My First Snow

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I reached my office and found nobody else had arrived. I opened the door, switched on the lights, and sat at my desk. Soon the telephone jangled. As I picked it up on the second ring, I heard the voice of my chief engineer,”How many persons have come
to the office?”

“Sir, I’m the only one.”

“How could you drive through blocked roads?”

“Sir, I have the most reliable transport, my two feet.”

He chuckled. “Close the office, go home, and be careful while walking back.”

I thanked him and laid the receiver on the cradle. I closed the office and started my journey home. Luckily, one fast food chain, White Castle, was open. It sold hamburgers for ten cents each. I bought twenty hamburgers and walked back while whistling a jovial tune. Now joy was bubbling out of my jubilant heart, and I enjoyed tunneling through the snow.

As I stepped in my apartment building, the old land lady met me, and I greeted her.

“Rughby, did you go to your work?” she asked.

“Yes, but the chief engineer phoned me to close the office and sent me home,” I replied.

“How many reached your office?”

“I was the only one, since I have the best transport, my two legs,” I said, then added, “Well, I want to thank you for asking your minister to introduce me to Doris.”

“How did it go?” she asked.

“I think Doris likes me, and she has agreed to go on a dinner date,” I said. “I have one more question.”

“What’s that?”

“The sidewalks are slippery. I’m afraid she might slip and hurt herself. Should I cancel the date?”

“No, the sidewalks will be clear by tomorrow evening. You hold her arm while walking on the snow; she will be fine,” she said.

“Holding her arm? She will mind it.”

“Young man, you’re in America and not in India. If you don’t hold her arm and she slips; you won’t get another date from her.”

“I’ll be very careful.”

I had purchased new Ford Mustang to help me in my dating process. Next day was Saturday. The snowing had stopped, and the roads were being cleared. I dug up my car and cleared an opening from the parking lot to the main road. Other car owners thanked me, but I never told them that I did this because of my date.

At five in the evening, I got dressed in my new three-piece suit and drove my car to the parking lot of the apartments where Doris lived. I rang the doorbell and was admitted inside. Doris looked amazing in her white dress with white cap decorated with sequins. We came out. I seated her in my car and drove toward the restaurant. The roads were still slippery, but there were very few cars. As I came near a traffic light, it turned red. I jammed on the brakes. I was stunned at the results. The car swung through 180 degrees and stood facing the oncoming traffic. The driver in the car behind me was a kind person; he pulled back his car and waited. I requested that Doris trade places with me, and she managed to turn the car around and put it back on the road. I had never driven on snow and learned a good lesson.

We went to the restaurant and enjoyed the dinner. I had purchased tickets for the stage show. However, now I was too shaken up and requested that Doris drive back
home, and we would see the show on some other date.

As we stepped out, I firmly gabbed Doris’ arm and escorted her to the car. After that incident, I never drove the car on the snow covered road and always requested that Doris do that.

We got married, bought a home, and started a wonderful married life. Years slipped away. One evening, while watching heavy snow, our conversation turned to our first date.

“Rughby, why were you pinching my arm so hard on our first date?”

“Look, I was not pinching you, I was simply protecting my whole future. I was told that if you ever slipped, then you would never go on a date with me again. It was not fun for me. I was miserable and nervous, and the sweat was channeling down my spine. I felt awful and counted every step as we walked and thanked God.”

Doris gave me her bewitching smile, patted my hand, and said, “My poor Rughby and the snow.”

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