4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

T he train stopped for the night on a siding outside a small town whose name Joy had already forgotten. They would travel by day and stop at night, sometimes spending up to four days in one place while challenges were completed.

Joy had always been a light sleeper in case Chantal needed her, so it was no surprise that she awoke early the next morning to the soft sound of someone in the hallway. It was still fully dark outside. Who would be up and about that early? She crept to the door, careful not to wake Chantal who had been too excited to fall asleep the night before. She peered through the peephole. Nobody out there.

She opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. Still nobody. How was that possible? Nobody disappeared that quickly. As she eased the door shut, she noticed a cream envelope with her name on it on the carpet. Warily, she picked it up. Who would leave her a note? Sleepily, she stared at it.

“What is it, Mama?”

“An envelope.” It was the same paper as their invitation to yesterday’s meeting. She turned it over and slid her finger under the flap. The cream paper inside was decorated with a Christmassy train scene across the bottom. The top was a notification that they would begin their challenge tomorrow. Make that today. It was early, but it was morning. “We’re up first for the challenge.”

Chantal clapped her hands and giggled. “I’m so excited.” Her eyes went wide, and she looked panicked. “Oh. I have to go to the washroom.”

Joy hurried over and scooped her up. Rarely did Chantal mention her needs. That she did so, meant she was desperate. Joy had done her best to instill confidence and independence in Chantal. Her daughter was small, but still heavy enough to be awkward. She settled her in the washroom, set her crutches inside, closed the door, and climbed back into bed, though she knew she’d never fall back to sleep.

This was the moment she’d been waiting for. She couldn’t decide what could have been worse, waiting days or maybe weeks to be chosen, or trying now and failing. “We won’t fail,” she vowed quietly. “We’ll meet the challenge.” They had to! Her peace of mind and pocketbook were depending on it.

She wasn’t expecting to fall asleep, but her alarm woke her at seven-thirty. They had just enough time to prep for the day and eat before the meeting. Funny, she hadn’t expected this trip to be so scheduled. She laughed at her naivete. Of course, it would be. There were one hundred entrants, which meant fifty challenges, to coordinate.

The meeting was, once again, in the forward observation car. She dreaded having to go to one in the rear observation car. Getting to the back of the train would be exhausting for Chantal. They made their way slowly forward, stepping aside for those faster and those going in the opposite direction. They took seats near Jenny’s podium, and a worker in an elf costume offered them hot drinks and gingersnaps.

Judging by the lack of empty seating, it looked like almost everyone came out to hear about the challenges. The first pairing was two women. Blending their first names, Devin and Bev, created Team Bevin. They had to work alongside the local fire department to gather toys for their annual Christmas food and toy drive. Team Rancy, Randy, and Nancy’s task was to convince one hundred people at their next stop to donate money or books to the local library. They had to do this in a coffee shop and had only four hours to meet their total. Neither of these tasks seemed too difficult.

“Next up is Joy Spencer and Seth Mathison. Stand up so everyone can see you.” Joy and Chantal stood. Seth was near the back. He gave a little wave and sat back down.

“Your team’s name is Team Triple Threat, because your daughter is the third member. Your task is a bit more complicated, but easily achievable,” Jenny warned them. She grinned, and the crowd chuckled. “You’ll be taking over a youth choir’s concert in Lyons. Both their leaders are down with the flu. Seth, you’re charged with keeping track of thirty-two children and seeing that they do their part. Joy, you’ll be the emcee for the event.”

Bile rose in Joy’s throat. She hated public speaking. She was terrible at it. There was no way she could do this. She’d failed before they even started.

“Can we change roles?” Seth asked from the back. “Kids aren’t my strong suit.”

Joy perked up. It was a great idea.

“No, you cannot.” Jenny frowned. “You will be supervised during your task.” She paused. “Switching roles will result in immediate expulsion from the contest, and you will be asked to leave the train.” She looked the crowd over. “Cheating gets you kicked off the train. One more thing, Seth and Joy, we’ll be stopping in Boulder. While we are stopped, you will need to find choir robes for your troupe. Or some other sort of cohesive outfits. You’ll be given a list of sizes. What you choose is up to you, as long as you are within your allotted budget.”

Joy groaned. She was not a shopper, especially when she didn’t know what she wanted, or where she was going, and had to drag Chantal along. And why was their task so much more complicated than the others?

“How do we travel within town?” Seth piped in with Joy’s thoughts.

“You’ll be met by a volunteer. The vehicle will be easily accessible for Chantal.”

“Wait! The kid is coming with us?” He sounded indignant.

“What does that mean?” Joy stood and whirled to face him. “Of course she’s coming. Did you think I’d just abandon my child on the train?” The man was a colossal jerk.

His face went red, and his brows pinched together. “No. I was just surprised.”

Joy snorted. Why did she get stuck with him?

“You’ll be given a list of the songs they are performing,” Jenny spoke into the middle of their disagreement. “Be sure you know the words. You’ll have three hours in Boulder to buy what you need, then the train rolls out. We’ll be stopping at a farm outside of town for the bonfire you’ve all been hearing about. It’s part of the town Christmas Fair. We hope you’ll take part while we’re there.”

Joy loved the stop they’d made yesterday. They had visited a Christmas tree farm/petting zoo where she had bought a tiny stuffed reindeer for Chantal. They were going to place it on the table in their room. Chantal loved the reindeer, but she went crazy for the make-your-own hot chocolate station. How would she convince her daughter that they didn’t want to go to the bonfire?

“The rest of you can visit Boulder while we are stopped. We won’t hold the train if you are late. We’ll arrive in Boulder in twenty minutes. Please register with the staff before you leave the train. There is a list of attractions for every stop in a folder in your room. Are there questions?”

A flurry of questions erupted, though Joy was only dimly aware of them. How was she supposed to work with a man who didn’t want to be around her daughter? The very idea was ludicrous. He said he wasn’t good with kids, yet he’d managed to talk to Chantal yesterday without trouble. Chantal had spent half an hour last night talking about how nice he was and how he didn’t treat her like a kid or a cripple.

Joy hated that word. Cripple. So derogatory and demeaning. Her daughter was a child with a disability. Although she wasn’t that either. She faced mobility challenges and dealt with them very well. Her upbeat attitude constantly surprised Joy.

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