After the snow, the wind quiets and the light fades. A deepening cold hastens my footsteps. I pass the brook where a layer of ice mutes its murmuring and gaze at the darken windows of my father’s house. Is he sleeping, tucked warm under old quilts?
A key rests in my pocket. I’ll unlock the door, switch on the lamp, and sing “Hi, Dad! Time for supper!” He’ll call down the stairs. “Light the fire! Wood’s in the grate.” We’ll eat hot tomato soup with cheese on brown bread, careful not to rock the card table perched in front of the fireplace.
After the dishes are washed, we’ll play Scrabble until the clock chimes eight. Then he’ll suggest mugs of cocoa and store-bought ginger cookies. “Stay overnight,” he’ll say as he brushes off the crumbs.
I’ll sleep in my old bed and fry eggs in the morning as coffee brews. Before I leave, I’ll shovel the front walk and promise to bring more groceries. Then I’ll pick up my walking stick and be off with the warmth of another morning sun on my back.
The Ekphrastic Project (Northumberland Festival of the Arts, 2024) Local artists from Cobourg Art Club teamed up with writers from Spirit of the Hills Writers Group to produce ekphrastic art – one art form inspired by another art form.
This story was inspired by Ron Backwell’s painting “After the Snow.”
