Memories in Winter

It was a cold night in the town of huperfield. Winter has come and snowflakes were slowly falling somewhere above the sky. Candle lights were flaring from the  windows of neighbouring houses and from the lamposts which  hung about at the corner of the  streets and  alleyways. Right next to the bridge, with it's  freezing stream beneath it, rested an aisle under those leafless poplars and maple trees that once glowed as orangee as sunset which leads to a farm and a brickwork tavern that was built a while ago by a widow's deceased husband and soon was bequeathed to her only son who has decided to marry a former governess whom he has loved and cherished for years despite of her incapabilities to bear a baby of their own. However, they have snow who  came to them 15 years ago one winter night when the snowstorm swept across the village. Now she has grown up as woman of fine features and now busied herself hiding her bow and arrows under the shelf that rested near her bed. Upon hearing the crunch of footsteps in the corridor, snow hopped up to her bed. It must've been margaret "why is she coming in my room this late at night? did she caught me by the window?" she wandered and whispered to herself half devoured by her fears as  if being caught by her benefactress would render her liable to a dreadful punishment. But neither margaret nor john will burden her such unimaginable penalty. It's just she was frightened to disappoint both of them  they were nice people and she owe them her life. Now she gazed upon that fine wrinkled face of a woman who appeared in her door  holding a lighted lamp by a hand with those golden keys she has relinquished and was tucked on her bony fingers and a paper on the other.

Margaret's  voice broke the silence as she landed the lamp and keys on the table.

" I doubted if you were asleep so I went upstairs...."

Snow let a fancy chuckle escape from her,, " owwhhh..!! yess margaret. Im still fully awake since i'm having a new book to read tonight.." she said telling her bold lies.

" I advice you to go rest early since it's winter vacation snow," she responded while lighting snow's candle.

" Ow yes I will, but did you just come here to check if I am asleep??"  she asked,

" NO, snow, I have come to tell you that a young lady and a young master from the city would like to take their winter vacation here in the tavern.."

"Who are they? and why did they want to spend their winter vacation here? did you know them??"  she wondered and asked..

" I do, the young lady was the youngest daughter of a very respectable family where I used to be a governess before I marry john. And  the young master's her cousin for about her age. They wished to help in the farm as well as in the tavern and also to see the mountains" she replied with her casual calm voice dressed with sterness.

" owh! and that young master will go for hunting right?? " snow's eyes sparkled as if beholding a diamond for the first time.

"He wished to go but the chairman didn't approved it and so I am. For it is quite dangerous to go so, probably during this cold weather and they are not bringing any guards with them here. John will be the one to fetch them at the bus station and make them ride in a carriage" she replied.

snow's excitement vanished," Oh, is that so?? then when were they coming?"

" tomorrow  they will be here. Be nice to them snow, probably  towards the young lady..She surely is different from  you since she has grown up in a different society. I ordered john to prepare the opposite room for the young master and you will be sharing room with the young lady," Said margaret picking up again her lamp and keys on the table.

Snow dismounted from her bed and said with great resentment, "oh no margaret, you know I can't share my room to anyone. Not to a city girl! I mean, I can't share it because sometimes I forgot to clean my mess in here.." she explained.

Margaret who was still unconvinced, without a word, she took a step closer to give her a hug and bid her goodnight. Ere long, the door shut before her and silence reigned throughout the chamber.

Snow who was left unresolute and has nothing to do but to stir her hair and walked here and there throughout the room.

" Oh no! now I couldn't just sneak out for hunting ! " she murmured, and when unable to think of anything, she shouted.

" What should I do noww!!!!"her voice echoed throughout the tavern..

John who busied himself replenishing the feeble fire in the hearth upon hearing snow's scream  upstairs, can't help it but to laugh with the sensation.  Margaret came with a lamp on her hand and who has now perched herself in a stool right beside her husband's. The fire in the hearth has begun to roar, she extinguished the light on her lamp and said,,

" Snow has grown up. It's been a while since she came to us .."

" You are acting odd these days, haven't you told her about you sending her into college?" asked john with a piece of wearies in his voice.

"No my dear, not this time, but I assure you it never burdened me anymore. I would be much grateful to see her live in a comf'table life and marry someone like you who will love with all his might as what you have done to me. We will not be around forever to see her get old. I wished they would get along well enough with the young lady, " She said, her voice trembled as if she was about to cry. But her valiance forbids her to  do so.

John stood  up to bestow on his wife a soft kiss on her fine wrinkled forehead...

" I am so proud having you as my lifetime companion margaret. And that I would sleep well tonight seeing you smile.. "

Snow woke up the next morning with the same thought. Hopeless as she was last night. But as she drew up the curtain, she was amazed by the sparkling frost on the branches of  poplar as it caught the light from the morning sunshine. She then saw john came out with the shovel to get rid of those snow that covers the pathway. She went to her shelf to put on her cloak and rushed outside from her chamber leaving the door ajar. She passed through the corridors and on the spiral brickwork staircase which leads to the kitchen. There came margaret wearing her apron, she was preparing dishes for the visitor's arrival.

" Did you slept well ??" margaret asked  while stirring the boiling soap.

Snow stooped down to put on her leather boot and replied, "Yes I did margaret !" ,she smiled as if nothing happened last night.

" I thought john is going to the bus station

this morning to fetch the visitors.." she asked and was her last word not waiting for her to respond..

" Hey! where are you heading now??!"  margaret called wiping her wet palms with her apron.

" I'll help john to shovel the snow! goodmorning margaret!" was her reply. She walked away wearing her pure lively spirit, with her cloak trailing in the snow. She stooped down to pick a handfuls of it and tossed it to the wind.. "Yohoooo!!!!!! " she rejoiced. "hey john! did you still remember when I was a kid and you tossed this thing to my head!? you know I felt like I was being hit by a rock back then that I cried and called out for margaret.." she laughed reminiscing those times.

John chuckled and responded ,,

"That was the moment margaret scold me of what I did to you, she warned me that if I do it again, she would burn my hair out"

They laughed at each other. John used to play with her when she was a kid, and he could barely recall those tiny footprints in the frontyard when the snow layed so deep one cold morning a few years ago.

"You know margaret has always been like that. Last night, she told me I was going to share room with a young lady . Wasn't it disgusting john? I don't think i'll be comf'table with her and so her to me.."

john put down the shovel and patted her cloaked reckless shoulders.

" You are a good person snow, and everything about you is beyond agreeable. You have that blazing spirit as warm as fire which could give light and hope to anyone and anything around you. And that what makes you so rare and valuable "

"I am ?? "

" of course,  you know I have to tell you something right now but this is a secret ok?? I don't think if margaret has the courage to tell you about this. She fancied herself last night that it will never burdened her anymore, but I am quite certain she lied to me about what she really felt within. I would like to tell you myself because I want you to know what really is happening right now, and that you will understand why we are doing this. You see that poplar near your window?" john raised his arm while  his finger pointing to the leafless tulip poplar which stood opposite to her chamber window.

" what do you mean that poplar out there? did she ordered you to cut it out? I forbid it." She responded with a higher tone but still muddled of everything and just predicted what was john is about tell her.

" No snow, that tree will resemble you. It will loose it's leaves in a right time required and let it come back in the right time too"

" Am I going somewhere??"

" You are going into college," he rushedly replied and paused for a moment, snow gazed at him, as if being hypnotized by the sensation.. " Am I hearing it right?? Am I leaving huperfield? what is waiting for me when I go away from here? did they want me seek for who really I am ? " , she whispered to herself ..

" because we were sending you and you will leave with the young lady who is coming today." he continued.

"didn't it grave margaret ? if she didn't want me to go then I wont, I don't need college anyways, I am happy in here " she responded while kicking a piece of snow in her boot.

" you have to snow, for like that poplar out there, you have to be  fully prepared for a bigger phenomenon that is about to happen in your life. You shoudn't waste your time straying and hunting in the wilds with those bow and arrows you were hiding right there. You have to get out and venture for a longer path in your life. Listen to me, you know right this moment I will tell you, that from the very first time you came to us, I knew you are special, there is something in you I couldn't just tell, you have to get out of here and know many things around you. Remember you couldn't make use of your strenght. But you could always use what you have in your head. And don't tell anybody about me telling this to you, ok? not even margaret or to the wind"

He whispered to her. He unwore his necklace that he has been wearing for years, and he put it around her neck. "My grandfather gave it to me when I was a little boy, he forged it himself and it shielded me all this time. Now it has found it's new home" he smiled and when not hearing anything from snow, he picked up his shovel and took his step away.

A cold wind came from the east  causing her cloak to sway in the air. Snow who has been  puzzled of everything she has heard from john, has watched him  heading his way to the backyards to prepare the carriage for a longer journey this morning.

"What is he talking about? " she wondered.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***