Page 31 of A Winter in Wonderland
‘Of course, I’m so sorry.’
‘It’s OK. You want to try again?’
I really did want to try, and try I did, but no matter how many times I started, stopped, tried to turn, or tried to give the appropriate hand signals, something just wasn’t working for me. And by that point I was embarrassed and frustrated, and I think Zoë could tell things weren’t going to get any better until I calmed down.
‘OK,’ she said, making a note on her clipboard that I couldn’t see. ‘Why don’t you step aside, Myla, and we’ll give somebody else a go.’
‘I think I can get it with a little more practice,’ I insisted.
‘I’m sure you can.’ But Zoë didn’t look me in the eye again, instead gently pressing me back towards the group using her big ski mitten.
As one of my fellow guides stepped forward and managed to turn on, manoeuvre, and emergency stop all in one go, Esteri leaned over.
‘So what?’ she said to me. ‘So you didn’t get it first time. Big deal. You will.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Because I have faith in you.’
‘I don’t know why,’ I protested. ‘I couldn’t even take my bra off in a sauna.’
‘That was weird,’ Esteri agreed. ‘But you’ll get there. Just remember how lucky you are to be here, how lucky you are to be in the home of Christmas, and you will get your Christmas wish.’ She smiled.
