Snow Day

The snow fell softly outside. A perfect blanket of white.

Marcy was propped up on the couch, a colourful wool blanket tucked around her.

“Do you have any fives?” Sarah asked.

“Go fish,” replied Marcy.

She watched as Sarah drew a card from the pile on the TV tray between them. Sarah was sitting in the green armchair, which she’d pulled closer to the couch.

It was strange to see Sarah in a sweater. Normally the two of them were dressed in shorts and t-shirts. They would bike all over town and sometimes even venture into the woods. Then the summer would end and Sarah would go home.

Marcy looked at her cards, then studied Sarah.

“Do you have any sixes?” she asked.

Sarah pouted, and handed over a card.

Marcy smiled.

“Do you have any threes?” she asked.

Sarah opened her mouth to answer but raised voices interrupted her thoughts. She turned to the doorway into the kitchen.

“I’m just saying, it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“And I’m just saying we aren’t letting those freaks near her,” retorted Marcy’s mother.

“They aren’t freaks. They are scientists and doctors,” her father argued.

“They are freaks!”

A cupboard door slammed.

Marcy set her cards down. This wasn’t anything new.

“Do you remember that summer?” she asked.

“No one could forget that summer,” Sarah said. She turned away from the kitchen and looked at Marcy.

Marcy smiled.

Snow had fallen that summer. It lasted for less than a day and melted as fast as it came. There had been countless car accidents and lots of people suffering from hypothermia, and then came all the flooding. Even with the town’s propensity for rain, they were not equipped to deal with all the melted snow. 

For most people it had been a nightmare, but for the girls, it had been magic. They’d dug out Marcy’s winter clothes and gone sledding. Sarah had squealed with glee as the old toboggan they’d pulled out from under the deck had flown down the hill. Sarah had never been around snow because she lived too far south.

It was one of the best days of Marcy’s life.

A door slammed and there were heavy footfalls in the other room.

Marcy looked out the window at the snow flakes falling from the sky.

“I want to do it again.”

“Marcy, we can’t,” Sarah gasped.

“I don’t care,” Marcy said. “I want to.”

Sarah studied her for a moment and nodded.

“Okay. Tell me where to get everything.”

Marcy grinned.

Twenty minutes later the two girls snuck out the front door, and around to the back yard. Marcy leaned against the wall of the house while Sarah fished the sled out from under the back deck. Sarah took the sled in one hand, then slipped her gloved hand into Marcy’s.

Together the two girls made their way down the block, and around the corner to the Padderson’s large property. It was a favorite for sledding, and the white expanse was dotted with kids in colourful snowsuits. A long smooth track had already been cut into the snow and kids zipped down the packed embankment yelling and cheering as they went.

“You’re sure about this?” Sarah asked.

Marcy nodded.

The pair trudged up the property and Marcy saw a few of the kids turn and stare at her.

Some didn’t recognize her at first. She’d become skinny and frail in recent months, but the bulky winter clothes disguised that.

She held Sarah’s hand and they made it to the top of the hill where they waited in line.

“Should you be here?” frowned a kid named George.

The cold whipped at Marcy’s cheeks and she opened her mouth to respond to the boy.

“She should be here,” said Sarah. Her voice was firm, but she turned and looked at Marcy.

Marcy nodded in appreciation.

George narrowed his eyes.

Marcy saw a boy in a red snowsuit fly down the hill on a Crazy Carpet.

Everyone inched forward.

George turned and spoke to another boy in a hushed tone. The other boy nodded, then stepped out of the line and moved to a couple of kids in pink snowsuits who were making snow angels nearby. Marcy watched as he said something to them and gestured back toward the line. The girls, Marcy thought they were girls, nodded and ran off up the street, in the direction she and Sarah had come from.

“Come on,” said Sarah.

The line had moved forward again. Marcy stepped up alongside Sarah.

The cold air stabbed her lungs and she thought of the colourful wool blanket she’d left on the couch. She glanced back toward the girls who were almost out of view now.

She and Sarah inched forward again. Someone in dark blue snow pants with a padded black coat whipped down the hill on a homemade wooden sled. 

It was almost their turn.

Marcy could feel people’s eyes on her. George was behind her and he stayed two steps back. People never stayed two steps back at the hill. They were always pushing for their turn. 

Marcy was tired and cold. She leaned against Sarah, and Sarah put her arm around her.

“We can go back,” Sarah whispered in Marcy’s ear.

There was one person ahead of them now. She had a fluffy pink knit hat on. The girl sat down on her Crazy Carpet and watched the person ahead of her fly down the hill.

Marcy glanced up the street and saw two adult figures. They were walking briskly and waving their arms. The girls in pink were following close behind them.

Marcy and Sarah were at the top of the hill now.

“Did you hear me?” Sarah asked.

“No, we’re doing this.” Marcy shook her head and then smiled.

Sarah smiled back and set the long wooden toboggan down at the top of the hill and held it steady while Marcy climbed on. Marcy felt Sarah climb on behind her.

The figures were closer now. They called her name and flailed their arms.

Sarah wrapped her arms around Marcy and together the two girls leaned forward.

The toboggan bobbed for just a moment before it tipped and started its descent.

Marcy closed her eyes and felt the wind whip past her. Faster they went and she opened her eyes. Kids were walking back up the hill and the toboggan flew past them. Marcy grinned. 

Her grin widened as Sarah squealed in her ear, just like the first time they did this. Marcy felt like she was flying.