Tom looked around thoughtfully. "You need snow to ski," he muttered, "but I don't see any here.
Sabi smiled at him. "Never mind," she replied cheerfully. "I prefer snowboarding anyway."
"But you need snow for snowboarding too, don't you?" Tom asked.
Sabi nodded. "Sure, it doesn't go without snow. Unless we try water skiing or water snowboarding," she mused. "But that's not really a snowboard. Maybe a waterboard? Or what do you call a water board like that?"
Tom thought about it and then said firmly, "I think it's called a wakeboard or a surfboard." Sabi nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right. I've definitely heard surfboard before. That would be exactly right."
Still, Tom smiled dreamily. "You know, I'd like to go snow skiing anyway. It's a lot different skiing than on the water where you're being pulled by a motorboat. It's not like whizzing down a hill at super speed."
"You're right about that," Sabi replied, "but skiing downhill on water when you're being pulled by a speedboat must be super speed too."
But Tom just smiled. "I'd prefer the snow and skiing downhill, after all. That's the coolest thing ever. You have to use your whole body when skiing. Right side, left side, lower paws and upper paws. Actually, legs and arms, because people don't have paws. The whole body has to work together perfectly. Plus, you can use ski poles, but I often go without them. That's what I enjoy the most, making turns and scooping snow with my paws. Skiing is a really fun sport."
Sabi sighed. "Hmm, we'll have to wait for the snow then. But what if we don't get any? What will we do then?"
Tom looked at her and his eyes sparkled. "If there's no snow, we'll go water skiing and at least ski on the water."
Sabi laughed. "Okay. Deal!"
Tom suddenly beamed. "Well, in the meantime, to make the wait for snow shorter, we can imagine building a snowman out of snow, or bowling, or even building a snow house for Tasmi!"
"For Tasmi?" Sabi asked curiously. "Why for Tasmi? Who is he?"
Tom smiled and began to tell, "Tasmi is a good friend of mine at Eunemio. Like me, he was left alone without his parents.
Before I learned to ski, I didn't even know there was any snow. He didn't know what snow was either. One day, we went on a little exploration of the surrounding countryside. Suddenly, we saw white on top of a distant hill. It looked like a white cap on the top of the hill. We wanted to know what it was, so we discovered snow together for the first time. Now that I'm talking about snow, I remembered it again. Mostly I just want to say that Tasmi is more dog than tiger. He's from Australia and doesn't look like a real tiger at all. I don't mind that he doesn't look like a real tiger. I still like him a lot. He's a great friend."
Sabi smiled. "I also sometimes like to think back to my first experience. Like the first time I won a medal at a dance competition. I really like to remember that. It was a great feeling to have a medal around my neck."
Then she looked at Tom seriously and added: "Mostly I want to tell you that you're not alone anymore, Tom. You have me and I'll never leave you. Because you're my best tiger friend."
Tom looked around thoughtfully. "You need snow to ski," he muttered, "but I don't see any here.
Sabi smiled at him. "Never mind," she replied cheerfully. "I prefer snowboarding anyway."
"But you need snow for snowboarding too, don't you?" Tom asked.
Sabi nodded. "Sure, it doesn't go without snow. Unless we try water skiing or water snowboarding," she mused. "But that's not really a snowboard. Maybe a waterboard? Or what do you call a water board like that?"
Tom thought about it and then said firmly, "I think it's called a wakeboard or a surfboard." Sabi nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right. I've definitely heard surfboard before. That would be exactly right."
Still, Tom smiled dreamily. "You know, I'd like to go snow skiing anyway. It's a lot different skiing than on the water where you're being pulled by a motorboat. It's not like whizzing down a hill at super speed."
"You're right about that," Sabi replied, "but skiing downhill on water when you're being pulled by a speedboat must be super speed too."
But Tom just smiled. "I'd prefer the snow and skiing downhill, after all. That's the coolest thing ever. You have to use your whole body when skiing. Right side, left side, lower paws and upper paws. Actually, legs and arms, because people don't have paws. The whole body has to work together perfectly. Plus, you can use ski poles, but I often go without them. That's what I enjoy the most, making turns and scooping snow with my paws. Skiing is a really fun sport."
Sabi sighed. "Hmm, we'll have to wait for the snow then. But what if we don't get any? What will we do then?"
Tom looked at her and his eyes sparkled. "If there's no snow, we'll go water skiing and at least ski on the water."
Sabi laughed. "Okay. Deal!"
Tom suddenly beamed. "Well, in the meantime, to make the wait for snow shorter, we can imagine building a snowman out of snow, or bowling, or even building a snow house for Tasmi!"
"For Tasmi?" Sabi asked curiously. "Why for Tasmi? Who is he?"
Tom smiled and began to tell, "Tasmi is a good friend of mine at Eunemio. Like me, he was left alone without his parents.
Before I learned to ski, I didn't even know there was any snow. He didn't know what snow was either. One day, we went on a little exploration of the surrounding countryside. Suddenly, we saw white on top of a distant hill. It looked like a white cap on the top of the hill. We wanted to know what it was, so we discovered snow together for the first time. Now that I'm talking about snow, I remembered it again. Mostly I just want to say that Tasmi is more dog than tiger. He's from Australia and doesn't look like a real tiger at all. I don't mind that he doesn't look like a real tiger. I still like him a lot. He's a great friend."
Sabi smiled. "I also sometimes like to think back to my first experience. Like the first time I won a medal at a dance competition. I really like to remember that. It was a great feeling to have a medal around my neck."
Then she looked at Tom seriously and added: "Mostly I want to tell you that you're not alone anymore, Tom. You have me and I'll never leave you. Because you're my best tiger friend."