Do You Hear What I Hear?

I am a Miami girl born and raised in Little Havana. My parents are Cuban immigrants that came to this city the same age I am now, 22. They had me at the age of 30 and my sister at 32. They struggled to do everything right and by the book so they weren’t stereotyped by all the negative connotations associated with being an immigrant. They became citizens, established their business, all while raising my sister and I. Majority of our community are fellow Cubans, but the city is just as diverse as the rest of Miami. I speak Spanish, but you couldn’t tell over my American accent unlike my parents. We blended in well and focused so much on being accepted in America that we never travelled outside of Miami. My parents were strict, but my good grades and honors gave me some leeway with them. It was not until I was older and able to travel on my own that I began exploring outside Little Havana expanding to outside of Miami to neighboring Florida cities.

Miami is Spring and Summer all year round to anyone else who actually experiences extreme cold weather. Our winter lows are in the low 60s where I wear hoodies with shorts when the night falls. I have never experienced an extremely cold day, seen snow, or had a white Christmas. I do not need a winter wardrobe unless you count those few hoodies and jeans nor do our local stores sell winter gear for me to buy. I have never owned a pair of mittens either. I have always dreamed of snow and how it feels. Does is make a sound as it falls like the rain? It fascinates me the thought of temperature becoming cold enough to change rain to snow, sleet, and ice. I want to experience that. So my first destination on a plane, outside of Florida will be to Aspen, Colorado. This trip should have been with my sister so we could experience a white winter together, but she is studying for her lifeguard test. It was only being offered once this year, so there was nothing to make her miss it. The timing just did not work out for the both of us.

I have the next couple months off between the transition of graduating with my Marine Biology degree and new employment. I will be starting a research job off the coast of Miami studying farm raised fish. Before I begin my life with the fish, I want to introduce myself to the cold weather. I anticipate my experience in a new environment, new weather with new challenges, will prepare me for the next phase of my life. Deep down I also feel a calling to the snow and cold weather. A tropical girl with a June birthday yearns for some snow, is that ironic? I packed two hoodies, 3 jeans, a flannel my mom gave me, shorts in case it is warm during the day, some socks and the sneakers on my feet. The best research is experience so I will let this Aspen experience guide me.

The morning I leave, we sit down as a family and have our morning coffee with buttered toast. My mother prays over us to protect me during my journey. She also gave me a necklace with St. Christopher on it, the saint of safe travels. My father gave me some money, even though I tried to respectfully decline as I saved up my earnings from work study for this trip. He would not hear it. My sister gave me a compass, the compass she intended to use on our first trip together. I accepted without refusal because I saw the glimmer in her eyes. She sparkled as she explained to me how to use it, and I let her even though I already knew how. Then as she finished, her excitement turned melancholy as she remembered she was not going. I entertained the thought of cancelling, but what would I do if I didn’t go? It was meant to happen this way.

“Bye family, I love you!” I waved and blew kisses as I entered the taxi with only a backpack. “I’ll see you in a month!” They waved back and I could see my mother sniffling and wiping away her tears. I know she was sad to see me go, but she was more proud that her daughter was off to see the world.

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I have been in Aspen for about a month and I learned a lot. First off, cold is not a strong enough word to describe this weather so I looked up synonyms that better describe it: icy-cold, freezing, frigid, frosty, glacial, piercing, numbing, and unbearable. The books can never prepare you for this. I know I did minimal research on Aspen’s weather, but you would think the mention of layering would be part of the basics! I have never heard of layering before, pants under pants under stockings is a foreign concept to me. Two pairs of socks, plus boots? Snowsuits? Unheard of. I didn’t even know earmuffs existed. Thank God I took the extra money from my father, that is what bought me the new wardrobe.

Another thing I learned was how hard it was to walk on snow, for me at least. Took me a couple days to get comfortable walking on soft packed snow versus tightly packed snow, that is another thing I learned. I learned that on day two when I fell through a very loose snow pile and it took two men to pull me out. The community is very friendly and welcoming. Some neighbors have shown me around and brought me to see the local frozen pond. This pond is extraordinary and slightly fearsome. Frozen water that has the potential to melt if the temperature wants it to? I do not have the courage to ice skate just yet meanwhile something about this frozen pond is encaptivating. Under the layer of ice that was once water, but could not withstand the inevitable change of solidification, is flowing water, protected from becoming it’s protector. Fascinating how the layer of ice is not cold enough to transform the water it’s touching to ice creating a domino ice effect, but this is why I am not a scientist. These moments of awe can be ruined in a way, by science, when the logistics are explained. Some people are fascinated by those facts, but not me, I am fascinated by the what ifs of imagination.

What if I decided to live in Aspen and begin a new life here?

What if I gained the courage to ice skate the frozen pond and I fell through?

What if a fire started on the snow, would it last?

What if my parents decided to raise us in Colorado? Would I dream of Miami?

What if I had a brother and not a sister?

What if I ran out of money? Can I survive in the wilderness?

“Help me.”

“Can anyone hear me?”

“I’m stuck”

“Help!”

“I don’t want to freeze to death”

These words I hear in my head bring me out of daydreaming. Is someone screaming? I walk out my front door to listen if I hear it again. Nothing. I walk back inside and,

“I hope someone hears me. I don’t want to die here.”

There it is again. I open the door quickly this time as if to catch someone in the act of something to explain what I am hearing. Nothing. A couple in snow suits, holding snowboards are walking by,

“Did you hear that? Something like someone asking for help?” The couple looks around to check if I am talking to them and then both nod no and continue walking.

It must be the wind whistling then. I go back inside to shake this eerie feeling I have and go into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is another thing I learned being-

“I’m stuck in the pond. Please if anyone can hear me”

I immediately shut the burner off, put on my snowsuit, earmuffs, hat, gloves, and boots and walk towards the frozen pond. It just turned night so I also bring a flashlight. I can’t ignore what I hear. What if someone needs my help?

I get to the pond and it is pitch black except for one little light illuminated by the closed rental booth. I flash my light around and don’t see anything.

“Over here! Over here!”

“I don’t see you! Speak louder!” I shout.

A moment passes,

“I can’t. I’m too cold. I see your light. Take a couple steps to the left then walk straight.”

“Walk straight?! Onto the pond?!” I shout again.

“Yes. It will take you too long to walk around. Please. It’s cold”

I am shaking and not because I’m cold, but because I’m scared. What if I can’t do it?

Yes you can. Nothing will happen. She needs you, go save her.

I feel goosebumps and my hairs stand as if absorbing a surrounding energy, an energy that powered my legs to move forward. Before I knew it, I was on the frozen pond. It was slippery, yet felt sturdy. I slowly glided my way across, flashing my light from left to right and that's when I spotted her. A young girl in a purple jacket with no hat or earmuffs on. Her bottom half was under the ice while the top half could not fit, lucky for her. I glided slightly faster until I reached her. I didn’t say anything to her, I just began to help especially when I noticed her purple matching lips. Another thing I learned the cold can do to you. I attempted to pull her up, but the ice was too slippery for me to get a grip. She was stuck in this perfectly formed ice circle around her. The extension belt that I could pull to adjust the waist on my snowsuit can also be removed and used as a bungee rope for small jobs. Was this a small job? I hook one end to her purple jacket and the other end to mine and I begin to glide. I hope this bungee stretches enough to get me closer to stability as her position is not too far from the ground and it does exactly that.

I am able to walk off the frozen pond successfully and pull her out using my body weight. She is much smaller than me, which explained the ease and I picked her up and took her back to my cabin. I put her in front of my fireplace and call the local authorities to report the need of immediate assistance. As we wait, I make the hot chocolate and ask,

“What is your name?”

“Destiny. Yours?”

“Cecily.”

“Destiny, I’m still confused on how I heard you. It’s like your voice was in my head, so clear. Not screaming, not yelling, just there, speaking directly to me.”

“I don’t know, Cecily, but you are my superhero.”

I chuckle and make a joke, “Yea a superhero with super hearing”

And then a voice ever so clear in my head says,

Yes. A superhero with super hearing indeed.

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Cecily is the second of The 5 Auras

Click below to read #3 of The 5 Aura series

Bon Appetit

And if you missed the first story, click below to read part 1

Vision: The first of The 5 Auras