Snow Day

That summer was the hottest on record, it the town of Jitterbug, the kind of hot that rose up from the group in waves and made your clothes stick to your skin from the moment you set foot outside. It was the kind of feet that burned your feet right through your shoes.

“You could fry an egg on the sidewalk,” said Ms Palenski.

“It’s hotter than Satan’s house cat,” said Mr McLeary.

“It’s just plain old hot!” said Suzie-May, who was seven years old and missing her front tooth. 

But old Miss June just smiled and said “It’ll cool off soon enough. Just you wait.”

Everyone shook their heads, because it was the middle of June as there was no way it would cool down soon.

Everyone in Jitterbug was doing everything they could to keep cool. 

Mr Meyers the mayor was soaking in a tub full of ice.

The Gordan twins swimming in their pool and charging five dollars to anyone who wanted to take a dip. 

Mary and Lucy Jordan were sitting in the shade of the old oak tree in front of their house, sipping on ice cold lemonade. 

“It’s just pain hot!” said Suzie-May, who was eating a popsicle.

But old Miss June just smiled, and “It’ll cool off soon enough. Just you wait.”

It was much too hot to get any work done. No one was mowing any lawns or working in the garden. Folks were given the day off work, and even Miss Brooke had closed the library because it was just too hot to read. 

Even the cats had stopped hunting birds and the dogs had stopped chasing their tails. 

“It’s just plain hot!” said Suzie-May who was sucking on an ice cube. 

But old Miss June just smiled. “It’ll cool down soon enough.” she said.

“But when Miss June?” ask Suzie-May with a sigh.

“Just you wait,” was all old Miss June said, “just you wait”

It was so hot, even the ice cream truck had stopped running. 

“Sorry,” said Mr Kream, everything melted! It’s just ice cream soup.”

Mr Lone, who ran the corner story, was all out of everything from ice, to ice cream to soda pop.

“Sorry,” he said, “everyone wants to cool down, so I can’t keep up!” 

“It’s just pain hot!” said Suzie-May, who was fanning herself with one of Miss June’s old fans

But old Miss June patted her black on the head and said “it’ll cool off soon enough.”

“Miss June,” said Mary, “it’s hotter than hell in a handbasket!” 

“It’s hotter than a pepper patch!” said Lucy.

“It’s just plain old hot!” said Suzie-May, who was seven years old and had bandaids on both her knees.

Old Miss June smiles. “Just you wait,” she said “just you wait”

The sun blazed over head, like a great angry lemon, bright yellow and enough to make you squint. 

The heat rolled off the ground in waves and almost everyone was inside with all the fans on and the windows open. 

But a breeze began to pick up, it rolled through the Jitterbug, it rustled through Mary and Lucy’s old oak tree and it flowed through all the open windows.

And everybody left a little cooler.

“It’s still hot!” said Suzie-May who was seven years old and slurred her S’s.

“Just you wait,” said old Miss June. Her black cat purred loudly as Suzie-May scratched her chin. 

The breeze picked up into a wind, it blew through the town, shook through the leaves on Mary and Lucy’s old oak tree and it rushed into all the open windows.

And everybody felt a little cooler. 

“It’s still hot!” said Suzie-May, who was seven years old and was learning how to read. 

“Just you wait,” said old Miss June. Her black cat purred loudly as Suzie-May stroked her back.

The wind became a gale, it whipped through the town, bent the branches of Mary and Lucy’s old oak tree and whistled in all the open windows, and brought with it big grey storm clouds. 

Everybody felt a lot cooler. 

Then, the strangest thing anyone had ever seen happen.

It began to snow.

Just a few flakes at first, but then the snow fell faster and faster. Soon the whole town was covered in a blanket of white. 

Nobody was hot now. 

Everybody came out of their house to gap in awe as the snow kept falling and falling.

Mr Meyers, the mayor jumped out of the bathtub and threw on his rope.

The Gordan twins jumped out the pool, teeth chattering. 

“It’s crazy!” cried Ms Palenski.

“It’s insane!” cried Mr McLeary.

“I can’t believe my eyes!” cried Mary 

“I can’t believe my eyes either!’ cried Lucy

“It’s a miracle!” cried Miss Brooke.

The children rushed inside to get their sleds and winter boots. Mr Meyers, the mayor, joined in a snowball fight in just his rope. The Gordan twins built a giant snow fort and charged kids five dollars to come to it. Miss Brooks found books on how to build the perfect snowman. Mary and Lucy handed out hot cacao and coffee to the whole town. 

Old Miss June just smiled. 

Suzie-May, smiled too. She gave the black cat one last pat on the head, and with a wave and wink she went off the play in the snow. 

And old Miss June just smiled. 

“I told you so,” she said.

All the snow had melted by the time Johnny Jones, the paperboy got up to do his morning route, like nothing had ever happened. 

It was another hot day in Jitterbug, the kind of hot that stuck to your skin and made your lungs heavy with every breath.

“It’s so hot, the ice cream truck must be melting,” said Ms Palenski.

“It’s hotter than a house on fire!” said Mr McLeary.

“Don’t worry,” said Suzie-May who was seven years old and petting Miss June’s black cat, with a knowing smile, “it’ll cool off soon enough. Just you wait.”