The Sky’s the Limit: My Journey with Maryellen

Mr. Larkin cheerfully calls out that it’s time for us to get in the car. I wait while Carolyn, Beverly, and Tom clamber into the car. Then, I firmly thank Mr. Larkin. I tell him it was really nice to offer me a ride to Washington. But Joan and Jerry should probably just call me a taxi and I can go to the airport to use my ticket home. I don’t mention that my ticket home is just my watch.

Maryellen overhears me and says that I shouldn’t go. I don’t say anything, but I hug her. Mr. Larkin puts his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and he looks at me and says that’s just fine, if I’m sure. I nod. I tell them that I miss my family, and I would like to spend Thanksgiving with them. Mrs. Larkin says that they all understand. She says that if she was my mother, she’d be terribly sad if I wasn’t with her on Thanksgiving Day.

Maryellen says that she wishes that I didn’t have to go. She’s loved getting to know me. I tell her that I’m so glad we got to meet, too. I’ll never forget her. With a sigh, Maryellen hugs me one last time and then she and her parents get into the car. The doors slam and the station wagon pulls away. I wave as they drive off before rounding the corner.

With a heavy heart, I change back into my ski team uniform and leave Carolyn’s clothes folded on her bed. Scooter follows me all the way to the kitchen and sits on my feet as if to try to keep me from going away. Joan and Jerry call me a taxi, and when it comes, I thank them and say goodbye. The minute the taxi lets me out at the airport, I click my watch.

And then once again, I feel like I’m flying. And then I’m back on the ski race platform. Coach Stanislav has a steely expression as he talks to the judge. Everyone else is whispering to each other. My family looks disappointed and sad. I think about clicking the stopwatch button again, but then it occurs to me that I’ll be letting everyone down if I check out now. So, I step away from mom’s arm and take a deep breath and tell everyone to listen to me.

They ignore me, but I continue to call out even louder until everyone stops talking and turns to me. I tell them I deserve a chance to defend myself. The judge says I can go ahead, and I say that they all know me. I would never cheat. All I did was choose the wrong branch off the trail. I made an honest mistake, and I should be forgiven. I hand the watch to the judge. I tell him that I didn’t win, so I don’t deserve the watch. But I’m not a cheater, so I don’t deserve to be treated like one.

After I’m done speaking, there’s a moment of silence, before Coach Stanislav says that it took guts for me to speak up. He compliments me. Emma gives me a hug and says that she’s sorry she doubted me. She asks me to forgive her. I hug her back, and then I hug Mom and Dad. My heart is light with relief and happiness. Emma says that she’s glad that I told them what really happened. It was brave.

I catch a glimpse of the watch in the judge’s hand, and I smile. I didn’t tell them quite everything. I wonder if I’ll ever be brave enough to tell them about that someday.