Chapter 14
DECEMBER 27th
Hugh's eyes opened to the sound of a blizzard. He got out of bed and walked up to his window. It had half-opened because of the storm.
The snow had got inside and melted on his bedroom floor. He latched the window and moped the floor. The blizzard didn't seem to stop. He checked the time on his cell phone. It was 05:43 AM.
“Well, if this doesn't stop, I won't be able to meet Iris today.” He sighed. He stayed up worrying about how he was going to manage to meet Iris if the blizzard didn't subside. She didn't even use a cell phone so that he could coordinate.
But secretly Hugh adored this habit of Iris about not using a phone.
He liked waiting. He liked not being able to talk to her the whole day and then seeing her in the evening. The patience made him drawn towards her. He liked the nervousness, he liked the tickle in his stomach before meeting Iris, he liked not knowing what she was up to the entire day and keep wondering.
But the blizzard had scared him. For the first time, he wished if she had any contact number at all. He took a quick shower and made his tea. He sat in front of his television with his cup of tea and switched on the news channel. The news said the storm wasn't going to stop at least till midnight.
“Bollocks! What must I do now?” He said.
He started strolling around in the living room, rubbing his hands together. His heart started to race. It was impossible to see Iris today. He then sat on the couch and looked at his ring. He turned the ring round and round in her finger and exhaled.
“I don't know what's happening to me, Olivia. I don't know why I am so restless. I didn't want to get so close to her, but I couldn't help. After leaving her house that day I thought I was never going to see her again. But I couldn't stop thinking about her. Something inside me compelled me to go to her cafe and ask her for Christmas Dinner.
After I left there, I couldn't believe it myself. What made me go so crazy to just walk into her workplace and do that? Her smile... I think it's her smile that made me so weak. Her smile is so warm, so real. You don't always meet people who smile with all their heart, do you?” He sighs and looks at the picture of them together outside Big Ben. “She is something else, Olivia. So generous, so beautiful. Did you notice her eyes when she came here? Blue as the ocean. And so deep that you just keep drowning into them.”
He chuckled, “And the way her lips curve up when she laughs. It makes her look so beautiful. She's so simple, so brilliant. I don't think I've ever seen a girl so beautiful after you. I thought I was never going to get so attached to anyone after you left. But I can't stop thinking about Iris. What shall I do Olivia? It's okay to go a day without seeing her right? I mean you and I have spent so many days without seeing each other before we got married.”
He shook his head and looked at his ring again. “But I want to see her all the time. I want to go and check on her if she's doing alright. It's ridiculous I know, but...” He turns behind and looks out the window. “Look the blizzard has stopped. Unbelievable!” He laughed excitedly. “This is a miracle. It's not snowing Olivia.”
He got on his toes and walked near the picture frames. “It would be stupid to step out of the house, right? Shall I go and meet her now? I am sure she's at home. Everything remains closed during a blizzard. Walking for three kilometers in the snow won't be easy and I can't take my car. Tell me, Olivia. Shall I go? I mean what if it starts snowing again by evening and we can’t meet each other at all today?”
He took a deep breath, “Okay! I am going to see her. It's stupid but I want to take a chance.” He smiled. “See you later Oliv.”
He wore two sweaters, his black overcoat, the round cap, gloves, boots, and steps out of the house. The snow had subsided, and the men were clearing the snow from the road with a shovel. He started to walk. His feet digging deep in the thick snow. His legs shivered. His teeth chattered and the water-vapor came out with each long exhale.
He walked terribly slow. But it was okay even if he reached there in the evening. All he wanted was to see Iris. He heard someone shout.
"Hey there mate, you should stay inside," said a man wearing a thick yellow windcheater and a cap. He had a shovel in his hand and was helping others to clear the snow.
Hugh waved at him. "That's alright. I have some important work." He managed to say through trembling lips.
The man shrugged his hands in the air in disbelief and started to work again.
Hugh continued walking. He could feel his cheeks burn with cold. His skin on the face felt stretchy and his hands felt numb.
A little ahead the snow was cleared from the road till as far as he could see. He improved his pace and got on the road from the snow. Now he could walk with a little speed. He kept walking but his legs were shaky.
He motivated himself. “Keep walking, don't stop. If you stop, you won't see Iris today. Keep walking, you don't want to spend your entire day wondering that you could have made it if you hadn't given up.”
He had successfully walked up to one kilometer. Everything was closed. No people on the road, no vehicles. He probably looked stupid to people, who were on their windows to admire the beauty of their village, but Hugh didn't care. The road ahead was filled with snow again.
He paused for a while and took deep breaths. He jerked his legs a few times to keep them warm. Then he slowly took a step ahead and dug his right foot deep into the snow. He took careful large steps. He checked his cell for a time. It had been an hour since he left home.
The clear road helped him cross one kilometer, but it was going to be difficult now. He started panting. He paused and took deep breaths again.
It's okay! It's okay! I can do this. I have to see Iris.” He mumbled and nodded to himself.
By taking large steps he started to walk again. The cold had made his legs numb. He couldn't feel his feet under his boots. He paused again on the snow and groaned. His knees started to shake. He looked up at the sky and started to inhale and exhale loudly.
He then took off his gloves and tucked them under his pockets. He joined his hands together and started to rub them. He kept rubbing until he felt the warmth in his palms. He then placed his palms on his cheeks. Rubbed again and touched his nose and forehead and then repeated it a few times.
When he felt better, he wore his gloves again. His legs were still shaky. He took baby steps. He got cramps in his legs and he limped while walking but he had completed another kilometer.
Men were clearing the snow on that road as well. Iris's house wasn't far now. He kept walking slowly. A few inches of the road were clear and a few inches with snow again. It got a little easier to walk since some parts were clear from the snow.
He didn't pause to catch a breath. He kept walking slowly and Iris's house was visible now. Just more than 100 meters to go. He beamed in relief. The road ahead was totally covered with snow. No empty road. He still kept limping while walking.