A Very Merryweather Christmas

A very merry job.

Daniel Stoll stretched his arms over his head, feeling his joints pop as he yawned. Dim sunlight filtered through his curtains.  He sighed in contentment. Weekends were his favourite, just as it was of every senior high school student, rotting in a whirlwind of tests, homework, pop quizzes, petty drama and social hierarchy.  Also a constant nag of hunger. Not some poetic sort of hunger for emotion or passion, or adventure or if you’re into that sort of stuff, then lust. He was just really, seriously hungry.

The fact that he heard a sound resembling that of some sort of dying animal, emerging from his lower abdomen was the only reason he got out of the cozy comforts of his bed. But then again, Daniel Stoll had the attention span of a butterfly; hence he got sidetracked by the outline of his window against the light blue curtain.

 He looked out only to see one of the most beautiful sights he could ever behold. The world was covered in a blanket of snow and it was by far, still the most awe-inspiring thing he could ever see. The crystal whiteness was accentuated by mysticism. The world never looked cleaner. Like a stark white canvas waiting to be painted on.

He daydreamed for a moment, wondered how it would feel to paint a portrait on the snow. A portrait of someone beautiful, like maybe Estelle? Wait, what…?

His stomach grumbled again, and that was his cue to get breakfast.

As he poured himself a bowl of lucky charms, a brown blob at the edge of the Merryweathers’ driveway, caught his eye. He looked closer only to make out someone swaddled in woolens carrying, no! Struggling with a ginormous shovel.

“Elle?” he questioned dubiously.

“Sure, looks like her.” His mother mused aloud chuckling silently.

The mother- son duo watched her walk to the end of the driveway.

“Ten bucks she’ll fall in the first ten minutes.” His mum whispered.

“Ten bucks she’ll fall in the first minute.” Dan countered.

“Oh! It’s on!”

Sure enough, Elle barely scratched the surface with her shovel, than she lost balance and tipped face- first into the snow.

Mother and son began chortling, while she reluctantly passed him a crumpled tenner and grabbed a spoonful of his cereal.

He swatted her hand away with a groan of annoyance. She chuckled looking at Elle fall again and then mumbled, “Dan, go help the poor thing! She’s going to be bruised and grumpy for tonight’s game night.”

He nodded, shrugging on his thick woolen jacket and snow shoes. He grabbed the snow shovel from beside the door and his baby sisters came running out from inside holding a rainbow colored muffler and cap.

“So you don’t get cold.” Rosie said giggling, clinging onto one leg. “Can we come too, maybe make pwetty snow angels? “Lily giggled clinging onto his other leg.

“After a while okay? Go have a bath and get all warm and bundled up, I’ll come and get you in a while.” He said kissing both their heads.

He walked out of the house and strode across to the little blonde girl still struggling with the heavy shovel.

“Use the top half of your body to get the shovel into the snow.” He said creeping up behind her. She let out a squeal of fright but then watched as he demonstrated.

She tried her hand at it and then managed an acceptable scrape. She beamed at him in pride and he chuckled continuing the work. She stopped to stare at him work. His cheeks were flushed with the effort and his nose red because of the frost. A chocolate colored lock fell across his pale forehead. She found herself smiling gently at him. His hazel eyes snapped to hers and she suddenly looked away, embarrassed. It wasn’t possible for her cheeks to get anymore flushed than they already were. She trained her concentration solely on the snowy ground and the hope of seeing a glimpse her grey driveway. But Daniel on the other hand, as afore mentioned on one occasion, had the attention span of a butterfly and hence he began humming a tune unfamiliar to Elle. She tried to make out the lyrics so that she could sing- along, but to no avail. She strained further and then swore under her breath.

“What?” he asked.

“Are you seriously singing the trash that plays in shopping malls with fake snow, everytime Christmas comes around.”

“Did you just call feliz navidad trash?” he questioned incredulously, his eyebrows shooting up. 

“Yes?”

 "FELIZ NAVIDAD! FELIZ NAVIDAD1 

“Feliz Navidad, feliz navidad. Feliz navidad, prospero anyo, feliz y dad.”  he sang in his loudest, and most obnoxious voice.

"Ugh!" she muttered, but allowed herself a small smile as  soon as his back was turned. Around three and a half, loud and obnoxious songs later, she caught a glimpse of her driveway causing her lips to pull up in a smile. She continued working and soon enough her side was complete.

She whirled around yelling “HA!” and pointing at Dan who was standing in A clean driveway, leaning on his shovel and staring at her.

“HA! HA!” he replied sneakily as he burst into a fit of chortles.

“I hate you!” she muttered kicking the shovel from under him and laughing as he fell into the heap of snow fencing the driveway.

“HA! HA! HA!” she exclaimed pointing again. He kicked her legs from beneath her and she heard a distinctive “HA! HA! HA! HAAA!” as he senses were surrounded by the old snow.