The snow seemed to be coming down harder than it had been about ten minutes ago, or maybe it was just being blown around more by the wind. Either way, I wished that I was home where it was warm.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into going out in this storm, Emma." I lamented.
"It wasn't this bad when we left home," my sister said "besides, you volunteered for this, Brad, so quit pissing and moaning."
My big sister was right, as usual. It had been her idea to go cut a Christmas tree that afternoon, and I was more than willing to help.
It was December 18th. Our parents had decided to spend Christmas and New Years with our aunt and uncle in Arizona. They had been gone two days. Now I envied them.
"Are you sure you two will be okay while we're gone?" mom had asked me and Emma a few days before they left.
"We're sure, mom," I assured her "you and dad have a good time; don't worry about us."
"We'll be fine, mom," Emma added "and don't worry, I'll keep baby brother here in line while you're gone -- no parties or rum in the eggnog for him."
Mom laughed as she placed clothes in a suitcase.
I did not laugh. I was eighteen and although Emma was four years my senior I resented how she pulled rank on me at times.
"Oh, shut up!" I snapped as I gave my sister a shove by her shoulder.
Mom gave us a worried look. "I hope I don't come home and find that you two have killed one another." she said.
"You won't," my sister piped up. "you might find Brad dead, but you can always adopt another son." Emma laughed as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders tight and ground her knuckles into the top of my head.
I felt a strange mix of sensations -- Emma's breasts pressed to my back and arm, as well as her hard knuckles rubbing on my skull. They hurt, but what concerned me was my growing erection. I broke free from my sister and gave her a glare as I brushed back my hair.
As I sat in the front seat of Emma's Buick watching large flakes of snow fall I wished I was with our parents, or anywhere warmer.
Despite her age, Emma welcomed the Christmas season with all the excitement and joy of a child. It was infectious. The biggest curmudgeon on the planet would get in the Christmas spirit after a few hours around Emma. At that moment that curmudgeon was me.
Emma's car sped along the narrow, snow-covered dirt road. The Christmas tree that my sister and I had cut stuck out a couple of feet from the trunk of the car. Banks of snow perhaps four feet high lined each side of the road from where the plough had pushed it aside after the last storm over a week ago. I thought that Emma was going too fast considering the snow and ice on the road, but given how stubborn my sister was I knew that if I had have voiced my concern she would have sped up. I kept silent and wished I had a St. Christopher medal, even though I wasn't Catholic.
When Emma and I were kids our dad and our Uncle Steve, dad's older brother, had built a camp on a piece of property about an hour's drive from our house. Once Emma and I grew older we lost all interest for camping; so did Uncle Steve's kids, Kelli and Brian. We found other ways to occupy our time. Spending a weekend camping with your parents in the back of beyond is not a cool thing to do when you're a teenager. Dad sold his half of what the camp was worth to Uncle Steve, with the agreement that we could still cut a tree each Christmas on the property. The two acres of land was dotted with pine and spruce which made excellent Christmas trees. It had become a family tradition to go up there each year and get a tree. This was the first year that we were not joined by our father.
"It is a pretty bad storm, isn't it?" Emma said, looking nervous.
"You're just figuring that out?" I snapped, watching the snow fall.
Emma turned her head and stuck out her tongue, then laughed. Her eyes stayed on me a while as she observed the frown on my face; too long.
I really can't blame my sister for not having seen the deer run across the road in front of us because I didn't either. It was as though it came out of nowhere. An instant later it was leaping over the bank on the opposite side of the road and into the woods.
"Look out!" I screamed as I pointed towards the buck with large antlers galloping across the road.
I heard Emma swear as she hit the brakes. I could feel the ass end of the car slide one way, then another. The bank of snow along the road to my right seemed to be charging towards the car. Emma turned the wheel and tried to correct her spin, but it was too late. The car fish-tailed once more before it careened into the wall of snow.
I managed to brace myself on the dash just as my side of the car slid into the snow at the edge of the ditch. For a moment I wondered if I was dead. Emma was gripping the steering wheel, staring straight ahead.
"Fuck!" she shouted, banking her fist on the dash.
My sister threw the car into reverse and pushed down on the accelerator hard -- too hard. I could hear the wheels spinning. For a moment it seemed like we were going to get out of the snow bank, then I felt the rear end of the car slide further to my right. Now we were deeper than before; maybe even in the ditch.
"Stop spinning, Em," I said "you're only making it worse."
"I know what I'm doing, Brad," she snapped "I've been driving longer than you."
I clenched my jaw and fought the urge to argue. That would not help.
"I'll get out and push." I said.
The passenger side door was up against the heap of snow. All I could see was snow as far as half-way up the window. Emma climbed out of her side to let me out.
I walked around the car, trying to figure out which direction would be the best to push. Either way seemed hopeless. The car was lodged in the snow bank pretty good -- maybe up to the axle on the back end. I lowered my centre of gravity and shoved as hard as I could on the front of the car while Emma gunned the engine. When I saw the back end slide and sink deeper on the snow I knew it was useless to push. I shook my head and walked around to the driver's side.
"It's no use, Em," I said "it would take at least three people to push us out. We need a tow."
"Shit." Emma spat out.
Once again my sister hit the dash with her fist. She turned the car off.
The sky had begun to turn dark. The wind had picked up too. I shoved my hands in my coat pockets and shivered.
"Call 911 and tell them we need a tow truck here." I said.
"Uh... you're not going to like what I have to tell you." my sister said with a nervous look.
"What?"
"My cell phone... it's home, charging." I think I saw fear in my sister's dark eyes as she waited for my response.