A deep, white blanket of snow overlaid the entire countryside that Liberty could see from her dormer nook. She glanced up from her novel every few minutes in anticipation. The room behind her now showed evidence of numerous projects in various stages of completion: a half-written program waited on the computer screen to be finished and tested, pieces of the doll house kit were held together with clamps and clothes pins as glue dried, and the form of a horse was taking shape in pastel chalks upon the easel.
Again looking up from her book, she finally saw what she had been waiting for. The long, white car crept slowly along the driveway, snow chains jingling like sleigh bells. With lightning speed, Liberty was into her shoes, down the two flights of stairs, across the living room, and out the front door, dancing in the snow as her father stopped in front of the house and opened the car door.
Before he knew what was happening, he was the recipient of a hug so fierce he almost lost his breath.
“Daddy! I’ve really missed you!”
“Well... I never thought I’d hear you say that, not after the ultimatum I gave you the last time we were together. How’s my girl?”
She finally released him, and they walked together toward the front door.
“I’m great! Well, I was down in the dumps at first, but now Harold and I work on the school search together, and I read a lot, and I take care of the horses, so... it’s not so bad anymore.”
“I’ve got a whole box of books for you in the car.”
“Can I see?” she said, bouncing up and down and tugging on his arm.
“Not until you get a coat on, and let your poor old dad get inside where it’s warm!”
“Good morning, Senator! Don’t worry about her, she’s tough. She comes in like that from feeding the horses all the time. I can’t keep a coat on her.”
“Are you staying for dinner, Daddy?”
“Sure am, if you two recluses will have me. I thought you might like to go to town for groceries with me this afternoon, Liberty, to give Mr. Neils a break.”
“To a real town?” Liberty said with amazement, as if trying to remember what one looked like.
“Well... it’s very small compared to Philly, but it’s very real to the people who live there. It has one store, one cafe, and a gas station that also rents videos. I’ll buy us lunch, and we can get a movie for tonight. Date?”
“Sure! I watched every video in the house the first week I was here!”
“Go get the books!” the senator said, shooing her out the door. “Harold, how are you?”
The two adults spent the next three hours discussing everything from Senate politics to Liberty’s care of the horses. The latter topic made her a little embarrassed, but she pretended not to hear as she sat on the floor and examined all the books her father had brought, reading the backs of some, the first few pages of others. It was a good collection of both fiction and non-fiction, and she felt genuine excitement at the prospect of starting them...
after she finished the novel she was currently reading.
As noon approached, Liberty dashed to the horse barn to do her mid-day work, ran back to the house, and was soon bundled and ready to go. She sat in the front passenger seat with her father, her eyes open wide as he drove the twelve miles to the nearest town, carefully navigating the icy road.
“Mr. Neils tells me you haven’t had any luck with the search project yet,”
he said.
“There are a couple of places that are slight possibilities, but Harold has taught me a lot about patience. He told me about his son.”
“Oh, yes. I know about his son.”
“I don’t want to wind up like that, Daddy.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Honey. And I’m really glad to see you sinking your teeth into some projects at the house.”
Liberty feigned interest in the snowy view, looking out the window to hide her embarrassment.
They entered the little hamlet, and after driving only about two blocks, came to its heart, where four or five businesses clustered. Everything was covered by snow — every roof, every sidewalk, every street. Several houses already sported Christmas decorations.
“I wonder what it would be like to grow up in a little place like this...”
Liberty pondered out loud.
“Not so different. No city night life, of course. You’d take a bus to the next town north for high school. You just lived in more isolation than this for six months. Did it do you any damage?”
Liberty considered his question thoughtfully as he guided the car into that part of the store’s parking area that was plowed free of snow.
“You’re not going to believe what I’m about to say, Daddy.”
“Try
me.”
“Well... as long as you promise to visit and take me somewhere like this once in awhile... and bring me lots of books... I think I could be happy out there for a long time, just taking care of the horses and doing things I like to do.”
He was silent as he locked the car and they headed for the entrance to the little store. “You’re right. I don’t believe you.”
“But don’t you see? I’m not getting kicked out of anything now. I’m not flunking anything. And I’m certainly not getting arrested for anything. But I’m still learning new things all the time.”
“Okay,” he said as the warm air inside the store hit them in the face. “Now I see where you’re coming from.”
“Good afternoon, Senator,” the over-weight clerk greeted him. “Where’s Harry today?”
“Taking a well-deserved break.”
“What’s my limit?” Liberty asked her father as he started down the first of four aisles with a shopping cart.
“For
what?”
“Junk food! I haven’t even tasted it since Philly!”
He considered for a moment. “Five dollars.”
“Ah, but dad...”
“Then make it three.”
“Okay,
six.”
“Four.”
“OKAY! I get the message. Five dollars. No wonder everyone talks to you before introducing a bill in the Senate.”
He counted five one dollar bills out of his wallet and handed them to her.
“Thanks,
Dad!”
She began to wander around the store, realizing that her five was not going to go far. Soon she spotted something that made her eyes light up — an old fashioned, mechanical pinball machine. It appeared to be in working order, although a crude sign on a piece of cardboard said No Banging! She slipped one of her precious dollars into the slot and began to play.
Before she had racked up very many points, a large, athletic-looking boy several years older than her emerged from the back room of the store, attracted by the sounds of the pinball machine. He was followed closely by a girl whose chest made Liberty look like a child.
“You any good?” he asked with a gum-chewing grin, wiping his hands on his apron.
“No one’s better than you, Jack!” the girl said.
“I’m fair,” Liberty said, concentrating on her game.
“Jeez, she’s passing a hundred thou already!”
“Here comes a double or nothing!” Liberty announced.
“Shit, Jack!” the girl said with concern for her friend’s until-then unchallenged score.
“Two hundred grand. I think I can get three out of it,” Liberty said, still concentrating.
With a mixture of surprise and respect in his voice, the boy said, “Oh, no!
You passed my record!”
“I’ve had some practice. Here comes three hundred thousand.”
“You’ve only got one ball left, you little brat!” the girl said, looking for
ammunition.
Liberty cast a quick glance at the girl, but continued to play. “One ball can do a lot. I’ll go for four, just for you.”
“Hey,
you
are good!” the boy said, genuine admiration coloring his voice.
“Four hundred grand, same ball,” Liberty announced.
“Little bitch!” the girl said.
“Shut up! Watch her, she’s awesome!” the boy said.
“Shit,” Liberty said as the machine flashed Game Over. “A mere four hundred and fifty-five thousand. Later, guys.”
“Skinny
brat!”
“Shut up!” the boy said, silencing his companion. Then, calling after Liberty, “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Liberty,” she said in a flat voice without turning around.
“See you around, Liberty!”
The new local pinball champion found the candy rack and selected four of her favorites, then joined her father at the checkout counter.
“Ready to go, Honey?”
“Sure.”
“You meet some young people?”
“Sort of. Really friendly,” she said in a monotone, obviously not meaning it.
“Two hundred twenty-seven fifty,” the clerk said. By comparing facial features, Liberty guessed he was the father of the ex-pinball champion. The senator handed him a debit card.
Father and daughter worked together to load the groceries into the car, and then he moved it across the street to the cafe, taking his time and running the heater so the groceries wouldn’t freeze.
“Why couldn’t we just walk across?” Liberty asked.
“Different
business,
different parking lot. People can be very territorial in the winter when it’s so hard to keep parking spaces plowed.”
Liberty shook her head incredulously. They entered the little cafe where a single waitress puttered around taking care of two other tables. Soon Liberty was sinking her teeth into her first restaurant cheeseburger in six months and conservatively spooning into her chocolate shake.
“I don’t think I’d fit in very well in a little town like this, Dad.”
“Not enough activity?”
“Not enough challenge. I mean, sure there are things to do. Little things, like playing pinball, working in the back of the store, stuff like that. Maybe I could get jobs taking care of people’s horses. But it’s all on the wrong level for me.”
“Wrong level?” he echoed, prodding her for a better explanation.
“You know when you watch an international summit meeting, or a session of Congress or Parliament or the General Assembly, or even the Olympics, there’s a certain feel to it? A certain way they do things, a certain air of importance?”
“I think I know what you mean...”
“You should, Senator Buchanan!” she teased.
“What would you call that feeling?”
“Umm... I’d call it world-class, I guess. Yeah. Well, Dad, I think that’s the feeling I want, that world-class feeling.”
The senator smiled at his daughter with pride as he cut off another piece of his chicken fried steak.
Liberty was thoughtful on the way back to the Buchanan country house.
As much as she had come to like the simplicity of her current life, she was also aware that the situation couldn’t be prolonged forever. The day’s outing had shown her that there was probably no place for her in Small Town America.
But neither did she want to return to the trouble she had always found in the big city. There had to be somewhere she would fit in... somewhere...
By the time Christmas Eve arrived, Senator Buchanan had put up a large Christmas tree and the three of them had worked together to decorate it.
Liberty volunteered to do some of the cooking, and so Mr. Neils was kept busy teaching and supervising her while he made the remainder of the dishes. The senator helped with whatever little chores came up, but he made an effort to stay near the kitchen so that he could exchange words with his daughter whenever possible. She was rapidly growing up, and he had a hunch they would not be spending many more holidays together.
On Christmas day, Liberty’s only aunt arrived bearing gifts for everyone.
They shared a delicious meal, for which Liberty had made buttermilk biscuits and candied yams. Both creations received numerous compliments.
After clearing the table and migrating into the living room, everyone opened gifts. In addition to books, video and computer disks, art supplies, and personal items, Liberty was thrilled to find an old fashioned, lacy, full length pioneer-style dress.
“I took a risk,” her aunt said. “I wasn’t sure it would fit into your... life-style.”
“I like it!” Liberty said, smiling. “Remember, I’m just a country horse girl now!”
They all laughed, and the exchanging of gifts, the telling of pleasant stories, and the sampling of delicious foods and drinks went on for the rest of the day.