Winter Neighbor Pt. 1

Where I live there are long, cold, and snow covered winters as a prominent feature. Snow doesn’t fall in a gentle manner; rather torrential blizzards paint the city with a thick, white blanket. Normally I look at frigid winters with disdain; they are simply a barricade that keeps me trapped indoors. All that contempt changed with this last winter when a new couple moved down the street from where my family lives. After last year, winter became my favorite season of the year; a season that I wished would encapsulate my city with snow every day of the year.

The Previous Winter: 8 Months Ago

A loud knocking sound was heard as my mother thumped her fist against my door. My eyes opened slowly, early morning light leaking in from between my curtains and temporarily dazing me. A heavy sigh escaped my mouth as I became more coherent and realized the unfortunate truth, it was morning.

“Tyler, if I have to knock on your door one more time, I swear I will throw your ass out in the snow to wake you up!”

My eyes rolled at my mother’s empty threat, rolling onto my back. “Don’t worry mom, I’m up. Don’t have a heart attack and go make yourself some eggs.”

“Don’t get smart with me boy!” I heard my mom say with a laugh, followed by the sounds of her footsteps heading down the stairs.

I moved to where I was sitting on the edge of my bed, my feet pressing against the cold floor. Another sigh escaped as I stood up, moving all 5’ 10” of me towards the bathroom. After relieving myself, I stood at the sink washing my hands. I looked up in the mirror, noticing my dark brown hair was all over, not that bed-head annoyed me; it’s how I looked all the time. My eyes also glanced at my upper body, which was made easy by the lack of a shirt. I had recently started to work out since there was nothing else to do in the winter, and my chest and arms were beginning to show it. My brown eyes then caught themselves in the mirror, before I splashed water on my face and towel dried. After throwing on a tang top, I walked down stairs, chuckling to myself as I smelt eggs.

“Well it’s about time you got up; it’s almost 10 in the morning!”

“You don’t say, almost 10, is that what I heard?” I said with a grin on my face.

My mother chuckled, stirring the eggs in the pan. “Don’t get cute with me mister, I know where you sleep at night.”

A smile crossed my face as I sat down at the table, looking at the sports page of the newspaper.
“So you listened to me and made some eggs hah?”

“I figured you’d be too lazy to make yourself something.”

Another smile crossed my face as I lowered the paper down. “What do you have planned for today mom?”

“You mean after making your lazy-ass some breakfast? I plan to do some painting down in the basement.”

My mother was an amazing painter, and she sold her art in a local store for income. “Well speaking of breakfast, those eggs smell great.”

A plate was set down in front of me at the table, and I began to devour them. My mother sat down at an empty chair, drinking a cup of steaming coffee. “I also thought that since I’ll be down in the basement painting and can’t babysit you that you’d be able to shovel our driveway.”

I looked up at her, the smile fading from my face. A fresh two feet of snow had fallen during the night, and our snow blower had just broken the weekend before. “Are you kidding me? You want me to shovel that snow by hand?”

Her eyes rolled at me. “A shovel? Oh my goodness, how could I be so old fashioned? Oh wait, I’m pretty sure you’re 17 year old body can take it” she said with a sarcastic tone.

I could only laugh at her expression, before finally acknowledging I’d do it. I finished the rest of my eggs before my mother set down her coffee mug.

“There is one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Mrs. Jensen from across the street called this morning, her husband is out driving the truck again for the next few weeks. She was wondering if you could shovel her driveway as well.”

“You know I hate it when you volunteer me for this kind of stuff.”

“Who said I called her?”

I looked at her with an intense look, my eyebrow raising.

“Fine, I did, but only because her husband is out of town and she’s new to the neighborhood.”

“I thought so. You owe me twenty bucks and a new movie.”

“Ten bucks and a new movie.”

“Fine,” I said, shaking her hand to finish our sarcastic business deal before going upstairs to grab my snow gear.

Fifteen minutes later I was greeted by the breath of frigid air that Mother Nature had to offer my city. Stepping through the two-foot thick snow covered driveway and road to Mrs. Jensen’s home caused my legs to burn, even in the intense cold. I knocked on her door, trying to catch my breath from the journey. Apparently I hadn’t worked out enough! I heard the top lock being undone, and the door hand being turned. I was greeted with warm air on my face from the house, and the smell of coffee. Mrs. Jensen stood in the doorway.

“Yes, may I help you?” Her soft, soothing voice echoed in my head. This was the first time I had seen our neighbor this close, and I was trying not to stare. She stood in the doorway in a soft blue robe, with a white towel wrapped around her hair. Her soft green eyes were looking up at me from her smaller height of around 5’3”.

“Uh yeah, I’m Tyler, from over there,” I turned and pointed to my house. “I am here to shovel your driveway.”

“Oh yes, of course!” She said, a smile crossing her face. She lit up in my eyes with her smile, I found myself unable to take my eyes from her. “Thank you so much!