Snow Day

My phone rings at 7am, waking me from a quality dream.
"Look outside" you whisper
"What? Who? What time is it? Go back to bed"
"Look outside"
I get out of bed and stagger to the window, phone in hand



"It's snowing" I say
"Would you like to come to the park and play in the snow with me?" you ask
"Yes please" I reply

I dress quickly and brush my teeth. I dig out a pair of gloves and a scarf from the cupboard and leave the house.
It's about an hour before sunrise. Everything looks blue, clean, alien. The sound of my shoes against the ground brings back memories from my childhood, back when it used to snow every winter and we'd spend days off school sledging down hills and stuffing snowballs down each-other's coats. I love snow.

I assume that the tubes won't be running so I take the bus. The commuters are grumbling, the "fucking snow" has made them late. These people have forgotten what really matters. I bounce up and down in my seat and strain to see out of the steamed up windows.
We roll down the high street past boarded up buildings, smashed up telephone boxes, Poundland. Usually a soul-crushingly ugly and dead place, the high street is now alive, beautiful, magic. I wipe tears from my eyes and dial your number. You pick up after one ring.
"I'm on the bus, almost there" I say "where shall I meet you?"
"Don't worry about that, I'll find you"
"No, come on, where?"
You hang up.

We come to my stop and I wave goodbye to all the passengers. Only an old drunk waves back. I jump off and walk through the park gates.

The park is empty apart from a few dog walkers. I can't see you anywhere. I sit down on a bench and wait.
A snowball hurtles past me, smashing against the bench. I stand up and turn around. The next one hits me square in the face.
I duck, narrowly escaping another blow to the head. I hear you running up behind me. I swivel round and you jump on top of me knocking me to the floor. Your cheeks are pink and your eyes wild. I haven't seen you in weeks.
"Hello" I say
"Did I surprise you?"
"No"
"Yes I did"
"Okay, yes you did"
"Close your eyes"
I close my eyes. You put your face right up close to mine, so that the tips of our noses are touching. I can smell your mouthwash. I am expecting you to kiss me but instead you shove snow down the front of my jumper. It's colder than anything. I open my eyes and grab a handful of snow. You run off, laughing and I chase after you.


"Everything looks so much nicer with snow on it, don't you think?" I say, lying next to you on the ground, soaking wet and shivering
"It will all be gone soon"
"You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather
Nothing can ever stay gold"
"That's the theme to 'The Outsiders'"
"I know"
You lean over and kiss me on the forehead. I find your hand and hold it.
"Let's move to Greenland"
"Okay, when?"
"When all the snow has melted"
"Okay"
"As soon as it's all gone we'll go"
"Okay"
"We'll jump on a plane and be there in no time. We'll buy a little house in the woods with shutters on the windows and a stable door. We'll get a husky dog and a goldfish. And we'll spend every day playing in the snow. Every day will be a perfect one, like today"
"Okay. Let's stay right here and wait for the snow to melt so we can go"
"Okay"

And we wait.