Weather Disturbance, Part Two
Apr 03 '04
The Bottom Line Copyright 2004 David Macdonald
Part One was here: http://www.epinions.com/content_3851591812
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4.
Christy had taken full advantage of what a storm day could bring to her.
Thank you, God, for letting me live in the center of town, she may have said, if she had thought of it. She did not desire to cage herself within the boundaries of her house, even as the snow fell. Christy could never have imagined being stranded in the rural portions of this island. Such a poor child who lived out in the middle of nowhere could do little more than pace around the rooms if the schools were closed, or numb her mind with dumb television shows for the entire day. And even if such an unfortunate child were to venture outdoors for whatever reason, it’s not as if she could get a friend to come over and play with her, unless she were to live next door, within walking distance. All of the roads were covered with snow and ice, and few cars would dare to drive over them. Especially if the snowplows hadn’t gotten around to clear off such remote passageways.
Christy was thirteen. Not nearly old enough to not be able to drive on that snow to begin with, but old enough that she felt comfortable in roaming the streets of her more maintainable neighborhood.
Her friend Emily was a coconspirator in this lovely and unexpected storm day. Same age, same outlook on the world. Both of them, walking upon the brightly pale sidewalks alongside Mount Edward Road.
“Where’s everybody else today?”,Christy asks.
“I don’t know.. I don’t know anybody around here.”, she responded, her tone threatening to rival snobbishness.
“Why not?”
“Well, they don’t go to the same school we do.”
“Yea, they go to that other school?”, Christy agreed, reacting as if kids who go to other schools were like visitors from a foreign country, even though they only lived streets apart.
“I don’t even know most of their names. Any of them actually.”
“I don’t even know some of the people that go on my bus.”, Christy countered, almost defiantly.
They continued walking. The light was fading slowly from the frigid air. Soon, it would be darkness overlapping the cold, wrapping a chilling foreboding into the nighttime. Some people were caught outside in the winter night, cold and alone, with nowhere to go. The long nights taunted people into staying indoors, sheltering themselves from the world. Some of us were foolish enough to not heed the nighttime’s speech, however......
“Let’s go get some coffee!”, Christy panted, eager for a new thrill on this personal holiday.
“Coffee?”, Emily inquired, stunned. “Why would you want to buy coffee? That’s so gross! I tried my dad’s coffee once, and it was so bitter. I’d rather drink cold medicine.”
“Are you crazy? Coffee’s so cool. Get one of these enormous cappuccinos or something like that. Wicked stuff!” Cristy accentuated the last word of every sentence, as if that noun, verb, adjective, or whatever rule of grammar she used was of absolute importance to the international community. “Tim Horton’s is just down the street, we might as well walk there.......”
Emily wasn’t going to turn around and walk back home by herself, under the dusk of the sky. “.... okay.....”, she sighed.
The two girls passed by a number of houses, with lawns a shade of white, and cars decorated with the frost of winter. On the sidewalk, other people awkwardly traveled over the random slickness upon the ground. A few were obviously not prepared, as they were still wearing sneakers.
“Aren’t you happy we’re wearing boots?”, Christy claimed. “At least we’re not slipping on our butts!”
“It sucks! I just got new sneakers for my birthday... the ones where the heels light up when you step on them........”
“There’s always spring......”
The mainstay of the Canadian coffee universe lay on the horizon. Emily and Christy removed themselves from the sidewalk, and went on the parking lot of Tim Horton’s.
“You gotta try a cappuccino, Emily!”, she insisted.
“Nah...... I’ll stick with the juice.....”
..... so Emily merely stood by, to witness her friend making the purchase of a lifetime. An extra-large cappuccino.
“This has a lot of caffeine in it!”, the cashier noted, a twinge of worry in her amused facade.
“That’s okay.”, Cristy’s eyes widened in excitement, not minding the clerk’s warning.
The cup was huge, just like Christy expected it to be. It was certainly enough to fill at least three normal-sized ceramic coffee cups. And the drink was certainly of the most powerful in the menu.
Would the human bladder, especially that of a thirteen year old girl, be enough to withstand the sheer volume of the scalding hot styrofoam cup?
“You’re going to be peeing all night!!”, believed Emily...........
5.
He approached the scene of the crime, hoping that he would not suffer the same fate.
Leon’s tires crawled along the gluey snow, closer to the St. Peters Road intersection. Leon saw Rick’s car, on the parking lot of a local gas station on one of the street’s corners. Leon steered the car to the left, coasting over the untidy pavement, but not losing his way as he eventually rested beside Rick’s dented scrap of metal.
“Thanks for showing up.”, Rick stated like a secret confidant.
“.... I hope that this will be worth it.”, Leon spoke truthfully.
“Sure, it is... I need this sent away quick!”
It was the treasure of the take-out business. A thick package, akin to a satchel or kit bag, but with much thicker insulation, to confine the warmth of cooked food. Leon grasped it with his two hands, and understood that its effectiveness was slowly slipping away.
“It’s getting cold -- I’m damn sure that you may have a problem if you don’t get it to him soon.”
“Don’t you want a ride?”
“No... that’s fine. I’m just waiting for this other guy over here to get his insurance straightened out. Those damn insurance companies. I’m sure that they could afford to just buy me a new car .... but, noooo! That might hurt their profits!”
“..... well.... I’ll see you later......”
“Yes, sure.....”, Rick muttered, turning his head in the direction of the other driver, who was still digging a hole within the uneven stacks of contents inside his glove compartment.
*
Leon finally was able to clearly trace, with his eyesight, the outline of his destination, admist the fuzziness of the sky.
The modest office building appeared as a beacon in a remote area. This illusion was brought about by the darkness of the evening, combined with the scattered trails of airborne snow and the arthritic touch of the cold.
This kind of atmosphere was no place for a poor 16-inch pizza with all the toppings.
The tires grumbled against the snow as Leon slowed his car to the front door of the building.
Just run in, and run out, he thought to himself.
He snatched the heavy blue satchel from the passenger seat even before he shifted the car’s gear to the parking position. He had his car door open, and one foot touching the ground, by the time he switched off the ignition.
He had no patience to walk at an average pace. He jogged from his car, to the glass doors, not slowing down at any point. Leon was not able to rescue the heat from perishing. The chill of the car had snuffed out the heat, and with it, the best element of the pizza. All the toppings in the world were useless if they weren’t also warm.........
He knew that he was going to be walking form one storm to another, once he passed those glass doors.
He sprinted up the flight of stairs, dreading what he would encounter beyond the carpeted horizon.
.... upon the cusp of the second floor, he saw nobody as of yet. Only a corridor, leading to a glass door forty feet away.
Why was I here? he asked himself. There was a friend who would be leaving the region tomorrow, and here I was, delivering pizzas in the middle of a snowstorm.
Leon’s stride was rapid, rushed. He wanted to arrive and leave as quickly as possible, as if the speed of his delivery would help erase the situation from world history.
He arrived at the glass door, opening it. The beeping of the security sensor intruded the silence, and the customer appeared from the other side.
“Where were you?”, he asked, accusingly.
Leon was right. A storm inside as well as out.
“I’m sorry but there was a little mishap.....”
“Goddamn it, I asked for my pizza more than an hour ago. You’re only five minutes away from here.”
Leon unzipped the sack, as the customer complained. He removed the pizza and handed it to the aggressive man.
“... this pizza feels like a Frisbee encased in ice. I could use this to play catch with my dog.”
Leon wanted to wedge himself inside this aggressive monologue. But it appeared impossible.
“... my boss had an accident! He smashed his car on an intersection. He had to call me up and finish up the job for him........”
The customer shuffled slightly upon the carpet.
“..... whatever, kid. I don’t know why they hire you kids. Just because it’s a storm day doesn’t give you an excuse to goof off.”
“Hey... I could’ve gotten killed out there.” If this guy can be outrageous, so can Leon.
“Don’t you have a thirty minute or it’s free policy?”, he growled. “I’m sure that you do....”
The man put the pizza closer to his body, as if his body heat could save that dying pasta.
“.... so I’ll just take this with me. And you have a nice night!” He spoke sardonically, as he walked away, ignoring Leon and his silent frustration.
6.
Both of her children were lost in the blinding snow, while she selfishly enjoyed the secure comfort of the indoors.
Well, that’s what Barbara was thinking, anyway. What parenting skills, she thought! Leon driving with worn-down summer tires over the uncleared streets of Charlottetown. Christy wandering aimlessly along the streets, busy with snowplows, tow trucks, and careless drivers who didn’t heed official precautions.
Barbara was a single mother, who worried enough about these sorts of things on a pleasant day. She worked five days a week, and couldn’t arrive home before her kids returned from school. She was always the last to know where they were. Come home, and hope that everything is safe. Leon -- well it wasn’t so bad, he was almost eighteen, and he could take care of himself.
But Christy wasn’t quite there yet... she had the attitude, she knew how to be aggressive about things, But she wasn’t grown up yet. She wasn’t prepared to protect herself against all of the perceived and authentic dangers.........
Barbara was home all day today, for once. And she still was the last to know.
...... the mournful squawk of the heavy front door hinges reverberated across the empty rooms of the house. Followed by the clumping of boots against the hardwood floor.......
“Christy, is that you?”, she called out, anticipation catching at her throat.
“Yes.” Christy’s voice droned with utter normalcy.
Barbara was helpless. But at least one of her offspring cared enough to come home.
“Where’s Leon?”, she asked, without concern. She held the branded styrofoam coffee cup in both hands.
“Oh, he’s out delivering pizza,” , Barbara sighed, ruefully, “... driving on those bad roads, with summer tires.”
Christy grinned with a tame whimsy. “Hmmm.... well, he better be careful. Don’t want a mess of pizza toppings on the road!”
Barbara grimaced. “What was that you bought.....?
“An extra large cappuccino!”
Barbara shook her head, not understanding her own child. “You’re going to get sick on that!”
“Oh, I’ll be okay, don’t worry.” Christy gave herself another large mouthful of the steaming drink.........
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PART THREE:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3851722884
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Member: David Macdonald
Location: Prince Edward Island
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About Me:
Alice, a story in nine parts, posted on Sept 24, 2008 - http://www.epinions.com/content_5241348228
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