Page 32 of A Winter in Wonderland
Chapter 15
After the snowmobile disaster, over the course of the following week we underwent intensive training that left my body aching, my hair frizzing, and my brain blissfully free of having time to conjure up and ruminate on those old Christmas memories. I learned how to snowshoe (hard), lead a reindeer sleigh (surprisingly relaxing), work alongside the husky team, and the huskies themselves (lush), and how to handle my microphone and radio. I was led, snowmobiled, and pulled around the whole, snow-covered area, and was beginning to get used to the feeling of solid ground being not so solid.
Esteri and the rest of the guides were with me every step of the way, but we also regularly joined forces with the reps and elves, since we’d be sometimes working in tandem with them, depending on the adventure that had been booked.
More than once, I found my tired body and mind feeling agitated at the long twilight hours and what felt like suchshort bursts of daylight. We actually had about five hours with the sun above the horizon (just) but I couldn’t help but long for the time I’d be used to it and not mildly bothered by it. And I had no choice – I had to get used to it. I just had to.
When the first morning came that we were to welcome real, live guests, here in Lapland for the winter holiday of a lifetime, I was brimming with confidence.
Lol.
Actually, I was bricking it, to the point that Esteri had to come and sit down in front of me in the boot-warming room to help me tie on my snow boots as my hands were shaking too much.
Luckily, my poor, damp faux-sheepskin boots had gone back to my backpack to hibernate for the season, and Love Adventuring Lapland had provided everyone with Arctic-suitable boots, snowsuits, mountain salopette trousers with braces, vests, coats, mittens and hats. I felt as snuggly as a toddler in a padded babygro but with more responsibilities than simply making snow angels.
At that moment, just as Esteri was giving my laces a strong, final tug, who should walk through the door …
I didn’t mean to laugh. I wasn’t making fun of him. It’s just that up until now Josh had looked so Abercrombie-Autumn-Winter-cool in his flannel and tousled hair, and so to see him in elf regalia, complete with rosy rouged cheeks, was just a surprise. Still handsome though …
‘OK, OK,’ he said, holding his hands in the air and giving us a twirl.
‘I’m sorry, I’m not laughing.’
‘You’re not? Not even at my hat?’ Josh was wearing a berry-red tunic made of thick felt over forest-green felt trousers. Under that lot were probably a lot of layers of thermals, too. Then on his head, covering that chestnut hair of his, was a matching berry-toned velvet hat which stood straight up into the air.
‘No, I’m not, you look nice.’
He raised his eyebrows at me and smiled. ‘“Nice”?’
‘Notnice,’ I clarified, feeling my own cheeks become rosy. ‘Just, you look fine, I’m just surprised. I’ve not seen you in your elf get-up until now.’
‘I think you look very handsome,’ Esteri said, finishing with my boots and giving my shins a hard pat like you might a pony’s behind.
‘Thank you.’ He bowed, then came up with a laugh. ‘Where are you both posted today?’
‘I’m heading out on the snowshoes, a private tour,’ I replied. ‘I don’t think they want me on a skidoo with other people just yet.’
‘And I am Seeking Santa Claus,’ Esteri declared, naming one of the most popular excursions we run, where a guide leads a family through the forests and over fells via snowmobiles or reindeer sleigh (depending on preference), eventually ‘finding’ Father Chrimbo at his secret cabin hidden in the woods. It sounded extremely festive to me, so I was happy to be rostered off that for as long as possible.
‘Oh, I’ll see you there then,’ Josh said to her.
Esteri smiled at him. ‘You’re with Santa today?’
‘With the big man himself. Hey, shame you won’t bestopping by today though,’ he said to me, and just for a moment he put his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a small pang of wishing I would be there with them too.
‘Haha, believe me, it’s fine.’ I reached into my locker and froze, realising my slip-up. I turned back around with haste. ‘I mean, because I’m looking forward to being on the snowshoes and not the snowmobile.’
They hadn’t seemed to notice, luckily. ‘Well, good luck today,’ Josh said, chirpy as always, and off he went.
‘You too,’ I called.
‘Right,’ said Esteri, putting her hands on my shoulders. ‘You come back to me, roomie, don’t let yourself get lost in the snow, all right?’
‘I won’t. You too.’
She gave me a football-player-style high five that cartwheeled down to a bum tap, and left the staff chalet to walk over to the activities’ lodge. I still had to put on a couple of layers, and decided a quick wee would be a good idea prior to that, then I’d be joining her.
