Sadie on the Rocks by Joanne Bischof

Author:Joanne Bischof [Joanne Bischof]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joanne Bischof
Published: 2022-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Tuesday I’m back at the gym, and as the fans circulate steamy air, I stash my gear. In the distance, the espresso machine buzzes from the small café in the corner. To my surprise, Eleni is already on the wall. Her husband sits nearby, entertaining a toddler at the edge of the padded mats. He moves a to-go cup of coffee out of the way with a chuckle as the little boy waddles that way. Overhead, Eleni climbs in a graceful rhythm, and her family’s steady presence echoes her serene, determined nature. I barely know these people, but they seem content with the experiences they share together. It’s admirable.

Today Eleni wears a white and red headscarf—the rose pattern a stark contrast to her shiny black hair and leggings. The sight of her is a clear declaration that we are all unique and that we all have passions. I aim in that direction—in more ways than one. As I stride across the mats, I want to embrace a similar confidence.

She hops down with a bright greeting. “So glad to see you, Sadie. This V1 is kicking my butt. I think you should give it a try.”

Her husband chuckles again and I grin. “We’ll see. It looks really fun. Did they just set this today?”

“Yes, it is new.” She pauses to introduce me to her family, and then waves me over to the wall.

Though she was already climbing, she joins me for a quick warm-up. We stretch and chat more, and as we swap stories about our favorite things about this spot, I nearly forget that I have a wall to climb. I chalk up and somehow reach the top on the first try. That’s a flash! Eleni cheers and holds up her toddler, helping him clap for me. My cheeks are already sore from smiling as my feet hit the mats. “That’s a fun one.” I point back up to the middle of the route. “Those two holds there were tricky, but it helped if I pressed on the top of the left one instead of trying to grip it directly.”

She nods, looking determined. “I will try this.”

I step clear to give her room. It takes her two more tries to top the route. We all cheer together when she does. A black curl pops out of the bottom of her headscarf as she takes a bow. After a few gulps of water from our bottles, we agree to try this one again, this time focusing on efficiency. It’s exhausting work, but oh-so-satisfying. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing, and the good company only makes it so much better.

Sweat drips from my temple and I swipe it away. I’ve drained my water bottle, and a quick top off at the water fountain is just the ticket. Eleni and I move to a V2, and while it’s harder, it’s a fun one. She explains to me that when you try a difficult boulder over and over, it’s called a project.

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