The district supervisor called to cancel school for the fourth day in a row. Of course the sound of unglued children’s rapture bounded across the neighborhood. Even winterized windows and insulated walls couldn’t hold in the excitement.
In the morning while The Kids ran down the street to go sledding, I dug through every drawer and shelf two and three times over looking for that damn left glove.
“Every rat finking winter.” I mumbled at the socks and underwear.
“That’s because The Husband never listens to me.” The Wife said with not a small amount of gleeful I told you so hidden in the undertones.
“Right.” I slammed the drawer shut. “Kick me when I’m down why don’t you?”
“I tell The Husband every time we pack up the winter clothes.” The Wife took two steps into the room and sat on the edge of our bed. “Shove your gloves into your jacket pockets. That way The Husband will know where to find them when it gets cold again.”
“I thought I did.” I shut the last of the dresser drawers throwing my hands up in defeat. “I’ll make a trip to Jimmy Jobs tomorrow and pick up another pair.”
“Fine.” The Wife chuckled. Her head turned to the window before I heard the noise. Everything in the room vibrated along with the cracking rumble.
“Well that sounded un-good.” We went to the window. Outside, both of The Kids were running away from the house. Laughing and jumping through the snow, their bodies shimmered in the bright sunshine bouncing as they ran over the layer of frozen white spreading across the neighborhood.
The Kids raised up hands filled with long gleams of light. Icicles pulled from where they hung from the roof on the side of the house. One end flat from its cracking spot. The other end where the drops of water dribbled down to a thin point before freezing. They stabbed through the light ahead of them vanishing for a moment into a space The Wife and I could not see.
“Look The Father and The Mother.” The Kids shouted gleefully. “Look at our wonderful swords!”
The Wife and I nodded while we waved and smiled.
“Beautiful.” The Wife mouthed through the glass.
“Very nice.” I clapped my hands together and squeezed.
“Shall we play at war with them The Mother?” The Kids pointed the icicles to the sky. “Shall we show you what we can do with them?”
“Oh yes, please.” The Wife bounced up and down on her stockinged toes.
I opened the window poking my head into the chilly day. “Why don’t you go and see if the neighbors are home? They might want to play at the war with you.”
“Yes The Father.” The Boy Kid said bowing his head obediently.
“Oh The Father. What an absolutely wonderful idea.” The Girl Kid smiled with her sing song voice. She followed The Boy Kid across the yard leaving soft prints in the snow. Hiding the icicles behind their backs, The Kids knocked on our neighbor’s door.
The Kids stood so calm and so still. Their shadows short on the mid day sunlight snow. The Boy grabbed the doorknob. Pushing through, The Kids entered the house vanishing into the darkness of the neighbor's front hallway.
I looked on impatiently with The Wife. My skin ached against the icy wind coming through our open bedroom window. The Wife took my hand and squeezed. I lifted her fingers to my mouth kissing each of the fourteen knuckles gently.
“Do you hear anything?” The Wife asked caressing her mouth through the thinning hair on the back of my head.
“They’ll be home soon.” I whispered. “Be still and allow The Kids their fun.”
“We’ll have to move again.” She sighed. “Too bad. I like it here.”
“That’s the wonderful thing The Kids discovered.”
“What is that The Husband?” She asked. “What have The Kids found?
“Ice, The Wife.” My chest puffed with pride.
The Kids emerged from the darkened door glittering smiles across their faces. The Girl dropped her icicle on the front steps where it shattered into a handful of pinkish wet slabs.
The Boy followed shortly after holding half of his frozen sword. The point broken off leaving a flat circle of dripping red on the end. Throwing it high into the air, The Boy screamed. His voice cracked breaking the shout from a high pitched boy cry to a slightly deeper grunt.
“Ice.” I squeezed The Wife’s hand and closed the window.
In the morning while The Kids ran down the street to go sledding, I dug through every drawer and shelf two and three times over looking for that damn left glove.
“Every rat finking winter.” I mumbled at the socks and underwear.
“That’s because The Husband never listens to me.” The Wife said with not a small amount of gleeful I told you so hidden in the undertones.
“Right.” I slammed the drawer shut. “Kick me when I’m down why don’t you?”
“I tell The Husband every time we pack up the winter clothes.” The Wife took two steps into the room and sat on the edge of our bed. “Shove your gloves into your jacket pockets. That way The Husband will know where to find them when it gets cold again.”
“I thought I did.” I shut the last of the dresser drawers throwing my hands up in defeat. “I’ll make a trip to Jimmy Jobs tomorrow and pick up another pair.”
“Fine.” The Wife chuckled. Her head turned to the window before I heard the noise. Everything in the room vibrated along with the cracking rumble.
“Well that sounded un-good.” We went to the window. Outside, both of The Kids were running away from the house. Laughing and jumping through the snow, their bodies shimmered in the bright sunshine bouncing as they ran over the layer of frozen white spreading across the neighborhood.
The Kids raised up hands filled with long gleams of light. Icicles pulled from where they hung from the roof on the side of the house. One end flat from its cracking spot. The other end where the drops of water dribbled down to a thin point before freezing. They stabbed through the light ahead of them vanishing for a moment into a space The Wife and I could not see.
“Look The Father and The Mother.” The Kids shouted gleefully. “Look at our wonderful swords!”
The Wife and I nodded while we waved and smiled.
“Beautiful.” The Wife mouthed through the glass.
“Very nice.” I clapped my hands together and squeezed.
“Shall we play at war with them The Mother?” The Kids pointed the icicles to the sky. “Shall we show you what we can do with them?”
“Oh yes, please.” The Wife bounced up and down on her stockinged toes.
I opened the window poking my head into the chilly day. “Why don’t you go and see if the neighbors are home? They might want to play at the war with you.”
“Yes The Father.” The Boy Kid said bowing his head obediently.
“Oh The Father. What an absolutely wonderful idea.” The Girl Kid smiled with her sing song voice. She followed The Boy Kid across the yard leaving soft prints in the snow. Hiding the icicles behind their backs, The Kids knocked on our neighbor’s door.
The Kids stood so calm and so still. Their shadows short on the mid day sunlight snow. The Boy grabbed the doorknob. Pushing through, The Kids entered the house vanishing into the darkness of the neighbor's front hallway.
I looked on impatiently with The Wife. My skin ached against the icy wind coming through our open bedroom window. The Wife took my hand and squeezed. I lifted her fingers to my mouth kissing each of the fourteen knuckles gently.
“Do you hear anything?” The Wife asked caressing her mouth through the thinning hair on the back of my head.
“They’ll be home soon.” I whispered. “Be still and allow The Kids their fun.”
“We’ll have to move again.” She sighed. “Too bad. I like it here.”
“That’s the wonderful thing The Kids discovered.”
“What is that The Husband?” She asked. “What have The Kids found?
“Ice, The Wife.” My chest puffed with pride.
The Kids emerged from the darkened door glittering smiles across their faces. The Girl dropped her icicle on the front steps where it shattered into a handful of pinkish wet slabs.
The Boy followed shortly after holding half of his frozen sword. The point broken off leaving a flat circle of dripping red on the end. Throwing it high into the air, The Boy screamed. His voice cracked breaking the shout from a high pitched boy cry to a slightly deeper grunt.
“Ice.” I squeezed The Wife’s hand and closed the window.