She looked out the window.
Looks like it is going to snow soon, she said to herself. Better get myself ready for it when it comes.
She got up from her chair. Her rocking chair. Lines formed on her forehead, between her eyes, for a brief moment. She reached to brace herself, holding on to the edge of the window, shifting her weight. Her other hand touched lightly on her thigh. She applied slight pressure, the lines returning to her face again.
Squinting, she looked out the window again. The trees, now bare, shook as if cold. Yes, it is cold, she thought to herself. I must start preparing.
Slowly, she stretches her body straight, straining to put the full weight of her skinny frame on the two limbs beneath it.
One step at a time, she told herself. One step at a time. I cannot hurry, but I must not dally.
As quickly as she could manage to move her feeble body, she half-limped towards the other end of the room. One step. Two steps. And she fell with a loud thud.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she perked her ears. Nothing. A small breath escaped her chapped lips.
Putting all her strength into her small palms, she pushed herself off the timber floor. It took almost all her energy just to stand on her shaky legs.
Just a few more steps, she reminded herself. Just a few more.
The first flake of snow hit her window. She looked, aghast. And as she turned her head abruptly to look at the door just a few steps away, she lost her balance, and fell with another thud. One much louder than the one before, she was sure of it.
She didn’t bother to get up this time. She heard a holler coming from downstairs, followed by the heavy footsteps up the timber staircase. A precious droplet fell from her eye as she let her energy drain away.
The snow started to fall, gently painting the landscape in shades of white and grey. And as her husband left the room, she looked up at the window, now painted with droplets of red.
