During the winter of 2012, I became like snow that sticks to the driveway, irritating and unpleasant to wake up to every morning. Then I found my first life line or rather she found me.

Throughout her lifetime, Chimesa remained in the background. She was a sidekick; a shadow that desired attention but never received it. Her thin frame, even wrapped in layers of coats, allowed her to easily become concealed by Batman-like figures until one day when she herself, became the superhero.

On December 30, while my family and I were visiting Flagstaff up in northern Arizona, we decided to go skiing. In the past few days, I had been acting despicable. My bitter cold-heartedness definitely did not improve my body temperature. I was ungrateful for the Christmas gifts that I did not ask for. I utilized my emotions as a guilty punishment to my parents. I pondered over all of this as we made the drive up to the resort.

Fast forward an hour or so; I stood with my boots locked in, poles in hand, ready to escape. Immediately, I went off on my own as I often do. Not to brag, but I am a fine skier. Unfortunately, my ego typically takes control when I begin to glide. The snow was my pillow: soft, thin and always lying behind my back. This particular day, I was especially confident for some unknown reason. After departing from the ski lift, I faced two signs. One with an arrow pointing left with a blue square indicating medium. The other, illustrating an arrow to the right with a black diamond signifying difficult. Up until that point, I was a four-cornered, 90 degree angle shape. But instantaneously, I felt my legs racing towards the right.

Suddenly, a sharp turn appeared. I attempted to harshly maneuver my skis, but they would not budge. Instead, I directed towards the opposite direction, travelling over the edge into the low valley beneath. At my rapid speed, I had no time to scream as I somersaulted and blacked out.

After an unknown amount of time passed, my heavy eyelids lifted. I examined my surroundings, but all I could see was maroon. I brought my gloved palm to my thumping forehead and wiped. The blue transformed into purple. My face ached and my ears rang violently. Then I realized where the rest of my body lay. Everything below my thighs was buried beneath the thick ice and my pair of skis was doing their own thing some 10-20 years away. I opened my mouth attempting to form words or possibly a squeal, but I was mute. Tears fell silently down my cheeks like snowflakes from the sky. I was paralyzed and astray.

After continuing to gain awareness from passing skiers above on the trails, I was discovered. Her bright red ski patrol jacket flew down the hill to my crippled body. She lifted her goggles revealing her large, brown eyes that reminded me of the towering tree trunks that stood nearby.

“My name is Chimesa and I am here for you”

“I-I-I am MaClay.” I stuttered shivering.

“It looks like you scratched your head pretty bad on that dead bush. How about we cover that sliced head of yours?”

“O-o-o-kay. “ I whispered.

As she cleaned my wound, I studied her appearance. Her thick, black hair intertwined in two braids that fell far below her chest. Her smooth Native American skin was soothing and warm. She repeatedly smiled in a candid way that reassured my trembling chest.

“There we go. Now that’s better!” she exclaimed finishing my tight wrapping.

“Thank you Chimesa.” I mumbled.

“You’re welcome sweetheart. I contacted my team so they should be here soon.”

Not long after, a bulky man soared to our location on a snowmobile. Together, he and Chimesa lifted my numb legs out of the snow and placed me on the back of the powerful machine.

“Don’t worry sweetheart. I’ll see you down there.” she said leaving to retrieve my skis and poles.

After a swift ride back to the lodge, I was carried into the medical center. The light irritated my eyes, but it was hot and that was all I cared about. Following being placed on the cushioned table, Chimesa appeared. Her presence somehow eliminated my frigidity and slowed my breathing rates to normal levels.

“Who are you here skiing with today?”

“My mom, my dad and my sister.”

“Do you know their phone numbers by any chance?”

Luckily my parents had made me memorize one of them just in case of emergencies like this one. After providing her with the digits, she successfully called them. Because they were currently making the journey up the mountain on the ski lift, it took them another 20-30 minutes to return. During that time, Chimesa did not leave my side. She could give me a comforting feeling without even touching me. She told me about the man who had drove the snowmobile. He was the captain of the ski patrol; always trying to outdo everyone else. She made me giggle and for a short time, made me forget about my accident.

Finally, my family arrived. I had calmed down and received the treatment I needed. As we were leaving the resort, I again began to cry.

“Thank you Chimesa. You saved my life!” I shouted running to hug her.

“No thank you! You helped me stand out. Everyone sees me now because of you.”

We embraced and then parted. On the drive back to the hotel, I reflected. After all, she was my literal life line. Not only that, but she was the best present that I have ever been given.