I woke up with my head in my friend’s lap.
“Penny?”
“I’m right here.”
“How long did I sleep?”
“About
an
hour.”
I remembered the swim, how I felt strong, but not from my own strength, how I was so lightheaded and floating above myself. I remembered seeing myself stop swimming, and hearing Penny, and tasting the salt water.
“Thanks,” I said.
“For what? You did it. You swam all the way back.”
“You had your suit on.”
“I was worried. You seemed drained, somehow,” Penny said.
“I was. I’m glad you had your suit on. I nearly needed help. But thanks for letting me finish, too.”
Penny smiled, “You finished all your tests!”
“And I learned something about my limits. I reached them on that swim.
Penny? You don’t have to push yourself tomorrow like I did.”
“I already decided,” she said. “I don’t think I can push myself like you did.
But I think I understand why you needed to. You’re the leader, and you had to know your limits.”
“Something like that,” I said.
“I’m going to do my runs last tomorrow.”
“That’s good. I should have done that. But then maybe I wouldn’t have found my limits.”
Penny set my head on the sand and went over to the bikes. “Let’s eat something. I don’t want to have to carry you home.”
“Yeah!”
After food and juice and rest, I felt better, but I don’t think I could have done anything more than pedal myself slowly home. I was thoughtful as we rode. We were both quiet, me remembering the day, Penny probably thinking about tomorrow. Once in a while we would look at each other and grin.
When we got to my house, Mom could tell I had had a hard day, but she didn’t ask any questions. We arranged for Penny to spend the night. When Dad got home, I gave him a big hug and started crying right there in his arms.
“What’s
wrong,
Honey?”
“Nothing. I just realized how very much I love you and Mom, that’s all.”
I ate like a horse at dinner. Later, in my room, I wrote two words in the Grimoire:
Tests
passed.
Penny started a page for herself. I put my alder leaf in my treasure box, crawled into bed, and fell fast asleep.
“Ariel?”
“Is it morning?”
“Your mom is calling us to breakfast.”
“Food!” I hopped up. “I slept like a log!”
“You went to bed at 8:00 last night! I sat up and read one of your paperbacks.”
“A
romance?”
“You
know
me.”
I porked out again. My mom was amazed.
“She used up a lot of energy yesterday,” Penny said, smiling.
After breakfast I looked at my leg. “Mom, we need to get some goldenseal salve. It works great on cuts and scratches.”
“I’ll look for it.”
We packed big lunches, got our ropes and everything, and headed for the park.
Penny went up a maple tree she had never climbed before, and we had fun on a 45 or 50 foot swing. Next she went about 40 feet up a slender alder, and brought back a leaf like I had.
“Master of the Air!” I said.
Over in the picnic area, she easily built a fire. We roasted marshmallows and each ate half a sandwich. To the inlet.
Penny swam the mile without stopping. It was beautiful.
“Master of Fire and Water!” I said.
“I’d like to try the four mile swim across the bay next summer,” she said.
I slowly nodded.
We ate lunch there on the beach. I was proud of my younger friend. “You know, Penny, it doesn’t matter one bit to me that you aren’t pushing yourself like I did. We will both pass, and that’s what counts.”
“But you don’t know that I plan to run three miles!”
“Great! And that will be very last, so you can really find your limits if you want to!”
“Yep! And if there’s an ounce of strength in me at three, I’ll go for four!”
We rode back to the park and Penny headed into the wild area. I rode around to meet her. Alone in the picnic area, I went over my tests again in my mind. I made a promise to myself — to continue to get better at all the things we were doing.
Penny came loping out of the woods, tired but happy. We laughed and hugged and she drank more juice.
Her last test began. I rode along or a little ahead. I cheered as she passed two miles, and rode to the three mile mark to wait. She arrived, and I thought she was going to stop, but she turned around and headed back toward the park! Four miles. Then five. She was going very slowly now. There was the park just down the road. She was going for six miles!
I rode on ahead.
She was barely moving, but still on her feet. “Come on, Penny!” She ran slowly onto the playground and fell on the grass, lungs heaving.
“Six miles!” I announced, clapping.
After a few minutes, she got up and walked around. It took a good half hour for her to relax and feel like eating or drinking anything. We just walked around the park together, not saying much of anything.
I looked at the slender girl beside me. I had never been this close to anybody. I had never worked this hard before. And I had one more thought
— I had never felt this close to God before.
We finally rode home. Penny wrote in the Grimoire that she had passed her tests.
Out on the driveway, I was trembling with love for my friend. “You are my sister forever.”
“And you are my sister forever.”
“Rain check on banana splits, okay?” I suggested. I could see that she was close to falling asleep, and it was only 7:00.
“Yeah. I’m too tired to enjoy one right now.”
I waved as she got on her bike and rode slowly home.