Fresh As Snow

           Irma and Justin McEntire, after fifty years of marriage, found themselves falling into a daily routine. Every morning at 6:00 AM, Irma would get up and go into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Justin while he shaved and showered.

           They would sit together at 6:30 AM to eat a meal that usually consisted of boiled eggs, toast, and a bowl of oatmeal. Following breakfast, Justin would retrieve the newspaper from the mailbox, sit in the den by the fireplace, and read the paper until 8:00 AM. Irma would clean up the breakfast dishes then go make the bed and tidy up the bedrooms and bathroom before bathing.

           Usually, by 10:00 AM, Justin was ready for a nap and Irma would fill in the time by gossiping on the phone with her friends from the bridge club. It was becoming a marriage of convenience more than a marriage of love and unpredictability as it was when they first met.

           Irma had convinced Justin that they should move to Florida after he retired. That was five years earlier. It seemed like a great idea to Justin in the beginning, however, as time began to pass, he started to miss his friends back in Canada. They did not have any family left. The one child that they had, was tragically killed in a car accident years before they had moved away. Irma, on the other hand, adapted to her new surroundings easily and made new friends very quickly.

           As Justin laid in bed, he started thinking back to the early years of their marriage when they could not keep their hands off one another. They would travel the world in search of adventure, taking in the beauty of nature and the amazing architecture of Europe. They never grew tired of each other’s company. He began to wonder where it all started going downhill. They rarely talked to one another anymore, let alone touched each other. They even started sleeping in separate bedrooms. Irma said it was because of his snoring, but he felt there was more to it.

           At seventy years of age, Justin knew that he did not have the stamina that he once had. Perhaps, he thought, Irma was growing bored of him. He could not blame her though; he was growing bored himself.

           Just after lunch, Justin received a phone call from a friend he had made at the local barbershop. Lewis Davidson was a former Navy man that served in several naval conflicts during his career. He invited Justin out to go fishing on his boat. Justin happily accepted and made his way to the marina.

           At slip number thirty, Lewis stood upon the deck of a ninety-two-foot Sea Force IX fishing boat.

           “Permission to come aboard, Captain?” Justin shouted up to his friend.

           “Permission granted. Come aboard, sailor.”

           Lewis fired up the diesel engine and untied the spring line from the dock cleat before backing out of the slip. The sound of the engine reminded Justin of his younger days when he drove a tractor-trailer for a living.

           They slowly made their way out into the open waters and Lewis pushed ahead on the throttle. The engine came to life and thrust the boat forward. The spray from the seawater felt refreshing on Justin’s face, though the rough water further into the ocean was almost more than Justin’s stomach could handle. He hung his head over the side and saw two dolphins swimming alongside them. Suddenly, his nausea began to disappear, and he began to enjoy himself more.

           They traveled about thirty minutes from shore until no sign of land or other boats could be seen. Lewis dropped the anchor and prepared the fishing lines. Each was equipped with a Shimano Tiagras reel and 130-pound monofilament fishing line. Lewis helped Justin strap into his harness, then he cast the line out into the water before placing the rod’s handle into the holder.

           “My friend,” Lewis began saying, “you are in for a treat. This is my favorite fishing spot. I guarantee a hit within five minutes.”

           No sooner did he finish talking when Justin’s fishing rod began to bob up and down. Something was nibbling at the bait. Justin went to grab for the rod, but Lewis told him to be patient. Lewis carefully removed the rod from the holder, let out some slack on the line, then handed it to Justin.

           “Okay, Justin, when I tell you to, I want you to give the rod a quick yank back over your shoulder. Ready…NOW!”

           Justin whipped the rod back over his right shoulder, barely missing the head of his friend. The fish was hooked and was trying to make a run for it. Justin nearly dropped the rod from the strength of the fish. Lewis quickly grabbed onto the rod and placed it back into the holder. They let out some slack on the line and let the fish run before locking it back up again. The back-and-forth fight for supremacy between man and fish kept up for nearly thirty minutes until the fish finally stopped struggling. With the help of Lewis, Justin reeled in the monster on the other end of the line.

           When they pulled the fish in, Justin was shocked to see that it was a blue marlin that weighed around eighty pounds.

           “That was so exhilarating,” Justin exclaimed. “That was the most excitement this old heart has seen in years.”

           “When we get back to shore, we can hook it on the scales and take your picture with it to show your wife.”

           “Irma is never going to believe this! I feel so alive right now!”

           After returning to shore, Lewis snapped a picture of Justin with the marlin with Justin’s cellphone. He thanked his friend and headed back home.

           Still filled with adrenaline from the day’s events, Justin surprised his wife with a strong embrace and a wet kiss as soon as he walked in the door. Irma was caught off guard and nearly fell backward in shock.

           “What has gotten into you?” she asked.

           Justin showed Irma the photo and told her all about his fishing adventure. She was happy to see a spark in his eyes that she thought was lost forever. They spent the rest of the evening together. Justin even helped Irma cook dinner and clean up afterward. That night, they went to bed…together.

           In the morning, after a wonderful and exciting night, Irma and Justin went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast together. They had blueberry pancakes. As they sat down to eat breakfast, something very unusual began to happen.

           They looked out the window and saw something that they had not witnessed since they lived in Canada…It was snowing. They stared with glee at this miraculous event. The snow continued to fall throughout the morning until there was an accumulation of four inches of fluffy, white powder on the ground.

           “I have a great idea!” Justin exclaimed. He stood up from the table and told Irma that he would be right back.

           Five minutes later, Justin returned to the kitchen with an inflatable tube that they used in the swimming pool to float on.

           “What on Earth are you doing with that?” Irma asked curiously.

           Justin smiled and said, “You go get dressed in some of the winter clothes that we brought from Canada while I grab the other one. We are going sledding like we used to.”

           “Have you lost your mind, Justin? We are way too old to go sledding. I don’t think our hearts can take it!”

           “We are still alive after the fun we had last night. I think we can handle sliding down a snow-covered hill.”

           “I know that I am going to regret this, but…okay. I will dig out your warm clothes too.”

           Irma and Justin walked outside carrying their tubes under one arm. Neighbors gawked at the sight from the safety of their living room windows. Irma interlocked her free arm with Justin’s, and they walked across the street to the park.

           Over-and-over, the couple went up and down the hill, screaming with excitement each time they slid down the cold, white slide. It was not long before other people of all ages made their way toward the park toting tubes and boogie boards and joined Irma and Justin in the winter playground.