We're having a very cold winter here in Longford. Marilyn noted it was minus 4 degrees yesterday and Bertine, the lady from Unit 5 knocked on our door in the morning to check if we had any water, It was -5 degrees in her back yard, the water pipes had, apparently, frozen and she had no water for a shower. In the afternoon, I noted that our bird bath was still frozen and chunks of the terracotta base had started to flake off.
Where will it end?
My story today is in response to the challenge to write a story entitled On Top of the World. It builds on an experience I had in, I think, 1975.
Oliver stood alone on the rough path gazing at the barren Alpine plain, and holding a bunch of flowers in his right hand. They were looking a little wilted now as he had been carrying them for a couple of days and the weather was quite a bit hotter than he had expected. However, he hoped that Emily would understand the significance of what was happening and, in her usual no-nonsense way, say ‘It’s the thought that counts’.
The last time he and Emily had been together they had had a falling-out. In fact they had a serious row. He accused her of being too friendly with another young man and she had flown into a temper and yelled at him, saying she never wanted to see him again. He hadn’t had a chance to speak to her to make amends before she left with some friends for a weekend in the Snowy Mountains, but he knew she was staying at a resort in Perisher Valley and she had been excitedly talking about going up to the top of the escarpment on one of the chairlifts, getting off at the top and going for a walk along the Alpine Meadows before taking another chairlift back down to the hotels in the valley. Oliver hoped the surprise of seeing him up here, with a bouquet of flowers, would encourage her to forgive him.
He waited patiently, not knowing whether she was coming or not. He had already noticed three or four other small groups coming over the rise from the chairlifts bur Emily was not among them. He was surprised at how summery most of the people were dressed: light shirts, shorts and some even had thongs; most weren’t even wearing hats. Oliver had long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt and his jumper and weatherproof coat were close by in his rucksack. He’d heard stories about the sudden changes in weather here which could happen even on the sunniest of days.
Oliver had spent the previous night in a cabin at Blue Lake, not far away, where he had been surprised to find a young couple already established there. They said they were from Glasgow University and had a grant to study the straight-backed shrimps which lived in the mountain tarns. ‘What a life,’ thought Oliver, ‘Being paid to travel to this beautiful place to collect specimens.’ Oliver, at first, presumed they were a couple but, as the evening went on, it was clear they barely tolerated each other. Angus was a typical dour Scotsman who was difficult to involve in conversation; Elspeth was more bubbly and Oliver had really enjoyed her company. He imagined they would still be at the cabin tonight and that would give him someone to talk to if his hoped-for encounter with Emily went sour.
Oliver realised he had not thought this through. Assuming Emily listened to his apology and fell into his arms, what then? He couldn’t expect to travel with her back down the chairlift and gate-crash her party of friends. And, anyway, his car was parked back down on the road not far from the Blue Lake. If all went well, the best he could hope for was that she would listen to his apology, promise that all would be well, and he would then have to leave her while he returned to last night’s cabin, collect his gear and make his own way home.
Would Emily laugh at him for concocting this hare-brained scheme? Would she think him selfish for intruding on her weekend with friends? After all, she had pointedly not invited him to come with her on the weekend. Would she be embarrassed having to witness his childishness in front of her friends?
Perhaps, I had better forget all about it, he thought. But it was too late; a young woman walking along the path called out, “Look, it’s Oliver. I wonder what he’s doing here.”
Oliver took a deep breath and walked towards them.
“Are you looking for Emily?” one of them asked. “She’s not with us. She was very upset after your argument, but she got talking to another guest at the chalet last night and she’s spending today with him.”
Oliver was surprised at how he felt about this news. Instead of being devastated, in fact, he felt that a load had been lifted from his shoulders. With his head filled with a vision of a pretty girl with red hair and a soft Scottish accent, and with his heart singing, Oliver turned on his heel and hurried back to Blue Lake, calling out “Thanks!” as he ran. He was still carrying the flowers.
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