Sheffield!
Kelly’s weary anguish was instantly transformed into shock. “Jordan!” she exclaimed, staring unbelievingly.
“You two know each other?” Sonja asked.
“Yes,” Jordan replied, rapidly collecting herself. “Kelly used to be a student of mine. What’s happened? Are you hurt?”
Kelly looked around in confusion. “Is this your camp?” Her eyes flooded with tears as she pulled away from Sonja and flung her arms around Jordan’s neck, leaning on her heavily.
“Jordan,” she gasped, “thank God! You’ve got to help. Pippa’s out there somewhere. She’s lost or hurt or…I don’t know what happened to her.”
Jordan held her loosely, stroking her back to calm her, confused and uneasy as Kelly’s sobs overtook her.
“Her friend Pipaluk,” Sonja elaborated. “She wants us to call a search team. She’s been lost for several hours now. She was lucky to run into the old woman over there.”
Jordan glanced toward the dock where Malik and Nivi stood in conversation. Still muddled, she gently freed herself from Kelly. “Yes, of course we can call for help. We have a satellite phone. I’ll make the call right now. You should come along to answer questions.”
Kelly nodded her understanding, her eyes full of emotion and bewilderment. She’s not the only one who’s bewildered, Jordan thought. What the hell is Kelly Sheffield doing in Greenland?
Jordan led the way to her tent, Kelly close behind, wiping tears from her face but no longer crying. Jordan couldn’t shake her amazement at seeing her here. It had to be a coincidence because Kelly was clearly as surprised as she was.
She held the flap aside, then followed Kelly in. The tent was separated into two distinct rooms by a curtain made of sheets. On the right was Jordan’s personal space, her cot, dressing table, a shelf of books, a rack of clothes. On the left was a more public area with several chairs, equipment, stacks of boxes, and a long table containing a computer, radio and telephone, all the tools that kept them connected to one another and the rest of the world.
She led the way to the worktable and offered Kelly a chair, pausing to take a better look at her. She must be thirty years old now. The track of her tears stained her cheeks where they had traveled through a layer of dust. She was beautiful, Jordan noted with awe. Changed but familiar with her clear pale complexion, small ears and nose, delicate features. Jordan observed her full, feminine mouth, as alluring as before, the same mouth she had so foolishly tasted nine years ago.
The last time she had seen Kelly, Jordan recalled, her face had been also been stained with tears.
It had been on her twenty-first birthday. Jordan had invited her out for a drink to celebrate. Her first legal drink and a rare social occasion for the two of them. Jordan didn’t usually go out with students, especially not ones who were in love with her. But this was an important day. In addition to the landmark birthday, it was the last time they would see one another and they both knew they were saying goodbye forever.
Ever since Jordan had told Kelly she was leaving to take a position at UCLA, Kelly had been morose. At first, she had said she was coming to LA too, but Jordan talked her out of it. Kelly was in no position to do something like that, in the middle of obtaining her degree and with almost no money. It would have been the height of folly. “The most important thing,” Jordan had advised her, “is your education. Don’t let your emotions sidetrack you from what’s truly important.” Don’t make the same mistake I made, she could have easily added.
Kelly was fundamentally a practical girl and so she relented. Perhaps she even understood that Jordan’s departure meant that she would be free at last from a hopeless infatuation. With Jordan out of the picture, she could move on and find someone more appropriate to love.
With all of this in mind, as they said their final goodbye
Kelly’s weary anguish was instantly transformed into shock. “Jordan!” she exclaimed, staring unbelievingly.
“You two know each other?” Sonja asked.
“Yes,” Jordan replied, rapidly collecting herself. “Kelly used to be a student of mine. What’s happened? Are you hurt?”
Kelly looked around in confusion. “Is this your camp?” Her eyes flooded with tears as she pulled away from Sonja and flung her arms around Jordan’s neck, leaning on her heavily.
“Jordan,” she gasped, “thank God! You’ve got to help. Pippa’s out there somewhere. She’s lost or hurt or…I don’t know what happened to her.”
Jordan held her loosely, stroking her back to calm her, confused and uneasy as Kelly’s sobs overtook her.
“Her friend Pipaluk,” Sonja elaborated. “She wants us to call a search team. She’s been lost for several hours now. She was lucky to run into the old woman over there.”
Jordan glanced toward the dock where Malik and Nivi stood in conversation. Still muddled, she gently freed herself from Kelly. “Yes, of course we can call for help. We have a satellite phone. I’ll make the call right now. You should come along to answer questions.”
Kelly nodded her understanding, her eyes full of emotion and bewilderment. She’s not the only one who’s bewildered, Jordan thought. What the hell is Kelly Sheffield doing in Greenland?
Jordan led the way to her tent, Kelly close behind, wiping tears from her face but no longer crying. Jordan couldn’t shake her amazement at seeing her here. It had to be a coincidence because Kelly was clearly as surprised as she was.
She held the flap aside, then followed Kelly in. The tent was separated into two distinct rooms by a curtain made of sheets. On the right was Jordan’s personal space, her cot, dressing table, a shelf of books, a rack of clothes. On the left was a more public area with several chairs, equipment, stacks of boxes, and a long table containing a computer, radio and telephone, all the tools that kept them connected to one another and the rest of the world.
She led the way to the worktable and offered Kelly a chair, pausing to take a better look at her. She must be thirty years old now. The track of her tears stained her cheeks where they had traveled through a layer of dust. She was beautiful, Jordan noted with awe. Changed but familiar with her clear pale complexion, small ears and nose, delicate features. Jordan observed her full, feminine mouth, as alluring as before, the same mouth she had so foolishly tasted nine years ago.
The last time she had seen Kelly, Jordan recalled, her face had been also been stained with tears.
It had been on her twenty-first birthday. Jordan had invited her out for a drink to celebrate. Her first legal drink and a rare social occasion for the two of them. Jordan didn’t usually go out with students, especially not ones who were in love with her. But this was an important day. In addition to the landmark birthday, it was the last time they would see one another and they both knew they were saying goodbye forever.
Ever since Jordan had told Kelly she was leaving to take a position at UCLA, Kelly had been morose. At first, she had said she was coming to LA too, but Jordan talked her out of it. Kelly was in no position to do something like that, in the middle of obtaining her degree and with almost no money. It would have been the height of folly. “The most important thing,” Jordan had advised her, “is your education. Don’t let your emotions sidetrack you from what’s truly important.” Don’t make the same mistake I made, she could have easily added.
Kelly was fundamentally a practical girl and so she relented. Perhaps she even understood that Jordan’s departure meant that she would be free at last from a hopeless infatuation. With Jordan out of the picture, she could move on and find someone more appropriate to love.
With all of this in mind, as they said their final goodbye
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