frostbite || n.h. au

chapter one || days

Author’s Note: Since the characters are from Toronto, Canada, they don’t call their parents “mom and dad” instead they use “ammi and abbu”  or “mum” for mom a variety of other things (I am using “Ma” and “Abu”). I just thought it would be more realistic. I thought I’d say that before you start reading and get all confused.

*You pronounce “Abu” as awh-boo*

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“And now days go by, but I never needed you. We were just wasting time.”

- Days // The Drums

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“I thought you said Mayville was warmer, Abu,” I said after watching the snow hit the windshield.

“It is, Heather. By a few degrees or so.”

“That’s not warmer, that’s still freezing-your-ass-off temperature.” My dad chuckled for a response and Ma glared at me. I rolled my eyes.

My father was not really much of a talker, neither was he a reliable person. My mother on the other hand could chat for hours and had the temper of a 5-year-old, but at least she was honest. And quite blunt at times.

“I’ll have to agree with your daughter, Charlie. ‘No more having to wear coats everyday! No more slipping on ice in the morning!’” she ranted, attempting to lower her voice to mock my dad, “This doesn’t look like any tanktop-wearing town to me. It’s no different than Toronto.” I smirked in the backseat when Dad started huffing and puffing.

“Well, I was more referring to the summers. Plus, this is their coldest year yet,” he murmured.

“You let me put on a T-shirt before we left, Charlie!” Mum gestured to the dark blue tee I had seen her in this morning. I snickered and my dad grumbled curses under his breath.

As my parents continued in their little quarrel about the climate, I decided to get a good look at the place. It wasn’t a bad looking town at all. It was quite cute, actually. Most of the houses were no more than two stories high, their widths ranging. Knowing that I was going to be living in a small town kind of excited me in a way. I felt like small towns were cozy and quiet and everyone knew everyone and you could just roam around and do anything you wanted. At least, that’s how they are in the movies and such.

Our little Toyota Corolla pulled into the dirt next to what I assumed to be the new house. It actually was one of the largest in the neighborhood. It wasn’t two stories, it was just wide. The only thing I disliked so far about it were the little array of dying bushes that sat in front of the porch. They looked kind of depressed in a way. Stripped of water completely. However, the rest of the view was pretty pleasant to the eye. It was a nice white house, no chipping paint or rusty door hinges from what I could see.

“Is this it?” I asked, to confirm my assumptions.

“Yep. This is the one,” Abu said.

“It’s a pretty nice one. I don’t like the greenery in the front. Or I guess you could call it brownery,” I pointed out.

“Well deal with that later. We have some unpacking to do. And by we I mean you too, Heather,” Ma told me. I groaned quietly, but she still heard me, resulting in a glare and an index finger directing towards the outside of the car.

“Alright, alright.”

~

My arms hurt. I think I had lifted and moved about twenty thirty pound boxes in and out of rooms and around the house for the past three hours. Abu grunted as he placed the sofa against a wall in the living room and I sat on it.  It felt so nice to sit. My bum was  melting as I sunk down into the comforting cushion.