New experiences

“Come on! Let’s go!”

“Where are we going?” The excitement of a new experience present in his voice.

“You’ll see. Just come here.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her, so he almost stumbled over the snow that had gathered on the ground overnight.

They were both smiling, inhaling the cool air of a December afternoon, just days away from Christmas, their cheeks rosy red, a spark of thrill in their eyes. Happy as twelve-year-olds could be.

“I thought we were gonna make snowmen and snow figures,” he said, suddenly remembering why he had left his house that clear winter afternoon.

“We will. Later. I need to show you something first. You’ll see, you’ll thank me later.” She insisted. So he allowed her to lead the way to wherever her fancy took her. He trusted her enough to know that what she so wanted him to see would be something he’d really enjoy.

The sky was a deep, crystal blue, the way only cold winter skies can be. The sun, low now, was shining with warmth, a large ornament in the sky that provided the snow with its glimmer and its beauty. It was a perfect day, especially since it had snowed the previous day and night, and it was perfect for making shapes with it. Running, on the other hand, became difficult, so they had to tread carefully not to fall over on the path they were on.

Max noticed that Sam was taking him towards the ravine where they’d sometimes go and play. They spent so much time in that ravine, that it was practically like a second home to them. He looked around, mesmerized at the amount of snow that covered every tree, every bush. He loved winter! He actually loved all seasons, but winter was fun because Nature gave them an extra playmate to have fun with: the snow. Sledding, skiing, snowboarding, sliding down hills… ah, the neverending fun! He didn’t even mind the cold weather.

Sam (short for Samantha), was of his own mind. She adored the winter! She could never understand why grownups were always complaining about the cold or about going to the beach during the Christmas holidays. Her family and Max’s family had once done one of those winter vacations somewhere where the sun shone all the time, where they brought drinks to the beach, and where there was nothing more to do than to make sandcastles on the beach. She had hated it! She never told her parents, because it seemed important to them, and even her older sister seemed to enjoy it, but she was much more content when winters were spent in the snow and cold weather.

“Ok, we have to be quiet now,” she almost whispered to him, slowing down her pace as they slowly approached the biggest pond in the ravine, where kids and families would go ice-skating when conditions were optimal. Max had noticed on his way there that there weren’t many people around. It was a quiet Thursday afternoon, where was everybody? Maybe the snow had chased them away, but even the kids? He decided to push the thoughts away and just keep following his friend, carefully threading behind her. Suddenly he noticed a sort of mist, or glitter, or something not unlike the magic he had seen in movies. It was as if the snow was dancing in the air around them, but it wasn’t really cold. It felt warm and soft and welcoming.

“What…?” He started.

“Shhhh… just come with me,” she said so low that he could barely make out the words. He did as she instructed. Without uttering another word, he allowed her to lead him into a scene he would have never imagined possible.

The pond was, of course, frozen, but everything around it was… green! The flowers, the trees, the bushes, the grass… it was as if spring had arrived to just that part of the ravine. But how was that possible? As soon as they passed the threshold between winter and spring, it was a warm day, not unlike those gorgeous May days that brought Nature back to life. Out on the frozen pond stood a deer and her fawn (he thought immediately of Bambi when he spotted it), along with a bunny, a family of foxes (never mind that they were Arctic foxes. How was that even possible? He didn’t even bother to think about what was or wasn’t possible anymore). Bees and butterflies were happily feasting on the blooming flowers all around. Some other small animals, such as chipmunks and squirrels would show their faces before immediately going into hiding.

“How… but… I…” He whispered at a loss of words.

“I know. I noticed it earlier, but I had never seen it before today. I wonder if it has something to do with the time of day, or the time of the week, or the year… I have no idea. I wonder if it’s got something to do with us, or what, but here we are.” She whispered back, a big grin playing on her face.

They stood there a long while, observing, enjoying each moment, and hoping to be lucky enough to witness it again, before they slowly backed out, careful not to trip on their own feet. They had witnessed the unthinkable, and they were even happier now, ready to build a snowman that would welcome the early winter night.

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