The snow swirled against the cabin’s window, smudging the view with fine brush strokes, so only the ghosts of pine trees could be seen in the forest beyond.
Read Part 1 and Part 2Now that Alicia had mastered the bunny hills, she was tackling the more advanced slopes. Tackling the blue slopes had been the plan for today, but the weather had other ideas. The ski resort was closed because of the conditions.
“We’ll move up the set preparation," Danny said, "and tomorrow, if the weather permits, we’ll hit the slopes again."
To be honest, she was glad that they weren’t skiing that day. Her body was aching, but she had too much pride to tell him. When she first began the lessons, it was near impossible for her to stay on her feet on the slopes. Every muscle and bone in her body resisted the idea of gliding on an icy surface and down she went for the umpteenth time. She was nearly in tears that first day and was glad that the goggles shielded her eyes.
Danny simply watched from the sides as the instructor took her through a series of exercises. By the third day, she began to get the hang of it and felt more confident on her own. She had even begun to ski down the intermediate slopes before the storm shut down the lifts.
Not one to waste time, Danny rearranged the itinerary, which he kept in a small red notebook. He wasn’t militant about it, but he seemed like a man on a mission.
“I think you have your work cut out for you if you plan to turn me into a world-class skier,” Alicia told him as he was setting up a small pocket projector. “Those instructors ran me ragged, and I could barely handle the beginner techniques.”
“Poof! That’s nothing,” Danny said. “Unfortunately, you’re not as nimble as when you were a child. Notice how the children take to the sport with ease. If you teach them in the right period when they are more receptive to kinesthetic signals, then it becomes second nature to them. For us adults, learning is a more mechanical task with a lot of mental effort. That’s why it's necessary to re-experience childhood, in a manner of speaking, bring our mind and body to that open state when learning a new motor skill was as natural as learning to walk.”
“That’s a great spiel. You should be a spokesman for White Cariboo mountain resort.”
He flashed her his enigmatic smile.
“We’ll watch a few videos," he said fiddling with the projector. "Some history of the sport, and the latest mountain stunts from the masters.”
Inside, the log cabin was a cozy place that sheltered them from the blizzard outside. The fire was roaring and gave an intimate warmth.
“How did Annie react to your idea for this trip?” she said trying to probe deeper like a reporter.
“Surprised,” he said with a grin. “I understand why she wouldn't want to do it. Different slopes for different folks.”
He was really a hard nut to crack on a personal level. He held nothing back from her, and yet after nearly a week and half together in this log cabin, she barely knew anything about him.
In his actions, he said plenty. They were deliberate, as if the simple act of moving his hand was the most graceful thing in the universe. He ensured that the atmosphere in the cabin was cozy with a few simple touches. Even with the storm raging outside, she felt safe and secure with him.
The food and drink was simple, ‘ancient’ as he called it: breads, cheeses, olives, and a bit of meat complemented with vegetables and fruit. Aside from a glass of wine now and then, the alcohol intake was kept to a minimum. This sparse but nutritious Mediterranean-style diet was having its effect on her, and by the end of the first week, she was feeling better than ever before.
They lay on plush cushions and watched the skiing videos projected on a screen Danny hung above the fireplace. Alicia shook her head in amazement as if he had just pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
What was this guy’s game?
After watching the videos, they did yoga then sat by the window and watched the swirling snow with a cup of coffee and a slice of rum cake. He regaled her with stories about skiing in the Swiss alps. Grand adventures by helicopter. His descriptions were colorful and full of scientific anecdotes, as if he were an explorer describing life on another planet.
Why couldn’t she feel the same grandeur and sense of excitement? She didn’t mind skiing, it was fun, the mountains were gorgeous, but it was just so darn hard to stay on her feet. Every muscle in her body screamed stop. Her desire to become a world-class skier diminished in proportion to each mouthful of snow.
“I have a big mountain to climb to become any good at it," she said, feeling a bit sorry for herself. "And we only have two more days left."
“We’ll see tomorrow, after we consume the flowers,” Danny said. “Which reminds me, it’s time to learn a little bit more about them, so you know what to expect.”
“Are these magical flowers going to make me mad?”
“It will have an effect on you brain that can be confused with madness, but I prefer to think of it as a reboot of your learning systems. I’ll tell you all about it, but first I'll add a few more logs to the fire.”
The blizzard had abated, and the world outside glistened with the newness of freshly fallen snow. She listened to Danny tell her all about the flowers. What they were, what they did, and what she could expect after consuming them. He was open and did not hold back, trust being imperative in his view.
“Tomorrow, you’ll be a world-class skier,” Danny said with conviction.
“I'll be happy to just make it down the bunny hill without falling,” Alicia said stretching on the rug.
“Bunny hill? Tomorrow we’ll go to the top,” he said motioning with his hand as if it was a rocket taking off.
“The black diamond run? That’s for experts.”
“You are an expert. You just don’t know it yet. Tomorrow, you’ll see. You will unlearn everything the instructors told you and see things with fresh new eyes.”
Why was she trusting this stranger with her life? He kept pushing her outside of her comfort zones. Gently but relentlessly. He was not to be deterred from his mission. She was at the mercy of his personality that like a spinning magnet dragged her into its orbit. She let herself be led by his song and dance, both fully aware that in this grand stage of love and friendship, it takes two to tango.
Images generated by @litguru using Stable Diffusion