Snow

I ventured out after 10 days of snow and storm into civilization again. Our little Honda refuses to cooperate in the snow, and our complex looks like Siberia. J told me that while returning from work, he saw cars  abandoned on the road throughout our vast complex as they couldn’t budge further because of the snow and ice. I insisted on accompanying him as he went out to replenish our dwindling supplies, and the 10-minute walk to the nearest grocer took us 40 minutes. We hardly saw any people for most of the (almost always busy) walk, and J kept telling me to walk slowly. I didn’t listen to him as usual until I almost slipped. Then I got bored of walking slowly, and I made J pretend we’re pioneers, one of the first (white people) to trek across the western lands.

He has no imagination. “Hey, look at all the cars parked here,” he said. “And the houses.”  I told him to pretend the cars were buffaloes, and the houses didn’t exist. Then we went home, and I heated my hands near the heater.

“Let’s pretend we built a fire outside our tent,” I said, “and you’re getting dinner ready.”

J raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that be your job?”

I smiled. “Not in the history I write.”