one thing about him.
Melinda had fond memories of vacationing
with her parents. The bond between them was solid. Her memory went
back to ten months ago when her father had excitedly bought the
three of them tickets for the grand opening of the Crystal Carnival
and Ice Palace in Leadville, Colorado.
When she had looked upon the Ice Palace from a
distance, it had seemed like a fairyland. As the three of them
approached the Ice Palace, she was in awe. It was made of five
thousand tons of ice blocks formed into the shape of a magnificent
palace, which stood on five acres of ground. It sparkled and
glimmered in the sun and she felt like a princess walking into a
storybook world.
Her father had put his arm around her
shoulders and said, “When you were a little girl, did you picture
the palaces of kings and queens to look like this?”
The three of them walked together into this
magnificent man-made creation. Inside the palace, there was a dance
floor, a restaurant, a gaming room, and an ice rink. It was
illuminated with electric lights that sparkled against the ice
blocks.
She remembered how her father had danced
with her mother on the dance floor of this Ice Palace and how
lovingly he had held her in his arms. Her father was deeply in love
with her mother and Melinda longed for a marriage such as they had:
one of equality, where the man respected the woman and supported
her education. Her father had never taken her mother for granted.
She wondered if she would ever find a man like her father.
Then her thoughts turned to Gilbert. Would he treat
her in such a loving manner? Would he respect her and treat her as
an equal? Or would he be opinionated and stubborn? He did know how
to cook, however. That was one point on his side. But on the other
hand, he certainly had been stubborn that first day they met.
Melinda laughed as she remembered the little arguments they had had
and when he had called her “self-willed.” She hated that word.
Melinda quickly shook the memory of him out of her mind.
Just then the train pulled to a stop and she
saw her father and mother waiting for her with smiling faces. As
soon as she stepped off the train, she leaped into their arms.
Tears were shed and hugs were exchanged and all the way back home
there was constant chatter.
That evening, as soon as she got settled
down, she walked down the staircase to the living room where she
found James waiting for her. He was a former boyfriend who had been
courting her before she left for Idaho.
“Melinda, you look even more lovely than I
remember.”
James took her hand in his and kissed it
tenderly. Melinda noticed that she did not respond the same way to
James as she had to Gilbert’s kiss. Her heart did not flutter and
her hand did not tingle from the softness of his lips.
Her mother walked in with a smile. “I
invited James over for dinner. I thought the two of you could catch
up on old times.”
Melinda smiled. Her mother and Aunt Martha
had so much in common. They were both matchmakers. Melinda knew
that her mother wanted her to marry James, but she couldn’t help
but wish they would both relax and let her make up her own
mind.
James was a good man and they had much in common,
but she didn’t love him. He did not make her heartbeat quicken; he
did not make her blush at the thought of him. When James kissed her
hand, it felt like nothing more than the kiss of an old friend, but
James did not seem to realize that.
On the other hand, Gilbert and she were as
different as night and day, and yet she felt attracted to him. Why?
She remembered his lingering kiss and how warm and tender it had
been. The memory of it seemed to linger in her mind. Her heart had
raced when he had touched her hand and when he kissed it, and a
tingling sensation seemed to start at her knuckles and make its way
to her heart. As she thought of Gilbert and her last night with
him, a tingle of excitement went through her and she smiled.
After dinner, she and James made
Melinda had fond memories of vacationing
with her parents. The bond between them was solid. Her memory went
back to ten months ago when her father had excitedly bought the
three of them tickets for the grand opening of the Crystal Carnival
and Ice Palace in Leadville, Colorado.
When she had looked upon the Ice Palace from a
distance, it had seemed like a fairyland. As the three of them
approached the Ice Palace, she was in awe. It was made of five
thousand tons of ice blocks formed into the shape of a magnificent
palace, which stood on five acres of ground. It sparkled and
glimmered in the sun and she felt like a princess walking into a
storybook world.
Her father had put his arm around her
shoulders and said, “When you were a little girl, did you picture
the palaces of kings and queens to look like this?”
The three of them walked together into this
magnificent man-made creation. Inside the palace, there was a dance
floor, a restaurant, a gaming room, and an ice rink. It was
illuminated with electric lights that sparkled against the ice
blocks.
She remembered how her father had danced
with her mother on the dance floor of this Ice Palace and how
lovingly he had held her in his arms. Her father was deeply in love
with her mother and Melinda longed for a marriage such as they had:
one of equality, where the man respected the woman and supported
her education. Her father had never taken her mother for granted.
She wondered if she would ever find a man like her father.
Then her thoughts turned to Gilbert. Would he treat
her in such a loving manner? Would he respect her and treat her as
an equal? Or would he be opinionated and stubborn? He did know how
to cook, however. That was one point on his side. But on the other
hand, he certainly had been stubborn that first day they met.
Melinda laughed as she remembered the little arguments they had had
and when he had called her “self-willed.” She hated that word.
Melinda quickly shook the memory of him out of her mind.
Just then the train pulled to a stop and she
saw her father and mother waiting for her with smiling faces. As
soon as she stepped off the train, she leaped into their arms.
Tears were shed and hugs were exchanged and all the way back home
there was constant chatter.
That evening, as soon as she got settled
down, she walked down the staircase to the living room where she
found James waiting for her. He was a former boyfriend who had been
courting her before she left for Idaho.
“Melinda, you look even more lovely than I
remember.”
James took her hand in his and kissed it
tenderly. Melinda noticed that she did not respond the same way to
James as she had to Gilbert’s kiss. Her heart did not flutter and
her hand did not tingle from the softness of his lips.
Her mother walked in with a smile. “I
invited James over for dinner. I thought the two of you could catch
up on old times.”
Melinda smiled. Her mother and Aunt Martha
had so much in common. They were both matchmakers. Melinda knew
that her mother wanted her to marry James, but she couldn’t help
but wish they would both relax and let her make up her own
mind.
James was a good man and they had much in common,
but she didn’t love him. He did not make her heartbeat quicken; he
did not make her blush at the thought of him. When James kissed her
hand, it felt like nothing more than the kiss of an old friend, but
James did not seem to realize that.
On the other hand, Gilbert and she were as
different as night and day, and yet she felt attracted to him. Why?
She remembered his lingering kiss and how warm and tender it had
been. The memory of it seemed to linger in her mind. Her heart had
raced when he had touched her hand and when he kissed it, and a
tingling sensation seemed to start at her knuckles and make its way
to her heart. As she thought of Gilbert and her last night with
him, a tingle of excitement went through her and she smiled.
After dinner, she and James made
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