I wasn't paying attention. It was an accident. "Papa, I swear! It wasn't on purpose. No! Not the freezer! Papa, please!"
It was too late. He closed the door. The walk in freezer never held food, it was only a toture tool to my grandfather. He kept it set at 30 degrees. Ten minutes each time to keep me from getting frostbite. At least he let me keep my socks this time.
I sat away from the cooling vents and curled into a ball. I learned not to cry after the first few times. They froze on my cheeks and Papa would rub a boiling hot wash cloth on my face to get rid of them.
I waited. And waited. I was numb everywhere. 598, 599, 600 seconds... He wasn't opening the door. 601, 602, 603... Maybe he went upstairs and was coming back down. 604, 605, 606... I got up, it had passed ten minutes. 607, 608, 609... I knocked on the door lightly, "Papa?" 610, 611, 612... No answer. Oh God, was he leaving me? 613, 614, 615... My eyes started to water against my will. 616, 617, 618... All I did was drop a plate. It wasn't even one of the China. 619, 620, 621... I knocked louder as tears began to roll down my cheeks and freeze, "Papa?"
I could feel my skin tightening- frost bite. He was leaving me here. The plate was the last straw, I broke the camels back. I was going to freeze to death.
