Warm Winter

Chapter 1

"Mariana! Ven aca por favor!" Abuela calls out from the kitchen. The kitchen smelled of different varieties of chili's, rice, chicken, and other spices as the sound of Moviendo Las Caderas echoed throughout the walls of the house, as my Abuela swayed her hips to the rhythm of the music while cooking. The smell of smoky habenero and jalapenos filled my nostrils and filled me with absolute delight. "¿Que Abuela? What is it?" I lean against the counter, waiting for her response.

"Chili harvest! Go! Vamos! " She barks, as she continues cutting vegetables. I nod, as I quickly slip on my shoes, and get a bright idea that I knew was going to have my ass handed to me by a pair of chanclas If anyone in the family knew or told Abuela, but I was used to it anyway. Latin families are crazy like that but no one ever messes with a crazy Abuela that can cook your meal just as fast as she can beat your ass. Normally the chili's are planted outside in the backyard, but with the cold season, we needed to place them where the sun would hit them the most so luckily the chili's were in the front yard. Was I going to actually harvest them? No.

Anunciación actually already started the harvest a bit before me, so I figured to let her do it this time. "Hola Mariana! Where are you going?" She politely inquires, as she stood up dusting the dirt off her pants. I didn't think this through, I didn't think of a believable lie before-hand. "Abuela needs ingredients for dinner tonight! So she's sending me to the store." I breathed heavily through my words, hoping Anunciación couldn't tell I was lying. "Dios mio.. Mariana, I'm not estupido. You're skipping out on harvest again aren't you?"

"Sí, please don't tell Abuela.. please? I never go anywhere and I've always done every harvest every year. For your little sister do me this solid?"

"Fine. I won't say anything.. Just be careful okay Mari? " Anunciación was obviously worried about this, I could see it in her eyes that she knew something that I didn't. "Oh Sí! Gracias Hermana!" I wrap my arms around her, before leaving quickly to go walk around the neighborhood. Our neighborhood was always loud, brimming with life actually. After all, Spanish folk do love their Quinceañera's, their dios los mirrors, to even as simple as FIFA night or just at home cooking while listening to Latin music and swaying our hips and bodies to the rhythm of the music while cooking or cleaning. Around the corner from my neighborhood, was a much quieter neighborhood one not brimming with life, but worn with age and desolate.

As I continued walking, that rhythm began to play in my head. I started snapping my fingers to the beat, swaying my hips to the rhythm, and letting the music course through me while humming 'Criminal' by Nattie Natasha. It took away the creepy dark desolate feeling I was getting from this particular neighborhood and rather filled it with life. That was until I bumped into someone due to not really watching where I was going, falling over them against the concrete.

He didn't scold me, or really say anything actually. He'd looked up to the looming sky with his piercing fierce amethyst eyes. This man was much different from most I've met. My heart began palpitating and beating faster and faster. I sat up, moving myself off of him. "Lo siento! I'm so sorry!" I profusely apologized, holding my arm out to him. He looks into my dark brown eyes with his piercing amethyst eyes, and lifts himself up but not making me do too much work. He lets a small chuckle emit from his lips, "It's alright, I'm not angry." He spoke with a thick heavy Russian accent.

"I'm Mariana, by the way." I spoke up, introducing myself to the other.

In fact, he was far from angry. He was distracted actually. He didn't stop looking into my eyes, just staring into them, forgetting to speak. In fact, he'd only really blinked maybe once or twice. "Oh! I'm Maxim." He mustered up, after filling an an awkward silence.

"Do you live around here?" I inquire, starting to make small talk. Considering he was Slavic, she didn't want to assume whether he was a foreigner or a resident of these parts. She felt it better to actually understand him first, rather than to assume.

"Da." He pointed to the house we stood next to. Lined with a picketed fence, an empty bottle of vodka lying in the soil, cracks going through the concrete, and the entire house had looked worn down and aged. In fact, it was rather sad. "What about you? Do you live in the neighborhood?"

"Yes I do actually, it's hard to miss with all the Latin music, the smoky spices blowing out the windows, and the screaming cheers of my Abuela screaming at the game. " I chuckled softly, pointing to where my house is located. There was a very huge contrast between our two neighborhoods. Mine was brimming with life and music and family surrounded everywhere. His was alone, cold, and desolate. In other words, his felt like a lonely winters day while mine was a warm fun filled summers day.

"Abuela?" He mispronounced, but at least tried to make the effort. "I'd heard that name before, it's like a babushka. Mine used to take me out into the snow and leave me." He spoke up, making small talk which had seemed he wasn't very used to.

"That's awful! No grandmother should leave their little child out in the cold like that! It's just so inhumane!" My voice rose defensively, I always spoke this way when I was deeply passionate about something or against something. I gently placed my warm hands over his cold icy ones, rubbing my thumb tenderly against the palm of his hands.

"Thank you for protecting me against my past, but it's fine." He cautiously stepped closer awaiting approval or disapproval as to if this was okay or not. I simply nod and stepped closer to him as well.

"Even the cold needs to melt away for there to be room for things to grow and thrive for a while. In winter, you need warmth to survive, and in summer, you need winter to shake off the burning hot sweaty heat. Winter and summer work hand in hand together. There's no reason for you to be alone." I feel so empathic for him, in fact, I want to hug him. Let him know that he's not alone anymore. I wrap my arms around him, hoping that this was okay.

"I understand now why people do this, it's so simple yet meaningful.." He elates a sigh of content, wrapping his arms around my waist rubbing circles onto the small of my spine "It's so.. intoxicating. I'm really happy to have met you, Mariana." He smiles softly. "I am happy to have met you too, Maxim." I reply, leaning my head into his chest. He cradled me ever so gently, leaning his head on top of mine.

My heart was conflicted. I loved him. But it was also too soon for me to really know if I truly loved him or not. I shouldn't rush this, but I was falling harder and harder the more this encounter went on.

Our bodies this close to each other balancing the cold and warm out was a warm winter. I actually loved it.

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A/N

Mariana! Ven aca por favor: Mariana! Come here please!

Moviendo Las Caderas: A Latin music band

Dios mio.. Mariana, I'm not estupido.:

My God .. Mariana, I'm not stupid.

Quinceañera's: 15th birthday

Hermana: Sister

Gracias: Thank you

Sí: Yes

Abuela: Grandmother

Da: Yes in Russian

Babushka: Grandmother in Russian