| THE BLIZZARD
By Stephen Lake
The car died and slowly rolled to a stop in the middle
of the country lane. I fumbled for the ignition key and turned it, but
there was nothing.
‘What’s happened?’ asked Mum from the back.
I looked into the rear view mirror, but only saw shadowy figures of my
mother and my eleven-year-old daughter, Jenny, in the early morning gloom.
I knew I shouldn’t have taken this back road and watched as thick
snow flakes settled on the windscreen, now that the wipers weren’t
there to chase them away.
Jenny pulled the earpiece of her iPod away from her head. ‘Have
we broken down Mum?’
I nodded. ‘I guess so.’ I reached into my handbag for my mobile
phone and switched it on. The battery was dead. I should have recharged
it earlier, but I’d been too busy, what with Mum unexpectedly staying
the night and John out on call and not due back until tomorrow.
‘Will I be late for school?’
I sighed and nodded my head. ‘I should have rung them before we
set off. Because the weather’s so bad those who made it will probably
be sent back home.’
‘So what about me then?’ said Mum, leaning forward and gripping
the back of my seat.
‘I don’t know.’ I slapped the steering wheel in frustration.
‘I should have taken you home last night. The news on the telly
said it was going to be bad.’
‘You know I don’t like travelling in the dark,’ she
sniffed.
‘I know Mum, but surely with the weather like it is you could have
stayed another day.’
‘I miss the comfort of my own home,’ she said, haughtily.
‘And that’s all there is to it.’
I tried the mobile phone once more, but it wasn’t having any of
it. ‘Have you got your phone on you, Jenny?’
‘I think so, but like, I don’t think I have any credit left.
I think I used the last texting Emma earlier.’
‘Well check it then,’ I said, feeling a sense of foreboding.
I waited anxiously as the car quickly became covered in snow and the blizzard,
that had been raging since we got up this morning, rocked the car. This
stretch of road to the village where Mum lived was in the middle of nowhere
with the nearest house well over a mile away. I wondered if I should risk
walking for help then felt the car rock once more, maybe not. If only
John was here, he would know what to do.
Jenny was talking. ‘I’ve only got, like, enough for one short
text message. Shall I send it to dad?’
I shook my head. ‘Dad won’t have his switched on.’
‘I know,’ said Jenny, excitedly. ‘I’ll send it
to Emma. She, like, might not have set off for school yet.’
‘Why is she always saying the word, “like”?’ said
Mum, pursing her thin bloodless lips together.
‘Mum, not now.’
‘She should use the word, “like” in the context that
it was meant to be used. Not have every second word punctuated with it.
Why…’
‘I’ve sent it,’ said Jenny.
I ignored Mum as she rambled on.
When she grumbled to a halt a strained silence filled the car as we sat
in our own thoughts. The blizzard slowly began to ease, but I could feel
the temperature dropping as the icy coldness slowly penetrated the inside
of the car. I opened the glove compartment and found the torch we kept
for emergencies. At least this had brand new batteries in it with a pack
of spares. I switched it on, squinting as the bright light lit up the
gloomy car interior.
‘Can I play with it mum?’ said Jenny, her cold breath visible
in the air. I ignored her as I opened the door a crack then quickly shut
it again. It was freezing outside. I turned the ignition key again, hoping
the car would fire up, but there was nothing.
‘Leave it alone!’
‘I was only trying to see if it will start, Mum.’
‘Isn’t this exciting?’ said Jenny. ‘We are, like,
trapped here maybe for ever.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ snorted Mum folding her arms in front
of her and glaring at Jenny.
I turned round in my seat to stare at Mum. ‘This is your fault.
If you had stayed until this blizzard had passed we wouldn’t be
on this road and none of this…’
‘Mum, Emma has texted me back.’
I stopped in mid tirade and suddenly felt foolish. ‘Sorry Mum.’
She turned her head away to gaze at the snow covered window.
‘What does she say?’
‘She has told her dad, and rescue is on its way.’
I shivered and lifted my coat collar up. ‘Did you tell her which
road we are on?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Well, all we can do now is wait for help to arrive.’
The inside of the windows began to ice over and my face felt numb. It
was no good, I would have to climb into the back and huddle up for warmth
with my daughter and mother, but which one sits in the middle? Mum because
she is old and frail or Jenny because she has a life left to live? ‘How
are you feeling Jenny?’ I asked, rubbing my hands together to generate
some heat to my fingertips.
‘I’m O.K, Mum.’
‘And you Mum?’
‘I’m fine,’ she replied coldly.
That settled it. With difficulty, I climbed over the seat. ‘Shuffle
up Mum.’ I ordered. I sat one side of her with Jenny on the other.
‘Lift your legs onto Grandma’s lap,’ I said to Jenny.
Soon we were all snuggled together. It felt slightly warmer. ‘You
two can change over later.’
Time passed and I glanced at my watch. It was nine in the morning. We’d
been stuck here over two hours. Surely another car must come this way,
but who, apart from the stupid, would drive in this weather in the first
place? I thought of my warm duvet cover I was snuggled under earlier and
shivered. John normally does the school run. Beside me Mum began trembling
with the cold and when I touched my ears they felt numb. I quickly gave
them a rub to get the circulation moving.
‘How are we all doing?’
‘I’m fine,’ said Mum through gritted teeth.
‘I’m tired,’ said Jenny. ‘I just want to sleep.’
I leant over and shook her shoulder. I had read somewhere that it was
dangerous to sleep when you were cold. ‘Stay awake, Jenny. Don’t
fall asleep. Help will be here soon.’
Jenny yawned. ‘You said that ages ago.’
‘I know, sweetheart, but it won’t be long.’
‘Yeah, like whatever.’
Mum slapped her hands together. It sounded like a clap of thunder in the
tiny space. ‘Please speak properly, Jennifer,’ she barked.
‘One must learn how to use words correctly.’
‘MUM! This isn’t the time, O.K?’
‘We taught you to speak correctly when you were growing up...’
‘Are you saying I’m not a good mother? Because if you are…’
‘Will you two stop fighting?’ said Jenny, raising her voice
above us as we began shouting at each other.
Mum shook her head. ‘Whatever…’
‘Aha!’ interrupted Jenny. ‘You just said the word, whatever.’
Mum raised her chin defiantly. ‘I was about to use it in the right
context…’ she began.
‘Everyone just shut it,’ I said, feeling angry that we were
arguing, yet again.
Like the snowfall outside, silence descended on us once more...
I felt my head suddenly drop and with a start I realised I had fallen
asleep. I glanced at my watch. Another ten minutes had passed. I reached
out and shook Mum and then Jenny. ‘Wake up, come on, wake up.’
‘I feel lovely and warm,’ mumbled Jenny.
I shook her harder. ‘Wake up right this instant!’ I slapped
her on the head.
‘Ouch, stop it, mum,’ she cried, putting up an arm to stop
me.
‘And you Mum. Wake up, now!’
‘I wasn’t asleep,’ she said, her voice sounding croaky.
I blew into my hands and stamped my feet. My toes felt like little blocks
of ice. ‘We need to stay awake, all of us.’
‘During the war…’ said Mum.
I groaned. ‘Not now Mum.’
‘Where you in the war Grandma?’ said Jenny, her teeth clattering
together making it difficult to understand her.
Mum smiled, stretching the wrinkles on her face. I’d forgotten how
beautiful she was when she stopped scowling and I turned my head so she
couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away.
‘Yes, I was about your age,’ said Mum. ‘In times of
trouble we used to sing.’
Jenny sat up. ‘What kind of songs, Grandma? Can we sing some now?’
Mum laughed and nudged me in the stomach. ‘You too,’ she said,
staring for a second at the tears in my eyes. ‘We’re all going
to sing. Starting with a little rude ditty I heard during the blitz...’
The headlights of the recovery vehicle swept over a car part submerged
in a snowdrift. The driver checked a clipboard on the seat beside him
and confirmed it was the car he’d been looking for. He got out and
waded through the deep snow towards it. As he edged closer, he thought
he heard singing. He paused for a second then continued. Yes, it was singing
and it was coming from inside the car. He grabbed hold of a door handle
and yanked open the door to see two women and a young girl huddled close
together on the back seat. They began laughing as they turned as one to
look at him.
‘I’ve come to rescue you,’ he said, looking puzzled
at their grinning faces.
The old woman in the middle gently waved a hand in the air ‘Yeah,
whatever,’ she said.
Suddenly all three of them burst out laughing
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