The Warmth of Spring

The Warmth of Spring

"Maaaa-om!" The youthful voice broke Kaya's reverie as she stared out the window through the rising steam of her coffee. Outside, the world was a white haze - at least what little she could see of it through the ice-glazed panes.

Rubbing a small spot on the window, she saw the pale outline of the bunny snowman she and her son had built. Glancing at the calendar, Kaya confirmed that it was the 25th of April. That's right, Easter was last week.

Oliver entered the room with his hair still spiky from sleep, his pajamas stretched and baggy. "Good morning, little man," she said. His face lit up in a welcoming smile.

"I think we're going to have...," she stretched her sentence out, "a jammy day!" Kaya was rewarded with a big smile.

"What would you like to do?" she queried. She watched as his face scrunched up in concentration as he thought. Watching his serious expression, she smiled as she remembered – what had it been, two years ago? – when his face was covered with freckles. There was just the faintest trace, almost like dust, that remained of that time.

As his face brightened again, signaling that he had reached a decision, Oliver said, "A story day! I'd like a story day, Momma."

"Again?" Kaya asked in mock horror.

"Yes, Mom. You said I could choose."

"Okay then, a story day it is! But, first, come over to the table. Your cereal is there and, as a special treat, a banana!"

"Really?" was his awed response. Even at 7, Oliver was aware that fruit of any type was seldom available.

It had been 3 years since the government scientists had come up with a plan to combat global warming. Kaya didn't know the details even though it had been on all the front pages. What she vaguely remembered was that it had something to do with collecting pollutants from the air and sending them into space.

The idea was to form a shield around the Earth that would reflect a little of the sunlight and would counteract the increasing temperatures from greenhouse gasses.

It was more successful than they ever imagined. The resultant cooling had marked the first year that it snowed until July and spring never came.

After breakfast, Kaya and Oliver curled up in the living room. Kaya took their favorite quilt off the back of the wingchair and soon they were snuggled down.

"Well, what story would you like to hear?" she asked, a smile creasing the corners of her lips. She already knew the answer.

"Mom," he said, "you know ... the happy story!"

Kaya pulled him close, surrounding him with her arms, and began.

"The sun was once much warmer and, at this time of the year, the snow would be gone. The trees would start to grow, their green leaves appearing overnight and magically transform the world into a beautiful green place. It would be sooo bright that the color would paint the air." She paused and asked, "Have you ever smelled the color green?"

Oliver dutifully shook his head "No." Kaya playfully pinched his nose and continued. "Here and there, the bravest of the flowers would poke through the earth and wonderful colors would cover the ground. Bright yellow daffodils and cherry-red bleeding hearts ..."

Kaya's voice continued but Oliver was already drifting into the images she was conjuring in his mind with her familiar words. He turned slightly, burrowing closer into the comfort of his mother's lap and felt the unremembered warmth of spring.

An entry for "The Earth Day Challenge" 
Prompt: Earth Day.
Word Count: 592