The New Pastor
She watched the snow coming down from the window before her. The blanket over her lap kept her legs warm. With both hands she gripped the wheels of her chair and spun away from the wintery scene on the lawn. With a skill gained in the past two years she quickly rolled across the room and into the hall. She heard her mother’s voice in the dining room, talking with the new pastor at her church. She listened, confined to her chair, for her mother to indulge the reverend with her daughter’s pitiful plight. She lifted the blanket and looked at her lap. Her legs had lost much of their muscle tone. Even through the heavy fabric of her jeans it was noticeable. “My daughter, Karen, skied competitively in college.” She heard her mother say. Always centered on the glory years. Now, two years later, she was a paraplegic. “She was amazing on the slopes.” Her mother continued bragging in the dining room. “Her coaches said she should cons...
