Frozen, for Valentine’s sake

14Feb07

It was only when somebody walked up to our table, while we were having lunch, that we knew of the Winter Storm warning having been issued across the city. The morning snow was heavy – six inches expected, and Freezing Rain forecast for the afternoon, which forced offices and schools to shut down early for the day. So, two hours later, we were on our way home. Well, almost.

The Freezing Rain was already beating down our heads as we walked to the parking lot through the long stretch of land covered in thick snow, slipping with every other step, my jacket hood wrapping my head tight, eyes almost blinded white in the splattering ice, laptop in one of my gloved hands, and wiping my face every now and then with the other, a thin whoosh of wind escaping through the jacket’s hood buzzing as if mosquitoes caught in a storm were seeking refuge in my head.

After wrestling with the wind and a steady sleet to remove all the ice and snow around the car, we finally started to move from office. When we hit the road, it was unlike any other day. Cars and giant trailers moving at a speed not beyond twenty miles, a Highlander almost skidding on its turn near a signal, snow clearing vehicles diligently braving the heavy fall and paving way for the ones like us, and the vehicles trying their best to stay close behind the snow clearing ones, so that they get the best side of the road.

Minutes later, we managed to cruise at twenty miles an hour, having found a relatively safe path behind a train of cars following a snow clearing vehicle. After driving for thirty patient minutes, we realized we were running out of gas and detoured into a gas station. I pulled my hood back on, fastened my gloves, rushed to the dispenser, pushed the buttons in a freezing frenzy and reached for the piston. As the piston began gushing out the gas, I mustered enough courage to push my hood aside and take another look at the world around me.

The world outside was colorless. Like someone had painted the entire world with shades of grey and white. The leafless trees, the slippery roads looking wretched with ice and dirt, snow covered houses and shops, vehicles parked on the roadside as if they were being frozen for eternity. It seemed like Apocalypse was here and the Freezing rain was the harbinger of the four horsemen.

The world was moving in a slow motion. Slow moving cars, slow moving giant trailers, people walking slowly over the ice with utter caution protecting themselves from the rain, a child clutching its daddy’s hand and getting slowly into their car. Add the grayscales to that scene, and it was like watching the world move in a slow-motion, through a black and white television.

I replaced the piston back and jumped into the passenger seat. We resumed driving, thereby rejoining all those slow-moving entities that had conquered the earth for the day. We made it home twenty minutes later, to rediscover its warm comforts. The rain continued to splatter outside, and the world continued to move in a slow-motion. And a Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!

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