The Baseball

Chapter 1: The Blizzard

"No! Mom I am not going to the Pegro's for the last time!" Ava yelled from her bedroom. The Pegro's are disgusting, Ava thought. She shivered under her multiple blankets at the thought of staying at their house. Of course she couldn't say this because the Pegro's are close friends of her mom's.
"So you just want to stay here and freeze? Okay the blizzard won't kill you. Make sure you go grocery shopping and unfreeze the pipes while you're here alone!" Ava's mom paused for a moment before letting out a deep breath. "Ava your sister and brother are going without complaining so why can't you?"
"The only reason they aren't complaining is because they are cold. I am not because I am wearing blankets and coats and socks and staying warm!"
"Ava if you want to speak to me, come down stairs!"
" No! I'm not getting up!"
"Well you're coming and that is that!"
"Mom...!"
"Nope I'm done with you. Pack your bag Ava we are leaving in half an hour."
"Fine!" Ava heard her moms footsteps lead away from the stairs. She hopped out of her bed, throwing all the million blankets aside.
Grabbing a bag, she shoved clothes randomly in it. All the essentials and her snow pants. Josie would want to play in the snow and Colton can't with his broken leg.
Matter of fact, Colton broke his leg because of Max, the oldest Pegro. Tackle football is not fun with a kid the size of a hot air balloon. Poor Josie got sat on by his other brother, the youngest Pegro. Joshua is literally a miniature version of Max. They have the same mop of brown hair, hot air balloon structure and sausage neck.
Ava trudged downstairs, dragging the bag behind her.
"Josie is already in the car with Colton", mom said without looking at Ava. "I know you don't want to go but there is no where else with heat and food."
Ava opened the door and turned her head immediately from the wind. It seemed to carry little bullets in it. Now she understood how she could not stay home alone. There is no food, power or heat. The front door's hinges don't even connect because of how old they are. Ava has lived in this house since she was born and same as her mother. Nothing was ever fixed in this house; even the floorboards creaked and the oven was rusted.
Hurrying out to the car, Ava ducked her head towards the ground to stop the snow bullets from hitting her face. Nearly 3 feet of snow already covered the ground.
Mom already started the car and it was warm inside.
"Ava shut the door, quick!" Josie said as Ava scrambled into the car. "Do you think dad will be okay in this cold?"
"Josie, you listen to me right now." Ava said. "Dad has a beautiful house in heaven. It has heat and a big pool like he always wanted. The floorboards don't creak and the doors are in all hinges. Nobody gets hurt or sick."
"Do you think we can go visit daddy in his pretty house instead of the Pegro's. I don't like them."
"I promise Josie you ῳıƖƖ see dad again some day. It might not be soon but you will. And can I tell you a secret?" Ava gestured for Josie to come closer then cupped her hand around her ear. "Joshua has a fear of wet dirt."
"WET DIRT?" Josie said on the edge of breaking out into a hysterical laughter. She is the kind of girl who will pull a prank on Joshua for fearing wet dirt.
"Daddy loved gardening. All the pictures we have of him are of him in a garden. Do you know what's in a garden Jo?"
"Wet dirt!" she said laughing hysterically.
"Will dad's body float away when all this snow melts?" Colton asked. He had been so quiet that Ava barely noticed he was there and he was looking cautiously out the window. With his broken leg, he had to sit in the very back to stretch it out along the seats.
"Colton!" mom said sharply as she entered the car. "Don't say something like that in front of your sister!" She looked at Josie who was still hysterically laughing and occasionally muttering "wet dirt". The thought of my dad's dead body floating up West Peak Street gave me more chills than the thought of staying with the Pegro's.