decided that today was a day for relaxing, nothing more,” James answered.

  “How was your day?” Catherine inquired.

  “Just another day spent posing as a high school senior. My history teacher hit me with a good one today. I get to write a paper and give a presentation on Pearl Harbor and the U.S.’s entrance into World War II. Lucky me,” my voice was heavy with sarcasm.

  “Oh sweetie, I know the topic of any war does not thrill you – especially that one,” Catherine said as she sat up.

  “Just write a thorough, fact driven paper. You’ll do a fine job,” James encouraged.

  “We get extra credit for wearing a costume or bringing in an authentic prop from the time period,” I added.

  “Well that is up to you. I’m sure we have a few authentic things around here somewhere,” Catherine walked over and firmly planted her hands on my shoulders. “You decide,” she gave me a reassuring smile and hugged me tightly.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said as I turned to leave the room.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll do us proud,” James encouraged again as I walked out of their study and headed to my bedroom.

  I looked at the clock. It would be at least three hours until my, now nightly, call from Link. I needed a movie, a sci-fi I decided. Space Aliens were the perfect thing for me right now. I was thankful for my collection of movies. They had a way of letting me clear my head and disappear into their fantasy instead of dwelling on and worrying about my reality.

  On Friday, Mrs. Beech again stood at the front of the room with the same shoe box from Monday perched in her hand.

  “This time, I have a day of the week and a number written on each paper. There will be three presentations per day, each day next week. If you draw Monday-Two, from the box, you will be the second presentation on Monday. You will get fifteen minutes for your presentation followed by a question and answer period. By the end of the week we will be done with our review and the following week is Finals Week. All papers are due Monday though, so keep a copy for your presentation. You all get that?” she asked, making sure we understood, “I’ll walk around the class and you can draw your day,” she finished and started her trek around the room.

  I reached in the box, when Mrs. Beech arrived at my desk, and drew out a folded pink slip of paper. I opened it up and revealed the words Friday-Two, written in her bubbly handwriting. Yuck! I was really hoping for Monday, bite the bullet, get it over with ASAP. I turned around in my desk to reveal my draw to the group. Rusty, Summer, Burke, and Delilah each showed their pink slips of paper. Incredibly, we each drew a different day of the week.

  The next morning Link arrived at my house at nine o’clock sharp, again, for another day of skiing. We stayed on Meadows. I wasn’t adventurous enough to try my skills on Lift Ten. It was a long ride to the top. That meant a long way back down. I promised that next weekend we would ski out from my house on Galloping Goose. That trail would bring us to the point where Lift One (Meadows) and Lift Ten (which led to Galloping Goose plus a ton of other trails) met. Then when we were done for the day we would just take Lift Ten to the top again and ski down to my house. I wouldn’t have to lug my gear anywhere. Link insisted on doing most of the lugging, so guilt was pushing me to this decision.

  We were going out to dinner later and Link insisted that I bring a change of clothes with me so we wouldn’t have to go back to my house after skiing. Thankfully, Link was friends with one of the guys who worked at the ski shop by Lift Four. That meant I didn’t have to change clothes in a bathroom, I had drawn the line there. I was grateful for the use of their dressing room.

  After we were finished skiing, warmed up on a steaming cup of hot chocolate, all changed, and our ski gear was packed in the back of the SUV, I turned to Link, “Let’s get some eats. I love that Chinese place across from the boutique. Can we go there?”

  “If that is what the lady wants then that is what the lady will get,” he answered as he bent into a deep bow.

  “Stop it,” I giggled. “Let’s go,” I said as I walked toward the passenger side.

  “No driving of vehicles tonight milady,” he stopped me, keeping up with his charade.

  “Okay Mr. Knight, in shining armor, how shall we get to the restaurant? On horseback? Or perhaps in a carriage?” I surmised.

  “In a carriage of sorts,” he answered and held out his arm for me to take.

  He led me past the shops in Mountain Village toward the base of the snow. We turned left on the walkway between the base of Lift Four and the ski center where we had purchased our season passes. He guided me up a flight of snowy metal stairs and over to the entrance of the Gondola.


  “Your carriage awaits,” Link smiled that brilliant smile.

  “Thank you brave knight,” I smiled back, enjoying the game.

  It was just starting to get dark as the gondola rose up to the top of the mountain. I looked back at Mountain Village and down at the houses below our “carriage.” The view from up here was incredible. Why hadn’t I done this before? We rose a thousand feet in the air and came to a transition point at over ten thousand feet in elevation. Some people were getting out of their gondolas, to go to dinner at the restaurant that sat at the top. We stayed on, for the rest of the ride, down to the town of Telluride.

  As the gondola started its descent, I looked down at the tiny town of Telluride with awe. It was breathtaking from this height. Little lights twinkled from houses, streetlights, and the various trees that were decorated for the Holiday Season. It was a scene out of a picture book. How could I have lived here this long and not experienced the true beauty of the little town, as seen from the gondola?

  “Thank you,” I whispered to Link. I squeezed his hand, “It’s beautiful.”

  “I know,” Link answered and pulled my hand up to his lips.

  We rode the rest of the two thousand foot drop in silence, enjoying the beauty of Telluride, in December, at night. After exiting the gondola we walked up to Colorado Ave. and over to the Chinese restaurant. I glanced down at our hands, fingers intertwined, as we walked. They looked so perfect together, our hands, meant to be.

  Our jackets were instantly removed when we entered the warm restaurant. The small room was overly noisy from a large party sitting in the back. I immediately ordered for the two of us as soon as were sat at a table. War Wonton Soup for two, House Special Double Pan Fried Noodles, and Orange Chicken – all my favorites. To pass the time, while we waited for our meal, we scanned the paper place mats in front of us to find out where our birth year landed in the Chinese Zodiac and which animal was assigned to each of us.

  “I’m a Rabbit,” Link pointed out.