A cold day

Hello, my name is Jacob Hall and I was sitting at my favorite spot on campus, the cafe where I spent many days studying for my exams. I'm a college student at the University of Florida, where I study the culinary arts and history. Here it's sunny and warm all year long, today though seems a bit different for some unknown reason, the tea I am drinking is a bit plainer than it usually is. Today was also the first day of spring, and the smell of a grill caught my nose, it reminded me of home in Easton Wisconsin.

There I used to help out my Grandparents in their little leaf green Cafe, it was near this wonderfully huge Willow tree. That place was a place where people came to unwind and just relax with good food and great coffee my Grandpa used to make. I haven't been home in a couple of years, I just haven't had the time to take a break from school. I wish I could take a vacation for a weekend at home, that's just what I need right now.

I was getting up from my chair when I felt my cell phone buzz in my pocket, I had forgotten to turn my volume up on my cell after my morning classes. I opened my cell to see six missed calls from my Dad, then a text from mom saying, "Please call your dad he has something important to tell you." I froze for a moment then I called Dad back, "Hello, Son are you there?" He said with a raspy voice, he sounded like he's been crying or something. "Yes Dad, I'm here what's going on, why do you sound like that?"

Dad was silent for a moment, "Son your Grandparents are dead son." He said almost crying on the phone, I felt a tear rolling down my cheek. I placed my phone down by my side and I started to cry in the middle of the School's cafe. Everyone in the area looked at me like I was crazy then I lifted my phone to my ear again. "How did they die Father?" I asked my dad and he waited for a moment then cleared his throat with a cough. "They were coming home from vacation and their car went off the road into a river. That one near the old train tracks by the bridge, they died from drowning in the river."

I held back my tears and I told dad, "I will be coming home right away, I just need to let the school know what has happened." I then hung up the phone and put it in my pocket, a girl from one of my classes came to see if I was alright. "Jacob are you feeling ok, that conversation has really upset you." I turned to her and said, "My grandparents died in a car crash, that was my father telling me what all happened." Before I knew it she hugged me and said: "I'm so sorry for your loss Jacob, I can see you're trying to be strong but I am here if you need me."

I gently pushed her away and I headed to my apartment, there I packed my clothes and I headed to the Dean's office and told them. "I am leaving school for my Grandparent's Funeral I might be gone for a week." The Dean got up from their chair and hugged me, "Take the time you need, I know how important they were to you." They said to me and thanked them and I headed for the airport where I headed home for the first time in two years. There I boarded the plane and I sat down by the window, there I looked out to the sky for a couple of hours.

Here I was now, I've caught you up on what's going on now, with me looking out this window, pretty isn't it, looking at all these fields of green? This person next to me is snoring like a bear and smells like one. I think I will take a nap for an hour till we land in Wisconsin, (I fade into a deep sleep for an hour dreaming about my childhood.) The plane began to land and the flight attendant woke me up, "Sir we are here, it's time to get up sir." She said to me and I woke up staring at the dark cold spring night in Wisconsin.

We landed all the way and I went to bagged claim, there I grabbed my stuff and headed to the parking lot. I was calling for a taxi when I saw my old friend, my old friend Amy Smithfield, I've known her ever since I was eight. She saw me and drove over to me, "Ah that ain't you Jacob my old friend from Easton is it?" She said to me and I said back to her, "Yeah it's me, Amy, it's really good to see your face." She blushed and then ask as she pulled her ballcap down a bit, "We're you headed?" I told her that I was heading home because of the Funeral in a couple of days.

She pulled up her hat when I told her about my grandparents, she hadn't heard about that news. "I am heading that way anyways do you want a ride old friend?" She asked me and I accepted her offer and I jumped into her old Ford pickup. Then we headed to Easton, it was a thirty-minute ride so we had time to talk more. "Heard from your brother that you've been going for your history degree and a cooking thing?" Amy asked me and I laughed a bit, "Ha, ha, yes ma'am, I've been climbing for both actually, that's why I haven't been home in a couple of years."

Amy smiled, "That sounds like you, you always put so much plate to the point you forget the people around you." She said slapping my chest with her fist, she lived on an old farm just on the outside of Easton. Her ma used to bring her into the Cafe when I was helping Grandpa make coffee. One thing lead to another and we became very close, much like family, whenever I need help or need a shoulder she was there. I sat there in the seat silent for a moment and what she said a moment ago rang true in my ears. I tend to put so much work in front of me that I tend to forget to take a moment to take a break.

"You're right Amy, maybe when I am here I can reconnect with my home, I have really missed this place so much," I said and Amy slowed down for a moment to pull into my Parent's driveway, I thanked her for the lift and she headed home. I came up to the old ranch home and I turned the doorknob, I walked in and I saw the little light my dad's chair was on. I walked over to the chair quietly to see him asleep waiting for me to come home. I smiled and I grabbed a small blanket and covered him up, I walked up to my room and turned on the light.

To my surprise, it was the same as when I left, posters on the wall from my favorite sports team and pictures of me with my brother and cousins at my Grandparents. I walked over to the picture of me making coffee with Grandpa, the frame was dusty, so I whipped it off and placed it back down. When I sat down on the bed I saw my mother was watching me the whole time, I stood back up and I crossed the floor with haste. I hugged her tightly as she cried a bit, "It's good to be home ma, it's been hard without yall of by my side."

She put her right hand on my right cheek and said, "Get some sleep son, we have to go to the funeral house in the afternoon." I smiled and I said goodnight to her and I went to bed, I didn't even get undressed I just went to bed. That was the best sleep I had in a long time, at school I barely slept so this was a nice change of pace.