Hello FFFs!
Here I sit with 4 of my nieces and nephews on the floor behind me. They just got up (at 7). We had a very busy day yesterday exploring the "forest" and the "river." (Translated: some trees and a creek.) It's been a crazy week.
Sunday evening my youngest nephew had to get 5 stitches in the middle of his forehead from running into the corner of the wall. (Dad and I went to stay with the other kids and didn't get home and to bed until after mid-night.
Monday a girl from church came over for sewing lessons.
Tuesday I taught writing classes. Wednesday my dad and I had election training and then I worked in the nursery again.
Yesterday I already mentioned. Last night my grandparents, oldest niece and nephew, Sis and I all went to a concert to listen to "The Academy of St Martin in the Fields." It was wonderful!
Today we'll have the kids all day and then take them home for bed. And then Saturday. Saturday we have nothing planned! :) Lovely.
And that's all I have to say right now. I hope you enjoy this next part of the story.
A Lesson in Contentment
Part 2
Half a dozen voices from her younger sisters who were peering out the windows, shouted, “They’re here!” “Hurry, Kels, they’re waiting!”
With skates over their arms, smiles on their faces, and many waves to the excited girls watching, Kelsey and Lottie left the house, crossed the yard and climbed into the waiting car.
Kelsey was silent on the ride. Zoe introduced herself and her brother and chatted with Lottie all the way there, for Lottie wasn’t the least bit shy.
There wasn’t a large crowd when they arrived, only a few schoolmates who welcomed the sisters with smiles and hellos. Once she was out on the floor with skates on, Kelsey was able, for a time, to push aside the thought that she didn’t belong. She skated with Lottie for a little while, getting the feel of the floor and warming up. Music played over the speakers, and the noise level rose as more and more kids arrived. Feeling warm and uncomfortably out of place, Kelsey skated to the side and stepped off the rink to sit on a bench and watch.
“Get tired?” a voice asked loudly.
Glancing up, she saw Wally standing beside her bench. “A little.”
He sat down beside her. “I’ve never seen a kid skate like your sister can. Does she practice every day?”
Kelsey’s eyes followed her sister’s path across the skate floor. She never wobbled, or bumped into anyone. Her turns were graceful, she could skate just as well backwards as forward, and she never seemed to tire. “Just about. She comes here every chance she can get and helps clean up after parties, so the owner lets her skate any time it’s not booked.”
“Do you ever go with her?”
Kelsey merely nodded.
“Want a coke or some popcorn?”
“A coke would be nice. Thank you.”
When Wally had disappeared, Kelsey scooted to the end of the bench. It was a strange feeling, but she wanted to be able to slip away should many others come to join them on the bench, as she guessed they would if Wally stuck around. He was popular in school.
“Here you are.” Wally appeared beside her once again and handed her a cold glass before taking the seat beside her.
“Thanks.” Kelsey took a sip. It tasted good and the cold was refreshing. She looked out over the skaters and soon found her light haired sister among the crowd. Lottie had slowed her pace and was skating beside a girl Kelsey didn’t know, but who looked like she was having trouble getting used to the skates. “That’s just like her,” she remarked.
“What is?” Wally turned questioning eyes on her.
“Lottie. She’s found someone to help. Just watch, she’ll skate with her until she’s sure she can do it alone a few minutes.”
“Then what?”
“Then she’ll zip around the rink once just because she loves it, and then will come back to the girl’s side and help her some more.” Kelsey had had to speak loudly, for the music and chatter of the crowd made normal conversation impossible.
Her predictions were right, and she smiled as her younger sister once more reached the hesitant skater, linked her arm with hers and pulled her on, somehow keeping both of them balanced even when one of the wilder skaters nearly crashed into them.
Wally was soon called away from the bench by some of the guys, and Kelsey was left alone. She didn’t mind.
Just then Lottie and her partner skated up. “There’s a bench you can sit on if you want, Sharon,” Lottie said to her new friend. “After a rest you can try it again. You’re really getting the hang of it, you know.”
The other girl sank onto the bench gratefully. “Thank you for helping me,” she said. “I don’t know what possessed me to come to this party. I’ve never skated more than a handful of times in my life, and those times always ended up making me black and blue.”
With a laugh Lottie reached for Kelsey’s drink and took a long swallow. “Now you have to come skate with me,” she ordered her sister.
Kelsey shook her head. Just the thought of getting back into that crowd set her heart to racing and made her hands clammy.
“Please,” Lottie begged. “They’re going to do the couples skating in just a few minutes, and,” she leaned down and said in lower tones, “I won’t skate with some boy!”
Feeling torn, but not wanting to make her sister become a spectator for something they had always enjoyed doing together, she reluctantly agreed. Besides, she realized, spying Wally heading in their direction, if she didn’t accept Lottie, Wally would ask, and she had no intention of skating with him.
“All right.”
“Just forget about all the others,” advised Lottie as the girls crossed arms and began skating in step.
Kelsey tried, but there was no shutting out the loud music, the constant babble of voices, or the rumble made by dozens of skates on the smooth floor. To Lottie the noise might have been intoxicating, but to Kelsey it was torture. “One, two, three. One two, side,” she began counting in her head as she tried to concentrate on the routine she and her sister had worked out over a year ago. Hanging on to Lottie’s hands, she guided her sister who was skating backwards. Around, down, backwards, forwards. Arms crossed, hands linked, one-handed–it all came together somehow, leaving Kelsey rather breathless when the music ended and she found herself once more on the sidelines.
With skates over their arms, smiles on their faces, and many waves to the excited girls watching, Kelsey and Lottie left the house, crossed the yard and climbed into the waiting car.
Kelsey was silent on the ride. Zoe introduced herself and her brother and chatted with Lottie all the way there, for Lottie wasn’t the least bit shy.
There wasn’t a large crowd when they arrived, only a few schoolmates who welcomed the sisters with smiles and hellos. Once she was out on the floor with skates on, Kelsey was able, for a time, to push aside the thought that she didn’t belong. She skated with Lottie for a little while, getting the feel of the floor and warming up. Music played over the speakers, and the noise level rose as more and more kids arrived. Feeling warm and uncomfortably out of place, Kelsey skated to the side and stepped off the rink to sit on a bench and watch.
“Get tired?” a voice asked loudly.
Glancing up, she saw Wally standing beside her bench. “A little.”
He sat down beside her. “I’ve never seen a kid skate like your sister can. Does she practice every day?”
Kelsey’s eyes followed her sister’s path across the skate floor. She never wobbled, or bumped into anyone. Her turns were graceful, she could skate just as well backwards as forward, and she never seemed to tire. “Just about. She comes here every chance she can get and helps clean up after parties, so the owner lets her skate any time it’s not booked.”
“Do you ever go with her?”
Kelsey merely nodded.
“Want a coke or some popcorn?”
“A coke would be nice. Thank you.”
When Wally had disappeared, Kelsey scooted to the end of the bench. It was a strange feeling, but she wanted to be able to slip away should many others come to join them on the bench, as she guessed they would if Wally stuck around. He was popular in school.
“Here you are.” Wally appeared beside her once again and handed her a cold glass before taking the seat beside her.
“Thanks.” Kelsey took a sip. It tasted good and the cold was refreshing. She looked out over the skaters and soon found her light haired sister among the crowd. Lottie had slowed her pace and was skating beside a girl Kelsey didn’t know, but who looked like she was having trouble getting used to the skates. “That’s just like her,” she remarked.
“What is?” Wally turned questioning eyes on her.
“Lottie. She’s found someone to help. Just watch, she’ll skate with her until she’s sure she can do it alone a few minutes.”
“Then what?”
“Then she’ll zip around the rink once just because she loves it, and then will come back to the girl’s side and help her some more.” Kelsey had had to speak loudly, for the music and chatter of the crowd made normal conversation impossible.
Her predictions were right, and she smiled as her younger sister once more reached the hesitant skater, linked her arm with hers and pulled her on, somehow keeping both of them balanced even when one of the wilder skaters nearly crashed into them.
Wally was soon called away from the bench by some of the guys, and Kelsey was left alone. She didn’t mind.
Just then Lottie and her partner skated up. “There’s a bench you can sit on if you want, Sharon,” Lottie said to her new friend. “After a rest you can try it again. You’re really getting the hang of it, you know.”
The other girl sank onto the bench gratefully. “Thank you for helping me,” she said. “I don’t know what possessed me to come to this party. I’ve never skated more than a handful of times in my life, and those times always ended up making me black and blue.”
With a laugh Lottie reached for Kelsey’s drink and took a long swallow. “Now you have to come skate with me,” she ordered her sister.
Kelsey shook her head. Just the thought of getting back into that crowd set her heart to racing and made her hands clammy.
“Please,” Lottie begged. “They’re going to do the couples skating in just a few minutes, and,” she leaned down and said in lower tones, “I won’t skate with some boy!”
Feeling torn, but not wanting to make her sister become a spectator for something they had always enjoyed doing together, she reluctantly agreed. Besides, she realized, spying Wally heading in their direction, if she didn’t accept Lottie, Wally would ask, and she had no intention of skating with him.
“All right.”
“Just forget about all the others,” advised Lottie as the girls crossed arms and began skating in step.
Kelsey tried, but there was no shutting out the loud music, the constant babble of voices, or the rumble made by dozens of skates on the smooth floor. To Lottie the noise might have been intoxicating, but to Kelsey it was torture. “One, two, three. One two, side,” she began counting in her head as she tried to concentrate on the routine she and her sister had worked out over a year ago. Hanging on to Lottie’s hands, she guided her sister who was skating backwards. Around, down, backwards, forwards. Arms crossed, hands linked, one-handed–it all came together somehow, leaving Kelsey rather breathless when the music ended and she found herself once more on the sidelines.
Does the skating party sound fun?
Do you like to skate with someone else?
Have you ever been "exploring"?
2 comments:
Yes they skating party sounds fun. I never skated with someone, but it could be fun. I have been 'exploring' it can be fun. Wow it looks like you had a busy week.
Have a great day:)
Thanks, Marissa! Yes, this week has been crazy!
When I was younger I loved "exploring" and could always imagine things were different. It's fun to see my nephews doing the same sort of things.
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