First Snow

When Hanna opens the curtains on Saturday morning, the world is white. It is the first snow of the year, and the street, the cars and the trees are all covered.

She puts on her boots, her coat, a hat and gloves, and goes outside with a shovel. The snow is soft and very deep. It comes up to her knees.

An old man lives across the street. Hanna sees him every day, but they never talk. Today, he is at his door, looking at the snow with a worried face.

Hanna crosses the street. “Good morning! Do you need help?” she asks. “My back hurts, and I can't use the shovel,” he says. “I need to go to the pharmacy today.”

Hanna clears the snow in front of his door and makes a path to the sidewalk. It takes half an hour. Her cheeks are red and her hands are cold, but she is happy.

Then they walk to the pharmacy together, very slowly, arm in arm. His name is Ivo. He was a teacher for forty years, and he knows the name of every tree in the street.

When they come back, Ivo invites her in for a hot chocolate. His house is warm and full of books and plants. On the wall, there are photos of the street covered in snow, from fifty years ago.

“The first snow always brings something new,” Ivo says. Hanna smiles. Outside, it starts to snow again, but now she knows she has a friend across the street.