Giving Thanks
by
Donna Reed
Pavel Chekov sat in the ship’s viewing room. In his hands he held a string of black pearls. Turning the pearls over in his hands, he held
them up to the light again. For a moment he thought he saw a reflection of firelight dancing in several of the black pearls. He smiled to
himself as he remembered that wonderful evening when the pearls were given to him.
Nearly thirteen months had gone by since his last shore leave at Winslow’s farm. Yet, he could remember every detail of those two
weeks as if it were yesterday. He let his mind drift back to that enchanting last day.
Mandy had taken Chekov and his friends on a tour of her father’s property. Up until then they had mostly hung around the house.
Mandy needed to feel the comforts of being at home again. Chekov and his friends helped by simply providing moral support and
friendship. Mandy appreciated this; after all, she had a lot of catching up to do.
The late autumn day started off quite chilly. They made oatmeal and cinnamon toast for breakfast, washing it down with steaming hot
coffee. Then they headed out for a hiking trip through the woods.
Uhura had borrowed a heavy jacket and gloves; she wasn’t used to the cold weather. Sulu wore a thermal coat from Mr. Winslow’s
closet. Underneath, they both wore their starfleet issued jackets for extra insulation. Chekov teased them for wrapping up so tight,
saying: “Oh, did I forget to tell you that you’re supposed to put on your long underwear first? That way you only have to put on one
coat so you can still walk.”
“Ha, ha, Chekov, that’s real funny,” barked Sulu. “I urge you to keep in mind that we’re not used to cold climates. We prefer the sun: the
hot sun.”
“That’s right, and we prefer to hike down the beach in warm sand too. So don’t get so full of this adventure through the woods that you
forget we’re with you. We don’t even have so much as a compass with us if we get separated and lost.” Uhura was fighting with the big
buttons on her jacket; Mandy came to her rescue.
Landon was more prepared than Sulu and Uhura. She had lived in both hot and cold climates before. She had brought her own warm
coat and gloves from her cabin on the ship, just in case. She made a mental note to stay as close to Chekov as possible. Just in case
Mandy was having the same idea. The way Mandy looked at him sometimes was enough to bring the jealous cat out in her. She didn’t
like feeling this way, but she just couldn’t help herself.
Finally, they were all ready and set out to have a wonderful time, despite the chilly winds howling. The woodland trees were beautiful.
Shimmering reds, golden browns, and bright yellows painted the forest floor. Many leaves remained on the tree limbs, making the forest
an autumn wonderland. At the other side of the forest lay a beautiful meadow. Most of the grass in the meadow was still green, sprinkles
of colorful leaves lay about lazily.
They stayed at the edged of the forest for a long time, just taking in all the beauty. Then they hiked back to the farm. Uhura was
complaining of her toes feeling as if they were frost bit. They enjoyed a hardy lunch together, then set out again to see what was on the
other side of the property. They walked past the barn, which no one had a desire to explore again, a chicken house, a corncrib and an
old cow pasture. Then they all gasped at the breath taking view of a valley below them.
It was like a small village, with half a dozen homes spread throughout. Old fashion looking homes, with smoked filled chimneys, and piles
of wood stacked up against them. Some of the homes looked like log cabins, others were made of brick, and some looked like Mandy’s,
just an old farmhouse. All seemed quiet in the little village, just country folk living a serene country life.
Mandy had mentioned how amazed she was that everything looked the same to her. “Its like I never left, but I know that I did. It’s
beautiful, just as I remembered it.” She swallowed, fighting back long awaited tears. But emotions won out and she covered her face with
her hands and cried into them. Chekov went to her, wrapping his arms around her. He talked to her softly, offering words of
encouragement. She rested her head on his chest and let it all go. After a while, her tears turned into light sobs, yet she remained
wrapped in his arms. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so warm and secure.
Landon squeezed Chekov’s arm, then motioned toward the house. Chekov responded with a nod and then Mandy slowly pulled away
from his embrace. She swiped at her face with her coat sleeve then said: “Sorry, I just couldn’t seem to help myself.”
“Don’t be sorry Mandy, we all understand.” Chekov said as he pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket, and handed it to Mandy.
“It has been difficult for you trying to readjust, give yourself some time: it will all come together.”
“Thank you for being so understanding. Well, it’s not exactly suppertime yet and I had planned on making a big stew. So what would you
all say to going back to the house for hot chocolate?”
Cheers went up all around and they headed back to the house. Mandy and Landon made the hot chocolate while the others brought in
some wood for the fireplace. Mandy fixed popcorn in a big pot on the stove then smothered it in hot butter. They carried the goodies to
the family room where Chekov and Sulu had a blazing fire going. They all sat on the big rug in front of the crackling fire, talking,
laughing and enjoying their snacks. Soon the laughter died out, turning into mellow conversation. One by one, they all said their good
nights and retired to their rooms. Sulu was the first to give in, then Uhura, then Landon found she couldn’t keep her eyes open another
minute and took Chekov’s arm, motioning towards their rooms.
Chekov wasn’t ready for sleep yet; he stood up and gave Landon a light kiss on the left cheek. “Good night, Martha, see you in the
morning.”
Landon just stood there, searching for what to say next; finally something came to her. “Well, ah, you know we have to be in town early
in the morning to catch our flight.”
Chekov seemed to be only half listening. “Oh, I don’t think any of you will let me oversleep. Besides, I could sit here all night; it’s almost
like being at home. And it’s very relaxing just to sit here and watch the fire.”
Landon tried not to let her disappointment show. She didn’t want to create a scene, but she was tired and sleepy and her feelings were
hurt.
Mandy picked up on Landon’s discomfort and said: “Would you like to sleep here on the couch where it’s warmer? I can get you a
blanket and pillow.”
“No, no thank you, Mandy. I prefer privacy when I sleep.” Then Landon gracefully stormed out of the room, down the hall and into her
room: slamming the door behind her.
Chekov watched her walk away, and the slamming of the door could be heard throughout the house. He turned around and stared into
the fire, shaking his head.
Mandy watched him for awhile: she felt his embarrassment. “Pavel, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to create any misunderstandings. I hope she
doesn’t think I was just trying to get you alone with me, because that’s not the case, you know.”
“No, don’t worry Mandy, you haven’t done anything wrong. She’s just…moody like that. And we’re not exactly a couple either, we’ve sort
of seen each other off and on, more off than on lately.”
Chekov decided to change the subject. “Mandy, how old are you?”
“Nineteen I think, at least that’s what the elders told me on the other side. I was thirteen when I disappeared. The way they explained it
to me was for every ten years here, I aged one year in their world.”
“So, sixty years have went by here, yet you say everything here still looks the same to you?”
“Yes, but I haven’t been in town yet: it’s probably changed quite a bit in sixty years.”
“That’s true, and that’s what I like about the country side: changes that do occur are so slow that you don’t notice it for along time.”
“Yeah, I like it better out here too.” Then she reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a shiny string of black pearls.
She scooted closer to Chekov and handed the pearls to him.
“They are beautiful,” he said, holding them up to the firelight. “Look, you can see the fire in them: the reflection I mean.” He held them
up again closer to her so that she could see it too.
Then their eyes met and locked. They were so close to each other that the heat they felt wasn’t coming from just the fireplace.
“Pavel, I want you to have these pearls. I was wearing them the night I disappeared. My mother gave them to me and I…well, I was trying
to talk with her that night. Someone told me that if you perform that ritual that you could talk to the dead. I know it was silly, but I was
thirteen and missed my mother so terribly, I was desperate to try anything. I wasn’t trying to call for any witches, that was a mistake. I just
wanted to talk with my mother.”
Chekov leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. “You weren’t being silly at all, you had suffered a great loss at a tender age. I
would have done the same thing. And I’d… rather not take your mother’s gift. You should keep them and cherish them always.”
“I…I just wanted you to remember what a wonderful thing you did in bringing me back.”
“I’ll always remember you Mandy, with or without the pearls. We’ll all remember this shore leave: its definitely been interesting.”
Then he stretched out on his back, placing his hands under his head. Mandy followed suit but didn’t lay back like him. Instead she
snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Is this alright with you, Pavel? I’ll move if you’re not comfortable with this.”
Chekov looked down at her, studying her soft features. Her skin was so soft and smooth, he couldn’t resist reaching down and stroking
her face. His fingertips gliding over her well-defined cheekbone, resting on her perfectly formed rose colored lips. Her eyes of bright
green looked up at him displaying total innocence, but they also seemed to be saying ‘I need comfort right now.’ He found he couldn’t
say no.
“No, you don’t have to move, I’m fine with this.” Then he moved his hand to rest on hers, which was resting on his chest.
Together they watched the amber fire until sleep found them both.
The following afternoon, Chekov was unpacking his bag in his cabin on the Enterprise. He put his soiled clothing down the recycling bin,
then reached in to the bag and took out his toiletries to put away. He headed for the bathroom with a case of soap, his shampoo, a
toothbrush and toothpaste, and a case he kept his comb and brush in. He put everything back in its place, then opened the brush and
comb set to tidy his hair before reporting for briefing. When he opened the case he found the black pearl necklace. He held them for a
long moment, then brought them up to the light.
“Oh, Mandy,” he said to himself. “I could never forget you.”
So there he sat in the ship’s viewing room, day dreaming about seeing her again. He missed Mandy and wanted nothing more right now
then to see her again. He hoped that she too, missed him and thought about him as much as he’d been thinking about her lately.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when Uhura came up behind him and whispered in his ear: “Hey, sugar: penny for your thoughts?”
Chekov was so startled, he jumped up out of his seat and whirled around, sending the pearls skidding across the floor to Uhura’s feet.
She picked them up and eyed them carefully with skilled precision.
“Say, these are beautiful: where did you get them? Oh, wait, don’t tell me: let me guess. Hum…I’ll bet you ordered these from the ship’s
store just for that special someone.”
Chekov didn’t reply right away, instead he walked over to the replicator and ordered two cups of hot tea. He then brought them over to
his table and claimed his seat again. “Here,” he said, pushing one cup in front of an empty seat. “Have a seat and have some tea with
me.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Uhura sat down and sipped her tea. She couldn’t take the silence for long though. She finally said: “Come on,
Chekov, who is it? You can tell me. I won’t let on like I know to anyone…unless you want me to.”
Chekov took another sip from his cup, then with the best innocent look he could muster he said: “I didn’t buy them, and they are not for
anybody.”
Uhura’s eyes grew wide, she looked down at the pearls in her hand, then up at Chekov again. “I don’t get it then. You didn’t buy these?”
“Nope.”
“You’re not giving them to maybe…Martha Landon?” asked Uhura.
“Nope.”
“Ok, I give, what are you up to? Did you just find them somewhere?”
“No, they were given to me by a very special young lady,” Chekov said.
“Oh my, and just what did you do to deserve these lovely pearls? Must have been good, whatever it was.” She couldn’t help but tease
him a bit as she went along. “And the young lady must be very…grateful to you to give you such a prized possession.”
Chekov cleared his throat, leaned back and looked straight into Uhura’s eyes. “As a matter of fact, she did mention how grateful she
was that I saved her from certain doom.”
Uhura’s eyes grew wide again and her mouth fell open. She was hooked: there was no turning back now. She just had to know who this
young lady was. “I said I give up, Chekov: out with it now.”
Chekov took the pearls from her hands then held them up to the light. Closing his eyes, he said: “Witches of darkness, spirits of hell,
come to me, with your evil spell.”
When he opened his eyes again, Sulu was standing behind Uhura. “What are you doing!” Sulu scowled. “I thought you learned your
lesson the last time. We agreed we weren’t going mess with that stuff again.”
Uhura was startled for a moment, and then she took Sulu’s arm and guided him in to an empty chair. They all exchanged glances until
Uhura finally said: “Mandy gave you these pearls Chekov?”
While she said this, she was handing the pearls to Sulu to look at.
Chekov responded with a simple nod. “Why did Mandy give you pearls?’ Sulu asked.
Chekov sighed then. Retrieving the pearls from Sulu, he said: “She said they were a gift from her mother and that she wanted me to
have them so that…I wouldn’t forget her.”
Sulu tapped his fingers nervously on the tabletop. “Well, we all knew she had it bad for you Chekov, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to
see it.”
Uhura reached across the table and touched Chekov’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Why did you keep this a secret all this time?
Were you afraid Landon would have a fit about it?”
Chekov shook his head. “No. See, I didn’t except the pearls from Mandy that night. I gave them back to her right away and told her that I
thought she should keep them because they were a gift from her mother. It was when we returned to the ship that I found them in my
brush and comb case. It was too late by then to do anything about it. We were already pulling out of orbit by then.”
“Know what I think?” said Uhura. “I think Mandy made sure you had those pearls, knowing all the while that you would come back
someday just to return them.”
Sulu looked at Chekov, then to Uhura, then back to Chekov. “Are you planning on going back Chekov?”
“Until last month I hadn’t actually planned on it, but … I can’t seem to get it off my mind lately. I do have two and a half weeks coming to
me. And it’s almost Thanksgiving Holiday.”
“I thought you were going home for Thanksgiving,” said Uhura.
Chekov shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’ll just call my mother when we get to Starbase Nine and explain things. She’ll be disappointed
but there is always next year.”
Uhura shook her head and clicked her tongue. “If your mother doesn’t give you the what for, Martha Landon will. When she finds out
what you’re up to, you’ll need security to get her off you.”
Sulu jumped in then to give his two cents. “And you couldn’t really blame her, after all. The two of you have been seeing each other for
two years. What you’re about to do is wrong, Chekov. I was sure I knew you better than that.”
Uhura slapped at Sulu’s arm. “Whats the matter with you? Of course he wouldn’t do anything like that.”
Chekov was clearly getting irritated. “Stop it you two, I wasn’t planning on hurting anyone. Landon and I broke up a month ago.”
Chekov eyed the pearls in his hands. “Besides we…we weren’t getting along so well anyway. In the beginning, we seemed to have a lot
in common. We were getting along just great, and then slowly our relationship began to deteriorate. She became possessive and
demanding. I didn’t really know how to take it at first, and then it got to the point where I wanted to avoid her. I asked her many times to
sit and talk with me about it so I could tell her how she was making me feel. She finally gave in one evening and we had a nice dinner
together.”
Uhura reached over and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. “I take it your dinner and long discussion didn’t go so well. Is that when
you two broke up?’
Chekov moistened his lips and shook his head. “No…I couldn’t seem to say anything that didn’t upset her, so I dropped it. You
know…maybe it was just me.”
Sulu ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I don’t think so, Martha can be, ah, difficult sometimes. I noticed how she clung to you every
chance she got. It was as if she was afraid you would run away if she dared to let go for a second. Myself, I think she was insecure and
she treated you like that because she was afraid you would walk. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but there are people like that.”
Uhura nodded in agreement, then added: “Martha and I have been friends a good while. And I can tell you that she is insecure, and
little confused.”
Chekov frowned and stared at Uhura a good while before finally saying: “I… I don’t understand, what is she so confused about? I always
saw her as being very confident and sure footed.”
Uhura grinned and nodded. “She does know her job well, and she’s smart and pretty. But she’s had a tough go at it. People like her are
quickly labeled and others tend to assume that she has a young man around every corner just dying to ask her out. So, in trying so
hard to keep you, she over did things a bit. Kind of…. over cooked the goose, as they say.”
Chekov sighed. “I’m the one who called things off, she didn’t. Now I feel real bad about everything. I really tried to hang in there, hoping
it would get better. But I just became more miserable as time went on. Why didn’t she just tell me how she felt?”
Uhura downed the rest of her tea, then got up to get some more. When she returned she had three cups of tea. Handing a cup to each
of them, she said: “Because you were supposed to think she had it all together, at least that was the general idea. Look honey, it doesn’
t matter now: it’s done and over with. Who knows, maybe another time you’ll end up together again. Give her time to discover where
she went wrong, she’ll work it out.”
Uhura looked around the table, then laughed. “Come on guys, cheer up: let’s change the subject shall we? So, Sulu, you still going
back to San Francisco for the holidays? You know, this is the first time in three years Starfleet has given us all holiday leave at the
same time.”
Sulu brightened up, his cheerful smile returning. “Yeah, I’m going home. It’ll be a long ride from Starbase Nine to Earth, but well worth it.
My sister and brother will be there this year. I haven’t seen them in five years. I think we’ll have a lot of fun.
“What about you Uhura, have you made up your mind yet?”
“Oh, yes: think I’ll go home too. Grandma is getting up in her years, I’d love to see her again. My two sisters live close by so we’ll all be
together for Thanksgiving. I can hardly wait, I really need this time off.”
Sulu punched Chekov’s shoulder playfully. “So, have you decided for sure what you’re doing for the holidays?”
“Yeah, I’m calling mother from Starbase Nine and telling her that I need time away, away from everything.”
All eyes were on him now; he was feeling the heat, and a light blush crept to his cheeks. “Look guys, I don’t exactly get along with my
father anyway. He tends to be very negative and I think I would just feel worse if I went home. Especially if I went home feeling like this,
we would just end up getting into it.”
There was a long pause, then he continued. “I don’t know if I could handle my father and his criticism. He never wants to hear about the
Enterprise and our adventures, so we don’t have much to talk about. He wanted me to take over his business some day, and mother
wanted me to tour around the countryside singing; although mother said she stood behind me one hundred percent in my decision to
join Starfleet. Guess I can’t ask for more then that.”
Uhura folded her arms and sat back. “Funny you should mention that. How come you won't let us tell anyone you can sing? You have a
beautiful voice Chekov, you should share it.”
“Because I’ve had my share of audiences and concerts.” He took in the shocked looks from his friend’s faces and sighed. “Okay, so I
didn’t tell you. I just didn’t want to seem like I was bragging. And because I just wanted to put it all behind me, it wasn’t exactly the best
time of my life, it was very stressful. Besides, it wasn’t like I was Mr. Popular or anything.”
“Oh honey, that’s not what I understood,” Uhura said as she batted her eyes in an animated fashion.
Chekov’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “What do you mean by that!”
“Yeah, what do you mean?” asked Sulu.
Seeing the panic in Chekov’s face, she reached over and patted his cheek. “Now don’t get uptight sugar: you’ll get a kink in your
underwear.” Then she laughed a wicked laugh that made Chekov squirm in his chair. “All I did was to do some checking in your back
history. It took a little doing since you neglected to add to your Starfleet records that you’re a recording artist.”
Sulu was nearly out of his seat with excitement. “Recording artist? Why you lying little pup!”
Chekov put his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands.
Sulu was still going on about it. “I can’t believe this, I’ve been friends with a celebrity all this time. Say, can I have your autograph?”
Uhura bopped Sulu upside his head. “Stop it, and keep your voice down: your attracting attention.”
Rubbing his head and trying to put his hair back into place, Sulu replied: “Alright, I’m sorry, but I can’t quite believe that we’ve been
such close friends all this time and you never told me any of this. Did you really record songs?”
“Yes, I did; and in all the ten yeas that I recorded and toured, I never had a moments peace. My days we’re booked solid for months at a
time. Finally, I just became so overwhelmed that I needed an out.
“And I always dreamed of space travel; it was the one thing I really wanted to do for me, so I joined Starfleet. Look Sulu, I didn’t betray
our friendship, I just wanted you to like me for who I am, not who I was. I’ve had lots of friendships but I was never sure of their loyalty. I
felt that their friendships were connected with my singing career. It’s a lonely and empty feeling, and I just couldn’t take it any longer.”
Sulu gave Chekov’s shoulder a quick squeeze, then slapped him on the back. “It’s alright buddy, I understand now.”
Uhura rolled her eyes. “Must be a guy thing. Feel better now that you finally got this off your chest?”
“Yes, I do. It’s a big relief and I have also made up my mind about my shore leave. I’m going back to see Mandy. I can’t explain it, and I’
m not holding anything back this time so don’t look at me that way. I’ve received a couple of sub-space messages from Mandy in the
past six months. Unfortunately, Martha was in my cabin when one of the messages came in, which didn’t exactly help our relationship
any. I don’t know what it is about Mandy, maybe just infatuation…I don’t know…but I feel very drawn to her somehow. Whatever it is, I
can’t shake this need to be with her and I think about her most of the time.”
“Well then, guess it’s all settled,” Uhura said as she placed a reassuring hand on his. “Sometimes you just have to follow your heart.
Just promise you’ll come back to us.”
Chekov returned her caring smile with one of his own. “I promise.”
Two days later the Enterprise docked at Starbase Nine. Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura said their farewells, then went their separate ways.
Chekov went to the nearest communications unit to call home. As he suspected, his mother was disappointed, but very understanding.
Chekov told her the truth about Mandy and his mother wished him well. With that done, he made his way through the crowd and to the
waiting aircraft. Knowing he was in for a long ride, he settled back in his seat for a catnap. He was tired and sleepy, he hadn’t been able
to rest good for several nights. Chekov and sleep finally found each other and he slept peacefully for the next four and one half-hours.
He awoke to the voice in the intercom on the wall next to his head. The voice was informing the passengers that they would be reaching
their destination within half an hour. Chekov rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stretched and yawned. Feeling completely refreshed, he
made his way to the rear of the aircraft to use the facilities. When he returned to his seat, he made a physical check of his belongings,
placing his single piece of luggage at his feet. He was prepared for the cold weather with his heavy jean jacket, which he slung over one
arm. He even brought his ice skates just in case he encountered a frozen pond somewhere.
After arriving at the airport, he took the time to make reservations at a nearby hotel, just in case Mandy changed her mind about having
him at the house. Just the day before, they talked over sub-space channels, which Uhura went to great lengths to arrange for him.
Mandy had insisted he stay at her place rather than pay so much for a hotel, but he wanted to be prepared. For all he knew, she could
be having second thoughts already.
He walked through the airport reading every sign within range. He was trying to find the main exit where Mandy said she would meet
him. He finally spotted the right one and turned in the direction of the arrow. But he only took one step before he froze. There she was,
standing in front of him. She was truly heaven sent a sight to behold. He was captivated in every sense of the word. His heart began to
pound wildly, he couldn’t take his eyes off her lovely face. He found himself hoping the moment wouldn’t end, he simply wanted to stand
there forever, taking in all the beauty of the angel standing before him.
She slowly stepped up to him and with soft gentle hands, took each side of his face and kissed him. He nearly dropped the bag in his
left hand when she slid her hands down to his shoulders, then trailed slowly down his chest. Suddenly she drew back and just stared at
him. “You’re even more handsome then I remember. I’ve missed you very much.”
“I’ve missed you too Mandy, it’s been a very long year,” Chekov said.
“Yes, it has been, and a lonely one too,” Mandy said.
“I’m sorry, I think we’ll have a fun holiday. I brought my ice skates,” Chekov said, holding up the bag in his left hand.
She smiled brightly, but he detected a hint of sadness in her voice as she said: “For a while at least.”
Chekov sat down his bag to slip his coat on. “Well, judging from that coat you’re wearing it’s obviously freezing outside. What is the
temperature today?”
“Oh, it’s a whopping twenty eight with sunny skies, perfect for ice skating. Every lake and pond within a hundred miles is frozen over.”
She reached up to help with the snaps on his coat, then she took his right hand in hers and said: “I’m sorry, Pavel, for what I said, and
for sounding so childish. I know you can’t stay forever and I am grateful for the short time we will have together. I promise I’ll make every
day as pleasant as possible for both of us.”
Chekov squeezed her small hand in his, then pulled her close to him. “I’ve missed you more than I thought possible. I, too, will do my
best to make each day as pleasant for you as I know it will be for me.”
She put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace. Then she took his arm and walked toward the exit.
Chekov stopped just inside the double glass doors. “Do I need to call a taxi for us?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I bought a car. I’ve been working for a local newspaper. I write articles for them. And I sold a small piece of
land, so I was able to buy a used car to get around in.”
“That’s great Mandy, sounds like you’ve been busy putting your life back in order, and I can’t wait to hear all about it. How about over
lunch? I’m starving. Where is a nice place around here to get lunch?”
He opened the door for her when she started towards it. They stepped outside and were immediately blinded by the bright sun
bouncing off the sides of the roadway.
“I haven’t really checked out the local cafés, but I think you’ll like what is waiting for you at home in the oven much better. Shall we head
for home and see what it is?”
“Oh, absolutely, but you didn’t have to go through all that trouble just for me.”
“I didn’t, I did it for us: and besides roast and potatoes are my favorite. Oops, gave it away. Oh well, it should be done by the time we get
home. Come on, my car is that red one over there.”
The drive back to Mandy’s house took about an hour. She offered to let Chekov drive her car, but he declined saying he’d rather take
in the sights on the way.
About halfway there, he spotted a large lake surrounded by the tallest evergreen trees he’d seen since leaving his own home land.
“Wow, Mandy that’s really gorgeous. Do you skate there?”
Mandy pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Oh, yes, this spot has always been my favorite place for skating. My mother taught
me how to skate on this lake. We had some real good times here.”
“Did your father ice skate too, or was he more the spectator?”
“Hum, a little. He wasn’t as crazy about it as mother and I was. He had a slight problem staying on his feet, but he was a real trooper:
hung right in there. After mother died he brought me out here a few times. I could tell it really bothered him, but he tried to put on a
good show for me.”
“Have you been on the lake recently?”
“Yeah, I was out here yesterday for a while and about two hours the day before. It’s not as much fun by yourself, but it was nice.”
Chekov sighed, never taking his eyes off the lake. “I always felt so free on the ice. When I was troubled with life, a good workout on the
ice helped me to think more clearly.”
Mandy stroked his hair, noticing the softness as her fingers glided through the dark strands so easily. “Are you troubled by something?
You seem rather far away right now.”
Chekov took her hand in his and stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. “Guess I was for a minute, just having some memory
flashbacks of my own.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“No, not really. Would you mind if we come back here tomorrow, just for a little while?”
When Mandy smiled, he thought his heart would melt. She had the warmest and most sincere smile he’d seen in a long time.
“I thought you’d never ask. As far as I’m concerned, we can pitch a tent out here and spend our every waking moment on the ice.”
Chekov laughed, then replied: “Sounds exciting to me, I’d love it out here in all this wilderness. But we’d have to go home a couple of
times a day just to warm up.”
Mandy took on a real serious look then. “No, we wouldn’t. I have a large tent with a fuel powered space heater. And a fuel stove, and
sleeping bags. We could bring canned food, a cooking pan, and if we brought some meat, it certainly wouldn’t spoil out here.”
Chekov stared at her for a moment, noting the fire in her bright green eyes. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You would really like to do
that?”
She leaned forward and kissed him passionately, then she pulled back still holding his hand and said: “Yes, I’m very serious. I would
love to, it’ll be an adventure, and a lot of fun. What do you think?”
“Well, guess its settled then, because I like to camp out, and I can’t wait to get back on the ice again. But right now my stomach is
screaming at me to feed it.”
With that said, she started the car again and slid it into gear. “Well, then, guess we better get you home and get you fed.”
When they got home, Mandy pulled the roast out of the oven. Taking the lid off, she inhaled the wonderful aroma deeply. “Hum, just
right. Pavel, would you like to start a fire in the family room? We can eat in there if you’d like to.”
“Sure: right away. Anything for some home cooked roast.”
Twenty minutes later, they were siting on the big rug in front of the fireplace, enjoying their meal and quiet conservation. Finally, Chekov
pushed his plate away. Patting his tummy and shaking his head, he said: “If I eat another bite, I’ll bust.”
Then he stretched out in front of the fireplace on his side, his hand supporting his head. Wearing a very satisfied smile, he said: “Thank
you, Mandy, it was great. I haven’t had any home cooking since the last time I was here. It was nice.”
Mandy slid over beside him, and stroked his hair, then gave him a hug. “You’re very welcome. Are you sleepy?”
“I don’t think so; just full and very relaxed. Why, what did you have in…oh, oh no!”
Before he finished his sentence, she was coming at him with her hands up in front of her and her fingers sprawled out, like that of an
angry cat about to pounce.
“Don’t Mandy…please…I hate to be tickled,” Chekov said as he squirmed around trying to anticipate where her hands would attack first.
Suddenly, she pulled back, sat on her heels and giggled. “Okay, I won’t then. I just wanted to see how fast you could move and to hear
you scream.”
“Mandy, my stomach has more in it right now than it has had in weeks. If this place where on fire, you’d do good to get a fast crawl out of
me.”
“Why haven’t you been eating well? I knew something was troubling you, what is it?”
“Nothing in particular, I just really needed my vacation this time around: more so then last year. We had several fairly stressful missions,
and we lost two crewmembers on our last mission. Sometimes it just gets to be a little depressing.”
“I’m sorry,” Mandy said.
“Don’t be. I didn’t come here to tell you all my problems, I came here to forget them. And to have a good time, so lets get started.
Where is all this camping gear you talked about?”
“Ah…in the barn; upstairs in the loft,” Mandy said.
“Oh, why are looking at me like that? Do you think it bothers me to go up there?” Chekov asked.
“Yeah: you know it still bothers me. I haven’t been in the loft since last year. I went in the barn, just inside the doors, to get my skates
the other day. But when I thought about what happened up there…I just couldn’t get myself to walk up those stairs.”
Chekov sat up and folded his legs under him, then he pulled Mandy into his lap. “Mandy, what happened up there the first time was an
innocent mistake. But the second time something very wonderful happened: you came home. What is even better is that, I was able to
witness this miracle. And that if you hadn’t come back to us, your father’s heart would still be breaking and I would never have had the
unique pleasure of knowing you.
“And that would have been a terrible loss because I…I really care for you.”
“You’re very sweet, Pavel, and I really care about you too. You’re like my knight in shining armor: I was in distress and you came along
and saved me. Your eyes are very…expressive; they reflect kindness and honesty. I like that.”
She bent down and kissed him. He returned her kiss with passionate acceptance and complete surrender. The only light in the room
was the amber and blue flame of the fireplace. The day was still young and for Mandy and Pavel, time stood still. For they were about to
experience the greatest pleasures life has to offer: passion, tenderness, and complete fulfillment. They became one with each other,
one with the universe, one with the heavens.
The next morning they awoke wrapped in each other’s arms, a knitted quilt covering them. The air was quite chilly, for the fire had burnt
itself out hours ago. Mandy shivered and pulled the quilt over her head for added warmth.
“Mercy, its cold in here, Pavel,” Mandy said
Pavel chuckled at her animated actions and said: “Why don’t you go take a hot shower and warm up. I’ll get the fire going again.”
“Sounds good to me, and when I get up enough nerve to get out, I’ll start breakfast while you take your shower.”
Pavel quickly got dressed, then began clearing the ashes away: just enough so he could add a couple of logs and start another fire.
After breakfast, they retrieved the camping gear from the barn, loaded up the car and left for the lake.
A couple of hours later, they had their tent set up twenty yards from the frozen lake. Deciding the rest could wait till later, they put on
their skates for a fun filled day on the ice. They had a glorious time skating together. They did a figure eight and met in the middle,
twirled around while embraced, then parted to do it all over again. They skated together for a while, then separate, showing each other
some tricks they had each learned.
Cold and exhausted, they retreated to their tent. Pavel had started up the fuel- powered heater before they left earlier, so the tent was
nice and warm inside. They shared hot tea, jam and rolls and the gift of each other’s company.
Later that day, they enjoyed a long walk in the woods. “It’s so peaceful out here, I could stay here forever.” Pavel said.
“So could I: the woods were my hiding place when I was little. Sometimes when I just wanted to be alone I would sit in the middle of the
woods for hours, just thinking. Now, I can’t imagine wanting to be alone. I’m going to miss you when you leave, Pavel. I’ve discovered I’ve
grown quite fond of you.”
The wind began to blow very hard all of a sudden. The sky went from sunny to gray in a matter of minutes.
Pavel looked up at the darkened sky, then grabbed Mandy by the arm: pulling her closer to him. “I think we’re about to have a blizzard,
better get back to camp. It took them a while, fighting against the harsh wind, but they finally made it back to the tent.
Once inside, Pavel began to pack things up. “Mandy, help me get these things loaded up, would you please?”
“Pavel, aren’t we going to stay overnight? We’ve had storms here before but it never drops more than a couple of inches of snow. We’ll
be fine here in the tent.”
Mandy didn’t like the look in Pavel’s eyes right then. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke before she could
utter a sound.
“Mandy, I did some checking on this planet’s weather history. The pattern I saw shows that this area of the planet has been
experiencing unstable weather conditions about every five years. I guess I did my math wrong because I didn’t see this happening just
yet.”
“Pavel, I’m not doubting what you’re saying but…well, I think it’ll pass if we just wait it out.”
“Mandy, please: don’t get upset with me, but you haven’t been here in sixty years, remember? And perhaps last winter was mild for you,
but I can feel that this one is going to be a whopper. I’d like to get you home safe before it gets bad out here. If it turns out that I’m
wrong, I promise we’ll come back tomorrow and you can say, ‘I told you so’, all you want.”
“Alright then, we have a deal, and maybe you better drive. I’ve never driven in a blizzard, and if that’s what we’re about to get then I’d
rather not be behind the wheel.”
They were almost home, it had been snowing hard all the way. Suddenly they couldn’t see the road anymore and the hard winds had
pushed their car off the road and into a ditch. Pavel tried everything he could think of but it was no use, he couldn’t get enough traction
to put the car back on the road. He turned off the motor and slipped the keys into his pocket.
“Mandy, if I’m estimating this right, we’re only about a half mile from the house. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”
Mandy’s eyes grew wide: she was on the verge of tears. “Walk the rest of the way? We can’t: we’ll be lost out there, Pavel, and we’ll
freeze to death!”
“Mandy, you need to calm down. We can’t stay here. This blizzard could last for hours and we could freeze to death right here in this
car. I’m not going to let that happen, so come on: let’s get started before it gets too dark.”
“But we have heat in here. We could ride the storm out, and if it gets cold, we could just turn on the heater, couldn’t we?” Mandy was in
a state of near panic now.
“No, Mandy, we couldn’t. If the car starts in the first place, and we use the heater with all these windows rolled up, we could die from the
exhaust fumes.
“Mandy, please, I won’t let anything happen to you. You have to trust me right now. I wouldn’t chance it if I didn’t think we could make it.”
“I know, and I do trust you: I’m just…really scared.”
“I know you are, just hang on tight and don’t panic. We’ll get there safely.”
The harsh winter winds were against them all the way. What should have been a ten-minute walk took them over an hour. Mandy had to
be carried for the last twenty minutes of their journey. She was so exhausted and couldn’t feel her legs anymore.
When they finally reached the house, Pavel opened the door with fingers so cold, they hurt just to turn the doorknob. He carried Mandy
into the family room and gently laid her on the sofa. He immediately started a crackling fire, then pulled some blankets out of the hallway
closet. This took some effort being that he was feeling quite numb himself.
He then began to undress Mandy, shedding her wet clothes quickly. At the same time, he checked her over for signs of frostbite.
Satisfied she would be all right, he wrapped her in two layers of blankets. Then he pushed the sofa closer to the fire and went to the
kitchen to make some hot tea for her.
He brought the tea into the family room and sat her cup on the floor beside the sofa. He touched her face with his warmed up hands.
Her body was getting warmer and her color was coming back to normal. Then he looked down and realized he was still wearing his own
wet clothes, but all the clothes he brought were still in the car. So he made his way to Mr. Winslow’s room and borrowed a pair of jeans
and a flannel shirt. He returned to the kitchen after he changed clothes and made some soup for the both of them.
Mandy was just waking up when he returned to the family room with the soup. “Oh Pavel, you’re alright: thank heavens. What
happened, did I pass out?”
Pavel handed her the cup of tea, then said: “Not really. You just became too tired and cold; it happens.”
She drank the tea slowly, stopping now and then to feel the warm steam on her face. “Has it ever happened to you before?”
Pavel knelt on the rug between the sofa and the fireplace, soaking up the heat. He handed her the cup of soup: she was sitting up now.
“Yes, it’s happened to me before. I was alone quite a way from home, I couldn’t fight the blizzard anymore, and I collapsed. My parents
had called out a search when I was two hours late getting home from a skating trip with my friends. They finally found me and took me
home.
“Guess I’m pretty lucky that I’m alive today. At least that is what I remember hearing everyone say for a long time after that.”
“It seems we both have good reason to give thanks this year, Pavel,” Mandy said as she leaned down and brushed his lips with hers.
Then she opened her blankets and invited him to join her on the sofa.
The rest of the Thanksgiving holiday went very smoothly. They made a turkey together and all the trimmings. They even got a chance
to go ice skating again before Pavel had to return to the Enterprise.
Mandy cried at the airport and they held each other tightly. They made plans to stay in touch and hopefully to spend Christmas together
the following year.