TITLE: Olympic Dreams- Chapter 5 By Karie Spiller 06/07/06 |
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Please let me know what you think of the struggle she has in the whole non Christian dating thing.
enjoy
That night back at his apartment Todd was thinking of Suzanna. In fact that was all he could think about. She was sweet, talented, and there was something about her that made him want to see her more. What was that something? He wondered. Maybe it had something to do with her God. He turned on the TV and they were replaying the interviews with the Olympic skating stars. He watched as they showed scenes from some of Suzanna’s earlier competitions. She was so graceful as she floated across the ice. His thoughts turned to Mary as he watched the pairs interview. He got out the tapes of their competitions and watched them. Mary was different now too. Her smile in most of the competitions was put on. He could tell that she wasn’t enjoying herself in the last few. Now after seeing her again he saw a change in her too. Her smile was real, and she was happy. Yes, Suzanna and Mary certainly had something different about them. He watched his later performances and he cringed as he watched the performance in which he broke his ankle. He saw the look on his dad and mom’s faces when he fell. They looked very disappointed. He remembered what his dad said on the way to the hospital. He chewed him out for missing his jump and falling. He had felt awful that he had disappointed them. When he came from the hospital and announced that he was quitting skating his parents were very upset. After he decided to skate again they didn’t support him. He became a professional skater and he hadn’t heard from them since. His thoughts drifted back to Suzanna. He wished that he could be competing once again at the Olympics. It would make his parents so proud.
Suzanna was thinking too. She was thinking of Todd. The look he gave her that morning when he helped her off the ice made her spine shiver. She looked forward to seeing him in the morning and she wished that he would get saved. She thought of her mother and started to cry. She took out the note in her Bible and read it. Her mom’s words comforted her. The first time she fell her mom was there to help her up. When she lost her first competition mom was there crying with her. When she won her first competition mom had been so proud of her. Suzanna wished that her mom could watch her daughter’s dreams become a reality.
“Mom, I’ll win this one for you,” Suzanna said.
Monique came in and plopped down on the bed.
“What an exhausting practice. I don’t know if we will ever be ready for the Olympics. Coach Grant wasn’t very pleased with our performance and Tom being there didn’t help. He asked me to go out with him. Like that would ever happen. Every time Jerry would do a lift Tom would break his concentration with some kind of rude comment. He almost dropped me once and he never drops me. Finally Coach told Tom to leave and practice was much better,” Monique said.
“You’ll do fine,” Suzanna said.
“You think so,” Monique said hopefully.
“Yeah I do,” Suzanna assured her.
“Did you have a good time with Todd?” Monique asked.
“I had a great time. We went to his Grandma’s pond and did some skating just for fun. Dad called and told me that Coach Timmers’ twins were sick and might not make it,” Suzanna said.
“I’ll be sure to pray for them then,” Monique said.
“Are you a Christian?” Suzanna asked.
“Yes, for a couple of months now. Jerry’s parents are very active in their church and they took me all the time. A couple of months ago I accepted Christ as my Savior. I don’t think I would have been able to survive these intense practices without Him,” Monique said.
“I know what you mean,” Suzanna said.
“You know since I became a Christian, Jerry has been more protective of me. Almost as if he was waiting for me to become a Christian so we could be more that just best friends. You know the whole unequally yoked thing in the Bible,” Monique said.
“If he was I know how hard it must have been for him. Todd and I had a great time today and I really think that I like him but I can’t be more than just friends with him. He isn’t a Christian. He has the bluest eyes you have ever seen, and when he looked at me after helping me up this morning there was something in his eyes. I can’t tell what it was, but something was there. He’s such a gentleman and he has a very nice hand to hold,” Suzanna said.
“He held your hand,” Monique said.
“Yes but he kind of had too. I mean after all we were skating together and that ice was as rough as ever. I couldn’t keep my balance. While I was on the phone with Daddy he did a fantastic spin. It had more speed than Tom’s. Out there on the pond I could tell that he just loves to skate and he wasn’t trying to show off or anything,” Suzanna said.
“I don’t know, I kind of like it when Jerry shows off. Unless I am skating with him or there are other girls around,” Monique said.
“I know that I need to be careful not to show him how I feel. I can’t date him though because it would go against God. I can’t compromise my beliefs just because he is a nice guy and I like him,” Suzanna said.
“Well all we can do is pray for him,” Monique said.
“You’re right, but it is so hard to wait for God to answer,” Suzanna said.
“I know,” Monique agreed.
The next day was cloudy and cold. It was snowing when Todd woke up. He looked out the window and shivered. By the time he was ready to go to the rink it had stopped snowing, but the wind had picked up. Even though it was cold Todd didn’t mind. He loved the snow. After all without snow there would be no ice and without ice there would be no ice skating. The newly fallen snow reflected the early morning lights of the city. He liked his city life and wondered how he had fallen for a small town girl like Suzanna. If only she felt that way about him. He stopped at the hotel to see if Suzanna had left yet. She was trying to catch a taxi. He pulled up by the curb and opened the door.
“Suzanna,” he said, “How about a lift to the rink?”
Suzanna smiled and got into the car.
“Thanks,” she said. “I would have frozen waiting for the taxi,” she said.
They drove to the rink and got there just as Jerry and Monique were finishing up their practice. Todd stopped to watch and he remembered skating with his sister so long ago. Mary was always so patient with him as he struggled to learn each new thing. He loved to skate, but she had the natural talent. When dad would yell at every mistake she was always there to encourage him.
She waited while he learned to do something and if he dropped her she would shrug it off and say, “It’s Okay Todd, let’s try again.”
After his dad was all done yelling, Mary would sit down next to Todd and say, “Good practice Todd.”
He missed skating with her. She knew he needed her and without her he wouldn’t be able to skate. His thoughts were interrupted when Suzanna started skating. After a few warm up laps Todd suggested that Suzanna try some jumps. She did two perfect toe loops and a triple soulcow.
“Well I guess you have your jumps back. I see you are feeling better too,” Todd said.
“Yes, I guess getting away from the pressure was just what I needed. I feel a lot better.” Suzanna said.
Looking into Suzanna’s eyes he saw the tired eyes of yesterday replaced with a merry little twinkle.
She skated over to him and asked, “Todd, can you help me with this choreography?”
He knew her routine very well and so he went through it himself. Suzanna watched when he got to the trouble spot and tried to copy. They tried several more times and finally she got it right.
“Great job, Suzanna,” he said.
When Suzanna came off the ice Monique said, “You two look good out there on the ice together. Maybe you should consider pairs?”
Suzanna smiled and said, “I have before, but it didn’t work to well. I’m too tall and heavy,” Suzanna said.
After practice Todd asked Suzanna if she would like to join him for lunch. She wanted to say yes, but then she remembered that she was way behind in her school work.
“I really can’t Todd. I have a lot of schoolwork to get caught up on. I’d better go do it,” Suzanna said.
After Todd dropped Suzanna off at their hotel, she got to work. Monique left to have lunch with Jerry. She got caught up on all but her math, so she decided to take a break. She turned on the TV and fell asleep. She was awakened by a knock on the door. She opened the door and Todd was there.
“Suzanna, Do you have any idea what time it is. You were due at practice half an hour ago,” he said.
“I’m sorry Todd, I fell asleep. Let me get my stuff and meet you downstairs,” she said sleepily.
“Okay,” Todd said. She gathered her stuff and met him in the lobby. She decided that maybe a change of scenery would help with her math so she stuffed her math book in her bag to work on after practice. It was another good practice and while the others practiced she sat down with her math book. Todd came over and looked at her paper.
“No that is wrong. It should be $356.00.” He said. Suzanna added up the numbers again and sure enough he was right.
“How did you do that so quickly?” she asked.
“Math was my best subject in High school. Especially business math. If I wasn’t a professional skater I would probably be in business some where. Do you need help with any more of it?” he asked.
“No that was my last problem, thanks,” she said.
Todd sat down next to her and they started talking about school.
“I can’t wait to graduate in June. After high school I have no idea what I want to do. I may become a professional skater, but I don’t know if that is what God has in mind for me. Daddy wants me to go to a year of Bible College, but that wouldn’t be until after I decide that my skating career is over. Of course I’ve always wanted a husband and family. But I’d have to meet Mr. Right for that. If that ever does happen I would definitely give up skating to be a full-time wife and mother. I have no prospects though,” Suzanna said.
“Well I hope that you do find Mr. Right because you deserve to have your dreams fulfilled,” Todd said.
“I hope he doesn’t sense that I like him,” she thought to herself,
She became a little uncomfortable as she thought about that. She really did like him a lot, but he wasn’t a Christian.
She breathed a prayer for him and then said, “I think I’ll head back to the hotel.”
She needed to be alone with her thoughts. As she walked away Todd stared after her. He liked her a lot and he was pretty sure that she liked him.
Suzanna decided to save Todd’s feelings and hers by taking a more businesslike approach to their relationship. It broke her heart to think that the most wonderful guy in the whole world would be spending an eternity in hell. He didn’t deserve it. Tears streamed down her face as she walked back to the hotel. Her face was cold and her nose was red as she entered the hotel.
Later that afternoon as Monique and Suzanna were relaxing in their hotel room, the subject of coaches came up.
“Coach Grant says that Jerry and I are doing better, and that is his way of saying that we are good. He’s always been a hard coach, but it has helped us do better,” Monique said.
“Well Coach Timmers has always been there for me. If Mrs. Timmers hadn’t gone into labor he would be here right now,” Suzanna said.
“But then you wouldn’t get to skate with Todd,” Monique said.
“That’s true, but it would have been better if he hadn’t taken over,” Suzanna said.
“What do you mean?” Monique asked.
“I’m beginning to really like him and I think that he likes me, but I know that he isn’t saved and I don’t want to push him into it just because he wants to date me. I’ve been thinking that maybe I need to take a more businesslike approach to the whole thing,” Suzanna said.
“You’re right, but on the other hand maybe he is your Mr. Right and you are just the person to lead him to Christ. I mean I haven’t been a Christian long, but I do know that Jesus can change lives and that lots of prayer helps,” Monique said.
“Maybe,” Suzanna said.
“I have to get to practice,” Monique said. “Coach Grant is taking Jerry and I to dinner. I’d better go,” Monique said as she put on her coat.
A few minutes later the telephone rang. It was Todd.
“Suzanna,” he said, “How would you like to go to dinner tonight with me.”
As much as she wanted to she said, “Todd, I really can’t,” she said.
“Why not?” Todd asked.
“I just can’t,” she said.
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