Ice Fog

It was minus thirty-eight degrees and Anchorage was covered in ice fog. The ice fog was so thick that even the streetlights were barely visible, managing only to give off a vague bluish mist. A throng of rooftops piled with snow too remained almost invisible, and the smoke billowing out of the chimneys at once became lost in a whirling dark haze. Flattop Mountain standing to the east disappeared as if off the face of the earth. A fierce cold wind picked up, and howling and raging, blew up against the sides of buildings and rattled the doors.

Dotty sat before the mirror. Even if the thermometer dropped to a bone-chilling minus fifty, or if unexpectedly there came a driving blizzard, still it would have no effect on her. It was Saturday night and all she cared about was going to Chilkoot Charlie's, dancing. For the past year she'd never missed a Saturday and she certainly wasn't about to miss one tonight. Tying her light blonde hair in a knot at the back of her head, she then patted her face with powder and put on some lipstick. She looked so full of life and so beautiful, and she liked how her features were strong yet gentle and that there was such a healthy pallor to her complexion. But the light in the room was dim and because of that she didn't catch the lines that had collected under her eyes or the gray strands of hair that had mixed in with the blonde. She only knew that when she went to Koot's (as Chilkoot Charlie's was affectionately called by its patrons) she was the prettiest one there and that the men flocked to her and vied for her attention.

At once an old man emerged in the doorway. He was a little on the paunchy side with white eyebrows and a large bald patch on his head. His face retained traces of a harshness and sturdiness found among men who had worked hard all their lives. He had been a diesel mechanic and had worked the trucks traveling to and from the lower forty-eight. With the support of his cane, leaning more to the right, he said with a concerned expression, "Dotty, you can't possibly be going out tonight. Haven't you looked out the window? It's freezing out there, and you can barely see a foot in front of you the ice fog is so thick. And what if you fall, you might hurt yourself."

Dotty returned to him with a bold look of indignation. Of course she was going out tonight; the last thing she wanted and on a Saturday night was stay at home and with him. She would be bored to tears listening to his endless ramblings and watching him rock back and forth in that old rocking chair. He would only spoil her mood. She wanted to party.

The old man continued to try and dissuade her; he muttered but this time with some authority, "It's a bad idea, Dotty. It isn't safe to drive."

Dotty became agitated. Who was he to tell her what to do, her father or maybe her grandfather? Who was he? Where did he even come from anyway? She thought long and hard and she became confused because she couldn't work it out. And then it struck her: that old man was her husband! She was horrified at the thought. How could that be possible? And his face was so pale and gaunt and his teeth were all cracked; why, he could barely stand he was so weak in the knees. Her stomach turned with revulsion as she tried to remember how it all came to be, but her thoughts only got mixed up and there came no answers.

She felt frustrated. She couldn't bring herself to understand that it was the concept of time giving her all the trouble.

The cab was already waiting for her in front of the house and the old man watched from the window. There was nothing much he could do. He was worn out and tired, and in the past year he had grown a great deal older, though his mind was still precise and very much aware. It was Dotty's mind that was becoming clouded and this weighed on him heavily. For a while now she couldn't remember things like where she put her keys or did she pay the electrical bill or did she let the dog back in? He had made a vow to always take care of Dotty and he never forgot that vow because he was in love with her as much now as when he first met her. Hobbling into the living room, turning on the television, he watched for maybe an hour, and then dozed off. The fireplace popped and crackled boisterously. Though there was warmth all around little nips rushed down his spine.