Who is Dorothea?

I watched the white snow, slowly falling from above, dreamily drifting down. Its been only three months since I moved here. Watching the snow for the first time, I was awestruck to see how it covered the land, grill gate of the houses and the parked vehicles like white felt. It was as if the snow was in love with everything on Earth.

I leaned against the windowpane and looked outside, craning my neck.

"Luna! Luna!......Its the coldest time of the year and look at you, leaning out!!" I heard Tom's voice from the kitchen.

Tom placed the steaming hot chocolate mug with a soft thud on the table. Swiftly grabbing the scarf, he hurried towards me.

Afraid of getting any more scolding, I tried to wrap my legs in the warm woollen blanket.

Tucking his grey hair behind, and smoothening the remaining hair with his hand, he straightened the slightly crumpled scarf and tied it gently around my neck.

For a second, his eyes drifted to the frost-covered glass window. And within a moment, his eyes started to moisten, and tears one by one started to trickle down. I looked at him startled.

Confused as to whether it would be appropriate to ask a question at this time, I shifted my focus from his face to the window.

There was nobody outside on the streets. I could see one or two families in nearby houses, where they were snuggled cosily in their family living rooms.

Tom sat next to me and started reading the newspaper, simultaneously warming himself with his drink. His face was expressionless, so it was difficult to say whether he is reading the newspaper or is drowned in his own thoughts.

Just then, the phone rang. Now wiping away the stains of tears, Tom patted my head for a second and left.

"Hello, this is Mr Weather. Who is this?......oh, hey, Georgie I'm fine. Hope you are doing well." Tom's incessant tapping of his toes stopped after knowing who the other person was.

" ......yeah, it's been a while."

Tom glanced at me for a sec. There was a slight change in his voice and mood. He sounded slightly cheerful.

" Luna is an outdoor person. She would kill to play Frisbee with Noah....won't you Luna?," Nothing much to say as it's already been decided, I looked at Tom with a blank face.

"Okay then. Meet you near the lake." Tom said finally, hanging up.

"Luna, be a good girl and don't pick a fight with Noah, okay??," Tom said patting my head.

Feeling reluctant to go out and play in this cold weather, I relished my last moments on the comfy sofa and blanket.

After packing a few essentials, Tom and I walked out of the door. After double-checking the door, he hid the key under the flower-pot for Adam, the housekeeper.

Tom, instead of taking the streets, walked towards the backdoor and started walking forward. And, stopping for a second, Tom looked back and forth, sideways to see if there were anybody. After checking, he slowly moved the fence......which was a door type fence. Maybe it was a broken fence!

He slowly knelt in four legs and crawled to the other side. Tom, panting after a five minutes walk, looked back to check whether I was walking behind.

After walking for a couple more minutes, I saw George, a man almost 40 years old, wrapped snuggly in his winter clothes. His hair being in grey color stood out compared to the snow's white. Noah, George's grandson stood next to him. George was catching Noah's hand firmly to prevent Noah from running towards me.

"Hi, Mr Weather," Noah's voice ringed in an enthusiastic and youthful tone.

"Hey Buddy," Tom barely managed to say due to shortness of breath, "you guys play with the frisbee, " he said looking at me after handing over the frisbee.

"It's been three years since Dorothea died...., "I heard Tom's voice.

"Here Luna, catch this!!" Noah said, throwing the Frisbee with full force.

Wait..who is Dorothea??

I hurried to catch the Frisbee.

I went near Tom to listen some more. "I still remember her favourite spot near the window, in the living room. She always used to overlook the neighbourhood through that window...."

That explains the tears, but who is Dorothea???

"Ah....good one, Luna...." Noah threw the frisbee with much force that it went flying far away from my direction.

The phrase, "Who is Dorothea??" kept on chanting in my head that I missed the catch.

Intent to hear the rest of the story, I looked for the Frisbee, but it was nowhere to be seen. I ran through the snow-covered bushes and after a search of two minutes, I found it.

The land was slippery, and I started taking smaller and smaller steps. And there it was, the brownish-red Frisbee, partly covered with snow. I tried to pick it up, but suddenly I heard a sound. I looked at the small cracks, which were stretching into large lines, just like rays of the sun. I looked around to see if anyone was there. Not even a bird.

The surroundings looked so pure, with only stretches of white colour on all sides.

I tried to grip to the surface, but the cracks started to become more prominent. My legs were getting numb, and just then...I noticed the small outline, separating the land and the frozen lake.

"Luna! Luna! Where are you???" I heard Noah's voice.

Relieved, I tried to place the frisbee on the ground, with the slightest movement as possible. But then, .......crack! The ice broke, and in I plunged into the cold water.

The scarf which Tom tied was no match for the freezing chilly water. The sweater which Tom put on me, was getting heavier due to water soaking in it.

The whole weight pulled me down.

Noah's voice was growing distant with the time. Gasping for breath, I tried to make a noise...."Woof! Woof!"

"Luna..Luna..I'm nearby, where are you?" This time, I heard Tom's voice too.

"Woof! Woof! Woo.." I continued making noise, which reduced to a whimper.

I tried to grip the ice. My hands felt too numb that it felt like I wasn't catching onto anything.

I continued shouting....and I saw three people emerging, their figures getting bigger with the distance.

And when Tom saw me, he started running towards me frantically and slowed down as he noticed the lake.

He carefully tiptoed towards me, his face filled with anxiety and slowly lifted me. He wrapped me in his shawl and carried me to Noah and Georgie.

I noticed the tear-streaked face of Noah.

After we reached the firm snow-covered land, Noah ran towards me and hugged us.

And in no time, we were at home. Noah held me very close to him the whole day.

Happy to be alive, I clung to him.