Recap: Evie’s new skating coach is mean, and her mother tells her that Mr. Cohen is coming for dinner. The only good thing about the day is that Aunt Ruthie gave her her father’s work number and she plans to call him.
The next day, Mrs. Lister was as cold as the ice I was skating on. She made me redo every single move over and over until I was thoroughly sick of each one. She was making me not like skating.
“That triple axel is very weak,” she said. “When I coached Kim Yuva in the beginning, she rose much higher.”
She kept bringing up Kim Yuva, the Olympic champion. So, I wasn’t in that category. I didn’t need constant comparisons to remind me.
I couldn’t wait for practice to end.
“See you tomorrow,” Mrs. Lister said. As I watched her skate to the wall and then stroll away on her skates, I realized she hadn’t given me one compliment the whole time. I was looking forward to seeing Rikki again and starting her lessons.
I skated around fast and then slowly, feeling the glide and trying to shake the unpleasantness from being with Mrs. Lister. I spotted Rikki standing by the side waving at me.
“Can you teach me to skate like that? It looks so effortless.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Rikki was wearing a pair of brown rented skates. She clung to the wall as she stepped onto the ice.
“You can hold onto the wall until you feel comfortable and find your stride.”
She was very wobbly as she moved along.
“How do you do it?” she asked.
“I was wobbly in the beginning too. I started when I was four. My family is a skating family.”
“I can see that. Are you trying for the Olympics?”
“I don’t know about that, but I’m going to a competition. I’d love to win.”
“I bet you will.”
“Thanks,” I said. She was so nice.
“Rikki, you have to try to balance on one foot at a time. You need to use the edges of your blades and then glide like this,” I said.
Rikki moved forward slowly. A group of kids entered the ice. The public session had officially begun.
“You’re getting it,” I said.
“I don’t know. I’m scared to let go.”
“It’s okay. We’ll go around with you holding on to the wall.”
We did that a few times, and then I challenged her to try a little without the wall.
She moved forward awkwardly.
“You’re getting it,” I said.
It took a while, but slowly Rikki skated without holding on and she did one whole revolution around the rink.
Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed. “I can’t believe it. I never thought I could do it. You are the best teacher.”
“Thanks.” I’d never taught anyone before.
We skated around together and talked about games we liked to play and what we liked in a good friend. She told me she likes to write, and she has a writer’s notebook. I got so excited when she said that.
“I like to write, too. I make up stories all the time,” I said.
“Maybe we could make one up together about two girls meeting at a skating rink.”
I laughed. I felt like I’d known Rikki much longer than just two days.
“Evie, would you like to come to my house tonight for supper? My grandmother makes the best pizza.”
“Uh, that sounds nice. I have to ask my mother. She’s in the office over there.”
I exited the ice and headed to the office.
Mom was on the phone, and Mr. Cohen was seated at a desk working on a computer.
Mom looked up at me and signaled to me to wait a minute.
“My new friend Rikki invited me over for supper. Could I please go?”
Mom glanced toward Mr. Cohen, who was still busy typing on the computer.
“Mr. Cohen is coming for dinner tonight at Aunt Ruthie’s.”
I definitely preferred avoiding that.
“Please? I really want to go.”
Mom looked down at her hands. I could tell she was disappointed. “Well, if you really want to. Where does she live?”
“It’s not far from Aunt Ruthie’s house.”
I felt bad about disappointing Mom, but mainly I felt happy not to have to spend time with that Mr. Cohen. And tonight after supper, I was planning to make a very important phone call.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of a newly released historical fiction novel, Captured (Menucha Publishers, 2025), as well as historical fiction novels Please Be Patient (Menucha, 2024), Flight of the Doves (Menucha, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha, 2020), Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials, and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, and “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021–2022) and Alaskan Gold (2023–2024).
